The Utilized Pawn

“How dare you argue? Would you only confess if I sent you to the police station?”

Jiang Shuqin ordered, “Yan'er, call the police right now!”

She was determined to send Lin Xuan and this woman named Qin Ruoyao to prison for extortion!

“Understood,” Lin Qingyan replied, taking out her phone and pressing the number 1.

“No! We can’t call!” Lin Li immediately stopped her, his voice tense.

If the police got involved, they might discover his lie, and then how would the Lin family view him?

“Xiao Li, what’s wrong?” Lin Qingyan looked at Lin Li, puzzled.

Lin Li pursed his lips and said, “Eldest Sister, I don’t want to call the police. If we do, Brother Xuan will be sent to prison, and his whole life will be ruined.”

“Li'er, Lin Xuan has treated you this way, why are you still defending him?” Jiang Shuqin exclaimed, her heart full of frustration.

“Dad, Mom, even though he’s severed ties with the Lin family, he’s still your child. If he’s sent to prison, it might hurt your reputation. Besides, there’s no evidence proving that I was coerced into being with Qin Ruoyao.”

“Calling the police will only escalate the situation.”

Jiang Shuqin couldn’t contain her anger. “Then what about your reputation, Li’er? And what about the Lin and Shen families breaking ties just like that?”

Lin Chang was extremely angry, but he knew calling the police wasn’t a good idea.

“Enough.” Lin Chang rubbed his temples, feeling exhausted, “Let’s pack up and go home.”

After saying that, Lin Chang walked out of the banquet hall, his steps heavy.

“Li’er, you go back too. After you get home, take a good rest. When you wake up, everything will be better,” Jiang Shuqin said with concern.

Lin Li glanced solemnly at Qin Ruoyao. “Mom, I want to stay here a bit longer to sort things out with Qin Ruoyao.”

“That’s what you should do,” Jiang Shuqin said coldly, looking at Qin Ruoyao.

“Li’er, if you need any help, tell Mom, and I’ll support you.”

Worried about involving Lin Li’s privacy, Jiang Shuqin dismissed everyone in the banquet hall, leaving only Lin Li and Qin Ruoyao.

Lin Li walked up to Qin Ruoyao with a dark expression.

Qin Ruoyao spoke up first, “Brother Li, hear me out. The video wasn’t leaked by me. I only filmed it because, someday if we broke up, I could look back on the moments with you.”

“I have no idea how the video got out. Please believe me,” Qin Ruoyao pleaded, almost in tears.

The incident today was probably already spreading like wildfire in the upper-class circles. If Brother Li didn’t want her anymore, no one in high society would accept her.

Her dream of marrying into a wealthy family would be shattered.

She couldn’t let that happen!

“Slap!” Lin Li slapped Qin Ruoyao hard.

Qin Ruoyao was stunned. She covered her face with one hand, slowly turning her head to stare at Lin Li in disbelief.

Brother Li had actually hit her…

“Do you even know how much you’ve ruined me?” Lin Li’s neck veins bulged, his face livid.

“My marriage with Shen Qianqian, my carefully maintained reputation, all destroyed because of you!”

Moreover, news like this would cause Starlight Group’s stock to plummet.

The billions of dollars in cooperation with Shen Corporation were also gone.

This incident was disastrous for the Lin family.

Even if the Lin family believed him innocent and forgave him, this event would leave a lasting scar in their hearts.

Qin Ruoyao, with hopeful eyes, grabbed Lin Li’s arm. “Brother Li, the Shen family called off the engagement. Doesn’t that mean we can finally be together openly?”

“Brother Li, let’s get married, okay?”

Lin Li shoved Qin Ruoyao’s hand off. Before she could react, she fell to the ground.

“Qin Ruoyao, did you really think I loved you?” Lin Li stood above her, his eyes cold. “I only spent time with you because of Lin Xuan.”

“Lin Xuan…” Qin Ruoyao looked at Lin Li in shock.

What did Lin Xuan have to do with this?

Lin Li decided not to play along with Qin Ruoyao anymore. He revealed everything. “Because Lin Xuan likes you! So I wanted to take the woman Lin Xuan likes.”

“Do you know why I agreed to you marrying Lin Xuan? Because your background isn’t fit for my family. If Lin Xuan married you, he’d definitely clash with my parents.”

“Think about it, Qin Ruoyao. Does any man agree to his woman marrying another man and still stay willingly in the background as a mistress? Only a conceited fool like you could believe that!”

Qin Ruoyao’s face turned pale, her mind gradually processing the truth.

No wonder Brother Li kept encouraging her to go after Lin Xuan back then.

No wonder his expression was so cold when she told him she didn’t want to pursue Lin Xuan anymore.

From the start, she was merely a pawn in Lin Li’s game.

“Brother Li, I loved you so much, how could you do this to me?” Qin Ruoyao sobbed in agony.

“Loved me?” Lin Li laughed bitterly. “You only wanted me because of my status as a Lin family heir. You wanted to marry into a wealthy family, to climb up the social ladder.”

Lin Li crouched down in front of Qin Ruoyao, lifting her chin.

His expression was ominous. “I thought you were just a dumb woman, but I didn’t expect you to record our intimate moments. I underestimated you indeed.”

“Qin Ruoyao, you’ve caused me such a huge loss today. Once I inherit Starlight Group, I’ll make sure you can never stay in Yundu City!”

Lin Li pushed Qin Ruoyao away roughly, then straightened his suit and left.

Qin Ruoyao sat on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.

Everything was gone, utterly lost.

Outside the Royal Hotel, inside a Maybach, Su Hua, dressed in a white evening gown, occasionally looked at her watch with a furrowed brow.

Her frosty aura made the atmosphere oppressive.

Jiang Qing, sitting in the passenger seat, wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Without Young Master Lin around, dealing with Su Hua was an ordeal every second.

Young Master Lin, please come out soon.

Jiang Qing prayed in his heart.

“Jiang Qing, the Lin family has always treated Xuan poorly. Do you think Xuan might be suffering?” Su Hua said, her delicate brows slightly knitted.

“Don’t worry, Madam Su, no one can mess with Young Master Lin. Like the last time when Ye Li set such traps, Young Master Lin still beat him up badly,” Jiang Qing replied.

Su Hua squinted at Jiang Qing. “Are you implying that Xuan is violent?”

“No, no.” Jiang Qing felt the danger and quickly shook his head. “What I mean is, Young Master Lin is intelligent.”

Last time, Young Master Lin slowly cut Su Hai’s head off and beat Ye Li into that bruised state. No one could argue that Young Master Lin was a weak, vulnerable man.

It was just Madam Su’s boundless love that skewed her perception.

Su Hua’s lips curled into a proud smile. “Xuan is indeed very smart.”

“But…” Su Hua’s voice lowered, “Xuan promised me he’d finish this quickly. Almost forty minutes have passed, and he still hasn’t come out. He’s not being very obedient.”

Su Hua touched the ring on her index finger.

Not being obedient means he must be disciplined.