"Si Yuhuan, is this how you slept with Jiang Qing too?"
The man clenched his jaw, struggling to suppress the surge of emotion he couldn’t dispel. He propped his fist against the wall, still caging her in his embrace.
"Jian Xi, I’ll only say this once, so listen carefully. I’ve never slept with Jiang Qing."
BOOM!
Jian Xi felt as if lightning had struck her, leaving her reeling. Her entire body went numb as if electrocuted, and her mind buzzed.
What did Si Yuhuan say? He’d never slept with Jiang Qing? They’d been together for so long, and he’d never slept with Jiang Qing?
"You’ve said that infidelity within marriage is unethical, and I happen to be a very moral person, so I’ve never slept with her."
His kisses fell again, like raindrops.
Jian Xi abruptly pushed him away.
Fire seed to burn in the man’s eyes.
"I, I, I’m on my period," she blurted out a lie.
Si Yuhuan took a deep breath and stepped back under the cold shower.
Jian Xi imdiately fled the bathroom as if escaping.
She had intended to disgust him and perhaps fish out so useful information, but instead, she ended up blushing and feeling flustered.
The fact that Si Yuhuan hadn’t slept with Jiang Qing was explosive news; she really needed a mont to process this revelation.
So much so that when Jian Xi t Li Dafu, a local businessman who’d had dealings with Si Junyan, she almost arrived late for their appointnt.
Since Si Yuhuan had already guessed her purpose for being there, Jian Xi knew she had to accelerate her plans.
They were like grasshoppers tied to the sa string; she couldn’t trust Si Yuhuan not to shield his beloved brother.
Jian Xi’s temples throbbed. She pushed open the door and entered the café.
"Miss Jian, hello! I hear you’re interested in the local oil field business. You truly are a woman of valor!"
Using her elder brother’s na, Jian Xi had found it quite easy to arrange etings with local tycoons.
Li Dafu was one of them: young, with a net worth exceeding one hundred million, known for his precise investnts, and a prominent private entrepreneur in the region.
"It’s just the family business; we’re managing."
At the ntion of family, Li Dafu’s eyes glead with even greater interest.
Jian Xi smiled faintly. After a brief chat, Li Dafu was clearly eager to curry favor. Jian Xi seized the opportunity to ask about Si Junyan.
"The Si Family operates on a grand scale too. They invest hundreds of millions in afforestation projects without batting an eye—projects that are basically just burning money for show. But miraculously, it caught the attention of soone important up high and received the green light. Naturally, that smoothed the path for all subsequent comrcial construction projects. It just goes to show, the magnates from Beijing really have the ans, foresight, and boldness."
"We can only hope to get so scraps. This private oil field project is the most lucrative deal in the current bidding, but the investnt required is too large for the few of us local players to swallow on our own. That’s why we’re considering partnering with large groups and corporations."
"Miss Jian? What are you thinking about?"
Jian Xi snapped back to reality. "So, you didn’t consider approaching Si Junyan again?"
"Of course we did! But he wouldn’t give us the ti of day and went straight back to Beijing."
Jian Xi keenly noticed a fleeting look of resentnt on Li Dafu’s face. "He seems quite heartless."
"People of his background and status are naturally heartless. Even those who’ve helped him might not be given a second thought. What do we count for in his eyes?"
"Were you the one who arranged the introduction to that high-ranking official?" Jian Xi asked tentatively.
His eyes widened abruptly. "How did you know?"
Jian Xi rely smiled without speaking.
As Li Dafu rambled on, Jian Xi learned that Si Junyan hadn’t faced any so-called hardships after arriving. Instead, he had been solely focused on currying favor with the right people, doing so with precision. He quickly achieved results, built a good reputation, and returned to Haohan Group in glory.
No wonder Si Yuhuan couldn’t do anything about him, at least for the ti being.
Having managed company affairs herself, Jian Xi had also co to understand the intricate machinations of business. To a certain extent, she admired Si Yuhuan. He managed such a large company so well, placing everyone in suitable roles to ensure operations ran exceptionally smoothly.
Take Si Junyan, for example.
「In the evening, she returned to the hotel.」
Si Yuhuan, clad in pajamas, sat on the sofa, a glass of red wine in hand. Despite his casual attire, he exuded the innate aura of a dominant emperor—a quality Jian Xi had once been utterly captivated by. Seeing it again now, she couldn’t help but feel her heart stir.
Pathetic. Such weaknesses resurface countless tis.
She fought to keep her gaze from drifting towards the sofa. Her tone was indifferent and mocking as she said, "Did the hotel run out of rooms? It must be such an imposition for Director Si to condescend to stay in my room."
"Shouldn’t a married couple share a room?"
Jian Xi glared at him. "Who’s married to you? We’re getting divorced soon."
"It seems you didn’t find what you were looking for. Are you upset?"
Si Yuhuan took a sip of red wine, his arrogant, condescending face practically begging to be punched.
"You had soone tailing ?" Jian Xi gritted her teeth.
"With all your unsubtle inquiries, you’ve practically announced your arrival to the entire Northwest Region. Did I really need to have you followed?"
Jian Xi’s pretty face flushed. "None of your damn business."
"Crude." Si Yuhuan poured a glass of wine and pushed it toward her. Jian Xi pushed it back.
She was pregnant! How could she possibly drink alcohol!
In Si Yuhuan’s eyes, however, she was rely throwing a childish tantrum. He wasn’t angered. "You still want revenge on Junyan?"
Jian Xi sneered inwardly. She longed for more than just revenge—she wanted him dead!
"What? Feeling sorry for him?" She blew on her fingernails. "He took a massive loan, risking everything, to win back the board’s approval and return to Haohan Group. That was part of your design, wasn’t it?"
She had figured it out on the way back. Si Yuhuan, that cunning businessman with extensive connections, couldn’t possibly have missed the loopholes that even she could spot. There was only one explanation: he had deliberately let it slide. A balancing act.
"Smart." Si Yuhuan didn’t bother to hide it. "He borrowed money, so he’ll have to repay it. Although he has achieved success and fa, he’ll have to slave away for Haohan Group from now on."
Actually, the biggest reason was punishnt. The ordeal of borrowing and repaying loans was a considerable hardship for Si Junyan, serving as a punishnt in disguise—a punishnt for soone’s sake.
"Cunning!" Jian Xi was genuinely frightened. "To think you could sche against and exploit your own brother to such an extent... It’s terrifying."
Si Yuhuan was sowhat exasperated. He had punished his brother for soone’s sake, yet that person, instead of being grateful, now feared him as if he were a demon.
Jian Xi felt a lingering fear. In her past life, Si Yuhuan had actually gone easy on her. Otherwise, with his skill at manipulating people’s hearts, even dying without a burial place would have been a light sentence for her. He was truly terrifying.
"Jian Xi, you were the one who said you wanted him punished!"
Jian Xi took a deep breath and nodded. "Thank you."
The words sounded incredibly sarcastic.
Si Yuhuan abruptly stood up.
"Si Yuhuan, I don’t have the strength to argue with you. I just want to ask one thing of you." She humbled herself, her tone softening. "Whatever happens in the future, however things turn out, please spare the Jian Family. This is all on ; don’t involve them."
"What are you planning to do?"
"I just need your promise."
"Fine." Si Yuhuan’s cold gaze remained fixed on her.
Jian Xi pursed her lips, suddenly feeling completely drained.
When a shocking truth surfaces, and you discover that the instigator behind it all was the person once closest to you, anyone with flesh and blood would probably feel a lingering fear. Despite laying countless plans, one still fears defeat. That’s human nature. She was no exception.
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