Shang Lu: “Recently, Zhu Yuejin has been competing with the Shang family for the real estate bidding in Half Moon Bay.”
“Okay,” Su Banxia whispered gently in his ear, saying, “I understand.”
Su Banxia raised her gaze and looked at the Zhu family father and son, saying, “Tonight’s matter can be settled, but I have two requests.”
Mr. Zhu replied, “Miss Su, please go ahead.”
Su Banxia, with her exquisite mask, smiled faintly beneath it and said, “He must apologize to me and Shang Lu, and withdraw from the real estate bidding in Half Moon Bay.”
What?!
Mu Rushue’s pupils contracted, and Shang Jingyao’s mouth turned down. Only Qi Jiashu showed surprise, doubting if he had misheard. Su Banxia was actually helping Shang Lu.
Zhu Yuejin’s face twisted, “You’re delusional!”
This woman was making outrageous demands, and it must be something Shang Lu had taught her.
Zhu Yuejin had been working on the Half Moon Bay project for months, giving gifts and cultivating relationships. He had finally secured the bidding for the project. There was no way he would withdraw just like that. He wanted to achieve some results with this project to secure his position in the company. If he withdrew, those old fogies would surely criticize him.
Su Banxia calmly stated, “Going to the police or withdrawing from the bidding, choose one.”
With the evidence and testimonies available, a thorough investigation would implicate Zhu Yuejin. If the Shang family didn’t relent, he would have a criminal record.
Mr. Zhu’s face was extremely grim. This bidding was crucial for the Zhu family, and withdrawing would result in significant losses. He suppressed his anger and coldly looked at his son, “Apologize quickly!”
Zhu Yuejin finally tasted the bitterness and pain of setting a trap for himself. He was still unwilling, “Father.”
Mr. Zhu sternly ordered, “What are you waiting for!”
Losing a business opportunity was better than ending up in jail. If news of tonight’s incident were to leak out, it would undoubtedly affect the Zhu family’s stock prices.
Zhu Yuejin bowed with a deep sense of humiliation and apologized, “Miss Su, Mr. Shang, I’m sorry.”
The onlookers sighed in sympathy. Mr. Zhu’s son was indeed too young.
Mu Rushue, trembling either from being soaking wet and cold or for some other reason, looked palely at Su Banxia. Her lips were bitten until they bled.
Shang Jingyao’s gaze was heavy as he looked at the woman standing next to Shang Lu.
The man’s suit jacket was a bit oversized on her, covering her slender figure. It prevented anyone from prying into her appearance. Her face was hidden behind an exquisite mask, concealing most of it. However, it accentuated her graceful and delicate jawline, with her cold and alluring red lips.
He suddenly felt that Su Banxia had changed. Her cat-like gemstone eyes, bright and charming, seemed to be without his presence.
He had originally wanted to take over the Half Moon Bay project, but his father had handed it to Shang Lu instead. The reason was that there were many powerful competitors, and a successful bid would bring immense benefits to the Shang family, while failure would lead to condemnation.
Su Banxia had unexpectedly thought of using this opportunity to eliminate the Zhu’s, the biggest competitor.
The evening banquet had already reached the time for guests to leave. After the incident, the Zhu family had no intention of further entertaining the guests, and people began to depart.
Su Banxia draped Shang Lu’s coat over herself and walked with slightly unsteady steps, her slender waist swaying gracefully. Her beauty attracted the attention of many.
“Tonight really opened my eyes. It turns out that the Su family’s heiress isn’t just someone who indulges in eating and drinking.”
“Weren’t they saying she liked Shang Lu’s younger brother?”
“Seems like it was all fake. Just look at how she’s fixated on Shang Lu. That tells us who she truly likes.”
“What a pity, she ended up marrying a disabled man.”
“Hey, keep your voice down! Aren’t you afraid for your life?”
…
In a private room in the hotel, Mr. Zhu slapped Zhu Yuejin’s face and kicked his leg. “Kneel down!”
“Dad!” Zhu Yuejin, with a bright red handprint on his face, was filled with anger. “You’re still hitting me!”
Mrs. Zhu, the wife of Mr. Zhu, grabbed her husband’s hand and cried, “What are you doing? It’s just a project. Our son is the only one we have. Are you willing to beat him to death over this?”
Mr. Zhu was furious and pushed her hand away. “If it weren’t for your indulgence, would we have ended up like this today?”
Tears streamed down Mrs. Zhu’s face as she said, “Shang Lu is fine, isn’t he? He already got the project. What more do you want?”
Zhu Yuejin appeared defiant and rubbed his swollen face from the beating. “Mom is right. That crippled guy is causing us no trouble at all. If we don’t withdraw from the project bidding, what can he do to our family?”
Mr. Zhu’s face turned dark, and he pointed his finger at his son’s nose, scolding, “You ignorant beast, do you think you can handle Shang Lu?”
“Dad, you’re just too cautious. That’s why the Zhu family is always being suppressed,” Zhu Yuejin complained with resentment. “If you had handed the Zhu family over to me earlier, I would have already trampled Shang Lu under my feet. There’s no need to be afraid of him.”
Mr. Zhu’s chest heaved with anger, muttering the word “beast” repeatedly. It was clear that he was getting even more upset. He picked up a teacup and threw it. “Get out of here!”
Zhu Yuejin dodged the teacup and shouted loudly, “If you have the guts, hit me here. Instead, think about how to deal with Shang Lu.”
Mrs. Zhu handed a cup of tea to Mr. Zhu. “Yuejin is right. Stop arguing, both of you. There’s no feud between a father and his son. Quarreling will only make others laugh at us.”
Mr. Zhu took a few sips of warm tea and his complexion gradually improved. He exchanged a glance with his son.
…
Mu Ruxue and Shang Jingyao left the hotel together and got into Shang’s luxurious car.
The car’s air conditioning was set low, and even with the coat she had borrowed from Shang Jingyao, she still felt cold. But compared to the coldness in her heart, the physical cold was nothing.
Her focus was different from that of the banquet guests. Even though she had been reborn and had gained some knowledge, her intelligence hadn’t increased as a result.
Mu Ruxue’s mind was still immersed in the scene where Shang Jingyao had jumped into the pool and abandoned her to swim towards Su Banxia. That scene kept replaying in her mind like a slideshow, leaving her feeling emotionally chaotic and her entire body as if plunged into an ice cellar.
Shang Jingyao frowned as he thought about the project bidding for Half Moon Bay. If Shang Lu were to win this project, his position within the company would rise even further. Over the years, it seemed that his father’s business acumen had declined, and his influence in the company had gradually decreased. If it weren’t for his ownership of shares, the entire company might have been under the control of Shang Lu, who held the power like an emperor’s scepter.
With these thoughts, Shang Jingyao couldn’t help but feel restless. He had no time or inclination to comfort the woman beside him.
As a result, the car was filled with silence.
Mu Ruxue’s body grew colder, and she turned to look at Shang Jingyao. His handsome face was creased with a frown, lost in thought.
Is he still thinking about Su Banxia? It couldn’t be denied that Su Banxia had made a big impression at the banquet tonight. But now that Su Banxia had married Shang Lu, she couldn’t believe that Su Banxia would have a good life.
Shang Lu was a neurotic monster. He didn’t like anyone getting close to him, and even if Su Banxia tried her best to please him, he would never treat her well.
Mu Ruxue suddenly spoke, suppressing her displeasure, and with tears in her eyes, she asked, “Is there something wrong with me? Why did you choose to save my sister first?”
Shang Jingyao turned to look at the crying woman, his frown deepening, and he explained, “Su Banxia had already passed out at that time, and I was afraid she might not make it.”
Mu Ruxue felt a suffocating sensation in her chest and blurted out, “So you weren’t afraid for my life?”
Shang Jingyao replied, “I would have saved you after saving her.”
Mu Ruxue had always been a considerate girl, and she should understand that saving lives was the top priority.
“Why didn’t you choose to save me first?” Mu Ruxue couldn’t swallow this indignation, and her face looked extremely unpleasant.
After her rebirth, she was determined to outshine Su Banxia in every way. She couldn’t tolerate her future husband being better to another woman, especially when that woman was Su Banxia.
He didn’t even notice that she was feeling cold now.
Mu Ruxue’s tone became more confrontational, and in Shang Jingyao’s eyes, she seemed to be making unreasonable demands.
“I said I would save you,” Shang Jingyao replied.
Mu Ruxue bit her lip, tears streaming down her face, and said, “Stop the car!”
Shang Jingyao frowned, “What do you want to do?”
Mu Ruxue felt that a woman should have some temper. If she kept being too accommodating, he would care less and less about her.
“I want to get off!” She pretended to open the car door.
“Don’t make a scene,” Shang Jingyao grabbed her, “We can’t stop here.”
Mu Rushue raised her voice, “I said stop the car!”
The driver hesitated and looked back through the mirror, “Young Master?”
Mu Ruxue repeated her demand to stop the car, and Shang Jingyao released his grip, saying in a low voice, “Pull over.”
The driver reluctantly parked the car illegally to let Mu Ruxue get off. After she got out, she smiled self-mockingly at Shang Jingyao, with a broken-hearted expression, “You probably didn’t know that my sister can swim.”
With that, she turned and walked away.
Shang Jingyao’s eyes darkened, and he furrowed his brows. Someone who could swim wouldn’t sink in the water like that.
“Should I follow Miss Mu, Young Master?” the driver asked.
Shang Jingyao remained silent for a moment and said, “Follow her.”
…
The discreet black luxury car drove on the streets, the interior dimly lit, and the scenery passing by in the rearview mirror.
Su Banxia leaned against the car window, staring at the neon lights outside. The alcohol had gone to her head, and in her slightly tipsy state, she mumbled some song lyrics.
This banquet had made her feel so awesome. Not only did she save Shang Lu, but she also forced the competitors to withdraw from the bidding.
Shang Lu must be extremely grateful to her now. All those thoughts about the punishment of a separate room and everything else were probably out of his mind. From now on, whatever she wanted, Shang Lu would give it to her.
【Warning! After midnight tonight, if the owner’s luck remains below one percent, they will die again.】
Su Banxia: “?”
She had shaken hands with Shang Lu several times, and she still hadn’t regained any luck?
Ao Bai: 【The owner can quickly gain luck from Shang Lu through a closer method than shaking hands.】
Su Banxia: “…”
The system was suggesting that a closer method than shaking hands involved kissing, she suspected. This wasn’t a revenge-based system but more like a matchmaking system given to her by the God of Love.
Ao Bai: 【The system countdown is one hour. Owner, please do your best.】
Su Banxia’s palms were sweating, and she sneaked a glance at Shang Lu’s delicately sculpted profile. His emotionless expression was cold and distant, making it intimidating to approach him.
“Shang Lu,” she called out. Shang Lu slightly turned his head, and his black eyes met hers.
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