Su Hua was taken aback.
She turned to look at Jiang Qing.
She had told Lin Xuan about her situation.
Jiang Qing looked up at the sky.
Don’t come looking for her; she knows nothing.
“Xuan, I don’t think this necklace means much to me anymore,” Su Hua whispered, her red lips brushing against Lin Xuan’s ear.
“Because Xuan is my cure, the remedy that can heal me. That kiss at the jewelry store made me stop resisting this necklace.”
“So, Xuan, I won’t allow my cure to escape from my side.”
It was destined—they were bound to be locked together for life.
“Alright, Hua Bao, I’ll be your cure,” Lin Xuan said tenderly, tightening his embrace around Su Hua’s waist.
Su Hua rested her head against Lin Xuan’s chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
Her lips curled into an uncontrollable smile.
Lin Xuan was so good to her, and his tenderness made her reluctant to let go.
This harmonious scene was witnessed by Jiang Qing and Butler Wang, who exchanged glances and smiled knowingly.
“Xuan, I’ve already arranged for you to take leave from school. Stay with me at the villa these next few days, okay?” Su Hua looked up at Lin Xuan, her eyes filled with pain.
Lin Xuan’s heart ached for Su Hua.
How could he refuse?
“Alright, I’ll do as you say, Hua Bao,” Lin Xuan replied.
The corners of Su Hua’s lips curled into a triumphant smile.
Lin Xuan had fallen into her trap.
These days, she could spend every moment with him… indulging in their closeness.
After leaving the restaurant, Shen Qianqian returned to the Shen family estate.
Before entering the villa, she instructed the bodyguard in the driver’s seat, “Slap my face a few times.”
The bodyguard frowned. “Miss, this…”
“Do it quickly! If you don’t, I’ll fire you!” Shen Qianqian snapped impatiently.
“Yes, miss.”
The bodyguard reluctantly gave her a few light slaps.
“Are you not eating enough? Hit me harder!” Shen Qianqian gritted her teeth.
“Miss, please bear with it.”
The bodyguard clenched his jaw and slapped her several times with force.
Shen Qianqian, who was sensitive to pain, was brought to tears.
Only when her face was swollen did she tell the bodyguard to stop.
“That vixen!” Shen Qianqian forced back her tears, biting her lip. “The humiliation I suffered today, and the beating I endured, I’ll repay you a thousand times over!”
“Miss, why did you ask me to hit you?” the bodyguard couldn’t help but ask.
“Because it will make my father feel sorry for me,” Shen Qianqian said darkly. “When he sees how hurt I am, he’ll give me more resources, and I’ll have a better chance of dealing with that woman.”
She couldn’t wait any longer.
She needed her father to assign her more people as soon as possible.
She had always been pampered since she was young and had never suffered such humiliation before.
Shen Qianqian also made sure to dishevel her clothes and hair before striding into the villa in her high heels.
“Master, Miss Qianqian has returned,” a servant announced.
“Qianqian is back?” Shen Mao smiled as he removed his apron and stepped out of the kitchen. “Qianqian, I made your favorite crayfish…”
Before he could finish, Shen Qianqian rushed in and threw herself into his arms.
“Dad,” Shen Qianqian said with a choked voice.
“What’s wrong? Who made my daughter cry like this?” Shen Mao asked, his heart aching.
“Master, look at Miss Qianqian’s face,” a servant exclaimed.
Shen Mao quickly pulled Shen Qianqian away to inspect her.
What he saw stunned him.
Shen Qianqian’s face was red and swollen, with a trace of dried blood at the corner of her mouth—clearly, she had been struck.
“Qianqian!” Shen Mao roared in anger. “Who did this to you?”
“Dad, it was that woman, the one who insulted me,” Shen Qianqian sobbed.
“You mean that employee from Su Corporation?” Shen Mao frowned.
“Yes, it’s her.”
Shen Qianqian cried, “Dad, she’s actually Lin Xuan’s girlfriend. She couldn’t stand me being close to Lin Xuan, so she hit me and warned me to stay away from him. She said she’d beat me every time she saw me near him.”
“How dare anyone lay a hand on my daughter! Do they have a death wish?” Shen Mao’s chest heaved with fury.
“Qianqian,” Shen Mao said with deep concern, “don’t worry. Dad will make sure justice is served.”
“But, Dad, she’s from Su Corporation,” Shen Qianqian said, her eyes red.
“So what if she’s from Su Corporation? That’s not a free pass!”
Shen Mao sneered, “As far as I know, aside from the CEO, most of the senior executives at Su Corporation are older women. That woman is probably just a mid-level employee.”
“She’s no one important. As the chairman of Shen Corporation, dealing with such a small fry won’t even make Su Corporation bat an eye.”
Shen Mao’s expression darkened.
Besides, if he handled it discreetly, that woman wouldn’t be able to do a thing about it.
“Qianqian, I’ll send people to deal with her right away,” Shen Mao said.
“Dad, can you assign them to me?” Shen Qianqian pleaded, her eyes brimming with tears. “I want to handle her myself.”
“Alright.”
Shen Mao nodded, "I'll assign six people to you. That should be enough to deal with a woman, right?"
"Mm, that's enough," Shen Qianqian agreed.
A cold gleam flickered in her eyes.
You vixen, I'll make you regret clinging to Brother Lin Xuan!
Lin Xuan and Su Hua had been staying at the villa these past few days. It was Su Hua's menstrual cycle, so they hadn't done anything intimate.
Su Hua felt a twinge of regret.
Her periods had always been irregular, and she hadn’t expected this one to come so soon.
If she had known, she would have waited a bit longer before playing the pity card.
That way, these past few days could have been spent in bed with her dear Xuan, instead of just spending time together in a mundane, romantic way.
Before they knew it, Wang Yajun's birthday had arrived.
Jiang Shuqin had always remembered her best friend's birthday and came to Starlight Group with a gift in hand.
"Yajun, this is my birthday gift for you," Jiang Shuqin said with a smile, handing the gift box to Wang Yajun.
"Shuqin, thank you," Wang Yajun replied with a smile. "You're the only one who always remembers my birthday. You're so sweet."
"Of course, we're best friends," Jiang Shuqin said, smiling back. "How about this, Yajun? After work tonight, let's go out for a stroll."
"No," Wang Yajun shook her head. "I want to spend time with my husband."
And her husband was Lin Chang—if not now, then certainly in the future.