Sunlight streamed through the blinds after the snow, casting long, thin streaks of light on the floor of the student council office.
Yu Jiuyuan sat on the president's exclusive leather sofa, twirling a fountain pen between her fingers, watching Lin Yanran storm in, slamming the door shut.
His face was whiter than the snow outside, and he clutched an empty file folder tightly in his hand, his knuckles so white they looked like they were about to break.
"It's been sent?" Yu Jiuyuan's voice carried a hint of nonchalant amusement, as if she were asking about a trivial matter.
"Are you satisfied now?" Lin Yanran slammed the file folder onto the table with a dull thud.
"My cousin from the Su family saw the information and immediately overturned the table, saying that the Lin family would pay the price! My dad just called and scolded me, saying that I was siding with outsiders!"
His anger was like gasoline that had been ignited, burning fiercely, yet it couldn't burn Yu Jiuyuan even a little bit.
She even leisurely picked up a piece of chocolate from the table, unwrapped it, and handed it to him: "Calm down, Director Lin. Getting angry will cause wrinkles, which is not in line with your status as a young master."
Lin Yanran stared at the exquisitely packaged chocolate, her cheeks burning with anger: "Who wants to eat your stuff! Yu Jiuyuan, what exactly do you want? Are you just going to use me and then abandon me?"
"How could it be exploitation?" Yu Jiuyuan took back the chocolate, took a bite herself, and felt the sweet taste melt on her tongue, but her eyes were devoid of any warmth.
"I'm helping you out. Think about it, if the Su family falls, won't the Lin family have one less competitor? Then the sponsorship from Saint Sakura Academy and the cooperation from the Xie family will all be yours, right?"
Her words were like poison coated in honey—tempting to hear, yet deadly.
Lin Yanran certainly knew this principle, but being led by the nose like a puppet made his proud self-esteem suffer greatly.
"I don't need your fake kindness!" he shouted, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible grievance.
Yu Jiuyuan finally raised her eyes, her gaze falling on him with a hint of mockery: "Don't need it? Then why didn't you throw away the documents just now? Why didn't you just tell the Su family that I instructed you?"
Lin Yanran felt as if her throat was blocked, and she couldn't say a word.
Of course he thought about it. But he didn't dare.
He was afraid that Yu Jiuyuan would actually send out that photo, that his father would be completely disappointed in him, and that he would lose the student council officer position he had worked so hard to obtain.
Ultimately, he was still held hostage by her.
Seeing Lin Yanran's embarrassed and angry expression, Yu Jiuyuan suddenly laughed, like a child who had just pulled off a prank: "Look, you're actually much 'smarter' than you think. You know how to weigh the pros and cons, and you know how to endure humiliation and hardship. That's what someone who can achieve great things looks like."
Her praise, tinged with undisguised mockery, inexplicably made Lin Yanran's heart skip a beat.
Looking at the mad light in her eyes, he suddenly felt that this woman was simply a devil. She could always pinpoint your sore spots and then, when you were at your most vulnerable, hand you a piece of candy coated with poison.
"46 favorability rating, it's still too low." Yu Jiuyuan muttered to herself, her fingers spinning the pen faster. "Looks like I need to add more fuel to the fire."
Just then, the office door was gently pushed open, and Xie Zhecheng walked in.
He was wearing a dark gray suit and holding a document in his hand. Seeing the tense atmosphere inside, he only frowned slightly.
"There's been some movement from the Su family." He placed the documents on the table, his tone calm. "The pharmaceutical regulatory bureau has intervened in the investigation, and their stock has dropped three points."
"Only three points?" Yu Jiuyuan raised an eyebrow, clearly dissatisfied. "It seems the effort is still insufficient."
"Don't worry." Xie Zhecheng pushed up his glasses. "I've already had the technical department anonymously send the evidence of their data fabrication to several mainstream media outlets. There will be big news first thing tomorrow morning."
His calmness and efficiency were like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing the tension in the office.
Lin Yanran looked at Xie Zhecheng, then at Yu Jiuyuan, and suddenly felt like a clown. In this game between the two, he wasn't even qualified to be a decent opponent.
"I'm going back now," Lin Yanran said sullenly, turning and walking towards the door.
He didn't want to stay here for even a second, didn't want to see Yu Jiuyuan's confident look, and even less did he want to admit that he had been completely fooled by her.
"Wait a minute." Yu Jiuyuan called out to him, took an envelope from the drawer and tossed it to him, "This is for you."
Lin Yanran took the envelope, opened it, and found several photos inside: photos of Su's cousin and several unidentified people making a transaction in a dark alley. The photos were taken from unusual angles and were very clear.
“This is…” He was stunned.
“The Su family cousin not only falsified data, but is also suspected of illegal transactions.”
Yu Jiuyuan's smile carried a cruel sweetness. "Give this to your father. He should know what to do. It'll protect the Lin family and also do the regulatory bureau a favor. A win-win situation, isn't it?"
Lin Yanran looked at the photo, then at Yu Jiuyuan, and suddenly understood her intention.
She not only wants to bring down the Su family, but also drag the Lin family down with her, making the Lin family completely sever ties with the Su family, and even kick them while they're down.
This woman's scheming is simply unfathomable.
"You..." Lin Yanran opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end she just tightly gripped the envelope, turned around and left the office.
Only Yu Jiuyuan and Xie Zhecheng remained in the office.
Sunlight streamed through the blinds, illuminating Xie Zhecheng's profile and giving his hard features a soft, golden edge.
"You seem to really enjoy teasing him," Xie Zhecheng suddenly said, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible curiosity.
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