Chapter 236 I'm confident you're the Shen family's missing daughter from back then.

Upon hearing this, Xie Lingfang, who hadn't gone far, lost control and shouted, "No! I won't allow this vixen to live in the Liang family! I won't allow it!"

Zhang Nan quickly pulled out a pain relief patch, slapped it on her lips, and hurried to drag her out.

"I told you to stay, so stay. Get to know this place as soon as possible and take good care of A-Jian."

Liang Weiyue didn't give Lin Meizhen a chance to refute him, and turned to leave after finishing his sentence.

As I walked into the living room, I ran into Xie Mingxuan, who was returning from outside.

Xie Mingxuan greeted him casually, as if he knew nothing.

Liang Weiyue, however, remained cold and made his point clear.

"My marriage with your sister is definitely over. As for the Xie family... I can offer some compensation, but from now on, we don't need to have any further dealings."

Xie Mingxuan's lips twitched slightly, and he forced a smile, "Brother-in-law, there's no need to make things so tense, is there? Your projects in Beijing can be restarted, as long as the funding is in place..."

He gestured with his finger to indicate the amount of money.

This funding is certainly not referring to funds used for project investment.

Liang Weiyue sneered, "Do you think I'd let you control the company's interests?"

His smile vanished casually. "Black Star Technology will not be controlled by anyone."

After saying that, he left without looking back.

Xie Mingxuan stood there, secretly grinding his teeth.

He was both angry and frustrated that he had not only failed to complete the mission but also caused the Xie family to lose the Liang family, their cash cow.

He couldn't afford to lose on both fronts; he had to find out whether Ji Ying was a member of the Shen family.

In a head-on confrontation, he would be no match for Liang Yizhi...

Ji Ying rested at home for two days until the scar on her forehead scabbed over, then returned to work at Qing Sui.

The company's operations have returned to normal, and under Xiao Chang's efficient coordination, the laboratory has also been restored to its original state. The research and development progress has not been affected by the accident.

Liang Yizhi hadn't shown up for two days. Apart from sending him normal greetings every day, she didn't ask him what he was doing, as always.

As it was nearing the end of the workday, the receptionist informed her that a guest had arrived.

Ji Ying walked into the hall and saw that the person who came was Xie Mingxuan. She paused slightly.

Xie Mingxuan, however, seemed completely unconcerned, and stepped forward with a perfectly timed smile on his face.

"Miss Ji, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Ji Ying gave the big bad wolf a cold look, "You're not welcome here."

Xie Mingxuan seemed to have anticipated her reaction, his smile remained unchanged, and his tone even carried a hint of sincerity.

"I have something important to discuss with Miss Ji. I was afraid you would reject my invitation outright, so I had no choice but to come in person."

"We have nothing to talk about."

After Ji Ying finished speaking, she turned to go back to her office.

Xie Mingxuan shouted, "Don't you want to know why you're always in trouble?"

Ji Ying turned to look at him because of his words.

Xie Mingxuan smiled and said, "Actually, I really want to talk to Miss Ji this time. To show my sincerity, you can bring your bodyguard with you. I just want a chance to present my case in person."

His seemingly retreating-in-the-middle stance made Ji Ying curious to see just how shameless he could be.

Ji Ying gave a very faint smile. "Alright, then so be it."

Xue Mingxuan booked a Cantonese teahouse.

The private room has a window.

Jiang Ran checked the area to make sure it was safe before Ji Ying went inside.

Afterwards, Jiang Ran went to check the environment outside the teahouse.

Xie Mingxuan personally poured a cup of aged Pu'er tea for Ji Ying.

“Miss Ji, let’s be frank. Professor Shen Jingxiu is a national treasure-level chip expert. Before the incident 14 years ago, he was in charge of several key national laboratories. The Shen family not only holds a prominent position in academia, but their connections in both the political and business circles are also unfathomable.”

He leaned forward slightly, his voice low but carrying a seductive power.

"The core technology breakthroughs of Liang Yizhi's Fuyaoyuan Association are inseparable from the support of the Shen family in chip and materials science. Countless high-ranking officials and dignitaries in Beijing want to climb the Shen family's line but cannot get a chance. If you are the Shen family's long-lost daughter, then you are of immeasurable status."

Ji Ying smiled at his words.

"So, Mr. Xie is also looking for a daughter for the Shen family?"

"If that's how you see it, then you're right. Think about it carefully. The root of all your current predicaments lies in your lack of status and position, leaving you only able to passively endure the oppression of various forces. But if you were a member of the Shen family..."

Xie Mingxuan's lips curled into a meaningful smile.

"Then everything will be different. You will no longer be an individual who can be treated arbitrarily; the Shen family will stand behind you. At that time, you will have real resources and connections, and you will gain dignity and a voice. Even Liang Yizhi will need to reassess your worth. And the benefits that can be created if we cooperate will far exceed your imagination."

Ji Ying's smile didn't reach her eyes. "Mr. Xie's words are very appealing, but I am not a member of the Shen family."

"Don't speak so quickly. Let's do a DNA test first, then we'll know for sure."

“But even if the test comes back positive, what if I’m not a positive case?” Ji Ying insisted.

Xie Mingxuan's smile faded. "A person who has no value but knows too much will not easily survive."

Ji Ying fell silent, lowered her eyes, and gently stroked the warm teacup with her fingertips, as if weighing her options.

Just then, Xie Mingxuan glanced out the window on one side of the corridor, seemingly unintentionally.

"Hey, isn't that Yizhi?"

Ji Ying followed his gaze and saw that the door to the opposite private room was open, and a waiter was turning to bring in a plate of tea and snacks.

During that brief moment of silence, she clearly saw Liang Yizhi sitting opposite a beautiful and capable young woman.

The woman was radiant as she spoke, and a smile frequently appeared on her face.

Liang Yizhi, who should have kept his distance, appeared more relaxed than usual.

He didn't even refuse when the other person pushed the snack in front of him to his side.

Xie Mingxuan sighed at just the right moment: "That is Chen Ai, the daughter of the Chen family, a prominent Chinese business family in Singapore. Her family controls the largest rare metal mine in Southeast Asia. Yi Zhi really goes to great lengths to ensure the association's supply of raw materials."

Ji Ying watched quietly.

Just as the waiter placed the tea and snacks on the table, Chen Ai stopped eating, stood up with a flushed face, seemingly wanting to leave, but her figure swayed as she did so.

Liang Yizhi immediately got up and went around the dining table to help her.

Just then, Chen Ai's body went limp and she fell towards him.

Liang Yizhi remained calm and reached out to catch her as she stumbled.

He turned to the waiter and gave him a brief instruction. In that short time, Chen Ai had already leaned into his arms.

Liang Yizhi had no choice but to half-support and half-carry Chen Ai out of the private room.

Upon seeing this, Ji Ying quickly turned her face away and lowered her head, as if afraid that he would see her.

But Xie Mingxuan told her, "This is one-way glass; he can't see us."

Watching the two people in the corridor "clump together" as they left the teahouse, Xie Mingxuan smiled and looked at Ji Ying, his tone carrying a worldly-wise sarcasm.

"In the heart of a man like Liang Yizhi, interests always come first. Feelings and loyalty are nothing more than bargaining chips that can be used for exchange at any time."

He paused briefly, then suddenly leaned forward, abruptly changing the subject.

“But the partners are different. I believe in a ‘community of shared interests,’ and during the contract period, my loyalty is the strongest bond.”

He looked into Ji Ying's eyes and threw out his carefully prepared bargaining chip.

"Miss Ji, I'm confident that you are the Shen family's missing daughter from back then. Why don't we get a DNA test done together? If the results are as I predict, the Shen family's resources combined with my connections will surely lead to a perfect collaboration. What do you say?"