Chapter 42 Did it happen right under her nose?

Su Ruan's breathing became heavy, and the burning and oppressive feeling from her palms made her heart skip a beat.

Huo Siyue was completely unaware of the tense undercurrent between the two.

"Could you give me and Su Ruan a ride back to our guesthouse later on your way?"

Yan Tingnan turned his head and calmly glanced at Huo Siyue.

"Jing Huai has arranged a car to take you back."

His voice sounded completely normal, even a bit colder than usual.

They said they were handling things strictly by business, but they didn't loosen their grip at all.

"And what about you?"

Huo Siyue subconsciously pressed for an answer.

"Back to the company."

"Something's up."

As he spoke, the hand that was holding hers rubbed the pad of his thumb against her soft palm.

The dry, thin callus brought a slight tingling sensation.

Su Ruan curled her fingers, trying to pull them away again, but he held them even tighter.

The burning heat from her palm and the controlling, kneading motion made half of her body go numb.

Su Ruan's face flushed instantly, like a ripe berry.

The elevator dinged, indicating that it had arrived at the basement level.

The door slowly opened.

Yan Tingnan remained expressionless and released his hand very naturally.

He stepped out first, his back straight and his steps composed.

Su Ruan's palm still held his warmth and the crushing sensation, feeling empty yet tingly.

That scoundrel, he's got a really high level of skill.

He even flirted with her, making her flustered, while he acted like nothing had happened!

She clenched her fists and took a deep breath.

"Come on, Ruan Ruan, what are you standing there for?"

Huo Siyue tugged at her listlessly.

Su Ruan then came to her senses, lowered her head, and quickly followed him out.

The cold air hit my face, but it did nothing to extinguish the fire on my face.

Huo Siyue lagged half a step behind, her gaze inadvertently sweeping over Su Ruan in front of her, before suddenly stopping.

Huh?

Su Ruan's cheeks flushed, the blush spreading all the way to her ears and neck, her eyes were watery, and her lips were an unnaturally bright red.

Looking further ahead, she saw her brother, Yan Tingnan…

Huo Siyue's eyes widened suddenly!

His earlobes were also flushed!

Under the cold white lights of the parking lot, it looked like white jade tinged with rouge.

Holy crap?! What's going on?!

It only took a few seconds in the elevator!

Why are you blushing so much? Did you do it right under her nose?

No way! Her eyes were open the whole time!

Could it be telepathic communication?

EEG DOI?

hiss--

So high-end?!

The car arranged by Jinghuai was already waiting nearby.

Yan Tingnan opened the car door, not looking at Su Ruan again, but only giving instructions to Jing Huai in a low voice.

"Take them back to rest."

"Yes, Mr. Yan."

Jing Huai responded.

He then nodded slightly to Jing Huai and walked towards another black car that was already waiting without looking back.

...

The car came to a stop in front of Guiqi Homestay.

Huo Siyue looked as wilted as a frostbitten cabbage, clutching her stomach and groaning as she got out of the car.

"I can't take it anymore, I need to go back to lie down like a corpse..."

"I'm leaving now."

Su Ruan nodded.

"You should rest well, and we'll set off again this afternoon."

Huo Siyue waved to her and walked away unsteadily.

Su Ruan pinched the bridge of her nose, then turned and went back to her room to catch up on sleep.

They hadn't gone far when a voice filled with suppressed malice suddenly rang out.

"Su Ruan!"

Su Ruan paused, frowned, and turned back.

Just as I was about to take a breath of fresh air in the shadows, my wrist was suddenly gripped tightly!

Yan Yunye stood in the shadow of the corridor pillar, like a trapped beast that had been lying in wait all night.

He strode over, still reeking of alcohol and the gloom of the previous night, and grabbed her wrist without a word!

"Let go!"

Su Ruan's face turned cold, and she pulled back forcefully.

"Come with me!"

Yan Yunye ignored him, his voice hoarse.

He pulled her towards the dense palm grove deep in the courtyard, a secluded and deserted place.

"Yan Yunye! What's wrong with you?!"

Su Ruan was dragged a few steps by him, her stomach aching from the pulling, and her anger flared up.

"Am I going crazy?"

He chuckled softly, his eyes burning with resentment and anger.

He pinched her chin with his fingers, forcing her to look up and meet his gaze.

"Su Ruan, you've got incredible abilities!"

His voice was even lower, each word laced with gritted teeth and hatred.

"Dressed up in fancy clothes, eagerly inviting my adoptive father to dinner, and even rushing to give him gifts?"

"Su Ruan, how come I never noticed before? Your methods of seducing people are quite sophisticated, aren't they?"

Su Ruan stopped struggling and sneered inwardly.

Wen Wanwan, it's her again.

She scoffed and met his angry gaze head-on without flinching.

"Oh, Young Master Yan, what a drunken tantrum."

"Was it Miss Wen's thoughtful little report that punctured that pitiful self-esteem?"

As she spoke, Su Ruan abruptly slapped away his gripping hand.

"What I, Su Ruan, like to wear, who I invite to dinner, and what gifts I give are none of your business!"

"An ex I kicked into the trash heap, who gave you the nerve to point fingers here?"

“Yan Yunye, have some sense of boundaries. This is no longer your business.”

Yan Yunye's face was gloomy, and his eyes were bloodshot and menacing.

"What, you dare to do it but not admit it?"

Su Ruan scoffed and, mimicking his tone, retorted word by word.

"What, now that your adoptive father is giving me the time of day, you can't suppress that filthy, shameful thought in your heart?"

Yan Yunye froze, staring into her clear eyes.

There was no panic he had expected, only cold disgust and mockery.

Her gaze pierced his heart with excruciating pain.

“Su Ruan, ever since that night in Nebula, you’ve become someone I don’t even recognize.”

"She disappeared, blocked me, then turned around and crawled right under my dad's nose, and now she's going to great lengths to get close to him again."

He took a step closer, his eyes bloodshot, carrying a condescending, judgmental air.

"That Mr. Li from Nebula that night, that old man in his forties, made you so happy that you even dared to hang up on me?"

"What's wrong? He can't satisfy your appetite anymore?"

"You've already set your sights on an even bigger prey, eager to curry favor with my adoptive father?"

"Su Ruan, what wouldn't you do to climb the ladder?"

Su Ruan was stunned when Yan Yunye threw down the phrase "President Li".

Mr. Li?

A man in his forties?

So this is how Yan Tingnan dismissed him?

She almost burst out laughing.

A mocking laugh escaped from his nose.

"Useless, they can't even find the right clues."

"Browsing wildly at a baseless accusation of Chairman Li, what does it prove besides your incompetent rage?"

She couldn't even be bothered to explain.

Her words ignited Yan Yunye's anger, and his forced arrogance cracked.

A surge of anger, a mixture of resentment and betrayal, rushed to his head.

The pent-up emotions of the past two weeks finally burst forth.

"What? You think that by getting close to your adoptive father, you can completely trample me under your feet and prove your worth?"

"Or do you think that by getting into my adoptive father's bed, you can rise to the top and completely wash away the stain of being my lapdog?"

He sneered, his eyes filled with contempt.

Who is my adoptive father?

"Does he even have a place for someone as scheming and manipulative as you?"

"How many women like you have I seen in my life, so eager to climb the social ladder?"

"In his eyes, all your tricks are nothing but a low-class joke!"

"Su Ruan, you are not worthy of the Yan family's reputation in this lifetime."

"Yan Tingnan?"

"Oh."

"Does he even want someone like you, someone who's already chewed up and spat out?"