Trump card

"No."

Zhao Long continued turning the prayer beads in his hand. "I still have one last trick up my sleeve—one I haven't revealed yet."

"Boss, do you mean... Lin Xuan's memories?" his subordinate asked hesitantly.

"Exactly." Zhao Long smirked coldly. "That's the one."

"You saw how resistant Lin Xuan was to Ling back then. That's why I need to restore his memories. Once he remembers, he’ll definitely distance himself from Ling."

Zhao Long’s gaze fell onto his phone screen as he chuckled darkly. "When that happens, this loving couple’s relationship will inevitably fall apart."

Nothing pleased him more than watching devoted lovers tear each other apart.

And Ling would return to the Shang Organization.

A win-win situation.

"But, Boss, how do we make Lin Xuan regain his memories?" the subordinate questioned.

"Call him here."

After saying this, Zhao Long closed his eyes again, murmuring under his breath as he continued rotating the prayer beads.

Over the next few days, Lin Xuan stayed by Su Hua’s side. Sometimes, after she fell asleep, he would check her pulse.

Her pulse was normal.

So why was Su Hua still so weak these days?

Could it be that her episodes of frenzy were interfering with his diagnosis?

He couldn’t think of any other explanation.

It seemed he needed to find a cure for Su Hua’s condition as soon as possible.

Jiang Qing came to the study to report on work matters.

"President Su, the Han Corporation project has strong investment potential. I think we should consider allocating funds to it."

She began detailing the project.

The study door swung open.

The woman, who had been composed and healthy just moments ago, instantly transformed the moment she saw Lin Xuan.

Cough, cough, cough. Su Hua clutched her chest, coughing painfully several times.

Jiang Qing: "???"

What just happened?

President Su had been perfectly fine a second ago—how did she suddenly become like this?

"Su Hua."

Lin Xuan rushed over in concern, steadying her.

Su Hua leaned weakly against his chest.

Frowning, Lin Xuan turned to Jiang Qing. "How long have you two been working?"

Jiang Qing checked her watch. "Exactly two and a half hours."

"Mr. Lin, is something wrong?" she asked, puzzled.

"That’s too long." Lin Xuan’s brows furrowed deeper. "Su Hua is still recovering. She needs more rest."

Weak?

Jiang Qing gave Su Hua a skeptical look.

This was weak?

During the video conference earlier, President Su had spoken with such vigor.

But as she watched Su Hua feigning frailty in Lin Xuan’s arms, realization dawned on her.

She finally understood why President Su was acting this way.

She was putting on another performance.

Jiang Qing rubbed her temples.

Ever since getting together with Lin Xuan, President Su had been acting nonstop—completely addicted to the charade.

The goal?

To receive Lin Xuan’s undivided attention and keep him glued to her side.

If not for Lin Xuan, Jiang Qing would never have guessed that her boss could be this lovesick.

"How many documents are left to process?" Lin Xuan asked.

"President Su hasn’t been to the company for days, so work has piled up. These all require her review."

Jiang Qing gestured to the stack of files on the desk.

She cleared her throat awkwardly. "It’s… admittedly a lot."

Lin Xuan frowned. "I’ll handle them."

"Understood."

Jiang Qing placed the files in front of him.

She braced herself for a long wait.

"Mr. Lin, if there’s anything you don’t understand, you can ask me—"

Before she could finish, Su Hua’s icy glare cut through her.

Jiang Qing quickly backtracked. "Actually, I’m just a secretary. I might not be the best resource. You should ask President Su instead."

"Mhm." Lin Xuan responded absentmindedly.

Su Hua retracted her frosty gaze, and Jiang Qing finally exhaled in relief.

Lin Xuan bent over the documents, scribbling notes, while Su Hua lounged in his lap, idly playing with his fingers.

She tilted her head up, studying his focused profile, her crimson lips curling into a smile.

This was her Lin Xuan...

Meanwhile, Jiang Qing stared in shock at Lin Xuan’s processing speed.

How… how was he this fast?

He was even quicker than President Su!

Was he just scribbling nonsense?

Unable to resist, Jiang Qing picked up one of the completed files to inspect.

Her eyes widened.

This…

The content was flawless—not a single error.

Just what kind of monster was Lin Xuan? Not only could he skim through pages in seconds, but his insights were razor-sharp.

In less than an hour, Lin Xuan finished every document.

He tossed them back to Jiang Qing.

"Secretary Jiang, is there anything else that needs handling?"

Jiang Qing skimmed through the files once more.

"No, everything’s perfect."

"Good." Lin Xuan nodded.

"Mr. Lin," Jiang Qing couldn’t help asking, "do you have photographic memory or something?"

If not, she couldn’t fathom how he processed paperwork at lightning speed.

"I can read ten lines at a glance, and I never forget." Lin Xuan confirmed. "A little gift from the heavens."

He wasn’t lying.

It was a divine blessing.

"Hahaha…" Jiang Qing forced a laugh. "Mr. Lin, you sure know how to joke."

Su Hua, still nestled in Lin Xuan’s arms, narrowed her eyes. "Do you have more to report?"

"No, that’s all."

"Then you may return to the company." Su Hua’s tone was frigid.

"Understood."

Jiang Qing knew she’d overstayed her welcome—interrupting the couple’s private time.

She gathered the files and hurried out of the estate.

"Lin Xuan."

The stunning woman tugged his neck down. "Now that she’s gone… we can begin."

Without waiting for a reply, she captured his lips in a searing kiss.

Just as things were heating up, Lin Xuan pulled away.

He rested his forehead against hers, breath uneven.

"Su Hua, I’ve been thinking… your slow recovery might be because we’ve been too… active in bed."

"Be good. We’ll continue after you’re fully healed."

Su Hua: "..."

Had she dug her own grave?

It seemed she needed to recover quickly—then Lin Xuan would have no excuses left.

But… if she got better, he wouldn’t dote on her like this anymore.

Her gaze drifted to Lin Xuan’s wrists and ankles.

Maybe I should chain him up…

That way, he’d stay by her side forever—completely at her mercy.

Lin Xuan caught the glint in her eyes and felt a chill run down his spine.

He turned to face her fully.

"Hua Bao, what's wrong? Why are you staring at me like that?" Lin Xuan asked, puzzled.

"Nothing." Su Hua forced a faint smile.

She quickly masked the strange glint in her eyes.

She couldn’t scare her A-Xuan.

"I’m going to take a shower first," Su Hua said.

"Alright," Lin Xuan nodded.

"A-Xuan, carry me there, won’t you?" Su Hua’s voice took on a coquettish tone.

Lin Xuan couldn’t help but recall the past.

Back then, every time they stepped into the bathroom, Hua Bao would always end up wanting him to pin her down.

"Hua Bao," Lin Xuan coaxed her gently, "You’re not in the best condition right now. Try to hold back, okay?"

"What’s A-Xuan thinking about?"

Su Hua chuckled softly, "It’s just that after kissing, my legs feel a little weak, so I want you to carry me. Of course, if A-Xuan is imagining something else, that could be arranged too."

Lin Xuan: "???"

Was he really the one overthinking things, or had Hua Bao led him astray?

Lin Xuan scooped Su Hua up in his arms and carried her into the bathroom. This time, however, Su Hua didn’t tease him inside.

Lin Xuan filled the bathtub with water, testing the temperature—just right, perfectly warm.

Once everything was ready, he stepped out of the bathroom.

The woman in the bathtub watched Lin Xuan’s retreating figure, a flicker of something unreadable passing through her eyes.