A figure blocked his path.
“Where are you going?” Su Huainan’s voice was low, his eyes carrying a warning. “Trying to disrupt my sister’s date?”
Only then did Shen Qiao notice Su Huainan, his heart tightening. “Brother Su, you’ve misunderstood. I was just heading to the restroom.”
Su Lingyu brought a love bodyguard on her date?
It seemed she hadn’t developed dependency on Jiang Yuli yet…
With her Separation Anxiety Disorder, she couldn’t function without someone close.
Su Huainan was her “cure.”
Jiang Yuli?
Hah, an ice-cold monster—how could he possibly provide her with a sense of security?
“The restroom is in the other direction,” Su Huainan stated bluntly.
“Su Huainan, I’m curious,” Shen Qiao lowered his voice. “The project is suspended, losses are astronomical, all previous efforts wasted. As the CEO, aren’t you responsible? Won’t your father hold you accountable?”
“None of your concern,” Su Huainan’s tone was icy. “Either leave or return to your seat.”
“Why should I listen to you?” Shen Qiao challenged.
Su Huainan directly grabbed his arm and dragged him out.
Lu Xiang watched her husband’s retreating back, secretly waving a “bye-bye” before happily scanning the code to order an ice cream.
In the corridor, Su Huainan released his grip. “You’ve broken up. Since you can’t make her happy, don’t think about obstructing her from finding someone new.”
“Brother Su, be honest, do you really think she and my uncle are a good match?” Shen Qiao questioned.
“Whether they’re a match or not isn’t for you or me to decide. As long as she likes him, that’s what matters.” Su Huainan’s gaze was indifferent. “Shen Qiao, when she chose you before, I supported you. Now that she’s chosen someone else, I support that person. You’ve brought this upon yourself. Be a graceful loser.”
Shen Qiao retorted indignantly, “Everyone makes mistakes. I made one mistake—isn’t it too cruel not to give me a chance to redeem myself?”
Su Huainan sneered coldly, “One?”
“Isn’t it?”
“One?” Su Huainan’s eyes filled with disdain. “It seems you’re not only young but also have a poor memory.”
Shen Qiao recalled the scene where Su Huainan had caught him choking Su Lingyu that night. “Even if I made two mistakes, I’m still a good person. I love her, I want to be with her. Brother Su, she and I are the most compatible.”
“Tch.”
Su Huainan looked at Shen Qiao as if he were a monkey in the zoo. “If you know my sister so well, you should be aware that she hides nothing from me—including you telling her that you only tolerate her because she’s the Su family’s young miss.”
Shen Qiao’s face instantly paled.
He stood frozen in place.
Meanwhile, Su Huainan turned and headed back to the restaurant.
At a glance, he spotted Lu Xiang happily accepting an ice cream cone from a server.
Noticing him, Lu Xiang quickly took a big bite.
Su Huainan took a deep breath—she was his wife, what could he do?
He walked over, and Lu Xiang obediently offered him the cone. “Here, hubby.”
“You’re pregnant, you should eat less of this.”
Su Huainan sighed helplessly.
These three women in his family—he truly had no way to handle them.
Shen Qiao didn’t return to the restaurant.
Su Huainan breathed a sigh of relief.
The restaurant staff had a strong impression of Jiang Yuli. Last night, he had waited alone in a private room until closing time, but tonight was different.
A beautiful woman accompanied him, sitting in the main hall, and they seemed to be getting along well.
Last night was clearly an exception!
After dinner, Jiang Yuli still drove Su Lingyu home in that multimillion-dollar luxury car.
“Don’t dates usually have follow-up activities? Are we just going home after dinner?” Su Lingyu leaned slightly toward Jiang Yuli, her eyes sparkling, “Uncle, no other arrangements?”
How could Jiang Yuli not want a follow-up?
But he was more concerned about her condition.
“We’ll arrange other activities when you can stay by my side without feeling uncomfortable,” he answered seriously.
In the night, the air conditioning in the speeding car was slightly cool.
“Uncle~” Su Lingyu’s voice was sweet and soft, “You’re so considerate~ thinking of everything for me. People should be more selfish!”
She “taught” him with a beaming smile.
Jiang Yuli felt as if she were surrounded by pink bubbles, utterly adorable.
“Mhm,” he responded softly.
“Then tell me, what do you want to do yourself?” Su Lingyu pressed.
Jiang Yuli’s gaze uncontrollably fell on her pink, moist lips, and his Adam’s apple bobbed.
He wanted… to kiss her.
But no—
They weren’t officially dating yet.
“Uncle? Uncle?”
Su Lingyu waved her hand in front of his eyes.
Why was he spacing out?
Jiang Yuli snapped back to reality, cleared his throat lightly, and averted his gaze: “Nothing.”
“Liar!” Su Lingyu deliberately provoked him.
“I…”
Jiang Yuli felt flustered; what he was thinking… was truly hard to voice.
“Pao Pao, I…”
Su Lingyu laughed seeing him so embarrassed for the first time, “Aren’t you trying to pursue me?”
Jiang Yuli breathed a sigh of relief; so that’s what she meant.
Thank goodness… his “bad thoughts” hadn’t been discovered.
“Yes, I’m pursuing you now,” his ears grew warm.
“The air conditioning in the car is so cold~” Su Lingyu hinted.
“Turn up the temperature,” Jiang Yuli instructed the driver.
The driver complied, raising the temperature and reducing the airflow.
Su Lingyu: “…”
Jiang Yuli!
I hate that you’re such a blockhead!!
With your way of pursuing, will it take less than two or three years to succeed?!
Blockhead Jiang!!
“Still cold?” Jiang Yuli moved closer, his gaze falling on her exposed calves beneath her skirt, “Are your legs cold?”
He produced a thin blanket from somewhere and carefully draped it over her legs, “Better now?”
“…Much better,” Su Lingyu forced a smile.
Jiang Yuli dropped her off at the Su family’s gate and left.
“Mom and Dad, your precious is back from her date!” Su Lingyu bounded cheerfully into the living room, “Huh? Where are brother and sister-in-law?”
“They…” Su’s Father and Mother hesitated slightly.
“Hmm? What’s wrong?” Su Lingyu wondered.
Following their daughter on a date wasn’t exactly honorable.
“They… went out for dinner and haven’t returned yet,” Su’s Father said vaguely.
“Oh, you scared me! The way you were hesitating, I thought something had happened!” Su Lingyu patted her chest.
“How was the date tonight?” Su’s Mother asked with concern.
“Pretty good~” Su Lingyu nodded with a smile.
It’s just that Jiang Yuli… too restrained and proper, too much of a gentleman!
In stark contrast to the Su family’s warmth and cheer, the dinner at the Shen Family Mansion was shrouded in cold oppression.
Jiang Yuli hadn’t returned.
Shen Qiao hadn’t returned either.
Shen Zeming sat at the head of the table, his face ashen, eating a few bites hastily before leaving.
His back exuded deep exhaustion and defeat.
Jiang Yuli hated him.
That hatred was already etched into his bones.
Only now, fearing he couldn’t face his deceased wife in the afterlife, did he feel remorse and want to make amends, but it seemed too late.
Jiang Yuli wouldn’t even grant him this opportunity.
At the dining table, Shen Baichuan and Shang Shuya exchanged a glance, each with turbulent emotions.
When had the old man ever cared about Jiang Yuli before?
Tonight, however, he was visibly despondent over his absence.
A sense of crisis crept into Shen Baichuan’s heart—
What he feared most was that the old man might suddenly change his mind and hand over the entire Hundred Rivers Group to Jiang Yuli.
After all, two years ago, as soon as Jiang Yuli returned, he replaced Shen Baichuan as the CEO of Hundred Rivers Group.
Shen Baichuan admitted that during those years under his management, the company had suffered significant financial losses due to several poor decisions.
Yet despite Jiang Yuli and his father having been estranged for over two decades, Jiang Yuli still took his place.
It seemed that in the coming days, he would need to pay close attention to whether his father was meeting with Attorney Xu.
A heavy, oppressive atmosphere began to spread throughout the Shen residence.