Chapter Twenty: There's nothing to say to you.
"Team Leader Su."
Xu Lin's voice tinged with alcohol, but his eyes held a calculating glint: "You're here so early."
"Minister Xu."
Su Xiao forced a smile, gave a perfunctory greeting, and then tried to sidestep him.
"Don't rush off."
Xu Lin stepped forward, deliberately blocking her view, and lowered his voice to say:
"Isn't Miss Su working so hard just to use the Tang family to get close to our Xu family?"
Su Xiao frowned. From her current position, retreating any further would put her in a dead end.
He could only force a smile and continue to deal with Xu Lin:
"Minister Xu is joking. I'm just here for the banquet."
"Yeah?"
Xu Lin leaned slightly closer to her.
"But I heard that President Yan brought someone else as his female companion today?"
He was half a head taller than Su Xiao, and the smell of alcohol mixed with men's cologne pressed down on him.
"That's true. A woman who can't even keep her husband does need to find something else to rely on."
Su Xiao's face turned cold as she looked up to meet the other person's determined gaze.
"Please show some respect."
"respect?"
Xu Lin chuckled and reached out to pinch her chin:
"A discarded son of the Yan family, that's all."
"open!"
Su Xiao's back slammed against the cold wall, leaving her with nowhere to retreat.
Xu Lin pressed close to her, closing in step by step:
"Have a meal with me, and we'll call it even today. Otherwise, you'll probably have a hard time at the Xu family."
"I told you to let go!"
Su Xiao suddenly shoved Xu Lin's hand away and slapped him across the face.
At Xu Lin's age, he's just a minister in the Xu family business.
She even dared to hit Old Madam Su, so what wouldn't a member of a collateral branch of the Xu family dare to do?
Xu Lin was humiliated, and the smile on his face instantly turned sinister.
He took a step closer, his tall figure almost completely enveloping Su Xiao.
The tone was threatening:
"Su Xiao, don't push your luck. You don't still think you're the glamorous eldest daughter of the Su family, do you?"
He reached out and grabbed Su Xiao's shoulder, his five fingers gripping her tightly like iron clamps.
It instantly shortened the distance between the two:
"If you know what's good for you, you'd better come with me sooner rather than later."
His other hand began to wander restlessly toward Su Xiao's waist.
Su Xiao felt nauseous and stomped hard on his leather shoes.
Xu Lin winced in pain and loosened his grip, allowing Su Xiao to break free and raise her leg to kick the man in the groin.
But before her foot could land, she was stopped by a cold voice:
"stop!"
Yan Mingshen appeared there at some unknown time, his face so gloomy it could drip water.
Xia Zhi, who was following behind him, was wearing a pink dress, but it wasn't the style she usually wore.
She wore a timid expression and clung tightly to Yan Mingshen's sleeve.
Xu Lin's arrogance vanished instantly upon seeing Yan Mingshen.
He awkwardly withdrew his hand and chuckled sheepishly.
"President Yan, it's been a long time."
Yan Mingshen ignored him and walked straight to Su Xiao's side.
His gaze fell on her reddened wrist, and his brows furrowed even more deeply.
What did he do to you?
Su Xiao looked at him, then at Xia Zhi behind him.
The faint flame that had ignited in my heart because of his timely appearance was instantly extinguished by cold water.
She shook off Yan Mingshen's hand, her voice icy:
"It's none of your business."
Seeing this, Xu Lin wisely left.
Xia Zhi then stepped forward and gently advised:
"Miss Su, please don't be angry. Minister Xu just drank too much; he didn't do it on purpose."
She held Yan Mingshen's arm, and every word she spoke was for the sake of the Yan family.
"The Yan family is currently negotiating a project with the Tang family. If things escalate, it might affect the cooperation..."
"Will it affect cooperation?"
Su Xiao sneered and looked at Yan Mingshen.
"So you mean I should just put up with it?"
Yan Mingshen's expression was rather unpleasant, and he tugged at Su Xiao's arm.
It was rare for him to coax her like this:
"This is not the place to talk. Let's go back and discuss this."
"Yan Mingshen, I have nothing to say to you."
Su Xiao shook off his hand.
Looking at the man before her, she felt a chill creep up her spine.
It turns out that in his eyes, her grievances and dignity were far less important than the so-called cooperation.
Yan Ming knew she was feeling wronged.
But cooperation is the most important thing now.
At worst, he can go back and put in some effort to coax her.
As for Xu Lin…
He certainly wouldn't let him go.
"Miss Su, please don't blame Ming Shen."
Xia Zhi's eyes were red and she looked pitiful.
"We can resolve this privately with Minister Xu. Let's not let this small matter..."
"A small matter?"
Su Xiao interrupted her.
Looking at Xia Zhi's innocent face, I just felt it was absurd.
"It's easy for you to talk when you haven't experienced it yourself."
Yan Mingshen frowned, his tone turning serious:
"Su Xiao, stop making a scene. Xia Zhi is doing this for the Yan family."
“Yan Mingshen…”
She wanted to say, "Let's get a divorce," but she swallowed the words back down her throat.
It's okay, a few more days won't make a difference, she has plenty of patience.
She took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in her heart.
He twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a meaningful smile:
"Okay, I won't make a fuss anymore."
After saying that, she turned and left, not wanting to look at them again.
On the terrace not far away, Xu Bozhou held a wine glass, taking in all of this.
Chen Huai followed his gaze and asked in a low voice, "Master, should we send someone..."
"No need."
Xu Bozhou interrupted him.
He watched Su Xiao's straight back as she left, feeling a tightness in his chest.
They've been bullied like this, yet they still think about protecting Yan Mingshen's laughable interests.
Just how much does she like Yan Mingshen?
Xu Bozhou drank the wine in his glass in one gulp.
The icy liquid slid down his throat, but it couldn't suppress the rising heat.
He snorted coldly, a barely perceptible hint of anger flashing in his narrowed fox-like eyes:
"Love-obsessed" people need treatment.
The music in the banquet hall continued, and the crystal chandeliers shone brightly.
But Su Xiao felt a chill run through her body.
She stepped onto the terrace, where the cool evening breeze brushed against her face, slightly alleviating the feeling of suffocation.
Looking at the myriad lights in the distance, she suddenly felt very tired.
She doesn't know how much longer she can endure this charade called marriage.
"Miss Su?"
A clear voice rang out from behind her. Su Xiao turned around and saw that it was Tang Yi.
She pursed her lips and politely raised her glass.
She and Tang Yi didn't have much interaction, except for a brief meeting at her father's funeral.
We barely spoke.
He was dressed in a well-fitting white suit, with a gentle smile on his face, and a glass of wine in his hand.
"Mr. Tang."
"Why are you hiding here having such a peaceful time?"
Tang Yi took a few steps closer and leaned against the white jade railing beside her.
Unlike Yan Mingshen, Tang's family had been involved in politics for generations, and his gentleness was innate.
"Mr. Tang, please stop teasing me."
Su Xiao sighed. If she didn't keep her distance, she'd be devoured alive.
Grandpa was just talking about you.
Tang Yi knew that it wasn't easy for her to be alone now, so he offered to help.
"I haven't seen you in a long time, so I was wondering if you wanted to come over and sit for a while?"
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