The city, shrouded in night, seems to hold countless secrets.

But in this peaceful night, an undercurrent was surging within the Xiao family mansion.

The incident at the hospital was like a huge stone thrown into a calm lake, creating enormous waves, but all of this was quietly suppressed.

That night, Xiao Yiqing did not see the men she had sent to capture Han Shuzhen, but instead unexpectedly encountered Song Shaojie.

Her heart started racing involuntarily, and a strange excitement welled up inside her.

She dressed up carefully, like a blooming flower, beautiful and charming.

In the backyard, Xiao Yiqing and Song Shaojie confronted each other under the moonlight.

He was no longer the carefree, jovial boy he once was; his eyes were now filled with seriousness and depth. He cut to the chase, asking, "What happened at the hospital today, was it your Xiao family's doing?"

Xiao Yiqing's heart tightened. How did Song Shaojie know about this?

She looked at him questioningly, trying to find the answer in his expression. She asked calmly, "My plan failed?"

A flash of anger crossed Song Shaojie's eyes. "You're really vicious. She's your sister after all. How could you do that?"

"Ruthless?" Xiao Yiqing was even more confused.

She had only sent men to capture Han Shuzhen alive, with no intention of killing her. She looked at Song Shaojie with suspicion, wanting to find out the truth.

"Is Han Shuzhen in danger?"

Song Shaojie took a deep breath and said firmly, "With me here, she will be fine. I'm here today to annul the engagement."

"Break off the engagement?" Xiao Yiqing looked at him in astonishment. "You're criticizing me one minute and then you want to break off the engagement the next? What do you mean by this?"

"In short, I will not marry you." Song Shaojie's attitude was unusually firm.

A surge of anger welled up in Xiao Yiqing's heart, but she tried her best to remain calm: "Your engagement with the Xiao family is a major matter concerning both our families. If you want to break off the engagement, don't even think about it. Unless both of our mothers agree, you can forget about breaking off the engagement."

Both mothers?

Xiao Yiqing's mother had already passed away.

Asking her to agree would be blatant bullying.

Song Shaojie was silent for a moment, then said, "What do you want in return for letting Han Shuzhen go?"

Xiao Yiqing's eyes immediately sharpened. "You actually care about her that much? Do you like her?"

He knew that the woman in front of him was ruthless and capable of anything. If she knew that the person she truly loved was Liu Xiaolan, she would definitely try every means to deal with her.

After thinking for a while, he decided to listen to Shi Zhan's advice.

He then forced a smile, a relaxed expression on his face, and chuckled several times before turning to look at her with his rear end. "You saw right through me. Yes, I love Shuzhen. My marriage to your Xiao family is solely for her. So, if you dare to do anything to her, I won't let you get away with it!"

Good heavens, what am I saying?

Heavens above, earth below, save me!

You, Shi Zhan, what kind of terrible idea is this? If you can't cancel the engagement with the Xiao family in the end, I'll kill myself...

Song Shaojie inwardly mocked his own words, but his expression remained unusually firm!

Completely oblivious to Xiao Shuzhen's already gloomy face, she angrily said, "You, Song Shaojie, I've liked you since I was a child, and you're so tactless as to insult me? Do you think I'm someone to be trifled with?"

Song Shaojie did not expect Xiao Yiqing to misunderstand that he liked Han Shuzhen, but this also achieved his goal.

He can use this misunderstanding to protect Han Shuzhen.

He took a deep breath and said, "So, don't even think about doing anything to her!"

Xiao Yiqing's face instantly darkened. "What's so good about her? Why do you care so much about her? Why have you tried to save her from danger time and time again!"

Song Shaojie did not answer, but gave her a deep look before turning and leaving.

He knew that reasoning with this woman was pointless.

He could only protect Han Shuzhen by following Shi Zhan's advice.

Song Shaojie's words, like a seed, took root and sprouted in Xiao Yiqing's heart.

Her mind began to twist more, and she began to doubt whether she was truly inferior to her sister. The more she thought about it, the more she hated, and the more she hated, the more she wanted to capture Han Shuzhen and take her back.

And all of this was just the beginning... Song Shaojie's eyes gleamed with shrewdness, like an old fox laying a trap.

His goal was clear: to break off the engagement.

He stared at Xiao Yiqing as if examining a piece of junk. "Remember this: I do love Shuzhen, and I only recognize her in the Xiao family's arranged marriage. If you dare lay a hand on her, I will make you pay the price!"

However, as soon as he finished speaking, his heart was filled with panic.

He didn't notice at all that Xiao Shuzhen's face had darkened like the sky before a storm.

Her anger erupted like a volcano, uncontrollable. "Song Shaojie, you bastard! I've liked you since I was a child, and this is how you treat me? Who do you think you are? Do you think you can insult me ​​like this?"

A cold glint flashed in Song Shaojie's eyes as he spoke coldly, "Shuzhen's identity will be revealed to the public tomorrow. She is the eldest daughter of the Xiao family. You had better not make any rash moves. Otherwise, you will bear the consequences!" His words were full of warning and threat.

At this moment, Xiao Ran, who was not far away, heard it clearly, and his face was terribly gloomy. He originally intended to go forward and question him, but in the end, he chose to turn around and leave.

He knew he needed to calm down and discuss countermeasures with Master Qingfeng.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!