Lu Linwei felt a surge of relief as if he had narrowly escaped disaster, while Gao Yingli seethed with barely concealed fury. Neither emotion, however, could overshadow Shen Ying's sharp interrogation from the other end of the line.
Her accusatory voice rang out: "Stop changing the subject. Why didn’t you answer my call? What were you doing just now?"
This attitude was a far cry from her usual nonchalance, but Lu Linwei could only think of how she had been in danger, nearly helpless, and felt she had every right to be angry.
Just as he was about to respond, the fool Shen Yao blurted out: "Brother Lu was chatting with Mr. Gao."
Lu Linwei stiffened, shooting Shen Yao a glare.
Sure enough, Shen Ying's tone shifted on the other end: "Your fiancée goes missing for almost 24 hours, her life hanging by a thread, and instead of keeping your eyes glued to the phone for updates, you’re so engrossed in conversation with Mr. Gao that you lose track of ti?"
"Tell , are the two of you the real soulmates here?"
Lu Linwei’s face twisted in disgust at the suggestion, and he hurried to defend himself: "No, I was searching for you properly. The helicopters, salvage boats, and rescue teams are still out at sea right now."
"It’s just that this bastard barged in and stirred up trouble, distracting for a mont."
Then, urgently, he asked: "Where are you now? I’ll co get you imdiately. Were you washed ashore nearby? Or rescued by fishern?"
Shen Ying scoffed. "Fishern? Rescue teams? Tsk tsk. The superficiality of our relationship truly lives up to its na."
A bad feeling settled in Lu Linwei’s chest. "What do you an?"
Shen Ying replied coolly: "I an the person who fell into the sea wasn’t at all."
"Divers were waiting the mont she hit the water. I even ran into her last night."
Lu Linwei felt his mind explode. Before he could process it, Shen Ying pressed on: "How far away were you when you saw her fall?"
"Fifty ters," Lu Linwei admitted.
Shen Ying laughed. "You couldn’t even tell it wasn’t from fifty ters away? With that kind of emotional foundation, what on earth made you think proposing was a good idea?"
This was unfair—fifty ters wasn’t exactly close range. Even in broad daylight, most people wouldn’t be able to recognize soone clearly with the naked eye.
Not to ntion, the cliff had been dimly lit. Given Gao Yingli’s resources, finding a body double of similar height wouldn’t have been hard. In the chaos, who could’ve told the difference?
But right now, Lu Linwei couldn’t muster a defense. He was practically lying flat, taking the scolding.
Shen Ying continued: "If I’d actually been in trouble, waiting for you? I’d be a corpse by now, and you’d still be playing deep-sea salvage. Are you sure you don’t secretly hate , Mr. Lu?"
"First, you put in high-risk situations, then bungle the rescue. If you wanted dead, you could’ve just said so—no need for all these theatrics."
Lu Linwei wished the ground would swallow him whole. Desperate, he said, "Don’t talk like that. Just tell where you are. You can yell at all you want once you’re back."
Shen Ying sighed. "No can do. I just picked up a side gig. We’ll talk after I’m done."
By now, Lu Linwei fully understood what she ant by "side gig."
She’d probably figured out how to extort the people who’d taken her.
But he was too furious and anxious to care about that. He wanted to tear the culprit apart.
Through gritted teeth, he demanded: "Who was it?"
Shen Ying replied breezily, "None of your business. I called to stop you from wasting more resources. Since you’ve saved on unnecessary expenses, you know who should be compensated, right?"
After two major slip-ups—one right under his nose—Lu Linwei didn’t need to be told to make ands.
"Na your price. I’ll pay you a hundred tis over. Just drop the side gig, okay? Don’t take the risk. Those people are—"
Shen Ying cut him off. "As if calling it off would make you pay less. Let’s be clear—these are two separate matters."
"If you were truly sincere, I wouldn’t have had to call and remind you."
Lu Linwei rushed to say, "It’s being transferred right now. The money will hit your account any second."
Then, hesitantly, he added, "At least tell who took you."
At this, Shen Ying’s tone took on a playful edge—
"And what would you do if you knew?"
Lu Linwei’s voice turned icy. "What would I do? If that person were standing in front of right now, I’d skin them alive and turn their hide into a rug."
Shen Ying burst into laughter, her delight unmistakable.
anwhile, Gao Yingli was grinding his teeth in fury. The woman was doing this on purpose.
She was deliberately provoking the topic, trying to make him squirm.
And she’d succeeded. Gao Yingli couldn’t help but feel a twinge of unease—not out of guilt, of course.
He just regretted coming here today with so few n. If Shen Ying really sold him out, the situation could spiral out of control.
Still, Gao Yingli remained composed. He prided himself on understanding Shen Ying well. She was a master at reading the room, and the two of them had an unspoken agreent.
She wouldn’t be foolish enough to upend the status quo without a plan, putting herself in danger.
Just as he reassured himself, Shen Ying’s voice ca through the phone:
"By the way, is Young Master Gao still there with you?"
Gao Yingli froze, disbelief flashing in his eyes.
Lu Linwei shot him a disdainful look. "He is. Why?"
Shen Ying sounded hesitant. "Don’t you think Young Master Gao is acting strange?"
Gao Yingli’s expression darkened. If she dared to expose him now, he’d have no choice but to fight his way out with the limited manpower he had.
But then Shen Ying continued: "The mont he showed up, you got news that I was safe. Doesn’t that make him your lucky charm?"
"You really ought to thank him."
Lu Linwei glanced at Gao Yingli, his face clearly conveying how little he agreed with that sentint.
Shen Ying added, "And for so reason, knowing Young Master Gao was there as a witness made decide to accept your proposal from the other day."
"He’s brought you two pieces of good news in one visit. Doesn’t that deserve so gratitude?"
Lu Linwei’s heart soared. He’d thought the proposal was dood after today’s ss.
Even Shen Ying, who had brushed off the last kidnapping so casually, had been scathing just monts ago. He’d assud she was too furious to reconsider.
Yet against all odds, she’d agreed.
To Lu Linwei, the world suddenly seed bathed in sunlight, strewn with flowers. Even that bastard Gao Yingli didn’t seem so repulsive anymore.
Following Shen Ying’s lead, he flashed Gao Yingli a triumphant smile—
"It’s true. Though you ca here with ill intentions, though your mind is filthy and your words venomous, though what I really want right now is to break your nose—"
"I still have to say: Thank you, Young Master Gao. You set the stage today for all this good news."
Gao Yingli nearly gagged. He couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
He’d co all this way at noon, wasted so much ti talking, enjoyed a re two minutes of satisfaction—only to pay for it with rage, disgust, and sheer dread.
With a stiff smile, Gao Yingli stord out of Lu Linwei’s office.
But just before the door closed behind him, he caught Lu Linwei and Shen Ying’s foolish younger brother in conversation.
The idiot Shen Yao said gratefully, "Mr. Gao is such a good man."
Lu Linwei snorted. "Good man, my ass. Stay away from him if you know what’s good for you."
Shen Yao insisted, "But he did bring good luck. For that alone, I’m grateful to him."
Lu Linwei: "Just barely acceptable. I initially suspected if he was behind it."
"But now it's confird he's not a suspect."
Shen Yao: "Why?"
Lu Linwei: "No matter how incompetent he is, he wouldn’t let soone who’s been kidnapped for less than 24 hours casually contact the outside world to reassure them."
"Who knows what kind of idiot kidnapper would do sothing like this? Even those three losers from last ti weren’t this careless. No wonder your sister couldn’t resist taking advantage before leaving—it’d be a waste not to."
He sighed and added, "As stupid as these kidnappers are, it does ease my mind a little. But I’m still worried about her."
Gao Yingli: "..."
He nearly choked back his fury as he left the Lu Corporation, too distracted to return to his office.
As soon as he got into the car, he ordered the driver, "Take ho."
Racing back ho, Gao Yingli stord in with a dark expression, demanding to know Shen Ying’s whereabouts.
He found her by the pool, lounging and enjoying a massage.
Gao Yingli imdiately dismissed the masseuse, gripping Shen Ying’s shoulders and flipping her over.
Shen Ying, drowsy from the massage, frowned. "What’s the matter?"
Ignoring her, Gao Yingli first questioned the staff around her, "Who gave her a phone?"
Assistant Liu hurried over, avoiding eye contact with Shen Ying as he cautiously replied, "Sir, no one gave her a phone."
Gao Yingli sneered, "Then was it a ghost’s voice I heard earlier?"
The staff exchanged uneasy glances. At that mont, Shen Ying leisurely pulled out a phone.
She placed it in Gao Yingli’s hand. "I don’t know whose it is. There are too many ‘mobile phones’ lying around this mansion. I just borrowed one and used it. Now that I’m done, kindly return it to its owner."
Gao Yingli glanced at the phone, then smirked coldly, gripping her chin. "You dare mock ?"
"I thought you weren’t foolish enough to misunderstand your situation. The only reason you’re still sitting here comfortably is because I expect you to entertain ."
"But if you can’t even serve that purpose, you can guess what awaits you."
Shen Ying remained unfazed. "I just wondered if Mr. Gao would rush off to provoke President Lu—and I wasn’t wrong, was I?"
Her smile didn’t waver. "Mr. Gao, though I was forced to work for free this ti, it ends here. Did you really think I’d let you take advantage of indefinitely?"
"Let make it clear—that will never happen. You won’t get a single unearned benefit from without my consent."
"Besides, your enjoynt today contradicts my interests. If I let you have your fun, I wouldn’t have called President Lu to demand compensation for my kidnapping."
She glanced at him. "Strictly speaking, President Lu is paying the ransom on your behalf. You should be grateful."
Gao Yingli let out a bitter laugh. This woman had deliberately made that call full of suspense—there was no way she wasn’t toying with him.
"Do you think I’m Lu Linwei, ready to believe whatever nonsense you spew?"
His hand slid down to her neck. "It seems you don’t take our agreent seriously."
"If you have no intention of cooperating, I won’t waste my ti."
Shen Ying t his gaze aningfully. "Who said I wasn’t working? Didn’t you feel the full force of my efforts?"
Gao Yingli scoffed. "And where exactly did you exert this ‘effort’?"
Shen Ying: "I refuse to be seen as just a tool to provoke Lu Linwei in your eyes. I won’t tolerate a mont where you don’t think of , nor will I accept you returning ho after work without rushing back to see ."
She leaned closer. "Judging by today, I’ve succeeded brilliantly on all fronts."
Indeed, after using her to tornt Lu Linwei, Gao Yingli had ended up agitated himself. He probably wouldn’t attempt this again anyti soon.
From the mont he woke up, she had been infuriating him relentlessly, leaving him seething every second.
And now, he couldn’t even finish his work before rushing back to confront her—wasn’t that proof enough?
Gao Yingli was montarily stunned by her shaless logic.
"So this is your idea of seduction?"
Shen Ying: "Seduction is too trivial. Physical attraction is fleeting—I want your heart, Mr. Gao."
Gao Yingli: "Do you think I’m a masochist?"
A knowing smirk flickered across Shen Ying’s face, making Gao Yingli’s expression darken further.
He stood and ordered Assistant Liu, "Transfer the butler, head chef, and head maid to another residence. From today, you’ll be personally overseeing her."
Gao Yingli had no intention of wasting more words on her. She needed to understand that she had no room for defiance here.
But before he could finish, Assistant Liu spoke up, "Apologies, Mr. Gao, but I must decline."
Gao Yingli paused, struggling to process that his most trusted subordinate had refused him.
He stared at Assistant Liu in disbelief.
The assistant kept his head bowed, sha-faced but resolute. "Mr. Gao, please assign soone else to oversee Miss Shen."
"I’m unfit for this task. Even if it ans demotion or dismissal, I won’t complain."
Gao Yingli took a deep breath, reminding himself that today had already been full of frustrations—what was one more?
But seeing Shen Ying leisurely sipping her juice, an absurd thought struck him.
Was this still his house?
In the days that followed, Shen Ying lived quite comfortably.
Life at Gao Yingli’s was undeniably luxurious. Though he stubbornly refused to pay her, as if to prove his superiority over Lu Linwei’s intelligence, he wasn’t stingy.
She lacked nothing in terms of comfort, and with Gao Yingli preoccupied with crushing the Qiao family, her freedom only grew.
One day, a handso young man arrived in the gardening departnt—fresh-faced, with a bright smile and a well-built fra.
While watering, his shirt got soaked, clinging to his toned torso in a rather appealing way.
Shen Ying beckoned him over with a smile. "Haven’t seen you before. New here?"
The young man smiled shyly. "No, my parents are the gardeners here. I often co to help."
Shen Ying nodded. "That’s hard work. Co dry yourself off—wouldn’t want you catching a cold."
He hesitated but, swayed by her warmth, approached and accepted her towel.
He peeled off his wet shirt and began drying himself.
His sun-kissed skin and sculpted physique radiated raw masculinity, a stark contrast to his reserved deanor.
As Shen Ying admired the view, a voice cut in—
"Should I get him a pole to dance on?"
Shen Ying replied without thinking, "No, forced displays are tacky. Unconscious charm is far more appealing."
She looked up to see Gao Yingli standing there.
Her face feigned surprise. "Weren’t you supposed to be at the office? Why are you back by noon?"
Gao Yingli sneered, "If I hadn’t returned early, I wouldn’t have known soone was treating my place like a high-end escort club."
Shen Ying replied, "That’s not possible. Going to a club would cost money."
Gao Yingli shot back, "Are you saying my place is worse than a club?"
He sat down across from her. "Go on, let’s hear how you plan to talk your way out of this one."
Shen Ying smiled. "No need for excuses. I was just catering to Mr. Gao’s tastes, as usual."
Gao Yingli narrowed his eyes. "What did you say?"
Shen Ying continued, "Doesn’t Mr. Gao enjoy taking what isn’t his? Since Lu Linwei isn’t here to satisfy your… particular preferences to the fullest, a young, handso man is the next best thing."
Gao Yingli stiffened, his gaze turning dangerous. "What did you just say I—like?"
Shen Ying chuckled. "Repeating myself would ruin the fun."
"Have you ever seen a woman spell out every step of her seduction? Analyzing the target’s personality, identifying weaknesses, guessing their kinks—those are trade secrets. If Mr. Gao wants to play this ga, let’s at least keep it fair."
Gao Yingli scoffed, "So you’re going to fra every provocation and mockery as part of your ‘strategy’ against ?"
"If that’s how Mr. Gao sees it, I can’t argue."
Gao Yingli was truly ready to teach her a lesson, but before he could speak, Assistant Liu approached.
"Sir, Miss Qiao Mingfei is outside requesting to see you."
Gao Yingli raised an eyebrow and glanced at Shen Ying. Well, this was turning into quite the entertainnt.
"Let her in."
Gao Yingli t Qiao Mingfei alone but didn’t restrict Shen Ying.
A servant led her to a reception room where Gao Yingli found the woman—usually overshadowed by Qiao Mingyue’s brilliance, appearing ek and harmless—already seated.
The mont she saw Gao Yingli, Qiao Mingfei cut straight to the point. "Mr. Gao, hand Shen Ying over to ."
Gao Yingli smiled. "I’m afraid I don’t follow."
Qiao Mingfei countered, "If you didn’t understand, you wouldn’t have agreed to see ."
"The Qiao family’s plans were ticulous. Only my uncle and cousin knew the details—neither would leak them willingly."
She stared at him, unwavering. "I asked my cousin. Before acting, he t with you and shared a drink."
Gao Yingli replied, "And? Even if you told Lu Linwei this, he wouldn’t believe you."
At the ntion of this, Gao Yingli gritted his teeth.
Shen Ying’s refusal to expose him on the phone had been key to dispelling Lu Linwei’s suspicions—along with those infuriating words he still couldn’t shake from his mind.
But Qiao Mingfei said, "Whether Lu Linwei believes or not doesn’t matter. My uncle and cousin will."
"They’re desperate for leverage against Lu Linwei’s attacks. Once they learn Miss Shen is in your hands, given the Qiao family’s current predicant, they’ll stop at nothing."
"In this conflict, you only want to discreetly profit from their downfall, not get dragged into a three-way war, correct?"
"So I see no reason for you to keep Shen Ying. If your goal is to provoke Lu Linwei, sending her to the Qiao family would achieve the sa."
Gao Yingli studied her for a mont before remarking, "What a sha. Soone as cunning as you isn’t the Qiao family’s true heir."
Qiao Mingfei’s expression twisted briefly before she regained composure. "Your decision, Mr. Gao?"
Gao Yingli said, "Your reasoning is worth considering. Wait here for a mont."
Qiao Mingfei smiled. "Take your ti."
Gao Yingli left without another word and found Shen Ying.
Amused, he asked, "Well? She made a compelling case. I have no reason to risk a ssy feud just for you."
Shen Ying feigned shock. "Really, Mr. Gao? You went through all that trouble to bring here just to show off your hospitality before handing over to the people who actually want to kidnap ?"
Gao Yingli, pleased by her apparent panic, said, "Kidnap is a strong word. The Qiao family’s original plan was to use you to eliminate Lu Linwei."
"If they’re bold enough to target him, imagine what they’d do to you."
The Qiao family’s malice was on a completely different level from Gao Yingli’s. His interest in her was driven by obsession and rivalry—though even that was more than most could handle.
Gao Yingli stepped closer. "You have half an hour at most to convince you’re worth the risk."
Shen Ying put on a pleading expression. "Mr. Gao, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have treated your ho like a male escort club or called you a masochistic freak. Please don’t give to the Qiao family."
Gao Yingli finally smiled, savoring this rare mont of her submission.
But the satisfaction quickly faded into boredom.
Just as he was about to speak, Shen Ying continued her "plea"—
"Mr. Gao, say sothing! I’m sincerely apologizing. I shouldn’t have provoked you or deliberately humiliated you in front of Lu Linwei."
"If I could do it all over, I’d definitely—definitely do it again."
Her pitiful act vanished as she stared at him coldly.
"Did Mr. Gao really think a re Qiao family is sothing I’d need you to handle?"
Gao Yingli’s pulse quickened as Shen Ying turned and strode toward Qiao Mingfei’s reception room.
A strange feeling gripped him, and he followed.
When they entered, Qiao Mingfei was unconscious on the sofa.
Shen Ying picked up a glass of water and splashed it on her face.
Qiao Mingfei stirred weakly, still dazed.
She glared at Shen Ying. "You—"
Shen Ying pointed at Gao Yingli beside her. "How dare you threaten Mr. Gao on his own turf? Haven’t you heard the stories of his ruthless younger days?"
"Did you think just because he’s been low-key lately, he’s gone soft? Soone like you, marching in here alone to make demands?"
"Let tell you—the last person who tried that ended up as shark food."
"You walked into this willingly. Did you really think you’d leave?"
Qiao Mingfei glanced at Shen Ying, resentnt flashing in her eyes despite having guessed she’d survived. Then she looked past her at Gao Yingli.
Shen Ying’s words made it clear—the two were already in cahoots.
Qiao Mingfei closed her eyes briefly. "Mr. Gao, are you really prepared to go to war with the Qiao family?"
Gao Yingli: "…!"
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