Chapter 154
After the assistant left, Zhao Yanyan covered her face, unable to bear looking at the shredded stockings in the trash can. “This guy went out early in the morning, who knows which vixen he's gone to see.”
Then she chuckled to herself, “Speaking of which, I guess I'm a vixen too, haha!!”
Meanwhile, Su Lin, while driving, was thinking about the jade pendant Li Ziyu had given him. This pendant was no ordinary item; it contained the second needle of the Taiyi Divine Needle, the Ice Soul Needle.
Besides defense, the Ice Soul Needle could also detoxify, making it one of the extremely powerful needle techniques. Su Lin wasn't in a rush to use the jade pendant, even though Li Ziyu couldn't complain even if he did.
Upon arriving at Sihai Group, Luo Sihai hurriedly greeted him, “Ah, you're finally here. That woman has been waiting for you for a long time.”
Su Lin raised an eyebrow; the woman seeking him at this time could only be Li Ziyu. “She came early?”
“Yes, she has been waiting for an hour,” Luo Sihai said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
Su Lin was puzzled. Li Ziyu's approach might be swift and decisive, but what could scare Luo Sihai like this?
Not until Su Lin entered the rest room did he understand. Li Ziyu hadn't come alone today; two middle-aged men accompanied her.One had called hands and bulging temples, indicating mastery in external martial arts to the level of a martial arts master. The other looked scholarly but had a sharp gaze, clearly no pushover.
Su Lin sat down in front of Li Ziyu, smiling, “President Li, are you trying to intimate me today? Hostile approach?
Li Ziyu signaled the two men, who then glanced at Su Lin before stepping out. Only after they left did Li Ziyu turn to Su Lin, “Su Lin, you don't seem surprised to see me.” She had come prepared this time, determined not to be easily manipulated by Su Lin like before.
Su Lin nodded, “You have too many doubts in your mind, so you came to verify them with me.” “Actually, even if you didn't come, I would've told you about your brother Li Ziyan's death. It could really be said that he died because of me. A few days ago, Xiaoyue and I went out, and we ran into your fiancé who tried to flirt, so a quarrel ensued. He dared me to leave my name.”
“So you gave him my brother's name instead?”
“Exactly. I have to say, President Li, your fiancé really has a temper, ready to kill over anything, even his own brother-in-law, which I didn’t expect,” Su Lin said with a look of regret.
Li Ziyu only half believed Su Lin's words; she knew her brother's death was directly caused by Su Lin, who had anticipated Xiao Chen's reaction. What was the source of Su Lin's animosity towards Xiao Chen? Li Ziyu thought even if she asked, Su Lin wouldn't tell her.
“After your explanation, many doubts are cleared. My brother's death had a great impact on me.”
Su Lin shrugged, “That has nothing to do with me.”
Li Ziyu pondered what would happen if she ordered the two martial arts masters to attack Su Lin and, seeing his calm demeanor, wondered, if Xiao Chen, a martial arts master, could be so fearlessly attacked by Su Lin, could Su Lin be just an ordinary person?
If Su Lin was also a martial arts master, then the two she brought were meaningless. Su Lin could capture her in no time, potentially drawing in Su Zhenguo as well. The Qin family could seize this opportunity to intervene, complicating matters further.
“President Su, I don't care about your feud with Xiao Chen, nor do I want to know,” Li Ziyu said, looking at Su Lin with a complex expression.
“The fact remains that Xiao Chen commanded Blood Rose to kill my brother, so regardless of the reasons, he must be captured. I believe with your capabilities, you surely know where he is now. If you do, please tell me. You can name your terms.”
Su Lin laughed, “Even three masters haven't captured him, the Qin family and the assassin group are searching, and they haven't found him. What can I possibly do?”
Li Ziyu shook her head: “Honestly, logically, I also feel you might not be able to do anything, but there's a voice inside telling me you know.”
Su Lin was somewhat surprised: “You're making decisions based on feelings?”
“Not before, but after encountering you, maybe.”
“Uh...” Su Lin shook his head: “I don't know where Xiao Chen is, but I'm sure he will go to the Li family, to your grandfather.”
“Huh? Even after doing such a thing, he dares to come?”
“Heh, you underestimate Xiao Chen. He certainly dares to come, and perhaps your grandfather will personally welcome him.”
Su Lin looked at Li Ziyu and smiled: “I suppose your grandfather doesn't know about Xiao Chen's actions yet? Or he knows about your brother's death but doesn't know Xiao Chen is the one behind it.”
“This…”
“Even if he knew, he might stop you and then have you marry Xiao Chen anyway,” Su Lin said lightly.
“Why?”
“The reason is simple, Xiao Chen is the successor of the Ghost Doctor.”
“The Ghost Doctor? The one from twenty years ago?”
“Exactly.”
Li Ziyu looked disheartened: “If that's him, then what was the point of all my efforts over the years? Managing the company, raising its wealth step by step, what was the point if my grandfather decided from the start to marry me off to Xiao Chen? Managing the company was just a pretext.”
Su Lin snapped his fingers: “Smart people see through it all with just a hint.”
Li Ziyu sat numbly on the chair: “I didn’t expect grandfather would deceive me.”
“In major families, for the prosperity and development of the clan, deception is nothing; even killing is not beyond them. Like your brother, I guess he died in vain. And I won't face any issues; the higher-ups are covering for my dad, which means they're covering for me too. So, you'll be the scapegoat in the end.”
Hearing Su Lin's words, Li Ziyu surprisingly did not object. Ghost Doctor Wang Yannian, a legendary name, rumored to have no patient he couldn't cure. Many elders in families, influential figures, and even people from the capital owe him their lives.
This collective group is a significant resource, and Wang Yannian saved their lives…
If she married Xiao Chen, the Qin family would undoubtedly rise significantly… not just a level but ten levels higher. With the right maneuvers, rooting in the capital wouldn't be impossible.
This meant all her previous efforts were in vain, all for naught. Even if she expanded the Li company tenfold, the marriage alliance would still proceed.
But Li Ziyu didn’t want the marriage. She didn’t want to marry so soon, especially not to Xiao Chen. Thinking about seeing Xiao Chen last night, she felt marrying someone like him would mean a lifetime of misery.
But would her family listen to her? Clearly, no one would care about her opinion.
Seeing Li Ziyu looking as if her spirit was drained, Su Lin smiled: “Do you feel like your spirit is being hollowed out, a mountain pressing down on you, making it hard to breathe?”
Li Ziyu looked at Su Lin and pursed her lips without speaking.
Su Lin again said: “You’re not without options. Right now, you have a potential collaborator in front of you.”
Li Ziyu looked at Su Lin, surprised: “You… what’s your grievance with Xiao Chen?”
Su Lin shook his head: “I have no personal grievance with him; it’s just a matter of different stances. In this world, only one of us can exist, either him or me.”
“Why do you think I would agree?”
Su Lin lightly laughed: “Simple reason. You don’t want to be a bargaining chip in a marriage, living a life devoid of emotions, always icy cold, not daring to show even a hint of warmth or sincerity to anyone.”
“To go to such lengths shows that if there’s even a sliver of a chance, you would grasp it.”
Li Ziyu remained silent: “My mother was also married into the family through an arranged marriage. She came from a second-tier family in the capital, complementary to the Li family. So, my grandfather and her family hit it off instantly, and the marriage was arranged on the spot.”
“My mother was a lady of high society, while my father was a typical playboy. After marriage, my mother did all the housework while my father kept other women outside.”
“Did you know, in this household, except for me being born to my mother, the other children were brought in from outside by my father. And he even forcibly claimed they were born to my mother…”
“A few years ago, she couldn’t bear it anymore and passed away.”
“So, you don’t want to end up in an arranged marriage, being used?”
Li Ziyu nodded: “Su Lin, you’re right. Even if there’s a slightest chance, I will seize it. Even if it means flying into the flame, I’ll try. Xiao Chen flirting with Qin Jiumei as soon as he arrived in Donghai shows his character, and I refuse to live the life my mother did, confined to a villa all year round.”
The determination in Li Ziyu’s eyes, ready to risk her life to avoid the arranged marriage, made Su Lin admit that this version of Li Ziyu was more attractive and lethal than ever before.
Su Lin sighed: “This is the real you, isn’t it?”
“Su Lin, I can collaborate with you!”
“But he’s your fiancé!”
“No, Xiao Chen is just a stranger to me. He shouldn’t have come to Donghai. Since he’s here, he’s in my way. You’re right, Su Lin. Our stances are different; we’re destined not to coexist.”
Su Lin gave a thumbs-up. With such resolve, Su Lin admitted he didn’t possess such a level of determination.
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