Tan Yuchen chuckled casually, but his eyes were devoid of warmth.

"Why would I want you to die? You're not some kind of serial killer. I just like an eye for an eye."

"Speaking of which, I should thank you. It's thanks to you for providing me with such a good title, otherwise I really wouldn't have been able to make up my mind to take over the Shen family's business, after all, he has a good relationship with the Tan family."

Meng Jiuyi looked at him in disbelief, almost doubting that she had misheard.

"I prefer killing the strong to painstakingly winning them over. Once the top position is taken, who can sit on it? If the Shen family knew that your deal had brought them utter ruin, they would still come to thank you with banners even if they were in jail working on their sewing machines."

Amidst the swirling smoke, the man's deep eyes slowly focused before her, revealing no trace of light.

Meng Jiuyi was so shocked that he kept backing away, as if he had never met this person before.

Overwhelmed by a storm of emotions, her face turned pale, and she could only manage a weak laugh.

"Young Master is so cunning."

What can she say about someone who can turn the tide with a clever scheme? She lost completely and accepted her defeat wholeheartedly.

She lost her arrogance, knowing she was inferior in skill, and her arrogance vanished instantly. She didn't even bother to argue, simply waiting for the drug to take effect so she could humiliate him.

Although her slender back was upright, her neck drooped slightly. The misty blue light fell on her porcelain-white skin, making her look as fragile as a swan that had stretched out its neck to kill itself.

Tan Yuchen coldly withdrew his gaze, the wine leaving an lingering spiciness and burning sensation on his tongue, carrying a continuous stream of malevolence that surged through his limbs and bones.

He took a few steps to her, and a shadow fell upon her. Meng Jiuyi subconsciously stepped back, but was immediately grabbed by the back of her neck and pulled back.

She was forced into the man's arms, her chin already lifted up by him.

"Meng Jiuyi, I haven't treated you badly, have I?"

Since they met, he had never called her that; he usually called her "cousin," his teasing and flirtatious tone like sugar-coated words, digging a pit for her to jump into.

This was the first time the man had called her by her full name. His cold gaze and tone seemed to have erected an unfathomable chasm, filled with icy coldness.

"Of course the Third Young Master treats me very well."

Knowing that his death was imminent, Meng Jiuyi calmed down and smiled at Ye.

"But I'm not kneeling to express my gratitude anymore, am I?"

Tan Yuchen asked, "It sounds like you have some resentment towards me?"

"Shouldn't that be?"

Meng Jiuyi laughed out loud, "You cut off my lifeline and threatened me to work for you. I can blame myself for being outmaneuvered and less skilled, but I am not your tool, Tan Yuchen, nor have I sold myself to you. You promised to treat me as a business partner in the hospital, and then sent your friend to humiliate me at will. Promises are nothing but empty words to you!"

She poured out all her grievances at once, her face flushed and her eyes burning.

Tan Yuchen stared at her intently, focusing on a few key words in her speech.

"Xie Youze came to see you? He said I sent him?"

Meng Jiuyi turned her face away and did not answer.

His chin was forcibly pulled back, and Tan Yuchen's face was shrouded in shadow, but his eyebrows were filled with a sharp look.

"In all these days, have you come to me to verify anything, or even once, and yet you judge me to be a traitor without even asking?"

Does it matter whether you ask or not?

Meng Jiuyi choked back tears and asked, "Why would I need to humiliate myself? You used me as bait to kill Tan Jing, so what if you handed me over to your friend? Shouldn't I thank you for such a great favor and for giving someone of my lowly status a good home?"

"Who are you trying to fool with this hypocritical act? Tan Yuchen, you can use me, so why can't I betray you for my own selfish reasons? We're even. I admit defeat in this situation. I can only blame myself for not being capable enough or having enough power!"

As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes and fell onto his palm.

The oppressive, suffocating feeling was choking her. Meng Jiuyi couldn't see the man's face, but she felt like her chin was about to be crushed by him.

"If you have any anger or dissatisfaction about Tan Jing, you can vent it on me, but you chose to team up with outsiders to set me up. This time you drugged me, what will you do next? Hire someone to kill me?!"

Meng Jiuyi bit her lip, unable to speak.

"You can't remember a single good thing I did for you, but you remember every bad thing I did clearly and vividly. You wish you could find a chance to kill me. Meng Jiuyi, I thought you didn't know how to be grateful?"

He stroked her chin and chuckled, "But don't you understand perfectly well? When Tan Ni helps you, you go out of your way to serve her; when Xu Yanzhi saves you, you're all tender and affectionate. Your double standards are pretty obvious!"

"That's because they are good people, of excellent character, and respect me enough!"

Meng Jiuyi hissed, "And you? What are you? You just treat me like a plaything, something you can summon and dismiss at will. What have you done to help me? I wanted to use Feng Lan's weakness to stop her from marrying me off to Chen Xiaoran, but you destroyed those photos. I accidentally made Tan Ni have an attack, and you kept threatening me! What have you done for me!"

She was forced to look up at him, her half-length hair cascading down, gleaming warmly under the lamplight.

Those moist eyes held only hatred for him.

The smile was fake, the tacit understanding was fake; she had shed her usual docile facade and revealed her fangs.

Tan Yuchen stared at her with his jaw clenched for a long time, as if everything boiling in his eyes had suddenly cooled down, burying all the budding, carefully nurtured feelings of excitement, so that they would never see the light of day.

He smiled.

"Transaction complete."

Meng Jiuyi was stunned.

Tan Yuchen wiped away her tears, but his eyes were so cold.

“I used to think the farmer and the snake was just a story, but I never thought it would happen to me. Since you feel so wronged in front of me, then let’s end it here.”

Meng Jiuyi had long wanted to hear these words, but now that she actually heard them, it was as if a sense of emptiness pierced through her entire body.

It leaves behind an indescribable sense of bewilderment.

Tan Yuchen released her from his grasp and didn't look at her again.

He glanced down at the two glasses of wine on the table and said with a smirk, "Just two glasses of wine, what do you think I put in them?"

After he finished speaking, he walked towards the door, and the oppressive and sinister aura emanating from him was almost too much for people to bear looking at.

A voice suddenly called out to him from behind.

It was very light, but it still made him stand still.

Meng Jiuyi took a box out of his bag, lowered his eyes, and handed it over.

"This is the 30 million you gave me and that brooch. I'm too embarrassed to count the money for those small things. Now I'm returning them to their rightful owners."

She didn't know much about haute couture collectibles, but she could tell from this brooch that it was quite valuable.

Perhaps when Meng Jiuyi fled from the airport, he knew he couldn't escape, so he wanted to return, even if it meant dying with a clear conscience.

Tan Yuchen glanced down at her; if she looked up, she would surely see the fierce look in the man's eyes.

He took the box without saying a word, casually tossed it aside, and made a loud rolling sound.

Whether it's worth 30 million or a museum collection, it'll just be trash in a janitor's broom in the future.