《A Stern Mistress from the Ancient Past Becomes the Cannon-Fodder in a Wealthy Family》


 Chapter 1

    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Yuan Shu sat on the bed and she looked around.


    She was woken up by a knock on the door, but when she opened her eyes, she wasn¡¯t in her room.


    She was originally the legitimate daughter of a family of generals and the mistress of the Xiang Family. The day before yesterday, she had just been conferred the title of First Class Lady. At night, there was a family banquet and she became a little drunk, so she returned to her room to rest. Now that she woke up, she realized she wasn¡¯t on the carved bed that she was familiar with. The brocade blanket and undergarment were not hers either. Instead, she was wearing a strap that didn¡¯t even cover her chest and exposed her back¡ªor rather, it was more suitable to be called a bellyband.


    Yuan Shu frowned. This environment was too different from the one she lived in. There were roses placed at the head of the bed, casually placed slippers, and a dress casually thrown on the ground. Everywhere was a mess. At this moment, some memories that didn¡¯t belong to her appeared in her mind.


    Her name was Yuan Shu. She was no longer the mistress of the family, but the heiress of the Ji An Group. She had been pampered since she was young, which led to her current unruly and cocky personality. As long as she liked something, she had to get it no matter what.


    On her 18th birthday banquet, she fell in love with the current president of the Shi Corporation, Shi Xiao, at first sight and pestered him for three years. However, this young master was always aloof and didn¡¯t respond to her advances at all.


    Seeing that she couldn¡¯t win President Shi¡¯s heart by showing weakness, Miss Yuan could only force herself on him.


    A month ago, the two of them met again at a cocktail party. Yuan Shu was still as clingy as before and insisted on toasting him. However, after drinking that glass of wine, Shi Xiao¡¯s vision became more and more blurry. He could only vaguely remember that it was Yuan Shu who helped him back to his room.


    When he woke up the next day, his phone was filled with messages congratulating him on his marriage. They said that he and Yuan Shu had spent the night together, so their marriage was a done deal.


    Half a month later, the two of them got married. However, Yuan Shu never saw Shi Xiao again.


    As Yuan Shu processed these memories, she realized that she was no longer the head of a prestigious family, but a dependent woman that survived on so-called love.


    Looking at this room again, she realized it seemed that there was no man living there. It seemed that the owner of this body wasn¡¯t favored. Moreover, this body was thin and weak. It didn¡¯t have the physique of someone who had practiced martial arts since she was young. It seemed like the body of someone who would faint after running a few steps.


    Yuan Shu sighed. There was nothing she could do now, so she could only comfort herself that she should take things as they came. She could train herself in the future. During this period of time, she should think about how to deal with the mess here.


    At this moment, there was a knock on the door, accompanied by a female voice.


    ¡°Madam, are you done packing? If you¡¯re done, come downstairs and take a look. Miss Chu has been waiting for you for a long time. She even lost her temper just now.¡±


    Miss Chu? Who was she? She came to disturb her without notice and even flared up at her?


    Yuan Shu had never seen such an uninvited person since she could remember. After she became the head of the household, no one dared to throw a tantrum in front of her. Therefore, today¡¯s encounter made her feel curious.


    The person outside the door became more and more anxious.


    ¡°Madam, hurry up. Sir is not at home now. Don¡¯t be willful.¡±


    ¡°Madam, Miss Chu is pregnant with Sir¡¯s child. If anything happens, things will be troublesome.¡±


    ¡°Madam¡­¡±


    The more anxious the outside world was, the calmer Yuan Shu became. Moreover, how could a servant urge her master to do something? It could only mean that the work ethics and professionalism of this servant needed to be improved.


    What she should do now wasn¡¯t to respond to this uninvited ¡°guest¡±, but to familiarize herself with this unfamiliar environment.


    Besides, she was the female head of the household. Miss Chu, who became pregnant out of wedlock, was probably one of those hookers who dreamed of going from rags to riches and wanted to blackmail her into giving her an official status.


    In that case, she should ignore her a little longer so that she wouldn¡¯t forget her identity.


    ¡°Madam!¡± The maid outside the door, Li Yue, knocked a few more times. Seeing that there was still no movement inside, she couldn¡¯t help but mutter.


    Strange, the previous two times this Miss Chu came, Madam was so angry that she threw and smashed things right after hearing her name. Why was she so calm today? Could something have happened?


    Li Yue was a little anxious. Yuan Shu had a bad temper and liked to put on airs. If it wasn¡¯t for the Shi family¡¯s rule that she had to report everything to Madam when Sir wasn¡¯t around, she wouldn¡¯t have come to provoke her.


    However, Miss Chu wasn¡¯t an easy person to deal with either. Her name was Chu Mei. She debuted as an idol two years ago and in just a year, she transitioned to the film and television industry. After acting in two television dramas, she became popular and was hailed as the ¡°most popular actress.¡±


    Be it snatching resources or gaining fans, she had quite a few tricks up her sleeve.


    She couldn¡¯t afford to offend either side, so she might as well stabilize one side first. Just as Li Yue wondered if she should refill Miss Chu¡¯s cup of tea and ask her to wait a little longer, Miss Chu came up the stairs.


    Chu Mei was charming. Under her arched eyebrows, there was a pair of amorous eyes. Her facial features were well-defined but feminine. Her lips were rosy and her teeth were white. When she smiled, she looked very charming.


    She shielded her abdomen with one hand and held the staircase railing with the other as she asked with a frown, ¡°Is Madam still unwilling to see me?¡±


    Chu Mei was a little anxious. The Shi family was her last chance. If she didn¡¯t seize it, her career and even her life would be over.


    Shi Xiao was missing now, and only Yuan Shu was left. Although Yuan Shu was the eldest daughter of the Yuan family, she was actually a fool, so she could definitely deceive Yuan Shu¡­

 Chapter 2

    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Chu Mei kept cheering herself on while thinking about how to fool Yuan Shu later. However, she had an innocent expression on her face.


    Seeing her like this, Li Yue also felt a little awkward and said warily, ¡°Madam might not have woken up yet. Miss Chu, you¡¯re still pregnant, so why don¡¯t you go down and wait?¡±


    As Li Yue looked at Chu Mei¡¯s slightly bulging stomach, she pondered over it.


    Yuan Shu wasn¡¯t favored. Sir only married Yuan Shu because this woman used a dirty trick, but Miss Chu was different. Sir had always been chaste, so if Miss Chu was pregnant, it meant that he definitely liked this person. Now that Sir was missing and his whereabouts were unknown, this child might be Sir¡¯s only bloodline.


    Thinking of this, Li Yue knocked on the door again and urged Yuan Shu again.


    Chu Mei sized up the renovation of the corridor on the second floor.


    The carpet was pure wool and extended from the staircase to the end. The carvings on the door were all hand-carved and the vases were porcelain. Even the decorative wall lights were from famous French design brands.


    Not only on the second floor, but from the moment she stepped into the villa, everything she saw was extremely lavish.


    The Shi family was extremely powerful, but Yuan Shu enjoyed all these riches.


    The more Chu Mei thought about it, the more envious she became. Shi Xiao and the Shi family were things she could see but couldn¡¯t obtain. However, she wasn¡¯t greedy. She had always known when to advance and when to retreat. She knew what to touch and what not to think about. As long as she could deceive Yuan Shu this time, what she could get was enough for her to live a life that ordinary people would never be able to achieve in their lifetime.


    At the thought of this, Chu Mei went forward and personally knocked on the bedroom door.


    ¡°Mrs. Lu, I¡¯m Chu Mei. We should talk.¡±


    Yuan Shu stood in front of the full-length mirror as she sized up her reflection.


    The person in the mirror didn¡¯t have any makeup on her face. Her appearance was similar to hers, but there were some minor differences. They both had almond-shaped eyes, but the dark circles under her eyes were heavier. Her skin looked well-maintained, but her lips were somewhat purple. She probably had a heart problem.


    Yuan Shu found the bathroom in the room and according to her memories, she tried to figure out which side was the hot water. After adjusting the water temperature for a while, she started to run the water.


    In the past, these things were done by servants, but the servants of this era didn¡¯t seem to have any basic work ethics or professionalism. As Yuan Shu thought about it, she missed her personal maid.


    However, this era was very strange. The furnishings in the house were all western style, but they were matched with ancient-style shelves.


    The servants of this era had no work ethics and professionalism, but many artifacts of this era were interesting and convenient to use. For example, this bathtub. As Yuan Shu thought about it, she thought of its name. This thing was quite convenient, since she didn¡¯t have to pour water in over and over again or walk back and forth to carry water.


    As Yuan Shu soaked in the hot water, the warmth brought her back to her senses. She slowly processed these memories and tried her best to adapt to the mindset and lifestyle of the people of this era.


    In this era, women could attend school regardless of their status. This was a good thing. However, this woman with the same name as her didn¡¯t seem to be smart. She only knew how to pester a man when she might as well seize the opportunity to improve herself.


    Yuan Shu vaguely remembered that she seemed to have seen a few books at the head of the bed. She could find time to read them to help her understand the characteristics of this era.


    While Yuan Shu was still pondering, Chu Mei, who was outside the door, couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore.


    She had already waited for nearly an hour but had yet to see Yuan Shu. If this continued, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to find a backer.


    Chu Mei suddenly thought of a plan. Using her acting skills, she held her stomach and slowly squatted down as she gasped. ¡°My stomach¡­ why does it suddenly hurt so much?!¡±


    Li Yue hurriedly went forward to support her and didn¡¯t forget to shout for the other servants to get a doctor.


    Just as the two of them were in a frenzy, the door in front of them opened.


    When Yuan Shu opened the door, she saw the two panicked people and the other servants who were at a loss.


    She frowned and sized up the chaotic scene with displeasure written all over her face. The other servants lowered their heads and waited for her to speak. Chu Mei and Li Yue, who were familiar with Yuan Shu, were stunned.


    Yuan Shu seemed to be different from before.


    The woman in front of them was no longer as impetuous as before. She was shrewd and graceful now. She was only wearing a small black dress and didn¡¯t wear any jewelry. Even her hair was only casually draped over her shoulders, but she was like a high and mighty queen looking down at a clown who was putting in a lot of effort to perform.


    When Li Yue came back to her senses, she stammered, ¡°Madam, you¡¯re finally out. Miss Chu said that her stomach suddenly hurt, so I called the family doctor.¡±


    Chu Mei immediately pretended to be weak and she looked up at the expressionless Yuan Shu as she said, ¡°Madam, don¡¯t misunderstand. I don¡¯t want to snatch your position. I just want to talk to you about this child¡­¡±


    Before Chu Mei could finish speaking, she was interrupted by the ringing in the room.


    Yuan Shu thought about it and remembered that this thing seemed to be called a ¡®phone¡¯.


    Someone must have called.


    Relying on her memory, Yuan Shu found the phone on the carpet and picked up the call.


    A wary male voice came from the phone. ¡°Is this Madam? Fourth Young Master and Third Young Master Tan got into a fight. They¡¯re at the police station now. Is it convenient for you to come and pick them up?¡±

 Chapter 3

    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Fourth Young Master? Yuan Shu recalled that he was her husband¡¯s fourth brother, Shi Bin. If he got sent to the police station after he had an argument with someone, the police station was most likely a place people handled cases, right?


    Thinking of this, Yuan Shu frowned.


    It was already embarrassing enough for a child from a prominent family to quarrel with someone on the street. Now, they even got sent to the police station and actually wanted their elder to pick them up. How shameful and laughable! If other families found out, they would definitely lose face!


    Chu Mei and Li Yue saw that Yuan Shu had picked up a call, but then her expression became very ugly. For a moment, they didn¡¯t know what had happened.


    Chu Mei gritted her teeth and boldly stepped forward again. ¡°Madam, this child¡­¡±


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t say anything. She only glanced at Chu Mei, but it made Chu Mei stop.


    How strange. In the past, Yuan Shu didn¡¯t have such an intimidating aura. She only knew how to throw a tantrum and smash things while telling her to shut up and get lost, but today, Yuan Shu only glanced at her. However, Yuan Shu looked so intimidating that she didn¡¯t dare to make a sound anymore.


    Yuan Shu ignored this group of people and returned to her room to get something before walking downstairs.


    Li Yue and Chu Mei were stunned. Didn¡¯t Yuan Shu come out to talk about the child? Where was she going?


    Without thinking, Li Yue chased after Yuan Shu to stop her. As she chased her, she shouted, ¡°Madam, please don¡¯t go yet. Talk to Miss Chu first! Madam, where are you going?¡±


    Yuan Shu stopped in her tracks and turned around to look at Li Yue coldly as she said, ¡°Are you the master or am I the master? Is there a need to report to you where I go? You seem to want to order me.¡±


    Li Yue suddenly stopped in her tracks and said awkwardly, ¡°No, I was just too anxious. Please forgive me.¡±


    Yuan Shu ignored her and instructed someone to prepare a car. She wanted to go to the police station.


    In the car, the driver couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Madam, why do you suddenly want to go to the police station? We¡¯ve already reported Sir¡¯s disappearance.¡±


    As Yuan Shu looked at the scenery outside the window, she replied calmly, ¡°To pick up Fourth Young Master.¡±


    ¡°Pick up Fourth Young Master?¡± The driver was even more puzzled.


    In the entire Shi family, not even a pet puppy could get along with Yuan Shu, especially Fourth Young Master!


    He was young and impetuous, and he felt that Yuan Shu had used some dirty tricks to marry his brother. Whenever he interacted with Yuan Shu, he made things difficult for her. Therefore, if something happened to Fourth Young Master, no matter what, Yuan Shu shouldn¡¯t be the one to pick him up! Moreover, hadn¡¯t she always ignored the Shi family¡¯s matters? Why did she suddenly want to interfere today?


    Could it be that hell had frozen over today? The driver stole a glance out the window, then he dismissed the idea.


    Before the driver could figure it out, Yuan Shu waved the thing in her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll discipline him after I pick him up.¡±


    The driver glanced at Yuan Shu from the corner of his eye through the rearview mirror. He saw Yuan Shu holding a belt in her hand. It was two fingers wide and was probably made of top-grade calfskin. It even had a faint luster.


    The driver fell silent. Was this still the squeamish Madam he knew? She actually wanted to hit Fourth Young Master? She actually dared to hit Fourth Young Master?!


    Was Madam possessed or something?


    When the car arrived at the entrance of the police station, Yuan Shu saw the driver sitting in the car without moving, so she became unhappy and ordered with a frown, ¡°Open the door.¡±


    Hearing Yuan Shu¡¯s voice, the driver finally came back to his senses. He hurriedly got out of the car and opened the car door for Yuan Shu. As he wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and looked at the impatient Yuan Shu, he finally felt more at ease.


    This expression was more like Madam.


    As Yuan Shu watched the driver¡¯s actions and recalled her previous memories, she took note of this scene.


    The driver looked at Yuan Shu, who was standing at the entrance of the police station in slippers. He couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Are you really going to pick up Fourth Young Master? Why don¡¯t I call Second Young Master and ask him to discipline him?¡±


    As Yuan Shu looked at the driver¡¯s troubled expression, her gaze became fierce as she said, ¡°What? He fought with someone on the street and caused so much trouble that he even got sent to the police station. Can¡¯t I discipline him? I¡¯m his sister-in-law!¡±


    He dared to fight with others on the street today and got sent to the police station. If he wasn¡¯t disciplined properly, he might cause even more trouble tomorrow. It would be fine if he was the only one who bore the responsibility, but if the entire family was implicated, it would be a big deal.


    If she didn¡¯t discipline him now, it would be too late to regret it in the future!

 Chapter 4

    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Yuan Shu became more and more determined. In the past, her husband had died early and she could only rely on herself to support the entire Xiang family. Now that her husband was missing, since she was the head of the family, she had to pull Fourth Young Master back to the right path as soon as possible. She couldn¡¯t let him implicate the entire family!


    Yuan Shu clenched the belt in her hand and walked into the police station.


    As the driver stared at her back figure, he vaguely felt that something had changed. However, he couldn¡¯t tell what had changed. He could only sigh as he thought to himself that if Madam couldn¡¯t handle it, he would call the Second Young Master and ask him to settle it. He only hoped that nothing bad would happen.


    ¡°May I ask where Shi Bin is?¡± Yuan Shu happened to meet a young police officer when she entered and asked politely.


    The Shi family was prominent, and Shi Bin was a profligate young master, so his name was naturally very famous. The young policewoman said, ¡°You must be Madam Shi. Mr. Shi is inside. Please follow me.¡±


    Before the Host got married, she always relied on her status as the eldest daughter of the Yuan family to lord over others. She hung out with all sorts of celebrities and models, so she appeared in all kinds of tabloids.


    After she got married, because Shi Xiao kept a low profile, she had no choice but to keep a low profile. There were even tabloids that said that after she got married, she ¡°turned over a new leaf and became a new person.¡±


    It had only been two years since the young policewoman graduated from university. When she was in school, she had read a lot of tabloids, so she was very familiar with Yuan Shu. However, Yuan Shu had disappeared from the news in the past two years. Therefore, the young policewoman¡¯s impression of this Madam was still on her exaggerated eye makeup and glamorous red lips.


    Thinking of Yuan Shu¡¯s past, the young policewoman stole a few glances at Yuan Shu. She saw that Yuan Shu was wearing a long black dress. Her hair was draped over her shoulders and her shoulders were straight. She walked with an indescribable elegance and charm. The young policewoman couldn¡¯t help but marvel. It seemed that Yuan Shu had really turned over a new leaf.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yuan Shu sensed the policewoman¡¯s gaze and turned her head slightly to ask her.


    The young policewoman blushed when she was caught peeping. Before she could think of a way to explain, she saw the detention room in front of her, so she hurriedly said, ¡°Mr. Shi is here. He¡¯s in a bad mood, so please be mindful.¡±


    With that, she ran away without waiting for Yuan Shu to thank her.


    As Yuan Shu watched her leave, she felt a little puzzled, but she still pushed the door open and walked in.


    The confinement room was very small and the bed against the wall was only half a meter wide. As Shi Bin sat there dejectedly, e looked very disheveled.


    Yuan Shu sized him up. The young man was tall and slender. He was wearing jeans and a tattered white cloth that looked like a shirt. His body was covered with dirt, making him look like a homeless stray dog.


    The young man must have heard footsteps. He suddenly raised his head and met Yuan Shu¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Yuan Shu?¡± Shi Bin¡¯s voice was filled with disbelief. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    The young man raised his head, making it easier for Yuan Shu to see his face clearly.


    His hair was dyed silver-white, and he was about 17 years old. He had bold eyebrows and bright eyes, and his skin was fair. He looked like a stereotypical young master from a noble family.


    However, there was a wound at the corner of his mouth and a bandage on his head. He looked at her fiercely with an impatient and irritable expression, but the bandage on his forehead made him look a little comical.


    ¡°He looks like an injured stray dog,¡± Yuan Shu thought to herself.


    ¡°I received a call from the police station to pick you up and bring you home.¡±


    Shi Bin snickered, but in the next second, he gasped in pain, causing him to dislike Yuan Shu even more. ¡°This should be handled by my eldest brother¡¯s secretary or my second brother. What has it got to do with you? Who are you to interfere?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your sister-in-law, so I naturally have a reason to interfere.¡± Compared to him, Yuan Shu was very calm.


    Shi Bin snorted. He had heard this many times in the past. Just as he was about to mock her, he met Yuan Shu¡¯s eyes. Those eyes no longer revealed ignorance and conceit like before. Instead, they looked very calm.


    Shi Bin¡¯s anger subsided and he observed his nominal sister-in-law.


    Her hairstyle didn¡¯t change, nor did her facial features. The difference was that she didn¡¯t wear heavy makeup. Her gaze wasn¡¯t as fierce as before, nor did she look at him with disgust, nor did she shout in exasperation. She seemed to have gone from a valiant rooster to an elegant and calm swan. Even the way she looked at him was as if she was sizing up an unimportant stranger.


    Shi Bin swallowed hard and suddenly felt afraid.

 Chapter 5

    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Yuan Shu pulled a chair and sat down. Then, she asked, ¡°Tell me, why did you fight?¡±


    Shi Bin subconsciously argued with her. ¡°What makes you think I¡¯ll tell you?¡±


    Yuan Shu wasn¡¯t angry. She only asked the police to help open the door of the confinement room, then she walked in.


    ¡°So what if you come in? I¡­ Ah!¡± As Shi Bin was arguing, he didn¡¯t expect Yuan Shu to raise her hand. With a crisp sound, the belt was thrown to the ground with a whoosh. Shi Bin was frightened by this and cried out in alarm.


    ¡°Can you tell me now?¡± Yuan Shu asked indifferently.


    Shi Bin stared at Yuan Shu blankly.


    ¡°Are you crazy? Are you going to hit me?¡±


    Before Yuan Shu could speak, there was a commotion outside the door.


    The door was slammed open and a young man about Shi Bin¡¯s age strode in. There was a large group of people behind him. Those who had just shouted for him to calm down went mute the moment the door was kicked open.


    The young man closed the door and blocked the people behind him outside the door as he mocked, ¡°How old are you? You can¡¯t win, so you reported it to your parents? Are you even weaned yet? The person you called over isn¡¯t even your brother. Oh, I forgot that your brother is missing, so we don¡¯t even know if he¡¯s dead or alive.¡±


    Hearing the other party mention his brother, Shi Bin suddenly stood up and was about to rush forward when his wrist was suddenly grabbed.


    ¡°What? Do you still want to fight? Come, come, come! If you have the ability, hit me. Come¡­¡± Tan Zhao was still provoking him.


    Pa! Another crisp sound was heard. The belt was whipped at Tan Zhao¡¯s feet and barely brushed past his ankle, startling Tan Zhao so much that he jumped back like a frightened rabbit.


    ¡°Who plotted against me?¡±


    The arrogance on Tan Zhao¡¯s face disappeared completely. His face was a little pale as he looked at Yuan Shu and the belt in her hand.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Tan Zhao felt that the woman in front of him looked familiar, but he couldn¡¯t remember her name.


    Looking at Tan Zhao¡¯s pale face, Shi Bin couldn¡¯t help but laugh. As expected, happiness was built on the pain of others.


    ¡°My name is Yuan Shu, and I¡¯m Shi Bin¡¯s sister-in-law.¡± Yuan Shu answered the question. What was strange was that Shi Bin didn¡¯t retort this time.


    Tan Zhao froze for a moment before he suddenly remembered Yuan Shu¡¯s identity.


    ¡°You¡¯re Yuan Shu? Shi Bin, your sister-in-law isn¡¯t bad-looking, but she¡¯s too irritable. She even uses a belt to scare people, like a tigress. No wonder no one likes her and she couldn¡¯t get married, so she had to rely on scheming against your brother to marry him.¡±


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t say anything and only looked at Tan Zhao coldly. Her eyebrows were raised and her thin lips were pursed. She looked dignified and intimidating.


    Under her intimidating gaze, Tan Zhao slowly shut his mouth. He had a bad feeling.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go first. Don¡¯t cause trouble for the police officers.¡± With that, Yuan Shu turned around and walked out.


    Shi Bin followed behind Yuan Shu and walked out. When he passed by Tan Zhao, he even glared at him fiercely. Tan Zhao wasn¡¯t afraid and immediately glared back.


    After Yuan Shu finished the bail procedures, the three of them walked out of the police station. However, Tan Zhao couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Is the Shi family going bankrupt? You actually need Madam Shi to personally handle such a small matter? Has the secretary been laid off?¡±


    Yuan Shu turned around and side-eyed him as she said, ¡°You don¡¯t even have a family member who cares about you. Are you very proud about it?¡±


    Tan Zhao¡¯s mocking expression froze on his face. He wanted to retort, but after a long time, he couldn¡¯t think of a powerful counterattack. He only snorted coldly.


    Shi Bin, who had witnessed everything, suddenly smiled. Why didn¡¯t he know that Yuan Shu, who had lost to him in arguments every time, had such a silver tongue? Had she received guidance from some expert?


    Yuan Shu took two steps forward, but didn¡¯t hear any footsteps. When she turned around and realized that the two of them were still standing on the spot, he beckoned at Shi Bin and gestured for him to follow quickly.


    Shi Bin felt that Yuan Shu seemed like she was beckoning a dog, and it was really embarrassing in front of Tan Zhao. However, he had no choice. He couldn¡¯t sit on the ground of the police station and say that he wasn¡¯t leaving. Besides, his phone was broken when he fought with Tan Zhao. He couldn¡¯t even get a taxi or call a driver to pick him up, so he could only swallow his anger and follow Yuan Shu.


    Shi Bin walked to Yuan Shu¡¯s side, but Yuan Shu didn¡¯t turn around. Instead, she continued, ¡°Third Young Master Tan, please sit in my humble abode.¡±

 Chapter 6

    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Tan Zhao was a little puzzled. His intuition told him that it was a trap. Just as he was about to refuse, he was provoked by Shi Bin, who was watching. ¡°Young Master Tan, you can¡¯t possibly be afraid to come, right? Fair enough. After all, you¡¯re not valued by your family. Any errand boy can deal with you.¡±


    When Tan Zhao heard this, he immediately agreed to Yuan Shu¡¯s invitation and mocked Shi Bin. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I dare to go? As for you, you only know how to tattletale to your parents and hide behind women. That¡¯s all you¡¯ve got?¡±


    The two of them mocked each other as they walked towards the Shi family¡¯s car. Shi Bin was the first to enter the car.


    Tan Zhao glanced at Shi Bin, who was sitting in the back seat. He didn¡¯t want to sit with him, so he snorted and went to the front passenger seat.


    Seeing that they had both chosen their seats, Yuan Shu sat down as well.


    The tense atmosphere in the car made the driver afraid to speak. He stole a glance at the rearview mirror as he guessed the situation. Then, he retracted his gaze and focused on driving.


    The four of them were silent the entire way. They quickly returned to the Shi family¡¯s villa.


    In the villa, the family doctor had already examined Chu Mei, who was fine. At this moment, Li Yue understood that Chu Mei was just acting. Her stomachache was all an act and perhaps her pregnancy was also fake.


    Chu Mei was more cunning and sly than Yuan Shu. If she married into the Shi family, wouldn¡¯t she cause mayhem?


    Chu Mei leaned back against the sofa comfortably as she looked at the warm tea and snacks on the table and she said gently, ¡°I¡¯m pregnant, so I can¡¯t drink tea. Please pour me a cup of fruit juice to replenish the child¡¯s vitamins.¡±


    Li Yue was somewhat speechless, but she didn¡¯t intend to ignore Chu Mei. Just as she was about to turn around and do as she was told, she heard the sound of a car parking outside.


    Yuan Shu and the others arrived home.


    Li Yue ignored Chu Mei and turned to walk towards the door. She didn¡¯t believe that Yuan Shu could really bring the Fourth Young Master back, so she wanted to see how miserable Yuan Shu was.


    Soon, Yuan Shu walked in with Shi Bin and Tan Zhao behind her.


    Li Yue was stunned. Yuan Shu had really brought Shi Bin back?


    Seeing them enter the room, Chu Mei hurriedly stood up and greeted them. She even touched her abdomen as she said, ¡°Madam, you¡¯re back. Can we talk now?¡±


    Shi Bin noticed her and sized her up as he snorted. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Hello, Fourth Young Master. Hello, Young Master Tan. I¡¯m Chu Mei.¡± Chu Mei lowered her head gently and put on a pitiful appearance.


    Her days of filming allowed her to know which angle she looked best from and which angle made her look delicate and fragile. Unfortunately, this time, Tan Zhao, who had a low EQ, was here.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve seen you on television before. You¡¯re the one who slacked off during performance when your idol group debuted, right? You even acted in a mentally retarded television drama last year. Your acting skills aren¡¯t good either, and you only know how to glare and stick out your tongue. However, your figure is not bad. You look quite sexy in a swimsuit. Two days ago, I think someone filmed you returning to the hotel with another man in the middle of the night. Who was that man?¡±


    Chu Mei¡¯s smile froze on her face.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the threshold of the Shi family was so low now. Any Tom, Dick, and Harry can sneak in?¡± Shi Bin had been holding back his anger since he fought with Tan Zhao and entered the police station. After Yuan Shu picked them up, he had been mocked nonstop. Now that he finally found a place to vent his anger, he immediately vented all his anger on Chu Mei.


    Chu Mei could no longer maintain her smile, and her expression became uglier.


    If she remembered correctly, today was the first time she had seen Fourth Young Master and Third Young Master Tan. She had never offended them before.


    In the end, one of them had been glowering at her since he entered the room, while the other mocked her and exposed everything she had done. What was going on?!


    ¡°Fourth Young Master, I¡­¡± Chu Mei squeezed out two drops of tears as she tried to explain pitifully.


    ¡°Enough, go upstairs now.¡± Yuan Shu didn¡¯t let the two of them argue with Chu Mei anymore.


    It was fine if two descendants of aristocratic families fought in the street, but if the two of them quarreled with Chu Mei and word got out, wouldn¡¯t they be laughed at for bullying a weak woman? Moreover, they were bullying Chu Mei in her own home. The media might fabricate an even more ridiculous story!


    Hearing Yuan Shu¡¯s words, Shi Bin shut his mouth without a word. But on second thought, he felt that something was wrong.


    Why should he listen to her? Shi Bin was about to retort when he saw Tan Zhao walking upstairs.

 Chapter 7

    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    On the one hand, Tan Zhao came to the Shi family because he was angered by Shi Bin¡¯s provocation. On the other hand, he was indeed curious as to why Yuan Shu invited him. Madam Shi wasn¡¯t as ill-mannered as the rumors said. On the contrary, she seemed to care a lot about rules and discipline. Did she invite him to the Shi family to avenge Shi Bin or apologize to him?


    Seeing Tan Zhao striding upstairs, Shi Bin turned around and followed him.


    He couldn¡¯t let Yuan Shu act recklessly! If she really bowed and apologized to Tan Zhao, wouldn¡¯t that embarrass him?


    Seeing that the two of them had gone upstairs, Yuan Shu followed them, leaving behind the stunned Li Yue and Chu Mei.


    Was this still the Fourth Young Master who usually went against Madam? Why was he so obedient today? What method did Madam use to make Fourth Young Master so obedient? And why was Third Young Master Tan so obedient as well? Li Yue couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    Tan Zhao walked in the front. When he reached the second floor, he sized up the decorations and commented, ¡°The color of your wallpaper is too old-fashioned. The carpet patterns are not sophisticated enough. The wall lights are not bad, but the vase is not in line with the aesthetics of the times¡­¡±


    The second floor was mostly used as a guest room to entertain guests and there was a small conference room at the end of the corridor. The door was open, so Tan Zhao swaggered in and sat on a chair. ¡°Madam, aren¡¯t you going to give me a cup of tea?¡±


    Shi Bin, who was following behind, kicked the stool Tan Zhao was sitting on. When Tan Zhao jumped up and wanted to fight with him again, Yuan Shu suddenly whipped the palce beside Tan Zhao¡¯s leg with a belt. The wind brought about gently brushed past Tan Zhao¡¯s ankle, raising goosebumps all over his body.


    ¡°It seems that Young Master Tan¡¯s family hasn¡¯t taught you well. As a descendant of a prominent family, how should you behave? Today, I¡¯ll reluctantly teach you what manners and rules are on behalf of your family!¡±


    Tan Zhao looked at Yuan Shu with a pale face. He didn¡¯t expect this woman to really stand up for Shi Bin.


    Yuan Shu waved his hand and whipped Tan Zhao¡¯s thigh again.


    Tan Zhao was caught off guard and jumped up in pain.


    This whip was extremely heavy. For a moment, Tan Zhao thought that his leg was broken. He hurriedly dodged to the side. As he dodged, he cursed angrily, ¡°Are you crazy? How dare you hit me?!¡±


    Yuan Shu was born into a family of generals. When she was young, she watched her brothers and father practice martial arts. She didn¡¯t like to learn embroidery from the women in her family, so when she was five years old, she begged her father to teach her martial arts too. The veteran general felt that it was ungraceful for a lady to learn how to fight, so he only taught her how to ride, shoot, and whip.


    When Yuan Shu was 16 years old, because her horsemanship was extremely outstanding and she was good at whipping, she was called ¡°The Lady on Horseback¡± by those people in the military camp. When she lashed out, the sound of the whip piercing through the air was like thunder and carried immense force. Not to mention hitting a person, just the wind the whip brought with it could make the other party feel her strength and might.


    She had only used 60% of her strength when she whipped Tan Zhao just now, and she had not practiced martial arts for a long time. If the 16-year-old Yuan Shu were to beat Young Master Tan, his skin and flesh probably would have been torn apart.


    Shi Bin was also stunned. He had never thought that his sister-in-law would be so ruthless when she hit people. He hurriedly took two steps back, since he was afraid that he would suffer as well.


    On the other side, as Tan Zhao dodged, Yuan Shu whipped him hard on the butt.


    After Tan Zhao suffered two whips, tears welled up in his eyes.


    He was the youngest in the family and had been pampered since he was young. Furthermore, since he had a few capable brothers above him, he didn¡¯t need to worry about the family business at all, so his family didn¡¯t discipline him much. In addition, he had a younger uncle who had been in the army before and he had learned a lot of combat techniques from his uncle. This led to him being a ¡°little tyrant¡± in his social circle. Few people could defeat him.


    This was the first time Young Master Tan had been beaten up in his entire life.


    As Tan Zhao dodged, he thought that this might be the reason why Yuan Shu wanted to bring them out of the police station. After all, if she beat him at the police station, there would be people stopping her, but if Yuan Shu brought them to the Shi family¡¯s home, there would be no one to stop her.


    Unlike Tan Zhao, who was escaping in a miserable state, the more Yuan Shu beat Tan Zhao, the handier the whip felt. She became more and more proficient in whipping Tan Zhao. Every whip landed on Tan Zhao¡¯s legs, back, and buttocks accurately.


    Shi Bin stood at the door as he watched Tan Zhao, who was being beaten up. He said with schadenfreude, ¡°Tan Zhao, why don¡¯t you apologize to my sister-in-law? Even I feel the pain when I see you being beaten.¡±

 Chapter 8

    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Tan Zhao was still dodging the belt with all his might, but soon, he discovered that he couldn¡¯t dodge it at all. When he heard Shi Bin¡¯s mockery, he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Don¡¯t be so smug. If you have the guts, take a few whips! If you don¡¯t shout after three whips, I¡¯ll call you Daddy!¡±


    Shi Bin fell silent.


    Even Tan Zhao couldn¡¯t dodge or resist, so how could he dodge? Besides, Yuan Shu was really ruthless. He could imagine the pain just by watching.


    Seeing that there was no hope of resistance, Tan Zhao hurriedly begged for mercy.


    ¡°Alright, alright! I was wrong! If you continue, I¡¯ll be hospitalized!¡±


    ¡°Damn it! It hurts! Yuan Shu! Sister Yuan! Stop hitting me!¡±


    ¡°Sister-in-law, I¡¯ll call you Sister-in-law, okay? Stop hitting me!¡±


    ¡°Damn it! Are you done? If you hit me again, I¡¯ll¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do? Report it to your parents?¡± Yuan Shu filled the second half of his sentence, her tone filled with disdain.


    Tan Zhao fell silent. He had just mocked Shi Bin at the police station for calling his parents when he couldn¡¯t win in a fight. Now, he was being mocked for it. Besides, if he really did that, wouldn¡¯t he be laughed at? How could he hold his head up in the future if he was beaten so badly by a woman that he had to call his parents?


    Seeing that Yuan Shu had no intention of stopping, Tan Zhao begged for mercy again. ¡°I was wrong. I¡¯ll apologize! I¡¯ll apologize to you, okay?¡±


    He was really afraid that Yuan Shu would beat him to death in the Shi family¡¯s home.


    Between his pride and his life, he knew which was more important.


    Shi Bin looked at Tan Zhao, who had already curled up into a ball while apologizing, then at Yuan Shu, who was holding a belt. The corners of his mouth twitched.


    So even someone like Tan Zhao would admit defeat at times.


    Yuan Shu finally stopped and looked at Tan Zhao with a smile. ¡°Then what should Young Master Tan do?¡±


    Tan Zhao gritted his teeth and straightened up. He rubbed his aching butt as he said unwillingly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Yuan Shu narrowed her eyes and slowly raised her head as she asked, ¡°Is this your attitude when you apologize?¡± As she spoke, she raised her hand that was holding the belt again.


    ¡°No, no. I just haven¡¯t apologized to anyone before, so I don¡¯t know how to.¡± Tan Zhao trembled in fear when he saw her posture and hurriedly explained, ¡°Why don¡¯t you give me a hint on how I should apologize?¡±


    As Yuan Shu looked at Tan Zhao¡¯s careful expression, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh and say, ¡°Think about what you said at the police station today.¡±


    Tan Zhao was enlightened and immediately bowed to Yuan Shu. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Madam. I shouldn¡¯t have offended you. I shouldn¡¯t have badmouthed you, nor should I have offended you. I didn¡¯t mean to, but I blurted it out. Those words aren¡¯t my true thoughts. Please forgive me.¡±


    ¡°Is this¡­ okay?¡± Without Yuan Shu¡¯s response, Tan Zhao didn¡¯t dare to straighten his back. He could only raise his head slightly and carefully observe Yuan Shu¡¯s expression.


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t respond to him. She only tilted her head and looked at Shi Bin. ¡°What about him?¡±


    Shi Bin and Tan Zhao were both stunned. Tan Zhao stammered, ¡°I have to apologize to him too?¡±


    ¡°You hit him.¡±


    ¡°But he hit me too!¡± Tan Zhao was indignant, but when he looked up, he saw Yuan Shu grabbing her belt again.


    ¡°Alright, alright, alright! I¡¯ll apologize. I¡¯ll be polite. I¡¯m a good young man now. I¡¯ve changed my ways.¡± Tan Zhao reluctantly turned around to face Shi Bin and squeezed out an awkward but polite smile. ¡°Fourth Master, I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have fought with you or badmouthed your brother. It won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    Shi Bin¡¯s expression was still dark, but he felt gratified for getting revenge.


    ¡°Can I leave now?¡± Tan Zhao asked carefully.


    He could finally tell that although Yuan Shu seemed gentle and virtuous in public, she was actually ruthless!


    Her reputation for being unruly and willful was an underestimation. She was fierce and unreasonable! Just based on the way Yuan Shu beat him up today, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if she killed someone in the future!


    ¡°You can leave.¡± Yuan Shu didn¡¯t even look at him. She straightened the belt in her hand.


    Yuan Shu¡¯s hands were very beautiful. They were slender and fair. Just by looking at Yuan Shu¡¯s hands, one could tell that she was a beautiful person.


    However, Tan Zhao had no time to admire Yuan Shu¡¯s hands now. After receiving Yuan Shu¡¯s permission, he ran away without looking back. He limped as he held onto the stairs, as if there was a monster chasing after him.


    Downstairs, Chu Mei and Li Yue exchanged looks of dismay.


    The villa¡¯s soundproofing was very good, but Yuan Shu didn¡¯t close the door when she was teaching Tan Zhao a lesson. The sound of her beating Tan Zhao up and Tan Zhao¡¯s wails and pleas for mercy were heard clearly by the people downstairs.


    Chu Mei¡¯s face turned pale and she instinctively shielded her abdomen. She had a feeling that Yuan Shu was making an example of Tan Zhao and that she would teach her a lesson after dealing with Tan Zhao.


    Just as she was thinking about it, Tan Zhao¡¯s limping figure appeared in front of her.

 Chapter 9

    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Although Tan Zhao hadn¡¯t treated her nicely before, Chu Mei knew very well that if she established ties with the Tan family, she would be well-off. Therefore, she went forward to show her concern for Tan Zhao.


    ¡°Are you okay? Madam is really rough. She shouldn¡¯t have hit you, let alone hit you so hard.¡±


    It would have been better if she hadn¡¯t mentioned it. The moment she did, Tan Zhao knew that the sound of him being beaten was probably heard by them.


    Tan Zhao gritted his teeth and straightened his body. He pretended to be fine. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Madam wasn¡¯t rough. I was the one who was unreasonable.¡±


    Chu Mei was speechless. Tan Zhao didn¡¯t want to interact too much with her, so without looking at her, he left the Shi family¡¯s home with the assistant who had been sent to pick him up.


    The atmosphere in the conference room was also very awkward.


    Shi Bin had never been alone with his ¡°sister-in-law¡± before.


    In his memory, this woman who had used all sorts of tricks to marry his brother had caused every family banquet to end on bad terms. She was like a chihuahua with mania. No one could coexist peacefully with her.


    But today, not only did Yuan Shu go to the police station to pick him up, but she also helped him teach Tan Zhao a lesson and avenge him. This was too out of the ordinary.


    Just as Shi Bin¡¯s thoughts were running wild, Yuan Shu unbuckled her belt and whipped Shi Bin¡¯s butt.


    Damn it! It hurt so much!


    Shi Bin, who was caught off guard, was beaten onto the table. He finally understood why Tan Zhao had only suffered two whips before tears flowed.


    This was simply torturing! It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that it was like skinning and pulling out one¡¯s tendons! He felt as if a layer of his flesh had been shaved off!


    Shi Bin gritted his teeth. ¡°Why did you hit me?!¡±


    Yuan Shu took her time and found a suitable spot to stand behind him.


    ¡°I hit him because he bullied you, he cursed, and disrespected the Shi family.¡±


    ¡°I hit you to teach you the rules. The first whip just now was because you chose to solve the problem in such a despicable way. You didn¡¯t care about the reputation of the Shi family at all.¡±


    Yuan Shu raised her hand again and whipped exactly the same spot.


    ¡°The second whip is because you have no respect for your elders. I¡¯m your sister-in-law, so you shouldn¡¯t shout at me.¡±


    Shi Bin endured the pain of the second whip and didn¡¯t shout.


    His mind was in a mess. He didn¡¯t like his sister-in-law. In the past, not to mention lying on the table obediently while being whipped, he would quarrel with her almost every time he saw Yuan Shu.


    But today, Yuan Shu went to the police station to pick him up and helped him teach Tan Zhao a lesson so that he could apologize to him. After Shi Bin thought about it, he didn¡¯t hate Yuan Shu as much as before.


    At this moment, Yuan Shu spoke again.


    ¡°These two whips are to tell you the reason why you were beaten up. The next few whips are for you to remember the mistakes and rules. Don¡¯t make them again in the future.¡± With that said, the belt continuously whipped Shi Bin¡¯s butt.


    Shi Bin didn¡¯t resist anymore and obediently laid on the table to be punished.


    After she whipped him ten times, Yuan Shu stopped. This time, she threw her belt aside and went out to call for a family doctor.


    Shi Bin only got up from the table when he heard the sound of the belt hitting the ground. His butt was almost numb from the beating and he only felt a burning pain.


    ¡°It¡¯s over?¡±


    When he was being beaten, Shi Bin didn¡¯t make a sound. But when he spoke, he realized that his voice was extremely hoarse and had a nasal sound. He didn¡¯t sound imposing at all. Instead, he sounded like he was wheedling, so Shi Bin¡¯s body stiffened for a moment.


    Yuan Shu pretended not to notice it. ¡°We¡¯re family. I just taught you a lesson, so remember the pain. Or do you want to do it a few more times?¡±


    Hearing that she was going to do it again, Shi Bin subconsciously reached out to cover his butt, but stopped halfway.


    If he covered his butt, it would seem as if he was afraid of her. Wasn¡¯t it just a little painful? He would be a changed man soon!


    However¡­ his family¡¯s words were like a small stone that caused ripples in his heart, causing him to forget to remind Yuan Shu that she wasn¡¯t a member of the Shi family, as he usually did.


    Yuan Shu watched as the doctor came up and pointed at Shi Bin. ¡°Check his injury. Treat his forehead and the corner of his mouth carefully so that there won¡¯t be a scar. Check the other areas carefully too. Make sure his muscles and bones aren¡¯t hurt.¡±


    Shi Bin, who had just come back to his senses, blushed. He knew that she was referring to the wound on his butt caused by the belt. He looked up in embarrassment and met Yuan Shu¡¯s teasing smile.


    ¡°You can go call Tan Zhao ¡®Daddy¡¯. I¡¯ll be your witness.¡±

 Chapter 10

    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Yuan Shu¡¯s sudden teasing stunned Shi Bin.


    Yuan Shu was beautiful to begin with, but she had been dressed too old-fashionedly before. In order to show that she was the wife of the head of the family, she always wore heavy makeup, making her look old and mean.


    Now that she was no longer wearing heavy makeup and was dressed in a way that suited her, she was like a blooming rose. She was gorgeous, but not vulgar. Her eyes were sparkling, like a clear lake. She was so beautiful that she was glowing.


    Shi Bin coughed and turned his head awkwardly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go downstairs first. Treat your wound and go rest.¡± Yuan Shu walked out after saying that. She only asked the doctor to treat his injuries.


    When Yuan Shu arrived downstairs, Chu Mei was long gone.


    When Yuan Shu was teaching Shi Bin a lesson, Chu Mei couldn¡¯t sit still anymore.


    This woman was too terrifying. She taught Shi Bin a lesson so ruthlessly and even dared to interfere in the affairs of outsiders. If Tan Zhao had resisted and won, she would have been so scared, but a seventeen to eighteen-year-old youth who was at the peak of his physical strength was beaten up by a ¡°weak woman¡±. It could be seen how tough Yuan Shu was.


    Chu Mei barely maintained her composure. After bidding farewell to Li Yue, she hurriedly ran out of the Shi family¡¯s villa. She only felt safer when she sat in the car.


    ¡°Miss Chu, do you want to go home or to the hospital now?¡± The driver looked at the pale Chu Mei and asked worriedly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­ to the hospital first. I¡¯m not feeling well.¡± Chu Mei held her stomach.


    In the beginning, her stomachache was an act to gain the sympathy of Yuan Shu and her servants. However, after hearing the crisp sound of leather belts hitting flesh and Tan Zhao¡¯s painful cries, Chu Mei¡¯s abdomen began to ache for real.


    She had a feeling that Yuan Shu was openly threatening her not to cause trouble. Otherwise, the outcome would be ten thousand times worse than that of the two people who were beaten up today.


    The driver drove onto the road steadily.


    Chu Mei leaned against the seat for a while before taking out her phone to call the number she knew by heart. As usual, she hung up after three rings. After she waited for about two minutes, the call returned.


    ¡°I remember telling you not to call me for the time being,¡± A man said with displeasure.


    ¡°I went to look for Yuan Shu, but things didn¡¯t go well.¡± Chu Mei felt a little wronged, but she couldn¡¯t lose her temper at this person, so she could only swallow her anger and explain.


    ¡°Yuan Shu seems to have gone crazy. She even dared to hit people.¡±


    ¡°Crazy? Isn¡¯t that better? Yuan Shu is brainless to begin with. If she goes crazy, wouldn¡¯t you have a better chance? Are you an idiot? You can¡¯t even handle such a simple thing well.¡±


    Chu Mei felt even more aggrieved. What she said was completely different from what the man was thinking.


    ¡°You better hurry up. The Li family already feels that something is wrong and is coming back,¡± the man on the other end of the phone suddenly said.


    ¡°Shi Xiao has been missing for almost half a month, so that crazy lap dog Li Ci is coming back to help his good friend deal with the situation. This time, he¡¯s bringing Li Ran with him. If she finds out about us, she might do something.¡± The man chuckled. ¡°So, Chu Mei, you¡¯d better solve the problem quickly.¡±


    When Chu Mei heard him say this, she broke out in cold sweat.


    Li Ran was the wife of Gao Shan, the CEO of the entertainment company she was in. She was also the most beloved little sister of the current head of the Li family. She dated Gao Shan at university. After graduation, she married Gao Shan and helped him establish Star Creation Entertainment.


    No matter how one looked at it, the two of them were a match made in heaven. However, unfortunately, after Li Ran was diagnosed with a blocked fallopian tube and she couldn¡¯t get pregnant, Gao Shan started to keep celebrities outside. and the conflict between the couple deepened.


    However, Li Ran was actually hopeless romantic. She refused to get a divorce no matter what and even refused to let Gao Shan have mistresses outside.


    However, Gao Shan had already been womanizing for a year. How could he let it go just like that? Thus, this couple was like a cat catching a mouse. Gao Shan secretly kept mistresses while Li Ran caught them one by one. None of the mistresses she found ended up well.


    Chu Mei was one of Gao Shan¡¯s many mistresses. Moreover, a month ago, she found out that she was pregnant with Gao Shan¡¯s child. The fetus was already two months old.


    When he first found out about this, Gao Shan was very against her giving birth to the child. It would have been fine if Li Ran hadn¡¯t discovered it, but once she did, not only would Chu Mei suffer, but Li Ran might also look for her uncle in a fit of anger.

 Chapter 11

    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Not only was the Li family very involved in the business world, but they also had some political background. Gao Shan was nothing compared to them.


    However, Chu Mei didn¡¯t think so.


    If this child was born, then this child would be Gao Shan¡¯s only legitimate successor in the future. Moreover, she was still young. She heard that Li Ran¡¯s health hadn¡¯t been good for the past two years. If Li Ran died early, she could become Gao Shan¡¯s legitimate wife. She could rise to the top and enjoy wealth for the rest of her life.


    Wasn¡¯t this an easier life than having to accompany people in the entertainment industry to drink in exchange for resources?


    Thus, Chu Mei discussed it with Gao Shan. After knowing that Shi Xiao was going to Africa, Chu Mei had a plan.


    Three days after the pregnancy test, there was a cocktail party. Chu Mei was the spokesperson of that brand, so she naturally had to go. Shi Xiao also received an invitation.


    Chu Mei planned to put the drug in the wine and let Shi Xiao drink it under the ruse of a toast. She had already contacted the paparazzi to wait outside the hotel and take photos of her and Shi Xiao returning to the hotel together.


    At that time, she could ask Shi Xiao to be responsible and there would have an explanation for the child.


    However, plans couldn¡¯t keep up with changes. She had arranged everything, but Yuan Shu came along.


    Chu Mei watched as Shi Xiao drank the wine she toasted. Before she could rejoice, she was pushed to the side by Yuan Shu. Everything happened according to plan, but the protagonist became Yuan Shu.


    Fortunately, her hotel was in the same hotel as Shi Xiao¡¯s. The two of them left the hotel one after another and were photographed by the paparazzi who had been waiting for them, so the paparazzi spread rumors that she was Shi Xiao¡¯s mistress.


    However, at that time, Shi Xiao had already gone to Africa and had no time to deal with this trivial news, giving her a chance to take advantage of the situation.


    Chu Mei pursed her dry lips. As long as she confirmed that she was Shi Xiao¡¯s lover, Li Ran would let her off even if she didn¡¯t believe it.


    Chu Mei forced herself to calm down and asked Gao Shan, ¡°I can look for Yuan Shu again and try to resolve the matter as soon as possible. But are you sure that Shi Xiao won¡¯t come back alive?¡±


    ¡°Shi Xiao disappeared in Africa. It¡¯s not easy to survive there.¡± Gao Shan sneered as he said, ¡°The Ebola virus, plague, lack of water resources, and ferocious wild animals will ensure his death. You can rest assured that Shi Xiao won¡¯t return.¡±


    ¡°He really won¡¯t come back again, right?¡± Chu Mei still felt flustered and couldn¡¯t help but confirm again.


    If Shi Xiao returned and found out about all of this, it was very likely that he would join forces with the Li family. At that time, her outcome would be even worse!


    ¡°If you¡¯re really afraid, abort the child!¡± Gao Shan began to get impatient. ¡°You came up with the solution. You¡¯re the one pregnant with the child. If you regret it now, hurry up and abort the child while you¡¯re still early in the pregnancy. Don¡¯t regret it when you¡¯re about to give birth.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not regretting it. I¡¯m just a little afraid. I went to look for Yuan Shu today, but she was acting very strange¡­¡±


    ¡°How strange can she be? So what if she¡¯s crazy? The crazier she is, the better it will be for us! No one will believe the words of a lunatic!¡±


    Perhaps he felt that his tone was too aggressive, Gao Shan calmed down and comforted her. ¡°Alright, Chu Mei, what are you afraid of? Even if she has really changed, can she kill people? Moreover, you¡¯re pregnant with Shi Xiao¡¯s child. Not to mention that it¡¯s impossible for Shi Xiao to return now, so what if he does? If you¡¯re pregnant with his child, won¡¯t the entire Shi family have to protect you? Don¡¯t worry too much.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°No buts, Chu Mei. You have to know that I¡¯ve been talking to you for too long. I still have work to deal with. I¡¯m hanging up.¡± With that, Gao Shan hung up.


    Chu Mei slowly put down her phone and looked out the window before heaving a sigh of relief.


    What did she do wrong? She only wanted to live a good life with money and fame.


    She had planned this plan for too long, so she couldn¡¯t fail.


    ¡°Miss Chu, we¡¯re at the hospital.¡± The driver came over and opened the car door for her, but Chu Mei had no intention of getting up.


    ¡°Did you hear what I said just now?¡±


    The driver immediately understood. ¡°Miss Chu, don¡¯t worry. Nothing happened in the car just now. I didn¡¯t hear anything. You only said that you¡¯re not feeling well and want to go to the hospital for a checkup. I don¡¯t know anything else.¡±


    Chu Mei nodded and took out a card from her bag before handing it to the driver.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you understand. It¡¯s not easy for you either. I¡¯m much better, so there¡¯s no need to trouble the doctor to check. Go home.¡±

 Chapter 12

    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t react much when she heard that Chu Mei had left. She responded and returned to her room.


    After Shi Bin finished having his wound treated, he stopped the family doctor who was about to leave. ¡°What is Chu Mei doing at home?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but when Sister Yue called me over this morning, she said that Miss Chu wasn¡¯t feeling well and asked me to examine her.¡± The doctor didn¡¯t dare to offend the Fourth Young Master, so he replied honestly.


    ¡°If she¡¯s not feeling well, why didn¡¯t she go to the hospital? Why did she come to my house? Is she trying to scam us?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. Miss Chu said that she¡¯s pregnant with Sir¡¯s child, so she¡¯s probably here to ask Madam for money.¡±


    Shi Bin¡¯s expression darkened as he said coldly, ¡°She¡¯s pregnant? If I remember correctly, the incident between her and my brother happened a month ago, right? But she got pregnant just like that. Could it be that she does pregnancy tests every day?¡±


    The family doctor also found it strange. ¡°Then the timing doesn¡¯t match. If my examination is correct, Miss Chu is at least three months pregnant. Logically speaking, it shouldn¡¯t be Sir¡¯s child.¡±


    Shi Bin rolled his eyes. Wasn¡¯t she trying to take advantage of his brother? He wouldn¡¯t let her off easily. He had to ask Chu Mei what she was up to in person.


    When he went downstairs, Chu Mei was nowhere to be seen. Even Yuan Shu wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± Shi Bin asked with a frown.


    ¡°She¡¯s been gone for a while. Miss Chu said that she¡¯s not feeling well and wants to go to the hospital for a checkup,¡± Li Yue hurriedly replied.


    ¡°Oh, what about Yuan Shu?¡± Shi Bin secretly complained that it was all Yuan Shu¡¯s fault for mentioning that she was his sister-in-law again and again when she was educating him. He had almost been led astray.


    In the past, he had always called Yuan Shu by her name or used ¡°Hey¡± instead. Now, he didn¡¯t dare to call her by her full name in front of Yuan Shu, but he didn¡¯t want to embarrass himself by calling her sister-in-law in front of the servants, so he felt very conflicted.


    Li Yue didn¡¯t notice and replied, ¡°Madam returned to her room to rest. She even told us not to disturb her.¡±


    Shi Bin didn¡¯t pursue the matter. He turned around and went upstairs to his room.


    Yuan Shu wasn¡¯t resting in bed. She was sitting at the desk with the book she had found in the bathroom in her hand.


    This world was too unfamiliar to her, be it food, clothing, accommodation, or those fancy Western equipment. However, although these things were unfamiliar, they weren¡¯t complicated.


    In just a day, she became roughly familiar with them. This was a good thing. At least it showed that her understanding wasn¡¯t wrong.


    She needed to understand and explore the current world. She didn¡¯t need to worry about her original family.


    Her husband had died early and she had no children, but she raised all the children in the clan.


    When she was conferred the title of Madam, the children had already grown up and could fend for themselves. On careful thought, even if she really couldn¡¯t return to her era, there was nothing to regret.


    With this thought in mind, Yuan Shu flipped open the book in her hand.


    If she wanted to understand an era well, she had to read more books about this era. Although some words seemed to be vaguely different in terms of spelling, she could still guess the general meaning based on the context.


    Wait, why were the words upside down? Yuan Shu flipped through the pages again in confusion and realized that the order of reading was different.


    The people of this era actually flipped through books from right to left and read from left to right. Yuan Shu remembered this and made a mental note to pay more attention in the future, so others wouldn¡¯t find out and make fun of her.


    The tea in the cup gradually turned cold, and the sky darkened. Yuan Shu finally put down the book in her hand and finished reading it.


    Just as she placed the book on the table, it actually disappeared into thin air. Yuan Shu didn¡¯t react much to this. She was already numb to all the shock.


    That book was similar to the books she had read in the past. They were all storybooks. The difference was that the female lead of the book was called Liu Lan, and the male lead was called Shi Xiao. The names of the other supporting actors matched the names of the people Yuan Shu knew. Among them, Shi Xiao had an ex-wife who pestered him. Her name was Yuan Shu.


    When Yuan Shu saw these names, she vaguely sensed that something was wrong. It was only when she saw that the plot of Shi Xiao marrying Yuan Shu was almost exactly the same as her memories that she realized that she hadn¡¯t come to another dynasty, but had entered a book. Moreover, in this book, she didn¡¯t have a good ending!

 Chapter 13

    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    After the male protagonist in the book disappeared, he was saved by an innocent and cute girl called Liu Lan. Liu Lan¡¯s kindness and bravery moved the male protagonist, so after his injuries healed, the male protagonist brought Liu Lan back. He wanted to divorce Yuan Shu and promised to compensate her.


    However, in the book, Yuan Shu refused. In order to ruin the relationship between the male protagonist and Liu Lan, she used all sorts of dirty methods. In the end, she was despised by everyone, and her family was destroyed.


    Yuan Shu was shocked that she had actually entered a book and knew the plot.


    However¡­


    All of this had nothing to do with her!


    Her husband fell in love with someone else and wanted a divorce? What did this have to do with her? She didn¡¯t want to be a roadblock on the path of others pursuing love. If that Shi Xiao wanted a divorce, so be it. She should read more books now and integrate into this world as soon as possible to find a way out for herself.


    Her life had never been decided by others!


    Just like that, other than eating, washing up, and sleeping, Yuan Shu spent the rest of the time reading in her room. From history and politics to business management, she was fascinated by all the information in the books. Yuan Shu was like a tree, doing her best to absorb nutrition to enrich herself.


    A week passed in the blink of an eye. Shi Bin finally couldn¡¯t sit still anymore.


    Another morning, when Yuan Shu was about to return to her room after breakfast, Shi Bin stopped her.


    ¡°What have you been doing all this time? You rarely leave your room or the house. Are you going to shut yourself in your room?¡±


    Yuan Shu blinked in confusion. ¡°I¡¯ve been reading. Isn¡¯t it good to be at home? I can drink tea under the air conditioner. Why would I go out when it¡¯s so hot outside?¡±


    Shi Bin was speechless. Just as he was about to retort, the phone in the living room rang.


    The maid picked it up. After a while, she carefully handed the phone to Yuan Shu.


    ¡°Madam, it¡¯s a call from the Tan family. They said that they need you to answer it.¡±


    ¡°Tan Family? Tan Zhao?¡± Yuan Shu thought about it for a while. Tan Zhao was the only person she knew from the Tan family.


    ¡°Damn it! Did that fool Tan Zhao really complain to his parents? What a loser!¡± Shi Bin was a little speechless. He had never looked for his parents after fighting ever since the third grade. He didn¡¯t expect Tan Zhao to be such a sore loser.


    Shi Bin snatched the phone over and said into the receiver, ¡°Tan Zhao, is this all you¡¯ve got? You tattletaled to your parents after you lost in a fight?¡±


    The person on the other end of the phone wasn¡¯t Tan Zhao, but his second oldest brother, Tan Jing.


    ¡°Fourth Master? Please hand the phone to Madam,¡± Tan Jing said coldly.


    How could Shi Bin give the phone to Yuan Shu? It was his fault. Yuan Shu had already helped him clean up the mess once. How could he let Yuan Shu clean up his mess again and again?!


    Shi Bin took the phone closer and suppressed his anger as he said, ¡°Just look for me. It was Tan Zhao who spouted nonsense first and slandered my brother. Now, you only need to tell me if he¡¯s crippled or hospitalized. We¡¯ll pay the medical fees that should be compensated. There¡¯s no need to trouble my sister-in-law with such a small matter.¡±


    Before Shi Bin could hear Tan Jing¡¯s reply, the phone was taken away by Yuan Shu.


    ¡°Second Young Master Tan.¡± Yuan Shu took the phone and said, ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡±


    As Shi Bin looked at Yuan Shu, who was holding the phone, he didn¡¯t know what to say.


    He was originally worried that Yuan Shu would show fear in front of Tan Jing and be at a loss, which would embarrass the Shi family, so he wanted to take responsibility. But in the end?


    Why was Yuan Shu even bolder than him?


    She had beaten up the young master of the Tan family. Now that he was questioning her, she actually asked him why he was looking for her?


    The person on the other end of the phone didn¡¯t expect Yuan Shu to be so arrogant. He paused for a moment before saying again, ¡°Madam, I¡¯m Tan Zhao¡¯s second brother. May I ask if you were the one who beat up my brother?¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t hit me! I fell down myself. I didn¡¯t want to get up, so I rolled on the ground!¡± Tan Zhao¡¯s voice came from the receiver.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Tan Jing didn¡¯t believe Tan Zhao¡¯s obvious lie.


    After he returned from a business trip, he saw Tan Zhao limping. Only then did he find out that Tan Zhao had been beaten.


    Due to his concern for his younger brother, he asked his secretary who stayed behind. He found out that Tan Zhao and Shi Bin fought, then got sent to the police station and returned to the Shi family¡¯s house with Shi Bin after that. When Tan Zhao returned, his body was swollen from the beating.

 Chapter 14

    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    It was impossible for Shi Bin to beat someone up to this extent, let alone the servants. The only person who could have done it was the unruly wife Shi Xiao had married.


    This kind of thing could be big or small depending on how it was handled. It would be fine if it was just Shi Bin and Tan Zhao fighting, but it was different if Yuan Shu interfered.


    This meant that the matter had been made public. This meant that they didn¡¯t respect the Tan family and trampled on their reputation.


    Tan Jing indeed looked down on his younger brother, who idled around every day, but he was his family after all. He had to help his younger brother get revenge. This call that was made after a few days was partly to let Tan Zhao know that his family cared about him, and partly to test the other party.


    As he was thinking about this, Tan Jing heard Yuan Shu¡¯s answer.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Tan Jing was stunned. He thought that Yuan Shu would deny it immediately, but he didn¡¯t expect her to admit it. Was she¡­ looking down on the Tan family?


    Tan Jing was so angry that he laughed.


    ¡°I said, I beat Tan Zhao up,¡± Yuan Shu repeated. Her tone was still calm and breezy.


    Tan Jing gritted his teeth. ¡°In that case, I¡¯m afraid I have to visit you. After all, this concerns the reputation of the two families and our future relationship.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s meet this afternoon. Is it convenient for you, Madam?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    After agreeing on the time, Tan Jing threw down the phone and drank a few mouthfuls of water to calm down.


    Tan Jing didn¡¯t know if Yuan Shu was really that calm or just pretending. In any case, he was furious.


    He was the one who called to denounce Yuan Shu, but not only did he not get an apology, but he also became angrier.


    ¡°Brother, I already said that no one beat me up. Why did you still call them?¡± Tan Zhao was also anxious. He had always been at odds with Shi Bin, and now, his brother insisted on paying a visit. It wouldn¡¯t be long before the news of him losing a fight spread in the circle. It would be such an embarassment.


    ¡°You still have the cheek to say that?! If it weren¡¯t for you, would I have called to ask?¡± Tan Jing glared at his good-for-nothing brother.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to lie and say that you were the one who left those marks. Are you a masochist? Or did you roll around in a belt pile? Not only were you unable to defeat the Shi family¡¯s kid in a fight, but you were also beaten by someone else¡¯s woman. Aren¡¯t you ashamed?¡±


    After scolding his brother, Tan Jing felt better. He tidied his clothes and instructed the servants to prepare the car.


    ¡°Forget it. Shi Xiao has been missing for so long, so it¡¯s time for me to visit the Shi family.¡±


    The Shi family wasn¡¯t peaceful either.


    Shi Bin was about to go crazy when he saw that Yuan Shu had agreed to Tan Jing¡¯s invitation. However, he still waited for Yuan Shu to hang up before going forward.


    ¡°Why did you admit it? Now, what if he comes looking for you?¡±


    Shi Bin was slender and was a head taller than Yuan Shu. If he and Yuan Shu wanted to look at each other, Shi Bin had no choice but to lower his head slightly.


    ¡°What are you planning to do? Tan Jing is now the head of the Tan family. I don¡¯t need to say much about his methods. What about you? You¡¯re a woman. The family dotes on you but didn¡¯t teach you how to deal with these things. How are you going to deal with him?¡±


    After Shi Bin finished speaking, he wanted to see Yuan Shu¡¯s reaction, but he met a pair of mirthful eyes.


    ¡°So you want to take all the blame? It seems that my previous disciplinary action worked. At least you know that you have to bear some responsibility.¡± Yuan Shu was a little relieved and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s good for you to know that you should protect your family. I¡¯ll accept your kindness. However, there are some things that have to be done by the adults in the family, so kids shouldn¡¯t interfere. I can handle it.¡±


    Little kid? Adult? Who was she talking about?


    She was only six to seven years older than him. Why was she pretending to be old?


    When Shi Bin heard her say that, not only did he not relax, but he also felt even more pressured. He couldn¡¯t help but retort, ¡°How can you take responsibility? You can¡¯t bear the responsibility either!¡±


    Yuan Shu raised her eyes and glanced at him indifferently.


    ¡°Then tell me, why did Tan Jing call only a week after the incident and why did he propose to visit?¡±

 Chapter 15

    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    ¡°Because he wants to stand up for his brother?¡± Shi Bin froze for a moment before blurting out. Then, he realized that something was wrong.


    ¡°That¡¯s not right. If he wanted to avenge Tan Zhao, he should have called to question us that night. At the very least, he should have come the next day. If he asked after a week, could it be that Tan Zhao was hospitalized? That¡¯s impossible. I think he ran quite quickly¡­¡±


    As Yuan Shu looked at Shi Bin¡¯s thoughtful expression, she smiled and cleared his doubts. ¡°Tan Jing is the current head of the Tan family. If he had any common sense, he wouldn¡¯t have made a fuss over such a small matter. At least, he wouldn¡¯t have taken so long to appear. This means that he has ulterior motives.¡±


    Yuan Shu paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°Shi Xiao¡¯s disappearance made countless people eager to make a move on the Shi family¡¯s business. As a competitor, the Tan family is naturally no exception. That¡¯s why he¡¯s observing. If your brother is back, then he¡¯ll act like nothing happened. If your brother isn¡¯t back yet, it means that there¡¯s an opportunity. And, he proposed to visit today. Do you know what this means?¡±


    ¡°It means that he¡¯s very interested in my brother¡¯s disappearance and wants to take the opportunity to see my family¡¯s current situation!¡± Shi Bin blurted out.


    Yuan Shu nodded in approval. It seemed that this Fourth Young Master wasn¡¯t that dumb.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I mean, but you don¡¯t have to worry. I have my ways.¡±


    Under Yuan Shu¡¯s comfort, Shi Bin calmed down. However, he was still a little worried. ¡°What if Tan Jing takes the opportunity to do something to the Shi family¡¯s business? You¡¯re not familiar with the company¡¯s operations and management.¡±


    Yuan Shu stood up and was about to go upstairs, but when she heard this, she suddenly smiled.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to worry about that. Rome wasn¡¯t built in a day. The Shi family¡¯s business wasn¡¯t established by your brother. What we have to do is to believe in him unconditionally. We have to believe that the people he nurtured are enough for the Shi family¡¯s business to operate.¡±


    ¡°Then should we wait for Tan Jing to visit in the afternoon?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Yuan Shu looked at Shi Bin and asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t I call the Tan family again and ask them to come now?¡±


    The morning sun was just right. It shone through the window on Yuan Shu¡¯s body and face. She seemed to be a fearless war goddess who brought people radiance and courage.


    As Shi Bin looked at Yuan Shu, his heart suddenly raced.


    When Yuan Shu wasn¡¯t throwing a tantrum, she was quite beautiful.


    At this moment, a weak voice sounded. It was Li Yue.


    ¡°Madam is right, but what if Second Young Master Tan just wants to seek justice for his brother and punish us?¡±


    Indeed, perhaps the Shi family¡¯s businesses had already become a set of continuously operating codes that couldn¡¯t be destroyed by external forces, but they themselves were not. If Second Young Master Tan really came looking for them just to help his brother vent his anger, could they defeat him?


    Yuan Shu looked at her in surprise.


    ¡°Are the bodyguards I hired just decoration? Or are they mascots?¡±


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t take Tan Jing¡¯s visit to heart. She continued to do what she was supposed to do. Shi Bin, on the other hand, was visibly anxious. He even rejected his friend¡¯s invitation to play basketball.


    Yuan Shu returned to the study to read, while Shi Bin looked at his phone. He scrolled through Weibo and played games to kill time. He was so bored that he even memorized some new words. Because he was uneasy, he couldn¡¯t calm down no matter what he did, so he simply went downstairs to the living room to sit and watch television.


    When Yuan Shu came down to get water, she saw Shi Bin lying on the sofa. The television was playing a period drama, and the characters in it were saying mushy lines. Yuan Shu was a little curious, since she was still not familiar with the use of these electronic products. Now that she saw a vivid scene appear on the screen, she couldn¡¯t help but be interested.


    ¡°Can I watch it together?¡± When Yuan Shu¡¯s voice suddenly sounded in Shi Bin¡¯s ears, he was so startled that he trembled.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to scare you.¡± Yuan Shu was a little apologetic. She had forgotten that when people were focused, they wouldn¡¯t notice the changes in their surroundings and were easily startled.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Do you¡­ want to see it too?¡± Shi Bin was a little hesitant. Even though his relationship with Yuan Shu had improved a lot, it didn¡¯t seem to be to this extent.


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t notice Shi Bin¡¯s abnormality. She turned around and sat on the sofa beside him.


    How magical.


    Yuan Shu thought as she stared at the television screen.

 Chapter 16

    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    In this era, entertainment was no longer limited to going to the courtyard to listen to gossip or drink tea. There was no longer a need to write letters when contacting people, where it would take at least three to five days or as long as a few months to receive a response. The distance between people seemed to have become very wide, but a small screen could convey their longing.


    Yuan Shu suddenly thought of the words in ¡°The Tale of Two Cities¡±, which she had just watched two days ago: ¡°This is the best era.¡±


    As for the worst era, she had yet to discover it.


    Unlike Yuan Shu, who was very attentive, Shi Bin, who was beside her, was restless.


    ¡°Should I leave?¡± Shi Bin thought.


    He wasn¡¯t used to interacting with Yuan Shu. In the past, when the two of them didn¡¯t get along, he could slam the door and leave, but now, this reason didn¡¯t seem to be enough.


    ¡°Should I say goodbye and go straight to my room?¡± Shi Bin thought as he looked at Yuan Shu.


    Shi Bin had never sized up Yuan Shu seriously, or rather, judged her in a rational way. In the past, this woman had always caused chaos in the family, so he naturally felt that she was unruly and unreasonable. She seemed mean and emotionless, like a chihuahua without a brain.


    The current Yuan Shu was wearing a white dress. Her hair was tied up simply with a wooden hairpin, but two strands hung down from her temples. Her eyebrows were willowy, and her figure was graceful. As she sat upright on the sofa, the sunlight shone on her, making her look like she was covered in a thin veil.


    Shi Bin was stunned. At this moment, Yuan Shu looked like the heiress of a prominent family.


    The two of them sat there and watched the television drama for the entire morning. They only came back to their senses when the servant came over to ask what they wanted to eat for lunch.


    As Yuan Shu thought of the exotic fruits in television dramas, she suddenly wanted to eat them. ¡°Just prepare some fruits for me. I¡¯m not that hungry. You can ask Fourth Young Master what he wants to eat.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Shi Bin had been distracted and only looked up when he heard himself called out. ¡°Just cook whatever is planned. The nutritionist is more reliable than me.¡± Shi Bin stretched lazily and said, ¡°Cook some meat. The male lead of the television drama is dressed too plainly. He¡¯s like cabbage stewed with tofu. He ruins my appetite.¡±


    Yuan Shu looked at the television again when she heard him say that. It happened to be the male lead¡¯s scene.


    The man was dressed in white. His long black hair was tied with a crown, while his eyes looked cold and fierce. He looked like an otherworldly immortal.


    But if not for his handsome face, he would indeed be as plain as cabbage.


    Lunch was prepared very quickly. There were four dishes, soup, and a plate of fruits. Three of the dishes were meat dishes.


    Yuan Shu wasn¡¯t picky about food, but after observing for a few days, the maid realized that she liked spicy dishes more. However, compared to fruits, her affinity for spicy dishes was really not worth mentioning.


    Shi Bin watched helplessly as Yuan Shu finished the entire plate of fruits and instructed the maid to wash some more cherries. Such exotic fruits and vegetables could only be provided by the royal family in her era. If not for the emperor¡¯s reward, she wouldn¡¯t be able to eat them.


    This era was the best. She could eat whatever she wanted.


    At three in the afternoon, Tan Jing arrived with his secretary.


    On the way here, Tan Jing fantasized about how the Shi family would welcome him. Tan Zhao said that only Shi Bin and Yuan Shu were left in the Shi family, so there wasn¡¯t even a reliable head of the family.


    Tan Jing thought that Madam Shi would wait for him at the entrance of the villa in advance. However, he never expected that when he entered, Yuan Shu was still sitting on the sofa and reading. She didn¡¯t even get up.


    ¡°Madam, Second Young Master Tan is here.¡± Li Yue brought Tan Jing to the living room and greeted Yuan Shu.


    ¡°Madam.¡± Tan Jing greeted her politely and looked at the sofa.


    Shi Bin, who was rumored to be at odds with Madam Shi, was currently leaning against the sofa and playing with his phone. He was extremely quiet. On the other side of the sofa, Yuan Shu was reading a book with her head lowered. The two of them didn¡¯t communicate, but the atmosphere between them was surprisingly harmonious.


    When Yuan Shu heard the sound, she calmly placed the bookmark between the pages and placed the book down properly before slowly getting up.


    ¡°Mr. Tan.¡± Yuan Shu greeted him.


    When Tan Jing was free, his greatest joy was listening to radio dramas. In his words, different voices had different stories. When Yuan Shu greeted him, Tan Jing felt his scalp go numb all the way to his feet.

 Chapter 17

    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Yuan Shu¡¯s voice was crisp and refreshing, like a gurgling stream in a valley.


    Her voice was between that of a young girl and a mature woman, and it was in a delicate transition stage. However, her tone was cold, as if the snow on the snow mountain had just melted, converging into an endless river that splashed against the stone wall with a crisp sound.


    Tan Jing came back to his senses and looked at Yuan Shu¡¯s face.


    Her eyebrows were willowy, and her eyes were as clear as a spring lake. She looked like a person who had walked out of a landscape painting, but her lips were moist and rosy, like a red plum in the snow.


    Was the rumored unruly and vicious young lady this beautiful?


    It seemed that the rumors were really unbelievable.


    ¡°May I ask what brand your lipstick is?¡± Tan Jing stared at her red lips and couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Yuan Shu was stunned. ¡°Lipstick? I just ate two cherries, so that¡¯s probably why my lips are dyed.¡±


    With that, Yuan Shu leaned over to get the tissue on the table.


    The slim-fitting dress moved gracefully along with her movements. Yuan Shu was like an elegant crane stretching her body. Tan Jing swallowed hard.


    Tan Jing thought to himself, ¡°Shi Xiao, why aren¡¯t you satisfied with such a beautiful wife?!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Tan, please take a seat. Li Yue, pour a cup of tea for the guest.¡± Yuan Shu wiped the remaining juice off her lips before speaking.


    ¡°Mr. Tan, are you here to avenge your youngest son?¡± As Yuan Shu spoke, she sized up Tan Jing and suddenly understood why Shi Bin and Li Yue felt that she would be afraid of Tan Jing.


    Tan Jing was the roughest-looking one among all the young masters of the aristocratic families. He was more than 1.9 meters tall and was very burly. He was tan and looked very intimidating. Fortunately, the Tan family had good genes, so Tan Jing¡¯s facial features were not too out of place. From his face alone, he had a scholarly look.


    Yuan Shu blinked. So to the people of this dynasty, being a little burly was scary.


    If they saw the soldiers of her era, they would probably faint from fear.


    Tan Jing was used to being sized up since he was young, so he didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡°I¡¯m indeed here for Tan Zhao. My brother was beaten up at your house. No matter what, someone has to give me an explanation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but he started it. Tan Zhao badmouthed Shi Xiao first. Shi Bin is very protective, so they started fighting. This way, they¡¯re even, but Shi Bin was also beaten up. How should we settle things?¡±


    Tan Jing didn¡¯t know his brother well. The age difference between the two brothers was too great, and they rarely interacted. However, Tan Jing had heard that Tan Zhao was sharp-tongued. He just didn¡¯t expect him to be beaten up this time because of it.


    This made it seem like he was in the wrong for coming to apologize.


    Tan Jing felt that his trip today wasn¡¯t in vain.


    There were many things that one had to see with their own eyes to know the truth about.


    Yuan Shu wasn¡¯t as unruly and foolish as the rumors said she was. On the contrary, she was very levelheaded. Ever since he was young, because of his figure and appearance, many people were afraid of him. Moreover, he visited out of ill intentions.


    However, she only sized him up a few times. It was unknown if she had never heard of his nickname or if she was too bold, but not only did she not show any panic, but she was even leisurely eating fruits and explaining her reason for beating Tan Zhao.


    Tan Jing raised his eyebrows and asked Yuan Shu, ¡°Oh really? You said that my brother provoked the Fourth Young Master first, but do you have evidence? Why do you think I will believe an outsider instead of my biological brother?¡±


    Shi Bin couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. He couldn¡¯t help but say sarcastically, ¡°That¡¯s right. Your biological brother has a foul mouth, but as his elder brother, you can¡¯t keep him in line and even need outsiders to educate him. Therefore, you have to believe your biological brother. Otherwise, it will be embarrassing for you.¡±


    Yuan Shu warned, ¡°Shi Bin.¡± When Tan Jing saw Shi Bin shut his mouth obediently after Yuan Shu warned him, Tan Jing was amused.


    There was really a counter to everything.


    ¡°Come here.¡± Yuan Shu ignored Tan Jing and beckoned for Shi Bin to come over.


    Shi Bin felt that it seemed like she was beckoning a dog. However, there were outsiders here after all, so he couldn¡¯t embarrass Yuan Shu. Even if he had to pretend, he had to make it seem like she had the authority of the female head of the household. Therefore, he moved closer to Yuan Shu obediently.


    ¡°Let President Tan see your injuries.¡±

 Chapter 18

    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Yuan Shu¡¯s tone was commanding, but Shi Bin didn¡¯t feel annoyed. Instead, he removed the gauze on his forehead and revealed the tender pink flesh that had just grown out of the wound.


    ¡°Mr. Tan, is this evidence enough?¡± Yuan Shu tapped the wound on Shi Bin¡¯s forehead. Her cold fingertips made Shi Bin tremble.


    ¡°Your brother has repeatedly provoked Shi Bin and said bad things about Shi Bin¡¯s family in front of him. Who would be able to tolerate it? You guys are allowed to provoke and bully the children of the Shi family, but we aren¡¯t allowed to fight back?¡± Yuan Shu¡¯s unyielding attitude was like a warm current that flowed from Shi Bin¡¯s heart to his limbs and bones.


    Shi Bin¡¯s mother passed away very early on, so he was raised by a nanny. When he was young, he was ostracized by the children of other families and they all mocked him for being an unwanted child. He felt saddened by it, but only knew how to fight to deal with the bullying.


    The result of his resistance was that people came and asked him to apologize. His father had to go to the company to settle matters, so he had no one to back him up but his eldest brother. Now, his eldest brother was gone, but people came to ask him to apologize again.


    But this time, he had someone to back him up.


    In a corner where Yuan Shu couldn¡¯t see, Shi Bin smiled.


    After sensing that he had done something stupid, Shi Bin hurriedly suppressed his smile, but his ears slowly turned pink.


    Tan Jing also saw the wounds on Shi Bin¡¯s forehead and the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°The injuries aren¡¯t that serious.¡± Tan Jing thought to himself.


    However, when he saw the anger on Yuan Shu¡¯s face, he suddenly couldn¡¯t bring himself to say this. He could only change his words. ¡°Madam, you¡¯re right. My brother was indeed in the wrong, but this is just a matter between children after all. Why did you have to interfere?¡±


    Tan Zhao¡¯s secretary felt that something was wrong.


    Didn¡¯t President Tan want to use the excuse of helping the Third Young Master vent his anger to find out about the Shi family¡¯s current situation? Why was he gradually falling at a disadvantage? What should they do later? Was he going to apologize to the Shi family? Was it too late to buy an apology gift now?


    Yuan Shu sneered. ¡°It was originally just a conflict between children. I taught Tan Zhao a lesson for Shi Bin. If you¡¯re unconvinced, you can also teach me a lesson for Tan Zhao.¡± Yuan Shu paused for a moment and changed the topic. ¡°But didn¡¯t you come this time to escalate the matter to involve the reputation of the two families?


    Tan Jing was stunned when he saw Yuan Shu¡¯s expression suddenly change.


    Damn, was this woman that smart?


    No one had told him! Didn¡¯t they say that she was a beautiful idiot?


    Yuan Shu¡¯s explanation rendered Tan Jing speechless.


    Before he could think of a reply, Yuan Shu spoke again. ¡°Mr. Tan, it¡¯s not good to let you return empty-handed. There has to be a solution, so why don¡¯t we fight?¡±


    Tan Jing rejected her without thinking. ¡°I don¡¯t hit women.¡±


    However, when he turned around, he saw that the fake smile on Yuan Shu¡¯s face was gone. She stared at him coldly.


    These words seemed offensive, so Tan Jing hurriedly explained, ¡°Madam, I don¡¯t mean to look down on you. I just want to say that I don¡¯t fight with women. How about this? This matter was caused by my brother¡¯s sharp tongue, so I¡¯ll apologize on his behalf. Let¡¯s forget about this matter, okay?¡±


    Shi Bin and Tan Jing¡¯s secretary were dumbfounded. The second young master of the Tan family was famous for being stubborn and protective. When had he ever apologized to people? Yuan Shu should give in this time.


    However, Yuan Shu clearly didn¡¯t think so. She walked towards Tan Jing step by step.


    ¡°If you say forget it, we have to forget it? Then wouldn¡¯t you have come for nothing today? The child¡¯s matter has been resolved, but what if outsiders say that the Shi family is in decline now and anyone can enter and leave at will?¡±


    As Tan Jing looked down at Yuan Shu, he was amused.


    Otherwise, what? Did she want to settle scores with him?


    Yuan Shu wouldn¡¯t be considered short in a group of women, but in front of him, she was like a kitten who could only bluff. If she really wanted to fight him, she would be overestimating herself.


    Yuan Shu was indeed capable. Shi Xiao had been missing for more than half a month, but the Shi family was still in good order. He had underestimated her.


    But a fight?


    She couldn¡¯t beat him!


    ¡°Then what do you mean, Madam?¡±

 Chapter 19

    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t say anything. She just smiled at Tan Jing.


    As Shi Bin looked at the smiling Yuan Shu, he suddenly felt a chill down his spine.


    She had the same expression before she beat Tan Zhao up that day.


    Since she showed the same expression today, did she plan to beat Tan Jing up?


    However, Tan Jing clearly didn¡¯t realize the danger. He was still smiling at Yuan Shu.


    This was the first time Yuan Shu smiled at him since he entered the room. Tan Jing felt his heart racing.


    ¡°As expected, an aloof woman looks even more beautiful when she smiles. I wonder what she¡¯s planning to do,¡± Tan Jing thought.


    Tan Jing was secretly praising Yuan Shu for having a beautiful smile when in the next second, he fell onto the sofa and felt a sharp pain on his left cheek.


    What was going on? Tan Jing was stunned.


    The secretary was also stunned. He didn¡¯t expect Yuan Shu to dare to beat President Tan. When Tan Zhao was beaten last time, the secretary was waiting outside the door and didn¡¯t see the miserable scene. Today, he finally understood why Tan Zhao was limping at that time.


    This woman was really ruthless when she attacked!


    After the secretary came back to his senses, he quickly helped Tan Jing up. ¡°President Tan! Are you alright?¡±


    Yuan Shu moved her fingers and looked down at Tan Jing as she said, ¡°It seems that the matter between us has been resolved. President Tan, you can return home in satisfaction now.¡±


    As Shi Bin watched this scene from the sofa, his mouth dropped agape in shock.


    Satisfaction? What satisfaction? Satisfaction from being beaten?


    Why didn¡¯t he know that Yuan Shu was so bold? Wasn¡¯t she afraid that Tan Jing would get angry and hit her?


    Thinking of this, Shi Bin quietly shifted his position to ensure that if Tan Jing wanted to harm Yuan Shu, he could protect her immediately.


    Fortunately, Tan Jing had no intention of retaliating. He touched his cheek with his tongue and sighed as he said, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± Tan Jing still maintained a polite and civilized demeanor. He bade farewell politely before walking out.


    However, when he turned around, his expression was a little ugly.


    Today, not only did he not find out anything, he even had to apologize for his brother and was punched for no reason.


    Damn it! It hurt so much!


    This woman must have hit him with a dumbbell!


    Just as Tan Jing was complaining inwardly, Yuan Shu¡¯s voice sounded again. ¡°Mr. Tan, please take care. I won¡¯t send you off. Li Yue, bring two ice packs for Mr. Tan to reduce the swelling. Also, pack the cherries that were sent over this morning for Mr. Tan as my compensation.¡±


    Li Yue quickly packed and handed the things to the secretary.


    Tan Jing couldn¡¯t tell if Yuan Shu was mocking him or sincerely giving him a gift, but he accepted it and his secretary brought it back to the car.


    ¡°President Tan, should we go to the hospital first?¡± The secretary looked at the left side of Tan Jing¡¯s face worriedly. Yuan Shu¡¯s punch had caused quite a commotion.


    ¡°No need. Let¡¯s go back to the office.¡±


    The decision to return to the company became Tan Jing¡¯s biggest mistake.


    When he stepped into the company building, the employees passing by looked at him in shock. Then, they immediately lowered their heads and left in a hurry. However, Tan Jing was quite satisfied with this since he felt that everyone was working hard.


    The secretary brought over the ice pack with trembling hands as he said, ¡°President Tan, why don¡¯t we go to the hospital? Your face doesn¡¯t look too good now.¡±


    Tan Jing didn¡¯t expect that Yuan Shu, who looked gentle and meek, could make his face swell for three days with a single punch.


    On the first day at the company, his face was actually alright. Only half of his face was swollen, and when he returned home, the doctor prescribed some external medicine. Therefore, Tan Jing didn¡¯t take this matter to heart.


    When he woke up early to wash up the next day, Tan Jing looked at himself in the mirror, then he decided to work from home.


    The left side of his face was swollen like a steamed bun and there were four small round bruises. If he guessed correctly, it was caused by Yuan Shu¡¯s knuckles. Coupled with the fact that this wound appeared on Tan Jing¡¯s face, he looked like a German Shepherd whose face had been stung by a bee.


    As Tan Jing looked at the bruises on his face, he suddenly thought of Yuan Shu¡¯s red joints after beating him that day. Yuan Shu¡¯s hands were pink, making them look like high-quality jade.


    ¡°My face is swollen and her hands are injured, so let¡¯s call it even.¡± Tan Jing comforted himself.


    However, Yuan Shu was really interesting.


    Although her actions were rude and aggressive, she was elegant and dignified, and she was polite. No one could find fault with her.


    However, if one were to say that she was polite, which graceful and polite wife would grab someone by the collar and beat him up like a hooligan? After beating him up, she got someone to send him off without even apologizing.


    Tan Jing stuffed a cherry into his mouth.


    It was sweet and delicious.


    He ate another one.

 Chapter 20

    Brothers in Distress


    Tan Zhao was recuperating in the Tan family¡¯s ancestral home. He had to rest for a while longer and couldn¡¯t go to school. The secretary who was sent to supervise Tan Zhao didn¡¯t dare to interfere with this young master¡¯s matters and could only call Tan Jing.


    As soon as Tan Jing entered the house, he saw his brother lying on the sofa without doing anything. He even had to be fed fruits by someone else. Tan Jing was furious.


    ¡°I asked you to rest at home, not to let you boss people around.¡± Tan Jing¡¯s cold voice suddenly sounded, startling Tan Zhao so much that he jumped up and fell from the sofa with a bang.


    ¡°Second Brother, why are you back?¡± Tan Zhao gritted his teeth and held his butt, which was in pain from the fall. When he stood up, he saw Tan Jing¡¯s swollen face.


    ¡°Second Brother, you were beaten up by Sister-in-law too?¡±


    This brat really deserved to be beaten up. He was rubbing his nose in it.


    As Tan Zhao looked at Tan Jing¡¯s gloomy expression, he handed him a cup of orange juice warily and said, ¡°Brother, please calm down. I won¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    Tan Jing didn¡¯t take the glass of fruit juice, but asked coldly instead, ¡°What did she hit you with?¡±


    ¡°She whipped me with a belt¡­¡± Tan Zhao was originally embarrassed to say this, but when he saw his brother¡¯s face, he suddenly felt that it wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    It was embarrassing to be whipped by a belt, but at least couldn¡¯t see his injuries. As long as he didn¡¯t admit it, he wouldn¡¯t suffer embarrassment.


    When Tan Jing heard that his brother was whipped by a belt, he calmed down.


    Although he had been slapped in the face, being whipped by a belt probably hurt even more. With so many marks, Tan Zhao was probably in a sorry state as he dodged. Tan Zhao was probably even more embarrassed than him.


    The brothers suddenly found comfort in each other.


    Tan Jing looked at his brother with sympathy. Tan Zhao didn¡¯t know what his brother was up to, but he could only smile at Tan Jing ingratiatingly and hand over the orange juice in his hand again.


    This time, Tan Jing took it and placed it on the table after drinking it.


    Then, Tan Jing stood up and kicked Tan Zhao¡¯s calf. ¡°Go to school tomorrow. Don¡¯t cause trouble at home every day. Watch your mouth outside. Don¡¯t cause trouble everywhere.¡±


    Tan Zhao nodded repeatedly. Since his brother had spoken, how could he dare to cause trouble anymore?


    Besides, how could he repeat the same mistake twice? In the future, when he saw the Shi family, he would definitely avoid them.


    The news of Tan Jing¡¯s visit to the Shi family spread quickly in the circle, but each version was different.


    Some said that Tan Jing had been beaten up and left the Shi family in a sorry state, while others said that the Tan family was about to befriend the Shi family and Madam Shi politely sent Tan Jing out the door.


    Gao Shan had also received the news, but under Tan Jing¡¯s intentional misguidance, he heard that Tan Jing had come to ask for an explanation in anger, but he was politely sent out by Madam Shi and even gave Tan Jing fruits.


    Gao Shan couldn¡¯t understand what trick Yuan Shu used to coax a difficult person like Tan Jing.


    She even gave him fruits. What did this mean? The two families wanted to shake hands and make peace?


    Furthermore, the Shi family and the Tan family had never been on good terms. The two families had been competitors for a long time. Previously, even when Shi Xiao was still around, their relationship wasn¡¯t that good, so how come they got along now?


    He couldn¡¯t figure it out!


    Gao Shan understood that the complicated relationships between wealthy families weren¡¯t something a person like him, who came from humble beginnings, could understand.


    However, he was unwilling to accept it. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to seize this opportunity. If Yuan Shu became friends with the Tan family, the trouble wouldn¡¯t be resolved.


    So the question was how to deal with Yuan Shu now.


    Chu Mei sat in a corner as she cried.


    She looked at Gao Shan, who was pacing back and forth, with a vacant look in her eyes as she muttered, ¡°Is Li Ran coming back tomorrow? What about me? What about me and the child in my stomach?¡±


    Gao Shan was already vexed, so when he heard her mention this name out of the blue, he felt even more angry and terrified.


    ¡°Alright, stop crying. Don¡¯t we still have time? Let¡¯s think of a way together.¡± Gao Shan lit a cigarette and took a deep puff.


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 Chapter 21

    Coping Method


    Gao Shan wandered around the room for a long time and thought of a way.


    ¡°I can¡¯t resolve this matter. The Li family is too powerful. If they want to investigate me, it will be easy. The only advantage we have is this child¡­ How about this? Get your manager to contact the media people that he¡¯s usually on good terms with and spend some money to buy fake reviewers. Get them to send the message that there¡¯s shocking news about you and hype it up.¡±


    ¡°Hold a press conference tomorrow and say that you¡¯re pregnant with Shi Xiao¡¯s child. Get your assistant to organize the timeline later and let all the attention focus on you. As for Yuan Shu, so what if she doesn¡¯t want to admit it? She won¡¯t be able to cause much trouble. Besides, Shi Xiao is no longer around. Even if the child is born, they can¡¯t do a paternity test. This way, you might have a chance.¡±


    ¡°I already told you that Yuan Shu is a crazy woman now! What if she doesn¡¯t care about her reputation and goes all out? How can I win against her?!¡± When Chu Mei heard Gao Shan¡¯s suggestion, she couldn¡¯t help but feel resentment.


    The child she was pregnant with was his, but if something happened, not only would she have to face it alone, but she would also have to go into hiding to survive. She even had to say that the child was a dead person¡¯s!


    It would be fine if Shi Xiao was really dead, but what if he returned alive one day? If the Shi Clan and the Li Clan joined forces to deal with her, would she still be able to survive?


    Moreover, this method was a risky move. If the media spoke up and held a press conference, she had no way out at all. She could only insist that Shi Xiao had abandoned her. But if even one part of the lie didn¡¯t match up, then all her years of hard work would be ruined.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we forget about it¡­¡± Chu Mei wanted to give up. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the hospital tomorrow. I don¡¯t want this child anymore. We can have another one in the future. Didn¡¯t you say that Li Ran isn¡¯t in good health now? When she dies¡­¡±


    Before Chu Mei could finish speaking, she was frightened by the enraged Gao Shan. He pounced on her like a wild beast and grabbed her neck as he said fiercely, ¡°Chu Mei, don¡¯t you dare abort this child. What right do you think you have to follow me for so long? Do you think you can rely on your looks to stay with me? I can find a dozen women like you! If it wasn¡¯t for Li Ran being infertile, I would have had a child long ago. I might even have multiple children already! Your child is more valuable than you now, so you better be sensible. Otherwise¡­¡±


    Gao Shan was about to say something when his phone rang. He glared at Chu Mei with a dark expression and picked up the phone.


    ¡°Hello!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Gao, long time no see. Looks like you¡¯re in good health.¡±


    Gao Shan was shocked. This was clearly Li Ci¡¯s voice.


    Chu Mei watched as the originally aggressive Gao Shan suddenly put on a fawning expression. He knew that the other party couldn¡¯t see him, but he still acted humble.


    ¡°Uncle, I was just talking to my men at work and didn¡¯t look at the caller ID. I didn¡¯t expect it to be you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not busy. If there¡¯s anything, feel free to ask.¡±


    ¡°The flight arrives tomorrow evening, right? I¡¯ll remember it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely pick you up personally. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    As Chu Mei watched Gao Shan¡¯s humble demeanor, she smiled silently.


    He pretended to be rich in front of her, but acted like a lap dog in front of others?


    Gao Shan only exhaled after Li Ci hung up, then he wiped the cold sweat off his forehead.


    ¡°Chu Mei, go and settle the matter. Arrange your schedule for tomorrow and think about what to say.¡±


    Chu Mei responded and stood up to leave, but was stopped again.


    ¡°How long has it been since you went to the set?¡± Gao Shan lit another cigarette and said, ¡°Do you know that you¡¯ve signed a betting agreement for this movie? Yesterday, Director Chen called and asked me if you¡¯re done with your work. If you don¡¯t start filming, we¡¯ll change actresses. Do you know how much effort I spent to assure the director?¡±


    Chu Mei suppressed her resentment and said softly, ¡°Isn¡¯t it because of the child¡¯s matter these two days? I¡¯ll definitely go to the set the day after tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a smart person. Don¡¯t ruin your future in a fit of pique.¡± Gao Shan narrowed his eyes and calmed down under the influence of nicotine.


    ¡°Go deal with it. Don¡¯t disappoint me.¡±


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 Chapter 22

    Press conference


    It was only when she got into the car that Chu Mei finally relaxed. She sat in the seat while crying.


    What bet agreement, what press conference?! It was all bullsh*t!


    Wasn¡¯t it all because she had a low status and was easy to manipulate?!


    If Gao Shan was powerful enough not to be afraid of the Li family, she wouldn¡¯t have to say that this child belonged to Shi Xiao. She could let Gao Shan divorce Li Ran and become Gao Shan¡¯s wife openly.


    There was also Director Chen. She wasn¡¯t the only one who disappeared from the production team. Didn¡¯t Shen Lu disappear every few days? Not only did Director Chen not criticize him, but he also smiled at him. Wasn¡¯t it because he had won the Best Actress Award and could increase the viewership ratings?


    The more Chu Mei thought about it, the angrier she became. Didn¡¯t she become Gao Shan¡¯s lover for resources and money so that she would be praised and served by others in the future?


    But now? Gao Shan asked her to sign this unfavorable contract and asked her to film scenes while pregnant. Now, he even asked her to contact someone to settle things.


    What did Gao Shan take her for? A donkey?


    Chu Mei was exhausted. She called her manager and asked him to arrange a press conference at nine in the morning tomorrow.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home. I have to rest and face the camera tomorrow,¡± Chu Mei said to the driver as she looked out the window with empty eyes.


    The street scenery outside the car window was bustling. The pedestrians were in a hurry and everyone was busy with their lives. Occasionally, when they passed by a large clubhouse, they could see the waiter bowing and thanking the distinguished guests.


    Chu Mei felt that she was very pitiful. She was no different from them. On the surface, she looked glamorous, but in fact, she was just an ant in the eyes of big shots.


    Chu Mei¡¯s mind was in a mess, but at this moment, she could clearly feel her hatred and jealousy towards Yuan Shu.


    Why did everything she did back then help Yuan Shu marry into the Shi family?


    Not to mention that Yuan Shu had yet to divorce Shi Xiao, so what if she did? Just the assets after the marriage were enough for her to live in luxury for the rest of her life.


    Chu Mei had never hated someone so much before, but she couldn¡¯t do anything yet. Now, she couldn¡¯t afford to offend anyone. She could only go back and wash up to rest, then prepare for the press conference tomorrow.


    The manager was very fast. Less than ten minutes after she finished her call yesterday, an entertainment blogger sent a message saying that there was news about her. Then, the news was hyped up by the fake reviewers. When she arrived home, the front page of Weibo¡¯s entertainment section was almost filled with news about her.


    At this moment, her agency said that they would hold a press conference tomorrow, attracting the attention of a large number of netizens. Those who hated her said that she had finally admitted that she was a kept woman. Fans said that she wanted to sue those unscrupulous media outlets who spread rumors.


    Chu Mei didn¡¯t care about this anymore. She was too tired and only thought about what she would say tomorrow before going to bed.


    The next morning, the press conference was held on time at 9AM.


    Chu Mei was no longer wearing her usual ostentatious outfit. Instead, she only wore a loose white dress and flat shoes. She stroked her abdomen gently as she walked onto the stage to sit in front of the camera.


    ¡°Thank you, reporters, for attending this press conference. I am the host of this press conference, Chu Mei. Firstly, I want to apologize for occupying public resources. Secondly, the reason for this press conference is that I am pregnant.¡±


    After Chu Mei finished speaking, there was an uproar.


    ¡°I know that many people on the internet have many guesses about me. First, I want to say ¡®thank you¡¯ to my fans and friends who have always supported me. Thank you for believing in me and supporting me,¡± Chu Mei said as she stood up and bowed to the camera.


    ¡°What I¡¯m going to say next is about the child. Three months ago, I was photographed entering and exiting the same hotel as the current president of the Shi Corporation, Shi Xiao. At that time, I was in a relationship with Shi Xiao and had sex with him. A month ago, I found out that I was pregnant, so I told Shi Xiao this news.¡±


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect him to be such an irresponsible person. He broke up with me without hesitation and married the eldest daughter of the Yuan family, Yuan Shu. A week ago, I visited Madam Yuan. Not only did she not admit that I was pregnant with Shi Xiao¡¯s child, but she also chased me out of the Shi family¡¯s home. This is also one of the reasons why I held the press conference. I implore everyone to open their eyes and recognize what kind of family the Shi family is!¡±


    At this point, Chu Mei couldn¡¯t help but burst into tears. Seeing her like this, the manager hurriedly helped her up and brought her away, leaving many reporters discussing.


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 Chapter 23

    Missing Someone


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell that Shi Xiao was such a despicable person.¡±


    ¡°Tsk tsk, Madam Shi isn¡¯t a good person either. Wasn¡¯t she very promiscuous in the past?!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t judge a book by its cover.¡±


    ¡­


    After Chu Mei returned to the van, her expression immediately changed. She pulled out a tissue to wipe the tears on her face and asked the driver to drive to the set. She didn¡¯t forget to instruct her manager to buy some gifts and send them to the production team as compensation for missing work for the past two days.


    At this moment, the production team was in chaos.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t found him yet?¡± Director Chen grabbed his assistant anxiously.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve searched everywhere. The surveillance camera last captured Brother Lu at the intersection, but we can¡¯t find him at all now.¡± The assistant was a little uneasy. ¡°The surveillance camera at the next intersection happened to be broken, so we didn¡¯t capture him.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s over. It¡¯s over now.¡± Director Chen slumped into the chair and muttered to himself, ¡°This is great. The heavens want me dead.¡±


    ¡°Director, why don¡¯t we film another scene first? Didn¡¯t we film normally when Sister Chu didn¡¯t come two days ago?¡± The assistant was a little puzzled.


    It was normal for there to be celebrities slacking off in the production team occasionally. At most, they would postpone the filming. When Chu Mei didn¡¯t come a few days ago, the director didn¡¯t go crazy looking for her, like he was looking for Shen Lu now.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. These two people are different,¡± The director¡¯s eyes looked lifeless as he said.


    Shen Lu was a rare top celebrity in the entertainment industry with both talent and looks. When he first debuted, even the foreign media was shocked and called him ¡°God¡¯s favorite¡± and ¡°Aphrodite of the East.¡±


    However, his temper was proportional to his appearance. The more good-looking he was, the worse his temper was. From his debut to now, there had been endless scandals. From acting like a big shot and scolding paparazzi to scolding anti-fans until midnight, there were all kinds of scandals.


    But his acting skills were too good. All three dramas he starred in won all the major awards for television dramas. He relied on his ability and talent to shut everyone up.


    If that was all, perhaps Shen Lu wouldn¡¯t be so arrogant, but he was the second young master of the Shi family.


    Moreover, the director was the one who harassed Shen Lu every day for half a year. Now that the second young master of the Shi family was lost while filming, wouldn¡¯t the Shi family kill him if word got out?


    Oh right, he could call the Shi family!


    Chen Sheng suddenly thought of this and jumped up. He picked up his phone and ran away to make a call, leaving the confused assistant behind.


    ¡°Hello, is this the Shi family? I¡¯m Chen Sheng, the director of Shen Lu¡¯s current production team, ¡®Gunshot¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Young Master Shi suddenly disappeared during filming. We¡¯ve already sent people to search for him. If it¡¯s convenient, can you please come to the production team? Let¡¯s discuss how to find Second Young Master Shi.¡±


    Yuan Shu was reading on the chaise longue and glanced at the maid lazily when she arrived.


    ¡°Who called?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a call from the director of Second Young Master¡¯s production team. He said that Second Young Master is missing and wants you to go over and discuss what to do.¡±


    Yuan Shu frowned and thought about the plot she had read in the book for a while before finally remembering this person.


    He was a mean-spirited troublemaker.


    If her memory was right, the second young master of the Shi family liked to cause trouble and participate in all kinds of extreme sports. After entering the entertainment industry, he became an actor. Now, he was an actor because he wanted to experience something different.


    Did he like experiencing these things? Yuan Shu was deep in thought.


    ¡°Prepare the car and go to the production team.¡± The maid didn¡¯t dare to neglect and hurriedly jogged to inform the driver.


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t know much about cars, so she didn¡¯t know about different brands or models.


    In the Shi family¡¯s garage, she liked Mercedes-Benz car the most. The back seat was spacious and comfortable for her to sit in.


    The production team was also competing on a small scale. Most of the celebrities¡¯ strength was reflected in terms of the cars they drove.


    Although Chu Mei was part of the main cast in ¡®Gunshot¡¯, she was still young in terms of experience. Even so, she had a van and a Porsche.


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t attract much attention when she came in a Mercedes-Benz car. The staff who came and went only took a glance before going to do their own things. At most, they thought that some celebrity had changed cars.


    Yuan Shu waited for the bodyguard to get out and help her open the car door. When she got out of the car, she was caught off guard when she heard someone discussing it.


    ¡°Which celebrity is she? I¡¯ve never seen her before.¡±


    Yuan Shu ignored them. After she sized up the set, she walked onto the set and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s the director?¡±


    The stage supervisor, who had been discussing her behind her back, passed by and kindly reminded her, ¡°Are you here to audition? The director hasn¡¯t been in a good mood for the past half a day, so he will be more strict than usual. You have to be careful.¡±


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t explain. She only smiled at the girl.


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 Chapter 24

    A Trip to the Set


    Chen Sheng had just received a notice from his assistant that Yuan Shu had arrived, so he jogged over in shock.


    Was this rich lady that down-to-earth? She came over right after the call. Was she really concerned about Shi Lu?


    Chen Sheng was short and chubby. When Yuan Shu saw a plump figure rushing over from afar, she secretly took a small step back.


    ¡°Madam?¡± Chen Sheng carefully sized up the person in front of him to confirm.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me.¡± Yuan Shu nodded. Sensing that many people were already sizing her up, she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Director Chen, can we talk in private?¡±


    Chen Sheng wasn¡¯t tall, but his voice was loud. He had clearly lowered his voice, but the surrounding people still heard him clearly. With Yuan Shu¡¯s reminder, he realized that many people were sizing them up.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes. I forgot. Madam, please come in.¡±


    After Yuan Shu and Director Chen walked away, the surrounding people started discussing.


    ¡°So she¡¯s the wife of the Shi family. She has such an imposing aura.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s also beautiful and elegant.¡±


    ¡°She looks like one of those rich ladies in period dramas.¡±


    ¡°No wonder Mr. Shi married her but not Sister Chu. They are not on the same level.¡±


    ¡­


    When Chu Mei returned to the set with all kinds of gifts, she heard their discussion and knew that Yuan Shu was there.


    Why was she here? What was she doing here? Could it be that she saw her press release in the morning, so she came looking for trouble with her?


    Moreover, the moment Yuan Shu arrived, the production team compared Yuan Shu to herself. They even compared who was more beautiful and elegant. The most infuriating thing was that she was completely inferior to Yuan Shu. This was really unacceptable to the vain Chu Mei.


    When the director¡¯s assistant, Xiao Yu, noticed Chu Mei¡¯s arrival, she hurriedly gestured for the chatting staff to lower their voices so that they wouldn¡¯t offend her. Then, with a smile, she went to take what Chu Mei was holding.


    ¡°Sister Chu is back. Go to the dressing room to rest and get your styling done. Director Chen has something on for the rest of the day.¡±


    Chu Mei felt a little better and handed the thing to her as she said, ¡°I know that Director Chen likes to drink tea. This is the ancient tree Pu¡¯er that I specifically got someone to find. Take it as an apology for leaving the team without permission. Call a few more people. There are still a few small gifts in the trunk for everyone. Please don¡¯t blame me for delaying the filming progress.¡±


    Xiao Yu called a few stage supervisors to help carry the things.


    Chu Mei leaned over and asked softly, ¡°What is Yuan Shu doing here?¡±


    Xiao Yu couldn¡¯t afford to offend either side. She could only say vaguely, ¡°I heard from the director that she¡¯s looking for Brother Lu for something. Coincidentally, Brother Lu has not been around for the past half a day, so the director went to see Yuan Shu.¡±


    Why would Yuan Shu look for Shen Lu? Logically speaking, the two of them should not be familiar with each other. Could it be¡­


    Chu Mei thought of the rumors that Yuan Shu loved to keep handsome men before she got married. Then, she thought of Shen Lu¡¯s extraordinary looks and various outstanding resources and had a bold guess.


    At this moment, Yuan Shu and the director finally saw the surveillance footage right before Shi Lu disappeared.


    ¡°This is the surveillance camera at the intersection of our production team. Second Young Master drove over from this place himself. After all our stage supervisors checked the equipment, they realized that he left by himself after filming the night scene. He didn¡¯t even tell his assistant.¡± Director Chen observed Yuan Shu¡¯s expression as he explained carefully.


    ¡°This has happened before, but Second Young Master would come back the next day every time. Although he¡¯s playful, he¡¯s very responsible. It¡¯s just that he didn¡¯t have any scenes on the second day after he left the production team, so no one cared if he didn¡¯t come back. However, he has a scene this morning, but he hasn¡¯t returned yet. We¡¯ve been looking for him since six in the morning, but we haven¡¯t found him yet, so we want to ask you for help.¡±


    The more Director Chen thought about it, the more frustrated he became. Shi Lu was usually very reliable. Although he was the second young master of the Shi family and had a bad temper, he was still very serious about filming.


    Originally, Shi Lu didn¡¯t want to accept this role, but Chen Sheng told him that this was a patriotic drama that was very faithful to the tragic story behind it. Only then did Shi Lu agree.


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t insisted on Second Young Master filming, if I had been more careful and realized that he didn¡¯t even bring his bodyguard and assistant that night, he might not have become lost.¡± The more Chen Sheng thought about it, the sadder he became. He blamed himself so much that he even shed tears.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s not your fault. Why are you crying? The most important thing now is to find Shi Lu,¡± Yuan Shu said coldly when she saw Director Chen crying.


    ¡°Call his manager over.¡± Yuan Shu stared at the computer screen as she pondered over the direction where Shi Lu had last gone.


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 Chapter 25

    Found


    Shi Lu¡¯s manager was called Yuan Yuan. He was the opposite of Director Chen. He was so scrawny that he was like a chopstick with four limbs. When the two of them stood in front of Yuan Shu, they were like a lion¡¯s head and a toothpick. The contrast was very eye-catching.


    Seeing that he was here, Yuan Shu made the long story short. ¡°Your his manager? I¡¯ve already called the police about his disappearance. You¡¯re more familiar with the internet than me, so I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±


    Yuan Shu extended her right hand to Yuan Yuan. She had learned a lot about the etiquette of this era during this period of time and knew that this was what she had to do when she introduced herself for the first time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get to know each other. I¡¯m Shen Lu¡¯s sister-in-law, Yuan Shu.¡±


    After giving her instructions, Yuan Shu left with the bodyguards. Yuan Yuan froze for a moment before hurriedly following.


    The missing person notice posted by the police on the official website was very useful. Not only did the upper-class circle know that Shi Lu had disappeared, but his fan club was even more anxious. They wanted to use all their strength to find him.


    The hard work paid off. A girl from a small town left a message saying that she had seen Shi Lu riding an electric scooter to the beach near her home. That place was about 50 kilometers away from the production team.


    Shi Lu walked on the beach leisurely, but he was heading deep into the sea.


    The seawater reached his waist, then his muscular chest.


    When even the top of his head was submerged, he could vaguely hear a girl screaming on the beach.


    She probably thought that he was going to commit suicide, Shi Lu thought nonchalantly. Just as he was about to reveal himself and tell people not to worry, he felt a hand pressing on his head.


    Someone was trying to murder him in broad daylight!


    Shi Lu was flustered and choked on a few mouthfuls of water before the hand finally moved away.


    Shi Lu struggled to stick his head out of the sea. Before he could take a few breaths of air, he was pressed into the water again. This happened a few times before he was finally scooped up.


    ¡°Cough, cough, cough¡­ cough, cough¡­¡± Shi Lu, who was dragged to the beach, coughed with difficulty. He choked on a few mouthfuls of salty seawater, and his eyes were so uncomfortable that he couldn¡¯t open them. He was in a sorry state.


    Yuan Yuan and Chen Sheng, who had witnessed everything from the side, didn¡¯t dare to say a word.


    No wonder there were rumors that Yuan Shu and the Shi family were not on good terms.


    There seemed to be some sort of deep hatred!


    Shi Lu sat on the shore for a long time before he could finally see clearly. When his chest no longer felt so uncomfortable, the first thing he did was to find the person who pressed him into the water.


    However, there was no one in a swimsuit around him, nor was there anyone drenched.


    Except for a familiar figure.


    Shi Lu narrowed his eyes. Yuan Yuan, who was beside him, hurriedly handed him a towel and put a thicker towel on him.


    As Shi Lu wiped his face, he heard Yuan Yuan lament, ¡°Brother Lu, you really scared us to death this time. If Madam Shi didn¡¯t help, we might not have been able to find you.¡±


    Madam Shi? Yuan Shu?


    Shi Lu was in a daze. Other than his elder brother, Shi Xiao, no one in the entire Shi Clan had a wife. However, how could Yuan Shu be able to mobilize the Shi Clan¡¯s power? She was useless.


    Besides, Yuan Shu had never interfered in his matters in the past. Why did she interfere now?


    Yuan Yuan was still nagging at him about what he was going to do later, about posting on Weibo to comfort his fans and prove that he didn¡¯t have the intention to commit suicide. Shi Lu glanced at him impatiently. ¡°Can¡¯t you just do such a thing? Why do I have to listen to you?¡±


    Yuan Yuan choked and was about to say something when she saw Shi Lu striding towards Yuan Shu.


    ¡°Were you the one who pressed me into the water a few times just now?¡± Shi Lu asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Yuan Shu was wrapped in a huge towel and drinking warm water.


    The seaside was still a little cold, so cold that she didn¡¯t want to talk to anyone at all. However, out of courtesy, she still looked at Shi Lu.


    ¡°Do you know what you did? You almost drowned me!¡± The angry Shi Lu suddenly calmed down when he saw her gaze.


    Yuan Shu was completely drenched. Her white gauze dress was tightly stuck to her skin, and her usually well-groomed long hair was stuck to her face in a disheveled manner, making her face look even smaller.


    There were still water droplets on her long eyelashes. As she blinked, they streaked across her face. She looked delicate and disheveled, like a small animal drenched in the heavy rain, making one feel pity for her.


    Shi Lu¡¯s tone softened, but he couldn¡¯t help but reprimand Yuan Shu. ¡°Are you crazy? Why are you interfering in my matters?¡±


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 Chapter 26

    Returning to the Set


    Shi Lu was used to doing whatever he wanted. He entered the Shi family with his mother when he was 12 years old.


    Although his father had raised him, his father didn¡¯t give him the warmth he deserved. After Shi Lu reached adulthood, his father didn¡¯t care about him at all. Shi Lu was also used to being alone, so the feeling of being disturbed by Shi Lu made him very unhappy.


    Yuan Shu frowned, since she had always hated being shouted at. She asked Shi Lu bluntly, ¡°What are you doing now? The entire production team is looking for you like crazy. You didn¡¯t say a word about your whereabouts, didn¡¯t pick up the phone or reply, but came to the beach to play? If you want to die, wouldn¡¯t it be better if I helped you?¡±


    A sea breeze blew over. The towel Yuan Yuan had put on Shi Lu had already fallen to the ground and the water droplets on Shi Lu¡¯s body had yet to be wiped dry, so he felt a bone-piercing cold and shivered uncontrollably.


    ¡°Go get a towel and put it on the Second Young Master. Then, pour him a cup of ginger tea to warm him up,¡± Yuan Shu instructed the assistant beside her.


    Of course, she had to teach him a lesson, but she couldn¡¯t let him freeze. Yuan Shu understood the carrot-and-stick approach.


    Shi Lu still wanted to refuse, but before he could say anything, he sneezed.


    Yuan Shu ignored Shi Lu and turned around to wave at Director Chen, who was still watching. ¡°Since we¡¯ve found him, inform the production team to get ready. We¡¯ll go back now.¡±


    Chen Sheng nodded hurriedly. He wished he could grow wings and fly back to the production team.


    ¡°Who wants to go back? What right do you have to make a decision for me?¡± Shi Lu looked unhappy. He had come out to relax because he was fed up with filming. He had originally planned to go back tonight, but after Yuan Shu¡¯s interference, Shi Lu suddenly didn¡¯t want to go back anymore.


    Even if he went back, he couldn¡¯t follow Yuan Shu back like this, Shi Lu thought.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you had enough?¡± Yuan Shu raised her eyebrows with an expression that said, ¡°If you dare to say that, you¡¯re dead meat.¡±


    Shi Lu suddenly recalled the feeling of being pressed into the water. He couldn¡¯t breathe or open his eyes. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn¡¯t break free from the hand on his head. At that moment, he felt that if he dared to say it, Yuan Shu would dare to press him into the water again and let him play to his heart¡¯s content.


    However, since they had already reached this point, he had to act tough no matter what. Shi Lu swallowed hard and said without any intimidation, ¡°Who do you think you are? Don¡¯t try to control me!¡±


    ¡°Who am I? I¡¯m your sister-in-law!¡± Yuan Shu rolled her eyes at him and turned to leave.


    ¡°Get in the car and go back to the set.¡±


    Shi Lu hesitated as to whether to follow. When Yuan Shu arrived at the car, she realized that Shi Lu didn¡¯t follow her, but she wasn¡¯t angry and only smiled at Shi Lu.


    ¡°What, do you want me to invite you in?¡±


    As Shi Lu looked at the smiling Yuan Shu, he suddenly felt that if he didn¡¯t follow her this time, he would be pressed into the water again. He would even have to chase the car back to the production team. He hesitated for a moment before following Yuan Shu into the car.


    After the car started, Shi Lu suddenly said, ¡°Can you not interfere in my matters?¡±


    Yuan Shu sneered. ¡°Alright, then don¡¯t let the director call the landline at home. You have your own considerations when you do something.¡±


    Shi Lu finally remembered that in order to avoid Director Chen¡¯s harassment, he had given him his home number. He felt that Yuan Shu wouldn¡¯t be so bored as to interfere in his matters, and there was no reason to either.


    Now that he thought about it, he really deserved it.


    Shi Lu explained to Yuan Shu awkwardly, ¡°I just like extreme sports.¡±


    Yuan Shu snorted. ¡°Do you like extreme sports? Or do you just like causing trouble?¡±


    Shi Lu was powerless to refute and could only remain silent.


    The atmosphere in the car became tenser and tenser. The driver didn¡¯t dare to make a sound and only prayed that they would reach the set faster.


    An hour later, everyone finally returned to the production team.


    As soon as they got out of the car, a group of people surrounded Shi Lu and asked if anything had happened to him.


    Everyone¡¯s clamors made Shi Lu feel as if there were hundreds of ducks crying in his ears. He shouted in irritation, ¡°Shut up. How noisy!¡±


    Shi Lu¡¯s impatient roar and his intimidating aura made everyone shut their mouths and hurriedly make way for him.


    Yuan Shu frowned as she watched Shi Lu walk into the dressing room.


    Rude children were really unlikeable and needed to be taught a lesson!


    Looking at the surroundings, Yuan Shu rubbed her fingers and remembered the matter.


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 Chapter 27

    Explanation


    When Director Chen saw the drenched Yuan Shu, he hurriedly asked someone to buy her two sets of clothes. He also asked his assistant to bring Yuan Shu a cup of tea and let her rest for a moment. He was afraid that Yuan Shu would catch a cold, so he asked someone to bring a small blanket for Yuan Shu as well.


    When Shi Lu came out after changing her clothes, he saw Yuan Shu wrapped in a thick blanket. The teacup in her hand was still emitting steam and there were many inquisitive gazes on her.


    For some reason, Shi Lu suddenly felt unhappy. He strode forward and pulled Chen Sheng, who was still talking to Yuan Shu, up.


    ¡°Are we still filming or not? If we¡¯re not filming, I¡¯m going back to the hotel.¡± Shi Lu played a warlord in this movie, so the crew spent quite a while putting on his makeup and doing his hairstyle. With a military uniform and a cloak on, he looked murderous.


    Director Chen nodded repeatedly when he heard him say that. It was rare for this young master to have a good temper today, so he had to follow his instructions quickly.


    Yuan Shu sat on the chair beside him and watched as the entire production team got busy. She asked the bodyguards who came with her to go to the police station and say that they had found Shi Lu, so they could remove the news from the official website.


    Yuan Yuan watched Shi Lu, who was engrossed in his work, and sighed with emotion. Then, she walked over to thank Yuan Shu, but she heard Yuan Shu chatting with the bodyguard.


    ¡°Madam, I have a question that I don¡¯t understand. Why did you call the police first instead of using the Shi family¡¯s power?¡±


    Hearing this question, Yuan Shu was a little surprised and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°How long have you been working for the Shi family?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been five years, Madam.¡±


    ¡°Five years¡­¡± Yuan Shu lowered her head and looked at the cup while thinking about it.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been with the Shi family for five years. Every time there¡¯s a problem, your first reaction is to use the Shi family¡¯s own power? Have you ever considered calling the police? Calling the police is every citizen¡¯s legal right when they¡¯re in danger. Not only can it help us provide clues, but their equipment might be even more useful at the critical moment. Moreover, isn¡¯t it something that even elementary school students know about?¡±


    The bodyguard was stunned. That seemed to be the case.


    However, what she didn¡¯t say was that the existence of the police was also a form of deterrence and protection. After all, Shi Xiao had already made many people set their sights on the Shi family. They were only waiting for an opportunity to take advantage of the Shi family. If the Shi family relied on themselves, who knew if someone would take advantage of the situation? However, with the police interfering, everything would be different¡­


    Yuan Shu put the cup in her hand aside and yawned.


    ¡°Have you bought the clothes? Help me book another hotel. I want to take a shower. Wearing wet clothes is really uncomfortable.¡±


    Yuan Shu felt that the Shi family was really strange.


    Shi Bin was like a gunpowder barrel. He wanted to fight over small matters, but he didn¡¯t resist discipline. He even became more obedient after being beaten.


    Shi Lu was carefree and didn¡¯t value life very much, so he always wanted to challenge his limits.


    Even the first reaction of the bodyguards when they encountered trouble was to look for their own people first, even if they would be punished for their incompetence.


    Was the Shi family full of masochists?


    Shi Lu stood in front of the camera while holding back his anger.


    Why did he come back with Yuan Shu so obediently? She wasn¡¯t his guardian, so why did he listen to her? No, he had to regain his ego.


    Ever since Shi Lu debuted, he had never acted in a scene so seriously. Even when the director shouted ¡°Cut¡±, he was still in character.


    There was thunderous applause, but Shi Lu didn¡¯t care and looked around for someone.


    Yuan Yuan jogged forward to wipe Shi Lu¡¯s sweat and said excitedly, ¡°Brother Lu! Your acting is too good! You¡¯re simply the military officer himself!¡±


    ¡°Where is she?¡± Shi Lu asked Yuan Yuan. He remembered that Yuan Yuan and Yuan Shu were standing together before the filming started.


    ¡°Who?¡± Yuan Yuan didn¡¯t react for a moment and was still looking at Shi Lu in a daze.


    ¡°Yuan Shu!¡± Shi Lu was enraged by Yuan Yuan¡¯s slow reaction and couldn¡¯t help but raise his voice. In the end, this shout attracted the attention of more than half of the production team.


    Shi Lu had always used an alias in the entertainment industry. He took his mother¡¯s surname and changed his name to Shen Lu. Therefore, other than the director and Yuan Yuan, no one in the production team knew that he was a member of the Shi family. Now that they heard him call Yuan Shu by her name and how serious Shi Lu was when he acted just now, the people in the production team couldn¡¯t help but make associations.


    God, could Brother Lu be Yuan Shu¡¯s plaything?


    The Shi family¡¯s couple both had an affair?


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 Chapter 28

    First Time On the Street


    Yuan Yuan was frightened by Shi Lu¡¯s roar and stammered, ¡°She left. Madam Shi said that wearing wet clothes is not comfortable. Coincidentally, the clothes the assistant bought for her arrived, so she went to the hotel to change.¡±


    So he had acted so seriously just now for nothing? She hadn¡¯t watched it at all?


    Shi Lu felt that he was about to have a heart attack from anger.


    Director Chen saw that Shi Lu¡¯s expression was getting worse and worse, so he went forward and asked carefully, ¡°Mr. Shen, are you still filming the next two scenes?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Shi Lu gritted his teeth.


    ¡­


    After Yuan Shu took a hot shower in the hotel and changed her clothes, she felt more comfortable.


    ¡°It¡¯s all that kid¡¯s fault.¡± Yuan Shu made a mental note.


    The bodyguard had been waiting outside the door. When he saw Yuan Shu come out, he went forward and asked, ¡°Madam, are we going home now?¡±


    Yuan Shu thought about it, but rejected him. After she came to this era, she hadn¡¯t seen what the streets looked like yet. She wanted to take the opportunity to stroll around today.


    The afternoon sun was shining brightly. There was a developed commercial pedestrian street near the film base, so Yuan Shu strolled on the street slowly. Everything was novel.


    She recalled that when she was young, she followed the crowd to admire the lanterns at night on the first day of the Lunar New Year. Later, she got married and became the head of the household. Her every move represented the honor and disgrace of the entire family, so she never experienced the joy of that time anymore.


    Only now did Yuan Shu realize that she no longer had to bear such heavy shackles.


    Although she was the wife of the Shi family, not many people could recognize her just by looking at her face.


    Yuan Shu looked around on the streets and bought things from time to time. She had learned about electronic payment from television dramas and short videos. She couldn¡¯t help but marvel at how convenient it was. She didn¡¯t have to bring cash everywhere and worry about it being stolen.


    In the distant southern hemisphere, another phone vibrated.


    ¡°Your card ending with 025 spent 3.00 yuan on August 13th at 13: 03 PM.¡±


    ¡°You spent 27.00 yuan on August 13th at 13: 11 PM.¡±


    ¡°You spent 11.00 yuan on August 13th at 13: 35 PM.¡±


    ¡­


    The brightness of the phone had been adjusted to the lowest, but the screen that lit up from time to time was still eye-catching.


    ¡°Boss, your bank card was swiped?¡± Eagle glanced at the screen and was dumbfounded by the series of reminders.


    ¡°Shut up.¡± A cold male voice sounded. Then, someone picked up the phone, hid the reminders, and threw the phone aside.


    Shi Lu was very cooperative in the afternoon. His outstanding performance made Director Chen cry. As Director Chen sent Shi Lu out of the entrance of the film studio, he wanted to praise Shi Lu again.


    ¡°Are you done filming?¡± Yuan Shu couldn¡¯t help but ask when she saw that the impatient Shi Lu was still being pestered by the director. She was afraid that he would send Director Chen flying with a punch in the next second.


    Shi Lu and Chen Sheng turned around and saw the smiling Yuan Shu. She was holding two ice creams in her hands. They were pink and were probably strawberry-flavored.


    She was no longer dressed imposingly like in the morning. Instead, she had her long hair tied up and was wearing a white shirt with a pleated skirt under it. Her high heels had also been changed to a pair of cute Mary Janes. She looked vivacious and youthful, like a high school student.


    Yuan Shu had a very fulfilling afternoon.


    There was everything on the commercial street, from food, drinking, drinks, to clothes, shoes, and makeup. When Yuan Shu was shopping in the mall, she was stopped by the counter lady, who helped her put on makeup and tie her hair. In the end, she bought lipstick, eyebrow pencils, and tried on a few clothes in the clothing area.


    After leaving the mall, they arrived at the snack street. Yuan Shu ate a lot along the way. In the end, Yuan Shu was almost at the entrance of the film city. When she saw Shi Lu coming out, she bought two ice creams.


    She had originally planned to have one for herself and Shi Lu, but she didn¡¯t expect Director Chen to be here too, so Yuan Shu could only hand the ice cream to them.


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Chen Sheng hurriedly took the ice cream and took a bite.


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to your help. If only things could go so smoothly every day,¡± Chen Sheng couldn¡¯t help but lament. In the next second, he saw Shi Lu¡¯s unhappy gaze.


    ¡°Madam, you¡¯re here to bring Mr. Shen Lu home, right? Then go quickly. I¡¯ll go back to the set and keep an eye on things.¡± With that, Chen Sheng ran away.


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 Chapter 29

    Phone Call


    When Shi Lu saw Yuan Shu coming over, he remembered that he had put so much effort into acting just now, but it was all in vain. Thus, he turned his head away unhappily.


    Yuan Shu felt that he was acting a little strange, but couldn¡¯t be bothered to guess what the young master was thinking. She said, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    With that, she turned around and got into the car without caring if Shi Lu followed her or not.


    Shi Lu was now afraid of Yuan Shu after being drowned in the water in the morning, so he followed Yuan Shu without saying a word.


    Chu Mei stood in front of the small window on the second floor and witnessed everything. She became even more certain that Shen Lu and Yuan Shu were having an affair.


    Yuan Shu found Shen Lu so quickly. Shen Lu could leave whenever he wanted, but she still had to wake up early and work until late at night every day.


    Shen Lu obtained this role due to his powerful connections, just like her. Why did Shen Lu get to be taken care of by the director and the entire production team had to follow his orders? Just based on the fact that his sugar mama was richer and more powerful than her sugar daddy?


    Chu Mei¡¯s manager came over and happened to see Yuan Shu leaving with Shi Lu.


    ¡°What¡¯s their relationship? Could it be that Shen Lu is a kept man, so that¡¯s why his resources are so good?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Chu Mei suddenly turned around and looked at her manager gloomily.


    The manager was shocked by her reaction and realized that he had hit Chu Mei¡¯s sore spot. He hurriedly waved his hand and explained, ¡°No, no, no. Sister Chu, I didn¡¯t mean that. I didn¡¯t mean you¡­¡±


    ¡°Your bonus for this month is gone.¡± Chu Mei rolled her eyes at her manager and ignored him.


    The manager could only leave the lounge and accept his bad luck.


    Shi Lu followed Yuan Shu back to the Shi family obediently. He was also curious about what had happened to the Shi family that made Yuan Shu interfere in his matters.


    Yuan Shu was also worried. She vaguely remembered that the book said that the Shi family had a total of four children. Other than her husband, Shi Xiao, whom she had never met before, the second son, Shi Lu, and the fourth son, Shi Bin, there was also a girl, Shi Le.


    Yuan Shu had a headache. From the two young masters she had interacted with up to now, she felt that the Shi family was very strange. They didn¡¯t have a strong sense of family honor and were not as obedient as the children she had taught in the past.


    Their education had a long way to go. She should understand the personalities of these children better.


    The two of them were fine on the way home, but the Shi family¡¯s villa was busy for the entire afternoon.


    As soon as Yuan Shu entered, the maid welcomed her.


    ¡°Mr. Li Ci is back. His secretary said if you have time tonight, please call him back.¡±


    Who was Li Ci? Yuan Shu didn¡¯t remember this person.


    ¡°Mr. Li Ci is President Shi¡¯s good friend. President Shi has helped him before,¡± the bodyguard holding Yuan Shu¡¯s things suddenly said.


    Yuan Shu nodded at the bodyguard and said, ¡°I understand. You¡¯re the one who followed Shi Xiao for five years, right? What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°My name is Zhou Yan, Madam,¡± the bodyguard replied respectfully.


    Yuan Shu nodded and noted down this name before asking the maid to call Li Ci back.


    Seeing that he had nothing to do, Shi Lu went upstairs and planned to return to his room to rest. Before filming, he only dried himself and changed his clothes. He didn¡¯t have time to shower at all. His skin was itchy and painful, and he felt very uncomfortable.


    Secretary Li Ci went straight to the point after picking up the phone. ¡°Hello, Madam. I¡¯m Mr. Li Ci¡¯s secretary, Irene. Are you free tomorrow night at six o¡¯clock? Mr. Li Ci and Madam Li Ran want to invite you to dinner. The address is Vienna Hotel.¡±


    Yuan Shu hesitated for a moment before agreeing.


    After Yuan Shu put down the phone, she realized that Zhou Yan was still following behind her and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    Zhou Yan nodded. ¡°Madam, since you agreed to Mr. Li Ci¡¯s invitation, if it¡¯s convenient, please bring President Shi¡¯s secretary. I¡¯ll help you contact her. She¡¯s more familiar with Mr. Li Ci.¡±


    Zhou Yan paused and was about to say something when he was interrupted by a phone ring.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Yuan Shu picked up the phone and heard a gentle but ingratiating female voice.


    ¡°Yuan Shu, it¡¯s Mom. Recently, our family¡¯s funds have been a little tight, and we¡¯ve encountered difficulties in exporting. You¡¯re going to eat with Mr. Li tomorrow, right? You¡¯re still young, so there are many things you don¡¯t understand. Why don¡¯t you let your father accompany you? You can also help our family build a bridge and get to know Mr. Li.¡±


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 Chapter 30

    Family


    When Yuan Shu heard the voice on the phone, some of the Host¡¯s memories suddenly appeared in her mind.


    This woman who claimed to be her mother was actually her stepmother.


    The Host¡¯s biological mother had been in poor health after giving birth to her. After giving birth, she was depressed, but still had to breastfeed her child and her husband even had an affair. The Host¡¯s mother persevered until the Host was six years old before she passed away. However, in less than two years, the Host¡¯s father married a new wife, who was the one he had an affair with back then.


    At that time, Yuan Shu, who was only eight years old, could only cry to express her dissatisfaction. Her father¡¯s way of handling it was to throw her a bank card and let her go on shopping sprees.


    Growing up in such a family environment, it was no wonder that the Host was unruly and willful, but lacked a sense of security. Yuan Shu sighed and interrupted the chatter on the other end of the phone.


    ¡°Madam Duan Yan, first of all, you¡¯re not my biological mother, and you didn¡¯t fulfill your duty as a mother during my childhood years, so please don¡¯t say that you¡¯re my mother. You¡¯re not worthy of this title.¡±


    Yuan Shu sighed. She probably didn¡¯t remember their names wrongly.


    ¡°Secondly, please tell my father that it¡¯s not my place to interfere in the Shi family¡¯s matters yet. All I can do is try my best to help the Shi family tide over the difficulties until Shi Xiao returns. As for the so-called bridge-building, this is not within my ability. Please find another way to earn a living.¡±


    Yuan Shu hung up after saying that. After she turned around, she saw Shi Lu coming downstairs.


    ¡°You heard everything?¡± Yuan Shu raised her eyebrows at Shi Lu.


    The phone rang again, but Yuan Shu hung up without even looking.


    ¡°You¡¯re also from a blended family?¡± Shi Lu suddenly asked.


    He wasn¡¯t close to Shi Xiao and Shi Bin. These two people were born by Mr. Shi¡¯s first wife and were the eldest and second son of the first wife.


    He was different. In the beginning, he was just an illegitimate child and his mother taught him that he had to know how to please people.


    Later, Madam Shi got into a car accident, then Shi Lu and his mother were brought back to the Shi family, becoming the current Madam and Second Young Master. Shi Xiao and Shi Bin didn¡¯t like him. Before he reached adulthood, he had always lived a cautious life. After he got into university, he moved away immediately and rarely contacted the Shi family anymore. Later, when he entered the entertainment industry, he was unwilling to reveal his identity, so he changed his name to Shen Lu.


    Originally, he only wanted to go downstairs to find something to eat. He didn¡¯t expect to find out that Yuan Shu was also from a blended family. This surprised him a little.


    He had always thought that Yuan Shu¡¯s family must have been blissful and had given her all their love. He didn¡¯t expect them to be a blended family as well.


    He looked at Yuan Shu and thought of the ice cream she handed him in the afternoon. For some reason, he had the feeling that they were in the same boat.


    ¡°I don¡¯t look like someone from a blended family?¡± Yuan Shu smiled at him.


    ¡°You must be hungry. Come and eat. The shrimp tofu soup cooked by Aunt Wu today is very delicious.¡±


    Shi Lu accepted Yuan Shu¡¯s invitation and sat at the dining table to drink the soup in silence. He wasn¡¯t good at interacting with people to begin with, so he didn¡¯t feel awkward when he didn¡¯t speak during the meal.


    Except¡­


    Shi Lu couldn¡¯t help but look at Yuan Shu. Her fair hands held the ancient porcelain spoon as she drank the soup bite by bite. Yuan Shu¡¯s lips were rosy, like freshly plucked cherries. Shi Lu sensed that something was wrong with himself and suddenly choked.


    ¡°Ahem¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Yuan Shu looked at Shi Lu with concern. Shi Lu put the bowl down and waved his hands repeatedly. Then, he stood up and ran upstairs.


    ¡°I¡¯m full. I¡¯ll go back to my room first.¡±


    At five o¡¯clock in the afternoon the next day, Shi Xiao¡¯s secretary arrived at the Shi family¡¯s villa to pick up Yuan Shu.


    ¡°Hello, Madam. I¡¯m President Shi¡¯s secretary, Zhao Mian. You can call me Xiao Zhao. As you rarely attend meetings with President Shi, you¡¯re probably not familiar with the twists and turns. Please speak as little as possible later. I¡¯ll take charge of the situation.¡±


    Zhao Mian¡¯s words were blunt, but fortunately, Yuan Shu wasn¡¯t angry at all. Instead, she nodded and said to her, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Zhao Mian really couldn¡¯t understand what was going on. She remembered that on the second day of the engagement, Yuan Shu ran to the headquarters and caused a scene. She warned every female employee not to have any designs on the CEO and even specifically ran to her to threaten and show off.


    Why did she become so reasonable and easygoing now?


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 Chapter 31

    Trap?


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t think much of it, since she was indeed unfamiliar with Li Ci. Moreover, even though she had learned a lot, there were still many things that she didn¡¯t have comprehensive knowledge of, such as foreign languages and business.


    She was originally from a military family. Later, when she got married, only then did she learn how to distribute monthly allowances. If she really had to talk to such an old fox who had been in the business world for a long time, she would probably be played for a sucker.


    There were professionals in the industry, so it was better to leave matters to professionals.


    ¡°If you have no objections, let¡¯s set off now.¡± After Zhao Mian opened the car door for Yuan Shu, she saw Yuan Shu waving.


    ¡°Zhou Yan, drive.¡±


    Li Ci and Li Ran were also packing up at this moment. However, in contrast to Zhao Mian¡¯s cautiousness, the two of them were nonchalant.


    ¡°Uncle, why would a person like President Shi marry a woman like Yuan Shu?¡± Li Ran was watching Chu Mei¡¯s press conference from yesterday and couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°Her family background is just so-so. It can¡¯t compare to the Shi family¡¯s wealth or our family¡¯s power. Her only redeeming quality is probably that she¡¯s better than that vixen Chu Mei.¡± As Li Ran watched Chu Mei, who was crying and accusing Shi Xiao on the television, she felt nauseous.


    Who was Chu Mei pretending for? Did Chu Mei really think that she didn¡¯t know that Chu Mei had an affair with Gao Shan? If not for the lack of concrete evidence, she wouldn¡¯t have tolerated Chu Mei until now.


    Li Ci chose a gray tie and tied it into a Windsor knot. Then, he glanced at the television.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably because Yuan Shu has some tricks up her sleeve. Moreover, this woman doesn¡¯t have much of a brain. If they can¡¯t live together anymore in the future, it¡¯ll be easy to get a divorce. Nobodies can¡¯t cause trouble.¡±


    Li Ci tidied up the position of his collar pin in front of the mirror and said, ¡°As for you, I really can¡¯t figure out what you like about Gao Shan. You¡¯re still unwilling to get a divorce.¡±


    Li Ran was stunned when she heard him say that and lowered her head.


    ¡°He treated me very well in college. He brought me breakfast and accompanied me to class¡­ I want to wait a little longer. Perhaps he will change his ways.¡±


    Li Ci didn¡¯t say anything else. He just reached out and stroked his niece¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Silly girl.¡±


    When Yuan Shu and the others arrived at the agreed place, Li Ci and Li Ran were already waiting in their seats.


    The Vienna Hotel was only open to upper-class guests. The waiters were all well-trained and wouldn¡¯t gossip about anything they saw or heard, so it was a good place to negotiate. The private room Li Ci booked was the most high-end one. It was on the top floor and had a view of the entire city.


    ¡°President Zhao, Madam, you¡¯re here.¡± The door of the private room was pushed open. After the waiter led them in, he closed the door and left. Li Ci was the first to greet them.


    ¡°Mr. Li, Miss Li, long time no see.¡± Zhao Mian was the first to step forward and shake hands. Then, she made way for Yuan Shu, who was following behind her. ¡°Let me introduce you. This is Madam Shi.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you. My name is Yuan Shu.¡± From the moment she entered, Yuan Shu had sized up the renovation layout.


    This room was indeed decorated in a lavish manner and was enough to impress people who were relatively ignorant. However, she had been used to big scenes since she was young and had even received the Emperor¡¯s decree before. Therefore, this wasn¡¯t that impressive to her.


    Li Ci and Li Ran looked at each other and saw the surprise in each other¡¯s eyes.


    The last time they saw Yuan Shu was at her and Shi Xiao¡¯s wedding. At that time, the two newlyweds came to toast them. Yuan Shu had heavy makeup on and a smug look on her face. But now, Yuan Shu seemed like a different person.


    She no longer had overly bright red lipstick and thick foundation on. Instead, she only drew her eyebrows and applied nude lipstick. She was wearing a Van Cleef necklace on her slender neck. She looked noble and elegant in a Chanel dress.


    Did Shi Xiao hire an etiquette teacher for her?


    Since everyone was there, Li Ci invited everyone to take a seat and handed the menu to Yuan Shu.


    ¡°We randomly ordered some food, but don¡¯t know if it suits your appetite or not. Please take a look yourself and see if you need to add anything else.¡±


    Yuan Shu took the menu and placed it aside without opening it.


    She smiled at Li Ci and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need. I don¡¯t think you asked me out just to treat me to a meal. Mr. Li, please speak your mind.¡±


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 32

    Negotiation


    When Li Ci heard her say this, he didn¡¯t waste any more time and said directly, ¡°We invited you here this time because we have news of the Director. Originally, the Director wanted to go to Nigeria to investigate the project, but for some reason, he suddenly landed in Niger. After I received the news, I sent people to search, but there was no news of the Director. The only clue points to Somalia.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Li.¡± Yuan Shu thanked Li Ci, but her expression didn¡¯t change.


    ¡°This is what I should do. President Shi has helped me before.¡± Li Ci kept his eyes on Yuan Shu as he spoke, but he didn¡¯t see any change in her expression.


    ¡°In that case, with Mr. Li¡¯s help overseas, in addition to the fact that the Shi family has also sent a search and rescue team, we believe that President Shi will be safe and sound. In that case, you can rest assured that everything has been arranged before President Shi left. We just need to stabilize the situation.¡± Zhao Mian knew that Yuan Shu wasn¡¯t aware of these things.


    ¡°But there¡¯s someone we need Miss Li Ran¡¯s help with.¡± Zhao Mian changed the topic and looked at Li Ran.


    ¡°I believe everyone has heard about Chu Mei¡¯s press conference yesterday. She publicly slandered President Shi¡¯s reputation, causing the Shi family¡¯s share price to fall. Although it didn¡¯t cause a huge impact, it¡¯s still a hidden danger. Therefore, I hope that our two families can work together to resolve this small problem.¡±


    Press conference? Stock price? Yuan Shu was baffled for a moment. She had been watching the news on television recently, but didn¡¯t pay attention to the gossip in the entertainment industry at all. She couldn¡¯t figure out what relationship Chu Mei had with Shi Xiao.


    ¡°Of course, but it¡¯s not time yet.¡± Li Ran nodded and looked at Yuan Shu.


    ¡°Besides, Madam Shi hasn¡¯t said anything, so it¡¯s not appropriate for us to say anything.¡±


    Yuan Shu picked up her cup and took a sip of tea. How could she know what Chu Mei had done again? However, the question was directed to her after all, so she had to respond.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be anxious about this matter. If it really has something to do with Shi Xiao, I¡¯ll naturally give her what she deserves. However, there¡¯s no evidence now. If she wants to rely on public opinion to obtain things, she¡¯s too naive.¡±


    Li Ci felt that Yuan Shu was interesting, since she could still sit still in such a situation. Li Ci couldn¡¯t help but look at Yuan Shu a few more times before talking about the original topic with Zhao Mian again.


    ¡°The Shi family is rich, so this is not a problem. When they discover that the company is operating smoothly and that the Shi family is not bankrupt, the share price will naturally rise back. However, I think Director Zhao might not be able to solve everything.¡±


    Zhao Mian nodded. She knew that this was probably Li Ci¡¯s true motive for this meeting.


    ¡°Indeed, Yuan An is a troublesome problem. Although it¡¯s not a big business, if it continues to develop, the risk will be too high. I won¡¯t be able to turn the tide alone. Moreover, the Shi family¡¯s foundation is overseas. The domestic companies that are comparable to the Shi family¡¯s business might not be willing to take the risk.¡±


    Li Ci smiled at Zhao Mian. ¡°No wonder you followed her here today. You want me to help, right? Don¡¯t worry. Even if I have to sell myself to you, I will help¡­¡±


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t pay attention to their conversation. She was organizing her own thoughts.


    After the call yesterday, she investigated Li Ci. The internet was really convenient. If she wanted to find anything, she could just search for it. It was like having hundreds of spies. All the information she wanted was right in front of her.


    Yuan Shu realized that if the Shi family was a family of businessmen, then the Li family was a family of bureaucrats, and they were quite powerful.


    From their conversation today, something had happened to a small shop called ¡°Yuan An¡± in the Shi family. If the Shi family only had to bear the responsibility, the losses would only be a small portion, but it would alarm the people and even implicate the government.


    Therefore, the best solution was to find a few more businessmen to share the risk with or ask the government for help.


    However, most of the businesses with the same strength as the Shi family¡¯s business were competitors. Therefore, they could only ask the Li family, which had ties to the government, to help. When the funds were stabilized, they could naturally overcome the difficulties.


    However¡­ there might be another solution.


    Yuan Shu was thinking of a countermeasure and didn¡¯t notice that the two people who had finished their conversation were looking at her.


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 Chapter 33

    Happy Cooperation


    At this moment, at the entrance of the Shi family¡¯s villa, a middle-aged couple was arguing with the maid.


    ¡°I already said that I¡¯m Yuan Shu¡¯s mother. Can¡¯t you hear me? Why won¡¯t you let me in?¡± The woman who claimed to be Yuan Shu¡¯s mother was dressed in a gaudy manner. Her clothes were the latest design from Gucci, and the bag she carried was a classic PRADA bag. The watch on her wrist was Patek Philippe. It could be seen that she had put in a lot of effort for this meeting.


    When Shi Bin arrived at the door, he saw the maid, who had a troubled expression, and Duan Yan, who was still arguing.


    When the maid saw him, it was as if she had seen her savior. She hurriedly went forward to welcome him.


    ¡°Fourth Young Master, you¡¯re back. Madam has something on today and is dining outside. What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll instruct the kitchen to prepare it.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry.¡± Shi Bin gestured for the maid to tell him the situation. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    The maid told Shi Bin everything in detail. Duan Yan, who was beside them, was very dissatisfied with Shi Bin for ignoring her. She went forward and said, ¡°You¡¯re the fourth young master of the Shi family, right? My daughter, Yuan Shu, is your sister-in-law. His father and I came to visit today. Not only did she not come out to welcome us, but now, your servant is even stopping us from entering. You guys are such bullies!¡±


    ¡°Enough, stop talking!¡± Yuan Hao couldn¡¯t help but say.


    When he married Duan Yan, he thought that she was innocent and gentle. He didn¡¯t expect that at that time, she was just putting on an act. Now, she was becoming more and more like a shrew. She gave him a headache every day.


    ¡°Fourth Young Master, please be reasonable. Is there a daughter who blocks her parents from entering the house?¡± Yuan Hao saw that Shi Bin was a reasonable person and couldn¡¯t help but complain, ¡°I already said that we¡¯re Yuan Shu¡¯s parents, but your servant insisted that we show evidence. Where can I get evidence for her?!¡±


    Shi Bin wanted to wait for him to finish speaking, but the door opened at this moment. Shi Lu had already seen them arguing for a long time and couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so he rushed out.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t she make it clear enough on the phone yesterday? If you really want business deals, go negotiate them yourselves. Don¡¯t waste time here. Also, the easiest way to prove your identities is to call her and ask her to prove your identities.¡± Shi Lu¡¯s handsome face turned cold as he looked at them impassively.


    ¡°If possible, please make the call quickly. Otherwise, I¡¯ll call the police and say that you guys are trespassing.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Is there anything else you want to know?¡± Li Ci couldn¡¯t help but remind her when she saw that Yuan Shu was deep in thought and didn¡¯t pay attention to their conversation at all.


    What was she thinking? Was she thinking about how to win a man¡¯s heart, or how much money she could get after a divorce?


    ¡°Huh? Sorry, I was distracted just now.¡± Yuan Shu only came back to her senses when Zhao Mian gently pulled her sleeve and said apologetically.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Our conversation was indeed a little boring. It¡¯s normal for Madam to be uninterested.¡± Li Ci mocked Yuan Shu.


    Yuan Shu¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as she picked up the teacup and took another sip. It was good Longjing tea, but the person who made the tea wasn¡¯t good at it.


    ¡°Mr. Li, you must be joking. However, regarding this question, I want to say my opinion. Mr. Li, please don¡¯t mock me. If there¡¯s anything wrong with what I say, please point it out.¡±


    Li Ci¡¯s interest was piqued when he heard her words and he leaned over to look at Yuan Shu.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to hear the details.¡±


    The hosts and guests had a good dinner. Even when they parted, Li Ci looked at Yuan Shu approvingly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be such a wise person. I was in the wrong for looking down on you. I hope you can forgive me.¡±


    Yuan Shu also shook hands with Li Ci politely and said goodbye.


    ¡°However, Madam, I want to ask, don¡¯t you have anything you want to ask the President?¡± As Li Ci watched Yuan Shu shake her head, he couldn¡¯t help but marvel. As expected, a woman like her wouldn¡¯t be dragged down by love. When she was in love with Shi Xiao, she insisted on marrying him. Now that she was clear-headed, she didn¡¯t even care about her husband¡¯s well-being anymore.


    Before Li Ci could finish marveling, he heard Yuan Shu say, ¡°He won¡¯t die.¡±


    Li Ci froze, then he looked into Yuan Shu¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I said, he won¡¯t die,¡± Yuan Shu repeated firmly.


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 Chapter 34

    Banquet Invitation


    When Yuan Shu returned home, she saw Shi Bin and Shi Lu sitting on opposite sides of the sofa. They ignored each other, like two stone lions guarding the door of a monastery.


    ¡°What are you two doing? Are you pretending to be stone lions to welcome me?¡± Yuan Shu was amused. After she changed her shoes, she sat on the chaise longue beside them.


    Shi Bin looked at Yuan Shu with a mixed expression. Without saying anything, he turned around and went upstairs.


    Seeing this, Shi Lu also wanted to leave, but he was suddenly stopped by Yuan Shu. ¡°Shi Lu, don¡¯t leave yet. I have something to ask you.¡±


    Shi Lu stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Yuan Shu as he said calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t think I have any information you need.¡±


    ¡°No, you do.¡± Yuan Shu said firmly, ¡°I think you know who the Shi family is on good terms with in the upper-class circle, who they are at odds with, and which families are comparable to us, right?¡±


    Two hours later, Shi Lu sat on the sofa with a listless look in his eyes.


    Yuan Shu wanted this information in detail, so he had been chattering non-stop for two hours about the family¡¯s connections. Now, he felt like a stranded fish that was about to die on the riverbank.


    He looked at Yuan Shu, who was arranging a pile of paper filled with words, and said tiredly, ¡°What¡¯s the use of this information? You¡¯re not planning to kiss up to these families, are you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s useful information to me.¡± Yuan Shu was in a good mood after getting what she wanted, so she didn¡¯t care that Shi Lu¡¯s tone was rude. She tidied up the paper and walked upstairs.


    ¡°It¡¯s been hard on you today. Rest early. Good night.¡±


    As Shi Lu stared at her back, he smiled weakly and picked up a piece of paper that had been left at the foot of the table. The words on it were written in standard cursive and her handwriting was beautiful.


    ¡°It¡¯s not tough. My life is tough.¡±


    The next day, almost everyone in the upper-class circle received an exquisite invitation letter from the Shi family, which invited them to the Shi family¡¯s ancestral home for a banquet on the twentieth.


    Attending a banquet at the Shi Clan¡¯s ancestral home wasn¡¯t a small matter. It was equivalent to the Shi Clan approving of their identities and wanting to befriend them.


    For a moment, everyone in the upper-class circle was discussing this matter and wanted to show off their invitations. In the end, after the people from the various large families exchanged information, they realized that everyone in the circle had been invited, except for the Jiang family and the Xu family.


    The Jiang family, the Xu family, and the Tan family had always been at odds with the Shi family and were competitors.


    However, everyone knew that Tan Jing had visited the Shi family a few days ago and the Shi family even brought him a box of fruits before he left. The Shi family had also invited the Tan family to this banquet. Was the Shi family trying to befriend the Tan family?


    Their discussions didn¡¯t reach Yuan Shu¡¯s ears. She was still doing what she should be doing every day. However, these days, the other Madams had invited her out to shop more often. She had also invited a few Madams who were conducive to the Shi family¡¯s business development.


    This was the same as before. The women of the various families also needed to contact each other to obtain some news.


    The meeting was set in the afternoon. After lunch, Yuan Shu told the maid to pack some fruits and snacks, then send them to Shi Bin and Shi Lu.


    ¡°Send food to the two young masters?¡± The maid who received the order was somewhat puzzled.


    Although the family¡¯s relationship had improved a lot these days, it didn¡¯t seem to have reached this stage, right? Besides, the two young masters were already adults, so it was unnecessary.


    ¡°Yes, send it to them.¡± Yuan Shu¡¯s expression was normal as she went upstairs to choose the clothes she would wear when she went out later.


    The maid didn¡¯t dare to question Yuan Shu¡¯s order. She hurriedly packed the snacks and fruits Yuan Shu had ordered and asked the driver to bring her to deliver them to the two young masters.


    When they got into the car, the maid suddenly realized that the servants in the family had gradually become very respectful of Yuan Shu¡¯s decisions.


    She asked the driver, ¡°Did you notice that Madam has changed a lot recently?¡±


    When she said that, the driver suddenly realized it as well. In the past, Yuan Shu wasn¡¯t concerned about her family at all and did whatever she wanted every day. Now, she suddenly acted like a different person. Had she suddenly matured because of her husband¡¯s disappearance?


    The driver thought for a moment and said, ¡°That seems to be the case. Madam seems to have become a different person. She¡¯s becoming like those madams in television dramas.¡±


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 Chapter 35

    Madam Xiao


    ¡°Madam, we¡¯re at the mall.¡± The driver went to deliver food to Shi Binshi, so Zhou Yan took over the driver¡¯s role and sent Yuan Shu to the mall.


    While waiting for Madam Xiao to arrive, Zhou Yan asked, ¡°Madam, do you need me to follow you? I can help carry your bag.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need. You can take a walk yourself or wait for me in the car. I¡¯m shopping with Madam Xiao. How can you follow me?¡± Yuan Shu rejected Zhou Yan¡¯s good intentions and saw that the Xiao family¡¯s car wasn¡¯t far away.


    Shi Bin, who had just finished class, took the lunch box from the maid. The classmate beside him couldn¡¯t help but tease him, ¡°Did Young Master Shi receive a gift? Which family¡¯s young lady sent you this food? Hurry up and open it for us to see what delicious food is there!¡±


    Shi Bin opened the lunch box. On the upper layer, there were two small and beautiful lotus cakes. On the lower layer, there were some seasonal fruits with water droplets. They looked very delicious.


    Shi Bin picked up a blueberry and put it in his mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s not from a suitor. It¡¯s from¡­ my family.¡± Shi Bin was still unable to say the word ¡®sister-in-law¡¯ and could only gloss over it.


    As he looked at the exquisite and beautiful lotus cake, a strange feeling of warmth suddenly welled up in his heart. It was as if a seed that had been sealed for a long time had suddenly sprouted and bloomed into a budding lotus flower.


    This small lunch box was the warmth he had yearned for since he was young.


    ¡°Madam, you didn¡¯t agree to come out shopping with me just to shop, right?¡± Madam Xiao and Yuan Shu sat in the cafe ad they waited for the drinks to be delivered.


    Madam Xiao¡¯s name was Liu Lan, and she was born into a scholarly family.


    After Mr. Xiao took over the family¡¯s company, he opened a law firm. The couple was an exception in the upper-class circle. The two of them were childhood sweethearts and were very loving.


    Moreover, they were not like other aristocratic families who were eager to curry favor with the Shi family when they were at their peak but when Shi Xiao disappeared, they wished they could cut off all ties and see the Shi family fall. Back then, the two of them had asked the Host if she needed help, but they were scolded by the ungrateful Host.


    When she recalled these memories yesterday, Yuan Shu even got someone to prepare a gift for the Xiao couple to apologize for the Host.


    ¡°I was in the wrong for what happened before. At that time, I was muddle-headed and said harsh words to you and your wife. I want to apologize for this. This is a small gift that I hope you can accept.¡± Yuan Shu handed over the carefully selected teacup.


    She found out from Shi Lu that the Xiao couple liked to collect antiques, calligraphy, and paintings, so she brought Zhou Yan to choose one personally.


    ¡°Madam, you¡¯re too polite. That matter is already in the past. Why mention it again?¡± Liu Lan accepted the gift while smiling at Yuan Shu.


    ¡°Madam, there should be many people inviting you out during this period of time. You didn¡¯t just ask me out to shop, right?¡±


    Yuan Shu smiled as well. She liked interacting with smart people.


    ¡°You can call me Yuan Shu. There¡¯s no need for us to be so formal. I didn¡¯t call you out just to shop. I wonder if you¡¯ve heard of the company ¡®Yuan An¡¯?¡±


    As the two of them chatted, the coffee was served. Yuan Shu picked up the cup and took a sip before putting it down without changing her expression.


    So the people of this era called the medicine they drank coffee.


    She didn¡¯t know what coffee treated, but all medicine was slightly poisonous, so she shouldn¡¯t drink it.


    Liu Lan seemed to know what Yuan Shu wanted to do. When she was in university, she majored in law, and this company called Yuan An was currently in danger. Although it wasn¡¯t serious, it would pose a huge threat in the future.


    Liu Lan wanted to refuse, but when she looked up, she met Yuan Shu¡¯s sparkling eyes.


    ¡°Madam Xiao, are you willing to believe me this once and cooperate with me?¡±


    Shi Lu, who was still filming, watched as the assistant took the lunch box from the maid. He was speechless.


    What was Yuan Shu trying to do?! Did she treat him as a three-year-old child? She even asked someone to send food over. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that the Shi family was so loving that even his sister-in-law cared so much about him.


    ¡°Cut! This scene is over!¡± Director Chen stared at the monitor and shouted.


    ¡°His performance is really good! Especially the twitch at the corner of his mouth. It perfectly portrays his disdain and speechlessness when he heard the news.¡± Chen Sheng was still praising Shi Lu when he saw him take a lunch box from his assistant and stuff it into his arms.


    ¡°Yuan Shu sent it over. I¡¯m on a diet. You can eat it instead.¡±


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 Chapter 36

    Trending Search


    The surrounding people who heard their conversation couldn¡¯t help but whisper. They even glanced at Shi Lu from time to time.


    ¡°Could Brother Lu really be a kept man?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible. He has such good resources the moment he debuted, and his looks match that Madam¡¯s taste in men.¡±


    Chu Mei gritted her teeth as she watched from the side.


    They were both kept, but Shi Lu had better resources and better luck.


    Chu Mei clicked the trending topic of her complaining about the Shi family, which had been trending for an entire day. She had been waiting for the Shi family¡¯s response. If the Shi family still didn¡¯t appear, it would basically confirm this news. She would definitely be able to overcome this!


    The first post on the trending list came into view:


    [The list of the 20th banquet of the Shi family is announced.]


    Chu Mei was puzzled. After she scrolled down, she broke out in cold sweat.


    The second trending topic: ¡°Shi Xiao has returned safely.¡±


    The third trending topic: ¡°Madam Shi at the shopping mall.¡±


    Chu Mei clicked on the title [Shi Xiao has returned safely] with trembling hands. Her imagination ran wild.


    Shi Xiao was back? Was she doomed this time?


    [This afternoon, someone took a photo of Shi Xiao¡¯s wife, Yuan Shu, appearing in the largest shopping mall in our city and buying everything in the entire mall! At the same time, the Shi Corporation announced the invitation list for the 20th banquet. Mr. Shi Xiao has probably returned safely, so the entire Shi family is probably going to celebrate. Please wait for the Shi Corporation to announce the details.]


    Chu Mei heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it was just a guess. She wanted to see what the comments section said so that she could prepare a response in advance.


    The comments section could be said to be a hodgepodge. There were cheers from the onlookers, saying, ¡°So this is the life of a rich family.¡± There were people wailing, ¡°Would it kill for me to be a rich person as well?¡± and so on.


    One of the comments was trending: ¡°Shi Xiao is back. Will we be able to find out the truth of Chu Mei¡¯s pregnancy?! Is it abandonment or slander? I¡¯m looking forward to it!¡±


    Soon, Chu Mei¡¯s fans started to clear her name.


    [Please show mercy and don¡¯t make wild guesses about Chu Mei.]


    [Of course she¡¯s pregnant! How can that Yuan Shu be worthy of Shi Xiao?]


    [This is Yuan Shu¡¯s photo. No matter how one looks at it, she¡¯s not worthy of the Shi family, right? [picture]]


    [Yuan Shu used some tricks to get married, right? She can¡¯t compare to Chu Mei in terms of beauty!]


    [This is Yuan Shu¡¯s dark history. Please watch [link].]


    ¡­


    Chu Mei had debuted two years ago and acted in three television dramas. She had a down-to-earth persona.


    In addition, on talent shows, she created the image of someone from an ¡°unhappy family¡±. Fans couldn¡¯t help but put themselves in her shoes. Moreover, in the previous press conference, she lost a lot of fans, so all the fans left were the most loyal fans. Their strength naturally couldn¡¯t be underestimated, and they praised Chu Mei profusely.


    Moreover, people in the entertainment industry could control comments and belittle their opponents easily. Naturally, passerby comments couldn¡¯t compare to theirs.


    Looking at these comments, Chu Mei couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty.


    If it was in the past, she would still have the confidence to suppress Yuan Shu. After all, she had bad taste and didn¡¯t know how to put on makeup properly, so the internet was filled with ugly photos of her.


    But if it was now¡­


    Chu Mei suddenly thought of the day Yuan Shu came to look for Shen Lu. She was beautiful without any makeup on and her aura was unparalleled in the entertainment industry.


    Chu Mei was engrossed in reading the comments, and there were also many people in the production team who were gossiping.


    Yuan Shu looked too stunning that day, so many people secretly took photos.


    Although Chu Mei had set up a friendly persona for herself, she couldn¡¯t keep pretending. She was the most stuck-up one in the production team, which was a stark contrast to Yuan Shu on that day.


    Soon, other comments appeared in the Weibo comments section:


    [Don¡¯t compare other people¡¯s ugly photos with your heavily photoshopped photos. Let¡¯s see what a real bare-faced beauty looks like! [Picture]]


    The picture was of Yuan Shu drinking tea with a small blanket wrapped around her. Her hair was wet and stuck to her face. She was curled up in the blanket and the tea in her hand was still misty. The mist gave her a soft glow.


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 Chapter 37

    Find Help


    This picture was quickly pushed to the top of the trending searches, accompanied by a large number of comments.


    [She¡¯s so beautiful. She¡¯s like a fairy who accidentally entered the human world!]


    [This is the same person as the photo sent by Chu Mei¡¯s fans? She had plastic surgery?]


    [I¡¯m a plastic surgeon, so I can guarantee that my eyebrows and eyes are exactly the same, but that makeup look doesn¡¯t suit her.]


    [What are you doing to your beautiful face?! Stop putting on makeup!]


    Soon, photos of Yuan Shu shopping in the mall were posted.


    [How is this face not worthy of Shi Xiao?!]


    [She seems to be the kind of classical beauty that only appears in paintings!]


    [She is an exquisite figurine created by Nuwa. In comparison, I¡¯m just a blob of clay.]


    [Is Chu Mei worthy of being compared to such a beauty?]


    [There¡¯s indeed no comparison. Chu Mei is a vixen, while Yuan Shu is so elegant and innocent.]


    ¡­


    The more Chu Mei read the comments, the more stifled she felt. She didn¡¯t expect that she would suffer at the hands of the same person twice. She spent money to top the trending topics and waited for the Shi family¡¯s response. In the end, not only did Yuan Shu use this method to resolve the crisis, but she also counterattacked.


    The manager came over to inform Chu Mei to prepare to film. The moment he opened the door, he saw her staring at her phone and couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    The manager originally thought that Chu Mei was a smart person. She was beautiful and ruthless, so she was willing to sacrifice many things for her end goal. Although this kind of person was despicable, this kind of person was usually the type that survived in the entertainment industry the longest.


    Unfortunately, she was too greedy. Not only did she want good resources, but she also coveted the position of the CEO¡¯s wife. Her career was clearly rising now, but she actually got pregnant. Clearly, she wasn¡¯t that smart.


    ¡°Chu Mei, if you really want the child in your stomach to become the Shi family¡¯s child, don¡¯t just rely on the power of the media.¡± Seeing her like this, the manager couldn¡¯t help but persuade her. ¡°The netizens don¡¯t care about illegitimate children from rich families at all. The energy of the masses is limited, so they can¡¯t keep paying attention to you. So there are only two things you can do now. One is to wait, and the other is to contact the Shi family and let them accept that you¡¯re pregnant with Shi Xiao¡¯s child.¡±


    ¡°Shi family? Do you think I didn¡¯t look for them? Not only did Yuan Shu ignore me, but I couldn¡¯t even get into contact with Shi Xiao. I¡¯m not familiar with either of his younger brothers. How can I contact him? Talk is cheap.¡± Chu Mei couldn¡¯t help but retort when she saw her manager¡¯s nonchalant expression.


    ¡°If you¡¯re that capable, help me find one!¡±


    The manager looked at her resentfully and whispered into her ear, ¡°Have you forgotten that there¡¯s a most difficult young lady in the Shi family called Shi Yi?¡±


    After Yuan Shu and Liu Lan came to an agreement, they went shopping together. Women always liked beautiful backpacks and clothes. No matter how free-spirited Liu Lan was, she also liked shopping.


    Yuan Shu, on the other hand, bought every single clothing that was high quality and beautiful. The speed at which she swiped her card stunned Liu Lan.


    The Xiao family was also a wealthy family, but if Liu Lan dared to buy things at Yuan Shu¡¯s speed, the Xiao family would go bankrupt sooner or later. At this moment, Liu Lan finally realized that there was a difference between rich families.


    Click. Yuan Shu¡¯s footsteps finally slowed down. She turned around and saw a young lady with a camera in her hand.


    ¡°Are you photographing me?¡± Yuan Shu looked at her in confusion.


    ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Madam. Your side profile was really beautiful, so I couldn¡¯t help but take a photo without your permission. I¡¯m sorry.¡± The young lady apologized profusely and said that if Yuan Shu didn¡¯t want to be photographed, she could delete the photo.


    ¡°Can I take a look?¡± Yuan Shu was a little curious.


    She had been in this world for so long but had yet to take a photo. She wanted to know if this small square box could really capture a person¡¯s appearance at the moment.


    ¡°The photo is quite good. Can you give me a copy?¡± In the photo, Yuan Shu was sizing up the leather of the bag. A few strands of hair hung down from her face, and the warm light shone from the top of her head, making her look like a goddess.


    This was her first photo in this world, so Yuan Shu didn¡¯t want to waste it.


    The young lady nodded repeatedly when she heard her say that. She exchanged WeChat information with Yuan Shu and sent the photo to her. After Yuan Shu and Liu Lan left, she took out her phone and posted it on Weibo.


    ¡°Madam Shi is so gentle and beautiful! Ahhh!¡±


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 Chapter 38

    Good Thoughts


    Yuan Shu quickly forgot about the small interlude of being photographed. She had already achieved her goal for going out today, so it was time to go home.


    Before Yuan Shu left, she said to Liu Lan meaningfully. ¡°Happy cooperation.¡±


    Because Chu Mei was distracted, the production team NGed a few times. Director Chen saw that Shi Lu¡¯s expression was getting increasingly unpleasant and couldn¡¯t help but shout, ¡°Cut.¡± He looked at Chu Mei angrily and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Do you really think that since you¡¯re pregnant, you don¡¯t have to put in the effort? You¡¯ve wasted this entire afternoon. If you really don¡¯t want to act anymore, can you tell your boss, so we can change people?¡±


    Seeing that Chu Mei had been scolded by the director, the manager hurriedly went forward and apologized. ¡°Director Chen, I¡¯m really sorry. Chu Mei isn¡¯t feeling well today. Can you let her film another take?¡±


    Director Chen waved his hand impatiently and asked everyone to end work. He even muttered, ¡°Alright, stop wasting time here. If you¡¯re not feeling well, go and rest. Don¡¯t cry to the media and say that I¡¯m exploiting pregnant women.¡±


    The moment the director said that filming was done, Shi Lu walked out. Yuan Yuan hurriedly chased after him.


    ¡°Brother Lu, are we going back to the hotel?¡±


    Shi Lu was about to reply when he received a call from Yuan Shu. ¡°Are you coming back for dinner today?¡±


    Yuan Shu waited for a long time but didn¡¯t receive a reply from Shi Lu. She said in confusion, ¡°Hello?¡± Then, she heard a low voice from the receiver. ¡°I¡¯m coming back.¡±


    Shi Lu, who had hung up, looked at Yuan Yuan and gestured for him to drive.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the Shi family¡¯s house. We won¡¯t be returning to the hotel for the time being.¡±


    When Shi Lu arrived home, dinner had just been served. Yuan Shu was discussing the security of the banquet with Zhou Yan.


    Shi Lu couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Are you really going to hold a banquet at the ancestral home? Do you know what everyone on the internet has been saying about you today?¡±


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t look at the trending topics on Weibo at all. The function she was most familiar with on her phone was electronic payment and phone calls. However, she could roughly guess what the trending topics were and what the netizens would say.


    ¡°They¡¯ll probably say that as expected of a rich family or that Shi Xiao is coming back.¡± Yuan Shu sat down and scooped a bowl of soup for herself.


    ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m holding a banquet and went to the mall to buy things in such a high-profile manner today?¡±


    When Shi Lu saw Yuan Shu¡¯s confident expression, he suddenly understood.


    Shi Xiao had been missing for a long time. Most people who knew about this thought that he would never return.


    If the Shi family appeared too sad at this time, it would be equivalent to confirming this news. Then, the competitors might take advantage of the situation and acquire the Shi family¡¯s business completely.


    However, Yuan Shu wanted to hold a banquet and even went on a shopping spree without showing any grief. Back then, her vigorous pursuit of Shi Xiao had caused an uproar, so everyone thought that she loved Shi Xiao to the core and it was impossible for her to be so happy if Shi Xiao was in danger.


    Then there was only one explanation for her actions¡ªShi Xiao was safe and would be back soon!


    It was obvious that many people had already fallen into Yuan Shu¡¯s trap. When Shi Lu checked the stock market, he realized that the Shi family¡¯s shares had been rising crazily. They had only stopped rising an hour ago.


    After Shi Lu put down his phone and looked at the innocent-looking Yuan Shu, he suddenly felt that he must not offend this woman in the future. Otherwise, he would be no match against her.


    ¡°You¡¯ve invited so many people. The ancestral home is indeed big, but can you control the situation? As for the attendants, drinks, and reception, have you considered all of this?¡± The more Shi Lu spoke, the more flustered he felt.


    In the past, the Shi family had always invited friends they had deep friendships with to banquets. This was the first time they held a banquet on such a scale. If they were not careful, an accident might happen.


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t think much of it. Which of the annual banquets in the palace wasn¡¯t bigger than the current one? The singing and dancing on the terrace were of the lowest level. They were nothing to her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave the security services and personnel matters to Zhou Yan. As for the reception, I¡¯ll let Secretary Zhao confirm the guest list. She¡¯s more experienced.¡± Yuan Shu stretched lazily and finished the last bit of soup in her bowl.


    ¡°Take your time eating. I¡¯m going back to my room now.¡±


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 Chapter 39

    Preparation


    Five days of preparation wasn¡¯t short, but there were too many things to set up, so time passed quickly.


    The Shi family¡¯s villa was bought in the villa area for convenience¡¯s sake. The Shi family¡¯s ancestral home was more like a huge manor. It had an independent horse farm and a beach.


    The main residence was a small European-style castle that stood in the middle of the courtyard. Although it wasn¡¯t a permanent residence, someone cleaned it regularly, so there was no dust or mess at all. Instead, it had a sense of history and beauty to it.


    Zhou Yan had been busy following Yuan Shu around during this period of time to ensure that the banquet was foolproof. At this moment, Yuan Shu was preparing for tonight¡¯s banquet.


    The maid held expensive gowns for Yuan Shu to choose from. However, time was tight after all, so these gowns were all they had now. The gowns had never been worn and were custom-made according to the Host¡¯s preferences. They were gorgeous but not tasteful enough.


    As Yuan Shu looked at the clothes made from organza chiffon yarn, she felt a headache.


    In the past, the clothes she wore were made of Nanjing Cloud Brocade. Without the need for light, just the swaying of her feet would cause her to sway and glow. Many embroidery maids were needed to embroider the intricate butterflies and flowers.


    Now, none of these so-called clothes made by a so-called master were pleasing to the eye.


    Zhao Mian accompanied her to choose a gown. Seeing that Yuan Shu had asked the maid to take out all the clothes, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Madam, are these clothes unsuitable?¡±


    Yuan Shu sat back in her chair and said, ¡°Yes.¡± She couldn¡¯t possibly say, ¡°Go buy two sets of Hanboks.¡±


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t imagine that there would be such a huge difference in aesthetics. She had seen gorgeous evening gowns in television dramas, so why was the Host¡¯s taste so bad?


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I help you contact a styling team now?¡± Zhao Mian suggested. If Yuan Shu continued to choose, the banquet would probably be delayed.


    ¡°Go, be more prepared. Bring a makeup artist and hairstylist over here as well.¡±


    Hearing that she agreed, Zhao Mian went to make a call. For a moment, she felt that Yuan Shu was becoming more and more like Shi Xiao.


    She was calm, composed, and decisive, but she didn¡¯t waste time on trivial matters.


    Chu Mei and her manager were anxiously looking around the airport for someone.


    ¡°It¡¯s this flight, right?¡± Seeing that many people had already walked out of the airport one after another, but she had yet to see the person she was waiting for, Chu Mei couldn¡¯t help but feel a little anxious.


    ¡°It¡¯s this class. Sister Chu, do you think that person is Shi Yi?¡±


    The night she received Chu Mei¡¯s news, Shi Yi bought a plane ticket and rushed back overnight.


    After confirming her identity, the manager went up to Shi Yi. However, Shi Yi got into the van without even looking at him and met Chu Mei, who was sitting in the back.


    ¡°Hello, Miss. I¡¯m Chu Mei.¡± Chu Mei felt extremely uncomfortable under Shi Yi¡¯s gaze and stammered a greeting, only to receive a cold snort from Shi Yi.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that my brother has such bad taste in women. He even likes trash like you?¡± Shi Yi¡¯s tone was mocking as she sized up Chu Mei without hiding it. ¡°Are you planning to wear this to the banquet? You won¡¯t even be able to enter the door.¡±


    Chu Mei had suffered too much ridicule recently and had long developed an immunity to it. She continued to smile at Shi Yi and said, ¡°But things have to be resolved, right? Since you¡¯re back, it means that you¡¯re still concerned.¡±


    Shi Yi didn¡¯t retort or respond to her. She simply put on her sunglasses and leaned against the car door to rest.


    Chu Mei secretly heaved a sigh of relief. As expected of a member of the Shi family, they were all so hard to please.


    Before she could sigh in relief, she heard a cold voice from the side. ¡°If you breathe so loudly, then don¡¯t breathe.¡±


    As expected of Shi Xiao¡¯s right-hand woman. The people Zhao Mian found were all top-notch in the industry.


    It took more than four hours before they finished Yuan Shu¡¯s styling. They even gave her a manicure. Now, she was drinking tea while the makeup artist beside her waited to apply lipstick.


    After Yuan Shu put down her cup, it was already six o¡¯clock. It was time to set off for the ancestral home.


    Shi Lu¡¯s styling was already finished and he was waiting for Yuan Shu outside the door. Just as he was getting impatient from waiting and was about to knock on the door to ask Yuan Shu how long it would take, the door suddenly opened. Yuan Shu thanked the person beside her with a smile.


    Shi Lu suddenly held his breath. In the next second, he walked forward and extended his arm to Yuan Shu.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Aphrodite.¡±


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 Chapter 40

    Banquet


    When she was having makeup put on, Yuan Shu closed her eyes and rested for a while. She had been too tired for the past two days. When she woke up, the styling team had already finished everything. She didn¡¯t know what she looked like now.


    The ancestral home wasn¡¯t far from their villa and they arrived half an hour later.


    Not only were prominent families invited to the gala, but there were also many media outlets. Zhao Mian and Zhou Yan were very reliable and cautious. They specifically left a path for Yuan Shu so that she wouldn¡¯t be photographed by the reporters.


    Everything had been set up in the ancestral home. The crystal lights on the ceiling were dazzling, while the champagne tower and desserts were arranged around the huge dance floor. The hall opposite the stairs was also clean. The floor was so clean that it was almost reflective. All of this showcased the strength of a hundred-year-old family.


    Zhao Mian was still communicating with the person in charge in detail. After she glanced at the entrance from the corner of her eye, she could no longer shift her gaze away from Yuan Shu and Shi Lu.


    Shi Lu was wearing a white suit with a silver-white shirt inside. The collar pin was a swallow, and the cuffs were made of two sapphires. His rings and earrings were all from Buccellati, and his watch was from the PATRIMONY inheritance series. He looked graceful and noble.


    Yuan Shu was a stark contrast to him. She had taken off her jewelry and was only wearing a lace waist-length white gown. She was wearing the diamond ring she had worn when she married Shi Xiao. However, not only didn¡¯t she pale in comparison to Shi Lu, but her outfit complemented her perfectly. She didn¡¯t wear heavy makeup. Her soft makeup made her look gentle and demure.


    ¡°Madam.¡± Zhao Mian realized that she had lost her composure. After explaining the matter to the person in charge, she walked over and greeted Yuan Shu. She praised her sincerely, ¡°Your outfit suits you very well. You¡¯re very beautiful.¡±


    Yuan Shu¡¯s arrival attracted the attention of everyone present. Everyone began to chat her up.


    There was a special attendant in charge of receiving guests at the entrance of the residence. The reporters raised their cameras excitedly and took photos of the luxury car and the people who got out of it.


    Li Ran wasn¡¯t the only one who accompanied Li Ci. Gao Shan also came. As soon as they got out of the car, a group of people surrounded them. The Li family had extraordinary power in the political world, and many people wanted to get a share of the pie.


    Li Ci didn¡¯t even look at the person. He asked the attendant, ¡°Where¡¯s Madam?¡±


    Before she could reply, there was another series of shutter sounds and exclamations from the surrounding people. ¡°That car belongs to the Tan family, right?! Is the Tan family really going to make amends with the Shi family?¡±


    When Tan Jing brought Tan Zhao out of the car, he was almost blinded by the light and subconsciously frowned. In the next second, the camera that was almost on his face moved back to make room for him and Tan Zhao.


    ¡°Brother, for the first time, I think your appearance is very useful.¡± Tan Zhao, who had witnessed everything, praised him sincerely.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to get beaten, I advise you to be mindful of your words and actions,¡± Tan Jing warned his brother.


    Tan Zhao deserved to be beaten up for having such a sharp tongue! Tan Jing was secretly pleased as he looked at Tan Zhao, who had shut up.


    Chu Mei and Shi Yi also arrived at this moment. Chu Mei had a special makeup and hair team to style her hair. She was already familiar with how to highlight her beauty and strength.


    Shi Yi majored in fashion design, so there was no need for anyone to worry about her.


    Chu Mei thought that if she appeared on such an occasion, she would definitely attract the cameras. In the end, after getting out of the car, she realized that the reporters had already chased after the Tan and Li families. No one cared about her at all.


    The banquet wasn¡¯t as important as walking the red carpet. Besides, the people who received the invitation this time were all famous people. Naturally, she couldn¡¯t afford to offend them. Chu Mei had really miscalculated this time.


    However, she wasn¡¯t anxious or angry. Chu Mei knew that Yuan Shu¡¯s aesthetics had always been off, especially in terms of her choice of gown and makeup for galas. Chu Mei was waiting for the gala to begin and for her to outshine the crowd.


    Shi Bin arrived at the ancestral home. Like Yuan Shu and the others, he entered the ancestral home through a small passageway. The styling team that had been prepared hurriedly took out the suit and helped dress him.


    The guests arrived one after another. As the noise outside became louder, Yuan Shu stood up and walked towards the front hall.


    Zhao Mian carried out the final confirmation work.


    Shi Lu¡¯s attention had been on Yuan Shu. When he saw her get up, he immediately followed.


    It was finally time for the banquet. For a moment, all the cameras were aimed at the stairs in the front hall.


    Yuan Shu walked over slowly in a white dress. Two handsome young men stood beside her. Under the spotlight, she was the most dazzling one at the banquet.


    ¡°Thank you for coming. The banquet will officially begin now!¡±


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 Chapter 41 - Chapter 41: Speaking

    Chapter 41: Speaking


    Translator: Henyee Translations | Editor: Henyee Translations


    The moment Yuan Shu appeared, she immediately became the center of attention and attracted everyone¡¯s attention.


    Chu Mei, who had originally planned to watch Yuan Shu embarrass herself, was completely dumbfounded.


    Yuan Shu was wearing a V-neck tailored white gown embroidered with lace patterns. It wasn¡¯t revealing at all, but it made her look elegant and youthful. The design accentuated Yuan Shu¡¯s slender waist, making people unable to look away.


    Her shiny black hair was slightly curled. The diamond ring on her hand was the only piece of jewelry she had on her, but it didn¡¯t look simple at all. Instead, it made her look even more gorgeous and sophisticated.


    Was this still that country bumpkin Yuan Shu?


    Chu Mei thought for a long time before she turned to Shi Yi, who was standing beside her, and said in confusion, ¡°Don¡¯t you think that Yuan Shu seems to be a different person? Look at her clothes and temperament. No matter how you look at it, she doesn¡¯t seem like that crazy woman from before!¡±


    Shi Yi sneered. ¡°Do you think the Shi family raises idle people? This banquet and her outfit must have been arranged by my brother¡¯s secretary! Also, with her temperament, the secretary must have been afraid that she would be too embarrassing, so she found a teacher to train her for a few months. If anything unexpected happens, she will reveal her true colors. She¡¯s just putting on an act now.¡±


    When Chu Mei heard her say this, she fell silent for a while. No one knew what she was thinking, but she stared blankly at the banquet in front of her.


    It could be seen that the Shi family had put a lot of effort into the banquet.


    The Shi family¡¯s ancestral home was very big. The hall alone was almost half the size of a football field.


    The white marble floor and the tabletop covered with golden velvet tablecloths were filled with all kinds of exquisite cutlery and delicious snacks for guests to pick up.


    The hall was filled with guests from prestigious families and the media. The servants in charge of entertaining them shuttled between the guests who were chatting and laughing. There were colorful cocktails on a silver plate in their hands.


    After Yuan Shu announced the start of the banquet, Zhao Mian and Zhou Yan could finally catch their breath.


    As Zhao Mian leaned against an empty table in the corner, she took a deep breath and suddenly laughed.


    Zhou Yan was baffled by her smile and looked at her in confusion.


    As Zhao Mian tidied up her rolled-up sleeves, she turned around and said to Zhou Yan, ¡°Although I don¡¯t know what happened to Madam Shi, I have to say that her current appearance is in line with my expectations of Madam Shi.¡±


    Zhou Yan listened and said honestly, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not too sure about what Madam Shi was like in the past. I¡¯ve only heard some rumors.¡±


    Zhao Mian was a little surprised. After some thought, she smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t know. It¡¯s good like this.¡±


    Zhou Yan wanted to say something, but before he could organize his words, Yuan Shu¡¯s cold voice sounded in his ears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everyone. Because many people were asking me similar questions just now, I¡¯ll stay here and waste everyone¡¯s time.¡±


    Everyone in the hall was stunned by her powerful aura and calm tone. They listened to her attentively, and there were only a few whispers in the huge hall.


    Yuan Shu paused and scanned the entire hall before continuing, ¡°Previously, my husband¡¯s disappearance caused an uproar. During this period, we¡¯ve been indebted to everyone¡¯s care and concern. Here, I want to thank you guys on behalf of the Shi family for your care and help. I also want to apologize for taking up public resources for my husband¡¯s disappearance.¡±


    After saying that, Yuan Shu lowered her head and bowed deeply. After a full two seconds, she looked up again and swept her gaze across every corner of the hall. ¡°At the moment, we have already found out my husband¡¯s whereabouts. He still has important matters to deal with, so he didn¡¯t have the time to inform us that he was safe. It¡¯s really rare for our families to gather here today. For my husband¡¯s safe return soon, and for the prosperity of the families present, let¡¯s toast!¡±


    With that, she reached out to take the cocktail from the waiter and took a small sip. Then, she frowned imperceptibly..


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 42 - Chapter 42: A Different Greeting

    Chapter 42: A Different Greeting


    Translator: Henyee Translations | Editor: Henyee Translations


    Why did it seem sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy? Did everyone here like to drink such drinks?


    The hall was silent for two seconds before applause immediately sounded. Then, laughter resumed.


    Yuan Shu felt that it was no big deal.


    In the past, as the head of the household, she had to deal with such occasions often, so she was already familiar with such pleasantries.


    As Yuan Shu walked deeper into the hall, she thought to herself, ¡°This is similar to the past. I have to say something nice on important occasions.¡±


    Li Ran, who was sitting at the side, was surprised. Yuan Shu¡¯s gentle and calm appearance just now made her look like a young lady from a wealthy family. She seemed to be even more charming than when she saw her in the Vienna Hotel that day.


    She sat beside Li Ci and took a cocktail.


    Gao Shan was squatting by their feet while tidying Li Ran¡¯s skirt.


    She shifted her gaze away from Yuan Shu and looked down at Gao Shan. Just as she was about to smile, she saw Chu Mei sitting not far away and she had a complicated expression on her face. She seemed unwilling, angry, and amused?


    However, Li Ran couldn¡¯t be bothered to think about this and she glanced at Chu Mei coldly.


    She was dressed in a gaudy red dress and heavy makeup on her big face.


    What a tacky woman.


    Chu Mei was originally looking at Gao Shan and cursing him inwardly. However, she suddenly met Li Ran¡¯s eyes and was shocked!


    Chu Mei trembled, then turned around, as if nothing had happened. When she saw Shi Yi, who was sitting quietly and deep in thought, she wanted to say a few words to her.


    Sensing Chu Mei¡¯s movements, Shi Yi rolled her eyes at her and gave her a warning look.


    Shi Yi was about to tell Chu Mei not to bother her when she saw Yuan Shu being surrounded by Shi Bin and Shi Lu.


    Shi Yi immediately stood up and waved at Chu Mei to follow her.


    Chu Mei looked in the direction Shi Yi left in. After glancing at Yuan Shu, she hurriedly picked up the fruit juice she had asked for and glanced at the passing waiter. Then, she sighed and followed him.


    So what if she was dressed so glamorously? What was the difference between her and this handyman in front of her?


    No! Chu Mei looked at Shen Lu, who was standing beside Yuan Shu, and gritted her teeth.


    They were all working hard for others, but at least this handyman had a stable job. Not only was she worried about this and that every day, but if the child¡¯s matter was exposed, it would be light punishment if only her reputation was ruined. She might actually be tortured to death by Li Ran and Gao Shan!


    They were both kept women, but Shen Lu could stand beside Yuan Shu and live a carefree life with nobility written all over her face!


    After Shi Yi approached Yuan Shu and the other two, she greeted Shi Bin. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since we last met. Are you retarded now? Why are you following this woman? Don¡¯t you hate her?¡±


    Looking at Shi Yi¡¯s widened eyes, Shi Bin twisted the chameleon gem brooch on his suit and blushed.


    He wanted to retort, but he didn¡¯t dare to.


    She didn¡¯t understand!


    Shi Bin scratched his head anxiously. In the end, he couldn¡¯t think of anything convincing to say, so he said, ¡°What do you know?¡± Then, he hurriedly ran to the table filled with desserts and pretended to be looking for food.


    As Shi Yi looked at her brother¡¯s fleeing figure, she suspected that Yuan Shu had poisoned him.


    If this was in the past, the two of them would have quarreled for 30 rounds.


    Yuan Shu looked at Shi Yi¡¯s pretty face in confusion. While the two of them were talking, she quickly searched her memories and said calmly, ¡°You look very good today. Why did you suddenly come back?¡±


    Shi Yi ignored Shi Lu, who was standing at the side, and looked straight at Yuan Shu as she mocked, ¡°Who are you to evaluate my aesthetic taste? Also, if this damn woman hadn¡¯t kept calling me, I wouldn¡¯t have known that you were so useless.¡±


    Shi Yi raised her chin at Chu Mei and continued, ¡°Didn¡¯t you have quite some tricks up your sleeve when you married into the family? Have you used up your brain on the day you tricked my brother into sleeping with you? You¡¯ve only been married for a few months, but your pregnant mistress has already come to me!¡±


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 43 - Chapter 43: Blood Drawing

    Chapter 43: Blood Drawing


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Shi Lu was a little surprised to see Chu Mei standing there as well.


    No matter how uninterested he was in this woman, they were from the same production team after all. He had heard of her glorious deeds, especially since a few days ago, she even held a news conference. Weibo was in an uproar.


    Shi Lu looked at Yuan Shu quietly to see her reaction.


    However, Yuan Shu didn¡¯t seem to care about Chu Mei at all. She asked Shi Yi, ¡°Are you sure you want to quarrel here? Or do you want her to put on an act here? Do you think there are too few programs?¡±


    When Shi Yi saw her nonchalant expression, she flew into a rage. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand what I¡¯m saying? Do you think Chu Mei isn¡¯t embarrassing enough for the Shi family?¡±


    Yuan Shu stared at Shi Yi and said word by word, ¡°Firstly, do you have evidence to prove that the child in Chu Mei¡¯s stomach is your brother¡¯s? Secondly, didn¡¯t you hear what 1 said just now? Your brother is coming back soon. When he comes back, we¡¯ll settle it in person. Are you in such a hurry to let the child acknowledge him as his father? Thirdly, you said that you think she¡¯s embarrassing our family, so don¡¯t you think it¡¯s embarrassing for you to fly back to the country and make a scene at the banquet?¡±


    Shi Yi was speechless for a moment. When she heard Yuan Shu¡¯s last sentence, she looked around and realized that many curious eyes were looking at her.


    ¡­..


    Yuan Shu closed her eyes and rubbed her temples in frustration.


    She remembered that the third daughter of the Shi family in the book spent most of her time studying fashion design overseas and was basically in a laissez-faire state. Her childhood of neglect and lack of discipline had led to her willful and rash personality.


    It seemed that there was still a long way to go before she could bring these brats from the Shi family back to the right path¡­


    At this moment, Shi Bin returned with two colorful cocktails and handed one to Yuan Shu.


    Yuan Shu took it, but after glancing at what it was, she placed it on the table beside her.


    Shi Bin didn¡¯t see Yuan Shu¡¯s move.


    Only then did he notice Chu Mei, who was standing beside Shi Yi and he immediately remembered what the family doctor had said that day.


    Shi Bin also put down the wine in his hand and immediately scolded, ¡°It¡¯s you again! Let me ask you, the scandal between you and my brother only happened a month ago, right? Our doctor said that you¡¯re already three months pregnant! Whose bastard is the child? You even want to frame my brother?¡±


    When Chu Mei heard this, she was so frightened that her entire body was trembling.


    No, she couldn¡¯t expose herself!


    This was for the sake of her career, her future, and everything!


    With this thought in mind, she took a deep breath and pretended to be calm as she said, ¡°The time of the scandal isn¡¯t when we started having sex. How could I joke about such a thing?¡±


    At this moment, Shi Lu suddenly interrupted, ¡°Since you¡¯re so sure and so anxious to acknowledge the child¡¯s father, there¡¯s another way to testify things for you.¡±


    ¡°What way?¡±


    Shi Yi, Shi Bin, and Yuan Shu said in unison.


    After saying that, the three of them looked at each other quizzically.


    Shi Lu was also a little puzzled by their sudden tacit understanding, but she didn¡¯t say anything.


    After he looked at Chu Mei, he pointed at Shi Yi. ¡°Take some of Chu Mei¡¯s blood and compare it with Shi Yi¡¯s hair.¡±


    Yuan Shu was a little surprised.


    In the past, if they wanted to verify their blood relationship, other than some tricks like observing the feelings of different people towards their children, they could only do it by dripping blood. Moreover, this could only be done after the child was born.


    She couldn¡¯t help but marvel that this world had really improved too much. It seemed that she really had to work hard to adapt to the culture and technology here.


    When Shi Yi heard this, she was enlightened. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this method! But her child hasn¡¯t been born yet. Is it useful to draw blood?¡±


    Shi Lu was a little impatient, but he held back his anger and explained, ¡°Yes, her plasma will have the DNA of the baby.¡±


    Shi Yi glanced at Shi Lu and for once, she didn¡¯t mock her.. Instead, she smiled and said to Chu Mei, ¡°Then let¡¯s do the test after the banquet tonight!¡±


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 44 - Chapter 44: Kept Woman

    Chapter 44: Kept Woman


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Unlike Yuan Shu, who was deep in thought, and Shi Yi, who was beaming with joy, Chu Mei¡¯s face instantly turned pale.


    A blood test? How could she agree?! If they found out that this wasn¡¯t Shi Xiao¡¯s child, she would be screwed!


    Chu Mei staggered back a step and hurriedly waved her hand as she said anxiously, ¡°That¡¯ll be too late! I still have to go to the production team tomorrow. I¡¯m pregnant, so sleeping too late won¡¯t be good for the baby¡­¡±


    Shi Yi immediately grabbed her hand tightly and approached her step by step. Then, she poked Chu Mei¡¯s shoulder with her index finger. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re feeling guilty? Chu Mei, I returned to the country because of your call! Do you think I¡¯m very idle? Do you think I¡¯m a fool? Even if you¡¯re going to give birth tomorrow, you have to draw blood tonight!¡±


    Chu Mei was completely anxious. Shi Yi¡¯s hand was like a pair of pincers on her arm, and she couldn¡¯t break free no matter how hard she tried.


    She had listened to her manager and came to look for Shi Yi because she saw her as her last hope for entering the Shi family. She didn¡¯t expect to attract trouble instead!


    Chu Mei felt her heart skip a beat and her heart was beating like a drum!


    ¡­..


    Her gaze swept around and finally landed on Yuan Shu, who was standing there quietly in a daze.


    Yuan Shu¡¯s dress was so white and beautiful¡­


    As she thought about it, she pounced in Yuan Shu¡¯s direction.


    Seeing that the situation wasn¡¯t right, Shi Yi subconsciously let go of Chu Mei¡¯s hand.


    Shi Lu saw that something was wrong and was about to pull Yuan Shu to the side.


    However, Yuan Shu reacted faster and immediately moved to the side.


    Chu Mei missed and even her tilted fruit juice was splashed out. The antique plate on the top of the high platform was also shattered.


    Everyone exclaimed in shock. Gao Shan, who was standing in the distance, was furious.


    Yuan Shu and the three people from the Shi family were silent for a few seconds. Then, they looked at each other and exchanged looks of dismay.


    Since everyone was wearing gowns, it was inconvenient to help her, especially since this woman was Chu Mei.


    They reacted quickly, and so did the media. All the cameras immediately took photos of Chu Mei¡¯s indecent posture.


    Zhao Mian immediately called for three servants to put down the tray in their hands and follow her to deal with the situation.


    After she glanced at Yuan Shu and then at the broken plates, she asked one of the servants to wipe the stains on the ground while the other two dragged Chu Mei up.


    Zhao Mian said coldly, ¡°What a coincidence. You broke an antique plate worth 30 million yuan. I think you need to give us an answer before you leave tonight.¡±


    Chu Mei¡¯s entire body trembled uncontrollably. Her face, which was buried in the hem of her skirt, gradually became smudged from crying.


    After being dragged up by two servants, she was forced to raise her head and glare at everyone in front of her. When she saw Shen Lu staring at her with an impassive expression, she completely lost it!


    Her two hands tore at the gorgeous hem of her dress. She didn¡¯t care if she was facing the media camera or if the angle was good. She shouted in a sharp voice, ¡°Listen to me, I want to reveal something!¡±


    The whispers around her became louder and louder, but Chu Mei couldn¡¯t care less. Since she was doomed, she would drag someone down with her and expose Gao Shan!


    She looked angrily at Gao Shan, who was standing in the distance as if it had nothing to do with him, and sneered.


    What was he still pretending for?


    In any case, she wouldn¡¯t be able to escape tonight. The child¡¯s matter would definitely be exposed.


    If she was done for, Gao Shan wouldn¡¯t end up well either!


    After Chu Mei broke free from the servant who was pulling her, she said loudly, ¡°Everyone saw it today, right? Beside Yuan Shu, there is the Fourth Young Master of the Shi family, Shi Bin, and an actor, Shen Lu! I believe everyone is very curious about their relationship, right? Actually, Shen Lu is Yuan Shu¡¯s man!¡±


    After saying this, the entire hall fell into a dead silence.


    Then, there was laughter and discussion.


    Everyone¡¯s reaction was a little different from what Chu Mei had imagined..


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 Chapter 45 - Chapter 45: A Vicious Cycle

    Chapter 45: A Vicious Cycle


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Chu Mei looked at everyone in shock. Her makeup was already ruined, and everyone looked at her as if she was a clown.


    On the other hand, Shen Lu was actually looking at her with disdain.


    Why?! He clearly relied on others to climb up the ranks, so why did he feel that he was nobler?


    The more Chu Mei thought about it, the angrier she became. After she grabbed her skirt tightly and staggered to her feet, she pointed at Shen Lu with her red-manicured finger.


    ¡°You¡¯re just a kept man. Do you think Yuan Shu will help you just because you helped her?¡±


    Shi Lu felt some pity for her.


    Zhao Mian stood at the side and waited until Chu Mei finished venting. Then, she said coldly, ¡°This is our family¡¯s Second Young Master, Shi Lu. Miss Chu, please don¡¯t spout nonsense.¡±


    ¡­..


    Chu Mei froze on the spot and didn¡¯t know how to react.


    There was mockery and contempt in the eyes of the surrounding people. Every sneer was enough to crush her.


    Chu Mei staggered two steps back as she looked at everyone in a daze. Even Gao Shan¡¯s eyes were filled with disdain and disgust.


    The ridiculous man who only knew how to put on airs in front of others was actually looking at her as if she was trash.


    Chu Mei also laughed. As she laughed, tears flowed out of her eyes. She had climbed up for so long, but only now did she realize that in the eyes of these wealthy people, she was just a plaything when they were happy. Once she lost her value, she would abandon her without hesitation and wouldn¡¯t even show her a trace of pity.


    Alright, Gao Shan, since you¡¯re heartless, don¡¯t blame her for being heartless!


    Chu Mei raised her hand to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes and suddenly looked at Li Ran.


    Li Ran was shocked by her gaze and she suddenly had a bad feeling. The child in her stomach was related to Gao Shan!


    No matter how much she refused to move on after so many years, as if her persistence was about to be disintegrated in the next moment, the man she held in her hand was flowing through her fingers like quicksand.


    She could allow rumors to spread in the outside world. As long as there was no evidence, she wouldn¡¯t give up on Gao Shan.


    However, today¡¯s occasion was different. Almost all the families in the upper-class circle were gathered here. Once Chu Mei admitted that the child in her stomach was Gao Shan¡¯s, it was equivalent to slapping Li Ran in the face in public. Even the Li family would lose face.


    The Li family could tolerate Gao Shan repeatedly for her sake, but they would never tolerate a man whose reputation had been ruined to ruin the Li family¡¯s reputation!


    Li Ran had always been prideful. At this moment, anger rose in her heart. She wanted to rush forward and slap Chu Mei to shut her up! Chu Mei wasn¡¯t qualified to embarrass the Li family!


    Chu Mei saw that Li Ran¡¯s expression was getting uglier and uglier, and her smile became even more arrogant. Even the anger in Li Ran¡¯s eyes gave her the pleasure of revenge.


    When Gao Shan realized that this woman wanted to go all out, he began to panic and immediately got up to stop her.


    As Chu Mei looked at the man walking towards her, she laughed crazily. ¡°Since everyone is so concerned about the child in my stomach, 1¡¯11 tell you guys who the father of this child is!¡±


    ¡°Miss Chu!¡±


    A soft shout stopped Chu Mei from continuing. Yuan Shu walked past Shi Lu and walked to the middle of the hall, where everyone¡¯s gazes were gathered.


    She was wearing a white dress. It was clearly a simple outfit, but under the resplendent light and the reflection of the light on the marble floor, she gave off a sense of majesty that was difficult to ignore. For a moment, everyone present couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of respect.


    As the three siblings of the Shi family stood behind her and stared at her, they felt as if they had seen their eldest brother. Although they had different fathers, they respected their eldest brother more than their father. All these years, they had grown up with pride because their eldest brother had helped them take on the pressure of the family.


    The sudden sense of security made them feel proud and they even straightened their backs..


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 Chapter 46 - Chapter 46: Taking the Opportunity

    Chapter 46: Taking the Opportunity


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Chu Mei looked at Yuan Shu. She originally wanted to embarrass everyone, but the moment she met Yuan Shu¡¯s eyes, she restrained herself. The invisible pressure made her fall silent. When she thought of the young master of the Tan family being beaten ruthlessly, she instantly sobered up and started to feel afraid.


    However, Yuan Shu revealed a smile. She was dignified and elegant, but there was no warmth in her eyes when she looked at Chu Mei. She turned to look at Zhao Mian and said, ¡°Miss Chu is not feeling well. Secretary Zhao, please send Miss Chu to rest first.¡±


    Although Zhao Mian didn¡¯t understand Yuan Shu¡¯s actions, the interactions over the past few days were enough for her to carry out Yuan Shu¡¯s orders without hesitation.


    After Zhao Mian brought the frightened Chu Mei out of the hall, only then did Li Ran and Gao Shan heave a sigh of relief. Only then did the two of them realize that their backs were already drenched in sweat. Then, they collapsed onto the sofa.


    Shi Bin had a bad temper. He had always been unable to hold things in and didn¡¯t understand what Yuan Shu meant by this, so he wanted to ask her directly. However, in front of so many people, he naturally knew that he couldn¡¯t embarrass her, so he could only force himself to hold it in.


    After Yuan Shu turned around and looked at everyone, her elegant skirt fluttered with her movements.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disturb everyone¡¯s mood. 1 hope everyone won¡¯t be affected by this small interlude. Please enjoy the cocktail party.¡±


    ¡­..


    Yuan Shu¡¯s words were reasonable, so no one said anything else. They raised the wine glass in their hands at Yuan Shu from afar and drank it in one gulp. Then, the cocktail party continued.


    Shi Yi watched Yuan Shu with a cold expression the entire time. She didn¡¯t expect her to be so bold to be able to salvage the situation at this time. It seemed that she had a deep misunderstanding of her sister-in-law.


    Shi Yi was a woman. Although she was usually laissez-faire overseas, she understood the twists and turns of the upper-class circle. She understood the current situation better than her two brothers.


    The awkward situation between the other two families was actually resolved by Yuan Shu with just a few words. No wonder Shi Bin and Shi Lu listened to her so obediently.


    At the same time, she regretted being too concerned. Once she heard that it was a child of the Shi family, she rushed back to the country and got used by Chu Mei.


    Now that no one was paying attention to her, she secretly left the hall and took out her phone to arrange the matters overseas. It seemed that she had to stay at home for some time to see what this sister-in-law was up to.


    On the other side, when everyone went to have fun, Shi Bin sat in front of Yuan Shu.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± He was originally dissatisfied, but when he saw Yuan Shu, he immediately said, ¡°Why did you stop Chu Mei? The child in her stomach clearly doesn¡¯t belong to our family. Why didn¡¯t you let her tell the truth?¡±


    Shi Lu was also watching coldly from the side. Everyone saw things differently. They only knew that Yuan Shu had resolved the awkward situation, but he knew very well that Yuan Shu had helped Chu Mei. Why did this woman help Chu Mei? It couldn¡¯t be because she was a saint!


    Yuan Shu had always been swift and decisive. She never had to explain what she did to others, but she felt that it was necessary to teach this simple-minded young master of the Shi family some social conventions.


    Yuan Shu was about to explain when Li Ci walked over with a glass of red wine. ¡°1 have to thank Madam Shi for helping me out this time.¡±


    Li Ci smiled, but it was a sly smile. Although he said thank you, there was no gratitude in his tone.


    Yuan Shu returned a cold and distant smile. ¡°1 was just doing a favor. Mr. Li, you don¡¯t have to be so polite. 1 believe that even if I didn¡¯t say anything, you wouldn¡¯t have let her say anything.¡±


    Li Ci was stunned and actually felt that they were evenly matched.


    Yuan Shu had been the head of the household for so many years, so she was extremely sensitive to everyone¡¯s reactions. She had everything under her watch.


    From the way Chu Mei looked at Gao Shan, it wasn¡¯t difficult to guess the relationship between the child in her stomach and Gao Shan.


    Now, everyone was guessing that Chu Mei¡¯s child wasn¡¯t from the Shi family at all, so whether she told the truth or not, it wouldn¡¯t affect the Shi family.


    However, it was different for the Li family. The topic was so scandalous and so many people were paying attention. Once the topic concerned the Li family, even if there was no big commotion, it was enough to trouble them for a while.


    Yuan Shu stopping Chu Mei at this time was just taking advantage of the situation and making the Li family owe her a favor..


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 Chapter 47 - Chapter 47: Not Taking Her Husband’s Surname

    Chapter 47: Not Taking Her Husband¡¯s Surname


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Li Ci had originally expected Yuan Shu to take the opportunity to raise some requests, but he didn¡¯t expect her to be so honest. She didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of currying favor with the rich and powerful at all, making Li Ci seem a little petty in comparison.


    Li Ci was someone who had been in the business world before. Since Yuan Shu had helped him, he had to repay her. Hence, he said, ¡°No matter what, 1 have to thank you for this time. My Li family won¡¯t owe others a favor for nothing. We will definitely help deal with Yuan An¡¯s matter.¡±


    He was on good terms with the eldest son of the Shi family, so after Yuan An¡¯s accident, he asked Secretary Zhao to deal with this matter. Although he had a good chat with Yuan Shu that day, he still felt that this was just lip service.


    When he mentioned that he would deal with Yuan An¡¯s matter, he was certain that Yuan Shu couldn¡¯t handle this matter.


    The corners of Yuan Shu¡¯s mouth twitched slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve already resolved Yuan An¡¯s matter, so there¡¯s no need to trouble you, Mr. Li.¡±


    Li Ci was stunned. He didn¡¯t expect her to solve this problem in just a few days. It seemed that he had really underestimated this woman previously when he thought that she was just a scheming heiress of a rich family. Now, it seemed that she really had some skills. From her aura, she really resembled the eldest son of the Shi family.


    Yuan Shu raised her chin and looked at Li Ci. ¡°Mr. Li, I helped you today, but not as Shi Xiao¡¯s wife. I hope you can understand this.¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡°Oh really?¡± Li Ci looked at the woman in front of him. Her white dress was well-tailored and didn¡¯t have many decorations. She was really as noble and dignified as a pearl.


    He asked, ¡°Mrs. Shi, what do you mean? What¡¯s the difference between Yuan Shu and Mrs. Shi Xiao? They¡¯re just identities.¡±


    Yuan Shu crossed her hands on her abdomen and said, ¡°I, Yuan Shu, am not a wife who lives in her husband¡¯s shadow. I naturally have to have my own identity.¡±


    Li Ci didn¡¯t expect her to say such words. The Shi family was so rich that it wasn¡¯t something a small family like the Yuan family could compare to. Yet, she actually declared sovereignty.


    Li Ci didn¡¯t dare to say that it was everyone. At least, none of the rich ladies at the cocktail party today dared to declare sovereignty from their husband¡¯s families so confidently like her. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a trace of admiration for Yuan Shu.


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t say anything else. After she bowed to Li Ci, she said in a dignified manner, ¡°Mr. Li, please help yourself. I¡¯ll excuse myself first.¡±


    The three siblings of the Shi family followed Yuan Shu out of the hall. When the hall was blocked by the curtains woven with silver thread, the four of them finally had some peace.


    The three of them had heard what Yuan Shu said to Li Ci just now, so now, the three of them had a lot to say.


    Today was Shi Yi¡¯s first time seeing the reborn Yuan Shu, so she didn¡¯t have any affection for her, unlike her two brothers who had fear and respect for her. Therefore, she expressed her dissatisfaction directly.


    ¡°Yuan Shu! What did you mean by what you said just now? You put in so much effort to marry into my family, but now, you¡¯re pretending to be noble and refuse to be called Madam Shi. You¡¯re such a hypocrite.¡±


    These words were harsh and unpleasant, so Shi Bin wanted to defend Yuan Shu. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t use such unpleasant words to talk about Sister-in-law¡­ her.¡±


    Although he was defending her, Shi Bin still felt very awkward about it. On the one hand, he refused to call Yuan Shu by her name, and on the other hand, he felt that he couldn¡¯t embarrass himself by calling her sister-in-law in front of his brother and sister.


    Shi Yi was even more shocked. When Yuan Shu married into the family, the three of them were very hostile to her. Why did their attitudes change so much in just a month after she went overseas?


    She pinched Shi Bin¡¯s arm fiercely. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?! It¡¯s fine if you follow behind her like a tail, but now, you¡¯re actually speaking up for her? Are you crazy?!¡±


    Shi Bin frowned in pain. After not seeing her for a month, she seemed to have become even more ruthless! He didn¡¯t dare to talk back to his sister, so he could only question Yuan Shu.


    ¡°Why did you help that woman just now?! You should have embarrassed her to the end..¡±


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 Chapter 48 - Chapter 48: Handling the Problem

    Chapter 48: Handling the Problem


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    However, Yuan Shu acted as if she didn¡¯t hear the two of them at all. She ignored the two of them and said to Shi Lu, ¡°We¡¯re the host of today¡¯s cocktail party. There¡¯s no excuse for the host to be nowhere to be seen. I have something to deal with, so go watch over the hall.¡±


    Shi Lu was stunned. He didn¡¯t expect her to hand over the matter of dealing with the guests to her. He had always been the least important person in the Shi family. Letting him deal with the guests was undoubtedly a sign of importance and affirmation of his identity. Moreover, he would be dealing with upper-class families.


    Shi Lu was a little uncertain and asked her again, ¡°Are you sure you want me to go?¡±


    Yuan Shu sized him up carefully. His attire was appropriate and his appearance was dignified. His black tuxedo made him look tall and slender. As expected of an actor. He valued his appearance very much and had good aesthetics.


    But what were his concerns? Was it because he had never dealt with such an occasion as a host? it made sense for him to be unconfident, but children had to be trained.


    Yuan Shu attributed Shi Lu¡¯s hesitation and uncertainty to his lack of confidence, which was very different from Shi Lu¡¯s actual thoughts.


    After Yuan Shu tidied the bow at his collar to ensure that it wasn¡¯t crooked, he said, ¡°With your understanding of the various families, it should be more than enough to deal with them. You can treat this as training yourself for the future.¡±


    ¡­..


    This was the first time Shi Lu felt valued by his family, but he pretended not to care and coughed to hide his embarrassment.


    Then, he suddenly remembered that he had followed Yuan Shu out to ask for an explanation, but he had been dismissed so easily.


    He said in an awkward tone, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you still owe me an explanation.¡± Then, he walked back to the hall.


    After Shi Lu left, Yuan Shu looked at the siblings who had just bickered.


    After the commotion, the smell of alcohol on Shi Bin¡¯s body dissipated. Yuan Shu recalled that he had drunk at least five of those sour, sweet, and colorful cocktails since the cocktail party started.


    In order to prevent him from causing trouble and embarrassing the Shi family, Yuan Shu waved at the maid standing at the side, indicating for her to come over and help Shi Bin. ¡°Send Fourth Young Master back to his room to rest. Let him come back to the cocktail party after he sobers up.¡±


    Shi Bin was about to refute that he wasn¡¯t drunk when he was intimidated by Yuan Shu¡¯s gaze and shut up.


    Yuan Shu¡¯s gaze reminded him of how strict she was when she whipped him with a belt. Then, he followed the maid and left obediently.


    Yuan Shu gave Shi Yi a calm look, but Shi Yi felt as if she was suddenly seen through and felt guilty when standing in front of her.


    ¡°You¡­ Why are you looking at me?!¡±


    Yuan Shu said with disregard to Shi Yi¡¯s anxiety, ¡°If you¡¯re also curious about how I¡¯m going to deal with Chu Mei, follow me to take a look.¡±


    With that, she was led to the lounge by the servant. Shi Yi was indignant about her attitude, but she still followed her.


    Although Yuan Shu grew up in a martial arts family, her father had hired many teachers. Later on, as the head of the household, she had nurtured a few children who were all talented, so no one knew better than her about teaching people according to their aptitude.


    Although the three siblings of the Shi family were impulsive and stubborn troublemakers, they each had their own strengths. As long as she used the right method, she could get them back on track.


    Shi Yi was different from Shi Lu and Shi Bin. She was a woman.


    Since ancient times, be it in their own dynasty or in the current world, the world had always been biased against women. Therefore, it was destined that women had to do more than men to obtain the respect of society.


    Shi Yi was so impulsive, undisciplined, and outspoken that she would be used by someone sooner or later, just like how she was used by Chu Mei today. She brought her to the cocktail party and made a scene, which caused everyone to laugh at her. It almost caused the Shi family¡¯s carefully prepared banquet to become a farce.


    If she didn¡¯t teach a person like Chu Mei a lesson, she wouldn¡¯t know how to restrain herself and would push her luck in the future..


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 49 - Chapter 49: Direct Confrontation

    Chapter 49: Direct Confrontation


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    After Yuan Shu brought Shi Yi into the lounge, without looking at Chu Mei, who was sitting on the sofa in a daze, she walked straight to the sofa at the door.


    Her movements were not fast, and every step she took was steady and elegant. She didn¡¯t make a single sound when she stepped on the pure wool carpet.


    Even when she sat down and straightened her back, not a single strand of her hair fluttered. Shi Yi, who was following behind Yuan Shu, was shocked. How did she manage to walk so quickly but with such gracefulness? When Yuan Shu sat down, Shi Yi finally realized that she was standing beside the sofa with her.


    At this moment, things were very awkward. She couldn¡¯t turn around and go to the other armchair, let alone sit on the same sofa as Yuan Shu, so she could only stand behind Yuan Shu.


    What was going on? No matter how she looked at it, this position looked like when she would stand behind her brother when she went out with him occasionally.


    Moreover, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a trace of reverence for Yuan Shu, just like she did for her brother.


    As soon as Shi Yi stood up, Yuan Shu said, ¡°There are many things to attend to at the banquet, so 1 got a little delayed. Sorry to keep you waiting, Miss Chu.¡±


    ¡­..


    Chu Mei had already wiped the juice stains on her body with a towel sent by the servant. She also wiped off her makeup, which had been smudged from crying, revealing her pale and listless face.


    After the commotion just now, she no longer had any arrogance and she carefully protected her stomach like a female cat who had just given birth to a kitten.


    ¡°What do you want to do by bringing me to the lounge?! Let me tell you, the child in my stomach is your family¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Seeing that she still wanted to quibble, Shi Yi was furious. Coupled with the anger that she had been holding back for a long time, she shouted at Chu Mei.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you think well believe that the child in your stomach is my brother¡¯s after that commotion just now? Who do you think you are?! How dare you let our family take responsibility for the bastard in your stomach?!¡±


    Chu Mei didn¡¯t expect Shi Yi to be so fierce and was frightened for a moment. Then, tears immediately flowed out of her eyes and she stammered, unable to speak.


    Yuan Shu raised her hand to stop Shi Yi from continuing.


    She said to Chu Mei, ¡°It¡¯s in man¡¯s nature to strive for better. You¡¯re not wrong to want to use the child in your stomach to continue climbing up the social ranks.¡±


    Chu Mei was stunned. She didn¡¯t expect Yuan Shu to say that she wasn¡¯t in the wrong. However, what Yuan Shu said next was like the belt she used that day. It whipped her heart again and again, making her feel even more humiliated than directly hitting her body.


    Yuan Shu¡¯s gaze was sharp, as if she was looking at a fool. ¡°Your mistake was that you weren¡¯t smart enough and got manipulated. You weren¡¯t assertive enough and failed to obtain more.¡±


    Yuan Shu leaned back slightly and it seemed as if she was saying the second half of the sentence to Chu Mei, but in fact, she was saying it to Shi Yi. ¡°As a woman, you should use all kinds of methods to obtain as much as you can for yourself. However, before you ask for anything, you have to think about whether you have the ability to protect it! Even if you get an identity that everyone pays attention to, do you think you can bear the pressure this identity brings you?¡±


    When Shi Yi heard this, her anger suddenly dissipated and she looked at Yuan Shu in a daze. Yuan Shu¡¯s back was clearly facing her, but she felt as if she had been stabbed.


    She recalled that when she heard Chu Mei¡¯s call, she immediately booked a plane ticket back to the country. In the end, she made such a mistake. Now that she heard Yuan Shu¡¯s words, she realized her impulsiveness.


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t continue this topic. Instead, she looked at Chu Mei as she said coldly and mercilessly,


    ¡°Miss Chu, my family has been putting up an act with you for a long time. Now, it¡¯s time to end it.¡±


    Chu Mei didn¡¯t know how to react at all. She also didn¡¯t know why the brainless and arrogant heiress, Yuan Shu, who had been played by her previously, suddenly changed and made her feel fear.


    ¡°What¡­ what do you want?¡±


    Yuan Shu said calmly, ¡°How you told the media that the child belonged to my Shi family is how you will tell them that the child has nothing to do with the Shi family.¡±


    ¡°Impossible!¡±


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 Chapter 50 - Chapter 50: Threat Is Useless

    Chapter 50: Threat Is Useless


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Chu Mei exclaimed.


    She had made such a blunder and completely disregarded her own reputation. Everyone knew that she was pregnant. If she opened a press conference to announce to the world that she was lying, she would no longer be able to survive in the entertainment industry!


    She had been in the entertainment industry for so long and even climbed into Gao Shan¡¯s bed. It wasn¡¯t for today¡¯s ending! Now, she was penniless and her only movie, Gunshot, was still being filmed. If she left the entertainment industry now, she wouldn¡¯t be able to get a single cent.


    At that time, it would be difficult for her to even support herself, let alone the child in her stomach.


    She wouldn¡¯t think that Gao Shan would still help her deal with the aftermath at a time like this. Moreover, this was the Shi family. Gao Shan didn¡¯t have the ability to help her deal with the aftermath!


    Chu Mei shook her head crazily. ¡°I can¡¯t hold a news conference to clarify things. Don¡¯t even think about it!¡±


    Seeing her crazy look, Yuan Shu frowned slightly with a trace of disgust. She hated stupid people the most.


    ¡­..


    Chu Mei had already completely lost the right to negotiate with her, but she was still trying to use unreasonable pestering to resist telling the truth. She was so stupid!


    Yuan Shu disdained talking to brainless people the most, so she closed her eyes with impatience. ¡°Miss Chu, you can think about it yourself. Should you hold this news conference yourself or should my family? That¡¯s all I have to say. Forgive me for not sending you off.¡±


    Yuan Shu gave the servant standing at the door a look, and the servant walked over and ¡°invited¡± Chu Mei to leave.


    Chu Mei was completely afraid now. She knew that it was useless for her to say anything else. Just like a person who had fallen into the water trying her best to grab the last piece of driftwood, she said the only thing she could think of now.


    ¡°Shen Lu! No, it¡¯s Shi Lu! This concerns Shi Lu¡¯s future!¡±


    Yuan Shu raised her eyes and looked at her coldly with a look that said, ¡°Go on.¡±


    Chu Mei broke free from the servant¡¯s grip on her arm and said loudly, as if she was giving herself courage, ¡°Shi Lu and 1 signed a bet agreement for this movie! If I hold a press conference tomorrow, I will definitely be blacklisted by the entertainment industry. Once I get blacklisted, Gunshot won¡¯t be able to continue filming! At that time, Shi Lu¡¯s efforts for the past month will be in vain, and those capitalists who invested in him won¡¯t get a single cent. At that time, Shi Lu might be affected!¡±


    She did say something that might make Yuan Shu worry, but this worry only lasted for ten seconds.


    Yuan Shu stopped looking at her and stood up to walk out. At the same time, she said, ¡°1 look forward to Miss Chu¡¯s good news tomorrow.¡±


    Shi Yi followed Yuan Shu out. Yuan Shu wasn¡¯t soft-hearted at all and her words were quite harsh. Even as an audience, she felt a little intimidated.


    If Yuan Shu could be so ruthless to a woman, she would only be more decisive when dealing with other things.


    From the looks of it, Yuan Shu¡¯s attitude towards him was quite gentle.


    Yuan Shu¡¯s pace wasn¡¯t fast, but Shi Yi felt that she couldn¡¯t keep up and could only chase after Yuan Shu with small steps. In the end, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°You really don¡¯t care about the impact of this matter on Shi Lu?¡±


    After hearing this, Yuan Shu suddenly stopped and looked at Shi Yi.


    Caught off guard, Shi Yi couldn¡¯t stop in time and staggered.


    Yuan Shu looked at her indifferently. ¡°Your aesthetic taste is indeed good. Your clothes are all top-notch. Unfortunately, your bearing isn¡¯t worthy of your aesthetic taste.¡±


    Shi Yi blushed and wanted to refute, but she couldn¡¯t. Indeed, even if she had good posture, she was far inferior to Yuan Shu.


    Yuan Shu¡¯s nobility came more or less from her dignified bearing and temperament. This came from years of experience.


    However, when she saw her a month ago, she was still a frivolous woman. How did she change so much in just a month?!


    Fortunately, Yuan Shu didn¡¯t intend to dwell on this topic. She answered Shi Yi, ¡°Firstly, 1, Yuan Shu, will never be threatened by anyone. So, from the moment Chu Mei said that, she already lost. Secondly, since Shi Lu dared to sign the bet agreement, she has to have the ability to deal with failure. It¡¯s unlike the Shi family to compromise when something bad happens..¡±


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 Chapter 51 - Chapter 51: Admiration

    Chapter 51: Admiration


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    The long corridor that Yuan Shu and Shi Yi took led straight to the hall of the banquet. The glass door of the hall was open, and the noise of the banquet and the violinist¡¯s outstanding music echoed clearly in the corridor.


    Yuan Shu¡¯s sonorous words echoed in Shi Yi¡¯s mind.


    Only then did she realize that in terms of principles, she was worlds apart from Yuan Shu. In terms of bearing, she was far inferior to Yuan Shu.


    When Yuan Shu returned to the hall, Shi Yi was pulled away by a few good friends to chat.


    The banquet was held in an orderly manner. Shi Lu was very at ease in front of a group of young masters and young ladies from aristocratic families. When he saw Yuan Shu return, he walked towards Yuan Shu.


    Yuan Shu praised Shi Lu inwardly. She was right. Although Shi Lu had always been negelcted in the Shi family and had always pretended to be aloof in the entertainment industry, in reality, he was just used to watching everything coldly.


    Yuan Shu was certain that he was the most knowledgeable person in the Shi family. As long as he wanted to, he would definitely be able to impress the other party in a conversation.


    ¡­..


    Shi Lu walked up to Yuan Shu. Before she could remove the fake smile on her face, he greeted sincerely, ¡°Sister-in-law.


    Yuan Shu nodded slightly to express her affirmation.


    Shi Lu¡¯s change of impression regarding Yuan Shu was even more complicated. From the initial anger to probing, to discovering that her relationship with her family was the same as his, the feeling of empathy made him feel closer to Yuan Shu, as if she was his family.


    However, after Yuan Shu¡¯s affirmation of Shi Lu outside the hall and the change in everyone¡¯s impression of him during the socializing, Shi Lu¡¯s respect for Yuan Shu had already turned into admiration from the bottom of his heart.


    He asked, ¡°Sister-in-law, how¡¯s the matter going?¡±


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t say much about the process and only said the result. ¡°Chu Mei will clarify the rumors tomorrow.¡±


    Shi Lu nodded. ¡°Then she wall also disappear from the entertainment industry.¡± He recalled his previous doubts and asked, ¡°But why did you stop her just now? She clearly planned to tell the truth.¡±


    Yuan Shu crossed her hands in front of her abdomen and glanced at Shi Lu indifferently. The three siblings of the Shi family had all asked this question, but only Shi Lu was conflicted about it to the end. This might also be related to his personality. The more he pretended to be indifferent, the more he would get to the bottom of things he cared about.


    He didn¡¯t care about Chu Mei, but the sister-in-law in front of him.


    Yuan Shu explained, ¡°Because at that time, she was irrational and couldn¡¯t be responsible for what she said.¡± She paused and suddenly glanced in Li Ran¡¯s direction, but it was only a brief glance. ¡°The Li family wouldn¡¯t have stood by and did nothing either. This is our banquet, so we shouldn¡¯t let outsiders become the protagonists of this banquet.¡±


    Only then did Shi Lu realize how clearly Yuan Shu distinguished between insiders and outsiders, and how ruthless she was to outsiders. He originally thought that Yuan Shu stopped Chu Mei to save her, but it turned out that at that moment, she had already made countless plans. Just by stopping Chu Mei, she could take advantage of the situation to exchange for a favor from the Li family and the situation would still be under the Shi family¡¯s control.


    She trusted her family unconditionally, was reasonable and tolerant, and even gave him a chance to establish himself in the Shi family, instead of suppressing the other three siblings for the sake of her status.


    Shi Lu suddenly felt lucky that she was her family and not her match.


    As Li Ran sat in the middle of a group of wealthy ladies, she suddenly saw Yuan Shu¡¯s indifferent gaze. Her heart skipped a beat and she actually felt a little afraid.


    But it only lasted for an instant.


    Li Ran was definitely not someone who could be manipulated by others.


    She swirled the cocktail in her glass and finished it in one gulp. Then, she stood up to bid farewell to everyone and went to look for Li Ci.


    Li Ci was standing in a quiet spot and no one dared to disturb him, so Li Ran walked over.


    ¡°Uncle, Yuan Shu isn¡¯t as simple as she seems.¡±


    Li Ci¡¯s position wasn¡¯t eye-catching. He could see everyone, but others might not notice him. At this moment, he was looking at Yuan Shu, who was chatting with Shi Lu.


    Her temperament was mature and calm, a stark contrast from her previous pompousness. She clearly had the same face, but she gave people the feeling that she was a different person.


    Her way of doing things and the words she said made people respect her and feel curious about her. It seemed that he had to interact with her more in the future..


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 Chapter 52 - Chapter 52: Business Opportunity

    Chapter 52: Business Opportunity


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Li Ci didn¡¯t answer Li Ran. Instead, he smiled playfully. ¡°After the matter ends tomorrow, you should consider your own matters.¡±


    Li Ran felt guilty and asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The divorce.¡±


    After Li Ran calmed herself down and thought about it, the last bit of reluctance was chased out of her mind. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll talk to Gao Shan tonight.¡±


    As they toasted each other, the orchestra played a melodious tune. As Li Ran recalled her four years in university, she finally made up her mind to bid farewell to her youth.


    Yuan Shu wasn¡¯t used to the cocktails here, so after she picked it up, she put it down several times. Shi Lu saw this, so he handed a glass of red wine to Yuan Shu.


    In fact, Yuan Shu was quite fond of wine. She was born into a military family and had fought in the military camp for a while, so she got along well with the soldiers. Those soldiers who went on the battlefield liked to eat meat and drink wine around the bonfire after a battle. They liked to drink the strongest wine and eat the fattest meat. Yuan Shu drank a lot of wine along with them.


    ¡­..


    The red wine was much milder and less refreshing than the hard liquor they drank, but it was better than the sour and sweet cocktail.


    Yuan Shu took a sip and let the fragrance of the wine dissipate in her mouth. Then, she said to Shi Lu, who was beside her, ¡°Have you signed an agreement for Gunshot?¡±


    Shi Lu didn¡¯t expect the topic to turn to him, so he was stunned for a moment before replying, ¡°Not really. This agreement was signed by Director Chen Sheng and Gao Shan to bring Chu Mei into the cast. I only signed a normal contract.¡±


    Yuan Shu nodded slightly. This guy wasn¡¯t stupid.


    ¡°Chu Mei will be¡­ blacklisted by the entertainment industry.¡± Yuan Shu recalled what she had read over the past few days and found a reasonable term. ¡°There¡¯s no hope for this movie being released. What are your plans?¡±


    Shi Lu stuffed one hand into her pants pocket and waved the red wine glass in her hand with both hands. As she admired the beauty of the red wine, she said indifferently, ¡°1 don¡¯t have any plans. I¡¯ve already finished filming the most exciting parts anyway. What happens to this movie has nothing to do with me.¡±


    Seeing that he didn¡¯t plan things out for himself at all, Yuan Shu was angry that she didn¡¯t have a whip beside her now. Otherwise, she would definitely whip him twice to teach him a lesson!


    ¡°Shi Lu, as someone from my family, you have to do your best no matter what you do! You¡¯ve been in the entertainment industry for so long, so the Shi family must have used a lot of resources. With your abilities, you¡¯re actually only an A-list celebrity now. Are you content?¡±


    Shi Lu was stunned. Was she talking about family? Yuan Shu¡¯s family? Did she treat him as family?


    Shi Lu, who had been neglected since he entered the Shi family, was suddenly so triggered that he didn¡¯t listen to the second half of the sentence.


    When she didn¡¯t get a response, Yuan Shu couldn¡¯t help but frown. When she looked up, she realized that the person beside her was already in a daze.


    Yuan Shu realized that she really had to train these children. No one in the army dared to be distracted during military training! In that case, she would start tomorrow and formulate a complete training plan. It was necessary to train her current body as well.


    Just as he finished thinking, he looked up and saw Tan Jing walking over with a cocktail that was about the size of his palm. This scene was a little strange.


    ¡°Madam, 1 didn¡¯t expect the banquet to be so successful today. You¡¯ve really impressed me.¡±


    Shi Lu knew about the relationship between the Shi family and the Tan family. Although they were not enemies, they were not on the same side. Tan Jing was unaccountably solicitous, so he must be up to something!


    He took a step forward and stood between Yuan Shu and Tan Jing. ¡°Young Master Tan, what can I do for you?¡±


    Tan Jing didn¡¯t care about Shi Lu at all. He looked down on the second young master of the Shi family. In his eyes, Shi Lu was just a lowly actor. He wasn¡¯t worthy of talking to him.


    He glanced past Shi Lu and looked straight at Yuan Shu. ¡°I¡¯m here to toast Madam Shi, but Madam Shi is hiding behind you.. Is this how the Shi family treats guests?¡±


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 Chapter 53 - Chapter 53: Business Opportunity

    Chapter 53: Business Opportunity


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Shi Lu didn¡¯t care if Tan Jing looked down on him. However, he was unhappy when Tan Jing said that about Yuan Shu.


    Just as he was about to retort, Yuan Shu raised her hand and touched his arm gently. Then, he took a step back and exposed Yuan Shu.


    Yuan Shu raised her eyes and looked at Tan Jing. There was a smile on her face, but it didn¡¯t reach her eyes. ¡°Young Master Tan, what do you mean by hiding? 1 only hide when dealing with uninvited guests. Young Master Tan, do you think that you are an uninvited guest or not?¡±


    Tan Jing was at a loss for words. He had forgotten that this woman was extraordinary. He had fought with her for so many rounds but he had never won. He was really asking for trouble.


    Tan Jing bent down slightly so that the two of them were closer to each other. Then, he apologized. ¡°Madam, you are still as sharp-tongued as ever. This toast is for you. 1 said something wrong, so I¡¯ll accept my punishment.¡± Then, he finished the cocktail in his glass in one gulp.


    ¡°Madam, I wonder if 1 have the honor to invite you to sit over there for a while so that we can talk about Yuan An?¡±


    Shi Lu frowned. ¡°Young Master Tan, if there¡¯s anything you want to talk about, you can tell me. My sister-in-law is already tired. I¡¯m afraid she can¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡­..


    Tan Jing ignored him and interrupted him. ¡°When did the second young master become the master of the Shi family?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Shi Lu had indeed been very low profile in the Shi family.


    However, Yuan Shu retorted sharply, ¡°He¡¯s a member of my family, so his words naturally count. Don¡¯t tell me we have to listen to an outsider regarding our family matters?¡±


    Shi Lu was stunned. He had always been sensitive, but he had never shown it in front of others. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t know what outsiders said. He was an illegitimate son of a mistress and a silkpants of the Shi family who wasn¡¯t doted on. He always pretended not to care about the mockery and ridicule in order to shut them up.


    Yuan Shu had given him enough respect tonight, so much so that he suddenly felt that it wasn¡¯t bad to be protected.


    Tan Jing knew that Shi Lu wasn¡¯t favored, so he mocked him. However, he didn¡¯t expect Yuan Shu to be so protective of him. This made him suspect that his investigation of the Shi family in the past few months was wrong.


    He felt a little embarrassed and could only smile awkwardly. Then, he stiffened his back and asked Yuan Shu to find a place to have a good chat at.


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t want to go at first. The relationship between the two families wasn¡¯t good, and he had scolded Shi Lu many times, so there was no need to show him any respect.


    But when Tan Jing mentioned Yuan An, Yuan Shu was curious about what he wanted to say.


    After Yuan Shu brought Shi Lu to the round glass table in the corridor on the second floor, she looked at Tan Jing and went straight to the point. ¡°Young Master Tan, if you have anything to say, just say it.¡±


    Tan Jing also became serious. ¡°Something happened to Yuan An. Although the Shi family managed to solve it in time, the capital chain was affected. I have a project to replenish the funds quickly but 1 don¡¯t know if the Shi family is interested.¡±


    ¡°Please speak.¡± Yuan Shu made an inviting gesture.


    The light on the second floor was relatively dim and the seats were set up in an aesthetically pleasing manner. Every glass table was placed with small night lights covered by a special glass cover and emitted a comfortable glow.


    As the light cast shadows on Yuan Shu¡¯s face. Her eyes looked even deeper set, and her slender eyebrows looked elongated. Everything around her seemed to pale in comparison.


    Yuan Shu listened carefully and closed her eyes. After she slowly opened them again, she said, ¡°I understand what you mean, but the Shi family will not cooperate with the Tan family on this matter. Thank you for your kind intentions.¡±


    Tan Jing was indignant after being rejected. ¡°Madam, aren¡¯t you being too rash?¡±


    Yuan Shu lowered her eyes and smoothed out the creases in her skirt as she said calmly, ¡°If you want to start this project, there definitely won¡¯t be a problem with the funding. My family has other arrangements, so this really isn¡¯t the best time to cooperate.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Tan Jing wanted to continue.


    Yuan Shu had already changed the topic. ¡°I wonder if you¡¯re satisfied with the fruits I gave you previously?¡±


    ¡°Satisfied!¡± The topic changed too quickly. Before Tan Jing could react, Yuan Shu had already chased him out. ¡°Prepare another box for Young Master Tan before you leave. Please accept it.¡±


    Tan Jing felt depressed. He had been in the business world for so many years, but he had never felt so helpless as when he was facing Yuan Shu. This aroused his desire to win. He thought to himself, ¡°Yuan Shu, just wait and see..¡±


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 Chapter 54 - Chapter 54: Small Wallet

    Chapter 54: Small Wallet


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    The Shi family was very powerful. Initially, they targeted the foreign market. Later on, they entered the domestic market and achieved great success. They even had connections in the political world, and their relationship with the Li family was also deep.


    The Shi family had a few sworn enemies. The Jiang family and the Xiao family were two families that were not invited to this cocktail party. Their relationship with the Tan family could only be considered relatively neutral.


    This time, Tan Jing came to look for Yuan Shu to discuss a collaboration because Shi Xiao was missing and wasn¡¯t in the country. He saw that the Shi family didn¡¯t have a leader. As a woman, how could Yuan Shu understand business matters? If they reached a collaboration, the Shi family would be easy to manipulate.


    Moreover, this project was neither big nor small. Even if the Tan family and the Shi family reached a cooperation, it didn¡¯t mean that the two families would be on good terms with each other. The Tan family could still maintain a neutral stance.


    Tan Jing¡¯s plan was very cunning.


    Originally, the Tan family was invited to this cocktail party. Tan Jing explained to the Jiang and Xiao families that Yuan Shu wanted to collaborate with Tan Jing. This also explained why Tan Jing came twice and received two boxes of fruits.


    Unexpectedly, Yuan Shu refused and embarrassed Tan Jing.


    ¡­..


    After today¡¯s banquet ended, the entire upper society would probably be gossiping about it tomorrow.


    After Tan Jing left, Yuan Shu asked Shi Lu, ¡°You¡¯ve heard about this project. What do you think about it?¡±


    Shi Lu was puzzled. ¡°What do you mean? Didn¡¯t you say that you won¡¯t cooperate with them? Why are you still thinking about this?¡±


    Yuan Shu revealed a brilliant smile. ¡°I said that the Shi family won¡¯t cooperate with them, but 1 didn¡¯t say that I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    Yuan Shu explained, ¡°The collaboration between the two families involves too many complicated things, so I can¡¯t make this decision easily. However, this project is indeed profitable. If we invest in it with another identity, it might provide a considerable income.¡±


    Shi Lu had been interacting with Yuan Shu for so long, but this was the first time he had seen her so interested in something. He asked, ¡°Are you short of money? Is the Shi family¡¯s money not enough for you to spend?¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Yuan Shu chuckled and patted Shi Lu¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You already said that it¡¯s the Shi family¡¯s money. What I need is my own money. I can¡¯t rely on the Shi family forever.¡±


    Shi Lu looked at Yuan Shu in a daze. She was clearly right in front of him, but Shi Lu felt that she might leave at any time.


    It was also at this moment that Shi Lu suddenly made a decision. He had to make some achievements and let Yuan Shu see that he was worthy of her being good to him. He would also help her when she needed help in the future.


    Therefore, he needed to deal with the production team of Gunshot. He could only rely on himself for this matter. He couldn¡¯t trouble Yuan Shu.


    At midnight, the banquet finally ended. After Yuan Shu and Shi Lu sent everyone away, they watched as various luxury cars left and the taillights of the cars flickered.


    Yuan Shu asked curiously, ¡°If 1 remember correctly, Shi Bin studied finance in university, right?¡±


    Shi Lu nodded. ¡°It¡¯s the best major in A University. It¡¯s also one of the top ten majors in the country.¡±


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t continue the topic and walked back to her room.


    The next morning, Yuan Shu woke up at dawn. She put on a comfortable tracksuit and ran in the garden for about an hour before coming back to take a shower. By the time she sat at the dining table, it was already 8:30 in the morning.


    The female butler of the ancestral residence was Wu Yan, and she was also an elder of the Shi family. She handled things very well.


    After Yuan Shu took the warm milk from Wu Yan and took a sip, she asked, ¡°Are the two young masters and young lady up?¡±


    Wu Yan replied, ¡°Second Young Master has already gotten up and gone out, but he said that he would be back for lunch. Third Miss left with Miss Chen last night and didn¡¯t come back. Fourth Young Master is still sleeping.¡±


    Yuan Shu put down the milk and picked up the financial newspaper that she had specifically asked Wu Yan to put on the table. ¡°Go and wake him up. Tell him that I¡¯m waiting for him downstairs.¡±


    Wu Yan wasn¡¯t like the maid of the Shi family¡¯s other residence, Li Yue, who always criticized her master. When Wu Yan heard the order, she immediately carried it out. Twenty minutes later, the groggy Shi Bin had already tidied up and sat opposite Yuan Shu..


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 Chapter 55 - Chapter 55: Guidance

    Chapter 55: Guidance


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Shi Bin was very angry. He was sleeping soundly in the morning when he was suddenly woken up. He was about to flare up, but when he heard that it was Yuan Shu who woke him up, his fear of the whip forced him to get out of bed obediently.


    Now, he sat opposite Yuan Shu with a reluctant expression, but he didn¡¯t dare to say anything.


    It wasn¡¯t until Yuan Shu finished reading today¡¯s financial newspaper and folded it before placing it by the table that she took another sip of milk and glanced at Shi Bin indifferently as she asked, ¡°How much do you know about venture capital?¡±


    Shi Bin wasn¡¯t fully awake yet. As he sat at the table and looked at the buns in front of him, he felt as if he had double vision and kept yawning. After he sat up straight, he nodded repeatedly.


    When Yuan Shu suddenly spoke, he was startled and opened his eyes abruptly. ¡°Why are you suddenly asking me this? Don¡¯t tell me you woke me up so early in the morning to test me on this?¡±


    Yuan Shu sat up straight and leaned her legs together. After a while, she looked like she was serious about learning more as she asked, ¡°1 have some questions about venture capital that I want to ask you for guidance on.¡±


    Shi Bin was flattered that she actually knew how to use the word ¡°guidance¡±.


    ¡­..


    Shi Bin was a slacker who fought in school, quarreled with his classmates, and even fought with Tan Zhao to the point that he got sent to the police station. These things were known to everyone, so everyone overlooked Shi Bin¡¯s outstanding grades.


    Although he was reckless and slow-witted at times, he was extremely smart. Since he was young, he had been very sensitive to numbers. He could memorize Pi to the thirtieth place after decimal points, and he even got first place in the entire major in advanced mathematics.


    As the most prestigious major in A University, not just anyone could get into the finance major. No matter how good their connections were, A University wouldn¡¯t accept profligate people. Therefore, Shi Bin got in on his own.


    Perhaps because his reputation as a profligate son was too resounding, even if he sat in the first row during class and listened to the teacher¡¯s lecture seriously, the teacher only felt that he was daydreaming and didn¡¯t listen to class.


    But that didn¡¯t stop him from being interested in class. Despite his talent, he wasted most of his time having fun, so much so that everyone overlooked his abilities.


    While everyone was actively looking for internships and hoping to get into the best venture capital company, Shi Bin was thinking about how to spend money to have fun and cause trouble for Tan Zhao.


    Being rebellious, the more Shi Bin was urged, the more he wanted to show his incompetence. Hence, every time his brother, Shi Xiao, told him to study hard, he would act flippant.


    He could feel that Yuan Shu didn¡¯t put on airs when she said the word ¡°guidance¡±. She showed respect for him. This was something Shi Bin had never felt in the Shi family.


    As Shi Xiao was too outstanding, he was like a shining diamond in the Shi family. Everyone praised him at various social occasions. Although there were more or less some flattery, their admiration for Shi Xiao¡¯s ability was real.


    As a result, no one cared about the development of the other children of the Shi family. In fact, no matter how outstanding they were, their brilliance would be overshadowed by Shi Xiao¡¯s brilliance. Therefore, the three of them only needed to be obedient and be protected by their elder brother. They didn¡¯t need to be outstanding. They only needed to be flowers in a greenhouse to show the prosperity of the Shi family.


    Therefore, when Yuan Shu asked Shi Bin about venture capital, he only hesitated for a moment before he started to tell her everything he understood.


    After Yuan Shu listened to him seriously for nearly an hour, her impression of him began to change.


    Initially, Yuan Shu didn¡¯t have much expectations when she asked Shi Bin about venture capital. She only wanted to obtain some basic knowledge before asking the professionals.


    She didn¡¯t expect Shi Bin¡¯s interpretation to be so unique. Yuan Shu couldn¡¯t help but become interested. She would definitely learn a lot if she listened to a finance lecture taught by a professor from A University.


    Yuan Shu listened to Shi Bin seriously. From time to time, she would nod and ask questions. When she saw that Shi Bin was thirsty, she would instruct Wu Yan to serve tea..


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 56 - Chapter 56: Investment Plan

    Chapter 56: Investment Plan


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Although some of the content was different from what she had read in the financial newspaper, Yuan Shu completely trusted the young man in front of her now and gave up on the idea of finding a professional.


    When Shi Bin finally finished explaining everything and drank the tea in front of him, Yuan Shu finally continued, ¡°I have a project here. Why don¡¯t you take a look and see if you¡¯re interested before telling me if 1 should invest?¡±


    With that, she asked Wu Yan to go to her bedroom and bring over the project content that she had sorted out overnight last night. Then, she placed it in front of Shi Bin.


    There wasn¡¯t much content. It had been simplified and organized according to Yuan Shu¡¯s understanding, so it was only a few pages.


    Shi Bin¡¯s face was filled with smugness after he spoke non-stop. After he took the project content, he flipped through it.


    After reading it, his expression was solemn. ¡°Sister-in-law, this project is very risky. Why did you suddenly get involved in this field? Our family has never been involved in the electronics field. Although this project doesn¡¯t involve the electronics field that deeply, it¡¯s still an unfamiliar direction.¡±


    Yuan Shu wasn¡¯t familiar with many things in this era, so it was definitely impossible for her to talk to Shi Bin in detail. She only asked, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s necessary to invest?¡±


    ¡­..


    After Shi Bin frowned and thought about it for a moment, he said, ¡°1 think it¡¯s a good idea, but 1 need to calculate how and the ratio.¡±


    ¡°How long?¡±


    Shi Bin pondered again and said, ¡°Give me a day and a half. 1¡¯11 definitely submit an investment plan to you before tomorrow night.¡±


    Yuan Shu nodded and added, ¡°This won¡¯t be carried out in the name of the Shi Corporation, but a project that 1 personally want to invest in. 1 look forward to your investment proposal.¡±


    Shi Bin could sense Yuan Shu¡¯s seriousness and trust from her tone. She could say that it was an investment from the Shi Corporation to make him take this matter more seriously, but she told the truth because she didn¡¯t want to pressure him.


    He was touched, but he didn¡¯t say anything else. He picked up the project content and went back to school. With his current ability, it wasn¡¯t easy to produce an investment plan alone. He needed to go back to school and ask the professors for their opinions.


    Yuan Shu also returned to her room to continue reading. There were still too many things in this era that she didn¡¯t understand, so she needed to read more books.


    When it was almost noon, Wu Yan knocked on the door. ¡°Madam, Madam Xiao invites you to lunch today. The location is Dole Square. Do we want to meet up with her?¡±


    Yuan Shu put down the book in her hand and rubbed her sore eyes. She still had to thank Liu Lan for Yuan An¡¯s matter. Since she had invited her today, she naturally had to meet up.


    ¡°Yes, 1¡¯11 prepare a gift and bring it over at noon.¡±


    Wu Yan walked out.


    Yuan Shu had a good impression of Liu Lan because Liu Lan was gentle but efficient. She looked meek, but she would make everyone who was hostile to her suffer.


    Yuan Shu couldn¡¯t help but admire the way she quickly found the crux of the problem when handling Yuan An¡¯s matter. It didn¡¯t take much effort for her to solve the problem and it also saved the Shi family a lot of trouble.


    If there was a chance, Yuan Shu was very willing to be friends with Liu Lan.


    Secondly, Yuan Shu also had another concern. If she wanted to participate in the Tan family¡¯s project, she definitely couldn¡¯t do it herself. She couldn¡¯t let anyone from the Shi family do it either. Moreover, she didn¡¯t know many people in this world, and there were even fewer people who could help her. Liu Lan was the best candidate.


    She could also use today¡¯s lunch as a chance to ask about her thoughts.


    Yuan Shu arrived ten minutes earlier than the agreed time, but when she arrived, Liu Lan was already there. It was obvious that Liu Lan had a strong sense of punctuality.


    The two of them were dressed very casually and the clothing brands they chose were not well-known foreign high-end brands, but the clothing quality was good. They were very low-key.


    When the two of them met, they smiled at each other with mutual understanding. There was no need for pleasantries..


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 Chapter 57 - Chapter 57: The Mastermind

    Chapter 57: The Mastermind


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Yuan Shu pushed a brocade box in front of Liu Lan. There was a pearl bracelet in the box made from high-quality pearls. It was low-key and elegant.


    ¡°Thank you for helping out regarding Yuan An¡¯s matter. Please accept this small token of appreciation.¡±


    Liu Lan took out the bracelet and put it on her slender wrist. The length was just right. It was a very considerate gift.


    ¡°How thoughtful of you.¡±


    After Liu Lan picked up the black tea that she had just served and took a sip, she said, ¡°Because I had something to deal with yesterday, 1 didn¡¯t go to the banquet with my husband. 1 heard that 1 missed some of your exciting scenes. To be able to hold such a huge banquet so perfectly alone, you¡¯re really impressive.¡±


    These words were not flattery. Liu Lan admired her from the bottom of her heart. The Xiao family had also held a similar banquet before. The first time she organized it, she even panicked. It was only with her mother-in-law¡¯s help that she didn¡¯t make any mistakes.


    Yuan Shu was able to rely on herself and she seemed so calm, as if she had hosted banquets countless times. She was really extraordinary. Even her husband, who rarely praised others, praised Yuan Shu when he returned.


    ¡­..


    Practice made perfect. Yuan Shu had hosted palace banquets that were more difficult than this countless times already. Such a banquet was just run of the mill for her.


    Yuan Shu thanked her politely. After a while, Liu Lan revealed the purpose of her trip.


    ¡°I thought it was better to tell you about some problems, so 1 asked you out to meet today.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? Please tell me.¡± Yuan Shu also became serious.


    Liu Lan opened her cell phone¡¯s Weibo. As expected, what happened yesterday was trending. She placed her cell phone in front of Yuan Shu.


    [Chu Mei causes a scene at the banquet. The wife personally dispelled the rumors!]


    [Is Chu Mei¡¯s pregnancy fake? Is the child from the Shi family?]


    Yesterday¡¯s banquet was private and no media was invited. Those upper-class people wouldn¡¯t say anything, so no one knew the exact situation at that time.


    Most of them were guessing what had happened last night, but most of them were talking about the child. The mastermind wanted to blow up this scandal and make everyone focus on who the child¡¯s father was.


    ¡°Chu Mei is just being used by someone. What I¡¯m worried about is that there¡¯s someone behind her. Moreover, the person behind this not only did this, but he¡¯s probably also involved in Yuan An¡¯s matter. 1 think this person isn¡¯t just targeting the Shi family. He¡¯s probably even targeting the Shi family¡¯s helpers¡­¡±


    Liu Lan wondered if it was appropriate for her to say this outcome, but after hesitating for a moment, she decided to say it.


    ¡°The political world¡¯s Li family.¡±


    If she was a friend, Liu Lan would help this person no matter what. Yuan Shu was magnanimous, flexible, and decisive, so Liu Lan was willing to help Yuan Shu.


    Yuan Shu had read the book and knew the general plot, so she could vaguely guess who the person behind this was. However, this person attacked much earlier than in the original book.


    Just as Yuan Shu was thinking about this matter carefully, the sound of glass shattering suddenly sounded on the fourth floor.


    The place where they were eating was on the fifth floor of the mall, and the voice came from the fourth floor, so they could hear it very clearly. The two of them looked at each other and saw the surprise in each other¡¯s eyes. Then, they looked at the source of the voice at the same time.


    Outside a high-end private dress shop on the fourth floor, a deformed mannequin fell to the ground on pieces of glass and the mannequin¡¯s clothes had been torn by the glass shards.


    It seemed that this mannequin was used as a punching bag and smashed into the glass door of the shop. Because the person used too much strength, the glass shattered and the mannequin flew out of the shop.


    Everyone liked to watch drama, so when they heard the commotion, they slowly surrounded the shop. When there were more people, it became slightly noisier.


    The people in the shop were still arguing.


    One of the two parties arguing was the manager, and the other was Shi Yi.


    When her companion saw that there were so many people, she felt a little embarrassed, so she pulled Shi Yi and tried to get her to calm down.


    However, Shi Yi didn¡¯t care and her face was flushed with anger. She clenched her fists as she glared at the manager..


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 Chapter 58 - Chapter 58: Support

    Chapter 58: Support


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Shi Yi¡¯s hair was a little messy. As she had thrown the mannequin out too forcefully, her previously tied-up hair became messy.


    She broke free from her companion¡¯s grasp. ¡°Don¡¯t pull me. They have to give an explanation for this!¡±


    Her companion felt embarrassed and silently found a corner where she wouldn¡¯t be seen by the crowd. Now, she really regretted suggesting that they come shopping.


    Initially, because Shi Yi had just returned to the country and had not brought back a lot of clothes she could change into, she said that they might as well go to Dole Mall to take a look.


    Unexpectedly, when the two of them reached the fourth floor and got off the elevator, they saw this high-end shop. Just as they were about to enter, Shi Yi suddenly became angry. She said that the gown worn by the mannequin at the door was designed by her and she had posted it on Weibo before.


    She rushed into the high-end shop and asked the manager to give her an explanation. Unexpectedly, the manager¡¯s attitude was disdainful and she warned them, ¡°Before you slander others, you¡¯d better think about who our boss is and whether you have the right to provoke our boss.¡±


    Shi Yi was the only daughter of the Shi family and was an heiress who had been pampered since she was young. When she heard this, she lost her temper.


    ¡­..


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that there¡¯s anyone I, Shi Yi, don¡¯t dare to provoke!¡± As she spoke, she grabbed the mannequin at the door and threw it at the glass door.


    The store manager was originally very arrogant, but when she heard her name, she panicked and asked her uncertainly, ¡°Which Shi family are you from?¡±


    Shi Yi sneered. ¡°It¡¯s the Shi family that you can¡¯t afford to offend!¡±


    Then, the crowd gathered. The manager wasn¡¯t afraid anymore and started to act pitiful.


    ¡°Hurry up and call the security officers over. The third daughter of the Shi family vandalized the shop without reason! What kind of conduct is this?!¡±


    The store manager was a tall woman with a pair of big round eyes. When she pretended to be aggrieved, she looked very pitiful, making people unable to help but side with her.


    As expected, when she said this, the crowd started to discuss. They said that Shi Yi was unreasonable, and some even took out their phones to take photos.


    Shi Yi didn¡¯t expect this person to be so shameless as to play the blame game, so she pointed at that person. ¡°Shut up! I won¡¯t allow you to spout nonsense! You b*tch, you¡¯re distorting the truth! Your shop plagiarized my design, so you have to give me an explanation!¡±


    Everyone started to discuss who this arrogant and unreasonable person was. No matter what Shi Yi said, the manager repeated this sentence with tears in her eyes.


    When the security officers arrived, the scene was already very chaotic. The security officers rushed towards Shi Yi to capture her.


    Shi Yi panicked and glared at the three burly men to intimidate them, but those burly security officers only thought that she was a customer who was causing trouble and wanted to chase her out of the mall.


    Shi Yi was finally afraid and took two steps back. Just as the security officer was about to grab her, someone suddenly shouted angrily.


    ¡°How dare you!¡±


    Then, a handbag hit the face of the security officer closest to Shi Yi.


    Although the handbag wasn¡¯t heavy, the person who threw it used a lot of strength to make the impact of the bag stronger, so the security officer was caught off guard and slid to the ground after being hit.


    Yuan Shu was behind the crowd with Liu Lan. Her expression was serious, and she looked dignified. The crowd fell silent.


    The Shi family was a wealthy family, so how could she let outsiders make a spectacle of them? When Yuan Shu saw that the person beside the high-end shop was Shi Yi, she immediately rushed over with Liu Lan.


    Seeing that the security officer wanted to attack Shi Yi, she threw her handbag at him.


    Yuan Shu had been in contact with weapons since she was young, so she naturally knew where to hit and how much strength was most suitable.


    After throwing out her handbag, she whispered to Liu Lan, ¡°Please take off your small bag strap and give it to me.¡±


    Liu Lan was carrying a classic Chanel bag today. The chain on the bag was metal and had a certain weight, so it was very suitable to be used as a whip.


    When Liu Lan heard Yuan Shu¡¯s words, she didn¡¯t question her. She immediately took off the chain and handed it to her. Then, the two of them walked through the crowd into the high-end shop..


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 Chapter 59 - Chapter 59: Xu Family

    Chapter 59: Xu Family


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Yuan Shu held the chain in her hand and stood in front of Shi Yi. With a weapon in her hand, she gave off an oppressive feeling, like a female general on the battlefield.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see who dares to hurt someone from my family!¡±


    When Shi Yi woke up in the morning, she was still feeling upset that she actually felt a little impressed by Yuan Shu yesterday and had been thinking about this matter for the entire morning. Now that she saw Yuan Shu standing in front of her and defending her, this feeling of being protected made her want to cry.


    Liu Lan stood in the crowd as she explained the legal treaty to everyone. She asked the people taking photos in the crowd to delete the video, put away their phones, and disperse quickly.


    When the store manager saw this, she was intimidated, but she raised her chin and said calmly, ¡°So what if you¡¯re from the Shi family? Can the Shi family smash other people¡¯s shops without reason?!¡±


    Shi Yi was so impulsive that she forgot about maintaining her image in public. Hence, when she heard the manager say this, Shi Yi felt guilty and was afraid that Yuan Shu wouldn¡¯t help her.


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t turn around and continued to look at the manager. Her gaze was calm, but the manager felt a chill down her spine and had goosebumps all over her body.


    ¡­..


    She asked Shi Yi in a low voice, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Shi Yi made a long story short and said with a sobbing voice, ¡°The dress hanging in their shop is a copy of my design.¡±


    Yuan Shu frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡±


    Shi Yi was startled and immediately held back the tears that were about to flow out. She was worried that Yuan Shu wouldn¡¯t help her since she mocked her yesterday. How could she help¡­


    Unexpectedly, Yuan Shu looked at the manager and said to Liu Lan, who was standing outside the shop, ¡°Liu Lan, I wonder what the crime of plagiarizing someone else¡¯s design is?¡±


    Liu Lan immediately understood. ¡°Plagiarizing is an intellectual crime.¡±


    The two of them rendered the manager speechless. She could only point at the two of them with a trembling hand as she said, ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re spouting nonsense! You said that we plagiarized, but where¡¯s the evidence? Show us the evidence! You dare to cause trouble in our shop without evidence? Are you looking down on the Xu family?!¡±


    Yuan Shu narrowed her eyes. This matter wasn¡¯t as simple as it seemed. This person actually mentioned the Xu family so quickly. It seemed that she was just a small fry.


    Yuan Shu ignored her. Instead, she turned around and walked to Shi Yi. After she helped Shi Yi tidy her hair and straightened her collar, she looked coldly at Miss Chen, who was hiding at the side.


    Chen Mo¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Didn¡¯t the rumors say that Yuan Shu entered the Shi family through underhanded means and was stupid? Why was her gaze so terrifying?!


    Chen Mo didn¡¯t dare to speak and could only move closer to them.


    Yuan Shu watched her footsteps as she said calmly, ¡°Since this is my family¡¯s business, I won¡¯t trouble Miss Chen to stay here. The chauffeur is already waiting downstairs. He will send Miss Chen home personally.¡±


    Chen Mo felt afraid when she saw Yuan Shu draw the line.


    In order to get close to the Shi family, Chen Mo had spent a lot of effort to become friends with Shi Yi. Then, she used Shi Yi to provide benefits to the Chen family. From Yuan Shu¡¯s words, she seemed to want to cut off all ties with the Chen family. Chen Mo was filled with regret, but she didn¡¯t dare to say anything and could only go downstairs dejectedly.


    Only then did Yuan Shu look at the manager again. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re from the Xu family, the Zhang family, or any other family. In short, you¡¯re not worthy of offending my family! You want evidence? Sure, we¡¯ll hand the evidence to the police in three days. If you have anything to say, tell the police!¡±


    The store manager felt guilty and didn¡¯t dare to say anything else. She looked at them timidly.


    Yuan Shu gripped the chain in her hand tightly and glanced at the three security officers coldly. ¡°Move.¡±


    The security officers felt scared for some reason and actually moved aside obediently.


    Only then did Yuan Shu bring Shi Yi out of the mall without looking back. She turned around and said to Liu Lan when she reached the car downstairs, ¡°Liu Lan, I¡¯m sorry to call you by your name directly, but I didn¡¯t entertain you well today. After I¡¯m done with things in a few days, I¡¯ll treat you to a good meal.¡±


    Liu Lan smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay. If you keep calling me Madam Xiao, I won¡¯t be used to it. I¡¯m familiar with intellectual property rights infringement lawsuits. If you need anything, call me anytime. However, there¡¯s one thing you have to be careful of. The Xu family isn¡¯t a threat, but the Jiang family is backing them..¡±


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 Chapter 60 - Chapter 60: Protect

    Chapter 60: Protect


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Yuan Shu¡¯s expression finally changed.


    The relationship between the Jiang family and the Xu family was complicated. The two families could be said to be one and were the Shi family¡¯s greatest enemy.


    Ever since the Shi family entered the domestic market, they had been making things difficult for the Shi family.


    However, the relationship between these two families was different from that of the Shi family and the Li family.


    The Shi family and the Li family were cooperating with each other and seeking their own benefits. They were far less close than those two families. Now, the Shi family needed the Li family¡¯s power to develop business and the Li family needed the Shi family¡¯s channels in the business world to profit. The two families could maintain a friendship on the surface, but tomorrow, they might betray each other for their own benefits.


    To put it bluntly, there was only one tie between the two families: profit.


    However, the Jiang and Xu families were different.


    ¡­..


    The Xu family was an established family in the country. Their economic foundation was stable, but they didn¡¯t innovate, so their development in recent years was far inferior to before.


    The Jiang family started out in the underworld. In the underworld, they did whatever they wanted.


    The Jiang and Xu families had marital alliances for many generations, so their relationship was already inseparable. The Xu family only followed the Jiang family¡¯s orders. In recent years, the Xu family¡¯s development wasn¡¯t as good as before and the Xu family was entirely supported by the Jiang family, so no one dared to attack the Xu family.


    The Xu family was willing to give up everything for the Jiang family and the wealth they had accumulated over the years couldn¡¯t be underestimated.


    The relationship between these two families was more like a banyan tree that had intertwined and grown into a towering tree. They were already inseparable.


    In the later stages, the Shi family, the Jiang family, and the Xu family would inevitably fight head-on. The few families were like fire and water, so it was impossible for them to coexist anymore. However, that was already a matter for the future.


    This high-end gown shop was under the Xu family¡¯s name, but this matter might be related to the Jiang family.


    Shi Xiao¡¯s whereabouts were unknown, and the Shi family was a mess, so now wasn¡¯t the best time to go against them.


    But-


    Yuan Shu was very protective of the Shi family!


    She would never tolerate outsiders attacking her family in public. If Yuan Shu remained indifferent, then her title of ¡°Iron Hand Lady¡± that once made people tremble in fear would be in vain!


    On the way home, Shi Yi hid in the back seat. Yuan Shu didn¡¯t scold him as she had expected. Instead, she remained silent, which made her even more uneasy, so she decided to speak first.


    ¡°Sister-in-law¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I caused trouble.¡±


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t care about the change in Shi Yi¡¯s way of addressing her. She slowly moved her gaze from the scenery outside the window to Shi Yi¡¯s pale face.


    ¡°You¡¯re not in the wrong. If you didn¡¯t defend your rights today, you would have been in the wrong! You only need to protect your legal rights and interests. Leave the rest to me.¡±


    When Shi Yi heard this, she couldn¡¯t hold back her tears anymore and she couldn¡¯t say anything.


    She was so touched that she wanted to rush over and hug Yuan Shu, but she was afraid that Yuan Shu would push her away, so she could only cry.


    It had been a long time since she experienced the feeling of being protected by her family. Her eldest brother, Shi Xiao, was a man. He was too serious and obtuse. Her only biological brother, Shi Bin, was a straight man with low EQ. How could she expect him to be considerate of her?


    The ciders in the family were all overseas, so the four half-siblings maintained this dysfunctional family.


    When Shi Yi was almost done crying, Yuan Shu said, ¡°Go back and prepare. I¡¯ll get my lawyer to contact you and tell you what evidence you need to prepare. Three days later, I¡¯ll make the Xu family apologize to you in person!¡±


    Before Shi Yi could be touched, Yuan Shu said, ¡°You¡¯re a smart person. You have to know what kind of friends you can make and what kind of friends you have to stay away from. Miss Chen abandoned you today, so she might stab you in the back in the future. The first thing to do in order to protect yourself is not to leave your back to others.¡±


    Shi Yi nodded obediently.


    Yuan Shu turned to Zhou Yan, who was driving, and said, ¡°We¡¯ll be staying at the ancestral home for the next few days. Let¡¯s go to the villa to pack some clothes before going back. After sending us back, you can continue to follow Shi Lu on the set. I¡¯m afraid there will be a lot of things to deal with on the set today.¡±


    Zhou Yan nodded. ¡°Madam, do you need me to send more people to follow you and Miss?¡±


    It was necessary to send more people to protect the Xu family now. After Yuan Shu thought about it, she agreed..


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 61 - Chapter 61: Making Use of

    Chapter 61: Making Use of


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    As Chu Mei sat in the dressing room, she was unable to sit still.


    The press conference was about to begin, which meant that she only had a few hours left in her acting career.


    She thought that Yuan Shu would at least let her stay for a while longer for Shi Lu¡¯s sake, but she didn¡¯t expect Yuan Shu to be so heartless.


    She really had no choice. She even called Gao Shan as a last-ditch effort.


    However, Gao Shan was even more ruthless. He blocked her number and even ignored his own flesh and blood.


    Heh, Chu Mei felt disdain inside. Such a man would always prioritize benefits. If it had nothing to do with him, he would ignore it. He even used a woman like her to ward off the rumors.


    Now, he couldn¡¯t even protect himself, so he didn¡¯t care about anything else. Back then, when Gao Shan strangled her and threatened her not to touch this child, he acted so arrogantly. Now, he was just a pug with his tail between his legs!


    ¡­..


    The manager walked over. ¡°The news conference is about to begin. Are you ready?¡±


    Chu Mei bit her lower lip with an indignant look and said to her manager, ¡°Do I really have to go? Once this news conference starts, I won¡¯t have the chance to stay in the entertainment industry anymore.¡±


    The manager didn¡¯t seem to care at all and only reminded her, ¡°It¡¯s okay. As long as you tell the truth, Gao Shan will be kicked out of the Li family. At that time, he will have nothing left. He will only have you and the child. Are you afraid that he won¡¯t treat you and the child well?¡±


    The more Chu Mei listened, the more she felt that there was something wrong. Back then, she only wanted to climb up the social ladder so that she could rise up in the entertainment industry. It was her manager who set her up with Gao Shan. Then, the two of them had a child, which was why so many things happened later.


    Actually, she no longer had any feelings for Gao Shan, but for the sake of the child in her stomach, she still had to leave herself a way out.


    It sounded like Chu Mei¡¯s manage was helping Chu Mei on the surface, but she wanted Chu Mei to expose the scandal. Not only did she want to implicate Gao Shan, but she also wanted to implicate the Li family.


    Chu Mei wasn¡¯t a fool. After she carefully recalled the ins and outs of the entire matter, she realized that her manager had played a role in helping encourage it.


    Could it be that Chu Mei had been used by her manager?


    Once she had this thought, Chu Mei could no longer face her manager calmly.


    Her gaze was vigilant as she looked at her manager. ¡°What exactly do you want to use me to do?¡±


    The manager was stunned for a moment, as if she felt a little guilty about being suddenly exposed, but she quickly regained her calm. After she placed her hands on Chu Mei¡¯s shoulders, she bent down slightly to look at her. ¡°Sister Chu, what are you talking about? How would I dare to use you? I just want to help you and the child in your stomach find a safety net.¡±


    The manager raised his hand and tidied Chu Mei¡¯s hair. ¡°Back then, you listened to Gao Shan and provoked Shi Xiao. How can the Shi family let it go so easily? You definitely have to hold this news conference. When the time comes, how will you be able to fork out the compensation for the breach of contract with the company? You can only rely on Gao Shan. If you let him off at this press conference, he definitely won¡¯t admit to the child in your stomach and no one will help you pay for your breach of contract.¡±


    This manager had been by Chu Mei¡¯s side for two years, so he knew Chu Mei¡¯s temper and what she was worried about.


    With that said, Chu Mei didn¡¯t hesitate anymore. Instead, she focused on thinking about how to make Gao Shan pay the price.


    Just as the news conference was about to begin, Chu Mei suddenly received a call.


    It was actually from Shi Lu.


    Chu Mei was impatient, but she didn¡¯t dare to scold him. ¡°Shen¡­ Shi Lu, what else do you want? I¡¯m going to hold a press conference as promised. Don¡¯t go overboard.¡±


    Shi Lu had no time to waste on her. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be used as a tool, don¡¯t say anything at the press conference. Promote our new movie, Gunshot, and then come back to the set as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Before Shi Lu could understand, the call had already ended.


    Chu Mei was speechless. The Shi family was really difficult to handle. Yuan Shu threatened Chu Mei into holding a press conference to clarify things, while the second young master of the Shi family wanted her to stay silent.. Did they take her for a monkey?


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 Chapter 62 - Chapter 62: Conspiracy

    Chapter 62: Conspiracy


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    After Shi Lu woke up early in the morning, he rushed to the production team of Gunshot.


    According to the news Chu Mei released yesterday, she was going to hold a press conference today. In addition, this matter had blown up so much that Chu Mei definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to keep her role. Then, the production team definitely wouldn¡¯t start work today. Instead, they would have a meeting to discuss the female lead replacement.


    If it was as Shi Lu expected and the production team had a bet agreement with Chu Mei, Gunshot wouldn¡¯t have been able to continue filming.


    Unexpectedly, when Shi Lu arrived at the production team this morning, Director Chen Sheng no longer had his usual fawning attitude and suddenly became derisive. ¡°Superstar Shen, the entire production team is trying to catch up on progress. It¡¯s not appropriate for you to go home just like that and make the entire production team wait for you, right?¡±


    Shi Lu had been in the entertainment industry for so long, but no one had dared to speak to him like this. He had been in the production team for more than two months and Chen Sheng¡¯s attitude had always been fawning, but now, he was acting like a different person.


    Shi Lu was about to throw a tantrum when his manager, Zhang Chao, stopped him. Seeing that Zhang Chao¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t right, Shi Lu ignored Chen Sheng and returned to the dressing room with Zhang Chao.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t I send a message saying that I¡¯m leaving the cast today? Why are they filming again?¡± Shi Lu asked Zhang Chao as soon as he entered the dressing room.


    ¡­..


    Zhang Chao had followed Shi Lu since he entered the entertainment industry. Over the years, from starting out as an unknown actor to becoming a popular celebrity and then to establishing his own agency, Zhang Chao had always been Shi Lu¡¯s right-hand man.


    After the banquet last night, Shi Lu called Zhang Chao and said that he wanted to withdraw from the filming. At that time, Zhang Chao also said that he would solve the problem. Why did things change so much this morning?


    Zhang Chao¡¯s expression was solemn. It seemed that this matter wasn¡¯t easy to resolve.


    ¡°Brother, we might have been tricked.¡± Zhang Chao took out the contract he had signed at that time. ¡°At that time, Chen Sheng went straight to you to sign this contract and completely skipped me. When I found out about this, you had already joined the production team.¡±


    Shi Lu took a cursory look. He had never understood such things, so he was too lazy to take a closer look. After flipping through it a few times, he threw it aside and asked, ¡°Is there a problem with the contract?¡±


    Zhang Chao nodded and took the contract over. Then, he pointed out a few terms to Shi Lu.


    ¡°Look at these clauses. It¡¯s clearly stated that if the production team doesn¡¯t stop filming and you leave without permission, you have to pay a huge compensation.¡±


    Only then did Shi Lu realize that he had been tricked.


    His habit of choosing exciting and challenging scripts wasn¡¯t a secret in the entertainment industry. At that time, Chen Sheng came to him and said that he could experience the most extreme way to die, so Shi Lu didn¡¯t think too much about it and signed the contract on impulse.


    Now that he thought about it, things had been fishy since that time. The production team found him without asking his manager at all and directly poached him from the previous production team! That side had just finished filming, but they let him join the production team directly. This was completely against the norm.


    There was only one explanation. ¡°We¡¯ve been set up.¡±


    Shi Lu punched the table, causing some of the cosmetics on the table to fall to the ground.


    Zhang Chao didn¡¯t have the time to persuade him to calm down. He continued, ¡°I think there must be someone behind Chen Sheng¡¯s scheme. It¡¯s very likely that that person is targeting the Shi family and not just for you.¡±


    After Shi Lu calmed down, he thought about the ins and outs of the matter carefully.


    If someone was really behind this, then he had been playing this game for very long. It had been at least a few months since he joined the production team. In order to use him to frame the Shi family, this person was very patient.


    But even so, asking Shi Lu to compensate a huge sum of money was just a drop in the bucket for the Shi family. They spent so much effort just for this little money? It didn¡¯t make sense.


    Shi Lu suddenly thought of Chu Mei and was enlightened. This was a series of schemes!


    First, the mastermind used Chu Mei¡¯s bet agreement to set up this project on a tightrope to force Shi Lu into breaching the contract when something happened to Chu Mei in the future.


    As for Chu Mei¡¯s pregnancy, this mastermind had already expected it, so he instructed Chu Mei to divert the topic to the Shi family. No matter the outcome, the Shi family would be in a pinch.


    However, the mastermind didn¡¯t expect Yuan Shu to resolve this matter so easily, so he used a backup plan.


    Shi Lu suddenly reacted and said to Zhang Chao, ¡°Look at the trending topics!¡±


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 63 - Chapter 63: Trouble

    Chapter 63: Trouble


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    The two of them quickly took out their phones and started looking at the trending topics. Indeed, the direction of public opinion had changed.


    First, a veteran blogger in the entertainment industry posted on Weibo: [Chu Mei¡¯s child might be related to the company¡¯s CEO?]


    Then, there were many photos of Chu Mei and Gao Shan attending the banquet together.


    The netizens didn¡¯t care about the relationship between Gao Shan and Chu Mei at all. Instead, they started to dig up dirt on Gao Shan. He had been married to the eldest daughter of the Li family, Li Ran, for many years. School romance and other hashtags appeared on Weibo.


    Hence, the topic changed from Chu Mei to Gao Shan and finally to the Li family.


    [The Li family? The family of the municipal secretary?]


    [So the officials and businessmen are colluding? The family of an official can¡¯t be involved in the business world, so Li Ran married a businessman-]


    ¡­..


    [Is there anyone who can investigate the Li family?!]


    The Li family was in the political world, so it wasn¡¯t a good thing for them to attract too much public attention.


    Therefore, the Li family also had paid posters to try to control the comments, but it was completely useless. Instead, the topic became increasingly debated.


    Shi Lu¡¯s mind raced, and he finally realized the purpose of this conspiracy.


    This mastermind wanted the Shi family to break off ties with the Li family!


    The Li family¡¯s mistress would ensure that the Shi family was slandered and the Shi family, who was completely out of the loop, would be dragged into the mess. After Yuan Shu forced Chu Mei to clarify, the Li family would receive more attention and the Li family would definitely think that Yuan Shu was helping the Shi family.


    Shi Lu himself was the most important part of this plan! He was a member of the Shi family, so this ensured that the Shi family wouldn¡¯t stay out of it! ¡°Damn it!¡± Shi Lu gritted his teeth. This person was really sinister!


    It would have been fine if Shi Lu had made up his mind and left the production team, but now, he couldn¡¯t figure out what the mastermind¡¯s plan was. If there were more tricks waiting for them, they would be at a disadvantage.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t be led by the nose.¡± Shi Lu decided that the first thing to do now was to make that person¡¯s plan impossible to carry out. Then, he would lure the snake out of its hole and turn the situation around.


    With this thought in mind, Shi Lu wanted to call Chu Mei to stop her from holding today¡¯s press conference.


    However, at this moment, Chen Sheng had already brought the makeup team in. He didn¡¯t give Shi Lu and Zhang Chao a chance to speak at all. As if he was monitoring him, he explained the script to him and instructed the makeup artist on how to achieve the makeup effect he wanted.


    As soon as he finished putting on makeup, Shi Lu was dragged to the set by Chen Sheng. During the entire process, they didn¡¯t even give him a chance to look at Zhang Chao.


    Shi Lu was angry, so he wasn¡¯t very engrossed in acting and kept getting NGs. Zhang Chao could tell that he was anxious and went to tell Chen Sheng to let Shi Lu rest, but Chen Sheng rejected him with the excuse of delaying the production team¡¯s progress.


    When it was almost noon, Shi Lu still didn¡¯t achieve the effect Chen Sheng wanted. Shi Lu knew that he must have done it on purpose. Even if he was immersed in the role, Chen Sheng wouldn¡¯t let him deal with the problem before the press conference started.


    During the last part of this scene, Shi Lu slammed himself against a pillar at the side.


    Coincidentally, there was a crack on the pillar. The edge was very sharp, and Shi Lu was quite strong. With this collision, his clothes were torn and his arm was cut. Blood flowed out.


    When Zhang Chao saw this, he immediately understood and rushed forward to hug Shi Lu as he shouted at Chen Sheng, ¡°If you don¡¯t want this to appear in the headlines, send Shen Lu to go to the hospital and bandage him up!¡±


    Chen Sheng didn¡¯t expect this pampered young master to be so ruthless as to hurt himself in order to escape. A ruthless look flashed across his eyes, but no matter how angry he was, he could only give up and reluctantly let the production team end work.


    On the way to the hospital, Shi Lu called Chu Mei and told her not to say anything.


    Based on Chu Mei¡¯s reaction when he saw her, he guessed that Chu Mei was only being used. The main reason was that the mastermind was so scheming that he definitely wouldn¡¯t use a stupid person like Chu Mei.


    Moreover, Chu Mei was pregnant with a child now, so she definitely wouldn¡¯t be willing to be discarded just like that. Now was a good time to make use of her..


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 Chapter 64 - Chapter 64: Making Clothes Again

    Chapter 64: Making Clothes Again


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    After Zhou Yan sent Yuan Shu and Shi Yi back to the Shi family¡¯s villa, he immediately rushed to the set to look for Shi Lu.


    When the maid in the villa, Li Yue, saw that Third Miss had returned with First Madam, she was also very surprised. However, she didn¡¯t dare to ask anything and waited for the arrangements obediently.


    Yuan Shu said to her, ¡°Prepare two suitcases. I want to pack some clothes and bring them to the ancestral home.¡±


    Li Yue agreed and asked Shi Yi, ¡°Does Third Miss need a suitcase?¡±


    Shi Yi shook her head. When she went overseas, she had already packed up most of the things at home. Now, she didn¡¯t have many clothes, be it in the villa or the ancestral home. That was why she encountered that incident at the mall.


    Thinking of this, Shi Yi sniffed again.


    Yuan Shu was about to go upstairs when she stopped and said to Li Yue, ¡°Is there candy at home?¡±


    ¡­..


    Li Yue hurriedly nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll get it for Madam now.¡±


    In the past, Yuan Shu loved to eat candy very much and she bought all kinds of candy. Sometimes, the candy paper she ate every day could fill an entire trash can. However, later on, her personality suddenly changed and was no longer as arrogant as before. Moreover, she didn¡¯t like to eat candy anymore, so these candies were left there.


    After Yuan Shu took the colorful fruit candy from Li Yue and peeled off the pretty candy paper, the green apple-flavored fruit candy was sent into Shi Yi¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be happier if you eat something sweet,¡± Yuan Shu said to Shi Yi as she continued to climb the stairs.


    Shi Yi didn¡¯t know if it was a psychological effect or if it was really effective, but as the sweet and sour candy melted in her mouth, her mood improved bit by bit and she followed Yuan Shu upstairs.


    Yuan Shu took out all of Yuan Shu¡¯s clothes and placed them on the bed. Only then did she realize that there were very few things that she liked.


    These clothes were either very revealing and didn¡¯t match her personality, or the material was bad. They were rough to the touch and not soft at all.


    Yuan Shu used to wear clothes made of cloth bestowed by the emperor. The material was soft and light. Compared to those clothes, these clothes looked too mediocre.


    Shi Yi was also standing by the bed with her arms crossed in front of her chest. She studied design, so she could tell at a glance that these clothes were cheap, and they were completely fast fashion. They copied popular designs from fashion shows.


    These clothes didn¡¯t seem to be a problem for Yuan Shu when she had just married into the Shi family, but Yuan Shu seemed to have changed a lot now.


    However, Shi Yi didn¡¯t care why Yuan Shu had changed so much. She liked her sister-in-law¡¯s current state.


    Shi Yi couldn¡¯t help but frown at these clothes. ¡°Sister-in-law, in the past, your aesthetic taste really¡­ wasn¡¯t good.¡±


    As she spoke, there was a sweet fragrance of green apples in her mouth.


    Yuan Shu couldn¡¯t agree more. ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Hence, the two of them crossed their arms and sighed as they looked at the bed of clothes and the two empty boxes.


    Shi Yi suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we get Wu Yan to invite the second daughter of the Wang family to our ancestral home? Their family is in the clothing business, so they must have very good materials. You can hand the styling of the clothes to me. I can draw a few drafts and get Wang Ying to bring them back to the factory to customize a few clothes for us.¡±


    The two of them handed this pile of clothes to Li Yue to handle.


    On the way back to the ancestral home, Yuan Shu suddenly received a call from Zhou Yan.


    Zhou Yan had just arrived at the set when he found out that Shi Lu had been injured and sent to the hospital, so he hurriedly called Yuan Shu and rushed to the hospital.


    Yuan Shu hung up the phone in a fury. She immediately called Shi Lu, and the call was picked up instantly. Before Shi Lu could call her ¡°Sister-in-law¡±, Yuan Shu scolded him.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even tell your family about such a big thing?!¡±


    Shi Lu explained, ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to tell our family, but I didn¡¯t have the chance to make a call¡­¡±


    Yuan Shu was also worried and interrupted him angrily. ¡°Then couldn¡¯t you have told your family on the way to the hospital? You¡¯re injured now! You don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s serious or not. How can you not tell your family?¡±


    Shi Lu felt wronged. ¡°I just hung up on Chu Mei and planned to call home¡­¡±


    Yuan Shu interrupted again. ¡°Cut the crap. Which hospital are you in now? We¡¯ll go over immediately.¡±


    Shi Lu could only swallow his words and say the name of the hospital..


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 65 - Chapter 65: Injured and Hospitalized

    Chapter 65: Injured and Hospitalized


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    After the call ended, Shi Yi immediately asked what happened. She only felt relieved after hearing what happened.


    She didn¡¯t have a strong sense of family like Yuan Shu, and she had never been close to Shi Lu since she was young. Shi Lu had always ignored her and Shi Bin and rarely played with them, so Shi Yi wasn¡¯t that worried.


    She said to Yuan Shu, ¡°I won¡¯t go to the hospital. I¡¯ve already told Wu Yan to ask Wang Ying out. I¡¯ll go home and wait for Wang Ying first.¡±


    After Yuan Shu thought about it, she felt that it made sense. Things had to be done one by one. ¡°Okay, get off at the next intersection. I¡¯ll send a car to pick you up.¡±


    Shi Yi nodded and asked, ¡°Do you have any requirements for the fabric of the clothes? Also, tell me everything about the style. I¡¯ll settle the materials today.¡±


    Without thinking, Yuan Shu said directly, ¡°You can decide on these questions. I believe in your judgment. The things you choose naturally won¡¯t be bad.¡±


    Although Yuan Shu had only interacted with Shi Yi for a day, she was very confident in her fashion taste. For example, the dress that Shi Yi was wearing today wasn¡¯t an eye-catching pink, and the saturation wasn¡¯t high, but it made her look playful and lively. The narrow waist design didn¡¯t affect the comfort of her clothes, but it could better modify her figure.


    ¡­..


    Moreover, the fabric of this shirt was very soft, and it wasn¡¯t very loose, so it was probably made of pure cotton.


    Yuan Shu knew that she definitely didn¡¯t know clothes as well as Shi Yi, who specialized in design, so she should worry less about clothes.


    After leaving Shi Yi at the intersection, Yuan Shu rushed to the hospital.


    This hospital was a private hospital operated by the Shi family. When the doctor saw that the young master was injured and sent to the hospital, he looked at all the wounds carefully in fear and trepidation. He was also worried that there would be hidden internal injuries, so he arranged various CT scans and comprehensive examinations for him.


    When Yuan Shu arrived, Shi Lu was still taking various scans, so she could only wait in the attending doctor¡¯s office.


    When the doctor helped Shi Lu into the office, Yuan Shu was sitting upright in the attending physician¡¯s seat and reading this doctor¡¯s medical books seriously.


    Yuan Shu had been in the military camp before, so she knew some simple bandage techniques and herbs. However, the nerves and cells mentioned in this medical book were too complicated. She couldn¡¯t help but read these words more attentively, so she didn¡¯t hear Shi Lu when he came in.


    Shi Lu called out, ¡°Sister-in-law.¡±


    There was no reaction.


    He called out again.


    Only then did Yuan Shu look up from the book reluctantly.


    She frowned at Shi Lu¡¯s trussed arm. ¡°Is it very serious?¡±


    Shi Lu laughed. ¡°It¡¯s not serious. This doctor is making a mountain out of a molehill.¡±


    The doctor had never seen Yuan Shu before and didn¡¯t know her temper. He was worried that he would be scolded if he didn¡¯t bandage it well, so he hurriedly explained, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s like this. Second Young Master¡¯s wound happened to hurt his nerves, so I bandaged it a few more times.¡±


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t know much and could only nod. However, seeing Shi Lu¡¯s relaxed expression, she guessed that it wasn¡¯t a big deal and was relieved.


    Shi Lu walked into the doctor¡¯s office and said to the doctor, ¡°Go and give me a certificate. I¡¯m seriously injured and need to recuperate. Then, give this certificate to Zhang Chao. We still have something to say, so you can leave first.¡±


    The doctor nodded and immediately turned to leave. After leaving, he realized that this was his office. How could he issue a certificate if he wasn¡¯t in the office?!


    However, if he turned around and went in at this time, he would probably be scolded badly¡­ It wasn¡¯t easy to be a doctor these days!


    Shi Lu waited for the doctor to close the door before walking to sit opposite Yuan Shu. Then, he smiled ingratiatingly. ¡°Sister-in-law, my injuries aren¡¯t that serious. I didn¡¯t mean to hide it from our family. Sister-in-law, don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    Actually, when Shi Lu heard Yuan Shu¡¯s tone, he knew that she wasn¡¯t really angry. Instead, it was out of concern for him, so he was extremely touched.


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t intend to continue this topic with him. She asked, ¡°I heard that you injured yourself.. Why?¡±


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 66 - Chapter 66: The Mastermind

    Chapter 66: The Mastermind


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Shi Lu became serious and told Yuan Shu some of his guesses and what he had said to Chu Mei.


    Yuan Shu listened carefully and thought about what had happened in the past few days, as well as her understanding of the development of the story, and determined that what Shi Lu said was true.


    In that case, the most likely culprit was the Jiang family.


    Moreover, Shi Xiao¡¯s disappearance was probably related to the Jiang family.


    However, she didn¡¯t understand why the Jiang family¡¯s timing was so much earlier than in the book. Moreover, Chu Mei was only a small character to begin with. After the child¡¯s matter was over, she had nothing to do with the rest of the plot.


    Now, it seemed that she played an indispensable role in this matter and couldn¡¯t be dealt with so easily.


    Now that they were in the open and the enemy was in the dark, acting rashly was indeed a bad idea.


    ¡­..


    After Yuan Shu sorted out her thoughts, she said to Shi Lu affirmatively, ¡°It¡¯s fine. You did the right thing. I¡¯ll deal with Chu Mei¡¯s matter. When the filming of ¡®Gunshot¡¯ is completed, the mastermind¡¯s plan will fail. At that time, this scheme will unravel on its own.¡±


    Shi Lu nodded in agreement.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that there¡¯s another problem now. Although Chu Mei¡¯s press conference only promoted this movie, the public opinion on the internet keeps mentioning the Li family. I¡¯m worried that Chu Mei won¡¯t be able to last until the filming of this movie is over. Moreover, the review will take a long time.¡±


    Yuan Shu asked him, ¡°How long do you think it will take to finish filming and reviewing?¡±


    Shi Lu frowned. He had a pair of very good-looking eyes, which was the finishing touch on his handsome face. He always had an aloof look on his face.


    After he calculated it, he said with a solemn gaze, ¡°A month. If nothing goes wrong, this drama will be wrapped up in a month. However, if the person behind the scenes wants to cause trouble, the review might take up a year or two. However, if everything goes smoothly, this drama will be broadcasted in three months. As long as we hold on for another four months, after this drama is broadcasted, it won¡¯t affect us no matter how much trouble Chu Mei causes. She¡¯s just a pawn for the person behind the scenes.¡±


    Shi Lu was trapped by the contract of ¡®Gunshot¡¯ and thought that the crux of the problem was there, but Yuan Shu realized that the matter wasn¡¯t that complicated.


    She said, ¡°Actually, there are only so many things that can be done behind the scenes. They¡¯re all targeting the Li family. They want to use Chu Mei to break off ties with the Li family. We can throw this problem to the Li family and let them resolve it.¡±


    Shi Lu was enlightened. That was indeed the case.


    ¡°But how can we get the Li family to cooperate now?¡±


    Yuan Shu picked up the small handbag that she had placed on the table. She didn¡¯t like this kind of bag with a chain slung over her shoulder. It felt very cumbersome. It was better to hold this small bag in her hand directly. It was more convenient for placing her cell phone and cash. More importantly, it was more convenient to throw. However, it was still inferior to darts.


    She stood up and said calmly, ¡°It seems like I have to ask Li Ci out for a chat.¡±


    Li Ran was sitting in Li Ci¡¯s office as she stared blankly at the gloomy weather outside the French window. The weather was as gloomy as her mood.


    Li Ci brewed a pot of Longjing tea and the fragrance of tea filled the office as he poured a cup for himself.


    ¡°I heard that he didn¡¯t go home last night?¡± Of course, Li Ci was referring to Gao Shan.


    Li Ran sighed softly. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Li Ci looked at the clear tea as he lamented, ¡°Silly girl, he doesn¡¯t even dare to face you. Why do you have to hide from him?¡±


    His niece always did things that hurt herself in order to protect Gao Shan¡¯s relationship with the Li family. How could such a proud girl be deceived by Gao Shan back then¡­


    Li Ran didn¡¯t speak. She just looked out of the window calmly. This was the last chance she gave Gao Shan, and also the last chance she gave him to make things clear between them.


    She didn¡¯t go home last night because she knew that if the two of them met, with her arrogant and stubborn temper, even if she wanted to communicate, she definitely wouldn¡¯t listen to Gao Shan finish speaking.


    She didn¡¯t want to make things so unpleasant. She thought that no matter how bad their relationship was, they should make things clear after so many years.


    Hence, she didn¡¯t go home because she wanted to wait for Gao Shan to call her, give her an explanation, and give her a way out.


    This was also their agreement.


    ¡°If one day, we eventually separate, you have to take the initiative to look for me. No matter what happens then, I will definitely suppress my temper and listen to your explanation.¡±


    This was what Li Ran had said to Gao Shan before they got married. It was a promise Gao Shan had given her..


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 Chapter 67 - Chapter 67: The Past

    Chapter 67: The Past


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Dark clouds gathered in the sky. During the rainy season, there would always be such weather. In the morning, the sun was still bright, but in the afternoon, it started to drizzle.


    The day Li Ran and Gao Shan confirmed their relationship, it was also a rainy spring day.


    The two of them had been friends for two years before they got together.


    Li Ran asked Gao Shan, ¡°With our relationship, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s suitable for us to be friends anymore. I¡¯ve thought of two paths now. Either we take our relationship further, or we end it here.¡±


    Gao Shan smiled. He seemed to be playing dumb, but he also seemed to have understood, but he didn¡¯t dare to take the initiative to say it, so he asked mischievously, ¡°Take what further?¡±


    Li Ran was stunned. This answer was different from what she had expected, so she blushed and asked, ¡°What do you think?!¡±


    Gao Shan held Li Ran¡¯s clenched fist. ¡°Let¡¯s try dating.¡±


    ¡­..


    Then, Li Ran pounced into his arms with her face as flushed as a ripe cherry.


    However, apart from the romance between the two of them, there were too many external factors interfering in their relationship.


    Li Ran had been lucid all this while, so she wasn¡¯t a hopeless romantic.


    On one hand, she knew that this man wasn¡¯t the most suitable for her because of the difference in family background, but on the other hand, she was unwilling to let go. She kept pushing things back month after month.


    Thus, month after month, year after year, after graduation, Gao Shan proposed to her.


    Gao Shan knelt on one knee in the crowd and looked up at the shy girl in front of him as he said, ¡°I know that you¡¯re the flower of the high mountains, and I also know that I¡¯m at the foot of the mountain and the distance from the top of the mountain, but I¡¯m willing to work hard to get closer to you. I¡¯ll climb to the top of the mountain step by step. I won¡¯t give up even if I lack oxygen. Li Ran, stop being the flower of the high mountains. Be my oxygen, okay?¡±


    Li Ran agreed.


    Without hesitation, she fell for him hard.


    In order to marry Gao Shan, she disregarded her family¡¯s objections. Even though she was punished to kneel for an entire day, she still refused to relent.


    Finally, her uncle, Li Ci, who doted on her the most and was only a few years older than her, felt sorry for her. He promised his sister that no matter if Li Ran was happy or not in the future, he would support his niece so that her life wouldn¡¯t be that miserable.


    Li Ran¡¯s parents knew that they couldn¡¯t stop this assertive girl, so they could only let them be together.


    Later on, Gao Shan used Li Ran¡¯s parents and Li Ci¡¯s business acumen to do well in the business world on behalf of Li Ci.


    The people in the business circle only knew that Gao Shan had gained power and had business acumen, but they didn¡¯t know that Li Ci was behind him. One worked hard to come up with business strategies while the other earned money.


    However, it was also because of this relationship that Gao Shan could never betray Li Ran. He would forever be inferior to Li Ran. As time passed, he could no longer tolerate it, so he began to rebel.


    Just like a flame, Li Ran tried her best to suppress him. She made him burn with a small fire, but she didn¡¯t extinguish him. Then, one day, he became a raging fire that burned Li Ran¡¯s love for him.


    Li Ran would never be able to have children because of her condition, which became the fuse that made Gao Shan betray Li Ran.


    Chu Mei wasn¡¯t Gao Shan¡¯s only woman. It was just that Chu Mei was lucky enough to get pregnant with a child. Gao Shan had too many love affairs and many women were abandoned by Gao Shan because they didn¡¯t get pregnant.


    Li Ran had more or less guessed it, but Gao Shan was careful and didn¡¯t leave any evidence behind. He was a knife that his uncle, Li Ci, had taught, so he knew when to restrain himself.


    As for Li Ran, she didn¡¯t gather evidence because she wanted to give their relationship one last shred of hope.


    But after last night, Li Ran knew that there was no longer any hope between the two of them.


    Now that she thought about everything that had happened in the past, it seemed like it was all planned.


    Gao Shan didn¡¯t love Li Ran that much. He didn¡¯t love her as much as Li Ran loved him. He said so much and did so many sweet things only because he wanted to establish ties with the Li family.


    Now that she thought about it, it was really ridiculous. When Gao Shan proposed, he didn¡¯t say that he wanted to protect her. Instead, he came to beg her not to be the ¡®flower of the high mountains¡¯¡­


    Li Ran finally gave up and didn¡¯t give herself any excuses anymore.


    Everything had signs, like whether he loved her or not. A man like him wasn¡¯t worth it..


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 68 - Chapter 68: Cooperation

    Chapter 68: Cooperation


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    As the wind blew, raindrops fell and the ground gradually became wet. After Li Ran came back to her senses and thought it through, she no longer felt conflicted.


    After she got up and sat on the sofa beside Li Ci, she took a sip of the second cup of tea. The aroma of the tea slid down her throat and into her stomach.


    Her cell phone kept getting notifications. It was the notification of comments on the trending topic. Li Ran looked at Li Ci, who looked unfazed. ¡°Uncle, do you think Yuan Shu did this on purpose? The Shi family wants to push the blame on us.¡±


    Li Ci asked, ¡°Chu Mei didn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    ¡°But the comments are still about our family. If the topic continues to trend, something bad will happen. Originally, everyone¡¯s focus was on Shi Xiao, but now, it¡¯s on us. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange?¡±


    Li Ci dumped the tea and said, ¡°Strange? Can you prove that it was done by the Shi family? Perhaps someone is trying to make us suspect the Shi family.¡±


    Li Ran was puzzled. Her uncle was on good terms with Shi Xiao because Shi Xiao had once helped her uncle when he needed her the most. The two of them had also become friends because their values were compatible. Other than business collaborations, they also had many private dealings.


    ¡­..


    After Shi Xiao disappeared, Li Ci looked for him in Africa but didn¡¯t pay much attention to the Shi family. He only communicated with the Shi family¡¯s secretary, Zhao Mian, a few times because they were business partners.


    Li Ran knew her uncle¡¯s personality very well. He had always been cold and heartless. He would rather kill someone than let them off. There were many businessmen who wanted to get close to the Li family. If not for Shi Xiao, there was no need to have anything to do with the Shi family. If it had nothing to do with him, he could just watch the drama from a safe distance.


    Moreover, there were many suspicious points about this matter. If it were any other time, Li Ci wouldn¡¯t have spoken up on behalf of the Shi family.


    Li Ran thought of this and asked, ¡°Why did Uncle suddenly help the Shi family? Even if this matter wasn¡¯t done by the Shi family, it has something to do with them.¡±


    Li Ci didn¡¯t agree with this. ¡°If the Shi family has a new leader now, there¡¯s indeed no need to work with them anymore. However, Yuan Shu isn¡¯t a fool and she doesn¡¯t play tricks behind people¡¯s backs.¡±


    Li Ran was a little surprised. It was rare for her proud uncle to praise someone, especially a woman. The last time she heard him praise someone like that was when he praised Shi Xiao.


    At that time, Shi Xiao wasn¡¯t married. Li Ci even joked that he hoped that Li Ran could marry Shi Xiao, but Li Ran caused a ruckus over it.


    When Li Ran heard Li Ci¡¯s words, she teased, ¡°I don¡¯t know if Yuan Shu is magnanimous or ot, but this woman is indeed impressive. You¡¯ve only met her twice, but she already received your praise. She must be an impressive person.¡±


    Li Ci ignored her teasing and tasted his tea.


    When the phone rang, Li Ci picked it up and pressed the speaker button. The voice on the other end of the phone had the charm of a young girl, but her tone was gentle yet dignified.


    Upon hearing this voice, Li Ci¡¯s first reaction was that he had forgotten that Yuan Shu was only a young woman in her early twenties. However, she was calm, humble, and levelheaded. Every time people came face to face with her, people would overlook her age.


    Yuan Shu said, ¡°Mr. Li, I wonder if you¡¯re free now. I want to talk to you face-to-face.¡±


    Li Ci smiled politely. ¡°Since you invited me, I naturally have the time. Tell me where to meet and I¡¯ll see you in half an hour.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Yuan Shu chose a cafe that she was familiar with. It was the place she had been to with Liu Lan before. After telling Li Ci the location, she hung up and went to the cafe.


    Li Ran¡¯s eyes were filled with mockery. She finally found an opportunity to tease her uncle. ¡°So no man can resist the charm of a beautiful woman. No matter who it is, a honey trap is a very good tactic.¡±


    However, Li Ci didn¡¯t mind her mockery. Instead, he reminded her with a smile, ¡°I think what you should do now is find a lawyer to discuss your divorce with Gao Shan. Don¡¯t get used and end up in a bad situation.¡±


    Li Ran glared at Li Ci fiercely.. ¡°Got it!¡±


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 Chapter 69 - Chapter 69: Countermeasure

    Chapter 69: Countermeasure


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    The two of them arrived at the same time. When they got out of the car, they smiled at each other and walked into the cafe together.


    Their purpose for meeting this time was very clear, so there was no unnecessary small talk. Yuan Shu went straight to the point.


    ¡°Mr. Li, although this matter wasn¡¯t done by our family, it more or less has something to do with us. What do you plan to do? Our family will definitely cooperate fully.¡±


    Li Ci picked up the coffee in front of him. The deep-roasted coffee beans smelled quite aromatic.


    His appearance was gentle and refined, and the corners of his mouth had a natural upward arc. Even his facial features were very soft and he seemed easy to get along with. However, the pair of gold-framed glasses on his nose bridge gave him a sense of mischief.


    At this moment, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. It was unknown if he really smiled or if his lips were originally like that.


    He said, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡°Oh really?¡±


    After the coffee slid down her throat, the fruity fragrance filled her mouth. Li Ci explained, ¡°The more you suppress him, the more agitated everyone will be. If you ignore the matter, they won¡¯t care about this matter anymore either. Moreover, a new piece of news will appear soon and suppress this trending topic.¡±


    Yuan Shu imitated Li Ci and sniffed the coffee, but she still didn¡¯t drink the coffee. Instead, she put it down again.


    She had forgotten that in this era, the information people obtained was too complicated, and they didn¡¯t have the energy to focus on a single piece of news. As long as something diverted their attention, Chu Mei¡¯s matter would eventually die down.


    It seemed that an advanced information network had its pros and cons. Even though it could gather information faster than spies, there was too much information, so the authenticity of the content had to be tested. Yuan Shu was once again taught a lesson.


    She made a mental note to give up her previous conceptions when dealing with other things in the future and to use a modern era mentality to think about problems.


    She stopped harping on this topic and smiled generously. ¡°Mr. Li, I have something else to discuss with you this time. I want to have a frank talk with you.¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡± Li Ci pushed up the edge of his gold-rimmed glasses with his middle finger and looked up at Yuan Shu as he said, ¡°Madam, please go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Li, you¡¯re a smart person. You must be able to tell that today¡¯s drama was for the purpose of sowing discord. What I want to talk to you about is that I hope that before my husband returns, our families can trust each other and continue to cooperate, just like when my husband was still around.¡±


    Li Ci didn¡¯t immediately agree. Instead, he asked Yuan Shu a few questions.


    ¡°Mrs. Shi, do you know what kind of cooperation Shi Xiao and I had?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°May I ask again, do you know that our cooperation had a method of splitting profits?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then 1¡¯11 change the question. How much do you know about the Shi Corporation?¡±


    ¡°I know very little about it.¡±


    Li Ci was amused by the woman in front of him. He thought that she had done her homework and learned everything from Zhao Mian before coming to look for him, but he didn¡¯t expect her to be so clueless. He had overestimated her.


    ¡°Madam Shi, how can I continue working with the Shi family if you don¡¯t know anything?¡±


    Yuan Shu smiled and didn¡¯t show any panic in the face of the other party¡¯s interrogation.


    ¡°How you cooperate with the Shi family and how the Shi family operates has nothing to do with me. How the Li family and the Shi family cooperated in the past will be the same in the future. I believe that with Secretary Zhao¡¯s ability, he can completely deal with it without me interfering. Don¡¯t you think that the fewer people who know about the matters between the two families, the better?¡±


    Yuan Shu adjusted her sitting posture and straightened her back.


    She continued, ¡°As the current decision maker of the Shi family, what I have to do is to let everything go according to plan instead of causing trouble. I just need to know what decisions I have to make instead of being proficient in everything.¡±


    Yuan Shu had been in charge of the family for many years, so she naturally knew that it was much more effective to employ people than to do everything herself..


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 Chapter 70 - Chapter 70: Chat

    Chapter 70: Chat


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    This was the third time Li Ci realized that he had underestimated Yuan Shu.


    He had only met Yuan Shu three times, and every time, this woman would make him look at her in a different light.


    The first time, he discovered this woman¡¯s horizons and insights. The second time, he understood Yuan Shu¡¯s magnanimity. And today, he saw through Yuan Shu¡¯s nature. She was an assertive and resilient woman.


    Li Ci couldn¡¯t help but wonder what kind of luck Shi Xiao had to marry such a wonderful person.


    In contrast to the white dress and the tasteful makeup she wore at the banquet yesterday, Yuan Shu¡¯s hair was tied into a low bun at the back of her head today, making her face look very vivacious.


    She was wearing an apricot-colored dress with a cheongsam collar. The hem of the dress had a small cut at the waist, and she was wearing a matching baroque pearl ear stud and necklace. She looked graceful yet playful. Li Ci couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her.


    The corners of his mouth finally curled up into a sincere smile.


    ¡­..


    ¡°1¡¯11 listen to your arrangements.¡±


    After a short silence, Li Ci looked at the coffee that Yuan Shu picked up and put down beside her and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t like coffee?¡±


    Yuan Shu tapped the handle of the cup with her slender fingers and said helplessly, ¡°I¡¯m not used to drinking it.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you prefer to drink?¡±


    Li Ci thought that it might be a drink, soda, or red wine, but he didn¡¯t expect Yuan Shu to answer him seriously. ¡°I like tea. Tea made from morning dew or mountain spring water are the best. There are many types of tea, but I only like Silver Needles.¡±


    Li Ci was stunned.


    In recent years, the country¡¯s economy had been quite good. No matter who it was, they had money in their pockets. Naturally, their pursuit of pleasure had become more ritualistic. There were many people who said that they liked tea, but they were amateurs vassals who knew little about tea.


    They could only mention the most popular types of tea. Almost no one would mention Silver Needles, let alone the method to soak them.


    However, Li Ci didn¡¯t think that her affinity for Silver Needles was special.


    Li Ci was surprised. It was just a coincidence that he also liked to drink Silver Needles.


    Silver Needles tea was mellow and fragrant. Its medicinal fragrance was obvious. Li Ci fell in love with this tea the first time he tasted it, but it was a pity that no one else appreciated it.


    His precious niece, Li Ran, had always gulped down tea. How could she appreciate the taste of the tea? She drank tea for fun. After Li Ci asked her to drink tea with him a few times, he gave up on nurturing his niece.


    Now that he heard Yuan Shu say that she loved Silver Needles the most, he actually regretted not meeting her sooner.


    Although he had only interacted with Yuan Shu three times, Li Ci believed that he had already reached the point where no matter how much Yuan Shu surprised him, he wouldn¡¯t be that caught off guard.


    Yuan Shu was like a treasure. The deeper one dug, the more precious one would discover her to be. She was also like a cup of tea, not like vanilla, which could be tasted with one sip, but the type where every bubble emitted a different aroma.


    He didn¡¯t hide the admiration in his eyes and stared at Yuan Shu as he said straightforwardly, ¡°Yuan Shu? I wonder if I can call you that. It seems a little too formal for me to call you Madam Shi.¡±


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t know what kind of change her words had caused inside Li Ci, so she said generously, ¡°Of course, Mr. Li, please go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Then you don¡¯t have to be so polite either. Just call me Li Ci.¡±


    At the same time, Li Ci sat up straight and leaned forward slightly. Then, he extended his right hand to Yuan Shu. ¡°Let¡¯s get to know each other again. I¡¯m Li Ci.¡±


    Yuan Shu also extended her right hand. ¡°I¡¯m Yuan Shu.¡±


    Li Ci only shook Yuan Shu¡¯s fingertips lightly.


    Ever since Yuan Shu came here, she had been baffled by this era¡¯s habit of shaking hands with people one didn¡¯t know. However, today, Li Ci¡¯s handshake made her suddenly understand the existence of this etiquette. It was respectful and friendly.


    Li Ci joked, ¡°Since you don¡¯t like coffee, let¡¯s meet in the tea hall next time. Coincidentally, I have a batch of top-notch Silver Needles. Please taste them.¡±


    ¡°I can only give it a try..1¡®


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 Chapter 71 - Chapter 71: Borrowing Money

    Chapter 71: Borrowing Money


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Li Ci got things done very fast. The next morning, a new post appeared on the trending searches. ¡°Lin Feng has a child?!¡±


    When Shi Lu saw this trending topic, he even explained it to Yuan Shu. ¡°Lin Feng is the top celebrity of the Zhou family¡¯s entertainment company and has been quite popular during the past three years. The Zhou family spent all their resources on Lin Feng. For Li Ci to be able to get the Zhou family to push Lin Feng out as a scapegoat, it seems that their relationship isn¡¯t ordinary.¡±


    Yuan Shu nodded silently. She wasn¡¯t curious about their relationship at all.


    After breakfast, Yuan Shu received a gift from Li Ci. It was actually a box of exquisitely wrapped white Silver Needles.


    Shi Lu looked at it curiously. ¡°Why would he give you a box of tea leaves? What did the two of you talk about yesterday afternoon?¡±


    Yuan Shu closed the lid of the box and said calmly, ¡°We didn¡¯t talk much. I just told him about my favorite tea leaves, so he got someone to send a box over. When do you plan to return to the production team?¡±


    Shi Lu supported the back of his head with his uninjured hand and leaned against the sofa comfortably. ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? This matter has been resolved, so I¡¯ll give myself a good break. The funds I spent these two days can be considered a lesson to the mastermind.¡±


    ¡­..


    After Yuan Shu returned to the ancestral home, she would ask Wu Yan to prepare a large plate of fresh red strawberries every morning. After she picked one up and stuffed it into her mouth, the taste made her feel less tired from the morning run.


    After eating a strawberry, Yuan Shu turned on the television and found the finance channel. As she watched, she said, ¡°I¡¯m going to invite Liu Lan to our house for lunch. Be mindful of your outfit. Don¡¯t dress too casually.¡±


    Shi Lu looked at his cotton pajamas and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t I look good in this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, but Liu Lan is a guest, so it¡¯s better to change into another set of clothes.¡±


    Shi Lu pouted, but didn¡¯t say anything else.


    For the next morning, the two of them did their own things and didn¡¯t disturb each other. Yuan Shu focused on watching financial news while Shi Lu watched a drama with his earphones on and honed his acting skills.


    When it was almost noon, Yuan Shu received a call from Shi Bin. He said that the investment plan had been completed and the document had been sent to Yuan Shu. This project had good potential for profit. Secondly, Shi Bin still had class in the afternoon, so he would stay in the dormitory at night and go home on the weekend.


    After hanging up the phone, Yuan Shu opened the document in her email. Modern technology was indeed convenient. She could receive important letters in a few seconds. It was much more convenient than riding a fast horse.


    After Yuan Shu finished reading the investment plan, she had a rough idea of what to do. Then, she walked to Shi Lu¡¯s side and patted his shoulder.


    Seeing that Yuan Shu had something to say to her, Shi Lu took out his headphones and sat to the side to make room for Yuan Shu.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, do you have something to say?¡±


    Yuan Shu said calmly, ¡°I want to borrow some money from you.¡±


    Shi Lu was shocked. ¡°Borrow money? Why? Is there no balance left on my brother¡¯s card?¡±


    Yuan Shu shook her head. Actually, she had been spending all her expenses from Shi Xiao¡¯s card recently. This card had no limit and could be used anywhere. It was convenient, but there was one draw. She couldn¡¯t withdraw cash.


    Most importantly, she wanted to invest so that she could have her own savings. If she used the Shi family¡¯s money, things would be inconvenient. It would be simpler and more convenient to look for Shi Lu.


    Yuan Shu explained, ¡°You heard about the project that Tan Jing mentioned previously. I want to invest in it.¡±


    Shi Lu frowned. ¡°But didn¡¯t you reject him back then?¡±


    ¡°So invest in it for me under someone else¡¯s name.¡±


    ¡°Liu Lan?¡± Shi Lu recalled that Liu Lan was coming for lunch today, and as far as he knew, Yuan Shu didn¡¯t have many friends, so it wasn¡¯t difficult to guess that this person was Liu Lan.


    Yuan Shu nodded.


    Shi Lu knew that since Yuan Shu was willing to borrow money from him, she must trust him very much. Moreover, he believed in Yuan Shu¡¯s judgment. Since Yuan Shu said that she wanted to invest, it must be a profitable business. Therefore, he didn¡¯t waste any time and asked directly, ¡°How much money do you need?¡±


    Yuan Shu wasn¡¯t surprised. She only asked because she knew that Shi Lu would lend her money, but she didn¡¯t expect him to be so decisive.


    ¡°One million..¡±


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 Chapter 72 - Chapter 72: Investment

    Chapter 72: Investment


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Shi Lu nodded. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t a lot. He could afford to lend a million yuan, so he immediately transferred it to Yuan Shu¡¯s card.


    Yuan Shu looked at the transfer message and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t borrow this money for nothing. According to the interest rate of a bank loan, I¡¯ll return the interest to you at the same time.¡±


    Shi Lu waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Why are you being so polite to me? Take this money. We¡¯re family, so it doesn¡¯t matter. If you want to have your little treasury instead of using the Shi family¡¯s money, treat it as me investing in you. Just like how you care about me and help me, I also want to help you.¡±


    When he said the second half of the sentence, Shi Lu¡¯s expression was very serious and his gaze was sincere. Even Yuan Shu was slightly moved.


    Some feelings were about unspoken mutual understanding. There was no need for too many explanations. Sometimes, one could feel the trust and love from each other from just one look or action.


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t thank him. Instead, she smiled in relief. ¡°I understand, my good brother.¡±


    When Liu Lan came in the afternoon, she even specifically asked where Shi Yi was.


    ¡­..


    Yuan Shu invited her to sit at the dining table and said, ¡°She went out early this morning. She must have gone to prepare evidence. I heard from her that you guys talked yesterday. Do you have any specific plans?¡±


    Liu Lan said, ¡°It¡¯s just some procedures for filing a case in court. Because you¡¯re not a lawyer, I won¡¯t talk to you at length. Don¡¯t worry, as long as the evidence is prepared, I¡¯m very confident in winning this lawsuit.¡±


    Yuan Shu said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m very confident in you too.¡±


    Today, Yuan Shu specifically asked the chef to make a few palace dishes. The dishes were exquisite and tasted unique, so she decided to treat Liu Lan to them.


    After Yuan Shu picked up a lotus seed and placed it in her mouth to taste it carefully, she removed the lotus core and stewed it slowly. The lotus seed was wrapped in the aroma of the gravy, which removed the bitterness of the lotus core. The taste was just right.


    After swallowing the lotus seed, Yuan Shu said, ¡°I invited you here today because I need your help with something.¡±


    Liu Lan was very forthright. ¡°If there¡¯s anything, just say it. You don¡¯t have to stand on ceremony with me.¡±


    ¡°I want to invest in a project, but this project belongs to the Tan family. It¡¯s not convenient for me to appear directly, so I want to ask you to help me negotiate.¡±


    When Liu Lan heard the word ¡°Tan family¡±, her expression froze and she already had a plan in mind.


    ¡°I understand your concerns, but there¡¯s someone more suitable than me for this matter.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    Yuan Shu was curious. Liu Lan was a person who made friends based on her affinity with others, so the person she trusted and recommended to her must be someone who could make her feel at ease.


    However, Yuan Shu didn¡¯t want too many people to know about this, so she was a little worried.


    Liu Lan could tell that Yuan Shu was worried, so she smiled and said, ¡°Of course it¡¯s my husband. Although he opened this law firm with me, his main profession is a venture capitalist. If their company talks to the Tan family, the Tan family won¡¯t suspect anything.¡±


    Yuan Shu heaved a sigh of relief over Liu Lan¡¯s thoughtfulness. This method was indeed feasible.


    Moreover, Liu Lan¡¯s husband, Xiao Sheng, had also come to the banquet the night before yesterday. Yuan Shu had some impression of him. He was a charming and cunning person.


    He was cunning because he was a venture capitalist. It was inevitable that he had more schemes in mind than others. He would automatically calculate different results in his mind and choose the best outcome for himself.


    However, he was very easy to get along with.


    Yuan Shu could clearly see the sincerity in his eyes. Even though he was calculating, he was indeed extremely sincere.


    What left the deepest impression on Yuan Shu was that when Yuan Shu thanked him for Yuan An¡¯s matter, when Liu Lan¡¯s name was mentioned, the love in Xiao Sheng¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t be concealed at all. There was even some pride in his eyes, which moved Yuan Shu.


    This was also why everyone praised the Xiao couple for being loving and happy. They had a relationship that others could only envy..


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 Chapter 73 - Chapter 73: Xu Lang

    Chapter 73: Xu Lang


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Yuan Shu was naturally happy to have a professional invest for her. She immediately discussed some matters with Liu Lan and handed the money to her.


    After lunch, Yuan Shu asked Liu Lan to sit for a while before getting the chauffeur to send her back to the law firm.


    The weather had been gloomy for the past two days. It was sunny in the morning, but the temperature suddenly dropped in the afternoon.


    Yuan Shu and Shi Lu stood under a gardenia tree in the garden outside the ancestral home. Even the color of the flowers seemed dull in the gloomy weather.


    After a moment, a yellow gardenia petal fell and landed on Yuan Shu¡¯s shoulder.


    Yuan Shu¡¯s hair was tied into a bun in the morning, so it was slightly curly now. Her thick black hair and the white gardenia petals gave her a serene aura.


    Shi Lu raised his hand to take the petal and twirled it around his fingertip twice. Then, he threw it under the gardenia tree, allowing it to return to its roots.


    ¡­..


    He said, ¡°It will be at least a year before the funds are transferred back to this project, so your treasury might be empty for a while.¡±


    Yuan Shu looked at the white flowers under the gardenia tree calmly as she said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve expected it. However, after Shi Bin¡¯s calculations, this project should be able to earn a profit in half a year.¡±


    Yuan Shu suddenly changed the topic. As she stared at the cement road around the garden, she said to Shi Lu, ¡°From tomorrow morning onwards, you will wake up every morning to go running with me.¡±


    Shi Lu was baffled.


    He followed Yuan Shu¡¯s gaze and stared at the cement road outside. From Yuan Shu¡¯s tone, she wasn¡¯t negotiating at all, but making arrangements directly.


    Excited, Shi Lu repeated uncertainly, ¡°Morning jog?¡±


    He really couldn¡¯t get up that early! Besides, how could he run in the morning like this?!


    Yuan Shu glanced at him and said concisely, ¡°The few of you are too out of shape and need to train.¡±


    Too out of shape? Shi Lu felt as if a rock had suddenly fallen from the sky and pressed on his shoulder. He wanted to defend himself, but Yuan Shu had already turned around and walked back.


    Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks and turned around to look at Shi Lu¡¯s injured and bandaged arm. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re injured.¡± Hope reignited in Shi Lu¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Then get up in the morning to go hiking.¡±


    K.O.


    The next few days were peaceful. Things were resolved one by one, and Yuan Shu finally had time to continue reading books.


    She was curious about many things, such as Shi Yi¡¯s infringement case, Shi Lu¡¯s development in his acting career, Shi Bin¡¯s finance course, and so on.


    After the court summons was sent to the Xu family¡¯s high-end shop, Yuan Shu received a visitation card.


    It was a visitation card from the Xu family and was sent to the Shi family¡¯s villa. Li Yue called Yuan Shu and asked her about her decision.


    Yuan Shu could roughly guess why the Xu family sent a visitation letter, but the Xu family was private territory. The Xu family and the Shi family were rivals, so it didn¡¯t seem appropriate for them to meet at home.


    Hence, Yuan Shu arranged for him to meet at the cafe, the same cafe where she met up with Li Ci previously.


    Having been here so many times, Yuan Shu was already familiar with the place. She went straight into the cafe to make a reservation.


    ¡°Madam Shi.¡±


    Hearing someone call her, Yuan Shu turned around and saw a man in a suit sitting on the second floor.


    He sat up straight and raised his right hand to greet Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu went straight to the second floor.


    After Yuan Shu sat down, the man took out a business card and placed it in front of Yuan Shu. ¡°Madam Shi, I¡¯ve heard a lot about you. I¡¯m Xu Lang, the manager of Luzy.¡±


    Yuan Shu picked up the business card and looked at it before putting it in her handbag out of politeness.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Xu.¡±


    Yuan Shu had an impression of Xu Lang. He was the third son of the Xu family, but he was the illegitimate son. He was only discovered by the Xu family when he was 10 years old and brought home through legal means. His mother was abandoned and passed away when he was 18 years old, so the mother and son didn¡¯t see each other again.


    However, Xu Lang wasn¡¯t valued in the Xu family because he was short and looked too ordinary. In a family like the Xu family that didn¡¯t lack children, he was too ordinary.


    It was also because of his mediocre appearance that the youngest daughter of the Jiang family, who was originally engaged to him, married his younger brother, Xu Mu..


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 Chapter 74 - Chapter 74: Negotiation

    Chapter 74: Negotiation


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    It was just an ordinary clothing store. It wasn¡¯t a big business for the Xu family, so they sent an unpopular son to manage it.


    However, she didn¡¯t expect Xu Lang to have such good business acumen. In just half a year, he had turned this clothing shop into an haute couture shop that the upper-class society adored. He had even opened many branches.


    The custom-made gowns in this haute couture shop had to be ordered at least three months in advance. Then, after he measured everyone¡¯s size and completed the design, it would take another three months to get the gown.


    It took such a long period of time to make the gown, so such a gown wouldn¡¯t be cheap. Every piece cost at least hundreds of thousands.


    After the plagiarism incident, Yuan Shu got someone to investigate. The gown designed by Shi Yi had just been displayed the day before she went to the haute couture store. Previously, it had always been their shop¡¯s treasure.


    It was hard not to suspect that they had deliberately set a trap for the Shi family.


    Therefore, Chen Mo brought Shi Yi to Dole Square that day not on a whim, but had planned it beforehand.


    ¡­..


    Xu Lang put himself in the limelight just to meet Yuan Shu today. Yuan Shu began to wonder what this person¡¯s motive was.


    Xu Lang was short. Although his suit was tailor-made, he still looked comical in it, like a child wearing an adult¡¯s clothing.


    Yuan Shu was wearing a black tweed suit, which made her look mature. Her hair was tied into a bun, making her face look clear-complexioned and beautiful.


    Even without any makeup, Yuan Shu was already so beautiful that people couldn¡¯t take their eyes off her. It was inevitable that people would guess the relationship between the two of them when they sat at the same table.


    One night, when Shi Yi came home, she brought a small cake. After Yuan Shu tasted it, she was delighted by the sweet and creamy taste. Recently, she had developed a fondness for this creamy cake, so she ordered a slice of tiramisu for herself. This time, she didn¡¯t order coffee.


    Xu Lang ordered himself another cup of cappuccino and asked the barista to give him double the amount of sugar. It was obvious that he had a sweet tooth.


    When the dishes were all served, Xu Lang said, ¡°I¡¯m meeting with you today because of the copyright infringement.¡±


    Yuan Shu cut off a piece of cake with her fork and placed it in her mouth calmly. She didn¡¯t look up at him as she said, ¡°Mr. Xu, you specifically asked me out, so how do you want to deal with it?¡±


    Xu Lang¡¯s tone sounded negotiating. ¡°The longer the lawsuit, the higher the cost. Moreover, it¡¯s not the best solution for our families. Why don¡¯t I pay for your design? As for how much compensation you want, we can discuss it afterwards.¡±


    Yuan Shu placed the fork on the side of the cake plate and sat up slightly as she said, ¡°It seems that you want to settle this privately.¡±


    She took a tissue from her handbag and carefully wiped every finger before continuing, ¡°Mr. Xu, you didn¡¯t cause such a huge commotion just to end things so hastily, right?¡±


    Xu Lang raised his eyebrows slightly. He had long heard that the young madam of the Shi family had completely changed after marrying into the Shi family and was like a completely different person. Although he had expected this, he was still shocked to see Yuan Shu today.


    This woman was a little too shrewd and sensitive.


    Xu Lang continued, ¡°Madam Shi, you¡¯re quite smart. Indeed, I only created such a ruckus so that I could meet you.¡±


    Xu Lang narrowed his eyes and said with a helpless look, ¡°I¡¯m just a small businessman. I¡¯ve asked you out many times but was rejected, so I had no choice but to use this method. Please forgive me.¡±


    Yuan Shu keenly sensed his change and became wary of this person.


    He said that he had asked her out many times, but this was clearly the first time he had sent an invitation.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, if you have something to say, just say it. There¡¯s no need to beat around the bush.¡±


    Xu Lang relaxed as he leaned back in his chair. ¡°Miss Yuan, you should be familiar with Yushu Buyi, right?¡±


    Yuan Shu felt that this name was very familiar. After she thought about it carefully, she suddenly remembered.


    Yushu Buyi was founded by Yuan Shu¡¯s mother. After her mother and father got married, the two of them started to run this company together..


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 Chapter 75 - Chapter 75: Yushu Buyi

    Chapter 75: Yushu Buyi


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Yuan Shu¡¯s father had good business acumen, while her mother was very good at designing and making clothes. Under the joint management of the two of them, the company¡¯s developed rapidly and they established a subsidiary company soon.


    Yushu Buyi also became the name of the subsidiary company. The original Yushu Buyi was renamed to the Yuan Corporation and continued to be managed by her father.


    On the other hand, Yushu Buyi was handled by her mother.


    Later on, Yuan Shu¡¯s mother passed away. At that time, Yuan Shu was only six years old, so her mother handed the company to someone else to manage. After Yuan Shu became an adult, the company fell under her name.


    This was also the reason why Yuan Shu had never cared about Yushu Buyi.


    Now that Xu Lang suddenly mentioned this company, Yuan Shu remembered this company belonged to her. In other words, if anything happened to the company, she would be the one responsible.


    Ever since Yuan Shu came to this world, she had never tried to learn more about this company. Now that Xu Lang wanted to talk to her about this, Yuan Shu was at a disadvantage.


    ¡­..


    When Xu Lang saw that Yuan Shu¡¯s expression had softened, he frowned slightly and smiled smugly.


    At that time, the Jiang family helped Yuan Shu climb into Shi Xiao¡¯s bed and facilitated their marriage. Xu Lang didn¡¯t understand why they did this, but now, he realized that it was really a good move.


    ¡°Miss Yuan, in fact, I have contacted your mother many times. Unfortunately, she knows little about Yushu Buyi. In addition, she has tried to contact you many times but failed, so I could only resort to this.¡±


    The mother Xu Lang was talking about was naturally her stepmother, Duan Yan.


    Xu Lang took out a folder from the empty seat beside him and placed it in front of Yuan Shu. ¡°Our haute couture shop has always had cooperations with Yushu Buyi. Yushu Buyi provides the fabric and we¡¯re responsible for the processing ourselves. However, this batch of high-grade fabric has been delayed for three months and has severely affected the completion of the gown in our haute couture shop. I wonder how you want to resolve this?¡±


    When Yuan Shu saw the document in front of her, she realized that Xu Lang had come prepared. However, because Xu Lang arrived first, Yuan Shu didn¡¯t notice that there was a folder on the chair beside him.


    Now, things had become tricky.


    Not to mention that the delay in the delivery of the fabric was indeed Yushu Buyi¡¯s problem, just Yuan Shu didn¡¯t understand the business situation of this company at all. Any decision she made at this time would only be detrimental to her.


    Yuan Shu crossed her hands and held her right hand tightly with her left hand. After thinking for a moment, she said, ¡°Mr. Xu, give me three days. I¡¯ll definitely give you a satisfactory answer afterwards.¡±


    Xu Lang didn¡¯t seem to be satisfied with this answer and began to raise conditions. ¡°Madam Shi, actually, this matter isn¡¯t difficult to resolve, but it depends on your sincerity.¡±


    The change in Xu Lang¡¯s address was very shrewd. Yushu Buyi was the Yuan family¡¯s business, so he addressed Yuan Shu as Miss Yuan. However, now that he wanted to make a deal with the Shi Family, he addressed her as Madam Shi.


    Yuan Shu felt that she should hear his explanation first. At least, she had to know his motive. ¡°Mr. Xu, how do you want to resolve this?¡±


    Xu Lang began to persuade her, ¡°Actually, you and your husband¡¯s relationship isn¡¯t that harmonious. Shi Xiao disappeared right after you two got married and the Shi family left such a huge mess for a woman like you. If I were you, I would definitely feel bitter about it.¡±


    Yuan Shu remained calm as she continued listening.


    Although Xu Lang¡¯s appearance was ordinary, he couldn¡¯t be considered ugly. With his suit on, he looked quite sanctimonious.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s unknown if Shi Xiao can come back or if he¡¯s even still alive. Madam Shi, you should plan for yourself accordingly.¡±


    Finally, Xu Lang mentioned the ultimate goal of this meeting, Yuan An.


    ¡°I heard that a while ago, something happened to Yuan An, a company under the Shi Corporation.¡± Xu Lang crossed his hands on the table and leaned forward slightly. This was a technique used to pressure the other party during negotiations.


    ¡°Although it¡¯s been resolved now, there¡¯s still a certain problem with the operations. Actually, I just hope that you can sell this company. This is just a piece of cake for you and you will no longer have to deal with the trouble.. Why not?¡±


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 Chapter 76 - Chapter 76: News About Shi Xiao

    Chapter 76: News About Shi Xiao


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Yuan Shu sneered. This sly person finally revealed his ulterior motive. In the end, it turned out that he had designs on Yuan An.


    It seemed that Yuan Shu¡¯s guess was right. Not only did this person behind the scenes arrange for Chu Mei, but he also interfered in Yuan An¡¯s business. While Shi Xiao wasn¡¯t in the country, he carried out his plans boldly.


    Yuan Shu wasn¡¯t in the mood to continue listening. Although there was a smile on her lips, her gaze was distant and cold. ¡°Mr. Xu, that¡¯s all for today. I still have something on, so I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡±


    Before Xu Lang could say anything, Yuan Shu had already gotten up and walked towards the stairs. After taking two steps, she suddenly turned around and said with a smile, ¡°Shi Yi¡¯s design is up to her to decide. I won¡¯t interfere, but I will definitely support her. Mr. Xu, you should focus on this instead.¡±


    The threat in his words was clear. It also made Xu Lang realize that Yuan Shu wouldn¡¯t compromise just because of Yushu Buyi.


    Xu Lang picked up the coffee and shook it gently. Then, he took a sip. His gaze turned cold and he smiled disdainfully.


    The Jiang family had spent so much effort on Yuan Shu, since they thought that Yuan Shu was easy to manipulate and that if they sent her to the Shi family, she would be a great help to them. Unexpectedly, she was so different from what the rumors said she was like. The Jiang family had shot themselves in the foot this time!


    ¡­..


    As Yuan Shu sat in the car, sge immediately began to check the contact list of her cell phone. Indeed, there was a cell phone number with the name Yushu Buyi. It was probably that of the old man left behind by her mother. Currently, he probably had the position of General Manager.


    Without hesitation, she made a call.


    Currently, Yushu Buyi was having an internal strife. In the General Manager¡¯s office, Shen Yi was arguing with Duan Yan.


    ¡°Mrs. Yuan, it¡¯s completely against the rules for you to misappropriate the company¡¯s funds.¡±


    Shen Yi was a chubby man in his forties and was only 1.75 meters tall. His face was fair and flushed, and he had big eyes on his round face.


    He was an honest person, so how could he win against the unreasonable Duan Yan?


    Not only had Duan Yan been coming to the factory to cause trouble recently, but she had also misappropriated the fabric that needed to be delivered. As a result, they couldn¡¯t submit the order at all. Shen Yi was already worried about this matter, but now, Duan Yan was here to ask for the company¡¯s money.


    Shen Yi was so angry that he started arguing with Duan Yan.


    Duan Yan stroked her freshly permed hair as she looked at Shen Yi with disdain. ¡°This is our family¡¯s company. What¡¯s wrong with me taking some money from my family? Don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯re the general manager of Yushu Buyi, this company is yours. Don¡¯t criticize me!¡±


    Duan Yan disliked Shen Yi.


    For so many years, if it were not for Shen Yi¡¯s interference, Yushu Buyi would have become her company long ago. It wouldn¡¯t have ended up in Yuan Shu¡¯s hands after Yuan Shu became an adult.


    Recently, the Yuan Corporation was short of money and sold everything they could sell. Duan Yan called Yuan Shu and asked her to get money for the family, but she was unwilling, so Duan Yan could only plan for herself and try to get as much money as she could.


    Duan Yan¡¯s concept of financial management was that money could only be called money if it was in her pocket.


    Thus, she went to Yushu Buyi¡¯s factory and took away the most expensive piece of fabric. Then, she resold it to other fabric factories. Needless to say, she earned a large sum of money.


    Now, Duan Yan was here to check the accounts and withdraw 500,000 yuan from the company¡¯s account. That was the company¡¯s entire liquid funds, so how could Shen Yi agree?


    Moreover, if he couldn¡¯t hand over the fabric from the Xu family¡¯s haute couture shop, the compensation for the breach of contract would be much more than 500,000 yuan!


    When Shen Yi heard Duan Yan¡¯s words, he was so angry that his face flushed. He pointed at her and said with agitation, ¡°You¡­¡± For a long time, he couldn¡¯t finish the sentence.


    Coincidentally, the phone rang. Shen Yi picked up the phone and saw that it was Miss Yuan, who had never cared about Yushu Buyi¡¯s business. Instantly, he had a target to vent his grievance, so he picked up the call..


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 Chapter 77 - Chapter 77: Dignity

    Chapter 77: Dignity


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Shen Yi picked up the call and asked without waiting for the other party to say anything, ¡°Miss, please come to the factory quickly. If you don¡¯t come soon, Mrs. Yuan will take away all the money in the factory!¡±


    After Yuan Shu thought about it for a while, she realized that the Mrs. Yuan he was talking about was Duan Yan. Duan Yan was actually in the company now?


    She didn¡¯t have time to think about it carefully. She comforted the old employee first. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. Tell me the whole story slowly.¡±


    Before Shen Yi could explain in detail, Duan Yan snatched the phone away.


    She turned her back to Shen Yi and said, ¡°Yuan Shu, tell Shen Yi to hand over the company¡¯s money. This is clearly our family¡¯s money. Why is he refusing to give it to us? Could it be that he wants to monopolize this money after dealing with the accounts for a few years?!¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re slandering me! How unreasonable!¡± Shen Yi was so angry that his flesh was trembling. After he spread his legs, he barely stabilized himself. He stammered as he pointed at Duan Yan.


    Duan Yan ignored him and rolled her eyes at him. She even spat at him.


    ¡­..


    Only then did she turn around and continue, ¡°Yuan Shu, you know that your father¡¯s company is in trouble now. As his daughter, you should help him. You¡¯ve been married into the Shi family for so long, but you actually didn¡¯t give the family a single cent. What kind of daughter are you?!¡±


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t want to listen to this woman¡¯s unreasonable words, so she hung up the phone and said to the chauffeur, ¡°Go to Yushu Buyi, drive as fast as you can.¡±


    The chauffeur had never seen Yuan Shu so solemn and angry before, so he didn¡¯t dare to delay and stepped on the accelerator.


    When Yuan Shu arrived at the company, the scene was very chaotic.


    Duan Yan was trying to snatch the company¡¯s official seal while Shen Yi used his body to shield it. He hugged the official seal and used his back to block Duan Yan.


    Duan Yan kept scolding, ¡°Damn fatty, give me the seal!¡± As she hammered Shen Yi, she felt that it wasn¡¯t enough, so she used her slender nails to pinch the fat on Shen Yi¡¯s back.


    Yuan Shu looked around the office, which was a dilapidated room that looked like it had been around for a long time. There were some old items in the office, and there was even a tripod for towels and water basins.


    These kinds of things also existed in Yuan Shu¡¯s era, but Yuan Shu¡¯s family was more particular. The shelf was made of top-notch pear blossom wood, and the basin was also a copper basin with exquisite carvings. The shelf in this office was made of rusty iron and the basin was made from ordinary porcelain.


    As it was a fabric factory, the office would place some materials for Shen Yi to evaluate.


    After Yuan Shu picked up a two-meter-long piece of fabric and twisted it into a long rope, she threw the fabric into the basin on the shelf beside the office.


    The water immediately soaked the fabric and increased the weight of the fabric. When it was waved, it was much more powerful.


    Yuan Shu was best at using a whip. Now that the cloth was wet, it became a whip in her hand.


    She waved her hand forcefully and hit the area between Shen Yi and Duan Yan, stopping Duan Yan from pinching Shen Yi¡¯s hand again. The water from the cloth splashed on the two of them.


    Duan Yan let out a cry and hurriedly retracted her hand to wipe the water droplets on her face, for fear that the water would ruin her makeup.


    ¡°Who the hell dared to spill water on me?!¡± After Duan Yan wiped the water off her face and looked up at the door angrily, she saw Yuan Shu holding a two-meter-long wet rope in one hand and standing straight at the door.


    Her gaze was sharp, and there was a solemn look on her face. When their eyes met, Duan Yan shuddered and didn¡¯t dare to act rashly.


    Shen Yi took advantage of Duan Yan¡¯s momentary distraction and hurriedly ran around the desk to Yuan Shu¡¯s side. He was still holding the official seal in his arms.


    ¡°¡­ Miss.¡± He was a little out of breath and stammered as he greeted Yuan Shu.


    Yuan Shu nodded slightly, indicating for him to calm down before speaking.


    This was the first time Shen Yi had seen Yuan Shu after she became an adult. The last time he saw her was when she was six years old. Her mother was still alive at that time. Unexpectedly, it had been so many years since they last met. He had heard many rumors about Yuan Shu in the outside world. Rumor had it that she was spoiled, willful, and unreasonable, so he had always been worried that this child wouldn¡¯t be able to carry out her mother¡¯s legacy.


    But now, when Shen Yi saw Yuan Shu like this, he actually felt relieved. Someone with such a gaze couldn¡¯t be a foolish heiress..


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 Chapter 78 - Chapter 78: Teaching Duan Yan a Lesson

    Chapter 78: Teaching Duan Yan a Lesson


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Yuan Shu¡¯s expression was dark and her cold expression made people feel intimidated. The rope in her hand was still dripping with water.


    She asked Shen Yi, who was panting beside her, coldly, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Shen Yi took a deep breath to calm his breathing. Then, he said aggrievedly, ¡°Mrs. Yuan came today to take the company¡¯s money. She even forced me to give her the company¡¯s official stamp, but the company no longer has money. We can¡¯t give the money to her!¡±


    With Duan Yan¡¯s personality, how could she just stand there and listen to Shen Yi complain without retorting?


    Before Shen Yi could finish speaking, Duan Yan immediately continued, ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m taking my family¡¯s money. Why can¡¯t you give it to me?! You¡¯re telling me that such a big company doesn¡¯t have money? I think you¡¯re took it for yourself!¡±


    Shen Yi¡¯s face flushed. He wasn¡¯t eloquent enough and couldn¡¯t win against the sharp-tongued Duan Yan at all, so he could only protect the official seal and remain silent.


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t have a good temper either. She had her own judgement, so she couldn¡¯t just watch Duan Yan distort the truth.


    ¡­..


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t waste any time. With a flick of her wrist, she twisted the rope out of the fabric and threw it out. When the rope was wet, it would hurt when it hit someone.


    Duan Yan¡¯s arm that was holding the cheque book was hit. With a bang, Duan Yan threw the cheque book to the ground in pain. Then, she quickly covered her arm with her other hand.


    She shouted in a sharp voice, ¡°You brat, how dare you hit me?! The family raised you all these years, but not only did you not repay the family, but you also dared to hit me, your mother, in front of outsiders! I raised you painstakingly. Do you know any filial piety?!¡±


    Yuan Shu sneered and took a step forward, but Duan Yan was so frightened that she retreated. Her back hit the wall, and her facial features were distorted in pain.


    Duan Yan had lingering fears. Why didn¡¯t she know that this prodigal daughter who spent all her time fooling around had such ruthless methods? She wasn¡¯t soft-hearted at all when she hit people.


    Yuan Shu glanced at her and said ruthlessly, ¡°Madam Duan, I don¡¯t think I need to remind you at all times that you¡¯re not my biological mother because you¡¯re not related to me by blood.¡±


    Yuan Shu raised her wrist and rotated it. She had not trained her whip technique for a long time, so her technique was a little rusty. Just this whip was a little too much for her weak wrist. It seemed that the training intensity of her morning run every morning wasn¡¯t enough. She had to spend more time training her strength.


    Duan Yan looked at Yuan Shu. She wasn¡¯t at all like the previous silly girl who could be manipulated by her with a few words. Now that Yuan Shu was standing in front of her, she actually felt oppressed and afraid.


    Duan Yan felt apprehensive. Why did Yuan Shu¡¯s personality suddenly change after getting married? She wouldn¡¯t take revenge for what happened in the past, would she?


    Yuan Shu sneered as she recalled Yuan Shu¡¯s life in the Yuan Family.


    Less than half a month after her mother passed away, her father welcomed the mistress into the house and turned a blind eye to her rejection. He bribed Yuan Shu with a card that had no spending limit.


    Later on, Duan Yan even deceived Yuan Shu countless times. Yuan Shu was a shopaholic who didn¡¯t know anything about business. Many times, she asked Yuan Shu to sign the contract so that she could get money from Yushu Buyi to spend on herself.


    As the saying went, the best way to destroy a person was to make her become a useless good-for-nothing.


    Hence, Duan Yan had never interfered with Yuan Shu¡¯s studies. She even protected Yuan Shu when Yuan Shu¡¯s father hit her, which touched Yuan Shu and made her trust her stepmother even more.


    As a result, Yuan Shu later became arrogant and willful. She had to get whatever she wanted even if she had to snatch it. After she fell in love with Shi Xiao at first sight, she was adamant about marrying into the Shi family even if she had to scam him into having a one-night stand with her.


    Duan Yan had put on an act of a stepmother loving her daughter more than her own mother. For so many years, she had used this method to take large amounts of money from Yushu Buyi! Even at this critical moment, she dared to ask for money without any scruples.


    How shameless!


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 Chapter 79 - Chapter 79: Handling the Problem

    Chapter 79: Handling the Problem


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    At the thought of this, Yuan Shu despised Duan Yan even more and exposed her lie.


    ¡°Madam Duan, as for the ¡®hardships¡¯ you mentioned, do you mean how you indulged me and wouldn¡¯t let me interfere in the family business? It¡¯s been hard on you.¡±


    Duan Yan¡¯s face was pale and she couldn¡¯t speak. She could only lean against the wall while wishing that there was a hole in the wall for her to hide in.


    Yuan Shu¡¯s gaze became cold and stern as she changed the topic, ¡°However, after so many years, everything you took from me about Yushu Buyi should be enough to make up for the ¡®hardships¡¯ you mentioned.¡±


    Yuan Shu took another step forward. ¡°Or do you want more?! You want the entire Yushu Buyi?¡±


    Duan Yan held onto the wall with both hands and braced herself as she resisted, ¡°Yushu Buyi is mine to begin with! It¡¯s a subsidiary company of the Yuan Corporation, so how can I not have the right to ask?! I think you¡¯ve forgotten how good I am to you and want to bully me!¡±


    Yuan Shu sneered. She really admired her ability to distort the truth.


    ¡­..


    She couldn¡¯t be bothered to talk to Duan Yan anymore and ordered Shen Yi, ¡°Call the security officers to chase this woman out.¡±


    Shen Yi didn¡¯t expect things to develop like this. Yuan Shu really didn¡¯t show Duan Yan any mercy. However, Yuan Shu had a boldness that made people feel a sense of submission. Shen Yi didn¡¯t dare to say anything else. After he nodded vigorously, he staggered out.


    When Duan Yan heard that Yuan Shu was going to ask the security officers to chase her out, she couldn¡¯t care less about her dignity. She stood up and rushed over to hit Yuan Shu. ¡°You brat, how dare you ask someone to chase me out?! Let me tell you, you don¡¯t have that sort of ability!¡±


    Looking at Duan Yan, who was walking over quickly, Yuan Shu waved her wrist and whipped her again, hitting Duan Yan¡¯s abdomen. Duan Yan¡¯s face was distorted in pain as she squatted on the ground.


    Duan Yan¡¯s body was already wet from the water, and there was a layer of sweat on her forehead. The heavy makeup on her face was also smudged by the sweat, revealing the wrinkles that she had tried her best to hide.


    No matter how much money was spent or how expensive the skincare products were, no one could prevent aging. Duan Yan¡¯s glamorous appearance couldn¡¯t hide her aging body. In that moment, Duan Yan looked extremely pathetic and ridiculous, like a withered and wrinkled orange.


    Yuan Shu only looked at her calmly. ¡°You should always remember that I¡¯m the owner of this company. On account of the few years you took care of me in the past, I¡¯ll let bygones be bygones regarding you taking money from the company previously. However, you have to be responsible for what happened recently.¡±


    Duan Yan¡¯s expression changed and she panicked. ¡°How¡­ how much do you know about this?¡±


    There was a guest table in the office with wooden chairs beside it. Yuan Shu sat on the chair closest to her and placed the rope in her hand on the guest table.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. You can choose to tell me yourself. Of course, I¡¯ll investigate, but if I find out, the outcome will be different.¡±


    Yuan Shu roughly guessed that Duan Yan not being able to hand in the order from the high-end restaurant must have something to do with Yushu Buyi. However, apart from that, finding out how many other shameful things Duan Yan had done was still up to the investigation.


    This wasn¡¯t difficult. As the general manager of the company, Shen Yi knew the company¡¯s accounts and business the best. As long as Shen Yi returned and the two of them confronted each other, the problem would naturally be solved.


    Even in this dilapidated old office, Yuan Shu, who was sitting in the middle of antique furniture, made people unable to look away. She had an innate noble aura.


    Even if she just sat there and didn¡¯t say or do anything, it was enough to intimidate everyone.


    Shen Yi returned very quickly, since he was worried that there would be a large-scale fight at the event location. After all, he knew very well how difficult it was to deal with Duan Yan. However, to his surprise, the two of them remained silent.


    Yuan Shu sat on the chair quietly while Duan Yan squatted on the ground and didn¡¯t dare to make a sound. She looked extremely disheveled.


    Yuan Shu asked the security officer to wait outside the door, while she called Shen Yi in and started to check all the projects and orders for the past half a year.


    They didn¡¯t know that Duan Yan had done so many things behind their backs!


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 Chapter 80 - Chapter 80: Shi Xiao

    Chapter 80: Shi Xiao


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    In a thatched hut hidden in a tropical rainforest in Africa, a man had his head lowered in the dim light. His muscular upper body was bare, and his muscles were covered in a layer of sweat that expanded with the frequency of his breathing.


    There was a bandaged wound on his chest that was bleeding. The dark red color looked eerie in the dark environment.


    ¡°Ugh.¡± The man was in pain and couldn¡¯t help but let out a whimper. Then, he gritted his teeth and endured it.


    The other person placed the tray filled with hemostatic medicine beside the man and took out scissors to cut the bandage on the man¡¯s body.


    ¡°Young Master, I¡¯ll apply medicine for you now. Bear with me,¡± another person said.


    The man let out a long sigh of relief and felt as if the pain had lessened. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    As the man applied medicine, he diverted the man¡¯s attention with another topic. ¡°Young Master, the weather here is hot and humid, and the wounds on your body have been festering. You really can¡¯t stay here any longer.¡±


    ¡­..


    The man sneered. ¡°Heh, now that a group of people are searching for us outside, how can you be sure that the Shi family found us first?¡±


    The man was Shi Xiao. He had been trapped in this village for more than a month. He was injured, and because of the climate, his wound had never been able to scab over, so he didn¡¯t even have the chance to escape.


    Even though he had been in contact with the Shi family, in this dense tropical rainforest, the signal was bad, and GPS was inaccurate. He also had to be constantly on guard against the enemy¡¯s pursuit, so his situation was very stressful.


    When the wound was finally bandaged, Shi Xiao took two deep breaths to ease the pain. Then, he said to the person who bandaged him, ¡°Zhao Cheng, tell Zhao Mian that we must protect the Yuan Family no matter what. Nothing can happen to Yushu Buyi.¡±


    Zhao Cheng was puzzled and asked, ¡°But Young Master, didn¡¯t you already plan to divorce Madam after you returned? Why are you helping her at this time? The Shi family isn¡¯t in a very optimistic situation now.¡±


    Shi Xiao¡¯s short hair was already drenched in sweat, which dripped onto the straw mat.


    He took a deep breath before saying, ¡°Phew¡­ I¡¯m not helping her, but myself. Those people want to use her to target the Shi family. I definitely won¡¯t let them succeed. Moreover, Yuan Shu and I aren¡¯t divorced yet, so the two of us are in the same boat. At least for now, nothing can happen to the Yuan family.¡±


    Zhao Cheng was still worried and said worriedly, ¡°But I¡¯m afraid the Yuan family will cause even more trouble. With Madam¡¯s ability, she won¡¯t be able to deal with Xu Lang at all. We can help her this time, but there¡¯s no guarantee that she won¡¯t fall for it next time.¡±


    Zhao Cheng¡¯s impression of Yuan Shu was still the same as when she and Shi Xiao first got married. She didn¡¯t have the grace of a noble lady at all. She was simply vulgar and low-class.


    Zhao Cheng didn¡¯t understand how such a person was worthy of his young master. He looked down on Yuan Shu from the bottom of his heart, so he added, ¡°I really hope that she won¡¯t let the Shi family fall into greater trouble when you¡¯re not around!¡±


    At the thought of that vulgar and moody woman, Shi Xiao felt disgusted and frustrated.


    Shi Xiao said impatiently, ¡°Let her cause as much trouble as she wants. With Zhao Mian watching over the company, there shouldn¡¯t be a big problem. Contact Zhao Mian first and tell her what happened. We¡¯ll talk about the rest later.¡±


    Zhao Cheng agreed and was about to pick up his phone to look for the signal outside when he suddenly heard a commotion at the door.


    Zhao Cheng had been a bodyguard for many years and had been with Shi Xiao since he started working, so his loyalty and vigilance were unquestionable.


    After he took out a military knife from the pocket of his military pants, he turned his fingers nimbly, and the blade was revealed. He drew a beautiful arc in the air before holding it in his hand tightly.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    Zhao Cheng had already rushed to the door. The moment he opened the door, he extended his left hand and pressed the blade against the delicate neck of the person at the door.


    The tray in that person¡¯s hand fell with a crisp shattering sound..


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 Chapter 81 - Chapter 81: Lin Xi

    Chapter 81: Lin Xi


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    The woman standing at the door was shocked by the sudden opening of the door. In the next moment, the cold and sharp blade was pressed against her neck. The sharp blade made her shiver, and a layer of goosebumps appeared on her neck.


    There was a porcelain bowl on the tray in her hand. The meat soup emitted the fragrance of minced meat. After the porcelain bowl fell to the ground and shattered, the hot soup immediately scalded her fair calf.


    Her round eyes were filled with fear, and her pink lips were slightly parted. She took a deep breath, but she couldn¡¯t make a single ¡®sound. In the next moment, she fell back and fell to the ground.


    When Zhao Cheng saw that he had frightened her, he immediately put away his knife. Then, he hurriedly bent down to help the woman who had fallen.


    ¡°Miss Lin, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know it was you. I¡¯m really sorry for frightening you.¡±


    After Lin Xi stood up with Zhao Cheng¡¯s help, she waved her hand at him, gesturing with sign language that she was fine. Then, she bent down to pick up the tray on the ground and said in sign language, ¡°I¡¯ll go get another bowl of soup.¡± Then, she turned around and walked away.


    Zhao Cheng knew that he had frightened her, so he felt guilty. He scratched his buzz-cut hair and looked at Shi Xiao to hear his arrangements.


    ¡­..


    Shi Xiao didn¡¯t show any emotions on his face. He only closed his eyes and said ¡°Go do your work.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhao Cheng immediately ran away.


    Lin Xi was Shi Xiao¡¯s savior.


    Shi Xiao and Zhao Cheng were hunted down and fell into the trap set by the locals to capture wild beasts.


    Shi Xiao was already injured at that time. This trap was very deep and was four to five meters long. Although staying here could ensure that he wouldn¡¯t be discovered by the enemy, at the same time, no one could find him. No one came to save him.


    After the sun rose the next day, the dazzling sunlight woke Shi Xiao and Zhao Cheng up. Shi Xiao¡¯s wound was bandaged by his clothes. Although he didn¡¯t bleed too much, the blood didn¡¯t stop flowing. From time to time, some blood would seep out.


    After being tortured like this for the entire night, Shi Xiao¡¯s face was very pale. Zhao Cheng even wanted to cut open his flesh and feed it to Shi Xiao. Suddenly, a long and strong vine was thrown down from above his head.


    Zhao Cheng didn¡¯t care about anything else. Even if it was the enemy¡¯s rattan, he had to leave at this moment. In any case, if he continued to stay here, he would die anyway.


    Zhao Cheng tied Shi Xiao to himself and pulled them up step by step.


    After they crawled out of the trap, they realized that the person who saved them was an Asian girl. She tied the rattan to a very thick tree trunk and threw it down to save the two of them.


    Zhao Cheng thanked her, but she noticed Shi Xiao, who had lost too much blood, and gestured worriedly.


    Zhao Cheng had received professional training, so he could naturally understand sign language. Only then did he realize that this woman was mute, so he communicated with her in sign language.


    The woman said that she was a girl who had been trafficked by human traffickers. Later on, she was lucky enough to escape along the way and met an old man in the village. Seeing that she was in a pitiful state, he took her in and brought her home to do chores.


    Zhao Cheng believed her, so he brought Shi Xiao back to the village with her.


    She found a straw hut for the two of them and would send them medicine and food every day. Zhao Cheng treated her as their savior and had always respected her.


    Lin Xi scooped another bowl of broth and brought it over. This time, the door of the straw hut wasn¡¯t closed, but she still knocked on the open wooden door.


    Shi Xiao was resting with his eyes closed when he heard the knock on the door. He looked up at her and said gently, ¡°Please come in.¡±


    Lin Xi put down the tray and handed the bowl to Shi Xiao.


    Shi Xiao tried his best not to pull at his wound as he picked up the bowl and drank it all in one gulp.


    As the taste of the gravy spread in his mouth, Shi Xiao felt his body gradually regain its strength. Although there wasn¡¯t much meat and it was all minced, he still felt that this bowl of soup was delicious..


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 Chapter 82 - Chapter 82: Conflict

    Chapter 82: Conflict


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Lin Xi took the empty bowl he handed her. Then, her round eyes flickered as she gestured in sign language worriedly. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Shi Xiao didn¡¯t know much about sign language, but he could understand what she meant. He forced a smile and comforted her, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    He adjusted his sitting position and leaned against the straw mat in a more comfortable position. His voice was gentle as he said, ¡°Did I scare you just now?¡±


    Lin Xi also sat down beside him, her knees crossed in front of her chest. She revealed an innocent smile and shook her head.


    With the help of the dazzling sunlight outside the door, Shi Xiao saw the red marks on Lin Xi¡¯s calf. Although it was difficult for him to move now, he still raised his hand and gently touched the place where she was scalded. Then, he rubbed it carefully.


    Lin Xi originally didn¡¯t know what he was going to do and was a little afraid. The moment his fingers touched her, she shrank back. Only when she realized that Shi Xiao didn¡¯t have any ill intentions did she feel relieved and she stared blankly at his hand that was massaging her leg.


    Shi Xiao¡¯s movements were gentle, as if he was afraid of hurting her again. ¡°Do you want to apply some ointment?¡±


    ¡­..


    Lin Xi shook her head and smiled as she gestured with sign language. ¡°It¡¯s fine. The pain will subside in a while.¡±


    Shi Xiao had been in the business world for too long and the struggles in the business world had already ruined his last delusions about humanity. He didn¡¯t trust anyone, and was even on guard against his family.


    He only trusted the people he had nurtured personally. Therefore, in the eyes of others, Shi Xiao was cold-blooded and unfeeling.


    This was also why everyone in the upper society was afraid of Shi Xiao. This was because he was ruthless and knew how to play with everyone with benefits.


    At this moment, Shi Xiao¡¯s gentleness seemed uncharacteristic. Even he himself was surprised by his actions. He knew very well that he didn¡¯t have feelings for the woman in front of him. However, after being ruthless for so long, he couldn¡¯t help but treat such a sincere person with kindness.


    Shi Xiao sneered as he analyzed his thoughts. Perhaps it was because he was injured that he didn¡¯t have his guard up as usual and his heart softened.


    With this thought in mind, his actions became even gentler.


    However, it was only for a moment. Shi Xiao only massaged her gently a few times before retracting his hand coldly.


    He leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes again as he said, ¡°I want to rest for a while. Please close the door on your way out.¡±


    Lin Xi was shocked by his sudden change. For a moment, she couldn¡¯t figure out what she had done wrong. Why did his gentleness suddenly turn into coldness?


    Lin Xi¡¯s bright eyes were filled with uncertainty, but she still stood up carefully and walked out. Just as she was about to close the door, she suddenly heard Shi Xiao¡¯s words.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. After I recover, I¡¯ll bring you back to the country.¡± Shi Xiao paused before saying again, ¡°Take it as compensation for saving me.¡±


    Lin Xi knew that he had his eyes closed and couldn¡¯t see her actions, but she still used sign language to thank him before walking out and closing the door.


    When Shi Xiao was in high school, on the way home one day, he saw a fight through the car window of the Ferrari¡¯s back seat. A group of people surrounded a boy and girl in the same school uniform as his school¡¯s.


    The boy took out a wooden stick and used his burly body to protect the girl behind him. Blood was flowing from his forehead, but his gaze was very determined.


    However, this wasn¡¯t the main reason why Shi Xiao was attracted.


    What attracted Shi Xiao was the girl hiding behind this boy.


    She wasn¡¯t cowering behind him. Instead, she was looking at them with the same fierce gaze and saying something.


    Shi Xiao originally thought that she was just cursing. For a high school student to talk back to a group of menacing people, she did have some guts, but it also meant that she was foolish. Cursing would only earn herself more beatings and scoldings.


    It wasn¡¯t until the Ferrari approached the crowd that he heard the girl¡¯s sonorous voice clearly. She was actually explaining the law to these hooligans.


    Shi Xiao was a little surprised. She was just a high school student, but she was so calm when she encountered trouble. Moreover, she knew the law at such a young age. She was really extraordinary.


    Shi Xiao admired the two of them, so he got his bodyguards to save them..


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 Chapter 83 - Chapter 83: Zhao Siblings

    Chapter 83: Zhao Siblings


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Zhao Mian was on guard against him. Even though Shi Xiao had saved them, she didn¡¯t appreciate the kindness of this noble young master who was only a year older than her.


    Shi Xiao was very interested in these two people and felt that he needed to train a few people to work for him, so he got someone to investigate the Zhao family.


    Their father was retired. He had encountered many obstacles in his search for a job and could only stay at home. The family depended on the meager income that Mrs. Zhao earned from stepping on sewing machines in the factory.


    Shi Xiao arranged a chauffeur position for Mr. Zhao in the company and paid Zhao Mian and Zhao Cheng¡¯s tuition fees. Only then did he obtain their loyalty.


    Zhao Mian and Zhao Cheng were fraternal twins, so there was a huge difference in their appearances.


    Zhao Mian was the elder sister. She had a demure appearance and had been studious ever since she was young. She was also smart and quick-witted. After entering university, she started wearing glasses. The thick black-framed glasses made her look like a stern teacher. As soon as Zhao Mian graduated from university, she joined the Shi Corporation as Shi Xiao¡¯s secretary.


    Zhao Cheng, on the other hand, was tall and burly. He was brawny and simple-minded, so he was not interested in studying at all. Hence, Shi Xiao sent him to the army for three years. When Zhao Cheng returned, he became his bodyguard.


    The two of them became Shi Xiao¡¯s right-hand men, his most trusted subordinates.


    Zhao Mian had been observing the movements of the Yuan company. Therefore, when she received the message from Zhao Cheng to help the Yuan family, she already knew what to do. She packed up the files and went to Yushu Buyi.


    Yuan Shu sat on the wooden sofa with her back straight. She had her eyes closed as she listened to Shen Yi calculate the accounts for the past half a year.


    From this calculation, she found out that Duan Yan had stolen about a million yuan worth of cloth in the past half a year. She had also embezzled nearly a million yuan from the company¡¯s accounts.


    Even Shen Yi gasped after calculating such a huge sum. However, Yuan Shu only nodded calmly and indicated that Shen Yi didn¡¯t have to calculate anymore. Then, she slowly opened her eyes and looked at Duan Yan.


    Duan Yan was frightened by her cold gaze. She knelt on the ground shakily and began to explain in a panic, ¡°Yuan Shu, listen to me. I¡¯m doing this money for your father! Your father has never allowed me to tell you that there¡¯s a problem with the company¡¯s operations and we really need money urgently¡­ I really had no choice¡­ I really didn¡¯t take this money for myself!¡±


    Tears streamed down Duan Yan¡¯s face as she tried her best to defend herself. She hoped that even if Yuan Shu didn¡¯t want to let her off, she wouldn¡¯t pursue this matter on account of her father.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the money?¡±


    Yuan Shu couldn¡¯t be bothered to look at Duan Yan. The most important thing now was to take out the money to deal with Xu Lang first. The remaining problems could be resolved over time. Yushu Buyi couldn¡¯t collapse, and she couldn¡¯t be led by the nose by Xu Lang.


    Duan Yan froze for a moment. Then, she looked around and stammered, ¡°Money¡­ money¡­¡± Suddenly, she had an idea. ¡°I gave all the money to your father! I don¡¯t have a single cent left!¡±


    What she meant was that Yuan Shu had to ask her father for it. Duan Yan knew that Yuan Shu and her father had never been on good terms. In order to marry Shi Xiao, Yuan Shu used dirty tricks. When her father found out, he beat Yuan Shu up and scolded her. After that, the two of them never spoke again.


    Duan Yan pushed the blame to Mr. Yuan now because Yuan Shu wouldn¡¯t ask her father for the money.


    Yuan Shu crossed her legs and placed her slender hands on her knees. Then, shee raised her index finger and tapped it on her knee. Her gaze became even more stern. It seemed like she was not going to show any mercy.


    ¡°Then please call my father now and ask for Yushu Buyi¡¯s money back.¡±


    Duan Yan panicked, since she didn¡¯t expect Yuan Shu to be so heartless. She clenched her fists tightly and pressed them on the ground to support her upper body as she said pitifully, in hopes of getting some leeway, ¡°Yuan Shu, you can¡¯t turn a blind eye to the Yuan Corporation. The Yuan Corporation is on the verge of bankruptcy. Your father is so anxious that he can¡¯t sleep every day. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t help, but how can you add fuel to the fire at this time?!¡±


    When Shen Yi heard her words, he couldn¡¯t help but despite her for being despicable and distorting the truth!


    ¡°Mrs. Yuan, do you need me to report the recent transactions in your account to you?¡±


    Someone suddenly spoke from outside the door, terrifying Duan Yan and causing her to freeze..


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 Chapter 84 - Chapter 84: Dealing With Duan Yan

    Chapter 84: Dealing With Duan Yan


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Zhao Mian asked the security officer at the door to make way for her. Then, she walked in and greeted Yuan Shu, ¡°Madam.¡±


    Then, she placed the documents in her hand in front of Yuan Shu. ¡°Mrs. Yuan, as far as I know, for nearly half a year, there¡¯s about three million yuan worth of transactions in your account. May I ask where the money came from?¡±


    Duan Yan began to quibble, ¡°I transferred the money to my account before transferring it to Mr. Yuan!¡±


    Zhao Mian asked, ¡°But half a year ago, before you interfered in Yushu Buyi¡¯s orders, how did the one million yuan suddenly appear on the card?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Duan Yan lowered her head and stammered as she tried to think of an excuse, but Zhao Mian already had an answer for her.


    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, it was paid to you by Xu Lang of the Xu family. The latest batch of fabric from the Xu family haute couture that you took from Yushu Buyi should be in Xu Lang¡¯s hands now.¡±


    When Duan Yan heard this, she knew that the matter had been exposed. She lost her balance and fell against the desk¡¯s leg.


    Yuan Shu flipped through the information briefly. Half a year ago, Duan Yan bribed the employees in the factory to help her steal the fabric, most of which had already been sold.


    The fabric that belonged to Xu Lang¡¯s haute couture shop had already returned to Xu Lang¡¯s hands. As for the other orders, they were sold to some large manufacturers who could afford this batch of fabric.


    Yuan Shu sneered. This traitor wanted to completely empty Yushu Buyi out!


    She knew that there was no point in continuing the interrogation, so she placed the information on the table and glanced at Duan Yan. ¡°If you return this money to the company¡¯s account before tomorrow, I will no longer hold you responsible. From now on, you aren¡¯t allowed to enter Yushu Buyi anymore.¡±


    Yuan Shu gave Shen Yi a look and said, ¡°You¡¯ll supervise these accounts. I want to see the complete data entry tomorrow.¡±


    Yuan Shu pressured Duan Yan again by saying, ¡°Don¡¯t think that you can escape responsibility.¡± She pointed at the documents on the table. ¡°I believe that if these things are handed over to the police, you will spend the rest of your life in prison. Madam Duan, don¡¯t blame me for not giving you a chance.¡±


    Duan Yan¡¯s face turned pale and she had no choice but to nod shakily.


    As Zhao Mian watched Yuan Shu¡¯s carrot and stick approach, she felt that was indeed the head of the household.


    Even a feisty person like Zhao Mian couldn¡¯t help but admire Yuan Shu.


    After Yuan Shu asked the security officers to help Duan Yan out, she asked everyone to leave. Only she and Zhao Mian were left in the office.


    After the office door was closed, Yuan Shu uncrossed her legs and sat up straight with her knees close together. Her high heels made a thud when they landed on the ground, just like the sound of people slapping on wood when interrogating criminals in ancient times. Zhao Mian couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous.


    ¡°Why did you come here all of a sudden, Secretary Zhao?¡± Yuan Shu¡¯s tone was calm and it didn¡¯t sound like an interrogation at all, but there was also a sense of pressure that made it impossible for people to lie.


    Zhao Mian adjusted her thick black-framed glasses and explained to Yuan Shu respectfully, ¡°Madam, actually, President Shi asked me to come.¡±


    Shi Xiao?


    When Yuan Shu thought of this name, her eyes flickered and she gestured for Zhao Mian to continue.


    ¡°Madam, ever since you married President Shi, I have been secretly monitoring Yushu Buyi¡¯s business situation. I discovered some things that your mother, Mrs. Yuan, did behind the scenes. Today, I received news from President Shi and rushed over to help you.¡±


    Zhao Mian tried her best to explain the ins and outs of the matter in the shortest possible way.


    Initially, she thought that Yuan Shu would definitely ask about Shi Xiao¡¯s condition first. However, Yuan Shu didn¡¯t seem surprised that Shi Xiao was still alive. She spoke in an extremely calm and aloof tone, as if she was asking what she wanted to eat for lunch.


    ¡°What does he want me to do?¡±


    What sharp insight! Zhao Mian was shocked and couldn¡¯t help but marvel in admiration.


    Indeed, President Shi had always been an opportunist. He had spent so much effort to get Zhao Mian to help Yuan Shu, so he naturally had to have conditions.


    However, Shi Xiao and Yuan Shu were husband and wife, so helping each other seemed natural. Ordinary people wouldn¡¯t think that there were conditions behind this.


    Yuan Shu¡¯s ruthlessness and meticulousness made Zhao Mian feel a sense of familiarity. It was as if she was facing Shi Xiao, not his spoiled and willful wife, Yuan Shu, who had a bad reputation in the outside world..


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 Chapter 85 - Chapter 85: Dining Together

    Chapter 85: Dining Together


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Zhao Mian never questioned Shi Xiao¡¯s orders, but Zhao Mian couldn¡¯t help but ponder over them.


    Although she had been working with Shi Xiao since she graduated from university and was absolutely loyal to him, she always felt that this man was too heartless. Even to his family, he only had a sense of responsibility instead of kinship.


    Such a cold-blooded person made Zhao Mian feel afraid.


    Zhao Mian suppressed her emotions and said in a businesslike tone, ¡°President Shi hopes that you can protect Yuan An.¡±


    It was Yuan An again.


    So many people were eyeing Yuan An covetously. Even the stupidest person would know that there was something wrong with Yuan An, let alone someone as sharp as Yuan Shu, who wouldn¡¯t let go of any details.


    Yuan Shu¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change and she said calmly, ¡°I understand.¡±


    Zhao Mian was puzzled. Yuan Shu¡¯s reaction to this matter was simply too calm. She didn¡¯t even ask for the reason, nor did she say anything else. She didn¡¯t mention Shi Xiao at all, as if he was just a stranger.


    Zhao Mian realized that she couldn¡¯t understand the current Yuan Shu at all. It seemed as if as long as she was around, all problems could be resolved easily. She gave people a sense of reliability.


    After Yuan Shu got up and walked out of the office, her Italian sheepskin high heels made a slow and rhythmic sound on the ground, and every sound echoed in Zhao Mian¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Secretary Zhao, help me arrange for Shi Lu, Shi Yi, and Shi Bin to go home for dinner tonight. I¡¯ll wait for them at home.¡±


    When Yuan Shu said the last sentence, Zhao Mian could clearly sense the gentleness and warmth in Yuan Shu¡¯s tone. This was also the subtle difference between Yuan Shu and Shi Xiao.


    This was because even when facing the three siblings, Shi Xiao was businesslike, aloof, and restrained.


    At night, Yuan Shu was reading the company development analysis report that Shen Yi gave her when Wu Yan knocked on the door. ¡°Madam, Miss and the young masters are back. The food is ready. Do you want to eat?¡±


    Yuan Shu sat up from the chair. All the furnishings in this room were European-style. There was a two-meter-long bed and a Simmons mattress, a huge crystal chandelier, and curtains made of organza. Yuan Shu didn¡¯t like it or hate it. She only treated it as a temporary place for her to stay.


    She saw this chair in Shi Lu¡¯s room. It was made of pear wood and the chair was very comfortable to swing around in. It was covered with a thick layer of cotton and there was a small rectangular pillow at the waist. It was extremely comfortable to lie on.


    Yuan Shu fell in love with it the first time she sat on it. She asked Wu Yan to buy an identical chair and put it in her room. However, this chair was custom-made and the construction period would take at least a month, so Shi Lu gave the chair to Yuan Shu while he waited for the new chair.


    Hence, Yuan Shu spent most of her time at home on this recliner.


    She placed the report in her hand on the coffee table, then put on cotton slippers and went downstairs.


    Among the three siblings, Shi Yi and Shi Bin had the same father and mother, so their relationship was closer. Now, they were whispering to each other, and Shi Yi would jab Shi Bin from time to time. Meanwhile, Shi Lu sat in the corner of the sofa and looked at them quietly, as if he had always been an outsider.


    When the three of them saw Yuan Shu go downstairs, they stopped what they were doing and looked at her. Then, they greeted, ¡°Hello, Sister-in-law.¡±


    Even Wu Yan, who was usually aloof, couldn¡¯t help but be a little surprised when she saw the three siblings acting so obedient. Madam Shi was really capable, since it wasn¡¯t easy to make the three of them so obedient.


    Yuan Shu smiled gently at the three of them and said, ¡°Prepare to eat.¡±


    The dishes today were specifically prepared by Yuan Shu according to their preferences.


    Shi Lu liked spicy food, so she made a plate of boiled meat slices that smelled delicious.


    Shi Yi liked sweet and sour mashed yams. After freezing it in the fridge for an hour, she made it into the shape of an ice cream and drizzled it with fresh blueberry sauce. It suited her taste very well.


    Shi Bin seemed to be a troublemaker, but he was a very different person when it came to food. He liked salty food, so this plate of steamed bass was prepared for him.


    There were also two home-cooked dishes and meatbail soup. The atmosphere was very cozy..


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 Chapter 86 - Chapter 86: Arrangement

    Chapter 86: Arrangement


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    The three siblings of the Shi family rarely sat together for dinner, especially with their sister-in-law, Yuan Shu. Therefore, the atmosphere was a little awkward at the beginning.


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t mind the awkwardness. Instead, she started to ask about everyone¡¯s daily lives.


    First, she asked Shi Bin, ¡°You¡¯re graduating in June. Nowadays, all schools let their students intern. What are your plans?¡±


    Shi Bin said nonchalantly, ¡°I don¡¯t have any plans. It¡¯s just an internship. I can just get a random stamp from the company. I don¡¯t like to work. I want to enjoy my life.¡±


    Looking at Shi Bin¡¯s youthful face, Yuan Shu picked up a mouthful of fish and placed it in her mouth. She chewed it slowly and finished swallowing before asking, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    When Shi Bin glanced at her, he felt as if she wasn¡¯t eating the fish, but him. Shi Bin felt apprehensive and said, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure. I haven¡¯t thought it through yet¡­ Yes, I haven¡¯t thought it through.¡±


    Yuan Shu nodded thoughtfully and asked, ¡°Are you interested in venture capital?¡±


    Shi Bin didn¡¯t answer immediately. He thought about the investment plan that he had made for Yuan Shu two days ago. He and the professor had only come up with it after spending an entire day in the computer room. When he saw the investment plan, Shi Bin was filled with a sense of accomplishment.


    This was the first time he had worked so hard and put in so much effort for something. Now that he thought about it, there wasn¡¯thing wrong with being a venture capitalist.


    Seeing that Shi Bin was silent, Yuan Shu could tell at a glance that he was tempted. However, he had just said that he didn¡¯t like work, so he would definitely not backtrack right away. Hence, Yuan Shu gave him a way out.


    ¡°Shenglan Venture Investment Company has been hiring interns recently. Why don¡¯t you give it a try?¡±


    Shenglan Venture Investment Corporation was a company founded by Xiao Sheng. It was medium-sized, but it was quite famous in the industry. Coupled with Xiao Sheng¡¯s character, many people in this industry had high hopes for him.


    Therefore, interning in his company would allow Shi Bin to learn knowledge without coming into contact with the dark side of society. It was the best choice for Shi Bin.


    Shi Bin was already a little interested in the venture capital profession. In addition, he couldn¡¯t help but want to listen to his sister-in-law and treated her words like an imperial edict. He wanted to receive her praise. Even if he couldn¡¯t, not getting scolded would be nice as well.


    Now that Yuan Shu had given him a way out, Shi Bin naturally had no reason to reject her. Moreover, he didn¡¯t have any resistance regarding it. Instead, he agreed to this matter willingly.


    Everyone at the table was silent for a moment. When Yuan Shu spoke again, she talked to Shi Yi.


    ¡°Shi Yi, how do you want to deal with the haute couture copyright infringement?¡±


    At the mention of this, Shi Yi was furious. She gripped her chopsticks tightly and said fiercely, ¡°Of course I want to sue him! Who cares about his lousy money?! Since he dared to touch my things, I¡¯ll let him know how powerful I am!¡±


    Yuan Shu approved Shi Yi¡¯s decision.


    Yuan Shu¡¯s principle was eye for an eye. If someone offended her, she would get revenge! She treated her family the same as well. As long as they wanted to compete, they had to win fair and square!


    Yuan Shu encouraged Shi Yi, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this. Liu Lan and I will help you.¡±


    Shi Yi was touched and nodded solemnly. ¡°Alright!¡±


    Yuan Shu waited for her to calm down before asking her, ¡°What are your plans after you return to the country? Are you going out of the country soon?¡±


    Shi Yi supported her chin with her hand and tapped her trusted cheek with her finger that had just been manicured. ¡°I won¡¯t go back for the time being. I want to find a job in the country so that I can make a name for itself in the country through my designs! This way, no one will dare to plagiarize my design so easily in the future.¡±


    Seeing Shi Yi¡¯s confidence and fighting spirit, Yuan Shu was happy for her from the bottom of her heart.


    As the only daughter in the family, Shi Yi had been pampered since she was young. Although she was domineering sometimes, she also had the pride of a lady from a blue-blood family, which made Yuan Shu feel gratified.


    Suddenly, an idea appeared in Yuan Shu¡¯s mind. She thought of her fabric factory, Yushu Buyi.


    She had already seen the company¡¯s development report just now and felt that the company¡¯s current development model could no longer keep up with the trend of the times. It was time to carry out some reforms..


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 Chapter 87 - Chapter 87: Invitation

    Chapter 87: Invitation


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Yushu Buyi was originally a fabric manufacturer. It had always been a supplier of clothing and only provided high-quality cloth. The price of Yushu Buyi¡¯s cloth was very high.


    However, one product wasn¡¯t enough. Once there was a problem with the fabric, they would be in a dilemma.


    Regarding this issue, Yuan Shu had a bold idea. She would let Yushu Buyi increase the design and production of clothes and then sell them to be completely self-sufficient.


    In this case, there would be corresponding upstream and downstream enterprises in terms of fabric supply, clothing design, and clothing manufacturing. It was a good development prospect.


    Yuan Shu was in a dilemma because of the sudden expansion of the business and the lack of manpower, but the number of people she could trust was limited.


    At this moment, Yuan Shu looked at Shi Yi, who was sitting opposite her with fighting spirit, and instantly had an idea.


    ¡°Shi Yi, I wonder if you¡¯re interested in becoming the design director at my company. You¡¯ll have full authority over the design of clothes and the choice of fabrics. However, I just took over the company and I decided to set up this department. I don¡¯t know much about the pay for designers, but I can guarantee that I¡¯ll pay you as much as others can. We can discuss this further.¡±


    Shi Yi¡¯s eyes lit up. She had just graduated not long ago. Even if she came back from studying abroad, her work experience was limited and she didn¡¯t have many representative works. To be able to be responsible for the entire design department of a company was already extremely good treatment.


    She knew about Yuan Shu¡¯s company. When she first married Shi Xiao, all her information was already on the table in the Shi family¡¯s living room. From her family background to her looks, age, personality, and so on, everything was in that stack of information.


    Initially, Shi Yi wasn¡¯t interested in this information, but when it came to clothing design, it was something she understood, so she couldn¡¯t help but take a few more glances.


    Although Yushu Buyi couldn¡¯t compare to the Wang family, who made clothes for her two days ago, in terms of operations, in terms of quality, she wasn¡¯t inferior to anyone else. Putting aside her previous grudge against Yuan Shu, she also felt that this company was good.


    Moreover, now, she felt close to Yuan Shu from the bottom of her heart and couldn¡¯t help but want to get closer to her, so she had a better impression of this company as well.


    But Shi Yi looked at Yuan Shu with uncertainty. ¡°Sister-in-law, are you really at ease leaving the entire department to me?¡±


    Yuan Shu relaxed and asked her, ¡°Then are you confident in yourself?¡±


    What Shi Yi didn¡¯t lack the most were confidence and arrogance. At this time, she would never say that she couldn¡¯t do it.


    She nodded vigorously as she promised Yuan Shu, ¡°I believe in myself! I believe that I can definitely design nice clothes!¡±


    Yuan Shu¡¯s eyes curved into the shape of a crescent moon as she said with a smile, ¡°I believe in you too.¡±


    Shi Bin, who had been listening for a while, couldn¡¯t help but interrupt, ¡°But Sister-in-law, Third Sister, if it¡¯s like what you said, and the design department has just been established, even if this company designs very good products, the consumers might not buy the clothes. According to my teacher, consumers nowadays are more inclined to buy from familiar and relatively famous brands. I¡¯m worried that even if we invest a lot of money, the return won¡¯t be high.¡±


    Yuan Shu was in a dilemma. This was indeed a difficult problem. After all, this wasn¡¯t the ancient times, when clothing shops measured people¡¯s sizes and made clothes according to the fabric chosen by the guests. Making clothes was only a part of the processing fee and wasn¡¯t considered the final product.


    Therefore, the clothes designed by the company could only be considered consumer goods. Consumer goods had to be paid for by the consumer in order to earn a profit. Yuan Shu only understood a little about this after watching the finance channel for so many days.


    Seeing that everyone at the table was silent again, Shi Lu suddenly put down the chopsticks in her hand and said, ¡°Can¡¯t you just find a spokesperson? Isn¡¯t there an influencer right in front of you guys?¡±


    Everyone looked at Shi Lu, who was sitting beside Yuan Shu, at the same time. Shi Bin and Shi Yi were shocked. Shi Lu, who kept a low profile at home all year round, actually took the initiative to help instead of mocking them. How unexpected..


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 88 - Chapter 88: Spokesperson

    Chapter 88: Spokesperson


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Yuan Shu only noticed Shi Lu¡¯s appearance. His skin was fair and smooth, and his face was chiseled. The fringe above his forehead accentuated the calmness in his eyes.


    In addition, he had just eaten spicy food, so his lips were red and juicy, making him look even more gorgeous.


    Even someone like Yuan Shu, who didn¡¯t pay attention to appearances, couldn¡¯t help but praise Shi Lu¡¯s handsomeness!


    Shi Lu felt that Yuan Shu was looking at him as if he was a piece of meat on a chopping board. Why did he feel as if he was about to be slaughtered?


    The corners of his lips twitched as he said in exasperation, ¡°Sister-in-law, can you pretend that I didn¡¯t say that?¡±


    Shi Lu¡¯s meaning was: Is it too late to regret now?


    Yuan Shu smiled sweetly, as if she was trying to cajole a three-year-old child with candy. ¡°No.¡±


    Shi Lu raised his fist to his mouth and coughed softly. Then, he raised his hand and flipped the hair on his forehead before posing in a super handsome posture. His mischievous look gave people a sense of exasperation.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, my endorsement fee has to be paid in full!¡±


    Shi Yi and Shi Bin were dumbfounded. Was this still the Second Brother they knew? Second Brother usually seemed so quiet and low profile, but he was actually so flamboyant!


    Unexpectedly, Yuan Shu was even more mischievous. ¡°Talking about money hurts our relationship.¡±


    After saying that, Yuan Shu couldn¡¯t help but cover her mouth and laugh. The atmosphere was no longer as awkward as before. It was as if ice had suddenly broken and the atmosphere became warm.


    The three siblings of the Shi family had forgotten their past grudges and started chatting and laughing. Shi Yi and Shi Bin had always been the most at ease in the Shi family¡¯s home. They started to complain that Shi Lu kept trying to act cool at home every day, so he really deserved a beating.


    Shi Lu wasn¡¯t to be outdone. He retaliated with the claim that the two of them liked to cause trouble.


    The originally silent meal suddenly turned into a scene of bickering. Even the servants waiting at the side were stunned.


    They had worked in the ancestral home for so many years, and some of them had worked here for more than ten years. However, they had never seen the three siblings of the Shi family get along like this. Most of the time, they were as polite as strangers who had just met. It had been a long time since the ancestral home was so lively.


    This meal lasted for more than two hours. Even the food turned cold and was heated twice. In the end, it ended when Shi Bin lay on the back of the chair after eating his fill.


    Shi Yi and Shi Lu were still very careful about their image. Although they had a happy meal and ate a lot more than usual, they still remained mindful of their figures at all times, so most of the dishes went into Shi Bin¡¯s stomach.


    Shi Yi was infected by the warm atmosphere. On a whim, she took out her phone to check tomorrow¡¯s weather and suggested excitedly, ¡°It¡¯s rare that the four of us are at home. The weather is good tomorrow, so why don¡¯t we go for a picnic tomorrow afternoon?¡±


    Then, she looked at Yuan Shu with her bright eyes. Yuan Shu was the backbone of their group. If she wanted to go, no one would reject her.


    Actually, Yuan Shu wasn¡¯t a person who liked lively events. Although everyone got along well in the past, because of restrictions and rules, she wasn¡¯t as unrestrained, like she was in the Shi family.


    Yuan Shu was infected by this liveness and felt a heartwarming sensation, as if she suddenly felt a sense of belonging.


    A gentle and generous smile appeared on Yuan Shu¡¯s red lips. It was a smile that was even warmer than the spring breeze. ¡°Alright, let the servants prepare.¡±


    After Wu Yan heard this, she turned around and whispered to some servants to start preparing some blankets and tools for the picnic. As for food, she would prepare it tomorrow to ensure that the food was fresh.


    With Yuan Shu¡¯s permission, the three of them were even happier and started discussing enthusiastically again.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to Lakeside Park? There¡¯s a large cherry blossom forest there. We can sit under the cherry blossom trees and have a picnic!¡± Shi Yi suggested.


    ¡°I can bring a camera to¡­ take a photo of our family.¡± When she said the words ¡°family¡±, Shi Lu still couldn¡¯t help but pause slightly, but she quickly finished the second half with a smile.


    Shi Bin also imitated how Shi Lu flipped her hair at the dining table just now. He flipped his hair and said, ¡°Then Second Brother, you have to take more handsome photos of me! Our school is going to start evaluating the school hunks again soon.. I¡¯ll use tomorrow¡¯s photos to participate in the competition!¡±


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 89 - Chapter 89: Trying on Clothes

    Chapter 89: Trying on Clothes


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    The next morning, Shi Yi got up from the bed and knocked on Yuan Shu¡¯s door, only to find that her room was empty.


    After asking the servants, they found out that Yuan Shu had woken up the two young masters early in the morning and was running with them in the garden.


    Out of curiosity, Shi Yi ran to the garden to take a look, then she was ordered to run two kilometers.


    Shi Yi was on the brink of tears as she looked at Yuan Shu, who was drinking water calmly.


    Yuan Shu was wearing sportswear that was convenient for exercising and showed off her figure. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, and there was a headband that fixed all the hair on the top of her head, making Yuan Shu look very vivacious.


    Shi Yi acted pitifully as she said, ¡°Sister-in-law, I haven¡¯t exercised for so long, so I might not be able to run more than two kilometers. Can we forget about it today?¡±


    Yuan Shu said seriously, ¡°You need to exercise precisely because you haven¡¯t exercised for a long time. I originally wanted to give you a break today, so I didn¡¯t wake you up. I didn¡¯t expect you to wake up early on your own. Isn¡¯t it a pity not to go running on such a sunny day?¡±


    Shi Yi was filled with regret. Why did she give herself trouble?! Wasn¡¯t it better to try on dresses in her room?!


    As Shi Bin ran, he said, ¡°That¡¯s right, come join us!¡±


    Forty minutes later, the four of them stood under the gardenia tree, panting. As they enjoyed the fresh fragrance of the flowers, they began to stretch.


    Shi Yi was the weakest and was covered in sweat as she sat on the ground.


    Yuan Shu gave her a friendly reminder. ¡°If you don¡¯t stretch in time after exercising, you will damage your muscles.¡±


    Shi Yi stood up unwillingly. ¡°Sister-in-law, I wanted to take you to try on a dress.¡±


    Yuan Shu raised her toes and stretched her calf as she asked, ¡°What dress?¡±


    When Shi Yi imitated her posture, the soreness in her legs made her frown. ¡°It¡¯s the clothes I asked the Wang Family¡¯s clothing store to make two days ago. I designed it myself and they said that it would be delivered this morning.¡±


    Speaking of designing her own clothes, Shi Yi couldn¡¯t help but feel smug. She was already obsessed with fashion design, and whenever she saw fabric, she couldn¡¯t help but look at it carefully. She looked at the designs of other designers in magazines the most every day in order to learn from them.


    Shi Bin complained unhappily, ¡°Second Sister, you¡¯re so biased. I asked you to make clothes for me, but you didn¡¯t agree. You¡¯ve only been back for a few days, but you¡¯re already helping Sister-in-law make clothes!¡±


    Shi Yi rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Can you compare to Sister-in-law?¡±


    Shi Bin shut his mouth obediently.


    In the hearts of the three siblings of the Shi family, Yuan Shu¡¯s status far exceeded their elder brother¡¯s, even exceeding that of their parents.


    After the exercise and breakfast, Shi Yi pulled Yuan Shu to try on all the clothes she had made. Shi Yi couldn¡¯t help but praise Yuan Shu¡¯s slim figure. If she were to be a model, she would definitely be a supermodel.


    Yuan Shu was 1.7 meters tall, and her figure was slender, but she was also busty. Coupled with her recent exercise, the contours of her muscles were even more obvious, and she looked healthy. With such a figure, she would look good in anything.


    Shi Yi dolled Yuan Shu up and chose a long-sleeved apricot-colored dress with a tight V-shaped waist design. Coupled with a leather chain belt specially made by an Italian custom-made brand, her waist looked very slim.


    The hem of the dress was in the shape of a tulip. It was elegant, classy, and not too restrictive. When she walked, it swayed gently with her footsteps, making her look even more graceful and beautiful.


    She chose a small wool suit jacket. The black fabric was decorated with some white embellishments, and it gave her a noble aura. In the end, she chose a pair of black sheepskin stilettos. She looked elegant and beautiful in this outfit, and it was very suitable for a spring outing.


    Finally, Shi Yi put on exquisite makeup for Yuan Shu. It was the most popular nude makeup style and it highlighted Yuan Shu¡¯s slender eyebrows. Lip tint was applied on her lips, and it gave her a gentle yet aloof aura.


    This wasn¡¯t enough. Shi Yi didn¡¯t miss a single detail from head to toe. She curled Yuan Shu¡¯s thick and smooth black hair into big wavy curls and tied them into a low bun. Coupled with a French hat and small diamond earrings that were chic but not too eye-catching, the combination was just right..


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 90 - Chapter 90: Spring Trip

    Chapter 90: Spring Trip


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Yuan Shu mesmerized everyone the moment she went downstairs. Shi Bin was stunned. Then, he said, ¡°Sister-in-law, you¡¯re so beautiful!¡±


    Even Shi Lu, who was leaning against the wall with one hand in his pocket, couldn¡¯t help but tease, ¡°With such a beautiful woman by my side, it should be difficult not to attract attention. I¡¯m a big star, so I shouldn¡¯t be too flashy when I go out.¡±


    Shi Yi rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Then don¡¯t go. The two of us will accompany Sister-in-law!¡±


    Shi Lu admitted defeat. ¡°I was wrong. Of course I have to go.¡± Then, he waved the camera bag in his other hand. ¡°How can there be no photographer for the spring outing?¡±


    After receiving everyone¡¯s praise, Yuan Shu was happy even though she didn¡¯t care about her appearance. She smiled and said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡±


    After Wu Yan prepared the things, everyone set off.


    It was Monday, so there were not many people in Lakeside Park. However, to be safe, Shi Lu still wore a mask, sunglasses, and a hat to cover herself up tightly to avoid being recognized by fans.


    They had just entered spring, and the temperature had risen. The sunlight wasn¡¯t too scorching, and the warmth that enveloped her body lifted her mood as well.


    There was a man-made lake in Lakeside Park and there were cute little duck-shaped boats for rent by the lake. On the sparkling lake, the little ducks swayed in the water in the direction of the wind. Two to three boats carried people to the middle of the lake. The atmosphere was leisurely and comfortable, as if even the pace of life had slowed down.


    Around the artificial lake, there was a large area of pink cherry blossoms. It was the season when flowers started blooming, so large patches of pink and white petals embellished the green grass. The scenery was romantic and beautiful.


    As it was a weekday, not many people came for a picnic. There were only two to three groups of people sitting on the grass.


    They chose a spot near the lake where there was almost no one around. Then, Wu Yan laid out the picnic cloth and placed the sandwiches and pastries she had brought. She poured coffee for the four of them before silently retreating into the distance.


    The four of them sat around as they chatted happily. The atmosphere was extremely cordial. Shi Yi and Shi Bin started to banter and even stood up to chase each other around the cherry blossom forest. Yuan Shu and Shi Lu sat on the picnic cloth quietly as they enjoyed the pastries and coffee.


    After being here for a while, Yuan Shu had been influenced by the habits of the people of this era. She gradually began to adapt to products like coffee and started to appreciate its rich aftertaste.


    After taking a sip, Yuan Shu put down the exquisite coffee cup in her hand and smiled as she watched Shi Yi and Shi Bin fool around. After a while, she asked Shi Lu, ¡°How much do you know about Yuan An?¡±


    Shi Lu didn¡¯t care why Yuan Shu suddenly asked this question. He thought about this company carefully, but unfortunately, he knew very little about it.


    Shi Lu shook her head. Under his baseball cap, his eyes were filled with confusion. ¡°I only know that it¡¯s a digital technology company. It¡¯s currently researching an online technology park project. I¡¯m not sure about the rest.¡± ¡°Online technology park?¡± Yuan Shu repeated. This term was unfamiliar to her.


    Shi Lu explained to her according to his understanding, ¡°It¡¯s equivalent to an online platform. Companies from all over the country can apply to enter the technology park online. There are no limitations regarding the size of the company and the rent. Simply put, you can start a company online. This is a very progressive idea, so its feasibility has yet to be verified.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed very progressive,¡± Yuan Shu thought to herself. Whether in ancient times or in today¡¯s society, the fact that shops and companies could do business virtually was a huge breakthrough. No wonder so many people were eyeing Yuan An Corporation covetously.


    Yuan Shu was distracted by her own thoughts when Shi Lu suddenly called out to her, ¡°Sister-in-law.¡±


    Shi Lu was about to say something when he was suddenly interrupted by the zither music not far away. He had wanted to ask Yuan Shu about Shi Xiao, but he lost the best opportunity to do so..


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 91 - Chapter 91: Phoenix Seeks Phoenix

    Chapter 91: Phoenix Seeks Phoenix


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Not far away, the melodious and long sound of a zither came from the cherry blossom forest. It was playing ¡°Phoenix Seeks the Phoenix.¡±


    It was obvious that the player was very skilled. There were many changes in his playing technique, and his understanding of the song was very unique.


    Yuan Shu had heard this song many times and had heard many different people play it. Even the most esteemed musician in the palace had specifically come to Yuan Shu¡¯s residence to play it for her, because this was her favorite song and she had received the emperor¡¯s bestowment. It was obvious how much the royal family valued Yuan Shu.


    As for this player, the ¡°Phoenix Seeks the Phoenix¡± he played was different from all the versions of ¡°Phoenix Seeks the Phoenix¡± that Yuan Shu had heard. It was more sorrowful, but there was also a hint of magnanimity. The disappointment and helplessness in the zither music were all revealed by this player.


    Yuan Shu was very curious about what kind of person could reveal such complicated emotions. This feeling was full of haggardness, as if the person¡¯s heart had been shattered, but was carefully pieced together again and was trying to bloom under the sun.


    Yuan Shu thought that the person who could play a song so brilliantly was probably an old man with gray hair.


    She couldn¡¯t help but stand up and search for the source of the zither music, in hopes of seeing the player¡¯s appearance from afar.


    Seeing Yuan Shu walk in the direction of the zither music, Shi Lu followed her to protect her.


    Although Shi Yi and Shi Bin, who were fooling around at the side, couldn¡¯t understand the zither music, they stopped. After the two of them looked at each other, they walked towards the player out of curiosity.


    They walked deep into the cherry blossom forest. A young man sat under a lush cherry blossom tree.


    Wearing a beige collared shirt and light gray loose pants, he sat there quietly.


    There was a zither about 1.6 meters long placed on his lap. The melodious sound of the zither overflowed from his fingertips and echoed with every tremble of the zither string.


    His short brownish-black hair reflected a dazzling golden color under the light. The sunlight cast shadows on his fair face through his bangs, covering his closed eyes and intertwining with his long eyelashes. His skin was so fair that it was almost transparent. He had a fragile sort of beauty.


    Afraid of disturbing him, Yuan Shu stopped in the distance. She stared at him and his slender fingers that held the zither.


    Shi Yi and the others also stopped beside Yuan Shu.


    When the song ended, the man¡¯s slender hand spread out and landed on the strings gently, covering the last trembling note, but the song still seemed to echo in the forest.


    After Yuan Shu closed her eyes, she felt as if there were two phoenixes lingering above the forest, unwilling to leave.


    After a while, Yuan Shu finally heaved a sigh of relief and slowly opened her eyes. Coincidentally, she opened her eyes at the same time as that person. When their gazes met, a gust of wind blew past and flower petals fell from the sky. Two pairs of equally calm eyes revealed mirth. There were thousands of emotions mixed in their gazes. Then, they smiled at each other.


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t stay any longer. She got up and went back to her seat.


    Yuan Shu knelt on the picnic mat and took a sip of coffee as she recalled the previous melody.


    Shi Lu stayed by her side, but didn¡¯t speak. He could tell that Yuan Shu resonated with this song, so he didn¡¯t want to disturb her.


    It wasn¡¯t until Shi Yi and Shi Bin returned that the forest became lively again.


    Shi Yi went to Yuan Shu¡¯s side and said excitedly, ¡°That person played the zither so well. I used to go to the concert hall to listen to esteemed musicians play. To be honest, I don¡¯t think those musicians are as good as that person!¡±


    Shi Bin retorted, ¡°You¡¯re praising him because he was good-looking. How can you understand zither?!¡±


    Shi Yi slapped the back of Shi Bin¡¯s head. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?! Although that person is very good-looking, didn¡¯t you notice the zither he played with? Zithers are usually about 1.2 meters long, but his was 1.62 meters long and didn¡¯t have zither bones! Isn¡¯t that professional enough?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Shi Bin covered his head and replied with an aggrieved expression.


    As Yuan Shu listened to them quietly, she felt that hearing such a song today was indeed a pleasant surprise..


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 92 - Chapter 92: Wooden Boat

    Chapter 92: Wooden Boat


    Translator: Henyee Translations    Editor: Henyee Translations


    At four or five in the afternoon, the temperature dropped a little, so everyone got up and prepared to go back.


    Wu Yan was packing her things while Yuan Shu stood under the tree and waited. She saw the young man who was playing the zither slowly walking towards them with his zither that was almost as tall as a person.


    The zither was very big, but it didn¡¯t look clumsy on his back at all. In any case, it complemented him perfectly.


    He walked straight towards Yuan Shu and stood in front of her as he said, ¡°Miss, your ear stud fell off.¡±


    His voice was gentle and breezy. It wasn¡¯t aggressive, but warm and gentle, completely different from his zither music.


    He raised his hand towards Yuan Shu and opened his palm. Yuan Shu¡¯s square diamond ear stud was lying in his slender and fair palm.


    Yuan Shu raised her hand to touch her ear. Her ear stud seemed to have fallen off when she listened to him play the zither just now. He actually noticed such a small thing falling into the grass. It seemed that he was very observant.


    As Yuan Shu reached for the ear stud, she tried to avoid touching him, but the ear stud was too small, so her fingertips still brushed across his palm.


    His palm subconsciously trembled. Then, he said, ¡°I¡¯m Mu Zhou. May I know your name?¡±


    Yuan Shu was stunned. It had been a long time since she had heard someone call her Miss. It had also been a long time since she had heard someone speak in such an ancient manner.


    Yuan Shu took the ear stud, but didn¡¯t put it on immediately. She didn¡¯t answer his question. Instead, she asked, ¡°May I know how to spell your name?¡±


    ¡°M-u Z-h-o-u.¡±


    A gust of wind blew from the east, shaking the branches and messing up Yuan Shu¡¯s hair. Mu Zhou¡¯s bangs swayed in the wind and gave him a sense of mystery.


    Suddenly, Mu Zhou raised his hand towards Yuan Shu¡¯s forehead. Shi Lu, who was standing on Yuan Shu¡¯s left, turned around to block Yuan Shu in order to protect her.


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t move.


    Mu Zhou stopped at Yuan Shu¡¯s right shoulder and approached her right earlobe. Then, he grabbed a cherry blossom that fell with the wind. Shi Lu, who was on the left, was still frozen.


    The scene was quite strange.


    After Yuan Shu turned her head slightly and looked at his slender hand, she felt that such slender hands were meant to play the zither.


    When Mu Zhou retracted his hand, the cherry blossom was still in his palm.


    Shi Lu also stood back in his original position, as if nothing had happened.


    When Yuan Shu smiled, even the cherry blossoms paled in comparison. ¡°That¡¯s a nice name.¡±


    Mu Zhou didn¡¯t ask for Yuan Shu¡¯s name. Instead, he nodded politely and smiled at Yuan Shu before turning to leave.


    As Yuan Shu stared at his back, she felt a familiar and melancholic feeling in her heart.


    Shi Yi waited until he was far away before she came over and stood on the other side of Yuan Shu. Then, she said, ¡°Did you notice that although his clothes are made of cotton, there is natural silk mixed in the cotton thread?¡±


    Shi Bin knew that Shi Yi had a lot to say when it came to fabric, so he asked, ¡°So what if it¡¯s made of silk?¡±


    Shi Yi continued with a smug expression, ¡°After mixing in silk, the clothing will be more breathable and have a better cooling effect. You won¡¯t feel hot in it even when you wear it in the summer. However, with silk, the craftsmanship will be more complicated and the cost will be higher. Yushu Buyi produces this kind of fabric. Mu Zhou might be a young master from a wealthy family who has just returned from studying abroad.¡±


    As they spoke, Wu Yan had already packed their things and followed everyone to the parking lot.


    Shi Yi was still pondering. ¡°Whose family do you think he is from? Why haven¡¯t I heard of any young master who can play the zither so well?¡±


    Shi Lu also started to tease her. ¡°Why? Are you interested in her? Do you want to woo him and make him your boyfriend?¡±


    Shi Yi glared at him and mocked him in return, ¡°I don¡¯t! I don¡¯t like this type. I like outgoing men! Look at how thin you are. Do you have muscles at all?¡±


    Shi Lu didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he flicked Shi Yi¡¯s forehead and ran away. Shi Yi chased after him.


    As for Yuan Shu, she had a smile on her face. She couldn¡¯t tell what was wrong, but she felt a sense of disappointment and melancholy when she heard his name..


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 Chapter 93 - Chapter 93: Talk

    Chapter 93: Talk


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    The next day, Yuan Shu received an invitation from Li Ci, who invited her to the Yunshe Teahouse.


    Yunshe Teahouse was a newly opened teahouse. The renovation style resembled that of the teahouses of the Tang Dynasty. It was a building that was a combination of ancient and modern elements.


    The teahouse had a two-story patio-style design. Every room around the hall was separated by a screen, which was made of mahogany and embroidered with brocade from the south. It was elegant and extravagant.


    The seats in the center of the hall were separated by calligraphy and paintings hanging from the roof. It didn¡¯t seem too enclosed, and could leave some private space for each room.


    Li Ci had reserved a seat by the window on the second floor. It was facing the wooden pear blossom window, and the lighting was very good.


    Li Ci chose the spring water from Tianshan Mountain to make tea. Soon, the aroma of tea filled the entire private room. Just a whiff of it made one feel relaxed.


    ¡°Yuan Shu, I remember you saying that you like the Silver Needles made from mountain spring water the most. This teahouse has just opened and I came to try it once. The water quality isn¡¯t bad, so I invited you to try it.¡±


    Li Ci pointed at the teacup on the tea tray and made an inviting gesture. Yuan Shu said politely, ¡°It¡¯s my honor to try the tea you personally made, Mr. Li.¡±


    While Yuan Shu picked up the teacup to taste the tea, Li Ci teased, ¡°You¡¯re being too polite. Since we¡¯re friends, aren¡¯t you treating me like an outsider by calling me Mr. Li?¡±


    Yuan Shu covered her mouth and said with a chuckle, ¡°I was wrong, Li Ci.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Li Ci was satisfied. The previous pot of water had already been soaked. He placed the kettle on the stove and poured a bottle of mountain spring water to boil again.


    The two of them began to taste the tea and talk about tea leaves. The two of them were extremely fond of tea and talked about tea non-stop. Whether Li Ci talked about the Song Dynasty¡¯s tea or the Yuan Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty¡¯s tea leaves, Yuan Shu could answer him. As long as it was about tea leaves, the two of them knew everything about it, even the most esoteric aspects.


    As the two of them chatted to their heart¡¯s content, they unknowingly lost track of time. The tea leaves had already been brewed many times and lost their taste. Li Ci ordered another set of tea leaves, but they were white Silver Needles, which were slightly different from the previous Silver Needles.


    When the two of them were drinking the White Silver Needles, they couldn¡¯t help but discuss the difference between the two types of Silver Needles. By the time they finished discussing, two hours had passed.


    Li Ci had never seen anyone who knew so much about tea leaves, so he couldn¡¯t help but gush about the different varieties. Yuan Shu, on the other hand, had never had the chance to discuss tea with anyone else. Today, they chatted to their heart¡¯s content!


    One¡¯s understanding of tea revealed one¡¯s character. After two hours of discussion, the two of them felt as if they had known each other for a long time and had become very good friends.


    As the saying went, a hedge between keeps friendship green. This was the case between the two of them. Even if they had only met a few times, it was enough for them to become friends.


    After the conversation ended, the two of them were still reminiscing about the joy of the heated discussion just now. Suddenly, Li Ci remembered something and said, ¡°I heard that Yushu Buyi is recruiting recently. Is there anything you need help with?¡±


    Yuan Shu put the teacup back on the tea tray and said, ¡°You¡¯re really well-informed. However, we¡¯ve just started recruiting and haven¡¯t found any problems. If there¡¯s a need, I¡¯ll definitely come and ask you.¡±


    If it were any other time, a meticulous person like Li Ci definitely wouldn¡¯t interfere in other people¡¯s matters, let alone take the initiative to mention it. If it had nothing to do with him, he wouldn¡¯t be nosy. If he didn¡¯t interfere in other people¡¯s matters, trouble would come knocking on his door. The fact that he took the initiative to ask Yuan Shu meant that he really treated her as a friend.


    Although Yuan Shu had a straightforward personality, she was very vigilant. She always had her guard up when it came to making friends. This also helped her hold her position as the head of the household for so many years. If she didn¡¯t trust people so easily, she wouldn¡¯t be manipulated.


    Hence, under normal circumstances, Li Ci¡¯s concern would seem inappropriate. However, things were different now. She admired Li Ci¡¯s understanding of tea and believed in his character. She treated him as a friend, so she wasn¡¯t so vigilant.


    When it was time to leave, Li Ci and Yuan Shu went downstairs side by side. ¡°I believe in your ability to employ people efficiently. However, Yushu Buyi¡¯s current situation isn¡¯t optimistic, so it¡¯s best to be careful. You must be cautious when employing people.¡±


    In response to Li Ci¡¯s pertinent suggestion, Yuan Shu replied solemnly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I understand..¡±


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 94 - Chapter 94: Jiang Chen

    Chapter 94: Jiang Chen


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    A month later.


    With the help of the Shi family, Yushu Buyi quickly solved the problem of the order with Xu Lang¡¯s high-end restaurant.


    After Yushu Buyi underwent big reforms and recruited nearly thirty people in this month, it began to get back on the right track. In addition, this was an old factory that had been around for decades and still had the customer base that it had accumulated previously. Soon, the funds began to show signs of flowing back.


    Shi Yi didn¡¯t let Xu Lang off either. In the end, she received two million yuan as compensation. Xu Lang also had to apologize on social platforms. His haute couture shop fell into a quagmire overnight and closed down the day after it became famous.


    After this incident, Xu Lang rarely appeared in public. He wasn¡¯t even present at the banquet and ball organized by the Xu family.


    After hiding for a month, Xu Lang¡¯s patience was exhausted. Just as he couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore, he received a call from the Jiang family.


    Xu Lang looked at the caller ID. He had long lost his patience, so before the other party could speak, he asked, ¡°Cousin, I¡¯ve already done as you asked. My reputation is ruined now! It¡¯s been a month. What about the promise you made me?¡±


    The person who called Xu Lang was the current head of the Jiang family, Jiang Chen. His cousin had married Xu Lang¡¯s biological sister. With such a relationship, it was really far-fetched to call him cousin.


    The person on the other end of the line chuckled. ¡°Heh, what¡¯s the hurry? I¡¯m here to help you arrange it. I¡¯ve already acquired Down Ridge Clothes Workshop. This company will be handed over to you to manage. From now on, you¡¯re its chairman.¡±


    When Xu Lang heard this news, he was delighted at first, but before he could rejoice, his spirits was dampened.


    ¡°Wait, cousin, if I remember correctly, Down Ridge Clothes Workshop is Yushu Buyi¡¯s competitor, right? From operations to business structure, the two companies are almost the same. Since you¡¯re asking me to manage the Down Ridge Clothes Workshop, could it be that you want me to cause trouble for the Shi family?¡±


    Xu Lang still had some reservations about going against the Shi family. After the copyright infringement case, although Jiang Chen had secretly helped him, the Shi family, especially Yuan Shu, wasn¡¯t to be trifled with!


    Xu Lang didn¡¯t know what was wrong with him. He was actually afraid of a mere woman!


    Jiang Chen praised, ¡°You¡¯re very smart, but you¡¯re only half right. I¡¯m not asking you to go against the Shi family, but Yuan Shu.¡±


    Xu Lang¡¯s heart skipped a beat. In that case, he might as well go against the Shi family.


    He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Cousin, do you have any grudges with Yuan Shu? Why do you keep causing trouble for her and making her unhappy?¡±


    Jiang Chen suddenly said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t be nosy. Just do your job!¡±


    Then, the call was hung up.


    Xu Lang still couldn¡¯t understand.


    Half a year ago, Jiang Chen suddenly asked someone to find him and ask him to set a trap for Yushu Buyi to lure Yuan Shu into the trap. At that time, Xu Lang didn¡¯t agree. He was very business-minded and managed a high-end custom-made clothing store himself. He was very satisfied with his current life and didn¡¯t have such big ambitions.


    However, Jiang Chen¡¯s offer was too tempting. He asked Xu Lang, ¡°Are you willing to be ignored in the Xu family and work in a clothing store for the rest of your life? I believe in your ability. Working in a clothing store is a waste of your time. As long as you can help me, I can let you have the same treatment as your brother, Xu Jing, and own a company of the same size.¡±


    Xu Lang was tempted. Having a company of the same size meant that Xu Lang would have a place in the Xu family from now on. The Xu family had to consider his words carefully.


    Xu Lang agreed to Jiang Chen¡¯s plan, but the Shi family was more determined than he had imagined.


    Initially, he thought that with Yushu Buyi as a threat, the Shi family wouldn¡¯t continue to pester him regarding the copyright infringement case.


    Unexpectedly, the Shi family, who could barely even protect themselves, helped Yuan Shu at this time. The most unruly second daughter of the Shi family kept pestering him, causing him to lose the clothing store.


    Over the past month, he had endured countless looks of disdain and ridicule from the Xu family. If it weren¡¯t for Jiang Chen¡¯s instructions, Xu Lang wouldn¡¯t have been exposed. Xu Lang would have explained things to them already!


    Forget it. Fortunately, he still had a company.. So what if he had to go against Yuan Shu?


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 Chapter 95 - Chapter 95: Divorce

    Chapter 95: Divorce


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    In the past month, Li Ran and Gao Shan had completed the divorce procedures. The two of them officially divorced.


    On the day she came out of the Civil Affairs Bureau, Li Ran felt unprecedentedly relaxed. All these years, she knew that she should let go, but she was unwilling to. When the exhaustion finally dissipated, the relief made seem more Li Ran mature.


    On the way back, she lowered the window of the backseat of the red Lincoln and asked the man she had loved for years with a smile, ¡°Do you want a ride?¡±


    Gao Shan also felt relaxed. After being suppressed by Li Ran for so many years, he could finally communicate with her calmly. This was also the outcome that Gao Shan had fantasized about countless times. The truth was that Gao Shan had never loved Li Ran with all his heart.


    He nodded and sat in the front passenger seat. ¡°Please send me to the office, Uncle¡­¡± After he thought about it, he changed his address. ¡°Li Ci has something to discuss with me.¡±


    When the car was about to reach the office building, Li Ran suddenly asked him, ¡°What do you plan to do with the child in Chu Mei¡¯s stomach?¡±


    Gao Shan¡¯s tone was softened as he said, ¡°That¡¯s my first child, so of course I¡¯ll keep him.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ what about Chu Mei?¡± Although she knew the answer would bother her, Li Ran still asked.


    ¡°She can raise the baby on her own. I won¡¯t marry an actress.¡±


    Gao Shan was as heartless as ever. Li Ran sneered. After so many years, she finally saw this man¡¯s true colors. She had been blinded by her fantasies.


    Li Ran didn¡¯t say another word. After she left Gao Shan at the entrance of the company, the car drove off.


    Gao Shan and Li Ci¡¯s conversation wasn¡¯t pleasant either.


    Li Ci was waiting in Gao Shan¡¯s office. When he saw Gao Shan return, he went straight to the point. ¡°The Li family has always cut ties in a clean manner. Since you¡¯ve already divorced Ran, we don¡¯t need to have any more ties.¡±


    At this moment, Gao Shan still had an indifferent attitude. Now that his company was rich and he had connections, what difference did it make if he still relied on the Li family or not?


    Gao Shan actually became arrogant in front of Li Ci. ¡°What do you plan to do? Just say it.¡±


    Li Ci sneered. ¡°Do you think you can talk to me so arrogantly just because you have everything now?¡±


    As Gao Shan looked at Li Ci, who was sitting in his seat, he felt disdain. ¡°In the end, this company is mine. I¡¯m its legal owner! What about you? With your status, can you show your face openly in the business world?¡±


    Li Ci finally heard Gao Shan¡¯s true thoughts. Since he had endured listening to his commands for so many years, his patience wasn¡¯t something an ordinary person had. Li Ci couldn¡¯t help but clap.


    ¡°I¡¯ve indeed underestimated how thick-skinned you are.¡±


    Li Ci threw a folder at Gao Shan. ¡°Why don¡¯t you open it and take a look at the contents before deciding what kind of attitude you should use to talk to me?!¡±


    Gao Shan opened the folder skeptically. When he saw the contents, he suddenly turned pale. ¡°¡­Uncle.¡±


    He changed his address and tried to kiss up to him.


    Inside the folder, there were the termination contracts of all the manufacturers and companies he had worked with. Li Ci had interfered, so both parties had terminated the contract peacefully. Gao Shan wouldn¡¯t get any compensation for the breach of contract!


    As the saying went, everyone kicks a man who is down. These people had cooperated with Gao Shan because the Li family was backing him. They hoped to do Li Ci some favors and earn some brownie points for themselves, so things could be more smooth sailing in the future.


    Without Gao Shan, the Li family would still have Zhang Shan and Wang Shan in the future. However, if Gao Shan lost the Li family¡¯s support, he would be nothing.


    Everyone knew this very well. It was just that Gao Shan had always thought too highly of himself.


    Gao Shan panicked and knelt in front of Li Ci. ¡°Uncle, can you let me off? If these people terminate their contracts with the company, I¡¯ll go bankrupt!¡±


    Li Ci didn¡¯t even look at him. Instead, he admired the expensive jade ring he had just bought. When he put it on his thumb, it refracted an emerald luster under the sunlight.


    ¡°From the day you started lying to Ran, you should have expected this outcome. Originally, you could have been honest and things would have been fine, but you were too anxious and even made Chu Mei implicate Shi Xiao.. You¡¯re simply too stupid!¡±


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 Chapter 96 - Chapter 96: Bankruptcy

    Chapter 96: Bankruptcy


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Li Ci had never known that he could be so talkative, but it was because he pitied his little niece.


    Ever since they were young, because he and his little niece were similar in age, the two of them were closer to each other than anyone else. They were even closer than Li Ci and his sister.


    He still remembered how mischievous the two of them were when they were young. They hid from the adults and secretly set off fireworks. In the end, they encountered a group of hooligans by the river. At that time, the two of them didn¡¯t bring bodyguards and couldn¡¯t defeat these hooligans at all.


    One of the hooligans pointed fireworks at Li Ci and asked him to give in. However, Li Ci was very prideful and would never bow down to these hooligans.


    Seeing that Li Ci didn¡¯t give in, the hooligan was enraged and actually lit the fireworks. After sparks devoured the fuse, a boom rang in Li Ci and Li Ran¡¯s ears. At that time, Li Ci was completely frightened. He froze where she was and watched the burning fireworks that were getting closer and closer to him.


    At the critical moment, Li Ran pushed him away. The fireworks brushed past Li Ran¡¯s shoulder, and her clothes melted, leaving a burn mark on her shoulder.


    When the smell of burnt flesh emanated, the hooligan panicked when he realized that he had injured her. He quickly threw away the fireworks in his hand and ran away.


    The fireworks kept exploding beside Li Ci and Li Ran¡¯s feet. As Li Ran cried in pain, Li Ci hugged her tightly. When the fireworks stopped, Li Ci immediately carried Li Ran to the hospital.


    That day, Li Ci¡¯s sister, Li Mu, gave him a beating, but an indelible scar was left on Li Ran¡¯s shoulder. Later, Li Ci found many ways to remove the scar, but gave up because Li Ran found it troublesome.


    Li Ran said nonchalantly, ¡°It¡¯s not on my face, so why bother?¡±


    At that time, Li Ci secretly decided that he would protect his little niece no matter what and not let her suffer any harm. If anyone despised her because of the scar in the future, he would make that person pay the price.


    As for the hooligans who had injured them, Li Mu was involved in the political world, so he couldn¡¯t do anything. Hence, Li Ci paid someone to burn their faces with fireworks.


    It was also from then on that Li Ci decided not to get involved in the political world.


    However, he was Li Mu¡¯s immediate family, so for Li Mu¡¯s sake, he couldn¡¯t enter the business world either. Hence, he became a vagabond that dabbled in various fields.


    After Li Ran and Gao Shan got married, he used Gao Shan as his pawn in the business world. He established a company and earned huge profits.


    Therefore, although the company was Gao Shan¡¯s in name, it was actually Li Ci¡¯s.


    When Li Ran and Gao Shan became friends, Li Ci had advised her not to get close to him. However, Li Ran fell for Gao Shan and refused to listen to Li Ci. Later on, she insisted on marrying Gao Shan.


    Helpless, Li Ci could only vouch for her and take responsibility for his niece. Only then did they get married successfully.


    Li Ci knew that Gao Shan had an affair with a model. However, for Li Ran¡¯s sake and because he didn¡¯t have any evidence, he turned a blind eye. As a result, Gao Shan had endless affairs with various female celebrities.


    But this time, Gao Shan went way too far!


    Not only did he get Chu Mei pregnant, but he also got Chu Mei to frame Shi Xiao as the child¡¯s father. It was time for him to pay the price for causing such a ruckus!


    Li Ci¡¯s gaze was cold as he looked at Gao Shan, who was kneeling in front of him pitifully. If Li Ran had seen his true colors back then, that silly girl wouldn¡¯t have been deceived by him.


    ¡°Gao Shan, actually, you¡¯re not completely incapable. However, you took the wrong path and kept pining for the Li family behind Li Ran. You forgot that everything you have now was given to you by me. Since I can give it to you, I can also take it back.¡±


    Li Ci got up and dusted his slightly wrinkled suit pants. Then, he walked past Gao Shan with one hand in his pocket.


    Li Ci left the office without even closing the door. All the employees watched as their CEO knelt on the ground like a lowly dog.


    Gao Shan stood up and slammed the door. The moment the door closed, his expression became distorted. ¡°Li Ci, you forced me to do this.. Don¡¯t blame me for being heartless!¡±


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 Chapter 97 - Chapter 97: Conspiracy

    Chapter 97: Conspiracy


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Gao Shan took out his phone and called the number he had contacted a month ago.


    ¡°I agreed to your request.¡±


    However, the person on the other end of the line didn¡¯t take him up on it. ¡°Mr. Gao, you¡¯re too greedy and arrogant. At that time, you were too confident in yourself and rejected my invitation. Now, you have to suffer the consequences of your own actions. Not everyone is qualified to let me give him a second chance.¡±


    Gao Shan panicked. He gripped the phone tightly and couldn¡¯t help but raise his voice, but he tried his best to suppress it. ¡°Then what do you want? As long as you can help me ruin Li Ci¡¯s reputation, I¡¯ll do anything!¡±


    The person on the other end of the line sneered. ¡°Heh, Mr. Gao, if I¡¯m not wrong, you¡¯ll probably have ti announce bankruptcy at this time tomorrow. What do you think you can possibly help me with?¡±


    However, the person didn¡¯t hang up. It was obvious that he was waiting for Gao Shan to figure it out.


    Gao Shan thought about it and understood. Then, he suddenly said, ¡°Yes¡­ yes¡­ yes, I can help you deal with Yuan Shu!¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡± The person on the other end of the phone was starting to get interested and signaled for Gao Shan to continue.


    ¡°The person making the decisions for the Shi family now is Yuan Shu! I still have a way to control Shi Lu! As long as Shi Lu is controlled, Yuan Shu will definitely submit to me! At that time, it will be much easier for you to lay hands on Yuan An!¡±


    ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± That person chuckled disdainfully. ¡°Yuan Shu is just a woman? She¡¯s much harder to deal with than you. But I¡¯ll take this as your pledge of allegiance. If you succeed, I¡¯ll naturally help you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright¡­¡± Gao Shan knew that the other party couldn¡¯t see him, but he still nodded and bowed.


    Beep¡­ The call ended. Gao Shan¡¯s expression became vicious as he muttered, ¡°Yuan Shu¡­¡±


    He was right. That person was targeting Yuan An.


    A few months ago, this person suddenly found Gao Shan and said that he wanted to negotiate a deal with him. Gao Shan originally thought that this person was a fraud and didn¡¯t take him to heart. Unexpectedly, the person said, ¡°Mr. Gao, I know you¡¯ve always wanted to divorce Li Ran, but there¡¯s no suitable reason, so why don¡¯t I help you?¡±


    Gao Shan became vigilant and asked, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    The person said, ¡°As long as you get Chu Mei to claim the child in her stomach is Shi Xiao¡¯s, Li Ran definitely won¡¯t find out about the child for the time being, so your child will be safe. As for the rest, I¡¯ll handle it. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely ensure that the company will be fine after your divorce.¡±


    Later on, things went according to Gao Shan¡¯s expectations. After the divorce, but Li Ran didn¡¯t pursue the matter, nor did she take away more of his assets. Therefore, Gao Shan didn¡¯t take the Li family seriously at all.


    Later on, this person called him again. ¡°Mr. Gao, you¡¯re underestimating Li Ci. I¡¯m the only one who can help you now. As long as you¡¯re willing to let Chu Mei say that the child belongs to Shi Lu before ¡®Gunshot¡¯ wraps up and make Shi Lu the center of public attention, I can help you deal with Li Ci.¡±


    At that time, Gao Shan didn¡¯t take his words seriously at all. After all, the child in Chu Mei¡¯s stomach was his first child. Why should he claim his child was someone else¡¯s before the child was even born?


    Moreover, the company had been operating smoothly so far, and Li Ci had not caused trouble for him at all, so it seemed that Li Ci was at the end of his rope. Without Gao Shan, Li Ci¡¯s hands were tied. What was there to be afraid of when Li Ci was empty-handed?


    Therefore, Gao Shan rejected this person directly. ¡°I think our cooperation can end here. You don¡¯t have to worry about the rest. We won¡¯t meet again.¡±


    However, ¡®Gunshot¡¯ had already finished filming, so Chu Mei couldn¡¯t be used anymore. The previous conditions were no longer valid.


    Only at this moment did Gao Shan realize that he was just a chess piece in the hands of the upper-class people like them. He was nothing but a dispensable pawn!


    Gao Shan was indignant! The company he had worked so hard to build for so many years, even if he relied on Li Ci to develop it, belonged to him! He would never allow Li Ci to snatch it away!


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 Chapter 98 - Chapter 98: Yuan An

    Chapter 98: Yuan An


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    In the past month, Li Ci asked Yuan Shu out for tea at the Yunshe Teahouse a few times. He even brought Li Ran along a few times.


    Yuan Shu knew about Li Ran¡¯s feisty and decisive personality. However, during the few times she had seen Li Ran, Li Ran had clearly matured. She also became more reticent and would look out of the window in a daze from time to time.


    Li Ci let her immerse herself in her own world and would only ask her to leave with him after chatting with Yuan Shu to his heart¡¯s content.


    On the way back, Li Ci teased her, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re still thinking about that scumbag?¡±


    Li Ran continued to look at the rapidly disappearing scenery outside the car window as she shook her head indifferently. ¡®Tve lost all feelings for him long ago. I¡¯m just angry at myself. Why was I deceived by him despite knowing all about what he had done? I knew I was making the wrong decision, but I refused to turn back¡±


    She heaved a sigh of relief and smiled at her uncle as she said, ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m just experiencing an awakening!¡±


    Li Ci couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for her. Perhaps in this life, one had to suffer an unforgettable blow in order to learn to mature. Even his little niece was no exception.


    The last time Li Ci and Yuan Shu went to the Yunshe Teahouse for tea was probably a few days ago, but at that time, their conversation wasn¡¯t so pleasant.


    After tasting the tea made by Yuan Shu, Li Ci asked tentatively, ¡°You don¡¯t seem to care much about news of Shi Xiao. Aren¡¯t you concerned about his safety?¡±


    Yuan Shu stared at the tea in front of her as she said aloofly, ¡°It¡¯s okay. He¡¯ll be back sooner or later.¡±


    Li Ci poured the remaining tea in the teacup onto the tea seed as he asked, ¡°Then do you want him to come back sooner or later?¡±


    Yuan Shu had yet to realize the meaning behind Li Ci¡¯s words. ¡°He¡¯ll come back when it¡¯s time. I don¡¯t have any particular thoughts about it.¡±


    Li Ci knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to find out anything by beating around the bush, so he simply said bluntly, ¡°After the problem with Yuan An was resolved, the company¡¯s operations were suspended and some reforms were made. I heard that it suddenly started operating again recently.¡±


    Yuan Shu paused. Yuan An was different from other companies. It was a company that many companies coveted and also a company that Shi Xiao had specifically instructed her to look after. Hence, Yuan Shu was very vigilant when it came to this company.


    Li Ci had met with her so many times and mainly chatted about tea leaves. Although they also talked about other topics, they had never discussed the interests of the two families.


    The cooperation between the Shi family and the Li family had always been between Li Ci and the chief general manager¡¯s secretary, Zhao Mian. There was rarely a third person involved, so Li Ci¡¯s sudden mention of Yuan An was definitely not simple.


    Yuan Shu remained calm and replied aloofly, ¡°Mm.¡±


    Li Ci was very perceptive, so he could tell that Yuan Shu was already on guard just from her reply.


    Li Ci knew that he couldn¡¯t continue asking. If he did, his friendship with Yuan Shu would probably collapse, but at this moment, he was too anxious to find out the answer.


    There had just been news that Shi Xiao appeared in Africa.


    Now, many people were looking for him. He had hidden for so long. Since he dared to appear, he must have contacted the Shi family and confirmed that he had entered a safe environment. That was why he dared to appear.


    In other words, Shi Xiao would be back soon.


    When Shi Xiao returned to take control again, Yuan An would become an impregnable fortress. At that time, it would be difficult to lay hands on Yuan An!


    He wanted to make use of Yuan Shu at this moment, but when he first interacted with Yuan Shu, it was really because he felt chemistry with someone who also loved tea as much as he did and couldn¡¯t help but want to become friends with her.


    Li Ci said, ¡°Yuan An has just been dealt a heavy blow after all, so it probably doesn¡¯t have enough manpower to resume operations now, right? I have someone here who can be used. Why don¡¯t I get him to help you take care of Yuan An?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary..¡±


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 Chapter 99 - Chapter 99: Severing Friendship

    Chapter 99: Severing Friendship


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Actually, from the moment Li Ci mentioned ¡°Yuan An¡± again, Yuan Shu wanted to interrupt him, but out of respect for the person who she had maintained a friendship with for a month, Yuan Shu still listened to him.


    Although it was indeed a pity, Yuan Shu was very rational. The person in front of her could no longer be her friend.


    Yuan Shu hated being used because the only people who could use her were those she trusted, like her friends and family, but they were also people she couldn¡¯t tolerate betrayal from the most.


    Because she never trusted anyone easily.


    Li Ci had crossed the line. Therefore, no matter what their relationship was, the person in front of her could only become a stranger or an enemy to her in the future.


    Yuan Shu smiled at him and said, ¡°Mr. Li, I¡¯m sorry, but I still have something on. Please excuse me.¡±


    Li Ci was shocked. He knew that he had been too rash, but he didn¡¯t expect Yuan Shu to be able to control her emotions so well. She didn¡¯t reveal any flaws and was very decisive.


    He thought that he understood Yuan Shu, but it seemed that he had underestimated her.


    Shi Xiao had really married a capable woman!


    ¡°Yuan¡­¡± Li Ci wanted to call her name, but Yuan Shu interrupted him.


    ¡°Mr. Li, let¡¯s end things here. Thank you for your hospitality and tea leaves. The Shi family will definitely return the favor in the future.¡±


    In other words, in the future, their relationship would only be between the Shi family and the Li family, not Li Ci and Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu was drawing a clear line with him.


    With that, Yuan Shu stood up, picked up her black handbag, and left gracefully.


    Shi Bin had already entered Xiao Sheng¡¯s Shenglan Venture Management Company. As a result, Yuan Shu and Liu Lan gradually interacted more and more. From time to time, she would ask about Shi Bin¡¯s performance in the company.


    Yuan Shu actually trusted Shi Bin, who was usually a slacker. She knew that he was book smart, but not street smart. However, Shi Bin was still young and didn¡¯t have enough maturity, so he still needed to be disciplined from time to time.


    Yuan Shu and Li Ci parted on bad terms at the Yunshe Teahouse. Sitting in the back seat of the car, she recalled their conversation carefully. Li Ci wouldn¡¯t mention Shi Xiao for no reason. Since he suddenly mentioned Shi Xiao, it meant that Shi Xiao was about to return.


    Once the news of Shi Xiao¡¯s return spread, those people who were eyeing Yuan An covetously definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to wait and would try to take action as soon as possible. Yuan Shu was worried that it would be impossible to guard against them all alone. She was even more worried that a mole had already sneaked into Yuan An.


    Hence, she got the chauffeur to drive to Liu Lan¡¯s place.


    Liu Lan didn¡¯t expect Yuan Shu to be in such a hurry to look for her today. Yuan Shu even went straight to the coffee shop downstairs of the law firm to wait for her. As soon as she entered the coffee shop, Liu Lan asked, ¡°What happened? Why are you in such a hurry to see me?¡±


    Yuan Shu waited for Liu Lan to sit down opposite her, then she pushed forward the ice Americano that she had specifically ordered for her.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You don¡¯t have to worry. I just wanted to ask you some questions about labor laws.¡±


    As soon as Liu Lan heard Yuan Shu¡¯s call, she rushed downstairs. She picked up her coffee to take a sip before saying, ¡°Alright, ask away. I¡¯ll try to make things as simple as possible.¡±


    Yuan Shu was very serious. She even took out a notebook and pen to take notes. She asked Liu Lan many questions about employees being fired, confidential matters, the company¡¯s internal information being leaked, and so on.


    After more than an hour, Yuan Shu finally finished asking all the questions. Then, she closed the notebook and said to Liu Lan apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have delayed you for so long.¡±


    Liu Lan waved her hand and said nonchalantly, ¡°Don¡¯t stand on ceremony. Did something happen to Yushu Buyi? Why are you suddenly asking me questions about employees?¡±


    Yuan Shu replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s not convenient for me to tell you these things. However, don¡¯t worry, Yushu Buyi¡¯s operation is going smoothly and there is no problem.¡±


    Hearing that it was inconvenient to talk about this, Liu Lan didn¡¯t ask further. She knew that Yuan Shu definitely had something to do next, so she didn¡¯t waste time with her. ¡°If you have something to do, go ahead. I¡¯ll go upstairs.¡±


    Yuan Shu was touched by this friend who would help her unconditionally no matter where or when. However, she couldn¡¯t express her emotions and could only take note of it..


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 Chapter 100 - Chapter 1oo: Willow

    Chapter 1oo: Willow


    Translator: Henyee Translations


    Editor: Henyee Translations


    After leaving the cafe, Yuan Shu immediately called Zhao Mian and asked her to meet her in Yuan An.


    Zhao Mian had never heard Yuan Shu speak in such a serious tone, so she knew that something must have happened and rushed to Yuan An without another word.


    ¡°Madam, did something happen to the company?¡±


    Yuan Shu was sitting at her desk while reading the company¡¯s information.


    This was also her first time in Yuan An. In order to avoid suspicion, she rarely mentioned Yuan An to Zhao Mian, let alone come here personally.


    Yuan An was indeed a technological company. The entire company¡¯s renovation had a technological feel from the outside to the inside. As soon as she arrived, she couldn¡¯t help but speed up. It was very different from a slow-paced company like Yushu Buyi.


    Yuan Shu was looking at the personnel information. After she handed the information to Zhao Mian, she asked, ¡°Did you mention Yuan An when you met Li Ci recently?¡±


    Zhao Mian thought about it carefully. Other than talking about the company¡¯s development and dividends, Li Ci did seem to have mentioned Yuan An a few times, but Zhao Mian¡¯s answers were always ambiguous.


    After receiving Zhao Mian¡¯s answer, Yuan Shu¡¯s expression became solemn and she told Zhao Mian her guess.


    ¡°What we need to do now is to verify the information of the personnel as soon as possible and see if there are any spies planted by other companies,¡± Yuan Shu ordered.


    Zhao Mian immediately understood and called two trustworthy people over to start the investigation. One of them had a master¡¯s degree in computer science from a famous university in the country. He was also the foreign aid supervisor who had always been in charge of Yuan An¡¯s technical department. He rarely appeared in the company and mainly worked in the Shi Corporation.


    They spent a few hours until midnight before Zhao Mian and the other two finally finished checking. They heaved a long sigh of relief after busying the entire afternoon. Then, they couldn¡¯t help but massage their stiff backs with fatigue.


    After the investigation, there were problems with three technical departments. Zhao Mian couldn¡¯t help but break out in cold sweat. She was personally in charge of all of Yuan An¡¯s personnel recruitment. They were hired after careful investigation, so she didn¡¯t expect there to be a problem.


    Then, they focused on investigating the work logs of the three of them.


    Just as they were checking, there was a sudden knock on the office door.


    Yuan Shu and Zhao Mian looked at each other and saw confusion in each other¡¯s eyes.


    It was already midnight, and everyone in the company had already gotten off work. Other than the four of them and the bodyguards downstairs, the building was empty. Who would be knocking on the door at this time?


    ¡°Please come in,¡± said Yuan Shu.


    The person who opened the door was a tall man wearing heavy black glasses. He had a buzz cut and a plaid shirt. He looked to be in his twenties.


    This man was also shocked to see the other three people in the office other than Zhao Mian. Clearly, he didn¡¯t expect there to be so many people in the room.


    Yuan Shu was too gorgeous and was sitting at the desk, so the man couldn¡¯t help but size her up a few more times. He guessed that she was the boss of the company.


    After the few people in the office stared at each other for a while, it was Zhao Mian who broke the silence. ¡°Zhou Liu? Why haven¡¯t you left yet?¡±


    Zhou Liu was a new employee of the company¡¯s technical department. He had been in the company for a month and had officially been promoted to a full-time employee three days ago.


    Zhao Mian had a deep impression of him because he was very capable and could type code almost three times faster than others. A week ago, he had even upgraded the company¡¯s firewall. The company¡¯s ability to prevent hackers from attacking had at least doubled, and he had also fixed some of the loopholes in the company¡¯s system.


    Zhou Liu¡¯s performance was better than the others who got hired at the same time. That was why the company made an exception and let him become a full-time employee in advance.


    When Zhou Liu was called on by Zhao Mian, he suddenly realized that he was there for serious business and walked straight into the room.


    He looked around the office and chose a coffee table far away from Yuan Shu. Then, he placed the computer bag in his hand on the coffee table and took out his laptop. After typing on the keyboard for a while, he said, ¡°Secretary Zhao, I only realized that there was something abnormal about the company¡¯s database when I updated the firewall previously, but I didn¡¯t have the authority at that time. After I became an official employee, I¡¯ve been monitoring this data and checking the computer room log..¡±


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 Chapter 101 - Chapter 101: Missing Document

    Chapter 101: Missing Document


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Zhao Mian frowned when she heard that, but she was helpless. She couldn¡¯t understand codes, so she instructed Chen Fang, the director of the technical department who was good at computing, to check the log.


    Chen Fang and Zhou Liu discussed intensely for half an hour before finally reaching an agreement. Then, as if no one was around, they began to repair the loopholes and find the database that had been hacked by the three of them. As they modified the data, they strengthened the firewall.


    When the two of them finished their work and looked up from the computer screen, they realized it was already past two in the morning.


    Zhao Mian knew that what happened next was confidential, so she asked Zhou Liu to go back and rest first before listening to Chen Fang report the situation to them.


    Chen Fang praised Zhou Liu, ¡°This young man is much more talented than me! If he hadn¡¯t discovered these loopholes in time, the company might have suffered even greater losses!¡±


    Chen Fang reported the loss of some data and secret files to Zhao Mian. Yuan Shu knew very little about technology, so she was confused.


    It was only after Zhao Mian finished dealing with the problem and asked the other two to go home that she said to Yuan Shu, ¡°Madam, fortunately, you were vigilant and dealt with this problem in time. Otherwise, most of Yuan An¡¯s internal secrets would have been leaked.¡±


    Yuan Shu heaved a sigh of relief. She didn¡¯t expect that even though she was very careful, those people were still trying to find loopholes. Li Ci probably noticed something and wanted to take one¡¯s share of the loot, so he gave himself away in front of Yuan Shu.


    ¡°Secretary Zhao, it¡¯s already so late. You should go back and rest. I¡¯ll have to trouble you to take care of the rest,¡± Yuan Shu said. Based on her judgment, she felt that Zhou Liu was a useful talent. Most importantly, he was loyal.


    ¡°Secretary Zhao, I think Zhou Liu is worth paying attention to, but it¡¯s easy for young people to be arrogant, so don¡¯t let him be promoted too quickly. Something might happen if he gets in over his head. Moreover, if we reward him with great fanfare, it will only attract more attention. Then, it might be a hindrance to his future monitoring of the data.¡±


    Zhao Mian nodded in agreement. Initially, she wanted to raise Zhou Liu¡¯s salary tomorrow, but after hearing Yuan Shu¡¯s words, she realized that she had not thought it through. She immediately extinguished this thought.


    At two or three in the morning, the streets were deserted and there was only the bleak sound of the wind.


    In March, the temperature difference between day and night was still huge. When Yuan Shu went out in the afternoon, the sun was still high, so she only wore a white top and white suit pants with a black suit jacket.


    It was stylish, but not warm enough.


    As she and Zhao Mian stood downstairs of Yuan An¡¯s company building, a gust of wind blew past. Yuan Shu felt chilly and tightened her jacket.


    Yuan Shu called a cab for Zhao Mian first. After ensuring that Zhao Mian got into the car safely, Yuan Shu sat in the back seat of her own car.


    After a long day, Yuan Shu was really tired. She fell asleep in the back seat of the car. The chauffeur only woke her up when he reached the entrance of the ancestral home.


    Yuan Shu got out of the car groggily. There was still a lamp left on for her in the ancestral home. When she opened the door, she realized how thoughtful the design of the ancestral home was.


    Footlights were installed half a meter above the ground in every corridor. They were not too dazzling, so it was convenient for one to see the way clearly and not hit anything when walking at night.


    As Yuan Shu rubbed her sore neck and walked towards the room, she bumped into Wu Yan, who had woken up.


    When Wu Yan saw that Yuan Shu had just returned, she hurriedly went over and whispered, ¡°Madam, do you need me to help run a bath for you to wash up?¡±


    Yuan Shu was tired, sleepy, and hungry. Although she wanted to take a hot shower to relieve her fatigue, she was too exhausted.


    She shook her head and said, ¡°Go to bed. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    Wu Yan could tell that she was very tired, so she prepared a basin of hot water for her and brought it to her room. Then, she dipped a towel in hot water and wiped Yuan Shu¡¯s face.


    After Yuan Shu lay on the soft blanket, she only had time to think about the labor laws that Liu Lan had taught her before she completely fell asleep..


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 Chapter 102 - Chapter 102: Banquet

    Chapter 102: Banquet


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    When Yuan Shu woke up, it was already the afternoon of the next day. Shi Yi had been busy with work every day recently and was determined to help Yuan Shu. She was full of vigor every day and worked hard to design the best clothes in order to stabilize the company¡¯s status in the fashion industry as soon as possible. She had been leaving home early and returning late these few days.


    Shi Bin also stopped slacking off. Because of his interest in venture capital, he wasn¡¯t so against working. He came to work on time every day and never left early. He even took the initiative to apply to work overtime on the weekends.


    ¡®Gunshot¡¯ had already finished filming, so Shi Lu didn¡¯t have any filming for the time being. Shi Lu decided to give herself a break, so he was the only one at home.


    When Yuan Shu went downstairs, Shi Lu was watching television. He was wearing earphones, probably for fear that the noise would disturb Yuan Shu¡¯s rest.


    Yuan Shu was very hungry. Yesterday, she was so busy that she didn¡¯t eat for the entire afternoon. When she came back at night, she fell asleep because it was too late and she was too tired. Now that she got enough rest, she felt hungry.


    She didn¡¯t call Shi Lu. Shi Lu¡¯s back was facing the stairs, so he didn¡¯t know that Yuan Shu had already woken up. He was still focused on watching television.


    Wu Yan guessed that Yuan Shu would be hungry when she woke up, so she had already prepared food and kept it warm. When Yuan Shu woke up, she could eat it directly.


    The dishes were on the table. Yuan Shu sat down in front of the food and was about to eat when Shi Lu saw her.


    Shi Lu used the remote control to pause the television drama, then walked to Yuan Shu¡¯s side and sat down as he said, ¡°Sister-in-law, when did you wake up? Why didn¡¯t you call me?¡±


    Yuan Shu picked up a piece of black truffle cake and put it in her mouth. The creamy taste delighted her. ¡°You were watching television, so why should I disturb you?¡±


    Shi Lu knew that she must be starving, so he let her finish her meal in peace before taking out an invitation and placing it in front of her. ¡°Sister-in-law, there¡¯s a wrap party tomorrow for the production team of ¡®Gunshot¡¯. The director wants to hold a ball. I don¡¯t have a dance partner, so I want to invite you to accompany me and be my dance partner.¡±


    Yuan Shu opened the invitation card and looked at it carefully. Then, she closed it and put it aside. She continued to eat the food in front of her attentively and placed a vegetable in her mouth. The crisp sound of chewing sounded in her mouth.


    She replied aloofly, ¡°Sure. Who else is going to this banquet?¡±


    Shi Lu counted carefully with his fingers. Other than the production team, there were also the various investors of this movie and some big shots in the entertainment industry. It was a circle that Yuan Shu wasn¡¯t familiar with.


    After thinking about the people who would go, Shi Lu guessed that Yuan Shu probably wouldn¡¯t go. Unexpectedly, Yuan Shu only nodded and said, ¡°Remember to send the gown to my room and get the makeup team from when we held a banquet at home last time to help me put on makeup. Is there anything else you need me to prepare?¡±


    Shi Lu shook her head, then returned to the sofa in the living room and focused on watching the drama.


    Early the next morning, the makeup team arrived at the ancestral home. They looked at the gown first before starting to do Yuan Shu¡¯s makeup.


    This gown was a black tube top and an ankle-length dress. It lengthened one¡¯s figure, making one¡¯s figure look slender and tall.


    Because it was black and looked very retro, the makeup team gave Yuan Shu a pair of black thick-soled high heels to match it. The heels were about three inches, and the sheepskin on the shoes could only cover the toes, revealing her boney instep.


    As for her hairstyle, Yuan Shu had always preferred a neat bun. This time, the makeup artist chose a wavy hairstyle that draped over her shoulders. Not only could it cover her neck and shoulders, but it could also accentuate the curves of her shoulders and neck.


    The makeup wasn¡¯t that complicated. Yuan Shu¡¯s had very good skin, so the makeup artist only put on some simple makeup and red lipstick on her.


    In the end, she chose a set of black camellia earrings and a necklace. These accessories gave her a retro and elegant aura. She looked so beautiful that one couldn¡¯t take their eyes off her..


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 Chapter 103 - Chapter 103: Paparazzi

    Chapter 103: Paparazzi


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    The venue of the cocktail party was the largest six-star hotel in the city, Joy Garden Hotel. The production team booked the entire banquet hall on the second floor and invited many entertainment media companies. Other than the actors of the production team, these media companies also brought their own artists.


    When they heard that a mysterious figure would appear today, everyone guessed that it should be Wang Shen, who had just won the Golden Magnolia Award for Best Director. Moreover, there were rumors that he had just created a new script and was now looking for the male and female leads for his script.


    He had just won the Golden Magnolia Award for Best Director, so he must be the most popular director in the entertainment industry at the moment. If one could act in his script, one might have a chance to become an A-list celebrity. After all, there were countless celebrities that had achieved fame because of Wang Shen.


    The media had been waiting outside the hotel early in the morning. Although there was no red carpet, the appearance of various celebrities competing for the limelight would probably become a trending topic tomorrow.


    Like Yuan Shu, Shi Lu didn¡¯t like grand banquets, nor did she want to attract attention on the red carpet. Hence, the two of them asked Zhou Yan to park the car in the hotel parking lot from afar.


    Initially, they thought that no one would be waiting in the parking lot, so Shi Lu and Yuan Shu didn¡¯t wait. Instead, they walked straight to the elevator in the parking lot and prepared to go to the banquet hall on the second floor.


    Before the two of them got into the elevator, they suddenly heard someone exclaim, ¡°Shen Lu! It¡¯s Shen Lu! Hurry up and take a photo of him. Who¡¯s the person beside him? Don¡¯t miss this scoop!¡±


    Shi Lu knew that it was a reporter the moment he heard it, so he quickly pulled Yuan Shu into the elevator and pressed the button to close the elevator. However, the reporters were faster than the elevator door. Soon, two or three reporters rushed to the elevator door. The elevator couldn¡¯t close because of the infrared sensor.


    A reporter asked, ¡°Shen Lu, may I ask if your dance partner today is a new artist your company is nurturing? Are you planning to bring her along to audition for Director Wang Shen¡¯s new movie?¡±


    Although there weren¡¯t many reporters blocking the door, these reporters were too aggressive. Shi Lu was worried that Yuan Shu would get hurt in the crowd, so he shielded Yuan Shu behind him and used his slightly raised arm to protect her.


    Another reporter squeezed into the elevator and passed by Shi Lu. Then, he looked straight at Yuan Shu, who was hiding behind her. ¡°I heard that your company has signed many female artistes recently. Why are you the only one who can partner with Shen Lu? May I ask if you have a relationship with Shen Lu?!¡±


    Shi Lu was filled with impatience. What he hated the most was reporters asking questions, especially when facing his most respected sister-in-law. Hence, he pushed the reporter¡¯s microphone away as he said angrily, ¡°Please watch your mouth!¡±


    At this moment, Zhou Yan happened to rush over and used his burly body to block the reporters outside the elevator. Only when the elevator door closed and Shi Lu and Yuan Shu reached the second floor did Zhou Yan put down his arm that was used to block the reporters.


    Zhou Yan heard the reporter who had been pushed away by Shi Lu say, ¡°Hurry up and prepare the manuscript for tomorrow. The headlines will be that Shi Lu attacked for the sake of the newly debuted female artiste reporter from his company! This headline will definitely be on the trending searches tomorrow!¡±


    Zhou Yan only felt that these people were very ridiculous. Shi Lu had clearly only pushed him away, but they were claiming that Shi Lu attacked a reporter. They were as good as distorting the truth as Chu Mei was.


    He said impatiently, ¡°I advise you not to write nonsense. Shen Lu¡¯s female companion is the wife of Shi Corporation¡¯s CEO and his sister-in-law! If you dare to write nonsense, you should know the consequences!¡±


    When these reporters heard the mention of the Shi Corporation, their expressions changed. They were not arrogant enough to provoke the Shi Corporation. That was a company that could make them lose their jobs in minutes. They were just small fries who relied on public opinion to make a living. Protecting their jobs was more important!


    Hence, everyone dispersed and returned to their previous hiding spot, preparing to wait for the next unlucky celebrity to come from the elevator.


    On the way back, they discussed softly, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the Madam of the Shi family to be so good-looking.. She¡¯s even better-looking than those female celebrities now! It seems that the photos taken on the trending searches were real, and they didn¡¯t fully capture her beauty!¡±


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 Chapter 104 - Chapter 104: Stunning Everyone

    Chapter 104: Stunning Everyone


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Shi Lu and Yuan Shu tidied up their makeup and clothes that had been messed up by the reporters in the elevator. After the elevator door opened, a handsome man and a beautiful woman emerged.


    Shi Lu stuffed his right hand into the pocket of his suit pants and bent his left arm. Then, Yuan Shu held his left arm gently. She held a small and exquisite pearl handbag in her other hand and followed Shi Lu into the banquet hall elegantly.


    Yuan Shu looked graceful and stunning. Many people were originally chatting, but when they glanced at Yuan Shu, they were so mesmerized that they forgot what they were saying and stared at her intently.


    Even the people in front of her noticed that everyone was looking back at her and froze for a moment. After they bumped into the waiter walking towards them, the tray in their hands trembled and the wine spilled.


    Yuan Shu nodded and greeted everyone politely. She was surprised to find that many of the people present tonight were people who had attended the banquet at the Shi family¡¯s ancestral home a month ago.


    However, Li Ci¡¯s appearance surprised Yuan Shu. She didn¡¯t expect the two of them to meet so quickly after yesterday¡¯s incident.


    However, after seeing Zhou Xin, the eldest son of the Zhou family beside Li Ci, Yuan Shu understood what was going on.


    After Chu Mei held two news conferences to shift the focus of the reporters¡¯ attention from the Shi family to the Li family, Li Ci asked an employee from Zhou Xin¡¯s Xinchcn Entertainment Media Company to expose that she had a child, which diverted the attention of the public.


    It was enough to show that the relationship between the two families was extraordinary.


    Li Ci raised the glass of red wine in his hand high and tapped it in Yuan Shu¡¯s direction as a greeting.


    Yuan Shu nodded slightly in response. Then, she held Shi Lu¡¯s arm as she walked in to greet the production team.


    In the room upstairs of the hotel¡¯s banquet hall, Gao Shan was watching the cocktail party proceed in an orderly manner through the surveillance cameras.


    He felt indignant. When had the organizer ever not invited him to such an occasion? Didn¡¯t they always beg him to go? That was why he always reluctantly agreed to go. He actually had no idea about today¡¯s cocktail party at all. If not for the news that person gave him, he would still be waiting at the company!


    The culprit behind all of this was Li Ci!


    Gao Shan punched the glass coffee table beside him, causing the glass on the coffee table to tremble.


    Suddenly, the cell phone on the table vibrated. After Gao Shan picked up the call, the person on the other end of the phone said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind. Listen to my arrangements and don¡¯t act rashly.¡±


    Gao Shan panicked. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t want to help me anymore.¡±


    That person sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, not everyone is as dishonest as you.¡±


    Gao Shan wanted to say something else, but the call had already been hung up.


    Yuan Shu accompanied Shi Lu to chat with the director and assistant director of the production team. The assistant director said politely, ¡°Madam Shi, you¡¯re dressed up today. You¡¯ve really made all the female guests present pale in comparison! I wonder if you¡¯re interested in entering the entertainment industry. It¡¯ll be my honor to be able to film you.¡±


    Although his words seemed like pleasantry, they were truthful. After all, Yuan Shu¡¯s outfit was so eye-catching that everyone couldn¡¯t help but take a second glance.


    Yuan Shu smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re really good at joking. It¡¯s all thanks to my stylist.¡±


    After exchanging pleasantries, Chen Sheng suddenly said to the production team and actors, ¡°It just so happens that I want to introduce someone to everyone. He¡¯s a famous musician! He just returned to the country recently, and countless people have extended offers to him! I spent a lot of effort to invite him to the ball!¡±


    Upon hearing Chen Sheng¡¯s words, everyone was curious about this mysterious guest. An actress said, ¡°Director, don¡¯t keep us hanging. Hurry up and tell us who it is!¡±


    Only then did Yuan Shu notice that Chu Mei didn¡¯t come. However, she had caused such a huge commotion and the production team had stopped filming countless times because of her, so they probably would not invite her to such an occasion today.


    Chen Sheng said, ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. He¡¯s already here..¡±


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 Chapter 105 - Chapter 105: Second Meeting

    Chapter 105: Second Meeting


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    When Chen Sheng looked at the door, everyone¡¯s gaze followed him. They saw a young man in a white suit with a sapphire blue shirt and a white tie walking in.


    When Yuan Shu followed everyone¡¯s gaze and looked over, she froze for a moment.


    It was the man who played the zither at Lakeside Park that day, Mu Zhou.


    Today, his hair was fixed on the top of his head with hair gel, so his broad forehead was revealed. Today, he seemed radiant yet melancholic.


    Mu Zhou had obviously noticed Yuan Shu too. He walked straight in her direction and didn¡¯t even greet Chen Sheng. Instead, he said to Yuan Shu, ¡°What a coincidence. We meet again.¡±


    His voice was soft and carried a hint of joy.


    Yuan Shu couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Mr. Mu, what a coincidence.¡±


    Mu Zhou looked even more surprised. ¡°You actually still remember my name?¡±


    The others also heard the conversation between the two of them and started to jeer. The combination of a handsome man and a beautiful woman always made these people in the entertainment industry start to gossip.


    One of them said, ¡°Oh really? Looks like there¡¯s some inside story?¡±


    When he said this, he only wanted to make a joke to liven up the atmosphere. However, someone suddenly made a sarcastic remark.


    Another female celebrity said, ¡°Madam Shi, you¡¯re so impressive. You made Young Master Shi fall in love with you at first sight and marry you, and made another man so happy just because you remembered his name. Why don¡¯t I have such talent?¡±


    When Shi Lu heard this, he retorted, ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s impossible with your face, which has been under the knife for God knows how many times. Without real substance, how can you make guys fall for you?¡±


    The female celebrity was rendered speechless by his retort. She glared at him angrily before turning to leave.


    At this moment, Chen Sheng actually came out to smooth things over. ¡°Alright, alright. Let me introduce everyone. This is Director Mu, who has just joined my next movie. He¡¯s Mu Zhou! Everyone, get to know each other.¡±


    Chen Sheng had the most say in the production team. The rest of the people didn¡¯t have any other movie offers yet, so of course they wanted to take advantage of their current relationship to let Chen Sheng bring them to the next movie¡¯s cast. Hence, they all catered to him and said all sorts of pleasantries.


    Mu Zhou seemed like he wasn¡¯t used to such an occasion. He dealt with other people¡¯s jokes awkwardly and occasionally looked at Yuan Shu, who was standing beside him with ease.


    After a moment, he secretly touched Yuan Shu¡¯s hand that was holding the pearl handbag. His strength was so light that Yuan Shu almost didn¡¯t notice it.


    However, due to her sharp senses as a martial arts practitioner, Yuan Shu looked at him almost immediately, her eyes filled with confusion. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Mu Zhou gave her a pleading look. ¡°Help me.¡±


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t expect this outstanding man to be afraid of such occasions. Was it social anxiety?


    Yuan Shu nodded comfortingly and whispered something into Shi Lu¡¯s ear. Then, she took a few steps back with Mu Zhou when no one was paying attention and slowly retreated from the crowd.


    It wasn¡¯t until they reached a relatively quiet corner that Mu Zhou heaved a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Thankyou so much.¡±


    Yuan Shu said generously, ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    Mu Zhou leaned against the wall to relax a bit. After a moment, he lowered his head again and looked at Yuan Shu, whose face was covered by her hair. He said in a daze, ¡°I don¡¯t think I know your name yet.¡±


    There was a high chair in the corner. Yuan Shu was a little tired from standing, so she sat on it. After she crossed her legs and placed them on the beam of the chair in a comfortable posture, she said calmly, ¡°My name is Yuan Shu..¡±


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 Chapter 106 - Chapter 106: Script

    Chapter 106: Script


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Mu Zhou leaned against the wall with his eyes on Yuan Shu. He hid his hand by his side and tried his best to stop trembling, but he still couldn¡¯t stop trembling when he heard the name ¡°Yuan Shu¡±.


    After a while, he finally took a deep breath and returned to normal.


    He smiled at Yuan Shu and asked, ¡°Are you a female celebrity? Why haven¡¯t I ever seen you on television?¡±


    Yuan Shu shook her head. She wasn¡¯t used to sitting down after standing for so long, so she adjusted her sitting posture slightly and said, ¡°I¡¯m not in the entertainment industry, but my brother is the male lead of ¡®Gunshot¡¯. I accompanied him here today.¡±


    After Mu Zhou thought about it carefully, he asked, ¡°Shen Lu? Shen Lu is your brother? Then¡­ the man in the hat and sunglasses who went to Lakeside Park with you that day was him?¡±


    There was a gentle smile on Yuan Shu¡¯s lips. She didn¡¯t know why, but she felt so relaxed and comfortable when talking to Mu Zhou.


    She replied, ¡°Yes. He needs to¡­ disguise himself before he can go out in public.¡±


    Yuan Shu paused for a moment, as if she was thinking of a suitable word.


    Mu Zhou nodded and quickly asked, ¡°Then why is his surname Shen and yours Yuan?¡± Perhaps realizing his abruptness, Mu Zhou tugged at the corner of his shirt awkwardly. He was acting completely differently from how he behaved at Lakeside Park. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to probe¡­ I¡­ I was just a little curious.¡±


    Yuan Shu shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. You might not know since you just returned to the country. This isn¡¯t a secret. I¡¯m his sister-in-law, so our surnames are different.¡±


    Mu Zhou was obviously disappointed, but he quickly perked up again. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to get married at such a young age. I thought¡­¡±


    However, Mu Zhou didn¡¯t finish his sentence. Instead, he quickly changed the topic. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any plans to enter the entertainment industry? You¡¯re so beautiful, so if you enter the entertainment industry, you¡¯ll definitely become very famous!¡±


    Yuan Shu had heard too many people praise her for her beauty. She had also heard even more exaggerated praise, but only the simple word ¡°beautiful¡± made her feel a sense of sincerity. It was the kind of praise that was heartfelt.


    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t know much about this industry, so I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be involved in the entertainment industry.¡±


    Mu Zhou was a little disappointed. Then, he said seriously, ¡°Actually, I learned about a script recently. I haven¡¯t thought of a female celebrity suitable for the female lead, but when I saw you today, I felt as if I was seeing the female lead in the script in real life.¡±


    As Yuan Shu looked into Mu Zhou¡¯s clear and bright brown eyes, she saw that there was sincerity in his eyes, which seemed so familiar yet unfamiliar. Yuan Shu couldn¡¯t tell what this contradictory feeling was.


    She couldn¡¯t help but recall the origin of his name. ¡°Qingzhou has passed the Ten Thousand Mountains¡±¡­ But how could someone with such a name have play such ancient and sorrowful zither music?


    ¡°Yuan Shu?¡± Seeing that Yuan Shu was in a daze, Mu Zhou suddenly called out to her.


    Yuan Shu suddenly came back to her senses and looked at him apologetically. ¡°Sorry, what did you just say?¡±


    ¡°I said there¡¯s a script. I think you¡¯re very suitable for the female lead role.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? What kind of script is it?¡± Actually, Yuan Shu wasn¡¯t very curious, but she wasn¡¯t in the mood to deal with Mu Zhou¡¯s conversation now, so she could only ask him what kind of story it was to give herself time to calm down.


    Mu Zhou said, ¡°It¡¯s a story that happened in ancient times. It¡¯s about the daughter of a general and a top scholar.¡±


    Yuan Shu felt her heart skip a beat and was overwhelmed by a mixture of emotions.


    Mu Zhou continued, ¡°The daughter of this general was intelligent and talented. Be it in terms of literature or martial arts, she was far more talented than men. Not only did such a woman receive the love of her parents, but she also received the adoration of the emperor and the empress dowager in the court. She was even conferred the title of princess the year she reached marriageable age.¡±


    ¡°As for this scholar, he was just a nameless pawn in the military camp. When he was ten years old, because his family was poor, he was forced to seek refuge with a nutritionist in the army. Then, he got to know this princess and that set off a series of developments.¡±


    Yuan Shu suddenly stopped him with an awkward expression. ¡°Mu Zhou, I¡¯m a little thirsty. Can I trouble you to get me a cup of tea?¡±


    Mu Zhou froze. Then, he nodded and went to ask the waiter for tea..


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 Chapter 107 - Chapter 107: Zhang Zhang

    Chapter 107: Zhang Zhang


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    The topic on Chen Sheng¡¯s side was about to end, so everyone dispersed to socialize with people they were familiar with and took the opportunity to get to know some big bosses in the industry or find an investor for themselves.


    Shi Lu greeted everyone politely, but his eyes were looking around for Yuan Shu. Just as he was about to sweep his gaze to the corner where Yuan Shu was, a person suddenly appeared in his vision and blocked his vision.


    A woman in a tight, raspberry-pink short gown walked towards him.


    The woman had a pair of sexy long legs. When she walked, her waist shook, attracting the attention of many men present.


    She walked up to Shi Lu and flipped her long hair coquettishly, but her strong perfume made Shi Lu frown.


    ¡°Superstar Mr. Shen, who are you looking for?¡±


    Shi Lu tried to identify her again, but then he was suddenly speechless. ¡°Zhang Zhang, where did you get your hair extensions? You don¡¯t have the persona of a girly girl, do you? I almost didn¡¯t recognize you!¡±


    Zhang Zhang couldn¡¯t keep up the act for more than three seconds. She placed her hands on her hips and revealed a ruthless expression as she retorted, ¡°I¡¯m a girly girl to begin with!¡±


    ¡°Which girly girl speaks like you do?¡±


    ¡°Tsk.¡± Zhang Zhang rolled her eyes at him. ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me who you¡¯re looking for?¡±


    Shi Lu replied absent-mindedly, ¡°I¡¯m looking for my sister-in-law.¡±


    ¡°Sister-in-law?¡± Zhang Zhang was surprised. ¡°The one who married your brother by getting into his bed¡­ That sister-in-law?!¡±


    Shi Lu immediately corrected her. ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense. It was a misunderstanding! Later on, we found out that she went to the wrong room that night! My sister-in-law was also a victim!¡±


    Zhang Zhang said with exasperation, ¡°Buddy, are you serious? You¡¯re the one who said that she relied on sex to get to where she is!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Shi Lu said impatiently, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to talk about my sister-in-law like that in the future! Or else, don¡¯t blame me for falling out with you!¡±


    Zhang Zhang was Shi Lu¡¯s only friend in this industry. After being friends with him for so many years, she naturally knew what kind of temper he had, so she immediately shut up.


    Zhang Zhang and Shi Lu met when they were filming together three years ago. Since the two of them liked more exciting scenes, they applied for an additional scene of skydiving with the director at the same time and completed the scene without using stunt doubles.


    The two of them had a lot in common, so after chatting for a while, they became friends.


    Zhang Zhang was a forthright person and everything she did depended on her mood. Her personality was very compatible with Shi Lu¡¯s temper, so Shi Lu liked hanging out with her.


    However, she needed to go overseas to film a scene recently, so the two of them had not contacted each other for almost two months.


    Before Zhang Zhang went overseas, she had short hair. Her face was well-defined and even under the high-definition camera, there wasn¡¯t any blemishes. Coupled with her phoenix eyes that were rare for girls, she had a very cool vibe.


    Coupled with Zhang Zhang¡¯s personality, she was very popular in the industry and many people tried to befriend Zhang Zhang.


    However, Zhang Zhang was very picky when it came to choosing friends. From personality to character, Zhang Zhang would secretly observe for a long time before deciding whether to choose this person as a friend. Among Zhang Zhang¡¯s friends, Shi Lu was the person with the most similar personality to her.


    Zhang Zhang found it unbelievable and suddenly became interested in Yuan Shu. She was very curious about what kind of person could change Shi Lu¡¯s personality.


    Shi Lu looked at Zhang Zhang¡¯s long wavy hair and her vivid short dress awkwardly. In his impression, he had never seen Zhang Zhang wear a dress, especially such a sexy mini dress.


    However, Zhang Zhang had a good figure and fair skin, so this flashy color didn¡¯t look tacky on her at all. Instead, it made her look sexy and charming.


    Shi Lu asked Zhang Zhang, ¡°Aren¡¯t you filming overseas? When did you come back? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    Zhang Zhang stopped the attendant who passed by her and took a glass of blue coconut cocktail. After she took a sip, the coconut aroma filled her mouth, filling her with satisfaction.


    She replied, ¡°I¡¯m just the second female lead. I didn¡¯t have many scenes, so I came back after filming in two months. I was brought to the ball as soon as I returned, so I didn¡¯t have the chance to tell everyone that I was back..¡±


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 Chapter 108 - Chapter 108: New Script

    Chapter 108: New Script


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Shi Lu also brought herself a glass of whiskey. His glass was specifically made to reduce the acidity of the wine and increase the concentration of the wine, making it easier for him to get drunk. Then, he found a seat and sat down to chat with Zhang Zhang.


    The two of them chatted about the suspense dramas they had been watching recently. This was their common hobby, and every time they talked about this topic, they would talk non-stop.


    Coincidentally, both of them had watched this mystery film before, so they chatted with relish.


    Zhang Zhang suddenly thought of something. ¡°Speaking of which, the director of this mystery movie is also here today!¡±


    Shi Lu didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Wang Shen? He also attends this kind of ball?¡±


    Zhang Zhang spread her hands out as she said helplessly, ¡°Please, aren¡¯t you paying too little attention to the ball? You¡¯ve been here for so long, but you didn¡¯t even see who is attending the ball! I saw Wang Shen the moment I entered. He was surrounded by people talking about the new script!¡±


    Shi Lu laughed awkwardly. He had always forced himself to attend such occasions for the sake of appearances. Even if he came, he would leave soon after. He didn¡¯t care who came.


    He asked, ¡°Wang Shen just won the Golden Magnolia Award for Best Director. At a time like this, he must have endless invitations. Why would he fancy this sort of wrap banquet?¡±


    Zhang Zhang shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I heard from a reporter that Wang Shen came to the ball this time to choose the male and female leads for his script. I think he¡¯s here for you. With your status and acting skills, he¡¯ll probably try his best to win you over!¡±


    Shi Lu said disdainfully, ¡°Tsk, I¡¯m very picky when it comes to choosing scripts. If his script doesn¡¯t meet my expectations, no matter how good a director is, I won¡¯t act in it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes. You have ambitions. Anyway, I really want to act. If I act in his script, I might be nominated for the Golden Magnolia Award for Best Actress. At that time, won¡¯t my net worth double?¡± Zhang Zhang looked intrigued.


    Shi Lu recalled Yuan Shu¡¯s supervision of him. She had once asked him about his development plan in the entertainment industry. Shi Lu knew that if he was as much of a slacker as before, even if he had the Shi family¡¯s support, he would still be eliminated from this industry and would let Yuan Shu down.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t disappoint Sister-in-law.¡± Shi Lu turned to ask Zhang Zhang, ¡°Do you know what this script is about?¡±


    Zhang Zhang had a mocking look on his face as he teased, ¡°Looks like our arrogant Second Young Master Shi also thinks for himself at times.¡±


    After Zhang Zhang drank half of the cocktail in his glass, the alcohol rushed to her head, making her cheeks even redder. ¡°Let me tell you in detail. This is a story that happened in ancient times. It¡¯s about a young lady from a military family and a top martial artist.¡±


    Shi Lu interrupted, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a very cliche story? A young lady from a military family and a top martial artist.¡±


    Zhang Zhang rolled his eyes. ¡°Can you let me finish? Although this story is cliche, it¡¯s still a little different. The male lead and the second male lead of this story are respectively the top scorers in the martial arts and liberal arts subjects.¡±


    Mu Zhou asked the attendant for a glass of vanilla water. When he brought it to Yuan Shu, there was an unknown person standing beside her. Although the two of them were chatting and laughing, Mu Zhou could tell that Yuan Shu kept her distance.


    Mu Zhou walked over with the water. ¡°Yuan Shu, here¡¯s your water.¡±


    The way he addressed Yuan Shu seemed a little deliberate.


    As expected, the person beside Yuan Shu froze slightly and turned to look at Mu Zhou.


    Yuan Shu introduced politely, ¡°Mr. Li, this is Mu Zhou, a music director.¡±


    Then, Yuan Shu introduced the person to Mu Zhou. ¡°Mu Zhou, this is Mr. Li Ci.¡±


    Yuan Shu couldn¡¯t think of a suitable identity for him, since he was involved in almost all industries.


    However, to outsiders, he didn¡¯t have any formal profession. He didn¡¯t belong to the political or business world, so it was more appropriate to say that he was unemployed. Therefore, Yuan Shu didn¡¯t give him an identity..


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 Chapter 109 - Chapter 109: Story Content

    Chapter 109: Story Content


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Compared to the reserved Yuan Shu, Mu Zhou was even more straightforward. ¡°Mr. Li, I¡¯ve heard of you long ago. You¡¯re the biggest shareholder behind Xinchen Media. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡±


    Li Ci raised his eyebrows. Although his relationship with Xinchen Media was no longer a secret and almost everyone knew about it, no one would take the initiative to mention it in front of him. After all, there were too many shady things in this industry. Everyone had an unwritten rule to avoid such topics.


    What made Li Ci feel that something was amiss was that he had never heard of this person before. When did such a person suddenly appear in this industry? Why did it seem like he had appeared out of nowhere? Moreover, it seemed like his relationship with Yuan Shu wasn¡¯t ordinary. Could he be Shi Xiao¡¯s man?


    With the news of Shi Xiao¡¯s return spreading like wildfire, any commotion was enough to arouse their vigilance.


    Seeing that Li Ci had not spoken for a long time and that the three of them were standing there awkwardly, Yuan Shu shifted her body on the high chair and said politely, ¡°Mr. Li, I won¡¯t disturb you anymore. You can go ahead and attend to your own matters.¡±


    How could Li Ci be busy? He had just seen Yuan Shu alone in the corner and she didn¡¯t look very comfortable. Out of concern for his former friend and future business rival, he approached her and asked about her condition.


    He didn¡¯t expect Yuan Shu to be so vigilant that she immediately restrained the expression on her face and forcefully suppressed the discomfort that had suddenly appeared just now. Then, she smiled at him politely. This vigilance was like that of an injured leopard, constantly paying attention to the surrounding environment and being hostile to any possible enemy.


    Li Ci called her ¡°Madam Shi¡± and the two of them tacitly didn¡¯t mention what happened the day before yesterday, but they both knew that their relationship had changed.


    Now that Yuan Shu had ordered him to leave, Li Ci had no reason to stay. In the end, he gave Mu Zhou a deep look before he left.


    Mu Zhou handed the water to Yuan Shu, who only took a small sip. The nervousness from before had subsided, so she didn¡¯t feel very thirsty.


    Yuan Shu thought of the rest of the story and asked with a smile, ¡°What happened after this story?¡±


    Mu Zhou carefully recalled where she stopped the story and continued, ¡°Later on, the male lead entered the military camp. Because he was smart and strategic, he received the recognition of the general. After the daily training ended, he even hired a teacher to teach him how to read. Because of this, the male lead got to know the female lead. The two of them grew up together and as time passed, they naturally developed feelings for each other.¡±


    Yuan Shu listened carefully. She seemed to have experienced every plot in this story personally, and the scene seemed so vivid.


    She asked, ¡°Since the male lead grew up in the military camp, why did he become the top scorer in the liberal arts examination?¡±


    Mu Zhou took the glass of water that Yuan Shu had been holding in her hand. Then, he returned to his previous posture of leaning against the wall and said with a smile, ¡°Because compared to being a general in the military camp, the male lead¡¯s bigger dream is to have a place in the court and do more for the people.¡±


    Zhang Zhang finished the blue wine in the glass in one gulp and placed it on the tray in the attendant¡¯s hand. ¡°This male lead has a civil servant background. His father is the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs and is a good buddy of the female lead¡¯s father. Therefore, the male and female leads were betrothed before they were born.¡±


    ¡°How melodramatic.¡± Shi Lu swirled the wine glass in her hand and admired the beauty of the wine against the refracted light.


    After listening to Zhang Zhang¡¯s introduction, he couldn¡¯t help but complain, ¡°The male lead and the second male lead like to challenge themselves in unknown fields. Aren¡¯t they looking for trouble? What¡¯s so good about such a drama?¡±


    Zhang Zhang smiled happily, revealing a row of white teeth. ¡°What does the modern-day audience like to see? They like to see the female lead and the second male lead fall in love before the female lead ends up with the male lead.¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡±


    ¡°Therefore, this movie is mainly about the relationship between the female lead and the second male lead. However, the male lead¡¯s scenes are very necessary.¡±


    ¡°What a mess!¡± Shi Lu looked disdainful. It would be much more interesting for him to film thrilling scenes and experience different ways of dying..


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 Chapter 110 - Chapter 11o: Conspiracy

    Chapter 11o: Conspiracy


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Zhang Zhang nodded in agreement. ¡°This script is melodramatic, but the director is Wang Shen! Are you really not going to compete for the role?¡±


    Shi Lu was speechless. ¡°Wang Shen is directing such a lousy script? Looks like his taste in choosing scripts is average. The Golden Magnolia Best Director Award is also very lousy. Why do you insist on starring in his drama?¡±


    Zhang Zhang was rendered speechless by this young master¡¯s words. ¡°Please, I know that you¡¯re just in for the experience and don¡¯t care about this bit of fame, but can you not speak nonsense? Moreover, the really outstanding aspect about this script is the character and growth of the male and female leads. The female lead is decisive and definitely doesn¡¯t drag things out. Moreover, her martial arts skills are off the charts. She¡¯s the perfect female lead!¡±


    The more Shi Lu listened to the description of the female lead, the more familiarity he felt. Wasn¡¯t this his sister-in-law¡¯s persona? With his sister-in-law¡¯s authority, the three rebels in their family were every bedient to her.


    Moreover, Shi Lu had heard about his sister-in-law whipping Tan Zhao and Shi Bin. He was also afraid of her belt and was afraid that it would hit him one day.


    At the thought of that belt, Shi Lu felt so afraid that goosebumps appeared on his body. He quickly shook his head to get this matter out of his mind.


    ¡°Now that you mention it, I¡¯m suddenly interested in this script again.¡± Shi Lu smiled with interest.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll bring you to Wang Shen, so you can talk to the director directly.¡±


    With that, Zhang Zhang stood up and curled her finger at Shi Lu.


    Shi Lu finished the wine in his glass in one gulp and placed it on the chair before following Zhang Zhang.


    Before he could take two steps, an attendant stopped him and stuffed a room card into his hand. ¡°Mr. Shi, your sister-in-law instructed me to look for you. She said that she was a little drunk and is resting in her room for a while. When you¡¯re done, you should go pick her up.¡±


    After Shi Lu took the black and gold VIP room card, he became a little worried. He remembered that his sister-in-law didn¡¯t like to drink the cocktails here, so she probably wouldn¡¯t drink it. Moreover, with her alcohol tolerance, how could she get drunk so easily?


    However, he then remembered that his sister-in-law had been with Mu Zhou when she left just now. This was only the second time she had met Mu Zhou, so they didn¡¯t know each other very well. What if Mu Zhou had drugged his sister-in-law¡­


    Shi Lu didn¡¯t dare to think further. He hurriedly told Zhang Zhang that she had something on and ran towards the elevator. He didn¡¯t even have time to pay attention to Zhang Zhang.


    On the other side, Yuan Shu had just finished listening to Mu Zhou tell her about the script. She felt that this story was familiar, but it also seemed to be shrouded in a layer of mystery that made people unable to see it clearly.


    She asked, ¡°What¡¯s the ending?¡±


    Mu Zhou replied, ¡°The female lead got married to the top scorer of the martial arts subject.¡±


    Yuan Shu was puzzled. ¡°The female lead and the humanities top scorer were so deeply entangled before. Why did she choose to marry the martial arts top scorer?¡±


    Mu Zhou looked at Yuan Shu calmly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m also curious as to why she chose him¡­¡±


    Mu Zhou¡¯s eyes were filled with disappointment. For a moment, Yuan Shu seemed to have the illusion that she heard Mu Zhou playing ¡°Phoenix Seeks the Phoenix¡± again, and that sense of vicissitude appeared in Mu Zhou¡¯s eyes again.


    Yuan Shu stared at him in a daze, as if she had a thousand words to say, but in the end, she stopped.


    Mu Zhou suddenly smiled gently once again. The faint smile on his lips was like the sun finally shining through layers of the dark clouds.


    ¡°Yuan Shu, since you¡¯re so curious, why don¡¯t we look for the director? I really think you¡¯re very suitable for this female lead role.¡±


    Yuan Shu wanted to say that she didn¡¯t know how to act at all, but she was very interested in this story and couldn¡¯t help but want to experience what it was like to be an actress.


    Yuan Shu and Mu Zhou walked towards the most lively place in the banquet hall.


    The ioo-meter-long crystal chandelier in the banquet hall emitted a gentle light, enveloping this luxurious place. Wang Shen was naturally the focus of everyone¡¯s attention and was surrounded by people as they discussed the next movie.


    Naturally, everyone wanted to participate in this new movie filmed by the most popular director.


    At this moment, Wang Shen was chatting with Lin Feng and Lin Feng¡¯s manager. It seemed like they were also discussing this script.


    When Wang Shen saw Mu Zhou, he stopped talking to them. Instead, he smiled and shook the cocktail in his hand at Mu Zhou..


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 Chapter 111 - Chapter 111: Wang Shen

    Chapter 111: Wang Shen


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Facing Wang Shen, Mu Zhou didn¡¯t look timid at all. He stopped the attendant and took a cocktail for himself. Then, he handed a cocktail to Yuan Shu and even said considerately, ¡°You don¡¯t have to really drink it.¡±


    Only then did Yuan Shu realize that this person was so considerate. She took the cocktail with a smile.


    Mu Zhou walked to Wang Shen¡¯s side and smiled politely at the other two people. Without waiting for him to speak, Wang Shen introduced him to Lin Feng and the others. ¡°This is Mu Zhou, the music conductor and director of my next movie.¡±


    Then, she introduced him to Mu Zhou. ¡°This is Lin Feng. He starred in the most popular television drama during the winter break and it had good ratings. He¡¯s very interested in the role of the top literary scholar in my script.¡±


    Mu Zhou paused and glanced at him again. With a smile, he tilted the cocktail at him. Then, the two of them took a sip.


    While Lin Feng was exchanging pleasantries, Yuan Shu asked softly, ¡°Didn¡¯t Chen Sheng say just now that you¡¯re the music director for his role?¡±


    Mu Zhou turned his head slightly and replied in a low voice, ¡°Actually, they¡¯re filming the same movie. Wang Shen is the main director, and Chen Sheng is just an assistant director.¡±


    Yuan Shu nodded and tried her best to learn more about the entertainment industry.


    It was obvious that Wang Shen and Mu Zhou had a good relationship. Every time he said a few words, he would glance at Mu Zhou so that he could participate in the conversation.


    ¡°Mu Zhou, why don¡¯t you give some suggestions? You¡¯ve read the script too. Which role do you think Lin Feng is more suitable for?¡±


    When Lin Feng and his manager heard this, their expressions changed slightly. From these words, they knew that Wang Shen didn¡¯t want Lin Feng to act as the literary scholar. Moreover, they could tell that Wang Shen valued and trusted Mu Zhou very much. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have asked him this question.


    Lin Feng also took the opportunity to become closer to him and politely addressed him as Director Mu.


    ¡°Director Mu, I heard that you¡¯ve just returned to the country and have been studying music theory overseas. I wonder what instrument you¡¯re best at?¡±


    Mu Zhou¡¯s attitude was a little cold, and his answer was very terse. It was completely different from when he was facing Yuan Shu. ¡°Zither.¡±


    Lin Feng felt that Mu Zhou didn¡¯t seem to be very friendly to him for some reason, so he didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Yuan Shu thought that Mu Zhou was acting like this because of his social anxiety.


    Mu Zhou said to Wang Shen, ¡°Director Wang, I specifically came to look for you to introduce someone to you.¡±


    Mu Zhou turned his body slightly, revealing Yuan Shu, who was standing beside him.


    Just now, Mu Zhou had been standing between Wang Shen and Yuan Shu. In addition, Mu Zhou was 1.83 meters tall and completely blocked Yuan Shu, so Wang Shen didn¡¯t see Yuan Shu.


    At this moment, Wang Shen was shocked when he looked at her carefully.


    Although Wang Shen was also mesmerized by Yuan Shu¡¯s beauty, he was stunned by Yuan Shu¡¯s temperament even more.


    The magnanimous and dignified aura she exuded was like that of a peony raised in the palace. She was noble and beautiful, but there was a sense of shrewdness and boldness in her eyes. She was simply the best choice for the female lead he envisioned.


    Wang Shen was still sizing up Yuan Shu in amazement when Shi Lu¡¯s manager, Zhang Chao, suddenly rushed over. However, when he saw the group of people here, he retracted his gaze and greeted everyone calmly.


    ¡°Hello, Director Wang and Director Mu.¡± After he greeted Lin Feng and his manager, he stood beside Yuan Shu and greeted her respectfully. ¡°Hello, Madam.¡±


    Other than Mu Zhou, who already knew the situation, everyone present was shocked. Such a beautiful woman was already married?


    Wang Shen knew that Zhang Chao was Shen Lu¡¯s manager. The two of them had discussed many times in private. Now that Zhang Chao called Yuan Shu Madam, they couldn¡¯t help but think of the relationship between Yuan Shu and Shen Lu.


    Hence, Wang Shen couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Could it be another secret in the entertainment industry? You called this lady Madam, so could it be¡­¡±


    Wang Shen deliberately dragged out his words. When Zhang Chao explained, Zhang Chao hurriedly said, ¡°No, this is Shen Lu¡¯s sister-in-law.¡±


    Just as everyone heaved a sigh of relief, they were shocked once again.


    The notorious Yuan Shu who climbed into bed to get to where she was?! That person was too different from the person in front of them!


    When Shen Xi received the news, Zheng Huai happened to run over angrily. Ignoring Shen Xi¡¯s objections, he wanted to hypnotize Meng Yu and make Meng Yu completely forget that scumbag Li Zhe.


    Shen Xi hurriedly pulled Zheng Huai back and stopped him. ¡°What are you doing? Don¡¯t be so impulsive.¡±


    Zheng Huai was so angry that his chest heaved up and down. He couldn¡¯t help but scold, ¡°Li Zhe, this scumbag, is fooling around with Meng Yu on one side and marrying a new wife on the other. How infuriating..¡±


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 Chapter 112 - Chapter 112: Invitation

    Chapter 112: Invitation


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Who wouldn¡¯t pay attention to the matter of the eldest young master of the Shi family, Shi Xiao? When it came to a big matter like marriage, everyone was curious about what kind of person married into the Shi family.


    She was actually the woman of humble beginnings who spent her days drinking and fooling around. Moreover, she dressed up in such a tacky manner everyday.


    Everyone knew how she climbed into Shi Xiao¡¯s bed. After that, she threw a tantrum and forced the Shi family to submit. These deeds were not a secret in upper society.


    However, if they were to associate the woman in front of them with the infamous Yuan Shu, that would be too shocking!


    Not only was the woman in front of them beautiful, but even her temperament was top-notch. Everyone who came to the banquet today paled in comparison to her.


    Even if she just stood there and curled her finger, countless people would fall at her feet. Why would she need to drug a man?


    Everyone looked at Yuan Shu again. At this moment, they realized that rumors could not be trusted!


    Yuan Shu could tell that everyone was surprised. She put on a polite smile and endured their scrutiny. She had felt such gazes countless times ever since she came to this world.


    In the end, it was Mu Zhou who broke the awkwardness first. ¡°Director Wang, don¡¯t you think that Yuan Shu is very suitable to be the female lead of your new movie? When I saw your script, the first person I thought of was Yuan Shu.¡±


    Wang Shen answered almost subconsciously, ¡°Yes, doesn¡¯t she look like the female lead?!¡±


    Wang Shen couldn¡¯t agree more. Yuan Shu¡¯s aura was exactly the same as that of the female lead in the script. It was as if this role was tailor-made for her.


    When he saw her, it was as if the person in the script had appeared in the real world.


    Moreover, Yuan Shu was the Madam of the Shi family. If she acted as the female lead in this movie, she naturally would not have to worry about investment.


    However, Wang Shen suddenly felt worried. After all, Yuan Shu was not from the entertainment industry, so it was hard to say if her acting skills could pass.


    Although Wang Shen wanted to earn money, he would not ruin his own reputation for it. If the qualitt of the drama was not good in the end, not only would it waste time and money, but whether it could be broadcasted would also be a problem.


    When Zhang Chao heard the conversation between the two of them, he felt uncomfortable. The Shi family had never been forced to do anything, unless they were interested.


    Lin Feng¡¯s manager had obviously thought of this problem as well. He said jokingly, ¡°Director Mu, in terms of temperament, I also think Madam Shi is very suitable. However¡­ Madam Shi isn¡¯t from the industry, so how can she act in it?¡±


    Wang Shen and Mu Zhou looked at each other. Clearly, they also realized this problem. It was not a matter of acting skills and investment at all, but the fact that Yuan Shu had never said anything about acting in it at all.


    Humans were very strange. Once they obtained it, they would have many worries and feel that it was inappropriate. However, if they could not obtain it, they would only have one thought, which was to snatch it!


    Hence, Wang Shen started to recruit Yuan Shu. ¡°Madam Shi, you haven¡¯t seen our script yet, right? It¡¯s really suitable for you. Why don¡¯t you join the entertainment industry to experience life like Shen Lu? The filming of the drama will only last for three months. You can film on your own schedule. We can also film all the female lead¡¯s scenes first.¡±


    When Zhang Chao heard this, he could not help but roll his eyes. In order to snatch a suitable person for his female lead, Wang Shen was willind to do anything. How could he let the actors take the time to film on their own schedule, especially the female lead, who had the most scenes? Wasn¡¯t he lying?


    Zhang Chao was worried that Yuan Shu did not know much about filming and would be deceived by Wang Shen, so he wanted to reject on Yuan Shu¡¯s behalf.


    However, Yuan Shu smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Director Wang. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know anything about filming, so I can only reject your kind offer..¡±


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 113 - Chapter 113: Missing

    Chapter 113: Missing


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Wang Shen was still a little disappointed that he was rejected directly.


    However, it would seem like he was forcing her if he insisted, so he could only give up.


    The few of them chatted for a while more. In the end, Wang Shen said to Lin Feng, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go back and read the script again? I think the role of the female lead¡¯s son is very suitable for you.¡±


    If Lin Feng wanted to act in it, he could only play this role. If he didn¡¯t want to act, he wouldn¡¯t force things.


    Lin Feng was a little disappointed. The female lead¡¯s son didn¡¯t have many scenes and wasn¡¯t what he had expected. Ever since he was pushed out by Xinchcn Media as a scapegoat for the Li family, his resources had not been as good as before. He originally thought that he could use today¡¯s opportunity to obtain an influential role, but he didn¡¯t expect to fail.


    Lin Feng was a little angry. He had been with Xinchen Media for so long and had helped them earn a lot of money, but at the critical moment, they actually ignored his future and directly exposed the fact that he had a son to divert the public¡¯s attention.


    Lin Feng felt bitter about it. In the end, celebrities were just commodities. The ones who really controlled the overall situation were still the capitalists behind the scenes. If he didn¡¯t perform well, he would be kicked out of the company. There would still be dozens or hundreds of people waiting to replace him. Moreover, the investment would be lower and they would become even more popular in the future.


    Everyone dispersed. Mu Zhou could tell that Yuan Shu had something on, so he didn¡¯t disturb her anymore. After bidding her farewell, he left with Wang Shen.


    Zhang Chao waited until everyone had left and only he and Yuan Shu were left before saying anxiously, ¡°Madam Shi, something bad has happened. Shi Lu is missing!¡±


    ¡°Missing?¡± Yuan Shu didn¡¯t quite understand the meaning of this word and repeated it.


    Zhang Chao nodded solemnly and said, ¡°After Chen Sheng left, I went to look for him to discuss the work arrangements. At that time, I saw that Shi Lu had gone to look for you, but when I returned, I couldn¡¯t find him anywhere. That¡¯s why I came to look for you. Did you see Shi Lu or receive any news from him?¡±


    Yuan Shu was also a little uneasy. Although Shi Lu did whatever he wanted, he was definitely not a rash person. Even if he wanted to leave, he would definitely tell her. Since he suddenly disappeared, perhaps there was something urgent?


    With this thought in mind, Yuan Shu quickly took out her phone from her pearl handbag. She scrolled through her text messages, but there was no message from Shi Lu. That shouldn¡¯t be the case.


    Yuan Shu quickly calmed down and scanned the entire venue. A person wouldn¡¯t disappear into thin air. He must have interacted with someone before he left. She made arrangements and said, ¡°Call Zhou Yan now and ask him to arrange for someone to wait near the car and the elevator. Tell me immediately if they see Shi Lu. I¡¯ll get someone to ask the attendant if she saw him. You¡¯ve been with him for so long, so you must be the most familiar with him. Is it possible that he went somewhere, or is there a terrace in the banquet hall?¡±


    Zhang Chao thought about it carefully. There was indeed a rooftop in this banquet hall. When Shi Lu attended banquets, he would usually go to the rooftop to enjoy the breeze when he was bored. It was very likely that he was there now!


    The rooftop was located on the highest floor of the hotel and could only be reached by taking the elevator. There was a swimming pool and a bar on the rooftop, and it was usually opened after ten o¡¯clock, so it was convenient for people who checked into the hotel to drink here.


    It was just past nine o¡¯clock, so there shouldn¡¯t be anyone there yet.


    Hence, Zhang Chao and Yuan Shu split into two groups. They followed Yuan Shu¡¯s arrangements while Yuan Shu herself went to the rooftop.


    Yuan Shu took out a whip from her pearl handbag. The whip was very thin and soft, so it was convenient for her to put it in her handbag.


    This was a whip that she had specifically asked Shi Yi to design. It was made of the softest leather and mixed with horsetail hair to make the whip stronger. A whip would only leave a shallow mark on a person¡¯s body, but it would leave a deep wound that couldn¡¯t be seen under the skin, commonly known as an internal injury.


    Based on her intuition, there might be some danger on the rooftop, so she had to hold the whip in her hand as a precaution.


    Her principle was never to put herself in danger..


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 114 - Chapter 114: Attack

    Chapter 114: Attack


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    According to the attendant¡¯s instructions, Yuan Shu could only take the elevator to the rooftop of the 23rd floor.


    The rooftop was very quiet. The warm wind from the upper floors blew down and the swimming pool reflected a gentle blue light. Coupled with the ambient lights, it made people want to drink. If not for the fact that they were worried about Shi Lu, they would have found this environment very comfortable.


    Yuan Shu walked in slowly while looking around every corner.


    The surroundings were too quiet. There were only one or two people in the dark corners where the light couldn¡¯t find them, such as beside some bonsai or on the sofa. The probability of Shi Lu being here was very low.


    After Yuan Shu walked to every corner, she didn¡¯t find Shi Lu in the end. However, she saw a familiar face, Gao Shan.


    Ever since Yuan Shu came to this world, or rather, after she completely seized control over Yuan An, she paid attention to the news of everyone in this circle so that she could make more accurate judgments in the future.


    If she remembered correctly, Gao Shan declared bankruptcy half a month ago. With the end of his marriage to Li Ran, Gao Shan had completely disappeared from this circle.


    Yuan Shu wondered why he was here.


    With his current financial strength, he should not be able to afford such a hotel. Therefore, his appearance here at this moment was a little suspicious.


    Moreover, Gao Shan was also wearing a tuxedo. It seemed that he had tidied himself up carefully and wanted to attend tonight¡¯s banquet. However, from his messy hair, he must have been here for a while. He was probably stopped by the security officer at the door, so he had nowhere to go and could only come to the rooftop.


    Yuan Shu ignored him, but unexpectedly, he came to look for her instead.


    When Gao Shan saw Yuan Shu, he immediately thought that his current encounter was definitely related to this woman. In addition, Yuan Shu¡¯s outfit today was too stunning, so Gao Shan developed ulterior motives.


    This was the rooftop. It wasn¡¯t even ten o¡¯clock, so there was no one around. Moreover, Yuan Shu was a frail woman. Even when a weak wind blew, she had to take two steps back. Even if he really wanted to do something to her, she was powerless to resist.


    Gao Shan smiled sinisterly. He didn¡¯t hide the lewdness in his eyes, as if he had already stripped Yuan Shu naked with his gaze.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this the eldest wife of the Shi family? What brings you up here?¡±


    Gao Shan¡¯s gaze made Yuan Shu very uncomfortable and even disgusted. With a slight movement of her wrist, the whip flew out and landed on Gao Shan¡¯s right shoulder.


    Gao Shan winced in pain. He didn¡¯t expect such an inconspicuous thin rope to hurt so much when it hit his body.


    The pain made him feel angry and humiliated. The resentment he had accumulated after being mocked for so many days erupted at this moment.


    Gao Shan covered his arm with one hand and raised his injured hand to point at Yuan Shu. ¡°You b*tch, how dare you hit me! Today, I¡¯ll let you have a taste of me! I want to see what the woman of the Shi family is like!¡±


    Yuan Shu couldn¡¯t stand to listen to Gao Shan¡¯s obscenities. Seeing him rush towards her, she didn¡¯t panic at all and whipped him again. This time, the whip hit the softest piece of meat on his inner thigh.


    Fortunately, Yuan Shu showed mercy. Otherwise, his lower body would have suffered.


    Gao Shan¡¯s leg went numb, and right on the heels of that, he felt a piercing pain. His knees went weak, and he almost fell to the ground.


    Gao Shan became even angrier. After he stood up straight, he rushed over and his words became even harsher. ¡°You¡¯re just a b*tch who relied on sex to enter the Shi family. What¡¯s there to be noble about? You¡¯re willing to serve Shi Xiao just because he¡¯s rich, but I¡¯m disgraced now, so you¡¯re unwilling?¡±


    Yuan Shu sneered and couldn¡¯t be bothered to say a word to him. She simply swung the whip in her hand above her head.


    This whip was much stronger than the previous two whips and it hit Gao Shan¡¯s lower abdomen..


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 115 - Chapter 115: Drugged

    Chapter 115: Drugged


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Yuan Shu¡¯s whip was made of a special material. Moreover, after the whip was completed, Yuan Shu still felt that it wasn¡¯t heavy enough, so she mixed iron threads with silk in the whip. It was softer and more strenuous. When she swung the whip, the pain was no less than that of five big whacks with a board.


    Yuan Shu was famous in the palace for being good at wielding the whip. There were a few times when a small Imperial Supervisor who had made a mistake had to be punished, and the emperor would change the 20 whacks from a board to 15 whips from Yuan Shu¡¯s whip.


    The pain from the whip didn¡¯t decrease at all, but compared to the board, it didn¡¯t affect his usual work. Basically, he could be on duty as usual tomorrow even after being whipped today. However, the pain was much more intense than that of the board.


    Although those eunuchs were afraid of pain, they were also worried that their monthly salary would be deducted because they were recuperating. That way, they would have less money to bring home. Therefore, in order to earn enough monthly salary, they would choose Yuan Shu to carry out the punishment.


    Later, when they arrived at the military camp, the military stick slowly became Yuan Shu¡¯s whip. It could be said that in the military camp and even the palace, as long as Yuan Shu¡¯s whip was mentioned, everyone would become very afraid.


    Gao Shan wasn¡¯t any better after being beaten up. Even those who were in fights quite often were afraid, let alone a hedonistic man like him.


    Blood beads seeped out of his stomach. It was so painful that he knelt on the ground and held his stomach. His back became more and more bent. In the end, he pressed his head against the ground in pain. He wanted to cover his stomach, but he was afraid of touching the wound.


    ¡°Ah¡­ you woman! You hag! Let me tell you, Shi Xiao is coming back soon! He will definitely divorce you! At that time, you¡¯ll be an unwanted piece of trash!¡± Gao Shan was still cursing.


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t say a word to him from the beginning to the end. She waved the whip in her hand and the whip made a beautiful arc in the air, but she herself didn¡¯t move at all. Even her skirt didn¡¯t move at all. She looked so elegant that it was as if she was orchestrating and Gao Shan¡¯s painful roar was just an accompaniment.


    After Yuan Shu whipped Gao Shan¡¯s back and waist a few more times, Gao Shan rolled on the ground in pain. When he saw Yuan Shu raise her hand again, he trembled in fear and begged in complete disregard for his image, ¡°Ah¡­ Ah¡­ I was wrong! Please be magnanimous¡­ Ah¡­ Let me go! Ah¡­!¡±


    There were very few people on the rooftop, but his voice attracted one or two people to watch from afar.


    After about three more lashes, Yuan Shu finally stopped when she saw his pale face.


    Her wrist moved slightly again, scaring Gao Shan so much that he immediately raised his hand to protect himself. However, Yuan Shu didn¡¯t hit him this time. She only retracted the whip and turned it into an inconspicuous ball again before putting it into her handbag.


    At this moment, the phone in her bag rang. It was a call from Zhang Chao. His tone was a little awkward as he said, ¡°Madam Shi, we¡¯ve found Second Young Master, but his condition isn¡¯t good. Please come and take a look. His room is room 888.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± After Yuan Shu hung up the phone, she didn¡¯t even look at Gao Shan. She turned around and walked from the elevator to the eighth floor.


    When they reached the room, Yuan Shu finally understood what Zhang Chao meant.


    Room 888 was a presidential suite. Yuan Shu had to go around the living room to reach the room. As soon as she entered the room, she saw Shi Lu sleeping soundly on the 1.8-meter soft bed in the room. Her face was unnaturally flushed and no matter how Zhang Chao called out to him, he didn¡¯t react.


    After Yuan Shu observed carefully, she guessed that he must have been drugged. After Yuan Shu walked to the television cabinet to pick up the mineral water on it, she returned to the bed and said coldly, ¡°Move aside.¡±


    Zhang Chao didn¡¯t dare to get in the way and immediately dodged to the side.


    Yuan Shu unscrewed the cap of the mineral water bottle and poured it over Shi Lu¡¯s head without a word.


    After the water spilled onto Shi Lu¡¯s handsome face, the impact didn¡¯t wake Shi Lu up completely. After about ten seconds, Shi Lu choked on the water when he was breathing. When the cold water rushed into his respiratory tract, he choked and woke up as he coughed..


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 116 - Chapter 116: Suspecting Zhang Zhang

    Chapter 116: Suspecting Zhang Zhang


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    It was obvious that Shi Lu wanted to sit up and let the water pour out of his nose, but after struggling for a long time, he only sank deeper and deeper into the wet bed. He didn¡¯t have the strength to sit up straight at all.


    Yuan Shu watched his reaction calmly before throwing the empty mineral water bottle into the trash can.


    With the sound of a mineral water bottle being thrown into the trash can, Yuan Shu said calmly to Zhang Chao, ¡°Help him up.¡±


    Zhang Chao was so impressed by Yuan Shu¡¯s series of actions that he was still staring at the parabola of the mineral water bottle that Yuan Shu had thrown out. He stood at the end of the bed in a daze and only reacted when he heard Yuan Shu¡¯s order. Then, he immediately nodded and ran to Shi Lu¡¯s side to help him up.


    Shi Lu¡¯s upper body was already drenched. His tuxedo jacket was nowhere to be seen, and he was only wearing a white shirt. Now that he was also drenched in mineral water, his sexy abs were faintly visible.


    Yuan Shu remembered seeing a closet when she first entered the living room, so she turned around to open the closet. There were indeed two bathrobes inside.


    She took one back into the room and threw it on the bed. ¡°Put it on him.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhang Chao picked up the bathrobe and wrapped it around Shi Lu¡¯s upper body. Zhang Chao felt that he was like a henchman now.


    Yuan Shu had already picked up the phone and dialed Zhou Yan¡¯s number. ¡°Bring two people to Room 888 on the eighth floor now. Remember to bring a hat, sunglasses, and a mask. Be careful not to let anyone see you and the elevator needs to be guarded. Remember to deal with the reporters in the parking lot. Don¡¯t let them take any photos.¡±


    Yuan Shu wasn¡¯t affected by the current situation at all. She gave instructions calmly and considered all the possible situations. This made Zhang Chao, who had been in the industry for so many years, feel admiration for her.


    Zhou Yan replied, ¡°Yes.¡± Then, he immediately took his things from the car and went upstairs.


    He stuffed the weak Shi Lu into the car.


    They were driving a red Lincoln today. The car was very long, and there was enough space in the back for Shi Lu to lie down.


    Shi Lu was completely disoriented now, so there was no point in asking him. Hence, Yuan Shu turned to Zhang Chao and asked, ¡°How did you find him?¡±


    Zhang Chao, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, immediately turned around when he heard the question and tried his best to look behind him as he replied ¡°Madam, the attendants I asked said that they didn¡¯t see Second Young Master. Later on, a female celebrity who had worked with Second Young Master told me that Second Young Master chatted with Zhang Zhang for a long time and had a glass of wine with her before he left, so I went to look for Zhang Zhang again. She told me that Second Young Master was called away by you and that you asked the attendant to give him the room card.¡±


    After Yuan Shu thought about the circumstances of the matter, she roughly figured out the development of the matter. Someone must have used her to trick Shi Lu into going to the room, but Shi Lu was the only one in the room.


    If Shi Lu was drugged, he couldn¡¯t have had the strength to chase the person out of the room. If Perhaps Shi Lu was drunk and wanted to find a room to rest, so he used the excuse that he was called away by her sister-in-law.


    Yuan Shu asked Zhang Chao with uncertainty, ¡°Are you sure Shi Lu and Zhang Zhang only drank one glass of wine together?¡±


    Zhang Chao nodded affirmatively. ¡°I¡¯m sure. Zhang Zhang won¡¯t lie to me.¡±


    Yuan Shu knew Shi Lu¡¯s alcohol tolerance. A glass of wine definitely wouldn¡¯t make him drunk, so the result could only be the former. He had been drugged. Who could it be? The only person who could make Shi Lu drink drugged wine was probably Zhang Zhang.


    Yuan Shu asked again, ¡°Who is Zhang Zhang?¡±


    Zhang Chao explained, ¡°Zhang Zhang is Shi Lu¡¯s only good friend in the industry. She¡¯s forthright and has a good relationship with Shi Lu.¡±


    Yuan Shu had never seen Zhang Zhang before, so she was still very suspicious of her. ¡°Are you really sure that Zhang Zhang didn¡¯t tamper with the wine today?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± A weak voice came from beside Yuan Shu. Shi Lu struggled to sit up slightly and used a lot of strength to say this..


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 Chapter 117 - Chapter 117: Trending Search

    Chapter 117: Trending Search


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Seeing that Shi Lu had woken up but didn¡¯t have the strength to speak, Zhang Chao hurriedly explained on Shi Lu¡¯s behalf, ¡°Shi Lu has never made any friends in the entertainment industry, but he became friends with Zhang Zhang because their personalities are very similar. The two of them are like buddies. Last year, the Shi family offended someone in the business world and it affected Shi Lu. When filming a motorbike scene by the sea, there was a problem with the brakes of Shi Lu¡¯s sea motorbike and he could only jump into the sea. It was Zhang Zhang who saved him.¡±


    Only then did Yuan Shu understand that the two of them were friends who had gone through thick and thin together. It was indeed wrong of her to suspect Shi Lu¡¯s savior.


    However, now that Shi Lu was awake, Yuan Shu could ask him directly, ¡°Who asked you to go to the room?¡±


    Shi Lu was still very weak. ¡°The attendant said¡­ said that you were resting in the room¡­ When you left, she asked me to pick you up¡­¡±


    It was as Yuan Shu had guessed.


    ¡°After you went to the room, was there anyone else in the room?¡±


    Shi Lu tried hard to recall, but he still had no clue, so he shook his head with difficulty.


    ¡°Not long after I entered the room, I felt weak¡­ When I woke up again¡­ I saw you guys¡­¡±


    Yuan Shu started to worry. Shi Lu had been unconscious for at least an hour. What exactly happened in this hour? Who attacked him? Could it be that their ultimate goal was the Shi family?


    Yuan Shu still had no clue, but it was useless to think about it now. It was more important to take good care of Shi Lu first.


    She called home and asked Wu Yan to arrange for a family doctor to treat Shi Lu. She also asked them to prepare a wheelchair so that she could push Shi Lu in later.


    When she was done and saw Shi Lu sleeping soundly on the bed, Yuan Shu finally felt relieved.


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t sleep well that night, since she had a vague feeling that there would be bigger trouble waiting for them tomorrow.


    The next day, Yuan Shu had just woken up when she received a message from Zhang Chao. ¡°Madam Shi, something bad has happened. Shi Lu is on the trending searches!¡±


    After being here for so long, Yuan Shu had a complete understanding of social media now, so when she saw the news, she immediately opened social media. Five trending topics were all about Shi Lu and the headlines were sensational! [Shocking, a famous celebrity barged into a female celebrity¡¯s room at night!] [Casting couch]


    [Shi Lu used a new role to threaten Zheng Yan.]


    ? ?


    The other two trending topics naturally involved the Shi family.


    As expected, even a slight change could affect the entire situation. In such a tense situation, no matter who it was, it would affect the entire Shi family.


    Yuan Shu clicked on one of the trending topics. The first was a video. In the video, a drunk Shi Lu was standing outside the door of Room 888. He was swaying and could only stand steadily with his hand on the door frame.


    The person behind the door was a woman in a bathrobe with her collar slightly open. According to the comments, her name should be Zheng Yan. The two of them seemed to be talking about something. Their voices were not very clear, but Zheng Yan could be heard saying, ¡°Brother Shen Lu, please don¡¯t take away my role. At most, I¡¯ll let you in.¡±


    Only this sentence could be heard clearly in the entire video, especially the words ¡°Brother Shen Lu¡±. It seemed to be deliberately made clear so that people could tell who this person was.


    As soon as Zheng Yan finished speaking, Shi Lu¡¯s hand that was holding the door frame slipped and half of his body was almost completely leaning on Zheng Yan. In the video, Zheng Yan seemed to be struggling and wanted to push Shi Lu away, but in the next second, Shi Lu had already entered the room and the door was closed.


    No one in the comment section below spoke up for Shi Lu. Almost everyone was scolding him.


    [You think you can force others just because you¡¯re rich? What a shameless scumbag!]


    Someone asked, ¡°What kind of show is it? Why does he have the final say?¡±


    Zheng Yan¡¯s fans commented: [It¡¯s Director Wang Shen¡¯s new movie. Zheng Yan is the female lead, but the Shi family invested money. Of course evil capitalists can do whatever they want!]


    Seeing this comment, Yuan Shu was so angry that she laughed.


    Not to mention that last night, Wang Shen had been persuading Yuan Shu to act as the female lead. Even Yuan Shu herself didn¡¯t know that their family invested in this new drama. How could others know? How ridiculous!


    However, even though it was such an obvious lie, many netizens still believed it. Even if the Shi family hired paid posters, they couldn¡¯t suppress the


    comments..


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 Chapter 118 - Chapter 118: First Meeting

    Chapter 118: First Meeting


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    The comments online were getting more and more ridiculous. Shi Lu¡¯s account had already been bombarded with private messages. Even the Shi family¡¯s share price was fluctuating.


    Zhao Mian called Yuan Shu to ask about the specific situation and asked for Yuan Shu¡¯s opinion on a few emergency measures that were formulated.


    These emergency measures were nothing more than using another trending topic to suppress this one. It was exactly the same as the way Li Ci dealt with Zhao Mian back then. Or, she could find a professional to appraise it and prove that this video was photoshopped.


    This was a way to remedy the situation but not the root of the problem. As long as this video was real, even if there were professionals refuting it, the netizens would still not believe it. This matter would still be brought up in the future, and Shi Lu¡¯s reputation would forever be ruined.


    The best way was to prove that Shi Lu had been framed. At that time, he was already delirious.


    Yuan Shu made arrangements for Zhao Mian over the phone. ¡°Check Zheng Yan¡¯s background first. We have to know why she slandered Shi Lu.¡±


    Then, she said to Zhang Chao, who had been guarding here since last night, ¡°Please contact Zhang Zhang now and ask her to make time to come to the house today.¡±


    Zhang Chao immediately nodded and took out his phone, but before he could dial the number, the doorbell rang.


    It was Zhang Zhang.


    When Zhang Zhang saw the trending searches this morning, she realized the seriousness of the matter. Without another word, she immediately took a taxi to the villa area. When she realized that they were not in the villa, she went to the ancestral home.


    Zhang Zhang and Shi Lu were very good friends and were familiar with this place. When they entered, they bumped into Shi Yi, who was about to go out.


    Shi Yi was about to be late, so she greeted Zhang Zhang. ¡°Zhang Zhang, why did you rush over so early in the morning?¡±


    Zhang Zhang was still panting. ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t gone online today?¡±


    Shi Yi glanced at the time. ¡°I¡¯ve been so busy these few days. How could I have time to go online? Are you looking for Shi Lu? He probably isn¡¯t up yet. I¡¯m going to be late for work, so I¡¯ll leave first!¡± She never called Shi Lu Second Brother at home.


    As Shi Yi spoke, she ran out in her high heels.


    Zhang Zhang didn¡¯t say anything else. She changed into slippers and walked into the house. When she saw Yuan Shu sitting in the living room, she was shocked. Only then did she realize that this might be the sister-in-law that Shi Lu had forbade her from gossiping about!


    How should he put it? After seeing Yuan Shu today, she realized that Yuan Shu was indeed completely different from the rumors. With such a calm temperament, it was impossible for Yuan Shu to be as impetuous as the rumors said she was.


    Zhang Zhang didn¡¯t have time to think about it carefully. She addressed Yuan Shu the same way Shi Lu did. ¡°Sister-in-law.¡± Then, he hurriedly looked at Zhang Chao, who was standing behind Yuan Shu, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s with the video online? Where¡¯s Shi Lu now?¡±


    Zhang Chao didn¡¯t speak. Yuan Shu, who was sitting on the sofa, replied, ¡°Shi Lu is still groggy after being drugged. Someone took a video of it, but Shi Lu has no impression of this matter at all. Miss Zhang, you came at the right time. I have some questions for you about what happened last night. Please tell me the entire process of your interaction with Shi Lu.¡±


    Only then did Zhang Zhang turn around. After she sat down on the other side of the sofa, she let out a long sigh of relief. At the same time, he recalled everything that had happened last night and told her every detail seriously.


    After listening quietly, Yuan Shu asked, ¡°Miss Zhang, do you remember the two waiters Shi Lu interacted with last night?¡±


    Zhang Zhang looked carefree on the surface, but she was actually a very meticulous person that would secretly observe her environment.


    Although there were many attendants at such banquets, and most of them were temporary workers, Zhang Zhang had a deep impression of this attendant.


    This was because this attendant¡¯s hairstyle was very cool. He had long silver hair that was tied into a ponytail at the back of his head, but his appearance was ordinary..


    If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.

 Chapter 119 - Chapter 119: Help

    Chapter 119: Help


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    ¡°Yes! And I¡¯m sure that Shen Lu, no, it¡¯s Shi Lu. The waiter who handed him the wine and the waiter who handed him the room card is the same person!¡±


    After Zhang Zhang described the attendant¡¯s appearance carefully again, Yuan Shu and Zhang Chao quickly looked at each other. It seemed that this matter had been a trap right from the beginning.


    Zhang Chao immediately saw the same suspicion in Yuan Shu¡¯s eyes. Before Yuan Shu could speak, he immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ll check the list of attendants on the night of the cocktail party now.¡±


    Yuan Shu stopped him. ¡°Let Zhou Yan investigate this matter. You¡¯re Shi Lu¡¯s manager, so you have to be prepared to deal with all kinds of unexpected situations at any time.¡±


    Zhang Zhang expressed his agreement. ¡°The public opinion is changing at every moment. You have to control the situation in the fan group first and contact Sister Li to divert the public¡¯s attention.¡±


    Zhang Chao quickly calmed down. He had been following Shi Lu since he entered this industry. Although Shi Lu was undisciplined, Zhang Chao was really serious about cultivating his business skills. He was a little flustered just now, but now that he had calmed down, his professional skills were displayed.


    He took out his phone. First, he stabilized the fans¡¯ emotions in various fan groups so that the fans would believe in their idol. He also sent some of his discoveries to Sister Shi to let the fans argue with the netizens.


    To a popular celebrity, trending was a good thing. Therefore, as long as fans and netizens quarreled, this topic would continue to trend. Even after the matter was resolved, it would also increase Shi Lu¡¯s fame.


    Zhang Chao completely believed in Shi Lu¡¯s character. For so many years, Shi Lu kept his distance from the women in the entertainment industry. The only person who could be friends with him was Zhang Zhang.


    How could such a Shi Lu sleep with an actress he had never worked with before?


    After Zhang Chao settled the matters here, he thought about these five topics and said to Yuan Shu, ¡°Madam Shi, since Zheng Yan said that Shi Lu used Wang Shen¡¯s position as the female lead to threaten her into sleeping with him, as long as Director Wang Shen releases a statement saying that this script is still in the casting stage, her lie will naturally be exposed.¡±


    Yuan Shu had also thought of this, but she didn¡¯t leave either Wang Shen or Mu Zhou¡¯s number, so it was a little difficult to contact them.


    Now that Zhang Chao mentioned it, Yuan Shu said, ¡°You¡¯ve been helping Shi Lu get a role in this movie, so you should have Wang Shen¡¯s number. Call him quickly and ask him to release a statement as soon as possible.¡±


    Zhang Chao immediately found the number. ¡°Madam, this is Director Wang¡¯s number. However, I think it¡¯s most suitable for you to make this call.¡±


    Zhang Zhang was curious and couldn¡¯t help but interrupt. ¡°Why does Madam Shi have to do it?¡±


    Zhang Chao explained, ¡°From yesterday¡¯s conversation, it¡¯s not difficult to tell that Director Wang and Director Mu both hope that Madam Shi can play the role, so they will definitely give in to Madam Shi at this time.¡±


    Yuan Shu immediately called him.


    It was only 8:30 in the morning, and the person on the other end of the phone was clearly still groggy. The phone rang for a long time, but no one picked up.


    Yuan Shu called again. Finally, after the third ring, the call was picked up.


    Wang Shen¡¯s voice was filled with frustration and he was clearly dissatisfied that someone had woken him up in the morning. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    Yuan Shu said politely, ¡°Hello, Director Wang. I¡¯m Yuan Shu. I¡¯m sorry to disturb you at this time. I have a small matter that I need your help with.¡±


    Wang Shen and Mu Zhou had a good chat about the new script last night and couldn¡¯t help but drink two more glasses. It wasn¡¯t until midnight that the two of them reluctantly ended the conversation and returned to their respective rooms. He had just fallen asleep not long ago but was woken up by a call early in the morning. Even a good-tempered person would feel annoyed.


    Wang Shen wanted to scold her, but when he heard that the person on the phone was Yuan Shu, he forced himself to control his temper. However, his tone wasn¡¯t very friendly. ¡°Madam Shi, please speak..¡±

 Chapter 120 - Chapter 120: Turning Point

    Chapter 120: Turning Point


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Yuan Shu tried her best to explain the ins and outs of the matter as briefly as possible. In the end, she said, ¡°Director Wang, don¡¯t worry. I can guarantee with my reputation that this matter definitely wasn¡¯t done by Shen Lu! Therefore, I want to ask you to help release a statement that this movie is in the casting stage and everything hasn¡¯t been finalized yet.¡±


    Wang Shen had a bad temper to begin with, so after hearing this, he was even angrier. ¡°Aren¡¯t they making things up?! I haven¡¯t even thought of the name of this movie yet, so how can I confirm the role?! Just you wait, I¡¯ll make a statement now!¡±


    After saying that, Wang Shen hung up the phone. He didn¡¯t even wait for Yuan Shu to thank him.


    It had been a long time since Yuan Shu had seen such a hot-tempered person. The three of them exchanged looks of dismay. They didn¡¯t realize that Wang Shen had such a hot temper, but he seemed to be easy to get along with.


    Before the three of them could heave a sigh of relief, Zhang Zhang raised another question. ¡°But even if the director issued a statement to prove that Zheng Yan lied, the video does look like Shi Lu forced his way into the room. I¡¯m worried that the netizens won¡¯t believe it so easily.¡±


    Yuan Shu frowned as she pondered over it and she couldn¡¯t help but bite her lower lip. This was her habit when she was thinking. The deeper she fell into her thoughts, the more she couldn¡¯t help but bite her lower lip. It was as if as long as she bit her lower lip, the problem would be solved.


    Zhang Zhang looked at the two people who had fallen silent again because of his question. Then, he shut his mouth and took this opportunity to size up Yuan Shu.


    She had actually followed the live-stream of Shi Xiao and Yuan Shu¡¯s marriage online. In her impression, Yuan Shu had a vulgar temperament and had heavy makeup on. Even the pure white wedding dress looked a little tacky on her.


    She could also understand why Shen Lu said that Yuan Shu was a scheming woman.


    When she saw Yuan Shu today, she was only wearing very comfortable home clothes, but her entire temperament was very otherworldly. Her beauty carried a hint of coldness that kept people at bay. Although she looked gentle, there was a sense of aloofness to her features.


    However, the domestic attire made her look more easy-going and her tranquil aura gave people peace of mind.


    It was no wonder that Shen Lu¡¯s evaluation of Yuan Shu was so different and he forbade people from speaking ill of his sister-in-law. Even Zhang Zhang couldn¡¯t help but want to get close to Yuan Shu. This was the first time Zhang Zhang had such a strong desire to make friends with someone.


    But of course, she knew that now wasn¡¯t a good time to make friends.


    Wang Shen posted a statement. In the statement, he couldn¡¯t help but scold those netizens who didn¡¯t know the truth but were making wild guesses. In the end, he even said that it was impossible for him to hire a female artiste who lied, especially for the female lead role. He had long found a suitable female lead for this movie, but the other party didn¡¯t agree.


    The public opinion also started to develop in a good direction. The netizens began to guess who the person who was offered the female lead role but rejected Wang Shen was.


    [It must be Zhang Zhang! She just came back from filming overseas recently and is famous. Of course Wang Shen will choose her!]


    Of course, other than Zhang Zhang, there were also people who guessed other female celebrities. Almost all the fans tried to get an opportunity for their idol. After all, that was Wang Shen¡¯s new movie! If she played the female lead role, her status might rise to another level!


    Only the few people present that night knew that the person Wang Shen was talking about was Yuan Shu.


    However, Yuan Shu didn¡¯t reveal the matter.


    Although the public opinion was no longer focused on Shi Lu, the outcome was similar to what Zhang Zhang had said. Although the netizens were discussing Zheng Yan¡¯s lie, there were still many people that refused to let go of the matter of Shi Lu barging into the room.


    Zhou Yan found out that the attendant¡¯s name was Wang Er. He was currently a senior at a low-ranking university.


    Wang Er said that he was paid to help carry a glass of wine and hand over a room card. He didn¡¯t know anything else.


    The trail went cold again. There was only a turnaround at two in the afternoon..

 Chapter 121 - Chapter 121: Related

    Chapter 121: Related


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    The video of Shi Lu being drugged and filmed at the door of the VIP room was actually arranged by Gao Shan. The backup plan that Gao Shan mentioned was Zheng Yan.


    Among his many mistresses, Zheng Yan was the most ambitious woman. She was unwilling to only be Gao Shan¡¯s woman. In other words, she felt that Gao Shan¡¯s status wasn¡¯t high enough, so the two of them reached a tacit understanding and became partners.


    Gao Shan helped her get into upper-class society and get to know those people who were doing well in the upper-class society. When necessary, such as when Zheng Yan couldn¡¯t deal with those men, Gao Shan would step in. Whether it was drugging or deceiving them, he would help her get what she wanted.


    Correspondingly, Zheng Yan would also help Gao Shan get to know more people from upper-class society. Previously, Gao Shan had just stepped into the upper society. If not for Li Ci, no one would be willing to talk to him at all. In the eyes of those people, Gao Shan was just a tool. Zheng Yan helped give Gao Shan a place in upper society.


    Therefore, it could be said that the two of them had a mutually beneficial relationship. Zheng Yan was also Gao Shan¡¯s last trump card.


    Gao Shan originally wanted to drag Yuan Shu down with him through this matter. For example, wasn¡¯t a secret affair between one¡¯s brother-in-law and sister-in-law a dirty secret that could help him control them?


    Unfortunately, the person on the phone changed his mind and for some reason, let Yuan Shu off. Or rather, he wanted to know how Yuan Shu would deal with this matter.


    Since he was under someone else¡¯s control, Gao Shan had no choice but to be obedient.


    At this point, as long as Zheng Yan didn¡¯t say anything, the public opinion would continue in the direction they wanted. Unexpectedly, Gao Shan didn¡¯t look for a low-key attendant and actually hired such an eye-catching person. In an hour, someone found Wang Er¡¯s information and even contacted him.


    Zheng Yan stood by the floor-to-ceiling window of the private clubhouse on the 13th floor. She was still holding her cell phone in her hand as she looked coldly at the people downstairs. There were also a few purplish-red hickeys on her neck. It was obvious that they were marks left behind after sex.


    Meanwhile, the man who had sex with her was sitting on the soft bed while buttoning up his white shirt. There were obvious purple-red bruises on his stomach and legs.


    Zheng Yan threw her phone on the sofa beside her and said, ¡°Do you know that Wang Er has already been found by the Shi family?¡±


    Gao Shan said with an indifferent look, ¡°So what? He¡¯s just a small fry who gets paid to do things. He doesn¡¯t know who I am. Even if the Shi family finds him, he won¡¯t implicate me.¡±


    Zheng Yan was exasperated at this fool. If not for the fact that he still had some value, Zheng Yan would have dumped him long ago.


    At this moment, Zheng Yan felt pity for herself. She was a young lady from the countryside and had worked hard for so many years to stabilize her position in the entertainment industry. If not for the fact that she didn¡¯t have any powerful backer, how could she cooperate with Gao Shan, an impulsive lecher!


    A few days ago, when he came to look for Zheng Yan, Zheng Yan didn¡¯t want to help him at all. If it were not for the conditions he proposed, Zheng Yan wouldn¡¯t have agreed to help him.


    Zheng Yan was skeptical at that time and asked him, ¡°With your current ability, how can you help me get a role in Wang Shen¡¯s new movie?¡±


    Gao Shan sneered. ¡°Do you think I only have Li Ci as my backer?¡±


    Zheng Yan was also someone who didn¡¯t commit herself until success was certain. ¡°I can help you, but you have to help me get an invitation to the An Province TV Station National Drama Festival first. They also have to nominate me as the Best Supporting Actress.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Gao Shan agreed readily.


    Zheng Yan originally thought that she would have to wait for a long time, but she didn¡¯t expect to receive an invitation the next day. Now, Zheng Yan had no choice but to trust Gao Shan.


    Zheng Yan even emphasized greedily, ¡°Remember, after the matter is done, I want to act in Wang Shen¡¯s new movie! And I can¡¯t only have a few scenes!¡±


    Gao Shan said impatiently, ¡°Got it.¡±


    In the end, after Gao Shan messed things up, it was hard to say if this matter could be settled!

 Chapter 122 - Chapter 122: Torture

    Chapter 122: Torture


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    After Gao Shan buttoned the last button of his shirt, he walked behind Zheng Yan. Then, he wrapped his arms around her slender waist, placed his chin on her shoulder, and sniffed her fragrance as he said what most men would say at a time like this.


    ¡°Although I have so many women, you¡¯re the one I love the most.¡±


    Zheng Yan sneered. She didn¡¯t take his words seriously at all. She pushed away the hand on her abdomen and turned around to sit on the sofa at the side.


    Zheng Yan picked up her phone and went online to look at the trending topics again. Ever since Wang Shen made a public statement, the public opinion had changed a little. Now, with Wang Er¡¯s testimony posted online, the public opinion began to change.


    With Shen Lu¡¯s fans taking the lead, the public started to say that Shen Lu was set up.


    [Shen Lu is so pitiful. He was actually drugged and framed!]


    [That¡¯s right. No matter how hard I think about it, it¡¯s impossible for Shen Lu to do something like that to her. Who doesn¡¯t know that our brother has been in the entertainment industry for so many years? He barely interacts with women.]


    [Could the person who bribed the attendant behind the scenes be Zheng Yan, so that she can become famous and join Director Wang¡¯s new movie?!]


    The netizens¡¯ guesses directed all the malice to Zheng Yan. Zheng Yan found fake reviewers to start a counterattack and forcefully leveled the situation.


    [The attendant said that he helped pass a glass of wine, but he didn¡¯t say that the wine was drugged. Where did you guys get your baseless guesses from?!] [That¡¯s right! Moreover, in the video, it was clearly Shen Lu who wanted to barge into the room. Could it be that Zheng Yan forced him to barge in?]


    [Girls help girls! Please don¡¯t direct all your malice to girls!]


    Seeing that the netizens¡¯ attention had finally returned to Shen Lu, Zheng Yan put down her phone in satisfaction and looked at Gao Shan with disdain.


    ¡°You idiot. There are so many university students, but you chose someone dressed so ostentatiously. Arc you afraid that they won¡¯t be able to find us?!¡±


    Gao Shan was unhappy. When he was still the CEO of the company, when had Zheng Yan ever dared to speak to him like this?! Now, she was looking down on him!


    Furious, Gao Shan quickly walked in front of Zheng Yan and knelt on one knee on the sofa. His upper body was very close to Zheng Yan¡¯s, and his hands wrapped around Zheng Yan¡¯s delicate neck before tightening.


    ¡°Who do you think you arc? How dare you lecture me here?! Let me tell you, you¡¯re just someone who works for me. If I¡¯m happy, I¡¯ll reward you. If I¡¯m unhappy, you¡¯re just a prostitute to me. Hch, no, you¡¯re worse than a prostitute. You¡¯re even cheaper than a prostitute!¡±


    The pain of suffocation made Zheng Yan¡¯s face turn red and her vision turned black. She desperately slapped Gao Shan¡¯s hand that was strangling her neck and kept struggling. Her desire to breathe made her fear the person in front of her even more.


    Finally, Gao Shan let go. Zheng Yan held her neck and panted heavily. She felt lucky to be alive.


    Gao Shan sneered and pressed down on Zheng Yan again. Ignoring the fact that the person under him was trembling violently because of the lack of oxygen, he took off her bathrobe aggressively and started without any foreplay.


    Zheng Yan was in so much pain that she cried and her messy hair covered her face. Gao Shan¡¯s distorted face was magnified in front of her. This person had gone completely crazy ever since he went bankrupt!


    As Gao Shan looked at the struggling and twisting body under him, for a moment, he suddenly thought of the woman in a black gown last night. She had thick black hair like seaweed. As she held a whip in her hand and stood there against the lights, she looked beautiful, holy, and inviolable.


    Hence, Gao Shan thrusted even more violently.


    After another round of torture, Gao Shan finally left Zheng Yan¡¯s body. Completely ignoring the reaction of the person under him, he said in a gentle voice, ¡°Babe, let¡¯s go out to eat something.¡±


    Zheng Yan was still trembling and didn¡¯t dare to refute him.


    The more useless a man was, the more he needed to show his might by bullying women so that he could retain his pathetic self-esteem.. It was really disgusting!

 Chapter 123 - Chapter 123: Eating

    Chapter 123: Eating


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Gao Shan chose a high-end restaurant that had been very popular recently. It seemed as if this was the only way to show that his status had not changed.


    There were people coming and going in the restaurant, so Gao Shan acted completely different from his usual aggressive self in the clubhouse.


    Zheng Yan had known Gao Shan for so many years and the two of them had been in a secret relationship for no less than three years. They had never dared to go on a date so openly in a place with so many people. Gao Shan had never been so considerate.


    Zheng Yan blamed Gao Shan¡¯s abnormalities on him being a sore loser. Gao Shan had already gone crazy. He didn¡¯t even care that the public eye was on Zheng Yan. He only cared about his own reputation, so he brought her to this restaurant. Zheng Yan scolded him for being an idiot inwardly, but she still obeyed. After all, only those who had experienced being strangled would know the fear.


    Gao Shan placed the cut steak in front of Zheng Yan. ¡°Don¡¯t you like steak the most? Try it.¡±


    Zheng Yan could hear the threat in his tone. It was as if she would turn into a steak on a plate in the next second if she didn¡¯t eat it.


    Zheng Yan became more and more afraid of this person. He wasn¡¯t only crazy, but also a psychopath! She liked to eat steak? She had never eaten steak with him before!


    However, Zheng Yan still smiled and picked up a piece of steak with her fork and placed it into her mouth.


    When Gao Shan saw Zheng Yan¡¯s red lips moving as she chewed, it was as if he was seeing another person through her.


    Gao Shan said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As long as the video stays on the trending searches for three days, we will get what we want.¡±


    What did Gao Shan want? He wanted to drag Shi Lu down with him and get that person to help him deal with Li Ci. No, he had changed his mind now. He wanted Yuan Shu to kneel in front of him and beg for mercy. He wanted to trample on Yuan Shu¡¯s pride and make her beg for his love.


    Zheng Yan hesitated before asking, ¡°Why do you have to frame Shi Lu? He doesn¡¯t seem to have anything to do with the business world.¡±


    Gao Shan sneered as he used a knife to cut the medium-rare steak on his plate. He cut it along the muscles of the meat, and bright red blood hung on the roasted steak.


    He replied, ¡°Because his surname is Shi, and he¡¯s everyone¡¯s target. You can¡¯t ask about the specifics.¡±


    Zheng Yan shut up and ate the steak on her plate. She could feel the gazes of the people around her and even felt that there was a hidden camera that was secretly taking photos of her. She was now a public figure, so once the photos were posted online, she could imagine what the comments would be like.


    [The female lead of the casting couch incident actually interfered in someone else¡¯s marriage?]


    Or perhaps, [Was the casting couch incident all an act?]


    Zheng Yan couldn¡¯t help but resent Gao Shan. Once the netizens started to help Shi Lu, all their efforts would be in vain. Did he still expect the person behind him to continue helping them? What a joke!


    Last night, Gao Shan bribed the attendant to send the drugged wine to Shi Lu. At that time, Shi Lu was chatting enthusiastically with Zhang Zhang and didn¡¯t notice that there was a problem with the wine. When the drug was about to take effect, Gao Shan asked the attendant to send him a room card.


    As soon as Shi Lu opened the door with the room card, the effects of the drug kicked in. He didn¡¯t even have time to step into the room before he collapsed and it was Zheng Yan who caught him quickly.


    Gao Shan frowned. ¡°Why? Could it be that you pity every single man and you can¡¯t bear to see him ruined?¡±


    Zheng Yan rolled her eyes at him. ¡°If there are injuries on his face or bruises on his body, how are you going to explain things tomorrow? Are you going to argue with those netizens? Alright, cut the crap. Come and take a video.¡±


    At that time, Gao Shan was in a good mood and didn¡¯t care about the impatience in Zheng Yan¡¯s tone. After helping the weak Shi Lu stand at the door, he started filming.


    Unexpectedly, Shi Lu accidentally helped him in the end. Since Shi Lu no longer had the strength to support his body, he fell towards the room and pressed against Zheng Yan¡¯s body. Then, Zheng Yan supported him.


    From the perspective of Gao Shan¡¯s video, it was as if Shi Lu had forced his way in when he saw that he couldn¡¯t convince Zheng Yan.


    In the end, their plan succeeded. Worried that they would be discovered, they threw Shi Lu onto the bed and left as soon as possible.


    After that, Gao Shan felt smug and started drinking on the rooftop. He didn¡¯t expect to meet Yuan Shu, who was looking for Shi Lu, then the scene of Yuan Shu beating Gao Shan up happened..

 Chapter 124 - Chapter 124: Chance Encounter

    Chapter 124: Chance Encounter


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Gao Shan and Zheng Yan ate together, but the two of them had their own ulterior motives.


    After dinner, Zheng Yan only wanted to leave as soon as possible, so she hurriedly put on her hat, sunglasses, and mask. However, Gao Shan wasn¡¯t in a hurry at all and was pulled out of the restaurant by the anxious Zheng Yan.


    This scene happened to be seen by Li Ran, who was sitting by the window in the cafeteria.


    Li Ran¡¯s seat was originally beside Gao Shan¡¯s, but Li Ran didn¡¯t want to see Gao Shan, so she changed to the table behind her. As for Gao Shan, he was too focused on cutting the steak and fantasizing to see Li Ran.


    Li Ran could not hear Gao Shan and Zheng Yan¡¯s conversation clearly, but she could vaguely hear Shi Lu¡¯s name.


    Everyone knew that Shi Lu and Zheng Yan had been on the trending searches for the entire day, but Zheng Yan actually dared to eat at such a famous restaurant. Li Ran guessed that this matter might be their scheme.


    After Li Rail¡¯s divorce, she spent a week carefully recalling all the details of the past. Then, she finally gave up on this man. When she thought of exhaustion and disgust, she realized that she had been blinded by love in the past and had neglected this man¡¯s shortcomings.


    After understanding this, Li Ran completely moved on from Gao Shan.


    Today, when she saw Gao Shan¡¯s smug look and his disdain for the woman in front of him, Li Ran¡¯s disgust for this man reached the max.


    Li Ran definitely would not let someone she hated so much off so easily. Although she didn¡¯t have much of a relationship with the Shi family, because Yuan Shu had a good relationship with her uncle, Li Ran had a good impression of Yuan Shu.


    Since Gao Shan wanted to harm Shi Lu and the Shi family, Li Ran would not let him have his way.


    Li Ran called her bodyguard and asked him to follow Gao Shan and that if he heard any useful information, he should report it immediately.


    After arranging everything, Li Ran went shopping with Zhou Xin¡¯s sister, Zhou Yao.


    Zhou Xin ran an entertainment media company, so she naturally paid more attention to entertainment matters. Zhou Yao also worked in their company, so the entertainment industry¡¯s matters weren¡¯t a secret to her.


    Zhou Yao held Li Ran¡¯s arm as the two of them entered a jewelry shop. When the shop assistant gave them a ring embedded with gems, Zhou Yao said aloofly, ¡°Xiao Ran, didn¡¯t you like Lin Feng quite a lot previously? I heard from my brother that he competed for the second male lead role in Wang Shen¡¯s new movie last night but was rejected.¡±


    Li Ran picked up a ten-carat diamond ring to try it on as she said aloofly, ¡°Before I found out that he had a child, I did like him a lot, but I don¡¯t pursue celebrities with wives. After the news of him having a child is exposed, the quality of his resources will definitely degrade. However, 1 didn¡¯t expect that he wasn¡¯t even able to get a second male lead role.¡±


    Zhou Yao also took a fancy to a ruby ring and asked the shop assistant to give it to her. After she put it on her index finger and faced the light, it reflected a bright red color. ¡°Wang Shen just won the Golden Magnolia Award for Best Director, so it¡¯s normal for him to be picky. But do you know who the female lead he fancies is?!¡±


    If this female lead was an ordinary person, Zhou Yao definitely wouldn¡¯t have specifically mentioned it, so it seemed like she was someone Li Ran knew.


    However, Li Ran knew very few female celebrities in the entertainment industry, so it was very difficult for her to guess. She simply asked, ¡°Who is it? Tell me directly.¡±


    Zhou Yao said mysteriously, ¡°What¡¯s the name of the woman who has just married Shi Xiao two months ago?¡±


    ¡°Yuan Shu?!¡± Li Ran was shocked. Yuan Shu wasn¡¯t from the entertainment industry at all. How did she come into contact with Wang Shen?


    Zhou Yao looked at the other ruby ring as well and asked Li Ran to choose the most suitable one for her. Then, she added, ¡°It¡¯s quite strange. Yuan Shu seems to know the music director of this movie, Mu Zhou, and Mu Zhou introduced her to Wang Shen. Wang Shen just met Yuan Shu, but offered her the female lead role..¡±

 Chapter 125 - Chapter 125: Recorded Conversation

    Chapter 125: Recorded Conversation


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Li Ran carefully compared the two ruby rings on Zhou Yao¡¯s hand. One was a hexagonal design with no outstanding aspects, but the color was brighter. The other was a square design that was more sophisticated, but the color was darker.


    Zhou Yao¡¯s fingers were slender and she had even practiced the piano when she was young, so the hexagonal cutting design was more suitable for her. Hence, Li Ran chose the hexagonal ruby ring.


    Zhou Yao continued to gossip. ¡°In our circle, there are many people who invest in themselves in order to play the lead. In addition, we¡¯ve all heard of Yuan Shu¡¯s deeds. Someone as ostentatious as her might have such thoughts. Of course Yuan Shu will accept Wang Shen¡¯s invitation.¡±


    However, Li Ran didn¡¯t think so. ¡°After meeting her a few times, I realized that Yuan Shu is completely different from what the rumors says she is. She¡¯s simply the complete opposite. Yuan Shu has a calm and dignified temperament. Even my uncle is full of praise for her.¡±


    This time, it was Zhou Yao who was stunned. ¡°Li Ci? Li Ci actually knows how to praise people!¡±


    Zhou Yao had been classmates with Li Ran since she was young and often visited to the Li family¡¯s house. She had known Li Ci for so many years, but this guy was arrogant. Other than Li Ran, he was sharp-tongued to everyone else. Zhou Yao was so angered by him that she even cried a few times.


    Moreover, all these years, Zhou Yao had never heard Li Ci praise anyone! Even his most beloved niece, Li Ran, had never been praised by him. Now, he was actually full of praise for a married woman? Did she mishear?!


    Li Ran nodded. ¡°I think you should meet Yuan Shu if there¡¯s a chance. I believe you¡¯ll definitely be impressed by her. Even the three mischievous siblings of the Shi family, who no one other than Shi Xiao could tame, have been tamed by Yuan Shu.¡±


    ¡°Tamed?¡± When Zhou Yao heard this word, she suddenly thought of a piece of gossip she had heard last night. ¡°Xiao Ran, don¡¯t blame me for mentioning your sad past. I just thought of how last night, 1 heard from the hotel staff that Gao Shan was beaten up by a woman on the rooftop of the hotel and that he was beaten up quite badly. Gao Shan was in so much pain that he knelt on the ground!¡±


    ¡°Serves him right!¡± When Li Ran heard that Gao Shan had been beaten up, she immediately felt very happy. She had been angry when she saw him in the afternoon, but now that she heard that he had been beaten up, she felt extremely happy!


    ¡°Yes!¡± Zhou Yao added, ¡°And the person who hit him seems to be Yuan Shu!¡±


    ¡°Yuan Shu is that capable?¡± Li Ran was surprised.


    Gao Shan had practiced boxing in the gym. Although it was just surface level, it was more than enough for him to deal with a woman.


    She didn¡¯t expect Yuan Shu to actually beat Gao Shan up so badly. Impressive! If there was a chance, Li Ran would definitely seek guidance from Yuan Shu!


    As she was thinking about it, the bodyguard suddenly called.


    After Li Ran picked up the call, the bodyguard said, ¡°Miss, we followed Gao Shan around Dole Square and recorded some of his conversation with the woman beside him. We¡¯ve already sent it to your phone.¡±


    Li Ran hung up the phone and stopped looking at the diamond rings in front of her. She took out her Bluetooth earpiece from her handbag and put it in her ear to listen to the recording.


    First, Zheng Yan¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°Gao Shan, if we¡¯re so high profile, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be easy to explain if we¡¯re photographed.¡±


    Gao Shan said disdainfully, ¡°What are you afraid of? You¡¯re an actress. If anything happens, I¡¯ll be the one to lose face. If I¡¯m not afraid, what are you afraid of?¡±


    After hearing this, Li Ran began to feel nauseous. Why hadn¡¯t she realized that Gao Shan was so disrespectful to women in the past?!


    One could clearly tell that Zheng Yan was displeased, but she still tried her best to suppress it. ¡°What I mean is that if we¡¯re photographed, the fact that we framed Shen Lu will be discovered. I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be easy to explain.¡±


    Gao Shan was impatient. ¡°That¡¯s why you should have slept with him last night. Aren¡¯t men in the Shi family the most particular about credibility? Back then, Yuan Shu was able to marry into the Shi family through this method, so you can do so as well.. Wouldn¡¯t you be able to become the wife of a wealthy family? 1 wonder why you¡¯re pretending to be so aloof!¡±

 Chapter 126 - Chapter 126: Resolution

    Chapter 126: Resolution


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    ¡°You!¡± Zheng Yan was so angry that she was speechless. Although she had relied on her body to get to where she was today, she was also a principled person. She would never have sex with someone who wasn¡¯t sober. Otherwise, if they turned against her, she would be the one who would suffer!


    Moreover, given the situation last night, the Shi family would soon discover that Shi Lu was missing. If they didn¡¯t run far away, wouldn¡¯t they be waiting for others to discover them?


    When Gao Shan was refuted, he suddenly felt dissatisfied. ¡°What? Are you trying to be disrespectful to me again? Don¡¯t forget how 1 punished you at the clubhouse this morning!¡±


    At the thought of her neck being strangled, Zheng Yan was filled with fear. Her neck couldn¡¯t help but tremble and she had goosebumps. She took two steps back in fear and didn¡¯t dare to continue the conversation.


    Gao Shan said, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Aren¡¯t you very eloquent?¡± Right on the heels of that, Zheng Yan¡¯s cry for help was heard. ¡°Let go of me!¡± However, calling for help was obviously useless. Gao Shan had already dragged Zheng Yan back to the car and sped all the way back to the clubhouse to start a new round of torture on Zheng Yan.


    Li Ran didn¡¯t know what happened after that.


    The recording ended here. Li Ran felt even angrier after hearing it. Gao Shan was so docile in front of her, but she didn¡¯t expect that his was his true colors, and she had actually lived with such a liar for so many years. How disgusting!


    Seeing that Li Ran¡¯s expression was getting worse, Zhou Yao was worried that she was sick, so she asked, ¡°Xiao Ran, are you alright? You don¡¯t look good.¡±


    Li Ran shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that 1 can¡¯t accompany you today. 1 have something to deal with.¡±


    Zhou Yao didn¡¯t force her to stay. ¡°It¡¯s okay. If you have something on, you can leave first. Is the chauffeur picking you up downstairs? Do you need my chauffeur to send you?¡±


    When Li Ran saw how considerate her good friend was, she was touched and the disgust caused by Gao Shan gradually subsided. ¡°It¡¯s alright. The chauffeur is waiting for me downstairs. Choose a ring first. You must choose a ring you like today and put it on my tab as a gift for you!¡±


    After Li Ran left the jewelry store, she immediately sent the recording to Yuan Shu and called her right on the heels of that.


    Yuan Shu sounded puzzled. She clearly didn¡¯t know why Li Ran suddenly called her. ¡°Hello, Miss Li?¡±


    Li Ran had been with Li Ci for so many years, so she was naturally good at exchanging pleasantries. ¡°Hello, Madam Shi. 1 happened to hear something important today, so I recorded it and sent it to you. 1 think it will help you.¡±


    Yuan Shu clicked on the recording and understood what it meant after listening to it for a while. With this voice recording, Shi Lu¡¯s matter would be resolved.


    Yuan Shu knew that there was no free lunch in the world. It was impossible for Li Ran to help her for no reason, especially at a time like this. In addition, Li Ci and Yuan Shu had just gotten into an argument a few days ago. At this time, Li Ran¡¯s help made her think that there were something she wanted in return.


    Yuan Shu asked tentatively, ¡°Miss Li, you¡¯ve helped me so much. How do you want me to thank you?¡±


    Li Ran smiled in relief.


    According to her temper in the past, she definitely wouldn¡¯t meddle in other people¡¯s business, especially if it wasn¡¯t her family¡¯s business. Moreover, her temper was very straightforward. She definitely wouldn¡¯t leave any favor unreturned. Whether it was accepting others¡¯ help or helping others herself, the debts of favors would be repaid immediately and wouldn¡¯t be left for the future.


    Under Li Ci¡¯s long-term influence, she knew that she had to be careful. The Li family couldn¡¯t have unpaid debts.


    But today, after Li Ran, who had just gotten a divorce, saw Gao Shan¡¯s true colors, just based on the matter of Yuan Shu teaching Gao Shan a lesson, it was worth Li Ran helping her this time.


    ¡°Madam Shi, you¡¯re too polite. Take this recording as my thanks for helping me teach a scumbag a lesson.¡±


    Actually, Li Ran and Gao Shan¡¯s divorce had something to do with Yuan Shu. If Yuan Shu hadn¡¯t asked Chu Mei to clarify and forced Chu Mei into a corner, many things wouldn¡¯t have been revealed. Therefore, Li Ran had to thank Yuan Shu for this..

 Chapter 127 - Chapter 127: First Meeting

    Chapter 127: First Meeting


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Li Ran recalled what happened a few days ago. Li Ci and Yuan Shu parted on bad terms at the Yunshe Teahouse. Although she wasn¡¯t at the scene that day, she still felt a little regretful when she heard her uncle Li Ci mention this.


    Li Ran asked Li Ci, ¡°Uncle, I¡¯ve never seen you admire a woman so much in so many years. Tell me seriously, do you have any romantic feelings for Yuan Shu?¡±


    Li Ci was stunned and felt that this was nonsense, but in Li Ran¡¯s opinion, it was as if his thoughts had been exposed. ¡°Uncle, it¡¯s rare for you to fall for someone, so what if Yuan Shu is married? As long as you give it your all, there¡¯s no one you can¡¯t poach!¡±


    Li Ci was so amused by his niece that he smiled and tousled her soft hair. After a few strands of hair on the top of her head stood up from the static electricity, Li Ci laughed even harder.


    He said, ¡°Silly girl, 1 definitely don¡¯t have that kind of feelings for Yuan Shu. Indeed, I admire her very much. I¡¯ve seen all kinds of women, but Yuan Shu is very different from them. Yuan Shu makes me feel¡­¡±


    Li Ci paused for a moment before he thought of a suitable explanation. ¡°She makes me feel like I¡¯ve met an evenly matched opponent. She¡¯s an opponent that 1 admire. I¡¯m willing to be friends with her, but if I can¡¯t be friends with her, 1 won¡¯t rue over it.¡±


    However, Li Ran felt a little sad and she pouted as she said, ¡°But Uncle, it wasn¡¯t easy for you to make a friend. You have too few friends.¡±


    Li Ci was touched. He knew that this was a little girl¡¯s mentality, but he knew even better that his little niece was feeling sorry for him.


    He patted Li Ran¡¯s shoulder as he reasoned with her. ¡°Xiao Ran, I¡¯m destined to be different from others. What I need when making friends isn¡¯t just getting along well. What 1 need is to be evenly matched and tacit understanding. I have few friends because I¡¯m too picky, but I¡¯m very satisfied with my pickiness.¡±


    At the age of 26, although Li Ran had experienced an unhappy marriage, she still felt that she was a child. It was only because her family indulged her that she matured slowly. Today, her uncle¡¯s words suddenly enlightened her.


    At that moment, Li Ran thought of the conversation that day and added calmly, ¡°Madam Shi, take it as my allegiance to you. 1 hope that our families will still be friends and instead of enemies in the future.¡±


    Yuan Shu was stunned. She clearly didn¡¯t expect Li Ran to say such a thing.


    Ever since she found out that the Li family wanted to get involved in Yuan An, even Zhao Mian became more vigilant towards Li Ci and her communication with Li Ci was limited to business cooperations.


    The two families had a tacit understanding not to mention what happened at Yunshe Teahouse, but today, Li Ran, the spoiled heiress, suddenly mentioned it.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Yuan Shu agreed solemnly while feeling grateful.


    After Li Ran hung up the phone, she suddenly felt relaxed and happy, as if the huge rock that had been weighing on her heart had finally been lifted, she felt unprecedentedly relaxed.


    She walked out happily and started walking faster and faster, so much so that she didn¡¯t notice the gap in the manhole cover.


    Li Ran was wearing a pair of pink stilettos today, so she aciddentally fell into the manhole.


    Li Ran struggled for a long time but couldn¡¯t pull out her heels. Thus, she gave up struggling and picked up the phone to call the bodyguard. Unexpectedly, someone walked over.


    The man had a clean buzz cut and dull black-framed glasses. He was also carrying a computer bag.


    He stopped in front of Li Ran very politely. Li Ran was still holding her phone and was about to make a call when she saw the person stop in front of her. She was momentarily confused.


    The boy pointed to the ground. ¡°May I ask if you need any help, miss?¡±


    Li Ran froze, then she nodded in a daze..

 Chapter 128 - Chapter 128: Add Each Other As Friends

    Chapter 128: Add Each Other As Friends


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    The boy first blew the dust off the floor and placed the computer bag down neatly, as if it was more important than him. Then, he squatted down and grabbed Li Ran¡¯s shoes gently.


    As Li Ran was wearing a tight-fitting dress today, so it was very easy for her to flash him if she squatted down. The boy had clearly thought of this, since he turned his body considerately with his back facing Li Ran. He was very careful and tried his best not to touch the skin on the back of Li Ran¡¯s feet as he carefully pulled out her heels bit by bit.


    After that, the boy picked up his computer bag and patted the dust off it. Then, he stood up with his back facing Li Ran. He waited until Li Ran stabilized herself. After she thanked him, he turned around and said politely, ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    Seeing that the boy in front of her was about to turn around and leave, Li Ran hurriedly stopped him. ¡°Hey, wait. Why don¡¯t I treat you to afternoon tea as a thank-you?¡±


    The boy rejected her politely. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. There¡¯s no need to go through so much trouble. Moreover, the lunch break is about to end, so I have to go to work.¡±


    Li Ran was a little disappointed that the boy had rejected her, but she had a good impression of such a polite boy, so she was unwilling to let him go just like that. Hence, she tightened her grip on her cell phone and chased after him. ¡°Why don¡¯t we add each other¡¯s contact details? I¡¯ll treat you to a meal when you¡¯re free. You helped me, so if you don¡¯t let me return the favor, it won¡¯t be polite. Just treat it as making a new friend.¡±


    Since she had already said so, it would be too rude for him to refuse again. Moreover, this was an invitation from a beautiful woman. No matter how slow-witted a boy was, he would agree.


    Hence, the boy took out his phone and scanned Li Ran¡¯s QR code before adding her as a friend.


    ¡°IT?¡± Li Ran read his online username. His profile picture was like a string of green codes on a computer screen. Coupled with his online username, it was obvious that he was in the IT industry.


    Li Ran quickly typed out her name and sent it over. Then, she said to the boy, ¡°My name is Li Ran. I¡¯ve already sent you my account. Remember to add me. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    The boy typed his name in the chat box and replied, ¡°My name is Zhou Liu. Miss, I¡¯m going to be late for work. I¡¯m sorry, but I have to go.¡±


    Zhou Liu walked away quickly while Li Ran held her cell phone and stared at his back with adoration.


    ¡°Wow, he¡¯s so gentlemanly. I like him so much! He looks so handsome even in such a simple checkered shirt!¡±


    After Yuan Shu received the recording, she posted it on Weibo immediately. The netizens immediately began to scold Zheng Yan and Gao Shan.


    Zheng Yan was threatened, while Gao Shan was the target of public criticism. His reputation was ruined.


    However, Gao Shan didn¡¯t know about this. He was having sex with Zheng Yan at the clubhouse until he received a call from that person.


    Gao Shan was covered in a thin layer of sweat, and even his hands were sticky. When he picked up the phone, his expression was very dark, but when he saw the caller ID, he immediately smiled. Even though the other party couldn¡¯t see, Gao Shan still bowed.


    The person on the other end of the phone said, ¡°You¡¯ve done well. Tell Zheng Yan that Wang Shen has a vacancy for a small supporting role. Let her audition tomorrow.¡±


    Gao Shan kept nodding. ¡°Alright, alright, alright. Then¡­ what about me?¡±


    Of course, Gao Shan was talking about dealing with Li Ci.


    That person sneered and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll do what I promised. I¡¯m not a person who goes back on my word.¡±


    When Zheng Yan saw how Gao Shan¡¯s demeanor instantly changed, she was filled with disdain. After today, she had to escape from this man!


    It was only today that she realized what this man, whom she had worked with for so many years, was truly like. He was actually so despicable!


    Zheng Yan suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Chu Mei? 1 heard that she¡¯s pregnant with your child. Where did you place her?¡±


    Gao Shan had already hung up the phone and was lying on the bed leisurely as he said smugly, ¡°Of course she has to rest in peace at a time like this. Naturally, she has to stay in the hospital.¡±


    How heartless! Zheng Yan sneered to herself.. Such a man would eventually pay the price for what he had done sooner or later!

 Chapter 129 - Chapter 129: Chat

    Chapter 129: Chat


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    When Li Ci returned home that night, Li Ran was chatting on her cell phone and was typing on the cell phone¡¯s keyboard with both hands. From time to time, she would smile shyly. She didn¡¯t even notice that her uncle had returned home.


    Li Ci had bought a duplex villa by the river. After Li Ran¡¯s divorce, she had been living here with Li Ci.


    When the servant saw Li Ci return, she went forward to help Li Ci take off her coat and folded it neatly.


    Li Ci asked, ¡°How long has Miss been like this?¡±


    The servant replied, ¡°She¡¯s been like this since she came back in the afternoon.


    She didn¡¯t even put down her phone during dinner.¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡±


    Li Ci smiled and went in front of Li Ran with a gossipy look on his face. ¡°Who is my dear niece chatting with?¡±


    Li Ran quickly hugged her cell phone and refused to let Li Ci see her screen. ¡°No one! It¡¯s just¡­ Zhou Yao! I¡¯m chatting with Zhou Yao.¡±


    Every time Li Ran lied, she would stare straight into someone¡¯s eyes, as if she was proving that she wasn¡¯t lying. Li Ci had long seen through this habit of hers.


    Li Ci sighed and leaned against the sofa. Then, he raised his long legs and placed them on the small cloth stool that was specifically used to place his feet.


    ¡°Why are you panicking? I¡¯m not stopping you from dating.¡±


    Li Ran¡¯s face flushed. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?! It¡¯s not at that stage yet.¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Li Ci closed his eyes to rest and didn¡¯t look at her at all.


    Li Ci knew Li Ran¡¯s temper very well. She was hot-tempered and did things based on her mood. She wouldn¡¯t stop before she got what she. It was the same when it came to her crushes. For her to be able to chat with him for the entire afternoon, she must be interested in him.


    Li Ran stammered for a long time. She didn¡¯t want to say it, but she really couldn¡¯t hold it in, especially in front of her uncle.


    ¡°My heels accidentally sank into the manhole cover near the mall this afternoon. A boy helped me, so I asked for his contact information. I want to return the favor.¡±


    Li Ci opened her eyes slightly and glanced at her calmly. Li Ran¡¯s eyes darted back and forth. It seemed like she was serious about him.


    Li Ci asked, ¡°Is that boy very handsome?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Li Ran immediately retorted. Then, she muttered softly, ¡°He¡¯s very ordinary-looking, but¡­ I can tell that he¡¯s a very levelheaded boy! And he¡¯s very smart! He¡¯s simply a computer expert! A computer genius!¡±


    The more Li Ran spoke, the more excited she became. In the end, she sat up straight and bent one leg over the sofa to face Li Ci as she started praising Zhou Liu. ¡°Let me tell you, he graduated at the top of his class! Furthermore, his job is very outstanding. He was the first among the interns to become a full-time employee! Also, he¡¯s really a gentleman. When he helped me today, he didn¡¯t take the opportunity to take advantage of me at all. I said that 1 wanted to treat him to a meal, but he turned me down and said that it was no big deal¡­¡±


    Li Ran was beaming with joy as she explained the details to Li Ci.


    It had only been one afternoon, but Li Ran had already figured out the other party¡¯s background so clearly. Only someone with her personality was capable of doing so.


    Li Ci could already imagine Li Ran¡¯s words in the chat box, and the other party¡¯s polite replies when he wasn¡¯t working.


    While Li Ci was listening to Li Ran¡¯s explanation, he closed his eyes to rest, but when he heard Li Ran say that the other party was a computer expert, he suddenly became interested in this person and began to listen attentively.


    When Li Ran finally finished telling her everything she knew, Li Ci asked with feigned indifference, ¡°Then do you know his name? Do you know where he works?¡±


    Li Ran placed her thumb by her mouth and gently bit her unmanicured nails. This was her habit. Whenever she felt a little bashful, she would do this.


    ¡°Uh¡­ 1 only know that his name is Zhou Liu. He said that the company he works for has to be kept a secret, so he can¡¯t tell me.¡±


    Li Ci¡¯s eyes suddenly opened, and a shrewd look flashed across them as some ideas came to mind..

 Chapter 130 - Chapter 130: Use

    Chapter 130: Use


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Li Ci repeated the name with uncertainty as he asked, ¡°Zhou Liu?¡±


    Li Ran blinked her big eyes as she replied, ¡°That¡¯s right. He even said that he wasn¡¯t in good health when he was young, so his name was changed to this. Interesting, right?!¡±


    Li Ran had a lot to say about Zhou Liu. At the same time, she had to get an effective response from the listener.


    Li Ci nodded perfunctorily, but was thinking about something else.


    Zhou Liu was a top student in the computer science major and was good at cyberattacks. He won first prize in the school¡¯s computer competition for typing speed. He was a genius that even the teachers praised.


    Most importantly, he was one of the employees of Yuan An¡¯s technical department, and he was also the employee most valued by the technical department head.


    Li Ci had just investigated the internal staff of Yuan An today, so he knew that Yuan Shu had recently fired three employees and increased the salary of one employee, and this person was Zhou Liu.


    Zhou Liu had just become a full-time employee recently. Under normal circumstances, interns would need at least two months of interning before they could become full-time employees. However, not only had he become a full-time employee after only 20 days, but he had also received another bonus ten days after becoming a full-time employee. This wasn¡¯t a common thing.


    Previously, the reason Li Ci had mentioned to Yuan Shu that he wanted to introduce talents to Yuan An was that he realized that his rival had already arranged for someone to enter the company. If he didn¡¯t make a move, he would only be a step slower than others, but he didn¡¯t expect that he would alert the enemy and make Yuan Shu completely cut ties with him. He also made her more vigilant and reshuffle the company. Now, it would be even more difficult to investigate the other party.


    What¡¯s more, this reshuffling even repaired and upgraded Yuan An¡¯s problems in the software and system. Li Ci had every reason to suspect that the person who could find the system¡¯s flaws in time and repair the flaws to upgrade the firewall must be Zhou Liu. That was why he received a bonus after being promoted.


    She didn¡¯t expect things to be so coincidental. Just as Li Ci was worrying about how to get close to this person, Zhou Liu actually met Li Ran.


    This unexpected opportunity gave Li Ci a chance to get close to Zhou Liu.


    ¡°Uncle, why are you so distracted? I¡¯m talking to you!¡± Li Ran could tell that Li Ci was distracted and dissatisfied. Hence, she shook Li Ci¡¯s arm and made him look at her.


    After Li Ci came back to his senses, he looked at her and coaxed, ¡°Good girl, 1 heard what you said. Of course it¡¯s interesting. 1 didn¡¯t expect the two of you to talk so much after just getting to know each other in the afternoon. My little niece is really amazing!¡±


    Li Ran could tell that Li Ci was mocking her. In a fit of pique, she took her phone and wanted to return to her room. ¡°I¡¯m not talking to you anymore. I was originally waiting for you to come back to have supper with you. Now, you can eat by yourself!¡±


    Li Ci hurriedly pulled her back and coaxed her. ¡°Why are you angry when I¡¯m praising you? Why don¡¯t I eat supper with you?¡±


    Li Ran didn¡¯t have a big appetite. She became full after eating very little, but her digestion was very fast. Therefore, she needed afternoon tea and supper every day. Ever since she started staying at Li Ci¡¯s house, she made him accompany her for supper every day. It made Li Ci gain weight and forced him to take time out to exercise every day.


    Li Ran¡¯s anger came and went quickly. Since her uncle was coaxing her, she naturally didn¡¯t hold a grudge anymore. She took out her phone and ordered a bunch of fried skewers and barbecue. She was in such a good mood today that she even ordered beer. Then, she sat down again and continued to talk about Zhou Liu happily.


    After Li Ci listened carefully, he suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we do this? Tomorrow is Saturday, so he definitely won¡¯t be working. Ask him out for a meal.¡±


    Li Ran was a little hesitant. ¡°I wanted to ask him out, but he kept rejecting me. He said that it was just a small matter and that there was no need to treat him to a meal.¡±


    Li Ci continued to coax her. ¡°That depends on your ability. Have you ever lost when it came to chatting? If you can¡¯t ask him out, I¡¯ll look down on you.¡± How could Li Ran withstand the provocation? She immediately said confidently, ¡°Just wait and see.. I¡¯ll make an appointment with him tomorrow night!¡±

 Chapter 131 - Chapter 131: Clothing Show

    Chapter 131: Clothing Show


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Shi Yi received an invitation to a fashion show that was held tonight.


    Most of the famous fashion designers in the country would attend this fashion show to show off their designs. There were also a few famous domestic design brands who would send representatives to participate in the fashion show.


    In other words, if any designer¡¯s clothes could stand out in this fashion show, he would become famous in the domestic fashion design industry.


    This fashion show was also a very important chance for the domestic fashion design industry to change new blood. It was held every three years, and almost all the fashion designers in the country had participated in this fashion show.


    As a fashion designer, Shi Yi naturally wouldn¡¯t miss this fashion show. For this, she had been preparing for more than half a month. She had taken out all her design drafts for so many years and compared them with the most popular modern-day elements. She eliminated the outdated design drafts and revised the remaining design drafts.


    She had been working hard for more than half a month for this fashion show. Every day, she woke up early in the morning and returned late at night. When she returned home, she fell asleep immediately. When she opened her eyes in the morning, she rushed out. Every day, other than Wu Yan, she barely saw anyone else. Even if she occasionally met other people during breakfast, she would leave soon after meeting them.


    Not only was this fashion show important to Shi Yi, but it was also very important to Yushu Buyi. This was the prerequisite for Yushu Buyi to officially enter the fashion design field. It allowed Yushu Buyi to officially enter the public eye and create its own style. Her target customer group was young women between twenty and thirty-five years old.


    Yushu Buyi¡¯s design concept was to highlight the advantages of a woman¡¯s figure through design, displaying her unique beauty and making her appear more independent and confident.


    In order to fit this design concept, Shi Yi chose the two design drafts that she was most satisfied with out of dozens or nearly a hundred. Then, she personally chose the fabric, made it, and supervised the coloring process. Finally, she finished making the clothes two days ago.


    There were two sets of clothes. One was for the contest, and the other was for Shi Yi to wear to the fashion show.


    Originally, Shi Yi wasn¡¯t invited to this fashion show. However, more than half a month ago, Shi Yi met a friend at an exhibition and under the hard efforts of this friend, Shi Yi was invited to this fashion show on behalf of Yushu Buyi.


    The event was organized by a few clothing factories at the last minute and they only invited friends. There were not many people who participated, but they were all from this industry.


    Shi Yi received an invitation from Wang Jiao of the Wang family. The Wang family had always been in the clothing business and almost everyone in upper society had bought a few clothes from the Wang family. The Wang family was the one who helped Yuan Shu and Shi Yi make clothes previously.


    Wang Jiao was already 35 years old this year. She was a very shrewd and had good business acumen. She was very talented in designing of clothes and making the best use of fabrics, so she could use half the effort to make better clothes than others.


    She admired Shi Yi¡¯s passion and dedication to fashion. This was a characteristic that was lacking in the next generation of the Wang family, and it was also the reason why she had been delayed in choosing the next successor.


    Therefore, Wang Jiao called Shi Yi almost immediately and invited her to attend the exhibition.


    The Wang family was one of the main organizers of the fabric exhibition, so Wang Jiao was very busy and almost had no time to entertain Shi Yi.


    However, Shi Yi didn¡¯t care. This was the first time she saw so many different fabrics being displayed at the same time, and under each fabric, there was an explaination of the characteristics and shortcomings of the fabric, as well as the touch on the skin and what kind of cutting method was suitable.


    Shi Yi was very intrigued. She even prepared a notebook and pen to record things.


    Shi Yi was very focused on taking notes. As she wrote with her head lowered, she slowly moved to the side to look at the next fabric, but accidentally bumped into the man beside her..

 Chapter 132 - Chapter 132: Xu Zhi

    Chapter 132: Xu Zhi


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Shi Yi didn¡¯t notice that there was someone beside her and subconsciously moved over. Not only did she accidentally step on someone¡¯s foot, but she also lost her balance because she sprained her ankle and almost fell.


    Fortunately, the man beside her grabbed her arm in time to prevent her from falling on the ground and making a fool of herself.


    Shi Yi tucked her smooth long hair behind her ear and apologized to that person awkwardly. After apologizing, she immediately thanked him. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for not paying attention. Thank you for catching me in time.¡±


    That person was amused by Shi Yi¡¯s behavior, but he also felt that when she tousled her hair, the fragrance that her hair emitted when it slid behind her shoulders was very pleasant, so he praised her directly, ¡°Your hair smells very good.¡±


    After that person bent down to pick up the pen for her, he stood up and placed it on the notebook she had in her left hand.


    This was the first time she had heard such straightforward praise from a boy, so she blushed for a moment, but she quickly calmed down. After all, this wasn¡¯t the first time she had heard praise, so she was already used to it.


    Shi Yi thanked the other party again for picking up the pen, but the other party was focused on reading her notes. He even wrote down his comments at the side with a very serious look on his face.


    He seemed to be very interested in Shi Yi¡¯s opinion and asked politely, ¡°1 wonder if I can take a look at your notes? I¡¯m very curious about your opinion on these fabrics.¡±


    Shi Yi took the ballpoint pen that she had just placed on the notebook with her right hand and flicked the tip of the pen in. Then, she handed the notebook to him. ¡°Here, remember to make corrections after reading it!¡±


    The other party obviously knew fabric very well. He read it very seriously and didn¡¯t miss a single word. After reading it, he told her his opinion, then he pointed out what he thought was wrong.


    The two of them discussed fabrics passionately, as if no one else was around. When they were discussing to their heart¡¯s content, the other party even borrowed a pen and paper from Shi Yi to record the interesting parts of the conversation.


    When the exchange meeting was about to end and Wang Jiao came to look for the two of them, they finally ended the topic.


    Wang Jiao stared at the two of them for a long time. She knew both of them, but she had never thought that they knew each other. Moreover, their personalities were different. Shi Yi was flamboyant, while the other was gentle, so she had never thought of introducing them to each other. She didn¡¯t expect that the two of them actually hit it off so well and chatted for more than two hours.


    Wang Jiao smiled and invited the two of them. ¡°The exchange is about to end. 1 think the two of you still have a lot of things to talk about, so why don¡¯t you two go eat together and discuss it?¡±


    Of course, Shi Yi was happy. She rarely approved of the opinions of her peers, especially men, when it came to fashion design and fabrics. Although this was because Shi Yi was arrogant, it was also because very few people could treat fashion design as a part of their bodies like Shi Yi did.


    Although it was the first time she saw this boy today, Shi Yi was impressed by his knowledge. She couldn¡¯t wait to ask him more questions. Even if Wang Jiao didn¡¯t invite the two of them to eat together, she would have taken the initiative to ask.


    Shi Yi answered Wang Jiao with a smile, ¡°Okay, Sister Jiaojiao.¡±


    The other party was obviously very happy, but his tone wasn¡¯t as eager as Shi Yi¡¯s. ¡°Thank you, Teacher Wang.¡±


    When Shi Yi heard this form of address, she was a little curious and asked, ¡°Sister Jiaojiao, why did he call you teacher?¡±


    Wang Jiao froze for a moment. ¡°He hasn¡¯t told you about it even after chatting for so long? I¡¯m a master¡¯s supervisor at Z University and he¡¯s my student. That¡¯s why 1 asked him to come today.¡±


    Shi Yi stuck out her tongue. ¡°Oh, we were chatting so happily that we didn¡¯t even have the time to introduce ourselves.¡±


    Wang Jiao laughed heartily. ¡°That¡¯s good. Let me introduce you two. Xu Zhi, my favorite student, is the person most interested in clothes I¡¯ve ever seen other than you!¡±


    As Shi Yi repeated Xu Zhi¡¯s name to herself, she felt that his name was very breezy..

 Chapter 133 - Chapter 133: Invitation

    Chapter 133: Invitation


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Wang Jiao patted Xu Zhi¡¯s shoulder again. ¡°This beautiful woman is Shi Yi, the fashion design director of Yushu Buyi¡¯s newly established fashion design department. You have to learn more from her.¡±


    When Shi Yi heard this introduction, she immediately lowered her head shyly, and her soft long hair fell down. Shi Yi had gone overseas to study after graduating from university and had suddenly returned to the country because of the child in Chu Mei¡¯s stomach, so her studies overseas had been postponed for a year.


    Hence, Shi Yi was probably slightly younger than Xu Zhi. Wang Jiao was exaggerating when she said that she wanted Xu Zhi to learn more from Shi Yi.


    Shi Yi said coquettishly, ¡°Sister Jiaojiao, you¡¯re flattering me!¡±


    It was rare for Wang Jiao to see the usually feisty Shi Yi acting so bashful, so she was very amused.


    Wang Jiao stopped teasing her and said to the two of them with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hotel first. The room has been booked. Everyone else has already left. We can¡¯t be late.¡±


    Xu Zhi was also very attentive during the meal.


    Their seats were next to each other. Xu Zhi would always pay attention to Shi Yi when she was picking up food and help her hold the spinning glass wheel. He would only let go after Shi Yi finished picking up the food. If there was no water in Shi Yi¡¯s teacup, Xu Zhi would ask the attendant to pour water for her.


    Other than being obsessed with fashion, Shi Yi was usually very capricious when it came to everything else, including making friends. Hence, her friends had very similar personalities to hers. None of them cared about these details, so Xu Zhi¡¯s meticulousness was very charming in Shi Yi¡¯s eyes.


    Xu Zhi¡¯s appearance was also very gentle. His eyebrows were relatively light among guys, and his skin was fair. He also had an approachable vibe.


    From the conversation between Shi Yi and him, it was obvious that he was a man with a great thirst for knowledge. Even if it was someone he had just met today, as long as they hit it off, he would humbly accept the difference in their people¡¯s opinions and would insist on reaching a conclusion.


    Logically speaking, a person who insisted on reaching a conclusion after every discussion should be very stubborn, but he wasn¡¯t stubborn. He was just serious.


    Even though he and Shi Yi had different opinions about fabric this afternoon, no one got aggressive during their discussion. In fact, Shi Yi felt that she was being enlightened.


    Shi Yi realized that Xu Zhi was indeed very suited for doing research.


    Later on, during dinner, the two of them discussed a lot. In the end, Shi Yi even talked about some work-related matters.


    Regarding the changes that had just happened to Yushu Buyi, as well as some problems that she had encountered, Shi Yi chose some things that could be revealed to tell Xu Zhi.


    Xu Zhi roughly understood that Yushu Buyi had just experienced a change. Currently, Yushu Buyi couldn¡¯t occupy a place in the market, nor did it have a fixed customer base. Most importantly, it had not become famous yet, so consumers were unwilling to pay.


    He suddenly remembered that he had just received an invitation to the fashion show, but he didn¡¯t tell Shi Yi immediately. Instead, he comforted Shi Yi and told her not to worry about work. As long as she worked hard, there would be results.


    Xu Zhi¡¯s personality was very levelheaded. If he didn¡¯t have full confidence in getting things done, he wouldn¡¯t tell others about it in advance, lest he give them false hope.


    After the meal, the two of them exchanged contact details and went home.


    Although they had saved each other¡¯s contact details, everyone had something of their own to do, so they didn¡¯t chat until two days later. After Xu Zhi finally got an invitation to the fashion show, he sent it to Shi Yi immediately. Only then did the two of them have their first contact after the fabric exhibition exchange.


    After that, in order to make a name for herself at the fashion show, Shi Yi would often ask Xu Zhi for his opinion, and the two of them invited each other out to eat and chat quite often. However, the two of them had never communicated with each other about the design draft because Xu Zhi was also one of the designers invited by the fashion show, so he had to use his design draft to participate as well..

 Chapter 134 - Chapter 134: Cream Dress

    Chapter 134: Cream Dress


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    The purpose of every fashion show was to select the best designers in the country. It wasn¡¯t just an exhibition.


    Therefore, every fashion show had a theme, and designers had to design clothes according to this theme.


    The theme of this year¡¯s fashion show was ¡°Freedom.¡±


    The entire fashion show was divided into three parts. The first was the participation of the fashion designer, which was divided into two sections: men¡¯s and women¡¯s clothing. The second part was a clothing exhibition for the most outstanding clothing brands in three years. Of course, the most outstanding clothing brand for this year was Wang Jiao¡¯s Crystal clothing exhibition.


    The last part was a ball specially prepared to let everyone unwind.


    It was also because of this ball that everyone who came to the fashion show was dressed up.


    Shi Yi had specifically designed two outfits. One was for the competition, and the other was for the ball.


    The dress she designed for herself in order to attend the ball was a cream-yellow gown. Shi Yi¡¯s skin was very fair, and the cream-yellow gown made her fair skin look even more radiant. She looked very vivacious under the spring afternoon sun.


    The design of the strapless dress reached the length of her ankle, making her look slender and tall. She even looked quite powerful.


    This was also one of the reasons she chose this design draft.


    This design could show the natural contours of a woman¡¯s body. There were not many decorations. The back and waist were hollow, and the skirt was split from the back to her knees. When she walked, her calves were faintly visible.


    The silk-textured fabric made the entire dress more lustrous and flowy. The hem of the dress would flutter as she walked, as if she was walking in the clouds.


    The area below her stomach, all the way to her thigh, was slightly tightened. Coupled with the silk-textured fabric, the degree of conformity with her skin was like a second layer of skin. This way, it could show the muscles from her hips to her thighs, making her look more three-dimensional and confident.


    When Shi Yi saw the dress she designed three months ago, the image of her sister-in-law, Yuan Shu, suddenly appeared in her mind. Yuan Shu¡¯s power and confidence always attracted everyone. Her temperament would always make the people around her feel a sense of submission.


    Therefore, when Shi Yi modified this design draft, she designed it with adoration and respect for her sister-in-law.


    Because Shi Yi had never sent her design to Wang Jiao or Xu Zhi before this dress was made, today was the first time they saw this gown. Wang Jiao and Xu Zhi were stunned by this gown.


    Wang Jiao was already 35 years old, so she was no longer interested in competing with young people. Her style was more low-key and mature.


    She was wearing a grayish-green gown with a half-sleeve design. The cut went all the way to her navel. The dress was long and dragged on the ground, revealing only the front feet of her black high heels. She looked sexy and dignified.


    Xu Zhi was wearing a long bean-green suit with a white shirt and a black bow tie.


    The length of the suit was actually very awkward. Not everyone could pull it off.


    At this length, it might make one¡¯s legs appear short and make his height look shorter. Although the bean green color wasn¡¯t that bright, it didn¡¯t make one¡¯s complexion look good. The suit jacket was difficult to pull off.


    However, Xu Zhi gave off a different vibe.


    First of all, he was 1.85 meters tall, so wearing this long gown wasn¡¯t a problem at all. Instead, it would make his body appear even more slender. In addition, his skin was fairer than that of ordinary men, so the bean green color served as a foil for him, giving him a gentle vibe.


    Since Shi Yi was nervous about her participation design, she came early. After confirming that there was no problem with the clothes and that the models were in position on time and had put on makeup, she came to the hall.


    As soon as she walked into the hall, Wang Jiao brought her student, Xu Zhi, into the hall. The three of them greeted each other before sitting down in their assigned seats..

 Chapter 135 - Chapter 135: Lecture

    Chapter 135: Lecture


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    When the organizers arranged the seats, they considered everyone¡¯s relationship, so the three of them sat next to each other. Wang Jiao sat in the middle, and the other two sat on Wang Jiao¡¯s sides.


    As soon as the three of them sat down, they couldn¡¯t help but praise each other¡¯s outfits.


    Wang Jiao was very observant and could tell the unique aspect of Shi Yi¡¯s dress at a glance. Out of professional habit as a postgraduate mentor, she couldn¡¯t help but begin to teach the two young people.


    ¡°Actually, genes have always determined the contours of a person¡¯s body. Men¡¯s muscles are more developed than women¡¯s, so men¡¯s muscles have always been more prominent than women¡¯s, while women¡¯s chest and hips are more prominent. Therefore, designers highlight the characteristics of men and women, so that men can show off their muscles and make women look more sexy. However, no one has ever noticed that women have muscles as well.¡±


    As she spoke, Wang Jiao raised her hand and started teaching. She used her fingers to stroke the base of Shi Yi¡¯s outer thigh while tracing the contours of her bones and muscles. She turned her body slightly so that Xu Zhi could see her more clearly.


    ¡°Most of the fat on women¡¯s legs is to protect their bodies, but women¡¯s legs also have muscles. Shi Yi¡¯s design shows this advantage. This is a very detailed point.¡±


    Shi Yi knew that Wang Jiao was using her as a model for a lecture and she knew that Wang Jiao was praising her, so she could only remain silent.


    Xu Zhi¡¯s gaze was innocent. He followed his mentor¡¯s instructions and memorized every point.


    After saying that, Wang Jiao smiled embarrassedly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Shi Yi. I¡¯m used to being a teacher, and my student is by my side, so 1 can¡¯t help but want to start teaching.¡±


    Shi Yi smiled obediently. ¡°Sister Jiaojiao, you¡¯re being too polite. You¡¯re praising my design, so why should 1 mind?¡±


    Before Yuan Shu married into the Shi family, Shi Yi and Wang Jiao had the best relationship. Shi Yi grew up in a family that was almost full of men, so she needed someone to play the role of a mother.


    Wang Jiao was intellectual and admired Shi Yi, so the two of them naturally became good friends. Shi Yi was also very clingy towards Wang Jiao.


    However, after Yuan Shu married into the family, Shi Yi rushed back to the country. After so many things, the mother in Shi Yi¡¯s heart changed from Wang Jiao to Yuan Shu.


    Shi Yi glanced at Xu Zhi¡¯s suit again and asked, ¡°I¡¯ve seen Xu Zhi¡¯s design. It¡¯s not the most popular style now, and from the design to the color, it¡¯s very difficult for the public to pull it off. Why did you design this? Is there a deeper meaning?¡±


    Xu Zhi glanced at his teacher and saw that she had no intention of speaking, so he explained, ¡°This is actually my design from three years ago.¡±


    Xu Zhi looked a little embarrassed. ¡°At that time, 1 actually didn¡¯t know much about design and only understood written knowledge of fabrics and so on. 1 could be said to be a soldier who had never experienced actual combat. So even at that time, although the clothing 1 designed followed the trend at that time, it was still unsuitable for the general public.¡±


    Xu Zhi pointed at her clothes and explained the shortcomings of the clothes one by one. Then, she said, ¡°Maybe because 1 didn¡¯t have any passion for fashion design at that time and didn¡¯t have the concept of being responsible for my design, after designing the outfit and handing in my homework, 1 was scolded by Madam Wang.¡±


    Wang Jiao looked at him reproachfully, as if she was angry at him for telling Shi Yi, then added in his place, ¡°Xu Zhi¡¯s current passion for fashion isn¡¯t inferior to mine. Today, he modified these clothes before wearing them. Firstly, it was to remind him of his original purpose behind making clothes, and secondly, it was to face his mistakes so that he could reach higher levels.¡±


    When Shi Yi heard this, she felt admiration for him from the bottom of her heart, and her eyes were filled with praise..

 Chapter 136 - Chapter 136: Extending an Offer

    Chapter 136: Extending an Offer


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    The theme of this fashion show was freedom, and the first element Shi Yi could think of was wind. It was spring now, and thousands of pear blossoms were blooming, so Shi Yi chose pear blossom white as the color of her clothes.


    Not only did she have to design it appropriately, but the clothes also had to fit Yushu Buyi¡¯s design concept. Shi Yi had put in a lot of effort. In the end, she designed a shirt and skirt that was hollowed out at the chest and waist.


    She and Xu Zhi were both going to participate in the competition, so the two of them left the venue to prepare backstage. According to the rules of the fashion show, after the models walked down the runway, the designers had to go on stage to show their faces.


    Before Xu Zhi went on stage, she even cheered Shi Yi on. ¡°Best of luck. 1¡¯11 wait for you on stage.¡±


    Shi Yi nodded confidently.


    That night, Xu Zhi got first place in men¡¯s clothing, while Shi Yi, as a new designer, got third place in women¡¯s clothing. Shi Yi could see the admiration in the eyes of the people below the stage when her clothes appeared on stage. She was confident that after Yushu Buyi¡¯s first batch of designs entered the market, there would definitely be a good response.


    Shi Yi and Xu Zhi had only seen each other¡¯s designs for the first time when they were on stage and were very impressed by the creativity of their designs. At the ball after the competition, Shi Yi suddenly had an idea. Yushu Buyi needed talents now. If she could recruit Xu Zhi, it would definitely benefit Yushu Buyi greatly!


    Hence, after the ball ended at night, Shi Yi took the initiative to send Xu Zhi back to school.


    It was only April, and the weather had just cooled down. As soon as she left the hotel, a cold wind blew. Shi Yi was wearing a thin gown, so she couldn¡¯t help but hug herself and cower when the wind blew.


    Xu Zhi took off her jacket considerately and draped it over Shi Yi. Only then did Shi Yi realize that the white shirt he was wearing had dark patterns. The faint cloud pattern made him appear more distant and not as gentle and approachable as usual.


    Shi Yi adjusted her coat. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Xu Zhi opened the car door like a gentleman and let Shi Yi sit in the back seat. Xu Zhi only got in after Shi Yi tidied up her clothes.


    The wind ravaged the trees on both sides of the road, causing the huge tree crowns to tremble. Shi Yi turned her gaze back from the window and looked at Xu Zhi while asking, ¡°As your mentor, did Sister Jiaojiao invite you to work at the Wang Corporation?¡±


    Xu Zhi leaned against the back seat. His alcohol tolerance wasn¡¯t very good, and because he got first place tonight, he was forced to drink a lot. Now, he felt a little dizzy, so he didn¡¯t open his eyes.


    The dim yellow light by the roadside cast lit up his face, making his side profile look angular.


    For the first time, Shi Yi realized that a person¡¯s appearance could be so divided. From the front, he looked gentle and easy-going, but from the side, he looked resolute and cold.


    Xu Zhi¡¯s stomach churned a little. He endured it for a while before he suppressed a burp and said, ¡°Madam Wang mentioned this before, but I¡¯m still thinking about it. The Wang Corporation is already a very mature company. Although I¡¯ll receive good treatment if 1 join them now, my value won¡¯t be reflected.¡±


    Shi Yi understood this point very well. The most important thing for a designer was fame. The Wang Corporation was huge, and there were many outstanding designers. In a place with many talented people, it would be very difficult for a newcomer to stand out.


    After Shi Yi thought for a moment, she offered, ¡°Then are you interested in considering Yushu Buyi? Yushu Buyi has just established the design department, and it¡¯s a very new department. Although it mainly designs women¡¯s clothing now, we will definitely set up a men¡¯s clothing brand in the future. 1 feel that your design philosophy is very compatible with Yushu Buyi¡¯s. And you aren¡¯t only specializing in men¡¯s clothing.¡±


    Xu Zhi slowly opened his eyes. He didn¡¯t look at Shi Yi, but stared at the front row without replying for a long time..

 Chapter 137 - Chapter 137: Domestic Food

    chapter 137: domestic food


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    shi yi stared at his fluttering eyelashes.


    she had only known xu zhi for half a month, but she felt a sense of familiarity, as if they had known each other for a few years. for example, at this moment, his eyelashes were trembling slightly, so she knew that he was very tempted by this invitation.


    hence, shi yi didn¡¯t ask further. instead, she leaned against the seat and focused on looking out of the window.


    when the car stopped at the entrance of z university, xu zhi said, ¡°i¡¯ll consider it.¡± then, he got out of the car.


    shi yi smiled and said goodbye to him. ¡°i¡¯ll send you the clothes after washing them tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°okay.¡±


    at noon the next day, xu zhi received a call from home saying that there were guests at home and they asked him to go home for a home-cooked meal.


    after tidying up, xu zhi remembered that shi yi had said she would send his clothes today, so he sent shi yi a message. [i have something on today, so 1 won¡¯t be in school.]


    after receiving the reply, xu zhi rushed home immediately. the guests were already there.


    although they were guests, they were still considered xu zhi¡¯s family.


    the people who came were xu zhi¡¯s uncle¡¯s family, his cousin xu xin, xu lang, and cousin-in-law jiang heng. as the only child of the xu family¡¯s second branch, people had high hopes for xu xin.


    xu zhi¡¯s father hoped that he could learn company management and manage the company in the future to inherit the family business. however, xu zhi resolutely chose fashion design and even fell out with his family for a long time over this matter.


    when xu zhi rushed back, the food was already placed on the dining table. everyone was already in position, leaving only an empty seat for xu zhi.


    xu zhi hurriedly took the towel from the servant and wiped his hands clean before sitting down at the dining table. only then did the home-cooked meal officially begin.


    xu zhi¡¯s eldest uncle¡¯s family must have specifically come for xu zhi today because they kept asking about xu zhi¡¯s work throughout the meal.


    first, his cousin-in-law, jiang heng, asked, ¡°cousin, you¡¯ll be graduating in june this year, right?¡±


    xu zhi hurriedly swallowed the spicy beef in his mouth and looked into jiang heng¡¯s eyes as he replied, ¡°yes, i¡¯m currently in the midst of applying for graduation.¡±


    xu xin picked up a piece of fungus and placed it on jiang heng¡¯s plate. then, she said, ¡°then you¡¯ve probably thought about where you want to work, right? i heard that your mentor is wang jiao from the wang corporation. she¡¯s very good at designing clothes. are you planning to continue following her?¡±


    xu zhi and shi yi had just discussed this question last night, so it was very easy to answer it.


    xu zhi replied, ¡°madam wang has already invited me, but i think the wang corporation has too many outstanding designers. even if i go, it¡¯ll be very difficult for me to showcase my skills. now, there are a few other companies that have invited me. i¡¯m still considering it.¡±


    ¡°oh really?¡± xu xin continued to ask, ¡°but entering the wang corporation is an affirmation of your ability. not everyone can enter the wang corporation just because they want to.¡±


    jiang heng interrupted her. ¡°you don¡¯t understand. clothing designers don¡¯t rely on time to accumulate experience. they rely on their work. there are so many outstanding designers in the wang family, so xu zhi¡¯s designs might be very difficult to adopt.¡±


    xu lang added, ¡°yes, and 1 heard that at the fashion show last night, xu zhi won first place in men¡¯s clothing design. there must be many people extending offers to him, and there must be many outstanding companies, right?¡±


    as he said the last sentence, xu lang looked at xu zhi, obviously waiting for his answer.


    xu zhi explained humbly, ¡°there are a few good companies, and of course, there are also a few new companies, but i¡¯m not in a hurry to answer them now. anyway, there¡¯s still some time before graduation, so i can carefully figure out the development of these companies.¡±


    jiang heng nodded, expressing his affirmation of xu zhi¡¯s words. then, he seemed to have suddenly thought of something. ¡°by the way, your cousin xu lang has just bought over a company, down ridge clothes workshop. it¡¯s a shortage of people now.. why don¡¯t you go to his company for an internship?¡±

 Chapter 138 - Chapter 138: Organization of Work

    chapter 138: organization of work


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    xu xin immediately chimed in, ¡°that¡¯s right. 1 almost forgot that my brother specializes in fashion. cousin, since you¡¯re graduating in two months, why don¡¯t you apply to the school for an internship at the foot of the mountain? if you want to understand the development of a company, you have to be in this industry to understand him.¡±


    after xu lang heard xu xin¡¯s words, he even put down the chopsticks in his hand and looked at xu zhi as he said, ¡°yes, my sister¡¯s suggestion isn¡¯t bad. down ridge clothes workshop¡¯s previous business had always been in the supply of fabrics, but it closed down because of poor management. after 1 bought it back, i¡¯ve always wanted to broaden my field and find out more about the fashion design field. treat it as a learning experience and a chance to understand the company better. what do you think?¡±


    the three of them echoed each other and didn¡¯t give xu zhi a chance to speak at all. then, they finally used an excuse that no one could refuse.


    at this moment, xu zhi was being stared at by three people at the same time. for a moment, she didn¡¯t know how to reply. after all, he already had a company that he was interested in, which was yushu buyi, where shi yi was.


    firstly, xu zhi wanted to go to this company because the company had just established a fashion design department. if he went, he would at least have a say. secondly, yushu buyi¡¯s company had been used as a case study since xu zhi had just entered graduate school, so he was quite familiar with this company.


    in addition, with yushu buyi¡¯s general manager personally overseeing the company and undergoing a series of drastic reforms, yushu buyi¡¯s business philosophy was no longer comparable to that of a few years ago. its development prospects had also become more impressive.


    most importantly, the tacit understanding between shi yi and xu zhi made xu zhi believe that if the two of them could work together and design clothes together, they would definitely be able to design fashion-forward clothes for each season!


    but now, in front of xu lang and the other two, xu zhi¡¯s words of rejection were stuck in his mouth.


    xu zhi¡¯s father spoke up and made the decision for his son. ¡°i think this is very good. young people should accumulate more experience before graduation. that way, they won¡¯t be clueless when they graduate. i¡¯ve decided for xiao zhi. let him intern at your company tomorrow.¡±


    xu zhi was very helpless about his father, who always made decisions for him. he originally wanted to make one last struggle and try to reject him, but he was stopped by his father¡¯s words. now, he could only listen to his father¡¯s arrangements and report to the company tomorrow.


    seeing that their goal had been achieved, xu lang and the other two secretly exchanged looks and ended the topic before discussing other things.


    for the second half of the meal, xu zhi was in a daze the entire time. perhaps because he had not thought of how to explain it to shi yi, but he was distracted for the rest of the meal.


    time was very tight for this internship schedule. the next day, xu zhi was dragged to the company. he had originally arranged to get his suit jacket from shi yi, but now, he could only put it aside for the time being.


    when shi yi found out that xu zhi had been arranged by his family to intern at the down ridge clothes workshop, he was very disappointed.


    it had already been a month since she joined yushu buyi, so she was already familiar with its business operations. of course, she knew that after the down ridge clothes workshop closed down and reopened, this new president was always comparing down ridge clothes workshop to yushu buyi.


    shi yi even asked yuan shu if she knew who the new president of the down ridge clothes workshop was, whether there was bad blood between down ridge clothes workshop and yushu buyi, and why they went against them in everything. however, yuan shu could only shake her head helplessly and express that she didn¡¯t know the specifics of this matter.


    the down ridge clothes workshop¡¯s current clothing style, materials, design concepts, and so on were almost identical to yushu buyi¡¯s. originally, with the help of this fashion show, shi yi had obtained third place and could help yushu buyi enter the market as soon as possible and seize the target customer group.


    unexpectedly, down ridge clothes workshop poached xu zhi, who had won first place in the fashion show. it probably wouldn¡¯t be that easy for yushu buyi to enter the market..

 Chapter 139 - Chapter 139: Dream

    chapter 139: dream


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    yuan shu had the same dream again.


    in her dream, she returned to the military camp. every day, a man whose face couldn¡¯t be seen clearly rode beside her, practicing archery and whipping.


    yuan shu had been having this same dream for many days.


    she blamed this dream on the script that mu zhou had told her about, but in fact, yuan shu had had such a dream the night she met mu zhou on a spring outing in lakeside park. however, she quickly forgot about it.


    yuan shu was very familiar with the script that mu zhou was talking about. the main reason was that the female lead in the script seemed to be yuan shu herself. from her personality to her birth and family background, it was almost exactly the same. the only difference was that yuan shu didn¡¯t remember someone like a literary scholar appearing beside her, but the person she married back then was indeed the top martial arts scholar.


    however, yuan shu¡¯s intuition had always been sharper than others. the existence of this literary scholar felt familiar to her, but she couldn¡¯t remember him no matter what. it was as if something flashed across her mind and she wanted to grab it, but she couldn¡¯t.


    when she woke up, the sky was already dim. yuan shu wasn¡¯t in the mood to sleep anymore, so she packed up and went to the garden to exercise.


    yuan shu put on a comfortable tracksuit. when she went downstairs, she realized that she wasn¡¯t the only one who woke up early today. shi lu was also wearing a tracksuit and drinking water in the living room.


    when he saw yuan shu, he picked up a clean cup and poured her a glass of warm water. ¡°sister-in-law, why are you up so early today?¡±


    yuan shu took the water. ¡°you¡¯re up early too.¡± then, she drank the water in the cup in one gulp.


    ¡°i received a call from zhang chao last night. i didn¡¯t sleep well the entire night. since you woke up so early, let¡¯s discuss it together.¡±


    yuan shu put down the glass of water with an impassive expression and walked out. ¡°let¡¯s talk while running.¡±


    recently, perhaps because she had too many dreams, yuan shu felt very tired when she woke up in the morning and she wasn¡¯t in the mood to communicate with others, let alone put on a smile. however, shi lu was already used to her cold expression.


    after a simple warm-up, yuan shu ran out first. shi lu followed closely behind and began to talk about the conversation between zhang chao and him last night.


    ¡°wang shen looked for zhang chao yesterday and the two of them talked about the content of the new drama in detail. wang shen wants me to be the top scholar of the martial arts examination. actually, i¡¯m a little tempted by this role.¡± shi lu emphasized, ¡°of course, it¡¯s just a little!¡±


    yuan shu looked straight ahead and said calmly, ¡°if you¡¯re interested, then act. if you don¡¯t want to, then reject it. isn¡¯t this your usual way of doing things? what¡¯s there to be conflicted about now?¡±


    shi lu touched the tip of her nose with her index finger and took a deep breath before continuing, ¡°the main thing is, wang shen said that he hopes that you can act as the female lead in this role. if you can act as the female lead, of course i¡¯ll be tempted. i can act with you! but if you don¡¯t want to, this role won¡¯t be very attractive to me!¡±


    after saying that, shi lu looked at yuan shu eagerly, like a golden retriever who wanted its master to play games with it and was staring at its master with its watery eyes.


    yuan shu ignored him and continued to run forward. shi lu even suspected that yuan shu didn¡¯t hear what she said just now, but yuan shu suddenly said, ¡°let¡¯s talk to wang shen today. if he wants me to act, he has to tell me in person.¡±


    shi lu immediately smiled happily. it seemed like there was a chance! ¡°alright, i¡¯ll get zhang chao to contact him immediately!¡±


    with that, shi lu stopped in his tracks and turned around to make a call.


    firstly, yuan shu was willing to agree to act because she was indeed interested in this scene. it was as if this scene was specially designed for her. that familiarity made her want to try acting.


    the second reason was shi lu. previously, when zheng yan posted a video to frame shi lu, wang shen helped make a statement without hesitation. logically speaking, she owed him a favor. yuan shu hated owing people favors the most, so if she accepted the role, she could treat it as repaying the favor..

 Chapter 140 - Chapter 140: Performance Invitation

    chapter 140: performance invitation


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    wang shen had just arranged to meet zhang chao today, so he immediately called someone else.


    after that person picked up the call, he didn¡¯t wait for wang shen to speak at all. his usual cold and calm tone even carried a hint of impatience and joy. ¡°she agreed?¡±


    wang shen had been a director for so many years, so he could tell the expression of the person who spoke from his tone. however, he really couldn¡¯t imagine the happy expression of the person on the other end of the phone at this moment because he had never seen that person smile.


    wang shen said, ¡°your guess is right. she asked to meet me today. this matter is probably settled.¡±


    the person on the other end of the phone heaved a sigh of relief. then, he said coldly, ¡°yes.¡±


    the call was hung up.


    this time, yuan shu, shi lu, and zhang chao had all arrived, but wang shen was the only director there. the assistant director had not arrived.


    however, the conversation between the four of them went very smoothly. shi lu¡¯s role was decided very quickly. the only controversy was about yuan shu.


    wang shen was a little hesitant. ¡°yuan shu, your temperament is really very compatible with that of the female lead, but i have some concerns. because you¡¯re a newbie and have never acted professionally, i¡¯m a little worried about your performance¡­ i wonder if you¡¯ll get stage fright?¡±


    this was what yuan shu was worried about. filming was a novel experience for her. whether it was in the past or in this world, she had never come into contact with acting. however, it was shi lu who dispelled their worries.


    ¡°director wang, 1 think you can rest assured. with my sister-in-law¡¯s personality, she will take everything seriously and try her best to be perfect. i believe it¡¯s the same when it comes to acting. moreover, 1 can teach her. why don¡¯t you give me a week to familiarize her with the film set before letting her try out the scene?¡±


    after hearing shi lu¡¯s words, wang shen was very happy. although shi lu was aloof, he was serious about acting. his superb acting skills were obvious to all. since he said that, there was naturally no need to worry.


    after the few of them agreed, yuan shu suddenly asked, ¡°director wang, who will play the role of the literary scholar?¡±


    wang shen¡¯s tone was uncertain. ¡°i¡¯m still communicating with some actors about this role. personally, i¡¯m more inclined to zhao tian, who just filmed a popular drama not long ago, but his schedule has yet to be confirmed.¡±


    zhang chao was very familiar with zhao tian. he was the same type of actor as shi lu, so fans often compared the two of them. if the two of them acted in a drama at the same time, it would naturally be popular and they could save a sum of money on promoting it!


    filming was set to start in a month, and there was a test scene in a week.


    in order to let yuan shu understand and adapt to the environment on the set faster, shi lu found a suitable spot for her to observe the filming the next day.


    as soon as zhang zhang returned to the country, she received an advertisement for a sitcom. it was an advertisement for a snack brand, so shi lu brought yuan shu to the set to take a look.


    it was yuan shu¡¯s first time on the set, so she didn¡¯t expect there to be so many people watching, and there were also many staff members. there were at least seven to eight cameras.


    yuan shu noticed that during the filming process, zhang zhang was very good at finding a camera position. she would also change the angle from time to time so that every camera could capture her figure.


    in such an environment, it wasn¡¯t easy not to have stage fright, let alone act with ease.


    seeing that yuan shu was looking at him so seriously, shi lu teased, ¡°sister-in-law, are you afraid after seeing it?¡±


    yuan shu was only focused on learning and didn¡¯t have the time to joke with him. she waved her hand impatiently and asked him to walk further away. shi lu felt wronged. yuan shu was just supposed to be observing today, so there was no need to be so serious.


    however, yuan shu was a perfectionist, so she was very serious about everything and tried her best to do her best. hence, she watched it seriously for the entire day and even walked two steps from time to time to observe the effect of each camera.


    after zhang zhang finished work at night, yuan shu rubbed her swollen eyes as she was brought to zhang zhang¡¯s camper van by shi lu..

 Chapter 141 - Chapter 141: Camper Van

    chapter 141: camper van


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    when shi lu and yuan shu knocked on the door and entered the camper van, zhang zhang was removing her makeup.


    because zhang zhang had good skin, she didn¡¯t take the process of removing her makeup seriously.


    she focused on removing her makeup so that her skin could breathe. without looking back, she said, ¡°sit anywhere you want.¡±


    zhang zhang didn¡¯t know that yuan shu was following behind shi lu. she was used to being carefree and didn¡¯t have the habit of being overly polite to others. she did whatever made her feel comfortable.


    shi lu looked at the brand¡¯s clothes scattered on the ground, the snacks piled on the table, and the leftover snack bags on the seat. as expected, it was the same familiar snacks. even after going overseas, zhang zhang was still the same sloppy zhang zhang!


    along the way, shi lu picked up and cleaned up. then, she cleared a relatively clean spot beside the table for yuan shu. ¡°sister-in-law, sit here.¡± with that, he sat on the steps.


    hearing the word ¡°sister-in-law¡±, zhang zhang realized that yuan shu was also there. he immediately stopped what he was doing and turned around. as expected, he saw yuan shu smiling calmly while sitting amongst a pile of snacks and trash bags in a dignified manner. she looked a little out of place.


    zhang zhang blushed. she had only seen yuan shu twice in total. the first time was when she barged into her house without giving them a heads up, although it was understandable, since she did it for shi lu¡¯s sake.


    the second time was when she came to visit, but her camper van was so dirty and messy. how embarrassing! what would yuan shu think of her? would she think that she was a slob? would she despise her? zhang zhang felt exasperated.


    actually, if it were anyone else, zhang zhang wouldn¡¯t care at all. what others thought had nothing to do with her, but yuan shu was different! who didn¡¯t like to be friends with beauties, let alone a beauty like yuan shu? before they could get to know each other, zhang zhang had already left a bad impression on yuan shu!


    blaming shi lu for bringing yuan shu here without telling her, zhang zhang looked at shi lu reproachfully. then, she quickly stopped what she was doing and ran to yuan shu. she pushed the trash on the table to the side first, then took out a pile of unopened snacks.


    ¡°hehe, you must be hungry after staying on set for an entire day, right? eat some snacks first. i¡¯ll bring you out to eat later!¡±


    zhang zhang blinked her big eyes and tried not to scare yuan shu with his enthusiasm.


    yuan shu thought that zhang zhang was simply adorable.


    she had raised a parrot in the past. every day, it would fly around the courtyard. when it was tired, it would rest on the branch and shout at the busy maidservants and servants. at night, it would return to its cage obediently. before it returned, it would even cut yuan shu¡¯s hair and rub its little head against yuan shu¡¯s chin. it only left when yuan shu gently stroked the soft feathers on its head.


    yuan shu felt that zhang zhang was as cute as that parrot, so she couldn¡¯t help but rub the soft hair on the top of her head.


    yuan shu smirked as she said, ¡°go do your things first. don¡¯t worry about us.¡±


    zhang zhang smiled sweetly and returned to the mirror to remove her makeup. as she removed her makeup, she couldn¡¯t help but hum a song.


    for some reason, yuan shu seemed to have a magical power that made people like her at first sight.


    previously, when zhang zhang saw yuan shu dealing with things so calmly and decisively at the ancestral home, zhang zhang thought that yuan shu wouldn¡¯t be easy to get along with, so she was a little afraid. however, zhang zhang didn¡¯t expect her to be so gentle and down-to-earth! no wonder the three siblings of the shi family listened to her so much.


    shi lu and zhang zhang were very familiar with each other. when shi lu saw how happy she was now, he couldn¡¯t help but complain, ¡°please, my sister-in-law only smiled at you, but you¡¯re so delighted! can you restrain yourself a little?¡±


    zhang zhang turned around and rolled her eyes at him. ¡°it¡¯s none of your business! can you be a mute? your words really spoil the mood!¡±


    yuan shu watched the two of them bicker with a look of adoration..

 Chapter 142 - Chapter 142: Visiting the Night Market

    chapter 142: visiting the night market


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    there was a snack street around the set. it was very lively at night and was one of the most-reviewed attractions on the internet. the three of them thought about it and decided that since they were not that hungry, they might as well go to the snack street together.


    in the end, the three of them began to regret their decision. this snack street was so crowded that they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to squeeze in!


    zhang zhang had an idea. after she searched for the nearest snack street on the map, she rushed over with the two of them.


    because there were too many people, zhang zhang held yuan shu¡¯s arm. yuan shu looked at her arm awkwardly, but she let zhang zhang pull her to another snack street.


    actually, yuan shu wasn¡¯t used to such intimate physical contact because in the environment she used to live in, such contact wasn¡¯t allowed. therefore, when zhang zhang¡¯s hand reached over, yuan shu instinctively felt a little repulsed.


    however, after walking for a while, yuan shu got used to such intimacy. it was as if the joy of the lively little girl beside her was transmitted through her arm. even yuan shu was in a good mood.


    since this street was beside the internet celebrity snack street, most of the tourists were there. there were not many people on this street, but because the taste was good and the price was discounted, many local residents still ate here.


    as zhang zhang stood in front of the archway at the entrance of the snack street, she said in satisfaction, ¡°we¡¯re here! eat as much as you guys want today. my treat!¡±


    after saying that, she turned around. when she realized that she had been holding yuan shu¡¯s hand, she suddenly felt a little awkward. she didn¡¯t know whether to pull her hand out or not, so she froze on the spot.


    instead, yuan shu retracted her arm and said with a smile, ¡°let¡¯s go.¡±


    shi lu was also shocked. his usually dignified sister-in-law wasn¡¯t even that close to shi yi. it seemed that she had genuinely accepted zhang zhang.


    zhang zhang was a frequent customer of the snack street, so she could tell at a glance what was delicious and what wasn¡¯t. she took her phone and scanned the qr code every time she arrived at a stall as she carried a pile of food in her arms.


    yuan shu wasn¡¯t used to eating while walking, so the three of them found a bench by the tree and sat down.


    zhang zhang first used a bamboo stick to fork out a sugar oil baba. after she caught it in a paper bowl, she brought it to yuan shu¡¯s mouth. ¡°yuan shu, try this! the skin is crispy and the inside is soft. it¡¯s delicious!¡±


    yuan shu had never eaten these sorts of snacks before. it wasn¡¯t because she despised these snacks, but because she really didn¡¯t have the chance. she had lived in the military camp since she was young and had grown up in the palace, so she had never even seen how the commoners lived.


    after she looked at the sugar oil baba beside her mouth, she took a small bite. the sweet texture seemed to have dispelled the fatigue of the day.


    then, zhang zhang handed over a bucket of cold pot skewers. ¡°if you eat too much sweet food, you¡¯ll get a little sick of it. eat some spicy food to get a change of taste!¡±


    quail eggs, fungus, boneless chicken feet, and peeled prawns were stuffed into yuan shu¡¯s mouth one after another. yuan shu ate in a hurry, but before she could swallow, another one was sent to her mouth by zhang zhang.


    yuan shu really couldn¡¯t eat anymore. she stopped zhang zhang¡¯s hand that was about to reach out again. ¡°zhang zhang, i can¡¯t eat anymore. let me rest for a while!¡±


    only then did zhang zhang realize that she had fed her too quickly. she stuck out her tongue and hugged the remaining cold pot skewers in her arms. then, she said to shi lu, who had been following behind them, ¡°go buy some fruit tea for yuan shu.¡±


    shi lu was speechless. ¡°so i¡¯m just here to run errands for the two of you? alright, alright, alright. 1¡¯11 buy lemon tea.¡±


    zhang zhang smiled foolishly and began to put cold pot skewers into her mouth. as she ate, she said, ¡°yuan shu, you should come to such places with us more often!¡±


    yuan shu froze for a moment. this sentence was so familiar. it seemed that someone had said it to her before, but she couldn¡¯t remember who it was. it probably wasn¡¯t someone important.


    yuan shu smiled as she replied, ¡°then you have to bring me here more often in the future.¡±


    zhang zhang stared at her in a daze.. ¡°yuan shu, you look so pretty when you smile!¡±

 Chapter 143 - Chapter 143: Returning to the Country

    chapter 143: returning to the country


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    yuan shu asked, ¡°do i not smile that often?¡±


    zhang zhang shook his head. ¡°that¡¯s different. although you smile often, your gaze is cold. but now, when even your eyes are filled with joy, only then do you really seem happy.¡±


    yuan shu nodded, as if she understood.


    she had been the head of the household for so many years and had handled everything in an orderly manner. the smile on her lips had already become the facade that made her seem amiable but could also intimidate others.


    therefore, she had forgotten what a genuine smile looked like.


    yuan shu saw vitality and free-spiritedness in zhang zhang. her happiness seemed to be contagious and could make everyone around her happy. now, yuan shu understood why shi lu only became friends with her out of everyone in the entire entertainment industry.


    in a villa in africa, the private doctor removed the bandage on shi xiao¡¯s body. the wounds on his body that couldn¡¯t scab previously because of the tropical rainforest climate had finally scabbed over. the edges of the scabs were slightly raised, and the flesh inside was growing. it seemed that his injuries were no longer a problem and wouldn¡¯t affect his movements.


    the private doctor said, ¡°boss, with the current healing speed of the wound, it won¡¯t affect our plans even if we¡¯re at a high altitude. it won¡¯t rupture. just to be safe, we can take a plane back to the country in three days.¡±


    shi xiao nodded coldly.


    ever since the shi family found him and they came out of the tribe in the depths of the tropical rainforest, shi xiao could clearly feel that his wound was healing. in addition, the private doctor had been applying medicine for nearly a month. no matter how slow his recovery was, there wouldn¡¯t be that big of a negative impact.


    after the private doctor finished applying the medicine, he took the medicine box and left. zhao cheng waited for the private doctor to leave before coming in. ¡°young master, just as you expected, as soon as the news of him returning to the country spread, everyone became impatient to take action.¡±


    shi xiao sneered and put on his coat. ¡°what about yuan an?¡±


    ¡°madam specifically asked zhao mian to conduct a thorough investigation a few days ago and investigated all the people in the company. she fired three people. there¡¯s no problem with the company at the moment.¡± zhao cheng had changed the way he addressed her.


    the fact that yuan shu had actually led zhao mian to investigate the company was beyond shi xiao¡¯s expectations. what surprised him even more was that the current yuan shu seemed to be different from the yuan shu he knew.


    what exactly had she experienced?


    ¡°go and get ready. we¡¯ll be back in the country in three days.¡±


    zhao cheng immediately agreed, but then he thought of something. ¡°young master, what about miss lin xi?¡±


    ¡°let¡¯s bring her back together. didn¡¯t i ask you to investigate her background? how¡¯s it going?¡±


    zhao cheng had already prepared the information and handed the tablet to shi xiao. ¡°this is the information zhao mian found. in the nearby mountains, there was indeed a missing girl who looked similar to miss lin xi. she should be miss lin xi. however, there¡¯s no one else in miss lin xi¡¯s family. her only kin, her grandma, passed away three months ago.¡±


    shi xiao flipped through all the information, but there was nothing suspicious about her background.


    lin xi¡¯s eyes, which were always like those of a frightened deer, surfaced in shi xiao¡¯s mind. even if it was to repay her kindness, he should be responsible for this girl.


    ¡°inform zhao mian to prepare a residence and necessary supplies for lin xi. since there¡¯s no one else in her family, she can stay in the shi family¡¯s home.¡±


    zhao cheng was obviously a little hesitant. if it was a month ago, he, who didn¡¯t know much about the shi family¡¯s current situation, naturally hoped that young master would divorce yuan shu as soon as he returned. but now, he knew that yuan shu had done so many things for the shi family and had taught the three young masters diligently, so he slowly accepted this madam of the shi family.


    hence, he asked, ¡°if we bring a/iiss lin xi back, what about madam?¡±


    this was also what shi xiao was worried about. based on what he knew about yuan shu in the past, if they were to get a divorce, she would definitely cry and cause a scene. this would make things easier to resolve. however, yuan shu was calm and composed now. what excuse should he use to divorce her?


    in fact, he was even looking forward to yuan shu¡¯s reaction when she saw lin xi..

 Chapter 144 - Chapter 144: Jiang Chen

    chapter 144: jiang chen


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    in the jiang family¡¯s mansion, there was a bohemian-style carpet in the middle of the 100-square-meter living room. a huge chandelier with a diameter of 50 meters hung from the roof. the light shone on the polished floor, and the refracted light made the entire house look dazzling.


    the man sat on the leather sofa leisurely as he brewed a pot of tea with the tea set in front of him. a bodyguard in a black suit stood in front of him respectfully.


    ¡°boss, according to the news from africa, shi xiao will be back in the country in three days. should we send someone to wait for him at the airport?¡±


    the man slowly picked up the ice-cracked teacup and put the tea into his mouth. ¡°it¡¯ll be too conspicuous if we do so the country. after he comes back, let him live in peace for a few days.¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°has yuan shu and wang shen signed the contract?¡±


    behind the man, another man in a beige suit and gold-framed glasses, who was holding an ipad in his hand, said, ¡°they¡¯ll sign the contract a week later after trying out the scenes.¡±


    the man in the beige suit was called zheng tian. he was an orphan raised by the jiang family. ever since he graduated from school, he had been by jiang chen¡¯s side and was now his private secretary.


    the man sitting on the leather sofa and drinking tea elegantly was jiang chen.


    he was the most mysterious person in the jiang family. other than the jiang family, almost no one knew his true appearance before. zheng tian had done many things for him, so the entire upper society was a little afraid of the mysterious jiang chen.


    after all, enemies that couldn¡¯t be seen were the most terrifying.


    after jiang chen put down the cup in his hand, there was a hint of impatience in his calm voice as he said, ¡°it¡¯s too slow. send the contract to the jiang family today.¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    zheng tian was a very obedient person who never had any unnecessary questions about orders. even though he was very curious about why jiang chen paid so much attention to yuan shu and even put down so many things at hand just to set up a trap for yuan shu.


    in fact, gao shan and zheng yan¡¯s conversation was deliberately set up to be heard by li ran¡¯s people. jiang chen had personally delivered this evidence to yuan shu. his goal was very simple. he wanted yuan shu to owe wang shen a favor.


    jiang chen seemed to know yuan shu very well. he knew that if yuan shu found wang shen that morning and wang shen was only willing to make a statement under the condition of filming, yuan shu definitely wouldn¡¯t agree.


    instead, wang shen agreed straightforwardly without asking for any conditions. therefore, yuan shu treated what happened later as a way for her to return the favor.


    although zheng tian was curious, he knew the principle of not looking, not listening, and not asking. the person in charge of the jiang family wasn¡¯t as easygoing as his father.


    the people he had sent to africa couldn¡¯t find shi xiao. jiang chen didn¡¯t appear so on the surface, but his methods were extremely vicious. those who couldn¡¯t complete the mission had to pay the price.


    therefore, the leader was thrown into the african cannibalistic tribe to fend for himself.


    wang shen sent the contract to the shi family, but yuan shu didn¡¯t sign it. she thought that there were still some things that needed to be discussed in person, so she postponed it to three days later.


    when wang shen heard that it would take another three days, he couldn¡¯t help but break out in cold sweat for himself. this kind of thing was subject to changes. she might change her mind at any time. he didn¡¯t dare to bet on himself!


    although wang shen wanted to insist that she signed the contract today, he was afraid that yuan shu would get suspicious, so he could only bite the bullet and agree.


    the news of shi xiao returning to the country wasn¡¯t a secret in upper society, but only the shi family was kept in the dark.


    shi yi was busy designing new clothes every day. the new designs for the first season had already been launched, so she didn¡¯t need to worry about the promotion. however, the down ridge clothes workshop also launched new designs at the same time. clearly, they wanted to compete with yushu buyi.


    shi bin, on the other hand, worked hard at shenglan venture investment company every day. in this place where talents gathered, even unwinding was a waste of time.


    he worked overtime every day and didn¡¯t even have time to relax on the weekends. shi bin was very concerned about yuan shu¡¯s matters. on the weekends, he even helped her monitor the operation of the project funds she had invested in. he had not returned home for a month. only when he could occasionally receive fruits and snacks sent by yuan shu could he feel the warmth of family.


    needless to say, shi lu was completely idle at home. every day, he would watch television dramas to hone his acting skills. after zhang zhang returned, the two of them would occasionally go out to have some fun, but most of the time, shi lu stayed at home.


    in a sense, the four people in the shi family seemed to have been cut off from the outside world. however, zhao mian, who was the only one who knew inside information, listened to shi xiao¡¯s orders and kept things secret..

 Chapter 145 - Chapter 145: No Man’s Land (1)

    chapter 145: no man¡¯s land (1)


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    in the afternoon, the temperature was cool and breezy. li ci opened a bottle of red wine leisurely in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of his duplex building by the river and lay on the massage chair to bask in the sun.


    when he pressed the massage chair against li ci¡¯s back, he received a message on his phone that shi xiao was going to return to the country in three days.


    as the sound of the massage chair rang in his ears, his thoughts were disrupted for a moment, so he simply turned off the massage chair and sat up.


    shi xiao had been away for more than two months. this period of time was enough for all the designers to outshine the shi family during this period. if not for yuan shu, the shi family would have gone bankrupt long ago.


    li ci was as cunning as a fox, so it was impossible for him to let go of such an opportunity. when shi xiao wasn¡¯t around, he had indeed played many tricks. now that shi xiao was coming back, it was time to stop.


    back then, li ci was hunted down by a gang because of his sister and brother-in-law. it was shi xiao who saved him, so it could be said that shi xiao had saved his life. this was also the main reason li ci was willing to become a business partner with shi xiao all these years and instead of letting shi xiao become a tool to be used.


    after li ci thought about it for a moment, he made a few calls, but everyone he called said the same thing. ¡°put the matter aside for now. stop what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    there were too many businesses under the shi corporation that spanned almost all fields. if they wanted to stop all operations, three days might not be enough.


    it seemed like he had to find some trouble for shi xiao so that he didn¡¯t have the energy to deal with these things first.


    he arranged for a chauffeur. when shi xiao¡¯s plane landed three days later, he personally went to pick him up. his savior¡¯s whereabouts were unimown for two months, so it was reasonable for him to pick him up personally.


    li ran leaned against the corridor on the second floor and looked at him as she asked, ¡°uncle, why are you downstairs alone?¡±


    she had just finished her afternoon nap and felt very thirsty, so she got up to find water. after asking li ci, she walked downstairs. when she passed by the living room, she even turned on the stereo and played a rock song to sober up.


    li ci knew that she was looking for water, so he poured a glass of cold water and handed it to her.


    ¡°you slept for a long time, a full three hours. be careful not to become stupid after taking such a long nap!¡±


    li ran looked at li ci reproachfully as she took the water from him. ¡°you¡¯re the one who¡¯s stupid. if people don¡¯t sleep well, how can they have the energy to do things?!¡±


    ¡°do things? you¡¯re just playing, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°phew!¡±


    after li ran lay down on li ci¡¯s massage chair and pressed the start button, her body swayed back and forth with the massage chair as she basked in the afternoon sun. she was extremely comfortable.


    li ci suddenly remembered something. ¡°how are you and zhou liu? didn¡¯t you say that you were going to ask her out for a meal the next day? it¡¯s already the next day. it seems like a certain someone is no longer as charming as before.¡±


    li ran couldn¡¯t even be bothered to open her eyes. ¡°tsk, don¡¯t goad me. we¡¯ve only known each other for two days, so if i¡¯m already inviting him out for a meal, my motive will be too obvious.¡±


    li ci compromised. as he leaned against the floor-to-ceiling window, the sunlight shone on him, leaving a long shadow of his tall figure on the marble floor.


    ¡°alright, alright, alright. there¡¯s no need to goad me. there¡¯s something i might need your help with.¡±


    ¡°what?¡± li ran used her hand to block the blinding sunlight.


    ¡°help me see which band will sing in no man¡¯s land three days later.¡±


    ¡°no man¡¯s land?¡± li ran opened her eyes and looked at li ci with interest. ¡°you never go to such places. why are you suddenly interested in the leading band there?¡±


    no man¡¯s land was a musical bar. many popular bands and internet celebrities started out at this bar in the beginning. now, many singers on tour would choose this bar as well.


    li ci had always liked peace and quiet, so he rarely ever went to such noisy places. even if he wanted to drink, he would choose a quiet place to enjoy a bottle of good red wine.


    li ci didn¡¯t answer. instead, he smiled and said, ¡°you don¡¯t have to worry about that. help me investigate. the information will be useful to me.¡±


    ¡°oh.¡± li ran agreed with a dissatisfied expression..

 Chapter 146 - Chapter 146: No Man’s Land (2)

    chapter 146: no man¡¯s land (2)


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    three days later, wang shen and yuan shu agreed to have dinner together and sign the contract at the same time. since they were going to sign the contract, shi lu would naturally be there too. zhang zhang had decided to play the role of the female lead¡¯s daughter, so their managers came over together.


    the meal was boring and was almost entirely about work. most of the time, zhang chao and the other manager were talking to wang shen. the other three people could only eat quietly.


    zhang zhang hated such occasions the most, so she whispered to shi lu and yuan shu, ¡°why don¡¯t we go have some fun after dinner?¡±


    shi lu focused on eating the cumin lamb chops. with chili powder and cumin powder, the cumin lamb chops were simply delicious.


    while eating, shi lu replied, ¡°what are you up to? tell me.¡±


    zhang zhang glared at him and thought to himself, ¡°this guy can eat lamb chops so elegantly, but why is he so sharp-tongued?!¡±


    then, she looked at yuan shu. yuan shu basically didn¡¯t eat much. she only drank a bowl of chicken soup before putting down her chopsticks. when she heard zhang zhang¡¯s suggestion at this moment, she looked at him seriously.


    zhang zhang had cut off her long hair again. now, her short hair was dyed red, and the ends of her hair were gradually turning pink. she looked cool and flashy. after she entered the restaurant and sat down, she attracted everyone¡¯s attention the moment she took off her hat.


    shi lu teased her, ¡°if you dye your hair green in two days, you¡¯ll be like traffic lights!¡±


    zhang zhang ignored him and posed as she said to yuan shu happily, ¡°yuan shu, do you think my hair looks good?¡±


    yuan shu smiled dotingly as she said, ¡°it¡¯s very cool!¡±


    zhang zhang was fiesty and vivacious. when yuan shu was with zhang zhang, she would always be in a good mood because of her.


    at this moment, zhang zhang suggested, ¡°i want to go to the no man¡¯s land for a drink after dinner!¡±


    shi lu had just torn off a piece of mutton when she heard this and immediately retorted, ¡°no. my sister-in-law never stays up late. besides, she doesn¡¯t like drinking alcohol.¡±


    when zhang zhang heard shi lu say no, she clenched her fists tightly. later on, when she heard that it was because yuan shu didn¡¯t like such occasions, she was extremely disappointed and looked at yuan shu pitifully with her big round eyes.


    zhang zhang looked so cute that yuan shu couldn¡¯t bear to reject her. ¡°it¡¯s okay. it¡¯s still early, so i want to stroll around some more.¡±


    shi lu¡¯s jaw dropped. previously, when they suggested watching horror movies at home at night, yuan shu used the excuse that she didn¡¯t stay up late to reject the three of them. why did she suddenly become so easy-going when it came to zhang zhang?


    zhang zhang was like a withered flower under the sun, but after hearing yuan shu¡¯s words, she immediately came back to life, as if a bucket of water had been poured on her. her eyes lit up and she moved closer to yuan shu.


    ¡°tonight, the lead singer for no man¡¯s land will be the band that has been most popular recently, the reef band! let¡¯s go listen to them! i heard that people from the audience will be randomly selected to sing on stage tonight. it¡¯ll be super lively!¡±


    shi lu was a little jealous and glared at zhang zhang fiercely. ¡°your red hair is already flashy enough. when the time comes, they¡¯ll choose you to go on stage and you¡¯ll embarrass yourself! how can a tone-deaf person like you sing?!¡± ¡°hehehe!¡± zhang zhang grimaced at him.


    singing was zhang zhang¡¯s only shortcoming. she knew how to dance, had good acting skills, and was popular with the audience. however, she was tone deaf, so if there were singing projects on many variety shows, she would pass on them. when she really couldn¡¯t reject them, she would choose to lip-synch. she had been on the trending searches because of this many times.


    after the director and manager were almost done negotiating and the contract was signed, the three of them left and rode the shi family¡¯s private car straight to no man¡¯s land.


    it was just past nine o¡¯clock now, so there were not many people in no man¡¯s land, but the lighting and atmosphere were already in place.


    in the dark environment, colorful beams of light flickered back and forth. on the stage, three young singers were rapping and dancing. the three of them were part of the show, and the reef band would appear at ten o¡¯clock sharp.


    zhang zhang knew the manager here. after giving a few instructions, the manager led the three of them to the booth opposite the stage..

 Chapter 147 - Chapter 147: Pickup

    chapter 147: pickup


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    no man¡¯s land didn¡¯t accept reservations, so good spots had to be snatched in advance.


    the booth facing the stage was naturally the best spot to watch from. moreover, it was comfortable. however, the manager led them around this booth and went straight to the seat beside it.


    zhang zhang was puzzled and asked loudly, ¡°why can¡¯t we sit in this booth facing the stage? don¡¯t you guys refuse to accept advance reservations?¡±


    the surroundings were a little noisy, and the music was very loud. there were not many people, but the atmosphere was very lively. the manager replied loudly with some embarrassment, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, zhang zhang. that person spent ten times the amount to reserve a seat. even if we don¡¯t accept reservations, we can¡¯t turn down money, right?¡±


    zhang zhang pouted and complained, ¡°what an evil capitalist!¡±


    shi lu didn¡¯t want to disappoint the two girls, so he patted zhang zhang¡¯s shoulder and said confidently, ¡°it¡¯s okay. i¡¯m also a capitalist!¡±


    shi lu walked forward and said to the manager in a loud voice, ¡°we can double their number. give us this seat and leave the seat beside it to them.¡±


    the manager was clearly tempted, but he was still in a dilemma. ¡°but¡­ this¡­ they¡¯ve already paid the deposit. why don¡¯t i call and ask? if they¡¯ve already arrived, it¡¯s theirs. if they still need a long time, they should give up this position!¡±


    shi lu raised his hand and gestured for the manager to make a call now.


    the manager made a call and hung up within a few minutes. it was obvious that the manager¡¯s expression was getting more and more awkward. he could only look at zhang zhang as he said in a troubled manner, ¡°the other party isn¡¯t short of money and is willing to spend more. look¡­¡±


    zhang zhang and the manager were friends, so she couldn¡¯t make things difficult for him here and could only persuade shi lu.


    shi lu was usually more laid back, but at this moment, it was obvious that his desire to win had been piqued. how could he let it go so easily?


    shi lu was about to continue raising the price when yuan shu stopped him and shook her head, indicating that it was fine.


    shi lu wanted to say something, but yuan shu had already spoken, so he could only obey and sit down beside yuan shu.


    zhang zhang loved the taste of citrus and coconut juice the most, so among the many cocktails, her favorite was the coconut forest flavor cocktail. shi lu ordered whiskey sour, the same as before.


    after that, the two of them discussed for a long time and ordered a special beverage, sky city, for yuan shu.


    at the airport on the other side, the plane had just landed.


    zhao mian, li ci, and the rest were waiting at the arrival gate. when they saw shi xiao and the others coming out of the arrival gate, they immediately went up to them.


    when zhao mian saw her younger brother, zhao cheng, who had been missing for more than two months, her eyes welled up with tears and she couldn¡¯t help but cry.


    zhao cheng didn¡¯t know how to comfort people, so he could only pat zhao mian¡¯s shoulder with his thick hand. ¡°it¡¯s fine, sister. i¡¯m back now. don¡¯t worry.¡±


    it would have been better if zhao cheng didn¡¯t comfort her, but once he comforted her, even more tears flowed down zhao mian¡¯s face. zhao cheng panicked and hurriedly searched for tissues, but then zhao mian smiled and wiped her tears. ¡°alright, stop looking. i¡¯m fine.¡±


    li ci also walked up and looked at shi xiao, who looked a little haggard. in just two months, he had become much tanner and had lost a lot of weight. his handsome face had become even more chiseled.


    when li ci looked at him, he only thought of the words ¡°having survived a calamity¡±. previously, when he received news about him, he felt shocked, but it seemed very far removed from his daily life. now that he saw him in person, he really realized that this person had almost disappeared from the world forever, and he would never be able to see him again.


    li ci was in awe of how unpredictable life was, but in the end, he only said aloofly, ¡°long time no see.¡±


    shi xiao¡¯s attitude was much colder. ¡°long time no see.¡±


    in the two months that he wasn¡¯t around, li ci definitely didn¡¯t cooperate with the shi family and might have done something behind his back. shi xiao knew li ci too well, so it was impossible for him to act like they were happy to be reunited..

 Chapter 148 - Chapter 148: Settlement

    chapter 148: settlement


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    shi xiao continued walking out of the airport. what he was more anxious about now was to return to the shi corporation immediately and deal with the things he had left behind in the past two months as soon as possible. at the same time, he would check if there was anything suspicious about the people in the company.


    shi xiao was originally facing li ci and happened to block li ci¡¯s vision, preventing him from seeing lin xi, who was behind him. now that shi xiao was walking forward, he happened to reveal lin xi, who was wearing a long white dress and had a timid look on her face.


    li ci was stunned. he didn¡¯t expect shi xiao to bring back a woman after two months. who was this woman?


    while li ci was in a daze, zhao mian had already caught up with her. as she walked beside shi xiao, she copied the information she had prepared beforehand onto the tablet before handing it to shi xiao.


    shi xiao didn¡¯t stay idle. as he flipped through it, he asked, ¡°have you prepared the house i asked you to prepare?¡±


    zhao mian nodded. shi xiao¡¯s strides were a little big, so she could only run to keep up with him. ¡°it¡¯s a four-bedroom apartment with two halls in a new development area by the river. it¡¯s on the 23rd floor and has a view of the river. the lighting is very good.¡±


    shi xiao nodded slightly. a four-bedroom, two-hall house was completely enough for lin xi to live alone. this wouldn¡¯t be unfair treatment for her.


    when li ci heard them mention a house, he guessed that this house was prepared for lin xi. moreover, it was impossible for her to live in such a huge house alone, but if shi xiao wanted to accompany her, what would happen to yuan shu?


    li ci couldn¡¯t help but worry for yuan shu.


    zhao cheng was more simple-minded. he only paid attention to one key point: a four-bedroom house with two halls!


    she lived in a four-bedroom residence all alone? was she going to use such a big house for running? his sister and him only lived in a two-bedroom apartment!


    shi xiao walked to the underground parking lot and was about to get into the shi family¡¯s car when li ci stopped him. ¡°are you in such a hurry to go to the company? let¡¯s go. i¡¯ve booked a booth for you in no man¡¯s land. the band that¡¯s singing tonight is still the reef band, which has been very popular recently.¡±


    shi xiao frowned slightly. he had known li ci for so many years, so how come he didn¡¯t know that she went to places like the no man¡¯s land?


    moreover, based on shi xiao¡¯s understanding of li ci, there was definitely something fishy about this guy trying to stop him from returning to the company!


    shi xiao rejected her coldly. ¡°no, i still have something to deal with.¡±


    li ci didn¡¯t stop him anymore. instead, he stood at the side with his arms crossed. ¡°three months ago, you got drunk from a glass of wine in the no man¡¯s land, which facilitated your marriage. don¡¯t you want to see who did it?¡±


    as expected, shi xiao stopped pulling the door handle and glanced at the confident li ci coldly.


    li ci never did anything that he wasn¡¯t confident in. for him to say that, he must have found some clue.


    shi xiao¡¯s alcohol tolerance was famous in upper society. rumor had it that he wouldn¡¯t get drunk even if he drank a thousand glasses. even if four or five types of alcohol were mixed together, he wouldn¡¯t get drunk.


    however, in the no man¡¯s land that night, just a glass of sky city made by the bartender made him lose his senses and he even had sex with yuan shu. then, he had no choice but to marry yuan shu.


    a month after they got married, he was busy with the things on hand and preparing for his trip to africa, so he had never investigated this matter and had forgotten about it. now that he was back, it seemed like he had to deal with it.


    he let go of the door handle and his lips curled into a smile. ¡°then let¡¯s go.¡±


    he turned around and instructed zhao mian, ¡°send lin xi back and stay with her tonight. call me if there¡¯s anything.¡±


    lin xi¡¯s eyes were filled with fear for these strangers in front of her. like a frightened deer, she clenched her fists and placed them in front of her chest. she stared straight at shi xiao, as if she didn¡¯t want him to leave.


    shi xiao stood in front of her as he said, ¡°i¡¯ve found a place for you to stay. my secretary will accompany you tonight. as for zhao cheng, he¡¯ll be watching downstairs, so you don¡¯t have to be afraid.¡±


    zhao cheng was stunned, since he didn¡¯t expect shi xiao not to let him accompany him. he said anxiously, ¡°young master, the no man¡¯s land might be dangerous. i want to follow you!¡±


    shi xiao didn¡¯t agree. after he gave zhao cheng a look, he pointed at the two people behind zhao cheng. ¡°the two of them can follow me. you just need to take care of lin xi.¡±


    zhao cheng could only give up and watch as shi xiao got into li ci¡¯s car..

 Chapter 149 - Chapter 149: Meeting

    chapter 149: meeting


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    most people came to no man¡¯s land to listen to music and drink. zhang zhang and shi lu had already drunk two glasses of wine, so at this moment, they were slightly tipsy. they couldn¡¯t help but sway to the rhythm of the music.


    under such a lively atmosphere, yuan shu occasionally took a few sips of the wine in front of her as she listened to the band on the stage.


    she was more interested in the person who was sitting behind the singer and beating the drum. the drummer had strong wrists, good control of strength, and a rhythm. if she brought him back to the military camp, he would definitely be a good drummer!


    unknowingly, it was already midnight and the atmosphere reached the climax. countless people squeezed to the dance floor in front of the stage and swayed. the corridor and aisle were also crowded.


    when the most exciting part arrived, the lightsman from no man¡¯s land swept the searchlight across the entire venue, and the person the searchlight landed on would be invited to the stage.


    the dazzling white pillar of light swept across the entire venue and finally stopped at yuan shu¡¯s booth.


    the audience screamed, while zhang zhang and shi lu swayed excitedly along with the music. zhang zhang held yuan shu¡¯s arm and pulled her up the stage under the light.


    yuan shu had experienced this kind of scene too many times, so she wasn¡¯t frightened by the gazes of the crowd at all. however, she wasn¡¯t used to such a noisy environment and was clueless about what she was going to do on stage.


    shi lu followed behind yuan shu considerately and explained, ¡°after midnight, it¡¯ll be time to dance. you just have to follow the rhythm of the music.


    sister-in-law, don¡¯t worry. stand at the back later. we¡¯ll block you.¡±


    yuan shu nodded. yuan shu was good at martial arts, but if she was asked to dance, it would be even worse than killing her!


    however, this was actually the rules of the game here. it was inappropriate not to go on stage, so she could only follow them up.


    the venue became even livelier than before. li ci led shi xiao and the two bodyguards. under the manager¡¯s lead, the bodyguards helped clear the way as they walked towards the booth opposite the stage.


    as soon as he sat down in the booth, shi xiao saw a familiar cup of ¡°sky city¡± made of three colors on the next table.


    however, there was a difference between this cup of sky city and the one that got him drunk because he remembered very clearly that the cup he had drunk had a red cherry at the bottom of the cup, but this cup didn¡¯t.


    just as shi xiao was about to ask, the bodyguard beside him suddenly leaned closer and said, ¡°young master, the person on stage seems to be madam!¡±


    although the surrounding environment was very noisy, the bodyguard didn¡¯t deliberately lower his voice when he spoke to shi xiao, so li ci heard what he said.


    shi xiao and li ci were stunned and looked at the stage in unison.


    the only difference was that li ci was shocked that yuan shu had come to this place, especially at tonight¡¯s time, but shi xiao sneered. it seemed that this woman was exactly the same as before. he was overthinking things.


    however, when shi xiao saw the person on the stage clearly, he vaguely felt that the yuan shu in front of him was very different from the previous yuan shu.


    was this still the yuan shu he knew, who usually wore heavy makeup?


    her face was clean, and her long hair was tied up behind her head, revealing her exquisite face. she stood behind shi lu cautiously and only when the light shone over did her body move stiffly, causing her hair to sway slightly.


    compared to the redhead beside her, yuan shu¡¯s white t-shirt and jeans were indeed a little too conservative.


    yuan shu obviously couldn¡¯t keep up with the rhythm. as the singers from before all walked onto the stage, the stage instantly became crowded, and yuan shu was also squeezed away by them. she could no longer find zhang zhang and shi lu.


    she kept dodging the touch of the people around her and tried her best to move backward.


    however, yuan shu was so focused on the person in front of her that she didn¡¯t notice that she was already hanging on the edge of the stage and would fall off if she wasn¡¯t careful..

 Chapter 150 - Chapter 150: Saving the Damsel In Distress

    chapter 150: saving the damsel in distress


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    the scene on the stage was captured by the audience below the stage. it had to be said that the view from the front of the stage was indeed very good. even if there were many people in front, they could pay attention to every detail on the stage.


    seeing that yuan shu was getting closer and closer to the side and was almost at the edge of the stage, li ci and the bodyguard said almost at the same time, ¡°be careful!¡±


    shi xiao rushed out quickly before anyone else could react.


    even when he reached the middle of the crowd, shi xiao still didn¡¯t understand why he subconsciously ran out. he was actually worried about a woman who didn¡¯t have any feelings for him?


    although he thought so, he had already pushed through the crowd and walked forward.


    yuan shu was so focused on not letting strangers approach her that she forgot to pay attention to her back and feet. when she dodged, she missed her footing, then lost her balance and fell backward.


    this stage was at least 1.5 meters tall, so if she fell, she would definitely be injured. there were so many people, so there might even be a stampede.


    yuan shu quickly calculated the damage she might suffer. then, she used her hand to untie the whip around her waist. she planned to use the whip to wrap around the loudspeaker at the back of the stage. at the very least, it would give her a buffer when she landed on the ground and she could stand up in time.


    this was her habit. ever since the whip was made, she would carry it with her wherever she went. if she had a handbag, she would put it in her bag. if she didn¡¯t have a bag, she would wrap it around her waist so she could pull it out quickly.


    the moment yuan shu¡¯s hand touched the whip, she fell into a broad embrace and her upper body was tightly pressed against that person¡¯s broad chest.


    that person grunted and caught yuan shu steadily. then, he hugged her shoulders with one hand and her legs with the other.


    she seemed to be lighter than he had imagined.


    this was shi xiao¡¯s first thought.


    shi xiao had just stabilized himself when he put yuan shu down right on the heels of that. he didn¡¯t dawdle at all.


    the moment yuan shu¡¯s feet touched the ground, she immediately took a step back and said politely yet distantly, ¡°thank you.¡±


    the music was very loud and there were screams in his ears, so shi xiao couldn¡¯t hear what yuan shu said at all. when he saw the unfamiliarity in yuan shu¡¯s eyes, he narrowed his eyes. she didn¡¯t recognize him?


    at this moment, li ci and the bodyguards rushed over. after li ci stood beside shi xiao, he asked yuan shu loudly, ¡°yuan shu, are you alright? are you injured?¡±


    yuan shu shook her head to show that she was fine, but her gaze became even more puzzled.


    why did the man who saved her have such a strange look on his face? he was with li ci, so he should be from the upper society. he must have appeared at the banquet at the shi family¡¯s ancestral home before. yuan shu thought that her memory was very good, so even if she didn¡¯t remember the name of the person she had seen, she would have a rough impression of him. how come yuan shu felt that she had never seen his face before?


    shi lu and zhang zhang couldn¡¯t see yuan shu on the stage, so they squeezed out of the crowd with difficulty. after coming down from the stage, the two of them carefully checked if yuan shu was injured. they only heaved a sigh of relief when they saw that she was safe.


    shi lu wrapped his arm around yuan shu¡¯s shoulder to escort her back to the booth. he even muttered to zhang zhang, ¡°i told you not to be so ostentatious next time. my sister-in-law isn¡¯t used to such a noisy environment!¡±


    as he spoke, shi lu looked straight ahead until shi xiao¡¯s face was completely in his line of sight. then, he froze on the spot and lowered his hand on yuan shu¡¯s shoulder. after he swallowed hard, he stammered, ¡°brother¡­¡±


    big brother?!


    when zhang zhang and yuan shu heard this, they were both shocked.


    yuan shu quickly restrained the shock in her eyes. she didn¡¯t expect him to be her husband in this world! he actually came back so quickly! oh no, wouldn¡¯t he suspect her because of her gaze just now?


    yuan shu remembered that in the original book, shi xiao was very keen and could sense the subtle expressions of the people around him.


    shi xiao must be suspicious that she didn¡¯t recognize him now, but he didn¡¯t say anything about it..

 Chapter 151 - Chapter 151: Doubt

    chapter 151: doubt


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    shi xiao glanced at yuan shu indifferently. the shock that flashed across her long and narrow eyes didn¡¯t escape his eyes, but he didn¡¯t say anything. he only nodded and turned to walk towards the booth.


    why didn¡¯t he know that yuan shu hated such an environment? didn¡¯t yuan shu call herself the queen of nightclubs back then? she put on heavy makeup every day and danced around to the wildest dj. why did she change so much in just two months?


    the two bodyguards sat down in yuan shu¡¯s booth. the wine had already been moved to shi xiao¡¯s booth. as the five of them sat quietly in the leather seats, the atmosphere was a little awkward.


    zhang zhang was very gregarious, but when she saw shi xiao¡¯s cold expression, she was speechless as well.


    she didn¡¯t expect that she almost snatched shi lu¡¯s brother¡¯s seat just now. she really didn¡¯t want to sit in this seat at all now!


    shi lu was even more nervous when he saw his brother. in the entire shi family, other than their parents, who were not in the country now, the three of them were most afraid of shi xiao.


    shi lu was afraid of shi xiao because they were half-brothers. in addition, shi xiao had always had reservations about shi lu¡¯s involvement in the entertainment industry, so shi lu had always avoided him. later on, he didn¡¯t even return to the shi family¡¯s home.


    meanwhile, yuan shu was deep in thought.


    when she came to this world, she had the host¡¯s memories in her body, but why did she have no impression of shi xiao? it was as if this face had never appeared in front of her before.


    shi xiao stared at yuan shu intently and he suddenly started to look forward to yuan shu¡¯s performance when they went back tonight.


    then, shi xiao noticed the cup of sky city in front of yuan shu. it was strange that this cup of wine had appeared in front of him twice.


    he turned his head and closed the distance between him and li ci. ¡°i remember you were going to tell me what was wrong with that glass of wine that night. now that i¡¯m here, you can tell me.¡±


    of course, li ci also noticed the sky city in front of yuan shu and the corners of his mouth curled up into a confident smile. ¡°bartender.¡±


    when shi xiao heard this, he looked at the tall man with dreadlocks standing at the bar in the distance. he was holding a cocktail mixer and making a cup of sky city. the wine he made was exactly the same as shi xiao¡¯s wine that night. compared to the wine in front of yuan shu, it was missing a bright red cherry.


    why was the glass of wine given to yuan shu different?


    shi xiao and li ci had the same question in mind. when the two of them looked at each other, they saw the confusion in each other¡¯s eyes.


    the lively atmosphere just now had already cooled down and most people returned to their seats. the band went on stage to play songs again, and the style of the song began to become more lighthearted. the lighting in no man¡¯s land also changed to the color of the night. with the combination of soft blue and purple lighting, the performance was probably about to end.


    shi xiao asked li ci, ¡°you probably didn¡¯t expect yuan shu to appear here at this time, right? do you think this is a coincidence or a deliberate arrangement?¡±


    li ci frowned, as if he couldn¡¯t understand this question. ¡°it¡¯s hard to say. i only found out that the boss behind no man¡¯s land is tan jing. however, the tan family has always been neutral, so i can¡¯t think of why he used a glass of wine to set you up. i don¡¯t know what role madam shi played in this either.¡±


    shi xiao had been in africa for two months, but he had completely forgotten about the fence sitter, the tan family. he only set his sights on the jiang family and the xu family. he had really miscalculated.


    ¡°what has the tan family done recently?¡± shi xiao asked.


    ¡°during the ancestral home gala, tan jing once extended an offer to madam shi. he wanted her to use the shi family¡¯s money to invest in a project but was rejected. recently, they are starting this project. madam shi¡­ i¡¯m afraid she is different from the one you previously knew. i have to say that you have married a good woman.¡±


    ¡°oh really?¡± shi xiao narrowed his eyes and looked at yuan shu steadily. she was indeed different. her aura had become restrained and dignified, but she actually gave off a very familiar vibe.


    ¡°do you think there are two people in the world who look exactly the same but have completely different personalities?¡± shi xiao asked li ci.


    li ci didn¡¯t understand what shi xiao meant.


    shi xiao had already stood up and was about to leave with yuan shu and the others..

 Chapter 152 - Chapter 152: Special Treatment

    chapter 152: special treatment


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    in the private vip booth on the second floor of no man¡¯s land, jiang heng sank into the soft leather seat. beside him, there was the bartender with dreadlocks. on the other side, there was tan jing.


    the bartender said in dissatisfaction, ¡°sky city is known for being able to get people drunk after one glass! the red cherry can only be effective after being soaked in the strongest wine for two weeks. this is the essence of sky city. why are you asking me to mix a soulless sky city?! that is beneath my standards!¡±


    tan jing didn¡¯t understand either. ¡°why does the jiang family seem to treat yuan shu differently? what kind of background does yuan shu have for you guys to be so protective of her?¡±


    jiang heng placed his arms on the leather seat and lay down comfortably. then, he closed his eyes to enjoy the light and music.


    ¡°to be honest, i don¡¯t know either. it was all arranged by my cousin. my cousin said that yuan shu can¡¯t be touched, so of course i have to obey.¡±


    tan jing was even more confused. who was this mysterious jiang chen? he was always talked about but had never showed his face before. his calculations were so accurate, but he kept such a low profile.


    ¡°then why did young master jiang ask us to tamper with yuan shu and shi xiao¡¯s marriage three months ago and help her marry into the shi family? now, he¡¯s not allowing us to touch her. isn¡¯t this contradictory?¡±


    jiang heng opened his eyes and sat up slowly. this was also what he was puzzled about. ever since shi xiao went to africa, this cousin of his seemed to have changed completely. his methods were even more ruthless and incomprehensible. even jiang heng was a little afraid of him.


    jiang heng was a little impatient. ¡°don¡¯t ask too much. just do your own job. the first thing shi xiao did when he came back is to rush here, so he must be suspicious of what happened three months ago. tan jing, you have to be careful that he attacks the tan family.¡±


    tan jing was disdainful. ¡°on the surface, the tan family never takes sides, so if he attacks us openly, won¡¯t the other families be disappointed in him?¡±


    jiang heng looked at the booth where the few of them had been sitting with a dangerous gaze. ¡°i hope he¡¯s distracted by other things and doesn¡¯t have the mood to interfere with things here.¡±


    zhang zhang was sent back to her house by the chauffeur, while shi xiao brought yuan shu and shi lu back to the ancestral home.


    shi lu sat in the front row while yuan shu and shi xiao sat in the back row. each with different thoughts on their minds, the three of them didn¡¯t speak along the way.


    shi lu was worried that shi xiao would find out that he had brought yuan shu into the entertainment industry and that when the new movie started filming, shi xiao would settle scores with him. along the way, he was thinking of an excuse to deal with it. at the same time, he was worried that his sister-in-law wouldn¡¯t be able to film.


    yuan shu¡¯s thoughts were much simpler. she wasn¡¯t worried about facing shi xiao when she returned.


    this was because she knew very well that shi xiao hated the host to the core. he usually couldn¡¯t even be bothered to say anything to her and abandoned her in the villa two days after they got married. that was why chu mei came to cause trouble every few days.


    he had not returned for two months, so he definitely wasn¡¯t in the mood to deal with her. yuan shu would be even more at ease than before he came back, since she didn¡¯t even need to worry about the matters in the shi family¡¯s company anymore. wouldn¡¯t that be wonderful?


    however, she couldn¡¯t figure out why her memory was messed up. everything about the one-night stand between the two of them in the hotel until they got married became very blurry.


    however, yuan shu had a vague guess. that night, the two of them didn¡¯t have sex at all. it was just that when they woke up the next morning, their clothes were messy, so there was a misunderstanding.


    after getting out of the car, shi lu said as quickly as possible, ¡°brother, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re back. we really missed you so much. it¡¯s too late, so i¡¯ll go to bed now. goodnight, brother and sister-in-law.¡±


    before yuan shu could react, shi lu had already returned to her room and closed the door with a bang.


    did this guy borrow the artificial intelligence¡¯s voice just now? how did he manage to say such a string of words without any emotions?


    as yuan shu was thinking, wu yan had already walked to the entrance and was waiting for her. when she saw shi xiao, surprise flashed across her eyes, but her years of experience as a servant immediately calmed her down..

 Chapter 153 - Chapter 153: Sleeping Together

    chapter 153: sleeping together


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    wu yan knew shi xiao¡¯s habits. even after he got married, he had always slept alone in his room. hence, after yuan shu moved in, she specifically prepared another room for her to stay in. shi xiao¡¯s room had always been empty.


    wu yan asked respectfully, ¡°young master, madam, do you two need me to prepare hot water for a bath?¡±


    shi xiao didn¡¯t speak, but he looked at the exhausted yuan shu with interest.


    yuan shu was too tired after playing for the entire night. she urgently needed a hot shower and some good rest.


    she took off her black leather shoes and rubbed her neck as she replied to wu yan, as if the person beside her didn¡¯t exist, ¡°help me put on a basin of hot water and prepare a cup of honey water to put in my room.¡±


    as yuan shu spoke, she put on her slippers and walked upstairs, as if she had completely forgotten that shi xiao was standing beside her.


    not knowing how to react, wu yan looked at yuan shu and then at shi xiao.


    shi xiao smiled and held yuan shu¡¯s hand as he said to wu yan, ¡°two glasses.¡±


    wu yan went to the kitchen to get busy.


    yuan shu was in a completely relaxed state now, so when she was suddenly pulled back, she took a step back and bumped into shi xiao¡¯s arm.


    shi xiao hugged yuan shu from behind.


    yuan shu wasn¡¯t used to such an intimate action, so she frowned and slapped shi xiao¡¯s hand away with her elbow.


    yuan shu was very tired now and wasn¡¯t in the mood to deal with him, so she asked coldly, ¡°what do you want?¡±


    shi xiao¡¯s expression was matter-of-fact. he didn¡¯t care about yuan shu¡¯s reaction at all. instead, he walked towards the room first. ¡°of course we¡¯re going back to sleep. aren¡¯t you tired?¡±


    yuan shu felt that there was something wrong with his expression, but there was nothing wrong with his words. however, yuan shu quickly reacted. when he said sleep, he meant that he actually wanted to go to her room!


    before he opened her door, yuan shu quickly stepped forward to stop him. ¡°where are you going?¡±


    ¡°is there a problem with returning to our room?¡± shi xiao¡¯s tone was calm.


    however, yuan shu could clearly see the provocation in shi xiao¡¯s eyes, so she knew that he must be testing her. her reaction in the no man¡¯s land had already made him suspicious.


    everything had its own rules. one couldn¡¯t know or understand it, but one couldn¡¯t change it.


    if shi xiao asked yuan shu who she was, she couldn¡¯t tell him that she was from another dynasty outside this world, right? then, other than treating her as a mental patient and sending her to a mental hospital, shi xiao probably wouldn¡¯t have a second option.


    yuan shu calmed down and stated, ¡°we¡¯ve always slept in separate rooms.¡±


    shi xiao said coldly, ¡°then let¡¯s sleep together from today onwards.¡±


    yuan shu said, ¡°i¡¯m not used to sleeping with others.¡±


    shi xiao said, ¡°then let¡¯s get used to it from today onwards.¡±


    yuan shu was speechless.


    as shi xiao spoke, shi xiao walked around yuan shu and opened the door to enter the room.


    yuan shu placed her hand on the whip at her waist, as if she was ready to attack at any time.


    she had been here for so long, but she had never seen such a disobedient person before.


    just as yuan shu was about to make a move, a familiar feeling came from her lower abdomen. it was her period.


    yuan shu was stunned. for the first time, she felt that this period had come at the right time! she quickly walked into the toilet, put on tampons, and came out. ¡°i¡¯m on my period, so it¡¯s a little indecent to sleep in the same bed now. i can only trouble you to sleep alone for a few days.¡±


    shi xiao sized yuan shu up a few times before stopping at her abdomen, which was protected by her left hand. it seemed that she was determined not to share a room with him today.


    since she had already said so, shi xiao didn¡¯t insist and could only leave. there would be many opportunities to test her in the future.


    shi xiao couldn¡¯t figure out what had happened after he left for two months. why did yuan shu seem to have completely changed into a different person?


    yuan shu, who usually had to put on heavy makeup even at home, looked even more beautiful after removing the thick layer of makeup. her facial features were exquisite and gentle.


    more importantly, her temperament had changed. she was no longer tacky. instead, she looked more sophisticated and dignified..

 Chapter 154 - Chapter 154: Testing

    chapter 154: testing


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    after a long day, yuan shu really didn¡¯t have any energy left. after she took a hot shower, she fell asleep, but before she fell asleep, she didn¡¯t forget to lock the door.


    although she was already very tired, at seven o¡¯clock the next morning, she got up from bed on time to do her daily morning training.


    she went downstairs to the hall, but she didn¡¯t see shi lu, who was usually waiting for her. wu yan was watering the flowers and plants in the living room.


    yuan shu asked wu yan, ¡°why don¡¯t i see shi lu?¡±


    wu yan replied respectfully, ¡°second young master said that the ancestral home is too big, so he returned to the villa to stay for a few days.¡±


    yuan shu was speechless. what did he mean by the ancestral home being too big? he had been living there for more than a month, but he didn¡¯t mind that the room was too big at that time, but he hid the moment shi xiao returned. there was something off with him.


    as yuan shu was thinking about it, the culprit had already gone downstairs.


    ¡°morning.¡± shi xiao was still on the steps. he was wearing a dark blue shirt, suit pants, and leather shoes. yuan shu estimated that this person was at least 1.9 meters tall.


    shi xiao¡¯s leather shoes stepped on the pure wool carpet without making any sound as he walked behind yuan shu silently. his lips were curled up slightly, and his eyes were expressionless. he was clearly greeting her, but he looked at her as if she was a stranger.


    ¡°morning,¡± yuan shu replied politely.


    from a certain perspective, shi xiao should be the closest person to yuan shu in this world, so he was also the most sensitive to yuan shu¡¯s changes. yuan shu could deal with others freely, but she had to be careful with shi xiao.


    moreover, what happened last night must have been because shi xiao was testing her. yesterday, yuan shu didn¡¯t have the energy to deal with him and escaped in a hurry. today, shi xiao would definitely find another opportunity to continue testing her.


    instead of waiting passively, it was better to find an opportunity to take the initiative to attack.


    as expected, shi xiao spoke first.


    he stood behind yuan shu and his slender hand passed by her to catch the cup of hot water that wu yan handed him. when he retracted his hand, yuan shu turned to look at him, but she wasn¡¯t in a hurry to speak.


    shi xiao finished the water in the cup in one gulp and instructed wu yan, ¡°as usual, a cup of americano.¡±


    wu yan nodded and left to grind coffee.


    shi xiao then said to yuan shu, ¡°accompany me somewhere later.¡± then, he turned around and sat down on the european-style leather sofa.


    yuan shu frowned. ¡°where are we going?¡±


    ¡°you¡¯ll know when we get there.¡±


    yuan shu didn¡¯t like such a commanding tone. even when she was commanding people, she would make things clear and instead of letting others guess, in order to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings. hence, shi xiao¡¯s attitude made yuan shu unhappy.


    however, yuan shu didn¡¯t say it directly. she tied her hair up high with a rubber band and said as she walked out of the door, ¡°let¡¯s talk about it after i come back from my exercise.¡±


    without giving shi xiao any chance to say anything, she had already left the living room and walked out the door.


    shi xiao stared at yuan shu¡¯s back. she was tall to begin with, and her sportswear made her look even more energetic.


    exercise? why didn¡¯t he know that yuan shu, who was usually lazy, had a habit of exercising? shi xiao was even surprised to see her up so early.


    shi xiao and yuan shu only lived together for two days after they got married.


    yuan shu was irritable and dissatisfied with everything. she often stayed up until three or four in the morning at night, and it was often for her to wake up at around one or two in the afternoon in the day. her daily schedule was very irregular.


    shi xiao, on the other hand, slept from 12 am to 6 am. the first thing he did in the morning was to look at the unfinished work left behind by the company the day before. it could be said that his life was a little boring, far less interesting than those of his three younger siblings.


    however, with the huge shi corporation pressuring him, he had no other choice. only when he was powerful enough and able to support his family could the shi family members, which were hiding under this shell, mature.


    therefore, on the third day after the wedding, he moved back to the ancestral home and left yuan shu alone in the villa.


    it had only been a few hours since last night, but he felt as if he had never known yuan shu. her self-discipline and self-restraint were completely different from before.


    now, shi xiao believed that the person who could deal with the other families and protect yuan an was his wife, yuan shu..

 Chapter 155 - Chapter 155: Travel Together

    chapter 155: travel together


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    when zhao cheng came to pick shi xiao up, yuan shu was stretching in the garden, where there was a gardenia tree blooming with white and flawless gardenias this season. yuan shu was wearing a refreshing outfit as she stood under the tree and was as dazzling as the white flowers blooming on the branches.


    zhao cheng was mesmerized for a moment. when he regained his senses, he punched himself before he hurriedly walked into the house.


    he walked up to shi xiao and asked hesitantly, ¡°young master, everything has been arranged. do we really have to bring young madam to the company?¡±


    shi xiao¡¯s eyes were filled with playfulness as he said, ¡°if we don¡¯t release the rabbit, how can the eagle bear to dive down?¡±


    zhao cheng said, ¡°young master, 1 heard about young madam from my sister last night. 1 don¡¯t think young madam is someone planted by the jiang family.¡±


    feeling conflicted, shi xiao narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°there are too many coincidences about her.¡±


    for example, the chance encounter in no man¡¯s land, the glass of sky city, and the fact that yuan shu¡¯s alcohol concentration wasn¡¯t high. there was no way to explain all of this.


    yuan shu had indeed helped shi xiao protect yuan an for a short period of time, but it was also possible that she was just putting on a show to make everyone trust her.


    even the public began to praise yuan shu for her competence.


    however, this might also be her scheme. after all, yuan shu had not really touched the core of the shi family and had never been to the company. perhaps she had an ulterior motive?


    the public opinion was on yuan shu¡¯s side, so shi xiao couldn¡¯t divorce yuan shu so easily. otherwise, it would definitely affect the shi corporation¡¯s share price.


    actually, what made shi xiao the most suspicious was that yuan shu¡¯s personality had suddenly changed and the unfamiliar gaze yuan shu gave him last night in the no man¡¯s land. this wasn¡¯t the gaze of someone who had fallen in love with him at first sight and racked her brains to obtain him.


    after yuan shu walked through the long corridor and into the living room, she took the dry towel that wu yan handed her and wiped the sweat off her neck. then, she hung the white towel around her neck and glanced at zhao cheng and shi xiao as she said calmly, ¡°we¡¯ll leave after 1 go upstairs and tidy up.¡±


    shi xiao nodded slightly and made an expression that said, ¡°go ahead.¡±


    they thought that they would have to wait for at least an hour, since yuan shu had to put on makeup and change her clothes. unexpectedly, yuan shu came downstairs in 15 minutes.


    she was wearing simple white t-shirt jeans and a light pink suit jacket. her face was fair and fresh, and it was obvious that she was bare-faced. her hairstyle had changed from a high ponytail to a low ponytail, and she didn¡¯t have any accessories on her.


    zhao cheng looked at yuan shu in shock. was this still the young madam he knew? she was actually going out without makeup? usually, she wore heavy makeup without any taste whatsoever. now, she had completely changed!


    ¡°let¡¯s go.¡± with that, yuan shu changed into a pair of white leather shoes and left.


    after getting into the car, she didn¡¯t say a word or ask anything, but her reaction was within shi xiao¡¯s expectations. shi xiao had already completely figured out yuan shu¡¯s current way of doing things. she was the complete opposite of her previous persona.


    yuan shu, on the other hand, had her own plans. according to the plot of the original book, after shi xiao returned from africa, she brought a woman, lin xi, to yuan shu, in order to divorce her.


    then shi xiao¡¯s purpose for today¡¯s trip was probably to bring yuan shu to see lin xi.


    this was exactly what yuan shu wanted. she had specifically asked liu lan about the divorce laws before and knew that it was best for her to take the initiative.


    as long as lin xi appeared, yuan shu would definitely divorce him first and obtain her legal rights before leaving the shi family.


    after leaving the shi family, yuan shu would have more freedom to do what she wanted to do. she would focus on her own business and expand yushu buyi. this was the sense of accomplishment that yuan shu wanted. she wouldn¡¯t be trapped in this mansion and waste her time having catfights with other women..

 Chapter 156 - Chapter 156: Shi Corporation

    chapter 156: shi corporation


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    to yuan shu¡¯s surprise, shi xiao didn¡¯t bring her to see lin xi. instead, he stopped in front of the shi corporation¡¯s building.


    the tall buildings and the one-way glass that reflected the sunlight, including the architectural style of the entire building, revealed the extravagance of this corporation.


    this was the first time yuan shu came to the shi corporation and it was much bigger than she had imagined. yuan an couldn¡¯t compare to it.


    seeing that yuan shu was standing in front of the building without moving, shi xiao smiled and held her hand. then, he placed his hand on his arm as he said, ¡°don¡¯t you want to go in and take a look?¡±


    yuan shu frowned. no matter what shi xiao did to her, yuan shu could only feel his distrust from his actions. this kind of interaction made her feel very uncomfortable.


    yuan shu guessed what he was thinking. he suspected her motive for marrying into the shi family, so he brought her to the company to see how she would react.


    it was a good move.


    yuan shu didn¡¯t pull her hand away. instead, she straightened her back and followed shi xiao into the building.


    there were 20 floors in this building, and each floor was filled with different departments. shi xiao brought yuan shu to patrol every floor in a high-profile manner.


    yuan shu was puzzled. why was shi xiao¡¯s current attitude completely different from in the book? by bringing her around, he was basically telling everyone that she was his wife. this wasn¡¯t beneficial to getting a divorce.


    however, shi xiao seemed to be oblivious to yuan shu¡¯s thoughts. he even introduced her to every department seriously, as if afraid that yuan shu wouldn¡¯t understand.


    after they walked around the entire building, it was already one in the afternoon. at this moment, the staff canteen had already gone to break and there was no warm food. shi xiao asked zhao mian to buy some food and bring it to the president¡¯s office on the top floor.


    shi xiao even asked yuan shu considerately, ¡°are you tired after walking all morning?¡±


    yuan shu couldn¡¯t stand this formality, but she couldn¡¯t find a suitable time to lay her cards out on the table. she could only frown and shake her head gently without saying any superfluous words to him.


    she could roughly guess the purpose of shi xiao¡¯s actions today. he wanted to test her attitude regarding the shi corporation¡¯s secrets. even if he didn¡¯t manage to get anything out of her today, he would continue to test her tomorrow.


    shi xiao was different from ordinary people. yuan shu could clearly feel that he was calculative and paranoid. instead of being probed by him, it was better to have a frank chat with him.


    seeing yuan shu shake her head, shi xiao smiled and said, ¡°sit down and rest for a while. i¡¯ll deal with some other things.¡±


    as he spoke, he got up and prepared to leave the office.


    the purpose of doing this was too obvious. he wanted to leave yuan shu alone in the office and see if she would find the core information in these offices based on what she had learned about the shi corporation this morning.


    just as shi xiao was about to open the door, yuan shu called out to him.


    ¡°shi xiao, why don¡¯t we have a chat?¡±


    ¡°oh really?¡± shi xiao slowly lowered his hand that was about to pull the door handle. then, he turned around and smiled at yuan shu, but it was more like a look of warning. ¡°what do you want to talk about?¡±


    yuan shu sat in the comfortable leather chair in the office and pointed at the armchair opposite her. ¡°please sit.¡±


    shi xiao actually followed yuan shu¡¯s instructions very obediently.


    yuan shu unbuttoned her suit jacket and sat up straight. then, she crossed her legs and placed her hands on her knees. ¡°rather than testing if i have ulterior motives for entering the shi family, why don¡¯t we have an open chat and work together?¡±


    ¡°cooperate?¡± shi xiao felt that this term was very interesting. what could yuan shu offer in order to cooperate with him? the shi family¡¯s market value wasn¡¯t twice as much as the yuan family¡¯s, but a hundred times! where did yuan shu get her confidence from?


    of course, yuan shu understood what he was thinking. at this moment, she had to show her trump card first before the other party would be willing to continue chatting with her.


    yuan shu said, ¡°i know what you¡¯re worried about. i don¡¯t listen to anyone and that i¡¯m only loyal to myself. i also know how much pressure public opinion has on me and you now. you can¡¯t divorce me so easily, so why don¡¯t we help each other? we can each do our own things without disturbing each other.¡±


    shi xiao found her words interesting.. ¡°how can we help each other?¡±

 Chapter 157 - Chapter 157: Helping Each Other

    chapter 157: helping each other


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    yuan shu pointed out shi xiao¡¯s motive for doing these things today. ¡°1 know that you brought me around the company building to test my reaction. 1 can tell you clearly that i¡¯m not interested in these things. moreover, 1 can guarantee that 1 won¡¯t enter this building again in the future, so no matter what you plan to do next, you don¡¯t have to do it. i¡¯ll go home directly after 1 chat with you.¡±


    shi xiao had to admit that yuan shu was much smarter than he had imagined. she was no longer comparable to the previous yuan shu. he actually wanted to hear yuan shu¡¯s condition.


    shi xiao nodded slightly. then, he placed his elbows on the knees of his legs and crossed his hands while revealing an attentive look. ¡°continue.¡±


    ¡°i know that you asked zhao mian to help me with yushu buyi, and you also asked the shi corporation to help me deal with xu lang. i have to thank you for this. however, i also know the purpose of your actions. you didn¡¯t want them to use me as a breakthrough point and affect the company during your absence. this shows that we are still useful to each other.¡±


    shi xiao agreed and didn¡¯t interrupt yuan shu.


    ¡°i also know that you have concerns about me. you think i¡¯m very different from before, like a completely different person.¡±


    shi xiao didn¡¯t expect yuan shu to be so sensitive to people¡¯s emotions. shi xiao was just suspicious, but she guessed it even before zhao cheng said anything. this made shi xiao even more curious.


    shi xiao couldn¡¯t help but praise, ¡°you¡¯re very smart and observant.¡±


    yuan shu smiled and said, ¡°thank you for your praise, but 1 can¡¯t explain this to you. i can only say that i¡¯m yuan shu. one day, i suddenly thought it through and didn¡¯t want to waste time like before. instead, 1 went to do something meaningful, so there was a sudden change in my personality. i hope that you can stop probing about this matter.¡±


    yuan shu was honest and didn¡¯t beat around the bush, so shi xiao didn¡¯t beat around the bush either and readily agreed, ¡°sure.¡±


    yuan shu continued, ¡°to the public, we¡¯re husband and wife, so 1¡¯11 naturally attend some necessary social events, and i definitely won¡¯t do anything contrary to my status. however, we¡¯re just business partners. i think there¡¯s no need for what happened last night to happen again, because 1 know very well that you don¡¯t have any feelings for me. there¡¯s no need for the two of us to pretend.¡±


    the reason shi xiao married yuan shu was because yuan shu fell in love with him at first sight and there was even a one-night stand, so shi xiao had no choice but to agree.


    shi xiao didn¡¯t expect her to reveal this matter so calmly at this moment, so shi xiao was impressed.


    shi xiao couldn¡¯t help but let out a hearty laugh. as if he wanted to make a fool of yuan shu, he mentioned, ¡°if i remember correctly, you were the one who pestered me back then, right?¡±


    yuan shu¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all. ¡°things are different now. feelings are temporary. three months is enough to wear down my passion. everyone makes mistakes, so this isn¡¯t an embarrassing thing.¡±


    seeing how calm yuan shu was during the entire conversation, shi xiao wanted to tease her, but after hearing her words, he seemed to be the petty person instead and was momentarily embarrassed.


    shi xiao rubbed the tip of his nose with his index finger and didn¡¯t continue this topic. instead, he asked, ¡°you¡¯ve said so much about me. why don¡¯t you tell me what value you can bring me?¡±


    yuan shu chuckled, but she didn¡¯t reveal any disdain at all. it was just as she had expected.


    as expected, businessmen valued benefits. in negotiations, what was most important was what they could obtain. if yuan shu wanted to live a carefree life like before shi xiao returned, she naturally had to contribute when necessary.


    there was no doubt about this..

 Chapter 158 - Chapter 158: Agreement

    chapter 158: agreement


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    yuan shu wasn¡¯t wearing makeup today. she was bare-faced, revealing the beauty of her facial features. her casual smile made her look like a classic beauty.


    ¡°natural beauty¡± was the first description that appeared in shi xiao¡¯s mind. yuan shu was like an uncarved piece of beautiful jade, emitting a radiant and confident glow.


    yuan shu continued, ¡°you left the shi family for africa and disappeared too suddenly. moreover, you disappeared for too long. during this period, whether it was intentional or not, i did attend many events on behalf of the shi family as madam shi, so you need me now. you can¡¯t divorce me in a short period of time. this is the value i bring to you.¡±


    yuan shu glanced at shi xiao indifferently. she was sure that he had heard her words and was weighing his options.


    what yuan shu meant was that shi xiao needed yuan shu now, not that yuan shu wanted to stay in the shi family. yuan shu had the upper hand, not shi xiao. therefore, he had no choice but to agree to yuan shu¡¯s request.


    yuan shu paused again. since she already used the carrot and stick approach, she naturally couldn¡¯t pressure him too much. she had to give shi xiao a way out.


    ¡°of course, i also need the help of the shi family. yushu buyi has just transitioned and is in the beginning stage. 1 need financial support and the shi family as my backer to make the customers believe in yushu buyi¡¯s strength more. besides, if we can live together harmoniously, it will reduce your troubles. you don¡¯t have to worry about me backstabbing you. 1 don¡¯t need you to trust me either. we only walk back to back.¡±


    there was an array in the military camp that was used for defense. when facing enemies from all directions, no one dared to expose their backs. therefore, they could only face the surrounding enemies with their backs against their teammates. they weren¡¯t the people they trusted the most, so they couldn¡¯t show their backs to them. if their backs were against each other, it meant that if one party died, the other party wouldn¡¯t survive either.


    to put it simply, they had to go through thick and thin together. when both sides wanted to maximize their own benefits, they had no choice but to protect the people behind them.


    this was the perfect way to describe yuan shu¡¯s relationship with shi xiao.


    shi xiao found this statement very interesting. this was the first time he had heard such an analogy and it was very vivid.


    he had a back-to-back relationship with many people, but others wouldn¡¯t describe this relationship like this. they were more willing to use cooperation or the word ¡®friendship¡¯ to describe this relationship.


    hence, yuan shu¡¯s blunt words were very refreshing. it also made shi xiao want to believe this woman in front of him.


    when he looked at her, he felt as if he was looking for a path in the forest. occasionally, there would be fog, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to find his way back.


    shi xiao actually felt a trace of relief. regardless of whether it was out of pride or for the family, it was fortunate that the person he married was yuan shu.


    yuan shu observed shi xiao¡¯s face carefully without letting go of even the slightest movement. even the flicker in his eyes was successfully captured by her. yuan shu knew that her negotiation was about to succeed.


    yuan shu was once called the ¡°iron lady¡± by everyone in the military camp not only because she was good at whipping, but also because she was very good at negotiating, especially in terms of psychological warfare. she could accurately grasp the other party¡¯s thoughts, be it the enemy or her subordinates.


    yuan shu continued, ¡°of course, we will only cooperate for a short period of time. when everything in the shi family is stable and yushu buyi is on the right track again, we can slowly distance our relationship. at that time, the shi family can announce that we are divorced to the public.¡±


    shi xiao couldn¡¯t help but admire the woman in front of him. he thought that he was cautious and didn¡¯t let his emotions affect him, but the woman in front of him was on the same level as him..

 Chapter 159 - Chapter 159: Admiration

    chapter 159: admiration


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    yuan shu explained the pros and cons of this matter, and she didn¡¯t reveal as much greed as shi xiao had expected or try to obtain more benefits from the shi family. instead, she drew a clear line in order to let herself escape from this partnership completely.


    in just a few sentences, yuan shu placed the two of them on equal footing, as if they were on opposite sides of the scale and there was no deviation at all. that was why there was such a symmetrical balance.


    yuan shu gave shi xiao no other choice. at this moment, regardless of whether shi xiao advanced or retreated, it would affect their cooperation.


    if shi xiao pushed his luck and wanted yuan shu to offer more conditions, the result would definitely be yuan shu withdrawing and returning all the negative consequences of the divorce to the shi corporation. at that time, the share price would fall and the shi corporation probably wouldn¡¯t be able to stand up so quickly.


    with shi xiao¡¯s personality, shi xiao definitely wouldn¡¯t take a step back. they would definitely fight teeth to teeth and the outcome of their unseemly divorce would still be the same as the previous outcome.


    therefore, he had only one choice, which was to accept yuan shu¡¯s suggestion.


    what kind of woman was yuan shu? shi xiao couldn¡¯t help but be interested in this woman who was evenly matched with him.


    all these years, he had never seen anyone who could guide him in negotiations and put him in such a passive situation, but yuan shu did it.


    at the beginning of the negotiation, yuan shu put herself in a weaker position. at the same time, she put on a battle suit for shi xiao, so the two of them seemed to be standing on opposing ends of the arena.


    shi xiao chuckled, revealing his white teeth. he had not been so happy in a long time. he felt respect for his opponent who was evenly matched with him, and was also surprised that he finally met a like-minded person.


    shi xiao suddenly couldn¡¯t bear to get a divorce and had a strong urge to keep this woman by his side no matter what. by then, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for yuan shu to leave so easily.


    yuan shu didn¡¯t speak anymore. instead, she looked at shi xiao seriously. no matter what the situation was, there was no need for her to speak again. she was already confident in the outcome.


    shi xiao slowly sat up straight and looked into yuan shu¡¯s eyes to show his respect for yuan shu. ¡°deal.¡±


    yuan shu still appeared unfazed, as if she had expected this. she smiled, uncrossed her legs and straightened her back as she said, ¡°happy cooperation.¡±


    at this moment, zhao mian had just bought lunch and brought it up. two thermos bags filled with food were placed on the table. soon, the table was filled.


    zhao mian had always been very considerate. when she bought lunch, she bought a combination of the signature dishes of the eight major cuisines. this way, no matter what preferences the two of them had, they could eat them.


    yuan shu wasn¡¯t picky about the cuisine, but she was very picky about the quality of the food. be it meat or vegetables, she had to eat the freshest. she took a closer look at the dishes on the table. they looked and smelled good. other than the fact that the color of the duck meat in the duck vermicelli soup that wasn¡¯t right, every dish seemed to be made with high quality ingredients.


    yuan shu picked up a piece of braised beef brisket and placed it on the rice. after the braised beef absorbed the soup, she put it in her mouth. the beef was deeply stewed, and the taste had completely entered every texture of the meat. apart from the taste of the meat itself, there was also of seasoning. it was delicious.


    when shi xiao saw that yuan shu was so satisfied with the food, he immediately felt that it was very appetizing. he also picked up a piece of braised beef brisket and chewed it carefully.


    shi xiao couldn¡¯t help but observe yuan shu¡¯s expression. if she appeared to think that the dish was delicious, he would eat it as well. the meal lasted half an hour.


    the two of them didn¡¯t speak during the meal, but the atmosphere was harmonious..

 Chapter 160 - Chapter 160: Peaceful Peace

    chapter 160: peaceful peace


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    this was the first time shi xiao felt at home. it was a heartwarming feeling of having someone to accompany him.


    after the meal, zhao mian came in and cleaned up the table. after zhao mian cleaned up the room and left, only yuan shu and shi xiao were in the office. only then did yuan shu speak again.


    however, since they had already finished discussing business, there was no need to be so serious. yuan shu¡¯s tone was also very relaxed.


    ¡°i remember that after we got married, i stayed in the villa while you stayed at the ancestral home. later, because 1 was holding cocktail parties at the ancestral home, i moved there. since the two of us have already agreed, i¡¯ll pack my things and move back to the villa in the afternoon.¡±


    shi xiao wiped his hands with a tissue, then crumpled the tissue into a ball and threw it into the trash can as he said, ¡°let¡¯s move over in the afternoon. the ancestral home is a little remote, so it¡¯s not convenient to commute to the company daily. why don¡¯t we live in the villa together?¡±


    yuan shu raised her eyebrows slightly. was this guy doing this on purpose? for an entire month, he didn¡¯t find it troublesome to stay in the ancestral home, but now, he suddenly found it too remote?


    however, yuan shu didn¡¯t show her displeasure. she only said calmly, ¡°alright, then let li yue clean up two rooms.¡±


    upon hearing that she wanted two separate rooms, shi xiao froze for a moment. he knew that yuan shu was deliberately drawing a line between them. although he planned to have two separate rooms as well, he was still a little frustrated by yuan shu¡¯s straightforward rejection.


    the corners of shi xiao¡¯s lips curled up slightly as he thought to himself, ¡°yuan shu, we still have a long way to go.¡±


    with the experience of moving from the villa to the ancestral home, yuan shu packed her things even faster. she had basic daily necessities on both sides and only needed to prepare some clothes. therefore, in just half an hour, yuan shu finished packing a suitcase of clothes.


    shi xiao had clothes on both sides and a full wardrobe, so he didn¡¯t even need to pack anything that he needed to carry back and forth.


    when the two of them appeared in the villa together, the villa¡¯s butler, li yue, was very surprised and marveled to herself, ¡°what a topic of the century! these two people actually appeared together! why did young master¡¯s relationship with young madam improve by leaps and bounds after he returned from africa?!¡±


    however, li yue had seen the changes in yuan shu and was already filled with respect for her. unlike before, when she retorted her from time to time. instead, she listened to yuan shu completely.


    as li yue tidied up the room for the two of them and placed the clothes in the luggage in the cabinet, she couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡°i was just marveling that young master and young madam¡¯s relationship has improved by leaps and bounds, but the two of them want to sleep in separate rooms. how strange.¡±


    at the ancestral home, wu yan had already informed shi yi and shi bin that their brother and sister-in-law had moved away and asked if they wanted to move back to the villa together.


    shi yi and shi bin immediately said, ¡°no!¡±


    at the same time, they resented yuan shu. how could she bear to abandon the two of them and return to the villa? however, although they wanted to live with yuan shu, they definitely didn¡¯t want to see their brother!


    they hadn¡¯t had enough of this carefree lifestyle. they didn¡¯t want to go back and get scolded! just looking at their brother¡¯s cold face would affect their appetite!


    however, shi lu wasn¡¯t as lucky as the two of them.


    he accompanied zhang zhang out for a trip in the afternoon. when he returned at night, there were already two more people at home. there was even food on the table and a long dining table. the two of them sat on opposite ends as they waited for shi lu to return. when they saw shi lu, they actually smiled at him at the same time.


    shi lu felt as if he had been struck by lightning!


    why didn¡¯t anyone tell him in advance that his brother had also moved back?


    originally, he had secretly returned to the villa because he had made up his mind that after his brother returned, his sister-in-law definitely wouldn¡¯t stay in the ancestral home for long and would come back to accompany him soon. he didn¡¯t expect that although she came back, she didn¡¯t come back alone!


    help!!!

 Chapter 161 - Chapter 161: Eating Together

    chapter 161: eating together


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    shi lu swallowed hard and prepared to sneak out when the two of them weren¡¯t paying attention. unexpectedly, shi xiao stopped shi lu just as he took a step back.


    shi xiao gave shi lu a smile that he thought was kind, but to shi lu, it looked very threatening. ¡°come, sit down and eat.¡±


    shi lu felt that his back was sweating and he wanted to scream for help! someone, please save him!


    zhang zhang was usually very talkative, so shi lu prayed that she would call him immediately!


    perhaps his prayers had worked, but his phone really rang. he immediately took out his phone and answered it in excitement without even looking at who it was. ¡°hello!¡±


    ¡°shi lu? i¡¯m wang shen. i want to inform you that you and yuan shu will come over to try out a scene tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°are you auditioning tomorrow?¡±


    when he heard that it was wang shen, shi lu felt dejected again. the director must have called to let him join the production team. he hadn¡¯t rested enough yet, so why did he have to start work again so soon?! when he heard that it was just an audition, he perked up again.


    fortunately, it was just an audition. shi lu and wang shen discussed the time before hanging up.


    as soon as he hung up, shi lu immediately realized that he wanted yuan shu to audition! her brother didn¡¯t like the entertainment industry to begin with, so now that he had even brought his sister-in-law into the entertainment industry, her brother definitely wouldn¡¯t let him off!


    shi lu¡¯s forehead started to sweat.


    at this moment, yuan shu also gave him a gentle smile. ¡°come over quickly. i made your favorite dish, boiled meat slices.¡±


    yuan shu was the one who said this, so shi lu didn¡¯t feel so stressed anymore.


    shi lu thought to himself, ¡°it¡¯s a blessing, not a curse. if it¡¯s a curse, i can¡¯t avoid it.¡± after mentally preparing himself, he sat down in the empty seat between the two of them.


    when yuan shu heard that the call was about an audition, she knew that it was related to her, so she asked, ¡°is it director wang?¡±


    shi lu nodded stiffly and peeked at shi xiao from the corner of his eye, but shi xiao was focused on eating and ignored the two of them. only then did shi lu feel slightly relieved.


    ¡°director wang said that there¡¯s a scene tomorrow afternoon and wants the two of us to go together.¡±


    ¡°okay.¡± yuan shu agreed.


    shi xiao suddenly asked, ¡°why didn¡¯t i know that my wife had suddenly entered the entertainment industry and learned how to act?¡±


    he enunciated each word clearly in a very calm tone, but to shi lu, it sounded like he was suppressing his anger.


    however, yuan shu didn¡¯t care at all and said calmly, ¡°i¡¯m very interested in a script, so i think i can give it a try.¡±


    shi xiao didn¡¯t ask yuan shu. instead, he looked at shi lu and asked, ¡°did you recommend her?¡±


    shi lu felt as if there was a gun pointed at her forehead. this was more thrilling than any other scene he had filmed! would he be punished on the spot tonight?!


    ¡°yes¡­¡± shi lu stammered.


    shi xiao repeated, ¡°yes? what do you mean?¡±


    perhaps yuan shu could tell that shi lu was in a difficult position, so she answered for him, ¡°it was my own idea.¡±


    then, yuan shu roughly explained what happened that night.


    after listening to her explanation, shi xiao said uncharacteristically, ¡°then i¡¯ll go with you guys tomorrow.¡±


    yuan shu was stunned. accompanying her to the audition wasn¡¯t within their agreement, was it?


    however, shi lu was right beside her, so yuan shu didn¡¯t ask and only nodded lightly.


    shi lu watched as the two of them communicated. the boiled meat slices in his mouth were no longer that tasty, so he put down his chopsticks after taking two bites. ¡°i accompanied zhang zhang out to eat in the afternoon, so i¡¯m already full. i¡¯ll go back to my room first. i won¡¯t disturb eldest brother and sister-in-law anymore!¡±


    the two of them nodded. shi lu didn¡¯t hear them speak anymore even until he entered the room.


    shi lu was puzzled.. what was going on? didn¡¯t his brother dislike his sister-in-law? not only did they move back together today, but he was even willing to accompany his sister-in-law to the audition tomorrow! pigs must be flying!

 Chapter 162 - Chapter 162: Accompanying Her to the Audition

    chapter 162: accompanying her to the audition


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    after hearing shi lu enter the room and close the door, shi xiao said calmly, ¡°you used shenglan venture investment company to invest in the tan family¡¯s new company. has the funds started to flow back yet?¡±


    yuan shu wasn¡¯t surprised to hear him suddenly ask about this. she knew that this matter couldn¡¯t be hidden from shi xiao at all. back then, she had asked shi lu for money because she didn¡¯t have it and didn¡¯t want to use shi xiao¡¯s money.


    yuan shu replied frankly, ¡°a small portion has already been returned.¡±


    shi xiao placed a piece of boiled meat on the plate as he asked, ¡°why didn¡¯t you just swipe a million yuan from my card?¡±


    yuan shu froze for a moment, since she didn¡¯t expect him to ask about this. yuan shu didn¡¯t explain the real reason. she couldn¡¯t tell shi xiao that she didn¡¯t want to use her ex-husband¡¯s money because she knew that she was about to get a divorce in a month, right?


    yuan shu replied, ¡°because shi lu had it, 1 borrowed it from him.¡±


    shi xiao didn¡¯t say anything else. after dinner, he put down his bowl and chopsticks and went upstairs to his room.


    when he returned to his room and turned on his cell phone, shi xiao saw the message lin xi had sent him. [have your injuries healed?]


    shi xiao touched the wound on his body. when his finger touched the outline of the scab, he discovered that it was almost healed.


    [it healed.]


    shi xiao put down his phone after replying. as he looked out of the window at the dark sky, he felt a sense of disappointment. from the moment he came back and saw her until now, yuan shu had never asked about his injuries. what a heartless woman.


    in the jiang family¡¯s mansion.


    jiang chen sat on the european-style leather sofa as he answered a call. the person who called him was wang shen.


    ¡°boss, the matter has been arranged. they¡¯ll come over for an audition tomorrow afternoon.¡±


    after hearing this, jiang chen gripped the phone so tightly that his fingertips turned pale. he had waited for this day for too long.


    the scene that yuan shu was going to try out today was that of the female lead, tang yi, studying in the library of the military camp with the literary scholar, chen zhou. however, because the literary scholar and the teacher had different opinions about a sentence, they had an argument. the female lead didn¡¯t agree with the teacher, so she helped the literary scholar.


    shi lu wasn¡¯t in today¡¯s scene, but yuan shu had asked shi lu to accompany her because if yuan shu¡¯s emotions weren¡¯t in place during the audition, shi lu might be able to help her get into character faster.


    recently, yuan shu had become very fond of casual clothes. every day, she would wear a simple t-shirt and jeans. this was the greatest advantage of modern times compared to ancient times. there was no need for complicated clothes. it was more convenient for her to exercise and she wouldn¡¯t be too hot in the summer.


    after yuan shu tied her hair into a bun, she went to the production team with shi xiao and shi lu.


    the male actor who was originally chosen to play the literary scholar didn¡¯t participate because of his schedule, but the filming time had already been set. time was tight and the workload was heavy, so it was a little too late to find another actor. therefore, wang shen decided to let mu zhou play the role.


    yuan shu was in the dressing room getting the makeup artist to fix her makeup, while shi lu was lying on the sofa. zhang chao, as her manager, had to accompany her. he was ordering milk tea for everyone in the production team.


    yuan shu even asked shi lu, ¡°music directors can also play roles?¡±


    shi lu tapped the cell phone in his hand and said nonchalantly, ¡°what¡¯s so strange about that? there are many executive directors who even act as the protagonist, not to mention that mu zhou is only a music director. however, it¡¯s just an audition, yet director wang even has someone to fix his makeup and hair. isn¡¯t that a little too much?¡±


    yuan shu smiled, but didn¡¯t say anything.


    shi lu was able to sit here and play with his phone now because shi xiao suddenly received a call before he got out of the car and had something urgent to deal with, so he didn¡¯t follow them to the set in the end. this made shi lu extremely happy.


    after a while, someone knocked on the door. yuan shu was changing in the inner room, so zhang chao ran over to open the door. it was mu zhou, who had already had his makeup done.


    mu zhou looked gentle, his skin was fairer than that of ordinary men, and his eyes were charming. he looked handsome in ancient style clothing.


    yuan shu had just changed her clothes and came out when she met mu zhou¡¯s gaze..

 Chapter 163 - Chapter 163: Familiarity

    chapter 163: familiarity


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    the two of them were dressed in ancient attire. for the convenience of riding and shooting, yuan shu was dressed in military attire and her hair was tied into a high ponytail.


    in ancient times, the hair of unmarried women couldn¡¯t be tied into a bun, so the makeup artist only used some hair clips to fix yuan shu¡¯s long hair. every strand was placed where it should be and some strands of hair were fixed above her forehead. this outfit made yuan shu look very heroic.


    yuan shu held the whip that was still wrapped around her waist. she had developed a habit where the whip couldn¡¯t leave her body. after holding it, she looked up at everyone and met mu zhou¡¯s stunned gaze.


    the moment their eyes met, countless scenes flashed past yuan shu¡¯s eyes. she wanted to remember them, but she couldn¡¯t. every scene was fleeting.


    at that moment, as if she had crossed the distance between time and space, she felt an intense sense of familiarity.


    yuan shu asked, ¡°have i seen you somewhere before?¡±


    mu zhou was mesmerized for a moment. then, he took a deep breath and looked away as he said with a smile, ¡°yuan shu, i¡¯m mu zhou. does this makeup and hairstyle make me look very different from usual?¡±


    yuan shu suddenly came back to her senses and realized that she had lost her composure, so she smiled awkwardly as she said, ¡°there are some differences.¡±


    yuan shu couldn¡¯t help but feel a little stunned. this wasn¡¯t the first time she had such a familiar feeling. ever since she heard the song ¡°phoenix seeks the phoenix¡±, every time she saw mu zhou, yuan shu would feel a strange sense of familiarity. why?


    seeing that yuan shu was thinking about something with her head lowered, shi lu asked mu zhou on her behalf, ¡°mu zhou, why are you here?¡±


    mu zhou smiled and said, ¡°director wang is an impatient person. he asked me to see if yuan shu has finished her makeup.¡±


    yuan shu replied, ¡°alright, let¡¯s go over.¡±


    on the way to the set, shi lu explained this scene to yuan shu, ¡°when you¡¯re filming, you have to pay attention to the emotions of the other actors. try your best to immerse yourself in the role. don¡¯t be too stiff¡­¡±


    yuan shu listened attentively and memorized every word.


    the filming of this scene began.


    an old man with black and white hair, a goatee, and a rough linen shirt began to read the poem. after reading it, he began to explain the meaning of each sentence.


    he said, ¡°the boat has already passed the mountains. it¡¯s just a form of self-comfort regarding his own incompetence¡­¡±


    mu zhou¡¯s character interrupted him. ¡°sir, i don¡¯t think so. it should be a more relaxing type of emotion¡­¡±


    yuan shu listened to their conversation. their conversation was in the script that she had just been given, but now that she saw the two of them really acting, she felt a sense of novelty and deja vu.


    it was as if this scene had appeared in her memory, but she couldn¡¯t tell if it was the memory of yuan shu in this world or the memory of the ancient yuan shu.


    she remembered that shi lu had told her that many television dramas were very similar now. most of the story plots were basically the same, and even the lines could be copied from each other. that was why television dramas were labeled with one sentence. this story was purely fictional, and it was purely a coincidence if there were any similarities.


    yuan shu couldn¡¯t tell where this familiar feeling came from, so she assumed it was from a television drama she had watched.


    mu zhou and the teacher were still confronting each other. neither of them was willing to give in, so the situation became more and more intense.


    yuan shu recalled the plot in her mind. after the teacher asked mu zhou to stand as punishment, the next scene was yuan shu helping mu zhou argue with the teacher. in the end, the two of them were punished with bathing the horses.


    however, before it was time for yuan shu to speak, she suddenly guessed what the ensuing conversation would be like and it was a little different from the script.


    according to the contents of the conversation in her mind, she said, ¡°sir, you taught us knowledge and once taught us to be humble, but do you think you¡¯re being humble now? when facing different opinions, you¡¯re unwilling to discuss it with us because we¡¯re young.. is this your way of doing things?¡±

 Chapter 164 - Chapter 164: Conversation

    chapter 164: conversation


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    the actor who was acting as the teacher was at a loss for words. he kept pointing at yuan shu and said, ¡°you¡­ you¡­ don¡¯t think that just because you are the daughter of the general, you can disrespect your teacher. stand there as punishment!¡±


    mu zhou¡¯s gaze darkened as he stared fixedly at yuan shu. there was a flash of surprise in his dark brown eyes, but he suppressed it and finished acting according to the script.


    yuan shu was still in a daze when the director shouted, ¡°cut!¡± she had no idea why she said these words.


    wang shen asked the two of them to go over and watch the replay. he couldn¡¯t help but praise yuan shu. ¡°yuan shu, you¡¯re simply made for this movie! from your every action, expression, and aura when you say your lines, you¡¯re simply tang yi herself!¡±


    wang shen stopped looking at the screen and turned to look at yuan shu. ¡°how did you think of this line? why didn¡¯t you follow the script?¡±


    yuan shu was stunned. even she didn¡¯t understand this. ¡°i¡­ 1 don¡¯t know.¡±


    the scene seemed to flash across yuan shu¡¯s mind at that time and she subconsciously said the lines in her mind. every sentence gave her a sense of deja vu.


    wang shen didn¡¯t ask further. ¡°it doesn¡¯t matter. it¡¯s better this way. it will make this scene seem more natural. 1 think this scene can be used in the main film!¡±


    satisfied, wang shen instructed the assistant director to save this scene and continued, ¡°i was originally worried that yuan shu wouldn¡¯t be able to get into character, but from today¡¯s situation, there¡¯s no problem at all! why don¡¯t we bring the filming time forward? 1¡¯11 give you another week to prepare. we¡¯ll officially start filming in a week.¡±


    yuan shu nodded. anyway, she had nothing to do recently, so the change in the filming schedule didn¡¯t affect her.


    shi lu sighed when he heard this. his leisure days were over. he was going to enter the production team to film again. however, it was better than facing shi xiao at home every day. he felt that with shi xiao in the house, even the temperature seemed to have dropped a few degrees!


    after hearing the director nag about this scene, shi lu said to yuan shu, ¡°sister-in-law, 1 still have an advertisement to film recently, so i won¡¯t be going home for the next two days. brother said that he will pick you up later, so i¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    yuan shu said goodbye to him. then, shi lu and zhang chao returned to their camper van.


    mu zhou accompanied yuan shu back to the dressing room to remove her makeup. on the way back, yuan shu couldn¡¯t help but look at mu zhou.


    the character he was playing now was someone from the military camp. logically speaking, he should have tied up all his hair and worn armor. perhaps because the role he was playing was still a teenager, there were still strands of hair on his forehead that hung down to the length of his eyebrows. half of his hair was tied up, and the other half was let down. he was wearing rough linen clothes without any armor.


    however, this ancient outfit suited him very well and made him look scholarly, which suited his status as a literary scholar in the later stages of the plot.


    mu zhou noticed yuan shu¡¯s gaze and smiled gently. ¡°why are you staring at me? is there something dirty on my face?¡±


    only then did yuan shu realize that she had been staring at him the entire way. without feeling awkward, she retracted her gaze and looked ahead. then, she shook her head gently.


    when they were about to reach the dressing room, yuan shu suddenly asked, ¡°mu zhou, have we met somewhere before?¡±


    mu zhou was puzzled. ¡°we had a few words in lakeside park. have you forgotten? at that time, i introduced myself to you and asked for your name, but you didn¡¯t tell me.¡±


    speaking of the past, mu zhou actually felt a little shy and embarrassed.


    yuan shu didn¡¯t notice his expression and asked seriously, ¡°i mean, did we meet before the meeting at lakeside park?¡±


    mu zhou sensed that something was wrong with yuan shu, so he didn¡¯t answer her. instead, he asked with concern, ¡°yuan shu, what¡¯s wrong with you today? you¡¯ve been acting strange since before the audition. are you feeling unwell?¡±


    yuan shu shook her head with a disappointed expression. ¡°i just feel that you seem very familiar, like a friend i¡¯ve known for a long time, but i really can¡¯t remember who it is..¡±

 Chapter 165 - Chapter 165: Drawing Swords

    chapter 165: drawing swords


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    mu zhou smiled as he comforted her. ¡°if i¡¯ve known you for a long time, how can 1 not remember? perhaps it¡¯s just that my appearance is very similar to a certain character in a television drama, don¡¯t think too much about it. hurry up and remove your makeup. your scalp will hurt if your wig is on your head for too long.¡±


    yuan shu was still a little suspicious, but since mu zhou had already said so, she couldn¡¯t continue asking. she could only give up and return to her dressing room.


    when mu zhou saw yuan shu enter the dressing room, his gaze became melancholic and his hands clenched into fists.


    after staring at the entrance of the dressing room for a long time, mu zhou turned around and returned to his own dressing room.


    after removing her makeup and changing her clothes, yuan shu came out of the dressing room and prepared to wait for shi xiao to pick her up.


    coincidentally, mu zhou also came out at this time, so the two of them walked towards the door side by side.


    yuan shu had completely forgotten about their familiarity just now.


    when she saw mu zhou, she thought of the song ¡°phoenix seeks the phoenix¡± and even said with a smile, ¡°speaking of which, 1 don¡¯t think i¡¯ve had a chance to discuss it with you. that day, you played ¡°phoenix seeks the phoenix¡± in the cherry blossom forest. you played it very well. many musicians pale in comparison to you. it sounded so melodious and fluctuating. why are you so experienced at such a young age?¡±


    mu zhou wasn¡¯t surprised when he heard yuan shu¡¯s question. he answered earnestly, ¡°perhaps it¡¯s because i¡¯ve learned the piano with many teachers, and every teacher plays differently. this song is a classic among classics, and every teacher has their own understanding of it, so their style is different as well. therefore, when i play this song, i can¡¯t help but combine the styles of these teachers. actually, i¡¯m not that good.¡±


    learning various styles of the tune was a good thing, but when these various styles were combined, it was easy to forget one¡¯s initial emotions and lose the tune¡¯s unique characteristics, so it wasn¡¯t a good thing.


    however, mu zhou was too humble. his style wasn¡¯t mixed at all, but smooth and fluid. he played every tune very meticulously. he was very outstanding.


    yuan shu wasn¡¯t just being polite. instead, she said seriously, ¡°1 hope i can hear you play again when 1 have the chance.¡±


    mu zhou stopped smiling and replied in the same serious tone, ¡°i¡¯m willing to fulfill your request at any time.¡±


    yuan shu smiled and was about to speak when she heard someone call her.


    ¡°yuan shu.¡± the voice was cold and distant. it was shi xiao¡¯s voice.


    yuan shu looked up. it was indeed him.


    the car was parked at the entrance. he had specifically walked in to look for yuan shu.


    he didn¡¯t expect to see his wife chatting so happily with another man. of course, shi xiao had to interrupt them.


    mu zhou¡¯s gentle gaze met shi xiao¡¯s cold gaze. the two of them were filled with hostility, and for a moment, there was a tense atmosphere in the air.


    yuan shu could tell that something was wrong, so she took a few steps forward and blocked between the two of them.


    only then did the two of them look away sheepishly.


    mu zhou smiled at yuan shu¡¯s back figure as he called her by her name affectionately. ¡°shu, who is this? why don¡¯t you introduce him to me?¡±


    shu? shi xiao¡¯s gaze turned hostile when he heard this address. it seemed that yuan shu wasn¡¯t that lonely even though he had been away for two months.


    without waiting for yuan shu¡¯s introduction, shi xiao strode over to yuan shu and held her hand with a smile as he said, ¡°i¡¯m shi xiao, yuan shu¡¯s husband.¡±


    yuan shu¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly. from the corner of her eye, she saw the two of them holding hands. she wanted to pull her hand out, but in front of outsiders, yuan shu held back..

 Chapter 166 - Chapter 166: Jealousy

    chapter 166: jealousy


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    mu zhou was obviously very concerned about their intertwined hands, but he forced a smile. his gaze was no longer gentle like before, but filled with hostility.


    mu zhou and shi xiao¡¯s gazes were like two sparks colliding in the air!


    shi xiao looked smug. no matter how close and friendly yuan shu and mu zhou were, it was nothing in comparison to their husband-and-wife relationship.


    mu zhou was defeated. ¡°shu, 1 think i left something in the dressing room. i¡¯ll go back and get it. you guys can leave first. goodbye.¡±


    yuan shu nodded and waited until mu zhou was far away before pulling her hand out. then, she walked out of the door as if nothing had happened.


    after shi xiao looked at his empty palm, he followed her out.


    after getting into the car, the chauffeur started the car and drove towards the villa. shi xiao leaned against the back of the car and looked at the scenery outside the window as he said aloofly, ¡°do you like filming very much?¡± ¡°so-so.¡± yuan shu¡¯s tone was very calm, so it was hard to tell if she liked it or not.


    ¡°you¡¯ve never come into contact with the entertainment industry, so why are you suddenly filming this movie?¡±


    yuan shu thought for a while before answering, ¡°i¡¯m very interested in the plot of this script.¡±


    ¡°oh really? what kind of story is it?¡± upon hearing yuan shu¡¯s words, shi xiao became a little interested.


    after yuan shu explained the story, shi xiao found it boring. it was just a very cliche television drama. with yuan shu¡¯s personality, why would she be interested in such a cliche story?


    however, shi xiao didn¡¯t ask, and yuan shu didn¡¯t continue this topic. she also looked out of the window. the railing in the middle of the road behind her turned into a white line that flashed past one after another, as if the rapidly disappearing time had suddenly taken shape.


    after a long silence, shi xiao said, ¡°there will be a small banquet in a few days.


    i need you to attend it with me.¡±


    yuan shu said in a very businesslike tone, ¡°when exactly?¡±


    ¡°three days later, bring shi yi along.¡±


    ¡°okay.¡±


    there was another long silence.


    speaking of shi yi, yushu buyi¡¯s first season¡¯s new product had received unanimous praise as soon as it was launched. due to the marketing methods, the models¡¯ outfits, in addition to shi yi¡¯s outstanding performance at that fashion show, this season¡¯s new products were sold out as soon as the pre-sales began.


    shi yi could also have a short break to unwind.


    the news of yushu buyi¡¯s new product selling well only lasted for half an hour on the trending list, but xu zhi¡¯s message came in time. ¡°congratulations, you received unanimous praise for the first large-scale launch of your design. very impressive!¡±


    shi yi read this message many times and analyzed every word¡¯s tone. he wasn¡¯t too friendly or too cold. every word reflected his personality.


    shi yi had mixed feelings.


    she was happy that he actually saw the trending topic and immediately sent her a message, but she was also saddened about his current identity.


    after all, down ridge clothes workshop was yushu buyi¡¯s rival. as soon as yushu buyi launched the new product, down ridge clothes workshop began selling summer fashion products. with the two parties competing, it was hard to tell who would win and who would lose.


    ever since she found out that xu zhi had gone to down ridge clothes workshop, shi yi had not seen him for a long time, perhaps to avoid arousing suspicion. as the designers of different companies, meeting when new products were about to be released would affect their respective companies.


    when she was busy designing clothes, she didn¡¯t think much of it, but now that she was free, shi yi felt intense longing.


    after calming down and thinking about it, shi yi finally admitted that she had fallen for this man who was serious and considerate, and knowledgeable about fashion.


    shi yi had seen many boys since she was young. her type had always been muscular men, but it was only when she met xu zhi that shi yi finally understood what liking someone was like..

 Chapter 167 - Chapter 167:167 Meeting

    chapter 167:167 meeting


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    he was different from the men shi yi had met before. he was completely different from the standards she set for herself. however, when she thought of him, shi yi couldn¡¯t help but feel motivated. she wanted to get his encouragement and approval. this was a feeling she had never had before.


    shi yi thought that she probably liked him.


    shi yi sat in the car on the way home. the sun was on the west road, leaving only an afterglow. it drew an orange dividing line at the border of the sky, the last overlap of night and day.


    neon lights lit up the city, blocking out the light of all the stars in the sky, turning the sky pitch-black.


    the bright street lamps cast a flickering reflection on shi yi¡¯s face, making the melancholic look on her face even clearer.


    shi yi had been in a dilemma for a long time. in the end, her emotions finally overcame her rationality and she called the man who sent the message.


    ¡°hello? shi yi?¡± his voice was still cheery, but he sounded a little tired. he must have just finished work for the day.


    shi yi took a deep breath and tried her best to sound relaxed as she said, ¡°hey, xu zhi, are you off work? do you want to have a meal together? mm¡­¡± shi yi was thinking of an excuse for this meal. ¡°treat it as a celebration of this season¡¯s new product sales!¡±


    xu zhi coughed lightly. his voice was a little hoarse, and his tone was very forced as he said, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, shi yi. i¡¯m afraid 1 can¡¯t do it tonight. 1 still have to work overtime.¡±


    shi yi felt somewhat disappointed. that¡¯s right, yushu buyi and the down ridge clothes workshop were rivals. since yushu buyi¡¯s new product was selling well, how could he celebrate for her?


    shi yi scolded herself for being so stupid. why did she find such a lame excuse after thinking for so long? she was really too stupid!


    the two of them were silent for a while. after xu zhi took a sip of water to moisten his throat, he continued, ¡°tomorrow is saturday. are you free tomorrow? why don¡¯t we go to the mall tomorrow? this is the first time you¡¯ve designed and produced new clothes, so you must be rewarded for having such good achievements. tomorrow, 1¡¯11 buy you a gift that suits you the most!¡±


    shi yi agreed immediately without thinking, ¡°okay!¡± she was blaming herself for being delusional about him just now, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel touched now and she grinned from ear to ear.


    ¡°do you want to have lunch together tomorrow? i know a new japanese restaurant. the ingredients there are all shipped over that day, so they¡¯re very fresh. we can eat sashimi. are you okay with eating raw food?¡±


    shi yi smiled even more happily as she said, ¡°sure, let¡¯s meet at the japanese restaurant at noon tomorrow! send me the location.¡±


    ¡°okay.¡±


    the chauffeur had followed shi yi for so many days, but this was the first time he saw her so happy after work, so he couldn¡¯t help but interrupt, ¡°miss, are you going on a date tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°nonsense, how can it be a date? it¡¯s just a meal with a friend!¡± the more shi yi spoke, the more guilty she felt. in fact, she was secretly looking forward to this date.


    xu zhi was far more considerate than she had imagined. he immediately thought of a solution since he wasn¡¯t free today. in just a few minutes, he had arranged everything and even asked her about her preferences so considerately.


    shi yi felt that her heart was beating wildly. even her breathing became hurried and her face was flushed.


    she couldn¡¯t help but ask the chauffeur, ¡°sir, if a man is so considerate, do you think perhaps he likes me?¡±


    feeling gossipy, the chauffeur said, ¡°of course he likes you. otherwise, who would be so attentive? he¡¯s giving you a gift and even arranged a place to eat. back then, when i wooed my wife, i put in so much effort¡­¡±


    along the way, the chauffeur spoke nonstop, while shi yi listened with relish.


    at the thought of the date tomorrow, shi yi was so excited that she couldn¡¯t fall asleep at night and kept trying on clothes the entire night.


    today was friday. shi bin didn¡¯t have to work overtime or go back to school, so he originally wanted to go home early to rest..

 Chapter 168 - Chapter 168: Date

    chapter 168: date


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    shi bin was an active and outgoing person, but he had been in the venture capital company for so long that he only wanted to stay at home on the weekends!


    unexpectedly, just as shi bin sat down to eat, shi bin was pulled upstairs by his sister to choose clothes for her.


    shi yi still had a lot of clothes and she tried them on one after another. although shi bin said that every piece was very good-looking and suitable for a date, shi yi picked out one or two flaws in every piece of clothing and gave a hard pass.


    they stayed up until one in the morning. shi bin was very sleepy and could barely stay awake. during this period of time, he was woken up by shi yi a few times before he managed to stay awake for a little longer.


    shi bin¡¯s eyes were filled with tears as he looked at shi yi pitifully and said, ¡°sister, my biological sister! my beloved sister! 1 beg you, let me sleep. i really can¡¯t keep my eyes open anymore!¡±


    shi yi saw that he was really pitiful and must be really tired, so she let him go.


    shi yi only fell asleep at three in the morning. when she was woken up by the alarm the next day, she turned it off and continued sleeping. when she opened her eyes again, it was already eleven o¡¯clock.


    when shi yi saw the time, she suddenly sat up and shouted, ¡°ah! why is it already eleven o¡¯clock? why didn¡¯t the alarm ring?!¡±


    she didn¡¯t dare to delay any longer and immediately got up to take a shower, wash up, change her clothes, and put on makeup. then, she quickly went out and applied lipstick on the way.


    even though she had rushed to the restaurant as fast as she could, she was still half an hour late.


    she was very embarrassed and looked at xu zhi, who was sitting beside her, as she said guiltily, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, i overslept¡­¡±


    initially, shi yi wanted to say that she was stuck in a traffic jam or had something on at the last minute and didn¡¯t want xu zhi to know that she was sleeping in, but in the end, she still felt that honesty was the most important, so she told the truth.


    xu zhi chuckled. ¡°you came at the right time. the ingredients still need to be processed. the bluefin tuna that just arrived this morning and the freshest sea urchins were only processed by the chef at noon. they should be almost done now.¡±


    shi yi loved sea urchin sushi the most, especially the sweet aftertaste of sea urchins. however, if it wasn¡¯t a coastal city, sea urchins couldn¡¯t be guaranteed to be fresh. this was also the reason shi yi rarely ate high-quality sea urchin sushi inland.


    when she heard xu zhi say that the sea urchins had just arrived this morning, shi yi looked at the chef who was handling the ingredients with sparkly eyes.


    the decoration of this japanese restaurant was japanese-style. the bar surrounded the kitchen, and the chef cooked every dish under everyone¡¯s watch.


    shi yi felt that the knife in the chef¡¯s hand was like a pair of scissors cutting fabric. every move was smooth and was cutting the most exquisite clothes.


    seeing that shi yi was so engrossed, xu zhi even explained the origin of this restaurant to her. ¡°the chef of this restaurant ran a restaurant in japan for 30 years and only met the person he loved when he was almost 50 years old. that person was chinese, so he chased her all the way to china. later on, he successfully married the person he loved, but he couldn¡¯t bear to let her leave her hometown and go to japan, so he decided to settle down here and opened this japanese restaurant.¡±


    after listening to xu zhi, the chef even gave xu zhi a thumbs up and said something in japanese. xu zhi also replied in japanese.


    shi yi didn¡¯t understand what they were talking about. all she could think about was that this chef had been in business for 30 years!


    in japan, only those with good culinary skills could run a restaurant for a long time. a chef who had run a restaurant for 30 years probably had amazing culinary skills!


    this time, shi yi looked forward to the next dish even more and couldn¡¯t wait to try it.


    the ingredients that had just been transported in the morning were immediately processed, so they were indeed very fresh..

 Chapter 169 - Chapter 169: Necklace

    chapter 169: necklace


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    shi yi felt that a portion of sea urchin sushi wasn¡¯t enough, so she ordered another portion.


    seeing shi yi eating with relish, xu zhi felt very satisfied.


    the two of them were very easygoing, so when they ordered, they saw a random set meal. there were a total of 20 dishes, and the chef would decide what to serve. when the two of them looked at each other and saw the anticipation in each other¡¯s eyes, they immediately decided on this set meal.


    after the two of them finished tasting all the random dishes, shi yi wiped the grease off her lips with a tissue in satisfaction and asked xu zhi, who was sitting beside her, ¡°what did you say to the chef in japanese just now? 1 saw that he even give you a thumbs up.¡±


    xu zhi revealed a bashful look and pursed his lips. he thought about it many times before saying, ¡°the chef said that you¡¯re very beautiful.¡±


    ¡°really?!¡± shi yi was very surprised and asked xu zhi to teach her how to thank the chef in japanese.


    thinking that xu zhi had said his original words to shi yi, the chef even bowed to shi yi as he said in broken chinese, ¡°i wish the two of you stay together for a long time.¡±


    shi yi¡¯s face flushed as she looked at the chef helplessly and then at xu zhi. then, she lowered her head and didn¡¯t speak anymore. instead, she rummaged through her bag, as if looking for something.


    xu zhi scratched her head awkwardly and left with shi yi with a blush on his face.


    on the way to the mall, xu zhi even explained to shi yi, ¡°the chef might not understand the meaning of this sentence and only knows this sentence in chinese, so he said this. don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    shi yi was originally very bashful, but after hearing his explanation, she was a little disappointed. however, she still smiled and said, ¡°it¡¯s nothing. i didn¡¯t take it seriously.¡±


    this made xu zhi feel a little empty inside.


    actually, what the chef had said to him at that time was, ¡°is this the girl you were talking about? she¡¯s very beautiful. the two of you are very compatible.¡± when xu zhi found out about the chef¡¯s story when he was chatting with the chef, he told the chef that he would bring a friend over the next day. the chef immediately asked, ¡°is she the girl you like? or has she already become your girlfriend?¡±


    xu zhi said vaguely, ¡°not yet, but 1 plan to confess to her tomorrow.¡±


    during the ambiguous period, men and women would always test each other. during this period, they would experience joy and loss.


    the two of them strolled around the mall and chatted about interesting things that had happened recently, but they didn¡¯t mention anything about work.


    xu zhi felt that shi yi must be a little tired, so she suggested, ¡°let¡¯s go to the jewelry shop downstairs and take a look. 1 promised to give you a gift.¡± jewelry? if the gift was jewelry, that would be too ambiguous. shi yi felt a little bashful, but she could roughly guess what he was going to do next. she was looking forward to it, so she nodded and followed him downstairs.


    the two of them entered a fashion and luxury goods counter and chose a necklace after a long time. then, xu zhi asked the attendant to take out the necklace.


    shi yi lifted her long hair in front of the mirror and gestured for xu zhi to put it on for her.


    xu zhi took the necklace from the shop assistant and personally put it on shi yi¡¯s neck. when he clipped the necklace, her pinky accidentally brushed across the back of shi yi¡¯s neck. both of them trembled and their hearts fluttered.


    xu zhi didn¡¯t do anything else. he retracted his hand silently and stared at the charming shi yi in the mirror.


    it was a simple silver necklace. the pendant on the necklace was in the shape of a mage¡¯s scepter, and there was a sky-blue crystal stone embedded at the top of the scepter.


    this necklace hung on shi yi¡¯s fair and clean neck, as if it had absorbed all the color of the sky into this scepter and condensed it into a small crystal to decorate her neck. it was cute and elegant.


    xu zhi stared at shi yi in a daze, while shi yi admired the necklace in the mirror. at the same time, she couldn¡¯t help but look at xu zhi¡¯s expression.


    after xu zhi came back to his senses, he asked shi yi, ¡°do you like it?¡±

 Chapter 170 - Chapter 170: Status

    chapter 170: status


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    shi yi smiled as she asked, ¡°what do you like?¡±


    at this moment, xu zhi was also a little overwhelmed and he subconsciously wanted to ask, ¡°do you like me?¡± but before he could speak, the phone rang.


    he took out his phone awkwardly and looked at the name on the screen. it was a call from jiang chen.


    according to their relationship, jiang chen was xu zhi¡¯s cousin.


    their relationship was a little complicated. jiang chen¡¯s cousin, jiang heng, and xu zhi¡¯s cousin, xu xin, were married. jiang chen and xu zhi could only be considered distant cousin-in-laws. the two of them had only met at the wedding and left their contact details, but the number of times the two of them had contacted each other could be counted on one hand.


    this was probably the third time they had contacted each other.


    xu zhi didn¡¯t know why jiang chen suddenly called him, but he didn¡¯t dare to delay, so he said to shi yi, ¡°wait for me. i¡¯m gonna take a call.¡±


    then, he took a few steps towards the entrance of the shop before picking up the call. ¡°cousin.¡±


    ¡°okay.¡± jiang chen¡¯s voice was very cold, and his tone was the same as the two times he had called before. ¡°is it convenient for you to answer the phone now?¡± xu zhi said honestly, ¡°i¡¯m at the mall now. what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    jiang chen said, ¡°there¡¯s a ball the night after tomorrow. you can represent the jiang and xu families to attend it.¡±


    xu zhi didn¡¯t react for a moment. what day was the day after tomorrow? no one from the two families could attend the ball.


    however, he still agreed. ¡°okay, cousin. send me the location and time. 1¡¯11 be there on time the day after tomorrow.¡±


    xu zhi thought that the topic would end here, but she didn¡¯t expect jiang chen to say, ¡°i heard that you have a good relationship with the third daughter of the shi family, shi yi.¡±


    a string in xu zhi¡¯s mind suddenly snapped. the shi family¡­


    even if he didn¡¯t participate in the family¡¯s matters, he knew that the jiang and xu families and the shi family were irreconcilable enemies.


    so shi yi was the third daughter of the shi family who went overseas to study. when did she return to the country?


    only then did xu zhi realize that he had known shi yi for so long, but they had never chatted about personal topics. he had never known the environment where the other party grew up, nor did he know that their encounter was wrong right from the beginning.


    everything made sense now. no wonder shi yi knew his mentor, wang jiao. the wang family was the most aloof but powerful family in the upper-class circle.


    he thought that perhaps shi yi was just an undergraduate student whom his mentor had taught before, so he had never asked.


    there was a tacit understanding between him and shi yi that had never been exposed. they would deliberately avoid talking about topics that the other party didn¡¯t want to mention, as if it was pandora¡¯s box.


    pandora¡¯s box was tempting because the contents of the box were enough to overturn and destroy everything.


    why did it have to be now? why couldn¡¯t she have let him know who she was sooner?


    xu zhi found it hard to accept, but as this thought appeared, he had another question. even if it wasn¡¯t now, when should she have told him?


    he developed a crush on shi yi the first time the two of them met.


    however, they would have met each other anyway. even if it wasn¡¯t at the fabric exhibition, it would have been at an upper society ball some day. when he met her for the first time, he became attracted to the confident, generous, and passionate shi yi.


    jiang chen smiled confidently as he called out, ¡°xu zhi?¡± the call wasn¡¯t hung up yet, but there was a long silence on the other end.


    xu zhi turned around and replied calmly, ¡°cousin, i¡¯m here.¡±


    jiang chen just reminded him, ¡°come to my house after the ball. i have something to discuss with you.¡±


    ¡°okay¡­¡±


    the call had already ended, but xu zhi was still holding the cell phone..

 Chapter 171 - Chapter 171: Turning Around

    chapter 171: turning around


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    for a moment, he didn¡¯t know how to react when facing shi yi, who was admiring the necklace in the mirror. he had let the situation develop to this point and left the two of them with no way out. how could he explain to shi yi and introduce himself?


    should he tell her directly, ¡°shi yi, do you like me? do you like xu zhi from the xu family?¡±


    he had always wanted to leave the family to find a way for himself, but he was always trapped by the family. this family that gave him everything was destined not to let him leave so easily. from the moment he was forced to join the down ridge clothes workshop, there was no turning back between him and shi yi.


    after a long time, xu zhi calmed himself down. the corners of his lips twitched a few times. then, he finally put down his phone and walked in with a forced smile.


    shi yi smiled at him and didn¡¯t notice the strange expression on his face. ¡°what did you say you like?¡±


    shi yi had guessed what he wanted to say just now, but he was interrupted by the phone call, so she chose to give him another chance to say it.


    xu zhi felt dejected and could barely maintain his smile, but he still tried his best to make the smile on his lips look more natural. ¡°do you like this necklace?¡±


    shi yi was stunned and looked at xu zhi¡¯s face in the mirror. she no longer looked as calm as before and even appeared a little disappointed. it turned out that she had been delusional.


    she forced a smile, but she was no longer in a good mood. even the necklace didn¡¯t look as pretty as before. ¡°yes, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    xu zhi said, ¡°this one then.¡± then, he took out his card and asked the shop assistant to swipe it.


    when he looked at shi yi again, she had already taken off the necklace and the shop assistant helped her put the necklace into a box.


    the disappointment in shi yi¡¯s eyes made xu zhi¡¯s heart ache, but there was nothing he could do.


    the shop assistant returned after swiping the card and handed the card and receipt to xu zhi. ¡°hello, it costs a total of 100,000 yuan. these are the receipt and necklace. please take them.¡±


    xu zhi took it and walked out of the shop with shi yi.


    xu zhi was about to say something when shi yi said listlessly, ¡°sorry, i¡¯m a little tired, so why don¡¯t we call it a day?¡±


    xu zhi didn¡¯t know how to make her feel better, so he could only nod reluctantly.


    the two of them walked side by side but didn¡¯t say a single word and the atmosphere became awkward as well.


    the chauffeur was already waiting for shi yi at the door. xu zhi opened the back door for her. before shi yi got into the car, xu zhi suddenly stopped her. ¡°wait, shi yi.¡±


    shi yi looked up at him while waiting for him to continue.


    xu zhi wanted to say something but hesitated. after thinking for a long time, he handed the bag with the necklace to her and said, ¡°this necklace suits you very well. 1 hope you like it.¡±


    thinking about how delusional she was, shi yi felt like crying. xu zhi¡¯s words didn¡¯t comfort her at all. she could only try her best to smile, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to smile at all, so she could only give up.


    shi yi took the bag and said politely, ¡°thank you.¡± then, she got into the car and left without even rolling down the window.


    the weather suddenly became gloomy. large dark clouds gathered, and soon, raindrops fell. at first, they fell drop by drop, hitting the roof of the car and the window glass. then, the drizzle turned into a torrential rain. even their vision became blurry.


    the air conditioner was turned on in the car, and the chauffeur didn¡¯t speak. the quietness made the sound of the rain seem even clearer. as shi yi stared at the rain outside the car, her mood was as gloomy as the weather and the tears that she had been holding back for a long time couldn¡¯t help but flow out.


    tears fell onto the dark blue paper bag one by one. at this moment, cracks broke along the patterns of the paper bag, as if something was shattering and determined to turn the necklace hidden in it into a part of these tears.


    ever since xu zhi sent shi yi away, he had been standing on the spot without moving. even when the heavy rain drenched him, he continued to stare in the direction shi yi left in for a long time..

 Chapter 172 - Chapter 172: Bedroom

    chapter 172: bedroom


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    the rain was getting heavier, so shi xiao had no choice but to stay at home.


    shi xiao had only been back for a few days and had been busy dealing with matters with yuan shu. before he could request to meet lin xi, zhao cheng called and said that lin xi wanted to see him.


    lin xi was his savior, so it was indeed inappropriate to neglect his savior for a few days. shi xiao had just settled some matters and was about to leave when a storm started outside, so shi xiao could only give up and return to his room to settle some other matters.


    before entering the room, he subconsciously looked at yuan shu¡¯s bedroom, whose door was closed.


    the two of them didn¡¯t spend much time together. other than eating together, yuan shu stayed in the room most of the time and rarely came out.


    there was a bathroom in the bedroom, and yuan shu didn¡¯t like to eat snacks, so she barely left the room. in the afternoon, li yue cut some seasonal fruits and sent them in for her. then, there wasn¡¯t any movement inside even until now.


    shi xiao was actually curious. she had been alone in the room for so long. what could she possibly be doing?


    as he was thinking about it, the door suddenly opened. yuan shu walked out in a cardigan and casual pants while holding a glass and a fruit plate that she had already finished eating. her gaze met shi xiao¡¯s.


    seeing that he was dressed up, yuan shu asked aloofly, ¡°are you planning to go out?¡±


    shi xiao nodded. ¡°yes, but it¡¯s raining heavily, so i won¡¯t be going out for the time being.¡±


    ¡°oh.¡±


    yuan shu didn¡¯t ask further and went downstairs with a glass and a fruit plate.


    after a while, shi xiao heard yuan shu say to li yue, ¡°bring a pot of spring water to my room later.¡±


    this was yuan shu¡¯s habit. ever since they moved back, yuan shu had asked li yue to order a bucket of spring water to make tea with every afternoon.


    when yuan shu returned upstairs, shi xiao was still standing at the door of her bedroom.


    yuan shu glanced at him, but didn¡¯t intend to say anything. she nodded slightly as a greeting and prepared to return to her room.


    however, shi xiao stopped her. ¡°yuan shu, li ci said that the two of you went to the teahouse to drink tea together before. rumor has it that your tea brewing skills are very good, so i wonder if 1 can try it this afternoon?¡±


    shi xiao sized up her. although he was asking, his tone was very determined, as if he had to drink her tea today.


    she opened the door and walked in. then, she made way for shi xiao and said, ¡°please come in.¡±


    shi xiao walked in.


    yuan shu¡¯s room had been renovated. the placement of various things had changed, and new things had been added. it was completely different from the previous luxurious european-style room. now, it was more simple and unadorned.


    this bedroom was very big and could be seen as a one-in-one suite. there was a bed in the innermost room, and a bookshelf at the head of the bed was used as a screen.


    some chinese furniture was placed in the outer room.


    there was a set of tea sets by the window. the matching square chair had been replaced with a wooden rocking chair, and the rocking chair was covered with cushions. a book called ¡°general history of the world¡± had been flipped halfway and was upside down on the chair. there was also a pen beside the book. it seemed that yuan shu had a habit of reading and taking notes with a pen.


    there was a desk behind the rocking chair. the desk was neat and tidy, and there was even a calligraphy book on it. there was a thick stack of copied paper in the upper right corner of the desk, and there was used paper as thick as a book on the left side.


    shi xiao sized up the entire room before sitting down opposite the rocking chair.


    only then did he see a small bookmark beside the tea set. on the bookmark, there was a sentence written in delicate seal script: ¡°qingzhou has passed the myriad mountains.¡±


    shi xiao couldn¡¯t help but think of the man he had met yesterday¡ªmu zhou.


    shi xiao was looking at the bookmark when yuan shu walked over. she picked up the bookmark and placed it in the upside-down ¡°general history of the world¡± on the rocking chair. then, she closed the book and placed it on the desk behind her. only then did yuan shu return to the rocking chair and sit down elegantly..

 Chapter 173 - Chapter 173: Heart to Heart

    chapter 173: heart to heart


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    below the rocking chair, there was a wooden bar. it wasn¡¯t a stable structure to begin with, and yuan shu was only sitting on the edge of the rocking chair, so it should be even more unstable, but after she sat down, she didn¡¯t move or even shake.


    at this moment, li yue knocked on the door. ¡°young madam, the water is ready.¡±


    ¡°bring it in.¡±


    when li yue opened the door and entered, she realized that shi xiao was also there. she hurriedly greeted him before placing the water on the electric stove beside the tea table and leaving.


    when she closed the door, li yue thought about how the relationship between young master and young madam was continuing to improve.


    after yuan shu used a bamboo clip to add some tea leaves to the cup, she closed the lid and slowly poured the spring water from the transparent kettle into the cup. the boiling water seeped into the teacup through the gap in the cup lid, and steam rose.


    after yuan shu placed the teapot on the electric stove and turned it on, the spring water in the transparent pot boiled again. the sound of the rain outside the window mixed with the boiling sound in the kettle. the two of them remained silent the entire time.


    after about 30 seconds, yuan shu poured the cup of tea into the teapot and brewed the tea leaves according to the steps just now.


    after another minute, yuan shu poured the tea into two very light jade teacups.


    yuan shu pushed one of the teacups in front of shi xiao and gestured for him to take it. ¡°please go ahead.¡±


    shi xiao glanced at yuan shu. initially, when li ci said that yuan shu liked to drink tea, he thought that she only knew a little about it, but he didn¡¯t expect her to be so knowledgeable in brewing tea. shi xiao was once again impressed.


    shi xiao picked up the teacup and took a sip. the tea was sweet and fragrant. the fragrance lingered in the depths of his throat, and a different fragrance spread in his mouth every second.


    when shi xiao tasted such delicious tea, he felt a little surprised. however, when he looked at the decorations in the room, he felt that it made sense.


    there was some contempt in his tone as he asked aloofly, ¡°do you usually only read and practice calligraphy in your room?¡±


    yuan shu put down the teacup in her hand calmly. ¡°just these two things alone take up a lot of time to do.¡±


    shi xiao was stumped and at a loss for words. he had almost forgotten that the current yuan shu was no longer the yuan shu from two months ago. no wonder even a picky person like li ci showed admiration for yuan shu when he talked about her.


    shi xiao put away his aloof attitude and said solemnly, ¡°zhao mian has already told me about what happened during the two months 1 was away. thank you for supporting this family and protecting yuan an.¡±


    yuan shu said calmly, ¡°i just did what i should do with my current identity.¡±


    ¡°your current identity?¡± shi xiao smiled and asked curiously, ¡°why are you emphasizing your current identity?¡±


    yuan shu¡¯s tone was cold and even a little heartless as she said, ¡°we¡¯re just working together. sooner or later, this relationship will end.¡±


    shi xiao couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°what if this relationship doesn¡¯t end?¡±


    yuan shu¡¯s tone was firm as she looked straight into shi xiao¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°no.¡±


    shi xiao didn¡¯t understand where her certainty came from. even if their relationship had to end, both of them had to agree. how could she be so sure that he would let her go?


    shi xiao was about to say something when his phone suddenly rang.


    it was a call from zhao cheng and his tone was very anxious. ¡°young master, there¡¯s bad news! miss lin xi suddenly fainted and has been sent to a private hospital.¡±


    shi xiao couldn¡¯t help but frown when he heard that. the rain was getting lighter and lighter and the room was very quiet, so yuan shu could hear every word clearly.


    she looked at shi xiao indifferently as she said, ¡°go quickly.¡±


    shi xiao¡¯s frown deepened. he was very sure that yuan shu wasn¡¯t surprised at all when she heard the name lin xi, and she wasn¡¯t curious about who this person was at all. her reaction was a little too calm.


    for some reason, when he looked at yuan shu at this moment, he felt that she was overlooking the entire situation with omniscience, as if she was watching a television drama where she knew the plot, or a book that she had already read to the end.


    this feeling made shi xiao very uncomfortable..

 Chapter 174 - Chapter 174: Crush

    chapter 174: crush


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    shi xiao looked at yuan shu, who was calmly brewing a second pot of tea. then, he slowly picked up the book ¡°general history of the world¡± and prepared to continue reading.


    shi xiao suddenly had an idea and smiled at her as he said, ¡°come with me.¡±


    yuan shu looked at him in confusion.


    if he wanted to see lin xi, why would he bring her along? yuan shu remembered clearly that in the original novel, shi xiao divorced yuan shu because of lin xi, upsetting yuan shu and making her take extreme measures.


    now, yuan shu was letting him see lin xi and didn¡¯t interfere at all. why did he want to grag her into this mess?


    yuan shu really didn¡¯t understand shi xiao¡¯s actions.


    she was still sitting at the edge of the rocking chair, but the rocking chair didn¡¯t shake at all. yuan shu placed the book on her knees and opened it calmly as she said, ¡°i¡¯m not going.¡±


    shi xiao had already guessed that she would say this, so he asked, ¡°aren¡¯t you curious about who lin xi is? or did you already know of her existence?¡±


    yuan shu suddenly stopped flipping the book. the first question was easy to answer. yuan shu wasn¡¯t a person who was curious about everything. however, the second question was filled with danger.


    if yuan shu knew about lin xi¡¯s existence long ago, how could she explain why she knew about the existence of a person who had just returned to the country and was secretly protected by shi xiao?


    should yuan shu tell him directly, ¡°not only do i know who lin xi is, but i also know what happened between the two of you and that you will divorce me for her?¡±


    then, lin xi probably wouldn¡¯t be the only one hospitalized today. shi xiao would also immediately send yuan shu to the mental hospital.


    after yuan shu thought about it carefully, she finally thought of a suitable answer. she looked up at shi xiao and asked, ¡°do you want me to be curious?¡±


    yuan shu threw the question back to shi xiao. the rope that was being pulled was already taut. if both parties exerted any more strength, they would break the rope.


    shi xiao was stumped. why did this question make it sound like he was afraid of being discovered?


    actually, shi xiao had thought that the best way for these two women to interact with each other was to not know about each other¡¯s existence until shi xiao settled lin xi down.


    this arrangement meant that shi xiao repaid lin xi¡¯s life-saving grace. lin xi could rely on herself and no longer need to rely on shi xiao to survive.


    but now, shi xiao explained frankly, ¡°she¡¯s a woman i brought back from africa. she saved my life in africa.¡±


    yuan shu nodded lightly. she thought that shi xiao would end this topic, but she didn¡¯t expect him to be so honest.


    however, yuan shu didn¡¯t fall for it and her tone became even colder. ¡°of course you have to take good care of her. it will be inconvenient for me to go.¡±


    shi xiao looked straight into yuan shu¡¯s cold eyes. ¡°it¡¯s precisely at such a time that you should appear. aren¡¯t we supposed to be helping each other? aren¡¯t you obligated to help me deal with unnecessary relationship disputes?¡±


    yuan shu was rendered speechless by shi xiao¡¯s words. there was nothing wrong with his words. as his wife, she naturally had to help him deal with unnecessary relationship disputes. however, the two of them were only in a cooperative relationship and weren¡¯t real husband and wife. their relationship should be considered an unnecessary relationship dispute as well!


    while yuan shu was in a daze, shi xiao had already taken a step forward. he took out the book in yuan shu¡¯s hand and placed it back on the rocking chair. then, he pulled yuan shu¡¯s arm to get her to stand up.


    yuan shu wanted to struggle a little more, but was already forced to stand up. it was no longer appropriate for her to refuse in this situation.


    yuan shu sighed and finally compromised. ¡°i¡¯ll go with you after i change my clothes.¡±


    shi xiao nodded and turned to leave the room. he even closed the door for yuan shu.


    yuan shu was rendered speechless by his sudden thoughtfulness. she was considered someone with an omniscient view, so why couldn¡¯t she win against him?


    most importantly, after this person achieved his goal, he even showed a hint of gentleness, making yuan shu feel as if all her struggles were in vain!

 Chapter 175 - Chapter 175: This Is My Wife

    chapter 175: this is my wife


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    yuan shu changed into her favorite casual outfit. she didn¡¯t look like a wife who was going to meet her love rival and establish her dominance at all. no matter how one looked at it, she was dressed way too casually!


    after shi xiao sized her up for a long time, he finally couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°are you going to wear this outfit?¡±


    on the other hand, shi xiao was dressed formally. he was wearing a trench coat, a light-colored shirt, and dark suit pants. he was tall to begin with, but he looked even taller and more handsome in this outfit.


    yuan shu was curious. ¡°is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°n-no.¡±


    shi xiao suddenly had a feeling that the previous yuan shu, who was always jealous and throwing tantrums, wasn¡¯t that bad. at least she was better than the current yuan shu, who seemed to be completely oblivious when it came to relationships!


    the extended black lincoln stopped in front of the private hospital. after the car door opened, shi xiao got out of the car and he even thoughtfully blocked the top of the car door for yuan shu to prevent her from bumping her head.


    ¡°please go ahead, madam.¡±


    his address made yuan shu frown, but she didn¡¯t say anything. she lagged half a step behind shi xiao as he led her to the ward.


    at this moment, the doctor was examining lin xi. she was already awake and her face was a little pale. she cooperated with the doctor¡¯s instructions obediently by opening her eyes and mouth.


    after the doctor finished the checkup, he put away the stethoscope and instructed zhao cheng, ¡°the patient is fine. she just didn¡¯t eat breakfast. she didn¡¯t eat much for lunch either and has low blood sugar. coupled with the hot weather, she fainted. let¡¯s give her some glucose first. after the transfusion, we¡¯ll observe her. if there¡¯s no problem, she can go home.¡±


    zhao cheng noted it down. then, the nurse began to use a rubber tube to tie lin xi¡¯s arm to make the blood vessels clear. then, she inserted a needle to adjust the speed of the liquid flow and began to transfuse glucose.


    when the doctor and nurse left the ward, they bumped into shi xiao and yuan shu.


    this private hospital was invested in by the shi corporation, and this doctor happened to be the doctor who had examined shi lu previously, so he knew the two of them. when he saw the two of them, he immediately greeted, ¡°young master, young madam.¡±


    after the two of them nodded, they quickly left.


    the moment shi xiao and yuan shu entered the ward, they saw lin xi leaning against the bed with a pillow on her back. she was staring at the white wall blankly.


    her face and lips were pale. it was obvious that she wasn¡¯t in good health.


    lin xi also saw shi xiao. she opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn¡¯t say anything. her eyes were watery, and she looked as pitiful as a deer.


    shi xiao took two steps closer and asked, ¡°what happened?¡±


    after zhao cheng repeated what the doctor had just said, shi xiao frowned as he looked at lin xi with a hint of reproach and worry. ¡°why aren¡¯t you eating properly?¡±


    lin xi bit her lower lip and gestured in sign language. ¡°i¡¯m in an unfamiliar environment and haven¡¯t adapted yet, so 1 don¡¯t have an appetite.¡±


    shi xiao understood what she meant and his eyes were filled with heartache. no matter how heartless a man was, when he saw such a fragile woman, especially when she had saved his life, his heart would ache.


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry, i¡¯ve been busy recently and couldn¡¯t visit you.¡± although shi xiao said so, his tone was very calm.


    yuan shu was speechless when she heard this. in this situation, it was really a waste of time for her to stay here. if the two of them were to fall in love, it would be a good time to improve their relationship. wouldn¡¯t she become a third wheel here?


    yuan shu was still in a daze when shi xiao suddenly turned his body slightly, exposing yuan shu in front of lin xi.


    lin xi was clearly stunned and she stared at yuan shu blankly. after a moment, she gestured to ask, ¡°who is this?¡±


    shi xiao smiled and hugged yuan shu¡¯s waist gently before pulling her closer to him. ¡°this is my wife, yuan shu.¡±


    wife¡­? lin xi¡¯s expression was a little hurt and she was clearly unable to accept this outcome.


    in front of yuan shu, lin xi gestured again. ¡°you never mentioned that you have a wife.¡±


    this message was obviously for yuan shu to see. hoping to see her reaction, lin xi¡¯s gaze was fixed on yuan shu..

 Chapter 176 - Chapter 176: Additional Cost

    chapter 176: additional cost


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    after lin xi expressed this clearly with hand gestures, she lowered her hand and gripped the blanket in front of her chest tightly. as if she was expecting an explanation, her eyes were filled with hostility.


    shi xiao didn¡¯t say anything. instead, yuan shu looked at her in confusion and said awkwardly, ¡°i¡¯m sorry, 1 can¡¯t read sign language, so 1 can¡¯t communicate with you.¡±


    lin xi¡¯s hands that were pinching the blanket turned white, as if she had suffered a grievance.


    she deliberately said this because she wanted to see yuan shu get jealous and make shi xiao impatient with her. she wanted to pretend that she had only asked this question subconsciously and had not deliberately tried to sow discord. however, she didn¡¯t expect yuan shu to expose her intentions. for a moment, the atmosphere was extremely awkward.


    perhaps because zhao cheng didn¡¯t want to see lin xi in a difficult position, he tried to smooth things over and translate this sign language message to yuan shu.


    ¡°she¡­¡± as soon as he said the first word, zhao cheng realized that it didn¡¯t seem appropriate to say this in front of yuan shu, so he immediately shut his mouth and swallowed his words.


    it didn¡¯t matter even if this matter wasn¡¯t resolved!


    in the end, yuan shu couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. yuan shu had seen many women who pretended to be weak and innocuous in the palace. she used to be a frequent guest in the palace and chatted with the empress in the palace quite often. there were many people who were way better at pretending than lin xi, so it was really boring to see her asking for trouble here.


    hence, yuan shu said, ¡°i¡¯m a little thirsty, so i¡¯m going downstairs to buy a bottle of water. i¡¯ll wait for you in the car.¡±


    with that, yuan shu immediately broke free from shi xiao¡¯s grasp on her waist and turned to leave the ward.


    lin xi felt that she had been insulted. yuan shu clearly didn¡¯t take her seriously, since she actually dressed up so casually when meeting her love rival. this meant that she didn¡¯t think that lin xi would pose any threat to her at all.


    lin xi gritted her teeth and tears instantly filled her eyes. then, she started to act pitiful and gestured at shi xiao in sign language. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, i didn¡¯t do it on purpose. i overstepped my boundaries just now.¡±


    shi xiao looked at her calmly and was even wondering if lin xi¡¯s actions made yuan shu a little jealous.


    seeing that shi xiao was in a daze, lin xi nudged his arm gently. after shi xiao came back to his senses, he took half a step back and said, ¡°it¡¯s fine. rest well. 1¡¯11 visit you when i¡¯m free. 1¡¯11 be leaving now.¡±


    after shi xiao finished speaking, he turned around and left the ward without waiting for lin xi to persuade him to stay.


    when zhao cheng saw this scene, he didn¡¯t know how to react. why did he feel that everyone¡¯s attitude had changed drastically after they returned?


    didn¡¯t young master hate young madam before? why did he bring young madam here now?


    when lin xi was in africa, she was so gentle. why did she seem so pretentious now?


    and young madam, was she avoiding young master¡¯s grasp just now?


    zhao cheng even suspected that his eyes were playing tricks on him. before they went to africa two months ago, she call the eldest young master every day. could it be that she was playing hard to get?!


    yuan shu had already bought mineral water and sat in the back seat again. she thought that she would have to wait for a long time, but she didn¡¯t expect shi xiao to follow her out as soon as she got into the car.


    the chauffeur asked, ¡°young master, young madam, where are you guys going now?¡±


    shi xiao said, ¡°back to the villa.¡±


    after the car started, shi xiao asked yuan shu, ¡°in the situation just now, how could you labandon me and leave first?¡±


    after yuan shu unscrewed the cap of the mineral water bottle and took a sip to moisten her throat, she replied, ¡°you only said that you wanted me to come with you, but you didn¡¯t say that i needed to accompany you to take care of her. that¡¯ll be an additional cost.¡±


    shi xiao didn¡¯t expect the usually aloof yuan shu to joke, so he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle softly.


    ¡°it seems that you¡¯ve been with shi lu for too long. even the way you speak has become very similar.¡±


    as yuan shu tapped her chin with her fingers, zhang zhang¡¯s cute smiling face suddenly appeared in her mind. ¡°yes, but not entirely.¡±


    compared to the mischevious shi lu, zhang zhang¡¯s quirkiness was what motivated yuan shu the most. after spending a long time with zhang zhang, she couldn¡¯t help but become lively and outgoing. this feeling wasn¡¯t bad..

 Chapter 177 - Chapter 177: Testing Again

    chapter 177: testing again


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    shi xiao was stunned when he saw yuan shu smile.


    ever since he was young, shi xiao had seen all sorts of women. he had never been obsessed with women and would never indulge himself. there were rumors in the outside world that shi xiao hated women and that as long as a woman came within three steps of him, he would become irritable, so almost no one dared to take the opportunity to approach him on any occasion.


    however, only shi xiao knew that his attitude wasn¡¯t because he hated women, but because he had never been able to find a woman who was qualified to be by his side.


    everyone admired the powerful, especially a powerful person like shi xiao. what he needed wasn¡¯t the admiration of others, but someone who was on par with him. only when the two of them communicated in the same dimension could they achieve the effect of one plus one equals greater than two.


    however, due to shi xiao¡¯s identity, personality, and attitude, almost no one was unafraid of him.


    even shi xiao¡¯s stepmom was more or less afraid of shi xiao.


    it was even more impossible for shi xiao to like the lazy and vulgar yuan shu from two months ago.


    however, in the short two months that he had been away, the person in front of him had changed drastically. she became mysterious and aloof. she was clearly very amiable, but the people who interacted with her couldn¡¯t help but feel that she was out of their reach.


    seeing yuan shu like this, shi xiao finally felt that he had met his match. regarding yuan shu, he had a strong desire to win after suffering a setback. he wanted to see yuan shu lose once, but he couldn¡¯t bear to see her lose as well.


    towards yuan shu, shi xiao¡¯s current emotions were more that of protectiveness.


    he stared straight at yuan shu. she had already raised her head and was looking at the scenery outside the window. there was a faint smile on her lips.


    the sky that had just rained was clear. a ray of sunlight pierced through the dark clouds and shone on the ground, reflecting a layer of golden light on the wet ground.


    yuan shu smiled gently.


    shi xiao¡¯s lips curled into a vague smile and he asked the question on his mind ever since he returned. ¡°yuan shu, what happened in the two months i was away?¡±


    yuan shu was stunned. then, the smile on her lips disappeared bit by bit, and she returned to her previous indifferent appearance.


    she knew that shi xiao was asking why she had changed so much, but she still asked despite knowing the answer, ¡°are you asking what happened at the company? or what happened at home?¡±


    shi xiao looked at her with a serious expression while taking in every subtle change in her expression. ¡°you know what i¡¯m asking.¡±


    yuan shu appeared very indifferent, and her tone was even a little cold. she was no longer as calm as before when she spoke to shi xiao. in fact, she seemed a little distant. ¡°but i don¡¯t want to say anything.¡±


    actually, yuan shu was already prepared to go all out and resolve this problem completely.


    however, she didn¡¯t expect shi xiao not to pursue the matter. he only retracted his gaze and sat up straight before looking at the front row and saying, ¡°it¡¯s okay. i¡¯ll wait until you¡¯re willing to say it.¡±


    yuan shu stared at his handsome side profile in a daze. why did he suddenly stop asking? this wasn¡¯t his way of doing things.


    the two of them didn¡¯t speak for the rest of the journey until the car stopped in front of the villa. yuan shu was about to open the car door and get out when shi xiao suddenly asked, ¡°have you interacted with the jiang family in the past two months?¡±


    yuan shu¡¯s hand was still on the doorknob. after thinking about it carefully, she shook her head. ¡°no, but 1 came into contact with xu lang once. that¡¯s all.¡±


    shi xiao nodded. ¡°you can go back first. i might have to settle some things in the next two days, so 1 should be leaving early and returning late. wait for me at home on the day of the ball. i¡¯ll come back to pick you up.¡±


    yuan shu nodded, then opened the car door and walked out. after the car door closed, the chauffeur drove out of the villa area again..

 Chapter 178 - Chapter 178: Settling the Score

    chapter 178: settling the score


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    at five in the afternoon, no man¡¯s land had yet to open for business and the shop was still very dark. the waiter was cleaning and the people at the bar were setting up drinks.


    shi xiao swaggered into no man¡¯s land with zhao cheng and the three bodyguards following closely behind him.


    not long after shi xiao and the rest left, zhao mian came to the hospital to take care of lin xi.


    zhao cheng was a man and it wasn¡¯t convenient for him to take care of a girl, so he naturally handed this matter to zhao mian. he came to no man¡¯s land to meet shi xiao right on the heels of that.


    when the waiter saw shi xiao and the others, he hurriedly came over to stop them. ¡°sir, i¡¯m sorry, but we haven¡¯t opened for business yet. we won¡¯t be able to entertain you for the time being.¡±


    shi xiao didn¡¯t even look at him. the bodyguards behind him had already walked up to stop the waiter.


    shi xiao walked straight into the middle of no man¡¯s land and sat on the car seat on the stage. after looking around, he asked, ¡°where¡¯s the bartender?¡±


    when the waiter saw shi xiao¡¯s actions, he knew that this group of people wasn¡¯t to be trifled with, so he said submissively, ¡°he¡­ he¡¯s resting in the booth upstairs.¡±


    this bartender was very arrogant and there was no telling how many people he had angered. however, the boss was the tan family, so no one dared to cause trouble for him. the waiter guessed that he had probably encountered a tough opponent this time and was probably going to suffer.


    the bartender, wu tian, was sleeping soundly on the leather chair in the booth on the second floor and even snored. just as he was dreaming, he was suddenly lifted by two people.


    wu tian had a bad temper, especially after being woken up. ¡°who the f*ck are you?! how dare you disturb my sleep?!¡±


    the bodyguards came up and punched him to shut him up. then, the two of them dragged him downstairs and brought him to shi xiao.


    after wu tian was punched, he thought that the other party was his enemy and didn¡¯t dare to say much. however, he secretly gave the waiter a look and asked him to call his boss, tan jing, to settle the trouble.


    however, when wu tian stabilized himself and saw shi xiao sitting in front of him, his mind went blank. he didn¡¯t know this person at all!


    after he took another look, he was instantly furious. ¡°who are you? don¡¯t you have the wrong person?!¡±


    ¡°wu tian?¡± shi xiao sneered as he called his name. ¡°i¡¯m looking for you.¡±


    his tone was cold, and he enunciated each word clearly. wu tian felt intense fear and even stuttered a little. ¡°if you want to look for me, you have to tell me who you are first. tell me why you¡¯re looking for me¡­¡±


    shi xiao leaned back on the leather sofa and raised his chin slightly. after he glanced at zhao cheng, he immediately understood and said, ¡°sky city is your exclusive drink, right?¡±


    wu tian¡¯s back was a little sweaty as he replied stiffly, ¡°yes¡­ yes.¡±


    zhao cheng smiled, revealing his white teeth, but in wu tian¡¯s eyes, his smile wasn¡¯t friendly at all.


    zhao cheng said, ¡°i¡¯ve investigated. although sky city¡¯s density is very high, people with good alcohol tolerance won¡¯t get drunk after just one glass. let me ask you, do you still remember the modified sky city drink three months ago?¡±


    wu tian originally looked indifferent, but as if he suddenly thought of something, he was shocked and panicked even more.


    wu tian had to concoct so much wine every day that he couldn¡¯t even remember how many cups of sky city he had to concoct every day. not to mention three months ago, he might not even remember what happened three days ago.


    however, it was this glass of wine three months ago that left a deep impression on him.


    he had always been very confident in his drinks. his usual concoction ratio was enough for a person with a good alcohol tolerance to get drunk, so he would never add or remove anything from the drink.


    however, in the past three months, he had only mixed two very strange cups of sky city.


    one glass was specifically prepared for a woman two days ago. the high concentration of red cherries in the glass had been removed from sky city.


    the other cup, from three months ago, was his special edition of sky city.


    however, he really had no idea who that glass of wine ended up with..

 Chapter 179 - Chapter 179: Wu Tian

    chapter 179: wu tian


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    three months ago, he received tan jing¡¯s request to make a high-intensity glass of sky city, lie wanted someone who had high alcohol tolerance to become unconscious.


    it had to be known that most of the glasses of wine in the nightclub were mixed with water. therefore, very few people ordered the strongest wine.


    this made wu tian very confused and he even asked the reason for this. however, tan jing dismissed him impatiently. ¡°you better not interfere in this matter. do whatever i tell you to do. also, no one can find out about this!¡±


    wu tian had doubts, but he didn¡¯t dare to ask further. in the end, he mixed a cup of sky city with double the concentration. he gave this cup of wine to tan jing personally, but he really didn¡¯t know who tan jing gave this cup of wine to.


    when he heard the person in front of him ask about this, wu tian was worried, but he still retorted stubbornly, ¡°no¡­ i don¡¯t remember! 1 mix so many glasses of alcohol every day. how can i remember what happened three months ago?!¡±


    wu tian had actually hidden it very well. however, his expression when he heard about the glass of wine three months ago betrayed him.


    zhao cheng had also successfully captured his subtle change in expression. from this, he inferred that he definitely knew about this matter.


    ¡°i advise you to tell the truth.¡± zhao cheng stretched out an index finger and pointed back and forth between wu tian¡¯s two bodyguards. ¡°otherwise, my fist will hurt even more than theirs.¡±


    zhao cheng sounded a little humorous, but in wu tian¡¯s ears, these words were simply a blatant threat and his legs went weak.


    wu tian was just a paper tiger who bullied the weak and feared the strong. relying on his powerful background, he often bullied waiters or those who came to nightclubs to spend money but didn¡¯t have any powerful background. however, if anything really happened, he was just a coward.


    wu tian panicked. ¡°i¡­ i really don¡¯t know anything! i only mixed a glass of wine that day! i don¡¯t even know who that glass of wine was for!¡±


    zhao cheng and shi xiao looked at each other. both of them felt that wu tian wasn¡¯t lying.


    zhao cheng continued to ask, ¡°then let me ask you, who asked you to mix this glass of wine? have you mixed alcohol of the same concentration for anyone else?¡±


    wu tian shook his head vigorously. ¡°i only mixed this wine once! i haven¡¯t mixed it ever since! that¡¯s why i remember it so clearly. if it were any other time, how could 1 remember it so clearly?¡±


    wu tian was a chatterbox. even at this moment, he couldn¡¯t change his habit of his. however, he was very smart and used his habit to avoid answering zhao cheng¡¯s first question.


    just as he was feeling smug, zhao cheng asked again impatiently, ¡°who asked you to mix this glass of wine?!¡±


    ¡°huh?¡± although wu tian was afraid, he knew that tan jing was his biggest backer now. if he sold tan jing out, he would be screwed and wouldn¡¯t be able to solve the problem.


    wu tian quickly reacted. ¡°no one instructed me. a guest ordered this glass of wine, so i concocted it. why would i need anyone to instruct me?¡±


    zhao cheng sneered. it seemed like he still refused to tell the truth. ¡°if you make it whenever a customer orders it, why did you only make one high-density glass of wine in the past three months?!¡±


    wu tian was speechless. ¡°this¡­ this¡­¡±


    wu tian stammered for a long time, but he couldn¡¯t even say a complete sentence. shi xiao lost his patience and glanced at zhao cheng, indicating that he could start.


    zhao cheng immediately understood. as he clenched his fists and squeezed them twice, the clear sound of bones cackling rang in wu tian¡¯s ears. right on the heels of that, a fist flew towards him.


    wu tian was extremely afraid. if this punch landed on him, he would be disfigured! these people were too ruthless!


    he closed his eyes tightly and waited for the punch in fear. at this moment, his savior arrived..

 Chapter 180 - Chapter 180: Threat

    chapter 180: threat


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    just as zhao cheng¡¯s fist was about to reach wu tian, a clear and sonorous voice stopped everyone.


    tan jing ran in and shouted immediately, ¡°stop!¡±


    his voice was loud and clear. it even echod in the empty nightclub.


    zhao cheng¡¯s fist stopped at the tip of wu tian¡¯s nose.


    today was the day that tan jing came to the shop to check, so he was already near no man¡¯s land. after receiving the call from the waiter, he rushed over immediately. the moment he entered the door of no man¡¯s land, he saw this scene and immediately stopped them.


    shi xiao and the others looked at him.


    tan jing was tall and strong. as he walked in with a cold expression, he said, ¡°young master shi, you came to my shop and hit my people. aren¡¯t you being too contemptuous?¡±


    shi xiao smiled at him as he said in an indifferent tone, ¡°1 was wondering who it was. so the boss behind no man¡¯s land is actually young master tan.¡±


    tan jing hated interacting with shi xiao the most. shi xiao was cold and heartless. he didn¡¯t leave any leeway when he did things and those who went against him would never have a good ending.


    the tan family had maintained a neutral stance for so many years because they didn¡¯t want to cause trouble or go against shi xiao directly, but they didn¡¯t expect him to find out about this in the end.


    tan jing walked to wu tian¡¯s side and pushed zhao cheng away with a punch. then, he pulled wu tian, who was trembling in fear, behind him and said impatiently, ¡°go and do your work.¡±


    wu tian nodded vigorously, hunched his shoulders, and retreated. then, he hid behind the bar counter.


    tan jing sat down on the leather seat beside shi xiao. his suit jacket was open and his shirt was tight, so the contours of his muscles were very obvious.


    after tan jing placed his hands on his thighs and knees, he pinched them lightly and the sound of bones colliding could be heard. then, he said in an unfriendly tone, ¡°i don¡¯t know what my bartender did to attract your attention. young master shi went to africa for two months and didn¡¯t come back, so there are so many things that he didn¡¯t settle, yet he came to no man¡¯s land first.¡±


    shi xiao was twirling the silver ring on his index finger with his thumb. as his finger rubbed against the patterns on the ring, he said calmly, ¡°young master tan, you don¡¯t have to beat around the bush with me. you know very well why i¡¯m here. since i¡¯m here, i naturally have to investigate the matter clearly. young master tan, don¡¯t think you can fool me.¡±


    zhao cheng waited for shi xiao to finish speaking. after he gave the two bodyguards beside him a look, the three of them moved and stared at tan jing fiercely.


    tan jing frowned when he saw the three of them.


    although tan jing¡¯s tone was still very fierce, it was obvious that he had given in. ¡°what do you want to ask?¡±


    shi xiao sneered. ¡°that¡¯s more like it. tell me, was that glass of sky city that night your idea or was it ordered by someone?¡±


    just as tan jing was about to reply, shi xiao added, ¡°1 advise you to think carefully. the outcome of attacking me now is worse than if you tell the truth.¡±


    tan jing was stunned and looked at shi xiao in shock.


    shi xiao¡¯s threat was very useful. with li ci¡¯s help, the shi family could be said to be invincible in the upper-class circle. only the jiang family was able to compete with them because they were powerful in the underworld. shi xiao wasn¡¯t someone he could afford to provoke.


    but what if he revealed the person behind it? if he revealed everything now, tan jing wouldn¡¯t end up any better than if he chose previous option.


    this was simply a dilemma. no matter what choice he made, he would be screwed!


    just as tan jing was in a dilemma, shi xiao seemed to be in a good mood and wanted to let him off. he actually changed his mind. ¡°young a^aster tan, your expression has already betrayed you. i¡¯m no longer curious about the answer to this question.. why don¡¯t i change the question? was yuan shu an accident in your plan or was it premeditated?¡±

 Chapter 181 - Chapter 181: Closed

    chapter 181: closed


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    tan jing¡¯s eyebrows were furrowed. although this question was easier to answer than the previous one, the development of the situation wasn¡¯t something that could be explained in one or two sentences!


    back then, yuan shu was indeed part of the plan. jiang chen liked this woman who was stupid and easy to control. she was a woman who threw herself at every handsome man she saw, so she would definitely be of great help at the critical moment.


    although yuan shu had indeed married into the shi family successfully, it had only been a month since she married, but she seemed to have suddenly become a different person.


    originally, shi xiao¡¯s disappearance in africa was the best opportunity for the jiang family to make a move on the shi family. as long as yuan shu lost control of herself, things would be in their favor.


    however, things didn¡¯t go as planned. not only didn¡¯t yuan shu help, but her personality also changed drastically. she united the three siblings of the shi family, and their relationship became even better.


    after all the problems that appeared were resolved by her, even yuan an, which the jiang family and the other families had always coveted, was protected by her.


    if tan jing told shi xiao the truth, which was that yuan shu was sent to his room when shi xiao was drunk, would shi xiao believe him?


    if it was an accident, with shi xiao¡¯s cautiousness, even if he was drunk, he wasn¡¯t someone that the foolish yuan shu could obtain so easily.


    tan jing was in a dilemma! if he told the truth, no one would believe him. if he told a lie, no one would believe him either. therefore, no matter what his answer was, the outcome would be the same!


    tan jing raised his eyes and looked at shi xiao again. suddenly, he had an idea. since shi xiao bypassed the main question and asked about yuan shu, this meant that he was interested in yuan shu.


    he didn¡¯t expect that the most aloof young master in this industry would actually fall for a woman.


    however, a thoughtful and reliable woman like yuan shu was indeed a woman who would make countless people fall for her. it was no wonder that shi xiao was interested in her.


    ¡°have you thought about it?¡± shi xiao was getting impatient. when he spoke, every word he enunciated made tan jing feel a cold murderous aura.


    tan jing pursed his lips. at most, he would give it a try. if he won the bet, he would pass this round. if he lost¡­ he couldn¡¯t lose the bet!


    tan jing said confidently, ¡°it doesn¡¯t matter whether we arranged for yuan shu or not. what¡¯s important is whether or not you trust her.¡±


    when shi xiao heard this, his eyes narrowed and his breathing became heavy.


    indeed, although he had tested yuan shu many times and wanted to believe this woman, his habits over the years still made him want to investigate everything clearly.


    he could vaguely guess that the person who could make tan jing listen to him so obediently must be from the jiang family. however, what was the relationship between yuan shu and the jiang family? why was it yuan shu and not anyone else that night?


    more importantly, the fact that yuan shu had entered the entertainment industry to act in a television drama was too strange. shi xiao had also found out that the investor behind this drama was the xu family.


    the xu family and the jiang family were in cahoots to begin with, so they were bound together. the xu family¡¯s investment was equivalent to the jiang family¡¯s investment, but the jiang family had never been involved in the entertainment industry. this was the first time they had made a move, and it was actually related to yuan shu, so it was really hard not to suspect their motives.


    tan jing knew that he had made the right bet, so he seized the opportunity and said in an ingratiating tone, ¡°young master shi, instead of making things difficult for me here, why don¡¯t you ask yuan shu directly? please let me off. no man¡¯s land is about to open for business, so we can¡¯t let customers who come in see this scene, right?¡±


    when shi xiao heard his words, he sneered. ¡°do you really think that you can guess my thoughts?¡±


    tan jing felt that something was wrong and panicked as he stared at him. ¡°you¡­ what do you want to do?¡±


    shi xiao ignored him and stood up to walk out.


    the alarm of a police car sounded outside the door..

 Chapter 182 - Chapter 182: Exquisite Dress

    chapter 182: exquisite dress


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    no man¡¯s land was blocked by the police, and even the boss and bartender of no man¡¯s land were taken away by the police. this matter was published in the local newspapers and all social platforms that night, and right on the heels of that, the topic started trending.


    after yuan shu finished her exercise the next morning, she accidentally saw the news during breakfast. she was a little curious, since she didn¡¯t know what had happened in no man¡¯s land.


    however, before she could read the comments carefully, the doorbell suddenly rang. li yue went to open the door and walked in after a while. ¡°young madam, it¡¯s a package with your gown for tomorrow¡¯s ball.¡±


    li yue held the gift box in her hand as she walked to yuan shu¡¯s side. then, yuan shu put down the warm milk and stood up to open the gift box. the gown was wrapped in cloth, and the style couldn¡¯t be seen clearly, but there was a note on the topmost layer.


    yuan shu looked at the note carefully. the handwriting was very elegant, so it could be seen that the person who wrote it was very attentive.


    she asked, ¡°who sent it?¡±


    li yue shook her head to indicate that she didn¡¯t know. ¡°the courier picked up the goods at the scheduled time. he doesn¡¯t know who the sender is.¡±


    yuan shu thought about it for a moment. perhaps it was a gown personally designed by shi yi or custom-made by shi xiao, so she didn¡¯t think too much about it and said to li yue, ¡°send it to my room first. i¡¯ll try it on later.¡±


    li yue nodded and went upstairs with the gift box.


    yuan shu read a magazine downstairs for a while and ate a plate of fruits before washing her hands and going upstairs.


    at first, she had almost forgotten that she had to try on the gown. when she went upstairs, she continued reading ¡®general history of the world¡¯ until it was almost noon. since her head was lowered for a long time, her neck became sore. only then did she put down the book and rub her neck. then, she saw the gift box by the bed.


    she opened the gift box and took a step away from the gown. the appearance of the gown was finally revealed.


    this was the first time yuan shu had seen such a beautiful gown, so she was stunned for a moment.


    this gown was divided into two parts. the inner layer was a pure white tube dress with a silk texture. the slim-fitting style accentuated her figure perfectly. the skirt hung to the ground and had a dragging effect.


    the outer layer of yarn was very soft and almost transparent.


    however, on this thin layer of gauze, the traditional double-sided embroidery technique was used to embroider blooming pink peony flowers.


    because the gauze was almost transparent, if one didn¡¯t look carefully, these peony flowers seemed to be floating in the air.


    this layer of muslin was a narrow long-sleeved dress that fitted yuan shu¡¯s arm perfectly. there were no flowers on the sleeve, and the embroidery pattern began from the tube top.


    the person who made this dress must have accurately grasped yuan shu¡¯s size. otherwise, it would be impossible for it to fit her so perfectly.


    there were some hidden buttons between the two clothes, just enough for the cotton yarn and silk clothes to fuse tightly into one. the length of the cotton yarn was exactly the same as the length of the dress, dragging about an inch on the ground.


    when this dress was worn, it was as if countless peony flowers were blooming on yuan shu¡¯s body. the patterns of the area near the ground were mostly petals, like many flowers bending the branches, so it looked like a rainfall of flowers.


    as yuan shu stroked the peony embroidered on the cotton yarn carefully, her fingers felt the rise and fall of the needle and thread. every stitch and line fell just right, as if she was in a peony garden. as she smelled it carefully, the rich fragrance of flowers filled the surroundings.


    such embroidery skills were rare even in the palace back then!


    yuan shu still remembered that there was such a cotton yarn. at that time, 81 female workers spent half a year in order to embroider this type of cotton yarn. then, it was kept in the palace¡¯s treasure vault.


    the empress had always liked this cotton gauze and had asked the emperor for it many times, but to no avail.


    later on, he signed a contract with a neighboring country. in order to show his respect, he took out this cotton gauze and sent it to the neighboring country.


    yuan shu didn¡¯t expect that after coming to this world, she would be lucky enough to wear a gown made with the same craftsmanship. it was really lavish..

 Chapter 183 - Chapter 183: Liu Cheng

    chapter 183: liu cheng


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    this ball wasn¡¯t considered grand. it was nothing in comparison to the ball that yuan shu had invited the entire upper society to in the ancestral home.


    this ball was organized by the liu family, which was the liu family liu lan was from.


    xiao sheng and liu lan had always been black sheeps in the upper-class circle. the two of them didn¡¯t participate in the family business at all. both of them had their own careers and were very loving, so countless people in this circle envied them.


    the reason the liu family held this ball today was because liu lan¡¯s brother, liu cheng, had just opened a hospital. this ball was the opening ribbon-cutting ceremony of the hospital.


    liu cheng had studied medicine for many years. not only did he study western medicine, but he also had some understanding of chinese medicine. ever since he graduated from high school, he had been studying medicine abroad. he had never been in a relationship and wasn¡¯t married despite being in his thirties.


    if it were any other family, they would have urged him long ago. however, the liu family was very open-minded and had always let their children do what they liked. this was also one of the reasons liu lan was so forthright.


    although the liu family and the xiao family were not the most prosperous families in the upper society, they were the most popular families. no matter what grudges or conflicts the other families had in private, very few people would say anything about them.


    that was why many people attended the small ball at the hospital.


    shi xiao had informed shi yi to stay in the villa for the first night and attend the ball with the three of them the next day.


    as for shi bin and shi lu, they would be absent because they were busy.


    shi bin was now xiao sheng¡¯s disciple, so he should have come to such an occasion. however, shi bin was focused on venture capital and dealt with graphs and accounting every day. he was now obsessed with venture capital. thus, xiao sheng let him manage the company for a few days so that he could have a good date with his wife.


    shi lu, on the other hand, was filming an advertisement. there were still a few days before he had to enter the production team to film. he had to complete all the other work before he entered the production team, so he was very busy this week and didn¡¯t even return home.


    ever since shi yi parted with xu zhi on saturday, she had been in a bad mood and wasn¡¯t interested in doing anything. in addition, yushu buyi wasn¡¯t very busy these few days, so she decided to let herself have a break at home.


    after getting up and changing into her gown in the morning, shi yi looked at her dressing table. previously, in order to move back to the ancestral home, she had moved all her jewelry. now, she only had the earrings she often wore and her neck was empty.


    just as she was about to borrow a necklace from yuan shu, she suddenly saw the handbag that she had thrown on the bed. the things in the bag were scattered all over the bed, and an exquisite necklace box fell out.


    shi yi picked up the necklace box in a daze and stared at it for a long time, but she didn¡¯t have the courage to open it. this was the necklace that xu zhi had given her on saturday. she had been carrying it with her, but she didn¡¯t have the courage to open the box anymore.


    she let out a long sigh as she muttered, ¡°1¡¯11 put it on as a last resort.¡±


    coincidentally, shi yi was wearing a sky-blue short gown that matched this gemstone necklace.


    shi yi put the necklace on her neck and looked at herself in the mirror, but she couldn¡¯t find the joy on her face when she put it on that day.


    she still remembered that xu zhi wanted to say something but hesitated. at that moment, he was clearly blushing. if not for that call, many things would have been revealed when she put on the necklace.


    shi yi sighed again. she had thought of many possibilities regarding this call, but none of them could explain xu zhi¡¯s sudden change in attitude.


    if it was just because the down ridge clothes workshop and yushu buyi were rivals, even though xu zhi knew that they were from opposing companies, he still asked her out. wasn¡¯t it because he didn¡¯t care?


    however, other than that, there was no other explanation.


    shi yi hated herself for being like this. every day, she couldn¡¯t help but try to guess xu zhi¡¯s thoughts and get depressed over it.


    shi yi patted her face gently as she said, ¡°alright, shi yi! don¡¯t think about it anymore! go to the ball with a smile, do you hear me?!¡±


    then, shi yi smiled at the mirror..

 Chapter 184 - Chapter 184: Ball

    chapter 184: ball


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    as this was a small ball, there wouldn¡¯t be many people present. other than those who were close to each other, each family only needed a representative. therefore, the shi family¡¯s makeup team didn¡¯t come to the house to do their makeup. instead, shi yi was in charge of their makeup.


    shi yi helped shi xiao with his makeup first before going to yuan shu¡¯s room to help her with her makeup. as shi xiao waited for them downstairs, he dealt with some company matters.


    after about an hour, shi xiao looked at the time. if they didn¡¯t set off soon, they might be late.


    after he looked up at the stairs again, he was about to ask li yue to go upstairs and call them when the door to yuan shu¡¯s room opened.


    because yuan shu¡¯s dress was dragging on the floor, it was a little inconvenient to walk, so shi yi supported her as they slowly walked down the stairs.


    when shi xiao heard footsteps, he put down the documents in his hand and stood up to look at the stairs.


    as the two of them slowly walked down the stairs, yuan shu¡¯s beautiful peony dress mesmerized shi xiao. the impact of the colors and the arc of the cotton gauze swayed with her footsteps, like a gorgeous and colorful peony painting slowly unfolding. she was so beautiful that she was simply breathtaking.


    when the two of them completely appeared in shi xiao¡¯s vision, yuan shu¡¯s dignified face gradually became clear. shi xiao was actually stunned for a moment.


    in ancient times, the elegance of a princess symbolized the prosperity of a country. for a moment, shi xiao felt that yuan shu was like a proud peony that symbolized the shi family¡¯s prosperity.


    ¡°brother?¡± shi yi called out to shi xiao twice with a playful smile on her face, and there was a hint of teasing in her eyes. she didn¡¯t expect her usually serious brother to fall head over heels for her sister-in-law.


    after shi xiao came back to his senses, he coughed to hide his embarrassment. then, he took out a gift box from his hand. inside, there was a set of rose gold jewelry that had just been mailed from overseas.


    he said to yuan shu, ¡°wear this.¡±


    yuan shu took the gift box and opened it to take a look. before she could react, shi yi was shocked. ¡°brother, this set of jewelry has just been on a fashion show and it¡¯s on the trending searches. it hasn¡¯t even been sold in the country yet. it can be said that you can¡¯t buy it even if you have money, but you actually got it!¡±


    shi xiao frowned. what did she mean by that? why did these words sound so awkward?


    he ignored shi yi and walked towards the door. ¡°let¡¯s go. the cocktail party is about to start.¡±


    yuan shu nodded slightly and followed behind shi xiao. shi yi helped her out.


    after the ribbon-cutting ceremony in the hospital ended, everyone rushed to the five-star hotel beside the hospital. shi xiao and the others went straight to the hotel.


    as soon as they entered the banquet hall on the second floor of the hotel, they saw liu lan entertaining guests.


    liu lan had just welcomed a wave of guests and brought them to the banquet hall. when she turned around and saw yuan shu, her eyes lit up. she was also stunned by yuan shu¡¯s appearance today.


    other than liu lan, everyone else¡¯s gazes were also focused on yuan shu.


    her gorgeous dress made everyone¡¯s eyes light up with envy. yuan shu had a nice figure to begin with and her posture was good as well. she didn¡¯t have a designer bag on her shoulders. this gorgeous gown was simply the icing on the cake.


    yuan shu¡¯s thick black hair was tied into a bun that shi yi had specifically styled.


    the jewelry yuan shu was wearing was made of rose gold, and was designed by the most famous brand designer in europe. it wasn¡¯t listed on the domestic market yet, but it was worn by yuan shu, so it could be seen how powerful the shi family was.


    the rumors about shi xiao and yuan shu not getting along well were dispelled at this moment. this was the first time shi xiao and yuan shu appeared together after returning to the country, so many people were looking forward to this gala and thought that this seemingly harmonious couple would definitely make a fool of themselves at the gala. now that they saw yuan shu¡¯s outfit, they felt disappointment..

 Chapter 185 - Chapter 185: True Colors

    chapter 185: true colors


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    when liu lan saw yuan shu, she immediately welcomed her. she walked to yuan shu¡¯s side and held her hand as she said, ¡°oh my god, yuan shu, you¡¯re really beautiful today! 1 haven¡¯t seen you only for a few days, but you¡¯ve become even more beautiful again!¡±


    liu lan was wearing a black fishtail dress today. she was tall to begin with, so when she wore a black fishtail dress, she looked mysterious and sexy.


    yuan shu smiled as she reached out to hold liu lan¡¯s hand and said, ¡°you also look very beautiful today. this black dress makes your skin glow. moreover, after not seeing you for a few days, you¡¯ve become much more sweet-tongued!¡±


    liu lan smiled happily and a little bashfully. her cheeks turned pink.


    today was her brother¡¯s cocktail party, so she had specifically dressed up. now that she heard her good friend¡¯s praise, especially since she was such a beautiful woman, she was overcome with joy.


    ¡°hurry up and accompany me inside. i¡¯ve been too busy recently to hang out with you. let¡¯s chat to our heart¡¯s content today!¡± liu lan pulled yuan shu into the banquet hall and glanced at shi xiao, as if she was showing off. ¡°your female companion will be mine tonight-¡±


    shi xiao didn¡¯t expect yuan shu to be so popular in this circle. she was even friends with liu lan, who was famous for being picky. it seemed that there were many things he didn¡¯t know about her.


    shi yi also teased her brother. ¡°brother, sister-in-law is popular with both sexes now. you have to be careful-¡±


    shi xiao patted the back of shi yi¡¯s head helplessly. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll go socialize with the others now. you can play with your friends for a while too.¡±


    ¡°alright!¡± shi yi went to look for her friends happily. coincidentally, she saw a group of people who were close to her and there was a familiar figure among them, chen mo.


    shi yi froze for a moment, but she still walked over.


    she had always been on the best terms with chen mo in the past. when they were in the country, they were together almost every day. however, after shi yi went overseas for a period of time and came back, chen mo suddenly started to act a little strange and kept asking about her family.


    in addition, yuan shu had also explicitly forbidden shi yi from interacting with chen mo again after the incident at the mall, so shi yi had not seen chen mo for a long time.


    chen mo¡¯s attitude wasn¡¯t as hesitant as shi yi¡¯s. when she saw shi yi, she immediately went up to hold shi yi¡¯s arm and said sarcastically, ¡°shi yi, you¡¯ve been really busy recently and haven¡¯t doted on us for a long time. did you forget about us?¡±


    the word ¡®doted¡¯ made the surrounding people feel uncomfortable. it was as if they were pets revolving around shi yi, waiting for shi yi¡¯s call every day.


    the way the surrounding people looked at shi yi changed instantly. they no longer looked as friendly as before, but disgusted. they knew that chen mo had always been on good terms with shi yi, so chen mo must have heard shi yi say this often.


    they didn¡¯t expect her to pretend to be good friends with them on the surface while she badmouthed them behind their backs. now, she was still pretending to be close friends with them!


    the others were furious and rolled their eyes before dispersing. they found another place to continue chatting in groups of two or three.


    shi yi looked at everyone awkwardly. their attitudes changed so quickly that shi yi didn¡¯t even have a chance to explain.


    shi yi looked at chen mo. this usually submissive girl had completely changed. the smugness in her eyes was obvious, and even the smile on her lips was disdainful.


    in the past, chen mo was always soft-spoken and careful in everything she did. she was also bullied often. shi yi hated bullies, so she always protected chen mo and the two of them had the closest relationship.


    when yuan shu told her to stay away from chen mo, shi yi was still a little resistant, since she felt that her friend definitely wouldn¡¯t harm her. now, it seemed that yuan shu had a sharp eye and saw through this batch¡¯s true colors at a glance!


    shi yi was furious.. she didn¡¯t expect that after being friends for so long, chen mo actually backstabbed her!

 Chapter 186 - Chapter 186: Jealous

    chapter 186: jealous


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    shi yi wasn¡¯t someone who would pretend to be polite to others. chen mo had already made it so obvious, so if shi yi still felt that the person in front of her was an innocent person, then she was simply a fool.


    shi yi shook off chen mo¡¯s hand and glared at her. ¡°chen mo, you¡¯ve framed me time and time again. what¡¯s your motive?!¡±


    chen mo continued to play dumb as she looked at her pitifully with teary eyes. ¡°huh? shi yi, what are you talking about? i don¡¯t understand.¡±


    shi yi used to think that she was pitiful whenever she saw this pitiful look. now that she saw this face again, she felt disgusted. she actually dared to play tricks on her. she really overestimated herself!


    shi yi exposed her directly. ¡°stop pretending. 1 know everything. when 1 came back to the country previously, didn¡¯t you bring me to xu lang¡¯s high-end shop so that 1 could see him plagiarizing my clothes? then, you let me fight in front of others while you hid at the side timidly. now, you¡¯re making them hate me. what are your intentions? do you really think i¡¯m stupid enough not to notice? or did you have an ulterior motive for becoming friends with me right from the beginning?¡±


    seeing that shi yi had made it so clear, chen mo decided not to pretend anymore. she put away her pitiful look and even looked at shi yi with disdain. ¡°shi yi, aren¡¯t you just that stupid? we¡¯ve been friends for so long and i¡¯ve used you for so long, but didn¡¯t you still treat me so well?¡±


    the two of them stood at the long table where the dessert cake was placed. as chen mo admired shi yi¡¯s angry expression, she picked up a piece of cake. she picked at the cream with her fork but didn¡¯t put it into her mouth even after a long time.


    shi yi clenched her fists as she glared at chen mo. she was filled with anger and wanted to give chen mo two slaps before tearing her despicable and sinister face apart!


    seeing how angry shi yi was, chen mo couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. she covered her mouth with the back of her hand as she asked, ¡°you¡¯re already angry after just a few words? oh, i forgot. you¡¯re the heiress of the shi family, so how can you tolerate being used by others?¡±


    shi yi was in disbelief and couldn¡¯t figure out why her good friend had become like this. ¡°chen mo, you¡¯ve changed. you¡¯ve changed so much that i can¡¯t recognize you at all!¡±


    ridiculous!


    chen mo glared at shi yi with hatred.


    all these years, when chen mo was friends with her, she had to fawn over her and endure her bad temper. when she was scolded, he even coaxed shi yi. just thinking about these things now made her feel endless hatred and jealousy!


    why?! it was all because shi yi was born into the shi family! it was because the shi family was rich and powerful, and was an existence that countless people curried favor with. as for chen mo, she was just a nobody and wasn¡¯t valued in the family. she was an illegitimate daughter, so she had to endure being bullied by others every day.


    in order to occupy a place in the family, chen mo could only curry favor with shi yi and be friends with this pampered heiress. chen mo praised shi yi so much that she thought of herself as a princess. only then would chen mo be able to obtain her family¡¯s recognition under her protection and the charity she bestowed on her.


    chen mo had always been like a puppy wagging its tail in front of shi yi. only when shi yi was in a good mood could chen mo get benefits from her and the shi family so that she could straighten her back when she returned home.


    however, after so many years, chen mo had really had enough of being trampled by this heiress every day. when she was happy, she would give her some charity. when she was unhappy, she would kick her aside. she was also a human, so she wanted to be treated fairly!


    however, every time chen mo saw that the other girls in the circle were very enthusiastic towards shi yi but treated her coldly, chen mo hated shi yi even more.


    that was why chen mo wouldn¡¯t let go of any chance to embarrass shi yi!


    just as she thought of this, chen mo raised the cake in her hand and was about to smash it on shi yi¡¯s head. seeing her actions, shi yi subconsciously raised her hand to protect herself.


    however, this was cream, so even if she used her hand to shield herself, it would splash on her body.


    at the critical moment, a suit suddenly covered shi yi and blocked the cake. at the same time, that person waved his hand and blocked chen mo¡¯s hand. then, the plate with the cake was thrown back..

 Chapter 187 - Chapter 187: Saving the Damsel In Distress

    chapter 187: saving the damsel in distress


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    after being mixed together by chen mo, the white cream became colorful. now, colorful cream was stuck to chen mo¡¯s face and body.


    ¡°all!¡± chen mo couldn¡¯t stand this outcome and screamed as she looked at the cream on her body.


    everyone quietened down and looked at chen mo with mockery and even whispered amongst themselves.


    chen mo couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying, but she could guess what they were saying. because she had once stood in the crowd and mocked others as well, she knew very well what they were saying.


    ¡°shut up! shut up! stop talking!¡± chen mo was going crazy and shouted at everyone.


    suddenly, a slap landed on her face. she finally calmed down and stared blankly at the person in front of her. it was her half-brother, chen chen.


    a fierce look appeared in chen chen¡¯s eyes as he said in embarrassment, ¡°haven¡¯t you embarrassed yourself enough? go home!¡±


    chen mo looked at chen chen in fear and then at shi yi, who was protected the entire time and was completely fine. then, tears flowed down her face.


    why was there always someone helping shi yi? why was shi yi so detestable, but everything always went smoothly for her, while she was despised and mocked by everyone? even her own family had never taken her seriously!


    chen mo rushed towards shi yi like a lunatic. just as she was about to attack, she was stopped by the person beside shi yi.


    the man frowned. perhaps his natural disposition of not wanting to be in conflict with others affected him, so he didn¡¯t say anything harsh. he only advised, ¡°before the situation gets worse, go home first.¡±


    after being stopped, chen mo finally calmed down. after she wiped the cream off her face and looked around at everyone¡¯s expressions, she immediately felt ashamed and ran out with her head lowered.


    after the farce ended, everyone became busy socializing, and the venue became noisy again.


    shi yi had already taken off the suit jacket covering her head, but after seeing the owner of the suit jacket clearly, she was stunned and didn¡¯t speak the entire time. she didn¡¯t even react when chen mo rushed towards her. her mind was filled with the owner of the suit jacket.


    finally, when the matter was over and chen mo left, shi yi looked at the person in front of her and called out his name with uncertainty, ¡°xu zhi?¡±


    why would he be at such an occasion?


    shi yi could clearly feel that xu zhi froze after hearing his name, which made shi yi even more certain that she didn¡¯t recognize the wrong person.


    the joy of seeing him again and the warmth of being protected by the person she liked actually gave shi yi an inexplicable sense of fear and avoidance in this current environment.


    she had a guess in mind, a guess that she didn¡¯t dare to face, but she didn¡¯t have the courage to ask.


    just as the two of them were in a stalemate, chen chen walked over and said to shi yi politely, ¡°shi yi, i¡¯m sorry. my sister might have drunk a little too much today. please don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    shi yi turned to look at chen chen in a daze and tried her best to smile.


    shi yi went to the chen family often to hang out with chen mo. sometimes, she even stayed over, so she had a good relationship with chen mo¡¯s brother, chen chen.


    compared to shi xiao, who always put on airs and was serious and strict, chen chen was more gentle and humorous. shi yi felt more like she was interacting with an older brother when she was with chen chen.


    therefore, in front of chen chen, shi yi forced a smile, in hopes that he wouldn¡¯t take this matter to heart.


    ¡°brother chen chen, i¡¯m fine. go do your work. don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    chen chen nodded and looked at shi yi worriedly before leaving.


    meanwhile, xu zhi had been standing beside shi yi, observing every subtle change in her expression.


    his heart ached. the two of them met in such a way and revealed their identities in such a way. there was no foreshadowing or preparation at all. they tried so hard to get close, but as if they were isolated by the mountains and seas, they were powerless in this situation and couldn¡¯t approach each other..

 Chapter 188 - Chapter 188: Broken Alliance

    chapter 188: broken alliance


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    those who could attend this banquet were all people in this circle, and the only family that shi yi could remember with the surname xu was the xu family, which had a good relationship with the jiang family and had always been at odds with the shi family.


    moreover, only one person from the jiang and xu families came today. the only person with the surname xu here was xu zhi.


    so xu zhi was from the xu family. why didn¡¯t she think of it? the invitations to the fashion show had to go through multiple screenings. not only did they have to take into account the family¡¯s power, but they also had to be famous in society. they would only send out invitations if they met their requirements.


    although the shi family was a big family, no one other than shi xiao had come into contact with the fashion design industry, so the fashion show naturally wouldn¡¯t send shi yi an invitation.


    however, xu zhi was able to get an invitation for shi yi in just a few days. this was enough to show that his identity wasn¡¯t ordinary.


    at that time, shi yi should have guessed it. the xu family had xu lang and a specialized branch in the fashion industry, so to be able to learn fashion design, xu zhi must have been influenced by his family. getting an invitation letter was just a piece of cake for him.


    shi yi smoothed out the suit jacket in her hand and handed it to xu zhi. ¡°thank you.¡±


    her expression was a little dazed, making her look pitiful.


    xu zhi took the suit jacket with a worried expression, his gaze fixed on shi yi. she had the necklace he had given her the other day around her neck, which matched her dress and makeup today. the blue necklace embellished her collarbones.


    xu zhi wanted to praise her appearance, but after thinking for a long time, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say it. seeing that she was about to leave, xu zhi couldn¡¯t help but call out to her, ¡°shi yi?¡±


    shi yi had already turned around. she didn¡¯t look back, but she took a deep breath and tried to sound calm as she said, ¡°let¡¯s¡­ not meet again in the future.¡±


    even though she was reluctant, she still said that she would never see him again.


    the shi family and the jiang family were like fire and water. it was impossible for them to coexist peacefully. the xu family and the jiang family were so close that they could be said to be jackals of the same tribe. naturally, it was impossible for them to establish a friendly relationship with the shi family.


    the two of them knew very well that the relationship between them, be it friends or lovers, was inappropriate.


    instead of dragging things out and making the two of them even more inseparable in the future, it was better to cut the gordian knot and end things before they even started.


    xu zhi was stunned and wanted to reach out to pull shi yi¡¯s arm, but in the end, he retracted his hand silently.


    not pestering each other was the last bit of dignity they could give each other.


    not long after shi yi left, a waiter handed xu zhi a gift box and said, ¡°a lady outside the hotel asked me to pass this to you.¡±


    xu zhi took it in a daze. even without opening it, he knew what was inside. it was the sapphire necklace he had given her when they were shopping together.


    he looked around the outside of the banquet hall, but there was no sign of shi yi.


    he held the gift box tightly, his fingertips turning white from exerting too much strength, but in the end, he left silently.


    xu zhi originally wanted to go home directly and pour himself a glass of red wine to calm down, but he remembered that jiang chen had specifically instructed him to go to the jiang family after the cocktail party, since he had something to tell him.


    although xu zhi didn¡¯t know what was going on, he could only get the chauffeur to drive the car to the jiang family¡¯s residence.


    in the banquet hall, liu lan was chatting with yuan shu. from time to time, she would cover her mouth and laugh before continuing to the next topic. yuan shu listened with interest and replied from time to time.


    the two of them were chatting happily when a woman suddenly approached. her sharp gaze was fixed on yuan shu and she didn¡¯t seem friendly at all.


    she stood beside yuan shu with one hand on her waist as she looked down at


    yuan shu and said in a disdainful tone, ¡°you¡¯re yuan shu?¡±


    yuan shu looked up at her.


    she was wearing a raspberry gown and there was a light pink shawl on her arm. her temperament was fierce, like that of an arrow that could pierce through the clouds at any time. even her beauty was aggressive..

 Chapter 189 - Chapter 189: Song Shi

    chapter 189: song shi


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    this woman¡¯s gaze made yuan shu very uncomfortable and she seemed as if she was sizing up goods. she stared at yuan shu unabashedly, as if she wanted to see through her.


    yuan shu searched her mind carefully and confirmed that she had never seen the girl in front of her before. in that case, where did her hostility come from?


    moreover, since she called yuan shu¡¯s name, it meant that she didn¡¯t recognize the wrong person. it seemed that she was here for yuan shu.


    yuan shu didn¡¯t understand, but when she spoke to such a rude person, her tone wasn¡¯t friendly either. ¡°may i ask who you are?¡±


    the woman sneered. ¡°song shi.¡±


    yuan shu might not know song shi, but liu lan knew her very well!


    she was the song family¡¯s famous prodigy. when she was in school, she was always ranked first in the cohort. at the age of 15, she was guaranteed a place in the junior class of the most famous university in the country. at the age of 18, she started getting a master¡¯s degree. after graduating at the age of 20, she went overseas to study.


    moreover, song shi studied a wide range of subjects, including law, market management, english, and even engineering. she had always been known as a genius.


    it was one thing for song shi to be smart, but the key was that she was also very beautiful.


    however, song shi wasn¡¯t the gentle type. she had a bad temper and was very feisty. she had practiced taekwondo since she was young. in combat, even three burly men wouldn¡¯t be her match.


    after she returned to the country, many people wanted to marry her, but she didn¡¯t like any of them. in order not to be disturbed by these people, she had once personally thrown a tall man with a gift out of the song family. from then on, no one went to her home to propose. everyone hid far away when they saw her.


    apart from that, the song family was very aloof and had never bothered to interact with other families. other than having a good relationship with the li family, which was in the political world, no one could obtain their favor.


    but recently, there was a rumor in the upper society that song shi was infatuated with the young master of the jiang family, jiang chen. she went to the jiang family almost every day to see jiang chen.


    she kept encountering obstacles when it came to the jiang family. whenever she went to see jiang chen, five out of ten times, she would miss him. jiang chen¡¯s attitude towards her was very cold, but she still threw herself at him.


    liu lan couldn¡¯t understand why such a person would come to find trouble with yuan shu. no matter how she thought about it, it was impossible for the two of them to have interacted before.


    moreover, yuan shu had a calm personality and her attitude towards everything was very indifferent. other than the shi family and her own matters, she didn¡¯t care about anything else, let alone provoke song shi.


    liu lan had never liked people who were too arrogant. her friends were also straightforward and easy-going, so she didn¡¯t have a good impression of song shi.


    now that song shi was still targeting her good friend, liu lan couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. she turned her body slightly to block yuan shu and said in an unfriendly tone, ¡°miss song, why are you looking for yuan shu?¡±


    after song shi glanced at her, she said to yuan shu sarcastically, ¡°you¡¯re just so-so. why do you get brother jiang chen¡¯s favor?¡±


    favor? yuan shu felt that her words were interesting. was it because language arts weren¡¯t her fort that she used words so randomly?


    yuan shu didn¡¯t take her seriously at all and retorted, ¡°miss song, if you¡¯re not good at language arts, i suggest you hire a teacher and study hard instead of causing trouble outside.¡±


    ¡°you!¡± song shi didn¡¯t expect yuan shu to be so arrogant! she was a prodigy, so who would dare to say that she wasn¡¯t good at language arts?


    song shi crossed her arms and stood even straighter. then, she pointed her chin at yuan shu as she said, ¡°it seems like you¡¯re just as everyone said. you have a glib tongue.. however, don¡¯t think that just because you can use despicable methods to seduce shi xiao, you can also use these despicable methods to seduce jiang chen!¡±

 Chapter 190 - Chapter 190: Who Gifted the Dress?

    chapter 190: who gifted the dress?


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    yuan shu was furious. she had been in this world for so long, but she had never seen someone like her! not only was she foolish, but she also distorted the truth!


    not to mention that yuan shu disdained using shady methods to get close to anyone, she had never seen jiang chen before. she had only heard his name once or twice from others!


    yuan shu stood up and looked at her coldly as she said in a sharp tone, ¡°miss song, you should be careful with your words. don¡¯t spout nonsense and let others laugh at you for being so gossipy!¡±


    yuan shu was already 1.7 meters tall, so when she stood up, she was half a head taller than song shi. in addition, she often exercised and had a good figure. when she stood there, she exuded an invisible sense of pressure.


    song shi was shocked by yuan shu¡¯s words and couldn¡¯t help but take half a step back.


    one had to know that song shi had been trained in taekwondo since she was young, so she was very bold and wasn¡¯t even afraid of burly men, but now, she was actually frightened by a weak woman. if word got out, it would be embarrassing for her!


    indignant, song shi straightened her chest and glared at her. what was the use of having a glib tongue? she had evidence!


    as song shi stared at her gown, she sneered and said, ¡°you¡¯re just distorting the truth! if i¡¯m talking nonsense, how are you going to explain where this gown on you came from?!¡±


    yuan shu was stunned and didn¡¯t know what to say.


    although the two of them were not loud and the banquet hall was very noisy, so it was difficult for people a few steps away to hear their conversation clearly, they were two beauties after all. at this moment, the atmosphere between the two of them was very tense, so more and more people couldn¡¯t help but look at them.


    this piece of clothing was directly delivered to their door after the delivery man picked it up from the designated place. even the delivery man didn¡¯t know who the delivery man was, but the recipient¡¯s name was yuan shu, and the address was the shi family¡¯s villa.


    the clothes fit yuan shu very well. to be able to get her measurements so accurately, she guessed that it must be shi yi¡¯s design.


    unexpectedly, when shi yi came to put on makeup for her the next day, she was stunned when she saw this outfit and praised her repeatedly.


    yuan shu asked her curiously, ¡°didn¡¯t you design this dress?¡±


    shi yi was surprised. ¡°recently, i¡¯ve been overwrought because of yushu buyi¡¯s new products. how can i have the time to design such an exquisite gown?! moreover, it will take at least a month to make this gown. even if i have the intention, i don¡¯t have the energy.¡±


    yuan shu tugged at the hem of the dress in front of the mirror as she looked at it carefully.


    shi yi leaned on her shoulder as she said enviously, ¡°maybe brother custom-made it for you? brother has been away for the past few days, so he might have been preparing a surprise for you!¡±


    although yuan shu wasn¡¯t touched, she was still skeptical.


    however, when shi xiao took out the entire set of jewelry designed by a famous jewelry designer, yuan shu could tell from his gaze that this was the first time he had seen this gown. it seemed like it wasn¡¯t him.


    this dress was expensive in terms of design, workmanship, and fabric. yuan shu really couldn¡¯t think of anyone who would spend so much money to give her a gown, so she thought that it was a gift from shi lu and planned to verify it with shi lu after attending the ball.


    now that she was suddenly questioned by song shi, she was baffled as well. could it really be that someone she had never met gave her a gown?


    however, this gown fit her so well. how could they have never seen each other before?


    yuan shu felt a little confused. the development of the story was completely different from the plot she had read. many characters and books didn¡¯t match up at all. yuan shu tried her best to think of when jiang chen had appeared, but she couldn¡¯t think of anything.


    the uneasiness in her heart grew stronger and stronger, as if she was missing something.


    just as the two of them were in a stalemate, a cold male voice suddenly sounded. ¡°i gave the gown to my wife.. miss song, do you have a problem with

 Chapter 191 - Chapter 191: Storm

    chapter 191: storm


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    shi xiao had walked towards them at some point. liu lan silently took a step back and gave up the seat beside yuan shu to shi xiao.


    after shi xiao approached, his right arm wrapped around yuan shu¡¯s waist, but he maintained a polite social relationship. he didn¡¯t want yuan shu to feel offended. this was the most suitable restraint between business partners.


    shi xiao had his usual smile on his face during social interactions, but his eyes looked very cold. ¡°1 wonder if you have any objections to this gown, miss song?¡±


    song shi was stumped by shi xiao¡¯s question and was at a loss. ¡°how is that possible?¡±


    she had seen this gown in jiang chen¡¯s villa.


    when she went to look for jiang chen, he had just finished sending off a group of people. before he even rejected song shi, she sat down beside him.


    his secretary, zheng tian, walked in with an exquisitely wrapped gift box. then, he stopped in front of jiang chen and opened the gift box. the gift box was wrapped in a smooth cloth.


    there was a card on the fabric, [as promised]. song shi saw a name embroidered on the fabric, ¡°yuan shu.¡±


    it was obvious that it was a woman¡¯s name, so song shi felt a little upset.


    zheng tian lifted the fabric. when song shi saw this very gorgeous gown, she was stunned and couldn¡¯t help but reach out to touch this gown. just as she was about to touch the gown, jiang chen suddenly stopped her. ¡°stop.¡±


    song shi was intimidated by him and retracted her hand obediently, but at the thought of him giving this beautiful dress to another woman, song shi was dissatisfied, so she turned to look at jiang chen and asked him for it.


    ¡°jiang chen, can you give me this dress? i really like it!¡±


    although jiang chen was very cold to song shi, he would usually satisfy all of song shi¡¯s requests. therefore, song shi thought that this gown belonged to her.


    moreover, the workmanship of this gown was exquisite. even though song shi didn¡¯t know much about embroidery, she could tell that from complicated the embroidery on the outer layer of the gown was, it must have taken a long time to make.


    other than her, song shi really couldn¡¯t think of any other woman who was worthy of this dress.


    song shi had already imagined how she would look in this gown. when she appeared at the liu family¡¯s banquet, she would definitely stun everyone and become the center of attention!


    unexpectedly, jiang chen rejected her impatiently. when he spoke, his expression was abnormally cold. ¡°it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t covet things that don¡¯t belong to you.¡±


    song shi was frightened by these words and left the jiang family¡¯s residence in a fit of anger. she hadn¡¯t been there again even until now.


    song shi thought that jiang chen would at least try coaxing her, but after so many days, he hadn¡¯t even sent a single message to song shi!


    song shi was angry and planned to wheedle when she saw him today to vent all the anger she had been holding in for the past few days. in the end, only xu zhi came, and even he disappeared after a short while.


    just as song shi was feeling depressed and planned to call jiang chen, she saw yuan shu in this gown.


    song shi was confident in herself and rarely paid attention to the gossip in the upper-class circle, so she naturally didn¡¯t know who yuan shu was, but just by looking at this dress, she knew that ¡°yuan shu¡± was this woman.


    she had to admit that this woman¡¯s aura completely suppressed this gorgeous gown. she even gave off a feeling that she was out of their league.


    this realization made song shi feel indignant and she rushed over to knock yuan shu down a peg.


    as she walked over, song shi thought to herself disdainfully, ¡°song shi, oh song shi, what are you doing?! are you really going to let jealousy overcome your rationality?¡±


    however, she was no longer rational at this moment. that was why this happened.


    this was why song shi was so surprised when shi xiao said that he was the one who gave her the clothes..

 Chapter 192 - Chapter 192: Inquiry

    chapter 192: inquiry


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    ¡°isn¡¯t this the genius girl from the song family?¡±


    ¡°isn¡¯t that so? is she obsessing over someone else¡¯s gown because she fancies it?¡±


    as the crowd started to whisper and discuss, every word they said made song shi feel exasperated.


    she gripped the hem of her dress tightly and fled while there weren¡¯t that many people watching.


    she was prideful and would never allow others to talk about her like this.


    after this farce ended, although yuan shu didn¡¯t have any reaction, liu lan could tell that she had something on her mind, so liu lan patted yuan shu¡¯s shoulder. ¡°it¡¯s getting late. why don¡¯t you go back first?¡±


    yuan shu frowned slightly. then, she glanced at liu lan and nodded indifferently.


    shi xiao, who was standing at the side, looked at yuan shu meaningfully. to be precise, he was looking at the dress she was wearing.


    the two of them didn¡¯t speak. shi xiao continued to hug yuan shu¡¯s waist as he bid farewell to liu lan politely. then, he walked out of the banquet hall under everyone¡¯s gaze.


    liu lan stayed behind to deal with the aftermath and explained to everyone that the farce just now was just a joke, and that she hoped that it wouldn¡¯t affect everyone¡¯s mood. then, she let the ball continue.


    when zhao cheng saw the two of them coming out, he parked the car in front of the hotel. after the waiter opened the door and the two of them got into the car, zhao cheng said, ¡°miss shi yi wasn¡¯t feeling well, so she went home first.¡±


    shi xiao nodded. ¡°let¡¯s go back too.¡±


    ¡°yes,¡± zhao cheng replied and started the car to drive in the direction of the villa.


    yuan shu stared out of the window calmly. the streets were only illuminated by the dim street lamps. the bright and dark lights cast flickering shadows on her face, and the peony flowers on her body emitted a faint fluorescent light under the light.


    now, yuan shu realized that the silk threads used to make this peony gown were made of silk mixed with gold and silver threads. then, exquisite flowers were embroidered after that. no wonder it reflected under the light.


    shi xiao also noticed the glowing peony flower. it seemed that the person who gave the gown had indeed put in a lot of effort. he even noticed such a small detail. this wasn¡¯t a design that could be thought of in a short period of time. it must have taken a long time to make this gown.


    shi xiao asked, ¡°do you really not know who gave you this gown?¡±


    there was doubt in yuan shu¡¯s eyes as she turned her head slightly to look at him. ¡°do you think i should know?¡±


    yuan shu straightened her body and looked into the dark night as she continued, ¡°shi xiao, whether you believe me or not, i never lie. i don¡¯t know where this dress came from, nor do 1 know who designed it.¡±


    ¡°i believe you.¡± shi xiao didn¡¯t probe further. instead, his tone was very firm. he wasn¡¯t trying to deceive yuan shu, but he really believed her.


    yuan shu was stunned and stared at shi xiao. she was touched for a moment when he said he ¡°believed¡± her.


    it was as if yuan shu was the one who had never trusted her companion.


    she would always guess shi xiao¡¯s intentions and try to escape unscathed every time he probed her. she didn¡¯t even hesitate to argue with him in order to end all his endless probing.


    but in fact, shi xiao retreated every time.


    he only asked questions that he was curious about. when he couldn¡¯t get the answer he wanted, he never asked further. he chose to respect yuan shu.


    yuan shu felt a little guilty and touched by his ¡°belief¡± in her, so she said calmly, ¡°thank you.¡±


    yuan shu was finally willing to let down her guard and treat shi xiao as a business partner.


    shi xiao smiled faintly. this time, his smile came from the bottom of his heart. he said, ¡°you¡¯re welcome.¡±


    right on the heels of that, he became serious again as he said, ¡°i¡¯ve checked carefully. this dress was sent from the jiang family¡¯s residence. zheng tian placed it at the entrance of a mall and asked the courier to pick it up. the two of them only communicated by phone, so the courier didn¡¯t know who sent it.. yuan shu, have you really never seen jiang chen before?¡±

 Chapter 193 - Chapter 193: Trust

    chapter 193: trust


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    yuan shu thought about it seriously, but she really had no impression of him, so she shook her head. ¡°do you have a photo of him? maybe i¡¯ll remember him when i see his face.¡±


    shi xiao shook his head helplessly. ¡°jiang chen has always been very mysterious. zheng tian and jiang heng helped him do everything, so no one in the outside world has seen his appearance. even the xu family has probably only seen him a few times.¡±


    yuan shu had never understood jiang chen, so she didn¡¯t expect him to be so mysterious.


    when yuan shu recalled what song shi had said at the ball tonight, she was puzzled and asked, ¡°what¡¯s the relationship between the song family and the jiang family? why does it seem like song shi sees jiang chen very often?¡±


    shi xiao could feel that yuan shu was talking to him casually now and was no longer as guarded as before. it seemed that she had really accepted him from the bottom of her heart. shi xiao was satisfied.


    shi xiao explained to yuan shu, ¡°actually, the two families have nothing to do with each other. mr. song has always been a very arrogant person. he¡¯s very famous in the academic world and is the president of the domestic education association. his connections in the political circle are also very extensive, but he has always been focused on academics and is very aloof.¡±


    as for the old pedant, yuan shu was very familiar with him. since she was young, yuan shu had seen too many stick-in-the-mud teachers, so she would always quarrel with the teachers. because yuan shu didn¡¯t agree with the old-fashioned concept of these teachers, her father had put in a lot of effort to find a suitable teacher for her.


    hence, when she heard this, yuan shu couldn¡¯t help but add, ¡°isn¡¯t it just because he doesn¡¯t want to interact with money-grubbers like you guys?¡±


    shi xiao was amused by yuan shu¡¯s straightforward explanation. he didn¡¯t expect the usually serious yuan shu to be so adorable when she accepted someone from the bottom of her heart.


    ¡°that¡¯s right. this is also the reason he never comes into contact with the business world. however, the song family is very rich and the wealth was accumulated through several generations, so even if they don¡¯t do business, they¡¯re still a very wealthy family.¡±


    yuan shu was puzzled. ¡°but it¡¯s even more impossible for such a person to have any contact with the jiang family. mr. song should be even more ashamed of the jiang family¡¯s source of business income.¡±


    shi xiao looked at yuan shu with admiration, since he could clearly feel that their communication wasn¡¯t on the same level.


    ¡°in fact, that should be the case. however, the previous generation of the jiang family seems to have had some entanglements with mr. song, so song shi and jiang chen know each other. the two of them have been entangled since they were young.¡±


    ¡°actually, two months ago, there was news that the two of them were about to get married. now, they¡¯re discussing the wedding date. but for some reason, after i went to africa and came back, these rumors disappeared. jiang chen became even more mysterious and even more vicious than before.¡±


    yuan shu listened very seriously and immediately asked, ¡°vicious? how?¡±


    just as shi xiao was thinking about how to explain, zhao cheng continued, ¡°young madam, you might not have come into contact with the underworld, so you don¡¯t know how inhumane these people are when they do business. in this city, at least 80% of the underworld business belongs to the jiang family, and jiang chen¡¯s management of his subordinates can be said to be military style. the punishment for his subordinates is also gruesome.¡±


    in fact, zhao cheng had already said it very implicitly, but yuan shu completely understood. jiang chen¡¯s management of his subordinates was actually more like that of the military camp. the biggest rule in the military camp was, ¡°those who disobey orders will be executed¡±. therefore, in this civilized society, jiang chen probably had many shady secrets.


    after she heard their description, a very familiar figure suddenly flashed across yuan shu¡¯s mind, but she couldn¡¯t remember who it was no matter how hard she tried.


    this feeling had surrounded her for too long. she had often had this feeling since a month ago. some scenes and people were very familiar to her, but they couldn¡¯t remember who the person was.


    could it be that the person she found familiar but couldn¡¯t remember was jiang chen?


    what exactly happened between her and jiang chen?


    moreover, she had a vague feeling that jiang chen was very familiar with her, so familiar that he could even see all her actions..

 Chapter 194 - Chapter 194: Thought

    chapter 194: thought


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    in the jiang family¡¯s mansion.


    jiang chen sat in front of the desk behind the screen in the living room. the computer in front of him was live-streaming the entire situation at the cocktail party, including xu zhi and shi yi¡¯s awkward meeting, yuan shu and song shi¡¯s argument, and the scene of shi xiao¡¯s hand on yuan shu¡¯s waist.


    jiang chen was playing with a very delicate dagger in his hand. the dagger was very sharp, and when it cut through the air, it even carried a sharp sword aura. when jiang chen looked at the dagger, it was as if he was looking down at a group of ants who didn¡¯t know that they were about to die.


    when he saw shi xiao walk out of the banquet hall with his arm around yuan shu¡¯s waist, his gaze became even colder.


    zheng tian stood at the side silently and he was wearing a bluetooth earpiece. the blue light on the bluetooth earpiece was glowing, indicating that it was being used.


    a certain attendant in the banquet hall broadcasted the entire process through the earpiece. from time to time, she would move through the banquet hall according to zheng tian¡¯s instructions.


    ¡°it¡¯s over.¡±


    jiang chen stopped what he was doing and sheathed his dagger. the friction of the cold iron made a jarring sound.


    after zheng tian heard the order, he pressed the button on his bluetooth earpiece and ended the call. then, he took off his bluetooth earpiece.


    zheng tian stood behind jiang chen and listened to jiang chen¡¯s orders quietly the entire time. other than giving instructions to the attendant, he didn¡¯t say a word.


    he could hold back from asking, but jiang heng, who was sitting on the sofa in boredom, couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    jiang heng put down the phone that had run out of battery and turned his head in a very awkward posture to look at jiang chen. ¡°cousin, 1 don¡¯t understand.


    did you plan so much today just to let yuan shu know that the gown was given by you?¡±


    jiang chen closed the computer and crossed his arms in front of his chest. then, he asked, ¡°what else can i do?¡±


    jiang heng didn¡¯t understand. ¡°you spent so much effort and even calculated the time for song shi to see this gown here. you spent so much effort just for yuan shu¡¯s sake?¡±


    jiang heng really didn¡¯t understand. with jiang chen¡¯s strength and looks, what kind of woman couldn¡¯t he get? as long as he curled his finger, all kinds of women, even women with better looks and figures than yuan shu, would throw themselves at him!


    although his cousin rarely went to nightclubs or had girlfriends in the past, he had interacted with women before, especially song shi, whom he was getting closer to. jiang heng guessed that the two of them were about to get married.


    unexpectedly, two months ago, his cousin seemed to have suddenly changed. there was no woman by his side anymore, and he kept watching yuan shu all day long. even song shi ignored him. jiang heng suspected that his cousin had been bewitched by yuan shu!


    other than her good looks, temperament, and figure, yuan shu wasn¡¯t that outstanding. in that case, why did his cousin seem to be possessed?


    after jiang chen got up and stretched his muscles, his bones made a series of crackling sounds. ¡°didn¡¯t you stop after you got married? why is it so hard to understand my actions?¡±


    jiang heng nodded affirmatively. ¡°how can that be the same? i¡¯m married! my wife is pregnant with my child now, so it¡¯s only right for me to care about her! but yuan shu is a married woman, you¡­¡±


    jiang heng couldn¡¯t hold back his words, but just as he finished his last sentence, he was suddenly intimidated by jiang chen¡¯s chilly gaze. he trembled for a long time and couldn¡¯t say anything else.


    jiang heng didn¡¯t know why. his cousin looked very gentle and even had a smile on his lips, but why was he so scary?


    if it weren¡¯t for the fact that jiang chen was his cousin, he really wouldn¡¯t dare to be so presumptuous in front of him. no wonder zheng tian obeyed orders like a robot every day..

 Chapter 195 - Chapter 195: Arrangement

    chapter 195: arrangement


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    jiang heng didn¡¯t dare to speak and the huge jiang family mansion instantly fell silent again. it was so quiet that one could even hear the crickets outside the house.


    jiang heng was about to ask the servant to close the door when he heard the sound of a car braking. it seemed like xu zhi was here.


    this was another point that jiang heng couldn¡¯t understand. the xu family¡¯s generation was rich and prosperous. just their generation alone had five boys and three girls. excluding xu lang, who was the least favored, there were still six people to choose from. however, why did his cousin, jiang chen, choose xu zhi, who was the most awkward and stubborn one?


    actually, xu zhi wasn¡¯t close to the other xu family members. he was the only son in his family, so they let him do whatever he wanted. since he wanted to learn design, they spent a lot of money to send him to the best school and even got wang jiao to be his mentor through their connections with the wang family.


    every time the xu family gathered and the jiang and xu families ate together, xu zhi either had something on or wanted to find inspiration at home. only on the day of jiang heng and xu xin¡¯s wedding did xu zhi arrive on time, but he wasn¡¯t very friendly to the xu family.


    however, jiang chen valued him very much. xu zhi was one of the few people in the xu family who had seen jiang chen before.


    jiang chen even asked jiang heng, xu xin, and xu lang to go to xu zhi¡¯s house to persuade him to work at down ridge clothes workshop.


    xu zhi walked in and was still wearing the suit he wore to the ball. however, he didn¡¯t look very happy and even looked a little haggard.


    he was his cousin after all, so jiang heng was concerned about him. ¡°cousin, are you alright? why do you look so tired just from attending a ball?¡±


    xu zhi forced a smile and said, ¡°brother-in-law, i¡¯m fine. maybe 1 haven¡¯t slept well for the past two days.¡±


    ever since he parted ways with shi yi that day, xu zhi had not rested well. he thought of shi yi every night, but at the same time, he also thought of the feud between the two families. the feeling of wanting to be together at all costs but having no choice but to face reality tortured him almost every day and night.


    jiang chen got up from the desk, walked to the sofa, and sat down. ¡°why are you standing there? cousin, please sit down.¡±


    xu zhi nodded politely and sat down opposite jiang chen. ¡°cousin, why did you call me here today?¡±


    jiang chen raised his hand and moved his fingers slightly. after zheng tian placed a document on the coffee table in front of him, jiang chen pushed the document to the other corner of the coffee table and in front of xu zhi.


    xu zhi glanced at jiang chen, who gestured for him to open it. hence, xu zhi opened the document and read its contents.


    after reading it, he was shocked. ¡°cousin, this, this is?¡±


    the corners of jiang chen¡¯s lips curled up into a smile. he had a gentle appearance to begin with, so when he smiled like this, people would usually let down their guard. ¡°as you can see.¡±


    xu zhi didn¡¯t dare to believe it and read the document carefully once again. in this document, there was a simple analysis of yushu buyi¡¯s business situation, as well as the product management concept, the target customer group, and so on. there was also the operation method of down ridge clothes workshop.


    it could be said that this was a business plan specifically targeted at yushu buyi after analyzing it in detail.


    xu zhi didn¡¯t understand. although he had always known that yushu buyi and the down ridge clothes workshop were rivals and the two families were in a competitive relationship, xu zhi still couldn¡¯t believe that they were engaging in such obvious targeting. it was as if down ridge clothes workshop didn¡¯t have anything else to do and only existed to destroy yushu buyi.


    more importantly, xu zhi was already the most important part of this business plan.


    jiang chen gave zheng tian a look. zheng tian immediately understood and explained to xu zhi, ¡°young master xu, shi yi is now the head of yushu buyi¡¯s design department and is also the main designer of yushu buyi¡¯s new products. only you know her design style the best and can design works that are targeted at her. therefore, you are the most important part of down ridge clothes workshop¡¯s plan to defeat yushu buyi..¡±

 Chapter 196 - Chapter 196: Targeting

    chapter 196: targeting


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    after xu zhi heard this, he was shocked and looked at jiang chen and zheng tian in disbelief. however, the two of them were unfazed, so xu zhi could only look at his brother-in-law, jiang heng, who had been sitting at the side without saying anything.


    jiang heng waved his hand, indicating that there was nothing he could do. upon seeing this, xu zhi felt even more disappointed.


    ¡°why?¡± resistance was written all over xu zhi¡¯s face as he looked at jiang chen and he was even a little agitated. ¡°cousin, why can¡¯t we compete fair and square? why must we target them?¡±


    xu zhi didn¡¯t know what else he could do to reject this matter. he knew the jiang family¡¯s unscrupulous way of doing things, so it was basically impossible for them to stop. the xu family had always followed the jiang family¡¯s lead. this was also the reason xu zhi had always rejected the jiang and xu families¡¯ invitations. he wanted to focus on his own life more.


    however, in this plan, the company being targeted was yushu buyi, the company the person he loved and was willing to sacrifice everything for. yet, he was forced to carry out this plan.


    ¡°cousin, i can¡¯t accept it.¡± xu zhi refused firmly, his eyes filled with determination.


    jiang chen just stared at him indifferently and asked with a smile, ¡°cousin, you can¡¯t possibly still hope to be with shi yi, right?¡±


    xu zhi was stunned and couldn¡¯t say anything for a moment. yes, the two of them being together was his greatest wish, but shi yi had already told him so firmly that it was impossible and that they should not contact each other anymore.


    however, even if the two of them no longer had anything to do with each other and could no longer be friends, they shouldn¡¯t be enemies either.


    xu zhi would never become shi yi¡¯s enemy.


    jiang chen¡¯s expression was very gentle, and even his smile was comforting. however, his words were bewitching. ¡°cousin, of course you can choose to refuse. in that case, you can leave down ridge clothes workshop and find a job you like.¡±


    xu zhi didn¡¯t expect jiang chen to be so easygoing. he didn¡¯t force him to stay as he had imagined. just as he was about to speak, jiang chen continued, ¡°but you probably won¡¯t see shi yi again, right?¡±


    xu zhi was stunned. yes, this was the truth. the conflict between the two families made it difficult for them to see each other in the future, even if it was a ball like today¡¯s. he knew that shi yi would definitely avoid it.


    shi yi had a tough personality and was decisive in everything she did. she was never someone who would give in easily. if she made the decision to leave, she definitely wouldn¡¯t leave any way out for herself, nor would she give herself any chance to backtrack. therefore, the two of them were really going to cut off all ties.


    when xu zhi thought of this, disappointment overcame him again. it turned out that unknowingly, he no longer just had a good impression of shi yi, but developed feelings for her.


    seeing xu zhi¡¯s reaction, jiang chen was satisfied and continued, ¡°staying in down ridge clothes workshop is the only chance for the two of you to see each other.¡±


    xu zhi didn¡¯t speak for a long time, and the four people in the room didn¡¯t say anything either. jiang chen patiently waited for xu zhi to think things over carefully.


    he knew what xu zhi wanted very well. it could be said that even xu zhi and shi yi¡¯s meeting was a part of jiang chen¡¯s plan.


    of course, jiang chen knew that it was impossible for the two of them to be together. they shouldn¡¯t have met each other from the beginning, but their personalities and talents attracted them to each other. what they lacked was a chance to meet each other.


    some people knew that meeting each other was wrong and told themselves not to become tempted even before they met, but their encounter was a coincidence that they didn¡¯t foresee. they seemed to know each other, but they had no idea about each other¡¯s true identities.


    originally, jiang chen had never thought of using xu zhi. after all, he wasn¡¯t someone who liked to force others to listen to his orders. there were many people in the xu family who were willing to serve him, so xu zhi didn¡¯t make a difference.


    however, an accident happened, so his plan changed and he had no choice but to make use of xu zhi..

 Chapter 197 - Chapter 197: Use

    chapter 197: use


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    jiang chen knew yuan shu¡¯s personality and her personal charm very clearly. he knew that yuan shu would definitely train shi yi well and arrange for her to be with yushu buyi, so that she could focus on being a designer.


    however, jiang chen had underestimated shi yi¡¯s strength and talent. she was very talented as a designer. if jiang chen only relied on xu lang to manage down ridge clothes workshop, it would be very difficult to put pressure on yushu buyi. at this time, only xu zhi could help him.


    he let the two of them meet and get to know each other, helping their relationship escalate to the next level. finally, he let them find out about each other¡¯s identities and cut off this relationship.


    jiang chen knew how to destroy a person. he used what they cared about the most to make them lose their rationality. in the end, they would fall into his trap.


    attacking one¡¯s mental defenses was the most important. this was a strategy taught to him by yuan shu, and now, he had already learned how to use it.


    jiang heng was anxious, but he didn¡¯t dare to speak, since he knew about his cousin¡¯s ability to bewitch people.


    he didn¡¯t want to marry xu xin at all. however, he didn¡¯t expect that after being scolded by his cousin, he would fall into his trap unknowingly. when he came back to his senses, the marriage was alreayd being prepared.


    what made him even more frustrated was that he didn¡¯t expect this cousin of his, who wasn¡¯t close to the xu family, to be such a hopeless romantic and dilly-dally so long for a woman. he was really the same as his cousin!


    however, jiang heng didn¡¯t dare to say this in front of jiang chen.


    actually, xu zhi was already persuaded. he had always been a stubborn person. he insisted on his opinion at the fabric exhibition and discussed it with shi yi for a long time.


    he wouldn¡¯t argue or compromise. it was just that he was obsessed with certain things. he was rational enough to know what to do and what not to do.


    however, he also knew that he wasn¡¯t someone who could let go so easily. otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have given up on what he was going to say at the jewelry shop just because he was worried that he couldn¡¯t be able to be responsible for shi yi.


    therefore, even though shi yi told him not to contact her again, even though he knew that the two of them couldn¡¯t contact each other again, he was very sure that he couldn¡¯t abstain from looking for her forever.


    after about five minutes, jiang chen guessed that xu zhi had already thought it through, so he said, ¡°if you can¡¯t be her lover, at least you can be her enemy and stay in her world forever.¡±


    rather than saying this for xu zhi to hear, it was more like he was saying it for himself. even if they couldn¡¯t be lovers, they could at least be enemies.


    [if i can¡¯t have your love, then hate me. at least don¡¯t forget me. at least don¡¯t have no feelings for me at all.]


    the last line of defense in xu zhi¡¯s heart completely collapsed. since he had fallen for her, they might as well pester each other to the end.


    ¡°okay, cousin, i¡¯ll help you.¡±


    on the other side, in the shi family¡¯s villa, shi xiao and yuan shu chatted all the way. although the two of them were very relaxed, the mystery about jiang chen still made them feel heavy-hearted.


    after the car stopped, the two of them ended the conversation tacitly. this was their problem and they should not implicate shi yi.


    as soon as the two of them entered the villa, li yue walked over with a worried expression. ¡°eldest young master, young madam, second miss¡¯s expression hasn¡¯t been acting normal ever since she came back. she didn¡¯t say anything and sat alone in her room the entire time. did something happen?¡±


    yuan shu and shi xiao looked at each other and saw the confusion in each other¡¯s eyes.


    they were busy with their own matters and had no time to pay attention to shi yi. did something happen at the banquet?


    after yuan shu removed her high heels and changed into comfortable slippers, her heels relaxed, and even her calves felt more comfortable. then, she said to shi xiao, ¡°don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ll go to my room to change my clothes and then go to shi yi¡¯s room to see her.¡±


    shi xiao nodded. indeed, girls were more suited for such problems. having a female head of the household at home really saved him a lot of trouble..

 Chapter 198 - Chapter 198: Comfort

    chapter 198: comfort


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    yuan shu hurriedly changed out of her gown and put on a large white t-shirt. then, she changed into a pair of comfortable cotton pants. the rubber band on her hair had just been taken off, and her curly hair was draped over her shoulders, but she didn¡¯t have time to tidy her hair and hurriedly left the room to go to shi yi¡¯s room.


    she knocked on the door first, but there was no response. yuan shu was a little worried, so she knocked harder, but there was still no response.


    yuan shu said, ¡°shi yi, are you in the room? can i go in?¡±


    there was no response.


    after yuan shu waited for about ten seconds, she couldn¡¯t wait any longer. just as she was about to break in, a muffled voice came from inside the room. ¡°the door isn¡¯t locked. come in.¡±


    after yuan shu opened the door and walked in, she saw that shi yi was lying on the bed with her face buried in the pillow and her hands hugging the pillow tightly. she was still wearing the gown and looked like she had fallen onto the bed the moment she returned home.


    shi yi had been like this for at least half an hour.


    after yuan shu walked over and sat down at the head of the bed, she patted shi yi¡¯s shoulder gently.


    it was april, and the temperature was still a little low at night. shi yi didn¡¯t cover herself with a blanket, and her shoulders were exposed, so she felt cold to the touch.


    ¡°shi yi, what¡¯s wrong? can you tell me?¡±


    shi yi¡¯s shoulders were twitching. she must be crying.


    she took a few deep breaths before she finally held back her tears. then, she slowly raised her head and looked at yuan shu.


    the makeup on shi yi¡¯s face was smudged from crying and her tears mixed with her eyeliner turned into two black lines on her face.


    yuan shu picked up the wet wipe at the head of the bed and took out a piece of tissue to carefully wipe the makeup on shi yi¡¯s face, which was filled with grievance and sadness.


    yuan shu asked again, ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    just as shi yi was about to say something, tears flowed out uncontrollably. she suddenly sobbed a few times before sitting up and leaning against yuan shu.


    ¡°sister-in-law, i-l¡¯m so sad. i¡¯ve really never liked someone so much. liking someone is really painful.¡±


    shi yi had cried for too long, so she couldn¡¯t say a complete sentence and stammered so much that yuan shu barely understood her.


    yuan shu¡¯s voice was very gentle. ¡°who is it? why are you crying so sadly? did he hurt you?¡±


    shi yi shook her head vigorously. even at this time, she firmly believed that xu zhi had his own difficulties and hadn¡¯t deliberately let their relationship reach this stage.


    even if he was a member of the xu family, shi yi would never believe that their relationship was xu zhi¡¯s scheme.


    at most, it was just a freak combination of factors, and the two of them were separated by their identities.


    as shi yi cried, she told yuan shu everything that had happened between the two of them. because she had been sobbing, it took more than an hour for her to finish telling yuan shu about these things. yuan shu finally understood the story.


    to put it bluntly, it was just a difference in status. this was normal in yuan shu¡¯s era. many people who fell in love with each other would get separated because of their family backgrounds. yuan shu was already used to it.


    perhaps it was because they had seen too much in that era that yuan shu could accept separation more. this was normal. after all, only a few people who fell in love could eventually be together.


    yuan shu comforted shi yi, ¡°alright, it¡¯s all in the past. let him become your most beautiful memory. you might be very sad now, but you¡¯ll eventually get over it.¡±


    shi yi burst into tears and cried even harder than before, as if she wanted to use this method to vent her emotions. it was as if only after crying could she be reborn and completely forget this relationship.


    yuan shu patted shi yi¡¯s back and let her cry non-stop. what she needed at this time wasn¡¯t comfort, but companionship.


    as yuan shu stared at the ceiling, she fell into a daze, as if she was thinking about someone far away.


    who was it?


    why did that person seem to be right in front of her, but he always disappeared like mist whenever yuan shu wanted to catch him?

 Chapter 199 - Chapter 199: Joining the Cast

    chapter 199: joining the cast


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    shi yi cried until past one in the morning before closing her swollen eyes in exhaustion. even after she fell asleep, she was grabbing yuan shu¡¯s clothes tightly.


    yuan shu was afraid of waking her up again, so she slept beside shi yi at night. that way, shi yi would be able to see someone beside her when she woke up.


    when the two of them woke up, it was almost noon. li yue had prepared the food and was waiting for them to eat breakfast. shi xiao had already went to the company to settle some matters.


    in the afternoon, yuan shu received a call from director wang shen, who said that it was time to enter the production team and he arranged a scene for yuan shu at night.


    however, shi lu and zhang zhang hadn¡¯t rehearsed for the past two days, so yuan shu had to go ahead of them.


    yuan shu was still a little worried about shi yi, so she wanted to discuss things with the director and postpone the time to join the production team, but she didn¡¯t expect shi yi to be sensible enough to urge yuan shu to do her own things.


    ¡°sister-in-law, you don¡¯t have to worry about me. i¡¯ve already given myself three days off. no matter what, i should go to the company to take a look today. if i have something to do, my imagination won¡¯t run wild, so go busy yourself.¡±


    yuan shu nodded sadly. yuan shu was very glad that shi yi was so rational and learned to control her emotions.


    after yuan shu packed her things, she rushed to the set. zhang chao was now shi lu and yuan shu¡¯s manager, so he rushed to the set as well.


    yuan shu put on her makeup, hair, and changed her clothes first. then, the director came over to talk about the scene. when she was done packing and ready to start filming, it was already sunset.


    today¡¯s scene was between the female lead, tang yi, and the literary scholar, chen zhou.


    the reason was that the emperor had issued an imperial decree for tang yi to marry the top scholar of the martial arts course. however, tang yi and chen zhou already had feelings for each other at this moment. chen zhou was indignant and strongly opposed it. he was even angry that tang yi didn¡¯t resist the imperial decree, so the two of them quarreled at the racecourse.


    the venue of this scene was a desolate grassland. april had just arrived, and the grass had just sprouted, so most of it was still a withered yellow grassland.


    as the sun slowly set, the sky turned into a gentle orange-yellow hue. even the grass was dyed orange-yellow by the setting sun, looking bleak and melancholic.


    as yuan shu and mu zhou stood on the orange-yellow barren grass, their shadows were elongated by the setting sun, and there were two prop horses grazing in the distance.


    once again, yuan shu felt that this scene was abnormally familiar, just like the feeling she had when she first tried it out. this wasn¡¯t just a plot of a fictional story, but a story that had actually happened.


    chen zhou, who was played by mu zhou, said, ¡°so you accepted the imperial edict?¡±


    as yuan shu stared at him in a daze, he seemed to overlap with a figure in her mind. after overlapping, they dispersed. he seemed familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time.


    mu zhou looked very hurt. it was a kind of grief from wanting to hold on to her but failing. he also stubbornly hoped that he could persuade her to stay one last time.


    yuan shu recalled the conversation in her mind once again. ¡°1 said that i would marry the top martial arts top scorer.¡±


    yuan shu still remembered that the year she got married, the emperor insisted on setting up a martial arts examination. in order to support the emperor, yuan shu said that she would marry someone from her high school.


    she vaguely remembered that she seemed to have an agreement with someone, but that person broke it.


    after hearing yuan shu¡¯s words, mu zhou was stunned. what she said wasn¡¯t the lines in the script.


    he was so surprised that he even forgot the grief and indignation he should reveal according to the plot.


    when their gazes met, that familiar feeling resurfaced. it was as if they had known each other for many years, but she couldn¡¯t remember him no matter what.


    mu zhou suppressed his joy and heaved a long sigh of relief. then, he returned to his previous state and continued according to his lines. ¡°what¡¯s the difference between a literary scholar and a martial arts scholar? they¡¯re both high schoolers! you want to marry the best in the world.. 1 took the imperial examination to become the best in the world so that one day, 1 can become someone who has a place in the court!¡±

 Chapter 200 - Chapter 200: True Identity

    chapter 200: true identity


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    as yuan shu looked at mu zhou, her eyes were filled with disappointment. ¡°you still haven¡¯t figured out what the problem is! it¡¯s never been about ranking. you¡¯ve already made so many mistakes, but you¡¯re still unwilling to change your ways.¡±


    agitated, mu zhou took two steps closer to yuan shu and grabbed her wrist. ¡°1 didn¡¯t do anything wrong! i did all of this just to get closer to you! you¡¯re the daughter of a minister, and i¡¯m just an orphan, so i can only get closer to you if i work hard.¡±


    yuan shu broke free from his grasp. ¡°i advise you not to make any more mistakes. the imperial edict has been issued and i¡¯ve already made up my mind. i¡¯m going to forget about you and marry him in peace.¡±


    shock and anguish flashed across mu zhou¡¯s eyes before slowly dissipating as the director shouted, ¡°cut!¡±


    his usual gentle smile returned as he watched the replay with yuan shu.


    mu zhou said, ¡°sorry, 1 used a little too much force just now. did i hurt you?¡±


    yuan shu shook her head. ¡°no, i¡¯m fine.¡±


    although she said so, yuan shu¡¯s face was obviously paler than before, and she felt a sense of powerlessness.


    mu zhou was a little worried. ¡°but you don¡¯t look fine. do you want to rest?¡±


    yuan shu shook her head again and watched the replay seriously.


    after watching the replay, wang shen said in satisfaction, ¡°good job. prepare for the next scene.¡±


    the next scene was for the other two actors, so yuan shu and mu zhou could go to the side and rest for a while.


    as yuan shu and mu zhou walked side by side, she suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness. her steps were a little unsteady, and even mu zhou¡¯s words became blurry. she couldn¡¯t hear anything clearly.


    when yuan shu looked at mu zhou and saw that he was getting more and more anxious, her body swayed a few times, and then right on the heels of that, she fell backward.


    mu zhou reacted quickly. the moment yuan shu fell, he supported her and let her lean into his arms. then, he carried her to the lounge right on the heels of that.


    when yuan shu woke up, she heard someone shouting outside, ¡°take a rest. the eldest daughter of the song family is here to visit. there¡¯s milk tea for everyone!¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re awake?¡±


    yuan shu hurriedly sat up and saw that mu zhou was sitting not far away from her.


    seeing that she had gotten up so quickly, mu zhou immediately came over to support her. ¡°you have low blood sugar, so you can¡¯t get up so quickly. you have to take it slow.¡±


    yuan shu nodded stiffly. not only was she familiar with mu zhou, but she also felt as if she had been entangled with him for generations.


    seeing yuan shu frown, mu zhou couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°what are you thinking about? why are you frowning?¡±


    before yuan shu could speak, there was a knock on the door. ¡°director mu, sister yuan shu, someone is here to visit. they brought snacks and milk tea. the two of you, come out and eat.¡±


    yuan shu didn¡¯t dwell on this matter anymore. she slowly sat up from the recliner and followed mu zhou out.


    as soon as the two of them arrived at the set, they saw song shi standing on a small stool. after she searched around, her gaze finally stopped in yuan shu¡¯s direction.


    yuan shu frowned again. why was it her again? was she here to cause trouble again?


    song shi had already gotten off the stool and ran towards them quickly. then, she stood in front of the two of them. however, this time, she didn¡¯t look at yuan shu at all. instead, she was focused on mu zhou.


    she was very beautiful to begin with, and when she smiled, she was especially charming. she said to mu zhou, ¡°jiang chen, why have you been ignoring me for so many days? i¡¯m no longer angry with you!¡±


    jiang chen?!


    yuan shu, who was beside mu zhou, was shocked. therefore, the mysterious young master of the jiang family, jiang chen, who yuan shu and shi xiao had been guessing about, was actually mu zhou!


    yuan shu looked at him in shock. she couldn¡¯t accept this fact no matter what. she remembered that mu zhou was quite shy and introverted. how could he be jiang chen?


    mu zhou ignored song shi. as if he had expected this, he turned to look at yuan shu and smiled exceptionally gently. ¡°yuan shu, long time no see..¡±

 Chapter 201 - Chapter 201: Obsession

    chapter 201: obsession


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    yuan shu looked at mu zhou in shock. oh, no, he should be called jiang chen now.


    the most mysterious person in the eyes of outsiders, jiang chen, who had almost never appeared in public, used the identity of mu zhou to secretly monitor them.


    yuan shu found it unbelievable. the news that mu zhou was jiang chen made her feel numb all over. yuan shu felt as if she had been tricked and froze on the spot.


    song shi pouted in dissatisfaction as she pointed at yuan shu and said, ¡°jiang chen, i came to see you, but why did you ignore me and talk to her instead?¡±


    jiang chen observed yuan shu¡¯s reaction carefully. it was a reaction he had expected and he knew that he should give yuan shu some time to process this news.


    he turned to look at song shi. he was very satisfied with her sudden appearance, so even his tone was no longer as cold as before. ¡°it¡¯s been hard on you to make a trip here. 1¡¯11 get the chauffeur to send you back later.¡±


    song shi didn¡¯t want to go back. she had bought things and rushed over, so she didn¡¯t want to be dismissed so easily. at the very least, she had to pester jiang chen for a while. at the very least, the two of them had to have a good chat and she had to vent the dissatisfaction in her heart over the past two days.


    however, before song shi could say anything, jiang chen had already taken out his phone and called the chauffeur to arrange for him to come in and pick song shi up.


    song shi stopped him anxiously. ¡°hey! jiang chen, 1 came specifically to see you. 1 don¡¯t want to go back so soon!¡±


    jiang chen just looked at her indifferently with impatience in his eyes.


    when song shi saw his gaze, she swallowed her next words.


    she felt that the current jiang chen was a little different from before. although jiang chen was cold before, he still cared about her. moreover, he always treated her differently from others.


    the two of them had grown up together. although song shi skipped grades because she was intelligent and left the country at the age of 18, and she rarely saw jiang chen after that, their relationship had a certain foundation. it was a relationship that time couldn¡¯t erase.


    on the day song shi returned to the country, jiang chen put down his work and went to pick her up personally. he accompanied her around the city for three days to familiarize her with the environment.


    song shi had always liked jiang chen. after not seeing him for a few years, this man had become more mature and handsome. song shi¡¯s crush on him turned into love, and in the end, she became adamant about obtaining him.


    however, for some reason, jiang chen¡¯s attitude suddenly changed two months ago and he started ignoring song shi.


    sometimes, song shi felt that she was like a pet that came and went as jiang chen pleased. she could only see jiang chen when he needed her. the jiang family wouldn¡¯t open their doors to her the rest of the time.


    she thought that perhaps it was because there were too many things to do during this period of time and he was too busy.


    it didn¡¯t matter. she could wait. when jiang chen finished his work and settled everything, they would be as intimate as before.


    as for the wedding date that the two of them had not decided on, it would be brought up again after a while.


    but yuan shu¡¯s appearance made song shi suddenly feel afraid and lose her confidence.


    women had sharp senses. she could clearly feel that jiang chen treated yuan shu differently. it could even be said that he was a little obsessed with her. this kind of persistence was far more than his feelings for her back then.


    when faced with someone she was about to lose, song shi found it hard to accept. she was a prodigy, so how could she tolerate a man who was about to become her fiance falling in love with someone else?


    therefore, she only had one thought, and that was to hold on to this man tightly and give up all her pride in order to obtain him!


    however, even though she had tried so hard and had almost forgotten how proud she used to be, the man in front of her was still getting further and further away from her and becoming more and more unfamiliar.


    song shi was indignant, but the chauffeur had already entered the venue to pick her up, so she followed the chauffeur unwillingly..

 Chapter 202 - Chapter 202: Interlude

    chapter 202: interlude


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    after song shi left, jiang chen smiled at yuan shu gently. even his eyes were filled with affection.


    she was still in a daze. she had been conflicted about what that familiar feeling was. this feeling had been bothering her ever since she finished filming. why did it slip away every time she tried to remember


    yuan shu was never someone who forgot things easily. on the contrary, she had a good memory. back then, when she was in charge of the entire general¡¯s residence, she remembered the names of dozens of servants in the entire residence, as well as the things they had to do.


    even in the military camp, yuan shu had an amazing memory. as long as it was an array formation that she had seen before, even if it had been a long time already, she could display it perfectly.


    however, she had forgotten about jiang chen too many times, as if she was in a dream. every time she struggled in the dream, she would wake up and the things that she had painstakingly remembered would all slip away.


    jiang chen called out to her, ¡°yuan shu?¡±


    after yuan shu came back to her senses, she looked at him in confusion. jiang chen was no longer just a mystery to her. yuan shu was sure that she must have seen jiang chen a long time ago!


    jiang chen felt a little uncomfortable being stared at by her, so he asked with a smile, ¡°why are you staring at me? is there something on my face?¡±


    yuan shu didn¡¯t answer and only stared at him. after a long time, she asked, ¡°who are you?¡±


    jiang chen was still smiling, but his tone was very serious. ¡°i¡¯m mu zhou, and i¡¯m also jiang chen.¡±


    yuan shu was still suspicious, and her intention wasn¡¯t to ask about his identity at all. what yuan shu wanted to know more was how he met her a long time ago.


    zhang chao had just come from the director¡¯s place, so he didn¡¯t hear song shi call jiang chen¡¯s name. naturally, he didn¡¯t know jiang chen¡¯s identity.


    ever since the filming started, yuan shu¡¯s phone had been with zhang chao. when zhang chao was communicating with the director, her phone kept ringing, so he looked for yuan shu the moment he came out.


    when he saw yuan shu and mu zhou standing together from afar, he immediately ran over.


    ¡°madam shi! mr. shi has been calling you. i couldn¡¯t find you anywhere, so i answered the call for you. mr. shi said that he wants you to call him back.¡±


    zhang chao¡¯s appearance broke the awkward atmosphere between the two of them. yuan shu stopped looking at jiang chen and took the cell phone to call shi xiao.


    the call was picked up very quickly. it was obvious that shi xiao had been waiting for yuan shu to call back.


    yuan shu asked, ¡°why are you looking for me?¡±


    shi xiao¡¯s tone was calm, and he wasn¡¯t annoyed by the long wait. ¡°it¡¯s nothing.


    1 just wanted to ask when you¡¯ll come back from the set?¡±


    the set was a film studio that was located in the suburbs and was very far from downtown, so it wasn¡¯t very convenient to go back. yuan shu stayed in the hotel arranged by the production team during the few days when her scenes were more concentrated.


    yuan shu was curious. she had just left home in the afternoon. why was he in such a hurry to ask her when she was going back?


    she thought about the schedule and said, ¡°i have a lot of scenes these two days, so i might have to wait a few days. is there something urgent?¡±


    after shi xiao thought about it, he decided not to tell her yet, so he replied, ¡°there¡¯s nothing urgent. i¡¯m just asking about your schedule. i plan to pick you up when you come back.¡±


    ¡°okay, is there anything else?¡±


    ¡°no.¡±


    after hanging up, shi xiao tapped his fingers on the desk while making a rhythmic sound.


    after he came back to the country, he found out that yuan shu borrowed one million yuan from shi lu and invested in a new software company.


    at first, because he was suspicious of yuan shu, he wanted to use this as a trump card to force yuan shu to get a divorce.


    later on, he began to admire yuan shu and they became allies. shi xiao could completely understand why he wanted to invest in a company to earn some money, so he never mentioned this matter.


    but today, when he was investigating yuan an¡¯s situation, he actually saw this company. he vaguely felt that something was wrong and was worried that this company was trying to hack into yuan an¡¯s system. however, if he took action, this company definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to continue operating. then yuan shu¡¯s money¡­


    however, shi xiao thought about it again. it was just a million yuan. if yuan shu wanted it, even if it was ten million yuan, shi xiao wouldn¡¯t hesitate. hence, he decided not to tell her about this for the time being..

 Chapter 203 - Chapter 203: Invitation

    chapter 203: invitation


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    jiang chen stood next to yuan shu and waited for her to finish the call. however, his expression became more and more stiff.


    although yuan shu¡¯s tone was very calm and it didn¡¯t sound like a husband and wife chatting at all, jiang chen was still keenly aware of yuan shu¡¯s trust in shi xiao. this trust made the conversation between the two of them quite casual.


    yuan shu was a very vigilant person, so it was definitely not easy to make her change like this.


    jiang chen had neglected the fact that yuan shu and shi xiao spent every day together, so it was naturally easier for them to become closer than ordinary people. if they continued to interact like this, their relationship would only become closer.


    jiang chen¡¯s gaze suddenly turned cold and he already had a plan in mind. he had to act faster.


    yuan shu hung up the phone and handed the phone to zhang chao, who was waiting at the side. then she looked at jiang chen again.


    jiang chen returned to normal in an instant. he was smiling in an approachable manner.


    jiang chen took the initiative to say, ¡°you weren¡¯t feeling well just now, so 1 communicated with the director. we won¡¯t be filming tonight. shall we find a place to drink?¡±


    yuan shu also had many questions for him, so she didn¡¯t object to this suggestion.


    she nodded and followed jiang chen out.


    jiang chen didn¡¯t invite zhang chao, so it wasn¡¯t appropriate for him to follow them. zhang chao watched the two of them leave, but then he suddenly remembered that yuan shu¡¯s phone was still with him, so he immediately shouted, ¡°madam shi, you didn¡¯t take your cell phone!¡±


    yuan shu stopped and looked back at him. ¡°help me hold it first.¡±


    zhang chao sighed. when could madam shi change her habit of not bringing her cell phone with her?! every time there was something urgent, he couldn¡¯t contact her!


    however, zhang chao only dared to complain to himself. he didn¡¯t dare to say it out loud!


    jiang chen brought yuan shu to a cafe with a good environment and sat in a cubicle by the window on the first floor. as it was already nighttime, there were very few people drinking coffee, so the cafe was very quiet. there was only elegant classical music and the occasional sound of conversation.


    considering that it was already nighttime, jiang chen ordered two cups of milk tea and a piece of matcha basque cake.


    after the tea was served, yuan shu stirred the milk tea in the cup with a small iron spoon, forming a small vortex on the surface of the milk tea. yuan shu stared at the small vortex in a daze.


    she had so many questions to ask, but she didn¡¯t know where to start. she suddenly couldn¡¯t remember all the doubts she had about jiang chen just now, so after thinking for a long time, yuan shu started the first topic of the night. ¡°why did you appear with a fake identity?¡±


    after hearing this question, jiang chen was a little disappointed. he felt that if zhang chao hadn¡¯t interrupted the conversation between the two of them just now, yuan shu would have asked the question he was looking forward to.


    jiang chen answered yuan shu seriously, ¡°mu zhou isn¡¯t a fake identity. he¡¯s a real person. he¡¯s me, and i¡¯m him. jiang chen is my real name, but 1 prefer mu zhou¡¯s identity.¡±


    jiang chen¡¯s expression was very sincere, so yuan shu felt that her question was too arbitrary. was there a rule that people weren¡¯t to have an alias?


    yuan shu asked the next question, ¡°then why didn¡¯t you tell me that you were jiang chen?¡±


    ¡°because i didn¡¯t have a chance to tell you.¡±


    jiang chen didn¡¯t answer yuan shu¡¯s question, but it was the truth.


    before today, the two of them had met many times, but there was no chance to reveal this matter.


    it was their first meeting. naturally, he wouldn¡¯t reveal his identity to a person he met for the first time. their subsequent meeting was when he tried to make yuan shu play the female lead in this movie.


    later, when they finally became friends, jiang chen did want to tell yuan shu about this, but shi xiao came back.


    with the relationship between the jiang family and the shi family, once it was exposed, the friendship between jiang chen and yuan shu would probably end right there.


    yuan shu wasn¡¯t someone who dilly-dallied. if they were destined to be enemies, yuan shu would definitely cut the gordian knot..

 Chapter 204 - Chapter 204: Dizzy

    chapter 204: dizzy


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    it wasn¡¯t until today that jiang chen felt that the time had come, so he specifically asked zheng tian to tell song shi that he was already filming on set. then, he asked song shi to visit him and take the opportunity to let yuan shu discover his identity.


    yuan shu would definitely consider the big picture and wouldn¡¯t give up on this movie just because of jiang chen¡¯s identity. more importantly, this movie was far more important to yuan shu and jiang chen than the relationship between the two families.


    after yuan shu recalled their interactions carefully, she knew that jiang chen was telling the truth, so she didn¡¯t dwell on this issue.


    now that yuan shu thought about it, many things that had happened before could be explained by this. this was also why jiang chen had given her a carefully custom-made gown.


    although this gown caused an unnecessary misunderstanding, yuan shu still had to thank him out of politeness. ¡°i have to thank you for this gown. it¡¯s very beautiful and must be expensive. 1 don¡¯t like to receive expensive gifts from others, so why don¡¯t you choose something and i¡¯ll give it to you in return?¡±


    jiang chen looked a little hurt, and even his smile faded a little. ¡°how did you know my identity? i¡¯ve already become someone else to you. yuan shu, aren¡¯t we friends?¡±


    yuan shu didn¡¯t know how to answer.


    if not for the relationship between the jiang family and the shi family, yuan shu really hoped to be friends with jiang chen. even though jiang chen had lied to her about his identity, and yuan shu hated being lied to the most, yuan shu still had a good impression of this friend of hers.


    yuan shu thought that the person who could play ¡°phoenix seeks the phoenix¡± so beautifully must be a very understanding person and was worthy of yuan shu becoming friends with him.


    yuan shu temporarily categorized jiang chen¡¯s familiarity as a friendship. in this world, it was a pleasant surprise to meet a friend who was compatible with her in all aspects.


    jiang chen looked at yuan shu with sincerity, hurt, and fear in his eyes. for a moment, he was indeed very afraid that after weighing the pros and cons, yuan shu would give up.


    jiang chen smiled bitterly. what he admired and liked the most was yuan shu¡¯s rationality and tenacity. sometimes, he was afraid that she was too rational and tough. she would always withdraw in time and definitely wouldn¡¯t be affected by emotions that she shouldn¡¯t have.


    when she treated her friends, she was absolutely sincere and attentive. she would never covet any benefits. when one became an enemy of hers, she definitely wouldn¡¯t be soft-hearted and would never leave her back to someone who might backstab her at any time.


    she could leave decisively, but he couldn¡¯t.


    he could never give up on yuan shu.


    hence, he said in a pleading tone, ¡°yuan shu, no matter what, no matter what you think about the relationship between our families, i hope you can know that you¡¯re an indispensable friend to me and the person i value the most.¡±


    as yuan shu looked into jiang chen¡¯s eyes, she felt a dull pain in her heart.


    every word he said seemed to hit her chest. for a moment, she felt so stuffy that she couldn¡¯t breathe. yuan shu clenched her fists, and her nails dug into her palm, causing her to feel a sense of pain that sobered her.


    for a moment, yuan shu¡¯s vision turned black and her mind went blank. however, countless images seemed to flash past before disappearing in the blink of an eye.


    jiang chen stared at yuan shu expectantly and his hands were also clenched tightly. he knew what yuan shu was going through at this moment. he also knew yuan shu¡¯s inner struggle, but he could only watch nervously from the side.


    after a few minutes, yuan shu gradually calmed down. yuan shu¡¯s red lips parted slightly as she took a deep breath before exhaling. only then did she feel more comfortable.


    it was as if her heart had stopped and started beating again in an instant, but in the blink of an eye, the pain from before disappeared. yuan shu couldn¡¯t even remember that feeling, it was like a short period of memory loss.


    she hated the feeling of losing control in an instant. she hated everything that she couldn¡¯t control, especially herself..

 Chapter 205 - Chapter 205: Catching a Thief

    chapter 205: catching a thief


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    yuan shu stared straight at jiang chen, as if she was looking for the answer to all her questions. as jiang chen slowly let go of her hand, a hint of disappointment flashed across his eyes. in the end, he revealed a melancholic smile.


    yuan shu asked him, ¡°jiang chen, can 1 listen to you play ¡®phoenix seeks the phoenix¡¯ again?¡±


    jiang chen was stunned for a moment, but he still smiled and said, ¡°okay.¡± after thinking for a while, he continued, ¡°in a few days. after we finish filming these two days, i¡¯ll play it for you.¡±


    yuan shu nodded. she looked as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she held it in. ¡°let¡¯s go back.¡±


    yuan shu had already stood up and was about to leave when jiang chen suddenly stopped her. ¡°yuan shu.¡±


    yuan shu turned back to look at him. this scene seemed to have happened somewhere before. she had once turned back to look at someone like this, but she couldn¡¯t remember who it was.


    jiang chen just smiled and said, ¡°i¡¯m fine.¡±


    yuan shu¡¯s attention was attracted by the person outside the window. then, she frowned and looked out of the window with a serious expression.


    seeing her expression, jiang chen followed her gaze and looked out of the window.


    there was a night market street outside. the street was crowded and lively.


    jiang chen noticed that there was a long line in front of a stall selling eggs and hemp buns. a girl was carrying a pink backpack.


    the zipper of her backpack was a little loose. behind her, there stood a man wearing a baseball cap and a mask. he had the brim of his hat lowered and was secretly pulling up the girl¡¯s zipper.


    however, the girl was very lively. from time to time, she would jump around. one moment, she would play with her friend standing in front of her, and the next moment, she would swipe her cell phone. the man was worried that he would be discovered, so he was very careful and slow.


    when jiang chen saw the man¡¯s movements clearly, he realized that yuan shu had also discovered the thief. that was why she frowned. however, when he turned around to look at yuan shu again, there was no one behind him.


    he hurriedly walked away from the coffee table, but he only caught sight of yuan shu walking out of the cafe.


    yuan shu was wearing canvas shoes that were very convenient for her to walk in. in addition, she had been training and had martial arts skills, so she walked faster than ordinary people. in the blink of an eye, she was already on the street.


    without a word, jiang chen left two hundred-yuan bills and immediately followed her out.


    when he walked out and found yuan shu again, yuan shu was already standing a meter away from the man. she pulled out the whip at her waist and wrapped it around the man¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°who is it?!¡± the man¡¯s wrist hurt from the whip and he tried to retract his hand, but his hand was entangled by the whip and he couldn¡¯t retract it, so he shouted, attracting the attention of the people around him, including the girl he had stolen from.


    everyone looked at yuan shu and the man and started discussing.


    jiang chen hurried over and said to the girl who had been stolen from, ¡°miss, this man stole your things. hurry up and check if there¡¯s anything missing from your bag.¡±


    the girl immediately took off her backpack. seeing that her backpack had already been opened, she was so frightened that she quickly rummaged through the things inside. her friend helped her carry her bag.


    when the man heard the word ¡°steal¡±, he immediately pointed at jiang chen and yuan shu. ¡°don¡¯t talk nonsense! you were the ones who hit me for no reason!¡±


    jiang chen said with a sneer, ¡°then why did you put your hand in his backpack?¡±


    the man thought of an idea. ¡°1 saw that her bag was unzipped and wanted to help her pull it. 1 didn¡¯t even touch the bag, but you guys claimed that i stole something! you guys wronged me. you have to apologize to me!¡±


    after checking her bag, the girl looked at the three of them in confusion. then she said to jiang chen, ¡°there¡¯s indeed nothing missing in the bag.¡±


    yuan shu couldn¡¯t be bothered to talk nonsense with such a shameless person. she exerted strength in her hand and wrapped the whip even tighter. a red mark immediately appeared on the man¡¯s wrist, but blood didn¡¯t flow, causing his palm to turn pale.


    ¡°all!¡± the man screamed in pain. ¡°how dare you hit me on the street! someone, please help me call the police!¡±


    when the crowd heard this, they immediately took out their phones to call the police.


    yuan shu sneered. ¡°alright, let the police investigate and see if your fingerprints are on the girl¡¯s bag.. if you didn¡¯t touch the bag, you shouldn¡¯t be afraid of being investigated!¡±

 Chapter 206 - Chapter 206: Upholding Justice

    chapter 206: upholding justice


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    the onlookers didn¡¯t know the truth, but they felt that whoever was weak deserved sympathy. because yuan shu was the one who attacked first, they thought that the man was right. however, now that they heard that yuan shu wasn¡¯t afraid of the police at all, everyone¡¯s attitude changed.


    nowadays, people liked to take videos and share them. naturally, there were also people who took out their phones to take photos of the process. there were also people who kept pushing forward in order to take a clearer picture. right on the heels of that, a girl in a light yellow suspenders dress was squeezed out of the crowd.


    when the man heard that they were going to check for fingerprints, he panicked. he took out a small knife from his pocket and cut yuan shu¡¯s whip. he freed his right hand and pulled the girl who had been squeezed out of the crowd. he clamped her with one hand and placed the small knife on her neck with the other.


    the girl screamed in fear as the sharp blade pressed against her neck. the cold feeling made her tremble. ¡°help!¡±


    the man only wanted to steal something and didn¡¯t want to make a big deal out of it. he was only holding the girl hostage because he was in a panic. now that he saw the crowd surrounding him, he immediately shouted, ¡°move aside! make way for me!¡±


    yuan shu frowned at him. what she despised the most was a man pointing a knife at a weak woman. such a person had no morals at all. if he was let off, he would only be the scum of society in the future!


    yuan shu gave jiang chen a look to signal him to evacuate the crowd and call the police.


    jiang chen immediately understood and nodded. then, as he evacuated the crowd, he whispered to a person holding a cell phone, ¡°call the police.¡±


    on the other side, yuan shu was trying to attract the man¡¯s attention. ¡°you just want to escape. you don¡¯t want the matter to blow up, so put down the knife first and don¡¯t hurt anyone.¡±


    the man was very agitated. ¡°shut up! it¡¯s all your fault for causing trouble and ruining things for me today. just you wait. i won¡¯t let you off!¡±


    yuan shu sneered. it was hard to say who wouldn¡¯t let go of who. he was still so stubborn even at a time like this!


    yuan shu said patiently, ¡°sure, if you don¡¯t let me off, come at me and let the girl beside you go.¡±


    the man didn¡¯t fall for it. ¡°do you think i¡¯m stupid? there are so many people now. if 1 let the girl go, will i be able to escape from here?¡±


    at this moment, jiang chen had already started to evacuate the crowd. he walked to the blind spot beside the man, then secretly stretched out his foot and tripped a chubby young man who was retreating.


    the young man was still holding the roasted corn in his hand and didn¡¯t even forget to eat two mouthfuls of corn as he retreated. he didn¡¯t pay attention to his feet at all. after being tripped, he fell to the ground with a thud, causing him to cry out in pain.


    the kidnapper¡¯s attention was attracted by this commotion. like a frightened bird, he suddenly turned around. yuan shu took this opportunity to swing the whip in her hand and knock away the knife in his hand.


    the knife fell to the ground. the girl in the yellow suspenders was so afraid that her legs went weak. without the man¡¯s support, she fell to the ground.


    jiang chen glanced at yuan shu and gave her a reassuring look. then he walked to the man quickly. when he was one meter away from the man, he jumped up and kicked the man¡¯s waist.


    the man lost his balance and fell to the ground.


    at this moment, yuan shu walked to the girl in the yellow suspenders and took off her shirt to cover the girl¡¯s legs as she said softly, ¡°don¡¯t be afraid. stand up first.¡±


    tears streamed down the girl¡¯s face, but she was comforted by yuan shu¡¯s words and she forced herself to stand up.


    at this moment, the man stood up and picked up the knife again. then, he raised the knife at yuan shu and rushed over.


    when yuan shu heard the commotion behind her, her eyes narrowed and she glanced sideways at the man behind her. instinctively, she turned around to whip him.


    jiang chen, who was standing at the side, had already noticed the man¡¯s actions. at the same time, he executed a handsome right kick.


    the whip hit the man¡¯s abdomen and his right leg kicked the man¡¯s back. this pincer attack caused his teeth to break his lips and he spat out a mouthful of blood.


    after yuan shu threw the whip to jiang chen, jiang chen took the whip and tied him up on the spot. the two of them cooperated very smoothly..

 Chapter 207 - Chapter 207: Repeated Dream

    chapter 207: repeated dream


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    yuan shu stood in the distance as she looked at the man coldly.


    after jiang chen tied up the man, he hurried over and asked her with concern, ¡°how are you? are you hurt?¡±


    yuan shu shook her head. before she could say anything, the police had already arrived.


    the two of them followed the police to the police station. after recording their statements, a police officer said to yuan shu, ¡°she¡¯s already been detained. the whip you used to tie her up is on the table outside. you can take it away after you sign it.¡±


    yuan shu didn¡¯t want the whip that had whipped that scumbag, so she only nodded but didn¡¯t intend to take it again.


    jiang chen had already finished recording his statement and was waiting for her at the door. when he saw yuan shu come out, he handed her the shirt he was holding. ¡°it¡¯s a little windy tonight. i saw a shop at the entrance of the police station just now, so 1 bought you a shirt. put it on.¡±


    yuan shu thanked him and put on her shirt before walking towards the hotel.


    the hotel wasn¡¯t far away from the police station, so the two of them chose to walk instead of taking a taxi.


    jiang chen followed yuan shu and the two of them were silent all the way back to their respective rooms in the hotel.


    after yuan shu tidied up, she went to bed. before lying on the bed, she took a last look at the time. it was already midnight. the surroundings were quiet, and she could even hear crickets chirping.


    yuan shu was so tired that she didn¡¯t even have time to think about what had happened today before she fell asleep.


    yuan shu had a dream, where she seemed to have returned to the military camp. the soldiers were training. she and a group of soldiers of the same age had just finished the teacher¡¯s class and were planning to enter the city in the afternoon.


    this was the only day they were given free time every month. every time this day came, they would go to the city to shop and eat delicious food that wasn¡¯t available in the military camp, such as jujube pastry cakes from the pastry shop, stewed squab pigeons, and sweet candied hawthorn on the streets.


    just like that, the group of people got into the carriage to head into the city.


    however, the city wasn¡¯t peaceful that day. an assassin sneaked into the capital and was chased by the soldiers. the assassin panicked and grabbed a small soldier beside yuan shu.


    he was the youngest among them and had just entered the military camp, so he wasn¡¯t very skilled. after the assassin grabbed his shoulder and pressed a long saber against his neck, he cried in fear, but he didn¡¯t wet his pants. this incident became something he bragged about countless times later on. ¡°back then, 1 didn¡¯t wet my pants even when 1 had a saber against my neck!¡±


    yuan shu gripped the whip in her hand tightly. she was very worried about the soldier¡¯s safety, but she didn¡¯t dare to attack rashly, so she could only watch from afar.


    suddenly, another soldier beside her nudged her and gave her a look. the two of them nodded tacitly. then, this soldier took advantage of the fact that the assassin and the soldiers were negotiating and didn¡¯t notice them to move behind the assassin.


    then, he shouted, ¡°don¡¯t shoot!¡±


    everyone¡¯s attention was attracted by this sound. the assassin thought that there was an ambush around and looked around in fear.


    yuan shu took advantage of the fact that the assassin was distracted to whip him. the soldier who was shouting kicked the assassin and successfully saved the hostage.


    the assassin committed suicide by biting his tongue after failing to assassinate the soldier.


    yuan shu was very familiar with this scene. this was the first time she had faced weapons, enemies, and blood before going to the battlefield as an adult. therefore, she remembered this very clearly. even in her dream, every scene was very vivid.


    however, yuan shu couldn¡¯t remember the soldier¡¯s name.


    who was he?


    in the dream, yuan shu slowly approached them to see the soldier¡¯s face clearly so that she could remember his name. however, it was as if there was a layer of fog. no matter how yuan shu approached, the soldier¡¯s face was very blurry and distant.


    he was still talking and laughing, and his voice was clear as he cooperated with yuan shu in her dream.. the two of them were obviously very familiar, but even though yuan shu searched her memories, she couldn¡¯t remember this person¡¯s appearance and who this person was¡­

 Chapter 208 - Chapter 208: Bickering

    chapter 208: bickering


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    after waking up from the dream, yuan shu felt even more tired than usual even though she had slept soundly. she was listless, but she still forced herself to get up and go downstairs for a run.


    as soon as yuan shu went downstairs, she met jiang chen, who had also woken up early. the two of them greeted each other with a smile.


    jiang chen asked, ¡°the bed in the hotel is a little soft. are you used to sleeping here?¡±


    to be honest, yuan shu didn¡¯t sleep well. she didn¡¯t like soft beds, and it hurt her waist, since it felt like she didn¡¯t have any support. however, people nowadays seemed to prefer soft beds.


    even at home, the bed that yuan shu slept on at the beginning was ridiculously soft. it was only when she asked wu yan to change the palm-wood mattress that she felt more comfortable sleeping.


    yuan shu shook her head to show that she hadn¡¯t slept well. then she glanced at jiang chen, who was wearing the same sportswear as her, and asked him, ¡°you¡¯re up so early. are you going to exercise as well?¡±


    after jiang chen stretched, he said with a smile, ¡°yes, i¡¯m used to exercising in the morning. last night, i asked the hotel¡¯s customer service staff and found out that there was a sports field nearby, so i¡¯m going over there to run a few laps.¡±


    yuan shu¡¯s interest was piqued when she heard that. coincidentally, she was still worried about whether there was any place nearby where she could exercise. she just got up early out of habit.


    so she said to jiang chen, ¡°then let¡¯s go together.¡±


    ¡°sure.¡±


    the two of them didn¡¯t like to talk when they were exercising, so they only maintained the same pace as they ran side by side in the venue. after about an hour, both of them were sweating profusely, so they stopped and returned to the hotel.


    when they arrived at the entrance of the hotel, they were almost done sweating. the two of them saw a beautiful girl with red hair running out of the hotel happily. after she ran to yuan shu¡¯s side, she stopped and held yuan shu¡¯s arm intimately as she called out sweetly, ¡°sister yuan shu-¡±


    when yuan shu took a closer look and saw that it was zhang zhang, she smiled and rubbed her red hair.


    shi lu followed closely behind her as he walked out. with a look of disdain, he grabbed zhang zhang¡¯s collar and pulled her two steps back to separate her from yuan shu.


    zhang zhang was very dissatisfied and glared at shi lu. ¡°why are you such a spoilsport every day?!¡±


    shi lu put her hands in her pockets and said arrogantly, ¡°don¡¯t be so ridiculous. why do you cling to my sister-in-law like a clingy little vixen every time you see her?!¡±


    the two of them started bickering.


    not to be outdone, zhang zhang put her hands on her hips and glared at him. ¡°you¡¯re an annoying person, but don¡¯t stop me from making friends with others! aren¡¯t you just jealous that sister yuan shu likes me and not you?¡± ¡°please don¡¯t keep calling her sister yuan shu, okay? you¡¯re making my sister-in-law sound old!¡±


    ¡°tsk!¡± zhang zhang rolled her eyes at him.


    shi lu was an unforgiving person. ¡°also, my sister-in-law doesn¡¯t like others to be so close to her. can you not cling to her every time you see her?!¡±


    zhang zhang had always been a person who wouldn¡¯t waste her breath if she could fight, so she punched shi lu¡¯s arm. ¡°don¡¯t be so jealous! sister yuan shu likes me clinging to her. what do you know?!¡±


    shi lu turned to look at yuan shu in disdain. ¡°sister-in-law, don¡¯t you think she¡¯s annoying?¡±


    shi lu¡¯s tone was very certain, as if he knew that he wasn¡¯t wrong.


    yuan shu was speechless. this person usually looked quite levelheaded, but why did he become so immature when it came to zhang zhang? he bickered with zhang zhang the moment they met.


    yuan shu looked at shi lu reproachfully, but she couldn¡¯t be bothered to lecture him in front of so many people. then, she looked at zhang zhang dotingly as she said, ¡°1 like zhang zhang very much. i¡¯m also very happy that she likes to cling to me.¡±


    after hearing this, zhang zhang immediately smiled brighter as she hugged yuan shu¡¯s arm happily and wheedled.


    when shi lu saw that zhang zhang rarely revealed such a little girl¡¯s side, goosebumps rose all over her body. she quickly raised her arms and vented her dissatisfaction. ¡°sister-in-law, why are you so good to zhang zhang? i¡¯ve never seen you dote on us so much.¡±


    jiang chen looked at the two people bickering like children, then at the helpless yuan shu, and a smile appeared on his face. she was indeed very likeable..

 Chapter 209 - Chapter 209: On the Trending Searches Again

    chapter 209: on the trending searches again


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    after the argument, the two of them immediately remembered their business and looked yuan shu up and down. after confirming that there were no wounds on her body, they were relieved.


    yuan shu was at a loss. ¡°what are you two looking for?¡±


    zhang zhang stared at yuan shu, still very worried. ¡°sister yuan shu, don¡¯t you know? the video of you heroically catching a thief last night was posted online. it¡¯s now at the top of the trending search rankings!¡±


    shi lu immediately said, ¡°don¡¯t you know how to be careful? what if that person had hurt you with the knife?¡±


    there was a hint of reproach in shi lu¡¯s tone, but yuan shu could hear his concern and suddenly felt touched. she smiled and rubbed their heads while comforting them, ¡°don¡¯t worry, with my skills, that person couldn¡¯t have done anything to me.¡±


    zhang zhang pouted angrily. ¡°it¡¯s precisely because you¡¯re overconfident in yourself that you underestimate your enemy! moreover, you¡¯re a weak woman. how can you compare to that strong man? what if he had hurt you?!¡±


    as she spoke, zhang zhang pushed up her sleeves angrily. ¡°the more 1 talk about it, the angrier i get. where¡¯s that man? i¡¯m going to go over and beat him up!¡±


    yuan shu hurriedly stopped this impulsive young lady. ¡°he really wasn¡¯t my match. moreover, he¡¯s already been arrested by the police.¡±


    yuan shu glanced at shi lu, since she wanted him to help stop zhang zhang. unexpectedly, shi lu was even more worked up. he clenched his fists and was about to go to the police station. ¡°the police station, right? does he think that i can¡¯t beat him up if he hides in the police station?¡±


    yuan shu was rendered speechless by his misunderstanding.


    in the end, it was jiang chen who stopped them. ¡°don¡¯t be agitated. with me around, nothing will happen to yuan shu.¡±


    jiang chen saw that the two of them had calmed down. although they still looked very angry, they didn¡¯t try to rush out anymore, so he continued, ¡°it was already very late when we came back last night and the two of us went to bed early. we didn¡¯t even look at our cell phones when we got up to run today, so we don¡¯t know about the trending topic yet. let¡¯s take a look at the comment section first and see if there¡¯s a need to get the public relations to deal with it.¡±


    the two of them nodded tacitly, but after thinking about what jiang chen had said, they suddenly felt that something was wrong. what did he mean by ¡°we¡±?


    shi lu was furious. she was his sister-in-law. how did she become buddies with him?


    zhang zhang was also furious. sister yuan shu just happened to meet him. why did he make their relationship sound so ambiguous?!


    yuan shu was dumbfounded as she watched the two of them, who had finally been appeased, suddenly lose their temper again. the two of them glared at jiang chen at the same time.


    to yuan shu, jiang chen was just stating a fact. she didn¡¯t think about his deeper meaning at all, so she naturally didn¡¯t know why these two people were suddenly angry again.


    fortunately, zhang chao appeared at the entrance of the hotel in time and interrupted, so the two of them forgot what had just happened.


    zhang chao took two deep breaths before saying, ¡°madam shi! what happened last night is trending!¡±


    the four of them nodded at the same time. ¡°we all know.¡±


    zhang chao scratched his head awkwardly when he was suddenly stared at by four people. why did he feel that he wasn¡¯t a very dutiful manager?


    zhang chao swallowed hard and asked tentatively, ¡°why don¡¯t we go in first?¡±


    the four of them looked at each other and nodded in unison.


    there were already many people in the film studio. they were celebrities, so they would definitely attract attention if they stood at the door for so long. fortunately, there were very few people in the morning. 0then-vise, a group of people would have surrounded them long ago.


    after the four of them entered a presidential suite, they sat on the sofa in the living room of the suite. zhang zhang and shi lu opened two bottles of soda and sat leisurely on both sides of yuan shu, like guardians protecting yuan shu and keeping her away from jiang chen.


    jiang chen looked at the two children speechlessly when he saw their childish behavior.


    after the water boiled, jiang chen poured a cup of hot water for yuan shu and placed it in front of her.


    zhang chao also raised the cup to toast jiang chen, but he ignored him, so zhang chao could only retract his hand awkwardly and pretend to take a sip of the empty cup..

 Chapter 210 - Chapter 210: King Influencer

    chapter 210: king influencer


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    the comment section under this trending topic was surprisingly unanimous. almost all of them were praising yuan shu.


    [isn¡¯t this the woman who was trending a while ago? 1 thought she was an aloof young madam, but i didn¡¯t expect her to be so down to earth. how cool!]


    [she looks so pretty even in such a simple outfit! and that belt is so beautiful! 1 want to buy the same style! ]


    the angle of the video they saw was limited, so they treated the way yuan shu pulled out the whip as yuan shu taking off the decorative belt on her waist and they started looking for the same model.


    this comment had the most replies. [sister! please share the link after you find it! i want the same one too! this belt is really too cool!]


    [what should 1 do? 1 can¡¯t find the same belt at all! i wanna buy several of it!] [can i ask where you bought this outfit? it¡¯s really beautiful. 1 love this style!] hence, this video suddenly became some sort of advertising video.


    not only that, but these comments were all posted last night. this morning, zhang chao saw a series of products titled ¡°yuan shu¡¯s same style¡± on a shopping platform. from her white t-shirt, to her jeans, and even the earrings on yuan shu¡¯s ears, they were all found.


    of course, the whip was the one with the highest number of clicks. this whip was specifically designed by shi yi according to yuan shu¡¯s requirements and preferences. from the use to the workmanship, it was top-notch. only shi yi herself could replicate the whip.


    however, the netizens didn¡¯t care about this. they only cared about whether they could get the same model. as for the quality and material, that wasn¡¯t their first consideration. in this fast-paced era, everything only had a season¡¯s worth of lifespan. it didn¡¯t matter if the material was good or not.


    zhang chao also noticed that this product was only pre-sold, but the purchase volume had already reached more than 5,000. as for the other products with ready-made goods, the purchase volume was also above 3,000. it was even continuing to soar. this delivery level was very powerful!


    as a professional manager, the first ability that zhang chao had to master was the conversion of the value of the artistes in his hands¡­ with yuan shu¡¯s influencer abilities, there would definitely be people looking for her to promote goods very soon.


    taking advantage of this opportunity, he would spread the news that yuan shu had entered the industry and release the news that yuan shu was filming now. then, the people who would come looking for her would change from merchants to brands.


    with the shi family¡¯s fame and status, yuan shu¡¯s status wasn¡¯t something a newbie artiste could compare to. brands that came to look for her would definitely be brands that everyone were familiar with.


    after she became the spokesperson of a brand, she would have to participate in all kinds of shows, accept all kinds of advertisements and magazine interviews and increase the fame of this drama. then, this drama would definitely be a hit when it was broadcasted. moreover, with yuan shu and shi lu as partners, the audience would also pay more attention to shi lu¡¯s drama. in the future, they would naturally receive better scripts.


    the more zhang chao thought about it, the more overjoyed he felt. he originally thought that a wealthy madam was just experiencing life at the grassroots level, but he didn¡¯t expect that she became a money tree that had taken root beside him! not only did he have shi lu, a top celebrity, in his hands, but he didn¡¯t expect that the heavens would send him another top-notch influencer! he had to go to the god of wealth temple in the next two days to pay his respects!


    zhang chao wiped his nonexistent saliva and smiled at everyone as he said, ¡°my suggestion is to use this wave of popularity to get the production team to post your makeup photos and promote this drama. perhaps the project can even be upgraded!¡±


    of course, zhang zhang and shi lu had no objections. didn¡¯t they come to the production team so early today just to take makeup photos? it was just a matter of the schedule being brought forward.


    yuan shu didn¡¯t know much about these sorts of things, but it seemed to have nothing to do with her, so she didn¡¯t have any objections.


    on the other hand, jiang chen¡¯s expression was a little solemn. he pursed his lips and glanced at yuan shu, but he didn¡¯t raise any objections in the end..

 Chapter 211 - Chapter 211: Controlling the Comments

    chapter 211: controlling the comments


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    after everyone left the presidential suite and packed their things to go to the production team, jiang chen took out his phone and called zheng tian.


    ¡°how¡¯s the investigation of that person from last night going?¡±


    zheng tian replied, ¡°i¡¯ve checked. that person has a criminal record and often steals things. he was imprisoned for intentional assault three years ago and was released not long ago.¡±


    jiang chen¡¯s expression was cold as he said, ¡°then help him. let him stay in there forever.¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    jiang chen continued, ¡°go and deal with the trending topic. i want all the videos about this matter to disappear within an hour.¡±


    ¡°yes,¡± zheng tian replied, then immediately started to deal with it.


    as jiang chen stared at the half-filled cup of water on the table, he fell into deep thought.


    he knew that once yuan shu became popular, there would be trouble. no matter where she went, she would be surrounded and her actions would be restricted. this definitely wasn¡¯t the type of life yuan shu liked.


    jiang chen had dragged her into filming this movie because this movie was tailor-made for her. once the filming was completed, his goal would be achieved. as for yuan shu¡¯s life after that, jiang chen would definitely do his best to help her maintain her previous peaceful life.


    in the next few days, yuan shu¡¯s scenes barely overlapped with jiang chen¡¯s. they were basically about the female lead¡¯s growth or interaction with other characters.


    there were many scenes. yuan shu couldn¡¯t get into role so quickly and delayed the progress, the production team¡¯s progress was still going according to the schedule.


    on the other hand, shi xiao had to deal with yuan an¡¯s matters. when he was busy, he didn¡¯t even have time to eat lunch. he stayed in the office even at night and had not been home for many days.


    that afternoon, shi xiao was too tired, so after eating a simple meal, he lowered the back of his office chair and lay down to take a nap.


    when zhao mian entered the office and saw that shi xiao was sleeping, she quietly placed the data analysis report she had just processed on his desk. just as she was about to turn around and leave, shi xiao woke up.


    after he opened his eyes, he glanced at zhao mian and the report on the table. then, he cleared his throat and said, ¡°briefly describe the contents of the report and talk about the problems you discovered.¡±


    then, shi xiao straightened the back of his chair and sat up straight before forcing himself to sober up.


    zhao mian couldn¡¯t help but admire her boss¡¯s professionalism.


    shi xiao had always been an outstanding figure among the younger generation in the business world. he had earned his reputation bit by bit through his own hard work.


    back then, old master shi brought his madam overseas with the excuse of dealing with the affairs of foreign companies, but in fact, he actually went into retirement.


    because the matters of foreign companies weren¡¯t as complicated as those in the country, with his capable assistant helping him, old master shi could be a hands-off boss. the most he did every day was think about what his next vacation spot was.


    that¡¯s right. the elusive chairman shi¡¯s daily life overseas was choosing a villa in a new city to live in for a month or two. when he was sick of vacationing, he would come back to deal with the company¡¯s matters. after that, he would move to the next city for a month or two.


    as for the domestic market and company, he handed them over to shi xiao. at that time, shi xiao was only 23 years old. it wasn¡¯t easy for him to be in charge of the company and take care of his three naughty siblings at the same time.


    but even so, shi xiao still relied on his own strength to do everything himself. he managed to take the shi corporation¡¯s businesses in the country to the next level and let it occupy an unshakable position in the domestic market.


    the shi corporation could be said to have reached its peak and it was very difficult for it to improve further. hence, shi xiao chose to venture into another emerging field that he had never come into contact with before and create a new world. he invested a lot of money in it without hesitation.


    hence, a year ago, yuan an was officially established..

 Chapter 212 - Chapter 212: He Smiled

    chapter 212: he smiled


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    ¡°software development, a new online company platform¡± was a very new thing to begin with. not only had the shi corporation never come into contact with it, but even many other companies that occupied a place in the internet industry weren¡¯t very familiar with this either.


    hence, ever since yuan an was established, a lot of money had flowed out, but there were very few returns. there were loopholes in all aspects and many shareholders had already expressed their dissatisfaction, but shi xiao still insisted on his decision.


    finally, in the two months since shi xiao went to africa, a problem arose.


    many factions began to target yuan an and used it as a breakthrough point to topple the shi corporation. they hoped that they could use this to annex the market that the shi corporation occupied in the country, and they hoped that they could obtain the technology that yuan an had mastered.


    even though yuan shu stabilized yuan an¡¯s company for the time being, the company¡¯s development was still unsatisfactory. ever since shi xiao returned, he had been dealing with yuan an¡¯s company¡¯s matters, and there were still many problems.


    as zhao mian looked at her extremely tired boss, she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°young master, you haven¡¯t slept for almost three nights, so you should rest. these can¡­¡±


    shi xiao interrupted her. ¡°it¡¯s okay. tell me.¡±


    shi xiao¡¯s tone was quite gentle when speaking to his right-hand man of many years.


    of course, he knew that zhao mian was concerned about him, but there were too many problems in the corporation now. previously, in order to deal with his family¡¯s matters, he had already delayed things for a long time, so he had to use this period of time to make up for all the work that he had previously delayed.


    shi xiao forced himself to perk up and listened to zhao mian¡¯s report attentively. from time to time, she would raise one or two questions and suggestions. then, zhao mian noted them beside the document. the two of them discussed things for the entire afternoon. when the discussion was finally over, the sun had already set.


    the orange sunset gave the sky a red hue. the last rays of the setting sun shone into the office through the french windows and shone on shi xiao¡¯s desk, casting a faint yellow glow on the side of his handsome face, revealing his chiseled jawline.


    as he looked at the sunset calmly, his heart was filled with warmth and he couldn¡¯t help but think of yuan shu. he wondered how her life was on the production team. if she had to stay up late to film, would her body be able to take it?


    zhao mian was shocked to see her boss smile so warmly.


    she had been by her boss¡¯s side for so many years, but she had never seen him smile like this. most of the time, her boss had his lips pursed and handled his work seriously with an impassive expression. he would only fake a smile when he was socializing. it was rare for him to smile from the bottom of his heart like he did today.


    zhao mian made a mental note to tell her brother about the shocking scene she saw today!


    although zhao mian was usually strict and serious when she was working, after work, she became a happy homebody who binged on dramas.


    she lived with her brother, zhao cheng, and the two of them had the same boss. although their boss treated them very well, they would still secretly joke about their boss when they returned home.


    the two of them even gave shi xiao a nickname in private. ¡°poker face.¡±


    this nickname was something that zhao mian had come up with at the last minute when she saw a male lead that had the same personality as shi xiao. zhao cheng approved of the nickname when he heard it.


    as she watched the drama, zhao mian complained, ¡°let me tell you, although young master shi and the male lead have the same persona, i guarantee that young master shi will never fall in love with anyone and will never be gentle to anyone.¡±


    zhao cheng couldn¡¯t agree more and he pointed at his own head.


    as shi xiao watched the sunset, he was thinking about yuan shu. zhao mian was surprised by the scene she saw and was wondering if she would be silenced later for seeing something she shouldn¡¯t see. both of them were thinking about different things.


    shi xiao¡¯s phone suddenly rang at an inappropriate time. after he picked up the call, there was no response for a long time. only then did shi xiao take a look at the caller id. it was actually lin xi..

 Chapter 213 - Chapter 213: Dinner

    chapter 213: dinner


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    lin xi didn¡¯t know how to speak, but she must have chosen to call because she had sent shi xiao a message and hadn¡¯t received a reply for a long time.


    shi xiao hung up the phone and took a look at the messages. only then did he realize that lin xi had sent him more than ten messages, asking if he had time to have a meal together tonight.


    ever since shi xiao brought yuan shu to the hospital to visit lin xi, shi xiao had not contacted her for a long time.


    lin xi also knew that she had done something wrong, but she had never taken the initiative to send a message to disturb shi xiao. hence, shi xiao couldn¡¯t reject her invitation today.


    shi xiao looked at his schedule. there was indeed nothing else to do tonight. as for today¡¯s work, he had almost finished it. the remaining results might only be released after ten o¡¯clock, so he was free before ten o¡¯clock.


    shi xiao didn¡¯t reply immediately. instead, he looked up at zhao mian and suddenly asked, ¡°do you have any plans for tonight?¡±


    ¡°huh?¡± zhao mian was dumbfounded. young master shi had never asked about her after-work activities. he must have asked this today because she had to work overtime at the last minute.


    shi xiao would never let zhao mian work overtime at the last minute. if there was anything, he would definitely tell zhao mian in advance, instead of telling her that she had to work overtime at night when it was almost time to get off work. hence, today¡¯s situation was probably a little special.


    zhao mian sighed in resignation. even if she told her boss that she had plans, he probably wouldn¡¯t believe her. she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to binge on dramas tonight.


    zhao mian answered honestly, ¡°no.¡±


    shi xiao nodded slightly and said, ¡°then let¡¯s find a suitable restaurant. zhao cheng will bring lin xi over tonight. the four of us will have a meal together tonight.¡±


    zhao mian was shocked again.


    ever since the boss brought lin xi back from africa, zhao cheng¡¯s job was to take care of lin xi¡¯s safety until lin xi could adapt to life here. therefore, zhao mian hadn¡¯t had a good meal with zhao cheng for a long time. today, it was the boss¡¯s treat, so she naturally had to find an upscale restaurant.


    however, what zhao mian didn¡¯t understand was why they were dining with lin xi.


    as zhao mian had interacted with yuan shu before, she naturally acknowledged yuan shu as the eldest young madam. hence, zhao mian had some hostility towards this so-called ¡°savior¡±, lin xi.


    after hearing zhao cheng recount what happened in the hospital that day, she felt that lin xi was simply a b*tch. zhao mian felt like she would be betraying yuan shu by eating with lin xi.


    zhao mian quickly chased this thought out of her mind. she was a professional secretary, so she would never question or deny her boss¡¯s orders. how could she mix personal feelings with her work?!


    zhao mian immediately replied, ¡°alright, boss. i¡¯ll start making arrangements now. do you want to book a private room?¡±


    shi xiao thought about it. in his heart, the person qualified to attend public events with him was naturally yuan shu. it was better for lin xi to avoid unnecessary appearances in public.


    ¡°book a private room.¡± after saying that, shi xiao quickly typed a row of words in the input box of his cell phone. i alright, zhao cheng will pick you up later.]


    then, he said to zhao mian, ¡°after booking a room, send the information to zhao cheng and ask him to bring lin xi over.¡±


    ¡°understood.¡±


    needless to say, zhao mian was very efficient. after a while, she arranged the restaurant and room, then sent the information to zhao cheng.


    after the sun completely set, the sky darkened, and the street lamps lit up. the bustling city was flashing with lights.


    the four of them arrived at the restaurant almost at the same time an hour later.


    the attendant led the four of them towards the private room. however, zhao mian suddenly saw two familiar figures in the middle of the restaurant.


    zhao mian was puzzled.. why were the two of them together?

 Chapter 214 - Chapter 214: A Rare Date

    chapter 214: a rare date


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    the two people zhao mian saw were the heiress of the li family, li ran, and zhou liu, the new recruit from yuan an¡¯s company¡¯s technical department.


    zhou liu was a hot shot in the company¡¯s technical department. the department supervisor had carefully nurtured him and approved of the code he designed. moreover, zhao mian had just raised his salary because zhou liu had discovered a bug in the company¡¯s database not long ago.


    zhao mian was very good at judging people. zhou liu was only concerned about coding and didn¡¯t care about his image at all. he even shaved his head for the convenience of washing his hair.


    in order to save time, he wore black-framed glasses all day long and didn¡¯t even wear contact lenses. his clothes were clean, but he only owned a few pieces. moreover, the styles were all the same. it was enough to show that he didn¡¯t care about fashion or dressing up. he was a true technical geek.


    however, everyone knew li ran¡¯s personality. she was a bubbly and outgoing heiress who did things swiftly and decisively. back then, when she liked a scumbag, she got together with him without caring about what the outside world said. when she got a divorce, she was also straightforward and decisive.


    how could such an heiress know a boring technical geek who only cared about coding? not to mention the two of them were even dining together!


    zhao mian was suspicious and felt that there was something fishy about this matter. it would have been fine if it was an ordinary person, but zhou liu was almost a core member of the company now. he had seen many confidential documents and algorithms, and participated in many of the company¡¯s programs. it could be said that he was already an indispensable part of yuan an.


    although the li family had always been on good terms with their corporation, after so many things had happened, zhao mian still couldn¡¯t completely trust them.


    when yuan shu went to yuan an to do a big checkup, although yuan shu didn¡¯t say she noticed anything amiss, zhao mian could roughly guess that something must have happened between yuan shu and li ci. from the fact that yuan shu was on good terms with li ci during that period of time but didn¡¯t contact him anymore afterwards, she could tell that there was something wrong with li ci and that li ci¡¯s motive for interacting with the shi family was impure.


    as li ci¡¯s most beloved niece, li ran having a close relationship with an important employee of yuan shu¡¯s company was indeed inappropriate. it seemed that she had to investigate their relationship.


    actually, this was the first time li ran and zhou liu had met for a meal.


    ever since zhou liu helped li ran last time, the two of them had kept in touch online.


    li ran had an outgoing personality, and she had never seen someone with zhou liu¡¯s personality, so she became attracted to him and chatted with zhou liu every day. the more they chatted, the more familiar they became.


    li ran had always said that she wanted to thank zhou liu for what happened last time and treat him to a meal, but zhou liu had always rejected her. today, li ran told zhou liu that there was a problem with her computer, and there were many confidential documents on the computer, so li ran wouldn¡¯t feel at ease if she handed it to someone else to fix.


    hence, zhou liu agreed to have dinner together tonight and help take a look at her computer.


    the reservation was booked by li ran. although it wasn¡¯t the first time the two of them had met and the two of them had been chatting for some time, li ran actually felt a little bashful when she sat opposite zhou liu.


    zhou liu was a completely oblivious man. the first thing he said when he sat down wasn¡¯t to exchange pleasantries, but instead, ¡°take out your computer and let me take a look.¡±


    li ran was at a loss for words. why would someone look at a computer at a restaurant instead of ordering food or chatting?


    li ran felt exasperated as she handed him the pink laptop bag that contained her laptop.


    the first thing zhou liu did was to turn on the computer bag to check, but li ran hurriedly stopped him. ¡°our main purpose for tonight is eating. don¡¯t keep thinking about repairing the computer. let¡¯s order food first.¡±


    coincidentally, the attendant walked towards them with the menu. only then did zhou liu place the laptop bag on another chair and the two of them started to order..

 Chapter 215 - Chapter 215: Flirting

    chapter 215: flirting


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    this restaurant was mainly a fusion-type restaurant. the specialty dishes were cream mushroom soup and three-cup chicken. after li ran ordered these two dishes, she handed the menu to zhou liu.


    zhou liu didn¡¯t have any special preferences. hence, when he saw the pictures on the menu, he chose two dishes that she found most appetizing, mapo tofu and crab fried rice.


    li ran stared straight at zhou liu. she realized that although this person looked awkward and slovenly, he seemed to have some sort of obsessive-compulsive disorder.


    for example, his buzz cut had no extra hair, and it was exactly the same length as the last time li ran saw him. it must be because he trimmed his hair often. despite being obsessed with coding, he still didn¡¯t forget to trim his hair, so he definitely wasn¡¯t a slovenly person.


    zhou liu didn¡¯t have a nanny to take care of his daily needs like li ran¡¯s family did. therefore, he definitely groomed himself.


    however, the checkered shirt he was wearing was clean and ironed. other than the subtle creases on his elbows, there wasn¡¯t even a single wrinkle.


    shirts would usually be wrinkled after coming out of a washing machine. if it wasn¡¯t ironed flat, there would be many creases on the surface of the shirt. therefore, it could be seen that zhou liu was a very meticulous person who paid attention to his attire.


    although the design of the laptop bag he was carrying was almost identical to the one li ran had seen previously, li ran noticed that this laptop bag was different from the previous one.


    that was because when zhou liu squatted down to help li ran pull out her heels, li ran saw an embroidery pattern behind his computer bag. it wasn¡¯t on this computer bag, which meant that it was a different bag.


    zhou liu had just finished ordering and was studying the qr code on the table. every qr code had a certain pattern, and he was very interested in anything related to computers.


    zhou liu was watching very seriously when suddenly, he felt as if a pair of eyes on him. when he looked up, he met li ran¡¯s gaze. his heart skipped a beat as he stammered, ¡°what¡­ are you looking at?¡±


    li ran was amused by his reaction and said with a smile, ¡°i¡¯m observing you.¡±


    zhou liu was a science major, which had more men than women. he hadn¡¯t seen many girls to begin with, not to mention such a straightforward girl. zhou liu was so amused by li ran¡¯s words that he didn¡¯t know what to say.


    fortunately, the attendant came to serve the dishes at this time.


    he took the chopsticks out of the paper wrap and wiped his hands with a wet wipe. after he took out the wooden chopsticks and joined them with the metal chopsticks, he placed the two chopsticks on the plate at the same time to ensure that they were of the same length before starting to pick up food with them.


    during the meal, li ran was the one who kept finding topics to talk about. although zhou liu wasn¡¯t interested, he answered every question. if he had any understanding of the topics li ran raised, he would try his best to share his understanding. the topics that he didn¡¯t know about would end awkwardly.


    the two of them made small talk, but most of the time, they were focused on eating.


    when the appetizers were almost finished, the attendant placed two servings of cream mushroom soup in front of the two of them.


    the soup had just been boiled and was still steaming. it had a strong creamy fragrance and was very appetizing.


    after zhou liu picked up a spoon and stirred the cream soup, the hot steam blew on his black-framed glasses, creating a thick layer of white fog.


    before he could react, li ran smiled and reached out to help him take off his glasses.


    his world suddenly became clear yet blurry at the same time.


    without the white fog, he could see the person opposite him and the dishes on the table clearly. the blurriness was because he was more than 500 degrees short-sighted, so without glasses, he could barely see anything.


    furthermore, when li ran helped him take off his glasses just now, her soft fingers accidentally touched the bridge of his nose. it was a light touch, but it left him at a loss..

 Chapter 216 - Chapter 216: Flirting

    chapter 216: flirting


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    after li ran carefully wiped the glasses with a tissue, she wanted to help zhou liu put it on again. however, zhou liu dodged and hurriedly used both hands to take the glasses as he stammered, ¡°it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s alright. i can do it myself.¡±


    li ran leaned forward and smiled at him. ¡°why? am 1 very scary? why do 1 feel that you¡¯ve been avoiding me?¡±


    ¡°n-no.¡±


    zhou liu put on his glasses in a panic, but didn¡¯t dare to look at li ran, so he lowered his head and drank the soup with an iron spoon. the soup had just been served and the temperature was still very high. zhou liu drank it too quickly, so he scalded his tongue. it was so painful that his hand trembled and the soup spilled on the table.


    li ran handed the paper to him happily. ¡°here, wipe the table.¡±


    zhou liu took the tissue awkwardly and wiped the table clean.


    li ran could tell that this fellow definitely didn¡¯t have any romantic experience. he definitely didn¡¯t have much contact with girls, which was why he was so awkward. later on, when they were eating, li ran didn¡¯t tease him anymore.


    when the crab fried rice was served, li ran dug out a small plate of fried rice with a spoon and handed it to zhou liu, who had already recovered from his previous panic. after he took the fried rice, he thanked her politely.


    when zhou liu saw that li ran had already wiped her mouth with a tissue, he called the server over. ¡°hello, please clean up the table.¡±


    the server brought over a tray and a cloth. then, she carried the leftover plates and bowls away before wiping the table with a cloth.


    this attracted the attention of the surrounding people. the scene of li ran and zhou liu appearing together was already a little out of place in the first place.


    li ran was wearing a white suit and a mini-skirt that showed off her slender legs. on the other hand, zhou liu was wearing a simple checkered shirt and jeans. he looked neat, but he didn¡¯t put in much effort. the two of them didn¡¯t look well-matched.


    everyone would leave after eating and almost no one would let the attendant clean the table before continuing to chat here, so they attracted the attention of the surrounding people.


    li ran didn¡¯t understand zhou liu¡¯s actions either, so she asked him, ¡°why did you ask her to clean up the table? we can find a milk tea shop to drink milk tea and continue chatting.¡±


    zhou liu¡¯s expression was very serious and he was still checking if the table had been wiped clean as he said, ¡°because i want to help you check the computer. oil stains are very harmful to the computer.¡±


    li ran was stunned. why was this fellow so unromantic? they had already finished his meal, but his mind was still on the computer.


    as she was thinking about it, zhou liu had already taken out the laptop from her pink laptop bag and placed it on the table. just as he was about to turn it on, li ran stopped him.


    ¡°it¡¯s alright. i¡¯ll take the computer back to get it fixed.¡±


    zhou liu didn¡¯t understand. his face was filled with honesty. ¡°but didn¡¯t you say that there are confidential documents on the computer? how can you be at ease if you hand them to me?¡±


    li ran was amused by this fool. who would persuade others to be suspicious of himself? she said, ¡°i¡¯m completely at ease with you. besides, only by giving you the computer will we have a chance to meet again.¡±


    zhou liu had never seen such a straightforward person like li ran and he couldn¡¯t understand the meaning of her words for a moment, but he blushed.


    he put the laptop away and placed it back into his pink laptop bag. then, he carried his laptop bag. he didn¡¯t mind that the color of li ran¡¯s laptop bag was too feminine and carried it in his hand.


    zhou liu said to li ran, ¡°then let¡¯s find a milk tea shop to sit in for a while¡±


    li ran was slightly taken aback. was he responding to what she had just said? it seemed that he wasn¡¯t as socially awkward as he looked.


    li ran got up and followed zhou liu out. when she reached the front desk, she took out her phone and was about to settle the bill when zhou liu took out her phone before her and aimed the screen at the machine.


    after leaving the restaurant, li ran said in embarrassment, ¡°we agreed that i would treat you to a meal to thank you. why are you the one paying?¡±


    zhou liu said aloofly, ¡°it¡¯s alright. you can treat me to milk tea as a thank you.¡±


    li ran was stunned once again.. he didn¡¯t seem to be as oblivious as before¡­ was this fellow¡¯s learning ability that impressive?

 Chapter 217 - Chapter 217: Shopping

    chapter 217: shopping


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    the two of them drank milk tea together and strolled around the surrounding shops. when li ran saw a trendy brand shop, she couldn¡¯t help but pull zhou liu in.


    the trendy brand shop was divided into two floors. the first floor was for men, and the second floor was for women. zhou liu wanted to go upstairs, but li ran grabbed his sleeve and dragged him around the first floor.


    every time li ran saw a piece of clothing she liked, she would pick it up and try it on zhou liu. when she wasn¡¯t very satisfied, she would shake her head. if she felt that it looked good, she would hand it to the salesperson at the side.


    after the two of them strolled all the way to the door of the fitting room, li ran took the pink laptop bag from zhou liu and said with a smile, ¡°quickly go in and give it a try. the yellow sweater must be paired with this pair of white pants!¡±


    zhou liu was stunned for a moment. no wonder she choose such large-size clothes. zhou liu had thought that she would look very loose in large-size clothes, but he didn¡¯t expect her to be choosing them for him instead.


    zhou liu usually didn¡¯t like shopping, nor did he have any intention of trying out a new fashion style. if it was someone else who forced him to change his clothes, he definitely would have rejected them without hesitation.


    however, when zhou liu saw the smile on li ran¡¯s face and the salesperson who was waiting for him with a lot of clothes, he couldn¡¯t bear to reject her and embarrass her.


    hence, zhou liu took the clothes from the salesperson obediently and walked into the fitting room. every time he came out of the fitting room, he would receive li ran¡¯s serious evaluation.


    ¡°i knew it. this light yellow sweater and white pants really give off a spring vibe!¡±


    ¡°this red short-sleeved shirt makes you look sallow. no, no, no. hurry up and change into the next one!¡±


    ¡°haha, i didn¡¯t expect this dark green short-sleeved shirt to suit you so well! coupled with these ripped jeans, you¡¯ll be the most fashionable programmer-¡±


    li ran stood at the door of the fitting room as she watched zhou liu change clothes. every set of clothes was in a new style. coupled with zhou liu¡¯s buzz cut, he was simply too cool.


    finally, li ran gave him a pair of sunglasses with brownish-yellow lenses. after she put them on his head and took off his thick black-framed glasses, zhou liu¡¯s vision instantly became blurry.


    however, li ran was very satisfied. ¡°you look much more handsome!¡±


    then, while zhou liu was changing, li ran said to the salesperson, ¡°buy the few new ones that i said were good-looking. swipe this card.¡±


    the salesperson took the card happily. she didn¡¯t expect to be able to get a few more orders at night. moreover, almost every one of them was a new design that was only available in the shop, so the commission was even higher.


    the salesperson was also very efficient. in a few minutes, she paid the bill and packed the clothes. then, she returned to the fitting room and handed the bag and card to li ran.


    when the salesperson saw that li ran was grinning from ear to ear, she couldn¡¯t help but think to herself, ¡°another rich girl is spending money to buy happiness for a poor boy. sigh, why can¡¯t 1 meet such a rich woman?¡±


    when zhou liu walked out with the clothes in his arms and saw li ran carrying a few bags of clothes, he was stunned.


    when li ran saw his gaze, she explained to him, ¡°since you treated me to a meal, i can only buy you a few clothes to thank you.¡±


    zhou liu was a little embarrassed and didn¡¯t know what to say, so he could only scratch his head awkwardly as he took the items from li ran.


    there were fewer and fewer people on the streets by now. it was time to go home.


    after leaving the trendy card shop, the two of them went to the streets and prepared to take a taxi home. although li ran and zhou liu had chatted for a long time, they didn¡¯t know much about each other. therefore, li ran didn¡¯t know that zhou liu was an employee of yuan an, nor did zhou liu know that li ran was an heiress.


    he stood by the roadside and prepared to help li ran call a taxi. li ran wanted to stop him and say that she had a private car to pick her up, but she didn¡¯t want to reject zhou liu¡¯s good intentions, so she refrained.


    after getting into the car, li ran sat in the backseat. then, she rolled down the window and said to zhou liu, ¡°zhou liu, don¡¯t make me wait too long the next time we meet-¡±


    although it was very late and there were not many people on the road, zhou liu still looked around and blushed.


    after a while, he nodded shyly. ¡°okay, see you next time..¡±

 Chapter 218 - Chapter 218: Chat

    chapter 218: chat


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    zhou liu only said that he would see her next time, but li ran reminisced about it the entire way home. sitting in the back seat of the taxi, she would occasionally reveal a love-struck smile. the chauffeur was speechless and said, ¡°sis, can you tell me the destination before smiling?¡±


    ¡°all¡­¡± li ran held back her laughter and said to the cab driver, ¡°just keep driving straight. just drop me off after passing the intersection.¡±


    the chauffeur looked confused. the distance was less than a kilometer. in that case, why did she want to take a taxi?


    the driver placed li ran at the intersection with a dissatisfied expression. the moment the door closed, he stepped on the accelerator and drove out. if it were any other time, li ran would have immediately called the taxi company to complain about him. however, she was in a good mood now, so she naturally didn¡¯t care about these small details.


    just as the taxi left, li rail¡¯s family¡¯s car stopped beside her. seeing how happy li ran was, the chauffeur couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°it looks like your date went very smoothly today.¡±


    li ran opened the car window halfway, allowing the warm night breeze to blow past her face. then, her burning cheeks also cooled down.


    ¡°it went quite smoothly.¡±


    this chauffeur had been following li ran since she was in high school and he treated her like his own daughter. now that li ran was so happy, he naturally couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°miss, i heard that boys who do programming are very dull-witted. won¡¯t you find it boring to eat and shop together with him?¡±


    li ran carefully recalled what happened tonight. although zhou liu was a little awkward at the beginning, he was quite discerning later on. furthermore, he was so cute and special.


    li ran shook her head as she said, ¡°no, he answered my questions seriously, nor was he very boring. he even cracked a few jokes. however, his jokes were indeed very lame. without any basic programming knowledge, i couldn¡¯t understand him at all.¡±


    li ran stretched and continued, ¡°however, he was very considerate. he knew that he couldn¡¯t let girls carry things. when he bought milk tea, he specifically ordered it at room temperature. furthermore, when he sent me off, he waited for me to get into the car before leaving. uncle li, don¡¯t you think he¡¯s very considerate?¡±


    li ran leaned against the seat in the front row of the car and waited for the chauffeur, uncle li, to respond to her.


    seeing her like this, uncle li knew that she must have fallen in love again. now, her mind was filled with the other party¡¯s good points, so she couldn¡¯t bear to hear any negative things about him. hence, he agreed with her and said dotingly, ¡°yes, yes, yes. he¡¯s indeed quite enlightened for a programmer.¡±


    ¡°hehe.¡± li ran smiled in satisfaction and leaned back in her chair again. as she looked at the scenery outside the window, she carefully recalled every detail of what happened tonight.


    ¡°we even went to buy clothes. i realized that he¡¯s really suited for bright colors. his buzz cut is clean and neat, and he looks really cool in trendy brands. he looks much better in them than in his plaid shirt! i¡¯ll definitely bring him to try other styles next time!¡±


    mr. li smiled as he watched li ran talking to herself in the rearview mirror. however, he was silently praying that this man wouldn¡¯t be like gao shan, who had toyed with her feelings. in the end, he only wanted to use her.


    if zhou liu was such a person, he definitely wouldn¡¯t let zhou liu off!


    li ran was exhausted from shopping the entire night. the moment she entered the living room, she collapsed on the sofa and turned on her cell phone to chat with zhou liu.


    zhou liu asked, [are you home yet?]


    li ran replied, ¡°yes, yes. i just entered. 1 walked a lot tonight, so my legs are very sore.¡±


    zhou liu¡¯s message was very platonic. [your legs are sore because you don¡¯t exercise often. that¡¯s why your calf muscles are swollen and sore. 1 suggest that you use hot water to soak your feet after a massage and rest well.]


    no matter how li ran looked at it, it looked like he had searched for the information online, so she asked him, ¡°so, did you specifically search online?¡±


    [no, this is common knowledge.]


    [¡­] just as li ran was about to praise him for being considerate, she was rendered speechless by this guy¡¯s blunt words.


    li ran was still thinking about how to reply to him when she fell asleep from exhaustion. the phone screen was still lit, and the person on the other end said with concern, ¡°rest early. remember to bring an umbrella when you go out in the rain tomorrow..¡±

 Chapter 219 - Chapter 219: Take Care

    chapter 219: take care


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    li ran felt that it was too troublesome to have the phone screen turned off automatically. therefore, the first thing she did after she bought the cell phone was to turn off that function.


    hence, when li ci returned home, li ran was already sleeping soundly on the sofa. her phone screen was still lit, and the screen had her chat box with zhou liu.


    li ci was really helpless when it came to his willful niece. it wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t care. many times, he had told her that she couldn¡¯t sleep with makeup on, let alone sleep on the sofa without covering herself? it was very easy for her to catch a cold this way. in the end, she didn¡¯t listen even once and still did whatever she wanted.


    li ci took off his suit jacket and placed it on the back of the sofa. then, he took off his tie and placed it on his jacket. when the servants came tomorrow morning, they would naturally take the clothes to dry-clean them.


    then, li ci unbuttoned the collar of her shirt and rolled up her sleeves. despite his fatigue, he carried li ran back to her room.


    li ran was sleeping soundly when she was suddenly moved, so she twisted her body restlessly and found a comfortable position to continue sleeping. however, her lips were still pouting, as if to vent her dissatisfaction.


    li ci smiled and reached out with one hand to scratch her nose. li ran felt like she was about to fall, so she hugged li ci¡¯s neck. after confirming that she had stabilized herself, she hugged li ci¡¯s even tighter and her entire face was buried in li ci¡¯s neck.


    li ci sighed. this little girl was really restless when she slept.


    li ci placed li ran back on the soft bed two meters away from her room and helped her take off her coat so that she could sleep more comfortably.


    as they weren¡¯t used to strangers being at home at night, the maids had already gotten off work and returned home after eight o¡¯clock. at that moment, no one helped li ran change her clothes, so li ci could only help her take off her coat.


    li ci took out li ran¡¯s phone from his pocket and muted it before placing it by li ran¡¯s bed.


    following that, li ci walked to li ran¡¯s dressing table. then, he picked up the makeup remover and helped her remove her makeup. then, he even helped her wash her face. finally, he even applied essence and face cream for li ran. it seemed that li ci had done this many times. practice made perfect.


    after everything was done, li ci checked if li ran had been covered properly. although the weather had turned warm, the temperature difference between day and night was still very big. furthermore, li ran had the habit of kicking the blanket in the middle of the night, so li ci still checked again worriedly.


    after making sure that the blanket covered her, he walked to the door and turned off the light as he whispered, ¡°good night, my little girl.¡± then, he gently closed the door.


    after finishing li ran¡¯s matters, li ci still had some work to deal with.


    he didn¡¯t expect shi xiao to act so quickly. he had thought that the incident at no man¡¯s land would stall him for a while. in addition, yuan shu was also involved, so it would take shi xiao a week to settle everything.


    however, he had miscalculated. he had underestimated yuan shu¡¯s ability to handle things and her attitude towards shi xiao.


    he thought that with his understanding of yuan shu, she definitely wouldn¡¯t accept the domineering and arrogant shi xiao so easily. she would definitely cause trouble for him as he handled the matter. however, in just three days, the two of them started getting along peacefully and even attended the cocktail party at the same time. they even appeared very loving.


    as a result, shi xiao only took three days to deal with the tan family and close down no man¡¯s land. he even used the image of a loving husband and wife to become a trending topic, causing the shi corporation¡¯s share price to immediately stabilize. the next day, the shi corporation¡¯s share price showed signs of rising and he focused on the shi corporation¡¯s business.


    fortunately, li ci was quick and didn¡¯t slack off just because he had temporarily delayed shi xiao. he already dealt with the people he had planted during shi xiao¡¯s departure in time. otherwise, this matter would definitely blow up.


    however, even so, because time was too short, there were still some loopholes. although these loopholes didn¡¯t affect him much, they seemed to have given others an opportunity to take advantage of yuan an..

 Chapter 220 - Chapter 220: Danger

    chapter 220: danger


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    as soon as shi xiao went to africa, many people started eyeing the shi family covetously. they saw that yuan shu was brainless and gullible at that time, so they wanted to use her to take the opportunity to harm the shi family.


    tan jing was no exception.


    at the banquet at the shi family¡¯s ancestral home, tan jing looked for yuan shu and offered her an olive branch. he hoped that she could use the shi family¡¯s name to invest in his own software company. however, he was rejected.


    however, after this incident, yuan shu borrowed one million yuan from shi lu. liu lan¡¯s husband, xiao sheng, used shenglan venture investment company to invest in tan jing¡¯s software company.


    however, this matter was done very discreetly. other than the people from the shi family, no one else found out about this. even tan jing himself didn¡¯t know who the investor of this sum of money was.


    this matter had been going on for a few months. yuan shu had handed this matter over to shi bin to handle, so she didn¡¯t pay attention to the subsequent development of this software company.


    if she knew that this software company would focus on developing an attack program after li ci withdrew from yuan an and caused a bug in yuan an¡¯s system, she would probably regret not withdrawing the money in time.


    but that was all in the future.


    tan jing had something on yuan an, so of course, he would spare no effort to attack this loophole. at this moment, the most important secret code in yuan an¡¯s database had already been lost and was in tan jing¡¯s hands.


    although yuan an¡¯s employees fixed the loophole in time and didn¡¯t completely lose all the program code regarding this online system, as long as they had this most important piece of code, it was only a matter of time before they replicated a similar system.


    this was also what shi xiao was most worried about now.


    if yuan an didn¡¯t fix the loophole in the online system before tan jing¡¯s software company replicated this system and allowed the online system to go online again, yuan an might have to face the risk of disappearing.


    the biggest problem was that there was no time.


    thus, the most effective solution that shi xiao could think of was to get rid of tan jing.


    as for the one million yuan that yuan shu had invested, although he didn¡¯t want her to fail on her first investment, he had to consider the overall situation and make up for it later.


    li ci, who had been watching from afar, had a grasp of the current situation as well. he knew shi xiao too well, so he wasn¡¯t surprised by shi xiao¡¯s decision. the only surprising thing was that shi xiao handled this matter faster than he had imagined.


    it was as if after shi xiao went to africa, he had become even more decisive. however, his previous ruthlessness seemed to have decreased.


    the sky was getting darker and darker, while the surroundings were getting quieter and quieter.


    the lights in the room weren¡¯t switched on, and only the cold moonlight shone into the room through the floor-to-ceiling window. li ci was swirling the glass of red wine in his hand in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. his gaze was cold as he stared at the lake outside the window.


    his phone suddenly rang. it was a call from chen chen.


    chen chen was chen lu¡¯s brother. chen lu was the one who pretended to be friends with shi yi but kept framing shi yi and causing trouble for her behind her back. two days ago, the two of them quarreled at the cocktail party.


    chen lu was the illegitimate daughter of the family and wasn¡¯t favored, so she didn¡¯t have a deep relationship with chen chen, her brother. chen chen used chen lu to befriend shi yi for his own benefit.


    at the same time, chen chen was also one of li ci¡¯s business partners. in fact, rather than a business partner, he was more like li ci¡¯s agent in the business circle. his position was similar to gao shan¡¯s, but his status was much higher than gao shan¡¯s.


    he had many business partners in the business world, and they were involved in almost all fields. however, these people only touched the surface of these fields and couldn¡¯t be considered outstanding in the field at all. this was something that li ci had been worried about.


    what he lacked was a powerful assistant who could compete against those big bosses in the business world, so after shi xiao returned this time, he could fight him head-on..

 Chapter 221 - Chapter 221: Position

    chapter 221: position


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    chen chen¡¯s company was also a software company and had been monitoring the development of this industry. chen chen called to talk about tan jing¡¯s matter.


    chen chen said on the other end of the phone, ¡°second brother, shi xiao has already taken action, but i think tan jing doesn¡¯t seem to have any intention of stopping. i think he wants to destroy yuan an before shi xiao finishes him off.¡±


    li ci was considered chen chen¡¯s superior, but because of li ci¡¯s identity, he couldn¡¯t work in any company. therefore, it wasn¡¯t appropriate to call li ci chairman or general manager, but he couldn¡¯t call her by his name either. in the end, chen chen thought of a compromise.


    li ci was the second eldest in the family. he had an elder sister, who was li ran¡¯s mother. hence, li ci¡¯s subordinates called him second brother.


    after li ci changed the transparent red liquid in the wine glass and finished the remaining red wine in one gulp, he sneered and said, ¡°he¡¯s overestimating himself. if he stops now, his company will still have a chance. if he wants to fight head-on, he will be dead meat.¡±


    chen chen didn¡¯t quite understand. ¡°second brother, the tan family has always been neutral. the jiang family and the shi family have never stood on each other¡¯s side. at most, they have a closer relationship with the xu family. why do so many things seem to be targeting the shi family recently? first, shi xiao got drunk in no man¡¯s land, so he had no choice but to marry yuan shu. then, when shi xiao disappeared, many people tried to use yuan shu to directly attack the shi family. isn¡¯t it obvious that they¡¯ve already started to take sides?¡±


    li ci said calmly, ¡°perhaps he didn¡¯t just start taking sides now, but he already had a stand?¡±


    baffled, the person on the other end of the phone was silent for a moment.


    li ci continued, ¡°it seems that some people can¡¯t hold it in anymore and can¡¯t wait to make this secret move public.¡±


    chen chen was puzzled. ¡°you mean that the jiang family has already started to take action?¡±


    li ci felt dubious and worried. this was only the first step of the jiang family¡¯s plan against the shi family. if they exposed their position without hiding anything, how many trump cards would the jiang family have in the future? moreover, these cards were probably more powerful than tan jing¡¯s.


    as he was thinking about it, the door to the second floor behind him opened, and a dim yellow light suddenly appeared. then, a groggy voice said, ¡°uncle, it¡¯s so dark in the room. why didn¡¯t you turn on the lights?¡±


    after li ci turned around and looked at the corridor on the second floor, he saw that li ran was standing in front of the door as she rubbed her eyes sleepily.


    li ci said into the phone, ¡°we¡¯ll talk about the rest tomorrow. i¡¯m hanging up now.¡±


    after hanging up, he put his phone on the sofa beside him and turned to look at li ran, who was slowly walking downstairs.


    li ci asked, ¡°why did you suddenly get up?¡±


    li ran¡¯s voice was very soft and it was obvious that she was still groggy. ¡°1 was thirsty, so 1 got up to find some water to drink.¡±


    after hearing this, li ci poured her a glass of warm water. when she approached, he handed it to her. ¡°don¡¯t drink too much water, or you won¡¯t have a good sleep at night.¡±


    after li ran took a small sip, she put down the cup. ¡°why aren¡¯t you asleep yet?¡±


    li ci rubbed li ran¡¯s head dotingly. ¡°1 was about to sleep and planned to check if you had kicked the blanket away, but you came out.¡±


    li ran curled her lips. ¡°how can my sleeping posture be that bad?!¡±


    li ci didn¡¯t comment, but he didn¡¯t bicker with her in the middle of the night, since he was afraid that if they bickered, she wouldn¡¯t be able to fall asleep. ¡°it¡¯s not bad. you have the best sleeping posture.¡±


    li ran nodded in satisfaction and got up to go upstairs. when she reached the door, she suddenly stopped and leaned against the corridor as she said to li ci downstairs, ¡°uncle, you were on the phone with chen chen, right? was there a problem with the software company?¡±


    li ci froze for a moment before replying, ¡°it¡¯s fine. you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡±


    li ci had never hidden his business matters from li ran. furthermore, he knew that li ran wasn¡¯t interested in these things, so li ran only had a rough idea of his business. however, li ran didn¡¯t know about the operations behind the scenes or the infighting..

 Chapter 222 - Chapter 222: Purpose

    chapter 222: purpose


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    li ran said very seriously, ¡°uncle, zhou liu is a programmer. if you really have software problems, you can ask him for help.¡±


    li ci laughed at his niece for her silliness. the company had rules, so how could zhou liu help him?


    however, li ci indeed needed zhou liu¡¯s help with some matters.


    ¡°alright, 1 understand. go to bed now. wake up early tomorrow and accompany me somewhere,¡± li ci said.


    li ran asked curiously, ¡°where are we going?¡±


    li ci kept her in suspense. ¡°you¡¯ll know tomorrow. go to bed now.¡±


    ¡°oh.¡±


    after shi xiao and lin xi ate together, shi xiao planned to get zhao cheng to send lin xi home. lin xi bit her lower lip with a pitiful expression as she gently tugged at shi xiao¡¯s clothes.


    lin xi had something to say to shi xiao, so she invited him for a meal. unexpectedly, zhao cheng and zhao mian also came. she and shi xiao were sitting diagonally opposite each other, so they didn¡¯t have the chance to talk properly at all. it was very quiet, and the atmosphere was a little awkward.


    now that shi xiao had asked zhao cheng to send her back, if she went back today, she didn¡¯t know when she would see shi xiao again. lin xi could only tug at shi xiao¡¯s clothes to arouse his sympathy.


    when they were in africa, lin xi saved shi xiao and zhao cheng and took good care of them for more than a month before treating his injuries. however, shi xiao never had the chance to take good care of her when he brought her back to the country. he was so busy that he didn¡¯t even have time to see her. thus, shi xiao felt a little apologetic and guilty.


    hence, shi xiao compromised and instructed zhao mian, ¡°let¡¯s stop here for today. let zhao cheng send you back.¡±


    zhao mian was a little worried that today¡¯s data would come out after ten at night. shi xiao¡¯s original plan was to wait in the office for the data to come out. now that he was delayed by lin xi, zhao mian was afraid that the time would be too tight.


    hence, zhao mian asked, ¡°what about the data?¡±


    upon hearing this, shi xiao frowned. he wasn¡¯t someone who would be delayed by other things. however, today¡¯s situation was special. in addition, he hadn¡¯t had a good rest for a long time, so he might as well give himself a break and let tan jing off the hook for the time being.


    ¡°we¡¯ll deal with it tomorrow morning. give me a plan based on the data as soon as possible.¡±


    as shi xiao¡¯s private secretary, zhao mian had a sense of propriety. thus, she didn¡¯t say anything else and called the private chauffeur. after arranging this, zhao mian left with zhao cheng.


    zhao cheng was also worried, but it was inappropriate to say it in public, so he could only ask zhao mian on the way back, ¡°sister, what do you think miss lin xi has to tell young master in private?¡±


    zhao mian was a woman, so she naturally knew a little about a woman¡¯s mentality and could tell what lin xi wanted to do. she was just using the opportunity to enter the shi family.


    she had seen too many people like her, so her tone was a little disdainful. ¡°who doesn¡¯t want to go from rags to riches?¡±


    although zhao cheng felt that after they return, lin xi had changed compared to when she was in africa, she was still their savior after all. he still couldn¡¯t accept the fact that lin xi had ulterior motives towards shi xiao.


    ¡°but when she was in africa, she didn¡¯t know our identities at all and saved us. perhaps she just wanted to ask young master for something that she needed?¡±


    zhao cheng didn¡¯t even believe it himself. if there was anything she needed, she could tell him directly. zhao cheng would definitely help her arrange it immediately. there was no need for young master to do anything.


    zhao mian looked at her silly brother. he had good combat skills, but it was a pity that his eq. and iq. weren¡¯t high. could it be that she had taken away his intelligence when they were born? was that why he was so silly?


    zhao mian explained to him, ¡°when people don¡¯t have any conflicts of interest, it¡¯s natural for them to treat someone well from the bottom of their hearts. however, after she returned to the country and found out about the young master¡¯s identity, how could she remain pure-hearted?¡±


    zhao cheng nodded as if he understood, but he was even more confused.


    zhao mian glanced at him indifferently. perhaps it was because of her brother¡¯s stupidity and sincerity that the young master kept him by his side and trusted him unconditionally..

 Chapter 223 - Chapter 223: Confession

    chapter 223: confession


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    the car stopped in front of lin xi¡¯s house. shi xiao realized that this seemed to be the first time he had come to her house. after he returned to the country, he had been brought to the no man¡¯s land by li ci. right on the heels of that, all kinds of things happened, so shi xiao had no time to care about lin xi.


    even this house was found by zhao mian for lin xi. it was an apartment with three bedrooms and two living rooms in the most luxurious district by the river. according to the housing prices in the city, this house was worth five million yuan. shi xiao felt that this was already enough to repay lin xi for saving her life.


    shi xiao was a businessman and had never been stingy with problems that could be solved with money.


    the car had stopped for a while. seeing that lin xi had no intention of opening the door and going out, shi xiao reminded her, ¡°we¡¯re here. you can go up now.¡±


    lin xi gritted her teeth and gestured with sign language. ¡°aren¡¯t you going up for a cup of tea?¡±


    shi xiao rejected her directly. ¡°it¡¯s already very late, so it¡¯s inappropriate for me to go up. don¡¯t worry, i¡¯ll wait downstairs for you to enter before leaving.¡±


    lin xi wasn¡¯t discouraged by shi xiao¡¯s rejection. instead, she became emboldened and even turned her entire body towards shi xiao. the dim light from the street lamps shone into the car. lin xi was wearing a white dress today. under the weak incandescent light, she looked very charming.


    coupled with her gentle appearance and pitiful gaze, no one could bear to reject her.


    she gestured in sign language. ¡°i want to talk to you alone.¡±


    shi xiao frowned slightly and thought about it carefully. then, he got the chauffeur to get out of the car and the two of them stayed in the car alone. ¡°tell me.¡±


    after lin xi placed her hands on her legs and grabbed the hem of her dress tightly, the white and smooth hem of her dress had a few creases from her grip. then, her hands loosened before gripping it again and again. shi xiao was already running out of patience. only then did lin xi finally raise her hand and continue gesturing.


    she gestured each word slowly, for fear that shi xiao wouldn¡¯t understand. ¡°i like you.¡±


    shi xiao¡¯s gaze was sharp, and he wasn¡¯t touched by the sudden confession at all. he only looked at her indifferently. after a while, he asked, ¡°is there anything else?¡±


    lin xi was shocked. for a moment, she didn¡¯t understand what he meant by asking this. then, she gestured anxiously with sign language. ¡°don¡¯t you understand?¡±


    ¡°i said i like you.¡±


    ¡°or do you understand but don¡¯t want to give me an answer?¡±


    ¡°i thought you were¡ª¡±


    before lin xi could finish gesturing, shi xiao replied. he originally wanted to pretend that he didn¡¯t understand and let this matter drop so that the relationship between the two of them wouldn¡¯t be too awkward. however, it was obvious that what lin xi urgently needed now was a definite answer.


    hence, shi xiao interrupted her, ¡°1 understand, but you should know that i¡¯m already married. this is a country with monogamy, so it¡¯s impossible for me to divorce my wife.¡±


    lin xi was stunned. shi xiao¡¯s words were already very clear, but lin xi didn¡¯t want to give up so easily.


    she gestured. ¡°what about everything in africa? if you knew that you had a wife and didn¡¯t want to divorce her, why did you provoke me?¡±


    lin xi pulled up her skirt, revealing a small part of her calf. in the dark night, it was impossible to see anything clearly in the car, but her actions made shi xiao understand what she was trying to express.


    there was a burn on her calf. that day, lin xi went to deliver meat soup to him, but she was frightened by zhao cheng and overturned the meat soup. the hot soup that splashed out scalded her calf.


    later on, when zhao cheng went to work while lin xi was taking care of shi xiao in the house, he carefully massaged her legs and blew on them. with such flirtatious actions, how could he say that it was impossible for them to get a divorce?


    if he had known that it was impossible for him to get a divorce and be with another woman, why did he flirt with another person? moreover, he did it irresponsibly..

 Chapter 224 - Chapter 224: Trouble

    chapter 224: trouble


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    shi xiao glanced at her calf coldly.


    perhaps to shi xiao, it was a moment of heartache and uncontrollable gentleness.


    at that time, he did not have feelings for lin xi, but he did have the thought of bringing her back to the country. he had also thought of using her as an excuse to divorce yuan shu, but the changes in the situation were beyond his expectations.


    at that time, he was injured and let down his guard. unexpectedly, it ended up making a mistake.


    in the end, he had used her.


    shi xiao didn¡¯t look at her again. his tone was very cold as he said, ¡°that was just out of concern for a friend. you were the one who misunderstood. you saved my life once, so 1 naturally won¡¯t abandon you. don¡¯t worry. just stay here. if there¡¯s anything, look for zhao cheng. i¡¯ll pretend i did not see what happened today and don¡¯t mention it again.¡±


    shi xiao didn¡¯t give lin xi any chance to continue. he knocked on the car window. when the driver guarding outside heard it, he immediately turned around, opened the car door, and sat in the driver¡¯s seat.


    lin xi knew that there was nothing else to talk about, so she could only give up. with a disappointed expression and tears in her eyes, she got out of the car in a daze.


    shi xiao waited until lin xi got into the elevator and the lights in the room lit up before getting the chauffeur to drive the car to the company.


    at this moment, he was very vexed. he had always been aloof and did not care about the consequences of his actions. he had never thought of being soft-hearted to anyone, and he definitely did not owe anyone anything. however, he had provoked two women in his life. one was yuan shu, whom he did not love, but now, he could not bear to part with her. the other was lin xi, who was tormented because of his compassion back then.


    in order to make it convenient for him to work overtime, shi xiao tidied up a cubicle in the office and got someone to place a bed and necessary daily necessities. when the corporation had something important to deal with, he would usually stay here at night.


    as he lay in the bedroom that had been tidied up in the office and looked at the starry sky outside the french window, he was unable to fall asleep.


    actually, he had never liked weak women. they used their pitiful appearance to win sympathy and had no self-defense abilities at all. when he recalled how he could not help himself at that time, as if his body was not under his control, he felt that something was wrong.


    shi xiao had a bad feeling. it was as if everything he had experienced was being controlled by an invisible hand, but he did not know who this hand belonged to or when it started to control this situation.


    after thinking about it for a long time, shi xiao carefully recalled everything in the past and realized that everything had started to spiral out of control from the moment yuan shu appeared.


    ¡°yuan shu¡­¡±


    shi xiao¡¯s lips parted slightly as he chanted her name slowly over and over again. he seemed to want to resolve all the problems through this method, but in the end, he became more and more confused.


    shi xiao could only give up. after he glanced at the clock on the wall, he saw that it was already past two o¡¯clock. he closed his eyes and forced himself to sleep.


    the next morning, shi xiao sat up in bed. he did not dream the entire night. perhaps because he was really tired, he slept very soundly. when he woke up, he felt much more clear-headed.


    after washing up, he sat at his desk again and started to look at the latest data analysis from last night. at the same time, he saw the plan that zhao mian had sent last night in his email. then, he marked the plan and formulated the next step.


    by the time these things were done, it was already 11:30 p.m. shi xiao suddenly remembered that today, there was a technology exhibition launched by a technological big shot company in the internet industry. it gathered all the talents in society who were interested in technology and showcased their designs and works.


    as a rising star in the internet industry, although yuan an was established relatively late, its concept was very novel and the team was very strong, even surpassing those of many old companies in the internet industry. its strength could not be underestimated, so it also received an invitation to this exhibition.


    the exhibition would be held at 12 noon today. shi xiao had been so busy recently that he had completely forgotten about this matter. now that he saw the label on the calendar, he suddenly remembered..

 Chapter 225 - Chapter 225: Technology Exhibition

    chapter 225: technology exhibition


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    when he received the invitation, shi xiao had just dealt with no man¡¯s land and his relationship with yuan shu had just eased. that period of time happened to be when he had just returned after two months overseas. there were too many things waiting for him to deal with, so he did not plan to participate in this technology exhibition at that time and zhao mian did not add this to his schedule.


    after shi xiao finished dealing with the proposal, he suddenly remembered that there was such an exhibition on the calendar. he was a little interested in this exhibition, so he decided to take a look at it at the last minute.


    there was no time to prepare anything. shi xiao stood up, picked up his suit jacket from the hanger, put it on, and rushed out of the office.


    zhao mian¡¯s office was facing shi xiao¡¯s office so that she could receive his instructions at any time.


    when zhao mian saw shi xiao leave, she immediately grabbed her coat and followed him.


    shi xiao was 1.9 meters tall, and his legs were more than 1.2 meters long, so his strides were very wide, and he reached the elevator in no time. zhao mian only arrived at shi xiao¡¯s side right before the elevator came up.


    she took a deep breath and asked, ¡°young master, is there something urgent?¡±


    shi xiao was using his phone to search for all the information about this exhibition on the internet. coincidentally, zhao mian came over at this time, so he sent all the information to her and asked her to filter out the most important information for him.


    when the elevator arrived, shi xiao walked in. zhao mian followed behind him and stood behind him. at the same time, she began to check the information shi xiao had sent her.


    shi xiao said, ¡°this is an invitation to a technology exhibition. check what works are displayed at the exhibition, what the process of the exhibition is like, and who is participating in this exhibition.¡±


    shi xiao asked a series of questions, but zhao mian did not panic at all. she quickly memorized all this information and quickly filtered the information online. she chose the one shi xiao was most interested in and said, ¡°most of the authors who are displaying their works in the exhibition are freelancers that spend a lot of time on software design. we¡¯ll only know how capable these people are after seeing their works.¡±


    when the elevator reached the first floor, shi xiao walked out again and zhao mian followed closely behind. the chauffeur had already received the notice and drove the car to the door to wait.


    after getting into the car, shi xiao sat in the back seat. zhao mian waited for him to sit properly before sitting in the front passenger seat to fasten her seatbelt and continue searching.


    zhao mian quickly scrolled through the tablet¡¯s interface. after roughly browsing through the content, she continued, ¡°the exhibition will start at twelve o¡¯clock and everyone will be free to stroll around until one o¡¯clock. at ten past one, the founder will host a competition and invite all interested people to participate. the content of the competition is to break through different levels of firewalls within the specified time. the competition will be divided into three stages. the contestants who can enter the last stage will have a chance to work in the company where the organizer is.¡±


    shi xiao was very interested after hearing the content of the competition. rather than a competition, it was more like a process of screening. different levels would screen talents of different levels. those who could last until the end were naturally the most outstanding ones. it seemed that many people were participating in this exhibition for the sake of these people.


    yuan an was at the beginning of its development and needed a large number of talents, so this exhibition was the perfect opportunity!


    zhao mian did not need shi xiao to say anything to know what he was thinking. talent was what they lacked the most at this stage, so it was naturally what they yearned for the most. shi xiao would definitely choose two to three people to join yuan an at this exhibition, so what zhao mian had to do was prepare the company¡¯s introduction in advance, the content of the interview, and the time to invite the other party for an interview.


    shi xiao knew that he was not the only one who was interested in these participants and his old acquaintances would definitely appear.. ¡°who received invitations to the exhibition? who are you certain will go?¡±

 Chapter 226 - Chapter 226: Special Exhibition

    chapter 226: special exhibition


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    the invitation list for the exhibition was public, so it was not difficult to find out. zhao mian only needed to quickly browse through the list to have a rough guess, but it was unknown who specifically would participate.


    fortunately, there was a live broadcast of the exhibition. it was almost midnight, and most of the people who would come to the exhibition had already begun to enter.


    zhao mian found the live-stream of the exhibition and looked at the comments on the bullet screen. then, she had a rough understanding of the people participating in the exhibition. she did not expect there to be an old acquaintance among the participants.


    zhao mian turned around slightly and said to shi xiao, who was sitting in the back row, ¡°young master, almost half of the companies in the internet industry have sent representatives to participate in this exhibition. tan jing is also participating. li ci brought his niece, li ran, to attend as well.¡±


    ¡°oh really?¡± this was clearly beyond shi xiao¡¯s expectations.


    shi xiao only knew about the relationship between li ci and chen chen. he had used chen chen¡¯s name to open a software company and received dividends from the company. however, he did not expect him to come to such an exhibition personally and even bring li ran along. it could be seen that he truly cared about his niece.


    shi xiao did not look for tan jing, but he actually came to him. it seemed like he had to knock him down a peg.


    when shi xiao and the others arrived, it was already 1230 pm. after the security officer carefully checked the invitation and invited the two of them in, he blocked the entrance right on the heels of that.


    the overall design of the exhibition was very technological. the combination of gray and blue was very similar to the color configuration of laboratories in futuristic movies.


    the interior of the exhibition hall was not very bright. it was to ensure that people could see every piece of work displayed clearly. some program codes had to be displayed through the projection screen, and some were carefully designed firewalls with multiple safety nets. they also simulated the process of firewalls blocking viruses.


    there was even an attack program that claimed that no firewall could stop its attack.


    zhao mian looked at the two programs that were placed together. they were similar to the ¡°spear and shield¡± concept taught in middle school.


    if the two programs were put together, it was unknown if the firewall would be more powerful or if the attack program would be more powerful.


    shi xiao and zhao mian walked past each of the exhibits and looked at them carefully. in the end, the two of them were attracted by the same exhibit.


    this was also the work that received the most attention at this exhibition.


    this exhibition was a skyscraper built out of thin air.


    through a projector and some advanced machines, this high-rise building made of codes was placed in the exhibition cabinet in 3d. the description below explained the use of each floor clearly. if one used an electronic pen to operate it, they could open each floor.


    the floor that was clicked on was infinitely magnified, just like a real office place. it had the outline of a desk and office chair. even the desks were filled in with work numbers.


    after one inputted instructions with an electronic pen, codes would operate on their own. countless codes could be seen moving back and forth in the middle of this floor, and the instructions were completed in these codes.


    for example, the instructions given were that when they agreed to visit the factory at the appointed time with company a, a specific work number on the desk would light up. then, after typing out a string of codes, the computer screen on the desk would display the exact time and set up a reminder.


    of course, this was only the most corporeal scene. as for how the operation was carried out and how the code was generated, the person who created this work had to explain it personally.


    however, only professionals could understand such an explanation..

 Chapter 227 - Chapter 227: Acquaintances Meeting

    chapter 227: acquaintances meeting


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    after shi xiao walked around the exhibit and examined it from beginning to end carefully, he was filled with interest in this work and memorized the author¡¯s name, mo shu.


    shi xiao whispered to zhao mian, who was beside him, ¡°go and check if this author is attending the exhibition today. tell him that we¡¯re very interested in his work and want to talk to him in person.¡±


    zhao mian nodded in agreement and went to the organizer to ask about this author¡¯s situation and contact information.


    as soon as zhao mian left, shi xiao saw li ci and li ran standing not far away. the two of them were dressed very casually today. they were wearing a loose white t-shirt and straight-leg jeans. they were wearing the same white canvas shoes, so they looked very youthful and energetic.


    in order to appear more formal, li ci wore a jacket over his white t-shirt. he rolled up his sleeves, revealing a small portion of his arm.


    this was a set of clothes that li ran had spent the entire morning protesting before getting li ci to change into.


    initially, li ci had planned to continue wearing a suit, bow tie, and leather shoes, but li ran objected strongly. ¡°uncle, you¡¯re going to a technology exhibition, not a company recruitment fair! don¡¯t dress so formally. it will affect people¡¯s mood at the exhibition! think about it. those who attend the exhibition must be young people, so you should dress younger so that you can blend in with everyone.¡±


    li ci sized li ran up and saw that she was also wearing a simple white t-shirt and jeans. indeed, when it came to fashion, young girls were more trustworthy.


    although li ci was only a few years older than li ran, li ci felt that he was already very old and could no longer keep up with li ran¡¯s train of thought.


    when shi xiao saw the two of them, the other party also saw him. the three of them looked at each other and smiled before walking closer to each other.


    li ci was the first to speak. ¡°you¡¯ve been so busy recently that you didn¡¯t even ask me out. 1 didn¡¯t expect to see you at this exhibition.¡±


    shi xiao also joked, ¡°1 didn¡¯t expect you to be interested in a technology exhibition.¡±


    the two of them smiled at each other and stopped talking about this topic. however, they knew each other¡¯s goal. since everyone had the same goal, there was no need to expose it at this moment and cause unnecessary awkwardness.


    this was basically the last exhibit at the exhibition. the two of them had already seen all the participating works. although they knew very little about electronics, they could not help but discuss and express their opinions.


    when li ran heard how they were discussing so seriously, she felt that their topic was very boring. hence, she told her uncle and went elsewhere to continue watching the exhibition.


    after li ci and shi xiao chatted for a while, they finally started focusing on this tall building and began to express their opinions as well. a moment later, the two of them suddenly fell silent at the same time. then, they smiled at each other, since they understood each other¡¯s intentions. they both wanted to recruit this author.


    li ci said with a smile, ¡°haha, then let¡¯s rely on our own abilities. let¡¯s see who sets the conditions that will attract this person more¡­¡±


    ¡°mo shu.¡± li ci could not remember the author¡¯s name, so as he spoke, he paused. shi xiao reminded him.


    sometimes, it had to be said that the relationship between the two of them was like that of old acquaintances. they could always understand each other¡¯s intentions from each other¡¯s actions, but the suspicion between the two of them was like that of enemies for many years. they were clearly working together, but neither of them dared to trust each other sincerely. they were careful to guard against this enemy who was extremely familiar with them.


    this was probably the most sorrowful aspect of the relationship between the two of them. they were clearly confidants who trusted each other and people who truly understood each other, but they were also one of the few true enemies who could pose a threat to each other.


    they could smile at each other, toast each other, and share their feelings, but they could not let their guard down..

 Chapter 228 - Chapter 228: The Competition Begins

    chapter 228: the competition begins


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    when the tour was almost over, the organizer sent the emcee to the stage in the center of the exhibition hall. as the emcee stood on the stage with a microphone in his hand, all the spotlights were directed at the stage. around the stage, there was a circle of platforms that had already been connected to computers for the participants to use.


    the emcee briefly explained the rules of the competition. ¡°this competition is divided into three stages. there are three layers of firewalls that are getting stronger and stronger. participants have to break through each layer. those who can break through the last layer will receive a bonus of 50,000 yuan. if you have the intention, our company¡¯s technical department can also hire you!¡±


    as the emcee looked at the eager crowd, he explained the additional conditions. ¡°participants don¡¯t have to participate in all the stages. you guys can choose according to your abilities. if you¡¯re confident, you can participate all the way to the last stage. however, to be fair, the time you take to participate in the last stage will be halved.¡±


    ¡°in addition, we have an additional round. the contestants can take out the protective program that they are confident in and let our company¡¯s technical department be in charge of cracking it. if the final result is that they can¡¯t crack it, it will be considered the contestant¡¯s victory and we¡¯ll give you an admission ticket to the international technology competition for next month.¡± entry ticket to the international science and technology competition! as soon as these words were spoken, the audience immediately started discussing in excitement. the international science and technology competition was a global competition that was held only once every three years. it would choose the top technical talents from various countries to participate. at that time, one¡¯s opponent would be top talents from all over the world.


    this was enough to show how important this competition was. if they could get first place in this international technology competition, even if they were only in the top 20, everything would be smooth-sailing in the domestic technology industry from now on and they would obtain countless resources. it was an achievement that many people dreamed of.


    this competition was very important, so the difficulty of participating was also very high. not everyone could participate just because they wanted to. they had to be recommended by many parties and have outstanding works. they had to obtain the recognition of more than two big bosses in the technology industry to obtain an admission ticket to the competition.


    invitations to this competition would only be distributed to the top internet companies. each company only got three tickets.


    since the organizers chose to use admission tickets as rewards, it could be seen how sincere they were about this competition. at the same time, it could be seen how confident they were in the employees of their technical department.


    after the competition officially began, the pillars of the computers lit up with blue lights. the time limit for each level was five minutes.


    the contestants stood in front of the pillar with determined expressions on their faces. after moving their fingers, they placed them on the keyboard and stared at the timer seriously. when the timer began, they would immediately break through the firewall.


    the countdown began!


    the players typed codes on the keyboard very quickly. some of them were so fast that the afterimages of their fingers could be seen, and the keyboard made crackling sounds.


    the audience watching below the stage was also very nervous and sweating profusely. they did not even dare to breathe loudly as they watched the competition.


    three minutes had passed, but there were still no signs of the firewall being breached. however, some contestants¡¯ pillars had already turned red. it looked like they had failed and were eliminated.


    the contestant slammed the pillar angrily and left the stage in disappointment.


    as the audience watched the contestants leave one by one, they had a rough idea of this firewall. to be able to make things difficult for so many contestants and make them spend so much time without being able to break through, it was enough to show how powerful this firewall was. more importantly, this was only the first stage!


    at this moment, many people finally understood that the organizers were not only holding this competition to choose outstanding talents for their company, but also to publicize their products and let everyone know how powerful their firewall was. it was really a competition that killed two birds with one stone.


    compared to the subsequent benefits, the competition rewards seemed insignificant..

 Chapter 229 - Chapter 229: Senior and Junior Brother

    chapter 229: senior and junior brother


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    today¡¯s exhibition was a technology exhibition. li ran guessed that zhou liu would definitely be interested in it, so while her uncle and shi xiao were chatting, she ran to the first exhibit and watched it from beginning to end again. as she watched, she took photos of zhou liu and sent them over.


    actually, li ran had wanted to take photos during the first visit, but her uncle was beside her. she was afraid that he would say that she was being impetuous, so she could only pretend to look at it seriously.


    li ci always exuded a mature aura that didn¡¯t match his age. he didn¡¯t go shopping or drink with young people. instead, his favorite thing to do every day was to taste tea.


    li ran had followed li ci to the yunshe teahouse a few times. the environment was indeed very quiet, but it was really too boring. li ran couldn¡¯t tell if the tea was good or bad. going to the tea banquet was very boring to her, so she didn¡¯t go again.


    it was the same for exhibitions. li ci would look at a piece of work seriously and then look at the introduction of the work. through the introduction, he would try to understand the meaning of this work again. whether it was an art exhibition or today¡¯s technology exhibition, li ci always had this habit. from time to time, he would also discuss it with li ran.


    li ran felt that these things were boring and not as interesting as a fashion jewelry exhibition or a fashion show, but she still forced herself to focus and reply to li ci seriously.


    at this moment, li ci was busy dealing with shi xiao and didn¡¯t have the time to pay attention to her, so she was strolling around freely, like a horse that had escaped its leash.


    it was the lunch break now, so while they were eating, zhou liu could reply to li ran¡¯s messages.


    of course, zhou liu was very interested in technological exhibitions and could obtain some inspiration from every work. he knew that li ran didn¡¯t understand these specialized terms, so he evaluated every work with simple terms li ran would understand.


    when he saw a certain product, a skyscraper in the void, he was so shocked that he was speechless.


    he carefully enlarged every detail in the photo, from the appearance of the tall building to the design.


    he sent a message to li ran: [can you click on the 12th floor?]


    now that the exhibition was about to end, the next part was the competition. everyone surrounded the stage, in hopes of getting the best spot to watch the competition, so there were very few people around the exhibit.


    li ran obtained the electronic pen easily and counted from the first floor of the tall building to the twelfth floor. then, she used the electronic pen to tap on the screen. immediately after, the model of the tall building began to spin. the twelfth floor was enlarged, and every workstation employment pass number was very clear.


    li ran found many angles to take a clearer picture of the model before sending it over.


    zhou liu carefully studied every detail in the photo again. on the most hidden corner of the twelfth floor, there were two letters, m&amp.z.


    after about five minutes, zhou liu replied: [can i see the author¡¯s introduction again?]


    li ran was puzzled. why was he so interested in this piece of work?


    however, li ran still cooperated and took a photo of the author¡¯s introduction for zhou liu.


    mo shu¡­


    as zhou liu looked at this familiar name, he recalled his past school days.


    mo shu was his junior when during his postgraduate studies. the two of them were in charge of a certain project at the same time, so they established a deep friendship.


    the two of them were both very interested in coding and were also geniuses in the computer science department. at that time, they were both so arrogant that hey even dared to question the teacher in class.


    of the two of them, one was good at attacking and the other was good at defense, so they happened to be the strongest duo who complemented each other. they had participated in many competitions on campus and won first place, becoming famous figures on campus.


    zhou liu was an expert in defense. he was good at discovering loopholes and patching them up in time. mo shu was more aggressive both in terms of character and coding.


    he was even more sensitive than zhou liu. with just a glance at a string of codes, he could detect the error in the codes. then, he could write another string of codes to attack this error to test how aggressive his codes were.


    the two of them would often write codes in their respective areas of expertise before competing to see if mo shu¡¯s attack code was stronger or zhou liu¡¯s defense code was stronger.


    there were winners and losers in the competition, but mo shu always lost more than he won..

 Chapter 230 - Chapter 230: Mo Shu

    chapter 230: mo shu


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    the two of them were proud young men who wanted to make a name for themselves. the two of them had a common goal, which was to create a program that belonged to the two of them and change the development of the entire internet.


    after the two of them read countless documents and books, they understood more about the development of internet technology overseas. it took them a few months to finally determine the general direction and build a preliminary model concept of the online technology park.


    in fact, all the initial work had basically been completed, so the most difficult period had passed. all that was left was to construct the model and perfect the content. there was no need to spend a lot of effort.


    however, at this moment, something unexpected happened.


    zhou liu was about to graduate. during that period of time, he was busy with his graduation design and had no time to pay attention to mo shu. the two of them hadn¡¯t contacted each other for almost a month.


    zhou liu wasn¡¯t a gregarious person to begin with. when he was busy, he even forgot to take care of his junior. therefore, when he wanted to contact his junior, he realized that he could no longer contact him.


    after he asked around, he found out that mo shu had dropped out of school.


    zhou liu was shocked and couldn¡¯t believe this news. he even asked the school¡¯s people for the exact reason, but no matter who he asked, he didn¡¯t get the answer he wanted.


    it was as if mo shu had disappeared into thin air and had never appeared in this academy. no one mentioned his name again.


    only the concept model of the internet technology park that the two of them had worked hard together and was stored in the computer file could prove mo shu¡¯s existence. it proved that the two of them had worked side by side.


    the model that zhou liu was looking at now was created based on the initial concept back then. it was almost identical to what they had imagined back then. even the obvious loopholes had been perfected and consolidated.


    it could be seen that mo shu had never forgotten their dreams or their hard work. he even wanted to leave their names on the twelfth floor according to the agreement.


    what had mo shu experienced all these years?


    it wasn¡¯t that zhou liu hadn¡¯t been angry before. he thought that with their relationship, if anything happened, he definitely wouldn¡¯t remain indifferent if mo shu asked for help. however, he actually chose to leave without saying goodbye. anyone would be angry.


    it had been two years since zhou liu graduated. zhou liu even thought that this person would never appear again, but he didn¡¯t expect to see him again at this technology exhibition today.


    li ran waited for a long time, but zhou liu didn¡¯t reply to her message. she was worried that her uncle would be worried if she left for too long. hence, she sent zhou liu another message. ¡°there¡¯s a technology competition here later. i¡¯ll go watch the competition first. if you still want to watch this work, i¡¯ll take more photos for you after the competition.¡±


    the vibration of his cell phone made zhou liu snap out of his reverie. only then did he realize that he had been so engrossed in his thoughts that he had forgotten to reply to li ran¡¯s message.


    zhou liu quickly picked up his phone and replied to li ran¡¯s message: [okay.]


    after sending the message, zhou liu suddenly realized that with mo shu¡¯s personality, he definitely wouldn¡¯t miss this competition. however, even if he rushed over now, the competition would probably be over. furthermore, he didn¡¯t have an invitation letter, so how could he enter?


    zhou liu suddenly had an idea and hurriedly sent a message to li ran. [can you help me pay attention to whether mo shu is participating in the competition? if he is, what will the outcome be?]


    li ran happened to walk to the back of the stage. when she looked at her cell phone and happened to see his message, she replied, ¡°okay.¡±


    there were too many people, so li ran couldn¡¯t squeeze into the front at all. after she tried her best to jump up and see where li ci was, she happened to look at li ci, who was looking around for her.


    after li ran waved her hand happily, li ci squeezed through the crowd. then, he brought her to a less crowded place on the other side..

 Chapter 231 - Chapter 231: Guidance from an Expert

    chapter 231: guidance from an expert


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    the competition had just started for three and a half minutes, and half of the contestants had already withdrawn from the competition. li ran came at the right time and happened to see the most exciting minute in the last part of the second round.


    li ran didn¡¯t understand what was going on, but she didn¡¯t care about the content of the competition at all. she kept thinking about whether mo shu, whom zhou liu had asked her to keep an eye out for, was participating in the competition.


    hence, li ran whispered into li ci¡¯s ear, ¡°uncle, is there a person called mo shu among the contestants?¡±


    li ci shook his head. he was also very curious about who mo shu was. however, he hadn¡¯t seen this person since the beginning.


    how could an author who had carefully designed his entry and had gone to the trouble of pitching it at a tech show and placing it in the most prominent position to display it let go of this opportunity to attract everyone¡¯s attention?


    moreover, the reward for this competition, the admission ticket to the international science and technology competition, was an irresistible temptation for programmers. how could mo shu not participate?


    however, li ci didn¡¯t have the time to think about it. only half of the participants in the first round entered the second round.


    li ci could tell from the trembling hands of the participants that most of the people who could enter the second round were just lucky. now, the second round had only lasted for three minutes, but most of the people had already got eliminated.


    li ci and the others were standing at a relatively remote spot. although they were also at the front of the stage, they couldn¡¯t see the middle.


    there was a contestant in front of them. although he had lasted until now, he was clearly out of strength.


    this contestant was about 27 or 28 years old. his reaction speed was slightly inferior to that of young people, so he clearly couldn¡¯t keep up with the speed of the firewall.


    beads of sweat had already begun to appear on his forehead, and his hand that was quickly typing the code had also begun to tremble. he was clearly at the end of his rope.


    just as this person felt that he was about to lose, his hand that was typing the code slowly stopped. just as he planned to give up, someone suddenly appeared behind him. he must have sneaked up to him while everyone was focused on the competition.


    after that person lowered his head and said a few words in a low voice, this contestant, who was already about to give up, suddenly seemed to be enlightened and his eyes flickered.


    his hands seemed to have regained strength as they typed on the keyboard rapidly. the attack code that was originally getting weaker and weaker suddenly turned from a weak little snake to a powerful dragon, shattering the originally incomparably strong firewall.


    this contestant actually became the first person to break through the firewall in this round!


    everyone¡¯s viewing angle was limited, so they only thought that this contestant had broken through the firewall by himself. however, li ci saw clearly that the man hiding behind the contestant with his head lowered and a smug smile on his face was the true winner.


    the man had messy hair, as if he had just gotten out of bed.


    he was also dressed very discreetly, probably because he didn¡¯t want to attract attention. there was a faintly discernible white collar under his black jacket.


    he was probably wearing a white t-shirt, dark jeans, and a pair of sneakers.


    li ci sneered inwardly. if he wanted to hide himself, he might as well help him.


    li ci deliberately said to li ran somewhat loudly, ¡°i think this contestant got first place because he had the help of an expert.¡±


    li ran didn¡¯t understand how that person suddenly understood and broke through the firewall. however, when she heard her uncle say that, she asked in a daze, ¡°other people can help during the competition?¡±


    li ci looked in the man¡¯s direction calmly and said, ¡°of course, the competition environment isn¡¯t completely sealed. the contestants can hear us, so it¡¯s not difficult to have someone help.¡±


    the man had obviously heard their conversation. the smug smirk on his lips disappeared. he lowered his head and was about to retreat when someone in the crowd started shouting.


    ¡°someone¡¯s cheating!¡±

 Chapter 232 - Chapter 232: Contestant with Character

    chapter 232: contestant with character


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    someone in the crowd heard li ci and li ran¡¯s conversation clearly and looked behind the first person to break through the firewall. indeed, there was a person in a black jacket who wanted to retreat.


    the man quickly pointed at the man in the black jacket and shouted, ¡°stop him quickly. don¡¯t let him escape!¡±


    the crowd all moved closer to the man, blocking his retreat.


    the emcee had obviously noticed the commotion, so he raised the microphone and said, ¡°please come on stage, the contestant who obtained the first place in this round, and the gentleman behind you. please come on stage.¡±


    the emcee didn¡¯t ask the man in the black jacket. instead, he asked the winner, ¡°sir, how did you discover the loophole in the firewall during the competition just now and break through it as quickly as possible?¡±


    the emcee¡¯s question was very tactful. he was about to give up when he suddenly found a loophole and become the fastest person to break through the firewall, so there must be something fishy. the emcee¡¯s question avoided making things too ugly.


    this was a test of whether this person was honest enough.


    the man who got first place felt very accomplished that he could break through this firewall in such a short period of time, so whether he got first place or not was no longer that important.


    even if he hid the truth now and successfully entered the third round, he would still be instantly defeated by the firewall. therefore, the man told the truth.


    ¡°actually, during the competition just now, 1 didn¡¯t find any loopholes in the firewall. 1 was about to give up, but i heard someone behind me point out the loopholes in the firewall and tell me a string of codes. only then was i able to quickly break through the firewall.¡±


    as the man spoke, he pointed his palm at the man in the black jacket, who was also standing on the stage, his eyes filled with admiration.


    after the man in the black jacket heard this, he was no longer as secretive as before. instead, he straightened up and looked at everyone.


    the emcee said, ¡°looks like he¡¯s an expert. then, may i ask why you guided him during the competition?¡±


    the man looked very confident as he said, ¡°because i happened to see it, i told him.¡±


    then, without waiting for the emcee to continue asking, the man continued, ¡°i hope to participate in the third round.¡±


    ¡°oh really?¡± the emcee didn¡¯t look very surprised. instead, he asked, ¡°sir, if you directly participate in the third round, the time will be halved.¡±


    ¡°i know.¡± the man had no intention of backing down. it seemed that he was determined to participate in the third round.


    now that everyone¡¯s attention was on him and he spoke so confidently, if he didn¡¯t pass the third round, he would definitely be teased by everyone, but he didn¡¯t seem afraid at all.


    of course, the emcee had no reason to stop him from participating in the competition, so he asked politely, ¡°sir, can you tell me your name?¡±


    the man looked at the model of the tall building in the exhibition hall and tried his best to sound calm as he said, ¡°mo shu.¡±


    so he was mo shu!


    as soon as the man said his name, the people below began to discuss feverishly and the surroundings suddenly became noisy.


    many people were curious about the author of the work that everyone paid the most attention to in the exhibition hall, but they didn¡¯t expect him to have such a unique personality.


    after hearing his name, shi xiao, li ci, and li ran also became more interested in him.


    the three of them looked at the low-key person on the stage.


    although he was dressed in black, one could tell from his hair and expression that he was young and unruly. this person actually gave off a completely different vibe from his work.


    compared to him, his work seemed more levelheaded. however, only someone with an unruly personality could come up with such a creative model..

 Chapter 233 - Chapter 233: Do Nothing?

    chapter 233: do nothing?


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    li ran¡¯s focus on this person was purely because of zhou liu.


    zhou liu had never asked her to do anything for him before. this was the first time he had taken the initiative to ask li ran for help to keep an eye on a contestant, so of course, li ran would be more concerned.


    hence, li ran silently took out her phone and recorded the entire video of mo shu participating in the competition.


    mo shu was sitting on the pillar in the center of the stage. this position could be said to be the center of attention. everyone was staring at him, but he didn¡¯t panic at all. he looked calm and composed. after standing in his position, he checked his computer and exercised his fingers while waiting for the order to start the competition.


    ¡°start the countdown!¡±


    after the emcee gave the order, all the contestants immediately moved their fingers and typed on the keyboard rapidly. the entire venue was very quiet, so quiet that only the sound of their fingers tapping on the keyboard could be heard.


    however, mo shu¡¯s reaction was different from everyone else¡¯s. he was actually browsing the page code quickly.


    he only had half the time of other people, which meant that he only had two and a half minutes. however, he spent half a minute browsing the page.


    everyone couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious for him. some impatient people even gritted their teeth and whispered, ¡°hurry up and enter the code! what are you still looking at?!¡±


    even li ran, who was an outsider, couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous for mo shu. her hand that was holding her cell phone tightly began to sweat and even tremble.


    li ci might have noticed that li ran¡¯s hand was trembling, so he reached out a hand to help her stabilize her cell phone as he whispered, ¡°hold it steadily.¡±


    then the two of them looked at mo shu.


    when there was only a minute and a half left, mo shu suddenly stopped browsing.


    when his movements stopped, everyone tensed up and couldn¡¯t help but guess the intention of his every move. did he suddenly stop now because it was too difficult and he wanted to give up?


    even the other contestants in the competition looked at him.


    these contestants had all participated in the second round of the competition, so of course they knew how difficult it was to break through the firewall. mo shu could actually make that person the fastest to break through the firewall with just a few simple instructions, so it could be seen how impressive mo shu was.


    the firewall of the third stage was even more difficult. many people no longer had the confidence to break through this firewall, so they looked at mo shu. perhaps they could gain some inspiration from his actions.


    unexpectedly, this guy still had the time to dawdle. time was limited to begin with. instead of operating immediately, he looked at the code first. what a strange person.


    those who had high hopes for mo shu couldn¡¯t help but mock him. they felt that at this moment, he had already exhausted all his tricks. that was why he didn¡¯t enter any code or do anything.


    some people around them had already begun to discuss. although their voices were very soft, they still broke the silence.


    as soon as one person started discussing, there would be a second and a third person. in just a few seconds, the venue became noisy again.


    even the emcee couldn¡¯t help but walk to mo shu¡¯s side. she blocked the microphone and asked softly, ¡°mo shu, why aren¡¯t you starting? it¡¯s almost time.¡±


    mo shu just smiled and turned to look at the crowd.


    his expression was still very calm, even calmer than when the competition had just begun. he didn¡¯t look troubled at all.


    he scanned everyone seriously, as if he was looking for someone.


    even shi xiao began to think that he was just an arrogant person who liked to bluff.


    shi xiao couldn¡¯t help but feel a little disappointed. so the person who designed such an outstanding piece of work was only so-so.


    after mo shu glanced around the venue, his gaze landed on a man in his forties wearing sunglasses in the corridor on the second floor.


    mo shu sneered, his eyes full of mockery and provocation.


    his lips parted slightly as he mouthed, ¡°you lost..¡±

 Chapter 234 - Chapter 234: Great Reversal!

    chapter 234: great reversal!


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    no one understood what he meant. they saw him speak, but he didn¡¯t make a sound. his smug and arrogant expression immediately caused everyone to be dissatisfied.


    however, mo shu didn¡¯t care at all. after saying this, he turned around and focused on the computer screen. there was only one minute left. his hand moved quickly as he typed out codes on the keyboard.


    thirty seconds.


    more and more participants¡¯ pillars turned red.


    forty seconds.


    although the other contestants only had five minutes, the number of people who persisted could be counted on one hand.


    fifty seconds.


    only mo shu¡¯s pillar was still lit, but time flew by quickly.


    everyone suddenly forgot how they had mocked mo shu just now. from his confident look, they couldn¡¯t help but feel that he would definitely be able to break through this firewall.


    the entire venue fell silent again. everyone felt anxious for him.


    fifty-ninth second.


    although the emcee also wanted mo shu to succeed, the rules of the competition couldn¡¯t be broken. she could only announce that the competition had ended and no one had succeeded.


    just as she raised the microphone and was about to announce the results, mo shu¡¯s pillar suddenly turned white. he had succeeded!


    everyone was so shocked that they couldn¡¯t speak. for a moment, the sound of gasps could be heard clearly.


    everyone couldn¡¯t believe that mo shu was the only one who had succeeded. more importantly, he had less time than the others, and he had wasted a minute and a half.


    in other words, it only took him a minute to break through such an impenetrable firewall¡­


    what kind of concept was this?


    this firewall was the result of the joint efforts of everyone in the organizing company¡¯s technical department, so it was definitely not easy to break through¡­


    this result meant that if the legal factors weren¡¯t taken into account, as long as mo shu wanted to, entering the company¡¯s database to steal the company¡¯s data would just be a matter of moving his fingers¡­


    even the emcee was stunned for a moment and forgot to announce the results of the competition.


    in the end, mo shu reminded her, ¡°the competition is over. announce the results.¡±


    ¡°oh¡­ oh¡­¡± the emcee retracted her flustered expression. then, she picked up the microphone and said, ¡°congratulations to mo shu for becoming the only person to pass the third round! congratulations to mo shu for becoming the champion of this competition! later, please follow me to the finance department to receive your reward.¡±


    mo shu shook his head and said, ¡°there¡¯s no need for the reward. 1 have no intention of entering your company. i just have something to say to him.¡± when mo shu said the last sentence, he suddenly turned around and looked towards the corridor on the second floor. then, he pointed at the man in sunglasses.


    the man was still standing at the same spot without moving and his hands were holding the railing in the corridor. even though mo shu was pointing at him, he still remained motionless, like a mannequin.


    the emcee looked troubled. of course, she knew who mo shu was referring to. he was the general manager of the company and the founder of this technology exhibition.


    mo shu¡¯s attitude was so arrogant, so if she gave him the microphone, he would probably blurt out something outrageous.


    the emcee gripped the microphone tightly and she even felt her back sweating. why did she encounter this sort of trouble¡­ she was just here for a part-time job. there was no need for her to encounter the first challenge of her career¡­


    at this moment, a person who looked like a secretary walked onto the stage and whispered a few words into the emcee¡¯s ear before leaving the stage.


    the emcee immediately felt relieved. she put on a professional smile and said to mo shu, ¡°mo shu, if you have anything to communicate with our general manager about, you can go to the general manager¡¯s office and wait for a while. the general manager will meet you personally after settling his matters.¡±


    the emcee seemed to be afraid that mo shu wouldn¡¯t agree, so she quickly changed the topic to make mo shu give up on holding the microphone.


    ¡°mo shu, there¡¯s an additional round of competition for this exhibition. the participants will showcase their own firewall and our company¡¯s technical department will crack it. are you interested in participating?¡±


    mo shu suddenly looked a little disappointed and shook his head..

 Chapter 235 - Chapter 235: The Strongest Defense Code

    chapter 235: the strongest defense code


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    when the emcee saw that his expression was completely different from his arrogant and smug expression just now, she couldn¡¯t help but pick up the microphone and ask, ¡°mo shu, 1 wonder if you have any concerns about not participating in the play-offs?¡±


    however, the emcee also remembered that she couldn¡¯t hand the microphone to him, so the microphone was still held tightly in her hand.


    however, everyone was very curious about mo shu. after mo shu successfully cracked the firewall, their ridicule turned into admiration. at this moment, they were silent as they waited for mo shu¡¯s answer.


    mo shu smiled bitterly, as if he had recalled something from a long time ago but soon, his eyes focused again and he looked at the model of the electronic building on the exhibition stage as he said calmly, ¡°because i¡¯m only good at attacking and not defense.¡±


    he raised his hand and pointed at the electronic building model placed in the hall as he said, ¡°1 have a very good buddy. he¡¯s better at defense and can resist any attack. my attacks are a piece of cake for him.¡±


    everyone was shocked when they heard this. everyone knew how powerful mo shu¡¯s attack code was. even the company¡¯s firewall was easily hacked by him in a minute. wasn¡¯t this enough to show that mo shu¡¯s attack code was very powerful?


    but mo shu actually said that his friend¡¯s defense code was stronger than his and even he couldn¡¯t break through it. that was enough to show how capable his friend was!


    however, how could such a powerful person not be famous in the internet industry?


    everyone began to guess who this person was. there were only a few people who were good at writing defense codes, and two of them worked in this company. could his friend be from this company?


    was mo shu participating in this competition because of his friend?


    everyone was speculating, but mo shu had no intention of explaining. instead, he pointed at his participation model.


    ¡°actually, i¡¯ve been paying attention to everyone¡¯s expressions when they saw this model. i know many people are very interested in it, but what 1 want to say is that this model isn¡¯t my work alone. it¡¯s the result of my good friend and i working hard together.¡±


    ¡°two years ago, we created the concept of this model together. over the past two years, i¡¯ve been constantly improving and repairing it in hopes of presenting this model in its entirety. however, my ability is limited, so i can only come this far.¡±


    ¡°i know that if my friend was by my side, this model would definitely be close to perfection. 1 brought this model to this exhibition only because 1 hope that my friend can see it.¡±


    li ran had even forgotten that she was still recording a video. she focused on listening to him tell the story. seeing his expression and tone, li ran couldn¡¯t help but feel sympathetic and a little disappointed.


    from what he said, he must have gotten into a fight with his friend and it had been a long time since they last contacted each other. it was a pity that two such capable people couldn¡¯t work together.


    after saying this, mo shu suddenly felt relieved and returned to the previous topic. ¡°but i came to participate in this competition today for a more important reason. 1 do have something to tell the person standing in the corridor on the second floor!¡±


    this time, mo shu didn¡¯t give anyone a chance to stop him. his voice was very loud, and the venue was very quiet. moreover, the venue was very empty, so he didn¡¯t need a microphone.


    mo shu was very stubborn, so no one could stop him from doing what he wanted to do!


    he pointed at the man standing on the second floor and still hadn¡¯t moved, as he said with a sneer, ¡°it¡¯s been two years, but your problem still hasn¡¯t changed. i can still tell at a glance!¡±


    everyone looked at the second floor and gasped. so mo shu knew the general manager of this company! no wonder he was so arrogant!


    mo shu didn¡¯t care what others thought of him. he continued, ¡°two years ago, you could use your power to suppress me, but you¡¯re wrong. even if i didn¡¯t expose you, you still wouldn¡¯t be able to conduct yourself in an above-board manner!¡±


    mo shu¡¯s next words were blocked by someone and a few security officers rushed forward. one of them held his arms behind his back, while the other covered his mouth and dragged him off the stage. for a moment, the scene was very chaotic..

 Chapter 236 - Chapter 236: Cloud Technology

    chapter 236: cloud technology


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    the emcee was also shocked by this scene. for a moment, she didn¡¯t know what to say, so she stood at the side with the microphone as she looked at the people below the stage awkwardly.


    the emcee thought to herself, ¡°help, it¡¯s so awkward. someone please save me. i really won¡¯t accept such a hosting gig in the future!¡±


    at this moment, the secretary who had come up to speak to the emcee walked onto the stage again. he took the microphone from the emcee¡¯s hand and let the emcee leave first.


    he explained to everyone, ¡°we will hold mr. mo shu legally responsible for disrupting our company¡¯s exhibition and damaging our company¡¯s reputation. please pay attention to the company¡¯s official website in the future. today¡¯s exhibition ends here. thank you for your visit. we also hope to receive your suggestions and support to prepare for the next technology exhibition.¡± everyone thought that mo shu¡¯s matter was just a small interlude, so they clapped before dispersing.


    shi xiao watched everything that happened today calmly. he knew that mo shu¡¯s words weren¡¯t baseless. otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have gone through so much trouble.


    zhao mian walked towards shi xiao and whispered, ¡°mo shu didn¡¯t leave this building.¡±


    shi xiao nodded slightly. his guess was right. it seemed that the security officers didn¡¯t want to chase mo shu out of the exhibition hall. instead, they wanted to bring mo shu somewhere. it was very likely that he was brought to see the general manager.


    shi xiao asked, ¡°do you know anything about the organizers for today¡¯s exhibition?¡±


    zhao mian had long guessed that shi xiao would be curious about this company, so she had already prepared all the information about this company and picked the most important one. ¡°dun yuan technology company was established for three years. two years ago, with the help of the software designer, zhang ting, who won the award for the strongest firewall system in the international technology competition, it began to develop rapidly and became the top software company in the country. many large companies bought the firewall of this company. zhang ting also developed rapidly in the past two years and has now become the partner and general manager of this company.¡±


    however, there was no way to explain mo shu¡¯s actions today. shi xiao wanted to know more about the general manager of this company, so he said to zhao mian, ¡°go and find out who the general manager of this company is and what relationship he has with mo shu.¡±


    zhao mian immediately agreed. it seemed that mo shu¡¯s performance today had completely piqued shi xiao¡¯s interest and shi xiao had the intention to recruit him as his subordinate, so doing a background check on him was only the first step.


    zhao mian made arrangements for this matter and asked her subordinates to quickly find out more information. then, she asked shi xiao, ¡°young master, what should we do now?¡±


    mo shu had openly provoked the general manager of a company and was taken away by the security officers, so it definitely wouldn¡¯t as simple as a lecture. shi xiao made his intentions very clear. ¡°go and meet the general manager of dun yuan technology company.¡±


    as expected¡­ zhao mian couldn¡¯t help but admire herself for having a good grasp of her boss¡¯s thoughts.


    zhao mian had already done her research. the high-rise building where the exhibition hall was located today was dun yuan technology company. the exhibition hall was on the first and second floors of the technology company. outside the exhibition hall, there was a direct elevator to the company upstairs, but one had to swipe their employee card to go up. the general manager¡¯s office was on the 20th floor, and one had to make an appointment to go up there.


    shi xiao had made this decision at the last minute, so he naturally wouldn¡¯t be let in. zhao mian had already considered this. while the situation was chaotic just now, the secretary happened to pass by zhao mian when he went on stage to stabilize the situation. zhao mian took the employee card that was clipped to his chest.


    zhao mian led the way and brought shi xiao up to the 20th floor. they stopped at general manager zhang ting¡¯s office.


    just as shi xiao had expected, mo shu wasn¡¯t thrown out of the building. instead, he was brought here. they were quite polite to mo shu and even made him a cup of tea.


    at this moment, mo shu was sitting on the sofa with a furious expression on his face. he glared at zhang ting and his secretary, who were sitting opposite him. it was obvious that he was angered by the other party¡¯s actions..

 Chapter 237 - Chapter 237: Fishy

    chapter 237: fishy


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    the office door was closed, so shi xiao couldn¡¯t hear what was being said inside. he could only see the situation through the transparent glass wall.


    shi xiao nodded at zhao mian, who immediately knocked on the door.


    the sound of knocking on the door attracted everyone¡¯s attention and they immediately looked out of the door warily.


    zhang ting took off his sunglasses and put on a pair of frame glasses. his small eyes looked a little wretched and his slicked-back hairstyle made him look silly. he didn¡¯t even look as smart as the secretary beside him, nor did he look as cool as he did on the second floor of the exhibition hall.


    it seemed like he was just pretending just now.


    zhang ting¡¯s secretary felt that these two people looked familiar. they seemed to be the general manager of some company.


    seeing that the three of them were very puzzled, zhao mian introduced herself before they could ask, ¡°hello, we¡¯re from yuan an technology company. we were invited to the exhibition and picked up an employee card in the exhibition hall, so we¡¯re here to send it to you.¡±


    with that, zhao mian took out the secretary¡¯s employee card to prove the authenticity of her words.


    when the secretary saw the employee card in zhao mian¡¯s hand, he quickly looked at the employee card hanging on his chest. indeed, it had fallen at some point.


    he extended his hands politely and took his employee card. then, he thanked them, ¡°it¡¯s indeed my employee card. i really have to thank you for helping me find my employee card. otherwise, i wouldn¡¯t have been able to get off work.


    i¡¯ll send you guys down personally.¡±


    as soon as the secretary took back his employee card, he started to chase them out. he was obviously worried that if the two of them continued to stay here, it would affect their conversation with mo shu.


    just as zhao mian was about to find an excuse to stay, a familiar voice suddenly sounded from the innermost part of the office. ¡°1 didn¡¯t expect the general manager of the shi corporation to have the time to personally deliver an employee card.¡±


    as soon as he said this, other than mo shu, everyone else¡¯s expressions changed. zhang ting and the secretary obviously didn¡¯t know who these two people were, so they were stunned. zhao mian and shi xiao were shocked, since they didn¡¯t expect to meet an old acquaintance here.


    there were a total of three sides to the glass wall. the curtains were drawn on the innermost wall, and there was a bonsai tree beside the desk. in addition, this person was sitting in an office chair with his back facing the door. the back of the chair covered his entire body, so shi xiao and the others didn¡¯t see a fourth person in the room.


    what surprised them even more was that the fourth person was tan jing. shi xiao knew that he had participated in the exhibition from the start, but he didn¡¯t show up at all.


    no wonder he couldn¡¯t find him in the exhibition hall. it turned out that he came straight to the general manager¡¯s office as soon as he entered the building. it seemed that he wasn¡¯t here for the exhibition at all. he already knew the general manager here.


    shi xiao looked at tan jing, who was sitting on the office chair. he had just turned the chair around and revealed his face. when their gazes met, tension filled the air.


    tan jing was angry with shi xiao now. he had worked so hard to manage no man¡¯s land for so long, but shi xiao caused trouble and the entire place was sealed by the police. he had not found a chance to vent his anger. since he had met shi xiao today, he would settle the scores!


    zhao mian could be said to be shi xiao¡¯s intelligence center. she had all the information that shi xiao wanted to know. however, she didn¡¯t know that tan jing had ties with dun yuan technology company. she had always thought that tan jing only opened a software company. she didn¡¯t expect that even this software company was part of his plan.


    shi xiao and tan jing stared at each other for a long time. shi xiao suddenly retracted his gaze and smiled casually as he said, ¡°young master tan, we meet again.¡±


    after shi xiao suddenly retracted his gaze, tan jing didn¡¯t have time to change his expression. hence, his expression was a little strange.


    tan jing moved his stiff body and said sarcastically, ¡°young master shi, why aren¡¯t you managing yuan an company? why did you barge into someone else¡¯s company instead?¡±

 Chapter 238 - Chapter 238: I’m Angry With You

    chapter 238: i¡¯m angry with you


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    shi xiao acted puzzled, as if he had heard something that made no sense. ¡°young master tan, what do you mean? we were personally invited by dun yuan technology company. how can you use the word ¡®barge¡¯?¡±


    ¡°ha.¡± mo shu, who had been sitting on the sofa silently, couldn¡¯t help but laugh when he heard shi xiao¡¯s mockery.


    after tan jing was mocked by mo shu, he felt embarrassed and asked mo shu to shut up angrily.


    mo shu had already quarreled with a few people just now and wasn¡¯t in the mood to argue with him, so he closed his mouth indifferently and turned his head to the side without saying anything else.


    tan jing started to mock and ridicule him. ¡°it seems that young master shi has already solved the problem that yuan an encountered, since you still have the time to come and watch the exhibition.¡±


    shi xiao asked, ¡°oh really? how did young master tan know that yuan an was in trouble? could it be that you were the one who caused this trouble?¡±


    tan jing was rendered speechless again. why didn¡¯t he know that shi xiao was so sharp-tongued in the past? when he spoke to shi xiao, he felt a sense of deja vu.


    tan jing tried to recall who he had talked to before. then, he suddenly remembered that it was yuan shu!


    could it be that this couple researched how to retort every day instead of working?


    tan jing couldn¡¯t be bothered to continue this topic. he asked shi xiao directly, ¡°may 1 ask why you came here?¡±


    shi xiao mocked, ¡°it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with you. i¡¯m looking for him, not you.¡± shi xiao pointed at mo shu, who was sitting there obediently. then, as if he had suddenly thought of something, he smiled evilly. ¡°and this seems to be dun yuan technology company, not your software company.¡±


    ¡°you!¡± tan jing was so angry that he had the urge to reveal his relationship with dun yuan technology company. fortunately, he suppressed the urge to blurt it out and smiled politely as he said, ¡°you¡¯re right. go ahead.¡±


    shi xiao felt that it was a pity that he couldn¡¯t get anything out of him.


    shi xiao asked, ¡°i wonder why young master tan is in general manager zhang¡¯s office?¡±


    tan jing crossed his arms in front of his chest and said with a confident look, ¡°let¡¯s discuss a collaboration. young master shi, do you have any objections?¡±


    shi xiao said with a smile, ¡°of course not.¡±


    then, shi xiao sized up the office carefully. zhang ting and the secretary were sitting at the side of the reception table. mo shu was the guest while tan jing was sitting at the master seat in the general manager¡¯s office.


    shi xiao nodded slightly, as if he understood. then, he said meaningfully, ¡°oh, let¡¯s talk about a cooperation.¡±


    zhao mian bit her lower lip tightly and stopped herself from laughing out loud. she didn¡¯t expect her boss to be so good at angering people.


    tan jing felt embarrassed, as if he had been seen through. he was filled with anger but he couldn¡¯t vent it, so he felt even angrier.


    his expression was cold as he cleared his throat and asked shi xiao to leave, ¡°since you want to look for mo shu, you can take him away now. we have business matters to discuss. it¡¯s confidential, so it¡¯s inconvenient for young master shi to listen.¡±


    shi xiao raised his eyebrows slightly, but didn¡¯t say anything else. instead, he exchanged glances with mo shu.


    mo shu had already said what he needed to say. if he didn¡¯t leave now, he wouldn¡¯t be able to leave even if he wanted to. shi xiao¡¯s appearance had actually saved him. therefore, mo shu tactfully followed shi xiao and the others out.


    the secretary followed behind them and sent them all the way to the office.


    zhang ting waited until the person was far away and could no longer be seen before he suddenly lost control. his hands that were holding his glasses were trembling.


    the general manager looked at tan jing in panic and asked fearfully, ¡°if we let mo shu go just like that, what if he reveals everything?¡±


    his forehead was already covered in cold sweat. actually, he had been a little afraid ever since mo shu suddenly appeared at the exhibition. that was why he had been standing in the corridor on the second floor without moving. he was afraid that if he moved, his trembling legs would betray his fear..

 Chapter 239 - Chapter 239: Conspiracy

    chapter 239: conspiracy


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    if he had known that mo shu would be so reckless, zhang ting would have personally screened the participants and wouldn¡¯t have let mo shu take advantage of the situation. he had actually sneaked into the technology exhibition and even displayed the model that caused all the trouble!


    tan jing looked at zhang ting¡¯s flustered expression in disdain. he looked like a frightened bird, as if as long as he pulled the bowstring, he would be so frightened that he would tell everything!


    tan jing made his voice sound tougher so that zhang ting would calm down. ¡°he doesn¡¯t have any evidence, so even if he exposes everything, no one will believe him.¡±


    ¡°but¡­¡± zhang ting was still worried. it was obvious that he was extremely afraid and he even started stammering.


    tan jing¡¯s gaze became menacing as he stared at zhang ting and said, ¡°i¡¯m warning you. be careful of your mouth. if you tell anyone about this, you should know the consequences.¡±


    zhang ting trembled in fear. of course, he knew what would happen. he had already seen what happened to mo shu two years ago!


    for the past two years, zhang ting had been at the mercy of others. he was willing to be a marionette and listen to others¡¯ orders because he was afraid that his life would be ruined like mo shu¡¯s.


    however, he wasn¡¯t as bold as mo shu. he still had a family to protect and he couldn¡¯t let himself fail in the field of computing that he was best at!


    zhang ting swallowed hard to calm himself down. then, he took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the sweat on his forehead as he said calmly, ¡°i understand.¡±


    the secretary happened to return at this time. when he saw zhang ting¡¯s actions, he knew that zhang ting must have been frightened again.


    he had been by zhang ting¡¯s side for two years and had also monitored him for two years, but this person to hadn¡¯t improved at all. he was still that submissive and despicable person who stepped on others¡¯ backs to climb up.


    the secretary¡¯s gaze was cold and even filled with disdain. zhang ting, who had just been frightened, would probably tremble if he saw this gaze.


    however, the secretary controlled himself very well. the moment zhang ting looked up and met his gaze, he immediately retracted his cold gaze and said with a smile, ¡°general manager, don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ll help you. nothing will go wrong.¡±


    only then did zhang ting relax. his body was trembling uncontrollably, but he still nodded vigorously.


    mo shu followed shi xiao downstairs. as soon as he left the building, he zipped up his black jacket.


    zhao mian was very curious. the weather was very warm and there was no wind. moreover, when the temperature was at its highest at three to four in the afternoon, so it wasn¡¯t cold at all. why did he wrap himself up so tightly?


    after mo shu zipped up, he walked two steps faster and stood beside shi xiao. then, he said very seriously, ¡°thank you for helping me today. otherwise, i might not have been able to leave the office safely. however, i don¡¯t have anything to repay you with. if you want my attack code, 1 can give it to you.¡±


    zhao mian found this person very interesting. he was clearly thanking someone, but his tone sounded so matter-of-fact and even a little arrogant.


    ordinary people wouldn¡¯t want an attack code, but he made the attack code sound priceless. it was as if using the attack code to thank someone for saving his life was a bargain for the other party.


    shi xiao said with a smile, ¡°i¡¯m not interested in your attack code. if you want to thank me, why don¡¯t you show me the model you displayed? we can discuss the price.¡±


    shi xiao didn¡¯t ask why zhang ting had brought him to the office. it wasn¡¯t that shi xiao wasn¡¯t curious, but he knew that it was useless to ask. if mo shu was willing to say it, he wouldn¡¯t have only provoked zhang ting on the stage of the exhibition hall.


    mo shu did this because he wanted to talk to zhang ting face-to-face. now, he had achieved his goal.


    initially, mo shu was very grateful to shi xiao. however, when he heard him mention the models placed in the exhibition hall, mo shu¡¯s expression changed immediately and he looked at shi xiao coldly..

 Chapter 240 - Chapter 240: Pursuit

    chapter 240: pursuit


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    ¡°impossible!¡± mo shu said coldly. ¡°i¡¯ve already said that this work doesn¡¯t belong to me alone, so 1 have no right to give it to anyone or sell it to anyone.¡±


    mo shu wasn¡¯t very tall. he was only 1.7 meters tall, while shi xiao was 1.9 meters tall. therefore, when he looked at shi xiao, he had no choice but to raise his head. his aura was no longer as imposing.


    although shi xiao looked down on him, he admired this person very much because he had his own principles and was honest.


    although a large part of his honesty was due to his disdain for lying and stealing the fruits of others¡¯ labor, it was also the most important constraint behind all his bold behavior today.


    before shi xiao could speak, he suddenly heard someone shout from afar, ¡°mo shu!¡±


    it was three to four in the afternoon, so the neighborhood was very quiet and there were very few people walking around. this sound alarmed everyone in the neighborhood. some people even looked down through the windows.


    the three of them were attracted by the voice and looked at the source¡ªa young man with a buzz cut wearing a plaid shirt and jeans, a black computer bag on his back, and black-framed glasses.


    after mo shu saw this person¡¯s face clearly, he suddenly ran away like a frightened bird and his speed was comparable to that of a sprinting athlete!


    the buzz-cut young man put down his computer bag and shouted at shi xiao and zhao mian, ¡°please help me look after my computer!¡± then, he chased after mo shu without looking back.


    he didn¡¯t hold back and ran with all his might. the two of them quickly disappeared, leaving shi xiao and zhao mian exchanging looks of dismay.


    after shi xiao and zhao mian looked at each other, zhao mian said awkwardly, ¡°young master, that person seems to be zhou liu from our company¡¯s technical department¡­¡±


    shi xiao was speechless.


    therefore, the computing field was a circle. after going around and around, one could always return to the source.


    shi xiao still had many things to deal with, so it was impossible for him to wait for the two of them to return. he said to zhao mian, ¡°take his computer bag back to the company and send him a message to come and get it himself.¡± then, he walked out of the neighborhood.


    zhao mian waved her hand helplessly. alright, she had guessed correctly once again.


    zhao mian walked to his laptop bag, picked it up, and followed behind shi xiao. at the same time, she took out her phone and quickly sent a message to zhou liu.


    [come to the headquarters at nine o¡¯clock tomorrow morning to get your computer.]


    zhou liu was supposed to be at work at this time, but ever since he saw the design model sent to him by li ran, he couldn¡¯t sit still anymore, especially when he knew that the author was mo shu. he couldn¡¯t wait to rush to the event location to confirm if this person was mo shu.


    zhou liu forced himself to sit at his desk and carefully check the coding. however, no matter what he did, he couldn¡¯t focus. he couldn¡¯t help but check his cell phone from time to time and think about what happened two years ago.


    instead of sitting here and thinking about things, he might as well go take a look himself.


    therefore, zhou liu didn¡¯t wait for li ran to send him a video of the competition. he applied for leave from his supervisor. then, he checked the address of the technology exhibition online. he found the subway too slow, so he took a taxi over.


    on the way here, he received a video from li ran. the video was more than five minutes long. in the first minute, only mo shu¡¯s back could be seen. his face couldn¡¯t be seen at all.


    but even though it was just his back view, zhou liu could tell at a glance that this person was mo shu, especially his messy hair. after two years, he still hadn¡¯t changed.


    however, mo shu had changed a lot in other areas. in the past, he always liked to wear bright clothes and never liked the color black. now that he was wearing black, and even his back was a little hunched. in the past, he would raise his head high wherever he went and was very confident.


    zhou liu watched the video seriously. mo shu turned around and spoke to someone else. although zhou liu couldn¡¯t see who was standing in the distance, he could see mo shu¡¯s face clearly. it was that same unrestrained and arrogant face. the familiar face hadn¡¯t changed at all even after so many years..

 Chapter 241 - Chapter 241: Fight

    chapter 241: fight


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    in the second half of the video, li ran¡¯s hands were trembling. perhaps it was because of excitement, but even zhou liu couldn¡¯t help but break out in cold sweat when he saw mo shu break through the firewall at the last minute.


    he was confident that this firewall wouldn¡¯t be a problem for mo shu.


    however, this guy always liked to make the atmosphere very tense, making everyone worry for him.


    it was the same during the competition in the past. when everyone thought that mo shu was going to lose, he suddenly started to exert strength and won the competition at the last moment. it made everyone who was watching the competition feel as if they had just experienced a roller coaster.


    after mo shu won the competition, he was invited to the stage by the emcee. when the emcee asked him if he would participate in the playoffs, he mentioned his former friend and the project the two of them worked on. zhou liu knew very well that the person mo shu was talking about was him.


    zhou liu observed the expression on mo shu¡¯s face carefully. for a moment, mo shu appeared disappointed and frustrated. perhaps mo shu had really thought of him.


    but the more this was the case, the angrier zhou liu became. if he really treated him as a buddy, why did he leave without saying goodbye back then?! there had been no news of him for so many years!


    then, mo shu shouted into the distance again. however, the video stopped here, so zhou liu didn¡¯t know what mo shu said or what happened next.


    zhou liu had a hunch that the person he couldn¡¯t see from afar must have something to do with what happened back then. otherwise, with mo shu¡¯s personality, although he was unrestrained, he definitely wouldn¡¯t be so impulsive.


    taking advantage of the fact that there were about 20 minutes left on the journey, zhou liu immediately took out his phone and searched for information about dun yuan technology company. however, the information he could see on encyclopedia was limited, so he couldn¡¯t find any useful information.


    just as zhou liu was about to close the page, a familiar name suddenly appeared before his eyes¡ªzhang ting.


    zhou liu was suspicious. could this matter be related to him?


    zhang ting was a substitute teacher in the computing department. he used to be in the same class as zhou liu¡¯s mentor and the two of them had a very good relationship. in zhou liu¡¯s own words, zhang ting¡¯s relationship with their mentor was like the relationship between zhou liu and mo shu.


    their teacher often told them during meals, ¡°the two of you are like how we were back then. i hope that your friendship can last for ten to twenty years like ours! hahaha!¡±


    at the thought of this, zhou liu gripped the cell phone in his hand tightly. no matter what happened to mo shu, he would help mo shu! as mo shu¡¯s friend, he would always believe mo shu unconditionally! but before that, he must beat mo shu up!


    initially, he thought that the two of them would be extremely excited to see each other again after two years. however, he didn¡¯t expect mo shu to run away without a word when he saw him.


    zhou liu didn¡¯t have the time to see who the two people standing beside him were. his first thought was to catch up to him. hence, he put down his laptop bag and instructed the two people to look after it before chasing after mo shu.


    zhou liu chased mo shu for more than two miles.


    there was a small river that flowed east-west around the neighborhood of dun yuan technology company. in the past two years, the river had been modified and tracks had been built on both sides of the river.


    the two of them ran all the way to the track and farther and farther along the river.


    in the end, mo shu stopped and panted heavily.


    zhou liu wasn¡¯t athletic, but his anger motivated him to run all the way until he grabbed the hood of mo shu¡¯s black jacket. only then did he stop and pant heavily.


    ¡°hu hu¡­¡± mo shu waited for his breathing to calm down before begging for mercy. ¡°you didn¡¯t even pass the 1,000-meter run in school in the past. why has your stamina improved in the past two years¡­¡±


    it would have been better if mo shu hadn¡¯t said anything. however, the moment he said that, zhou liu was so angry that he pulled mo shu up and punched mo shu¡¯s face.


    mo shu staggered. if zhou liu hadn¡¯t grabbed him, he would have fallen to the ground..

 Chapter 242 - Chapter 242: Phone Call

    chapter 242: phone call


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    after this punch landed on mo shu¡¯s face, the corner of his mouth became red and swollen. his teeth hit the inside of his mouth and a hole appeared. mo shu spat blood on the ground.


    after he wiped the corner of his mouth, he wiped the blood on his shirt, but he didn¡¯t retaliate.


    after a long silence, the two of them calmed down. mo shu finally said, ¡°i¡¯m sorry.¡±


    zhou liu¡¯s expression was cold. he was very ruthless just now and even his own fist hurt a little. his other hand was still holding onto mo shu¡¯s cap.


    he asked, ¡°what exactly happened back then?¡±


    mo shu¡¯s expression was serious as he said, ¡°i can¡¯t tell you about this, since 1 don¡¯t want you to be involved, but there¡¯s another serious matter.¡±


    zhou liu asked, ¡°what is it?¡±


    ¡°i heard them say that they want to¡­¡± mo shu couldn¡¯t remember the name. ¡°anyway, they want to harm a company called yuan something and have temporary control over it.¡±


    zhou liu thought about the problems that had happened to the company two days ago. upon hearing the word ¡°yuan¡±, his first reaction was that they wanted to harm yuan an.


    he left mo shu¡¯s contact information. zhou liu wouldn¡¯t ask mo shu about what happened two years ago, and mo shu wasn¡¯t allowed to hide from zhou liu anymore.


    only then did zhou liu return to the company to settle some matters.


    however, the two of them had overlooked one thing. yuan could also represent a certain person instead of a company.


    three days later, for yuan shu¡¯s convenience, the production team gathered yuan shu¡¯s scenes in one time period. during these three days, yuan shu¡¯s scenes were basically done. after filming the last scene, she could rest for a few days before proceeding to the next stage.


    as yuan shu was preparing for the last scene, she looked at a dogwood flower tree in the corner of the film studio.


    actually, it wasn¡¯t difficult for yuan shu to muster her emotions. every scene in this movie was very familiar to yuan shu. it was almost exactly the same as her previous life. except for the role jiang chen played, which she had no impression of, the other roles corresponded to the people in her life.


    yuan shu even had a certain thought. perhaps this was the real world and she was just a character in the book?


    the longer yuan shu lived here, the more she felt that the line between the real world and the book world had become blurry. sometimes, she couldn¡¯t tell what was real and what was fake.


    the dogwood in this season was yellow, and in autumn, it would be fiery red. yuan shu actually preferred red dogwood, so she rarely went to see it in this season. now that she saw such a bouquet of flowers on the set, she almost didn¡¯t recognize it.


    seeing that yuan shu was in a daze, jiang chen walked to her side and handed her a cup of brewed rose mulberry tea. ¡°they said that this tea is good for the skin. you¡¯ve been staying up late often to film recently, so it¡¯ll be good for nourishment.¡±


    yuan shu took it with a smile and said, ¡°thank you.¡±


    jiang chen was so considerate that sometimes even yuan shu felt put to shame. yuan shu had never studied such trivial matters carefully.


    yuan shu touched the cup with her hand and tested the temperature. the temperature of the water was just right, so she drank it directly from the cup and tasted the water carefully. it had the fragrance of roses, but the black mulberries tasted a little bitter, so she suggested, ¡°maybe we can add a slice of lemon next time.¡±


    jiang chen clapped his hands. ¡°that¡¯s right. lemon can replenish vc and give flavor to water. yuan shu, you¡¯re really smart.¡±


    yuan shu smiled and continued drinking the water.


    zhang chao walked over from afar and handed yuan shu her phone. ¡°madam shi, young master called you.¡±


    yuan shu had just picked up her phone when a familiar and helpless voice came from the other end. ¡°yuan shu, when will you develop the habit of carrying your phone with you?¡±


    when yuan shu heard this, she put on a smile and said, ¡°sorry, because 1 don¡¯t usually look at my phone other than making calls, i¡¯m really not used to carrying a cell phone.¡±


    shi xiao sighed again and said, ¡°alright, it seems like i have to get used to waiting a long time before hearing your voice when 1 call you..¡±

 Chapter 243 - Chapter 243: Dressing Up

    chapter 243: dressing up


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    yuan shu was stunned for a moment. then, she felt that her heart seemed to be beating faster all of a sudden. how strange. she wasn¡¯t exercising or frightened, so why did her heart suddenly beat faster?


    ¡°yuan shu?¡± shi xiao called her again since yuan shu didn¡¯t reply.


    ¡°huh?¡± yuan shu immediately turned around. ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°can you come home and rest for a few days after filming today?¡±


    yuan shu answered shi xiao seriously and even told him her schedule. ¡°yes. there¡¯s still the last scene. it¡¯ll be around three in the afternoon after filming the last scene.¡±


    at the thought that the two of them would meet soon, shi xiao¡¯s longing for the past few days overcame him. for a moment, he didn¡¯t know what tone to use to make himself sound calm, so he said awkwardly, ¡°yes.¡±


    right on the heels of that, shi xiao said, ¡°1¡¯11 pick you up at three in the afternoon.¡±


    yuan shu nodded slightly. then, she remembered that shi xiao couldn¡¯t see her through the phone, so she said in a low voice, ¡°okay, see you in the afternoon.¡±


    after hanging up, shi xiao¡¯s mood obviously improved. looking at her boss¡¯s overjoyed appearance, zhao mian couldn¡¯t help but think of a recent saying. ¡°if i can see you tonight, my mood will be blissful for the entire day because anticipation is also a joyful thing.¡±


    zhao mian clicked her tongue. indeed, when in love, even the coldest person would become a gentle person.


    however, when she thought about how shi xiao and yuan shu were both beautiful and decisive, zhao mian couldn¡¯t remain calm.


    zhao mian decided that even if she didn¡¯t take an afternoon nap today, she had to finish her work in advance and let young master have time to look for young madam in advance!


    because zhang zhang had added a horse riding scene at the last minute and the horse had yet to be borrowed, the director brought yuan shu¡¯s scene forward at the last minute. hence, at two o¡¯clock, yuan shu had already finished filming today¡¯s scene.


    yuan shu also remembered that shi xiao was coming to pick her up today and didn¡¯t want him to wait too long. hence, as soon as the filming ended, she went to the dressing room to remove her makeup and change her clothes.


    yuan shu chose her outfit carefully today. she usually chose her outfit randomly, but today, she spent quite a while choosing. only when she was satisfied did she go to the changing room to change.


    the shirt was made of light material and had tie-dyed prints, so it was unique yet versatile. the shirt was very droopy and smooth to the touch. when it was matched with a small black sling and a pair of jeans, in the blink of an eye, yuan shu became a fashionable beauty.


    she looked at herself in the mirror carefully. after removing her heavy foundation, she looked fresh-faced and beautiful.


    however, she had been a little tired these two days and her complexion wasn¡¯t very good. her lips were a little pale, so yuan shu looked at something called lip gloss, which the makeup artist had brought over from the dressing table, before applying it to her lips. only then did she leave the dressing room in satisfaction.


    yuan shu wanted to wait for shi xiao outside the film studio, so she took a walk around the area.


    however, as soon as she came out of the dressing room and passed by the filming set, she was stopped by jiang chen, who was sitting at the side and watching.


    ¡°yuan shu, let¡¯s watch zhang zhang¡¯s scenes together. she¡¯s so infectious!¡±


    yuan shu didn¡¯t really want to see it, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to refuse, so she sat next to jiang chen and watched it seriously.


    in this scene, the character played by zhang zhang had just started learning how to ride a horse. then, her fiance took the horse for a walk in the horse farm.


    zhang zhang portrayed the shyness and sweetness of a young girl who was about to get married perfectly. she wasn¡¯t too pretentious or too aloof. she grasped the role perfectly.


    moreover, she had completely overcome her fear of riding a horse for the first time today. she forcefully resisted the urge to hug the horse¡¯s neck to stabilize her body in order to make her posture more natural.


    yuan shu had learned how to ride a horse before, so of course she knew how difficult it was to overcome fear the first time one got on a horse. zhang zhang¡¯s performance now was much better than the first time she got on a horse.


    yuan shu was impressed with zhang zhang..

 Chapter 244 - Chapter 244: Accident

    chapter 244: accident


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    yuan shu¡¯s sitting posture was a little casual. after staying in this world for a long time, yuan shu was no longer as tense as before. occasionally, she would make some relaxed postures to make her body more comfortable.


    for example, like now, with her legs crossed and her elbows on her knees, she leaned forward slightly and supported her chin with her palms. her waist felt much more comfortable when she placed her weight on her hands and legs.


    as yuan shu looked at the horse in the field, she suddenly felt that something was wrong. the horse¡¯s tail was wagging too quickly and it kept snorting. these signs showed that the horse was on the verge of becoming irritable.


    ¡°oh no!¡± yuan shu exclaimed and sat up straight, ready to get up at any time.


    jiang chen, who was sitting next to her, also noticed the horse¡¯s movement. he frowned slightly, but then he looked at yuan shu, who was beside him. he was worried that she would rush out and get injured by the horse.


    the horse became more and more uneasy, and zhang zhang became more and more afraid as he sat on the horse¡¯s back. the horse below her was wriggling, as if it wanted to throw her down.


    zhang zhang was a little afraid, and her expression was very unnatural, but the director had yet to shout ¡°cut¡±, so she didn¡¯t dare to act rashly and continued to say her lines.


    finally, amidst the horse¡¯s irritable neigh, zhang zhang¡¯s body swayed. she hugged the horse¡¯s neck tightly in fear to stabilize her body, but the horse was frightened by this. it wanted to break free from the reins and rush out.


    the male actor, who was holding the reins, let go of the reins in fear when he heard the first neigh. then, he ignored zhang zhang and ran to a safe place.


    shi lu, who was watching the performance from the side, also realized that something was wrong. she wanted to approach zhang zhang and help her, but she was also worried that she would be hit by the horse, so she waited for an opportunity.


    yuan shu also stood up immediately and ran to the racecourse. jiang chen wanted to stop her, but he was too late, so he could only follow closely behind her to protect her.


    yuan shu looked at the frightened zhang zhang and the horse, who was also frightened and uneasy. then, she said in a very calm voice, ¡°zhang zhang, don¡¯t be afraid. don¡¯t grab the mane on the horse¡¯s neck. it will hurt very much and it won¡¯t be able to help but run!¡±


    at the same time, yuan shu slowly walked in front of the horse and raised a hand to comfort it.


    she had grown up on the back of a horse and was very familiar with horses, so she knew how to calm them down.


    at this moment, jiang chen also walked to yuan shu¡¯s side carefully. yuan shu had no time to pay attention to anything else at the moment. she knew that someone was approaching from behind, but she didn¡¯t know who it was.


    she said to the person behind her, ¡°i¡¯ll stabilize this horse. help zhang zhang down.¡±


    when the horse stopped moving, yuan shu instructed zhang zhang, ¡°zhang zhang, let go slowly now. then, hold the saddle and move your feet out from the footrest. you have to be careful!¡±


    zhang zhang followed yuan shu¡¯s instructions obediently. her every move was very gentle and careful. she was already trembling in fear, but she resisted the urge to cry.


    finally, both of zhang zhang¡¯s feet moved out. jiang chen was about to go forward to help zhang zhang when the horse was suddenly frightened again. it neighed and its front feet left the ground. then, its entire body tilted 45 degrees.


    zhang zhang could no longer keep her balance and she fell off the horse.


    if she fell to the ground at this height, especially when her back was facing down, her spine would definitely be injured and she might even be disabled!


    zhang zhang screamed in fear and couldn¡¯t hold back her tears anymore as she was about to fall to the ground. fortunately, shi lu, who had been guarding her carefully, hugged her. however, the gravity of falling from a high place was very strong, and shi lu fell to the ground as well. after the two of them fell to the ground together, zhang zhang fell on shi lu.


    although it was very dangerous to fall off the horse, fortunately, with shi lu as a buffer, the two of them were not seriously injured.


    however, yuan shu was in a very dangerous situation.


    yuan shu had been standing in front of the horse, so if the horse was agitated and wanted to rush out, the first person it would charge at would be yuan shu!


    of course, yuan shu knew how strong the impact of a horse¡¯s attack was. it might injure her, so she focused on the horse and didn¡¯t dare to relax at all.


    as soon as the horse¡¯s front foot left the ground and hung in the air, yuan shu immediately dodged to the side to avoid being stepped on when the horse¡¯s hooves fell. then, while the horse¡¯s hooves fell and the reins floated in the air, yuan shu grabbed the reins tightly and got on the horse.


    ¡°yuan shu!¡±

 Chapter 245 - Chapter 245: Close Call

    chapter 245: close call


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    ¡°yuan shu!¡± the two of them exclaimed in unison.


    the voice came from beside yuan shu. it was jiang chen, who had been following her.


    another voice came from afar. it was shi xiao¡¯s voice.


    in order for her boss to meet madam as soon as possible, zhao mian didn¡¯t even take a lunch break and completed her task in advance. this allowed shi xiao to have time to arrive early.


    shi xiao didn¡¯t expect to see such a dangerous scene as soon as he entered the filming set. without regard for his image at all, he shouted yuan shu¡¯s name. then, he took off his suit jacket and ran towards yuan shu.


    despite everyone feeling anxious for her, yuan shu didn¡¯t panic at all. after getting on the horse, she sat on the saddle steadily, but she didn¡¯t hold the reins tightly immediately. instead, she stroked the horse¡¯s neck gently to calm it down.


    she even comforted the horse gently, ¡°don¡¯t be afraid, don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    then, yuan shu used the reins to make it spin around the field to prevent it from hurting others. when the horse was no longer as irritable as before and its pace was very stable, yuan shu slowly pulled the reins tightly until she stopped the horse completely.


    after the horse neighed, it stopped obediently. only then did yuan shu jump down from the horse. her movements were swift and handsome. it was obvious that she was very good at riding horses.


    when yuan shu got off the horse, she tugged at the pedal. then, the horse neighed. it seemed to be very uncomfortable.


    yuan shu acutely sensed its actions and realized that it might have lost control because something under the saddle made it feel pain.


    the people around her had already surrounded her. jiang chen ran to her side quickly and checked to see if she was injured. he was so worried that his usually gentle face was filled with panic and fear. ¡°are you alright?¡±


    although he knew that yuan shu was good at riding horses and had grown up on horseback, what if this unruly horse still hurt her?


    jiang chen didn¡¯t dare to think further. he still felt very scared and regretful. if he hadn¡¯t dragged yuan shu to watch this scene, the scene just now wouldn¡¯t have happened¡­


    yuan shu, on the other hand, looked calm. she didn¡¯t take the scene just now to heart at all. instead, she wanted to know what was under the saddle. just as she was about to push jiang chen¡¯s hand away, she was pulled over by a hand and bumped into a broad chest.


    shi xiao ran to yuan shu¡¯s side. he was also worried and afraid that he ignored everything else and pulled yuan shu into his arms. it seemed that only by hugging her tightly in his arms could he be sure that she was safe.


    after he hugged yuan shu¡¯s shoulders tightly, he realized that this woman was actually so thin and weak that he could wrap one arm around her. how could she dare to face a frightened horse with such a thin body? didn¡¯t she know fear? what if something happened to her?


    yuan shu was suffocated by his tight hug. she felt that shi xiao¡¯s grip was so strong that it seemed to be crushing her bones. yuan shu frowned and placed her hands on his waist to push him away, but he hugged her even tighter.


    yuan shu could only lift her head out of his arms with difficulty. shi xiao was hugging yuan shu so tightly that yuan shu couldn¡¯t breathe properly. ¡°shi xiao¡­ let go of me first.¡±


    only then did shi xiao realize that he had hugged yuan shu too hard. he immediately let go of yuan shu.


    he was still a little out of breath. when he ran over just now, he used the fastest speed he had used in the past 20 years. now that he was relieved, he actually felt his legs go weak.


    he opened to say something, but then he closed his mouth again. clearly, he hadn¡¯t recovered from his worry. after a moment, he said, ¡°are¡­ are you alright?¡±


    looking at shi xiao¡¯s slightly red eyes, yuan shu¡¯s heart softened. then, she reached out to hold shi xiao¡¯s hand and comforted him. ¡°i¡¯m fine, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    when her soft fingers touched the back of shi xiao¡¯s hand, he trembled. then, he immediately grabbed her hand and held it tightly.


    his eyes were filled with panic and he couldn¡¯t help but repeat, ¡°it¡¯s good that you¡¯re fine.. it¡¯s good that you¡¯re fine¡­¡±

 Chapter 246 - Chapter 246: Follow

    chapter 246: follow-up


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    seeing yuan shu¡¯s actions, jiang chen felt very upset. he really wanted to rush forward and pull their tightly held hands away, but he didn¡¯t have the right to do so.


    the two of them were husband and wife. after an emergency, they held hands in front of everyone. who had the right to condemn them¡­


    jiang chen¡¯s expression was cold as he walked between the two of them and asked the staff and actors around him loudly, ¡°everyone, check if anyone is injured. there¡¯s a tertiary grade a hospital nearby, so let the director arrange a car later and send everyone there.¡±


    the scene just now was too chaotic. everyone was so focused on avoiding the horse that they forgot to check if everyone was okay. now that they heard jiang chen¡¯s words, everyone began to check if they felt any pain or if there were any wounds.


    the horse trainer wanted to pull the horse¡¯s reins and leave, but yuan shu stopped him. ¡°leave it here first. after everyone deals with the injured, 1 want to investigate.¡±


    the horse trainer could only obediently pull the horse¡¯s reins and stand aside.


    shi lu and zhang zhang were also helped to a chair by their manager and sat down. they didn¡¯t care about their injuries at all and were only worried if yuan shu was fine or not. now that they saw her standing there unscathed from afar, the two of them were relieved and began to check their wounds.


    zhang zhang¡¯s clothes were torn, and there were large abrasions on her elbows. if she tugged at her clothes, they would touch the wounds.


    ¡°hiss¡­¡± zhang zhang gasped in pain. she gave up struggling and waited to go to the hospital for the doctor to treat her.


    she looked up to see how shi lu was doing, but she didn¡¯t expect shi lu to look in yuan shu¡¯s direction with his mouth agape.


    ¡°hey!¡± zhang zhang called out to him. ¡°why aren¡¯t you checking your wound? what are you looking at?¡±


    shi lu looked as if he had seen something very novel and said in surprise, ¡°1 can¡¯t believe my eyes. my brother actually has such an impulsive moment!¡±


    zhang zhang said disdainfully, ¡°you¡¯re really making a fuss over nothing. your brother and sister yuan shu are husband and wife. isn¡¯t it reasonable for him to be worried after such a big thing happened?¡±


    shi lu pursed his lips and said, ¡°that¡¯s because you don¡¯t know what my brother is usually like. he usually only has one expression on his face, which is pretending to be cool! i¡¯ve never even seen him smile from the bottom of his heart! i¡¯ve never seen him so nervous like he was just now!¡±


    if shi xiao knew that his brother had said that about him, he would have been overcome with anger.


    zhang zhang couldn¡¯t help but look at shi xiao. thinking of how serious he was every time she saw him, zhang zhang couldn¡¯t help but have goosebumps. he was indeed quite aloof.


    while zhang zhang was in a daze, shi lu had already checked himself. other than the pain in his butt, he was basically fine. when he fell with zhang zhang in his arms, he scraped his elbow, but it wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    he checked zhang zhang¡¯s arm with concern and reached out to tug at her sleeve, but her shirt tugged at her wound, causing zhang zhang to gasp in pain. she suddenly turned around and punched shi l as she shouted, ¡°are you trying to murder me?!¡±


    shi lu rubbed her arm with an aggrieved expression. ¡°why can¡¯t you appreciate my good intentions? i want to see if your arm is fine. look at what you did to me! but judging from the strength of your punch, you¡¯re definitely fine!¡±


    ¡°you!¡± zhang zhang wanted to scold him, but when she thought about how she would have been in big trouble if he hadn¡¯t saved her just now, she swallowed her words and said awkwardly, ¡°alright, i¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    shi lu didn¡¯t expect zhang zhang to apologize and deliberately tease him, so he asked, ¡°what? 1 didn¡¯t hear what you said just now?¡± ignoring him, zhang zhang stood up and limped towards yuan shu. seeing that she couldn¡¯t move, shi lu quickly walked up to support her.


    as zhang zhang looked at the quiet horse that stopped beside yuan shu, she felt terrified. he stood two to three steps away and said, ¡°sister yuan shu, why don¡¯t you go to the hospital with us? things were so dangerous just now. what if there are wounds on your body that can¡¯t be seen for a while?¡±


    yuan shu shook her head with a smile. she knew her own skills best. it was just taming a horse, so it wasn¡¯t a problem for her.


    she said to zhang zhang, ¡°you don¡¯t have to worry about me. let shi lu bring you to the hospital to bandage your wound first, so it doesn¡¯t leave any scars.¡±


    zhang zhang nodded and looked at the horse before following shi lu..

 Chapter 247 - Chapter 247: Investigation

    chapter 247: investigation


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    yuan shu waited for the two of them to leave before approaching the horse again. shi xiao and jiang chen were both worried that the horse would go crazy again, so they wanted to stop her, but yuan shu shook her head and gave them a reassuring look.


    yuan shu walked to the horse¡¯s side and checked the saddle carefully.


    yuan shu couldn¡¯t find any difference between this saddle and an ordinary saddle, so she was very puzzled. from the horse¡¯s reaction, what stimulated it must be the pain on the horse¡¯s back. since there was nothing wrong with the saddle, what could be the problem?


    yuan shu tapped her chin with the joint of her index finger. at the same time, she thought about the problem carefully and suddenly had an idea.


    she stroked the horse¡¯s neck gently. after the horse snorted comfortably, she removed the saddle quickly and skillfully. as expected, she saw a small wound with blood on the horse¡¯s back.


    everyone was shocked when they saw yuan shu¡¯s actions. even the horse trainer didn¡¯t expect his horse to be injured.


    the horse trainer was shocked. ¡°how could this be? 1 checked carefully when 1 was putting on the saddle, but there were no wounds on its body!¡±


    although it was only a very small wound, because there was someone on the horse¡¯s back, when the horse walked, the weight of the person would cause the horse to rub the wound under the saddle. the horse would feel more and more pain, so it would gradually go crazy.


    yuan shu squatted down to check the saddle. sure enough, she saw a round-headed nail on the saddle and the nail reflected the dazzling light under the sun. ¡°it seems that someone tampered with the saddle. the round-headed nail is very small, so zhang zhang was fine when she sat on it at the beginning, but as time passed, it would pierce the back of the horse.¡±


    director wang shen was very angry and he asked the equipment team, ¡°who prepared this? why didn¡¯t you check it clearly? who will be responsible if a big problem arises?!¡±


    the leader of the props team immediately stood up. ¡°director, we don¡¯t know either. when we checked the saddle, there was nothing wrong. this¡­ who knows where this round-headed nail came from?!¡±


    yuan shu knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to get an answer even if she continued asking. the round head nail was too small, so anyone could have placed it on the saddle. instead of pursuing who was responsible, she might as well think about who this person was doing this to target.


    this horse had just been borrowed and zhang zhang wasn¡¯t the one who had been arranged to film this scene. however, during the filming process, the director had changed people at the last minute, so the unprepared zhang zhang became the victim.


    therefore, this scheme targeted the person who was originally acting in this scene. however, there was an unexpected change and it became zhang zhang instead. the original person was¡­


    yuan shu!


    yuan shu and jiang chen both thought of this. they raised their heads in shock at the same time. when they exchanged glances, they saw the same knowing look in each other¡¯s eyes. the target of the attack was actually yuan shu¡­


    jiang chen walked to yuan shu¡¯s side and whispered, ¡°think about it carefully. who attacked you? this person didn¡¯t succeed in targeting you this time, but it¡¯s hard to guarantee that there won¡¯t be a next time.¡±


    yuan shu was at a loss. ever since she came to this world, she hadn¡¯t interacted with many people and she felt that she didn¡¯t make enemies with anyone. who wanted to harm her?


    shi xiao was very close to yuan shu, so he naturally heard their conversation and couldn¡¯t help but feel even more worried.


    if yuan shu didn¡¯t have any enemies, then the person who wanted to harm her might have done so only because she was shi xiao¡¯s wife.


    however, shi xiao had too many enemies and there were countless people who could have done such a thing. for the time being, shi xiao couldn¡¯t think of a suspect.


    shi xiao walked to yuan shu¡¯s side and said softly, ¡°no matter who it is, the most important thing now is to protect you. from today onwards, i¡¯ll get zhao cheng to send someone to follow you around and ensure your safety.¡±


    actually, yuan shu wanted to refuse. with her martial arts skills, most people in the modern world were not her match, so there was really no need to be so careful.


    however, jiang chen beat her to it and said, ¡°that¡¯s for the best. 1¡¯11 find someone to protect you on the set in the future as well. you¡¯re a woman, so you have to be protected.¡±


    yuan shu was stunned and felt that she had heard this sentence somewhere before. it seemed that someone had said the same thing to her a long time ago, but she couldn¡¯t remember.


    since both of them said so, yuan shu could only listen to their arrangements..

 Chapter 248 - Chapter 248: Another Ripple

    chapter 248: another ripple


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    wang shen was still shouting and pursuing accountability for the matter. the horse trainer led his horse away with heartache, while yuan shu and the other two were analyzing who had done this.


    the round head nail wasn¡¯t big, so even if the horse went crazy, it still could have been tamed. they guessed that that person didn¡¯t want to hurt yuan shu, but to teach her a lesson.


    in that case, jiang chen had a guess. it was song shi.


    song shi was arrogant and willful, so after suffering a loss at jiang chen¡¯s hands, she would definitely do something drastic. it was hard to guarantee that she wouldn¡¯t do something like putting a round head nail.


    jiang chen clenched his fists. if it was really song shi, he would make her pay for what she had done!


    at this moment, four people in suits suddenly walked into the set and asked yuan shu, ¡°hello, are you yuan shu?¡±


    yuan shu looked at the four unfamiliar faces in confusion. ¡°i am yuan shu.


    who are you guys? why are you guys looking for me?¡±


    the leader of the four took out his id and showed it to yuan shu. ¡°hello, we¡¯re employees of the city¡¯s industry and commerce bureau. we¡¯ve received a report that you¡¯re suspected of manipulating the share price of xing¡¯an software company. please come back with us to cooperate with the investigation.¡± stocks? xingan software company?


    this person said a string of terms that yuan shu had never heard before, baffling her.


    jiang chen and shi xiao¡¯s expressions darkened when they heard about xing¡¯an software company. it seemed that the two of them had a certain understanding of this company.


    the two of them took a step forward tacitly and shielded yuan shu behind them.


    jiang chen said, ¡°you can take her away, but show us the evidence first.¡±


    the people from the industry and commerce bureau were firm. ¡°we received an anonymous report, so we¡¯re asking yuan shu to go back and cooperate with the investigation. if there¡¯s no evidence, we definitely won¡¯t detain her for no reason.¡±


    shi xiao said, ¡°you have to tell me how she manipulated the share price of xing¡¯an software company and what the suspected amount is.¡±


    the people from the industry and commerce bureau were already prepared. ¡°yuan shu used the one million yuan in shenglan venture investment company¡¯s account to manipulate the share price of xing¡¯an software company.¡±


    shenglan venture investment company?


    yuan shu knew that something had happened to shi bin. however, she trusted shi bin completely, which meant that something out of his control might have happened to him.


    yuan shu knew that she hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, so she wasn¡¯t afraid of their investigation. seeing that jiang chen and shi xiao still wanted to retort, she stood up and stopped them from continuing. she said to the people from the industry and commerce bureau, ¡°i¡¯ll go with you guys.¡±


    ¡°yuan shu!¡± jiang chen and shi xiao tried to stop her again.


    yuan shu turned around and glanced at them. then, she whispered to shi xiao, ¡°of course i¡¯m not afraid of their investigation. something might have happened to shi bin, so go and see him quickly.¡±


    shi xiao had mixed feelings. at a time like this, she was actually concerned about the safety of others!


    in order to reassure her, shi xiao could only nod and agree to let the people from the industry and commerce bureau take her away.


    shi xiao and jiang chen watched her leave the set. there were even reporters taking photos at the door.


    jiang chen called his bodyguard over and said coldly, ¡°don¡¯t let a single word or photo of what happened today leak out from the set!¡±


    the bodyguard immediately ran out to get busy. no one knew what he said, but these reporters handed over the memory cards in their cameras obediently and watched with heartache as the bodyguard destroyed all the memory cards.


    as he watched jiang chen¡¯s actions, shi xiao was full of doubt.


    first, the incident of the horse being frightened and injuring people caused the reporters to gather outside the set. then, the industry and commerce bureau took yuan shu away, so the reporters could take the opportunity to report that yuan shu had broken the law.


    these incidents were connected. it was obvious that someone wanted to ruin yuan shu¡¯s reputation. however, what benefits would this bring to the mastermind?


    the shi family had many enemies, and the jiang family was one of them, so shi xiao couldn¡¯t help but suspect jiang chen, who was standing in front of him. however, seeing jiang chen¡¯s concern for yuan shu and how he handled this matter, shi xiao doubted that he was the one who did it.


    noticing shi xiao¡¯s gaze, jiang chen turned around and looked at him. his gaze was no longer as gentle as before.. his expression was very cold as he said, ¡°if i were you, i would be thinking about how to save yuan shu instead of suspecting me here!¡±

 Chapter 249 - Chapter 249: Puzzlement

    chapter 249: puzzlement


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    shi xiao got into the car and said to zhao cheng, who was driving, ¡°go to shenglan venture investment company.¡±


    zhao cheng nodded and stepped on the accelerator. then, the car rushed out.


    shi xiao took the opportunity to close his eyes and rest. then, he carefully recalled what had happened in the past few days, in hopes of finding something fishy.


    all along, he had felt that there was an invisible hand controlling everything in the dark. unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t find any clues, so he could only put this matter aside.


    he had also suspected that it was the most mysterious jiang chen of the jiang family until a few nights ago, when yuan shu suddenly called him and told him that mu zhou was actually jiang chen. it turned out that he had been hiding beside everyone and using this inconspicuous identity to secretly observe everything.


    shi xiao carefully recalled the few times he had seen mu zhou. the way he looked at yuan shu wasn¡¯t platonic at all. there was also that tailor-made gown. if he didn¡¯t pay attention to yuan shu often, how could he know yuan shu¡¯s size so accurately and make a gown that matched her temperament so perfectly?


    since jiang chen treated yuan shu so well, he definitely wouldn¡¯t harm yuan shu on purpose.


    however, what shi xiao couldn¡¯t understand was that tan jing had plotted against him and yuan shu in no man¡¯s land. jiang chen must have instigated it. if jiang chen was interested in yuan shu, why would he set up this trap to make it more and more impossible for yuan shu to be with him?


    moreover, according to shi xiao¡¯s investigation, yuan shu had never interacted with jiang chen before. when did jiang chen start to develop feelings for yuan shu?


    shi xiao sighed. the problem seemed to be more complicated than he had imagined.


    suddenly, shi xiao realized that he had neglected something.


    xing¡¯an software company was tan jing¡¯s new company and yuan shu invested one million yuan in it. if they really wanted to frame yuan shu for maliciously manipulating the share price, they would definitely tamper with this one million yuan.


    tan jing was jiang chen¡¯s man. without jiang chen¡¯s permission, why would tan jing attack?


    he had to have a good chat with jiang chen.


    but before that, he had to save yuan shu first.


    when shi bin heard that someone was looking for him, he was a little surprised, since he had been working here for two months, but no one had ever looked for him. he walked downstairs curiously. when he saw shi xiao¡¯s handsome side profile through the car window, he instinctively wanted to turn around and run away.


    ¡°shi bin.¡±


    shi bin had just turned around when shi xiao stopped him.


    he laughed awkwardly and asked, ¡°brother, why are you here?¡±


    shi xiao turned to look at him. if not for the fact that there was something more important now, he would definitely teach his brother, who hadn¡¯t returned home for two months, a lesson!


    shi xiao said coldly, ¡°get in the car. i have something to ask you.¡±


    shi bin swallowed hard and got into the car in fear. unexpectedly, shi xiao didn¡¯t scold him. he only told him what had happened today with a serious expression.


    after shi bin heard this, he was very shocked. then, he suddenly thought of something. ¡°i was wondering why! i¡¯ve been monitoring sister-in-law¡¯s account personally, but two days ago, my colleague insisted on pulling me downstairs to buy something. it was useless no matter how i rejected him, so 1 followed him.¡±


    ¡°although it didn¡¯t take long, 40 minutes is enough for a lot of operations. moreover, when i came back, i realized that my computer had been tampered with. sister-in-law¡¯s account must have been tampered with at that time!¡±


    shi xiao looked at him with exasperation, but it was useless even if he scolded him now. the most important thing was to find evidence immediately and bring yuan shu back first.


    without another word, shi bin immediately ran upstairs to collect ail the data from his computer and place it on the usb drive. then, he followed shi xiao to the industry and commerce bureau.


    after yuan shu returned to the industry and commerce bureau with the four of them, she was brought to an office. yuan shu didn¡¯t look uneasy or panicked. instead, she sat at the side of the desk calmly.


    from her attitude and temperament, the industry and commerce bureau didn¡¯t believe that she had manipulated the share price. however, they still asked yuan shu some questions.


    yuan shu answered every question with ease and didn¡¯t seem to be hiding anthing or lying. the staff of the industry and commerce bureau also began to suspect that this anonymous report was slander.


    at this moment, someone walked in and whispered something to the inquiring staff. then, the two of them left, leaving yuan shu alone in the office.


    about an hour later, that person walked in again and said, ¡°yuan shu, we¡¯ve already finished the investigation. it has nothing to do with you. you can leave now..¡±

 Chapter 250 - Chapter 250: Didn’t Think of Me

    chapter 250: didn¡¯t think of me


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    when yuan shu came out of the industry and commerce bureau, shi xiao and shi bin had been waiting at the door for a long time already.


    when shi bin saw his sister-in-law coming out, he immediately went up to her with a guilty expression. ¡°sister-in-law, i¡¯m sorry. it¡¯s all my fault that you were investigated.¡±


    yuan shu rubbed shi bin¡¯s head, as if she was coaxing an aggrieved child. ¡°it¡¯s okay. didn¡¯t i come out safe and sound?¡±


    shi xiao said coldly, ¡°take a taxi back yourself. your sister-in-law and i still have something else to settle.¡±


    shi bin wanted to retort, but when he saw shi xiao¡¯s expression, he shut his mouth and took a taxi reluctantly.


    after yuan shu followed shi xiao into the car, shi xiao said, ¡°i¡¯ve arranged to meet jiang chen at the teahouse. there are some things that we should clarify in person.¡±


    shi xiao voiced out his guess. after yuan shu heard it, she frowned slightly. after a moment, her gaze became calm, but there was an inexplicable trust in them. ¡°i believe he didn¡¯t do this.¡±


    shi xiao looked at her, but didn¡¯t answer.


    how much did she know about him to trust him so much?


    when they arrived at the teahouse, jiang chen had been waiting in the room for a long time. when the two of them came in, his gaze fell on yuan shu. after looking her up and down for a while and confirming that she was fine, he was relieved.


    he poured a cup of tea for the two of them. the tea leaves were top-notch white silver needles, yuan shu¡¯s favorite tea leaves.


    shi xiao went straight to the point. ¡°jiang chen, tan jing is your man, right? how will you explain what happened today?¡±


    jiang chen placed the teapot on the stove calmly and poured a bottle of mountain spring water into it as he said, ¡°he might have been before this, but not now.¡±


    shi xiao sneered. ¡°in the current situation, our families are fighting on the surface, but there are many people eyeing us covetously in the dark. if we continue to fight inwardly like this, a third party will reap the benefits.¡±


    this was also what jiang chen thought. tan jing had always been very obedient in front of him, so he had never suspected that tan jing was a spy sent by someone else. after today¡¯s incident, tan jing was completely exposed. he didn¡¯t know what the mastermind¡¯s motive was.


    jiang chen looked at shi xiao and said, ¡°i¡¯m willing to work with young master shi to find out who the mastermind is. what do you think?¡±


    shi xiao looked up at him. when their gazes met, there was tension in the air. ¡°young master jiang, if you want to cooperate with me, you have to let me see your sincerity first.¡±


    jiang chen asked, ¡°young master shi, what do you want? just tell me.¡±


    shi xiao didn¡¯t beat around the bush and asked directly, ¡°i just want to know why you deliberately approached my wife, yuan shu.¡±


    yuan shu was tasting tea when she suddenly heard the topic turn to her, so she was confused for a moment.


    jiang chen didn¡¯t speak for a long time. the tea was boiling and making gurgling sounds. the room was very quiet.


    after about five long minutes, jiang chen finally picked up the teapot again and filled everyone¡¯s cups with water. then, she said to shi xiao, ¡°1 have something to say to yuan shu alone. is that okay?¡±


    shi xiao frowned, clearly unwilling to agree. he exchanged glances with yuan shu, who nodded silently. shi xiao could only agree and stand up to leave.


    when the footsteps were far away, jiang chen gripped the hot teacup tightly. his fingertips were already red, but he still held the cup tightly to sober himself up with the pain.


    yuan shu couldn¡¯t bear to see him like this, but she couldn¡¯t tell where this feeling came from.


    jiang chen smiled bitterly and finally let go. compared to the pain in his heart, physical injuries were nothing.


    ¡°yuan shu, you still haven¡¯t remembered me.¡±


    yuan shu was stunned. she didn¡¯t understand why she felt so sad after hearing this, but she had a clear feeling that jiang chen was someone she had once known, and someone from another world!


    without waiting for yuan shu to speak, jiang chen continued, ¡°1 spent so much effort to bring you to this world and arrange this show to remind you of our past, but in the end, i still underestimated the effect of the forgetting river water. you¡¯re so determined to forget me.¡±


    yuan shu¡¯s red lips parted slightly and her heart ached so much that it was unbearable. she held her chest as she panted heavily. finally, she blurted out a name from countless scenes from the past.. ¡°mu zhou¡­¡±

 Chapter 251 - Chapter 251: Vomiting Blood

    chapter 251: vomiting blood


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    jiang chen looked at yuan shu expectantly. ¡°you remember me, don¡¯t you?¡±


    he sounded very certain, so he must have expected that yuan shu would remember him today.


    yuan shu looked at the tea in the cup. he must have drugged it.


    yuan shu smiled bitterly as she looked at jiang chen with a complicated expression.


    yuan shu¡¯s body was in pain, and her face was getting paler and paler. suddenly, she spat out a mouthful of blood and lay weakly on the table.


    jiang chen cried out in anguish, ¡°yuan shu!¡± then he rushed over to help her up.


    shi xiao, who had been outside, also heard the noise and immediately rushed in. when he saw the blood on the ground, he pushed jiang chen away.


    shi xiao lifted yuan shu¡¯s body to face him. he raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of yuan shu¡¯s mouth and asked, ¡°how are you?¡±


    yuan shu shook her head weakly. shi xiao picked yuan shu up and was about to leave, but jiang chen stopped him.


    jiang chen¡¯s gaze was vicious as he said, ¡°no one can take her away today.¡±


    shi xiao¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°is young master jiang going to stop me? may i ask why you want to stop my wife? is young master jiang trying to go against me?¡±


    jiang chen snorted coldly. ¡°so what if i go against you? no one can take her away today!¡±


    ¡°in your dreams!¡± shi xiao shouted, ¡°zhao cheng, come in.¡±


    in less than two minutes, zhao cheng rushed in, followed by jiang chen¡¯s bodyguards. the two sides were in a standoff, and neither of them was willing to back down.


    yuan shu raised her head from shi xiao¡¯s arms with difficulty and looked at jiang chen. her eyes were filled with sorrow as she said weakly, ¡°give me three days. i¡¯ll come and see you in three days.¡±


    there was hesitation in jiang chen¡¯s eyes. it was obvious that he didn¡¯t believe yuan shu and wasn¡¯t willing to let her go.


    yuan shu retracted her gaze indifferently, closed her eyes, and said, ¡°i¡¯ll keep my word, unless¡­¡± yuan shu paused before continuing,¡± you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    jiang chen¡¯s eyes flickered slightly. in the end, he compromised.


    ¡°let them go.¡±


    shi xiao could tell that yuan shu was very weak at the moment, so he stopped arguing with jiang chen. he carried yuan shu and walked out.


    after shi xiao placed yuan shu in the back seat of the car, he said to zhao


    cheng, who was opening the door, ¡°go to the hospital.¡±


    yuan shu patted shi xiao¡¯s hand gently and shook her head, indicating that she didn¡¯t want to go.


    shi xiao looked at her anxiously. ¡°you¡¯re already vomiting blood. why don¡¯t you want to go to the hospital?!¡±


    yuan shu was too lazy to say anything else. after she changed into a comfortable position, she lay down. she was so tired that she could barely open her eyes. ¡°give me some time. i want to be alone for a while.¡±


    shi xiao no longer insisted and asked zhao cheng to bring them home.


    that night, the three siblings of the shi family came back with a tacit understanding.


    because of the investigation by the finance bureau, shi bin was worried that something would happen to yuan shu and went home that night.


    shi lu rushed back in the afternoon because of the horse incident. he was worried that yuan shu was injured.


    as for shi yi, she was called back by shi bin.


    shi bin wanted to come back to see if yuan shu had left the finance department, but he was afraid that he would be scolded by shi xiao when he returned. he didn¡¯t dare to come back alone, so he called shi yi to tell her.


    when shi yi heard that something had happened to yuan shu, she was so worried that she settled everything on the same day and rushed home.


    when the three of them saw that yuan shu was helped in by shi xiao, they were very surprised. they rushed to the door and looked at yuan shu as they asked in unison, ¡°sister-in-law, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    yuan shu was very tired, but she still forced a smile and said calmly, ¡°i¡¯m fine.¡±


    seeing that the three of them wanted to continue asking, yuan shu could only say, ¡°i want to rest. you guys don¡¯t have to call me for dinner.¡±


    then, she broke free from shi xiao¡¯s grasp and slowly walked upstairs.


    as shi xiao looked at his empty hand, he suddenly felt abandoned. for a moment, an indescribable emotion overcame him.


    he stared at yuan shu¡¯s back as she went upstairs. she looked weak and lonely. that loneliness seemed to have shut him out, causing the connection that they had painstakingly established to collapse in an instant.


    for a moment, shi xiao felt that yuan shu was distancing herself from him. it was as if if if he didn¡¯t catch yuan shu now, he would lose her forever.


    shi xiao wanted to stop yuan shu, but he didn¡¯t know how to, so he could only stare at her back in a daze..

 Chapter 252 - Chapter 252: Past

    chapter 252: past


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    only when his three younger siblings called shi xiao did he return to his senses. he wasn¡¯t in the mood to eat dinner, so he returned to his room.


    the mouthful of blood that yuan shu spat out was a memory that had accumulated in her heart for many years. this mouthful of blood seemed to have drained all her energy, and she felt even more exhausted than after fighting a tough battle.


    she sank into the soft mattress and stared at the ceiling in a daze. she had never felt such complicated emotions before.


    as past memories swept over her like an avalanche, yuan shu was thinking about whether it was better to remember these memories or to forget them forever.


    just as she had guessed, she did know jiang chen, a long time ago, in the era she came from. at that time, he didn¡¯t go by the name jiang chen, but mu zhou¡­


    and the past between her and mu zhou was intertwined and complicated.


    their past was almost identical to the plot of the television drama that jiang chen had specifically arranged. it was a memoir of their past.


    mu zhou was a child picked up by the army on the battlefield. there were many such children in the military camp. in order to let them learn, yuan shu¡¯s father, general yuan, founded a school for them.


    when she was young, yuan shu was outgoing and active. she was a tomboy and was unwilling to study with young ladies in the government school. helpless, general yuan could only let yuan shu dress up as a man and arrange for her to study in the military school. that was how she got to know mu zhou.


    mu zhou hit it off with yuan shu due to his smart and mischievous personality.


    in order to let mu zhou learn martial arts better, yuan shu persuaded general yuan to take mu zhou in as his disciple and teach all the martial arts skills he had learned in his life to mu zhou and yuan shu.


    the two of them were very mischievous, so they became the teachers¡¯ biggest headache. however, what really gave the teachers a headache wasn¡¯t that the two of them didn¡¯t study, but that the two of them studied too much!


    the two of them flipped through martial arts books in private and exchanged their insights.


    their thoughts were too groundbreaking, so much so that they couldn¡¯t accept the teacher¡¯s old-fashioned thoughts at all. they would openly refute the teacher in class and even spend the entire class arguing with the teacher to prove that their thoughts were right and that the teacher¡¯s thoughts were too conservative.


    because of this, seven to eight teachers left in anger. there were no longer any teachers near the military camp who dared to teach in the military school.


    general yuan was very helpless. looking at his beloved daughter and proudest disciple, he felt exasperated.


    yuan shu didn¡¯t feel that she had done anything wrong. she even said proudly, ¡°father, we have learned a lot. the school teacher can¡¯t teach us any more things! we don¡¯t need a teacher.¡±


    general yuan was helpless. ¡°1 should have let you go to the school in the palace to learn the rules back then. you don¡¯t act like a noble lady at all. forget it. since you don¡¯t want to study in school, follow me to learn array formations.¡±


    eagerness flashed across their eyes.


    mu zhou asked, ¡°master, what is an array?¡±


    general yuan explained, ¡°when fighting enemies, you can¡¯t charge blindly with a saber and spear. a general has to learn to arrange the troops at the right time and place before commanding everyone to fight in order to win. therefore, the battle between the two armies is not only about military strength, but also the strategies of the commander. this is also why soldiers are easy to obtain, but generals are hard to find.¡±


    after hearing this, mu zhou made a bold statement. ¡°in the future, i want to become a general and fight on the battlefield like master!¡±


    yuan shu wasn¡¯t to be outdone. ¡°then i want to be a general who is even more powerful than you!¡±


    yuan shu and mu zhou were both very smart. coupled with the fact that they were competing against each other, they learned very diligently.


    the two of them competed to see who was better at mastering the military strategies. in just a year, they became familiar with all the military strategies.


    seeing that the two of them were learning so quickly, general yuan knew that these two people might be natural military geniuses. he specifically made a sand table for them so that they could also fight in actual combat. they would practice on the sand table and put what they had learned into practice.


    yuan shu and mu zhou often fought against each other. in the end, the two of them were often tied, so fighting on the sand table became a new hobby for the two of them..

 Chapter 253 - Chapter 253: Change

    chapter 253: change


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    in the blink of an eye, yuan shu was already 15 years old. general yuan felt that he couldn¡¯t let his daughter grow up like a tomboy anymore. she was going to get married in the future, so she still had to learn many rules. thus, he sent her to the palace to learn them.


    in the beginning, yuan shu was very unwilling and even escaped from the palace several times. it was only when yuan shu¡¯s mother passed away that yuan shu seemed to have matured overnight. the outgoing and playful yuan shu instantly became sensible and her mischievousness disappeared.


    yuan shu was very smart. no matter what she learned, she mastered it very quickly.


    learning royal etiquette wasn¡¯t difficult for her at all. in addition, the emperor and the empress doted on her, so it didn¡¯t take long for yuan shu to be conferred the title of princess.


    everyone knew that yuan shu was doted on, and they also knew that yuan shu¡¯s status was noble. many people proposed marriage, but they were all rejected by yuan shu. the yuan family¡¯s mansion began to close its doors and refuse guests.


    yuan shu never went to the military camp again.


    since yuan shu didn¡¯t come to the military camp, mu zhou could only look for her personally.


    as mu zhou sat on the wall of the yuan family¡¯s house, he threw a rock at yuan shu¡¯s window.


    after yuan shu opened the window and saw that it was him, she sat on the windowsill and chatted with him like before.


    but this courtyard signified the difference in status between them.


    when they were in the military camp, yuan shu was a tomboy, so they could chat side by side. now, one of them was a princess, and the other was a soldier. they could only look at each other from afar.


    mu zhou asked yuan shu, ¡°i heard that many people want to marry you?¡±


    yuan shu nodded.


    mu zhou asked again, ¡°then have you thought about who you want to marry?¡±


    yuan shu stared at the leaves in the courtyard that were stirred by the wind as she said, ¡°my marriage isn¡¯t up to me to decide. when his majesty conferred me the title of princess, he had already decided to use me as a tool to consolidate his power, so they¡¯ve already decided who i¡¯ll marry for me.¡±


    mu zhou stared at yuan shu and neither of them spoke. after a long time, mu zhou asked, ¡°what kind of person will the emperor let you marry?¡±


    yuan shu¡¯s expression was calm and a faint smile appeared on her lips as she replied, ¡°the top scorer.¡±


    the top scorer in the country.


    mu zhou didn¡¯t say anything else after hearing this. he turned around and jumped off the wall.


    after mu zhou left, general yuan walked into the courtyard and came to yuan shu¡¯s side. then, he said, ¡°why didn¡¯t you tell him that not only is there a literary subject on the imperial examination this year, but there¡¯s also a martial arts subject? the emperor hopes that you can marry the martial arts scholar and let him inherit our family¡¯s army.¡±


    yuan shu just stared at the wall where mu zhou had just sat. the crescent moon hung in the sky.


    general yuan continued, ¡°i know that the two of you are in love. if you¡¯re willing, i¡¯ll get mu zhou to become the martial arts top scorer.¡±


    yuan shu said, ¡°there¡¯s no need. father, we both know very well that mu zhou isn¡¯t cut out to be a general.¡±


    general yuan sighed. ¡°but i can¡¯t bear for you to marry someone you don¡¯t love.¡±


    yuan shu comforted her father with a smile, ¡°your daughter is ambitious and will only marry the most outstanding person. the person who can obtain the title of top scorer must be the most outstanding person. as for who the top scorer is, it¡¯s not important.¡±


    mu zhou thought that the so-called top scholar of this year was the literary scholar. from that day onwards, he started studying poetry diligently so that he could obtain the title of top scorer and marry yuan shu.


    it wasn¡¯t until he finished the exam that he realized that there was a martials arts subject on the exam this year.


    in the court, he and the top scholar of the martial arts examination walked into the magnificent hall at the same time and accepted the emperor¡¯s reward. at the same time, mu zhou heard with his own ears that the emperor bestowed marriage to yuan shu to the top scholar of the martial arts examination.


    mu zhou watched yuan shu walk into the hall with his own eyes. she was wearing lavish clothes and golden and jade jewelry on her head. she symbolized the prosperity of this dynasty as she walked to the top scholar of martial arts elegantly.


    at that moment, mu zhou felt like he was a joke.


    he barged into yuan shu¡¯s mansion to ask what was going on, but he was rejected.


    yuan shu refused to see him, so he waited outside the door. the heavy rain drenched him, but he still stood there.


    after an entire day and night, general yuan couldn¡¯t bear to see him like this anymore. he walked to mu zhou and said, ¡°go back. yuan shu won¡¯t see you.¡± mu zhou refused to leave.. instead, he asked, ¡°why?¡±

 Chapter 254 - Chapter 254: Confrontation

    chapter 254: confrontation


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    general yuan could only tell mu zhou, ¡°yuan shu has already drunk the forgetting river water and has forgotten everything related to you. the two of you can only be strangers in the future and have nothing to do with each other anymore.¡±


    mu zhou looked at general yuan angrily. ¡°for the sake of your wealth and status, for the sake of relying on the emperor, you even sacrificed your daughter¡¯s happiness and forced yuan shu to drink the forgetting river water. you¡¯re such a useless father!¡±


    yuan shu married the top scholar of the martial sciences. after general yuan passed away, the top scholar of the martial sciences inherited the yuan family¡¯s army and fought on the battlefield. the children yuan shu gave birth to were all very outstanding and became figures that the entire country admired.


    mu zhou, on the other hand, abused his political power and used the art of immortality to deceive the emperor. from then on, he rose to power and became a corrupt official.


    the two of them rarely met for the rest of their lives. every time they met, mu zhou would feel pain and despair when he saw yuan shu¡¯s unfamiliar and distant gaze.


    mu zhou didn¡¯t want to see how happy yuan shu was with another man, so he started to avoid her and rarely saw her again.


    yuan shu fell asleep, but even in her sleep, she was still frowning.


    the next morning, shi yi saw that yuan shu didn¡¯t wake up early to exercise, so she asked the butler to prepare breakfast and brought it to her room to look for her.


    yuan shu was still sleeping with her brows tightly knitted.


    when shi yi saw yuan shu frowning, she couldn¡¯t help but reach out to help her smoothen her eyebrows. unexpectedly, the moment her fingers touched yuan shu¡¯s eyebrows, yuan shu was jolted awake.


    yuan shu opened her eyes vigilantly. after seeing that the person in front of her was shi yi, she relaxed and asked, ¡°why are you in my room?¡±


    shi yi was startled by yuan shu¡¯s reaction just now. after calming down, she patted her chest as she said, ¡°i saw that you didn¡¯t eat last night and didn¡¯t wake up early in the morning. i was worried about you, so i asked the butler to cook for you and brought it up.¡±


    after yuan shu glanced at the milk and bread on the table, she said, ¡°thank you.¡±


    shi yi asked curiously, ¡°sister-in-law, what¡¯s wrong with you? you¡¯re acting abnormally today. you didn¡¯t even go out to exercise in the morning.¡±


    yuan shu forced a smile. ¡°i¡¯m just a little tired. go out first and wait for me downstairs. after i wash up, i¡¯ll go downstairs.¡±


    shi yi looked at yuan shu hesitantly but still took the breakfast downstairs.


    when yuan shu went out, she saw that the four siblings of the shi family were all there.


    the four of them sat around the dining table and looked in yuan shu¡¯s direction when they saw yuan shu come out.


    shi lu was the first to ask, ¡°sister-in-law, are you okay?¡±


    shi bin also looked at yuan shu with concern.


    after yuan shu walked to the table and sat down opposite shi xiao, she replied calmly, ¡°i¡¯m fine. don¡¯t worry.¡±


    but yuan shu¡¯s lips were pale, so her words sounded a little unconvincing.


    knowing that she was unwilling to tell them even if they asked her, the few of them could only give up and push the breakfast in front of her.


    shi bin said, ¡°sister-in-law, don¡¯t you like buns the most? i went to the bun shop you often go to and bought tofu buns. try them!¡±


    yuan shu really had no appetite, but she still ate two mouthfuls.


    shi xiao didn¡¯t say anything, but his expression didn¡¯t look too good. since shi xiao¡¯s expression was too serious, the others didn¡¯t dare to be too impudent and they ate breakfast very cautiously.


    seeing that everyone was almost done eating, shi xiao said, ¡°hurry up and go to work after you¡¯re done eating.¡± then, he asked shi lu, ¡°are there any shoots today?¡±


    shi lu replied, ¡°no.¡± however, when he saw shi xiao¡¯s expression, he felt that he would definitely be used as a punching bag if he stayed at home, so shi lu immediately changed his words. ¡°yes! i¡¯ll leave immediately after breakfast!¡±


    shi lu quickly swallowed the bun in his mouth before following shi yi and shi bin out.


    it wasn¡¯t until they left that the three of them heaved a sigh of relief. without shi xiao¡¯s imposing presence, they felt that the air pressure had returned to normal.


    they couldn¡¯t help but complain, ¡°i¡¯m afraid only sister-in-law can suppress our scary brother.¡±


    after yuan shu finished eating, she was about to get up and return to her room when shi xiao suddenly asked, ¡°don¡¯t you think you need to give me an explanation?¡±


    yuan shu sat down at the table again and asked him, ¡°what explanation do you want?¡±


    shi xiao frowned, a hint of displeasure flashing across his dark eyes.


    ¡°you told me that you don¡¯t know jiang chen.¡±


    ¡°but he¡¯s mu zhou.¡± yuan shu retorted subconsciously, but when she met shi xiao¡¯s gaze, she suddenly paused..

 Chapter 255 - Chapter 255: Moving Out

    chapter 255: moving out


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    after yuan shu came back to her senses, she explained, ¡°i can only promise you that before yesterday, i had nothing to do with jiang chen. i didn¡¯t help him deal with the shi corporation.¡±


    after shi xiao keenly caught the key point, he sneered and said, ¡°then you mean that after today, you won¡¯t have nothing to do with jiang chen?¡±


    yuan shu was speechless. that wasn¡¯t what she meant.


    the silence between the two of them was very awkward. what shi xiao wanted was an explanation of their relationship, but yuan shu didn¡¯t know how to explain it. for a moment, they were both deadly silent.


    shi xiao compromised and asked, ¡°will you see him in three days?¡±


    the moment he asked this question, shi xiao suddenly felt a sense of defeat. the moment he asked this question, it meant that he had admitted defeat and displayed his vulnerability in front of her. shi xiao smiled bitterly. he, who had been cold-hearted and unyielding for so many years, admitted defeat in front of yuan shu.


    yuan shu¡¯s next words made shi xiao¡¯s mood plummet.


    she was still very weak, so her voice was light, but her tone was firm. ¡°yes.¡±


    shi xiao recalled what yuan shu had said before she left last night. she was a woman of her word, unless he didn¡¯t believe her.


    were the two of them so close that they trusted each other so much?


    shi xiao had to admit that for a moment, he was very jealous. he even wanted to order yuan shu not to go, but he quickly realized that he had no right to say that.


    yuan shu continued, ¡°shi xiao, 1 want to move out.¡±


    ¡°why?¡± shi xiao blurted out. however, he felt that this was inappropriate, so he added in a cold tone, as if they were discussing a business deal, ¡°don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re still pretending to be my wife. if you move out, won¡¯t the outside world gossip about us?¡±


    yuan shu felt very tired. ¡°i¡¯m very sorry, but for the next few days, i want to be alone. i¡¯m very confused and need to organize my thoughts.¡±


    shi xiao mocked, ¡°then do you want me to give you three days to consider it?¡±


    yuan shu didn¡¯t realize that shi xiao was imitating what she had said last night. she even answered him seriously, ¡°probably.¡±


    ¡°yuan shu!¡± shi xiao gritted his teeth in anger, but when he saw yuan shu¡¯s nonchalant expression, he finally gave up on communicating with this woman.


    yuan shu might be good at managing the company and dealing with interpersonal relationships, but she was an idiot when it came to romantic relationships!


    shi xiao said helplessly, ¡°then do you want me to find a house for you or do you want to return to the ancestral home?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll go back to the ancestral home. don¡¯t trouble yourself.¡±


    yuan shu had already gotten up to pack her things and leave when shi xiao suddenly stopped her. ¡°don¡¯t forget, you promised to come back.¡±


    yuan shu didn¡¯t know what shi xiao was worried about, so she agreed calmly and went to pack her things.


    yuan shu suddenly recalled the past, which indeed made her feel complicated emotions. if they were still in that dynasty, yuan shu would definitely reject mu zhou without hesitation. however, it was different now. they were all free people. there were no political restrictions or family restrictions, so she didn¡¯t need to worry so much.


    she still remembered what her mother had said to her the night before she died. ¡°you¡¯re the glory of our family. if you prosper, the family will prosper. if you¡¯re down and out, the family will decline. everything about you concerns this family. i¡¯m sorry that 1 gave birth to you in such a family, but i¡¯ve already done my best to let you live freely for fifteen years. as for the rest of the time, you can only spend them repaying this family.¡±


    from that day onwards, yuan shu had no choice but to think about those restrictions.


    however, in this era, there were no such restrictions, so yuan shu had to see what she truly wanted.


    the only thing she could admit was that she had feelings for mu zhou. then, was love more important to her without the restraints of her family, or was maintaining the status quo more important?


    yuan shu thought about this question for three days but couldn¡¯t figure it out. in the first 15 years of her life, she lived a carefree life, but in the next few decades, she would live in shackles. these shackles had already become a part of her body and couldn¡¯t be gotten rid of overnight.


    it was time to meet mu zhou, so yuan shu didn¡¯t think too much about it anymore. when she arrived at the room in the tea room, jiang chen was already waiting there..

 Chapter 256 - Chapter 256: Conversation

    chapter 256: conversation


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    after seeing yuan shu, jiang chen was relieved. it was obvious that he wasn¡¯t sure that yuan shu would come. he even thought that if yuan shu really didn¡¯t come today, he would go to the shi family¡¯s home to find yuan shu no matter what.


    he had planned for so long, so he had to explain everything clearly today.


    jiang chen made a cup of high-quality silver needles for yuan shu. yuan shu stared at the light green tea in a daze.


    she remembered that before she was 15 years old, when she was in the military camp, she didn¡¯t like to drink tea. she felt that tea leaves tasted bitter and astringent. it wasn¡¯t as satisfying as wine, which made her feel giddy and light-headed.


    later on, when she became a princess, drinking tea became a habit of hers.


    once again, she wondered if habit and preferences were the same thing.


    ¡°what are you thinking about?¡± jiang chen¡¯s voice pulled her back to reality.


    yuan shu didn¡¯t answer. instead, she asked, ¡°when did you start to like drinking tea?¡±


    yuan shu and mu zhou were the same kind of people. before the age of 15, they grew up carefree. after the age of 15, regardless of whether they were forced or willing, they walked the same path.


    drinking tea was only part of the same journey.


    yuan shu took a sip of tea. jiang chen was very particular about everything from the quality of the water to the temperature and brewing method. the tea made was exactly the same as yuan shu¡¯s.


    jiang chen also picked up his teacup and drank the tea in the same posture as yuan shu. ¡°after 1 gained the emperor¡¯s trust, he allowed me to enter and leave the palace at will. i heard from the servants in the palace that you liked to drink white silver needles the most, so i learned how to make tea with mountain spring water, but you didn¡¯t go to the palace anymore by then.¡±


    as the fragrance of the tea spread in her mouth, yuan shu looked at the person in front of her. he had the same familiar face, but she could no longer see the young man¡¯s former pride and arrogance.


    moreover, yuan shu wasn¡¯t used to this modern attire.


    yuan shu stopped talking about this topic and got down to business. ¡°tell me, what have you done?¡±


    jiang chen said with a smile, ¡°since you¡¯re so smart, why don¡¯t you take a guess?¡±


    yuan shu said, ¡°let me think. based on my understanding of you, you¡¯re the one who brought me to this world, right? then, you met me as mu zhou and played ¡®phoenix seeks the phoenix¡¯.


    yuan shu thought of that melodious song again. in the past, she only knew that mu zhou was smart, but she didn¡¯t expect him to be so talented in learning the zither.


    when learning the zither, one had to start from a young age. if a person wanted to master playing the zither, they would need at least ten years. the prerequisite was that they had to have time to practice the zither every day.


    mu zhou had only started learning the piano after he became a literary scholar and had to work every day, so it was impressive that he could play such a tune so well.


    perhaps it was because she recovered her memories, but yuan shu had been in a daze recently.


    after she came back to her senses, she continued, ¡°so it was also your idea to let the original yuan shu marry shi xiao?¡±


    jiang chen said, ¡°no, it was only after 1 came and saw your photo that i realized that there was actually someone in this world who looked exactly like you and had the same name as you. i thought that since i could come to this world, i could bring you here too.¡±


    yuan shu sighed. ¡°it¡¯s been so many years, but you still haven¡¯t let go?¡±


    jiang chen smiled bitterly. ¡°many years have indeed passed. if i hadn¡¯t discovered this world¡¯s yuan shu, 1 wouldn¡¯t have known that my obsession hadn¡¯t disappeared even after so many years. it¡¯s just that i¡¯ve hidden it well. previously, i avoided you because 1 didn¡¯t want to see you, who had already forgotten me.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s just that 1 didn¡¯t expect that even after coming to this world, the effects of the forgetting river water still haven¡¯t disappeared. you still didn¡¯t remember me. even when 1 appeared in front of you again as mu zhou, even when 1 played your favorite tune ¡®phoenix seeks the phoenix¡¯, you still didn¡¯t remember me.¡±


    after jiang chen poured away the excess water used to make tea and added a pot of hot water, the steam rose into the air between the two of them.


    ¡°you¡¯re so heartless. have you ever thought about my feelings?¡±


    yuan shu sighed. ¡°mu zhou, your obsession is too deep. in order to make me remember, you even invested in a television drama.. is all of this really worth

 Chapter 257 - Chapter 257: Dispute

    chapter 257: dispute


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    ¡°it¡¯s worth it!¡± jiang chen was a little worked up as he said, ¡°as long as you can remember our past, it¡¯s all worth it¡­ back then, you forgot about me because your father forced you to drink the forgetting river water. as long as you remember again, we can be together!¡±


    yuan shu was stunned and looked at him with sadness in her eyes. ¡°mu zhou, actually, my father didn¡¯t force me. i drank the forgetting river water willingly. 1 wanted to forget about you.¡±


    jiang chen looked at her in disbelief. ¡°so not only did you lie to me, but you also wanted to forget me¡­ why?¡±


    yuan shu smiled bitterly as she said, ¡°because it¡¯s absolutely impossible for the two of us to be together. you¡¯re very stubborn, so you can¡¯t lead the yuan family army, and 1 already have close ties to the yuan family army. 1 can¡¯t jeopardize the entire yuan family army just to be with you!¡±


    jiang chen stared at yuan shu in shock for a long time. finally, he bent down in defeat and even his shoulders were slouched. ¡°when did you start to have this idea?¡±


    yuan shu¡¯s heart ached, but she still said, ¡°do you remember what happened when we were 14 years old? the sand table was no longer enough to satisfy our learning needs, so we simulated a real-life battle. at that time, you and 1 each led 15 people to try to snatch the other party¡¯s food.¡±


    ¡°at that time, in order to obtain the rations, you were very unscrupulous and even sacrificed the lives of your companions. you used five people as bait to lure me into the trap and finally obtained the rations. at that time, i realized that you were a ruthless person who would do anything to achieve your goal. to you, human lives aren¡¯t as important as winning. how can such a person lead the yuan family¡¯s army? i can¡¯t hand the yuan family over to you, because sooner or later, you will sacrifice the yuan family¡¯s army.¡±


    jiang chen smiled bitterly. ¡°as expected of general yuan¡¯s daughter. you already had such thoughts when you were only 14 years old. when 1 saw that you were angry after you lost the competition, i thought you blamed me for not giving in to you and 1 coaxed you for three days before finally appeasing you. it turns out that your anger hasn¡¯t disappeared and you¡¯ve been holding a grudge for many years until now.¡±


    jiang chen asked again, ¡°then have you ever regretted it? because of what you said back then, you made me become a literary scholar. from then on, 1 started creating chaos in the royal court.¡±


    yuan shu didn¡¯t answer for a long time. it was very difficult for her to judge this matter. the yuan family worked for the imperial court, but the emperor and empress treated her very well, so it was very difficult for yuan shu to determine her feelings regarding the imperial court.


    she couldn¡¯t be kind enough to say that she didn¡¯t care about being used, because if it weren¡¯t for the pressure of the imperial family, she might have been able to live the life she wanted.


    yuan shu said, ¡°actually, from a certain perspective, i¡¯m the same as you. i¡¯m also cold-blooded and heartless. 1 didn¡¯t care what you did in the royal court. 1 only knew that nothing could happen to the yuan family¡¯s army. as long as your dirty methods weren¡¯t used on the yuan family, 1 could pretend not to know.¡±


    ¡°on the contrary, if there has to be a treacherous official, 1 hope that person will be you. because you have feelings for the yuan family army, no matter how powerful you are, you won¡¯t attack the yuan family army in the end.¡±


    jiang chen sneered. ¡°you¡¯re always toying with people¡¯s hearts. but yuan shu, i¡¯ve already fallen for you. i¡¯ve been obsessed with you for so many years, so it¡¯s impossible for me to let go. there¡¯s no royal power, no restrictions, and no yuan family army in this world. you¡¯re still you, and i¡¯m only me. the two of us can abandon everything and live our own lives.¡±


    yuan shu hesitated. for a moment, she was indeed tempted. jiang chen was right. compared to that dynasty, this place was more free and unfettered. wasn¡¯t this what yuan shu wanted?


    but¡­


    yuan shu still refused, ¡°it¡¯s too late. there are always all kinds of barriers between us. in the past, it was the yuan family army. now, my business is holding me back. yushu buyi has just been established, so it¡¯s impossible for me to abandon everything in this world to be with you. that¡¯ll be extremely irresponsible!¡±


    jiang chen smiled sadly. ¡°actually, i¡¯ve already expected your answer. even though i¡¯ve done so much for you, you¡¯re still thinking about the big picture. however, 1 can¡¯t let you go just like that.. i can¡¯t watch you get married to someone else, especially since this person is my sworn enemy!¡±

 Chapter 258 - Chapter 258: Leaving

    chapter 258: leaving


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    yuan shu looked at jiang chen indifferently. ¡°you can¡¯t persuade me. perhaps this is fate. we¡¯ll always be on opposite sides. you¡¯re the literary scholar, but i have to marry the martial arts scholar. you¡¯re the head of the jiang family, but i¡¯m the eldest young madam of the shi family. god forbids us from being together.¡±


    jiang chen accidentally knocked over the teacup. the light green tea spilled on his apricot-colored shirt and stained it.


    he said agitatedly, ¡°why is it that in your world, i¡¯m always the one who¡¯s abandoned! even though i brought you here and let you escape the restraints of your family and the imperial power, you still refuse to look at me¡­¡±


    at this point, there was no need to dwell on this topic. after yuan shu picked up the teacup and finished the tea in it, she said calmly, ¡°jiang chen, it¡¯s impossible for a person to live without restraints. even in this world, you have to consider your family. you can¡¯t abandon everything. just like how 1 couldn¡¯t abandon my family in the past, it¡¯s the same now. i already have ties.¡±


    ¡°we were abandoned after the other party weighed the pros and cons. instead of dwelling on these past events, it¡¯s better to look ahead. i¡¯ve used three days to think it through. 1 won¡¯t leave with you.¡±


    jiang chen had his head lowered and didn¡¯t say anything. he was angry that he knew yuan shu so well. it was because he knew yuan shu very well that he knew that since yuan shu had said these words, he really couldn¡¯t take her away.


    yuan shu continued, ¡°since i¡¯ve already remembered the past, there¡¯s no need to film the television drama anymore. let this past stay in my memories.¡±


    jiang chen smiled bitterly. ¡°i should have known this would happen. yuan shu, 1 lost the bet again.¡±


    jiang chen heaved a long sigh and sat up straight. then he called his secretary, zheng tian, in.


    after zheng tian handed him a document, he left silently.


    jiang chen pushed the document in front of yuan shu. ¡°since we can¡¯t talk about feelings, let¡¯s get down to business. this document is about my recent investigation of your software company. tan jing made a good move. from the ball onwards, he lured you into the trap step by step. then, he used this software company to get the finance bureau to investigate you. he has been preparing for a few months. this is only the first step. there must be more to it.¡±


    yuan shu was puzzled. ¡°if i remember correctly, the tan family¡¯s strength isn¡¯t enough for them to go against the shi family and the jiang family. what he did is tantamount to betraying you. without your support, how can he fight against the shi family?¡±


    before this happened, jiang chen also thought that tan jing was loyal, but it seemed that tan jing had betrayed him long ago.


    ¡°the jiang family and the tan family have business dealings, so they cooperate in many aspects of work. tan jing has always sucked up to the jiang family.¡± jiang chen hesitated for a moment before continuing, ¡°tan jing was also the one who planned to drug you and let you marry shi xiao. however, things probably changed since 1 arrived.¡±


    ¡°tan jing started to take a neutral stance. he was no longer so close to the jiang family and the shi family. tan jing didn¡¯t even ask for the jiang family¡¯s opinion when he wanted to enter the software industry. instead, he went to look for you.¡±


    ¡°i think there are only two possibilities. either he wants to become independent, be completely neutral, and get rid of the two families¡¯ control, but there¡¯s no need for him to provoke you at all, since this will only bring trouble to himself. in that case, there¡¯s only the second possibility. someone is helping him.¡±


    yuan shu was silent. she had the same thought as jiang chen.


    however, tan jing wasn¡¯t a fool. for him to choose to give up on the shi family and the jiang family after weighing the pros and cons, it meant that the person behind him was powerful enough to contend against the two families.


    however, there weren¡¯t many families in a city that had the same status as these two families. there was the song family, which occupied a place in the academic world, but had always kept a low profile, and the li family, which was doing well in the political world.


    however, the social statuses of these two families didn¡¯t allow them to interfere in the business world.


    yuan shu frowned and asked, ¡°then who do you think the mastermind is?¡±


    jiang chen crossed his arms in front of his chest as he said, ¡°it¡¯s hard to determine for the time being. i haven¡¯t seen any families suddenly rise in power recently, which means that that mastermind has hidden himself very well. more importantly, we don¡¯t know what his goal is or what trump cards he has. the enemies on the surface aren¡¯t scary, but the enemies hiding in the dark are.¡±


    yuan shu and jiang chen looked at each other and smiled tacitly. this was what the two of them often said when they practiced on the sand table back then..

 Chapter 259 - Chapter 259: Picking Up His Wife

    chapter 259: picking up his wife


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    yuan shu glanced at the time and said, ¡°it¡¯s getting late. i think i should go and find shi bin personally to understand what¡¯s going on.¡±


    jiang chen said, ¡°i¡¯ll get someone to send you off.¡±


    yuan shu said, ¡°there¡¯s no need. 1 have a chauffeur.¡±


    with that, she picked up her handbag and prepared to leave.


    jiang chen asked, ¡°are we still friends?¡±


    yuan shu replied with a smile, ¡°of course we are. we always have been.¡± yuan shu paused for a moment before adding, ¡°it¡¯s just that i¡¯m shi xiao¡¯s wife now. considering the relationship between our families, it¡¯s better for us to keep our distance.¡±


    jiang chen couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°now that you remember everything, aren¡¯t you going to divorce him?¡±


    yuan shu said calmly, ¡°this is between us. if i wanted a divorce, i would have done so when he returned to the country.¡±


    jiang chen was obviously very disappointed. the moment yuan shu pushed the door open and walked out, he asked, ¡°why can¡¯t it be me?¡±


    yuan shu heard this question, but she didn¡¯t answer and left.


    jiang chen had never thought of getting an answer to this question. he had just held it in for too long, so he wanted to ask. this was a question that would always be between the two of them, a question that could never be explained with words.


    yuan shu let out a long sigh the moment she went out. she had already thought about divorcing shi xiao, but she didn¡¯t want to give jiang chen false hope.


    when yuan shu came out of the teahouse, she saw a row of cars parked at the door, blocking her way.


    after the car in the lead stopped, zhao cheng got out of the driver¡¯s seat and walked to the back to open the car door. then, shi xiao stepped out and stood in front of yuan shu.


    yuan shu asked, ¡°why are you here?¡±


    shi xiao replied with a smile, ¡°i¡¯m here to pick up my wife.¡±


    seeing this scene and the row of cars behind her, yuan shu complained inwardly. they didn¡¯t look like they were here to pick her up. instead, they looked like they were here to kidnap her.


    however, shi xiao was surprised that yuan shu came out of the teahouse so quickly. he thought that jiang chen and yuan shu would talk for a long time.


    moreover, he was also mentally prepared. regardless of whether yuan shu wanted to stay or if jiang chen was unwilling to let yuan shu leave, no matter what, he had to bring yuan shu back today. however, after he came to this place, he didn¡¯t expect things to be so peaceful. he even appeared a little late. what was going on?


    yuan shu glanced at the row of cars behind shi xiao and said, ¡°let them go back. i have something to discuss with you.¡±


    shi xiao looked at zhao cheng, who gestured at the cars in the back row. then, they left the teahouse in an orderly manner.


    yuan shu couldn¡¯t help but admire shi xiao¡¯s ability to train his subordinates. if it were in ancient times, this ability would have made him a general.


    yuan shu hadn¡¯t eaten well these few days because she had things on her mind. it was dinner time, so she chose a good chinese restaurant with spicy hunan cuisine.


    after yuan shu looked at the menu, she ordered a table full of dishes. there were stir-fried eggs with vinegar, stir-fried yellow beef, and duck palm tendons. none of the dishes weren¡¯t spicy.


    shi xiao couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°i haven¡¯t seen you eat spicy food since 1 came back, so i thought you liked bland food.¡±


    after yuan shu handed the menu to shi xiao, he asked him to order. after shi xiao glanced at it, he asked the attendant to bring the menu away.


    yuan shu replied, ¡°i rarely eat spicy food because a light diet is better for my health. however, 1 suddenly want to try some other types of food.¡±


    yuan shu actually liked spicy food very much, but that was her preference when she was in the military camp.


    she didn¡¯t like food that was too bland. it would make her feel that eating was a pain. when she was in the military camp, she liked to eat roasted meat. she would sprinkle chili cumin and pepper powder on the meat and enjoy it with wine. it was very satisfying.


    however, the main reason yuan shu stopped eating spicy food was because the palace rules didn¡¯t allow it.


    yuan shu realized that she had been restrained by this rule for too long and it was rare for her to indulge herself like today..

 Chapter 260 - Chapter 260: Divorce

    chapter 260: divorce


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    it had been many years since she had eaten spicy food. yuan shu realized that her tolerance for spicy food hadn¡¯t deteriorated. at least, she felt that the hunan cuisine in front of her was acceptable. on the other hand, shi xiao ate very little, perhaps because it was too spicy and didn¡¯t suit his taste. moreover, he drank water frequently. it was obvious that it was spicy for him, but he tried not to show it.


    it was rare for yuan shu to see shi xiao not putting on airs. she was amused by him and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°if you can¡¯t eat spicy food, we can order some other dishes.¡±


    shi xiao said with a frown, ¡°no need.¡±


    yuan shu felt that shi xiao was really stubborn.


    shi xiao changed the topic. ¡°you said that you have something to tell me. what is it?¡±


    after yuan shu put down her chopsticks and took a sip of tea, she cleared her throat and started talking about serious matters.


    ¡°you probably know about the comments about me on the internet recently.¡±


    shi xiao nodded slightly. yuan shu had been taken away from the filming event location by the finance and revenue bureau. before shi xiao and jiang chen could suppress this news, it had already spread on the internet and the netizens were discussing it. ¡°this is the true colors of capitalists. what¡¯s the use of having a good appearance? isn¡¯t money the most important thing in the end?¡±


    yuan shu¡¯s reputation was damaged.


    however, based on yuan shu¡¯s personality, she shouldn¡¯t mind these discussions. why was she using this matter to discuss things with shi xiao so solemnly today?


    shi xiao had some guesses, but yuan shu quickly answered his doubts. ¡°actually, this is a very good opportunity.¡±


    shi xiao vaguely felt that something was wrong, so he frowned and asked, ¡°what opportunity?¡±


    yuan shu said, ¡°it¡¯s a good opportunity to announce our divorce to the public.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t agree.¡± shi xiao rejected this idea almost instantaneously.


    he gritted his teeth as he looked at yuan shu and asked, ¡°do you want to divorce me so badly? is it because of jiang chen?¡±


    yuan shu was puzzled. ¡°why must it be for someone else? i originally planned to wait until the time was right. we would pretend that we didn¡¯t get along and break up, then announce our divorce. wasn¡¯t this planned long ago?¡±


    shi xiao sat upright, but didn¡¯t look at yuan shu as he said, ¡°i don¡¯t think our cooperation needs to end, especially in your current situation. divorce will only bring you more trouble and inconvenience.¡±


    ¡°your software company is in a precarious situation and your television drama won¡¯t be filmed. as for yushu buyi, although the new product has just been released, with the down ridge clothes workshop eyeing you, you still need my help, and i also need your cooperation.¡±


    shi xiao didn¡¯t want to show that he cared too much, so he added, ¡°so 1 don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate to end our relationship for the time being. we should wait until these problems are resolved before planning.¡±


    shi xiao emphasized the last few words.


    yuan shu replied, ¡°i know your concerns, but now that my reputation has been damaged, it will affect the shi corporation¡¯s share price. it¡¯s actually the best time to spread the news that we¡¯re not getting along.¡±


    shi xiao looked at yuan shu as he tried to guess what she was thinking.


    however, yuan shu¡¯s expression was very calm, and there was no emotion in her eyes. this made shi xiao unable to figure out why she had said what she had said today. perhaps it was because of jiang chen.


    shi xiao couldn¡¯t help but feel suspicious. with jiang chen¡¯s personality, how could he let yuan shu leave so easily? could it be that the two of them had reached an agreement, so yuan shu wanted to take the opportunity to leave? in that case, everything made sense. no wonder she wanted to terminate their relationship at this time.


    yuan shu¡¯s eyebrows relaxed and she said with a smile, ¡°i didn¡¯t expect you to think so much for my sake and suggest that leaving the shi family at this time is very disadvantageous to me. however, 1 made this decision after much consideration.¡±


    shi xiao asked, ¡°what do you mean?¡±


    yuan shu said seriously, ¡°don¡¯t you think that too many things have happened recently? it¡¯s as if there¡¯s an invisible hand arranging things behind the scenes. these things not only target the shi corporation, but also me..¡±

 Chapter 261 - Chapter 261: Not Divorcing Anymore

    chapter 261: not divorcing anymore


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    shi xiao immediately understood what yuan shu meant and said, ¡°so you want to use our divorce to divert the other party¡¯s attention.¡±


    yuan shu couldn¡¯t help but feel impressed that shi xiao realized her motive so quickly. he was a good business partner.


    she said, ¡°that¡¯s right. this way, we can better determine if these people are targeting you or me.¡±


    shi xiao looked at yuan shu in a new light.


    shi xiao actually asked wu yan about yuan shu¡¯s situation in the residence every day.


    wu yan told shi xiao that yuan shu locked herself in her room almost every day and the helpers sent her meals to her room. she never came out.


    even when the food was sent to the room, yuan shu ate very little and she seemed to have been in a bad state for the past three days. even wu yan asked him worriedly, ¡°young master, did something happen to young madam? her condition is really worrying.¡±


    shi xiao thought that yuan shu would continue to mope, but he didn¡¯t expect her to pull herself together in just three days and be able to think about the problem from an outsider¡¯s perspective.


    shi xiao found it hard to imagine what kind of woman could adjust her emotions so decisively and think of a solution so quickly.


    the more shi xiao admired yuan shu, the more he didn¡¯t want to let her go so easily.


    she wanted to use this matter to escape from shi xiao¡¯s grasp, but shi xiao wouldn¡¯t let her succeed.


    shi xiao lowered his head slightly and hid the sly look that flashed across his eyes.


    shi xiao deduced according to yuan shu¡¯s train of thought, ¡°you¡¯re right. right now, we¡¯re in the open and the enemy is in the dark. the most important thing is to expose the mastermind. as long as we know who he is, we can stop him in time before he makes a move.¡±


    ¡°however,¡± shi xiao changed the topic, ¡°this is indeed not the best time for us to get a divorce. firstly, our reputation will be damaged. if the shi family doesn¡¯t help you at this time and divorces you instead, the outside world will think that the shi family is incompetent and unable to protect their own family.¡±


    ¡°secondly, it will make people think that the shi family is trying to kick you to the curb after you¡¯ve outlived your usefulness. it will instead affect the shi corporation¡¯s reputation and the share price of the shi corporation. this is completely against our original intention of cooperating, so i object.¡±


    shi xiao¡¯s excuse was reasonable and logical. even yuan shu couldn¡¯t help but admire him. it was difficult for her to achieve such meticulousness.


    hence, yuan shu said, ¡°1 was indeed inconsiderate regarding this matter. now is indeed not the best time to get a divorce, but if we want to catch the mastermind, maintaining a distance between us is inevitable.¡±


    ¡°estrangement isn¡¯t enough to make that person believe me, so i need to move out of the shi family¡¯s house and live separately from you. actually, i¡¯ve already gotten someone to help me look into the housing. i originally planned to move out of the ancestral home tonight after telling you today. this way, it can prove that there¡¯s indeed a problem between us.¡±


    shi xiao didn¡¯t expect yuan shu to be so decisive. when wu yan reported last night, she said that yuan shu had been listless all day, but she recovered today. she was able to think of all the problems in a single day and even arrange her new residence after meeting jiang chen. this woman was really efficient.


    however, shi xiao knew yuan shu¡¯s personality. since this matter had already come to this, no matter who dissuaded her, she wouldn¡¯t change her mind. hence, instead of stopping her from leaving, he might as well help her.


    the two of them didn¡¯t speak for a moment. they were both thinking about how to deal with this matter more rationally and in a way beneficial to both of them.


    after a while, shi xiao said to yuan shu, ¡°what you said makes sense, but you have to consider the shi corporation¡¯s share price. 1 have a better solution.¡±


    yuan shu looked at shi xiao intently and asked, ¡°what solution?¡±


    shi xiao said, ¡°if you move out, it can only prove that our relationship has reached the freezing point. other than catching the mastermind, it won¡¯t be of any help to the shi corporation¡¯s share price or the development of your own company. therefore, i suggest that you come to the corporation to work for a few days. as long as the two of us still appear together, the rumors of our divorce will die. this way, the negative impact on the corporation will be minimized..¡±

 Chapter 262 - Chapter 262: Work

    chapter 262: work


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    yuan shu didn¡¯t refute, since she agreed with this plan.


    shi xiao continued, ¡°what¡¯s more, 1 need your help in the corporation. i suspect that that person has spies in the corporation, so if you work in the corporation and come into contact with employees at the grassroots level, you can help us find out who¡¯s behind this as soon as possible. you can also help us purge the corporation and make a change.¡±


    yuan shu didn¡¯t respond. instead, she stared at shi xiao with a serious look. shi xiao thought that she didn¡¯t agree to this plan, but then she suddenly asked, ¡°are you really sure you want me to work at the shi corporation?¡±


    shi xiao smiled and asked, ¡°are you asking this because you don¡¯t have confidence in me or yourself?¡±


    yuan shu said, ¡°it¡¯s not that i don¡¯t have confidence, but the rule of our cooperation is to mind our own business. you won¡¯t interfere with my company, and i definitely won¡¯t participate in anything related to the shi corporation, so i¡¯m a little surprised.¡±


    shi xiao said, ¡°times have changed.¡± after saying this, he looked at yuan shu and said firmly, ¡°i believe you.¡±


    yuan shu was stunned for a moment. this wasn¡¯t the first time shi xiao had told her that he believed her. this firm trust touched the depths of yuan shu¡¯s heart.


    she finally stopped struggling and said, ¡°alright, then what position do you want to arrange for me, president shi?¡±


    shi xiao blurted out without hesitation, ¡°since there¡¯s a software problem, why don¡¯t you stand up from where you fell? the shi corporation¡¯s software technology department lacks a manager. you can be the team leader.¡±


    yuan shu smiled and said, ¡°you really know a lot about hr, since you know if there¡¯s a vacancy at the top of your head. it makes me wonder if you¡¯ve planned this beforehand.¡±


    shi xiao had indeed planned this beforehand. ever since the software company was in trouble, he had planned to let yuan shu work in the company because yuan shu was very capable in terms of management. the fact that she could subdue the three troublemakers in the family showed how capable she was.


    this incident helped encourage shi xiao to invite yuan shu to work at the company.


    ¡°but 1 know nothing about software. are you sure it¡¯s appropriate for me to be the team leader?¡±


    shi xiao said, ¡°sometimes, management ability is more important than other abilities. moreover, i plan to recruit a big shot recently. as for how to use this person, it will be up to you.¡±


    when yuan shu heard this, she was a little curious about the big shot shi xiao was talking about. shi xiao never praised people easily. someone who could make him call him a big shot was probably very impressive.


    shi xiao continued, ¡°as for the software company you invested in, i¡¯ve already asked shi bin to withdraw your shares. you won¡¯t be able to get back the money you invested.¡±


    yuan shu was helpless, but she said, ¡°i already expected this, but i didn¡¯t expect that despite being so careful, i still fell into a trap.¡±


    shi xiao comforted her. ¡°better an open enemy than a false friend, an open foe may prove a curse but a pretend friend is even worse. they¡¯re unscrupulous and even used shi bin, so you couldn¡¯t have foreseen it.¡±


    yuan shu didn¡¯t say anything else but made up her mind. she wasn¡¯t someone who would suffer losses, so she had to take revenge herself.


    the two of them were already full and had finished talking, so yuan shu wiped her mouth with a tissue and stood up. ¡°i still have to move. i won¡¯t talk to you anymore. goodbye, president shi.¡±


    yuan shu¡¯s tone was flippant and she was obviously joking.


    shi xiao acutely noticed that yuan shu had addressed him as president. in other words, from this moment onwards, the two of them had become superior and subordinate, instead of partners.


    shi xiao realized that yuan shu seemed to have become more outgoing and playful after seeing jiang chen. she was no longer the mature and levelheaded yuan shu from before.


    shi xiao couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°what¡¯s your relationship with jiang chen?¡±


    yuan shu, who was about to get up, suddenly sat down. her gaze became distant as she looked at shi xiao and said indifferently, ¡°there are some things between us that we can¡¯t talk about. i won¡¯t tell you about this. i can only promise you that no matter what relationship 1 had with jiang chen in the past, i won¡¯t help the jiang family now or in the future. 1 hope you won¡¯t mention this again.¡±


    staring at yuan shu¡¯s back as she left, shi xiao hesitated over whether he should investigate her relationship with jiang chen. after hesitating for a while, he gave up..

 Chapter 263 - Chapter 263: Eating

    chapter 263: eating


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    yuan shu was very fast. in just one night, she cleaned up all the traces of her in the ancestral home and the villa area, as if she had never been there before.


    that night, shi xiao asked zhao cheng to inform shi bin, shi yi, and shi lu to go home and eat together the next morning.


    the three of them were nervous, since they didn¡¯t know why their brother had called them back, but they were still very happy and thought that they would be able to see their sister-in-law when they returned.


    when they only saw their eldest brother the next morning, everyone froze on the spot.


    seeing that everyone was seated, shi xiao announced the start of the meal.


    after the three of them exchanged looks of dismay, shi yi asked boldly, ¡°brother, aren¡¯t we going to wait for sister-in-law?¡±


    after shi xiao stuffed a piece of a sandwich into his mouth elegantly, he said calmly, ¡°she moved out.¡±


    this news was like a bolt out of the blue for the three of them!


    they sat at the dining table in a daze and actually forgot to eat.


    shi xiao glanced at the three of them and said calmly, ¡°let¡¯s eat.¡±


    the three of them seemed to have been struck by lightning. they picked up the chopsticks in their hands and picked up food, but they didn¡¯t dare to speak the entire time. they wondered what had happened. why did yuan shu move out? could it be that their relationship was strained again?


    however, they were still fine a while ago and their relationship was getting better and better. why did they suddenly have a relationship crisis? no wonder yuan shu had been in a bad state for the past three days. shi xiao must have bullied yuan shu!


    the three of them secretly made eye contact and reached a consensus.


    just as the three of them were making guesses, shi xiao suddenly said to shi bin, ¡°when we get to the company, go and ask xiao sheng to resign.¡±


    shi bin suddenly looked up and asked, ¡°why? i¡­ could it be because 1 accidentally harmed sister-in-law?¡±


    shi bin¡¯s voice became softer and softer under shi lu and shi yi¡¯s sharp gazes.


    shi xiao didn¡¯t explain and only said, ¡°i¡¯ve already arranged a position for you in the corporation. you can come to work the day after tomorrow.¡±


    shi bin still wanted to make a final struggle. ¡°but brother, i still have a lot to learn from mentor. i don¡¯t want to leave shenglan investment firm.¡±


    shi xiao looked at him coldly as he said, ¡°there are other people in the company who can teach you. they¡¯re definitely better than xiao sheng.¡±


    shi bin was frightened by shi xiao¡¯s gaze and didn¡¯t dare to speak anymore.


    the other two wanted to speak up for shi bin, but when they saw shi xiao¡¯s gaze, they shut up obediently.


    shi xiao looked at shi lu right on the heels of that.


    shi lu felt as if there was a sudden cold wind behind him, and goosebumps appeared on his skin.


    shi lu smiled. ¡°brother, what instructions do you have? please tell me.¡±


    his intimidating gaze really affected his appetite.


    shi xiao took a sip of milk before saying, ¡°1 hope that the television drama you¡¯re filming will stop filming. so today, go to the director and propose to break the contract. the penalty fee will be transferred to your account.¡±


    that was a project directed by wang shen, so how could he reject it just like that?! shi lu felt exasperated, but he didn¡¯t dare to say anything and could only nod obediently.


    between wang shen and his life, he had to choose his life.


    the other two people had already been called out by shi xiao, so shi yi knew that she would be the next one. her hands trembled, and when shi xiao called her name, she was so startled that she almost dropped her chopsticks on the table.


    shi yi quickly held her chopsticks and asked, ¡°brother, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    shi yi guessed that it would be an unreasonable request like forcing her to leave yushu buyi. unexpectedly, shi xiao only said, ¡°yuan shu lives in the ming-yue neighborhood by the river. i will send the exact location to your phone. when you are free, go and accompany her more.¡±


    ¡°huh?¡± she had thought that she would be scolded, but she didn¡¯t expect him to only remind her to visit her sister-in-law.


    shi yi heaved a sigh of relief and replied, ¡°brother, don¡¯t worry! 1 will definitely visit sister-in-law often!¡± shi yi even added, ¡°i will definitely help you look after sister-in-law and not let other men have the chance to get close to her.¡±


    ¡°how nosy.¡±


    although he said that, shi xiao was satisfied. his sister was indeed more reliable than his brothers..

 Chapter 264 - Chapter 264: Visit

    chapter 264: visit


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    when yuan shu was packing her clothes in the morning, she found the gift box containing the gown that she had always placed aside.


    after yuan shu opened the gift box, she saw her name embroidered on the gown. then, she remembered the note sent with the gift box.


    this was the gown that jiang chen had given her on the day of the opening ceremony of liu cheng hospital. due to the complicated craftsmanship of the luxurious peony embroidery and rare fabric, it attracted a lot of attention.


    yuan shu finally understood why jiang chen had spent so much effort to give her such a gown.


    because in that dynasty, yuan shu had seen this silk at a banquet for a foreign envoy. when she went back, she told jiang chen that she liked this fabric very much and hoped that she could have one too.


    at that time, jiang chen had boasted that he would definitely give her a dress better than that silk.


    yuan shu even laughed at him. ¡°with your salary, you can¡¯t even afford a sleeve in three years, yet you¡¯re still bragging here.¡±


    jiang chen remembered everything that yuan shu had said very clearly and had been doing as he had promised.


    he kept his promises.


    however, yuan shu had forgotten.


    yuan shu didn¡¯t think too much about it. she put the gown into the gift box and placed it in the corner of the bottom shelf.


    when things were placed in inconspicuous corners, perhaps it wasn¡¯t in order to forget about them, but because the owner didn¡¯t know how to face them and could only try to escape.


    yuan shu had complicated feelings about them now.


    just after ten o¡¯clock, shi lu was sleeping soundly when zhang chao pulled him to the production team to talk to the director about breaking the contract. shi lu complained to zhang chao sleepily, ¡°when did you become so diligent? you woke me up so early in the morning. i¡¯m still sleepy!¡±


    zhang chao said aggrievedly, ¡°do you think i¡¯m not tired? if not for young master shi giving me an ultimatum, 1 wouldn¡¯t have woken up so early!¡±


    shi lu said helplessly, ¡°who exactly is your boss?! you should be thinking about how to serve me well. how can you listen to my brother instead?¡±


    zhang chao asked, ¡°are you not afraid of young master shi?¡±


    shi lu said, ¡°alright, i¡¯m gonna sleep for a while longer. call me when we arrive.¡±


    shi lu didn¡¯t expect the negotiation to go so smoothly. wang shen was surprisingly cooperative and didn¡¯t even ask for the penalty fee.


    after this project ended, shi lu was still a little disappointed. after all, wang shen had a lot of influence in the film industry. almost all the movies he filmed had won various awards overseas. if he could star in his work, shi lu¡¯s career would definitely rise to another level.


    zhang chao asked tentatively, ¡°director wang, will you still consider shi lu in the future?¡±


    wang shen was also very helpless. ¡°1 naturally want to work with shi lu. an actor like shi lu, who spends a lot of effort figuring out the character and interpreting the role, is rare. working with him can also inspire me.¡±


    zhang chao was puzzled. ¡°then why did director wang cooperate and stop filming this time?¡±


    wang shen said, ¡°actually, before you guys came to me, someone had already said that the television drama couldn¡¯t continue filming. there were some problems with the investment of this project, so it really couldn¡¯t continue.¡±


    ¡°to be honest, i wasn¡¯t very interested in this story. i was only very interested in the female lead. very few women can be as sober, rational, and independent as this female lead. that¡¯s why 1 was willing to film this script. since there¡¯s a problem and there¡¯s no way to continue filming, this arrangement is fine with me.¡±


    ¡°during this filming process, 1 also came up with a new story. this female lead gave me inspiration and made me sort out a story that i had never been able to before. 1 think i need a year to plan this script. if there¡¯s a chance, 1 hope we can work together next year.¡±


    this was what a big director was like. he was willing to spend a lot of time polishing an outstanding script instead of rushing things and directing three or four scripts a year just to earn money.


    wang shen¡¯s attitude made shi lu admire him. ¡°1 look forward to working with you again.¡±


    after shi lu finished dealing with the matters here, she bumped into zhang zhang, who was here to discuss cooperation. she suddenly remembered what shi xiao had said to shi yi in the morning. ¡°if you have nothing to do, visit yuan shu more often..¡±

 Chapter 265 - Chapter 265: Buying Furniture

    chapter 265: buying furniture


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    shi lu wanted to ask what had happened between his brother and his sister-in-law.


    moreover, his sister-in-law liked zhang zhang so much, so he brought zhang zhang along to add some laughter to her new residence.


    when shi lu invited zhang zhang to visit yuan shu¡¯s house, zhang zhang agreed without thinking and said, ¡°i¡¯ll go and discuss the schedule with the director first. i¡¯ll be out very soon. please wait for me!¡±


    zhang zhang was afraid that shi lu wouldn¡¯t be willing to wait for her, so she emphasized the last sentence anxiously.


    shi lu smiled and said, ¡°go quickly. i¡¯ll wait for you.¡±


    then, shi lu asked shi yi for the exact location of yuan shu¡¯s home and brought zhang zhang to the furniture factory to order furniture. they even bought some fruits and daily necessities on the way.


    as shi lu had expected, yuan shu¡¯s house was empty. it seemed that she had just moved in and hadn¡¯t had the time to decorate it.


    shi lu swaggered onto the only sofa in yuan shu¡¯s house and said, ¡°i¡¯ve already gone to the furniture factory to order furniture just now. they¡¯ll probably send all the furniture over soon. sister-in-law, don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ve entered your room before and remember your furnishings, so i know what kind of furniture you like. 1 bought them according to your preferences.¡±


    to observe these details, yuan shu felt that shi lu was quite sensible and considerate enough.


    although yuan shu didn¡¯t have much furniture here, she brought the tea set, so she could still treat the guests to tea.


    zhang zhang watched as yuan shu skillfully brewed tea and handed the teacups to them elegantly. she couldn¡¯t help but praise, ¡°sister yuan shu, you¡¯re really amazing. you even know how to brew tea!


    shi lu said disdainfully, ¡°don¡¯t make a fuss. this is no big deal. my sister-in-law knows a lot of things. you have to slowly realize it.¡±


    whenever zhang zhang and shi lu were together, they couldn¡¯t help but bicker. ¡°your sister-in-law knows so many things, but i¡¯ve never seen you learn them properly. you¡¯re such a slacker. aren¡¯t you afraid of embarrassing sister yuan shu?¡±


    shi lu said smugly, ¡°my sister-in-law won¡¯t mind. besides, i¡¯m not embarrassing at all. 1 can bring happiness to my sister-in-law, but can you?¡±


    zhang zhang was unhappy. ¡°don¡¯t i bring sister yuan shu happiness too? otherwise, why did you bring me here? you were worried that sister yuan shu would be in a bad mood, so you asked me to coax her.¡±


    after saying that, zhang zhang realized that she had made a faux pas, so she looked at yuan shu guiltily and said, ¡°sister yuan shu, i didn¡¯t mean that. i wanted to say, um¡­¡±


    she thought for a long time, but couldn¡¯t finish her words and kept stammering for a long time.


    yuan shu said, ¡°it¡¯s okay. i¡¯m very happy to see you.¡±


    after yuan shu finished speaking, zhang zhang couldn¡¯t help but grin.


    shi lu couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°sister-in-law, what¡¯s going on between you and my eldest brother? why did you suddenly move out?¡±


    yuan shu said, ¡°nothing happened to us, but there are some things that need to be dealt with now. you¡¯ll know in a while. although i moved out, i¡¯m still your sister-in-law. if anything happens, you can look for me. by the way, i¡¯ve already transferred the money i borrowed from you to your account with interest.¡±


    this feeling of drawing a line made shi lu very unhappy. he hurriedly sat up and asked with a frown, ¡°sister-in-law, why are you in a hurry to return the money to me? i¡¯m not in a hurry to use the money.¡±


    yuan shu said, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i¡¯m not trying to draw a line with you. it¡¯s because yushu buyi is already earning profits now and is on the right track. i¡¯ll give you the money i have first. i¡¯m not someone who likes owing money to others. besides, i don¡¯t plan to calculate the payment for the furniture you bought for me.¡±


    only then was shi lu satisfied and sat down happily.


    in order to liven up the atmosphere, zhang zhang interrupted, ¡°sister yuan shu, do you have any plans for the afternoon?¡±


    after yuan shu thought for a while, she replied, ¡°not yet.¡±


    actually, she should have a lot of things to do, but she had already agreed with shi xiao that she would report to work at the shi corporation tomorrow morning, so yuan shu planned to rest for a while today. after all, she was going to start high-intensity work tomorrow.


    zhang zhang suggested, ¡°why don¡¯t we go dye our hair in the afternoon?¡±

 Chapter 266 - Chapter 266: Chance Encounter at the Mall

    chapter 266: chance encounter at the mall


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    shi lu was surprised. ¡°you¡¯re dying your hair again? your red hair has just been dyed black because you have to film. you¡¯re dying it again immediately after filming ended?¡±


    zhang zhang made a face at shi lu. ¡°it¡¯s none of your business. girls have to be beautiful at all times.¡±


    yuan shu liked watching the two of them bicker, since it was like watching her own children bicker.


    she asked zhang zhang with a smile, ¡°then what color are you going to dye your hair this time?¡±


    zhang zhang replied, ¡°recently, i¡¯ve seen a lot of people with cool green hair, so i¡¯ve decided to dye my hair green. of course, it¡¯s not a deep green, but a mint green color that gives off a summery vibe.¡±


    yuan shu felt that this beautiful color would suit zhang zhang very well, so she said, ¡°sure, i¡¯m looking forward to seeing you in this hair color.¡±


    shi lu panicked. ¡°wouldn¡¯t it take you an entire afternoon to dye your hair? we don¡¯t want to accompany you.¡±


    zhang zhang said, ¡°then we can get sister yuan shu to dye her hair too. it¡¯s fun to dye hair together, right, sister yuan shu?¡±


    yuan shu refused. ¡°although 1 really want to accompany you, 1 don¡¯t plan to dye my hair for the time being, but we can accompany you. shi lu and i can walk around to kill time.¡±


    shi lu supported his head with his arm as he said, ¡°then treat it as accompanying sister-in-law. we can go to the mall in the afternoon to buy some household necessities. this house is too empty. there¡¯s nothing in such a big house. i¡¯ll pay for everything sister-in-law buys this afternoon. you¡¯re not allowed to spend a single cent!¡±


    yuan shu smiled and said, ¡°alright, i definitely won¡¯t fuss about spending money with you.¡±


    zhang zhang said, ¡°pay for my hair dyeing too, hehe.¡±


    the tan family owned a shopping mall and its design was different from other shopping malls. other than some luxury goods and ordinary clothing brands, tan jing also designed a french window office on the top floor. however, the window was facing the shopping mall.


    this office was on the sixth floor. only the boss¡¯s exclusive elevator could go up there, and customers couldn¡¯t reach it.


    the purpose of this design was because tan kai had a certain habit. he liked the feeling of looking down at people from a high altitude. watching those people spend happily and bring profit to his mall made him feel happy.


    moreover, from the sixth floor, he could see everyone clearly without being discovered by others.


    at this moment, he was holding a glass of whiskey in his hand as he stood in front of the window and looked downstairs.


    he smiled as he said to the person sitting leisurely on the sofa behind him, ¡°guess who i saw downstairs?¡±


    that person was obviously uninterested. he swirled the wine glass in his hand and observed the painting hanging on tan jing¡¯s wall.


    it was a modern realistic oil painting.


    that person said, ¡°i didn¡¯t expect you to have the hobby of visiting art exhibitions.¡±


    the painting was hung in a corner of the most popular recent art exhibition, but few people stopped to look at it. the man remembered it because it was the only painting in that exhibition that broke the norm.


    tan jing turned around and looked at the painting on the wall. then, he sat down opposite the man.


    perhaps he didn¡¯t like the painting, but the person who drew it. this painting was a painting that tan jing saw at an art exhibition. when he saw it, he didn¡¯t think that it looked good. however, there was an elegant woman standing in front of this painting.


    tan jing was attracted by her. later on, when they were chatting, he found out that this woman was the author of this painting.


    tan jing wasn¡¯t short of money, so why not spend money in exchange for the beauty¡¯s smile?


    tan jing repeated what he said just now. ¡°are you really not curious about who


    1 saw in the mall?¡±


    the man looked up at him and said, ¡°there are only two people i¡¯m curious about now, shi xiao and yuan shu. shi xiao never shops in the mall, so the person you saw must be yuan shu.¡±


    tan jing felt dejected. ¡°you¡¯re really smart. you guessed it right.¡±


    the man said, ¡°send someone to keep an eye on them and see where they went.¡±


    tan jing made a call and gave the instructions. then, he poured some wine into the man¡¯s glass. ¡°this is your first time in my office.. what¡¯s the matter?¡±

 Chapter 267 - Chapter 267: Threat

    chapter 267: threat


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    the man sneered. ¡°looks like you don¡¯t have any sense of danger at all. or do you think shi xiao can¡¯t do anything to you?¡±


    tan jing said nonchalantly, ¡°don¡¯t i still have you?¡±


    however, the man said very coldly, ¡°i won¡¯t help you this time.¡±


    tan jing¡¯s expression changed immediately. ¡°why? i have already left the jiang family. if you don¡¯t help me, aren¡¯t you worried that you will be implicated if anything happens to me?¡±


    the man was clearly unfazed by his threat and said, ¡°if you think you can affect me.¡±


    after the man took a sip of wine, he said, ¡°i¡¯ve been hiding behind the scenes because i don¡¯t want trouble, but that doesn¡¯t mean i¡¯m afraid of trouble.¡±


    tan jing¡¯s face turned livid. ¡°don¡¯t forget that you were the one who came to look for me in the past. if you burn bridges now, aren¡¯t you afraid that other families won¡¯t dare to work with you in the future?¡±


    the man smiled and asked, ¡°young master tan, don¡¯t forget that when i came to look for you back then, i was actually helping you. now, the person who¡¯s burning bridges is you, not me.¡±


    tan jing was speechless. in a sense, that person had indeed helped him.


    because the tan family had always been dependent on the jiang family, the relationship between the jiang and xu families was complicated. most of them were in-laws, so the jiang family naturally spared no effort in supporting the xu family and didn¡¯t have time to help the other families.


    tan jing was dissatisfied with the current situation. he knew that if the tan family wanted to develop to a higher scale, they had to leave the control of the jiang family.


    therefore, he had been looking for a suitable opportunity.


    this man¡¯s appearance happened to help him.


    initially, tan jing didn¡¯t believe what the man said. the man wanted him to use the software company to frame yuan shu. however, everyone knew that yuan shu relied on a dirty trick to get to where she was today. especially since tan jing was the mastermind behind this matter, how could he believe that shi xiao would compromise for yuan shu¡¯s sake?


    moreover, although he wanted to leave the jiang family at that time, if there was no good opportunity, he definitely wouldn¡¯t act rashly. the man¡¯s suggestion was no different from sending the tan family to the center of the storm.


    however, what made tan jing change his mind was the man¡¯s plan. the idea that the man gave tan jing was very flexible. even if he realized that yuan shu was useless a few months later, the software company was just an empty company, so tan jing could leave at any time.


    moreover, at that time, the man had directly revealed his sore spot. the tan family wanted to break away from the jiang family, and this man could help him.


    moreover, if yuan shu was useful, the value of the software company would be maximized.


    everyone saw what shi xiao did after he returned to the country. naturally, no one doubted how important yuan shu was to shi xiao. that was why tan jing listened to his instructions and tampered with the software company.


    however, even though the software company had closed down, tan jing was still worried. if shi xiao caught him in the process, it would be easy for shi xiao to punish the tan family.


    if the man didn¡¯t help him at this moment, the tan family would definitely be doomed.


    tan jing changed his attitude and asked, ¡°i know that you didn¡¯t come here today to drink this glass of wine. you must have something that you want me to do. why don¡¯t you tell me directly?¡±


    the man said, ¡°tan jing, you have to know clearly that both the jiang family and 1 are beyond your reach. with the tan family¡¯s current status, you can¡¯t even become our business partner. although i promised to let the tan family develop, you have to be capable enough. if you can¡¯t satisfy me, 1 will abandon the tan family. i have many other choices.¡±


    tan jing lowered his head obediently. ¡°i was wrong. i will be more careful in the future.¡±


    tan jing suddenly realized that he had shot himself in the foot. he had just left the tiger¡¯s den, but entered the dragon¡¯s right now. the person in front of him definitely wasn¡¯t easier to serve than jiang chen.


    however, in a city, power was everything. tan jing¡¯s family started out halfway. they didn¡¯t have as deep a foundation as the shi family, the jiang family, and the person in front of them. if they wanted to become more powerful, they had to cooperate with these people. no matter what their motive was, they needed to rely on them in the early stages.


    the man then said, ¡°i asked you to check mo shu. how¡¯s it going?¡±


    tan jing replied, ¡°we didn¡¯t find mo shu. he seems to have disappeared from the face of the earth..¡±

 Chapter 268 - Chapter 268: Analysis

    chapter 268: analysis


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    the man said, ¡°got it. i¡¯ll handle this matter.¡±


    tan jing didn¡¯t understand. ¡°you are looking for mo shu to help zhang ting, but zhang ting doesn¡¯t have much ability. is there any point in helping him?¡±


    ¡°zhang ting is useless, but he has the teachers of an entire university research institute backing him. since he¡¯s a university teacher, it¡¯s very convenient for him to plagiarize students¡¯ ideas, so he can still provide us with some value. moreover, mo shu is very talented. the main reason we want to find him is so that he can be of use to us.¡±


    the man continued, ¡°you should know that yun duan software company has already become a thorn in shi xiao¡¯s side, so nothing can happen to zhang ting. once something happens to him, shi xiao will definitely do his best to attack dun yuan technology company and make it disappear completely.¡±


    tan jing didn¡¯t say anything else, since he knew that shi xiao was a vengeful person who would seek revenge for the smallest grievance and had the ability to do so. if dun yuan technology company went against blue blood families, it would be like throwing an egg at a rock.


    at this moment, someone knocked on the office door. tan jing knew that the person in front of him didn¡¯t want others to know his identity, so he closed the door and walked out.


    the person who came was the manager of the mall. he reported, ¡°boss, the person you asked to be followed went to a homewear shop and looked at some homewear. the things she bought were all household necessities. moreover, there were many types of items. they¡¯ve bought all kinds of daily necessities. she must have just moved and wanted to buy necessities.¡±


    tan jing was suspicious and repeated, ¡°move?¡± with that, the manager left.


    after tan jing returned to the office, he repeated the manager¡¯s words to the man in the room. in the end, he added his own judgment. ¡°yuan shu probably moved out of the shi family¡¯s home. could it be that after the finance bureau took yuan shu away, the comments online were too overwhelming and shi xiao decided to give up on yuan shu?¡±


    the man said, ¡°it¡¯s hard to say. it¡¯s rare for shi xiao to be so concerned about a woman. for him to do so much for yuan shu, he must have fallen in love with yuan shu, so it¡¯s impossible for him to give up on yuan shu over such a small matter, especially since these things didn¡¯t hurt yuan shu at all. moreover, the shi family has family rules, so he won¡¯t divorce her so easily.¡±


    tan jing said, ¡°then, are we still going to target yuan shu?¡±


    ¡°let¡¯s wait and see. i want to see what the two of them are up to.¡± the man suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°tan zhao and shi bin are classmates, right?¡±


    tan jing replied, ¡°tan zhao and shi bin have been in the same school since elementary school. the two of them have been fighting since they were young and form cliques that are at odds with each other. they don¡¯t get along well.¡±


    after the man placed the blanket down and placed his left hand on his knee, he tapped his knee rhythmically with his fingertips as he said, ¡°1 received news that shi bin has resigned from shenglan venture investment company.¡±


    tan jing didn¡¯t think much of it. ¡°isn¡¯t it normal for him to resign? this kid even dyed his hair silver previously. he has always been a problematic slacker.¡±


    ¡°that was before. this kid has already restrained himself a lot under yuan shu¡¯s discipline. he has been working at the shenglan venture investment company for nearly three months. it¡¯s obvious that he¡¯s very interested in this job. what do you think can make him resign?¡±


    tan jing wasn¡¯t a fool, so he understood immediately. ¡°you mean that shi xiao asked shi bin to leave his job and work in the shi corporation?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s right. shi bin is simple-minded, so he might be a breakthrough point.¡±


    tan jing understood very quickly. ¡°you want tan zhao to be the breakthrough point?¡±


    tan zhao was tan jing¡¯s half-brother. although tan jing was strict with tan zhao, they were still brothers. if tan zhao provoked shi bin, it might affect him and put his life in danger.


    tan jing wanted to reject the man, but the man said, ¡°don¡¯t worry, i won¡¯t let anything happen to your brother. shi bin just caused yuan shu to enter the finance and tax bureau, so he probably feels guilty. tan zhao doesn¡¯t need to do anything. he just needs to bring him around to have fun. the best way to defeat someone is to wear down his willpower.¡±


    ¡°what? you want me to take the initiative to ask shi bin out? i¡¯m not going!¡± tan zhao threw down his chopsticks and turned around to return to his room..

 Chapter 269 - Chapter 269: Benefits

    chapter 269: benefits


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    tan jing gave tan zhao a look and said, ¡°sit down.¡±


    tan zhao immediately sat down obediently and stopped fooling around.


    tan zhao was about to graduate and had enough of being controlled by his family. thus, he begged tan jing to plead with his parents so that he could move out and live with tan jing. moreover, he knew that tan jing was usually very busy and didn¡¯t have the time to care about him.


    staying with tan jing meant freedom. for the first time, tan jing asked tan zhao to eat at home, so tan zhao thought that he was going to reprimand him, but tan zhao didn¡¯t expect tan jing to tell him to ask his enemy out.


    after tan zhao sat down at the dining table reluctantly, he said to his brother, ¡°brother, why do i have to ask shi bin out to play? everyone knows that the two of us don¡¯t get along. if i take the initiative to ask him out, won¡¯t i be showing weakness? it¡¯ll be very embarrassing if word gets out. how can 1 hold my head up in front of my lackeys?¡±


    tan jing was exasperated. even shi bin had changed his ways and started to work hard for the family business, but his younger brother was still so ignorant and only wanted to have fun every day. if there was a chance, he really wanted to ask yuan shu for guidance on how to discipline his younger brother.


    tan jing said, ¡°shi bin has been an intern for three months. you know how difficult it is to enter the venture capital industry. once shi bin achieves some results, he will definitely be praised in your class. is this what you want to see? do you think it¡¯s more embarrassing to lose to him in terms of career or in front of your lousy friends?¡±


    when he heard this, tan zhao shut up. when he found out that shi bin actually went to work, he was indeed shocked and even a little envious. however, shi bin was interested in venture capital, thus he was capable of mastering it.


    he couldn¡¯t do it. he had never paid attention in class, so he didn¡¯t know anything about venture capital at all. what could he do?


    tan jing said, ¡°the reason i asked you to ask him out is to exhaust his willpower. do you think that the shi corporation can tolerate a slacker who is always fooling around? furthermore, it won¡¯t just be a simple meal. you need to get information out of him.¡±


    tan zhao lowered his head and said hesitantly, ¡°but the two of us have been arguing for so many years. do you think he¡¯ll come if i ask him out?¡±


    tan jing said, ¡°this depends on your ability. you have to contribute to the family in the future. if you don¡¯t even have this ability, you won¡¯t have a share in the family business.¡±


    although tan jing was always very strict, he rarely spoke like today, so tan zhao understood the seriousness of the matter and said, ¡°brother, don¡¯t worry.


    1 will definitely settle this matter.¡±


    the next morning, shi xiao woke up in his bed in the office. it was rare for him to feel like sleeping in. he didn¡¯t sleep much and always got up as soon as he woke up. he was very disciplined.


    in the past, whenever he was busy with the corporation¡¯s matters, he rarely went home. he stayed in the office most of the time. there was a bedroom in the office, and he tidied it up very comfortably, so the company was more like home to him.


    later on, he went home more often because yuan shu was at home. however, now that yuan shu had moved out, shi xiao was too lazy to go back.


    shi xiao had just finished washing up when zhao mian knocked on the door. shi xiao let her in.


    zhao mian placed a stack of materials on shi xiao¡¯s table and said, ¡°this is yuan an¡¯s financial report for the past week.¡±


    shi xiao sat down at the table. just as he opened the report, he suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°how¡¯s that young man called zhou liu? is there anything unusual?¡±


    zhao mian replied, ¡°he¡¯s still working as usual. when he came to the headquarters to get his briefcase previously, because we had something to deal with and weren¡¯t in the company, he took his bag and left. this person seems a little socially awkward.¡±


    however, shi xiao liked this type of person very much. they were single-minded and capable.


    shi xiao said, ¡°from the looks of it, he probably knows mo shu. perhaps we can find mo shu through him. one of them is good at attack codes, and the other is good at defense codes. if we can recruit the two of them, the development of yuan an won¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    zhao mian was a little hesitant and said, ¡°but zhou liu probably won¡¯t tell us mo shu¡¯s location. i went to yuan an¡¯s company to look for him and asked about his relationship with mo shu, but he didn¡¯t say a word and avoided the topic. it seems like he doesn¡¯t want us to ask too much. this is an employee¡¯s privacy, so the company doesn¡¯t have the right to ask him for an explanation..¡±

 Chapter 270 - Chapter 270: Cooperation

    chapter 270: cooperation


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    ¡°since we can¡¯t start with him, let¡¯s change the direction. mo shu must have some beef with the general manager of dun yuan technology company, zhang ting. let¡¯s start with zhang ting.¡±


    ¡°okay.¡±


    zhao mian had yet to leave after reporting. this morning, shi bin and the eldest young madam reported to their respective positions at the same time. after zhao mian thought about it, she felt that she should report it.


    however, just as she was hesitating about who to report to first, shi xiao looked up at her from the document. ¡°is yuan shu here?¡±


    zhao mian keenly caught the meaning of shi xiao¡¯s words and thought to herself, seemed like the eldest young madam was more important.


    zhao mian replied, ¡°i¡¯ve already reported it and the relevant procedures have been completed. i¡¯ve also collected the necessary items and placed them in her office.¡±


    shi xiao asked with an impassive expression, ¡°why didn¡¯t she come to the office when she reported to the company?¡±


    zhao ming was wondering if she should answer this question because when she asked yuan shu if she wanted to go to the office to see young master shi, yuan shu¡¯s answer at that time was, ¡°there¡¯s no need.¡±


    yuan shu¡¯s concise answer made zhao mian dare not to ask further.


    although the eldest young madam wasn¡¯t as decisive as the eldest young master, she was also a person who kept her word, so zhao mian didn¡¯t want to embarrass herself.


    the fact that yuan shu didn¡¯t see young master on the first day of work was enough to cause everyone to discuss.


    everyone thought that yuan shu was going to work because she and young master were very close, so if they worked in the same place, they would have more opportunities to meet. however, when she came, she didn¡¯t see young master. was there really a problem with their relationship as the rumors said?


    zhao mian asked tentatively, ¡°do you need me to call young madam to come up?¡±


    shi xiao buried his head in his documents as he replied, ¡°no need.¡±


    shi xiao felt that there was something wrong with his emotions recently. he seemed to be led by the nose by this woman, and his emotions were always affected by her. he didn¡¯t know what he should do with yuan shu.


    after the phone in the office rang, shi xiao picked up the phone and gestured for zhao mian to go out and continue working.


    the person on the other end of the phone said, ¡°young master shi, 1 wonder if you¡¯re interested in working with me.¡±


    that person sounded very confident, as if he was certain that shi xiao would agree.


    shi xiao frowned slightly and asked with uncertainty, ¡°jiang chen?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s right, it¡¯s me. so young master shi still remembers my voice. what an honor.¡±


    the last thing shi xiao wanted to hear now was jiang chen¡¯s voice, but he actually dared to call him and ask if he wanted to cooperate. he was simply out of his mind.


    shi xiao said impatiently, ¡°i don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need for the shi and jiang families to cooperate.¡±


    jiang chen wasn¡¯t angry. instead, he said, ¡°coincidentally, i think so too, but i¡¯m not working with you for the jiang and shi families, but for yuan shu¡¯s sake.¡±


    when shi xiao heard yuan shu¡¯s name from another man, shi xiao felt very uncomfortable and he couldn¡¯t help but declare his sovereignty. ¡°young master jiang, yuan shu is my wife. 1 believe that 1 have the ability to protect my wife, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    jiang chen said, ¡°young master shi, you don¡¯t have to be in a hurry to reject me. we both know the current situation. tan jing is no longer under the jiang family¡¯s control. he actually dared to provoke the shi family publicly. do you think he did so purely out of impulse?¡±


    ¡°definitely not. there must be someone backing him. i just want to help you find this person as soon as possible. how you deal with him is your business. 1 just want everyone who hurt yuan shu to disappear.¡±


    shi xiao hesitated. no matter what the reason was, at least they had the same goal¡ªyuan shu.


    similarly, shi xiao didn¡¯t want yuan shu to get implicated. even though he didn¡¯t know what the mastermind¡¯s motive was, he was certain that if they didn¡¯t stop him, the mastermind would only worsen. at that time, there was no telling what he would do to harm yuan shu.


    shi xiao said, ¡°then i wish us a happy cooperation, but young master jiang, to be honest, our cooperation will only last this once. unless necessary, 1 don¡¯t want to have anything to do with you.¡±


    jiang chen wasn¡¯t to be outdone. ¡°me too..¡±

 Chapter 271 - Chapter 271: Invitation

    chapter 271: invitation


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    jiang chen sent a document to shi xiao¡¯s email. ¡°1 know you¡¯re all looking for mo shu now. i¡¯ve already investigated this matter for you. mo shu is zhang ting¡¯s student. the information i found indicates that zhang ting plagiarized mo shu¡¯s work. then, zhang ting won the international competition and became a member of dun yuan technology company.¡±


    ¡°after that, he used his own means to become the partner and general manager of dun yuan technology company. the other partner of dun yuan technology company is tan jing. as for the software company that yuan shu invested in, it is just a subsidiary of tan jing and is only a nominal company. when this company was in trouble, many things had already been transferred out by him.¡±


    ¡°although yuan shu has withdrawn her investment, tan jing might use this matter to harm yuan shu.¡±


    shi xiao had been investigating this matter for nearly three days, but he hadn¡¯t found anything. however, jiang chen had, so it could be seen how powerful the jiang family¡¯s intelligence network in a city was.


    the jiang family was a mafia business, so it was reasonable for it to have such an expansive information network. shi xiao realized the need to cooperate with the jiang family now.


    if not for this information network, it might have taken him some time to investigate the matter.


    jiang chen was good at investigating information in the underworld, but he wasn¡¯t an expert in software.


    the jiang family had never been involved in the software industry, so this was his shortcoming. if they wanted to defeat tan jing in the software industry, shi xiao had to do it.


    jiang chen said, ¡°but young master shi, there are some things that we have to discuss in advance. after this is done, let me deal with tan jing.¡±


    shi xiao¡¯s goal was to protect yuan shu and establish his dominance, so he didn¡¯t care about tan jing at all. hence, he agreed readily. ¡°sure.¡±


    shi bin had been under a lot of pressure after starting to work in the shi corporation.


    there were more and more rumors in the corporation. everyone was discussing the relationship between shi xiao and yuan shu, so much so that even shi bin was worried that his brother and sister-in-law¡¯s relationship was strained because he was too sloppy and caused a problem with the software company.


    in addition, after shi bin left shenglan venture investment company, he came to work in the shi corporation directly. the change in his status made it difficult for him to adapt.


    moreover, the people around him all said that he was the fourth young master of the corporation and didn¡¯t let him do anything. they practically treated shi bin like a king, making him feel very uncomfortable.


    n the venture capital industry, if he couldn¡¯t gain experience and do things for himself, he wouldn¡¯t grow at all.


    work became torture for shi bin once again. he wasn¡¯t as happy as when he was interning at shenglan.


    at this moment, he suddenly received a call from tan zhao.


    shi bin even suspected that he was seeing things. after he confirmed the cell phone number again, he asked suspiciously, ¡°why did you suddenly call me? are you thinking of fighting again?¡±


    tan zhao said, ¡°can you stop talking about fighting? can¡¯t i have something serious to discuss with you?¡±


    shi bin pouted. ¡°ever since 1 met you, the word ¡®serious¡¯ has had nothing to do with you!¡±


    ¡°as if it has anything to do with you?¡±


    tan zhao couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue, so he went straight to the point. ¡°if you want to think that way, there¡¯s nothing 1 can do. i just feel that we¡¯re about to graduate and there will be fewer opportunities to meet in the future, so 1 want to ask you out for a meal.¡±


    shi bin asked, ¡°do you want to apologize to me or admit defeat?¡±


    tan zhao was speechless. didn¡¯t this guy work for three months? why was he still so childish?


    ¡°can you be more mature? just tell me if you¡¯re coming or not.¡±


    coincidentally, shi bin had been vexed for the past two days, so if someone asked him out for a meal to unwind, why should he care who he was? of course he should go!


    ¡°send me the time and location.¡±


    tan zhao was quite generous when it came to treating people to a meal. it was a steak shop that had just become popular recently. there were only three people for today¡¯s meal: tan zhao, shi bin, and wei yang, who was tan zhao¡¯s lackey.


    after shi bin sat down, he asked, ¡°it¡¯s just the three of us?¡±


    tan zhao said, ¡°i know you want to play. i¡¯ve already called everyone for you. we¡¯ll go over after the meal.¡±


    shi bin wasn¡¯t used to tan zhao acting so nice, so he felt that there was a trap.


    ¡°i¡¯m not used to you acting so nice, so just tell me what you want to do, or i won¡¯t be able to eat..¡±

 Chapter 272 - Chapter 272: Meal

    chapter 272: meal


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    tan zhao opened a bottle of beer and placed it in front of shi bin. then, he opened a bottle for himself and clinked glasses with shi bin. ¡°what are you saying? i want to get along with you peacefully now, but you¡¯re feeling awkward about it. do you only think it¡¯s normal for us to quarrel?¡±


    shi bin pouted. ¡°that¡¯s not what 1 meant. it¡¯s mainly because the two of us have been arguing since we were young. wouldn¡¯t you feel awkward if we suddenly shook hands and made peace? no matter how we eat this meal, it feels like a trap.¡±


    tan zhao said unhappily, ¡°do you know how to speak properly? are you scolding me or yourself?¡±


    shi bin didn¡¯t say anything. as the two of them drank one bottle after another, tan zhao said, ¡°i treated you to a meal today because 1 wanted to let go of our former grudges. it¡¯s up to you whether you believe me or not. if you¡¯re willing to eat, eat. if you¡¯re unwilling to eat, leave now. why do i have to suffer this after spending money?!¡±


    shi bin also realized that he had said something wrong. perhaps his temper had been too bad recently, but he wanted to scold anyone he saw. he reflected on himself and felt that he was in the wrong, so he picked up the wine bottle and apologized to tan zhao. ¡°i was careless with my words. don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    tan zhao drank the wine as he said, ¡°yo, it¡¯s rare to hear you apologize. alright, i accept this apology. let bygones be bygones. from now on, we¡¯re buddies!¡±


    the two of them drank one bottle after another. after a while, they became drunk. shi bin hugged tan zhao¡¯s shoulder as he said emotionally, ¡°i¡¯ve been arguing with you for so many years and have developed an affinity for you. now that you¡¯re suddenly graduating, i can¡¯t bear to part with you. if we don¡¯t see each other in the future, who should 1 bicker with when i¡¯m upset?¡±


    shi bin¡¯s words touched tan zhao. the relationship between the children was built from fighting. sometimes, they seemed to be quarreling, but they were actually accompanying each other. neither of them could be without each other.


    tan zhao even felt that his relationship with shi bin was closer than his relationship with tan jing. although the two of them quarreled every day, if they didn¡¯t see each other for a single day, they would feel uncomfortable.


    however, after arguing for so many years, this was the first time they sat down calmly to have a meal together.


    shi bin had been in a bad mood recently. he sat there without saying anything and kept drinking. tan zhao couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and said, ¡°what are you worried about? if you don¡¯t say a word, how will 1 know?¡±


    shi bin lamented, ¡°don¡¯t mention it. nothing has been smooth sailing recently.¡±


    tan zhao¡¯s eyes darted around and he asked, ¡°you¡¯re in a bad mood? after you enter the company, your brother will support you. why are you so annoyed?¡±


    shi bin sighed and said, ¡°it¡¯s precisely because i¡¯m working under my brother¡¯s watch that i¡¯m worried. because of my brother, the employees don¡¯t even dare to let me work. my leader is so attentive to me every day. i don¡¯t even know which of us is the leader.¡±


    at the thought of tan jing, tan zhao felt worried. ¡°stop talking. your brother doesn¡¯t care about you. he left you in the company to fend for yourself. my brother scolded me just yesterday. i don¡¯t have any freedom at all.¡±


    the two of them smiled at each other. they were in the same boat.


    one of them had parents who were overseas and grew up under shi xiao¡¯s control. the other was doted on by his parents, but he shot himself in the foot by insisting on staying with tan jing. now, they were both oppressed by their brothers and could only drink to drown their sorrows.


    as tan zhao drank to his heart¡¯s content, he forgot the mission for this meal. he said to wei yang drunkenly, ¡°go buy two more boxes of beer. the three of us won¡¯t go home until we¡¯re drunk!¡±


    wei yang¡¯s alcohol tolerance was average, so he could only watch the two of them drink and clink glasses occasionally.


    the three of them grew up together, but wei yang was good at studying and rarely fooled around with them. if there was a fight, tan zhao would avoid involving wei yang because he wanted to protect his buddy.


    therefore, other than fighting, wei yang followed tan zhao around.


    wei yang swayed as he went to get the wine. when he returned, his expression wasn¡¯t right. he stammered, as if he had something to say, but didn¡¯t say it.


    tan zhao was already a little drunk. seeing wei yang like this, he patted his back and said, ¡°buddy, if you have something to say, just say it..¡±

 Chapter 273 - Chapter 273: Wei Ci

    chapter 273: wei ci


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    wei yang asked a little hesitantly, ¡°tan zhao, can we continue eating in another place? this meal is on me.¡±


    shi bin¡¯s face was red as he asked with a drunken look, ¡°what¡¯s wrong with you, wei yang? you spent so long to buy the wine, but now you finally returned, you want to change places? we haven¡¯t finished eating yet. i¡¯m not changing places.¡±


    wei yang became even more worried and said, ¡°i¡¯m begging the two of you. if you don¡¯t leave, i¡¯ll definitely die miserably today. let¡¯s change places!¡±


    tan zhao felt that something was wrong, so he shook his head to sober himself up and asked, ¡°did you encounter some enemies? someone bullied you? tell me who it is. i¡¯ll go up and beat him up!¡±


    wei yang was speechless. he knew that with tan zhao¡¯s bad temper, he would cause even more trouble when drunk.


    he said helplessly, ¡°no, i just don¡¯t want to eat here. let¡¯s go.¡± as he spoke, wei yang looked into the hotel.


    shi bin patted wei yang¡¯s other shoulder and said, ¡°wei yang, don¡¯t be afraid. don¡¯t worry. just tell me who bullied you. i¡¯ll beat him up!¡±


    after wei yang looked into the restaurant again, his tone became more and more panicked. ¡°neither. don¡¯t misunderstand. i just saw an acquaintance and don¡¯t want to greet him. let¡¯s go somewhere else to hide, or let me leave first!¡±


    tan zhao lost his temper. ¡°you¡¯re not allowed to leave! what acquaintance don¡¯t you want to greet? tell me, do you have any acquaintance i don¡¯t know?¡±


    wei yang regretted it. he shouldn¡¯t have said so much! if he had known earlier, he would have found an excuse to leave first.


    as he spoke, shi bin suddenly stared blankly at the dining room. then, he rubbed his eyes and asked with uncertainty, ¡°tan zhao, don¡¯t you think the person sitting in that room looks like wei ci?¡±


    after tan zhao rubbed his eyes, he looked inside and said, ¡°heh, that person really looks like wei ci. let¡¯s go over and take a look.¡±


    wei yang muttered softly, ¡°what do you mean looks like her? it is her!¡±


    tan zhao and shi bin looked at each other and smiled foolishly before walking in that direction.


    wei yang quickly came over to stop them. ¡°you two are drunk, so why are you going to greet her? let¡¯s leave.¡±


    shi bin couldn¡¯t stand steadily at all, but he pretended to be serious as he said, ¡°that¡¯s the belle of the public management department. don¡¯t you know her? it¡¯s rare to meet her outside the school. what¡¯s wrong with us going over to greet her?¡±


    the two of them drank too much, so wei yang couldn¡¯t stop them. he could only secretly try to leave when the two of them weren¡¯t paying attention, but before he could take two steps back, he was suddenly grabbed by an arm and pulled forward.


    ¡°what, you want to leave? don¡¯t even think about it! come with us.¡±


    wei yang was filled with regret. he really shouldn¡¯t have followed the two of them out. he would definitely be scolded today.


    wei ci was wearing a light green dress, and her hair was secured behind her head with a hairpin. her palm-sized face looked very exquisite in this hairstyle.


    she was holding a glass of lemonade and looking at the three people in front of her in confusion.


    wei yang was dragged by the two of them, so he couldn¡¯t leave. he could only lower his head and try his best to hide his face.


    wei ci had already noticed them when they walked in this direction.


    she met shi bin and tan zhao at a basketball competition. although they weren¡¯t familiar with each other, they greeted each other when they met. they even attended a gathering together.


    but soon, wei ci¡¯s gaze landed on wei yang, who was being held by two people.


    she greeted the two of them politely with a smile on her face. after greeting the two of them, she turned her head slightly to look at wei yang, who had been lowering his head without daring to speak, and asked, ¡°wei yang, shouldn¡¯t you explain why you¡¯re here at this time?¡±


    when wei ci asked this, shi bin and tan zhao looked at wei yang in confusion.


    wei yang scratched his head awkwardly and said with an ingratiating smile, ¡°sister, what a coincidence.¡±


    wei ci asked him with a smile, ¡°you haven¡¯t forgotten that your postgraduate examination is next weekend, right?¡±


    wei yang nodded. ¡°1 didn¡¯t forget! how would i dare to forget!¡±


    wei yang broke out in cold sweat. why did he feel that wei ci¡¯s smile was so scary?


    wei ci continued, ¡°then why aren¡¯t you at home studying? why are you fooling around outside? you even went to drink with them?!¡±


    shi bin and tan zhao were dumbfounded.. what was going on? when did wei ci become so fierce? was this the wei ci who never lost her temper? no wait, why did wei yang call wei ci ¡®sister¡¯?

 Chapter 274 - Chapter 274: Fair Competition

    chapter 274: fair competition


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    these two people were siblings?! why didn¡¯t they know about this during their four years in university?! wei yang hid it quite well!


    the two of them were still in a daze when wei ci walked past them elegantly and walked to wei yang. then, she reached out her slender hand and pinched wei yang¡¯s ear with a smile.


    shi bin and tan zhao made way and couldn¡¯t help but cover their own ears.


    wei ci smiled politely at the two of them. ¡°i¡¯m sorry for disturbing the two of you from drinking. my brother still has to study, so i¡¯ll bring him home first. he¡¯ll hang out with you guys after his exams.¡±


    then, wei ci said to her friends behind her, ¡°please help me send these two people back. you must send them home safely.¡±


    only then did shi bin and tan zhao remember that wei ci was the president of the student union.


    wei yang looked at the two of them bitterly one last time before being dragged away by the ear.


    as shi bin and tan zhao looked at the student union students who were approaching them, they smiled foolishly and said, ¡°we can¡¯t go home.¡±


    then, they passed out drunk.


    fortunately, the group had taken their advice and booked a room for them at the hotel before leaving. if they were found drunk when they returned home, they would probably be beaten.


    the next morning, the two of them woke up in the big bed in the vip room of the hotel. when they saw each other¡¯s faces, they retreated in horror. they checked their clothes and heaved a sigh of relief after confirming that they were neatly dressed.


    shi bin looked at tan zhao angrily as he shouted, ¡°who let you hug me when you slept?!¡±


    tan zhao also said unhappily, ¡°you were the one who hugged me first!¡±


    the two of them felt that this conversation was a little strange, so they shut up at the same time and went to wash up awkwardly.


    after washing up, the two of them ordered breakfast. as they ate, they thought about what happened last night.


    after shi bin recalled all the details, he asked, ¡°you have such a good relationship with wei yang. why didn¡¯t you know about their relationship?¡±


    tan zhao pushed the blame to him. ¡°don¡¯t ask me. 1 don¡¯t know either. wei yang hid it well. i¡¯ve never heard him say that he has an elder sister. moreover, he lived alone in university for four years. i¡¯ve never even seen his parents.¡±


    shi bin said thoughtfully, ¡°i only know that the wei family has a pair of twins. the elder sister is wei ci, but the younger brother has never appeared. turns out that it¡¯s wei yang.¡±


    after saying that, the two of them looked at each other again. shi bin narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°so you like wei ci, right?¡±


    tan zhao said, ¡°you like her too, right?¡±


    shi bin was dissatisfied. ¡°why are you such a copycat? you like whoever i like!¡±


    tan zhao retorted, ¡°you were the one who copied me. i was the one who liked her first. i¡¯ve liked her since the basketball competition!¡±


    ¡°me too!¡±


    the two of them started bickering like primary school students again. after they scolded each other for about ten minutes, shi bin raised his hand and made a ¡°stop¡± gesture. ¡°alright, alright, i won¡¯t argue with you anymore. since the two of us like the same person, let¡¯s compete fairly.¡±


    tan zhao said, ¡°sure, but don¡¯t play any dirty tricks! also, i don¡¯t want to argue with you anymore.¡±


    the two of them argued for another ten minutes and almost fought.


    after reaching a truce, tan zhao asked, ¡°you don¡¯t have to work this weekend. what are we doing now?¡±


    shi bin said angrily, ¡°let¡¯s go home. what else can we do?!¡±


    after saying that, the two of them paused and looked at each other. it was obvious that they were thinking the same thing.


    shi bin said with a wicked smile, ¡°remember, it¡¯s up to our own abilities.¡±


    when wei ci opened the door and saw tan zhao and shi bin standing at the door with their things, she was stunned for a moment before asking, ¡°why are you here?¡±


    shi bin and tan zhao said with a smile, ¡°we¡¯re here to check on wei yang. he seemed to have drunk a little too much last night.¡±


    wei ci smiled. ¡°1 think the two of you drank a little too much.¡±


    the two of them smiled awkwardly, but didn¡¯t say anything. before wei ci could react, they carried their things and entered.


    wei ci was wearing a long white cotton dress today. the ends of her hair were curled, and her hair draped over her shoulders gave her a different vibe. even at home, she still wore ladylike clothes and makeup..

 Chapter 275 - Chapter 275: Business Talk

    chapter 275: business talk


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    wei ci asked the butler to pour water for the two of them and asked the servant to call wei yang, but shi bin stopped her. ¡°no need. let wei yang study hard.


    the exam is about to start. don¡¯t waste his time. we can chat.¡±


    wei ci understood. it seemed that the two of them had to have an ulterior motive.


    she asked politely, ¡°the two of you came over early in the morning. have you had breakfast yet?¡±


    tan zhao rushed to answer, ¡°we¡¯ve already eaten. the food in the hotel is quite delicious. yesterday, we troubled your friend to send us back.¡±


    after wei ci sat down on the european-style sofa, she didn¡¯t lean against the back of the chair. instead, she had her back straightened. ¡°it¡¯s okay. they¡¯re all members of our student union. everyone is about to graduate, so we had a gathering.¡±


    shi bin immediately said, ¡°i remember that you¡¯re the president of the student union. you¡¯re about to graduate, so you should be very busy, right?¡±


    wei ci said, ¡°fortunately, i¡¯m busy with work now. the student union¡¯s matters have been handed over to the next president. other than some necessary gatherings, i rarely go to school anymore.¡±


    shi bin asked, ¡°i remember that you studied public relations management. which company are you working in now?¡±


    wei ci said, ¡°the wei family owns a public relations company, so i studied public relations management. of course, i¡¯m working for my family¡¯s company now.¡±


    when wei ci said this, she was introducing their family¡¯s company to shi bin.


    between the major families, sincerity was rare. everything was about benefits. everyone knew how powerful the shi corporation was. no matter who it was, they hoped to have the chance to cooperate with shi corporation to obtain greater benefits.


    poor shi bin didn¡¯t know that it was impossible between him and wei ci precisely because of this.


    it was also because of the power of the shi corporation that shi bin gained another title, the fourth young master of the shi family. therefore, it was impossible for him to make genuine friends and do whatever he wanted.


    as expected, shi bin took the initiative to suggest, ¡°our company has recently launched a website. we might be able to find your company to promote it.¡±


    wei ci looked at shi bin with interest. ¡°why don¡¯t you introduce this website in detail? i¡¯m quite interested.¡±


    shi bin didn¡¯t think too much about it and said, ¡°there are specializations in the industry. i¡¯m a venture capitalist, so i don¡¯t know much about this. i only heard my sister-in-law say that it¡¯s a video website that specializes in letting netizens post live vlogs. however, i don¡¯t know much about the scale and operating model of the website. you can give me your company¡¯s business card and 1 can give it to my sister-in-law. if she needs publicity, she¡¯ll contact you.¡±


    wei ci gestured for the servant to get the business card. then, she tucked her long hair behind her ear and handed the business card to shi bin solemnly. wei ci¡¯s name was on the business card, so it was obvious that she had prepared it long ago.


    she said, ¡°i¡¯m looking forward to working with the shi corporation.¡±


    when shi bin saw wei ci¡¯s attitude, he felt a little awkward. did everyone think that he represented the shi corporation instead of himself?


    tan zhao didn¡¯t know much about companies, so he couldn¡¯t interrupt. seeing that the two of them had finished talking about this topic, he hurriedly interrupted and changed the topic to interesting incidents in school.


    wei ci was obviously more interested in this topic and chatted with tan zhao happily. from time to time, she would cover her mouth and chuckle.


    seeing that the two of them were chatting so happily, shi bin wasn¡¯t in a good mood and didn¡¯t chime in. wei ci asked the two of them to stay for lunch, but shi bin politely declined.


    tan zhao wanted to stay, but seeing that shi bin had left, he could only chase after him.


    tan zhao didn¡¯t understand, so he asked shi bin, ¡°what¡¯s wrong with you? it¡¯s rare for her to ask us to stay for a meal. if you leave just like that, how can you improve your relationship with her?¡±


    shi bin frowned and said very aggressively, ¡°if you want to eat, stay. why are you dragging me along?!¡±


    tan zhao didn¡¯t understand. ¡°young master, why are you angry? 1 didn¡¯t provoke you. why are you losing your temper at me?¡±


    shi bin said impatiently, ¡°so what if i lost my temper at you? if you want to woo wei ci, go ahead. there¡¯s no need to chase me. didn¡¯t you make up with me because i¡¯m the fourth young master of the shi corporation, so you want to have something to do with the shi corporation? let me tell you, save your breath..¡±

 Chapter 276 - Chapter 276: Cutting Off Ties Again

    chapter 276: cutting off ties again


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    although tan zhao got close to shi bin because of tan jing¡¯s request, he was still very angry after being misunderstood by shi bin. he flew into a rage and said, ¡°f*ck, 1 chased after you just to hear you say such things? let me tell you, with your bad temper, whoever wants to serve you can serve you. anyway, i won¡¯t serve you anymore!¡±


    tan zhao turned around and left, leaving shi bin alone.


    shi bin was also angry with himself. why couldn¡¯t he talk things out? he always had to solve the problem by arguing. vexed, he went home alone in disappointment.


    monday.


    yuan shu had been working in the shi corporation for a week now. today was her reporting day. after she finished her report, she arrived at shi xiao¡¯s office.


    shi xiao was busy dealing with yuan an¡¯s company, so he didn¡¯t look up to see who it was. after yuan shu placed the report on his desk, she said, ¡°president shi, this is the progress of the technology development department for this week.¡±


    hearing yuan shu¡¯s voice, shi xiao raised his head to look at her and a smile appeared on his tired face. ¡°why didn¡¯t you tell me that you were here?¡±


    yuan shu said, ¡°i saw that you were busy, so i didn¡¯t disturb you. don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve been working overtime all weekend?¡±


    shi xiao rubbed his temples. ¡°there have been a lot of things going on recently and i¡¯m in a hurry to settle them this weekend. don¡¯t just stand there. sit down and talk.¡±


    after the two of them sat down on both sides of the coffee table, shi xiao asked, ¡°you¡¯ve been at work for a week. what thoughts do you have?¡±


    yuan shu said, ¡°before i came to work here, 1 actually didn¡¯t understand why shi corporation wanted to establish yuan an when it already had a technology development department. now, i understand.¡±


    as shi xiao flipped through yuan shu¡¯s report, he said seriously, ¡°tell me your opinion.¡±


    yuan shu said, ¡°yuan an is in charge of software development. they want to establish a new system and change the environment of the entire internet, while the software department of the shi corporation is mainly in charge of the construction of websites and focuses more on entertainment. their main focus is different.¡±


    shi xiao nodded and praised, ¡°that¡¯s indeed the case. this is also the reason shi corporation can¡¯t help yuan an despite its difficulties. you¡¯re very adaptable. you sorted out all these things in just a week. tell me about the job arrangements you did.¡±


    yuan shu had also prepared a report herself. after she opened the report, she said, ¡°take a look at the fourth page. the website developed by the department has officially begun to operate, but netizens rarely take the initiative to post videos on the website. everyone still prefers to post them to other websites. i think we need to promote it and make the website more famous. moreover, we need to formulate a series of policies to make netizens more inclined to use our website to post lifestyle vlogs.¡±


    shi xiao asked, ¡°almost all websites advocate videos in various ways. don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little disadvantageous for our website to focus solely on vlogs?¡±


    yuan shu replied, ¡°on the surface, that¡¯s indeed the case, but we have to consider the original intention for creating the website. our goal is to create a platform that can integrate all the netizens in the country and abroad. if there are too many people, and the user experience isn¡¯t good, very few people will choose to enter our website. moreover, people can¡¯t be too greedy. we have to do one thing well first before we have the energy to continue developing in other directions.¡±


    shi xiao said calmly, ¡°indeed, there should be specializations in various industries. the shi corporation is involved in too many industries. the shi corporation can¡¯t become the leader of every industry, so we need a large number of talents.¡±


    yuan shu didn¡¯t reply. the appointment of personnel was the general manager¡¯s business. yuan shu thought that she would leave the shi corporation one day, so she should not interfere in the internal affairs of the corporation.


    after reading yuan shu¡¯s report, shi xiao said, ¡°i roughly understand your plan now. have you thought of which public relations company you want to work with?¡±


    yuan shu took out a business card and handed it to shi xiao.


    after shi xiao read it, he frowned slightly. clearly, he felt that it wasn¡¯t a good choice..

 Chapter 277 - Chapter 277: Concern

    chapter 277: concern


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    shi xiao said, ¡°this public relations company is very famous in the public relations world, but i¡¯ve never heard of this person in charge¡¯s name. she¡¯s probably a newcomer who has just graduated. her ability and experience are probably not up to our standards. aren¡¯t you worried about letting a newcomer be in charge of publicity?¡±


    yuan shu said, ¡°i don¡¯t think so. i think we can give the young people a chance. moreover, i¡¯ve investigated. her grades in school are very outstanding, and she did a lot of public relations planning when she was in school. she¡¯s a little girl who knows how to improve her abilities.¡±


    shi xiao smiled and said, ¡°aren¡¯t you a little girl yourself?¡±


    yuan shuxin thought to herself that only her body was young.


    then, she said, ¡°actually, 1 saw this business card on the table this morning. don¡¯t you want to know who placed this business card on my table?¡±


    yuan shu deliberately kept him in suspense.


    when shi xiao saw the playfulness in yuan shu¡¯s eyes, he understood. ¡°shi bin has really grown up now. he has even start to worry about the company.¡±


    yuan shu said, ¡°you¡¯ve always underestimated him. this child is very smart, and as long as he encounters something he likes, he¡¯s willing to spend time and effort to study it. you just haven¡¯t explored his potential.¡±


    shi xiao lowered his head and smiled. she was indeed more familiar with his three younger siblings than him.


    shi xiao asked again, ¡°did he say anything when he gave you this card?¡±


    yuan shu shook her head. ¡°he didn¡¯t even see me. he just placed the card on my table and left a note on it. he probably thought that it was his mistake that caused me to go to the finance bureau, so he didn¡¯t dare to see me and he apologized to me. on the note, it said that this girl is very professional, so he recommended her to me. however, he didn¡¯t say that 1 had to use this girl, but hoped that i would consider wei ci as an option. after i investigated, i found that wei ci is indeed quite capable.¡±


    as shi xiao took out a pen and drew on yuan shu¡¯s plan, he said, ¡°shi bin probably still feels guilty, so he doesn¡¯t dare to see you. perhaps he¡¯ll be fine after some time. as for wei ci, if you think she¡¯s capable, i¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    yuan shu lamented, ¡°you¡¯re really a hands-off boss. you don¡¯t care about your younger brother¡¯s thoughts at all. shi bin looks rebellious on the surface, but he¡¯s actually very sensitive on the inside. as the youngest child in the family, he seems like a spoiled kid on the surface, but he¡¯s actually very sensitive. he¡¯s even more sensitive than shi lu and shi yi.¡±


    shi xiao stopped writing and looked at yuan shu. he had indeed neglected this aspect.


    shi bin was a child his parents had in old age, so he was doted on by everyone. since he was young, everyone had given in to him, which resulted in his spoiled and willful personality. as long as he was dissatisfied, he would immediately lose his temper.


    now that they thought about it, shi bin¡¯s bad temper was mostly because he felt that everyone didn¡¯t understand him enough and always used the excuse that he was a child to brush him off, so he felt that he wasn¡¯t respected.


    when shi bin was growing up, he didn¡¯t have anyone to give him the right guidance in terms of education. that was why he made mistakes.


    yuan shu allowed him to find what he liked to do and he felt respected by everyone, so he grew up. shi xiao should thank yuan shu for this.


    yuan shu said, ¡°1 think you should take the time to care about shi bin instead of just throwing him into the corporation. he hasn¡¯t done anything in his current position. everyone avoids him and thinks that he¡¯s the young master of the corporation, so he doesn¡¯t have much ability. he must be very unhappy about this.¡±


    shi xiao frowned. he had arranged for shi bin to be in the corporation firstly to let him learn, but also to keep him by his side so that he could protect him better. he didn¡¯t expect that it would harm him.


    shi xiao asked, ¡°since you know him so well, why don¡¯t you go see him and enlighten him?¡±


    yuan shu said helplessly, ¡°there are many people watching in the company. if i express concern about shi bin now, no one will believe the rumors that we¡¯re not on good terms. moreover, shi bin is your younger brother. you should be the one expressing concern about him, not me..¡±

 Chapter 278 - Chapter 278: Sowing Discord

    chapter 278: sowing discord


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    shi xiao said, ¡°i will. i¡¯ll ask him about the situation after i go home tonight.¡±


    shi xiao changed the topic back to business. ¡°you¡¯ve been here for a week now. did you find anyone suspicious?¡±


    yuan shu shook her head. ¡°i¡¯ve deliberately kept a distance from everyone for the past week so that everyone would think that 1 was still putting on airs and no one would cause trouble for me.¡±


    shi xiao agreed. ¡°if you give them a chance to get close to you right away, they definitely won¡¯t reveal everything so easily. on the contrary, if you put on airs at the beginning but deliberately get close to them afterwards, they will think that you¡¯re trying to curry favor with the employees because you don¡¯t have a good relationship with the shi family. they will think that they have a chance.¡±


    yuan shu continued, ¡°as long as they take action, they will definitely expose themselves.¡±


    shi xiao agreed. ¡°if you need any help, come to me directly. you can come up from the exclusive elevator. no one will notice. the elevator password is 926534.¡±


    ¡°will do.¡±


    after finishing discussing the business, shi xiao asked her, ¡°flow¡¯s your stay there? are you used to it?¡±


    yuan shu relaxed and said, ¡°of course i¡¯m used to it. shi lu helped me buy furniture and daily necessities, just like in the shi family¡¯s home. shi yi also came and brought me some new clothes. 1 don¡¯t lack anything there. if there¡¯s nothing else, i¡¯ll go out first.¡±


    shi xiao nodded and watched yuan shu leave.


    when yuan shu returned to the technical department, she could clearly feel that someone was secretly observing her. she looked around but didn¡¯t see who that person was.


    today was yuan shu¡¯s first time reporting. everyone was waiting for yuan shu to speak.


    in their opinion, yuan shu wasn¡¯t reporting her work, but snitching. perhaps after she left shi xiao¡¯s office, some people would have to leave.


    of course, yuan shu knew that everyone was nervous at this moment, so she deliberately walked to the middle of everyone¡¯s work desks and stopped. then, she said to her assistant, cheng cheng, ¡°cheng cheng, please come to the office with me.¡±


    cheng cheng froze for a moment. then, she quickly put down her work and followed yuan shu to the office.


    as soon as the door of yuan shu¡¯s office closed, there was a commotion in the office.


    employee a said, ¡°how strange. ever since young madam came to the corporation, she has never called anyone to the office alone. today, she asked cheng cheng to go to the office for the first time!¡±


    employee b said, ¡°do you think it¡¯s possible that when young madam went to report, young master lost his temper at her and she knew that her status was in danger, so she suddenly wanted to improve her relationship with us?¡±


    employee c said, ¡°1 saw her aggrieved expression just now. that must be the case! rumor has it that young master and young madam are getting a divorce. it might be true! in wealthy families, marriage is really fragile. two days ago, she was still wandering around the company with him. in the next two days, they¡¯re going to get a divorce!¡±


    just as everyone was discussing excitedly, the door of yuan shu¡¯s office suddenly opened. cheng cheng walked out and closed the door before sitting down nervously.


    after the others glanced at the office and confirmed that yuan shu hadn¡¯t followed them out, they leaned over and asked cheng cheng, ¡°what did young madam ask you?¡±


    cheng cheng didn¡¯t understand the situation and replied, ¡°she didn¡¯t say anything in particular.¡±


    the person who asked didn¡¯t believe her and said, ¡°if she didn¡¯t say anything in particular, why did you go in for so long? just tell us. we definitely won¡¯t spread the news. moreover, young madam has been here for so long. we¡¯re not familiar with her and don¡¯t know her temper. tell us the truth so that we can understand.¡±


    cheng cheng said helplessly, ¡°but young madam really didn¡¯t say anything. why don¡¯t you guys believe me?!¡±


    everyone returned to their seats with pursed lips and complained, ¡°isn¡¯t it just a few words? why is she unwilling to tell us? what¡¯s there to put on airs about?¡±


    cheng cheng was the most helpless. after she was called to the office, yuan shu only asked her when she came to the company, how long she stayed here, what kind of work she was mainly in charge of every day, and told her to send a bottle of spring water to yuan shu¡¯s office every day in the future. then, she left.. why did these people refuse to believe what she said?

 Chapter 279 - Chapter 279: Hua Xin

    chapter 279: hua xin


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    just as everyone finished discussing and started working, a girl who had just arrived a few months ago secretly made a cup of coffee and sent it to yuan shu¡¯s office.


    when she knocked on the door and heard yuan shu ask her to enter, she opened the door to enter. then, she smiled eagerly and said, ¡°young madam, you didn¡¯t take a lunch break at noon. i was worried that you would be sleepy in the afternoon, so i made you a cup of coffee.¡±


    yuan shu looked up at her. she was a girl with a ponytail, wearing a white t-shirt and jeans. from the clever look in her eyes, it was obvious that she was very smart.


    yuan shu lowered her head and continued working as she said in an impassive tone, ¡°bring the coffee over.¡±


    the little girl¡¯s light brown eyes darted around as she wondered what tone to use to make yuan shu trust her. then, she walked over and put down the coffee.


    she took the initiative to introduce herself. ¡°young madam, my name is hua xin. i¡¯ve just arrived at the company not long ago. if there¡¯s anything you want me to do, you can let me know.¡±


    yuan shu clearly had an assistant, but she wanted yuan shu to look for her instead. her motive was obvious.


    yuan shu decided to give in to her first. ¡°with an employee as proactive as you, the corporation should give you a raise.¡±


    hua xin replied, ¡°since i¡¯ve received a salary from the company, of course 1 have to help the company, right?¡±


    yuan shu didn¡¯t say anything. instead, she picked up the coffee and took a sip.


    she didn¡¯t know much about coffee, nor did she understand why modern people liked to drink things that were as bitter as medicine. however, the coffee hua xin brought seemed to have milk and sugar added, so it tasted much better.


    after yuan shu put down the cup, she said, ¡°but 1 don¡¯t like coffee very much, so you don¡¯t have to send coffee in next time.¡±


    hua xin was very good at reading body language, so she observed yuan shu carefully, hoping to see some emotions on yuan shu¡¯s face. however, she couldn¡¯t notice anything, which disappointed her.


    seeing that she still wasn¡¯t leaving, yuan shu asked, ¡°is there anything else?¡±


    hua xin snapped out of her daze and hurriedly replied, ¡°it¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s nothing. young madam, remember to call me if you need anything. my name is hua xin!¡±


    yuan shu kept staring at hua xin, making her leave in a panic.


    hua xin was still too young and couldn¡¯t hold it in. the person behind her couldn¡¯t have just planted such an insensible girl. there must be moles hidden deeper in the shi corporation. yuan shu had to think of a way to use her to lure out the other moles in the corporation.


    yuan shu looked at the schedule for the afternoon, then took out her business card and called wei ci.


    wei ci picked up the call and said, ¡°hello, who is this?¡±


    her voice was pleasant. anyone who heard her voice would feel delighted.


    yuan shu said, ¡°hello, i¡¯m the manager of shi corporation¡¯s technical department, yuan shu. we have a project to promote now and hope to collaborate with your company. i wonder if you have time to meet and chat?¡±


    wei ci¡¯s voice was very calm. clearly, she wasn¡¯t surprised by this call, but she didn¡¯t expect it to come so quickly.


    she said, ¡°thank you for considering our company. i wonder if it¡¯s convenient for you to meet and talk in detail this afternoon. there¡¯s a cafe on lin¡¯an road. the environment is quiet and suitable for conversation. what do you think?¡±


    the distance between the two companies on lin¡¯an road was the same, so it was indeed the best location.


    to be able to quickly find the best meeting place during the phone call, it could be seen that wei ci was prepared. yuan shu admired her ability.


    yuan shu said, ¡°sure, i¡¯ll see you at 3 pm.¡±


    wei ci said, ¡°i¡¯ll wait for your arrival.¡±


    she definitely couldn¡¯t go to discuss business alone. logically speaking, cheng cheng should be the one accompanying her. however, yuan shu still decided to let hua xin accompany her.


    if a person stood out too much, she would attract everyone¡¯s attention, and the chances of her making a mistake would increase.


    yuan shu didn¡¯t call hua xin. instead, she deliberately went to the office at around two o¡¯clock and said loudly, ¡°hua xin, please go out with me.¡±


    hua xin froze for a moment before she looked at the people around her. sure enough, everyone stopped working and looked at her.


    however, hua xin wasn¡¯t mature enough to think that this was inappropriate. she thought that she had already gained yuan shu¡¯s trust, so she packed her things smugly and followed yuan shu out..

 Chapter 280 - Chapter 280: Careful

    chapter 280: careful


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    the coffee shop¡¯s environment was very quiet and there was an elegant piano tune playing on the stereo. wei ci sat in a seat by the window on the second floor.


    when she saw yuan shu, wei ci immediately stood up to welcome her.


    wei ci was wearing a white suit today and her mini-skirt showed off her figure. her long hair was tied up with clips and there were some loose strands on her forehead. this outfit showed her confidence. it didn¡¯t make people think that she was an immature kid who had just graduated, nor did it make people think that she was too experienced and aggressive.


    in comparison, yuan shu was dressed more casually. she wore a white t-shirt with jeans and a short-sleeved blazer. she looked casual yet charming.


    after sitting down, wei ci said, ¡°hello, madam shi. you¡¯re more elegant and beautiful than everyone says.¡±


    although yuan shu knew that these were pleasantries, they were very pleasing to her ears.


    wei ci continued with a polite smile, ¡°1 know that you don¡¯t like coffee, so i ordered matcha yogurt for you. i wasn¡¯t sure if you wanted added ice, so 1 ordered it at room temperature. there¡¯s oat milk in the beverage, but if you want milk instead, 1 can ask the attendant to change it to milk. 1 saw a few cakes in the dessert cabinet just now. 1 don¡¯t know your preference, so i haven¡¯t ordered any yet.¡±


    as wei ci spoke, she handed the menu to yuan shu.


    as yuan shu flipped through the menu, she said, ¡°it¡¯s up to you. i rarely eat sweets, so you can decide.¡±


    after hearing that yuan shu rarely ate sweets, wei ci ordered a vanilla cake with less sugar.


    after a simple exchange of pleasantries, wei ci took out a proposal and handed it to yuan shu as she said, ¡°after 1 checked your company¡¯s website, 1 made a rough plan. if you think it¡¯s okay, i¡¯ll let the company come up with a detailed proposal according to this plan.


    yuan shu flipped through the plan briefly. although wei ci said that it was a rough plan, it had the process and structure listed in detail.


    it had only been a few hours since she called wei ci and met her, but she had already prepared the proposal and even knew yuan shu¡¯s preferences. it seemed that she was prepared.


    yuan shu couldn¡¯t help but admire the woman in front of her. soldiers definitely didn¡¯t fight unprepared battles on the battlefield. wei ci was prepared before coming to see yuan shu. if wei ci was in the military camp, she would definitely be the best soldier.


    yuan shu closed the proposal and said, ¡°there¡¯s no problem. you can follow this plan. how long do you think it will take for you to give me a detailed proposal?¡±


    wei ci said confidently, ¡°i can get it done tomorrow.¡±


    yuan shu was surprised. to come up with a detailed proposal, they needed at least one department to plan and calculate things. wasn¡¯t a single day too short?


    however, this girl was actually so confident, so yuan shu also began to wonder what kind of work she would hand over. ¡°i¡¯m looking forward to your finished product.¡±


    hua xin and wei ci were probably the same age. they were freshmen who had just graduated this year, but the difference in their behavior was very big.


    on the way back to the company, yuan shu wanted to test hua xin.


    she asked hua xin, ¡°how did wei ci make you feel when you saw her today?¡±


    hua xin blurted out, ¡°she¡¯s a very beautiful girl who has good fashion sense. moreover, she¡¯s probably very rich. i noticed that the bag she¡¯s carrying is the latest lv model! it¡¯s only for sale in limited quantities. one has to have a membership card to buy it!¡±


    the more hua xin spoke, the more excited she became.


    however, yuan shu couldn¡¯t help but frown when she heard this. she felt that she had overestimated the mastermind. for such a person to be the mastermind¡¯s spy, it could be seen that this person wasn¡¯t that impressive.


    even when they were downstairs, hua xin was still discussing excitedly how rare lv membership cards were.


    yuan shu rubbed her head in exasperation and said, ¡°we¡¯re at the company, so you can go back now.¡±


    hua xin actually asked, ¡°young madam, are you skipping work?¡±


    yuan shu shook her head in dismay. hua xin really didn¡¯t think before she spoke. sooner or later, her habit of running her mouth off would harm her..

 Chapter 281 - Chapter 281: Outside Aid

    chapter 281: outside aid


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    after sending hua xin back, yuan shu specifically asked liu lan out.


    liu lan had been very busy with an online ip copyright infringement case recently.


    therefore, yuan shu ordered food at the cafeteria downstairs and waited for her.


    it wasn¡¯t until the dishes were served that liu lan arrived. she said apologetically, ¡°i¡¯m really sorry to have kept you waiting.¡±


    after yuan shu asked the waiter to send water, she said, ¡°it¡¯s fine. the dishes will be served when you come.¡±


    liu lan sat down, but she was still busy with some work arrangements.


    yuan shu wasn¡¯t dissatisfied. instead, she waited for her at the side.


    when liu lan was done and put down her phone, she was already starving. she couldn¡¯t be bothered to exchange pleasantries with yuan shu anymore. instead, she picked up her chopsticks to fill her stomach first.


    after eating a few pieces of meat, liu lan finally asked, ¡°why did you ask me out in a hurry today?¡±


    yuan shu said, ¡°there are two things. first, 1 want to apologize to you for not telling you in advance about shi bing suddenly leaving xiao sheng¡¯s company. i was too negligent.¡±


    liu lan waved her hand dismissively and said, ¡°that¡¯s no big deal, but my husband feels that it¡¯s a pity, since he thinks that shi bin is a talent. if he stays by our side, we can definitely nurture him well. however, since this is his brother¡¯s arrangement, we can¡¯t object.¡±


    liu lan asked, ¡°what¡¯s the second thing?¡±


    yuan shu had eaten too much sweet food in the afternoon, so her stomach wasn¡¯t feeling well. she took a sip of water to moisten her throat before continuing, ¡°the second thing is that we need to trouble xiao sheng again, but if we want to look for xiao sheng, we still have to go through you.¡±


    after liu lan ate a piece of steak, she said, ¡°let me guess what you want to ask my husband for help with.¡± after liu lan pretended to be deep in thought, she said, ¡°it must be for shi bin, right?¡±


    ¡°as expected, you¡¯re always able to guess everything.¡±


    liu lan lamented, ¡°i¡¯ve seen shi bin before. he seems like a slacker on the surface, but he¡¯s actually a very meticulous child. he probably isn¡¯t doing well in the shi corporation now, so you came to ask for my help.¡±


    yuan shu said, ¡°you know me best.¡±


    liu lan joked, ¡°to be honest, 1 was originally worried that there was some problem between you and shi xiao, but now that i see that you¡¯re so concerned about shi bin, i¡¯m relieved. those rumors that the two of you don¡¯t get along must be false.¡±


    yuan shu rotated the dishes in front of liu lan to make it more convenient for her to eat.


    ¡°why are you so sure it¡¯s just a rumor?¡±


    liu lan ate the stewed pig trotters as she said heartily, ¡°although i don¡¯t know much about your business world, i also feel that this isn¡¯t the best time to leave the shi family. you¡¯ve just been investigated by the finance bureau. if you divorce shi xiao at this time, it will definitely affect you negatively. you won¡¯t be so stupid as to gamble with your career.¡±


    yuan shu nodded. that was the truth. it was just that she didn¡¯t expect her plan with shi xiao to be seen through by liu lan so easily.


    however, yuan shu wasn¡¯t afraid that others would see through her plan.


    because liu lan was an outsider, she wasn¡¯t afraid that a wrong guess would affect her negatively. thus, she could make wild guesses without scruples.


    however, the mastermind was different. he had to consider every move carefully, so every one of yuan shu and shi xiao¡¯s actions would be overly interpreted by him. this person had suffered because of his own meticulousness.


    liu lan put down her chopsticks and leaned forward slightly as she said to yuan shu very seriously, ¡°i don¡¯t know much about what happened between the two of you, but i know that regarding the incident with the finance bureau, you must have been framed. there are some things you have to know. i¡¯m the best lawyer in a city and also your good friend, so if anything happens to you, you have to ask me to help you with the lawsuit. i won¡¯t allow my friend to be framed.¡±


    yuan shu was touched and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°thank you.¡±


    after talking about serious matters, the two of them chatted about other interesting things and the meal was very enjoyable.


    before leaving, liu lan promised yuan shu that she would definitely let xiao sheng deal with shi bin¡¯s situation and let yuan shu rest assured.


    on the opposite side of the road from where yuan shu and liu lan were, a man with a glass of red wine was looking down from the floor-to-ceiling window of a five-star hotel.


    he swirled the wine in his glass as he looked at the person opposite him with interest.. ¡°why do you think yuan shu looked for your sister?¡±

 Chapter 282 - Chapter 282: Liu Cheng

    chapter 282: liu cheng


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    liu cheng, who was sitting opposite the man, picked up the orange juice and pointed it in the man¡¯s direction as a toast. he was a doctor, so he couldn¡¯t drink even when he wasn¡¯t at work.


    as he drank the orange juice in his glass, he also looked out of the window. after yuan shu and liu lan got into their cars, they slowly drove into the traffic.


    liu cheng shook his head and said, ¡°1 really can¡¯t think of what the two of them talked about. my sister has a straightforward personality and has never been able to thrive in upper society. it¡¯s indeed a little unexpected that she has such a good relationship with yuan shu.¡±


    the man opposite her didn¡¯t think so. he said, ¡°perhaps yuan shu likes straightforward people like your sister. no matter what, let¡¯s ask around. i keep feeling that there¡¯s not a relationship problem between yuan shu and shi xiao, but that they¡¯re putting on an act.¡±


    liu cheng asked a little hesitantly, ¡°but who are they putting put on an act for?¡±


    the man revealed a confident smile as he said, ¡°of course it¡¯s me. they want me to show up, so they can see who the mastermind is. isn¡¯t it obvious enough? liu cheng, it seems that you¡¯re only good at treating illnesses. other things are difficult for you to grasp.¡±


    liu cheng didn¡¯t care about this. he pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses as he asked, ¡°didn¡¯t you choose me because you fancy my medical skills?¡±


    after the man closed his eyes and smelled the wine, he said, ¡°i¡¯m also being used by yuan shu. she wants to take the opportunity to leave the shi family and finding the mastermind is just her excuse.¡±


    liu cheng was puzzled. ¡°you seem to know yuan shu very well.¡±


    the man didn¡¯t answer.


    liu cheng wasn¡¯t a gossipy person, so he didn¡¯t ask further and changed the topic. ¡°let me tell you something that¡¯ll interest you.¡±


    after the man finished his glass of red wine, he said, ¡°there aren¡¯t many things that interest me now.¡±


    as liu cheng picked up his knife and fork to cut the steak, he said, ¡°a patient recently came to our hospital. because he was under too much mental pressure, he was discharged from the psychiatric department. coincidentally, his medical record is in my hands.¡±


    the man was clearly uninterested in the topic.


    liu cheng continued, ¡°the patient¡¯s name is mo shu.¡±


    sure enough, the man looked up at him and asked, ¡°where is he now?¡±


    liu cheng said, ¡°i¡¯ve already checked for you. the address is fake, but he¡¯ll come for a follow-up in two days. you can meet him at the hospital.¡±


    the man poured another half glass of red wine and raised his glass to clink with liu cheng¡¯s. ¡°this indeed interests me.¡±


    with that, the two of them smiled at each other.


    as night fell, the neon lights in the city lit up. li ran sat in a room that wasn¡¯t lit and the faint light outside the window cast a hazy glow on her. the light from the phone screen illuminated her fair face.


    li ran looked at the chat box again. then, she threw her phone onto the sofa and stared out of the window in a daze.


    she had a bad feeling that she was serious about zhou liu.


    zhou liu hadn¡¯t replied to her message for the entire day. the last time was when li ran said good morning to him. for the entire day, li ran kept looking at her cell phone to see if zhou liu had replied. at this moment, she couldn¡¯t help but scold, ¡°stupid man, since you don¡¯t reply when you¡¯re busy, i¡¯ve decided to ignore you and let you experience the anxiety of waiting! hmph!¡±


    with that, li ran punched the sofa angrily.


    at this moment, li ci came in from the entrance. when he saw this scene as he was taking off his suit jacket, he asked with a smile, ¡°why aren¡¯t the lights on? who made you angry again?¡±


    li ran glanced at li ci resentfully. ¡°hmph, you only know how to tease me.¡±


    after li ci threw his jacket in the dirty clothes basket and changed into slippers, he turned on the light and walked in. he brought the braised pig trotters he had specially taken a detour to buy for li ran and opened the disposable gloves packet before handing them to her. ¡°alright, i won¡¯t tease you anymore. eat first. 1¡¯11 go take a shower.¡±


    li ran looked at the jacket in the dirty laundry basket and asked, ¡°didn¡¯t you just change your clothes when you went out this afternoon? how did you get it dirty so quickly?¡±


    li ci said, ¡°1 went to the hospital.¡±


    li ci had a habit of changing all his clothes and taking a shower after going to the hospital. li ci even requested the same for the people around him. therefore, no matter how lazy li ran was, every time she returned from the hospital, she had to take a shower before lying on the sofa..

 Chapter 283 - Chapter 283: Traces

    chapter 283: traces


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    after li ran put on her gloves and began to eat the pig trotters, she said in a muffled voice, ¡°the butler is taking leave tomorrow, so you can only wash the clothes yourself.¡±


    li ci didn¡¯t respond. when he came out again, li ran had already eaten all the pig trotters, leaving bare bones scattered on the coffee table.


    li ci was a clean freak. if it were anyone else who dirtied his coffee table, he definitely would have lost his temper. he could only tolerate li ran.


    he walked over and tidied up the coffee table before sitting down beside li ran. this girl¡¯s appetite had been improving recently, and her figure had become visibly plumper.


    ¡°so who were you angry with just now?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s all because of zhou liu. he hasn¡¯t replied for an entire day.¡± li ci was about to speak when li ran said, ¡°if you want to reason with me, you¡¯d better not say anything. i¡¯m very annoyed now. reasoning is the last thing 1 want to hear.¡±


    li ci swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue. ¡°since you¡¯re so angry, just delete his number.¡±


    li ran was unwilling, so she pouted and explained for zhou liu, ¡°that¡¯s not necessary. he¡¯s not that outrageous. he¡¯s just too busy. moreover, 1 heard that his friend has been living with him recently, so he has to go back every day after work to compete with his friend.¡±


    ¡°compete? on what?¡±


    li ran said with dissatisfaction, ¡°he must be playing games and can¡¯t be bothered to reply to me, so he found an excuse to brush me off.¡±


    li ci didn¡¯t speak for a moment. he was thinking about the friend zhou liu had mentioned. could he be mo shu, who had been taken away from the technology exhibition that day?


    now, everyone was looking for mo shu, but he had disappeared. could he have been hidden by zhou liu?


    li ci suddenly looked at li ran sinisterly. ¡°there¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch. since you ate the pig trotters 1 bought for you, shouldn¡¯t you do me a favor?¡±


    li ran frowned and she had a bad feeling. every time li ci asked her to do something, he had this sinister expression!


    li ran¡¯s expression instantly turned bitter. ¡°what do you want?¡±


    li ci said with a smile, ¡°it¡¯s no trouble. 1 just want you to have a meal with zhou liu and help me ask around.¡±


    li ran was surprised. ¡°what does zhou liu have that you¡¯re interested in?¡±


    li ci flicked li ran¡¯s forehead as he said, ¡°to think that you don¡¯t even know that zhou liu is a computer genius even when you chat with him every day. it¡¯s said that the defense code he writes is the strongest defense system. as soon as he graduates, he¡¯ll be a talent fought over by various companies. how can 1 not be interested in such a talent?¡±


    li ran frowned. ¡°but he¡¯s an employee of yuan an software company now.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s why i want you to negotiate with him. poach him for me.¡±


    li ran was very good at communicating and negotiating. after she married gao shan, she helped gao dan negotiate a lot of orders. in addition, with zhou liu and li ran¡¯s relationship, if li ran took action, she would definitely be able to poach zhou liu to li ci¡¯s company.


    li ran looked at li ci suspiciously. she had never asked her uncle about what he did, but this time, she was suddenly curious. ¡°uncle, 1 really want to know how many businesses you have.¡±


    after li ci rubbed li ran¡¯s head and tousled up her hair, li ran frowned in dissatisfaction and avoided his hand.


    li ci asked, ¡°why are you suddenly interested in this? you¡¯ve never asked before.¡±


    li ran had an impassive expression, but her tone was very serious. ¡°i¡¯m just curious. if you¡¯re unwilling to say it, so be it. but uncle, i have to remind you that because of my parents, you have to restrain yourself in the business world. i keep feeling that what you¡¯re doing is getting more and more dangerous.¡±


    li ci didn¡¯t dwell on this topic anymore. he only said jokingly, ¡°you¡¯ve grown up and know how to express concern about your uncle now. don¡¯t worry, no matter what i do, 1 definitely won¡¯t let it affect you. you know best what kind of benefits zhou liu can get now. as long as you help me poach him, any condition is fine.¡±


    li ran had been raised in a prominent family, so she was good at reading body language. since li ci didn¡¯t want to mention it, she didn¡¯t probe further. she played along and joked, ¡°my negotiation might lead you towards bankruptcy.¡±


    ¡°if you can really bankrupt your me, that¡¯ll be impressive.¡±


    because of this, li ran became more and more suspicious. she felt that li ci seemed to have developed more and more business power without her family knowing..

 Chapter 284 - Chapter 284: Banquet Invitation

    chapter 284: banquet invitation


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    li ran originally planned to ask zhou liu out the next day, but before she could implement her plan, she received a banquet invitation.


    in the morning, this invitation was sent to all the families in a city¡¯s business and political world. it was enough to show how grand this banquet was.


    the host of this banquet was actually the song family.


    the song family was a very low-profile family in a city. they didn¡¯t attend any banquets and didn¡¯t hold any banquets. the last banquet was held when song shi went abroad two years ago. from the time, the song family probably held this banquet to congratulate song shi on her return to the country.


    the song family¡¯s banquet couldn¡¯t be underestimated. other than the famous people in the business world, academics and politicians would also attend. it was enough to show how prominent the song family was in upper society.


    this was different from the banquet at the ancestral home and the hospital¡¯s opening gala. it was far superior to all the previous banquets. even the banquet when song shi went abroad two years ago wasn¡¯t as grand as this. the last time there was such a grand banquet in a city was five years ago, when shi xiao officially entered the shi corporation.


    for a moment, everyone was discussing this banquet and made all kinds of guesses. the guess reported by the media was that the song family wanted to enter the business world and pave the way for the song family¡¯s only daughter, song shi.


    although the song family¡¯s invitation said that it would be held in three days, a banquet of a major family was no small matter, so it usually needed to be prepared many days in advance. they needed custom-made gowns, try on makeup in advance, and so on. therefore, li ran didn¡¯t have time to ask zhou liu out for the next two days.


    the invitation for the shi family received invited everyone from the shi family. in other words, other than shi xiao and yuan shu, shi lu, shi yi, and shi bin had to attend as well.


    in shi xiao¡¯s office, yuan shu put down the invitation. after looking at shi xiao, she understood what he meant.


    yuan shu said, ¡°this banquet is too unexpected. in the eyes of the outside world, we have a strained relationship now. if we attend it together now, we might expose ourselves.¡±


    shi xiao nodded, but he also thought of the pros of this matter. ¡°but at the same time, this banquet is also an opportunity. we can put on a show in front of everyone and magnify our conflict. then, we can observe everyone¡¯s reaction and determine who the mastermind is.¡±


    yuan shu said, ¡°it seems that you also suspect that the mastermind is from a big family.¡±


    shi xiao crossed his arms on his knees as he said, ¡°without the support of the resources of a major family, this person wouldn¡¯t have been able to play such a big game. 1 wonder which family did so much behind the scenes without us noticing.¡±


    yuan shu packed her things and was about to leave when shi xiao suddenly said, ¡°there¡¯s an important meeting at the company on the day of the banquet, so 1 can¡¯t be there on time.¡±


    yuan shu said, ¡°that¡¯s quite good. if the mo of us don¡¯t appear at the same time, it can confirm the rumors that we quarreled.¡±


    shi xiao frowned. ¡°but if you go first, you¡¯ll definitely have to face everyone¡¯s questioning and probing gazes. i¡¯m afraid someone will make things difficult for you. i don¡¯t want you to suffer.¡±


    yuan shu said with a smile, ¡°these difficulties are nothing. didn¡¯t 1 put up with it when you went missing in africa? didn¡¯t 1 attend the banquets of the other families? now, we¡¯re just not attending at the same time and i¡¯m arriving a little earlier than you. what¡¯s so difficult about that?¡±


    shi xiao thought about how times had changed. at that time, he did have the intention of using yuan shu, so he didn¡¯t mind pushing her to the center of attention, but it was different now. he cherished yuan shu and didn¡¯t want her to suffer all this alone.


    for this banquet, the various families began to custom-made gowns. usually, they would go to the wang family or xu lang¡¯s haute couture clothing shop, which was now the down ridge clothes workshop.


    however, ever since yushu buyi¡¯s first distribution, its fame had risen drastically. in addition, after the company found shi lu to shoot a set of advertisements and endorse yushu buyi, yushu buyi¡¯s number of orders skyrocketed and its status rose. it became one of the top choices for wealthy families..

 Chapter 285 - Chapter 285: The Wang Family’s Invitation

    chapter 285: the wang family¡¯s invitation


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    logically speaking, after yushu buyi was handed over to shi yi, shi yi should have been in charge of all the shi family¡¯s clothes. moreover, from choosing the fabrics to the manufacturing of the clothes, yushu buyi had already formed a complete production chain and was self-sufficient.


    shi yi originally planned to order a dress for yuan shu after taking her measurements, but she suddenly received an invitation from wang jiao.


    wang jiao said that the wang family¡¯s clothes were made of a certain material that was very good and the workmanship was precious. it was made of silk, so the weaving method of every thread was very complicated. there was also embroidery on it and the embroidery method was one of the world¡¯s intangible cultural heritage.


    after hearing the introduction, shi yi was very interested in this piece of fabric, so she accepted wang jiao¡¯s invitation and agreed to come to the wang family¡¯s home with yuan shu after work that day.


    after yuan shu agreed to shi yi¡¯s request, she felt a little melancholic. for a moment, all the problems seemed to have appeared at the same time. yuan shu had a bad feeling, as if everything was part of a scheme.


    what made yuan shu even more uncomfortable was that she no longer understood the development of the story in this world. most importantly, she no longer had the ability to control the direction things developed in.


    and what yuan shu hated the most was this feeling of not being in control.


    while pondering, yuan shu returned to the office.


    only then did she realize that hua xin had resigned.


    yuan shu couldn¡¯t help but marvel at how fast this person was. just as yuan shu was about to use hua xin as a breakthrough point, that person immediately noticed and removed hua xin. it seemed that it would be difficult to find another breakthrough.


    to yuan shu¡¯s surprise, wei ci sent the proposal to the company this morning.


    she still had the same hairstyle as yesterday, but today, she had changed into a light purple suit, which made her look even more gentle. compared to the tough career-minded woman image the white suit gave her, the purple suit made her look demure and beautiful.


    wei ci¡¯s plan was very simple. she would find a celebrity to endorse the website and let the celebrity hold a 24-hour live-stream in which the celebrity experiences the lives of all kinds of people.


    there were a total of three live-stream shows, one every week.


    firstly, each live-stream would last 24 hours. if it lasted long enough, it could attract netizens to watch and follow the website.


    secondly, a week between each live-stream could keep the audience in suspense and make them look forward to this website even more.


    thirdly, three professions were chosen for these three live-streams. the first was a chef, the second was a migrant worker, and the third was a white-collar worker. these professions were related to the lives of most netizens.


    the company wei ci had chosen for the white-collar worker was the shi corporation.


    after yuan shu saw this suggestion, she didn¡¯t have much of a reaction. however, after her gaze paused for a moment, wei ci immediately explained, ¡°the website was created by the shi corporation, so if it can be broadcasted at the company, it will be more convincing.¡±


    yuan shu didn¡¯t know if she was overthinking it, but she felt that wei ci had an ulterior motive for her suggestion. although it was a good thing that she was so serious and proactive, wei ci¡¯s behavior was too mature.


    as yuan shu continued reading, she realized that this plan was very detailed. in addition to the previous plan, wei ci had also calculated the budget.


    in addition, she decided to cooperate with the actor, zhao tian, and asked for zhao tian¡¯s price in advance. as long as yuan shu nodded, the negotiations would begin.


    it was almost impossible to come up with such a detailed plan overnight, but wei ci could came up with a plan, so it seemed that she was already prepared.


    yuan shu guessed that from the day she handed the business card to shi bin, she had already started planning. in other words, she was very confident that yuan shu would look for her and hand this project to her.


    this confidence and boldness weren¡¯t things a girl who had just graduated could have. if this plan had been submitted later, yuan shu might have believed that wei ci was just very capable, but wei ci wanted to show off in front of yuan shu too much and her eagerness revealed a loophole.


    it seemed that another breakthrough point had appeared. this time, yuan shu decided to be more cautious.


    yuan shu had heard of zhao tian before. previously, when jiang chen was preparing to film a television drama, he had asked zhao tian to play the male lead, but due to zhao tian¡¯s busy schedule, it had been canceled.


    this name had appeared in yuan shu¡¯s ears many times, making her feel curious about this male celebrity..

 Chapter 286 - Chapter 286: Meal

    chapter 286: meal


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    after yuan shu and wei ci confirmed the details of the plan again, yuan shu signed the plan and started implementing it.


    the meeting ended before lunch. yuan shu politely invited wei ci to eat in the company canteen. wei ci was surprised, but didn¡¯t refuse.


    wei ci closed the document on the table and put it in her bag before saying, ¡°shi bin and i are classmates at university. i heard that he¡¯s also working at the shi corporation now. i wonder if you can invite him over for a meal as well so that we can catch up.¡±


    yuan shu couldn¡¯t help but look at wei ci again, but the girl smiled sincerely and didn¡¯t avoid yuan shu¡¯s gaze at all.


    yuan shu was a little disappointed that she didn¡¯t find anything suspicious.


    yuan shu agreed with a smile and asked her assistant, cheng cheng, to inform shi bin to come to the office.


    shi bin quickly rushed to the office. when he saw wei ci, he was a little surprised. when cheng cheng called him, he only told him that yuan shu was looking for him, but he didn¡¯t say that wei ci was also there.


    what surprised him even more was that he had only placed wei ci¡¯s business card on yuan shu¡¯s desk, but yuan shu really accepted his suggestion and reached an agreement with wei ci so quickly.


    shi bin greeted yuan shu, ¡°hello, sister-in-law.¡±


    seeing how well-behaved shi bin was, wei ci thought she was seeing things.


    in her impression, shi bin had always been the school bully and was enemies with tan zhao. even though she and shi bin weren¡¯t in the same major, news of their fights spread throughout the entire school. she didn¡¯t expect this school bully to be so obedient in front of yuan shu.


    yuan shu glanced at him calmly and nodded slightly as she said, ¡°you two are classmates and she happened to come to the company today, so you should do your best to be a good host.¡±


    after a pause, yuan shu continued, ¡°find a restaurant outside to eat. the company¡¯s canteen is a little too shabby.¡±


    if the employees of the corporation heard this, their jaws would probably drop agape in shock. the corporation¡¯s canteen provided all kinds of international cuisines. moreover, every cuisine had the best chef to cook it. it was better than the restaurants outside!


    moreover, the restaurant¡¯s renovation style was very luxurious. there was a leather sofa and lavish seats. no one would believe that this was a company¡¯s canteen. however, yuan shu said that it was ¡®shabby¡¯. according to yuan shu¡¯s standards, how luxurious should the canteen be?!


    wei ci smiled and said, ¡°there¡¯s no need for the trouble. the company¡¯s cafeteria is good enough.¡±


    yuan shu said, ¡°how can that do? you¡¯re shi bin¡¯s classmate. we can¡¯t neglect you.¡±


    wei ci wanted to decline, but when she saw yuan shu¡¯s gaze, she swallowed her words.


    yuan shu seemed to see through her, and wei ci suddenly felt a little guilty. she thought that she had hidden her ulterior motives well, but in front of yuan shu, these disguises seemed to have exposed her.


    shi bin had been standing at the door the entire time. after the two of them finished speaking, he asked, ¡°sister-in-law, aren¡¯t you going with us?¡±


    wei ci also came back to her senses and looked at yuan shu.


    yuan shu sat up straight and looked at them as she said, ¡°i still have some things to deal with, so i won¡¯t disturb the two of you from catching up.¡±


    there was nothing wrong with what she said, but shi bin still felt a little uncomfortable when he heard it. perhaps he subconsciously felt that the reason why his sister-in-law didn¡¯t want to have lunch with him was because she was still angry with him.


    wei ci maintained a polite smile the entire time. as yuan shu looked at her, she thought about how wei ci was only 22 years old and had just graduated. to be able to be so mature and calm, she was indeed a talent.


    however, before leaving, wei ci couldn¡¯t help but turn around and look at yuan shu inquisitively.


    although it was just a glance, with yuan shu¡¯s sharp intuition, she could tell why wei ci had come to the company today.


    wei ci was still a little too impatient.


    ¡°the wei family.¡±


    yuan shu took out her phone and sent these words to shi xiao. he would do the rest.


    after yuan shu sent the message, she couldn¡¯t help but fall into deep thought. from when she first arrived in this world to now, there had been a huge change in the relationship between these families. the boundaries between the various families were no longer so obvious..

 Chapter 287 - Chapter 287: Afternoon Tea

    chapter 287: afternoon tea


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    on the surface, it was the shi family and the jiang family who were opposing each other. the other major families were like vassals of these two families.


    however, now that the mastermind had suddenly revealed himself, he began to incorporate the families that weren¡¯t firmly allied with anyone to begin with and gradually began to disintegrate the forces of the two families.


    it was difficult for yuan shu to estimate how many families the mastermind controlled.


    even yuan shu admired him for being able to do so many things without being discovered by the jiang family and the shi family.


    shi bin was in low spirits on the way out of the restaurant with wei ci. sometimes, he didn¡¯t even hear wei ci talking to him.


    ¡°shi bin?¡± this was the third time wei ci called out to shi bin.


    shi bin came back to his senses and apologized to wei ci in embarrassment.


    wei ci smiled and said, ¡°it¡¯s okay. are you too tired from work? you seem very tired today.¡±


    shi bin let out a long sigh and said, ¡°1 guess.¡±


    the two of them were silent for a while before shi bin suddenly asked, ¡°wei ci, do you think i¡¯m a good-for-nothing?¡±


    wei ci asked him why he suddenly thought that way.


    shi bin said, ¡°it wasn¡¯t easy for sister-in-law to arrange an internship for me, but 1 caused sister-in-law to be investigated and brother and sister-in-law to quarrel. their relationship has deteriorated. i¡¯m really worried that the two of them will get a divorce.¡±


    shi bin had his head lowered, so he didn¡¯t see the probing look in wei ci¡¯s eyes when she heard the news.


    wei ci pretended to be surprised and asked, ¡°so it¡¯s true that your brother and sister-in-law are in a strained relationship? but they used to be so close. they wouldn¡¯t fall out over such a small matter, right?¡±


    shi bin sighed again and said, ¡°the two of them even sleep in separate rooms. now, sister-in-law has even moved out.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s that serious?¡± wei ci said, but her thoughts had already wandered.


    the two of them ate in silence. after the meal, shi bin was in a better mood and wanted to ask wei ci to stay for a while longer, but wei ci declined politely and left in a hurry.


    shi bin was walking back to the company alone when he was suddenly stopped.


    he looked around but couldn¡¯t find the person who called out to him, so he thought that he was hallucinating, but then he heard a voice saying, ¡°in a car by the roadside.¡±


    only then did shi bin look at a white land rover by the roadside. the driver¡¯s window rolled down, and he saw that the person sitting inside was actually his mentor, xiao sheng.


    shi bin¡¯s mentor coming to see shi bin was probably the best thing that happened to him recently.


    he hurriedly ran over and shouted happily, ¡°mentor, why are you here?¡±


    after xiao sheng and shi bin got into the car, the driver stepped on the accelerator. as the car sped on the road, the wind blew their hair.


    xiao sheng replied, ¡°i heard that my disciple has been in some trouble recently. if i don¡¯t come now, i¡¯m worried that my disciple will get some sort of mental illness from keeping everything bottled up.¡±


    shi bin scratched his head awkwardly and said, ¡°it¡¯s not that serious.¡±


    however, when xiao sheng saw shi bin¡¯s condition, he knew that he had been very dispirited recently. he didn¡¯t say much to him and only brought shi bin to a cafe for afternoon tea.


    the strong aroma of coffee with milk spread in shi bin¡¯s mouth. as shi bin held the cup tightly, he said sadly, ¡°mentor, why don¡¯t you take me in and let me continue working in your company? i can do anything, even run errands.¡±


    xiao sheng smiled and said, ¡°isn¡¯t it a waste of your talent to come to my company to run errands? do you think the shi corporation will let you suffer?¡±


    shi bin lowered his head even more as he said, ¡°it¡¯s precisely because they don¡¯t dare to let me suffer that 1 feel terrible. 1 don¡¯t have anything to do in the company. whenever i want to do anything, i¡¯ll be stopped by others. how will 1 learn?! this job is meaningless!¡±


    xiao sheng teased him, ¡°isn¡¯t it good to be able to slack off? you¡¯re really discontent.¡±


    shi bin and xiao sheng had a good relationship. although the two of them addressed each other as mentor and disciple, the way they interacted was more like buddies.


    shi bin couldn¡¯t help but complain, ¡°mentor, if you really think that slacking off is better, why don¡¯t we exchange places? i¡¯ll help you manage the company and you can work my job instead.¡±


    xiao sheng hurriedly rejected, ¡°in that case, forget it. it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know that 1 can¡¯t stay idle.¡±


    shi bin sighed. he was a devil incarnate to begin with and didn¡¯t have any ambitions. with yuan shu¡¯s help, he finally found some meaning in his life, but in the end, he was beaten back to his original state by shi xiao..

 Chapter 288 - Chapter 288: Comfort

    chapter 288: comfort


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    xiao sheng patted shi bin¡¯s back and said, ¡°don¡¯t worry. actually, i came today because someone asked me to.¡±


    shi bin looked at him in confusion.


    xiao sheng said, ¡°your sister-in-law asked me to come. she specifically went to look for liu lan. you know that i¡¯m a henpecked man, so i immediately came to look for you.¡±


    when shi bin heard that yuan shu had asked his mentor to come, he was surprised and a little happy. ¡°mentor, why did my sister-in-law ask you to come? if she has something to tell me, why didn¡¯t she tell me directly? she wasn¡¯t even willing to eat lunch with me today.¡±


    xiao sheng said earnestly, ¡°you¡¯re still too young. there are many complicated situations in the adult world. you don¡¯t understand now, but you¡¯ll understand in the future.¡±


    ¡°you have to be more confident. i believe that there¡¯s nothing wrong with your handling of the matter. yuan shu was investigated because of my management mistake, which allowed a spy to sneak into the company and secretly operate your computer. however, this has nothing to do with you. you can¡¯t punish yourself for other people¡¯s mistakes.¡±


    shi bin nodded, as if he understood. the gloomy look in his eyes finally disappeared.


    xiao sheng continued, ¡°moreover, yuan shu¡¯s investigation didn¡¯t cause any negative impact. secondly, even she herself doesn¡¯t care about it, so why do you care so much? her current attitude is just for show. she has her difficulties, so she can¡¯t let you know directly, but she can¡¯t bear to see you continue to be dispirited.¡±


    shi bin looked at xiao sheng as he asked with uncertainty, ¡°is this really sister-in-law¡¯s idea?¡±


    xiao sheng nodded and patted shi bin¡¯s shoulder as he said, ¡°so, you just have to do your job well during this period of time. don¡¯t worry about anything else. there are many people more outstanding than me in the shi corporation, so you should take this opportunity to study hard. when you¡¯re done, if you don¡¯t want to stay in the shi corporation anymore, you can look for me at anytime.¡±


    shi bin was already smiling happily and no longer looked as dispirited as before. he asked xiao sheng to send him back to work quickly in order not to disappoint yuan shu.


    xiao sheng sent shi bin back to the company. after shi bin went upstairs, he took out his phone and sent a message to yuan shu. ¡°it¡¯s done. i¡¯ll return you a bubbly and cheerful shi bin.¡±


    yuan shu stood in the office as she watched shi bin running into the company happily. she finally revealed a sincere smile.


    this was a rare piece of good news for the shi family lately.


    when yuan shu saw the message on her phone, she replied, ¡°thank you.¡±


    after work, yuan shu and shi yi agreed to meet at the entrance of the wang family¡¯s company at night.


    when yuan shu arrived, shi yi wasn¡¯t there yet. she must have worked overtime again today.


    since she had nothing to do, yuan shu decided to start looking at zhao tian¡¯s information. since she had decided to use this person, she had to do some research first.


    zhao tian was a signed artist under the wu family¡¯s star city entertainment and was a top celebrity. almost all of star city entertainment¡¯s resources were invested in him, and his fame in the entertainment industry even exceeded shi lu¡¯s. with such fame, he shouldn¡¯t have accepted the offer of becoming the spokesperson of a new website.


    yuan shu couldn¡¯t help but wonder why wei ci was able to persuade zhao tian to endorse the website.


    however, the wu family was relatively neutral and didn¡¯t clearly lean towards a certain faction. it seemed reasonable to choose an entertainment company under the wu family, but yuan shu sensed some sort of conspiracy.


    as yuan shu was thinking about it, shi yi rushed over. ¡°sister-in-law, i¡¯m sorry to have kept you waiting.¡±


    yuan shu joked with her, ¡°it¡¯s alright. you¡¯re helping my company earn money, so how can i blame you?¡±


    shi yi smiled and wanted to hold yuan shu¡¯s hand, but she suddenly retracted her hand.


    she was a few years older than shi bin and knew more about business. therefore, after yuan shu moved out, she asked yuan shu for the reason. after finding out that this was an act put on by her brother and sister-in-law, she also pretended to be distant from yuan shu in front of outsiders.


    she tidied her clothes and said to yuan shu, ¡°let¡¯s go. we¡¯re going to act out our first scene today.¡±


    the two of them walked into the wang family¡¯s cotton shop one after another. they had an impassive expression the entire time, as if they really didn¡¯t have a good relationship.


    when the two of them arrived at the reception room, they realized that they weren¡¯t the only ones who came today. xu zhi was also there..

 Chapter 289 - Chapter 289: Match

    chapter 289: match


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    shi yi and xu zhi hadn¡¯t seen each other for a long time. now that they met face to face, she was stunned.


    the two of them stared at xu zhi for a long time before remembering to greet each other. ¡°shi yi, long time no see.¡±


    shi yi¡¯s heart was in turmoil, but she clenched her fists and calmed down. then, she replied in a calm tone, ¡°long time no see.¡±


    seeing that everyone was there, wang jiao welcomed them warmly. ¡°it¡¯s been a long time since the three of us sat in the same room.¡± then, she saw yuan shu, who came with shi yi, and hurriedly greeted her. ¡°hello, madam shi. seeing is believing. you¡¯re even more beautiful and elegant than the rumors say you are.¡±


    yuan shu had heard this compliment many times, but wang jiao was sincere. when she spoke, she looked into yuan shu¡¯s eyes seriously, as if she was really admiring yuan shu¡¯s beauty.


    no wonder shi yi was so close to wang jiao despite shi yi¡¯s arrogant personality. when people interacted with wang jiao, she would make people forget their family background and feel that it was an interaction between ordinary people.


    shi yi¡¯s expression was a little stiff, but she forced a smile and asked, ¡°sister wang, you said that there¡¯s good material. where¡¯s the material?¡±


    wang jiao said, ¡°you¡¯re still as impatient as ever. i¡¯ve already prepared it for you.¡±


    wang jiao walked to the table in the reception room. there was a wooden box wrapped in cloth on the table. after wang jiao lifted the cloth and opened the wooden box, she carefully opened another layer of cloth before the brocade inside was revealed.


    the layers of packaging were enough to show how expensive this batch of cloth was.


    when yuan shu saw the light and dark patterns reflected by the silver threads intertwined on the cloth, she felt that it seemed familiar. this cloth seemed to be silk fabric that could only be made by the craftsman of the palace in the past. the embroidery patterns also required a lot of time to make.


    when shi yi saw such good fabric, she couldn¡¯t help but feel amazed and surprise flashed across her eyes.


    for a fashion designer, good fabric was something that could only be chanced upon by luck. a piece of fabric could even stimulate the designer¡¯s unlimited creative desire. fabric, like models, was called the source of their inspiration.


    when wang jiao saw the amazement in everyone¡¯s eyes, she said in satisfaction, ¡°i obtained this piece of cloth by chance. actually, i couldn¡¯t bear to take it out today, but i wanted to see you guys compete even more. the two of you are my favorite students and friends.¡±


    ¡°competition?¡± shi yi couldn¡¯t help but repeat. however, it was obvious that xu zhi wasn¡¯t surprised by this.


    wang jiao explained, ¡°xu zhi told me that he got a participation ticket for an international design fashion show and wants to compete with you. the winner will obtain this ticket.¡±


    this was an international fashion competition. if they could win an award in this competition, it meant that the designer¡¯s fashion design career would thrive. any fashion designer would be tempted by such a ticket.


    xu zhi continued, ¡°shi yi, the two of us will design a gown for each other and the winner will get this ticket. how about that?¡±


    shi yi looked at him. this face was still as familiar as she remembered, but his gaze had become unfamiliar and no longer as innocent as before.


    shi yi rejected him. ¡°there¡¯s no need to compete. since you were the one who got the ticket, of course you have to go yourself.¡±


    however, xu zhi said firmly, ¡°i promised to give you a ticket to the fashion exhibition, so 1¡¯11 definitely do it. i know that with your temper, you definitely won¡¯t accept it, so let¡¯s compete and rely on abilities to win this ticket.¡±


    shi yi recalled the first time the two of them met. xu zhi said that he would watch shi yi standing on the stage of the international fashion design competition. it turned out that he remembered everything¡­


    shi yi clenched her fists and said firmly, ¡°no need.¡±


    after shi yi finished speaking, she wanted to pull yuan shu away, but xu zhi stopped her. ¡°shi yi, do you not want to compete with me, or do you not dare to design clothes for me?¡±


    xu zhi understood shi yi¡¯s temper, so he provoked shi yi by saying that she didn¡¯t dare to. shi yi turned around and looked at xu zhi, her eyes burning with anger. ¡°alright, let¡¯s compete! but there¡¯s no point in designing clothes for each other. you and 1 are proficient in different things. why don¡¯t we design clothes for others and see whose design is praised more?!¡±


    ¡°okay. who¡¯s your model?¡±


    ¡°my sister-in-law.¡±


    ¡°then i¡¯ll choose my cousin, jiang chen..¡±

 Chapter 290 - Chapter 290: Color Change

    chapter 290: color change


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    ¡°jiang chen?¡±


    upon hearing jiang chen¡¯s name, yuan shu was alarmed. she knew jiang chen¡¯s unscrupulous way of doing things too well. she hadn¡¯t expected him to be involved in this competition as well.


    if yuan shu and jiang chen wore two gowns made from the same fabric, what would the other prominent families think?


    although she and shi xiao were pretending to be distant, they were not divorced after all. if they were misunderstood at this moment, the prominent families would definitely gossip about shi xiao behind his back.


    yuan shu was about to stop her, but it was already too late. shi yi agreed in a fit of pique and said, ¡°alright, the person who loses has to give up on the promotion of new products next season.¡±


    nowadays, clothing trends changed very quickly. if there were no new products in an entire season, everyone would forget about this brand. shi yi had made a big bet this time.


    as wang jiao looked at the two of them, she felt a headache coming on. xu zhi knew how to anger shi yi the best, and shi yi was unwilling to lose in front of xu zhi. the two of them had become arch-rivals. this was completely contrary to her original goal.


    after the discussion, wang jiao stood up to smooth things over. ¡°the banquet will be held the night after tomorrow. the two of you have to hurry up and design. i¡¯ll split the fabric into two and send it to the two of you. on the day of the banquet, i¡¯ll suggest to mr. song that we add a competition segment and everyone will vote. it¡¯ll be up to everyone to decide who among the two of you designed the best gown.¡±


    after saying this, wang jiao patted shi yi and xu zhi¡¯s shoulders with both hands and said earnestly, ¡°the two of you are my best friends and students. no matter which one of you can participate in this design competition, i¡¯ll be very happy, so please design the clothing carefully to show respect to your opponent and this piece of fabric.¡±


    on the way back, yuan shu was worried. after thinking about it, she still felt that it was a bad idea and asked shi yi, ¡°have you seen this material? is it possible to dye this fabric in other colors?¡±


    in a dilemma, shi yi looked at yuan shu and asked, ¡°sister-in-law, why do we have to dye the fabric in other colors? not to mention that this material is very rare, just designing it takes a lot of effort, so dyeing it in other colors will make things even more time-consuming. if 1 can¡¯t finish it before the night after tomorrow, won¡¯t it be equivalent to admitting defeat?¡±


    yuan shu remained silent, since she was right. they didn¡¯t have the time to do this now.


    yuan shu¡¯s request was indeed a bit difficult to fulfill, but as long as it involved jiang chen, yuan shu had to deal with it seriously, since she was worried that she would fall into jiang chen¡¯s trap.


    she knew jiang chen too well. jiang chen was best at defeating his opponents in places that were easily overlooked by others. yuan shu had lost to jiang chen this way many times.


    besides, while yuan shu was familiar with jiang chen, jiang chen also knew her very well, so yuan shu regarded jiang chen as a very formidable opponent.


    just as the two of them were in a dilemma, shi yi suddenly had an idea. ¡°sister-in-law, it might be able to be changed. i remember the texture of that fabric. if i dye this fabric the color of rust, it can accentuate its beauty. moreover, 1 have a design idea now. 1 think changing the color of the fabric is feasible.¡±


    yuan shu was overjoyed.


    after the two of them discussed the details, shi yi and yuan shu went home together. after measuring yuan shu¡¯s figure, they rushed back to the company to make the gown.


    after xu zhi left the wang family¡¯s clothing shop, he didn¡¯t go home or to the company. instead, he went to the jiang family¡¯s villa.


    jiang chen was sitting on the sofa in the big european-style living room and zheng tian was reporting his recent work to him.


    he said in an impassive tone, ¡°we¡¯ve already found clues about mo shu. he went to liu cheng hospital and will go for a follow-up tomorrow.¡±


    jiang chen nodded and said, ¡°don¡¯t make any rash moves yet. if we can find him, others can find him too. let¡¯s see who will come into contact with him tomorrow. the person who comes into contact with him is the person we¡¯re looking for.¡±


    zheng tian was a little worried and said, ¡°but all the famous people will be attending the song family¡¯s banquet tomorrow. i¡¯m afraid that person won¡¯t have the time to look for mo shu.¡±


    jiang chen had forgotten about this..

 Chapter 291 - Chapter 291: Heart

    chapter 291: heart-to-heart discussion


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    jiang chen said, ¡°let¡¯s keep an eye on him first. that person is very meticulous, so he will definitely show up. even if he doesn¡¯t show up in person, he will definitely choose his most capable subordinates. if we can find any clues, we might be able to catch that person.¡±


    zheng tian nodded. after putting away the tablet in his hand, he said, ¡°young master xu is here.¡±


    ¡°let him in. you can leave now.¡±


    zheng tian bowed respectfully and pressed the button to open the door of the jiang family¡¯s villa. after a while, xu zhi walked in.


    xu zhi was still a little reserved when he saw jiang chen. he stood in the living room without saying anything, nor did he sit down.


    jiang chen looked at him with a smile and asked him to sit down. at the same time, he asked a servant to prepare a tea set for him.


    xu zhi straightened his upper body and reported the situation to him. ¡°shi yi has already agreed to participate in the competition. i¡¯ve also given her the fabric.¡±


    jiang chen wasn¡¯t surprised. it was obvious that he knew xu zhi would succeed.


    ¡°as expected, you didn¡¯t disappoint me.¡±


    xu zhi asked in confusion, ¡°cousin, why did you want me to reveal the fact that you are my model to shi yi and yuan shu? aren¡¯t you afraid that yuan shu will become suspicious?¡±


    jiang chen said firmly, ¡°she¡¯ll become suspicious, and she¡¯ll change the color of the cloth.¡±


    xu zhi was surprised. ¡°since you knew that yuan shu would definitely change the color, why did you ask me to tell her about this?¡±


    when he thought of yuan shu, jiang chen¡¯s gaze became gentle. ¡°that¡¯s because yuan shu is very stubborn. you can¡¯t push her too hard. if you push her too hard, you¡¯ll only push her further away. in the end, not only won¡¯t she compromise, but she¡¯ll resist to the end.¡±


    whenever he mentioned yuan shu, jiang chen always talked non-stop. ¡°if she finds out the truth during the banquet, her anger at being used will make her view me with hostility. she will only feel safe if you let her think that she is in control of everything. otherwise, she will make things difficult for herself.¡± it was rare for xu zhi to see such a gentle and interesting side of jiang chen. whenever he talked about yuan shu, it was as if he was talking about a treasure. even the most trifling matters would be recounted with relish.


    ¡°you know her very well,¡± xu zhi said.


    jiang chen started to fiddle with the tea set. while making tea, he said, ¡°the person who understands a person the most is the person who loves her the most. it¡¯s just like how you know how to get shi yi to agree to the competition.¡± xu zhi was silent for a moment.


    he picked up the tea jiang chen handed him and took a sip. after he put down the cup, he said calmly, ¡°cousin, you must love yuan shu very much, right?¡±


    xu zhi thought jiang chen would change the subject, but he said without hesitation, ¡°yes, i love her very much.¡±


    jiang chen¡¯s gaze was frank and straightforward. ¡°i love her more than anyone can imagine. i know her very well, even better than she knows herself.¡±


    jiang chen looked straight at xu zhi. he admired this young man, so he didn¡¯t mind telling xu zhi these things.


    ¡°actually, there are many things that can be abandoned, such as family. no enmity should involve individuals, just like you and shi yi. even if the jiang family and the shi family are against each other, you guys shouldn¡¯t become sacrifices.¡±


    jiang chen¡¯s sinister behavior had always scared xu zhi and he couldn¡¯t even understand jiang chen¡¯s behavior most of the time, but what jiang chen said at this moment touched xu zhi deeply.


    he knew that it was even more difficult for jiang chen and yuan shu than it was for him and shi yi, because yuan shu was already married, but shi yi wasn¡¯t.


    moreover, yuan shu¡¯s feelings for jiang chen were ambiguous.


    jiang chen got up and prepared to go back to his room to rest. before he went upstairs, he said to xu zhi, ¡°design my clothing well. this will be the first time 1 appear in front of the public as jiang chen. i want to give them an unforgettable first impression.¡±


    that night, xu zhi took a long detour on the way back to the company. after he went to almost all the places he had gone to with shi yi and recalled what he had said to shi yi, he was even more certain that his choice was right. as he thought about this, he suddenly had inspiration for the clothing and rushed back to the company to design it.


    the song family¡¯s banquet was held in the most luxurious hotel, the molten hotel. the banquet started at seven in the evening, but people had already arrived one after another since five in the afternoon.


    yuan shu was the first to arrive and arrived at the banquet hall before six o¡¯clock..

 Chapter 292 - Chapter 292: The Banquet Begins

    chapter 292: the banquet begins


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    six o¡¯clock was an awkward time. if she came at this time, she would definitely be watched by the people who came first and would have to interact with people, and she would also be discussed by the people who came later.


    however, yuan shu deliberately chose this time to place herself at the center of attention.


    yuan shu was wearing a rust-colored tube top gown at the banquet. the design of the fishtail skirt accentuated yuan shu¡¯s figure and made her look even more slender. the slit of the skirt made yuan shu¡¯s beautiful legs appear and disappear as she walked, making her look even more charming.


    as soon as yuan shu appeared, she became the center of attention. the men admired her beauty, while the women discussed her gown and her recent marriage with shi xiao.


    many people approached yuan shu with the intention of finding out why she had come alone. yuan shu responded to them politely one by one without showing any displeasure or embarrassment. this made it seem like those who came to inquire were being a little nosy.


    li ci and li ran were early arrivals as well. they sat on the sofa in the corner of the hall and watched the entire situation.


    li ran was wearing a short pink gown today. for the first time, li ci was no longer wearing a black, white, or gray suit. instead, he was wearing a pink suit that matched li ran¡¯s.


    li ci was young to begin with, but he always looked very mature in dull colors. when he was wearing pink, he looked much more eye-catching and there was an androgynous beauty amidst his handsomeness.


    li ran poked li ci¡¯s arm and asked, ¡°uncle, do you think yuan shu is really getting a divorce?¡±


    li ci stared at yuan shu, who was standing in the middle of the hall and exchanging pleasantries with others, and said, ¡°maybe.¡±


    li ran said jokingly, ¡°uncle, don¡¯t you like yuan shu a lot? since she wants a divorce, your chance is here!¡±


    when li ci saw the mischievous expression on li ran¡¯s face, he patted her head and said, ¡°who said 1 like her? i just admire her. there are very few women who are as strong, self-sufficient, and independent.¡±


    this was li ci¡¯s highest evaluation. he rarely praised others.


    li ran couldn¡¯t help but complain, ¡°uncle, how long have you been single for? hurry up and find a girlfriend. even if you¡¯re not anxious, my mother and i are about to die of anxiety!¡±


    li ci scolded her with a smile, ¡°little girl, you even dare to interfere in my affairs?¡±


    just as yuan shu was being discussed by everyone, liu lan arrived in time. she walked to her side and looked at everyone with a fierce expression. then, she said with disdain, ¡°1 thought a gathering of wealthy families would be different, but it turns out that it¡¯s just a gathering of gossipy women.¡±


    someone said in dissatisfaction, ¡°who are you calling gossipy women?¡±


    liu lan said disdainfully, ¡°i¡¯m talking about those gossipy women who like to pry into other people¡¯s business. what does other people¡¯s family matters have to do with you? whether other people get a divorce or not has nothing to do with you. you just have to take good care of your own husband and not divorce him. don¡¯t interfere in other people¡¯s business!¡±


    everyone was furious, but they were in the wronged and could only leave sheepishly.


    at this moment, a woman in a long white dress walked over and raised her skirt to greet the two of them. ¡°madam shi, madam xiao, please don¡¯t be angry. women from noble families are just bored, so they¡¯re curious about everything.¡±


    the woman who spoke had a gentle expression and graceful mannerisms. she was a person who made people feel a sense of pleasure when interacting with her.


    yuan shu didn¡¯t know her, but liu lan recognized her and replied, ¡°so it¡¯s the second daughter of the wang family. your gown is very beautiful and suits you very well.¡±


    so it was wang ying from the wang family.


    yuan shu wasn¡¯t unfamiliar with this name. although wang ying looked gentle, she was a tough person at heart. at a young age, she entered the wang family¡¯s cotton shop to study textile technology. yuan shu heard that her sewing skills were even better than that of a sewing machine. the pins on the clothes she sewed couldn¡¯t be seen even with a magnifying glass.


    it was said that at that time, the wang family wanted to use their connections to send her overseas to study design, but she was unwilling to.


    although the wang family started out in the fabric industry, wang jiao was the only designer in the wang family. wang ying¡¯s talent was rare, so the wang family originally wanted to nurture her, but unfortunately, she didn¡¯t like to design and specialized in craftsmanship, so the wang family gave up..

 Chapter 293 - Chapter 293: Wang Ying

    chapter 293: wang ying


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    wang jiao was her sister, but their personalities were worlds apart. one was gentle on the outside, but tough on the inside, while the other was smart and capable. both sisters were in charge of the wang family¡¯s clothing shop and helped expand it into its current large scale.


    wang ying said politely, ¡°no matter how beautiful it is, it can¡¯t compare to the exquisite dress madam shi is wearing. i heard that my sister got a piece of fabric and sent it to the shi and xu families to design clothes. it¡¯s the one madam shi is wearing, right? i haven¡¯t seen this fabric yet, so i wonder if i can get a closer look?¡±


    she was indeed a fashion fanatic. in order to admire the fabric, she asked so directly.


    although liu lan wasn¡¯t familiar with the wang family, she didn¡¯t hate them as much as she hated those gossipy women from other families. therefore, after wang ying made this request, liu lan didn¡¯t say anything and let yuan shu make the decision.


    yuan shu said politely, ¡°of course. this is the wang family¡¯s fabric.¡±


    after saying that, yuan shu took the initiative to take a step forward. wang ying didn¡¯t touch it and only took a closer look. after looking at it, her eyes couldn¡¯t help but reveal an envious expression.


    ¡°this textile technology is really amazing,¡± she said. ¡°compared to it, my textile technology is far inferior.¡±


    liu lan was surprised. wang ying was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and everyone knew about her outstanding weaving skills. even she said that her skills couldn¡¯t compare to that of yuan shu¡¯s gown, so it could be seen how precious this fabric was.


    wang ying suddenly said, ¡°mrs. shi, this dress should have been white, right? it was dyed rusty red in two days and the design is also so brilliant. it can be seen that this designer is very impressive.¡±


    wang ying¡¯s praise didn¡¯t seem forced or superficial. instead, it was a sincere and heartfelt kind of praise that made people feel very pleased.


    yuan shu said politely, ¡°miss wang, you¡¯re too kind. the designer of the clothes is shi yi and 1 think she¡¯ll be very happy to hear this, but it¡¯s a pity that i don¡¯t know much about fabric and ruined this good dress.¡±


    wang ying shook her head. ¡°no. gorgeous clothes showcase their greatest value when worn by the right person, and you¡¯ve clearly displayed their full value.¡±


    as everyone was discussing fervently, whispers suddenly sounded in their ears.


    everyone began to discuss. ¡°look who that is! it looks like the eldest young master of the jiang family!¡±


    another person said, ¡°are you talking about jiang chen? the young master of the jiang family who never shows his face? oh my god, he never attends such events. we thought that he was an ugly man who didn¡¯t dare to go out, but we didn¡¯t expect him to be so handsome!¡±


    ¡°with his looks, he should be ranked among the top in upper society. he¡¯s even better looking than the three brothers of the shi family!¡±


    yuan shu and the other two looked in the direction of the door as everyone discussed.


    jiang chen appeared in a white oriental suit. his figure was tall and his clothes were well-tailored. there were unique cufflinks on his sleeves, and his pure white clothes made him look even more handsome and elegant.


    it was already dark outside. the crescent moon hung in the dark blue night sky, and jiang chen¡¯s gown, which shone with a layer of silver light under the refraction of the moonlight, was as dazzling as the bright moon under the night sky.


    liu lan had seen mu zhou before, but mu zhou had never dressed so elegantly. moreover, his identity at that time wasn¡¯t jiang chen, so when she saw jiang chen at the door, she looked at yuan shu in surprise and asked, ¡°he¡¯s jiang chen?!¡±


    after yuan shu nodded, everyone was shocked.


    after wang ying took a closer look at jiang chen¡¯s gown, she turned around to look at yuan shu¡¯s clothes. then, she asked with a smile, ¡°if i¡¯m not mistaken, your clothes are made of the same fabric as young master jiang¡¯s clothes, right?¡±


    yuan shu couldn¡¯t help but admire wang ying¡¯s sharp observation skills. she only knew that the other piece of fabric had been delivered to xu zhi, but she could tell that the two clothes were the same piece of fabric just from the texture of the fabric. it was obvious how talented she was.


    yuan shu thought that with wang ying¡¯s strength, if she lived in the ancient era, she would definitely be a high-level tailor who specifically made new clothes for the emperor..

 Chapter 294 - Chapter 294: Appearance

    chapter 294: appearance


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    while everyone was staring at jiang chen, jiang chen suddenly walked toward yuan shu.


    yuan shu was standing in the middle of the hall, which was a very conspicuous place, and she was being discussed by everyone. with someone who was also in the limelight walking toward her at this moment, everyone couldn¡¯t help but look at yuan shu.


    yuan shu wouldn¡¯t have cared if people were just talking about her and might have even chatted with them. however, jiang chen¡¯s approach made her feel uneasy and she even had the urge to avoid him.


    when he saw the panic in yuan shu¡¯s eyes, a complacent smile appeared on jiang chen¡¯s face and he kept walking toward yuan shu. despite how many years had passed, he was still forcing her to a dead end.


    just as jiang chen was getting closer and closer, someone suddenly stopped him.


    song shi was wearing a bright yellow tube top short skirt and her short hair was tucked behind her ear, making her look gorgeous yet capable.


    she held jiang chen¡¯s arm as she said with a smile, ¡°brother jiang chen, you¡¯re finally here. i¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time.¡±


    it turned out that song shi had been watching every move in the private room upstairs and she was the one who secretly instructed the others to make things difficult for yuan shu.


    the moment she saw yuan shu, she was furious. she didn¡¯t understand why the horse didn¡¯t kill yuan shu on the set that day!


    she had deliberately run to the set and declared her sovereignty in front of so many people. she had acted intimate with jiang chen and had even secretly hidden a round-headed nail in the saddle, driving the horse crazy. she had wanted to hurt yuan shu, but unexpectedly, yuan shu escaped unscathed. song shi had smashed papa song¡¯s new antique vase in a fit of anger after hearing the news.


    when song chuan returned home and saw the debris all over the ground, he was furious, but after knowing that it was song shi who had done it, he only punished a few servants and didn¡¯t scold song shi. this emboldened song shi.


    today, song shi and her grandfather, song hong, came to the banquet. their grandeur completely suppressed that of song chuan and her mother, li lin.


    song shi gnashed her teeth in anger when she saw that so many people failed to make things difficult for yuan shu, but when she turned around and saw jiang chen, her focus shifted to jiang chen.


    she found that jiang chen was becoming more and more aloof and arrogant. he was completely different from the previous jiang chen, but this made her even more infatuated with him. now, every time jiang chen appeared, song shi felt even more attracted to him.


    song shi asked the makeup artist to touch up her makeup again, then she hurried to find jiang chen.


    when she found jiang chen was walking toward yuan shu, she became even more anxious, but she ran over and stopped jiang chen in time.


    song shi stretched out her hand in front of jiang chen and said, ¡°today¡¯s banquet is to celebrate my return to the country. do you have any gifts for me?¡± jiang chen didn¡¯t want to embarrass song shi in public. after all, he would have to work with the song family in the future, and song shi was the most precious person to the song family¡¯s old master. if song shi was unhappy, it would be equivalent to angering the song family¡¯s old master.


    therefore, jiang chen stopped and showed a polite yet distant smile. ¡°your gift is ready. i¡¯ll ask zheng tian to send it to your house. you can take a look at it when you get back.¡±


    his smile made many single young ladies gasp. they couldn¡¯t help but swoon over how handsome this man was. he was simply a homme fatale!


    hearing this, song shi smiled sweetly and deliberately leaned closer to jiang chen as she said in a hoarse voice, ¡°you¡¯re so annoying. why are you being so mysterious when you¡¯re just giving me a gift? 1 want to see it now.¡±


    jiang chen frowned slightly, and a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes. he didn¡¯t answer song shi¡¯s question. just as he was about to walk forward, he found that yuan shu was no longer there.


    that made sense. song shi was the protagonist of the banquet today. since the protagonist had already appeared, she naturally had to give up the limelight. yuan shu took advantage of their flirting to leave the crowd¡¯s sight and hide elsewhere.


    as for the others, they took the initiative to come up and exchange pleasantries. the hall became lively again.


    someone leaned closer and said, ¡°congratulations on returning to the country, miss song. you became even more beautiful after this trip. your clothes are also fashionable and gorgeous. you¡¯re not someone we can compare to.¡±


    when the others heard her belittling them and praising song shi, they secretly glared at the person who spoke and decided to ostracize her..

 Chapter 295 - Chapter 295: Exposed

    chapter 295: exposed


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    the person who was squeezed out was chen lu. seeing that she could no longer squeeze in, she stomped her feet angrily and turned to look for her brother, chen chen.


    just as everyone was flattering song shi, shi xiao and the three siblings of the shi family appeared at the door at the same time. the combination of handsome men and a beautiful woman was very eye-catching, causing everyone to look over and they couldn¡¯t help but marvel at how good the genes of the shi family were. the men were handsome, and the woman was beautiful. every one of them was dazzling.


    although the three men were all wearing black suits, they were all different.


    shi xiao¡¯s black suit was embroidered with rust-colored dark patterns. if one didn¡¯t look carefully, they wouldn¡¯t be able to tell that it was red. however, if one could see the details, one would realize that this suit matched yuan shu¡¯s gown. there was also a pure gold brooch in his chest pocket that matched the one on yuan shu¡¯s neck.


    shi lu was dressed very ostentatiously. he was wearing a rose-red shirt under his black suit jacket. the vibrant color accentuated shi lu¡¯s confidence and charm.


    as for shi bin, he was much more low-key. he was wearing a slick black suit, a white shirt, and a black bow tie. many girls couldn¡¯t help but take a second look at him.


    shi yi was wearing a white fishtail gown. the one-shouldered design revealed her sexy collarbones and the bubble sleeves were stylish. she looked gorgeous and confident.


    the four of them appearing at the same time made yuan shu look even more like an outsider who was isolated by the shi family. the rumors about her and shi xiao being in a fight seemed more and more convincing.


    although shi lu, shi yi, and shi bin had been informed by shi xiao in advance that they had to maintain a distance from yuan shu at the banquet, they couldn¡¯t help but look in yuan shu¡¯s direction.


    yuan shu gave them a silent look as a greeting. after receiving a response, the three of them walked into the venue and chatted with the others.


    the few of them had their own social circles and quickly mixed in with the crowd at the banquet.


    shi yi looked around and saw chen lu. when chen lu saw shi yi, her gaze became resentful, but she quickly avoided shi yi¡¯s gaze. chen chen, who was beside her, nodded and greeted shi yi.


    then, chen chen led chen lu to the sofa booth where li ci and li ran were sitting. after they sat opposite them, the waiter served them red wine.


    after li ci exchanged a few words with the waiter, the waiter changed li ran¡¯s white wine.


    the few of them chatted happily.


    shi yi was puzzled. she remembered that chen chen ran a software company. he was usually busy in the company and rarely appeared at such events, so how did he know li ci?


    this scene was also seen by shi xiao. he actually took the initiative to walk towards them and sat down beside li ci.


    shi yi wanted to continue watching when a glass of wine was suddenly handed to her. she looked up and realized that it was xu zhi.


    after shi yi took the wine, xu zhi strode over to stand beside her. then, the two of them leaned against the wall and started chatting.


    xu zhi said, ¡°your design is great.¡±


    shi yi didn¡¯t look at him. instead, she was admiring jiang chen¡¯s suit. ¡°you don¡¯t seem surprised that i dyed the fabric red.¡±


    xu zhi smiled and said, ¡°you¡¯re not a rule follower. you¡¯re a girl who can always surprise people. it¡¯s the same this time.¡±


    shi yi gripped the wine glass in her hand and bit her lower lip. after a long time, she said, ¡°actually, you don¡¯t know me very well.¡±


    after she finished the wine in her glass, she said, ¡°the clothes you designed aren¡¯t bad either. i¡¯m looking forward to the outcome of this showdown.¡± with that, she placed the empty glass on the small table beside her and turned to look for shi bin.


    as xu zhi looked in the direction shi yi left in, he sighed. shi yi was like a hedgehog with thorns all over her body now. she was filled with hostility towards everything around her, which made xu zhi¡¯s heart ache.


    shi bin and tan zhao were fawning over wei ci when shi yi pulled them away to accompany her.


    as for shi lu, he was considered an anomaly. he was in the entertainment industry, which wealthy families despised the most, so there were very few people who socialized with him. on such occasions, he would usually find some good wine and hide in a corner where there were few people to drink.


    he was enjoying wine on the hotel¡¯s open-air balcony when a person walked over and stood beside him. her left hand was on the balcony, and her right hand was holding a non-alcoholic drink.


    ¡°do you mind if there¡¯s one more person here?¡±

 Chapter 296 - Chapter 296: Friend

    chapter 296: friend


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    half of shi lu¡¯s body was leaning against the marble railing of the balcony. he tilted his head to look at the person who had arrived. wearing a long white dress and with her gentle appearance, she looked out of place.


    he smiled and said, ¡°wang ying, it¡¯s you again.¡±


    wang ying reached out to take the wine beside shi lu¡¯s hand, but shi lu dodged her. after he turned around and leaned his back against the balcony, he propped up half of his body on the marble railing and said, ¡°you never drink, so why did you snatch my wine?¡±


    wang ying imitated his posture and leaned back. then, she raised her head slightly to look at the sky of the city. there wasn¡¯t even a single star, only darkness.


    ¡°alcohol numbs people¡¯s nerves and affect my hands, so 1 won¡¯t be able to make the best embroidery if 1 drink.¡± after wang ying paused, she added, ¡°but today, 1 want to experience what it feels like to be drunk.¡±


    shi lu turned to look at her and asked, ¡°why did you come to this banquet?¡±


    wang ying rarely attended any banquets. everyone said that wang ying was a nerd who only knew how to embroider.


    therefore, she was also an anomaly, like shi lu.


    wang ying asked, ¡°then why are you here?¡±


    shi lu laughed self-deprecatingly. ¡°i¡¯ve never been absent from any upper society events.¡±


    shi lu was born before his mother married into the shi family, so he was treated as an illegitimate child of the shi family and had never been acknowledged by the shi family. therefore, he insisted on attending all the banquets, since he wanted everyone to know that there was a child called shi lu in the shi family. later on, it was yuan shu who gave shi lu a legitimate status and everyone started to value him.


    wang ying pretended to be relaxed and said, ¡°i heard from my sister that a piece of good fabric will appear at the banquet, so i¡¯m here to look at the fabric.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t believe you.¡± shi lu said with certainty.


    after a moment of silence, wang ying said in a dispirited tone, ¡°i found out about a family¡¯s secret and find it hard to accept, so i wanted to see how you survive in this place.¡±


    shi lu smiled flippantly. ¡°so you¡¯re here to see me.¡±


    wang ying pretended to be angry and scolded, ¡°how narcissistic.¡± however, she was obviously in a better mood.


    the two of them didn¡¯t say anything else and simply stood on the balcony silently as each other¡¯s companion. at this moment, the room was noisy, but they hid in the dark to console each other.


    on the other side, shi xiao sat down beside li ci. he had a smile on his face, but his gaze was cold as he probed, ¡°i didn¡¯t know you were interested in software companies.¡±


    shi xiao and li ci were business partners for many years. the two of them helped each other and had a mutually beneficial relationship.


    however, shi xiao felt that li ci seemed to want to end this relationship and his ambition had already expanded. what the shi family could give him could no longer satisfy his ambition.


    it didn¡¯t feel good to be betrayed by an ally.


    however, shi xiao couldn¡¯t do anything to li ci. after ail, li ci had the support of the political world, so shi xiao had scruples.


    li ci didn¡¯t intend to hide it and said, ¡°since gao shan left, i have to invest my money in another company. chen chen¡¯s software company has potential to develop, so i¡¯m quite optimistic about it.¡±


    shi xiao swirled his wine glass and said aloofly, ¡°oh, i heard that a while ago, chen chen¡¯s software company was officially renamed stars software company and listed on the market. congratulations.¡±


    with that, shi xiao raised his glass to toast chen chen. chen chen also raised his glass politely in return. ¡°compared to the shi corporation¡¯s software, we¡¯re still far behind. i heard that yuan an is preparing to go public. how¡¯s the preparation going?¡±


    shi xiao clinked glasses with chen chen, but didn¡¯t drink the wine in it. it was obvious that he was trying to embarrass chen chen.


    he frowned slightly, as if he was very troubled. ¡°there¡¯s still room for improvement regarding technology. i¡¯m adjusting it.¡±


    after saying that, the few of them didn¡¯t speak. there was tension in the air, and everyone¡¯s words were filled with probing and aggression.


    finally, chen chen put down the wine glass that he had finished and stood up as he said, ¡°i¡¯m going over there to say hello to some people. 1 won¡¯t accompany you guys anymore.¡±


    then, he pulled chen lu away, leaving only shi xiao, li ci, and li ran.


    after the outsider left, shi xiao became even more straightforward and asked directly, ¡°brother li, do you want to end the cooperation?¡±


    the two of them were once friends who knew each other very well. at this moment, there was no need to pretend anymore. li ci said indifferently, ¡°1 think you know very well that our cooperation is lacking in sincerity..¡±

 Chapter 297 - Chapter 297: The Banquet Begins

    chapter 297: the banquet begins


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    shi xiao sneered. ¡°oh really? how so?¡±


    li ci decided to lay her cards on the table. ¡°what do you think? when yuan an company was in trouble, 1 helped with all my might, but once yuan an gained a foothold, what did you do?¡±


    after the incident at yuan an company, yuan shu had once reorganized the employees of yuan an company. it took almost an entire round of reshuffling to ensure that there were no longer any problems in yuan an.


    on the other hand, shi xiao still felt that yuan shu was too soft-hearted. after he returned, he quickly fired most of the old employees who had no problems, just because those old employees had some sort of tie to li ci.


    from this moment on, the two of them seemed to have completely declared war and turned hostile. shi xiao did this because he hoped that yuan an corporation would be completely under his control, even if this would hurt li ci¡¯s pride.


    li ci had never been a cowardly person. since someone dared to challenge him, he would kick this person away first!


    shi xiao¡¯s hostility was already so obvious, so of course, li ci had to develop another faction. chen chen was the next person he chose to use.


    with the chen family¡¯s strength, they weren¡¯t on par with li ci at all, so li ci became the person who secretly controlled the chen family¡¯s software company.


    as li ran watched their conversation from the side, she couldn¡¯t help but feel shocked. she originally thought that li ci and shi xiao were friends, but she didn¡¯t expect them to fall out so easily in the face of benefits.


    shi xiao sneered. his suspicion was right.


    he looked at li ci with a sharp gaze and asked, ¡°why don¡¯t we have a frank chat? do you have anything to do with what happened behind a city?¡±


    yes, shi xiao suspected that the mastermind was none other than li ci!


    li ci sneered, but didn¡¯t answer directly. he didn¡¯t say yes or no. he just looked at shi xiao and asked indifferently, ¡°what do you think?¡±


    after saying that, li ci raised his wine glass and gently clinked it with shi xiao¡¯s. then, he drank it in one gulp. ¡°the banquet is about to begin. the protagonist has already appeared.¡±


    after saying that, the two of them looked up at the high platform on the second floor.


    the song family¡¯s old master, song hong, stood at the stairs on the second floor. his black and white mixed hair was combed neatly, and he looked at everyone with a dignified gaze. behind him stood song chuan and li lin. because they lived under the old master¡¯s control all year round, the song family¡¯s parents¡¯ eyes were filled with respect.


    the xiao family was neutral to begin with, so they didn¡¯t need these meaningless social interactions. therefore, xiao sheng asked liu lan to come alone today and would pick her up after the banquet.


    liu lan had been by yuan shu¡¯s side the entire time. when she saw this scene, she explained to her, ¡°the head of the song family has always been old master song. old master song is a top figure in the academic world. everyone has to show respect when they see him. old master song receives more than a hundred university lecture invitations every year, but old master song only chooses to give lectures at the top universities near a city.¡±


    yuan shu observed old master song carefully. he was in his sixties, but his body was still so sturdy. his eyes had a dignified and intimidating look in them. no wonder he could control the entire song family and make everyone listen to him.


    the others stopped their discussion and gathered in the center while waiting for song hong to speak.


    song hong stood on the raised platform on the second floor. after scanning the area, he looked at a certain place. it was obvious that he was looking for someone.


    song shi stopped smiling when she saw song hong¡¯s gaze. then, she took jiang chen¡¯s arm and led him to the second floor.


    they stopped in front of the old man and said respectfully, ¡°grandpa.¡±


    after the old man gave them a cold and arrogant look, his gaze lingered on jiang chen, who was standing next to song shi, for a few seconds. then, he looked back at the crowd.


    after song shi took jiang chen¡¯s hand, she stood in front of song chuan and li lin.


    this position shocked everyone. it was obvious that song shi¡¯s status in the song family far exceeded song chuan¡¯s.


    old master song cleared his throat and said, ¡°i invited everyone to the banquet today to celebrate the return of my granddaughter, song shi.¡±


    actually, song shi had been back for three months already. the reason they held this gala today was to pave the way for song shi¡¯s future development in a city. they wanted everyone to know that song shi had returned and that the song family valued song shi. then, those who wanted to curry favor with the song family would curry favor with song shi first. it was indeed a brilliant


    move..

 Chapter 298 - Chapter 298: Engagement

    chapter 298: engagement


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    old master song was old, but his imposing aura still made young people look up to him.


    seeing this old man, yuan shu couldn¡¯t help but think of her father. if he was still alive, his might wouldn¡¯t be inferior to this old man¡¯s.


    yuan shu was lost in her thoughts when the old master suddenly announced a piece of news that caused an uproar.


    the old man said, ¡°i¡¯d like to announce a piece of good news to everyone. today¡¯s banquet is not only to welcome my granddaughter back to the country, but also to announce song shi and jiang chen¡¯s engagement!¡±


    everyone was shocked, including jiang chen himself.


    song shi looked at jiang chen with a shy smile. one could tell what was on her mind from her bashful expression.


    jiang chen, on the other hand, looked at old master song¡¯s back in shock. then he looked at yuan shu, who was standing below. his eyes were full of disbelief.


    at that moment, jiang chen even wanted to rush downstairs and tell yuan shu that it was all a lie.


    however, yuan shu¡¯s expression was calm, as if she didn¡¯t care.


    song chuan also saw jiang chen¡¯s reaction at this moment, so he took a step behind him. when no one could see him, he lowered his head and said to jiang chen, ¡°don¡¯t be rash. do you want all our years of planning to be ruined at this moment?¡±


    jiang chen gnashed his teeth and finally suppressed the urge to rush downstairs. the banquet began amidst the congratulations of the crowd. after the song family took jiang chen downstairs, everyone crowded around them and congratulated them.


    song shi was obviously very happy, but in comparison, the smile on jiang chen¡¯s face seemed forced, as if he was trying to brush off the people in front of him. at the same time, he couldn¡¯t help but look for yuan shu. everything that had happened today was like a joke.


    today¡¯s protagonist wasn¡¯t yuan shu, so yuan shu stood in a corner silently as she watched this farce.


    this was the first time she had seen such a shocked expression on jiang chen¡¯s face. he always looked as if victory was in his grasp, as if nothing could stop him. however, he probably hadn¡¯t expected song shi to like him so much that she even asked her grandfather to forcibly publicize their relationship.


    however, song shi didn¡¯t know jiang chen well.


    jiang chen hated it the most when people arranged things for him. this was his bottom line. once someone crossed the line, he would definitely make that person pay tenfold.


    yuan shu still remembered that one year, the chancellor had proposed to the emperor that jiang chen marry his daughter, and the emperor had agreed. at that time, although jiang chen agreed in front of the emperor, he was very dissatisfied. later on, he spread the news that the chancellor¡¯s daughter had slept with someone else and got pregnant, then the marriage was canceled. his reputation improved as a result, and the emperor even rewarded him.


    that was jiang chen¡¯s strength. no matter what he did, he would always benefit in the end.


    li ci narrowed her eyes when she heard the news. the song family and the li family had always been on good terms because they were both families in the political circle. however, once song shi married jiang chen, the song family would definitely side with jiang chen. this would undoubtedly be a great help to jiang chen.


    the shi family and the jiang family were currently in opposition. once the jiang family and the song family established a marital alliance, the stalemate between the shi and jiang families would be changed. the shi family would definitely be at a disadvantage.


    li ci didn¡¯t care about the conflict between the two families, but li ci didn¡¯t want to see the power dynamic in a city change. once one family dominated, it would be difficult for him to fish in troubled waters.


    at this moment, li ci received a message. his subordinate said that the person sent to find mo shu had returned. mo shu¡¯s condition was that if li ci could bring zhang ping to justice and return the program code that belonged to mo shu, mo shu would be willing to cooperate.


    li ci gripped her phone tightly. mo shu was quite greedy. zhang ping was tan jing¡¯s capable subordinate, so in this kind of situation, tan jing would definitely protect zhang ping very well. since mo shu couldn¡¯t find a breakthrough, he actually had designs on him.


    although li ci was dissatisfied, he knew that only with zhou liu and mo shu¡¯s help could he create the most powerful software and not be restricted by the shi family.


    therefore, he was determined to recruit these two people!

 Chapter 299 - Chapter 299: Cooperation

    chapter 299: cooperation


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    as li ci was thinking about it, he suddenly received another message on his phone. [i¡¯m being followed by zhao cheng from the shi family and zheng tian from the jiang family.]


    after li ci put away his phone, he glanced at shi xiao and jiang chen calmly. as expected, when yuan shu was involved, the two of them would interfere. however, he didn¡¯t know how stable the alliance over a woman would be.


    at the same time, shi xiao and jiang chen looked in li ci¡¯s direction. they had both received the news. ¡°he has been caught by li ci¡¯s subordinate.¡±


    although he had expected this, shi xiao was still a little surprised. how did li ci slowly develop his faction to become so powerful under their noses?


    after planning for so long, li ci didn¡¯t intend to hide it anymore. he looked at the two of them provocatively, as if he was saying, ¡°let me see how capable the two of you are.¡±


    at this moment, the banquet was almost over. old master song said to everyone, ¡°thank you all for coming to the song family¡¯s banquet today. there¡¯s still one last segment. i hope everyone can participate.¡±


    everyone asked cooperatively, ¡°what segment is it?¡±


    ¡°everyone knows that the shi and xu families have two designers, shi yi and xu zhi. two people are wearing these two designers¡¯ designs today. i¡¯ve been asked to hold a competition for them. i hope everyone can vote for your favorite designs fairly.¡±


    as old master song spoke, a waiter walked into the hall with a tray filled with red roses.


    old master song continued, ¡°these two models are the wife of the shi family¡¯s eldest son, yuan shu, and my grandson-in-law, jiang chen. 1 hope everyone can observe their outfits carefully and vote. every rose here represents one vote, and the person who wins the most roses will win. the person who commissioned me to organize the competition has a ticket to next year¡¯s international fashion design competition. this ticket will be awarded to the winner.¡±


    everyone here watched fashion design exhibitions often, so of course they knew the significance of the international fashion design competition to a designer. it could be said to determine the development of a designer¡¯s career. they immediately felt that the roses in their hands had become extremely important.


    old master song said, ¡°let¡¯s invite the two models to the front now.¡±


    yuan shu didn¡¯t expect the old man to be so high profile. yuan shu didn¡¯t like to attract too much attention.


    she sighed helplessly before walking forward silently under everyone¡¯s gaze.


    if old master song hadn¡¯t just announced that jiang chen was his future grandson-in-law, people would have been gossiping about jiang chen and yuan shu¡¯s matching outfits, and whether there was any deeper meaning behind it.


    a publicity stunt had been jiang chen¡¯s plan all along, but old master song¡¯s unexpected action changed all of his plans.


    there was a high platform at the front of the hall. when jiang chen walked to the front of the platform, he reached out his hand to help yuan shu up, but after yuan shu glanced at him, she dodged his hand. she lifted her skirt and walked up to the platform quietly. jiang chen withdrew his hand, but song shi saw this scene and was so angry that she gritted her teeth.


    the crowd started voting. after half an hour passed, all the votes had been cast. the waiter walked forward and began to check the number of roses around yuan shu and jiang chen. finally, he reported the results to old master song.


    old master song looked at the crowd. then, under everyone¡¯s expectant gazes, he revealed an ambiguous smile and said, ¡°unfortunately, there¡¯s no winner or loser in this competition.¡±


    he deliberately paused to let everyone start whispering to each other in confusion. then, he raised his hand to silence everyone. ¡°the result of today¡¯s competition is a draw!¡±


    more discussion followed.


    someone objected, ¡°if it¡¯s a draw, which of the two designers will participate in the competition?¡±


    the old man laughed heartily as he said, ¡°the two designers are both very outstanding, so of course, they have to participate in the competition together. since there¡¯s only one ticket, the song family is willing to provide another ticket so that the two outstanding designers can participate in next year¡¯s competition.¡±


    as expected of the song family. the admission ticket to a world-class designer¡¯s competition wasn¡¯t something that could be obtained so easily. however, old master song spoke very confidently, as if he could get it with a flick of his finger..

 Chapter 300 - Chapter 300: Fight

    chapter 300: fight


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    everyone couldn¡¯t help but have a new assessment of the song family¡¯s strength. even if the song family kept a low profile and never appeared in a city, the song family wasn¡¯t a prominent family whose strength could be ignored.


    actually, to be fair, the number of votes should have been announced publicly, but old master song deliberately kept it a secret and only announced the final results to attract everyone¡¯s suspicion.


    however, yuan shu couldn¡¯t help but admire the old man¡¯s shrewdness. no one dared to object to what he had done. moreover, his actions would make everyone understand the power of the song family. at the same time, it would also make the shi family and the jiang family suspicious of each other. they would suspect that perhaps old master song was biased toward jiang chen and in fact, jiang chen didn¡¯t have that many votes at all. or, perhaps it was really a draw.


    the reason why no one guessed that he was biased towards the shi family was because even the previous three generations of the shi and song families had nothing to do with each other.


    what a brilliant method.


    after the banquet ended, old master song left. then, the others left one after another as well. yuan shu was about to leave when she was suddenly stopped.


    liu lan, who followed beside her, looked at the person impatiently. just as she was about to scold the person, she realized that this person was song shi.


    at an event the song family held, it wasn¡¯t appropriate to scold the host, so liu lan suppressed her anger and asked with a frown, ¡°1 wonder why you¡¯re stopping us, miss song?¡±


    song shi¡¯s attitude was very rude. after she glanced at liu lan, she gestured at yuan shu with her chin as she said disdainfully, ¡°this is between her and me. stay away.¡±


    liu lan was so angry that she laughed. no one had dared to speak to her so arrogantly in her lifetime. she stood in front of yuan shu as she said, ¡°what if 1 don¡¯t let you?¡±


    song shi said rudely, ¡°then don¡¯t blame me for attacking.¡± after saying that, she clenched her fists and raised her hand, preparing to fight.


    song shi had practiced taekwondo before and even three burly men were no match for her, but she actually planned to attack a weak woman here. wasn¡¯t she afraid of her reputation being ruined?


    just as song shi was about to attack, yuan shu said, ¡°stop.¡±


    the breeze blew the hair at yuan shu¡¯s temples, and the ends of her hair brushed past her almond-shaped eyes, instantly giving her a formidable aura that suppressed song shi¡¯s.


    after yuan shu pulled liu lan behind her, she looked at song shi coldly. ¡°what are you trying to do?¡±


    song shi was frightened by her gaze, but she still pretended to be tough as she said, ¡°of course i want to teach you a lesson. don¡¯t be so greedy. stay away from other people¡¯s boyfriends.¡±


    not to mention that jiang chen had no interest in song shi, yuan shu disdained snatching jiang chen from her. however, yuan shu¡¯s anger was also aroused at this moment and she wanted to give song shi a hard time, so she looked at song shi coldly and said, ¡°what if 1 refuse?¡±


    song shi was at a loss for words. she didn¡¯t expect that yuan shu refused to back down at such a time. instead, she seemed determined to snatch jiang chen from her. song shi was speechless for a moment.


    yuan shu looked at her as she said, ¡°today is the song family¡¯s banquet. are you sure you want to fight under such circumstances? don¡¯t go too far. it¡¯s not easy for the old man to support such a big family.¡±


    yuan shu was originally trying to persuade song shi out of goodwill, but song shi was completely enraged when she heard the words ¡°old master¡±.


    song shi clenched her fists and assumed an attacking posture. then, she raised her hand and slashed at yuan shu.


    she had learned taekwondo before. the strength of her attack could shatter five wooden planks. therefore, she didn¡¯t expect yuan shu to have the strength to fight back.


    she approached yuan shu¡¯s shoulder confidently. the wind from her palm even lifted yuan shu¡¯s hair. if this palm landed on her body, even if it didn¡¯t break her bones, it would dislocate them!


    however, yuan shu looked at her calmly and said, ¡°too slow.¡± then, she dodged the palm and brushed past yuan shu¡¯s chest.


    after yuan shu dodged the palm, she quickly took out a whip from her waist and whipped song shi¡¯s wrist before wrapping it around song shi¡¯s wrist in one go-


    liu lan was stunned. she originally thought that yuan shu¡¯s waist was a decorative belt, but she didn¡¯t expect it to be her whip¡­


    liu lan couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°her whip really doesn¡¯t leave her side. she wears it 24/7.¡±


    liu lan, who originally wanted to protect yuan shu, was relieved. she had almost forgotten how powerful yuan shu¡¯s whip was. back then, when shi yi smashed xu lang¡¯s shop and was chased by the security guards, yuan shu had single-handedly defended her.


    at the thought of this, liu lan stood at the side with her arms crossed and watched quietly..

 Chapter 301 - Chapter 301: Embarrassed

    chapter 301: embarrassed


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    after being hit, song shi turned to look at yuan shu in shock and cursed, ¡°you¡¯re indeed a sinister person. you actually dare to use a weapon!¡±


    originally, there was no need for yuan shu to compete with her, but since song shi wanted to fight, yuan shu reluctantly decided to teach her a lesson.


    song shi still wanted to attack, but her wrist was entangled and she couldn¡¯t break free at all. she roared, ¡°despicable person, let go of me if you have the guts. let¡¯s fight bare-handed!¡±


    liu lan couldn¡¯t stand song shi¡¯s unreasonableness and interrupted, ¡°you¡¯ve learned taekwondo before, so aren¡¯t you being despicable by requesting to fight with bare hands?¡±


    song shi didn¡¯t speak, but her expression was ugly.


    yuan shu sneered. she didn¡¯t take song shi seriously at all and said, ¡°since you say so, 1¡¯11 make you admit defeat.¡±


    yuan shu retracted the whip and wrapped it around her waist again. at the same time, she kicked the hem of her dress with her right foot and grabbed it with her left hand to pin it to her waist. a fishtail dress that reached the ground instantly turned into a sexy short skirt that wrapped around her hips, revealing a pair of fair and slender legs.


    as soon as song shi¡¯s hand was released, she immediately raised her leg and swept it at yuan shu.


    yuan shu was wearing 7cm black high heels, but it didn¡¯t affect her walking at all. she dodged song shi¡¯s attacks easily every time.


    song shi raised her leg high and kicked it down, but yuan shu dodged to the side and even struck her thigh. song shi¡¯s face contorted in pain. then, she slashed at yuan shu with her bare hand, her palm bringing wind towards yuan shu¡¯s neck.


    yuan shu quickly bent back to avoid her hand. then, she raised her knee and pressed it against song shi¡¯s abdomen.


    song shi bent down in pain. then, yuan shu stood up straight and raised her hand to smack song shi¡¯s shoulder.


    after song shi was suddenly attacked in two places, she lost her balance and fell backward. just as she was about to fall to the ground, yuan shu grabbed her wrist and held her firmly. at this moment, the other guests stopped leaving the venue. as they stood at the door and watched the battle, they couldn¡¯t help but clap and cheer from time to time.


    yuan shu lowered her skirt elegantly and looked at song shi as she said calmly, ¡°you lost.¡±


    song shi felt that she had been humiliated and was about to attack again when she was stopped by a stern shout. ¡°stop!¡±


    song shi turned around and looked at the person who had come. this person was her father, song chuan. her mother, li lin, pulled song shi to the side with heartache.


    song chuan said politely to everyone present, ¡°i¡¯m sorry for this farce. this is just a competition between young people. the competition is over now. the cars are already waiting at the door, so please leave.¡±


    song chuan¡¯s last sentence was very blunt, so the people who wanted to stay and watch the show had no choice but to leave.


    yuan shu had no intention of staying and was about to leave.


    song chuan suddenly stopped her. ¡°mrs. shi, please wait.¡±


    yuan shu stood there calmly and looked at him as she asked coldly, ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    song chuan said, ¡°it¡¯s just a competition, so aren¡¯t you being too heavy-handed?¡±


    so he planned to settle scores.


    liu lan sneered. ¡°everyone saw it for themselves. at the last moment, yuan shu stopped and held song shi back. if she was heavy-handed, your daughter would be on the ground now, instead of standing here.¡±


    song chuan frowned. he had long known that liu lan had a fiery temper, but he didn¡¯t expect her to be so eloquent as well. she refused to give in at all.


    as for yuan shu, song chuan had heard that shi xiao had married a capable wife. he originally thought that she was just an impetuous woman from an ordinary family. today, he realized that her temperament and appearance weren¡¯t inferior to song shi¡¯s at all. even her martial arts skills were so impressive.


    li lin said in dissatisfaction, ¡°don¡¯t you know that a guest should suit the convenience of the host? you came to our venue, but still dare to be so arrogant. aren¡¯t you a little too rude?!¡±


    yuan shu didn¡¯t expect the song family to be so unreasonable. she couldn¡¯t take it anymore and asked, ¡°then, mrs. song, what is your definition of being polite? should i have just stood there and waited for song shi to attack me? or is the song family¡¯s way of entertaining guests to let them stand there and wait to get beaten?¡±


    li lin was speechless and could only glare at yuan shu angrily.


    at this moment, a man spoke from behind yuan shu. his voice was mocking, cold, and threatening. ¡°so the song family¡¯s way of disciplining their daughter is to teach her how to be unreasonable..¡±

 Chapter 302 - Chapter 302: Protective

    chapter 302: protective


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    yuan shu didn¡¯t need to turn around to know that this person was shi xiao, but hadn¡¯t he already left? why did he come back? if he stood up for her, wouldn¡¯t others know that their fight was fake?


    as expected, song chuan said, ¡°1 didn¡¯t expect the young master and madam of the shi family to put on such a convincing act. outsiders thought that you two were on bad terms and were settling the divorce. it turns out that it was just a show.¡±


    shi xiao walked over and wrapped his arm around yuan shu¡¯s waist gently. then, he looked at yuan shu affectionately and said, ¡°it¡¯s just a little fun between husband and wife. does the song family plan to probe about these things? isn¡¯t the song family being too nosy? or does the song family want to interfere in my family¡¯s matters?¡±


    after saying the last sentence, shi xiao¡¯s expression suddenly changed and he looked towards song chuan coldly.


    song chuan was stunned and didn¡¯t say anything else.


    seeing that song chuan was at a disadvantage, song shi was about to go crazy and she shouted at song chuan, ¡°if you have the ability, detain him. what shi family? we¡¯re not afraid of them. if grandpa was here, they definitely wouldn¡¯t have the guts to make a fuss!¡±


    song chuan finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore and slapped song shi¡¯s face.


    everyone present was shocked, and li lin took a step back in fear.


    song shi looked at song chuan in shock. ¡°ever since 1 was young, even grandpa couldn¡¯t bear to hit me. how dare you hit me?! just you wait!¡±


    as she spoke, song shi ran to the second floor. needless to say, she must be planning to complain to the old master.


    yuan shu looked coldly in the direction she left in. it seemed that song chuan had no say in the song family at all. everything in the song family was under old master song¡¯s control.


    however, gender bias was deeply ingrained in prominent families, so why would the old man ignore his son and value his granddaughter instead? moreover, song shi didn¡¯t respect her father at all.


    while the crowd was in a deadlock, jiang chen stopped song shi and walked down from the second floor. he looked at the crowd and said, ¡°this is song shi¡¯s problem. i¡¯m sorry to disturb you. i¡¯ll send a gift on behalf of the song family to apologize. i hope young master shi and miss yuan can forget what happened tonight.¡±


    miss yuan? shi xiao couldn¡¯t help but frown at him.


    yuan shu also looked at jiang chen with a complicated expression while trying to understand the purpose behind jiang chen¡¯s action.


    she looked at jiang chen, but jiang chen avoided her gaze and left with song chuan.


    yuan shu and shi xiao looked at each other. they could tell that there was something fishy about jiang chen and song chuan¡¯s relationship, but they didn¡¯t say anything else and left the banquet together.


    they originally wanted to send liu lan home before going back, but liu lan said that her husband was coming to pick her up, so yuan shu and the others accompanied liu lan to wait for xiao sheng before going home.


    on the way back, liu lan told xiao sheng what had happened today and asked curiously, ¡°why did song shi dare to speak to song chuan like this? she doesn¡¯t have any respect for song chuan at all. this isn¡¯t how a daughter should interact with her father.¡±


    xiao sheng focused on the road ahead as he said, ¡°perhaps old master song allows it. song chuan is old master song¡¯s illegitimate son and was only brought back to the song family after old master song¡¯s biological son passed away, so old master song has always had objections about him. old master song even suspects that song chuan was the one who caused the accident.¡±


    upon hearing this, liu lan was even more curious. ¡°then why does he value song chuan¡¯s daughter, song shi, so much?¡±


    xiao sheng shook his head and asked her with a smile, ¡°haven¡¯t you never been interested in the secrets of wealthy families? why are you suddenly so curious today?¡±


    liu lan was as docile as a little white rabbit in front of xiao sheng. she pursed her lips and said, ¡°it¡¯s all because she bullied yuan shu.¡±


    xiao sheng asked with jealousy, ¡°if yuan shu and i fell into the water at the same time, who will you save first?¡±


    liu lan turned around seriously and looked at xiao sheng¡¯s side profile as she replied, ¡°of course i¡¯ll save you! because yuan shu wouldn¡¯t be so stupid as to fall into the water.¡±


    xiao sheng was speechless.


    she might as well not have answered.


    as yuan shu and shi xiao sat in the backseat of the car together, the shadows cast by the street lamps changed rapidly on them.


    yuan shu reminded him, ¡°why did you suddenly stand up for me today? you know that we¡¯re still putting on an act.¡±


    shi xiao said confidently, ¡°i already know who the mastermind is, so i don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need to continue acting.¡±


    ¡°who is it?¡± yuan shu looked at shi xiao as she asked.


    ¡°li ci..¡±

 Chapter 303 - Chapter 303: Faction

    chapter 303: faction


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    this was a little surprising.


    yuan shu had also suspected li ci, but li ci was too close to them, so every move he made was under their noses. yuan shu found it difficult to believe that he was able to do so many things behind their backs.


    on the other hand, because she used to have a close relationship with li ci and he was a rare friend that yuan shu admired, she was unwilling to suspect that li ci was behind all of this.


    as she was thinking about this, shi xiao suddenly turned around and met yuan shu¡¯s almond-shaped eyes as he said seriously, ¡°besides, 1 can¡¯t watch you get bullied without doing anything.¡±


    yuan shu was stunned by his answer. this was the first time she had seen shi xiao so earnest and serious, so she wasn¡¯t used to it.


    flustered, she avoided his gaze and looked out the window again.


    yuan shu always appeared tough and capable in front of outsiders, but in fact, she was an inexperienced novice when it came to romantic relationships. even though she was already married, she only knew how to manage a family, and was clueless when it came to romance.


    shi xiao was secretly delighted, but he continued to talk about serious matters. ¡°while we were acting, i¡¯ve already investigated the spies in the company. moreover, i¡¯ve seen the information you sent me. i¡¯ve also investigated the wei family. i¡¯ve analyzed things according to the wei family¡¯s complicated relationship.


    yuan shu¡¯s expression returned to normal and she asked him seriously, ¡°what did you find out?¡±


    shi xiao said, ¡°even if 1 don¡¯t have a complete grasp on how many forces li ci has, 1 have a rough guess. wei ci from the wei family, who is in charge of public relations, the wu and zhou families in the entertainment industry, chen chen, who runs a software company, and liu cheng from the hospital.¡±


    yuan shu couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°he really has a lot of power.¡± after saying that, she realized that she seemed to have missed something. she frowned at him and asked, ¡°why didn¡¯t you mention tan jing?¡±


    shi xiao looked out of the car window in silence. it was rare for him to be in such a dilemma. he thought for a long time but couldn¡¯t figure it out, so he could only reveal his thoughts first. ¡°i did suspect that tan jing was li ci¡¯s subordinate, but when i saw how close li ci was to chen chen today, 1 suddenly thought that with tan jing¡¯s ambition, he wouldn¡¯t be willing to work for li ci, especially if he had to be on the same level as chen chen.¡±


    the development of these families was also different. the families ranked at the top of a city¡¯s social hierarchy were naturally the shi family, the jiang family, the song family, and the li family.


    next were the tan family, the wang family, and the xu family.


    the other families were all small and relatively unknown families. although they squeezed their way into upper society, they were still far inferior to the prominent families. tan jing was proud and arrogant, so he naturally looked down on small families like the chen family.


    ¡°besides, tan jing just got rid of jiang chen¡¯s control, so he won¡¯t submit to li ci immediately,¡± yuan shu said another reason after thinking about it.


    shi xiao frowned even more. ¡°that¡¯s why i¡¯m worried that tan jing might be obeying someone else¡¯s orders.¡±


    a person who had hidden himself even deeper was watching the unrest in a city from the dark. he had done so much to stir up trouble and disrupt the status quo.


    shi xiao was very worried that when they fought each other, they would give that person a chance to reap the benefits. that person¡¯s methods were so vicious that he might destroy all the families and restore order in city a.


    as a result, the various prominent families didn¡¯t dare to act rashly now, for fear that they would accidentally help others at their own expense.


    ¡°an enemy in the open isn¡¯t scary. the foe in the dark is the most nerve-racking.¡±


    yuan shu blurted out what jiang chen always said. at this moment, she couldn¡¯t help but frown and ask, ¡°do you have any suspects this time?¡±


    shi xiao shook his head.


    this person wasn¡¯t from city a and or any prominent family. he was from the outside world, but was trying to interfere and was silently approaching everyone.


    the two of them fell silent as they looked at the scenery outside the window.


    after a while, yuan shu realized that this didn¡¯t seem to be the way back to her house, so she asked shi xiao, ¡°where are we going now?¡±


    shi xiao replied, ¡°since there¡¯s no need to act anymore, i¡¯m bringing you home.¡±


    yuan shu was silent for a moment before finally making up her mind.


    she asked zhao cheng to park the car by the roadside first. there was a walking path by the river here, so yuan shu suggested, ¡°let¡¯s go down and take a walk.¡±


    shi xiao didn¡¯t know what yuan shu wanted to do, but he still followed her down.


    the two of them strolled along the river. the bright moonlight and dim yellow streetlights illuminated the river. as the willow trees swayed along the river, the scene was serene and beautiful..

 Chapter 304 - Chapter 304: Divorce

    chapter 304: divorce


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    yuan shu¡¯s gown reflected a faint luster under these lights, like a red rose blooming in the night. she looked aloof and enchanting.


    after walking for a long time, yuan shu suddenly stopped. as she looked ahead, she said to the person beside her in a calm tone, ¡°shi xiao, i think we should get a divorce.¡±


    shi xiao stopped in his tracks, but then he continued to follow yuan shu forward. he had expected this day to come.


    yuan shu had worked in the company for two weeks, but this was the first time shi xiao had observed her behavior so closely.


    compared to listening to reports from others, interacting with yuan shu in terms of work-related matters could let shi xiao feel yuan shu¡¯s decisiveness and boldness even more. not only could she deal with sudden incidents calmly, but she was also very meticulous when dealing with trivial matters. yuan shu had the ability to see the overall situation and deal with things accordingly.


    shi xiao had a hypothesis. if he handed this corporation to yuan shu, yuan shu might be able to manage it even better than him. however, yuan shu had a fatal flaw. she didn¡¯t understand how unscrupulous and shady some people were.


    because yuan shu was pure-hearted, she couldn¡¯t imagine how unscrupulous those people could be in order to achieve their goals. she wouldn¡¯t do such dishonorable things. with her personality, she could manage the shi corporation well, but she couldn¡¯t dominate a city.


    since yuan shu¡¯s personality was very decisive, no one could interfere with her decisions. she was someone who would never turn back. therefore, shi xiao had long expected that yuan shu would definitely propose a divorce one day, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be so soon.


    yuan shu continued, ¡°i¡¯ve already found the mastermind you¡¯re looking for and have already done what i can help you with, so i think the best time to get a divorce is now.¡±


    shi xiao didn¡¯t answer her directly. instead, he pointed at a chair and said, ¡°let¡¯s sit down and rest.¡±


    yuan shu nodded silently, her brows relaxing slightly. she was very calm and didn¡¯t have any other thoughts. she didn¡¯t assume that shi xiao would reject her, nor did she assume that shi xiao would agree. she simply calmly stated her decision, a decision that wouldn¡¯t be changed.


    the two of them sat down on the bench and stared at the calm water surface.


    the moonlight that reflected on the water made the surface appear like a layer of scales.


    after a while, shi xiao said, ¡°okay.¡±


    shi xiao looked at yuan shu¡¯s elegant side profile, which was filled with determination.


    shi xiao smiled and said as he tried to make himself sound less stiff, ¡°tomorrow, we¡¯ll go to the civil affairs bureau to settle the divorce procedures and end this short-term cooperation.¡±


    saying that they were ending their cooperation instead of ending their marriage made their short separation more like a comma, instead of a full period.


    shi xiao understood that yuan shu shouldn¡¯t be trapped in a wealthy family like a canary in a cage. she should be free and a decision-maker in the business world. instead of trapping her, it was better to fulfill her dreams.


    the wind blew by the river. it was already the end of october, so the temperature was cold. when the cold wind blew past yuan shu¡¯s exposed skin, she couldn¡¯t help but shiver. then, she raised her hand and rubbed her arm to warm it.


    shi xiao took off his jacket and draped it over yuan shu as he said, ¡°i¡¯ll announce the divorce to the public, but you can only leave after you¡¯re done with the shi corporation¡¯s current project.¡±


    yuan shu nodded as she said, ¡°i started this project, so i won¡¯t be irresponsible. besides, i want to see what tricks li ci will play behind my back.¡±


    putting aside her stance, yuan shu still admired li ci. li ci was an opponent that yuan shu respected because they understood each other and had similar hobbies. if yuan an¡¯s incident hadn¡¯t happened back then, yuan shu felt that she and li ci would have been very good friends.


    they had a lot of common topics to talk about. however, they both had a heavy burden on them and this burden was also a secret that they could never tell each other. therefore, they could understand each other, but they couldn¡¯t trust each other.


    on the other side, song shi was going to look for old master song, but she was stopped by jiang chen. song shi covered the side of her face, which was already red and burning, and roared with tears streaming down her face, ¡°why are you stopping me? i¡¯m going to tell my grandfather and ask my grandfather to punish him!¡±


    jiang chen was unusually gentle to song shi as he said, ¡°today is our engagement day, so everyone in the family should be happy. don¡¯t let this matter affect our mood. i don¡¯t want this day to be unpleasant..¡±

 Chapter 305 - Chapter 305: Conspiracy

    chapter 305: conspiracy


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    song shi was persuaded, but she was still indignant. jiang chen continued, ¡°i know you¡¯ve been wronged. don¡¯t worry, i¡¯m here.¡±


    jiang chen was very good at coaxing song shi. he hadn¡¯t made any promises, but song shi thought he would avenge her, so she calmed down a lot. then, jiang chen said, ¡°let¡¯s go home first. the gift i gave you has been delivered. don¡¯t you want to open it?¡±


    jiang chen¡¯s tone sounded like he was giving an order. it wasn¡¯t a gentle tone at all, but song shi was completely carried away by his words. she nodded and went home immediately.


    jiang chen cast a cold glance at song shi¡¯s back and told li lin to go home with song shi.


    after everything was settled, song chuan went to a restaurant with jiang chen.


    there were many delicacies and good wine at the banquet today, but everyone was busy socializing and didn¡¯t have time to eat properly. now that the banquet was over, they felt hungry.


    jiang chen ordered a steak. while cutting the steak, he said coldly, ¡°you didn¡¯t tell me what would happen tonight beforehand.¡±


    song chuan said helplessly, ¡°i only found out about this right before as well. the old man decided at the last minute. it was already too late when i wanted to inform you. the old man knew that tonight was your first appearance in the business world, so he wanted to use this opportunity to get his granddaughter engaged.¡±


    his granddaughter, not song chuan¡¯s daughter.


    that¡¯s right, song chuan wasn¡¯t song shi¡¯s biological father. this was also the reason why the old man didn¡¯t like him.


    song chuan was an illegitimate son born by the old master¡¯s mistress. the old master didn¡¯t care about him and let him fend for himself until song shi¡¯s parents passed away in a car accident after song shi was born. the old master was unwilling to let his dearest granddaughter be without her parents, so he brought song chuan back.


    although li lin knew the truth, she had no children. therefore, she raised song shi as her biological daughter and doted on song shi very much.


    however, song chuan had always resented old master song for being so biased and heartless, so he had always wanted to take over the song family¡¯s assets. as a result, he didn¡¯t have any feelings for song shi and had always been very distant from song shi.


    on the other hand, song shi took advantage of the old master¡¯s doting and didn¡¯t take anyone seriously. she also didn¡¯t respect song chuan, her father in name.


    it wasn¡¯t until a few years ago that jiang chen found song chuan and the two of them established a cooperation. with song chuan¡¯s help, jiang chen gradually developed the jiang family.


    later on, song chuan arranged for song shi to meet jiang chen and used all kinds of tricks to make song shi fail in love with jiang chen.


    after mu zhou came to this world and became jiang chen, they continued their plan and took control of everything.


    song chuan swallowed the steak and said, ¡°song shi is getting more and more disobedient. she wants too much, and i can¡¯t control her anymore. however, the old man hasn¡¯t passed on the power in his hands to me yet. without your engagement with song shi, all our efforts will be in vain.¡±


    jiang chen let out a long sigh of relief and didn¡¯t say anything else.


    this was indeed a problem. although the jiang family was expanding and had become a family that others couldn¡¯t underestimate, there was still the shi family and li ci, so he needed the song family¡¯s help.


    however, jiang chen was still angry. he suddenly stabbed his fork into the steak as he said with annoyance, ¡°song hong is becoming more and more muddle-headed! his sudden decision pushed me to the center of attention and almost destroyed my plan that had been in the making for so many years! li ci was exposed as the mastermind today. i could have watched shi xiao and li ci fight while i reaped the benefits.¡±


    ¡°now, everyone knows that i¡¯ve joined forces with the song family. no one can tolerate the song family having a monopoly in a city, so shi xiao and li ci will definitely join forces again! 1 can only postpone the plan to annex the shi family!¡±


    song chuan wasn¡¯t worried about shi xiao and li ci working together. he ate his steak leisurely as he said, ¡°shi xiao is nothing to be afraid of. if a person has a weakness, there¡¯s no need to be afraid. originally, i didn¡¯t believe in shi xiao¡¯s feelings for yuan shu, but from what happened tonight, it¡¯s impossible for shi xiao to give up on this woman. therefore, shi xiao will definitely compromise for this woman¡¯s sake. if we use yuan shu to cause trouble, shi xiao and li ci definitely won¡¯t continue working together..¡±

 Chapter 306 - Chapter 306: Goodbye

    chapter 306: goodbye


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    song chuan¡¯s words made jiang chen vigilant. if song chuan wanted to use yuan shu, jiang chen wouldn¡¯t agree.


    song chuan continued, ¡°at most, shi xiao won¡¯t make a move on li ci for the time being. the two families will be at odds. however, with the help of the song family, the situation is already in your favor. to think about it, the old man might have done a good deed. now, it depends on how far shi xiao can go for yuan shu¡¯s sake.¡±


    after hearing this, jiang chen pressed the steak with the knife in his hand and took away the fork as he said in an impassive tone, ¡°song shi is becoming more and more disrespectful towards you. does she already know that you¡¯re not her biological father?¡±


    song chuan said, ¡°no, the old man said that he would tell her the truth after this banquet, so song shi doesn¡¯t know at the moment.¡±


    after saying that, song chuan began to worry. song shi didn¡¯t know the truth yet, but she still dared to treat him like this. once song shi found out that he wasn¡¯t her biological father, wouldn¡¯t she want to trample on him completely just because the old master doted on her?


    jiang chen sneered as he watched song chuan¡¯s expression change and he said calmly, ¡°you just need to think of a way to appease song shi and gain a firm foothold in the song family. as for yuan shu¡­¡± jiang chen paused before saying in a threatening tone, ¡°you can¡¯t do anything to her.¡±


    song chuan was shocked when he saw that jiang chen looked as if he was going to kill him. song chuan didn¡¯t dare to say anything for a moment. when did jiang chen change? jiang chen was no longer the immature kid he used to be.


    after jiang chen finished speaking, he revealed a sinister smile and said, ¡°1 still have one more trick up my sleeve. it¡¯s time to make a move.¡±


    after song chuan heard this, he carefully recalled what this move was. after thinking about it, he said with hesitation, ¡°she has already failed. can it still work?¡±


    jiang chen put down his knife and fork and wiped his mouth elegantly before saying, ¡°how will you know if you don¡¯t try? after all, one can¡¯t repay a life-saving favor with just a few words.¡±


    when li ci and li ran returned home from the banquet, li ran kicked off her high heels and threw herself onto the sofa. she was so tired that she complained weakly, ¡°the venue was good and they used the best-grade ingredients to make the most expensive dishes, but in fact, no one appreciated it at all. this sort of social occasion is just a waste of energy. i really hope that other families won¡¯t hold banquets in the future.¡±


    li ci said absent-mindedly, ¡°if there¡¯s such a banquet again, don¡¯t go. rest at home for a few days.¡±


    li ran sat up and said, ¡°that won¡¯t do. 1 still have to go. wouldn¡¯t it be more tiring for you to go alone without me?¡±


    li ci forced a smile in response, but he was still thinking about something else.


    li ran didn¡¯t notice it at all and was still talking. ¡°uncle, don¡¯t you think jiang chen didn¡¯t look very happy when old master song announced the engagement?¡±


    ¡°is that so?¡± li ci frowned. it didn¡¯t matter whether jiang chen was happy or not. what was important was that old master song approved of him. that was the biggest problem.


    li ran finally noticed that li ci had something on his mind, but it seemed that he still couldn¡¯t tell her about it, so she stopped talking and returned to her room to sleep.


    li ci glanced at li ran¡¯s closed door upstairs. after confirming that she had gone back, li ci walked to the study and called shi xiao.


    after a few rings, shi xiao picked up.


    shi xiao didn¡¯t sound surprised at all, so he probably expected this call. ¡°i¡¯ve been waiting for this call for quite a while.¡±


    li ci¡¯s expression was solemn. it seemed that shi xiao had the same thoughts as him. hence, li ci went straight to the point and said, ¡°since we have the same goal, why don¡¯t we have a chat?¡±


    there were some things that couldn¡¯t be communicated over the phone, so shi xiao said, ¡°the peak of the sky has changed owners after it closed and just reopened not long ago. why don¡¯t we go take a look at the wine there? see you there in 30 minutes.¡±


    although the boss had changed, the name of the bar hadn¡¯t changed and it was still very lively inside. young people were dancing on the dance floor, and the waiters were constantly moving through the crowd.


    however, the interior of the peak of the sky had changed. the second floor, which was originally reserved for only the boss, was now completely open and had become a booth..

 Chapter 307 - Chapter 307: Cooperating Once Again

    chapter 307: cooperating once again


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    at this moment, a table of guests upstairs left, so shi xiao and li ci sat in this booth.


    the two of them ordered wine, but didn¡¯t take a single sip.


    not only didn¡¯t they drink, but the two of them didn¡¯t speak either. they just sat there quietly as they watched the dance floor.


    sitting here, a sudden sense of familiarity overcame them.


    the two people who were very influential in a city¡¯s business world had negotiated their first collaboration at this place.


    at that time, they were drinking at the bar in the center of the stage. the music on the stage was deafening, but shi xiao and li ci remembered everything they said clearly.


    the environment was noisy, but shi xiao still heard li ci¡¯s words clearly. ¡°shi xiao, i have a political background and you have influence in the business world. why don¡¯t the two of us work together? we can definitely make our mark in a city!¡±


    as it turned out, the two of them did what they said.


    they were once high-spirited youths, but now, they had already developed into their own factions. with the passage of time, their changes happened too fast, so much so that they had long forgotten their original intentions.


    this time, when they sat here again, they were far less unbridled than before. now, every step they took was cautious and careful. they could no longer trust the other party with their backs.


    shi xiao said, ¡°i can turn a blind eye to what you¡¯ve done behind my back all these years, but there¡¯s something 1 have to know.¡±


    of course, li ci knew what he was asking about. he stared at shi xiao¡¯s dark eyes as he said seriously, ¡°i didn¡¯t participate in what happened to you and yuan shu that night! although we¡¯ve only been working together for the past few years, i¡¯m sure of one thing. i won¡¯t work with jiang chen. my sister and brother-in-law are both in politics, so i can¡¯t be associated with the underworld. that¡¯s my principle.¡±


    shi xiao was finally relieved.


    he didn¡¯t know what li ci had done behind his back, but he couldn¡¯t tolerate li ci betraying him by cooperating with jiang chen.


    if li ci cooperated with jiang chen despite his position, it would mean that he had already given up his principle. if a person could give up his bottom line, then sooner or later, he would also give up their long-standing cooperation.


    if he cooperated with such a person, he would only be causing trouble for himself.


    after confirming that li ci hadn¡¯t changed after so many years, shi xiao finally said with relief, ¡°we can work together, but you have to show me your sincerity.¡±


    li ci said, ¡°i believe you¡¯ve already investigated the faction behind me very clearly. if you want to see my sincerity, zhao tian is my greatest show of sincerity. since he became your ambassador, i guarantee that nothing will happen. is this sincere enough?¡±


    the brand¡¯s spokesperson represented the image of the entire website. if something happened to the spokesperson, the first to be affected would definitely be shi xiao¡¯s video-sharing website.


    this was also a problem that both yuan shu and shi xiao were worried about. at that time, yuan shu suggested that they find another spokesperson as a backup, so that if anything happened to zhao tian, they could make up for it in time.


    therefore, li ci¡¯s guarantee was very important.


    in the end, shi xiao requested, ¡°but there¡¯s one more thing i want you to promise me. you can¡¯t make a move on yuan shu again.¡±


    li ci frowned slightly and said, ¡°whether you believe it or not, i didn¡¯t do anything to yuan shu. someone else was behind it. even though yuan shu and i don¡¯t see eye to eye and can¡¯t continue to be friends, i admire her very much and definitely won¡¯t harm her.¡±


    the more li ci spoke, the more serious she became. ¡°the more yuan shu shows off her talent, the more she will attract the attention of other people. therefore, the person who hurt her was never anyone else, but you.¡±


    li ci was right. shi xiao was the cause of everything, so he could only do his best to protect yuan shu.


    this was also the reason he agreed to divorce yuan shu. as long as he broke off his relationship with yuan shu, those who wanted to harm shi xiao would pay less attention to her. in that case, she might suffer less.


    since it wasn¡¯t li ci or jiang chen who had harmed yuan shu, who could it be?


    what was that person¡¯s goal?


    at this moment, shi xiao couldn¡¯t help but think of what yuan shu had said. ¡°an enemy in the open isn¡¯t scary. the foe in the dark is the most nerve-racking..¡±

 Chapter 308 - Chapter 308: The Same Website

    chapter 308: the same website


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    the next morning, the shi corporation announced the news of shi xiao and yuan shu¡¯s divorce on their official account. in just one morning, it became a trending topic. as a result, the employees of the company came early today to see if yuan shu would come to work.


    however, just as everyone was looking forward to yuan shu¡¯s arrival, zhao mian arrived first. she adjusted the black-framed glasses on her face and swept her robot-like emotionless eyes across everyone in the office as she said coldly, ¡°president shi has announced the new rules. no one is allowed to discuss anything about president shi and his ex-wife. no one is allowed to show any disrespect to miss yuan. violators will be fired immediately.¡±


    with that, zhao mian turned around and prepared to leave.


    everyone was in an uproar. this was clearly to protect yuan shu. although they didn¡¯t dare to say it out loud, they couldn¡¯t help but have guesses. they even secretly discussed in the gossip chat group: ¡°president shi has deep feelings for yuan shu, but yuan shu doesn¡¯t care about the shi family¡¯s power and money. in pursuit of independence, she got a divorce.¡± this became a hot topic in the gossip chat group.


    hearing the sound of the people in the office typing on the keyboard, zhao mian turned to look at everyone and said, ¡°discussion in the chat group isn¡¯t allowed either.¡±


    the people in the office fell silent.


    therefore, when yuan shu arrived at the office, everyone was still focused on their work and didn¡¯t make a sound.


    only cheng cheng followed yuan shu to the office with his computer.


    after enlarging the powerpoint on the computer, she placed it on the desk in front of yuan shu and said, ¡°president yuan, this is a website launched by yun duan software company yesterday. this powerpoint is a detailed introduction to the website. please take a look.¡±


    as soon as she heard that it was tan jing¡¯s company, yuan shu put down her work and looked at the powerpoint presentation seriously. the powerpoint presentation had more than 20 pages. every time yuan shu read a page, her frown deepened a little more. when she finished reading all the pages in the powerpoint presentation, yuan shu couldn¡¯t help but feel angry and she chuckled as she said, ¡°i knew that tan jing wouldn¡¯t be able to hold it in anymore.¡±


    yuan shu closed the computer and said, ¡°go do your work first. i¡¯ll handle this matter.¡±


    the website that tan jing launched was almost identical to the shi corporation¡¯s website. the entire website consisted of vlogs. other than the name, there was no difference.


    since tan jing had specially chosen this time to launch the website, it was obvious that he was targeting the shi corporation.


    the shi corporation had just started developing a website, but yun duan technology company was already famous in the software industry. with zhang ping, who had won an award, holding down the fort, the website they launched would definitely attract more attention. this would snatch attention away from the shi corporation¡¯s website. without netizens using the shi corporation¡¯s website, this project would be ruined and all the investments would go down the drain.


    yuan shu had expected tan jing to make such a move, but she didn¡¯t expect his methods to be so dirty.


    yuan shu calmed down and said with a smile, ¡°in a sense, this is good too. i¡¯m not afraid of you making a move, but i¡¯m afraid that you won¡¯t. that way, i won¡¯t know how to deal with you. but now, you¡¯ve come knocking on my door.¡±


    yuan shu never took the initiative to harm others, but she would never tolerate being bullied by others. yuan shu still hadn¡¯t settled the score with tan jing for causing her to get sent to the tax bureau. now, she would settle the old and new scores together!


    yuan shu picked up her phone and dialed a string of numbers. when the other party picked up, he was a little surprised because yuan shu rarely took the initiative to look for him. he asked, ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    yuan shu said, ¡°i need your help with a small matter.¡±


    the other party immediately agreed.


    after that, yuan shu informed wei ci to modify the filming plan. after she dealt with these things, it was already afternoon, and there was still an hour before the filming started.


    on the way to the filming venue with zhou jie, zhao tian suddenly received a call from the company informing them that the filming venue had changed, so they could only turn around and go to another filming venue.


    after hanging up the phone, zhao tian said to zhou jie in dissatisfaction, ¡°are they kidding me? why did they suddenly change locations without discussing it with me? i¡¯m not going.¡±


    zhou jie immediately coaxed, ¡°don¡¯t be angry. we¡¯ve already signed the contract, so if we don¡¯t go now, we¡¯ll be fined a large sum of money for breaching the contract.¡±


    zhao tian said disdainfully, ¡°do you think 1 care about this bit of compensation? won¡¯t i be able to earn it back after filming a television drama? they¡¯re disrespecting me by changing the venue at the last minute, so what¡¯s the point of working together?¡±

 Chapter 309 - Chapter 309: Changing venue

    chapter 309: changing venue


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    zhou jie knew that zhao tian was throwing a tantrum again.


    in the past, zhao tian wasn¡¯t so difficult to serve. if it was a last-minute change of venue, he would at most complain a little. in the end, he would still go back and film obediently. after all, no one would turn down money.


    however, for some reason, zhao tian seemed to have suddenly made a fortune recently. it was even more than his usual salary. he was becoming more and more unruly and even dared to go against the company directly. the company¡¯s boss had expressed his dissatisfaction with zhao tian many times.


    however, they had no other choice. zhao tian was very popular now and was ranked in the top five on the male celebrity ranking list. his fame was now comparable to shi lu¡¯s. the company didn¡¯t want to give up on this cash cow, so they could only endure it.


    the person in the most difficult position was zhou jie, who was sandwiched between the company and zhao tian. every time there was a conflict between them, he had to coax both sides. this time, it was the same.


    zhou jie was really tired of coaxing him, so he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°then let¡¯s not film anymore. let¡¯s go home now.¡±


    zhao tian was stunned for a moment. zhou jie had coaxed him so many times, so he had no scruples when throwing a tantrum. however, today, zhou jie suddenly stopped coaxing him, which made zhao tian feel a little conflicted.


    if not for the fact that that person said that he had to participate in today¡¯s filming, zhao tian would have gone home directly. however, when zhao tian thought about that person¡¯s methods, he immediately felt scared.


    zhao tian curled his lips in dissatisfaction. ¡°forget it, forget it. it¡¯s just another place. let¡¯s go.¡±


    zhou jie calmed down. he was also afraid that his words just now would really make zhao tian go home, so when he heard zhao tian compromise, zhou jie quickly coaxed him, ¡°it¡¯s a good thing that they changed locations. 1 heard that the live broadcast time will be shortened by four hours after changing locations, so we can end work early today.¡±


    only then did zhao tian fall silent. then, he turned around and closed his eyes to sleep.


    seeing zhao tian close his eyes, zhou jie couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes and curse inwardly. how difficult to serve.


    when zhao tian and zhou jie arrived at the filming location, yuan shu and wei ci had been waiting there for a long time.


    wei ci had just graduated, so she wasn¡¯t as levelheaded as yuan shu. she couldn¡¯t help but frown at zhao tian and zhou jie as she condemned, ¡°you two are an hour late. this will affect the start of the live broadcast. if the audience is dissatisfied, who will be responsible?¡±


    zhou jie was about to explain when zhao tian said disdainfully, ¡°so what if i¡¯m late? what should i take responsibility for? the audience is here to see me anyway, so it¡¯s their honor to wait for me for a while longer. besides, i¡¯m late because you changed the filming location at the last minute. it¡¯s your fault, not mine.¡±


    wei ci had seen all kinds of students in her four years in the student union, but this was the first time she had seen someone as shameless as zhao tian!


    wei ci wanted to flare up, but yuan shu stopped her in time.


    yuan shu smiled as she comforted her. then, she said to zhou jie, ¡°let zhao tian get his makeup done first. there¡¯s still an hour before the broadcast.¡±


    yuan shu and wei ci didn¡¯t pursue the matter, but zhao tian continued to cause trouble.


    he looked at yuan shu carefully, as if he had suddenly recognized her. his tone was unfriendly and even a little disdainful as he said, ¡°1 was wondering who it was. so it¡¯s the dance partner who accompanied shi lu to the banquet. do rich people like to play around like this? isn¡¯t it better to stay at home? why did you have to join the entertainment industry?¡±


    wei ci¡¯s expression changed drastically. she was worried that zhao tian¡¯s words would anger yuan shu and ruin the cooperation between li ci and the shi family, so she asked, ¡°what do you mean?¡±


    zhao tian said disdainfully, ¡°yuan shu and shi lu are the same kind of people. one of them abandoned his identity as the young master of the shi family and joined the entertainment industry to become a celebrity. he even dragged his sister-in-law along, but halfway through, she stopped acting and dragged down the entire production team. compared to you, my antics are nothing.¡±


    zhou jie gave zhao tian a look to stop him from saying anything else, but zhao tian became even more emboldened and said, ¡°who doesn¡¯t know that they¡¯re a joke in the entertainment industry now? wang shen has been implicated by them to the extent that no one is willing to film his dramas anymore.. 1 just said a few words, but they can¡¯t take it anymore?¡±

 Chapter 310 - Chapter 310: Defeated

    chapter 310: defeated


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    wei ci looked at yuan shu. he originally thought that yuan shu would settle the score with zhao tian, but he didn¡¯t expect yuan shu to say to zhao tian amiably, ¡°it¡¯s time to do your makeup. there¡¯s still an hour before the broadcast. you definitely don¡¯t want the fans to wait long. after all, fans are your capital to earn money on.¡±


    her words were like a gentle knife. they seemed harmless on the surface, but they were infuriating and couldn¡¯t be used against her.


    yuan shu hit the nail on the head. zhao tian glared at yuan shu fiercely before turning around to go to his room to put on makeup.


    wei ci looked at yuan shu. didn¡¯t shi bin say that his sister-in-law wasn¡¯t easy to bully? as an outsider, even she couldn¡¯t tolerate zhao tian¡¯s words, but yuan shu was so indifferent? wasn¡¯t she being way too tolerant?


    she wondered what li ci admired about yuan shu. every day, li ci praised yuan shu¡¯s way of doing things in front of her and even told her to learn more from yuan shu. could it be that he wanted her to learn yuan shu¡¯s tolerance?


    wei ci pursed her lips and went back to work.


    cheng cheng was an assistant and wasn¡¯t able to interrupt the entire time. now that everyone had left, he walked to yuan shu¡¯s side and whispered, ¡°president yuan, zhao tian is very unruly and i¡¯m worried that something will happen during his live broadcast, so why don¡¯t we change it to a recording?¡±


    yuan shu said indifferently, ¡°there¡¯s no need to change it. this arrangement is good. i was actually worried that he wouldn¡¯t cause enough trouble.¡±


    cheng cheng was stunned. could it be that because she had divorced president shi, she wanted to ruin their company¡¯s website? they had invested tens of millions of yuan into this website. if there was a problem regarding the publicity, all the money would be wasted. when president shi pursued responsibility, wouldn¡¯t they be the ones to shoulder the blame?


    as zhou jie¡¯s superiors had instructed him that this filming was very important and that he had to build a good relationship with the shi corporation, he was afraid that zhao tian¡¯s words would affect their cooperation.


    therefore, he returned to the venue after sending zhao tian to the dressing room and explained to yuan shu, ¡°zhao tian might be a little dissatisfied because the location was changed at the last minute. he¡¯s usually not like this, so don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    as he spoke, zhou jie felt a little nervous. he was worried that yuan shu would vent her anger on him, so he waited carefully for yuan shu to speak.


    unexpectedly, yuan shu smiled at him as she said in a kind tone, ¡°it¡¯s okay. his temper must have caused you a lot of trouble. it¡¯s been tough on you.¡±


    zhou jie hurriedly said, ¡°it¡¯s not tough at all. i just hope that it won¡¯t affect the filming. don¡¯t worry, the ceo mr. wu has instructed me to cooperate with you fully for today¡¯s filming. if you have any questions, just tell me. i¡¯ll communicate with zhao tian.¡±


    after yuan shu nodded, she didn¡¯t say anything else and zhou jie left as well. zhou jie was glad that yuan shu was a lenient person. otherwise, he would definitely be scolded when he returned. it was quite troublesome to clean up zhao tian¡¯s mess every day.


    when the filming officially started, the screenwriter emphasized the details of the filming with zhao tian again. although the venue had changed and the script had some subtle differences, the overall plot was unchanged, so they just needed to do a simple test run.


    however, zhao tian¡¯s attitude was very unpleasant and it was obvious that he didn¡¯t want to hear it. the screenwriter could only remind him again and again, ¡°remember, our website is almost online. advertisements have to be inserted during the live broadcast. when the time comes, don¡¯t get the name of the promotional website wrong!¡±


    zhao tian waved his hand impatiently as he said, ¡°alright, 1 understand.¡±


    the purpose of this live broadcast was mainly to record what zhao tian did on his day off after he finished his work. of course, he couldn¡¯t really do it according to his daily schedule. he got up at noon and stayed up until two or three o¡¯clock at dawn. not only was his daily schedule very irregular, but he also often played games and trolled online.


    only zhou jie knew about his online trolling.


    zhao tian applied for a smurf account and cyberbullied people he couldn¡¯t stand. he even left malicious comments under his rival¡¯s accounts.


    once this matter was exposed, zhao tian¡¯s acting career would be ruined. these things couldn¡¯t be filmed, so the screenwriter had already written the script. zhao tian just had to follow the script and act out his daily life.


    now, zhao tian had just finished filming and was preparing to go to the gym. this process required him to show off his muscles..

 Chapter 311 - Chapter 311: Conflict

    chapter 311: conflict


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    when they were communicating, the scriptwriter¡¯s idea was for zhao tian to wear a tight vest to expose his biceps. zhao tian said that there was no problem and even took the initiative to show more muscles because his upper body muscles were very good-looking.


    the screenwriter felt that it was inappropriate to film like that and wanted to reject his request, but yuan shu said that they should do as the actor wanted, so the screenwriter didn¡¯t object any further.


    however, during the filming, zhao tian was very unhappy. he squirmed during the undressing segment and even revealed a stiff expression. someone commented on the bullet screen, ¡°was zhao tian forced to take off his clothes? if you¡¯re unwilling, you can blink.¡±


    zhao tian lowered his head, but the camera still caught him blinking. the comment section was in an uproar.


    zhao tian continued, ¡°actually, i work out every day, but 1 rarely work out half-naked like this. i might lose control of my expression, but please don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    these words were too pretentious. on the surface, he seemed to be explaining, but he was secretly accusing the company of forcing him to expose his body.


    the netizens became unhappy and scolded the website in the comment section: ¡°what website is this? how can they force celebrities to do things they don¡¯t want to do? doesn¡¯t the management company care? why did they accept such a commercial for zhao tian? are they that short of money?¡±


    the netizens started scolding them. not only the website, but even the management company was scolded to the extent that the article topped the trending searches and the number of viewers in the live-stream soared to five million.


    cheng cheng and wei ci were very worried and came to look for yuan shu. even zhou jie came to the set because he was worried that yuan shu would be angry.


    compared to their panic and anxiety, yuan shu¡¯s calmness and indifference were obvious. she even appeared as if she had expected this turn of events.


    wei ci said anxiously, ¡°if the comment section continues to develop like this, it will be very disadvantageous to our website¡¯s publicity. why don¡¯t we stop him quickly? or let him explain things?¡±


    zhou jie said tentatively, ¡°why don¡¯t i clarify things on zhao tian¡¯s social media account?¡±


    yuan shu said calmly, ¡°there¡¯s no need. he can do whatever he wants. look, isn¡¯t the topic trending right now? this is a good thing.¡±


    wei ci looked at cheng cheng, and from her gaze, it was as if she was asking, ¡°does she really know what public relations publicity is? this kind of negative publicity won¡¯t help the company¡¯s website at all!¡±


    cheng cheng was also very helpless. she shook her head to express that she didn¡¯t understand. moreover, seeing that yuan shu was so calm, they didn¡¯t dare to dissuade her and couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she wanted to ruin the shi corporation¡¯s project because she was getting a divorce from shi xiao. otherwise, why would she come to work on the day of the divorce?


    if this continued, the website would definitely be ruined, but wei ci was even more worried because this was the first project she had taken on since she started working. if she ruined this project, her future development would definitely be hampered!


    the three of them were like cats on a hot tin roof. on the other hand, yuan shu looked amused as she watched zhao tian¡¯s live broadcast attentively.


    on the other side, tan jing, who was sitting in the office of yun duan software company, was also paying attention to this live broadcast.


    he muttered to himself smugly, ¡°i thought yuan shu was so impressive, but turns out she doesn¡¯t know anything about software. first, she suffered a loss because of my software company, and then an accident happened during the live broadcast. looks like i was really overthinking things. with her stupidity, i don¡¯t have to worry about her ruining my plans at all.¡±


    tan jing thought of what happened the night before.


    zhao tian was actually a pawn in that person¡¯s hand and had been arranged as a mole in the wu entertainment company under li ci.


    when tan jing found out that yuan shu wanted zhao tian to be their spokesperson, he came up with a plan and decided to completely defeat her using this matter.


    hence, tan jing asked zhang ping to write a code and create a similar website overnight.


    although zhang ping wasn¡¯t good at designing, he was very good at copying other people¡¯s code and could easily create a website with just some minor modifications.


    tan jing published the website before the shi corporation officially announced it.


    as for zhao tian, tan jing had already informed him and asked him to make a big fuss about this matter. he wanted him to destroy the shi corporation¡¯s website and cause a huge conflict between the shi corporation and the management company so that he could leave the management company..

 Chapter 312 - Chapter 312: Reversal

    chapter 312: reversal


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    at that time, there would be a battle between the shi corporation and the management company. the two of them could just stand by and watch.


    zhao tian could also take the opportunity to terminate his contract with the management company. he didn¡¯t have to pay a single cent and could change companies, so why not?


    this was also one of the reasons why zhao tian¡¯s behavior had suddenly changed recently and he became a troublemaker.


    originally, zhao tian wasn¡¯t very willing to help tan jing because that person didn¡¯t give him any instructions, so he didn¡¯t want to take action rashly. however, tan jing gave him a sum of money, which was enough to make zhao tian abandon his worries and cooperate with tan jing.


    everything was proceeding smoothly. when tan jing saw that the comments of the live broadcast were all scolding zhao tian¡¯s management company, he felt a little regretful. if he had known earlier, he wouldn¡¯t have spent so much money. yuan shu was a fool who would shoot herself in the foot anyway, so why did he have to put in so much effort?


    tan jing even felt that the reason why shi xiao announced his divorce from yuan shu this morning was because he felt that yuan shu was too stupid and would implicate the shi family.


    he heard that yuan shu had attacked song shi at the song family¡¯s banquet. song shi was the song family¡¯s treasure, so yuan shu had completely offended the song family by attacking her.


    however, for some reason, tan jing had an ominous feeling and he felt that things were not that simple. in his impression, yuan shu had never been an easy person to deal with, so how could she fall for it so easily?


    however, tan jing was quickly carried away by his smugness and didn¡¯t think about this matter anymore.


    however, just as he was feeling smug, zhao tian¡¯s next words made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.


    zhao tian revealed a confident smile to the camera as he said according to the advertisement that had been created long ago, ¡°if you upload a video on the website ¡®quick one¡¯ and get a like, you will be rewarded by the platform if there are more than 10,000 comments¡­¡±


    zhao tian continued to read the lines of the advertisement, but tan jing couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and stared at the screen in shock. what was the website that zhao tian had just mentioned? quick one?!


    ¡°this idiot!¡± tan jing slammed his fist on the table. ¡®quick one¡¯ was the new website that tan jing had just launched today. how did it become the website being promoted by zhao tian?


    tan jing quickly contacted the public relations department and checked the situation on the website. only then did he realize that zhao tian¡¯s live broadcast was really on tan jing¡¯s website.


    tan jing had clicked on the link through zhao tian¡¯s homepage just now and was so smug that he forgot to check the website name on the live broadcast. moreover, the title of the live broadcast was ¡°quick one¡±. damn it!


    after the manager of the public relations department ran in a panic, tan jing threw the tablet in his hand angrily, and the screen shattered.


    tan jing roared, ¡°explain what¡¯s going on to me! why did he endorse our website? i didn¡¯t know about this!¡±


    the pr manager picked up the tablet with a trembling hand and said aggrievedly, ¡°president tan, 1 don¡¯t know either. the website was only released this morning, so we didn¡¯t have time to do public relations and find celebrities to endorse it. zhao tian is definitely slandering us! we can sue him for libel.¡±


    tan jing threw everything on the table away and roared, ¡°then hurry up and go!¡±


    the public sector manager nodded before he rushed out of the office to deal with it.


    however, it was too late to deal with the matter. the website had already appeared at the top of the trending searches. at the same time, because there were too many clicks, the website was paralyzed. the internet repair staff couldn¡¯t keep up with the pace of the netizens, and the website froze.


    dun yuan technology company became the target of public criticism. everyone began to discuss whether the company¡¯s software and protective code were really effective. if the protective code was also fake, was zhang ping, who won the technology competition award, also a fraud?


    the commentors that yuan shu hired also began to take action and accused them of plagiarizing the shi corporation¡¯s website. they even revealed that zhang ping had once plagiarized a student¡¯s work and won the grand prize of the science and technology competition with it. they found evidence and even found the name of the plagiarized student. this student was mo shu.


    in just two hours, the matter went out of control. someone anonymously reported zhang ping for plagiarism, and the police also stepped in to investigate.


    on the other side, zhao tian¡¯s live broadcast was also coming to an end. at the end, he still needed to say an advertisement slogan..

 Chapter 313 - Chapter 313: Defeated

    chapter 313: defeated


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    zhao tian looked at yuan shu provocatively as he said smugly, ¡°i still hope that everyone can record your real life instead of trying to attract everyone¡¯s attention by putting on a show. today¡¯s video actually isn¡¯t my daily life. 1 like to work out, but i definitely don¡¯t work out naked like in the video. i was just acting according to the script. even this live broadcast has a script, so how can it be real?¡±


    zhao tian¡¯s words attracted another wave of attention from the audience. more and more people watched, and before the live broadcast ended, it had already reached ten million viewers.


    zhou jie walked up to zhao tian in panic and said, ¡°you¡¯re the spokesperson of the website. defamation of the website is a breach of contract. you have to pay legal responsibility, understand?!¡±


    zhao tian retorted, ¡°i¡¯m just telling the truth. did i badmouth her? no. moreover, yuan shu said it herself that 1 can act according to my wishes.¡±


    the more zhao tian spoke, the more he felt that he had successfully caused trouble for yuan shu. he became more and more smug.


    when the others heard this, they were very angry and wanted to scold him. however, yuan shu applauded and even praised him. ¡°zhao tian, your actions are really interesting. you said it very well. if not for you, there wouldn¡¯t be tens of millions of people watching the live broadcast. i should reward you.¡±


    ¡°tsk, in that case, increase my salary by another 2 million.¡±


    yuan shu didn¡¯t say anything, but wei ci couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and said angrily, ¡°1¡¯11 tell president wu about this. i¡¯ll make sure you can¡¯t work in the entertainment industry anymore!¡±


    however, yuan shu and cheng cheng remained calm. wei ci said to yuan shu and cheng cheng with a resentful expression, ¡°why aren¡¯t the two of you doing anything? do you know that what he did will harm your website? what about the cooperation with president li?¡±


    wei ci was most concerned about their collaboration, not the failure of this project.


    however, cheng cheng calmed down. after she adjusted her glasses, she said calmly, ¡°miss wei, our company¡¯s website isn¡¯t called quick one.¡±


    as soon as she said this, everyone was shocked.


    cheng cheng only found out about this when zhao tian first introduced the website. she didn¡¯t expect yuan shu to secretly change the website name but hide it from everyone.


    cheng cheng was disappointed. although she was yuan shu¡¯s assistant, it seemed that yuan shu didn¡¯t trust her at all.


    of course, zhao tian was the most surprised, since his plan didn¡¯t succeed. instead, he was set up. he looked at yuan shu angrily as he asked, ¡°then what is this website¡¯s name?¡±


    yuan shu sneered and asked, ¡°what is the website¡¯s name? shouldn¡¯t you know best?¡±


    zhao tian finally felt a sense of panic. he began to feel that yuan shu seemed to be someone he couldn¡¯t afford to offend and he regretted his actions just now.


    seeing that zhao tian was so stupid, yuan shu was a little impatient. ¡°you¡¯ve never asked for the name of tan jing¡¯s website even when you¡¯re working with him? please go back and tell him that i¡¯m just giving him a taste of his own medicine. tell him to restrain himself in the future.¡±


    after saying that, yuan shu turned around and was about to leave when zhao tian stopped her by saying in a fierce voice, ¡°stop right there!¡±


    after zhao tian realized that he had actually been schemed against by yuan shu, his anger made him lose his rationality and he walked towards yuan shu.


    zhou jie, who was standing beside him, stopped him. ¡°what are you trying to do? don¡¯t tell me you want to attack miss yuan? if so, the shi corporation won¡¯t let you off and your career will be ruined.¡±


    zhao tian had already lost his rationality and said, ¡°they¡¯re already divorced, so shi xiao won¡¯t care about her. who do you think this woman is? no one will protect her!¡±


    as he spoke, zhao tian pushed zhou jie away and strode towards yuan shu as he cursed, ¡°you b*tch, i¡¯ll let you know how powerful i am today!¡±


    he swung his fist at yuan shu¡¯s face.


    however, zhao tian only had brute force, so how could he be yuan shu¡¯s match?


    yuan shu turned her body slightly to dodge zhao tian¡¯s fist.


    zhao tian used all his strength, but this punch didn¡¯t have any impact and his entire body tilted before he fell.


    after zhao tian fell to the ground, his handsome face hit the filming equipment on the ground and instantly lacerated his skin..

 Chapter 314 - Chapter 314: Scheme

    chapter 314: scheme


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    ¡°my face!¡± zhao tian rolled on the ground in pain as he covered his face and wailed. blood flowed from his hand as he shouted, ¡°what are you guys looking at? hurry up and find a doctor for me. my face can¡¯t be disfigured!¡±


    zhou jie was about to make an emergency call when a voice suddenly interrupted him. ¡°no one is allowed to call a doctor for him today.¡±


    after everyone looked at the source of the voice, they saw shi xiao walking slowly into the set with a cold and displeased expression.


    li ci followed shi xiao in, but he only glanced at zhao tian and didn¡¯t help him.


    when zhao tian saw li ci, he didn¡¯t dare to shout anymore and shut up.


    zhao tian¡¯s family was poor. after li ci took a fancy to him because of his looks, li ci said that he could give him everything he wanted and even made him more and more famous in the entertainment industry, but zhao tian had to be obedient.


    in the temptation of wealth, zhao tian agreed without hesitation.


    although zhao tian agreed, he was still blinded by money and betrayed li ci. however, he was taught a lesson by li ci that time and no longer dared to go against him.


    he thought that he was already powerful enough to dominate the entertainment industry, but it was only at this moment that he understood that no matter how successful he was, he was just a plaything in the hands of those big shots and was at their mercy.


    li ci looked at zhao tian¡¯s bleeding side profile as he instructed zhou jie, ¡°find a first-aid kit for him and bandage him. don¡¯t let him faint here after losing too much blood and cause trouble for others.¡±


    zhou jie went to look for the first aid kit in a panic.


    from li ci¡¯s expression, wei ci knew that they already knew what had happened today and had arranged things beforehand.


    she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°what exactly happened? how did president yuan know that there was something wrong with zhao tian?¡±


    yuan shu explained, ¡°when you said that you wanted to choose zhao tian as the spokesperson, 1 investigated him. zhao tian¡¯s reputation in the industry isn¡¯t very good, and the celebrities he dated were all people with bad reputations, so 1 felt that there was something wrong with this person. later on, 1 found out that he owed a huge debt because of gambling and was being chased by loan sharks. however, a year ago, a sum of money suddenly appeared in his account and helped him pay off all the loan sharks. from then on, he lived an even more carefree lifestyle and was very extravagant. three days ago, an unknown sum of money was transferred to his account. thus, 1 guessed that he had already been bribed.¡±


    then, there was that call in the morning.


    yuan shu had never taken the initiative to look for li ci, so when li ci received yuan shu¡¯s call this morning and asked him for a favor, he agreed without hesitation.


    moreover, li ci followed the train of thought given by yuan shu and investigated the people zhao tian had come into contact with recently. as expected, she found a familiar person¡ªtan jing.


    therefore, it wasn¡¯t difficult for them to guess that tan jing was behind today¡¯s incident.


    zhao tian¡¯s management company was in li ci¡¯s hands, and li ci had planted spies in yun duan software company, so it wasn¡¯t difficult for him to sign a new contract for zhao tian.


    li ci got the management company to sign a contract with tan jing¡¯s public relations department in zhao tian¡¯s name. therefore, this live broadcast wasn¡¯t an endorsement for the shi corporation at all, but for yun duan software company.


    however, everyone was kept in the dark about this matter, so it was impossible for zhao tian to know the truth. in addition, he was too arrogant and didn¡¯t check carefully, so he didn¡¯t discover it.


    this was also the reason why zhao tian was so arrogant but yuan shu didn¡¯t stop him and cooperated with him, making him even more smug. she only wanted him to suffer the consequences of his own actions.


    as for shi xiao, yuan shu informed him immediately. hence, shi xiao helped yuan shu find a venue. this was also the reason why the location was changed at the last minute.


    as for the live broadcast arranged by the shi corporation, because it was at the last moment, yuan shu couldn¡¯t find any other celebrities to replace him and could only find shi lu.


    however, shi lu also had a scene to film today and couldn¡¯t leave, so yuan shu thought of zhang zhang.


    zhang zhang agreed without hesitation and rushed to the scene. after putting on makeup and communicating with staff about the script, she even started half an hour earlier than the broadcast time..

 Chapter 315 - Chapter 315: Scheme

    chapter 315: scheme


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    at the same time, cheng cheng found the data of the website that was broadcasting. on the screen, zhang zhang was being broadcasted.


    according to the original plan, the live broadcast was already coming to an end. however, because of zhao tian¡¯s live broadcast, many viewers were diverted to zhang zhang¡¯s live broadcast room.


    the viewership of this live broadcast was better than expected. before the live broadcast ended, there were already three million newly registered users on the website.


    wei ci realized that she needed to learn a lot from yuan shu. not only did yuan shu have the ability to remain calm in the face of a crisis, but she also had the ability to plan ahead. after hearing zhao tian¡¯s name, she was able to investigate and make all the preparations in advance. this matter was indeed due to wei ci¡¯s negligence.


    now that the matter was resolved, wei ci heaved a sigh of relief.


    on the other side, zhang ping¡¯s incident was getting more and more serious. the relevant departments were involved in the investigation, and the police took zhang ping away with an arrest warrant.


    tan jing was hiding in the office. when he saw zhang ping being taken away, he plopped down on the ground in a panic.


    he knew that if he messed up this time, that person definitely wouldn¡¯t let him off.


    as expected, as soon as zhang ping was taken away, that person called and scolded, ¡°idiot, who allowed you to act on your own?! i¡¯ve planned so carefully for so long and finally planted a pawn, but you ruined my plan just like that!¡±


    tan jing said with a quivering voice, ¡°i¡­ i actually wanted to help you share your worries. if the shi corporation publishes the website, won¡¯t we be even more at a disadvantage?¡±


    that person sneered. ¡°so you used your method to make their website more and more popular? you even implicated zhang ping? let me tell you, once something happens to zhang ping, yun duan technology definitely won¡¯t be able to continue operating.¡±


    of course, tan jing knew this. without zhang ping, yun duan was just a dummy company. once it was investigated, everything they had done before would be exposed.


    tan jing asked, ¡°then what should we do now?¡±


    ¡°what should we do? you still have the cheek to ask me what to do? the only solution is to let mo shu become one of us. only the plagiarized student himself can convince the public. however, what zhang ping and you did to him in the past will make it very difficult for him to trust you guys. whether you guys can win him over depends on your own ability.¡±


    ¡°let me tell you, if this matter can¡¯t be done, there¡¯s no need for our cooperation to continue. see for yourself.¡±


    tan jing wanted to say something else, but the person had already hung up.


    tan jing looked at the trending topics on the internet as he said angrily, ¡°yuan shu, how dare you plot against me? 1 won¡¯t let you off!¡±


    after the person hung up, he also looked at yuan shu¡¯s information and said, ¡°looks like 1 underestimated this woman previously. i originally thought that she was just a useless woman with a pretty face, but 1 didn¡¯t expect her to notice tan jing¡¯s plan in advance and destroy two of my pawns.¡±


    ¡°she¡¯s just a woman, so why are you so angry?¡± a woman with a voluptuous figure and an enchanting voice walked to the man slowly. her fingers clung to the man¡¯s neck gently as she sat in his arms.


    after the man placed his hand on the woman¡¯s thigh, he dug his fingers into her fair and plump thigh. then, he lifted the woman¡¯s chin with his other hand and said, ¡°those chess pieces are unreliable. you¡¯re my right-hand man, so there are some things that i still need you to do.¡±


    the woman groaned in pain and pushed the man¡¯s shoulder with her black nails as she rebuked, ¡°you only know how to lie to me. when you need me, i¡¯m your right-hand man. you never think of me when you don¡¯t need me.¡±


    the man hugged the woman¡¯s waist and pulled her close to him. at the same time, he reached out and unbuttoned her tube dress, revealing her sexy body. then, the man¡¯s kiss landed on the woman¡¯s body.


    zhou jie found a first-aid kit and bandaged zhao tian¡¯s wound. although zhao tian was in pain, he didn¡¯t dare to make a sound under the gazes of so many people.


    the rest of the matter would be handled by the shi corporation. it had nothing to do with li ci, so he left with wei ci.


    seeing that li ci was about to leave, zhao tian shook off zhou jie¡¯s hand that was applying medicine and said to li ci anxiously, ¡°don¡¯t leave. if you want to leave, take me with you..¡±

 Chapter 316 - Chapter 316: Lin Xi

    chapter 316: lin xi


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    li ci sneered. ¡°the shi corporation is the one who wants to punish you now, not me. you should stay here and clean up your own mess. i¡¯ll get the company to send you the termination notice. from today onwards, you¡¯re no longer an artist under me.¡±


    zhao tian looked at shi xiao and yuan shu in despair.


    there were already reporters gathered outside the door. shi xiao got someone to send zhao tian out. under the cameras of the reporters, zhao tian covered his face in a panic.


    after some of zhao tian¡¯s actions and words that showed his contempt for his fans were publicized, many fans left the fandom.


    after dealing with zhao tian, shi xiao brought yuan shu back to the shi corporation. he wanted to do a review of this live broadcast, but he didn¡¯t expect to encounter an uninvited guest in the corporation.


    as soon as shi xiao walked into the office building, zhao mian came out to welcome him. just as she was about to speak, she saw yuan shu following behind him and swallowed her words.


    seeing that she was hesitating to speak, shi xiao said, ¡°if you have something to say, just say it. don¡¯t hesitate.¡±


    zhao mian glanced at yuan shu again and finally said, ¡°miss lin is here. she¡¯s waiting for you in the office.¡±


    for a moment, shi xiao couldn¡¯t remember who miss lin was. zhao mian reminded him softly, ¡°it¡¯s lin xi.¡±


    shi xiao was puzzled. why did she suddenly come?


    when shi xiao brought yuan shu back to the office, he saw lin xi standing in front of the window. she was wearing a long white dress, and her long hair drapped over her shoulders like a white lotus. the afterglow of the setting sun shone on her, making her face look vivacious and charming.


    when lin xi heard their arrival, she immediately walked towards the door. when she saw shi xiao, she said excitedly, ¡°shi xiao, you¡¯re finally here!¡±


    as soon as she spoke, everyone was shocked. wasn¡¯t she mute? why could she suddenly speak now?!


    shi xiao frowned and couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she had been pretending to be mute in the past.


    shi xiao couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°what¡¯s with your throat?¡±


    lin xi explained, ¡°previously, i was traumatized, so 1 couldn¡¯t speak. however, during this period of time, i actually slowly recovered after my recuperation at home. i even went to the hospital for a checkup. the doctor said that perhaps because of the shock from before, my nerves were suppressed. now that i¡¯ve obtained sufficient rest and don¡¯t have to live in fear like when i was in africa, i naturally recovered my voice.¡±


    when shi xiao heard the mention of africa, his expression relaxed a bit. it seemed like he still minded the fact that lin xi saved his life.


    yuan shu sneered inwardly. who would believe such a lame excuse? not to mention shi xiao had a distrustful personality.


    however, shi xiao didn¡¯t harp on this. he frowned and asked, ¡°then why did you come to the company?¡±


    lin xi revealed an innocent expression as she said, ¡°of course i¡¯m here to help you. previously, because i couldn¡¯t speak, there were many things that weren¡¯t convenient for me to do, but now that i¡¯ve already recovered my ability to speak, 1 naturally hope to help you more by your side.¡±


    shi xiao rejected coldly, ¡°no need.¡±


    lin xi looked at him with tears in her eyes. ¡°even if i can¡¯t help you, it¡¯s still very important for me to find a job for myself. do i have to rely on you to support me for the rest of my life?¡±


    shi xiao appeared to be convinced. he asked zhao mian to find a company suitable job for her, but lin xi rejected every job with various excuses.


    shi xiao grew impatient. ¡°what do you have in mind? just say it.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve been in africa for so long, so i don¡¯t know anything except to serve tea. let me stay by your side and do something.¡±


    shi xiao could tell that she wanted to stay here no matter what.


    shi xiao frowned and couldn¡¯t help but look at yuan shu. however, yuan shu looked indifferent, which disappointed shi xiao.


    after he walked to the desk and sat down, he looked at lin xi and asked, ¡°then tell me, what kind of position do you want in the corporation? or what do you think you can do?¡±


    lin xi said innocently, ¡°how about letting me be your assistant? i might not be able to do anything else, but 1 can definitely do this. i know your preferences. i¡¯ll prepare tea for you every day and take care of your meals every day¡­¡±


    zhao mian couldn¡¯t help but snicker.


    after lin xi was interrupted, she looked at zhao mian with displeasure.


    zhao mian could only explain, ¡°miss lin, these aren¡¯t the only things an assistant does. an assistant also has to be in charge of various business liaisons. it¡¯s very complicated..¡±

 Chapter 317 - Chapter 317: Plot in the Book

    chapter 317: plot in the book


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    yuan shu felt that this conversation was very familiar, as if she had seen this scene somewhere before. she couldn¡¯t help but fall into deep thought.


    shi xiao suddenly looked at her and asked softly, ¡°yuan shu, what do you think?¡±


    upon hearing this, yuan shu came back to her senses. she didn¡¯t know which stage the conversation was at, so she could only say, ¡°this is president shi¡¯s matter, so it¡¯s not convenient for me to interfere. 1 still have work to do, so i¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    yuan shu left in such a hurry that she didn¡¯t even hear shi xiao call her.


    as lin xi watched yuan shu leave, smugness appeared in her eyes.


    shi xiao wondered if yuan shu was jealous.


    yuan shu needed to find a place to think about things quietly. after she came out, she didn¡¯t return to the office. instead, she went to the rooftop to get some fresh air.


    as she stood on the 32nd floor, she looked into the distance. the tall building in front of her was like a mirage that kept changing its appearance but suddenly became real, making yuan shu feel a little dazed.


    she suddenly had an ominous feeling.


    yuan shu had indeed seen the conversation between lin xi and shi xiao just now, in the book.


    yuan shu recalled the plot of the book. in the original plot, yuan shu had done many evil deeds and even framed lin xi out of jealousy. in the end, because she played tricks on lin xi and the male protagonist many times, she ended up dying a miserable death.


    everything yuan shu had done in this world in the beginning was to prevent these things from happening.


    later on, when she found out that this was all jiang chen¡¯s plan, she thought that the plot had nothing to do with her anymore, and that her fate wouldn¡¯t follow the plot in the book anymore.


    in particular, there were too many things that yuan shu didn¡¯t know about later on. she felt that the plot of this world had already changed, so she wanted to fade out of the main plot and keep a low profile while living freely in this world.


    however, lin xiactms appearance today alarmed her.


    in the original plot, lin xi suddenly regained her speaking ability and entered the shi corporation to become shi xiao¡¯s assistant. later on, a series of events happened.


    in other words, even if the direction changed, the story was still developing towards the plot in the book. did that mean that yuan shu¡¯s ending wouldn¡¯t change either? in the end, even if it didn¡¯t happen the same way as in the book, it would still happen in another form?


    in that case, she would definitely die!


    she suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness. no matter how much she tried to hide, she was only a part of the plot in the book. even if the development of the story in the book went out of control, she couldn¡¯t stay out of it. her only advantage now was that she knew more of the plot than others did, so even if some things had already changed, she could still protect herself according to what she knew.


    yuan shu recalled the description in the book carefully. since everything started when lin xi entered the shi corporation, it all depended on whether shi xiao would agree to lin xi¡¯s request.


    if the result was the same, at least she could be certain that everything in the book would happen.


    this was because after lin xi entered the shi corporation, something that damaged yuan shu¡¯s vitality greatly happened.


    as soon as yuan shu returned to her office, she received a notice in her email. it was a notice that lin xi had become shi xiao¡¯s assistant. she didn¡¯t know how lin xi convinced shi xiao, but shi xiao actually agreed to her request. now, lin xi was a special administrative assistant.


    then, the next plot would be the leak of the company¡¯s internal secrets, and all evidence would point to yuan shu.


    however, other than being in charge of the technical department¡¯s work content, yuan shu had never come into contact with any other department¡¯s work. in that case, what was the internal secret in the book referring to?


    at this moment, yuan shu had already forgotten that there was a subsidiary company of the shi corporation that was being eyed covetously.


    yuan shu was still thinking about it when her phone suddenly rang. after she picked up the phone, zhang zhang¡¯s cheerful voice sounded. ¡°sister yuan shu, can we hang out? the peak of the sky has been renovated. i heard that they invited a michelin chef. let¡¯s call shi lu over to eat together!¡±


    yuan shu liked zhang zhang¡¯s carefree personality and couldn¡¯t bear to disappoint her, so she agreed.


    when the three of them met up, the sun had already set and the entire street was very lively.


    at this moment, there weren¡¯t many people at the peak of the sky. jazz music was playing in the hall, and the aroma of food filled the air.


    zhang zhang chose the seat closest to the stage. it was also the seat that they wanted to sit in last time, but shi xiao snatched it first..

 Chapter 318 - Chapter 318: Chance Encounter

    chapter 318: chance encounter


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    today was zhang zhang¡¯s first time participating in a live broadcast, but the viewership was already so high. zhang zhang was so happy that she couldn¡¯t help but order a bunch of dishes, more than the three of them could eat.


    when the dishes were served, shi lu couldn¡¯t help but complain to her when he saw that the table was filled with food, ¡°can you even finish all of this? why did you order so much food? wasting food is shameful.¡±


    zhang zhang rolled her eyes at him and said, ¡°it¡¯s true that 1 can¡¯t eat all of this food, but you can. sister yuan shu and i will be in charge of tasting a little bit of each. you will be in charge of finishing the food. don¡¯t waste it.¡±


    zhang zhang picked up a piece of chicken and placed it on yuan shu¡¯s plate as she asked, ¡°sister yuan shu, don¡¯t you plan to take on another role?¡±


    shi lu was also all ears. this television drama was yuan shu¡¯s first role, but the television drama couldn¡¯t be filmed. yuan shu hadn¡¯t officially debuted, so no other roles should have been offered to her at this time.


    shi lu suggested, ¡°sister-in-law, why don¡¯t we let zhang chao choose a female lead role for you? i¡¯ll be the male lead. if you act in the same drama as me, it will definitely be a hit.¡±


    although shi xiao and yuan shu were already divorced, the three siblings of the shi family had not changed their address. they felt that the address of ¡®sister-in-law¡¯ was more intimate and showed their respect for yuan shu.


    originally, yuan shu wasn¡¯t very interested in the entertainment industry. however, since the story was still developing according to the plot in the book, yuan shu had to plan for her future. only when she was capable enough would she have the ability to protect herself.


    as they were talking, a group of people suddenly walked in. four to five boys surrounded a girl in a light yellow dress while dancing and laughing. the scene was very lively.


    the dining room was very quiet and soothing music was being played, so the voices of this group of people sounded especially jarring. it also interrupted yuan shu¡¯s thoughts, so she didn¡¯t continue this topic.


    yuan shu had her back facing the door and didn¡¯t see this group of young people. she could only hear voices. zhang zhang and shi lu, who were opposite yuan shu, could see them.


    after shi lu glanced at the group of children, he lowered his head to focus on eating the food on the table as he said in a muffled voice, ¡°these children look like they just graduated. they¡¯re probably about the same age as shi bin.¡±


    zhang zhang looked in their direction and lamented, ¡°it¡¯s good to be young. they¡¯re so energetic.¡±


    yuan shu smiled at zhang zhang and said dotingly, ¡°you¡¯re still young. you¡¯re as energetic as them.¡±


    zhang zhang picked up her wine glass happily and clinked it with yuan shu¡¯s.


    the group of people walked towards their seats. they probably wanted to sit beside them, but the girl and one of the boys in the group were stunned when they saw yuan shu¡¯s back. the boy called out to the waiter, ¡°i think the view upstairs is better. we want our seats to be on the second floor.¡±


    ¡°sir, seating on the second floor has a minimum spending requirement,¡± the waiter explained.


    a short and chubby boy beside the boy said unhappily, ¡°do we look like we can¡¯t afford it? hurry up and lead the way.¡±


    upon hearing this brusque voice, yuan shu couldn¡¯t help but frown. children nowadays were so spoiled and rude.


    soon, it was ten o¡¯clock. the peak of the sky¡¯s lights were switched off one by one and replaced by spotlights. the atmosphere instantly became lively, and the voices of the guests at every table became louder. the music was changed to upbeat dj songs, and the volume was also turned up.


    top of the sky had changed its business model. before 10 pm, it was a music restaurant. after 10 pm, it became a bar and band venue. zhang zhang liked lively atmospheres, so they waited here until the evening.


    the band went on stage with musical instruments and adjusted the equipment to prepare for their performance.


    after a while, the band started performing. the entire venue was filled with screams and noise, as well as the sound of dice colliding. it was very lively.


    zhang zhang held yuan shu¡¯s arm with one hand as she waved her other hand excitedly. she had brought a black wig for the live broadcast today. as soon as the band started singing, she tore off her wig excitedly, revealing her short red hair.


    she said loudly in yuan shu¡¯s ear, ¡°this is the most popular band now and they¡¯ve performed in several bars.. things will definitely be lively tonight! sister yuan shu, let¡¯s go up and dance!¡±

 Chapter 319 - Chapter 319: Opening a Shop

    chapter 319: opening a shop


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    yuan shu thought of how she had embarrassed herself when she first came here, so she smiled and shook her head as she said, ¡°you young people should go have fun. i¡¯ll watch from below.¡±


    zhang zhang was a little disappointed that she couldn¡¯t dance with yuan shu. she pursed her lips and pulled shi lu to the front of the stage to dance.


    more and more customers came into the peak of the sky, and the shop became even livelier. soon, all the seats were filled, and the front of the stage was filled with people.


    the young man who had seen yuan shu¡¯s back just now was leaning against the railing on the second floor and looking down. he even asked the sidekick beside him, ¡°did the people sitting in the booth opposite the dance floor leave yet?¡±


    after the sidekick stared for a while, he said, ¡°i think they left. there¡¯s only a woman sitting there now. it¡¯s definitely not the three people from before.¡±


    only then did tan zhao heave a sigh of relief and walk towards his seat.


    the lackey came over and asked, ¡°buddy, who¡¯s that woman? you seem to be very afraid of her.¡±


    tan zhao glared at his sidekick impatiently and smacked him on the head. ¡°it¡¯s none of your business. why are you asking so many questions? let me tell you, wei ci rarely comes to such places, so you have to help her block drinks today. if she gets drunk, i¡¯ll settle the score with you! also, remember to block shi bin when he comes later and tell him to stay away from wei ci. i can¡¯t let him get close to wei ci in front of me.¡±


    the sidekick covered his head aggrievedly and said, ¡°i know, but haven¡¯t you always been at odds with shi bin? why are you guys on such good terms that you¡¯re treating him to a drink now? moreover, wouldn¡¯t it be a hindrance to let shi bin come?¡±


    tan zhao was also puzzled. he had been at odds with shi bin since he was young, and the things they liked were the same, so they competed every day, but when he no longer shi bin so often after graduation, he missed him. that was why he called him over for a drink.


    however, for some reason, his brother had warned him sternly to stay away from the shi family in the future.


    he was getting more and more confused about tan jing¡¯s thoughts. previously, he asked him to get close to shi bin to gather information. now, he asked him to stay away from shi bin, so what should he do to not anger his brother?!


    just as tan zhao was feeling puzzled, wei ci looked at him and greeted him. tan zhao immediately threw these thoughts to the back of his mind and ran over to sit beside wei ci to chat with her.


    wei ci asked him, ¡°where did you go just now?¡±


    tan chao replied guiltily, ¡°nowhere. i just saw an acquaintance, so i went over to take a look to confirm if it was her.¡±


    shi bin was coming over soon. if shi bin¡¯s sister-in-law found out that he was at the bar in the middle of the night, she might punish him.


    tan zhao recalled the last time the two of them fought and got sent to the police station. at the police station, he was beaten up by shi bin¡¯s sister-in-law and it was extremely painful.


    shi bin wasn¡¯torious for being unruly, but he was still tamed by yuan shu, so how could tan zhao not be afraid of her? he planned to stay as far as possible in the future. however, he didn¡¯t expect shi bin¡¯s sister-in-law, who was so stony-faced, to appear in a nightclub. one really couldn¡¯t judge a book by its cover.


    as for wei ci, she didn¡¯t dare to leave her seat either because she was afraid that she would run into yuan shu.


    every day, wei ci pretended to be mature and aloof in the company. it was rare for her to come out at night to relax, so she felt awkward about bumping into yuan shu. otherwise, she would have gone to the dance floor by now.


    when shi bin saw wei ci, he froze for a moment before greeting her.


    he asked, ¡°aren¡¯t you busy with the company¡¯s live broadcast today? why are you free to come out and have fun?¡±


    wei ci didn¡¯t elaborate on what had happened and only said that she was done with work. shi bin didn¡¯t ask further.


    he felt that there was no common topic between him and wei ci. apart from work, there wasn¡¯thing to talk about, but he knew very little about work, so it was better to stay silent than to have an awkward chat.


    tan zhao leaned over to shi bin¡¯s ear and said mysteriously, ¡°buddy, 1 have a business deal to discuss with you now. are you interested?¡±


    when shi bin saw tan zhao¡¯s mischievous smile, he felt that he was up to no good. it must be another lame business idea..

 Chapter 320 - Chapter 320: Harassment

    chapter 320: harassment


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    shi bin said suspiciously, ¡°what dirty tricks are you thinking of now? don¡¯t forget that when you wanted to open a barbecue stall during university, your brother froze your card for a month.¡±


    when tan zhao heard him mention this, he looked unhappy. ¡°get lost. don¡¯t mention it.¡±


    tan zhao¡¯s usual living expenses were enough to open the barbecue stall, so there was no need to let his brother know. however, later on, it seemed that there was a problem with the hygiene and a customer was sent to the hospital. the health bureau intervened in the investigation and confiscated all his things. they even arrested tan zhao.


    when tan jing went to the police station to bail tan zhao out, he was very angry. he beat tan zhao up and even froze his bank card for a month, forcing tan zhao freeload off others for a month. he suffered a great deal.


    when tan zhao thought of this, he glanced at shi bin impatiently. ¡°let¡¯s not talk about those things. to tell you the truth, i want to open a billiard hall so that us buddies can gather when we¡¯re free.¡±


    shi bin sized up tan zhao and joked, ¡°why? is the tan family bankrupt? you guys don¡¯t even have enough money to open a billiard hall?¡±


    tan zhao gave shi bin a punch as he said, ¡°get lost. i don¡¯t care about ordinary billiard halls. i want to open a billiard club, the kind that¡¯s a clubhouse at night.¡±


    as he spoke, tan zhao stretched out his hand in front of shi bin and rubbed his other fingers with his thumb, making the gesture of asking for money. ¡°my brother definitely won¡¯t agree to me doing this. lend me some money.¡±


    shi bin revealed a bitter look. ¡°you¡¯re short of money, but so am i. in order to let me work dilligently in the shi corporation, my brother even froze my card. 1 don¡¯t have that much money to lend now, so you might as well count on wei ci.¡±


    their brothers were very smiliar. shi xiao also thought that shi bin was a slacker who only knew how to fool around. in shi xiao¡¯s view, working at shenglan venture investment firm wasn¡¯t a proper job, so he froze shi bin¡¯s card and made him work to earn money to support himself.


    shi bin didn¡¯t have any income now, so he didn¡¯t go out much at night. every day, he would go home on time to eat with the stony-faced shi xiao. therefore, he hoped that the company would be busy so that shi xiao wouldn¡¯t have time to go home.


    tan zhao punched shi bin¡¯s shoulder and scolded, ¡°are you looking down on me by telling me to ask a woman for money? i can¡¯t afford such humiliation.¡±


    as the two of them were talking, they suddenly heard the sound of a wine glass falling to the ground. they hurriedly looked up and realized that wei ci had already left her seat. when she passed by the next table, she was stopped by two men who had drunk too much.


    the two men were drunk and had a lewd gaze. it was obvious that they tried to grope wei ci.


    wei ci wasn¡¯t someone to be trifled with. she picked up the wine glass angrily and threw it at them. the wine glass slipped off their bodies and fell to the ground, shattering into pieces. for a moment, everyone looked over.


    the two of them had drunk too much and their expressions were very fierce. they cursed, ¡°woman, don¡¯t be ungrateful. it¡¯s your honor that we want to invite you to a drink. how dare you hit us with a wine glass?¡±


    after saying that, the two of them tried to pull wei ci back, but the two people beside them grabbed their wrists.


    shi bin and tan zhao arrived in time and shielded wei ci behind them. at the same time, they pinched the wrists of the two drunkards, and the drunkard¡¯s expression distorted in pain.


    shi bin glared at the two drunk people and said in an unfriendly tone, ¡°you¡¯d better behave yourselves, or 1¡¯11 break your hands! also, apologize to my friend!¡±


    after the two drunkards exchanged looks, they laughed as they said, ¡°haha, he wants us to apologize?¡±


    the other one also laughed as he said, ¡°these two brats dare to talk to us like that? let¡¯s teach them how to behave today.¡±


    the two people who were drinking had been numbed by the alcohol and had completely forgotten that their hands were being strangled. at this moment, they said very aggressively, ¡°you want to apologize? sure, kneel down and apologize to us now. otherwise, this matter won¡¯t rest!¡±


    shi bin sneered at him as he said, ¡°it¡¯s still uncertain who will kneel.¡±


    after he and tan zhao looked at each other, they nodded tacitly. with a twist of their hands, they fractured the hands of the two drunkards, causing them to cry out in pain..

 Chapter 321 - Chapter 321: Fight

    chapter 321: fight


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    then, shi bin and tan zhao attacked. one of them threw a left punch and the other threw a right punch, hitting the two drunkards. after the drunkards fell to the ground, they bled from their noses and their teeth fell out.


    some timid girls screamed in fear when they saw this scene. the second floor of the bar became chaotic and security guards rushed over to deal with the problem.


    as the bar was too noisy, the commotion on the second floor couldn¡¯t be heard from the first floor. however, yuan shu¡¯s perception was very sharp, so she could quickly detect any unusual movements.


    hence, when she heard the sound of a cup shattering upstairs, she looked at the second floor. because of her location and angle, she couldn¡¯t see who was causing trouble, but from the sounds of fighting, she could tell that there was definitely a brawl on the second floor.


    yuan shu wasn¡¯t a nosy person, so she didn¡¯t take it to heart. she only frowned as she listened to the music attentively.


    at this moment, two bartenders walked past yuan shu quickly. one bartender said, ¡°seems like a group of young people on the second floor are fighting with two hooligans. let¡¯s hurry up and take a look.¡±


    another bartender said, ¡°those young people are all rich heirs. i saw the leader of the fight drive a red ferrari over just now.¡±


    a young man driving a red ferrari?


    yuan shu remembered that shi bin had just bought a red ferrari last month and she suddenly had an ominous feeling. she had heard a familiar voice among the sounds of fighting just now. it seemed to be shi bin¡¯s.


    according to shi bin¡¯s personality in the past, fighting was a common occurrence. starting a fight seemed like something he was capable of doing. however, under yuan shu¡¯s discipline, shi bin hadn¡¯t caused trouble for half a year. if he fought this time, it was definitely because something intolerable had happened.


    yuan shu couldn¡¯t help but worry. regardless of whether the person fighting was shi bin or not, she had to take a look. she couldn¡¯t allow others to bully her family outside.


    almost everyone was running down from the second floor. only yuan shu walked forward calmly, forming a stark contrast with the chaos outside.


    with every step she took, the scene on the second floor became clearer and she couldn¡¯t help but frown. it seemed that these people had caused quite a commotion.


    the waiter was in charge of handling the bill. the bartender was maintaining order, so the crowd would only retreat. yuan shu walked in the opposite direction, but she wasn¡¯t hit at all.


    when yuan shu finally walked up to the second floor, shi bin¡¯s punch landed on the nose of one of the drunkards. after the drunkard covered his nose and took a few steps back, he reached out to take the wine bottle beside him, but tan zhao was faster than him. he picked up the wine bottle and slammed it on the table, shattering the bottom of the bottle and aiming the sharp edge at the two drunkards.


    when the drunkard saw the edge of the wine bottle, he sobered up. knowing that he couldn¡¯t beat shi bin and tan zhao, he prepared to run. at the same time, he pointed at the two of them and said, ¡°just you wait. 1¡¯11 call my buddy to deal with you guys!¡±


    the two drunkards ran as they spoke. shi bin said smugly from behind, ¡°go back and tell your buddy that i, shi bin, am waiting for him here! he¡¯d better call more people, or i¡¯ll beat him up too!¡±


    as soon as shi bin finished speaking, he saw yuan shu standing at the staircase and looking at him with admiration. the smile on his face suddenly froze and he immediately lowered his head guiltily.


    the two drunk hooligans were enraged by shi bin¡¯s arrogant words and said as they covered half of their faces, ¡°our buddy is wang ping! if you have the guts, don¡¯t leave this place! i¡­ i¡¯ll call my buddy to deal with the two of you!¡±


    tan zhao retorted, ¡°i don¡¯t care about who your buddy is. if you have the guts, let him come!¡±


    wang ping? hearing this name, yuan shu frowned slightly and couldn¡¯t help but become serious.


    the two drunkards covered their mouths as they ran towards the stairs. just as they were about to collide with yuan shu, who was standing by the stairs, yuan shu cleverly dodged to the side, causing them to stagger.


    seeing that yuan shu was a woman, they immediately became arrogant again. even if they couldn¡¯t beat other men, what was there to fear about a woman?


    they cursed, ¡°are you f*cking blind?!¡±

 Chapter 322 - Chapter 322: Go Home

    chapter 322: go home


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    yuan shu¡¯s gaze turned cold. just as she was about to teach them a lesson, shi bin picked up the foam flash stick beside him angrily, twisted it into a ball, and smashed it at the back of the person¡¯s head.


    completely enraged, that person covered the back of his head with his hand in pain as he said, ¡°kiddo, wait here and don¡¯t leave. let me tell you, i¡¯m going to cut off your arm today!¡±


    shi bin said angrily, ¡°if i take a step away today, 1¡¯11 take your surname!¡±


    shi bin had been protective since he was young. although he was rebellious in the past, he didn¡¯t allow others to bully those close to him, especially now that the person being scolded was his most respected sister-in-law!


    how dare this person be disrespectful to his sister-in-law? shi bin was enraged and was determined to teach those two a lesson.


    the two of them left dejectedly. shi bin hurriedly went up to yuan shu and asked, ¡°sister-in-law, are you alright? did those people hit you?¡±


    after yuan shu shook her head with a cold expression, shi bin thought that she was angry and said pitifully, ¡°sister-in-law, i was wrong.¡±


    the people who were watching shi bin fight just now were stunned. they had seen how fierce shi bin was when he fought just now. every punch hit the two drunkards so hard that they were unable to fight back. now, he had actually become so docile.


    everyone couldn¡¯t help but look at the woman standing at the staircase. other than being beautiful, there didn¡¯t seem to be anything special about her. how come shi bin was so obedient towards her? since he called this woman sister-in-law, he probably respected her because he was afraid of his brother. that must be it.


    at this moment, the second floor was very quiet. almost all the customers had left, leaving only them and the waiter. the first floor was also affected by the commotion on the second floor and some people had left, leaving only the band singing on the stage.


    shi lu and zhang zhang also returned to their booth, but yuan shu was nowhere to be seen. when they called, they realized that yuan shu didn¡¯t bring her phone, so they anxiously asked the waiter where yuan shu had gone.


    under everyone¡¯s gaze, yuan shu walked to shi bin¡¯s table calmly and glanced at the group of young people. in the end, her gaze landed on wei ci.


    wei ci was a little flustered by yuan shu¡¯s gaze and hid behind tan zhao.


    after yuan shu sat down, she didn¡¯t say anything. she raised her hand to call the waiter over and asked him to help call the anxious shi lu and zhang zhang upstairs.


    when shi lu and zhang zhang came up and saw the mess on the ground, as well as shi bin and tan zhao, who were standing obediently at the side, the two of them understood what had happened.


    shi lu joked, ¡°in the past, 1 only knew that you had a bad temper, but i didn¡¯t expect you to be so good at fighting.¡±


    hearing shi lu¡¯s mockery, shi bin glared at him unhappily. however, he didn¡¯t dare to speak in front of yuan shu and could only stay silent while waiting to be scolded.


    however, yuan shu didn¡¯t scold him. instead, she said to shi lu and zhang zhang, ¡°call a designated driver. the two of you, send them back and watch them enter the house before leaving.¡±


    shi lu stopped joking and replied obediently, ¡°okay.¡±


    the few people who had been following tan zhao didn¡¯t know how powerful yuan shu was and were very unhappy that they were suddenly being bossed around. they couldn¡¯t help but retort, ¡°who are you? why are you interfering in our business?¡±


    as soon as the person finished speaking, tan zhao smacked the back of his head and scolded, ¡°how can you say that?! this is yuan shu. call her auntie.¡±


    shi bin punched tan zhao on the shoulder and said, ¡°how dare you call her auntie? you make it sound as if she¡¯s old. call her elder sister!¡±


    when zhang zhang saw these brats arguing, she couldn¡¯t help but secretly snicker and tug at shi lu¡¯s sleeve as she whispered, ¡°your brother is quite funny.¡±


    shi lu said indifferently, ¡°you¡¯ll get used to it. in the entire family, only sister-in-law can tame this little demon.¡±


    zhang zhang asked again, ¡°why haven¡¯t i heard you mention him before?¡±


    shi lu fell silent. he suddenly realized that before yuan shu joined this family, this couldn¡¯t be considered a family at all. everyone lived their own separate lives, like tenants who were trapped in the same house. they didn¡¯t communicate with nor did they have any feelings for each other. they were like distant relatives.


    at this moment, yuan shu fixed her gaze on wei ci again. wei ci lowered her head guiltily and called out obediently, ¡°sister yuan shu..¡±

 Chapter 323 - Chapter 323: Booking the Entire Place

    chapter 323: booking the entire place


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    yuan shu nodded and comforted wei ci, ¡°it¡¯s not your fault that others are looking for trouble. don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    wei ci was stunned. she had always known that yuan shu was protective of her family and this time, shi bin had gotten into a fight because of her. wei ci thought that yuan shu would scold her, but she didn¡¯t expect yuan shu to comfort her instead.


    however, wei ci still didn¡¯t dare to look at yuan shu directly, since yuan shu gave off a sense of intimidation, so even the prideful wei ci had to submit in front of her.


    the security manager walked over and said kindly, ¡°madam, why don¡¯t you leave with this group of children? wang ping is a famous hooligan in this area and he¡¯s very unreasonable. these two children can¡¯t beat him.¡±


    of course, he was referring to shi bin and tan zhao. he didn¡¯t think that yuan shu could defeat a group of hooligans.


    yuan shu thanked the security manager for his good intentions and said, ¡°please calculate the compensation for the items that were smashed tonight and everyone¡¯s expenses for tonight.¡±


    seeing that yuan shu didn¡¯t listen to his advice, the security manager didn¡¯t say anything else. after he looked around, he had a rough estimate.


    half of the second floor had been smashed, and all the customers had left. during the fight, the people on the first floor weren¡¯t affected because it was too noisy. now that more than half of the customers had left, the surroundings instantly quietened down.


    after yuan shu took out her handbag, she took out a black gold card and handed it to the security manager. ¡°please use this to pay the bill. 1¡¯11 book this entire place today, and all the damaged things will be compensated according to the price. please make relevant personnel leave.¡±


    the security manager was shocked by such a huge sum of money and he took the gold card slowly.


    ever since the peak of the sky¡¯s renovation, this was the first time someone had booked the entire venue. coupled with the band and such big losses, it would cost at least 500,000 yuan. who was this person? she spent so much money overnight without even batting an eye.


    the security manager took the card, but didn¡¯t dare to ask further. after he turned around and left, shi lu came over and asked yuan shu, ¡°sister-in-law, we¡¯re leaving now. there¡¯s no need to book the entire venue, right?¡±


    after yuan shu glanced at shi bin, she changed her posture to make herself more comfortable and said, ¡°you heard it too. wang ping is unreasonable and will definitely seek revenge, so 1¡¯11 stay and wait for him. 1¡¯11 let him know that my brother isn¡¯t a pushover and make him dare not to find trouble with you again.¡±


    shi bin¡¯s friends were instantly filled with admiration for yuan shu. her words were so domineering. no wonder shi bin was so obedient towards her.


    as for shi bin, he had been a bully since he was young and solved all his problems by himself. he had always been the one protecting others and this was the first time he was protected. it turned out that the feeling of being protected was so good.


    shi lu was even more worried after hearing this. ¡°then i can¡¯t leave all the more. if they come back, how are you going to deal with them all alone? no, 1 want to stay and accompany you!¡±


    yuan shu had already closed her eyes to rest. she said in a nonchalant tone, ¡°i¡¯m waiting for them. if you stay, what will happen to them? who will send them home safely?¡±


    unwilling to leave, shi lu said in a firm tone, ¡°if you¡¯re going to fight, how can 1 leave you alone and go home on my own? they¡¯re already grown-ups, so they can¡¯t possibly be unable to find their way home, right?¡±


    the group of brats immediately nodded. ¡°we can go back ourselves.¡±


    after yuan shu opened her eyes and glanced over, they didn¡¯t dare to speak again.


    only shi bin, who was beside her, braced himself and refuted yuan shu¡¯s decision. ¡°sister-in-law, let second brother send them off. i¡¯m not leaving. 1¡¯11 stay here with you. those hooligans are ruthless. what if they accidentally hurt you? if 1 stay, i can help you.¡±


    when tan zhao, who was standing at the side, heard this, he couldn¡¯t help but complain softly to shi bin, ¡°your sister-in-law¡¯s whip isn¡¯t a joke. even the two of us suffered from her whip, so those hooligans are definitely not her match. if you stay, you¡¯ll be causing trouble.¡±


    when shi bin recalled the first time he was beaten up, he couldn¡¯t help but shiver. it seemed that yuan shu¡¯s martial strength was above theirs. however, he was still unwilling to let yuan shu stay here alone.


    seeing that shi bin and shi lu were surprisingly united, yuan shu could only take out her phone.. she looked at the two of them with interest as she asked with a smile, ¡°are you guys going home obediently, or should 1 get shi xiao to pick you guys up?¡±

 Chapter 324 - Chapter 324: Old Acquaintance

    chapter 324: old acquaintance


    translator: henyee translations editor: henyee translations


    upon hearing shi xiao¡¯s name, shi lu and shi bin shut up. after an internal struggle, they finally reached an agreement to go home!


    compared to yuan shu¡¯s whip, shi xiao was a hundred times more terrifying! ever since he was young, every time he caused trouble, shi bin would be beaten up by zhao cheng and punished to kneel. sometimes, he wasn¡¯t allowed to eat for an entire day. shi xiao was very strict.


    as long as shi lu was unwilling to return home, he would be tortured by shi xiao. he was even forced by shi xiao to attend the various banquets he hated the most.


    however, this also made shi lu very puzzled. the shi family¡¯s father hated letting shi lu attend such banquets the most because he didn¡¯t want others to know about the existence of his illegitimate son. as the most obedient eldest son of the shi family, shouldn¡¯t shi xiao share his father¡¯s burden? why was shi xiao always dragging him to these banquets?


    in short, apart from shi yi, who was a girl, almost everyone in the shi family had been tortured by shi xiao. therefore, whenever shi xiao was mentioned, they would feel intense fear.


    shi lu immediately gave up struggling. he grabbed shi bin¡¯s neck and staggered downstairs.


    however, zhang zhang stayed behind. she sat beside yuan shu and hugged her arm as she said toughly, ¡°sister yuan shu, i¡¯m not from the shi family, so i¡¯m not afraid of shi xiao. you can¡¯t do anything to me. i¡¯m not leaving. i want to stay and accompany you.¡±


    yuan shu had always felt that zhang zhang¡¯s personality was very similar to when she was young. yuan shu couldn¡¯t help but feel protective of her, so she really couldn¡¯t do anything about zhang zhang¡¯s behavior. she could only look at zhang zhang dotingly and say, ¡°no matter what happens later, don¡¯t interfere. just sit down and watch the show.¡±


    zhang zhang nodded obediently and looked at yuan shu with admiration.


    the last time she saw yuan shu catch a thief on the commercial street of the filming base, she felt intense admiration for yuan shu when she saw her waving her whip. she had never had the chance to see her waving her whip again. now that she finally had the chance, she had to take a good look later!


    at this moment, the security manager had already evacuated the crowd, and the band had left. the peak of the sky was abnormally quiet. all the lights were turned on, and it was as bright as day.


    yuan shu, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t help but become serious and her eyebrows were furrowed.


    she was cautious not because she was worried about these hooligans, but because of this person¡¯s name, wang ping.


    if she remembered correctly, wang ping was a hooligan from the original book, a person that yuan shu found to kidnap lin xi out of jealousy.


    in the end, the kidnapping attempt failed, and lin xi was saved by shi xiao. because of this, yuan shu was kicked out by shi xiao.


    however, the original yuan shu refused to get a divorce on the grounds that she was pregnant, so she was given her own house to live in. this was the origin of all her misery.


    yuan shu didn¡¯t expect to actually meet this person here. this made yuan shu feel a sense of apprehension. lin xi entering the shi corporation only made yuan shu a bit worried, but the appearance of an unimportant person like wang ping made yuan shu certain that the final outcome was unavoidable.


    when yuan shu was young, she loved to read books. when it came to good books, she would read the same book many times. every time she read the same book, she would have a different understanding, but the outcome would always be the same.


    at this moment, yuan shu felt helpless. she had clearly done something completely different from the original book, but the story still developed towards the same ending.


    since she could no longer go back, she had to survive in this world. even if it was a predetermined ending, she had to do everything she could to change it! her life was up to her to decide, not a book!


    however, yuan shu still couldn¡¯t figure out one thing. since jiang chen was also in the story, would he be affected by the ending of the story?


    however, yuan shu didn¡¯t remember jiang chen¡¯s development in the story and she felt jiang chen was hiding something from her.


    however, she would think about this in the future. the most important thing at the moment was to deal with wang ping and avoid unnecessary trouble in the future.


    as long as wang ping and yuan shu didn¡¯t cooperate, the kidnapping wouldn¡¯t happen.


    as she was thinking about it, a group of people rushed in..

 Chapter 325 - Chapter 325: Lesson

    Chapter 325: Lesson


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    The Peak of the Sky was so quiet that their voices echoed in the empty bar. Therefore, although Yuan Shu and the others were sitting on the second floor, the echoes of their voices could still be heard very clearly when Wang Ping rushed in with his men.


    Wang Ping carried an iron rod on his shoulder and looked around the empty bar as he shouted, ¡°Where are those two brats? Come out and die!¡±


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t move and she wasn¡¯t frightened by his angry roar at all. After he finished speaking and the echoes dissipated, Yuan Shu said to the waiter calmly, ¡°Invite them upstairs.¡±


    When the waiter saw that Wang Ping had brought more than ten people with him and that all of them were holding iron rods, he felt afraid, but he still braced himself and invited them upstairs.


    The manager was also here. It hadn¡¯t been easy for Top of the Sky to be renovated and he didn¡¯t want to have to renovate it again because of their fight. Even if someone compensated money, the wasted time couldn¡¯t be compensated for!


    The manager walked up to Wang Ping and tried to persuade him to leave. ¡°Buddy, please do me a favor. My small shop really can¡¯t withstand a fight. Please, if there¡¯s anything, go out and talk, okay? Don¡¯t stay in my small shop.¡±


    Wang Ping kicked him and scolded, ¡°Get lost!¡± Then, he swaggered upstairs.


    After the manager was kicked to the ground, he had no idea what to do. He could only take out his phone and call the actual owner of this shop. After the call was picked up and the person on the other end heard the whole story, he said calmly, ¡°Let him be. In any case, someone will compensate for the damages, so what¡¯s there to be afraid of? Just stay away and don¡¯t get injured.¡±


    The manager was speechless when he heard that. Why was this person so calm? His business was about to be destroyed, but he was still so indifferent?


    However, compared to the manager, Yuan Shu, who was about to be beaten up, was even calmer. She only glanced at the group of people who rushed up indifferently.


    The tall and bald man in the lead had a long scar on his face and he looked fierce. He was wearing a singlet that showed off his muscles and he held an iron rod in his hand.


    Compared to his muscular body, the thick iron rod was like a small steel needle. After standing still, he shook his pecs before scanning the entire second floor.


    The waiter¡¯s legs trembled when he saw him and he couldn¡¯t help but worry about how a weak woman like Yuan Shu would deal with such a group of rough men.


    When Wang Ping and the others saw Yuan Shu, they also burst into laughter. The person who had been beaten up just now ran out with a swollen face and said, ¡°Boss, she¡¯s in cahoots with that group of people! She was the one who wants to challenge you!¡±


    Wang Wu, who was following beside Wang Ping, said with a smile, ¡°Aren¡¯t the two of you embarrassed to be beaten up by such a weak woman? You guys still have the cheek to ask us to bring our guys to beat up a woman? Do you guys still want to survive in the underworld in the future?¡±


    With that, everyone roared with laughter. Someone said in a wretched tone, ¡°She¡¯s quite good-looking. How about let her become your woman? If you get tired of her, you can let us play with her.¡±


    Everyone laughed even harder. Li Si felt embarrassed and said, ¡°It¡¯s not her. There was a group of people just now. They seemed to be called¡­ Shi Bin! Yes, it¡¯s Shi Bin! It¡¯s just that they seemed to have run away¡­¡±


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    After saying that, Li Si turned his head and pointed at Yuan Shu with the iron rod in his hand. ¡°Where¡¯s Shi Bin? Tell him to come out! If I don¡¯t beat him up today, my surname won¡¯t be Li!¡±


    After Yuan Shu sneered at Li Si, his legs instantly went weak, but he didn¡¯t know why. She was clearly a weak woman, but her gaze was as sharp as a knife, making him feel afraid. He instantly cowered and stuttered, ¡°What¡­ what are you looking at?¡±


    Yuan Shu said in a calm tone, ¡°Your actions are arrogant, rude, unreasonable, and provocative. You indeed deserve to be beaten.¡±


    Wang Wu took two steps forward and said in dissatisfaction, ¡°Who are you? How dare you talk to us like that? Don¡¯t think that we¡¯ll let you off just because you¡¯re a woman. I¡¯ll teach you a lesson today!¡±


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t seem afraid at all.. In fact, her tone was even a little indifferent as she asked, ¡°Are you guys going to attack together or one by one?¡±

 Chapter 326 - Chapter 326: Noob

    Chapter 326: Noob


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Zhang Zhang, who was listening from the side, was already starry-eyed and couldn¡¯t help but think to herself, ¡°Oh my god, she¡¯s so cool. She even wants to fight them all single-handedly! Even boys don¡¯t dare to fight like this when they¡¯re in a gang fight. She¡¯s so cool! Sister Yuan Shu is off the charts! Does she know how cool she is?!¡±


    Feeling insulted, Wang Ping and the others shouted in anger, ¡°You¡¯re quite arrogant. Don¡¯t cry and beg for mercy when you¡¯re beaten later!¡±


    As the sidekick was talking, Wang Ping walked over and pushed the sidekick¡¯s head to the side with his thick palm.


    He puffed out his chest and placed the iron rod on his shoulder as he said, ¡°I was wondering who dared to be so rude to me. So it¡¯s Yuan Shu. What a coincidence to meet you here.¡±


    Yuan Shu frowned slightly. It seemed that Yuan Shu had already met Wang Ping earlier than the time mentioned in the book. From Wang Ping¡¯s tone, he seemed to be very familiar with Yuan Shu. Could there already be a deal between them?


    Seeing that Yuan Shu was silent, Wang Ping took another step closer, shook his chest muscles, and said fiercely, ¡°Are you so frightened that you can¡¯t speak? Why didn¡¯t you stay at home instead of coming here? You even caused trouble for my lackeys. Do you think your life as the madam of a wealthy family is too boring?¡±


    Wang Ping¡¯s tone was fierce. The more he spoke, the louder his voice became. At the end, his voice echoed throughout the place.


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t show any fear and she analyzed the current situation calmly. From his words, she could tell that he didn¡¯t know that Yuan Shu and Shi Xiao had already divorced.


    In other words, he had never paid attention to the news of the upper-class society. Since a hooligan like him had never paid attention to the news of the upper-class society, how did he know that Yuan Shu was the madam of the Shi family? Also, how did he know Yuan Shu? He seemed to be quite familiar with her.


    Yuan Shu suddenly had a bold guess. Could it be that Yuan Shu becoming the madam of the Shi family had something to do with him?


    It seemed that she had underestimated the original Yuan Shu. Initially, she thought that the original Yuan Shu was just a simple-minded and vain woman. She didn¡¯t expect the original Yuan Shu to do so many things behind the scenes. However, what gave Yuan Shu a headache was that she was the one who had to resolve the trouble.


    However, this wasn¡¯t the time to catch up and chat. Yuan Shu still had to deal with this group of people first. After all, what worried Yuan Shu the most was that this matter was started by Shi Bin, and this group of people had no principles, so they might cause trouble for Shi Bin in the future.


    Yuan Shu¡¯s gaze was cold as she glanced at Wang Ping and said impatiently, ¡°Don¡¯t waste time. You guys can attack together.¡±


    Wang Wu said unhappily, ¡°You have quite a temper. Today, I¡¯ll let you see how powerful I am! Boss, don¡¯t move. Let me teach her a lesson!¡±


    Seeing that Yuan Shu wasn¡¯t trying to please him like before, Wang Ping was very unhappy and acquiesced to Wang Wu¡¯s actions.


    They were all hooligans, so they felt that there was nothing wrong with hitting women. They raised their sticks and were about to rush forward. At such a critical moment, Yuan Shu didn¡¯t panic at all. She even had the spare time to Zhang Zhang, ¡°Sit here and don¡¯t move. Don¡¯t get caught in the crossfire.¡±


    Zhang Zhang nodded vigorously. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sister Yuan Shu. I¡¯ll just watch. I definitely won¡¯t move!¡±


    Only then did Yuan Shu turn around and look at Wang Wu, who was rushing over. She pulled out her whip and waved it gently, sending the iron rod in Wang Wu¡¯s hand flying.


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    Wang Wu only felt his arm go numb. Before he could see the whip clearly, the stick flew out of his hand.


    The group of lackeys standing at the side began to mutter softly, ¡°Damn, what flew over just now? Why did the rod in his hand fly away?¡±


    The others looked at each other in dismay. ¡°She¡¯s just a woman. Should we attack or not?¡±


    Wang Wu was shocked. After the stick in his hand flew out, he couldn¡¯t lift his hand at all and Yuan Shu was still sitting in front of him. He asked Wang Ping in a panic, ¡°What should I do, Boss? Did this woman poison me?! I can¡¯t use any strength at all!¡±


    Wang Ping pushed Wang Wu away again and scolded, ¡°Trash, you can¡¯t even hold a stick steadily.. In the future, don¡¯t say that you¡¯re my subordinate, or else you¡¯ll be embarrassing me!¡±

 Chapter 327 - Chapter 327: Can’t Beat Him

    Chapter 327: Can¡¯t Beat Him


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    After Wang Wu retreated, Wang Ping spun the stick on his shoulder twice in the air, making a whooshing sound. However, Yuan Shu remained calm and unfazed.


    Wang Ping looked at Yuan Shu, who didn¡¯t move at all, and said with a lewd smile, ¡°Little girl, in the past, you used to act so docile in front of me, but I didn¡¯t know that you had this ability. Let me tell you, those who go against me don¡¯t have a good ending. Today, I¡¯ll teach you how to be a person. You better restrain yourself in the future!¡±


    Wang Ping picked up the big stick in his hand and walked towards Yuan Shu, but Yuan Shu still had an impassive expression and sat there without moving.


    This time, Yuan Shu¡¯s attacking speed was clearly slower, so that this group of ignorant people would know what had hit them.


    It wasn¡¯t until Wang Ping approached the booth that Yuan Shu threw out the whip and tied it to his ankle. With a forceful tug, Wang Ping lost his balance and fell back. His head hit the ground heavily and he cried out in pain.


    When Wang Ping¡¯s subordinates saw that their boss had actually fallen, they immediately rushed over to help him up. Wang Wu was the first to run to Wang Ping and say, ¡°Boss, why don¡¯t we attack together? This woman isn¡¯t easy to deal with! Look at how nimble she is with her whip!¡±


    At this moment, Wang Ping had also lost his rationality. This was the first time he had encountered such a humiliating situation. He had to establish his prestige in front of his underlings. Otherwise, how could he survive in the underworld in the future?


    He roared, ¡°All of you attack together. I don¡¯t believe a woman can fight all of us single-handedly!¡±


    After everyone rushed forward, Yuan Shu finally stood up and hit the whip on the ground with a bang.


    After what happened to Wang Wu and Wang Ping, the others were a little afraid of this whip and subconsciously stopped in their tracks.


    Wang Wu scolded, ¡°She¡¯s just bluffing. With a dozen of you, what is there to be afraid of? What are you guys waiting for? Attack!¡±


    The group of people mustered their courage and rushed forward again. Yuan Shu¡¯s gaze turned cold as she swept her eyes across everyone. Then, she waved the whip and turned around on the spot. She used the rotation impact of her body to whip the person in the front row in the stomach.


    The person who was hit instantly broke out in cold sweat. Unable to exert any strength, he threw down the stick in his hand in pain and squatted on the ground while holding his stomach. Why did this whip hurt so much?!


    As soon as the first row of people fell, the people behind them had already squeezed forward. However, Yuan Shu didn¡¯t panic at all. She waved her whip and threw it out again, hitting their raised arms. Then, the iron rods fell to the ground with a crisp clanking sound.


    Seeing that Yuan Shu was so powerful, the people in the last row were already afraid, but they still braced themselves and squeezed forward.


    Yuan Shu glanced at them indifferently and hit the wine bottle beside her with the whip. Then, she brought all the wine bottles over and smashed them on the last row of people. These people¡¯s legs were already weak, so they fell to the ground.


    With just a few moves, she easily knocked down more than ten people. The waiters were stunned. They had only seen this move in martial arts dramas in the past, but they didn¡¯t expect it to be so impressive in reality. Everyone couldn¡¯t help but clap and cheer.


    When Wang Ping heard the applause, he couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore and roared, ¡°What are you guys clapping for? I¡¯ll smash your shop!¡±


    The waiters immediately retracted their hands in fear. Wang Ping was a famous hooligan in the vicinity and had caused trouble for almost all the shops on this street. Even though they were beaten up by Yuan Shu now, they didn¡¯t dare to provoke him.


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    Wang Wu, who was beside him, covered his wrist and came over to say, ¡°Boss, this woman isn¡¯t easy to deal with!¡±


    The main reason was that although Wang Wu had only been hit once, his wrist was numb and he no longer had the strength to pick up the iron rod. Moreover, Yuan Shu had a whip in her hand, so no one had a chance to get close to her. How could they fight if they couldn¡¯t even get close?


    Yuan Shu slowly walked in front of Wang Ping and looked up at him. ¡°Let me ask you, did we have any deals before?¡±


    Wang Ping was a head and a half taller than Yuan Shu. He was clearly looking down at Yuan Shu from above, but when she stared at him, he couldn¡¯t help but feel intimidated by her imposing aura, as if he was looking up at her instead.


    Wang Ping forced himself to maintain his composure and said, ¡°Could it be that you want to pretend that you¡¯ve forgotten and don¡¯t want to admit it?¡±

 Chapter 328 - Chapter 328: Bare Fists

    Chapter 328: Bare Fists


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    After being humiliated by Yuan Shu, Wang Ping knew that he definitely couldn¡¯t defeat Yuan Shu, so he didn¡¯t plan to resist and embarrass himself even more.


    He reckoned that Yuan Shu didn¡¯t want him to tell others about what had happened between the two of them, so he deliberately raised his voice and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep my word. I¡¯m not like some people, who burn bridges after the matter is over.¡±


    Yuan Shu frowned. Clearly, Wang Ping was talking about her. Although Yuan Shu was curious about the previous deal, this wasn¡¯t the best time to ask. Everyone was watching them. If it was really embarrassing, wouldn¡¯t everyone know?


    Yuan Shu retracted the whip and wrapped it around her waist again. When she turned around and was about to leave, a thick hand suddenly pressed down on her shoulder.


    ¡°After you beat my buddies, you want to leave just like that?¡±


    Yuan Shu pushed Wang Ping¡¯s hand away with her shoulder and frowned as she turned around to look at him. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Wang Ping said, ¡°Since you used a weapon, it;s an unfair victory. The two of us should fight bare-handed.¡±


    After Wang Ping said this, even Wang Ping¡¯s lackeys felt embarrassed.


    The difference in physique between the two of them was like that of a golden retriever and a poodle, wasn¡¯t Wang Ping afraid of others condemning his lack of ethics?


    Everyone present thought that Yuan Shu could only win because she had a whip in her hand and she definitely couldn¡¯t defeat Wang Ping with her bare hands, so they couldn¡¯t help but feel dismayed.


    After Wang Ping swept his gaze across the entire bar fiercely, the entire bar instantly fell silent.


    Yuan Shu sighed. Sore losers never thought that they lost because of their incompetence and kept trying again and again in vain. How troublesome.


    She glanced at Wang Ping coldly and said calmly, ¡°Make your move.¡±


    Seeing that Yuan Shu was so calm, Wang Ping panicked. This woman actually didn¡¯t take him seriously at all!


    Wang Ping, who was burning with anger, raised his fist and swung it at Yuan Shu.


    When the fist arrived in front of her, Yuan Shu didn¡¯t move at all. She looked at the fist calmly and raised her hand to wrap around it.


    Under the contrast of Wang Ping¡¯s big fist, Yuan Shu¡¯s hand, which was wrapped around his fist, looked thin and weak.


    However, Wang Ping¡¯s weak little hand actually stopped Wang Ping¡¯s fist in midair.


    Wang Ping tried his best to retract his hand, but he wasn¡¯t as strong as Yuan Shu.


    Wang Ping began to break out in cold sweat. How could this woman be so strong? It was like hitting an iron net.


    After Wang Ping retracted his hand with difficulty, Yuan Shu looked up at him calmly and said, ¡°Too slow.¡± Then, she let go. Wang Ping fell back, his butt hitting the ground.


    Seeing Wang Ping¡¯s sorry state, everyone gasped.


    Amidst the gasps, Yuan Shu looked up at the hooligans who had already stood up to watch the battle. ¡°Who else wants to give it a try?¡±


    The hooligans retreated in unison. Their boss had already lost, so how could they give it a try? If not for the fact that they were afraid that their boss would scold them, they would have immediately knelt down and called Yuan Shu their boss.


    Yuan Shu thought that after this fight, they probably wouldn¡¯t dare to cause trouble for Shi Bin anymore, so she continued, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you guys gone yet?¡±


    The hooligan hurriedly helped Wang Ping up and pulled him away, ignoring what Wang Ping said.


    ¡°Sister Yuan Shu, you were so awesome!¡± Seeing them flee, Zhang Zhang cheered excitedly.


    The waiter calculated the price of the items that had been smashed. After deducting the money, he returned the bank card to Yuan Shu respectfully.


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    After Yuan Shu took it, she placed the bank card between her index and middle fingers and turned it around before putting it back into her bag. Why hadn¡¯t she realized that this card was so useful in the past? It was much lighter than the silver they used in ancient times. Payment could be done with just a single swip.


    Yuan Shu put away the bank card and left Peak of the Sky with Zhang Zhang.


    Opposite the Peak of the Sky, Song Shi, who was wearing a long sequined dress, walked out of the bar leisurely. The Song family¡¯s driver was waiting for her at the entrance of the bar. When he saw her come out, he opened the door for her respectfully.


    When Song Shi got into the car, she suddenly stopped and looked at the car opposite. Yuan Shu was inside.


    She had originally planned to go to the Peak of the Sky for a drink tonight, but when she arrived, the waiter told her that the entire venue was booked today, so she went to the opposite side..

 Chapter 329 - Chapter 329: Looking For Trouble

    Chapter 329: Looking For Trouble


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    When Song Shi saw Yuan Shu, she instantly sobered up and understood that Yuan Shu had something to do with the entire Peak of the Sky being booked tonight.


    Although she didn¡¯t know what it was about, Song Shi was very interested in everything related to Yuan Shu.


    After she got into the car, she arranged for someone to investigate what had happened tonight. The next morning, Song Shi found out what had happened last night.


    She sneered. She didn¡¯t expect Yuan Shu to be so considerate of Shi Xiao¡¯s family even though Yuan Shu and Shi Xiao were already divorced.


    However, she wondered what relationship Yuan Shu had with Wang Ping. Why did Wang Ping say that he wouldn¡¯t reveal what had happened before?


    Song Shi waved her hand and called the bodyguard over before saying, ¡°Bring Wang Ping here. I have something to ask him.¡±


    An hour later, Wang Ping was brought to Song Shi with his hands tied behind his back. After Wang Ping was kicked in the knee by the bodyguard, he staggered as he knelt on the ground. He looked at the little girl in front of him as he asked angrily, ¡°Who are you? Why did you kidnap me?¡±


    Wang Ping cursed his bad luck. Who had he provoked recently? He was just a hooligan leader and things had been smooth sailing for the past few years. Why had he been beaten up repeatedly in the past two days?!


    He was beaten up and taken away by a group of men in black in front of his lackeys. How could he establish his dignity in front of his lackeys in the future?! Especially since the person who kidnapped him was a little girl! How humiliating!


    Song Shi looked down at the burly man in front of her and raised Wang Ping¡¯s chin with the tip of her shoe. ¡°Let me ask you, what¡¯s your relationship with Yuan Shu? What deal did the two of you have before?¡±


    Wang Ping moved his chin away stubbornly. He had been a hooligan for so many years, but this was the first time his dignity had been trampled on like this. However, he couldn¡¯t beat them, so he could only fume.


    He spat out, ¡°None of your business.¡±


    Song Shi kicked Wang Ping¡¯s shoulder and knocked him to the ground as she ordered coldly, ¡°Beat him.¡±


    A group of bodyguards immediately surrounded Wang Ping and punched and kicked him. Wang Ping¡¯s hands were tied, so he couldn¡¯t even defend himself. He could only roar, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to hit my face!¡±


    ¡°What a bunch of scum, bullying a tied up person. Aren¡¯t you guys afraid of embarrassing yourselves if word gets out?!¡±


    ¡°If you have the guts, let me go and fight me one-on-one!¡±


    Wang Ping now realized how unfair fighting against a bunch of people single-handedly was.


    When fighting Yuan Shu yesterday, he didn¡¯t realize it.


    Song Shi found him noisy and said with a frown, ¡°Gag his mouth and beat him up!¡±


    When Wang Ping heard that they were going to gag his mouth, he immediately cowered. ¡°No, no, no! I¡¯ll talk, I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡±


    Song Shi nibbled on an apple as she sat on the sofa and said aloofly, ¡°It¡¯s too late. Gag his mouth.¡±


    Wang Ping was exasperated. This woman had no ethics whatsoever!


    Wang Ping was beaten up for about ten minutes before Song Shi finished the apple and finally asked them to let him go.


    Song Shi looked at Wang Ping, who was beaten up black and blue, and laughed until she was out of breath. ¡°You can say it now.¡±


    Wang Ping¡¯s face was swollen from the beating and the scar on his face was like a flesh worm lying on his face. He said aggrievedly, ¡°Let me say this first. I¡¯ll tell you the truth, but you¡¯re not allowed to beat me anymore.¡±


    Song Shi raised her eyebrows and nodded with interest.


    Wang Ping said, ¡°Yuan Shu married Shi Xiao because she drugged Shi Xiao¡¯s wine and tricked him into sleeping with her. However, Shi Xiao has bodyguards. Yuan Shu was afraid that the plan wouldn¡¯t succeed, so she asked me to bring people to stop Shi Xiao¡¯s bodyguards.¡±


    ¡°You?¡± Song Shi was surprised. The bodyguards of the Shi family had all undergone professional training and weren¡¯t ordinary guards hired from bodyguard company. How could they be stopped by a mere group of hooligans?


    Song Shi didn¡¯t believe Wang Ping and thought that Wang Ping wasn¡¯t telling the truth. Her gaze instantly turned cold. ¡°Since he refuses to tell the truth, continue beating him.¡±


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    Wang Ping said with tears, ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. Stop beating me¡­ When we arrived that day, the scene was very chaotic. The bodyguards were in a hurry to find Shi Xiao, so we stopped them without much effort.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until now that the truth became clear. At that time, Jiang Chen had asked someone to make the wine, and Yuan Shu drugged it. It was only because Wang Ping had stopped them that the matter had progressed so smoothly.


    Song Shi got someone to help Wang Ping up and make him kneel down.


    Looking at the burly man in front of her, Song Shi immediately had a plan. Yuan Shu kept ruining her plans, so it was time to teach Yuan Shu a lesson.


    Song Shi asked Wang Ping, ¡°I heard that Yuan Shu beat you up yesterday.. Do you want to take revenge?¡±

 Chapter 330 - Chapter 330: Kidnapping

    Chapter 330: Kidnapping


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    After Wang Ping thought about it, he realized that the reason why he had been beaten up for the past two days was all because of Yuan Shu. He immediately transferred all his anger to Yuan Shu.


    He felt that compared to Song Shi, who had a group of bodyguards protecting her, Yuan Shu was easier to bully. After all, bullying the weak and fearing the strong was one of Wang Ping¡¯s principles.


    Wang Ping asked tentatively, ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    Song Shi raised her hand to admire her fresh manicure and suggested with interest, ¡°Why don¡¯t you kidnap her and tie her up? Then, you can do whatever you want, right?¡±


    When Wang Ping thought of Yuan Shu¡¯s valiant whip, he immediately felt discouraged and said, ¡°No, that woman is too powerful. It¡¯ll be very difficult for me to secretly kidnap her.¡±


    The bodyguard sneered. ¡°It¡¯s bad enough that you can¡¯t beat us, but you can¡¯t even beat a woman? What is someone as incompetent as you doing in the underworld?¡±


    Wang Ping glared at him and thought to himself, ¡°What do you know? The whip in Yuan Shu¡¯s hand isn¡¯t to be trifled with. You weren¡¯t the one being hit, so you don¡¯t know fear.¡±


    Song Shi looked at Wang Ping impatiently and said, ¡°Trash, if you¡¯re incapable, don¡¯t pretend to be some sort of big shot. If you can¡¯t even deal with Yuan Shu, what¡¯s the use of keeping you around?¡±


    Song Shi waved her hand and voiced another idea. ¡°How about this? Wait for me to inform you. After my people knock Yuan Shu out, you¡¯ll be in charge of kidnapping her. You should be able to get this small matter done, right?¡±


    When Wang Ping saw Song Shi¡¯s gaze, he felt that she might beat him up again, so he immediately nodded and said, ¡°Of course I can. Don¡¯t beat me anymore.


    Only then was Song Shi satisfied and she got someone to let Wang Ping go. Before she left, she even instructed him not to tell anyone about what happened today.


    Wang Ping knew Song Shi¡¯s methods. If he said anything, he would definitely be beaten up again, so of course he wouldn¡¯t say anything.


    On the other side, as soon as Yuan Shu arrived at the company in the morning, she realized that the people in the company were giving her strange looks. However, Yuan Shu didn¡¯t care and walked straight to her office.


    After entering the office, she finally understood why everyone was giving her strange looks. It turned out that Lin Xi had been waiting for her in the office since early in the morning.


    Yuan Shu frowned as she looked at Lin Xi who was currently sitting in her seat and looking at her provocatively.


    Logically speaking, Lin Xi was Shi Xiao¡¯s personal assistant and all her work was directly communicated with Shi Xiao, so there shouldn¡¯t be any work-related matters that concerned her. Why was she in her office?


    Yuan Shu asked politely in a business-like tone, ¡°Miss Lin, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Lin Xi put away her provocative expression and put on a docile smile before saying, ¡°Nothing much, I just came to see you, Sister.¡±


    Yuan Shu frowned, but there was no change in her expression.


    When Lin Xi called her ¡®Sister¡¯, it sounded awkward and there was no friendliness at all. Instead, her tone was full of hostility. Moreover, Lin Xi was sitting in Yuan Shu¡¯s seat, so Yuan Shu could only sit on the opposite side of the desk. The two people¡¯s identities seemed to be swapped, and Yuan Shu suddenly became the outsider.


    Yuan Shu remained impassive yet polite. ¡°Miss Lin, if there¡¯s nothing else, please leave my seat. I need to work.¡±


    When Lin Xi heard this, not only didn¡¯t she move, but she smiled even more sweetly instead.


    There was a very small scar at the corner of her eye. If one didn¡¯t look carefully, they wouldn¡¯t be able to see it clearly. If she put on makeup, it could have been covered with foundation.


    However, Lin Xi purposely revealed this scar, making it appear especially obvious when she smiled. However, the scar didn¡¯t stand out. Instead, it was like a little butterfly landing on her fluttering eyelashes, making her seem even more innocent and approachable.


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    Yuan Shu remembered that in the book, it was said that this scar was left behind when she saved Shi Xiao in Africa. That was why Lin Xi purposely revealed this scar. Was it to arouse Shi Xiao¡¯s sympathy?


    It had to be said that Lin Xi was far more scheming than described in the book.


    Lin Xi¡¯s smile was very sweet, but there was a hint of provocation in her eyes. She looked at Yuan Shu as she said, ¡°Speaking of work, I remember that there are some tasks that I have to collaborate with you on. Please organize the information regarding all the content of the company¡¯s website and hand it to me.¡±


    Yuan Shu hesitated slightly. Lin Xi immediately added, ¡°Shi Xiao said that I will follow up on this matter in the future.¡±


    She addressed him as Shi Xiao, not Mr. Shi..

 Chapter 331 - Chapter 331: Scheming

    Chapter 331: Scheming


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Yuan Shu couldn¡¯t help but size up Lin Xi.


    Not to mention that this project had just started and had just gone through the most difficult period, it was the most important project in the company now. Shi Xiao had always been cautious and suspicious, so why would he agree to hand this project to Lin Xi?


    However, this wasn¡¯t important. The most important thing was that Yuan Shu had a bad feeling.


    According to the plot in the book, Yuan Shu had leaked secrets, causing the Shi Corporation to suffer heavy losses and Yuan Shu was even sent to prison for half a month.


    However, Yuan Shu had never come into contact with the Shi Corporation¡¯s other projects. If this incident was inevitable, the problem could only be with this project.


    Now that Lin Xi suddenly took over the project, it was quite suspicious.


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t reply immediately. Instead, she observed the expression on Lin Xi¡¯s face carefully in hopes of seeing some clues. However, Lin Xi¡¯s expression didn¡¯t reveal any flaws. Her smile was extremely proper. Even her initial provocation and complacency had been hidden extremely well.


    Yuan Shu couldn¡¯t help but ponder. Having such perfect control over her expression and mannerisms was impossible without a few years of experience.


    According to what Shi Xiao said, Lin Xi was only a young lady who was kidnapped and sold to Africa. After saving Shi Xiao, she was brought back to the country by Shi Xiao. After that, she had been resting at home. Since she was a mute girl who had no chance of interacting with society, where did her maturity and powerful self-control come from?


    This alarmed Yuan Shu. It seemed like Lin Xi wasn¡¯t easy to deal with, so she couldn¡¯t let her guard down.


    After their eyes met for a moment, Yuan Shu smiled and said, ¡°Miss Lin, this project is very big, so I won¡¯t be able to organize it for you immediately. You can go back to the office first. When I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll get someone to send it to your office. As for President Shi, I¡¯ll explain the handover process of this project to him.¡±


    When Yuan Shu mentioned Shi Xiao, Lin Xi didn¡¯t show any reaction. It was clear that Shi Xiao already knew about this matter.


    Lin Xi smiled even more sweetly, but there was no emotion in her eyes. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll wait for you upstairs.¡±


    After Lin Xi left, Yuan Shu couldn¡¯t help but fall into deep thought. In the short ten minutes the two of them communicated, Lin Xi¡¯s changes were extremely great. At the start, she was complacent and provocative, then later on, she revealed an amiable attitude, and in the end, she revealed a fake smile.


    Her demeanor had changed so much, but she had grasped it just right. If not because she had a certain amount of talent in terms of interpersonal relationships, it must be because she had been professionally trained.


    Yuan Shu was getting more and more annoyed. The world in this book was completely chaotic and the characters didn¡¯t adhere to the setting at all, but the plot didn¡¯t change at all.


    Yuan Shu wasn¡¯t in a hurry to organize the documents. Instead, she called Shi Xiao first to ask if he really entrusted this project to Lin Xi.


    After hearing this, Shi Xiao paused for a moment before replying in a calm tone, ¡°I did.¡±


    Even though Yuan Shu was curious about the reason Shi Xiao agreed to Lin Xi¡¯s request, after their divorce, Yuan Shu didn¡¯t have the right to ask about Shi Xiao¡¯s private matters at all.


    Yuan Shu thought that perhaps Shi Xiao had his own considerations. She was just an employee, so all she had to do was obey orders.


    After Yuan Shu tidied up the document and checked it a few times to make sure that she didn¡¯t make any mistakes, she handed it to Cheng Cheng and had Cheng Cheng send it to Lin Xi¡¯s office.


    After Cheng Cheng left the office, Yuan Shu began to think about the current situation again. Originally, she stayed in the Shi Corporation because of this project. Now that the project had been handed over, she felt that there was no need to stay here anymore. After all, if she stayed in the Shi Corporation, she would be an open target for the hidden enemy. Yuan Shu felt as if she was being led by the nose.


    This feeling wasn¡¯t good. Yuan Shu hated being controlled the most, so she had to strike first. The first step was to leave the Shi Corporation.


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    As for what kind of actions Lin Xi would take after she left, that was unknown.


    However, before leaving, Yuan Shu had to make some arrangements.


    First of all, she had to arrange things for Shi Bin. If he stayed in the Shi Corporation, sooner or later, Shi Bin would return to being a slacker.


    Secondly, she needed to leave a spy in the Shi Corporation to keep track of the Shi Corporation¡¯s movements.


    However, who was suitable for this role?

 Chapter 332 - Chapter 332: Future

    Chapter 332: Future


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Just as Yuan Shu was thinking about who to choose, Cheng Cheng ran in with an anxious expression and she even forgot to knock on the door. ¡°President Yuan, Lin Xi is a little weird.¡±


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t say anything and gestured for her to continue.


    Cheng Cheng was a little embarrassed. In the end, she took out a bracelet in her hand. Although it was a very thin gold bracelet, it looked like it was well-designed and was probably worth a few thousand yuan.


    She placed the bracelet on the table. ¡°Just now, I went to deliver documents to Lin Xi and saw her talking to Li Zheng from the technical department. She seemed to have given Li Zheng a card¡­ When she saw me, she hurriedly let Li Zheng leave first and even gave me this.¡±


    Yuan Shu looked at the bracelet and asked, ¡°She bribed you? What did she say to Li Zheng?¡±


    Li Zheng was just a small employee in the technical department. He was unknown and his work ability was average. If not for the fact that he hadn¡¯t made any mistakes after working in the company for so many years, he would have lost his footing long ago.


    When she thought about how her being framed for leaking secrets might have something to do with this person, Yuan Shu smirked. Lin Xi was indeed impressive. In just a day, she already established connections in the company. The female lead in the book was like a harmless little rabbit, but it seemed that in this world, Lin Xi wasn¡¯t like this.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear the details clearly. She told me that she just wanted to see the work you were following up on. She even said¡­¡± Cheng Cheng hesitated, but when she met Shu Yuan¡¯s gaze, she still mustered her courage and said, ¡°She also said that President Shi asked her to take over your work. In the future, she will definitely be my leader and asked me to take care of her! I won¡¯t take care of her! I¡¯m your assistant, so I have nothing to do with her.¡±


    She blushed and tried her best to explain, ¡°A few colleagues passed by at that time and I didn¡¯t want to waste time with her, so I accepted this bracelet. I¡¯ll send it back to her later. I never thought of betraying you!¡±


    Yuan Shu was a little surprised. Cheng Cheng hadn¡¯t been with her for long and she hadn¡¯t even given Cheng Cheng any important work, but she didn¡¯t expect Cheng Cheng to be so loyal.


    Yuan Shu deliberated over her words before saying, ¡°Shi Xiao and I are divorced. Lin Xi is his savior.¡±


    In other words, Lin Xi might very well replace her position. She had already decided to leave, so she didn¡¯t want Cheng Cheng to risk her future.


    ¡°So what?¡± Cheng Cheng¡¯s eyes suddenly turned red, but she sniffled and tried her best to not let her tears fall. ¡°But I¡¯ve decided that you¡¯re my boss. In the past, I thought that you were Madam Shi, so I had no choice but to listen to you.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ve been with you for so long. You¡¯re capable and smart, and you treat your subordinates well. I admire you. You¡¯re the one who should be the boss. I¡¯m your assistant. I don¡¯t care who Lin Xi is!¡±


    Although Yuan Shu still had an indifferent expression, she felt a little comforted. In the past, when she led troops, she had also made the soldiers under her become loyal to her step by step. Once they decided on a commander, they would follow that commander for the rest of their lives. In Cheng Cheng¡¯s eyes, Yuan Shu saw the same kind of loyalty.


    Seeing that she was silent, Cheng Cheng thought that she didn¡¯t believe her. She picked up the bracelet and said, ¡°I¡¯ll send it back to her now. I just didn¡¯t want things to be too tense. Since she can interfere in the technical department, she might be up to something. Boss, you have to be careful.¡±


    Unknowingly, she had changed the way she addressed Yuan Shu. In the past, she could only call her ¡°Boss¡± inwardly, but now, she really had nothing to worry about. Cheng Cheng¡¯s thoughts were very simple. She knew that Yuan Shu and Shi Xiao had divorced and might not continue working in the Shi Corporation, but so what? Worst case scenario, she could just quit.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that Lin Xi will make things difficult for you?¡± Yuan Shu said in a calm voice, ¡°If you send the things back so rashly, it will prove your stance. When the time comes, if she says something in front of President Shi¡­ It won¡¯t be easy to find another good job like the one you have in the Shi Corporation.¡±


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    After coming to this world, Yuan Shu slowly learned about the influence of the Shi Corporation. To a 20-year-old girl like Cheng Cheng, the assistants of the Shi Corporation and other companies were very different.


    Unexpectedly, Cheng Cheng was even more determined. She wiped her eyes hard before turning around and saying, ¡°So what if she spouts nonsense? If President Shi is a man who¡¯s willing to listen to his lover¡¯s nonsense, he¡¯s not a good leader and there will be no future for me if I follow him.¡±


    She held her head high and said, ¡°At most, I¡¯ll resign. There¡¯s no future working for a gullible man. I might as well follow you, Boss. I¡¯ll send the bracelet back now.¡±


    Yuan Shu suddenly smiled. Her smile was gentle and kind, giving Cheng Cheng¡¯s heart a sense of warmth. Her next words made Cheng Cheng so excited that she was about to burst into tears.


    ¡°In that case, you can follow me..¡±

 Chapter 333 - Chapter 333: Bribe

    Chapter 333: Bribe


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Cheng Cheng had always felt that Yuan Shu didn¡¯t trust her. Yuan Shu hadn¡¯t even told her, Yuan Shu¡¯s assistant, about such a big matter during the live broadcast last time. Cheng Cheng secretly brooded over it for a long time.


    However, what Yuan Shu had told her today made her feel a little smug. She was happy to become Yuan Shu¡¯s ¡°person¡±, but was also a little confused. Why did Yuan Shu suddenly trust her?


    Feeling a bit embarrassed, she subconsciously touched the bracelet on her hand. Yuan Shu made her pretend to accept Lin Xi¡¯s bribe, and even said that it was fine for her to slander Yuan Shu behind her back, all for the sake of obtaining Lin Xi¡¯s trust.


    It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t like money, but she felt that the source of the money had to be legitimate. The bracelet on her hand made her uneasy.


    When she saw Lin Xi in the pantry, Cheng Cheng subconsciously hid the bracelet in her sleeve, but this small action was still seen by Lin Xi.


    ¡°This bracelet suits you very well. You have a good temperament and are young, so this type of design suits you.¡± Lin Xi had an earnest look on her face as she praised her. It was impossible to tell what she was really thinking.


    There were a few other colleagues in the pantry. In less than a day, almost everyone knew that Lin Xi was Shi Xiao¡¯s savior. Lin Xi looked innocent to begin with, and whenever she smiled, she looked even more amiable. She was always polite to others, which gave many colleagues a good impression of her.


    Compared to the somewhat cold and aloof Yuan Shu, Yuan Shu, the innocent and friendly Lin Xi was more popular in the company. Moreover, many people guessed that Lin Xi being able to become Shi Xiao¡¯s assistant was probably a sign of her becoming the future lady boss, so many people curried favor with her.


    When they heard Lin Xi praise Cheng Cheng, everyone¡¯s gazes landed on Cheng Cheng¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°Cheng Cheng, have you hit the jackpot? This is the latest edition golden bracelet from the PP brand. The design is so beautiful!¡±


    ¡°I wanted to buy it too, but the salesperson told me that it was pre-sale. How did you get it? Hurry up and let me see the real thing!¡±


    ¡°Just as Lin Xi said, this style really suits you quite well. It must be at least ten thousand yuan? How come you were willing to spend so much money?¡±


    Under the praises of her colleagues, Cheng Cheng blushed. She wanted to explain, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say it out loud. She couldn¡¯t tell her colleagues that the bracelet was given to her by Lin Xi, could she?


    However, in Lin Xi¡¯s eyes, everything was going according to her plan. She had investigated long ago and knew that Cheng Cheng was just a small assistant. In the past, Cheng Cheng wasn¡¯t very well-liked in the company, but because Yuan Shu needed an assistant, Cheng Cheng was assigned to her.


    Cheng Cheng¡¯s salary wasn¡¯t high, and girls were usually a little vain. As expected, a bracelet won her over.


    If she was loyal to Yuan Shu, she would have sent the bracelet back long ago. How could it still be on her hand?


    Seeing that she was a little embarrassed and didn¡¯t know how to explain, Lin Xi smiled and said, ¡°Cheng Cheng is Sister Yuan Shu¡¯s assistant, so buying some jewelry is a piece of cake. I heard that leaders often give gifts to their assistants?¡±


    Everyone looked at Cheng Cheng, but when they saw Cheng Cheng¡¯s embarrassed expression, they knew that she definitely didn¡¯t receive any gifts.


    ¡°Mrs. Shi¡­ Miss Yuan really doesn¡¯t know much about the ways of the world. Cheng Cheng works overtime with her every day, but Cheng Cheng hasn¡¯t gotten any preferential treatment as a result.¡±


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    ¡°That¡¯s right. Didn¡¯t the HR department increase some people¡¯s salary a while ago? However, Miss Yuan didn¡¯t try to help you get a raise as well, right?¡± ¡°No way? Even my salary has increased by 500 yuan this month. Cheng Cheng, I really feel sorry for you. Some people are really not worthy of you treating her so well.¡±


    Even though Zhao Mian didn¡¯t allow everyone to discuss this matter in private, with Lin Xi around, everyone became bolder, in hopes that they could please this future lady boss.


    Lin Xi also held Cheng Cheng¡¯s hand as she said with heartache, ¡°There are still many work-related matters I don¡¯t understand, but I still understand the principle of being kind. If a company wants to retain talents, the salary and treatment can¡¯t be too subpar. I¡¯ll talk to Shi Xiao later and help you get a salary raise.¡±


    She had always called Shi Xiao by his name in the company, making it seem like she and Shi Xiao were very close. Moreover, Shi Xiao didn¡¯t show any unhappiness at all when she called him that in front of her colleagues a few times, so Lin Xi felt smug. After her colleagues saw this, they were even more certain of her relationship with Shi Xiao.


    Cheng Cheng felt a little uneasy under her fervent gaze, but when she thought of Yuan Shu¡¯s instructions, she finally said awkwardly, ¡°Thank you..¡±

 Chapter 334 - Chapter 334: Blind

    Chapter 334: Blind


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    After working for a long time, Yuan Shu stood up and stretched her muscles. Then, she shook her head and sighed. Things were quite easy for the people of this world. They could just sit down and use their phones and computers to check everything.


    However, it was still very tiring. No one could stand sitting in front of the computer for so many hours. Even though she was trying her best to strengthen her body, she couldn¡¯t stand working overtime.


    Cheng Cheng reported her interaction with Lin Xi to Yuan Shu. Lin Xi probably wouldn¡¯t trust her so quickly, so she was just expressing goodwill. However, Lin Xi really helped her increase her salary. Moreover, she increased it by a thousand yuan every month. This was something she didn¡¯t even dare to think about before.


    ¡°Boss, it¡¯s impossible to bribe me,¡± Cheng Cheng promised. ¡°I¡¯ll return the money that doesn¡¯t belong to me, including the things she gave me.¡±


    Yuan Shu looked at her in amusement. ¡°Until when?¡±


    Cheng Cheng frowned, but she still said what was on her mind. ¡°Boss, are you leaving? Is it because of Lin Xi? With your ability, even if you¡¯re not Madam Shi, you can still make a name for yourself in the Shi Corporation. Moreover, the people working under you believe in you!¡±


    Initially, everyone thought that Yuan Shu was just a pretty face. The absurd things she had done in the past were gossiped about by everyone in the company.


    Unexpectedly, Madam Shi did many bold things after she joined the company and even helped Shi Xiao stabilize the company. Even the old employees of the company praised her. In fact, everyone secretly felt that Shi Xiao had poor taste for divorcing Yuan Shu for Lin Xi.


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t expect Cheng Cheng to be so shrewd, but Yuan Shu knew that she couldn¡¯t hide the fact that she was leaving, so she nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    ¡°Then bring me with you!¡± Cheng Cheng said anxiously, ¡°I don¡¯t want to act with Lin Xi every day. She¡¯s constantly currying favor with the people from the various departments. Boss, I¡¯m willing to follow you. When the time comes, I¡¯ll make my way back with you!¡±


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t expect her to say this, so she smiled and asked, ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll come back?¡±


    Cheng Cheng nodded vigorously, but Yuan Shu shook her head. However, she didn¡¯t want to explain further and only said, ¡°If you think I¡¯m your boss, I hope you can stay in the Shi Corporation.¡±


    There was disappointment in Cheng Cheng¡¯s eyes, but she immediately understood. ¡°Is that why you asked me to pretend to be bribed by Lin Xi? You want me to stay behind as a spy?¡±


    Yuan Shu nodded slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to do anything dangerous. I just want to know the situation of the Shi Corporation, especially if someone wants to harm me¡­¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, Cheng Cheng immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you immediately and find evidence. I won¡¯t let anyone frame you!¡±


    In reality, after the divorce incident and Lin Xi¡¯s employment in the past few days, everyone in the company felt that there was something fishy about this. However, because the company prohibited discussing this matter, no one dared to say it in the company. However, in private, everyone would discuss it.


    Cheng Cheng and her friends agreed that Lin Xi was definitely a scheming bitch in disguise and she probably framed Yuan Shu. Otherwise, with Yuan Shu¡¯s looks and ability, why would Shi Xiao divorce her? Could it be that he was really blind?


    At this moment, Shi Xiao was reading the trending topics on the Internet. There were already hundreds of thousands of comments about his divorce with Yuan Shu. Most people said that he was blind and there were even fans of Yuan Shu denouncing him.


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    Looking at the beautiful photos of Yuan Shu on the Internet and candid photos secretly taken by passers-by, he smiled bitterly. If possible, he definitely wouldn¡¯t get a divorce, but she was unwilling to. He knew this woman too well. She used to cling to him, but when she made up her mind to leave him, she did so decisively without any reluctance.


    A knock sounded on the door, snapping him out of his thoughts. Lin Xi walked in with a smile while carrying a piece of black forest cake. ¡°Shi Xiao, I saw that you didn¡¯t eat much for lunch, so I brought you a piece of cake.¡±


    Shi Xiao looked at the Black Forest cake in a daze. He remembered that Yuan Shu didn¡¯t like to eat sweet cakes, nor did she like the bitter taste of chocolate. He frowned when he realized that his mind was filled with thoughts of that woman.


    Lin Xi looked at him pitifully and stammered in a hoarse voice, ¡°You don¡¯t like it, right? I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know you didn¡¯t like to eat this. I, I love sweets, so I wanted to give you everything I think is good.¡±


    Tears welled up in her eyes, but she tried her best not to cry. ¡°Just like in Africa. Even if I only found one fruit, I brought it back to you..¡±

 Chapter 335 - Chapter 335: Blocked

    Chapter 335: Blocked


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Every time he heard Lin Xi mention Africa, Shi Xiao would always waver. At that time, he was in a difficult situation, and when he was on the verge of death, he received Lin Xi¡¯s help. He definitely wouldn¡¯t forget this kindness.


    Especially when he thought about how when his wound was infected and his high fever didn¡¯t subside, Lin Xi took care of him devotedly.


    She would only be able to find a bit of food after going out for an hour or two every day, especially a type of sour fruit that was especially difficult to swallow. However, even so, Lin Xi would still give him the only edible fruit.


    When she fainted later on, only then did he find out that Lin Xi hadn¡¯t eaten anything for a few days.


    At the thought of this, Shi Xiao closed his eyes and smiled gently. ¡°I don¡¯t like sweets, but I¡¯m hungry now.¡±


    He split the cake into two and ate a large piece in one bite. Then, he pushed the cake to Lin Xi. ¡°I¡¯m done. Thank you for being so considerate of me.¡±


    After Lin Xi looked at the half-eaten cake, she picked up the tray gently and said, ¡°Of course I¡¯m considerate of you. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll go out first. If you need anything, call me.¡±


    Only when he saw her leave did Shi Xiao feel as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He didn¡¯t know when it began, but he suddenly felt a bit fed up with talking to Lin Xi alone and always felt a bit uncomfortable about it, but he didn¡¯t know why he had this type of feeling.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xi, who had just left his office, carried the cake tray out with a satisfied expression. When she saw Yuan Shu just get off the elevator, she couldn¡¯t hide the smugness in her eyes.


    Zhao Cheng was just about to report to Shi Xiao when he saw Lin Xi bring out the cake and he said with a shocked expression, ¡°President Shi ate cake? He hates Black Forest cake the most.¡±


    His voice was rough and loud. Even though he thought he was whispering, the staff beside him heard it. All of them pricked up their ears to listen to gossip about the boss.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, he didn¡¯t like to eat Black Forest cake in the past, but people¡¯s tastes always change, whatever they like will also change.¡± Lin Xi¡¯s voice was gentle and she even glanced in the direction Yuan Shu came from, making sure that Yuan Shu could hear her.


    ¡°But he still doesn¡¯t like sweets that much, since he left half for me. It¡¯s not good to waste it.¡±


    With that, she picked up the fork that Shi Xiao had used just now and gently inserted a small piece of cake into her mouth. Then, she chewed carefully. ¡°It¡¯s so sweet. I like to eat sweet things, so I believe he¡¯ll start to like it in the future as well.¡±


    A simple-minded man like Zhao Cheng naturally didn¡¯t know what she was hinting at. He only thought that the little girl liked sweets, especially since she had been trafficked to Africa and had suffered for so many years.


    However, their colleagues were all shocked. Not only did Lin Xi enter and leave their boss¡¯s office at will, but she even shared a piece of cake with the boss. What was the relationship between them? Now, everyone was even more certain of their previous thoughts. As expected, Lin Xi was the future lady boss.


    Although Yuan Shu heard what she said, she didn¡¯t care at all. Instead, she asked politely, ¡°Miss Lin, is President Shi free now?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t eat lunch and just ate some cake, so he¡¯s resting now.¡± The provocation in Lin Xi¡¯s eyes was well hidden, but it was still seen by Yuan Shu.


    Zhao Cheng scratched his head and asked in confusion, ¡°Then why did he ask me to come up immediately? Mr. Shi just called me.¡±


    Zhao Cheng really didn¡¯t understand what was wrong with him. If he wanted to rest, why did he let Zhao Cheng come up? If he wasn¡¯t resting, what was Miss Lin doing?


    An awkward look flashed past Lin Xi¡¯s face, then she said gently, ¡°He really has something to discuss with you, and after meeting you, he is going to rest. Shi Xiao has been working so hard that he doesn¡¯t even having time for lunch break. Miss Yuan, if you don¡¯t have anything urgent, why don¡¯t you come back later?¡±


    Other than Zhao Cheng, everyone else understood what she meant, let alone Yuan Shu. She didn¡¯t want to have any conflict with Lin Xi in the company. Moreover, she and Shi Xiao had a peaceful divorce, so there was indeed nothing to fight about.


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    Hence, she nodded and handed the document to Zhao Cheng as she said, ¡°Give this to President Shi. I have nothing else to do, so I¡¯ll go back first.¡±


    Lin Xi glanced at the words on the folder, then took the document from Zhao Cheng¡¯s hand. ¡°This isn¡¯t an important document. You and Shi Xiao can deal with your matters first. I¡¯ll hand this document to him later.¡±


    Zhao Cheng was at a loss and his hand was still hanging in the air.


    Lin Xi said coquettishly, ¡°Brother Zhao, Shi Xiao is too tired, so let him rest for a while after chatting. Don¡¯t let him look at unimportant documents, okay?¡±


    Every time she wheedled, Zhao Cheng felt a little helpless. He could only nod stiffly and knock on Shi Xiao¡¯s office door..

 Chapter 336 - Chapter 336: Invitation

    Chapter 336: Invitation


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    After Lin Xi saw Zhao Cheng enter the office, she threw the cake into the trash can when no one was paying attention. In order to maintain her current figure, she rarely ate sweets. It would ruin her skin and figure. Previously, she didn¡¯t eat a single bite of Black Forest, but she just wanted to anger Yuan Shu.


    Even though Yuan Shu didn¡¯t seem to care much on the surface, Lin Xi was certain that she was furious deep down. This marriage was obtained through dirty tricks and was what Yuan Shu dreamed of. How could Yuan Shu be willing to get a divorce just like that?


    Lin Xi looked at the document in her hand. It happened to be the proposal for the new video website. The corners of her lips curled up as she returned to her desk with the proposal.


    After finally sorting out the details of the handover, Yuan Shu began to plan how to leave the Shi Corporation.


    It seemed that the characters in the original book had all appeared one by one. Even if the plot changed a little, what would come would still come, so she had to plan ahead. At the very least, she didn¡¯t want to die like the original host.


    Yuan Shu suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness. After she had been pulled into this world, it was as if everything had changed because of her appearance, but it was as if nothing had changed. At the very least, most things would still progress according to the book¡¯s plot, such as Lin Xi¡¯s appearance and her divorce from Shi Xiao.


    In order to prevent Lin Xi from tampering with her work, Yuan Shu checked the work in her hands many times, especially the technical work that involved the company¡¯s secrets. Only after confirming that it had never passed through Lin Xi¡¯s hands did she relax.


    After packing up, Yuan Shu was about to leave the office when she saw Shi Xiao and Lin Xi walking out one after another.


    ¡°Shi Xiao, where are you bringing me out to eat today? Why are you being so mysterious?¡± Lin Xi asked with a look of longing.


    Although her voice wasn¡¯t loud, her words were clear. Not only Yuan Shu, but even her colleagues around her heard her.


    The colleagues exchanged glances. If she wasn¡¯t the future lady boss, how could she get so close to President Shi?


    However, Shi Xiao¡¯s eyes were fixed on Yuan Shu. Seeing that she didn¡¯t seem to mind at all, he was very unhappy. Then, he said coldly, ¡°Since it¡¯s a surprise, you¡¯ll know when you get there.¡±


    He quickly walked up to Yuan Shu and said in a stiff tone, ¡°You don¡¯t have any plans for tonight, right? Let¡¯s go eat together. Haven¡¯t you never been to Sky Restaurant before? I booked a private room.¡±


    From his tone, he wasn¡¯t questioning her at all. It was as if he was giving an order instead. Moreover, his eyes were narrowed in a menacing manner, as if he would pounce on Yuan Shu if she said no.


    Yuan Shu was startled by his gaze. If not for her previous experience on the battlefield, she would have taken a step back in fright.


    She didn¡¯t understand why Shi Xiao was suddenly filled with such aggression, but she didn¡¯t say anything and just looked at him calmly. Shi Xiao didn¡¯t back down either. His eyes were fixed on her and he was waiting for her to agree.


    Seeing the awkward atmosphere between the two of them, Lin Xi took a step forward before tugging at Shi Xiao¡¯s sleeve lightly. Shi Xiao frowned and pulled away from her.


    Lin Xi¡¯s expression was a bit awkward and her hand was still extended, but she immediately said to Yuan Shu with a smile, ¡°Miss Yuan, why don¡¯t we go together? It just happens to be dinner time. Moreover, it¡¯s only the two of us eating, so if you come, it¡¯ll be more lively with more people.¡± She turned to Shi Xiao and asked, ¡°Right?¡±


    Shi Xiao frowned the entire time, but his gaze remained on Yuan Shu¡¯s face. This woman had just divorced him, but she wanted to draw the line so quickly?


    How could Yuan Shu, who was familiar with the struggles between women in the palace, not understand the meaning behind Lin Xi¡¯s words? This was their exclusive dinner date, so she really shouldn¡¯t join. Moreover, according to the storyline in the book, if she got involved, she might die miserably.


    Yuan Shu shook her head and said calmly, ¡°President Shi asked me to hand over my work to Miss Lin. I indeed have some documents to sort out and I still have work to deal with later.¡±


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    ¡°Heh, with the work you have, what¡¯s there to hand over?¡± Shi Xiao was a little dissatisfied. Of course, he knew about Yuan Shu¡¯s work in the company and knew that she was just looking for an excuse.


    At this moment, a man in a checkered shirt and black-framed glasses called out softly with an uneasy expression, ¡°Miss Yuan, there¡¯s a document here that needs your attention.¡±


    Finally finding an excuse to leave, Yuan Shu heaved a sigh of relief and said sincerely to Shi Xiao, ¡°I do have work. President Shi, Miss Lin, please excuse me.¡±


    As Shi Xiao narrowed his eyes and looked in the direction she left in, his unhappiness intensified.


    Lin Xi¡¯s lips instead curled up slightly, but a look of pity appeared on her face. ¡°It really is a pity that Miss Yuan can¡¯t go. The more people, the merrier..¡±

 Chapter 337 - Chapter 337: Value

    Chapter 337: Value


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    After Shi Xiao glanced at Lin Xi, he took the lead to enter the elevator in silence. Lin Xi and Zhao Cheng also hurriedly followed.


    When they reached the underground parking lot, Zhao Cheng opened the car door for Lin Xi. After Lin Xi got in, she looked at Shi Xiao expectantly.


    When he thought of Yuan Shu¡¯s various abnormalities today, as well as how she seemed to be escaping in the end, then thought about how his subordinates reported that Lin Xi had dealings with the technical department, Shi Xiao became even more annoyed and said to Zhao Cheng, ¡°You and Zhao Mian can bring Miss Lin out to eat. I¡¯ll reimburse you guys.¡±


    Then, he turned around and left. Lin Xi was a bit anxious and hurriedly got out of the car to follow him as she said with some grievance, ¡°Shi Xiao, didn¡¯t you promise me? Could it be that because Miss Yuan turned you down, you can¡¯t even fulfill what you promised me?¡±


    Her innocent expression would make anyone feel pity, but the words ¡®turned you down¡¯ hit Shi Xiao¡¯s sorespot. He sneered and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the more the merrier? Of the two siblings, one of them is straightforward, and the other likes to gossip, so things will definitely be merry. I still have some work to do.¡±


    After saying that, he boarded the elevator without looking back, leaving behind Lin Xi with a resentful expression. He felt very frustrated today. When he thought about how he wouldn¡¯t be able to see Yuan Shu even when he returned home, he decided to return to the office first and finish the work in his hands.


    Lin Xi, who was still standing on the spot, clenched her fists and her uneasiness gradually intensified. She originally thought that since Shi Xiao could bring her back to the country, arrange a place for her to stay, and even let her enter the Shi Corporation, she was definitely special to him.


    However, when Lin Xi saw that Shi Xiao became angry over Yuan Shu¡¯s matters and even asked Zhao Mian to protect her in the company, Lin Xi knew that Yuan Shu was just as that person said. She was special to Shi Xiao.


    Zhao Cheng looked at Lin Xi in confusion while asking, ¡°Miss Lin, are we still going or not?¡±


    He really couldn¡¯t figure out why Young Master had changed his mind so quickly, but it seemed like it definitely had something to do with Young Madam.


    Lin Xi didn¡¯t want Zhao Cheng to be more wary of her, so she turned around and smiled pitifully. Then, with a dejected expression, she said, ¡°I, I¡¯m not feeling well today, so why don¡¯t you and Miss Zhao go out to eat?¡±


    After Zhao Cheng thought about the popularity of the restaurant and the high price, he nodded and said, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll send you back first, then I¡¯ll pick up my sister for dinner.¡±


    Lin Xi was so dismayed that she almost cursed out loud. She really didn¡¯t know how Zhao Cheng got hired by Shi Xiao. His boss wasn¡¯t even going to eat, but he really plabbed to go to a high-end restaurant with his sister?


    At this moment, Yuan Shu had already followed Li Zheng back to the office. After she looked at the nervous Li Zheng and then at the documents he handed over, she said calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re showing me. You should know that I¡¯m not a professional in terms of coding.¡±


    Her tone was very aloof, but intimidating. Li Zheng swallowed hard.


    However, when he thought about how Yuan Shu really didn¡¯t understand these things, he slowly calmed down. ¡°Miss Yuan, you¡¯ve always been the one following up on the video website. There¡¯s a very small loophole in the code here. You should understand this logic.¡±


    Yuan Shu nodded slightly, but Li Zheng, who had his head lowered, couldn¡¯t see the coldness in her eyes.


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    He felt that Yuan Shu believed him and continued, ¡°Ever since the website started streaming, the data has been good and the number of registered people has increased. However, if this loophole is not fixed, other hackers might steal the users¡¯ information or even replicate the website. Even without Dun Yuan Technology Company, other companies will still go against us. At that time, our company will suffer losses!¡±


    He thought that his words sounded quite righteous. In the afternoon, he had already prepared a script and reviewed it many times, but Yuan Shu still heard a loophole.


    Yuan Shu¡¯s fingertips tapped on the document lightly, making Li Zheng feel a bit unnerved. When he saw her slightly red fingertips, he was a bit mesmerized. As a bombshell, even her hands were so beautiful. No wonder Lin Xi didn¡¯t hesitate to spend a large amount of money to chase her away. Which man wouldn¡¯t be charmed by such a beautiful woman?


    After a while, Yuan Shu asked softly, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you look for your supervisor, or why didn¡¯t you say it in front of President Shi just now? Instead, you came to look for me, a person who doesn¡¯t know anything about technology?¡±


    Upon hearing her question, not only wasn¡¯t Li Zheng nervous, but he also immediately said the excuse he had prepared beforehand, ¡°Because in my heart, you¡¯re the one who should be Madam Shi.. As long as you can fix the loophole this time, President Shi will definitely see your merits and remarry you!¡±

 Chapter 338 - Chapter 338: Help

    Chapter 338: Help


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    ¡°Remarry?¡± After Yuan Shu repeated this word, she sighed softly.


    As expected, everyone felt that she had used dirty tricks to marry Shi Xiao in the past. Now that the two of them were divorced, they assumed that she was the most upset one.


    When he heard her mention remarrying, Li Zheng was even more surprised. Although he was a technical geek, he wasn¡¯t completely unaware of the gossip in the company.


    Even though the Yuan Shu he saw was quite different from the rumors, it seemed that just as Lin Xi said, Yuan Shu still wanted to be the wife of the Shi family. What woman could refuse a family like the Shi family?


    Li Zheng said with a serious expression, ¡°That¡¯s right! If not for your foresight last time, our technical department¡¯s efforts in the past few months would have been in vain. I personally admire you very much and think that only an independent woman like you is worthy of President Shi. Therefore, I also feel that it¡¯s a pity that you and President Shi got a divorce.¡±


    He continued, ¡°You might not know me, but I¡¯ve been working in the Shi Corporation for more than ten years and have always been in the Technology Department. You said that you don¡¯t understand technology, so you probably don¡¯t understand the power struggle in the Technology Department either. I can¡¯t tell my supervisor about this matter, since it might even become my fault in the end. Therefore, I can only rely on you to handle this matter and let it become a chance for you to return to President Shi¡¯s side. I also hope that you can guide me, a small employee, some more.¡±


    These weren¡¯t things he thought of, but rather what Lin Xi told him to say. What Lin Xi said was that it was impossible for one person to help another unconditionally, so voicing his conditions would instead make him seem more convincing and make it easier for Yuan Shu to believe him.


    After that person¡¯s investigation, it was revealed Yuan Shu and Shi Xiao¡¯s marriage did indeed have some elements of coincidence, but Yuan Shu also had the intention to marry Shi Xiao right from the start, so Lin Xi was certain that Yuan Shu wouldn¡¯t let go just like that. Now that there was such a good opportunity for her to perform well in front of Shi Xiao, how could she miss it?


    As expected, Yuan Shu¡¯s lips curled into a smile. ¡°So you need me to help you get a promotion and a raise? You should know that I¡¯m no longer Mrs. Shi, nor am I the head of the technical department.¡±


    ¡°No, you will definitely continue to be Madam Shi, as long as you help President Shi solve the technical department¡¯s problem this time.¡± Li Zheng continued with an excited look, ¡°And even if you¡¯re not Madam Shi now, from President Shi¡¯s attitude towards you today, your words will be more effective than my 20 to 30 years of hard work.¡±


    After hearing his words, Yuan Shu pretended to be in deep thought. Li Zheng was a little anxious, but he didn¡¯t dare to rush her and could only wait anxiously.


    Finally, as if she had made an important decision, Yuan Shu asked solemnly, ¡°What do you need me to do?¡±


    Li Zheng finally relaxed and began to tell her the plan.


    After hearing everything Li Zheng said, Yuan Shu felt that acting was indeed very tiring. She had learned all kinds of acting skills from the production team, but she didn¡¯t expect to use them on Li Zheng first. However, the effect wasn¡¯t bad, since Li Zheng really believed her.


    However, when she thought of what Li Zheng said, Yuan Shu smirked. As expected, things were starting to progress according to the plot of the novel. She was about to be framed by Lin Xi and get fired by the Shi Corporation. Unfortunately for them, she was prepared.


    Yuan Shu had gotten off work very late today and coupled with the fact that she had discussed things with Li Zheng for a while, when she left, the sky had completely darkened.


    In order not to have any more contact with the Shi family, Yuan Shu took the initiative to return the Shi family¡¯s car. However, she didn¡¯t know how to drive yet. Riding a horse was easy for her, but driving¡­


    Yuan Shu shook her head. Taking advantage of the good weather, she decided to take a walk. She would still feel uncomfortable if she didn¡¯t exercise for an entire day. As she looked at the cars driving around, she felt that it was indeed important to learn how to drive after coming to this world.


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    Suddenly, a sharp scream came from the alley. Acutely sensing danger, Yuan Shu turned her head to look at the dark alley.


    In the alley, a girl in white clothing was forced to a corner by a few men. She shouted for help, but a man slapped her hard. ¡°B*tch! It¡¯s your blessing that we took a fancy to you. It¡¯s so late, so do you think anyone will hear you?¡±


    The other two men had wicked smiles on their faces. From time to time, they would molest the girl¡¯s breasts and legs.


    Seeing this scene, Yuan Shu was enraged. She pulled out the whip at her waist and held it tightly in her hand. When one of the men tried to tear the girl¡¯s clothes, the whip hit the man¡¯s hand with a bang.


    ¡°Damn it! Who is it? Do you want to die?¡± The man turned around and scolded fiercely..

 Chapter 339 - Chapter 339: Saving the Damsel in Distress

    Chapter 339: Saving the Damsel in Distress


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    When the men saw Yuan Shu¡¯s face, their gazes made her feel disgusted.


    She waved the whip in her hand and said coldly, ¡°If you don¡¯t want trouble, get lost.¡±


    Although there were cars on the road, there were no street lamps in the depths of the alley. If one wasn¡¯t at the intersection, it would be difficult to see the situation inside clearly. Moreover, there were barely any pedestrians on the road. She wasn¡¯t afraid of fighting with a few hooligans, but she had to ensure the girl¡¯s safety first.


    The man covered his hand and said maliciously, ¡°Little beauty, you¡¯re quite arrogant. Since you¡¯re here, why don¡¯t you accompany us? From your smooth skin, you¡¯ll definitely let us have a good time. I promise you¡¯ll enjoy it!¡±


    He grabbed the girl in the white dress and gave his companion a look. Then, the two of them looked at Yuan Shu lecherously as they slowly walked towards her.


    ¡°Little beauty, don¡¯t be afraid. Don¡¯t you like whips? I¡¯ll definitely whip you hard later.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. I like SM the most. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t disfigure your beautiful face!¡±


    Just as one of them was about to touch Yuan Shu, she swung the whip forcefully and hit his hand accurately. After she whipped the man¡¯s inner thigh a few more times, the man knelt on the ground and wailed in pain.


    When the other man saw how powerful Yuan Shu was, he was a little afraid and picked up a broken wooden club beside him before attacking Yuan Shu fiercely.


    Yuan Shu turned around and dodged the man¡¯s attack nimbly. Then, she flicked her whip and it hit his fat butt. The man threw the stick away in pain and covered his butt as he glared at Yuan Shu. ¡°You b*tch! Damn it, I¡¯ll skin you alive today?¡±


    After the man ran towards Yuan Shu quickly, she swung the whip again and wrapped it around the man¡¯s ankle. With a slight tug, the man fell to the ground without even making a sound.


    The man holding the girl¡¯s hand was already trembling in fear and he grabbed the girl¡¯s wrist tightly. The girl winced in pain and tears fell as she shouted, ¡°Miss, save me! Save me! I don¡¯t want to die! I don¡¯t want to die!¡±


    Her voice quivered as tears streamed down her face. The man beside her kicked her angrily. ¡°B*tch! Shut up! If you don¡¯t want to die, shut up!¡±


    The girl didn¡¯t have time to dodge and knelt on the ground. Her knees were injured and blood instantly dyed the white dress red. However, the man didn¡¯t stop. He pulled the girl¡¯s hair forcefully and cursed, ¡°B*tch, it¡¯s all because of you! I¡¯ll beat you to death today? B*tch!¡±


    Suddenly, he felt a pain in the back of his neck. Yuan Shu¡¯s whip quickly wrapped around his neck and tightened. The suffocating feeling that followed made him afraid, so he let go of the girl¡¯s hand and tried to pry off the restraints on his neck, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t pry off the whip.


    The more he struggled, the harder Yuan Shu tried to immobilize him. Yuan Shu had always hated rapists the most. In her army, she would never show mercy to anyone who dared to disobey orders.


    Yuan Shu was furious when she saw that the girl¡¯s clothes had been torn apart, revealing her lingerie and underwear. There were even wounds on the girl¡¯s body and face.


    She exerted more force and said coldly, ¡°Since you dare to do such atrocious things, you should be prepared to be punished! For you to bully a weak woman, what kind of man are you? Even if a man can¡¯t protect his country, he should at least take responsibility instead of doing such a nasty thing!¡±


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    The girl had already stumbled to Yuan Shu¡¯s side. After she glanced at the three men beside her timidly, she whispered, ¡°Y-you can¡¯t kill him. It¡¯s illegal to kill people. How about we run?¡±


    Yuan Shu naturally knew that in this world, she couldn¡¯t punish these evil people however she pleased. She loosened her grip, but she didn¡¯t let go of the man completely. She said to the girl, ¡°There¡¯s no need to run. You have a phone, right? Call the police.¡±


    The girl quickly nodded and rummaged through her bag.


    Suddenly, Yuan Shu sensed danger. She quickly retracted her whip and retreated. However, she was still too slow.


    The spray in the girl¡¯s hand quickly sprayed Yuan Shu¡¯s face. Before Yuan Shu could hold her breath, she had already inhaled a large amount of the spray and her body fell back uncontrollably..

 Chapter 340 - Chapter 340: Kidnapped

    Chapter 340: Kidnapped


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    ¡°Damn it! Sun Xiao, why didn¡¯t you do it quickly? I was almost strangled to death by her just now!¡± The man who had his neck wrapped around just now spat out a mouthful of blood and looked at the girl fiercely.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you still alive? What is there to be afraid of?¡± The panic on the girl¡¯s face disappeared and after she threw the spray in a corner, she kicked the two men who had fallen to the ground. ¡°Are you guys dead? If you¡¯re not dead, get up and work. You guys are really useless!¡±


    The two men were a little dazed from the beating just now. After being kicked by Sun Xiao, they sobered up and slowly got up.


    Seeing Yuan Shu lying on the ground, one of the men was about to slap her when Sun Xiao stopped him. ¡°She can¡¯t be injured, nor can we leave any traces of us on her. Have you forgotten?¡±


    ¡°Damn it, are we just going to let it go like this? I fainted! I almost died!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. This woman is so ruthless, so I have to f*ck her until she cries for her parents today. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to vent my hatred.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Sun Xiao. Since she¡¯s going to be given away anyway, why don¡¯t we enjoy her first? When the time comes, we¡¯ll film a video¡­¡±


    Sun Xiao picked up the wooden stick on the ground and hit the nearest man. ¡°Idiot! Look carefully at who she is. She¡¯s Yuan Shu! Don¡¯t say that you don¡¯t know her. Even if something happens to her, it can¡¯t have anything to do with me or you guys. Do you understand?¡±


    Upon hearing her words, the men leaned closer to look at the woman who had fallen to the ground. The lights were too dim just now, and coupled with their preconceived notions, they thought that Sun Xiao was just trying to cause trouble for an ordinary white-collar female. How could they dare to scheme against Shi Xiao¡¯s ex-wife?


    ¡°We, we did it to help you. You didn¡¯t say it was Yuan Shu!¡± The leader panicked. This kind of big shot wasn¡¯t someone a few hooligans like them could afford to offend.


    If she was an ordinary white-collar worker, out of shame, she probably wouldn¡¯t tell anyone even if she was raped. However, Yuan Shu was famous and as long as one went online, they would know who she was. She wasn¡¯t someone that they could offend.


    However, Sun Xiao smiled and leaned against the man as she said gently, ¡°Of course I know that you¡¯re doing this to help me. I want to cause trouble for her.¡±


    Her fingers traced the man¡¯s wound and caressed it gently as she said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If you send her away, this matter will have nothing to do with you. You didn¡¯t touch her and have no interaction with her at all. The police won¡¯t be able to find out. Besides¡­¡±


    She pointed at the surveillance camera opposite her as she said, ¡°Today, the surveillance cameras definitely won¡¯t be able to capture us.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± After the man looked at her hand and then at her voluptuous figure, he was a little tempted, but he still asked, ¡°Are you sure the surveillance cameras are turned off? This is an office building area. There are so many companies here!¡±


    Sun Xiao leaned against him and said gently, ¡°Of course. Otherwise, why would I let you do it? You¡¯re my darling! And I¡¯ve already prepared the money.¡±


    She took out a large envelope from her bag and handed it to the man. After the man looked at the money in the envelope, he pinched her butt hard. Thinking about how he really didn¡¯t see the red light on the surveillance camera just now, he said to the other two, ¡°Drag her into the flatbed truck that¡¯s pulling the goods and send her to our van.¡±


    The other two quickly took off their outer clothes as they had agreed before. They were wearing clothes from the construction site inside. Then, they carried Yuan Shu onto the flatbed truck and covered her with plastic before pushing her out of the alley.


    Seeing that everything was settled, Sun Xiao was about to take out her phone to inform Song Shi when a large hand hugged her from behind. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry to report to your boss?¡±


    The man¡¯s hot breath was mixed with the unpleasant smell of sweat and blood. Sun Xiao closed her eyes and resisted the urge to retch. Then, she turned around and smiled at him. ¡°There¡¯s no boss.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, you think I don¡¯t know you?¡± The man¡¯s hand moved back and forth on her body. ¡°How can you take out so much money? You have nothing to do with Madam Shi. Stop lying.¡±


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    After saying that, he was about to snatch Sun Xiao¡¯s phone. The screen froze at the page where she was about to send Song Shi a message.


    Sun Xiao quickly put her phone into her underwear. The man caressed her with a wicked smile as he said, ¡°How fun.¡±


    She said coquettishly, ¡°I knew I couldn¡¯t hide it from you. But don¡¯t tell anyone. You¡¯ve already accepted the money.¡±


    The man looked down at her big breasts, then his throat bobbed as he said, ¡°Of course I won¡¯t tell anyone, but you have to give me some hush money, right?¡±


    Then, he tore off the remaining clothes on Sun Xiao¡¯s body and pressed her against the wall..

 Chapter 341 - Chapter 341: Video

    Chapter 341: Video


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    After a round of sex, the man pulled up his pants in satisfaction and picked up the envelope on the ground. Then, he looked at Sun Xiao teasingly as he said, ¡°As expected of someone who¡¯s going to be a celebrity. That felt good.¡±


    He kissed Sun Xiao, who was lying on the ground, hard on the cheek. Then, he took out his phone and showed it to her. ¡°Here, the person has been handed over. Do you see that? When you¡¯re done, remember to look for me in the future. I did quite well, right? I guarantee that you¡¯ll be satisfied!¡±


    He laughed impudently and hummed a tune as he left the alley, without looking back at the woman on the ground.


    Sun Xiao looked angrily in the direction the man had left. If not for Song Shi¡¯s promise to give her resources, how could she have given herself to such a scoundrel?


    She looked down at her remaining clothes and wiped her tears. After she picked up the jacket that a man had thrown away and put it on, only then did she feel a little better. Then, she took out her phone and made a video call.


    ¡°Why are you so slow? What time is it?¡± Song Shi said impatiently, and her face was filled with displeasure. ¡°I told you not to video call me. Did you ignore my words?¡±


    She didn¡¯t want people to know that she was involved in such a thing. From the beginning to the end, Sun Xiao was the only one who contacted these hooligans. Although Song Shi was domineering, she cherished her reputation. She knew very well how difficult it was for her to get engaged to Jiang Chen. Naturally, she didn¡¯t want anything bad to happen to her reputation at this time.


    It didn¡¯t matter even if Yuan Shu¡¯s kidnapping was traced to Sun Xiao. Sun Xiao was considered the seventh or eighth female lead in Yuan Shu¡¯s previous production team. Since the cast didn¡¯t continue filming because of Yuan Shu, Sun Xiao didn¡¯t even have the chance to show her face. It was reasonable for Sun Xiao to bear a grudge against Yuan Shu.


    Sun Xiao wasn¡¯t a fool. Of course, she knew Song Shi¡¯s motive, but she was powerless to resist. Since the opportunity was right in front of her, she had to fight for it. She said in a choked voice, ¡°Miss Song, the person has already been sent over and the matter has been completed. But I, I¡­¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Song Shi said impatiently. ¡°Just send her over. Your mission will be completed, and you¡¯ll have a new offer tomorrow. I¡¯ve already talked to the production team. Don¡¯t worry, they won¡¯t mistreat you.¡±


    When Sun Xiao heard her say this, she was slightly relieved, but she immediately said aggrievedly, ¡°Miss Song, these hooligans are inhumane.


    When they, when they saw me alone, they, they¡­¡±


    Upon hearing her words and seeing her disheveled appearance, Song Shi understood what was going on. It wasn¡¯t unusual for hooligans to commit rape, not to mention that Sun Xiao was indeed quite good-looking.


    She said aloofly, ¡°I know you¡¯re aggrieved, but you¡¯ve accompanied so many men, so a few more is no big deal. Isn¡¯t it a common occurrence for people like you? You should be used to it by now.¡±


    Before Sun Xiao could refute, Song Shi continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you handled this matter quite quickly, so I¡¯ll give you an additional compensation. But remember, from now on, we have nothing to do with each other. Don¡¯t contact me again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry. I understand.¡± Sun Xiao had achieved her goal, so she naturally didn¡¯t pester Song Shi anymore. She would have plenty of opportunities in the future.


    After turning off the video, she saved the video of her video chat with Song Shi. Then, she felt relieved.


    The powerful Song family wasn¡¯t something a small actress like her could compare to. Moreover, since Song Shi dared to attack Yuan Shu, who knew if she would be the next one to be dealt with? She had preserved most of the evidence of her dealings with Song Shi previously. Now that she had the video, she had a trump card.


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    Suddenly, her phone rang. When Sun Xiao saw the additional 100,000 yuan in her account, she knew that this was the compensation Song Shi had given her.


    She sneered coldly. These young ladies really treated her as trash. Did they think that a woman like her deserved to be toyed with? She refused to accept her fate. It was impossible for Song Shi to be satisfied with just 100,000 yuan and a small role.


    She called Brother Long, who disgusted her, and asked in a coquettish voice, ¡°Brother Long, the boss is worried and asked me to send the video to her. Where¡¯s the video you showed me just now?¡±


    Brother Long was in a good mood after receiving the money and sleeping with a beauty, so he sent the video without hesitation and even attached the video of the handover process that his subordinates had secretly filmed just now.


    Sun Xiao downloaded the videos one by one and uploaded them to her cloud storage. It was already midnight when she was done. After she tidied her clothes, she left the alley while there was no one around..

 Chapter 342 - Chapter 342: Slander

    Chapter 342: Slander


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    When Yuan Shu woke up, she felt that the drive was very bumpy. She tried her best to shake her head and looked around before realizing that she had been placed in the trunk of a car. The narrow space was filled with an unpleasant smell. The road seemed to be very difficult to drive on and the car kept shaking. She felt that she was about to vomit.


    Because she was drugged, the other party only tied her hands and feet. Yuan Shu tried her best to tear the rope in her hand with her teeth, but she was too weak. Coupled with the residue of the drug, she couldn¡¯t use any strength at all.


    At this moment, the car stopped. Accompanied by the sound of the waves, Yuan Shu heard a man¡¯s voice. ¡°Boss, is this really okay? Why do I have a bad feeling about this?¡±


    Seeing that his subordinate was so cowardly, Wang Ping slapped him on the head. ¡°Why not? Even though we kidnapped her, no one knows. When the time comes, we¡¯ll film some videos to threaten her. How can she dare to say anything?¡±


    Thinking of how badly he had been beaten up by Yuan Shu at the bar that day, Wang Ping gritted his teeth in hatred and said fiercely, ¡°What a noblewoman is the most afraid of is having her reputation ruined. When the time comes, everyone will be happy. It¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t seen her face and figure before. You brats are in luck.¡±


    One of the lackeys beside him hurriedly said obsequiously, ¡°Boss is right. Miss Yuan is very beautiful. Even celebrities can¡¯t compare to her. We¡¯re lucky, but Boss will definitely be the first to enjoy the opportunity later!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Boss, you go first. As for the rest of us, let¡¯s draw lots?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to draw? I followed Boss the earliest, so I¡¯ll definitely be the second one. All of you have to wait!¡±


    ¡°On what basis? Let¡¯s draw lots! Whoever is last will record it!¡±


    When she heard the discussions outside, Yuan Shu¡¯s expression turned cold. She already recognized Wang Ping¡¯s voice. However, in the book, the plot originally said that she asked Wang Ping to kidnap Lin Xi. She never expected that this time, Wang Ping actually kidnapped her.


    Yuan Shu wanted to change her posture, but the effect of the drug made her unable to exert any strength. When she heard footsteps walking towards her, she could only continue to pretend to be unconscious and wait for an opportunity to escape.


    Wang Ping lit a cigarette but didn¡¯t smoke it. His hands were trembling. In fact, he was quite in favor of Song Shi¡¯s suggestion at the beginning. After all, he had suffered humiliation in front of his buddies, so he had to get payback. However, at this point, for some reason, he felt flustered.


    ¡°Boss, what are you waiting for? The little beauty is in the trunk!¡± A lackey couldn¡¯t wait to open the trunk.


    However, his hand was pressed down by Wang Ping. ¡°Damn it, why are you so anxious?¡±


    The lackey revealed a panicked look. Then, he quickly smiled and said, ¡°Boss, please go first.¡±


    After Wang Ping glanced at his eager lackeys beside him, for some reason, he felt more and more uneasy.


    In the past, he had only fooled around the streets. The young people called him ¡°Boss¡±, but he knew his position too well. Since Song Shi had dealt with Yuan Shu so quickly, he felt even more uncertain.


    ¡°Go, go, go. Get lost!¡± Wang Ping threw the cigarette aside fiercely and his right eyelid twitched. ¡°Go and see if the ship over there is ready. Stay away from me!¡±


    The lackeys winked at each other. Thinking that their boss was going to do it, they quickly ran away.


    Only then did Wang Ping take a deep breath and mutter, ¡°Don¡¯t blame me. It¡¯s your fault for offending a big shot. If you become a ghost, let me off. Just don¡¯t let off the true mastermind.¡±


    After he slowly opened the trunk, he saw a pair of bright eyes looking at him. He took a step back and almost fell to the ground. However, he was the boss of this group of underlings after all, so he immediately stabilized himself and swallowed hard as he stared fixedly at Yuan Shu, who had already woken up.


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    When Yuan Shu heard his conversation with his underlings and his muttering just now, she knew that Wang Ping was a pawn used to kidnap her. In the book, Wang Ping was a hooligan. Not only was he a fool, but he didn¡¯t have a powerful background either. Otherwise, why would he be afraid of her? Someone else must have planned all of this.


    Yuan Shu looked at him calmly and didn¡¯t struggle at all, but the cold look in her eyes still made Wang Ping afraid.


    After a full minute, Wang Ping asked in a quivering voice, ¡°W-When did you wake up? What do you want to do?¡±


    Upon hearing his question, Yuan Shu laughed. ¡°You kidnapped me, but you¡¯re asking me what I want to do?¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t kidnap you!¡± After Wang Ping met her gaze, he felt afraid and quickly denied it. ¡°I didn¡¯t kidnap you. Don¡¯t slander me..¡±

 Chapter 343 - Chapter 343: That Woman

    Chapter 343: That Woman


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    At this moment, Yuan Shu was clearly lying on her side in the trunk and the small Santana trunk forced her to curl up in fetal position, but Wang Ping felt an indescribable sense of intimidation from her, making him feel suffocated.


    The lackey in the distance was already a little anxious and shouted, ¡°Boss, are you impotent? What are you waiting for?¡±


    ¡°Bullsh*t! Little brats, get lost! You¡¯re the f*cking impotent one!¡± Wang Ping¡¯s face turned red and he mustered his courage to go forward, but his movements were much more cautious. After he pulled Yuan Shu out of the trunk, he let her sit on it.


    Looking at the elegant and beautiful woman in front of him, Wang Ping couldn¡¯t help but swallow hard. However, he didn¡¯t dare to do anything. After a long time, he said stubbornly, ¡°Miss Yuan, you¡¯re too domineering and have offended many people. There are countless people who want to kidnap you. Who has evidence that I¡¯m the one who kidnapped you?¡±


    Yuan Shu raised her eyebrows. Seeing that Wang Ping was not in a hurry to attack her, she had a guess in mind and said slowly, ¡°Yes, I have many enemies. However, they are all smart people and won¡¯t do it themselves, so they have to find a few brainless scapegoats.¡±


    ¡°You b*tch, who are you calling brainless?¡± Wang Ping¡¯s face turned red, but he didn¡¯t dare to attack Yuan Shu.


    This woman was too calm. When a woman was kidnapped, she would usually either scream or cry and beg for mercy. However, Yuan Shu didn¡¯t struggle and spoke to him calmly. This was even more terrifying.


    Wang Ping suddenly remembered that his underling had said before that not only was this woman Shi Xiao¡¯s former wife, but she was also the female lead of a television drama. She was from a wealthy family and was a celebrity¡­ Wang Ping broke out in cold sweat. If something really happened to her, the police wouldn¡¯t let him off.


    Yuan Shu also saw his panic, so she sighed and said, ¡°Wang Ping, since you were able to become the boss of these people, you definitely aren¡¯t a fool. Don¡¯t you know who the scapegoat is?¡±


    Seeing Wang Ping¡¯s face turn pale, she slowly said, ¡°The person who schemed against me drugged me in an alley. Tell me, why didn¡¯t they attack me in the alley? I¡¯m not injured at all, but they insisted on sending me to you?¡±


    ¡°I was kidnapped as soon as I came out of the company, and it was in the downtown area. Do you think no one really saw it, or do you think there are no surveillance cameras on the streets?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a technician, are you? When the other party contacted you, you probably used your own phone. Aren¡¯t you afraid of being tracked? Perhaps the other party tampered with the evidence and in the end, no matter what happens to me, the blame will be pointed at you. And you won¡¯t be able to defend yourself.¡±


    With every word Yuan Shu said, Wang Ping¡¯s face turned paler. In the end, even the color on his lips faded. In fact, from the first sentence Yuan Shu said, he had already realized that something was wrong.


    When Yuan Shu was sent over, she was clean and there were no traces of any struggle at all. Her belt and whip were at her waist. Moreover, it was obvious that she was drugged instead of knocked out. If something happened to her in his hands¡­


    Wang Ping¡¯s younger brother, Wang Dong, had been smoking by the sea. The more he thought about what had happened today, the more he felt that something was wrong. He looked at his brother, who had yet to make a move. Then, he cursed and hurriedly ran over.


    The lackeys behind were still teasing, ¡°Don¡¯t think that you can be the second one just because you¡¯re Boss¡¯s younger brother!¡±


    However, Wang Dong didn¡¯t look back at all. He often went online, so he was aware of who Yuan Shu was and knew that they couldn¡¯t afford to offend Yuan Shu.


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    ¡°Brother, don¡¯t do anything. Something¡¯s wrong!¡± Wang Dong ran over while panting. When he turned around, he saw Yuan Shu, who had already sat up. He was so frightened that he took a step back and looked at his brother and Yuan Shu in disbelief. ¡°You¡­ What¡¯s going on? Why is she awake? Didn¡¯t that woman say that she would only wake up in a few hours?¡±


    ¡°That woman?¡± Yuan Shu sneered. There weren¡¯t many women who had conflicts with her, so she already had a suspect. ¡°You dare to believe in what that person said? You just met her, right? What makes her want to help you kidnap me unconditionally?¡±


    ¡°You, you know who she is?¡± Wang Dong¡¯s voice was quivering and he looked at Wang Ping in horror. ¡°Brother, didn¡¯t Miss Song say¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Wang Ping slapped him hard, but he couldn¡¯t help but tremble. This idiot actually exposed Miss Song.


    Yuan Shu lowered her eyes and sneered. So it was her..

 Chapter 344 - Chapter 344: Five Million

    Chapter 344: Five Million


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Because of Wang Dong¡¯s mistake, Yuan Shu already knew who was the mastermind. Wang Ping couldn¡¯t make up his mind for a moment. In the end, he decided to send Yuan Shu to the prepared fishing boat first, but he didn¡¯t let his other lackeys follow, leaving only Wang Dong behind.


    After Wang Ping sat at the bow of the ship, he kept smoking. Wang Dong walked over guiltily and sat beside him. ¡°Brother, what should we do about this? Why don¡¯t we go all out?¡±


    He made a throat-slitting gesture with his hand as he said, ¡°In any case, no one knows she¡¯s on the ship now, so let¡¯s get it over with.¡±


    At this moment, Wang Dong didn¡¯t have much rationality left. He knew that he couldn¡¯t afford to offend Yuan Shu, but he couldn¡¯t afford to offend Song Shi either, so it was better to get rid of one side first. Perhaps Song Shi could help them.


    Wang Ping threw the cigarette butt into the sea and said fiercely, ¡°That b*tch from the Song family tricked us. She used us to get rid of this woman.¡±


    After smoking a few cigarettes, Wang Ping suddenly understood why a young lady like Song Shi was willing to join forces with him to deal with Yuan Shu.


    He was doing this for revenge, but why was Song Shi doing this? He must have really been out of his mind at that time to actually feel that this matter was a piece of cake and that he had taken advantage of the opportunity. Now that he thought about it, he had been completely fooled.


    After Wang Ping took out his phone and called Song Shi, Song Shi picked up almost immediately. ¡°How is it? That b*tch isn¡¯t bad, right?¡±


    At this moment, she was about to jump up in joy. When she thought about how she had told Wang Ping to send her the video of several people gang-raping Yuan Shu, and how Yuan Shu would never be able to make a comeback in the future with this video in her hands, and how the whole world would know that she was a complete sl*t, and how Jiang Chen would scoff at her, Song Shi felt overjoyed.


    ¡°Yes, of course. Of course, a top-notch beauty like Miss Yuan isn¡¯t bad,¡± Wang Ping said sarcastically. ¡°But she¡¯s not as calculative as you, Miss Song.¡±


    Song Shi had already investigated. Wang Ping was a brainless hooligan who only knew how to cause a ruckus. However, as soon as he said that, she immediately became vigilant. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, Miss Song, you;re quite scheming. You let me do everything. In the end, we will take the blame, but you¡¯ll be unscathed,¡± Wang Ping said coldly. ¡°I can¡¯t afford to offend you, but I might not be able to offend Miss Yuan either. When you big shots fight, a nobody like me is just cannon fodder.¡±


    ¡°Cannon fodder? To be my cannon fodder, you have to be cannon fodder that I think highly of. Others might not even be able to become cannon fodder for the Song family.¡± Song Shi¡¯s tone turned cold as she said, ¡°You¡¯ve already kidnapped her and probably raped her already, so hurry up and send me the video. When her reputation is ruined, she won¡¯t have the time to find trouble with you.¡±


    At this moment, Wang Ping finally understood Song Shi¡¯s intentions. Kidnapping Yuan Shu to let him vent his anger was a facade. All she wanted was the video of Yuan Shu being defiled. When the time came, this womanjs reputation would be completely ruined.


    Wang Ping couldn¡¯t understand the drama between women, but he understood one thing. Song Shi would definitely deal with Yuan Shu, and he was a chess piece, but a chess piece had to have its value.


    He threw the lighter up and caught it with his hand. Then, he smiled and said, ¡°If such a video is posted online, I think I can earn a lot. Miss Song, you want to take it away just like that? Do you think I¡¯m a three-year-old child?¡±


    Song Shi was already prepared. She knew that such hooligans were unreliable, so she said indifferently, ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve worked hard, so I¡¯ll give you 50,000 yuan for your hard work. Send me the video.¡±


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    ¡°Fifty thousand?¡± Wang Ping sneered. ¡°Miss Yuan¡¯s jewelry is probably worth hundreds of thousands, right? That dress of hers is probably worth more than fifty thousand. Miss Song, do you really treat us as beggars?¡±


    Song Shi didn¡¯t expect Wang Ping to be so difficult to deal with, so she gritted her teeth and asked, ¡°How much do you want? Wang Ping, I¡¯m warning you. The Song family is not a family you can provoke.¡±


    Upon hearing her threat, Wang Ping wasn¡¯t angry at all. Instead, he smiled even more happily. ¡°Of course I can¡¯t afford to offend the Song family, but the Song family probably doesn¡¯t just have this bit of money, right? Give me five million, and I¡¯ll give you the video. Otherwise, I¡¯ll send Miss Yuan back safely and tell her and the Shi family some things about you.¡±


    ¡°How dare you?¡± Song Shi roared, but she immediately calmed down. Wang Ping was going all out. If he really betrayed her, she would be the first to suffer a backlash. She suppressed her anger and said, ¡°Five million yuan is impossible. I don¡¯t have that much money.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your business. I¡¯ll give you two days to consider it.¡± With that, Wang Ping quickly hung up..

 Chapter 345 - Chapter 345: Something Happened to the Website

    Chapter 345: Something Happened to the Website


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Yuan Shu remained silent in the cabin as she listened to his conversation with Song Shi. She slowly turned her body and sized up the small fishing boat. Other than a simple cabin with two floors, there was almost nothing else on the fishing boat. Moreover, it seemed that it had been idle for a long time.


    After she glanced at the land buildings that could be seen on the sea, she roughly knew where she was. It had to be said that Wang Ping was very smart. No one would suspect him even if she floated on the sea for a few days from the fishermen¡¯s port.


    The fishing village here was relatively backward and they were all local villagers, so there was no surveillance equipment. Even if someone wanted to look for her, they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to find her. However, who would look for her?


    Yuan Shu sighed. Perhaps in the past, her family would have found out that she was missing, but who else would now? She and Shi Xiao were divorced, and Jiang Chen was already engaged. Even more than half of the company¡¯s work had been handed over to Lin Xi. Who would remember her?


    At this moment, Shi Xiao was throwing a tantrum in Yuan Shu¡¯s office. ¡°What time is it? How dare she be late!¡±


    He didn¡¯t leave the company the entire night and slept in the office break room, since he wanted to wait for Yuan Shu to finish her work and eat with her, but when he went downstairs, he found out that Yuan Shu had already left the company. She didn¡¯t have the habit of bringing her phone with her, so he called her, but realized that her phone was still on her desk.


    The next morning, he was waiting for her at the door of her office. He prepared the excuse that the housekeeper had brought her breakfast, but in fact, he just wanted to see her. He didn¡¯t expect Yuan Shu to dare to be late. Shi Xiao was so angry that he gritted his teeth. Just as he took out his phone, he realized that her phone was still on the desk.


    Cheng Cheng stood at the side timidly as she explained softly, ¡°President Shi, Miss Yuan is never late. Moreover, she always works overtime when she¡¯s busy with work. Perhaps she went back too late yesterday, or perhaps she¡¯s been in a bad mood these few days and isn¡¯t feeling well?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s been in a bad mood?¡± Shi Xiao asked coldly.


    Cheng Cheng was still smiling, but when she saw Shi Xiao¡¯s cold gaze, her smile froze on her face. Shi Xiao continued to ask, ¡°Has she been in a bad mood? Why has she been in a bad mood? Speak!¡±


    Originally, she didn¡¯t want to comment on her boss¡¯s personal life in front of others, but when she thought of Lin Xi¡¯s cocky behavior yesterday, Cheng Cheng braced herself and said, ¡°You guys just got a divorce. No matter who it is, they won¡¯t be in a good mood. Moreover, you even asked Miss Lin to be in charge of the handover. Isn¡¯t it obvious that you want to chase her away? Perhaps Miss Yuan refused to come to work in a fit of anger!¡±


    Although she knew that Yuan Shu had the intention of leaving the Shi Corporation, Yuan Shu didn¡¯t say when she would leave, so she felt that she might as well reveal some information to President Shi first. Perhaps if he asked her to stay, Yuan Shu wouldn¡¯t leave.


    Upon hearing her words, Shi Xiao actually smiled, startling Cheng Cheng so much that she hurriedly lowered her head. She really didn¡¯t know what he meant by smiling. Could it be that he wanted to take her life?


    ¡°So she¡¯s in a bad mood,¡± Shi Xiao said in a good mood. ¡°This is breakfast made by our housekeeper. After she finishes eating, ask her to come to my office for a while.¡±


    He tapped the phone on the table again as he said, ¡°Tell her to keep her phone close to her. When there¡¯s important work, people can¡¯t even find her.¡±


    Cheng Cheng felt as if she had been electrocuted. She nodded mechanically as she picked up Yuan Shu¡¯s phone.


    Shi Xiao returned to the office in a good mood. Along the way, his colleagues looked at him in horror, as if they had seen a ghost. Their usually poker-faced boss smiled, and he was even smiling smugly? Everyone felt their scalps tingle.


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    Unfortunately, his good mood didn¡¯t last long. Yuan Shu didn¡¯t come to his office even until noon.


    He called Yuan Shu¡¯s office impatiently, but Cheng Cheng picked up. ¡°President Shi, Miss Yuan hasn¡¯t come to work yet. She didn¡¯t bring her phone, so I don¡¯t know how to contact her.¡±


    Shi Xiao hung up the phone fiercely. Could it be that this woman was really so agitated yesterday that she refused to come to work today? But she clearly didn¡¯t have any expression on her face yesterday. Shi Xiao paced around the office in frustration. For some reason, he had a bad feeling.


    Just as he was feeling frustrated, Lin Xi knocked on the door and pushed it open. Shi Xiao said with displeasure, ¡°How many times have I told you that you have to get my permission to enter the office before coming in!¡±


    Lin Xi was clearly shocked by his attitude and her eyes immediately turned red as she said in an aggrieved voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but something happened to the website. Something serious happened to the technical department..¡±

 Chapter 346 - Chapter 346: Missing

    Chapter 346: Missing


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    ¡°Technical department?¡± Shi Xiao¡¯s right eyelid twitched rapidly as a bad feeling welled up in his heart. ¡°What can possibly happen to the technical department?¡±


    Lin Xi¡¯s eyes were red, but she finally calmed down and said meekly, ¡°This morning, the technical staff realized that the data had been stolen when they went to work. Many user information had been leaked, and many user-bound phone numbers had been stolen. Now, the netizens are denouncing our company.¡±


    Shi Xiao narrowed his eyes. If they had discovered it in the morning, it was impossible for her to tell him only now. Moreover, the firewall of the technical department was top-notch, so it was impossible for anyone to break through it immediately, unless there was a spy.


    Lin Xi seemed to know what he was thinking and said with some hesitation, ¡°The technical department originally wanted to hide this matter because this matter is related to Yuan Shu, but Miss Yuan can¡¯t be contacted now.¡±


    He suddenly remembered that someone from the technical department lookrf for Yuan Shu yesterday. He walked to the sofa and sat down before lowering his head and thinking about something.


    ¡°Shi Xiao, the company¡¯s website has almost been registered by tens of millions of people by now, and they were all verified with their real names. If something happens to the website, the netizens will definitely sue us,¡± Lin Xi said anxiously. ¡°Yuan Shu seemed to have discussed something with someone from the technical department yesterday. Look.¡±


    She took out another document, which happened to be the website¡¯s live publicity plan. ¡°There¡¯s information about a few cooperative companies in here. Yuan Shu gave me so many documents when she handed them over to me yesterday, and they haven¡¯t been sorted out yet.¡±


    ¡°After I went home yesterday, I spent the entire night reading documents, but I¡¯ve never heard of these companies. I asked my colleagues to help me check today. As expected, these companies are all shell companies. I can¡¯t find any information about them at all.¡±


    When Lin Xi saw that Shi Xiao didn¡¯t say anything, Lin Xi already knew what was going on. It seemed like he also had his suspicions. Even though she didn¡¯t know why Yuan Shu didn¡¯t come to work today, it seemed like Shi Xiao already suspected her. As long as there was a seed of suspicion, the gap between the two would only grow larger and larger.


    She sat beside Shi Xiao and comforted him softly, ¡°I believe in Miss Yuan too, but Miss Yuan is in charge of all this information. Even her assistant doesn¡¯t know about it. She doesn¡¯t have much interaction with the other colleagues in the company. Now that she¡¯s gone, I¡¯m a little worried. Perhaps Miss Yuan was unhappy that you divorced her and she, she¡­¡±


    She had already stretched out a hand to grab Shi Xiao¡¯s large hand, but Shi Xiao avoided it and asked coldly, ¡°What does she know?¡±


    His actions and cold expression shocked Lin Xi. She originally thought that Shi Xiao was vulnerable at this time and that he would definitely need her comfort just like when he was in Africa, but it was as if some things changed after he returned to the country.


    Lin Xi didn¡¯t show her unhappiness on her face. Instead, she continued to say worriedly, ¡°I¡¯m worried that Miss Yuan was used by others. She hasn¡¯t come to the company yet. What if something bad happens?¡±


    She thought that Shi Xiao would definitely be disappointed in Yuan Shu after she slandered Yuan Shu, but when he heard that something might have happened to Yuan Shu, Shi Xiao immediately stood up and strode out of the office.


    Zhao Cheng rushed over. ¡°President Shi, there¡¯s bad news¡­¡±


    Shi Xiao had asked him to look for Yuan Shu near her house just now, but Zhao Cheng couldn¡¯t find her. Even the surveillance cameras in the security room didn¡¯t show Yuan Shu returning yesterday.


    When she saw Zhao Cheng¡¯s appearance, Lin Xi¡¯s eyes lit up. It seemed like something really did happen to Yuan Shu, as if even the heavens were helping her. She hurriedly pretended to be concerned and asked, ¡°Did something happen to Miss Yuan?¡±


    ¡°Do you really want something to happen to her?¡± Shi Xiao glanced at her from the corner of his eye, his body emitting a cold aura.


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    This was the first time Lin Xi saw him like this. Even though her mental fortitude was strong, she still took a step back in fear before hurriedly shaking her head, unable to say a single word.


    Seeing her panicked look, Shi Xiao was a little annoyed. He didn¡¯t know what to say, so he could only give Zhao Cheng a look and let him follow him into the office.


    When Zhao Cheng saw that Lin Xi was about to cry, he felt pity for her and hurriedly comforted her by saying, ¡°President Shi isn¡¯t in a good mood. It¡¯s not that he¡¯s purposely targeting you, you¡­ sigh, I¡¯ll go in first.¡±


    He knew that Shi Xiao had always treated Yuan Shu differently. Now that something had happened to Yuan Shu, he couldn¡¯t hide it anymore.


    After he went to the office and told Shi Xiao about the investigation, he thought that Shi Xiao would fly into a rage, but Shi Xiao remained silent..

 Chapter 347 - Chapter 347: Expert

    Chapter 347: Expert


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    ¡°She hasn¡¯t returned home since she left the company?¡± Shi Xiao asked after a full two minutes.


    Zhao Cheng hurriedly said, ¡°Yes, and last night, after Miss Yuan left, there was no surveillance footage of her return.¡±


    Seeing that Shi Xiao¡¯s expression was getting darker and darker, Zhao Cheng didn¡¯t dare to continue reporting the bad news. He could only say, ¡°We¡¯ve already sent people out. I¡¯m also checking the surveillance cameras at the entrance of the surrounding companies and the cars that passed by here yesterday. I hope something was recorded by the car recorder.¡±


    When Lin Xi knocked on the door and brought the head of the technical department in, Shi Xiao¡¯s office felt like an ice cave despite the air conditioner not being turned on.


    The supervisor trembled as he reported the situation of the data being stolen from yesterday to now. He didn¡¯t even dare to look up at Shi Xiao.


    Shi Xiao turned on his computer and saw the content reported by the head of the technical department. As expected, the data of the technical department had been lost. Although the code hadn¡¯t been hacked, the code clearly showed signs of being copied. Also, all the users¡¯ information had been stolen.


    ¡°Did I spend so much money to hire you just to cause trouble for the company?¡± Shi Xiao said in a cold voice. ¡°The firewall has already been upgraded, so why was the information still stolen?¡±


    Shi Xiao had only said these two sentences since the supervisor entered, but these two sentences already made the supervisor break out in a cold sweat.


    After Lin Xi gave him a secret look, the supervisor took a deep breath and said, ¡°President Shi, this matter isn¡¯t the technical department¡¯s fault. The company¡¯s higher-up used her private account to log into the backstage system and stole the data while everyone was already off work.¡±


    He took out the tablet and placed it on Shi Xiao¡¯s table gently. ¡°This is the information record of the login from yesterday. Miss Yuan used her manager¡¯s account to enter, so the data was lost. Fortunately, she¡¯s not a technician and only copied a portion of the code and data. The core content hasn¡¯t been tampered with.¡±


    He also knew that Yuan Shu and Shi Xiao had gotten a divorce. The moment the two of them got a divorce, such a big thing happened, so anyone would think that Yuan Shu did this out of hatred.


    After he looked at Lin Xi, he immediately felt emboldened and said, ¡°But President, don¡¯t worry. We have already strengthened the firewall and quickly upgraded the website. Now, the users have been informed to change their passwords.¡±


    ¡°Yuan Shu entered the core system with her manager¡¯s account? She even copied the data?¡± Shi Xiao continued to ask.


    Lin Xi hurriedly replied, ¡°Shi Xiao, have you forgotten? You asked her to hand it over to me yesterday and said that I would be in charge of the website in the future. However, Miss Yuan hasn¡¯t handed over her manager¡¯s account to me. The technical department also said that they didn¡¯t receive your notification, so the manager¡¯s account is still in her hands and hasn¡¯t been handed over to me.¡±


    The supervisor also hurriedly said, ¡°Yes, President Shi. If we didn¡¯t receive the notice, we definitely wouldn¡¯t give Miss Lin¡¯s account. Moreover, Miss Yuan has been managing the website previously, so her account has the right to enter the backstage. She kept saying that she doesn¡¯t know about technology, but she logged in just to look at the data. I didn¡¯t expect her to be an expert and steal the data overnight.¡±


    Pa! Shi Xiao threw the teacup over. The supervisor didn¡¯t dodge in time and his chin was lacerated. He was in so much pain that he was about to cry, but he didn¡¯t dare to make a sound.


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    Shi Xiao sneered. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that she didn¡¯t know anything about technology and wasn¡¯t able to steal the core technology? Now, you¡¯re saying that she¡¯s an expert? I think you¡¯re trying to push the blame to a tech noob!¡±


    After Shi Xiao stood up angrily, the supervisor was so frightened that he hurriedly took a few steps back. Seeing Shi Xiao¡¯s angry expression, the supervisor suddenly felt that Yuan Shu and Shi Xiao¡¯s divorce wasn¡¯t what he had imagined.


    ¡°Get lost. I¡¯ll give you two hours to fix the website. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be kicked out of this industry completely! In the future, go to the construction site to move bricks!¡± After Shi Xiao threw the tablet on the ground, the supervisor hurriedly nodded and left dejectedly.


    Lin Xi also left the office silently and narrowed her eyes. She felt that this matter was too strange, so while in the bathroom, she hurriedly told that person about what happened there.


    At this moment, Zhao Cheng, who was in the office, finally received news about Yuan Shu. He hurriedly took out his phone and handed it to Shi Xiao. ¡°There¡¯s news of Miss Yuan. Yesterday, she went here. The driver of a passing car took a photo..¡±

 Chapter 348 - Chapter 348: Something Happened to Yuan Shu

    Chapter 348: Something Happened to Yuan Shu


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    The video was only a few seconds long. Yuan Shu could be seen turning her neck a few times tiredly. Then, she suddenly looked towards an alley and pulled out the whip on her waist.


    Seeing her take out her whip, Shi Xiao felt that something must have happened. He immediately picked up his coat and walked out. Zhao Cheng hurriedly followed.


    ¡°Shi Xiao, where are you going? There¡¯s a meeting this afternoon!¡± Lin Xi wanted to follow, but was scared off by Shi Xiao¡¯s cold gaze.


    She stood on the spot awkwardly while feeling more and more unconfident. In his heart, her status as his savior probably couldn¡¯t compare to Yuan Shu¡¯s status.


    However, she immediately smiled. That person told her that Yuan Shu had been kidnapped. Even God was determined to take this b*tch.


    ¡°Brother? Why are you in such a hurry?¡± Shi Yi was about to get off the elevator with a few sets of dresses when she saw Shi Xiao rushing over.


    The new batch of clothes had already been made. She felt that she had to show them to Yuan Shu first, but no matter what, she couldn¡¯t contact Yuan Shu, so she had no choice but to come to the company to look for her.


    After Shi Xiao glanced at the clothes in her hand, he knew that she was here to look for Yuan Shu, so he pulled Shi Yi into the elevator.


    Shi Yi was still a little confused. ¡°What are you doing? I¡¯m going to look for Sister-in-law. I¡¯ve been looking for her for the entire day, but she didn¡¯t bring her phone, so I can¡¯t find her.¡±


    ¡°Something happened to Yuan Shu.¡± Shi Xiao¡¯s tone was calm, but Shi Yi could sense his nervousness.


    She widened her eyes and looked at Zhao Cheng. After Zhao Cheng briefly explained the matter, Shi Yi almost lost her balance. ¡°Then, should we call the police? When not at the company, Sister-in-law is always at home. Where else can she go? I¡¯ll contact Liu Lan later. Maybe Sister-in-law went to her place?¡±


    Shi Xiao pressed his aching glabella. He was feeling worse and worse about this situation.


    When they hurried to the alley, it had already been cleaned. However, there were still traces of blood on the ground, but it wasn¡¯t that obvious on the gray ground.


    After Shi Yi saw a piece of fabric on an abandoned wooden rack beside her, she hurriedly picked it up and looked at it. ¡°It¡¯s the lace on Sister-in-law¡¯s dress. This is the lace that I specifically made last time. There are even gold threads inside. This must be Sister-in-law¡¯s dress. But Sister-in-law, Sister-in-law¡­¡±


    Her voice was quivering, and so was her hand that was holding the cloth. In her impressive, Yuan Shu had always been a tough yet gentle woman who could even beat up a few men single-handedly. Who could tear her clothes? If her clothes were torn and she was gone, didn¡¯t that mean that something bad had happened?


    Shi Xiao¡¯s expression was even worse. Zhao Cheng, who was at the side, no longer dared to speak. He could only keep checking the news on his phone. However, things had happened too suddenly. Yesterday, many businesses on this road had blackouts due to the impact of the municipal construction and there were no surveillance footage.


    ¡°President Shi, should we call the police?¡± Zhao Cheng said awkwardly, ¡°If we check the surveillance cameras at the nearby intersection, it will definitely be easier to find her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Let Shi Lu post something too. He has many fans. Perhaps someone has seen Sister-in-law.¡± Shi Yi hurriedly took out her phone, but Shi Xiao pressed it down.


    He said with a dark expression, ¡°Go to her place and wait. If she comes back, contact me immediately. Don¡¯t worry about anything else.¡±


    Shi Yi wanted to retort, but when she saw her brother¡¯s expression, she knew that his words were unquestionable, so she nodded vigorously and immediately left the alley.


    Shi Xiao took a few deep breaths and took out his phone to contact Li Ci. He still needed Li Ci¡¯s help.


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    Half a day had passed, but Yuan Shu was still drifting on the sea. Other than giving her some water from time to time, Wang Ping didn¡¯t give her anything to eat.


    Fortunately, the effect of the medicine had passed, and she regained some strength. Although this body wasn¡¯t very strong, she had experienced all kinds of harsh environments in her previous life. With water, she could last for many days.


    Wang Ping had been waiting for Song Shi¡¯s call, but Miss Song hadn¡¯t contacted him. Wang Ping wanted to smoke, but he realized that there were no more cigarettes, so he threw the cigarette box into the sea in a fit of anger.


    Yuan Shu felt that the time was ripe, so she said in a hoarse voice, ¡°She won¡¯t contact you. She might even have your phone¡¯s location. You¡¯ll be in trouble at that time.¡±


    Wang Ping was already frustrated. When he heard Yuan Shu¡¯s words, he felt apprehensive. He originally thought that to a family like the Song family, five million yuan was just the cost of one of Miss Song¡¯s necklaces or cars. He didn¡¯t expect her to be so stingy..

 Chapter 349 - Chapter 349: Drama

    Chapter 349: Drama


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Yuan Shu¡¯s calmness made Wang Ping afraid, especially when he thought of how she had waved the whip that day. He felt that this woman definitely wasn¡¯t to be trifled with.


    He returned to the cabin and sat opposite Yuan Shu before he said in a low voice, ¡°How do you know? If Miss Song wants your reputation to be ruined, it¡¯s impossible for her not to contact me.¡±


    However, Yuan Shu shook her head. ¡°It would have been best if she could ruin my reputation in the beginning, but things have changed now. I¡¯ve been missing for almost 24 hours. If the police get involved, Miss Song won¡¯t just want my reputation to be ruined, but she¡¯ll want us both to disappear.¡±


    She said ¡°we¡± especially forcefully, intending to let Wang Ping know that Song Shi didn¡¯t just want a video now.


    ¡°There must be something wrong. At first, she said that she would help you unconditionally. Perhaps you agreed to her suggestion in a fit of anger, but you didn¡¯t expect that the dignified eldest daughter of the Song family would help you.¡± Yuan Shu¡¯s voice was gentle and steady, but every word she said shocked Wang Ping.


    It wasn¡¯t that Wang Ping had not thought of this, but he chose to believe that Song Shi, that stupid woman, would definitely give him money. When he had money, he could send Yuan Shu back safely. He wouldn¡¯t offend either side and could escape scott-free.


    Yuan Shu saw through his thoughts and continued, ¡°If she doesn¡¯t have a sense of threat, she won¡¯t know how important you are. If you¡¯re worthless, there¡¯s no need for you to exist.¡±


    ¡°Value? Hmph, do you think you¡¯re still valuable? You¡¯re just a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. What value do you think you have? If I kill you here, no one will know!¡± Wang Ping was a little exasperated by her words, but he was only saying so to intimidate her. He had never thought of killing anyone.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m valuable.¡± Yuan Shu sighed as she said, ¡°Not only am I valuable to Song Shi, but I¡¯m also valuable to you. I¡¯m the only bargaining chip in your hands. If you want to get the money Song Shi promised, you have to take action.¡±


    Wang Ping looked at her skeptically. At this moment, his phone suddenly rang, and a smile immediately appeared on his face. ¡°Miss Yuan, you miscalculated. Did you see that? Miss Song took the initiative to contact me!¡±


    ¡°Wang Ping! When are you going to give me the video? Did you get someone to release the news? Are you courting death?¡± Song Shi¡¯s exasperated voice sounded.


    Just as Song Shi was thinking about how to deal with Wang Ping, photos of Yuan Shu and Jiang Chen secretly meeting each other several times popped up on the Internet. There were even a few photos of Jiang Chen looking at Yuan Shu lovingly on the filming set.


    Originally, Yuan Shu was going to act for the first time, and with Shen Lu as a signboard, this movie had attracted a lot of attention. When it started filming, it had already attracted a lot of publicity. Although nothing happened after that, many netizens still remembered it. Recalling that the engagement between Song Shi and Jiang Chen had just been announced not long ago, the netizens all went online to read about the drama.


    ¡°Jiang Chen rarely shows his face, but he has met Yuan Shu so many times?¡±


    ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t like a bombshell like Yuan Shu? Even if Jiang Chen is attracted to her, it¡¯s not a big deal, right? Besides, she¡¯s divorced now.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t Jiang Chen engaged to Song Shi? I heard that it was announced suddenly. There wasn¡¯t even an engagement ceremony. Could it be that the Song family was forcing him to?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Song Shi has been pestering Jiang Chen, but the news has been suppressed. In fact, everyone in upper society knows about it.¡±


    ¡°Did Yuan Shu get a divorce because of Jiang Chen? Did Song Shi snatch Jiang Chen away? How melodramatic!¡±


    When Song Shi saw the blurry picture, she recognized Jiang Chen at a glance. She was so angry that she almost called him to ask him why he went out alone with Yuan Shu and why he was so nice to her, but she held back.


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    She knew Jiang Chen didn¡¯t like women trying to control him, and he didn¡¯t even like anyone bossing him around. Old Master Song had forced him to agree to the engagement at the banquet, which was already his bottom line. At this time, she couldn¡¯t anger him anymore.


    However, as long as Yuan Shu¡¯s reputation was ruined, she didn¡¯t believe that Jiang Chen would still fancy her!


    ¡°I can gather five million yuan for you immediately. I want the video now! Immediately!¡±


    Wang Ping hung up the phone in a good mood and said proudly to Yuan Shu, ¡°Did you see that? I¡¯ll obtain five million yuan soon.¡±


    Originally, Yuan Shu had a plan. As long as Wang Ping could spread some news, she believed that someone would be able to find out about her disappearance. At that time, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to find her. However, she didn¡¯t expect things to change so quickly, and her plan was ruined..

 Chapter 350 - Chapter 350: Attack

    Chapter 350: Attack


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Wang Ping flipped through his phone again and asked hesitantly, ¡°Miss Yuan, you¡¯re really impressive. I¡¯ve only heard of Jiang Chen, but I didn¡¯t expect him to like you too. Sigh, fair enough. You¡¯re so beautiful. Other than being too aggressive, you don¡¯t seem to have any flaws. Who wouldn¡¯t like you?¡±


    When Song Shi suddenly contacted him, Wang Ping felt that something must have happened. Before he could go online, the gossip had already reached his phone.


    Originally, he had planned to go along with Song Shi¡¯s plan, since he wouldn¡¯t be at a disadvantage anyway. However, when he remembered that Yuan Shu wasn¡¯t only related to the Shi family, but also had a good relationship with Jiang Chen, he didn¡¯t dare to attack her.


    He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Yuan Shu had been watching the change in his expression and guessing whether he would attack or not.


    Wang Ping was indeed conflicted. The problem of the video was easy to solve. He had found the scene of a movie and it was impossible for Miss Song to have watched that movie. In any case, the scene wasn¡¯t very clear, so he could send a portion over first and wait for the money to arrive. However, Yuan Shu would be a burden to him and might even ruin his plans.


    When he saw that three million yuan had been transferred to his phone, Wang Ping was even more shaken. The chime was very loud, and Yuan Shu had also heard the message. She took a deep breath and began to slowly move her body. ¡°Brother, do you want to take a video? We¡¯ve already received a portion of the money.¡± Wang Dong had already drunk a few bottles of beer and was a little drunk. At first, he was afraid, but now, he was no longer so worried. With money, the two brothers could go anywhere.


    He stood up unsteadily and accidentally kicked over a beer bottle, causing it to instantly shatter into a few pieces. However, Wang Dong kicked the fragments into the sea before running to the bow of the ship to say something to Wang Ping.


    When Yuan Shu saw the fragments by her feet, she slowly moved her body and kicked the fragments over. The wind at sea was very strong, so she could not hear what the two of them were talking about, but she knew that if the two of them attacked, she would really be doomed.


    She endured the pain of the glass shard cutting her palm and quickly cut the rope on her feet. The beer bottle shard wasn¡¯t very sharp. Fortunately, Wang Ping wasn¡¯t a professional kidnapper and he randomly found some hemp rope for delivery. Thus, Yuan Shu quickly cut the rope on her feet.


    However, she didn¡¯t relax. She kept staring at the two people at the bow of the ship from the corner of her eye, but her hands didn¡¯t stop moving. The hemp rope in her hand was very thick, so Yuan Shu was having some difficulty cutting the rope.


    Just as she was almost done, Wang Ping suddenly cursed and returned to the cabin with Wang Dong.


    As if he had made a major decision, he took a deep breath and said, ¡°Miss Yuan, we don¡¯t have a deep grudge, but someone wants you to disappear. Even if I let you go, you and the person behind you won¡¯t let me off, so don¡¯t blame me.¡± ¡°Will Song Shi let you off?¡± The cabin kept shaking, and Yuan Shu continued to rub the rope gently with the help of the swaying. ¡°I¡¯m your only bargaining chip. Moreover, even if you guys go back, you¡¯re just an accomplice. You and your brother didn¡¯t do anything to me. If you¡¯re repentent, you won¡¯t be severely sentenced. But if something happens to me, the two of you will be the culprits.¡±


    ¡°Stop lying! You rich people never take our lives seriously!¡± Wang Dong was still drunk. When he thought about how he might go to jail when he returned, he felt despair.


    Under the influence of alcohol, Wang Dong was no longer afraid of Yuan Shu. He said aloofly, ¡°Go back? If we go back, we¡¯ll go to jail! You b*tch, it¡¯s impossible for you to let us off. We¡¯re doomed. We¡¯re doomed! We can only make you disappear!¡±


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    Yuan Shu saw the madness in his eyes as he slowly walked towards her. Wang Ping moved his mouth, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Yuan Shu knew that he must have tacitly agreed with Wang Dong¡¯s actions, which meant that the two of them were about to make a move.


    ¡°After I¡¯ve disappeared, you¡¯ll be next. Haven¡¯t you figured out what kind of person Song Shi is?¡± Yuan Shu observed them as she pulled the rope forcefully. The rope had already been broken by her, but she had been drugged and hadn¡¯t eaten for a day, so she was in a very bad state.


    Seeing Wang Dong walk over, she could only try to take him down with one strike.


    ¡°The two of us treated you well and didn¡¯t touch you. We just want you to die. You should be satisfied.¡± Wang Dong picked up the rope beside him and walked towards Yuan Shu step by step. ¡°How merciful are we to let you die with dignity?¡±


    Just as Wang Dong walked in front of Yuan Shu, Yuan Shu quickly got up, grabbed the beer bottle beside her, and smashed it at Wang Dong¡¯s head..

 Chapter 351 - Chapter 351: Do You Want to Cooperate?

    Chapter 351: Do You Want to Cooperate?


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Wang Dong had already drunk too much and wasn¡¯t sober at all. After being hit by Yuan Shu, he became even more dizzy and fell to the ground after circling half a round on the ship.


    The sudden change stunned Wang Ping for a moment before he hurriedly ran over. ¡°Are you f*cking crazy? Little Dong, are you okay?¡±


    At this moment, Wang Ping¡¯s focus was on his brother. Now that Yuan Shu was already panting, he didn¡¯t think that she would cause them any more danger.


    However, before he could pick up Wang Dong, Yuan Shu picked up another wine bottle and threw it at him.


    Unfortunately, she was too weak. Under the effect of the drug and the fact that she had not eaten anything, she felt her vision go dark.


    Fortunately, Wang Ping wasn¡¯t fit. He wasn¡¯t agile enough and was hit in the head by Yuan Shu¡¯s wine bottle. Blood instantly flowed out of his forehead.


    ¡°Damn it, you b*tch, I¡¯ll fight you to the death!¡± Wang Ping could no longer bother with his brother and went forward to teach this woman a lesson.


    Yuan Shu had already grabbed the lifebuoy at the side. While he was distracted by his injury, she quickly put on the lifebuoy and jumped down.


    The water was cold. Yuan Shu felt her body temperature being lowered by the cold water bit by bit.


    Fortunately, Wang Ping didn¡¯t jump down as well. There was only one lifebuoy on the boat, so he didn¡¯t dare to risk his life. He could only curse viciously on the boat.


    ¡°Bitch, I¡¯ll see you drown.¡±


    ¡°Just wait to sink into the sea. You can forget about surviving!¡±


    ¡°I gave you a way out, but you didn¡¯t take it. You deserve to die like this!¡±


    Gradually, Yuan Shu could no longer hear Wang Ping¡¯s voice, so she knew that she was at least a thousand meters away from this person.


    However, she wasn¡¯t sure that she was safe yet. Other than swimming forward, she had no other choice.


    She sunk deeper and deeper into the water, and her stamina was already at the tipping point. Even though she gritted her teeth and tried to endure it, she still fainted in the end and floated further away along with the waves.


    ¡°What? There¡¯s still no news of her?¡± The anger on Shi Xiao¡¯s face was obvious.


    Zhao Mian was a little nervous as she replied, ¡°President Shi, we¡¯ve checked the nearby surveillance cameras, but there¡¯s still no sight of her. Should we contact the police?¡±


    She had already thought about the current situation. If Yuan Shu had gone missing and was kidnapped, the other party was probably targeting the Shi Corporation.


    ¡°President Shi, if we call the police, it might affect the company. Perhaps this is what some people want to see.¡± In the end, she still voiced her thoughts.


    Shi Xiao frowned and kept looking at the footage right before Yuan Shu disappeared, but he still found nothing.


    At this moment, there was a knock on the office door. The secretary said uneasily, ¡°Jiang Chen is here.¡±


    Everyone more or less knew that these two people were sworn enemies, so Jiang Chen was an uninvited guest.


    However, Shi Xiao remained expressionless. He only asked someone to invite him in quickly.


    ¡°Yuan Shu¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡ª¡±


    The two of them spoke almost at the same time. Although they didn¡¯t say it explicitly, they knew in their hearts that the other party already knew that Yuan Shu was missing.


    Thinking about how Jiang Chen treated Yuan Shu differently, Shi Xiao said with jealousy, ¡°You have a lot of important matters to attend to. Why do you have time to come to the Shi Corporation? Aren¡¯t you going to get engaged to Miss Song? Congratulations.¡±


    Jiang Chen¡¯s expression darkened, but when he remembered why he had come here, he held back. ¡°Yuan Shu is missing. You should know that.¡±


    Shi Xiao moved fast and made a lot of noise. Jiang Chen had been paying attention to them, so he noticed the situation immediately.


    ¡°I¡¯ve sent people to look for her, but I haven¡¯t heard anything yet. How are things on your side?¡± Jiang Chen didn¡¯t care about Shi Xiao¡¯s current expression. He could work with Shi Xiao for Yuan Shu¡¯s sake, but only if Yuan Shu was safe.


    ¡°The Shi family has also gone to look for her.¡±


    Shi Xiao didn¡¯t continue, but Jiang Chen understood what he meant. They couldn¡¯t find her.


    The two of them were silent for a long time. Zhao Mian, who was at the door, was afraid that the two big shots would fight, so she hurriedly walked in with coffee. ¡°I brought coffee for the two of you. Is there anything else you need?¡±


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    Jiang Chen smiled at her politely and took the coffee, but Zhao Mian had no intention of leaving.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I just want to find Yuan Shu. I won¡¯t do anything to your president.¡± Jiang Chen blew on his coffee as he said, ¡°As long as Yuan Shu is fine, I won¡¯t do anything to him for the time being.¡±


    Zhao Mian cursed inwardly. Jiang Chen was as vicious as the rumors said. He didn¡¯t leave any room for negotiation.


    Shi Xiao kept staring at him. In the end, he said, ¡°If our two families work together, the probability of finding him will be higher. Do you want to cooperate?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I was thinking,¡± Jiang Chen said seriously..

 Chapter 352 - Chapter 352: Where Is She?

    Chapter 352: Where Is She?


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    The Jiang family and the Shi family divided the work and worked together, so their efficiency was much better.


    Shi Xiao had some connections in the public security system, so the police were also helping to find her. They even checked all the cars that passed by that night.


    On the other hand, the Jiang family used their connections in the underworld to ask many gangs. As expected, they discovered what happened before Yuan Shu¡¯s accident.


    ¡°I-I saw Wang Ping looking for trouble with this lady.¡± A hooligan was already beaten black and blue and knelt on the ground as he stammered, ¡°But this lady was very powerful. At that time, she used a belt or a whip to whip Wang Ping and the others.¡±


    As he spoke, he even started to imitate her moves.


    Seeing that Jiang Chen¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look good, the person next to him kicked him. ¡°Get to the point. Stop talking nonsense.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, the main point.¡± The hooligan knelt down again as he said, ¡°I saw that a beautiful woman wanted to cooperate with Wang Ping, but I don¡¯t know what their cooperation was about.¡±


    The person beside him kicked him again. ¡°Then what do you know?¡±


    ¡°I know, I know!¡± The hooligan quickly looked up at Jiang Chen and said, ¡°That young lady¡¯s surname is Song. From the news, she seems to be your fiancee.¡±


    Although Jiang Chen had thought that this might have something to do with the Song family, he didn¡¯t expect that Song Shi would dare to attack Yuan Shu.


    It seemed that he had really been too tolerant of the Song family, since Song Shi actually dared to do this behind his back.


    Jiang Chen gave his subordinate a look, then stood up quickly.


    After getting into the car, he instructed, ¡°Drive to the Song family¡¯s house.¡±


    Song Shi had never expected that Jiang Chen would come to the Song family¡¯s home to look for her, so she got all dolled up.


    Jiang Chen didn¡¯t say anything. He just said he would take her out for dinner.


    Sitting in the car, Song Shi leaned against him. ¡°I thought you were ignoring me! What are you taking me to eat? What specialty dishes are there? Why are you being so dramatic?¡±


    Seeing that he was silent, Song Shi didn¡¯t ask anymore and scrolled through her phone instead.


    Suddenly, Wang Ping sent her a WeChat message. She subconsciously moved her phone to avoid Jiang Chen¡¯s sight. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t look at her.


    Wang Ping sent a somewhat explicit video and the man in it was taking off the woman¡¯s lace underwear. Song Shi quickly turned off the phone.


    She didn¡¯t dare to continue watching. Instead, she saved the video, uploaded it to the cloud, and deleted it.


    Although she was nervous, the corners of her mouth had already curled up. It seemed that Wang Ping had succeeded.


    At the thought that Yuan Shu, whom everyone liked, would be labeled as a ¡°bitch¡± or a ¡°slut¡± in the future, she felt extremely pleased.


    However, she was so happy that she didn¡¯t notice that Jiang Chen was staring at her coldly.


    It wasn¡¯t until they arrived at Jiang Chen¡¯s villa that Song Shi felt something was wrong. ¡°Did you invite a chef to your house? Do you want to give me a unique two-person world?¡±


    Seeing that she was still immersed in her fantasy, Jiang Chen said with a smile,


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯ll never forget it.¡±


    Song Shi never expected that she would be brought to the Jiang family¡¯s basement. Looking at the various torture devices on the wall, she was already afraid.


    ¡°W-what do you plan to do?¡± Her voice was trembling. ¡°I-I don¡¯t want to eat here. I-I¡¯m going back.¡±


    But the door behind her slammed shut, and only the faint light from the basement illuminated the room.


    Song Shi sensed that something was wrong with Jiang Chen. She tried her best to lean against the wall. Then, she asked carefully, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Let me out! If you want to lock me up, my grandfather won¡¯t let you off the hook!¡±


    Jiang Chen picked up a whip and whipped the air as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let you go either.¡±


    Hearing the sound of the whip, Song Shi¡¯s scalp went numb and she could no longer speak.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± Jiang Chen grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. ¡°Where is Yuan Shu?¡±


    Upon hearing Yuan Shu¡¯s name, Song Shi¡¯s fear was swept away.


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    Instead, she put on a happy expression. ¡°So it¡¯s for her sake. She¡¯s on Earth. Where else can she be?¡±


    ¡°Stop pretending. Where is she?¡± Jiang Chen tightened his grip, and Song Shi frowned in pain.


    However, she didn¡¯t give in. ¡°Since you agreed to be engaged to me, you should only have me in your heart. What right does that b*tch Yuan Shu have? I want her to disappear and ruin her reputation!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you one last chance. Where is she?¡± Jiang Chen asked, enunciating each word clearly. He exerted more strength in his hand.


    Song Shi was already in tears from the pain, but she still said stubbornly, ¡°If you want to find her, you have to get engaged to me! If you get engaged, I¡¯ll tell you where she is! Otherwise, don¡¯t even think about finding her in this lifetime!¡±

 Chapter 353 - Chapter 353: You Two Will Be Buried Together

    Chapter 353: You Two Will Be Buried Together


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    All of a sudden, Jiang Chen let go of Song Shi¡¯s hand. He was very familiar with Song Shi¡¯s expression. There was no mistaking the desperation in her expression.


    Whether it was in his previous life or this life, he had seen this expression way too much.


    He tossed the whip aside. ¡°Since the engagement has been announced, what are you worried about?¡±


    Hearing this, Song Shi finally breathed a sigh of relief, and her tone softened. ¡°Jiang Chen, I really love you.¡±


    She placed her hand on his shoulder and leaned her head over gently. ¡°As long as we¡¯re engaged, Yuan Shu will come back. I swear.¡±


    When Jiang Chen thought about how his subordinates¡¯ investigations had turned up nothing, and they couldn¡¯t even find Wang Ping at all, Jiang Chen felt irritated.


    In the end, he only said one word, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Yuan Shu would definitely be safe before the engagement.


    When Yuan Shu woke up, she felt a burning pain in her throat. She struggled to get up and was supported by an old granny.


    Granny struggled to speak in broken Mandarin. It took Yuan Shu a long time to understand that she had been washed ashore and saved by a kind-hearted fisherman.


    However, when Yuan Shu asked where she was now, the granny told her that she was hundreds of kilometers away from the city. The nearest station could only be reached by mountain roads, and it would take at least an entire day.


    Yuan Shu wanted to get off the bed, but her head sank and she fainted again.


    On the boat, Wang Ping didn¡¯t stay any longer. Wang Dong was seriously injured, so he had to send his brother to the hospital first.


    In order to take revenge on Yuan Shu, Wang Ping sent the edited video to Song Shi. Now, getting the last sum of money was his priority.


    Song Shi didn¡¯t disappoint him. She transferred the money quickly.


    However, less than half an hour after arriving at the hospital, Wang Ping was captured by Shi Xiao¡¯s men.


    Jiang Chen told Shi Xiao the clues he had found, and Shi Xiao used the public security system to find Wang Ping and Wang Dong.


    Just as Wang Dong registered in the hospital, Shi Xiao rushed to the hospital and Wang Ping was blocked in the ward.


    ¡°What do you guys want to do? This is the hospital!¡± Wang Ping held the test results nervously. Just as he was about to wait in front of the operating theater, he was stopped by Shi Xiao¡¯s men.


    The moment Shi Xiao pushed open the ward door, he was so frightened that he couldn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± Shi Xiao asked in a cold voice.


    Wang Ping pretended not to understand and continued to walk out. ¡°My brother¡¯s head is injured and he¡¯s undergoing surgery now. You¡¯ve found the wrong person. I have to hurry¡­¡±


    After the bodyguard pulled him back, Wang Ping staggered and fell onto the bed. ¡°What are you doing? My brother is still in surgery!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want him to die, tell me where Yuan Shu is!¡± Shi Xiao¡¯s voice was filled with frustration. ¡°Tell me Yuan Shu¡¯s whereabouts and your brother¡¯s surgery will continue. Otherwise, he¡¯ll just lie on the operating table.¡±


    Wang Ping¡¯s eyes were red with hatred when he heard this blatant threat, but he was no match for the burly men in the ward at all.


    He had a premonition that Yuan Shu wasn¡¯t to be trifled with. It was all his fault for being muddle-headed and causing such huge trouble now.


    However, in just a few seconds, he immediately had a countermeasure.


    Since President Shi cared so much about Yuan Shu, as long as he didn¡¯t reveal Yuan Shu¡¯s whereabouts, Shi Xiao wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything to the two brothers.


    At the thought of this, Wang Ping finally had some confidence. ¡°Don¡¯t scare me. There are lawsuits for medical malpractice. Moreover, how do you know that if my brother dies, Yuan Shu will still live?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Shi Xiao picked up the water bottle at the side and threw it hard. ¡°If she dies, you guys will die with her.¡±


    Wang Ping was hit quite badly, but he still held back from shouting and said fiercely, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you want her whereabouts. Hurry up and get someone to operate on my brother. In addition, I want five million yuan. When the money is transferred, I¡¯ll tell you where she is!¡±


    At this moment, Wang Ping had already made up his mind. Even if he died, he would leave a sum of money for Wang Dong to live worry-free for the rest of his life.


    Meanwhile, the matter of Yuan Shu being kidnapped was already known by quite a few people. Lin Xi also obtained the current progress of the investigation from Zhao Cheng.


    Taking advantage of the lunch break, she slipped straight to the changing room and called that person.


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    ¡°Go and investigate a hooligan called Wang Ping and see where he has been for the past two days. He was the one who kidnapped Yuan Shu.¡±


    Afraid that someone would walk in, Lin Xi looked at the entrance of the changing room carefully.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. Shi Xiao has already gone to look for her. I heard that he¡¯s in the hospital.¡±


    ¡°Yuan Shu is definitely not in the hospital. Hurry up and look for her, or it will be too late!¡±


    After hanging up, only then did Lin Xi heave a sigh of relief. She really hoped that Yuan Shu would die just like that..

 Chapter 354 - Chapter 354:1 Won’t Mistreat You

    Chapter 354:1 Won¡¯t Mistreat You


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Yuan Shu didn¡¯t know how long she had slept for, but she felt a sharp pain in her hand. She subconsciously opened her eyes quickly and saw a nurse giving her an infusion.


    ¡°Miss, don¡¯t move yet. This is anti-inflammatory medicine. Your fever is too high, so you have to get an injection.¡± The nurse helped her lie down again.


    Only then did Yuan Shu ask, ¡°Where am I? Who found me? Where¡¯s the fisherman couple?¡±


    Her voice was hoarse, but she still had many questions.


    At this moment, a man in a white coat appeared. The nurse nodded at him and left.


    ¡°Miss Yuan, you need to rest well now.¡± The man was polite, but there was a cunning look in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m Wan Bin, your doctor.¡±


    ¡°Where is this?¡± Yuan Shu continued to ask.


    However, Wan Bin didn¡¯t answer at all. He only said, ¡°Someone will bring you three meals a day. You can move freely in this room, but you can¡¯t leave. I hope you have a good time.¡±


    After everyone left, Yuan Shu heard the sound of the door being locked. Only then did she quickly pull out the needle in her hand. When she ran to the door, she realized that the electronic door lock was used and she couldn¡¯t open it.


    Yuan Shu returned to bed dispiritedly. She needed to conserve her energy now. Before these people did something to her, she had to recover quickly.


    When he received Wan Bin¡¯s call, Lin Xi was a bit excited. ¡°Have you found her? Is she dead?¡±


    ¡°You seem to want her to die?¡± Wan Bin was a little helpless. ¡°If the higher-ups don¡¯t allow her to die, she can¡¯t die.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Lin Xi almost roared out when she thought of that person¡¯s methods. That vicious person actually wanted to protect Yuan Shu. She gnashed her teeth in hatred.


    She took a few deep breaths before saying, ¡°Can you put in a request and say that Yuan Shu can¡¯t be kept? Shi Xiao¡¯s attitude towards me is vague now. If Yuan Shu is around, I won¡¯t be able to become Madam Shi. What about our plan?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your business. If you can¡¯t take down Shi Xiao, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s incompetent.¡± Wan Bin deliberately emphasized the word ¡®incompetent¡¯. They all knew the consequences of incompetence.


    Lin Xi hurriedly explained, ¡°How could I be incompetent? It¡¯s just that you can¡¯t underestimate Yuan Shu.¡±


    ¡°Of course I know that I can¡¯t underestimate her. Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s already locked up, so she won¡¯t affect you.¡± Only then did Wan Bin say the person¡¯s notice. ¡°That person asked you to think of a way to inform Shi Xiao that Yuan Shu has been kidnapped. The kidnappers want the Shi Corporation¡¯s mine in Country M.¡±


    ¡°When Shi Xiao is by your side, tell me. The kidnapper will contact Shi Xiao. You can do whatever you want after that. He has his eyes on the mine in Shi Xiao¡¯s hands.¡±


    Lin Xi hung up the phone, but she already made up her mind that she definitely wouldn¡¯t tell Shi Xiao about Yuan Shu.


    Since that person wanted the Shi Corporation¡¯s mine, she only needed to keep control of the Shi Corporation in her hands, so that she could break free from that person¡¯s control.


    Just as she hung up and walked out of the bathroom, she saw Zhao Cheng return.


    ¡°Brother Zhao!¡± Lin Xi ran over. ¡°You just came to work?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, I came back to get some documents for President Shi.¡± Zhao Cheng knew that there were some things he couldn¡¯t tell Lin Xi, so he only gave a vague answer.


    However, Lin Xi already understood. Shi Xiao wasn¡¯t in the company, and he needed Zhao Cheng to come back and take the documents to work. This meant that he was tied down by something.


    Other than Yuan Shu¡¯s matter, what else could make Shi Xiao not come to the company?


    ¡°I-1 still have something urgent to attend to, so I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Zhao Cheng quickly picked up the document and left the company.


    Lin Xi found an excuse to leave and secretly followed behind Zhao Cheng, but she didn¡¯t expect to arrive at the hospital.


    She was a little anxious. If they had already found Yuan Shu, wouldn¡¯t her plan be disrupted?


    Fortunately, when she arrived at the hospital, she didn¡¯t see Yuan Shu. Instead, she secretly saw Wang Ping in the ward.


    Wang Ping had already reached an agreement with Shi Xiao. No one was guarding him, and he didn¡¯t leave the ward.


    Seeing that no one was paying attention to the corridor, Lin Xi walked in.


    Hearing the door being pushed open again, Wang Ping said impatiently, ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that as long as my brother is fine and you give me the money, Yuan Shu will come back?!¡±


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    Lin Xi¡¯s eyebrows rose and she understood that this person was Wang Ping.


    ¡°I¡¯m President Shi¡¯s fiancee,¡± she said calmly.


    However, her words shocked Wang Ping. He didn¡¯t expect Shi Xiao, who cared so much about Yuan Shu, to have another fiancee.


    Lin Xi said, ¡°You also know that he treats Yuan Shu¡­ Sigh, I am just an ordinary woman, so I want to ask you for a favor.¡±


    Her voice was gentle and even a little plaintive. ¡°I don¡¯t want Yuan Shu to disturb the two of us anymore. As long as you help, I won¡¯t mistreat you..¡±

 Chapter 355 - Chapter 355: His Fiancee

    Chapter 355: His Fiancee


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    When Shi Xiao returned to the ward again, Wang Ping was no longer as terrified as before.


    Thinking of Shi Xiao¡¯s fiancee¡¯s promise and the deposit she had already paid, he was a little smug.


    As long as he did as that young lady said, not only could he get money, but he could also set Shi Xiao up. It was really a win-win for him.


    ¡°Your brother¡¯s surgery is over. The blood clot in his head has been removed. There¡¯s no other problem.¡± Shi Xiao¡¯s tone was cold. He didn¡¯t say that Wang Dong still had an observation period, since he couldn¡¯t wait anymore.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the money?¡± Wang Ping asked for the money right away. Money was the most important to him now.


    After Shi Xiao nodded at the bodyguard beside him, the man took a suitcase and said, ¡°There¡¯s half of the money here. After we find Yuan Shu, I¡¯ll give you the other half.¡±


    Just as Wang Ping was about to reach for the money, he was stopped by the person beside him.


    Shi Xiao continued to ask, ¡°Where¡¯s Yuan Shu? Tell me!¡±


    Wang Ping looked at the suitcase and swallowed hard. ¡°She¡¯s in the forest at the top of Phoenix Mountain. I tied her up there.¡±


    He made this up. He had clearly brought Yuan Shu to the seaside, but he had told Shi Xiao that she was on the mountain.


    The Phoenix Mountain Range spanned like a phoenix spreading its wings. Moreover, it had yet to be developed. It wasn¡¯t easy to find someone in the deep mountains and forests.


    Shi Xiao looked at him suspiciously, but Wang Ping had already prepared an excuse. ¡°We brothers grew up nearby. The villagers nearby know the way up the mountain. It¡¯s just that no one is willing to go now. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can investigate.¡±


    He sat up straight and looked at Shi Xiao without blinking. ¡°The two of us went back to the village previously to hide Yuan Shu. Otherwise, how could the Shi Corporation not find her?¡±


    Thinking about how he had indeed been unable to obtain any news about Yuan Shu, Shi Xiao frowned. He wondered if she could withstand the harsh weather in the deep mountains and forests.


    What Wang Ping said next made him worry. ¡°Miss Yuan was injured when she was sent there and her wound is bleeding. If you don¡¯t find her quickly¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Shi Xiao grabbed his collar and said to Zhao Cheng, ¡°Prepare people to go to Phoenix Mountain to find her immediately.¡±


    He said to Wang Ping coldly, ¡°You¡¯d better pray that she¡¯s fine!¡±


    Phoenix Mountain was filled with mountains. Shi Xiao left in a hurry and his people searched in pairs, but they still couldn¡¯t find her.


    On the third day, rumors were already spreading in the Shi Corporation.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t President Shi here yet? I have several contracts waiting for him to sign!¡±


    ¡°Zhao Mian can¡¯t explain it either. I don¡¯t think Zhao Cheng came to the company either, right?¡±


    ¡°Could she have gone missing again? I wonder where Miss Yuan went?¡±


    ¡°Did something happen? What about the company?¡±


    At first, Lin Xi was still pretending to call Shi Xiao in the office, but on the third day, not only could she not contact Shi Xiao, but Wang Ping didn¡¯t answer the phone either. She knew that her plan had succeeded.


    Just as the board of directors found Shi Xiao¡¯s office, Lin Xi hurriedly stood up. ¡°Everyone, listen to me. President Shi has something very important to deal with.¡±


    Almost everyone in the company knew that her relationship with Shi Xiao was special, so no one thought that she was lying. There were even people who felt that only Lin Xi knew the truth.


    However, the board of directors didn¡¯t buy it.


    ¡°That won¡¯t do. If he leaves, what about our work?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We can¡¯t just put this collaboration worth tens of millions of yuan on hold. When will he be back?¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s not going to come back, he should at least tell us, so at least someone else can make the decisions.¡±


    Lin Xi cleared his throat, then showed a forged document.


    ¡°How could Shi Xiao not have prepared it? He already gave it to me.¡± Lin Xi held a document in her hand, and there was even Shi Xiao¡¯s seal on it.


    ¡°You? Who are you? Why?¡± A director questioned.


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    ¡°Because I¡¯m his fiancee.¡± Lin Xi deliberately showed the ring on her finger. ¡°When Shi Xiao went missing overseas, I saved him and took care of him, so he brought me back to the country. I¡¯m his fiancee, so I naturally have the right to help him manage the company.¡±


    At the same time, Jiang Chen also learned about Shi Xiao¡¯s disappearance.


    He couldn¡¯t hide the joy in his heart. If Shi Xiao didn¡¯t return, Yuan Shu would be able to return to his side.


    When there was a knock on his office door, he still maintained a smile.


    Song Shi was stunned for a second when she saw his smile. Then, she said happily, ¡°Jiang Chen, my engagement dress is ready.. When is the engagement party?¡±

 Chapter 356 - Chapter 356: Authorization for You

    Chapter 356: Authorization for You


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Jiang Chen¡¯s gaze was gloomy, but Song Shi didn¡¯t care at all. She was still looking at him expectantly.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get engaged this weekend.¡± Jiang Chen didn¡¯t want to talk to her anymore, so he left the office.


    At this moment, Yuan Shu, who had been locked up for a few days, finally found a chance to escape.


    The nurse gave her anti-inflammatory injections every day. Perhaps because she was very obedient, the guards at the door had also left.


    In any case, the door of the room was electronically locked. Without a key card, she definitely could not go out.


    Just as the nurse was about to give her an injection today, Yuan Shu quickly grabbed the other party¡¯s wrist and aimed the needle at the artery on her neck.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Yuan Shu lowered her voice as she said, ¡°If you scream, I¡¯ll insert the needle. You should know the consequences of it.¡±


    The nurse¡¯s eyes were filled with fear, but she did not dare to make a sound.


    Yuan Shu jabbed the back of her neck. The nurse fainted and was helped to the hospital bed by Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu quickly found the key card from the nurse¡¯s pocket and changed into the nurse¡¯s uniform before leaving the room with the tray.


    The place where Wan Bin imprisoned her was very simple. It was just a villa. But from the scenery outside the window, it was not difficult to tell that the villa was in the suburbs.


    There were not many guards here. It was more like a temporary rented place. Other than her room, the other rooms were a little old.


    When she reached the first floor, she heard the car start. It was a minivan.


    Yuan Shu quickly climbed into the cargo box of the truck and followed the car back to the city.


    When she heard the driver get out of the car, she stuck her head out of the cargo box. Fortunately, this place was not too far from the Shi Corporation.


    She quickly got out of the car and hailed a taxi to the Shi Corporation.


    ¡°Boss!¡± When she saw her, Cheng Cheng was so excited that she was about to cry. ¡°You, you went to the hospital to work?¡±


    Before Yuan Shu could explain to her, she quickly pulled Cheng Cheng to the staff changing room.


    ¡°Is Shi Xiao in the company?¡± she asked hurriedly.


    Only then did Cheng Cheng realize that something was wrong. ¡°Boss, did something happen to you?¡±


    ¡°President Shi hasn¡¯t come to the company for many days.¡± Cheng Cheng ran over to lock the changing room door and said in a low voice, ¡°Lin Xi is in charge of the company now. She obtained President Shi¡¯s authorization and even said that she¡¯s President Shi¡¯s fiancee and has the right to take over the company. Now, the company is in a mess because of her. She has her people in every department.¡±


    Cheng Cheng secretly took out her phone again. ¡°Boss, I didn¡¯t slack off when you weren¡¯t around. I got a good friend from the finance department to help me investigate. The company has tens of millions of funds that are missing. It was all transferred by Lin Xi with various reasons. Some were transferred to some shell companies. She¡¯s trying to destroy the Shi Corporation!¡±


    At the thought that the Shi Corporation was not safe now, Yuan Shu¡¯s expression turned cold.


    ¡°Cheng Cheng, give me a set of your spare clothes. I want to go home first.¡± Yuan Shu calmly arranged, ¡°You know Shi Lu, right? Ask him to wait for me at home and don¡¯t go anywhere.¡±


    Yuan Shu was also anxious to look for Shi Xiao, but if the Shi Corporation was gone, the Shi family would be completely doomed. She would never allow such a thing to happen.


    Shi Lu was already worried about Shi Xiao¡¯s disappearance, so he had canceled a few jobs and had been sending people out to find Shi Xiao.


    After receiving Yuan Shu¡¯s notice, he felt a little relieved. As long as his sister-in-law was back, he would have a backbone.


    ¡°Sister-in-law!¡± Shi Lu¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°You¡¯re finally back. Big brother¡­¡±


    Yuan Shu raised her hand, indicating that there was no need for him to say anything. She already knew the situation.


    ¡°The Shi Corporation is now under Lin Xi¡¯s control. We already lost tens of millions of yuan in funds in the past few days.¡± Yuan Shu quickly explained the situation. ¡°Your brother and I are divorced, but you are the second young master of the Shi family. Do you have your brother¡¯s authorization to temporarily manage the company on his behalf?¡±


    Hearing her say this, Shi Lu slapped his forehead. ¡°Yes, yes! But my brother authorized it for you!¡±


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    He hurriedly brought Yuan Shu to Shi Xiao¡¯s study and opened the safe.


    ¡°Big Brother gave you 10% of the shares in your divorce agreement. This was notarized. Although you¡¯re divorced, you¡¯re also a major shareholder of the company.¡± Shi Lu flipped through the document. ¡°Brother told me two days ago that if he doesn¡¯t come back after going out, I should give all of this to you.¡±


    As Yuan Shu looked at the authorization letter that Shi Xiao had personally written, she felt a little emotional.


    It seemed like Shi Xiao had already left a backup plan and handed over all his power to her.


    Yuan Shu gripped the document in her hand tightly and said to Shi Lu, ¡°Contact the Shi family¡¯s lawyer. There¡¯s no time to lose. Go to the company immediately. I want to hold a board meeting..¡±

 Chapter 357 - Chapter 357: Board of Directors

    Chapter 357: Board of Directors


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Yuan Shu arranged for Shi Lu to continue bringing the Shi family to look for her. She believed that Shi Xiao, who was so smart, would definitely leave some secret signal. She then went to the Shi Corporation.


    At this moment, the meeting room was filled with complaints.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you holding a board meeting for no reason?¡±


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t President Shi already authorized his fiancee? Why are you still causing us trouble?¡±


    ¡°Who initiated the board of directors meeting? Isn¡¯t it only possible to hold a board of directors if more than 50% of the shareholders agree?¡±


    Lin Xi, who was sitting in the middle of the meeting room, had a gloomy expression. She didn¡¯t have any shares in the Shi Corporation, and even the authorization letter was fake.


    She didn¡¯t know if there were other major shareholders behind the scenes in the Shi Corporation. She looked calm on the surface, but she was already anxious.


    It wasn¡¯t until Yuan Shu entered the meeting room that everyone knew who had initiated the board meeting.


    Under Lin Xi¡¯s signal, a director stood up. ¡°Miss Yuan, the board of directors meeting was initiated by you? This is against the rules!¡±


    Immediately, another director stood up. ¡°That¡¯s right! Moreover, you¡¯ve already divorced President Shi. Miss Lin is his fiancee now. She also has the authority.¡±


    Lin Xi only looked at Yuan Shu with a smile, then pushed the forged authorization document on the table, but under the table, her hands were tightly clenched.


    Then, a few security guards walked in. ¡°Miss Yuan, this is the board of directors meetings. Please leave immediately.¡±


    Seeing that the few of them were about to attack, Cheng Cheng was anxious and almost pounced on them.


    However, Yuan Shu pulled out the belt at her waist and slapped the leg of the security guard at the front. The security guard wailed and immediately knelt on the ground in pain.


    The directors were shocked by her ruthless methods, but before anyone could say anything, Yuan Shu had already taken out the document.


    ¡°This is the legal consultant of the Shi Corporation. I believe everyone knows him, right?¡± She pointed at the man who had entered with her. ¡°These documents contain the share transfer agreement from when Shi Xiao previously divorced me. A few days ago, he gave me the authorization. They¡¯ve all been approved by a lawyer.¡±


    The lawyer hurriedly took a step forward. The directors naturally knew the Shi Corporation¡¯s legal consultant, but this person didn¡¯t appear in the company much, so Lin Xi didn¡¯t know of his existence.


    The lawyer only glanced at Lin Xi¡¯s authorization from the corner of his eyes. ¡°Heh, you guys are indeed too old. You guys don¡¯t even recognize President Shi¡¯s signature? The company¡¯s authorization doesn¡¯t count without the legal department¡¯s stamp.¡±


    He picked up the documents in Yuan Shu¡¯s hand again. ¡°These documents were signed by Shi Xiao not long ago. Other than me, there were two lawyers as witnesses. At that time, there were other colleagues from the legal department. Moreover, the company has surveillance footage, but I don¡¯t think we need it anymore.¡±


    ¡°Because 10% of the shares automatically took effect when Ms. Yuan Shu signed the divorce agreement. It was recorded.¡± His voice was calm, as if he was telling the truth.


    ¡°There are also these documents signed by Shi Lu and the other shareholders. Their shares and voting rights were also fully handed over to Ms. Yuan Shu. This is a legal document, so everyone can check it yourself.¡±


    The directors looked at each other. The person in front took the document and said softly, ¡°Then Miss Yuan has more than 50% of the shares in her hands. Are you going to remove the current acting manager?¡±


    He looked towards Yuan Shu, the meaning behind his words was implying whether or not she wanted to dismiss Lin Xi.


    The other directors didn¡¯t say anything more. Lin Xi¡¯s people didn¡¯t even go up to check. Even the Shi Corporation¡¯s legal advisor came, so there was no way to reverse this matter.


    As long as a director with more than 50% of the shares agreed, not only could they dismiss Lin Xi, but they could also dismiss the chairman.


    ¡°On what basis? Could it be that you want to dismiss me?¡± Lin Xi slapped the table and stood up. ¡°Just because you say these documents are legal, they are?¡±


    As soon as she said that, the directors shook their heads.


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    They had long realized that Lin Xi was incompetent and didn¡¯t know much about the company¡¯s operations. It was just that because she was Shi Xiao¡¯s fiancee, they didn¡¯t say anything on Shi Xiao¡¯s account.


    However, from the current situation, Shi Xiao didn¡¯t trust Lin Xi at all. Instead, he gave all the shares to Yuan Shu. There was a deeper meaning to this.


    Lin Xi looked at the director who had a good relationship with her and said loudly, ¡°I¡¯m the manager authorized by Shi Xiao. What right do you guys have to dismiss me? You¡¯re the directors, so aren¡¯t you going to protect the company¡¯s rights?¡±


    ¡°The company¡¯s interests?¡± Yuan Shu sneered. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who embezzled tens of millions of the company¡¯s funds? Is it for your interests or the company¡¯s interests?¡±


    Lin Xi¡¯s eyes widened. She didn¡¯t believe that Yuan Shu already knew about these things after just returning..

 Chapter 358 - Chapter 358: All’s Fair in War

    Chapter 358: All¡¯s Fair in War


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    However, when the directors heard Yuan Shu¡¯s words, they couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. If Lin Xi stole the company¡¯s money, wouldn¡¯t that be equivalent to stealing their money?


    ¡°Miss Yuan, what¡¯s going on? You have to explain clearly!¡±


    ¡°Tens of millions? Are you sure? If so, call the police!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. From the beginning, I felt that she had forged the document. Perhaps she was sent by our opponent¡¯s company!¡±


    The directors¡¯ condemnation became louder and louder. Lin Xi leaned towards the door. She definitely couldn¡¯t be arrested by the police, or else her identity would be exposed.


    Before anyone could say anything, Lin Xi covered her face and pretended to cry as she ran out.


    Yuan Shu had long seen through her tricks, so she glanced at the lawyer, who nodded and walked out of the conference room.


    ¡°Since everyone has seen the document, I¡¯ll announce that I¡¯m the current acting CEO of the Shi Corporation.¡± Yuan Shu sat in the center steadily. ¡°Next, I¡¯ll announce the first thing I¡¯ll do after I take office.¡±


    Her gaze swept across the meeting room coldly. There were a few people who didn¡¯t dare to meet her gaze.


    ¡°Deputy Director Xiao Xi from the Finance Department, Manager Wang Shan from the Marketing Department, and Director Gu Ming from the Human Resources Department, the few of you have been dismissed.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, the three of them looked up at her. However, before they could quibble, Yuan Shu continued, ¡°I¡¯ve already investigated the portion of the company¡¯s public funds that you guys embezzled. The evidence is in my hands. Make up for the deficit in three days and resign voluntarily. Otherwise, these materials will be at the police station in three days.¡±


    Cheng Cheng had recorded the actions of some of the company¡¯s corrupt employees. Although the evidence wasn¡¯t substantial, it was enough to scare these people. As the saying went, all was fair in war.


    ¡°There¡¯s also evidence of other things.¡± Yuan Shu took out a USB flash drive. ¡°On account that you¡¯re all veterans of the company, I¡¯m not willing to be so ruthless and am willing to give you guys a chance to remedy the situation. The time limit is also three days. I don¡¯t want to see any more problems.¡±


    After the board meeting ended, Yuan Shu immersed herself in her work.


    Lin Xi wasn¡¯t good at managing the company. Apart from satisfying her own greed, she didn¡¯t consider the company¡¯s development at all.


    Yuan Shu worked in the company for a few consecutive days and ate and slept in the company every day. Only then did she resolve the problem that had been left behind.


    When Jiang Chen arrived at the Shi Corporation, Yuan Shu was eating sushi. This was a fast and convenient food, so she wouldn¡¯t waste her time.


    Jiang Chen had been really busy recently. Apart from the company¡¯s affairs, the Song family had also put a lot of pressure on him.


    Especially since Song Shi would threaten him with Yuan Shu¡¯s matter from time to time, he could only accompany Song Shi to prepare for the engagement party.


    Seeing that Yuan Shu was safe and sound, he finally felt relieved.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yuan Shu ate the last piece of sushi before putting down the materials in her hand.


    Jiang Chen¡¯s heart ached when he saw her haggard face, but he had already sent invitations for his engagement party with Song Shi. He knew the engagement couldn¡¯t be canceled.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting engaged.¡± His voice trembled as he spoke.


    However, there was no change in Yuan Shu¡¯s expression. She nodded seriously and said, ¡°Alright, leave the invitation here. I¡¯ll definitely attend.¡±


    Seeing how calm she was, Jiang Chen didn¡¯t feel happy at all. ¡°Aren¡¯t you unhappy at all? Aren¡¯t you sad?¡±


    nJ   ¡±


    Before Yuan Shu could finish speaking, the office door was pushed open.


    Song Shi walked in angrily. ¡°What¡¯s there to be sad about? I¡¯m the one who should be sad! You¡¯re about to get engaged to me, so why are you still looking for her?¡±


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    She deliberately didn¡¯t close the door, and she deliberately raised her voice. ¡°Yuan Shu, he¡¯s my fiance. You¡¯re already a divorced woman, so how can you still have the cheek to pester Jiang Chen?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Jiang Chen glared at her coldly.


    However, Song Shi knew that it was impossible for him to cancel the engagement at this time. When she thought of the video she had received, she became even more confident.


    ¡°She¡¯s just a piece of trash who¡¯s already been played by others, so why are you still thinking about her?¡± Song Shi said fiercely. ¡°She was kidnapped. Miss Yuan is so beautiful, so do you think she escaped so easily? She¡¯s already been raped countless times. When you were looking for her, she might have been begging for mercy under some man! Otherwise, how could she be alive¡­¡±


    Jiang Chen slapped her hard. ¡°I told you to shut up.. Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡±

 Chapter 359 - Chapter 359- Fired

    Chapter 359- Fired


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    Song Shi was completely stunned by the slap and stared at Jiang Chen with her eyes wide open, then pointed at Yuan Shu with a shaking hand, but she couldn¡¯t say a word.


    In the end, Song Shi ran out crying, but no one stopped her.


    When she returned home, she hid in her room. Her heart was filled with hatred now. She hated Yuan Shu more than ever.


    Thinking of the video of Yuan Shu being defiled, she quickly turned on her computer and downloaded the video from her cloud.


    The video took more than a minute, but the angle was a little strange. She could only see that the woman¡¯s hairstyle was similar to Yuan Shu¡¯s, but she couldn¡¯t see her face clearly.


    However, at this moment, Song Shi firmly believed that the woman who had been defiled was Yuan Shu.


    Song Shi quickly took out her phone and contacted paid commenters. Not only did she post the video of Yuan Shu being raped, but she also asked them to quickly spread rumors.


    As soon as the video appeared, the website was almost paralyzed.


    Such a explicit video was like secretly filmed porn. Everyone liked to watch such videos, let alone when it involved Shi Xiao¡¯s ex-wife.


    Such videos were spread many times faster. Many people even secretly downloaded them and posted them in private groups.


    ¡°I heard that the Shi Corporation has indeed been looking for her a few days ago. Could it be that Miss Yuan was really kidnapped?¡±


    ¡°It musr be fake. I can¡¯t even see the video clearly. Moreover, shouldn¡¯t they have called the police if she was missing?¡±


    ¡°Yuan Shu looks quite promiscuous, so perhaps she did it willingly? Otherwise, how could she have survived?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. After seeing the kidnapper¡¯s face, shouldn¡¯t she have been killed? But I heard that she has already returned to the company to work.¡±


    Before the netizens could process the content of this video, Lin Xi immediately released even more explosive news as an insider.


    #Shi Xiao of the Shi Corporation has disappeared and there has been no news of him for many days#


    #Yuan Shu causes a ruckus in the board of directors and replaces Shi Xiao#


    #The Shi Corporation¡¯s website has stolen user information. Suspected to be ex-wife¡¯s revenge #


    Every piece of news was enough to shock the netizens.


    Especially when the user information of the Shi Corporation¡¯s website was leaked some time ago. The matter had just been suppressed and the corporation had also compensated the users a lot of money, but they didn¡¯t expect new information to be exposed.


    ¡°My phone number was stolen. Fortunately, the card it was bound to dudn¡¯t have much money on it. How scary!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this woman too ruthless? Could it be that Shi Xiao¡¯s disappearance is related to her?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. She came back so quickly after being kidnapped, but Shi Xiao is still missing. Could he have been killed?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t dare to use the website under the Shi Corporation anymore. Yuan Shu is in control now. Who knows what else she will do?¡±


    For a moment, not only did the netizens criticize Yuan Shu, but they also began to attack the Shi Corporation. Even a small mistake by an employee of the corporation would be emphasized online.


    If it was just pornographic news, the netizens would at most watch the drama unfold.


    However, the current acting CEO of the Shi Corporation had actually done such a harmful thing to the corporation. The people¡¯s trust in the Shi Corporation lowered, and the share price of the Shi Corporation had plummeted.


    Yuan Shu¡¯s position as the acting CEO was also precarious. There were even a few major shareholders who were prepared to restart the board of directors meeting to remove Yuan Shu.


    Lin Xi arranged to meet them at the teahouse, as well as a few people who were fired by Yuan Shu.


    ¡°You¡¯re all veterans of the Shi Corporation, so you can¡¯t ignore this matter at this time.¡± Lin Xi¡¯s face was filled with worry. ¡°Yuan Shu must have given the lawyer some benefits. She has already divorced Shi Xiao, so how can Shi Xiao give her shares?¡±


    The shareholders didn¡¯t say anything. They actually didn¡¯t believe Lin Xi either, but now that the share price had plummeted, the impact on them was too great.


    Lin Xi could tell that they were worried and hurriedly said, ¡°I don¡¯t have any shares in my hands. At most, I can manage the company in the name of Shi Xiao¡¯s fiancee, but you guys are different.¡±


    She deliberately softened her voice. ¡°Let the board of directors dismiss Yuan Shu. Shi Xiao hasn¡¯t come back, so can¡¯t you guys dismiss her?¡±


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    ¡°I just want to spend some alone time with him. When we were poor overseas, our lives were quite good.¡±


    ¡°No matter which one of you takes over, I¡¯ll support you fully when Shi Xiao isn¡¯t around. Everyone knows that I¡¯m Shi Xiao¡¯s fiancee, so they¡¯ll definitely help me.¡±


    The shareholders looked at each other with excitement in their eyes.


    From the looks of it, it wasn¡¯t impossible for the Shi Corporation to change its name.


    One of them said, ¡°I¡¯ll go back and contact the shareholders now. If Yuan Shu can hold a board meeting, so can we. There are so many of us.. Why should we be afraid of her?¡±

 Chapter 360 - Chapter 360: Finale

    Chapter 360: Finale


    Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations


    ¡°Can the person you found really do it? Haven¡¯t you found out yet?¡± Shi Lu kicked the stones on the road impatiently as he made a call.


    He was a famous actor after all, so it wasn¡¯t difficult for him to find a few paid commenters. With paid commenters, he didn¡¯t have to worry about not having manpower.


    He definitely didn¡¯t believe that the person in the video was Yuan Shu, so he didn¡¯t even ask Yuan Shu before getting someone to investigate.


    Unexpectedly, he really found out the truth.


    ¡°I found it. This informant is really a b*stard. He actually used an porn video clip!¡± The manager Yuan Yuan¡¯s voice was filled with excitement. ¡°What should we do? Should we get the paid commenters to help clarify?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need! Send me all the evidence and I¡¯ll clarify.¡± Shi Lu had already thought it through. He had a lot of fans. As long as he posted something, he could immediately gain a lot of attention without using the paid commenters.


    Yuan Yuan knew his temper, so he sent the contents of the document to him without hesitation.


    Shi Lu didn¡¯t waste any time. Not only did he post the original video that was edited in that pornographic film, but he also helped Yuan Shu prove it.


    ¡°Yuan Shu is my sister-in-law forever. She was indeed framed. I hope that the netizens won¡¯t spread rumors and cause such a huge impact on the Shi Corporation. The Shi family will definitely pursue the matter. Moreover, my brother isn¡¯t missing and the couple is fighting, so someone has to compromise.¡±


    In the end, he added a ¡°you know what I mean¡± emoji, dispelling the rumors about Shi Xiao¡¯s disappearance on the internet as an attempt to win back his wife.


    Although some netizens didn¡¯t believe him, Shi Lu¡¯s fans supported him unconditionally.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the movie Brother Lu recommended. It¡¯s indeed not Sister-in-law.


    The appraisal is complete.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to clear Sister-in-law¡¯s name!¡±


    ¡°From the beginning to the end, I believed that Sister-in-law was wronged, but I needed the video above to prove it.¡±


    For a moment, most of the netizens were begging for the video. Some of Yuan Shu¡¯s fans were angry and criticized the people who spread the rumors.


    Jiang Chen sneered when he saw how quickly the netizens changed their stances.


    As expected, no matter where Yuan Shu was, she was always the center of attention and there was always a group of people protecting her.


    Looking at the information in his hand, he closed his eyes. Shi Xiao was in Phoenix Mountain. He was hesitating if he should tell Yuan Shu about this.


    Ten minutes later, Jiang Chen opened his eyes. There was a determined look in his eyes.


    When he came to Yuan Shu¡¯s office again, he saw that she had lost some weight and was still reading documents with her head lowered.


    Jiang Chen didn¡¯t beat around the bush this time. He explained his purpose directly. ¡°There¡¯s news about Shi Xiao.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± When Yuan Shu looked up, the excitement in her eyes was obvious.


    Seeing her like this, Jiang Chen became more and more displeased. ¡°It¡¯s true. Someone has already photographed him.¡±


    He waved his phone, but didn¡¯t hand it to Yuan Shu. Not understanding what he meant, Yuan Shu frowned at him.


    Jiang Chen twisted his body and changed into a comfortable position. ¡°I can help you find Shi Xiao, but on a certain condition.¡±


    Actually, Yuan Shu expected that he had conditions, so she nodded. ¡°Please tell me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you find Shi Xiao, but you have to promise me that you won¡¯t remarry him.¡±


    As soon as Jiang Chen made his offer, Song Shi, who was outside the door, rushed in. ¡°Jiang Chen! You indeed still have feelings for her!¡±


    Yuan Shu stood up helplessly, but Song Shi pounced on her as if she had gone crazy. ¡°Go to hell! Why are you still alive?¡±


    Yuan Shu only dodged her attack, but Song Shi lost her balance and fell straight towards the open window.


    Almost subconsciously, Yuan Shu pulled out her whip and wrapped it around Song Shi¡¯s waist. She was also pulled a few steps towards the window by a huge force.


    However, the whip couldn¡¯t withstand the weight of a person and broke with a bang.


    Yuan Shu¡¯s body leaned back uncontrollably, but a pair of large hands hugged her firmly.


    ¡°Yuan Shu, are you alright?¡± Shi Xiao¡¯s voice sounded, and Yuan Shu came back to her senses.


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    At this moment, Shi Xiao was no longer as handsome as usual. Not only had his hair grown a lot longer, but his face was also covered in stubble. However, he was looking at the woman in front of him worriedly.


    ¡°Shi Xiao! You¡¯re back!¡± Yuan Shu couldn¡¯t care less and threw herself into his arms.


    She had been so worried these past few days that she could no longer care about the etiquette she used to follow and she kissed him deeply.


    Jiang Chen looked coldly at the two people kissing in front of him. He didn¡¯t even check if Song Shi was dead or alive.


    He sneered and curled his lips as he thought to himself, ¡°Yuan Shu, don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll let you off so easily..¡±