“Don’t you dare put on that look of being wronged beyond measure! Even if the wound on your face was caused by Chu Chu, it must have been because you provoked her first. I’m warning you, don’t try to sow discord between Chu Chu and my daughter here, or else this household will have no place for a scheming woman like you!”

Bai Xueping scolded Qiao Shan, her words dripping with protective fervor for Su Weichu.

Qiao Shan seethed inwardly, but on the surface, she wore a mask of fear, tears welling up in her eyes.

Su Weichu watched the scene unfold with detached amusement. Since someone else was willing to take on the task of reprimanding Qiao Shan, she was more than happy to sit back and enjoy the show.

Just as Bai Xueping was pressuring Qiao Shan to leave the hospital and move out of the Lin family home, Lin Huaiyu appeared.

“Mom, I asked you to come and take care of Qiao Shan, not to drive her away!”

As soon as he entered, Lin Huaiyu frowned, his disapproval evident as he looked at his mother. Then, his dark, penetrating gaze shifted to Su Weichu. “This isn’t the place for you. Let me take you home.”

As he spoke, he reached out to take her hand.

Su Weichu, however, sidestepped his touch, her eyes downcast as she replied coolly, “You’re right. This isn’t a place for an outsider like me. You should focus on taking care of your girlfriend. I’ll take my leave now.”

In her mind, Lin Huaiyu’s words were nothing more than a defense of Qiao Shan.

Bai Xueping seemed to share the same interpretation. She shot a glare at Lin Huaiyu, as if demanding an explanation for why he was siding with Qiao Shan in front of Su Weichu.

Lin Huaiyu ignored his mother’s silent accusation. Instead, he looked at Su Weichu, his expression earnest as he explained, “She’s not my girlfriend.”

Su Weichu let out a bitter laugh. “What’s so funny about that? Who your girlfriend is has nothing to do with me. Anyway, I have work to attend to. I’ll be going now.”

With that, she turned and walked away.

Watching her retreating figure, Lin Huaiyu felt an instinctive urge to chase after her. But before he could take a step, Qiao Shan’s pitiful voice reached his ears.

“Huaiyu, my face hurts.”

Hearing this, Lin Huaiyu paused, his gaze shifting back to Qiao Shan on the hospital bed. His deep, inscrutable eyes betrayed no emotion, leaving his thoughts a mystery.

Outside the room, Su Weichu hadn’t left immediately. She lingered by the door, though she wasn’t sure what she was waiting for. Several seconds passed, and the door remained closed. She let out a self-deprecating laugh.

“Su Weichu, Su Weichu,” she chided herself silently. “You know that woman is Lin Huaiyu’s white moonlight. What are you still hoping for? Just because he saved you once and helped you once, have you forgotten all the pain he caused?”

From that day on, Su Weichu avoided Lin Huaiyu at every turn.

Lin Huaiyu, for his part, understood that the incident at the hospital had likely caused a misunderstanding. The thought brought a faint smile to his lips. If Su Weichu could misunderstood, it meant she still had feelings for him.

A few days later, Lin Huaiyu showed up at Su Weichu’s company once again. As expected, Su Weichu refused to see him. But this time, Lin Huaiyu insisted that he would only discuss business matters with her directly.

When Su Weichu received the message, she knew exactly what Lin Huaiyu was trying to do—force her to face him. She let out a cold snort and instructed her assistant, Yi Qingyun, “Tell him I’m busy.”

“Mr. Lin, our chairman has asked me to inform you that she’s unavailable,” Yi Qingyun relayed politely upon returning to the meeting room.

Lin Huaiyu wasn’t surprised. He gave a wry smile and replied, “That’s fine. I don’t have anything else to do today. I’ll wait.”

Yi Qingyun was at a loss but nodded and left to inform Su Weichu.

In her office, Su Weichu listened to the report and scoffed, “Ignore him. If he wants to wait, let him wait.”

“Yes,” Yi Qingyun acknowledged before returning to her work.

And so, Lin Huaiyu waited in the meeting room. From the blazing midday sun to the soft glow of the setting sun, his patience remained unshaken.

Su Weichu, on the other hand, found herself distracted throughout the day. After barely managing to finish her work, she hesitated for a moment before pressing the intercom and summoning Yi Qingyun. “Is he… still in the meeting room?”

Yi Qingyun paused for a moment before realizing who her boss was referring to. “Yes, he’s still there.”

Hearing this, Su Weichu felt a strange mix of emotions. Yi Qingyun observed her boss’s expression and tentatively asked, “Should I have someone escort him out?”

“No, just pretend you don’t know. Let’s call it a day,” Su Replied replied, waving her assistant away.

Later that evening, Su Weichu headed down to the underground parking garage alone, her handbag slung over her shoulder. As she fumbled for her car keys, her bag was suddenly snatched away.

She gasped, only to find that the culprit was none other than Lin Huaiyu. Her expression immediately turned icy as she demanded, “Give me back my bag.”

“I’ll give it back, but not just yet,” Lin Huaiyu replied with a mischievous grin, holding the bag behind his back. He then fixed her with a reproachful look. “Is this how you treat your savior? Do you know how many hours I waited for you today?”

“I never asked you to wait. Now give me back my bag, or I’ll call security,” Su Weichu warned, her voice sharp.

Lin Huaiyu chuckled. “And how do you plan to call security? You don’t have your phone.”

Su Weichu’s eyes widened as she realized her phone was inside the bag. Flustered, she glared at him, deciding not to waste any more words. She lunged forward, trying to snatch her bag back.

But Lin Huaiyu was ready. As she reached for it, he wrapped his free arm around her, pulling her tightly against him.

“Let me go!” Su Weichu protested, her cheeks flushing with a mix of anger and embarrassment. She struggled fiercely, already regretting her impulsive move.

Lin Huaiyu leaned down, his breath warm against her ear as he teased, “You’re the one who threw yourself into my arms.”

“Who threw themselves into your arms? I was just trying to get my bag back!” Su Weichu retorted, her voice rising, though her face grew even redder.

Lin Huaiyu’s laughter was low and rich, sending an unexpected shiver down her spine. “Your face is so red,” he murmured, his tone playful.

The simple observation made Su Weichu’s heart race even more, though she tried to hide it. “You’re the one who’s red-faced!” she shot back, her voice trembling slightly.

In a sudden burst of determination, she stomped hard on his foot. The sharp pain made Lin Huaiyu grimace, his grip loosening just enough for Su Weichu to wrench herself free. She grabbed her bag, found her keys, and within moments was in her car, speeding away without a backward glance.

Watching her disappear, Lin Huaiyu shook his head, a mix of frustration and amusement in his eyes. But then, a sly smile crept across his face. He had one last trick up his sleeve.