Font Size:
Hearing that annoyingly playful voice, Lin Huaiyu had the sudden urge to kick the man out. Although, he held back.
The searing pain between his legs was becoming unbearable.
With a face as composed as ever, he pointed directly at the source of his agony and spoke in a low, firm voice. “Right here. Take a look.”
Jiang Haojin froze mid-step, utterly dumbfounded. His usually sharp, fox-like eyes widened in disbelief. “Boss… Are you absolutely sure you’re not secretly into me?”
His voice was laced with amusement, but his gaze held genuine shock as it flickered between Lin Huaiyu’s face and the area in question.
Lin Huaiyu’s expression, already stormy, darkened even further.
“You can either check it or get the hell out!” he snapped, his patience wearing thin.
Jiang Haojin instantly straightened up, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. “Checking! I’m checking! Right away, boss!”
Jiang Haojin immediately straightened up, his usual carefree demeanor vanishing in an instant. Half a million was no joke. With a look of absolute seriousness, he strode toward Lin Huaiyu and began his examination.
After a thorough check, disbelief flickered across Jiang Haojin’s face before being replaced by pure, unfiltered curiosity. Lin Huaiyu was truly injured—there was no doubt about it.
Yet, how?
With his boss’s status, no woman should be able to reject him, let alone harm him. Not to mention, Lin Huaiyu’s combat skills were practically legendary. Even if he were up against ten men at once, he would still emerge unscathed.
Yet here he was, injured in the most sensitive way possible.
Feeling Jiang Haojin’s speculative gaze lingering on him, Lin Huaiyu narrowed his eyes dangerously. His voice dropped to a slow, menacing drawl. “Do you know what happened to the cat that got too curious?”
Jiang Haojin instantly snapped out of his thoughts and waved his hands in surrender. “I know, I know! Fine, I won’t ask. Not like I need to—I already know who did it.” He muttered under his breath, glancing sideways.
After all, there was only one woman in this world who could make his boss willingly suffer like this—none other than the eldest daughter of the Su family.
Sunlight streamed through the curtains as Su Mochu stirred from her deep, alcohol-induced slumber. The moment she opened her eyes, a sharp, throbbing pain pulsed through her skull, making her groan in discomfort.
Clutching her head, she forced herself to sit up, trying to shake off the lingering dizziness. The previous night was a blur, but one thing was certain—she had overdone it.
With great effort, she dragged herself out of bed, shuffled to the bathroom, and splashed cold water on her face. The refreshingly sharp sensation helped clear some of the haze clouding her mind.
Once she felt somewhat human again, she made her way downstairs for breakfast, hoping the food would help her recover faster.
In the quiet, sunlit dining room, the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingled with the crisp aroma of morning newspapers. At the head of the table, Old Master Su sat upright, casually flipping through the latest financial news as he sipped his cup of warm coffee, his expression calm yet authoritative.
A light tapping of footsteps broke the morning stillness.
“Good morning, Grandpa.”
Su Weichu mustered a smile as she approached, her voice laced with practiced cheerfulness despite the fatigue weighing on her.
At the sound of her greeting, the old man set his newspaper aside and looked up, his sharp yet affectionate gaze settling on his granddaughter.
“Good morning, my dear. How was your sleep last night?”
“Pretty well,” she replied smoothly, though it was far from the truth.
In reality, sleep had evaded her for hours.
She had tossed and turned, her mind a tangled mess of thoughts, haunted by the events of the previous night. No matter how much she tried to suppress it, one particular scene kept replaying in her head—Lin Huaiyu stepping out of the shadows, his presence commanding, his movements decisive as he pulled her out of harm’s way.
It had been the kind of moment found only in stories, the kind that made one’s heart skip an unsteady beat.
Which, hers had.
Again and again.
But she couldn’t allow herself to be swayed.
She knew better.
Lin Huaiyu wasn’t pursuing her out of love—no, there had to be another reason. A calculated purpose.
Most likely, he was merely trying to secure the business collaboration between their two families.
Right. That had to be it.
Clenching her hands beneath the table, she silently reminded herself: Don’t be fooled by the illusion.
Lost in thought, Su Weichu barely registered the firm voice that suddenly cut through the air, laced with a weight of authority.
“Weichu!”
Snapped from her reverie, she blinked in confusion before lifting her gaze.
“Grandpa, what’s wrong?”
Old Master Su studied her carefully, his sharp eyes filled with both affection and exasperation. He sighed, already suspecting that whatever he had just said had gone completely unheard. Resigned, he repeated himself, this time with deliberate clarity.
“Lately I’ve been hearing, that boy from the Lin family has been using business negotiations as an excuse to constantly pester you. Is that true?”
At his words, Su Weichu hesitated, unsure of how to respond.
Her silence spoke volumes.
The old man observed her carefully, reading every flicker of emotion on her delicate face. He needed no further confirmation—he already understood.
Truth be told, he had never thought highly of the Lin family.
Back when Weichu had foolishly poured her heart out for that cold-blooded boy, Lin Huaiyu had been blind to it all, pushing her away with cruel indifference. Yet now? Now that she had finally come to her senses, he suddenly decided to chase after her?
The change was too abrupt, too convenient.
A man so fickle, so prone to shifting tides at his own whim—how could he be trusted?
No, Old Master Su would not allow it. Not again.
What made matters worse was that Lin Huaiyu’s sudden change of heart wasn’t born from genuine affection—it came only after Su Weichu’s true identity had been revealed.
Old Master Su’s voice was calm yet unwavering as he delivered his verdict.
“If you refuse to cut ties with that Lin boy, then the project will be given to another company.”
Su Weichu’s eyes widened in surprise.
Hadn’t her grandfather always said he wouldn’t interfere in her personal affairs? Why the sudden change of heart?
Sensing her confusion, the old man let out a quiet chuckle, though his expression remained unreadable.
“You’re wondering why I’m suddenly stepping in, aren’t you?”
She nodded. “A little.”
At that moment, the amusement faded from the old man’s face, replaced by a gravity that made the air in the room feel heavier. His aged yet perceptive eyes darkened with something unreadable.
“Because your uncle is coming back in a few days.”
The weight of those words settled in the air like an approaching storm.
Years ago, the Su family had been built upon the efforts of two brothers—Su Weichu’s father, Su Hejiu, and her uncle, Su Hetong.
From a young age, Su Hejiu had been nothing short of a prodigy. With an uncanny instinct for business, he had inherited his father’s keen judgment and razor-sharp acumen. By the time he was in high school, he was already negotiating billion-dollar deals on his own.
A man like that left an undeniable mark wherever he went.
Now, after all these years, Su Hetong will be the one returning very soon.
His return could change everything.
From the very beginning, Su Hejiu had been the most favored heir. His brilliance was undeniable, his business instincts razor-sharp. In contrast, his elder brother, Su Hetong, had always seemed ordinary in comparison—competent, perhaps, but never exceptional.
Knowing this, Old Master Su had made his decision early. The vast Su Corporation would be entrusted to Su Hejiu, while Su Hetong would play a supporting role, helping to manage the company.
But fate had its own cruel designs.
Twenty years ago, when Su Weichu had just been born, tragedy struck. A devastating car accident stole her parents from her before she ever had the chance to get to know them.
Grief consumed Old Master Su. He was not a man to sit idly by, so he ordered an exhaustive investigation into the crash.
Yet no matter how deeply they dug into the incident, the conclusion remained the same—just another case of reckless drunk driving. No foul play. No loose ends. Just a tragic accident.
But grief did not stop time, nor did it halt the turning gears of the Su empire. The company could not be left leaderless, so Old Master Su made his choice—he would return to the battlefield of the business world, with his infant granddaughter in tow.
It was then that the first true fracture appeared between the two brothers.
Su Hetong had believed with his brother gone, the Su Corporation would naturally fall into his hands. After all, he was the eldest son. But to his growing fury, he soon realized that the old man had no such intentions in passing down the company to him.
The company would remain in his hands, safeguarded for Su Hejiu’s rightful heir—Su Weichu.
It was at that moment that Old Master Su saw his first glimpse of the ambition burning in his elder son’s eyes. And for the first time, a terrible suspicion crept into his heart.
Could it be…that Su Hejiu’s death was not an accident at all? Could it be that his own son—his eldest—had played a hand in his younger brother’s demise?
To ensure Su Mochu’s safety and protect her from lurking threats, Old Master Su waged a relentless battle of wits against Su Hetong. In the end, he had managed to outmaneuver him with a single gamble—one that sent his eldest son overseas to manage a branch of the company, far from the Su family’s core power.
He had never hidden any of this from Su Weichu.
So when she heard that Su Hetong was returning, her expression darkened.
She knew exactly why he was coming back—this was a fight for the throne.
Years ago, her grandfather had used her youth as a shield, sending Su Hetong away under the pretense that he could return and compete for the Su family’s inheritance once she was of age.
Now, the moment had finally come.
A quiet determination settled in Su Weichu’s heart. “I understand, Grandpa. But the Ocean project is our best collaboration option. I will make the necessary adjustments and ensure its success. I’ll prove myself to the shareholders.”
Seeing the resolve in her eyes, Old Master Su nodded approvingly. “As long as you know what you’re doing.”
After finishing breakfast, Su Mochu set off for the company.
On the way, she reached beneath her collar and pulled out a delicate pocket watch. With a practiced motion, she flipped it open.
Inside, tucked carefully behind the glass, was an old photograph.
A man and a woman, standing side by side.
They were a perfect match—elegant, poised, and full of life.
Her parents.
“Mom… Dad… Su Hetong is finally returning.”
Su Weichu’s grip tightened around the pocket watch, her voice a whisper of unyielding resolve. “I swear, I will avenge you. He will pay for his sins in blood.”
Ever since her grandfather had mentioned Su Hetong’s return, she had thrown herself into uncovering the truth behind her parents’ accident.
Though concrete evidence remained elusive, her instincts screamed that Su Hetong was involved. That so-called accident had never sat right with her.
She refused to just stand by and leave the incident in the past.
The car rolled to a smooth stop in front of the Su Corporation. Taking a deep breath, Su Weichu pushed aside her emotions, straightened her posture, and stepped into work mode.
The morning passed in a blur of meetings, reports, and negotiations. It wasn’t until noon that she finally had a moment to breathe.
Sinking into her leather chair, she stretched her arms above her head, easing the tension in her shoulders.
But just as she exhaled in relief, something outside the window caught her eye.
Her gaze flickered toward the bustling street below, only to freeze mid-motion.
Something was… off.
The usual background noise of her day—the familiar, subtle presence that had lingered around her for the past few weeks—was suddenly missing.
It was quiet.
Too quiet.
Almost as if someone who was supposed to be there… had disappeared.