Chapter Ten: Scamming Him Out of Two Houses

The headline about the Yan family heir's infidelity was prominently displayed at the top of the list, attracting overwhelming attention that couldn't be suppressed.

The comments section was filled with vulgar language.

As a result, the Yan family's shares also dropped significantly.

"Did you do this?" Su Xiao turned off the screen and looked at Xu An with suspicion.

This vengeful hand is very similar to that person's style.

But given how ugly their falling out was back then, there's no way he'd actually do anything about it...

"You won't blame me for being too harsh, will you...?"

Xu An lowered her head, feeling unusually guilty; she didn't want to lie to Su Xiao.

But the person behind her insisted that she take the blame.

"How could that be?"

Su Xiao, seeing Xu An's pitiful appearance, finally couldn't help but burst into laughter through her tears:

"I'm not brain-damaged from a high fever, how could I possibly get angry with you just because you helped me?"

"Xiaoxiao—" Xu An rubbed against her arm and said sweetly, "You're the best."

She spoke from the bottom of her heart; if Su Xiao hadn't been there for her during those days, she wouldn't have had the courage to stand up.

What's more, she's standing in the spotlight like she is now, fulfilling her dream.

Xu An breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her finally smile. She was really afraid that if things were pushed too hard, Su Xiao would collapse.

Now, one thing after another is piling up on Su Xiao's shoulders.

There was always only so much she and Qin Yu could do to help.

"By the way, Qin Yu was worried about another unexpected event, so he had the studio's operations suspended this afternoon and has been working overtime to transport all the works from the gallery back."

Xu An reached out and touched Su Xiao's forehead: "If your fever breaks tomorrow, you can go to the studio to check on things."

"Okay." Su Xiao's smile suddenly froze on her face.

Her gaze passed over Xu An and finally stopped at the door of the ward.

Yan Mingshen, unusually, bought a bouquet of flowers and walked into the ward wearing her favorite black shirt.

"Xu An, I want to talk to Su Xiao alone."

"Yan Mingshen, you..." Xu An clenched his fists, about to lash out, but Su Xiao stopped him.

"It's alright, An'an." Su Xiao tugged at her clothes to indicate that everything was fine: "Can you wait for me in the hallway for a little while?"

“Alright…” Xu An glanced at Yan Mingshen with concern, then turned to Su Xiao and said, “If he bullies you, just call me. The bodyguards are still waiting outside.”

"Um."

Seeing Su Xiao obediently nod, Xu An sighed and left the house, looking back every few steps.

"Xiaoxiao, ask Xu An to remove the trending topic."

Yan Mingshen handed the flowers to Su Xiao, his words direct and without any preamble.

Su Xiao didn't look at him, but gazed out the window, her voice as soft as a sigh:

"Yan Mingshen, my head hurts so much."

He watched her being swallowed up by the crowd at noon without doing anything, but now he specially rushed to the hospital to ask her to remove the trending topic from the search list for Xia Zhi.

What did he take her for?

"Xia Zhi is in poor health and cannot withstand stimulation."

Seeing that her expression was off, Yan Mingshen couldn't help but frown and placed the flowers on the low cabinet to the side.

"If you remove it from the trending topics, can we call it even?"

"And what about me?"

Su Xiao suddenly turned to look at him, her eyes still slightly moist.

Like a wronged young animal:

Where were you when I was being pelted with eggs?

Xia Zhi's injury wasn't caused by her, so why should she pay for Yan Mingshen's kindness?

I've heard of outsourcing family relationships, but why is he even outsourcing gratitude?

"Su Xiao, this matter will have a significant impact on the Yan family's stock market."

Yan Mingshen lowered his eyes, her figure reflected in his light-colored pupils, carrying a faint sense of contempt.

"Don't be so insensible."

That look in her eyes again.

It seems that the way he looked at her changed ever since the gallery caught fire.

"Yan Mingshen, do you think that without the gallery I am nothing?"

Su Xiao turned her head away, tears silently streaming down her cheeks and onto the back of her hand.

She was afraid to hear the result, yet she couldn't help but end the last bit of illusion she had about Yan Mingshen herself.

She never imagined that she would have such an ugly falling out with Yan Mingshen.

"Xiaoxiao."

Yan Mingshen sighed, reached out to wipe away the tears clinging to the corners of her eyes, and softened his tone as if bestowing a favor:

"You've vented your anger, but Xiaxia has just returned to China and her career hasn't even started yet. What will she do in the future?"

Xia Zhi...it's Xia Zhi again.

He talked about this person all the time, without paying any attention to her.

He could even ignore her questions.

"What about my career?"

Unable to contain herself, Su Xiao picked up the flowers from the low cabinet and threw them hard at Yan Mingshen:

Am I just destined to be her stepping stone?

Yan Mingshen's expression darkened, and he was about to speak when Su Xiao suddenly stopped exerting force.

His shoulders slumped slightly, and the fierceness in his eyes instantly faded into a watery glow.

She lowered her eyelashes, her long lashes trembling like butterflies in the wind, and her voice softened, becoming heavily nasal:

"Ming Shen, I didn't mean to argue with you..."

She slowly raised her hand, revealing her wrist wrapped in gauze.

"This isn't the first time I've injured my hand like this, and I'm not even sure if it will ever fully recover."

Tears streamed down my cheeks and landed on the plaster cast.

"Ming Shen, I have nothing left..."

She sniffed and gently grasped his sleeve.

"...Could you...?"

Before she could finish speaking, she let go, turned her face away, and whispered in a voice barely audible:

"Never mind, forget I said anything. You have feelings for Miss Xia, and I shouldn't make things difficult for you."

Yan Mingshen looked at her reddened eyes.

It felt like something had hit me hard in the heart, and a wave of guilt washed over me.

He really owes her.

"I'll have you put those two villas in the Second Ring Road under your name."

He heard his own voice ring out, with a loosening that he himself didn't even realize:

"As long as you get Xu An to remove the trending topic and stop the reporters from keeping an eye on Xia Zhi."

“Ming Shen…”

Su Xiao's tears fell even harder, but she reached out and gently tugged at his arm.

"I'll message Xu An right now and tell her to remove the trending topic immediately and delete all those messy reports, okay?"

Seeing her so dependent, Yan Mingshen's tense nerves finally relaxed a little.

He reached out and ruffled her hair, his tone softening: "Okay, just be a good girl."

Su Xiao lowered her head, a subtle smile playing on her lips where he couldn't see.

Tears are still falling, but my heart feels as if a snowfall has fallen, cold and clear.

What she wanted was not his guilt, but real compensation.

Use what he owes her to fill the hole under her feet.

No sooner had Yan Mingshen left than Xu An cautiously pushed the door open and came in.

Seeing the gardenias scattered on the ground and Su Xiao's red eyes from crying, Xu An couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.

"I knew it, that bastard Yan Mingshen was definitely up to no good."

She walked around the trash on the ground, went to Su Xiao's side, and gently patted Su Xiao's back.

"Are you alright, Xiaoxiao?"