"Good, very good!"
Su Jin snorted coldly, staring at Su Banxia standing before him, his eyes swirling with complex emotions.
"I'm truly sorry. I can do anything else for you, but on this matter, I won't back down."
Su Banxia's attitude was unusually firm, yet when she caught the look in Su Jin's eyes, a trace of inexplicable sorrow lingered.
She had always regarded Su Jin as her only family, but unfortunately, in his heart, she had never been anything at all.
Su Jin sighed inwardly, then steadied himself and asked calmly, "Do you think, given your status, you can marry into the Pei family openly and honorably?"
"I..."
Su Banxia bit her lower lip hard, her mind in turmoil. She had never thought about marrying into the Pei family when she was with Pei Shaoze; all she had hoped for was his care and affection.
"I always thought you were a clever child, but now it seems you're nothing special."
Every word Su Jin spoke struck Su Banxia's heart like a sharp blade.
"Mr. Su, I'm truly sorry. About the acquisition of the Su family, I'll plead..."
"Don't trouble yourself with that. If you truly see me as your father, then please return Pei Shaoze to Nian Nian."
Su Jin cut her off bluntly, his voice carrying a clear note of pleading.
A bitter smile tugged at the corner of Su Banxia's mouth as she stumbled slightly. In the end, in Su Jin's heart, she was nothing but an outsider!
She had been the one fooling herself, believing Su Jin treated her like a daughter!
"I'm sorry, but I really can't help you with this."
With that, Su Banxia turned and left, but as she did, tears slipped uncontrollably down her cheeks.
Fueled by a surge of anger, Su Banxia returned to her office. Before she could steady herself, she fell into a broad, warm embrace.
"Go ahead and cry."
Pei Shaoze patted her shoulder gently, offering endless comfort.
"I'm fine."
Su Banxia instinctively tried to pull away from his arms. Over the years, she should have grown used to such unequal treatment.
All her grievances stemmed from that shred of pride within her.
"I'm here."
Pei Shaoze held her tightly, his voice cool yet carrying a unique warmth.
Su Banxia froze for a moment, then, as if possessed, reached out and wrapped her arms around him.
The atmosphere in the office was unusually harmonious, and a faint, beautiful smile crept onto Su Banxia's lips.
After the news incident passed, Su Banxia's life returned to calm. Neither Old Master Pei nor Su Jin came to bother her again, and even Su Sinian seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth.
Su Banxia knew well that Pei Shaoze was behind all this, though what exactly he had done remained a mystery to her.
But while Su Banxia's situation took a turn for the better, Fang Shiqing's life was falling apart.
Since Su Banxia left, Fang Shiqing had returned to living alone. Though it took some getting used to, she managed.
One evening after work, Fang Shiqing headed home as usual. She stopped briefly at the supermarket near her place to pick up some daily necessities.
Just as she was about to leave, a figure blocked her path.
"Manager Fang seems to be in high spirits lately."
Lin Haoran sneered at the woman before him. He had been so close to having her completely under his control!
"It's you?"
Fang Shiqing's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. She had long lost any fondness for Lin Haoran, and her expression toward him was far from pleasant.
Lin Haoran snorted coldly. "You're quite good at burning bridges, aren't you? Do you think the Lin family can't rise again, so you're in such a hurry to cut ties with me?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Fang Shiqing couldn't be bothered with him and tried to sidestep past him.
But Lin Haoran wasn't about to let her go.
He had been looking for a chance to get revenge, but unfortunately, Su Banxia was under Pei Shaoze's full protection, leaving him no opening. So he had to settle for targeting Fang Shiqing.
Watching the man act so shamelessly, Fang Shiqing felt a surge of irritation. "You're supposedly from a noble family—did your parents teach you manners like this?"
"Shut up!"
Hearing that, Lin Haoran's face twisted in anger. "If it weren't for you and that good friend of yours, would I be in this state?"
"It seems the last lesson wasn't harsh enough!"
Fang Shiqing sneered. What was the point of keeping someone who never learned from their mistakes?
Lin Haoran caught the implication in her words, and his expression shifted subtly. "Manager Fang is thriving at Dingsheng now, with a good friend backing you up. I suppose you're not short on money, are you?"
"Lin Haoran, can you have any shame? You know better than I do what really happened back then. If you hadn't set your sights on me and Banxia, would Pei Shaoze have come after you and the Lin family?"
Fang Shiqing was fed up, disgusted by Lin Haoran's smug face.
"Don't you dare bring him up! I'm telling you, none of you will get off easy!"
Lin Haoran's pupils dilated as he glared coldly at Fang Shiqing.
She just laughed off his threat. "Don't I know you well enough? If you really had the guts to go after Pei Shaoze, why would you be here blocking my way and bickering with me?"
"Fang Shiqing!"
"I'm only talking to you nicely now out of respect for our past. But I'm warning you—don't pick a fight with me, or I'll make you regret it!"
Fang Shiqing shoved him hard and brushed past him.
Lin Haoran's chest heaved with rage. Fang Shiqing's words cut through him like a knife, stabbing deep into his heart.
Without a second thought, he stepped forward and blocked her path again.
"What do you want?"
Fang Shiqing's eyes narrowed, a chill seeping into her gaze.
"It's been a while, and you're still as fiery as ever. How about this—be my girlfriend again, and I'll treat you well."
Lin Haoran said with a faint smile.
Fang Shiqing was so furious she almost laughed. "Do you think every man in the world is dead? That I'd have to hang myself on your tree?"
"I know you still have feelings for me, and I've never stopped thinking about you. Can't we rekindle what we had?"
Lin Haoran said shamelessly, staring at her.
"Get lost!"
Fang Shiqing felt utterly disgusted.