Others might say harsh words, but it could just be empty threats.

However, when Cheng Rushan says something harsh, he means it and will double down on it.

Once, as a young man, Cheng Rushan had told Cheng Fuqi that he would make him pay for his blood debts.

At that time, Cheng Fuqi didn’t believe him, but now the grass on his grave is three feet high.

Bian Haitao shuddered at the thought. He had been reassured by Meng Yiyi that the future had changed and he wouldn’t die at Cheng Rushan’s hands.

He believed he wouldn’t kidnap Cheng Rushan’s son, and Jiang Lin wouldn’t elope with him.

Now, it was just a matter of official business.

As long as he didn’t get caught with too many incriminating details, Cheng Rushan wouldn’t be able to do anything to him.

Bian Haitao interpreted Cheng Rushan’s harsh words as anger and fear that he might harm Jiang Lin and that people might find out about past events.

Whether it was Jiang Lin agreeing to date Lu Hang to stay in the city or choosing to marry to escape hardship in the countryside, either situation would tarnish her reputation.

Even if it didn’t affect her work, the public praise for Dean Jiang would be marred by these scandals, making her appear promiscuous.

Despite his jealousy of Jiang Lin and Cheng Rushan’s harmonious marriage, if given another chance, he would still sacrifice her or any woman for his own future.

Because the steps he takes right now are what matter most!

Cheng Rushan, however, was too lazy to deal with him further and turned to get back into the car.

Jiang Lin handed him a handkerchief to wipe his hands, “He’s doing this on purpose, trying to stir up gossip about us?” She glanced at the onlookers outside. “Should we explain?”

Cheng Rushan replied, “No need.”

There was nothing to explain. It wasn’t Jiang Lin’s fault that she had bad experiences with people.

Besides, it had been seventeen years—who would still be talking about old matters?

The people in this courtyard were not just ordinary gossipers.

Even if they had a tendency to gossip, they wouldn’t dare do so in their professional environment.

Even the janitors knew that Cheng Rushan didn’t care much about his personal affairs, but when it came to his wife, he wouldn’t tolerate any provocation.

Anyone who dared to gossip behind his back was automatically opposing him.

To go against him?

That was out of the question.

They went to the high school to watch the kids’ soccer game, then took the family out for a big meal.

During this time, Yan Runzhi and Baosheng went to the back to visit the chef and discuss the secrets of several dishes.

Baosheng was a little foodie and liked to research dishes with Yan Runzhi.

She commented on the dishes with great insight and made very accurate evaluations.

With her fair skin, beautiful appearance, and pleasant smile, everyone who met her couldn’t help but like her.

The chef even wished he could take her on as an apprentice and share all his skills with her.

In just one meal, Baosheng gained a friendship with a renowned chef, enriching their family’s dining experience and boosting her own knowledge, which greatly benefited her writing.

When she got home, she excitedly referred to him as “my old brother.” With this new friend, she added another activity to her routine—regularly inviting her brothers to visit the restaurant and listen to the chef’s gossip while exploring new dishes.

The children were so considerate that Jiang Lin found herself enjoying the situation, eagerly awaiting the new dishes created by her mother-in-law and daughter, and delighted by the pocket money her sons gave her.

Life was wonderfully pleasant—if not for the work.

Once she was in work mode, Jiang Lin transformed from a gentle lady into a formidable figure.

Recently, Jiang Lin had to attend a conference in the capital about the experiences and future development of the capital’s subway project, and to engage in discussions with foreign experts.

Jiang Lin had paid close attention to learning English during her undergraduate studies and even more so during her graduate studies, reading numerous English professional books and writing two full English papers.

With her children also studying English, her English proficiency was very high.

Compared to the English translators assigned for the conference, Jiang Lin’s expertise in the architecture field allowed her to provide precise translations, avoiding awkward translations that might hinder communication.

After the conference, Jiang Lin became familiar with the foreign design team, engaging in academic discussions and making plans to visit the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and study the ancient buildings in the city.

Jiang Lin was working on a project to protect ancient architecture and intended to bring a group of students.

Some British scholars specializing in this field could provide valuable insights and academic exchanges.

That day, after visiting a Qing Dynasty mansion with a few British engineers, they decided to walk to the famous Quanjude restaurant on the street instead of taking a car.

Since Quanjude reopened, it had rapidly expanded with several branches, attracting many customers daily.

A duck cost ten yuan, which wasn’t cheap, but families with dual incomes would often go once a week for a treat.

Even those with modest conditions would visit at least once or twice a month.

For those coming from other places for meetings, business trips, or trade, it was common to invite friends and family to taste the food.

Jiang Lin and her group of nine, including the foreign guests, contacted the manager to arrange a private dining room.

Before sitting down, Jiang Lin and a foreign female engineer went to the restroom and unexpectedly caught sight of a scene in a corner behind some flower screens.

A pudgy man with a lecherous grin was pressing his face against a woman’s neck, making crude advances.

“I can smell you are sweeter than roast duck, so fragrant, I want to devour you right now,” the man said as he pressed the slender woman against the wall, making smacking noises.

Jiang Lin pretended not to see, keeping her gaze straight ahead as she entered the restroom.

However, she thought the woman looked somewhat familiar.

As she turned her head to glance back when she entered the restroom, she caught Jiang Ling’s dark and sullen gaze.

What was she doing here?

Jiang Lin was puzzled but didn’t acknowledge her and went straight into the restroom.

When she came out, Jiang Ling and the man were gone.

Jiang Ling hadn’t expected to run into Jiang Lin here, feeling that fate was playing tricks on her.

She had come to network on behalf of Bian Haitao.

The situation in the provincial capital was dire; Cheng Rushan had cornered Bian Haitao with no way out, leaving Bian Haitao in a desperate situation.

Bian Haitao had previously tried to use his past connection with Jiang Lin to create public gossip, hoping to suppress Cheng Rushan and make it seem like a personal vendetta.

But Cheng Rushan wasn’t fooled.

He directly confronted him, which Bian Haitao hadn’t anticipated—Cheng Rushan was being straightforward and leaving no room for maneuver.

Was he not afraid of the situation escalating and Jiang Lin losing face?

The most frustrating part was that, contrary to his expectations, no one was gossiping about Jiang Lin behind the scenes.

Even if a few people mentioned it, others defended her, saying that Dean Jiang was not the kind of person to be involved in such matters.

Jiang Lin was seen as graceful and knowledgeable, her abilities widely recognized, and her relationship with Cheng Rushan was strong—there was no place for other men in this narrative.

Cheng Rushan had completely severed ties with him, conducting a transparent investigation and even involving colleagues from the provincial office.

It was a blatant slap in Bian Haitao’s face.

To make matters worse, the director even told him to cooperate, saying, “As long as we are upright and proper, we have nothing to fear from the investigation. Let him investigate as he pleases. I’ll lead by example, starting with me!”

Cheng Rushan was seriously investigating, and very few people could withstand his scrutiny unless they were completely clean.

How could Bian Haitao handle that?

He had no choice but to find another way.

He asked Jiang Ling and Meng Yiyi to help him build connections in the capital, either by using money or other methods, to try and get himself transferred to the capital or another provincial city.

Of course, if it were possible, he would prefer to get Cheng Rushan out of the way entirely.

Meng Yiyi, despite knowing some future events due to her rebirth, was only familiar with the lives of herself, Jiang Lin, Bian Haitao, Cheng Rushan, and a few others.

She also had some knowledge of major social events and policies, which made wealth accumulation easier, but understanding political trends was still challenging.

After all, in her previous life, Meng Yiyi didn’t have such abilities either.

Now, she couldn’t come up with a good plan and thought that using connections to get Bian Haitao transferred was the best solution.

Leaving the provincial city and staying away from Cheng Rushan and Jiang Lin was the only way to ensure safety.

Thus, Jiang Ling and Meng Yiyi went to the capital to build connections.

Jiang Ling, a renowned painter, and Meng Yiyi, a “master of destiny,” were both prominent figures.

Meng Yiyi had been studying various destiny-related books, such as Zi Wei Dou Shu and the Four Pillars of Destiny, and combined that with her knowledge of the future, which made her very convincing.

She only provided readings to people of certain status who were in trouble, which helped her build a network.

This time in the capital, a client introduced them to Hu Kun, who could help them make connections and potentially transfer Bian Haitao to an economic zone, the most lucrative place.

The client organized a dinner and invited everyone to enjoy Peking duck.

Initially, Hu Kun was impressed by Jiang Ling’s paintings.

Then he had Meng Yiyi give him advice and point out future directions.

Hu Kun immediately regarded Meng Yiyi as a master and wanted to introduce her to even higher-level leaders.