Chapter 376: Falling into a Trap

"You are so stupid..." I hit his chest, "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Because I want to see your expression now." He bent down and kissed the top of my head, "If you are happy, I think it is worth it."

I raised my head and met his deep eyes. They were filled with tenderness and a hint of fatigue. In the past few months, he not only had to deal with the daily affairs of the group, but also had to prepare all this for me. How tired must he be?

"Husband..." I called him softly.

"Um?"

"I love you."

He was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "I love you too."

At this moment, I suddenly understood that love is not a passionate vow, but every surprise he silently prepared for me, the cup of hot milk at hand when he stayed up late to work, and the tenderness in his eyes when he looked at me.

I stood up and took his hand: "Let's go to bed."

"But the plan is not yet..."

"We'll do it tomorrow." I interrupted him. "Now, you need to rest."

He smiled helplessly and let me pull him to the bedroom. Moonlight poured in through the French windows, casting mottled shadows on the floor. Our shadows overlapped, just like our fate, already inseparable.

Lying on the bed, I snuggled in his arms, listening to his steady heartbeat. At this moment, I felt that I was the happiest person in the world.

"Wife." He suddenly said.

"Um?"

"Once the studio is built, I will build you a glass greenhouse on the top floor."

I looked up at him: "Why?"

"Because you said you wanted a place full of roses." His voice was sleepy. "I want you to wake up every day and see a garden full of roses, just like... seeing our love..."

His voice gradually became lower and his breathing became steady. I kissed his chin gently and said in my heart: Silly boy, you are my most beautiful rose.

A few days later, Songyang Company held a voting meeting. The project was a collaboration between me and them. Several representatives discussed the cooperation matters with us, including Zhao Xing and Lin Qing.

The air in the conference room seemed frozen. The lawyer team brought by Lin Qing was refuting our cooperation plan point by point, and every word was like a sharp scalpel, precisely cutting our proposal.

"Regarding the profit distribution ratio, we believe there is obvious unfairness..." The lawyer wearing gold-rimmed glasses pushed up the frames and spoke in an aggressive tone.

I looked at Song Yang. His face was normal, but I knew his knuckles were turning white as he held the pen. Just then, his cell phone vibrated. He glanced at the caller ID and frowned slightly.

"Sorry, I have to take a call." He stood up and walked out of the meeting room.

I continued to answer the lawyer's questions, clasping my hands tightly under the table, trying to maintain my composure. The opposing team was clearly well prepared, and every question hit home.

"Regarding the profit distribution plan you proposed, we believe that it is obviously unfair..." The lawyer wearing gold-rimmed glasses pushed the frame of his glasses, and the lenses reflected cold light. "The resources invested by the Lin Group far exceeded expectations, but they can only get 35% of the profit share. This is completely inconsistent with market rules."

I flipped open the document in my hand and was about to explain the basis of our calculations, but I caught a glimpse of Lin Qing and Zhao Xing exchanging a meaningful look. Lin Qing's mouth corners slightly raised, and Zhao Xing nodded gently. That tacit interaction made my heart tighten, just like seeing a poisonous snake spit out its tongue.

"Regarding this," I suppressed my uneasiness, "our calculation is based on..."

Before I could finish my words, the door of the conference room was pushed open and Song Yang walked in quickly. His face looked even uglier than when he left, and the buttons of his suit jacket were all buttoned in the wrong place. He leaned over and whispered in my ear: "Mr. Chen had a sudden heart attack and was hospitalized. He can't continue to help us mediate."

My heart sank and the document in my hand almost slipped.

Mr. Chen is the key figure in this negotiation. Without him to mediate, the situation will be more difficult. I looked at Lin Qing and Zhao Xing opposite me. They were leisurely flipping through the documents, as if they had expected all this.

Song Yang sat back in his seat, and I could feel his body tense like a fully drawn bow. He cleared his throat: "Regarding the issue of profit distribution, we can..."

"No need." Zhao Xing suddenly interrupted him and closed the document in his hand. "We have received news that there are also major disagreements within the Song Group regarding this cooperation. We will not consider any cooperation until you resolve your internal issues."

The conference room fell into a deathly silence. I looked at Song Yang, his jawline was tense and his face was expressionless.

My heart sank. Mr. Chen was the key figure in this negotiation. Without him mediating, the situation would be even more difficult.

Sure enough, Lin Qing immediately started to attack: "Since Mr. Chen is not here, I think today's negotiations should end here. I'm sorry that we cannot accept your proposal."

"Wait," I stood up, "Regarding the profit distribution, we can re-..."

"No need." Zhao Xing interrupted me, "We have received news that there are also major disagreements within the Song Group regarding this cooperation. We will not consider any cooperation until you resolve your internal issues."

I looked at Song Yang in shock. His face was ashen, and it was obvious that he had just learned the news.

Back at the company, the board of directors was already arguing. Song Yang's elder brother Song Feng was making an impassioned speech: "Why would a newly established studio participate in such a big project? This is playing a joke on the interests of the group!"

"This is not a joke," Song Yang said coldly, "Jiang Da's ability is obvious to all, and this plan has also been rigorously demonstrated."

"Ability?" Song Feng sneered, "Relying on those fancy designs of hers? Do you know how severe the market environment is now?"

The voting results came out, with the majority of votes against. Song Yang slammed his fist on the table: "You will regret it!"

Walking out of the room, Song Yang comforted me: "Don't worry, there is still a way."

I shook my head: "No, this is obviously aimed at us."

"If this plan doesn't work..."

"Let me think about it," he took a deep breath, "there must be a way to break the situation."

Just then, my cell phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number.

"Ms. Gu? I'm Mr. Chen's assistant. Mr. Chen wants to see you. He said... he has something to tell you."

I looked at Song Yang, and a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes: "I'll go with you."

In the hospital, Old Chen was lying on the bed, his face pale but his eyes were still sharp: "Kid, you have fallen into the trap. Lin Qing and Zhao Xing had already colluded with each other. They don't want to cooperate at all, they just want to bring down the Song family..."

I suddenly remembered the look they exchanged during the negotiation, and a chill ran up my spine.