Chapter 115 I'll Do the Dirty Work.
Yan Tingnan stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her.
The light from the underground parking garage fell on his sharply defined profile, creating a striking contrast between light and shadow.
He suddenly lowered his head and kissed the back of her hand.
The lips felt cool against my skin.
"Ruanruan, you don't need to do anything."
"Stand by my side and be yourself."
"The Lin family's marriage alliance is a dirty and filthy affair."
Su Ruan looked up and grabbed his collar.
"My hands were already dirty."
"I became tainted the moment I approached Lin Xuqiu to try and sabotage your marriage."
"Yan Tingnan, don't always think about shouldering everything alone."
Yan Tingnan suddenly pulled her into his arms, his chin resting on the top of her head, his breathing heavy and labored.
"I was born in the mud and grew up in conspiracies, so it's normal for my hands to be dirty."
“If the old man wants to pay off his debts, that's fine.”
"Take the money, take the power, take half of Qingyan's territory to fill the gap, let him do as he pleases."
"But if you want to use my marriage and my life to pay off the Yan family's mess, I don't mind smashing the chessboard and making it impossible for everyone to play."
"But I don't want you to get involved with the Lin family anymore."
"I'll do the dirty work."
"You used to be a pawn, but now you're my trump card."
Su Ruan's heart clenched suddenly, as if something had gently squeezed it.
This man is always like this.
He can utter the harshest words of anyone, and he can hide his true thoughts more deeply than anyone else.
She may be crazy, but when she says she's protecting her, she really means it.
Yan Tingnan didn't want her to get involved in the mess that was the Lin family's, so she didn't.
In short, just don't cause him any trouble.
“Yan Tingnan, I approached you with a purpose in mind; I wanted to take advantage of your influence.”
"But things are different now."
She took a deep breath, her voice soft but clear.
“Yan Tingnan, I’m standing here not because you chose me, but because I chose you.”
"I choose to face these sordid things with you."
"You can keep me from getting my hands dirty, but I need to know how deep the mud is."
She stood on tiptoe, her nose brushing against his chin, her tone stubborn.
So, promise me.
"Don't hide it from me, don't shield me from everything, don't presume to be doing this for my own good and keep me in the dark."
"What I want is to stand shoulder to shoulder, not to be sheltered."
Yan Tingnan's Adam's apple bobbed as he silently looked at her.
There was a light in her eyes, bright and shining, like stars.
It was the only wildfire that dared to burn in his dark world.
He suddenly lowered his head and kissed her lips.
"good."
He pressed his forehead against hers, his voice hoarse.
"To be honest with you."
"But you must promise me that no matter what you hear or see, you will believe me."
Su Ruan smiled, hooked her fingertips around his tie, and pulled it down.
"make a deal."
...
SoftVoice Studio.
The morning sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting clear beams of light on the ground.
Su Ruan had just returned to her office after a meeting when the receptionist called.
"Mr. Su, a Ms. Lin Xuqiu has come to visit without an appointment, but she said you will definitely see her."
Su Ruan paused, her fingers moving slightly.
What was bound to happen has finally happened.
They came by the smell.
She took a deep breath and calmly spoke into the phone.
"Please let her in."
The office door was pushed open, and Lin Xuqiu walked in with an elegant demeanor, dressed in a simple, modern Chinese-style long dress.
Her gaze swept subtly across the brand-new, bright studio.
Finally, the gaze fell on Su Ruan, and a smile curved at the corners of her lips.
"Miss Su, I apologize for disturbing you."
"Mrs. Lin is too kind. Your presence is an honor to our humble abode."
Su Ruan gestured for her to sit down and personally poured her a glass of warm water and handed it to her.
"The studio is doing well. Their breakthrough exhibition was a resounding success. SoftVoice is gaining momentum."
"These days, you must be overwhelmed with orders, right?"
Lin Xuqiu didn't take the glass of water, but just looked at Su Ruan.
Su Ruan gently placed the water glass on the coffee table in front of her.
"Madam Lin, you flatter me. It's just a small matter."
Lin Xuqiu sat down gracefully, crossing her legs.
"You got everything you wanted?"
She chuckled softly, her meaning ambiguous.
"Fame, fortune, status, and Yan Tingnan."
Su Ruan sat down opposite her, her expression unchanged.
"Thanks to you, things have gotten off to a fairly good start."
"Is it thanks to me, or did they use my connections?"
Lin Xuqiu leaned forward slightly, his fingertips tapping the table.
"Miss Su, you are a smart person."
"The worst thing a smart person can do is to cross the river and then destroy the bridge, forgetting where they started."
Su Ruan met her gaze without flinching or avoiding it.
"I will never forget Ms. Lin's advice."
"oh?"
Lin Xuqiu raised an eyebrow.
"So, when are you going to give me what I want?"
"The engagement banquet for the Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner."
She paused, lowering her voice, which carried a seductive yet dangerous undertone.
"I heard that you went to the southwest with Yan Tingnan some time ago?"
Did you have a good time?
Su Ruan paused slightly, her smile remaining unchanged, but her heart suddenly turned cold.
She found out, just as she suspected.
The trip to the southwest seemed secretive, but it ultimately did not escape Lin Xuqiu's notice.
These words, though seemingly casual, were actually a sharp reminder to her.
"Madam Lin is well-informed."
"I wouldn't call myself well-informed."
Lin Xuqiu's tone became indifferent.
"I just don't want the knife I chose to end up cutting myself."
"It seems you've really won him over."
Lin Xuqiu chuckled lightly, but there was no warmth in his eyes.
"Miss Su, you are more capable than I thought."
"You dealt with Yan Tingnan much faster than I expected."
"The Mid-Autumn Festival hasn't even arrived yet, but you've already exceeded your expectations."
"Since the die is cast, that's fine too."
"I want you to show up at the engagement party and do something."
"Whether it's a forced marriage or making the relationship public, the more sensational the better."
Lin Xuqiu wanted this marriage to become a complete joke.
The Yan family and the old man were both brought down hard, covered in mud.
Su Ruan's heart skipped a beat; she knew she couldn't fool them.
Lin Xuqiu's move was ruthless.
He forced her to betray him on the spot at the engagement banquet, putting Yan Tingnan in a very difficult position.
Lin Xuqiu is shrewd, perceptive, and possesses ample resources and an information network.
She came today not to seek confirmation, but to confront him, to issue an ultimatum.
She must have some evidence on her hands.
“There are many ways to break up a marriage alliance.”
Su Ruan spoke slowly, her gaze unwavering.
"Mrs. Lin, isn't it a bit too extreme for you to ask me to cause a scene at the engagement banquet?"
Lin Xuqiu suddenly smiled, his eyes revealing a colder edge.
“Miss Su, you took the initiative to approach me back then, saying that you wanted to join forces to ruin the marriage.”
“I gave you a way to get close to Yan Tingnan and cleared away the obstacles in the early stages for you.”
"Now that you're having an affair with Yan Tingnan, do you think you can back out?"
"Do you feel you can rely on him to live a stable life?"
Su Ruan remained expressionless.
"Mrs. Lin is overthinking it."
"I will not go back on my promises."
"I hope so."
Lin Xuqiu chuckled softly.
“Miss Su, you are a smart person, but also a gambler.”
“Back then, you had nothing, yet you dared to come to me, risking everything for a chance to turn your life around.”
"You won. You won everything you have now."
"But the game isn't over yet. You're at the table, you've got the chips, and you want to back out halfway through?"
She slowly shook her head, her voice carrying a warning.
"There's no such thing as a free lunch. The greater the benefit, the harsher the backlash."
"You should understand this principle."
"If you desert your post and refuse to show yourself..."
Lin Xuqiu smiled slightly, but his smile was chilling.
"I will end this arranged marriage in my own way."
"As for whether Yan Tingnan can protect you then, and whether SoftVoice will be implicated..."
She shrugged.
"I can't guarantee that."
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