Chapter Seven: Please, have pity on me.
She recognized this person; she had seen him at the Su family's house yesterday. He was probably one of her uncles or elder brothers.
"This place—"
He rushed over, still panting, and quickly pushed the group out of the cordon:
"This place is now under the control of the Su family. No one can enter without the old lady's permission."
Su Hong stood with his hands on his hips, chin held high, his eyes revealing the same calculating look as Old Madam Su.
"Really? When did my father's art gallery become part of the Su family?"
Su Xiao was almost laughing in exasperation at him.
When calculating the losses, they were all like quails, but now they've jumped out.
"Hey, how can you talk like that?" Su Hong was taken aback, his face turning red. "A married daughter is like water spilled from a bowl. You're no longer a member of the Su family."
"Who cares?" Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was barbed.
"Get out of the way."
Qin Yu stepped forward, shielding Su Xiao behind him.
He was tall, and his hands, which he used to hold a pen for years, had distinct knuckles, but now they were clenched into fists.
"Who do you think you are—" Su Hong said disdainfully, but was interrupted by Su Xiao beside him.
"If you stop me, I'll call the police right now."
She took her phone out of her pocket.
Su Hong's face turned pale instantly; he hadn't expected Su Xiao to actually dare to make such a big deal out of it.
How could he dare to actually call the police? Over the years, the Su family had reaped considerable benefits thanks to Su Zhen's connections.
If they really alarm the higher-ups, not only will the old lady not let him off the hook, but those people could also trample down the threshold of the Su family.
But he clearly heard from the old lady that Su Xiao was in debt and her bank cards were frozen.
He was relieved and started thinking about how much of the profits he could get.
Unexpectedly, Su Xiao is not someone to be trifled with, just like her cheap father, she's incredibly stubborn.
Su Xiao ignored him, and seeing this, none of the bodyguards dared to make a move, so they let the group enter the gallery.
The first floor was the most severely damaged, but fortunately there wasn't much of value in it; most of the items were my father's casual sketches.
"Senior sister, over here." Qin Yu's voice came from the front.
He found several charred small boxes in a corner of the collapsed storage room.
It feels like it's made of fire-resistant material, but the painting inside has most likely been discolored by the heat.
"The damage doesn't look too bad, but the restored version will still differ from the original."
"Let's leave it in the car for now, and open it when we get to the studio. We don't want to cause any further damage."
Su Xiao squatted down to help.
The group worked until after 10 p.m.
After saying goodbye to Qin Yu, Su Xiao took a taxi home.
The lights on the first floor were on, but there was no one in the living room.
Su Xiao looked at the shoes she had taken off on the shoe cabinet with a puzzled expression, then tiptoed toward the guest bedroom.
The sound of arguing was coming from the guest room.
But as the argument went on, it took a turn for the worse.
Su Xiao stood rooted to the spot, her fingers gripping the car keys tightly.
Warm yellow light shone through the crack in the guest bedroom door.
Xia Zhi's voice broke out, trembling with sobs, mingling with the rustling of fabric against fabric:
"What are you so afraid of? Five years ago you could pin me down on the bed and kiss me, what are you pretending to be now?"
The door was suddenly hit again, making a dull thud.
Su Xiao's breath caught in her throat; the voice was so close, it felt like it was right next to her ear.
"Xia Zhi".
Yan Mingshen's voice came through the door, a few decimal places lower and hoarse than usual, revealing no emotion:
"Stop fooling around."
"Me, making a scene?"
Xia Zhi raised her voice, filled with grievance and resentment:
"Put your hand on your heart and tell me, in these past five years, you haven't thought about me at all?"
"But you're all over Su Xiao, asking her how she is doing. Did you sleep with her?"
Su Xiao's nails dug sharply into her palm, causing her to gasp in pain.
It turns out that in Xia Zhi's eyes, she and Yan Mingshen had this kind of relationship.
She recalled those three nights when they slept in separate rooms, and felt as if a wad of cotton was stuck in her throat.
"No."
Yan Mingshen's voice turned cold, carrying an undeniable resolve:
"The relationship between her and me isn't what you think."
"What kind is it?"
Xia Zhi persisted relentlessly:
"Yan Mingshen, what if Su Xiao knew about the shameful things the Yan family had done..."
"Enough!"
Yan Mingshen's voice suddenly turned stern, followed by a dull thud as something heavy fell to the ground.
It looked like a desk lamp had been swept onto the floor.
Su Xiao's heart was pounding, and the car keys were digging painfully into her palm.
She looked down at the ring mark on her finger, her feet feeling like lead.
The Yan family…
What exactly did the Yan family do that they needed to keep from someone like her who has no background?
It looked like someone had been pushed against the door.
Xia Zhi's voice softened, carrying a deliberate flirtatious tone.
Like a feather brushing against the tip of my heart:
"I did all this for you, Ming Shen, please don't let me down."
The sound of fabric rubbing together became clearer, mixed with Xia Zhi's suppressed breathing.
Su Xiao closed her eyes, but the scene from that morning uncontrollably appeared before her.
Xia Zhi's hand gently caressed the curves of her body, her warm breath whispering in her ear.
Are they like that too...?
"Don't do that."
Yan Mingshen's voice was tinged with resistance, but it was softer and lower than before.
Xia Zhi felt wronged yet also filled with desire:
"Ming Shen...please have pity on me, I'm begging you."
The door was hit again, this time with even more force.
Su Xiao could even feel the vibrations coming from the wall.
The guest room suddenly fell silent, with only the heavy breathing of the two people remaining.
Su Xiao's hand, gripping the key, trembled, and fine beads of cold sweat seeped through her fingers.
Xia Zhi's voice changed to a gentle and charming tone.
What the two were doing was self-evident.
The sound of fabric rubbing together rang out again, accompanied by Xia Zhi's increasingly close breathing:
“Ming Shen…”
Su Xiao's heart almost stopped beating; she bit her lower lip hard.
Like a puppet nailed to the spot.
Filthy sounds came from the guest room.
The door panel swayed slightly again, carrying a sticky, ambiguous feeling.
Xia Zhi's voice was as soft as water:
"Ming Shen...just like before..."
Yan Mingshen's voice was terribly hoarse, filled with heavy breathing:
"Xiaxia".
Suddenly, hurried footsteps came from the guest room, followed by a muffled thud as the door was slammed shut.
Su Xiao felt a wave of nausea wash over her. She couldn't listen anymore and turned to leave.
Just then, the door was suddenly pushed open from the inside, and Su Xiao was caught off guard and almost bumped into it.
Yan Mingshen stood inside the door, his shirt collar slightly disheveled, his hair slightly damp, and his forehead damp with sweat.
His eyes were cold, and he was clearly stunned when he saw Su Xiao, followed by a flash of panic.
"Xiaoxiao..."
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