She was afraid and anxious, but remembering the family of three who had come to the company that afternoon, pleading on their knees, she decided to be brave and give it a try. “Rui, do you remember anything from our high school days?” After dinner, she opened a bottle of red wine she’d saved for years and snuggled up beside him in the living room.

“What about?” Jing Rui held a glass of wine in one hand, while the other possessively rested on the back of the sofa, encircling her within his space.

“Back then, most of the students were from wealthy families, the young masters and ladies of high society. I used to call them the ‘brand-name army,’ and the rest of us from regular backgrounds were the ‘miscellaneous troops.'”

“Yeah, I remember you making that comparison,” Jing Rui nodded, his gaze darkening. To be honest, he didn’t like recalling those years.

“In our first year, you were part of the ‘miscellaneous troops’ like the rest of us, but by the second year, you had found a way to get into the student council, distancing yourself from us.”

“That wasn’t ‘distancing,'” he corrected. “I was never part of your group to begin with.”

True, he had never admitted to being one of them, but the rest of the school clearly didn’t see it that way.

Jiang Yuyan smiled bitterly. “I know you never wanted to associate with us. If your parents hadn’t gone bankrupt, you could have lived as comfortably as the others and wouldn’t have been ostracized at school.”

“What are you trying to say?” Jing Rui frowned.

She met his deep gaze with courage. “I mean, you of all people should understand the pain of falling from grace.”

“So?”

“Back then, didn’t you say that if your uncle had lent a hand when your parents were at their lowest, they might not have felt desperate enough to jump off the building?”

“…”

“But not only did your uncle not help, he took advantage of the situation, exploiting them and even tricking you out of your trust fund. Weren’t you furious when you found out?”

“I get it. You don’t need to say any more!” Jing Rui suddenly stood up.

Jiang Yuyan flinched, feeling the warmth of his presence vanish, as if the surrounding temperature had suddenly dropped.

“Is it that man, Fang, who asked you to plead with me?” He glared at her, darkly. “Because he made a scene at the company, playing the pity card, and you couldn’t stand it, you’re here to talk me into letting him off?”

“I just think—could you delay the liquidation of Tongcheng Tech? In the past two years, although they haven’t made much progress in research and development, if they manage to break through, they could still have market potential. There might be other investors interested in taking over.”

“The technology is the company’s intangible asset. I’ve already found a buyer willing to pay for it. As for the equipment, it will be sold off separately.”

“Does it have to be broken up and sold in pieces? Couldn’t you consider finding an investor to take over? Give President Fang some time. You don’t have to push him this hard!” She paused, deciding not to say more.

“Push him how? Say it.” His tone was icy. “You mean I’m the executioner driving them to the brink, forcing them to jump off a building, right?”

“No, I didn’t mean that—”

“Was this all part of your plan?” He interrupted her. “Cooking for me, a candlelight dinner, and this glass of wine—was it all just to soften me up and get me to agree to your request?”

“It’s not like that…” She hurriedly stood up, trying to explain, but he wouldn’t listen.

“I know you’re good at acting, but I didn’t expect you to put on a show even in front of me!” He was truly angry now, his eyes stormy and cold, striking her with deep pain.

This is what hurt him the most—not that she was pleading for someone unworthy, but that he believed everything she did tonight was to buy his heart, that it was all an act.

How could he think that?

She was so anxious that her words came out in a jumble. “Rui, let me explain! I’m not plotting against you, and I’m not acting. I just hope you can calm down and think about it carefully—”

“What should I think about? What do you want me to think?” he pressed harshly. “‘Leave a thread of kindness for future encounters’—you must have heard that saying, right? This isn’t just about the Fang family of three; it also affects their employees, who will also lose their jobs. President Fang is under tremendous pressure. His wife has depression, and I’m genuinely worried about them!”

“What are you worried about? Afraid they’ll jump off a building like my parents?” Jing Rui sneered coldly. “That’s their choice! It’s his company, so he must bear the consequences of mismanagement. Sure, his company is going bankrupt, and his personal credit is ruined. So what? He can find a job at another company! If he can’t run a business, can’t he at least work as an office worker?”

“But you know how much this company means to him…”

“What company isn’t someone’s labor of love? We’re a venture capital firm, not a charity. If we were to sympathize with every failure one by one, how would the company make money?”

“So you won’t agree to postpone the liquidation?”

“Do you really think I would agree?”

Jiang Yuyan fell silent, feeling disheartened.

She knew he never showed mercy in his work. When he pursued a target, he would make sure they couldn’t survive. Still, she couldn’t help but wish that the regret surrounding what happened to his parents might make him pause and not go to such extremes.

“Look at me!” His command was forceful, fueled by her silence, making him even angrier. She followed his order and raised her gaze, but the sorrow in her eyes only hurt him more deeply.

“Even you criticize me?!” His expression was stormy, the emotions he usually kept frozen in front of others now erupted toward her without restraint. “Don’t you think you understand me well? You’re the one who gave me the nickname ‘Demon King,’ right? What do you expect from me? Yes, I’m a bad guy, I’m cold and heartless! Isn’t that what you know best?”

He was hurt, and she knew it because she had shattered his trust in her! Everyone in the world might despise him, but she was the only one who stood firmly by his side.

“I’m sorry, Rui. I apologize.” She regretted bringing up the painful memories he had buried deep inside to persuade him. She gently grasped his arm, trying to soothe his agitation, but he forcefully shook her off.

“I’m leaving!” he said coldly, grabbing his briefcase, forgetting his suit jacket, and hurriedly walking out of her place.

She stood there in a daze, like a lifeless statue, unmoving for a long time.

She had truly hurt him!