Put on a show

Jiang Qing sat in the passenger seat, nervously instructing, "Get back to Night Garden as fast as possible—find Young Master Lin!"

Only Young Master Lin could bring Su Hua back to herself.

They had to find him!

"Understood."

The driver, aware of the urgency, immediately stepped on the accelerator, and the car shot forward in an instant.

Jiang Qing kept an eye on Su Hua’s condition while handling work matters, sending a message to their business partner:

[Apologies, but President Su has encountered an unexpected situation and won’t be able to make the meeting. We’ll reschedule the collaboration for another time.]

After finishing that, she called Lin Xuan.

Lin Xuan idly swiped his phone screen and answered the call.

"Young Master Lin," came Jiang Qing’s tense voice through the phone.

Lin Xuan’s heart skipped a beat.

At this hour, Secretary Jiang should have been accompanying Hua Bao for a business meeting—why was she calling him? Had something happened to her?

"Secretary Jiang, what’s going on? Tell me," Lin Xuan said quickly.

Jiang Qing replied in a rush, "Young Master Lin, stay at Night Garden. President Su and I are coming back to you. Something’s happened to her, and we need your help."

With that, she hung up.

Lin Xuan’s brows furrowed with worry.

What could have happened to Hua Bao?

At the hotel entrance—

"Slap!"—a woman’s palm struck a man’s face with force. "Wang Peng!"

"I misjudged you. Consider my past sincerity wasted on a dog!"

With that, the woman turned and got into a car.

The man sneered and boarded another vehicle.

Once inside, the woman’s expression shifted—gone was the earlier anguish. She picked up her phone and dialed Zhao Long.

"Boss," she said respectfully.

"Did you complete the task I assigned?" Zhao Long sat in his chair, eyes closed, rotating a string of prayer beads in his hand.

"I followed your orders and performed that act in front of Su Hua," the woman answered.

Zhao Long’s fingers stilled, and his eyes snapped open. "What was her reaction?"

"Quite intense," the woman continued. "She was about to enter the hotel, but after our exchange, she turned back. Her secretary also sounded extremely tense."

Zhao Long burst into laughter.

As expected—Ling was still fixated on this matter.

He was even more confident now. Once Lin Xuan regained his memories, Ling’s heart would shatter completely.

"Well done," Zhao Long praised, a rare occurrence. "Consider this a completed assassination mission. The payment will be processed."

"Thank you, Boss." The woman’s heart swelled with delight.

"My Ling," Zhao Long murmured, lips curving. "Come back to Shang soon—this is your true home."

People like them shouldn’t be entangled in trivial matters like love.

Ling was his most prized protégé, after all.

How could she escape his control?

Everything was in place now.

All that remained was seizing the right moment to capture Lin Xuan.

Soon.

Ling would return to his side, resuming her role as an emotionless killing machine.

In the car—

Su Hua’s mind was flooded with the words Lin Xuan had spoken on the island, each syllable tearing at her heart.

The pain was unbearable.

Her eyes gradually darkened with a crimson hue. She knew she couldn’t hold on much longer.

"Find the nearest hotel," Su Hua said, voice strained.

"President Su, Young Master Lin is the best help for your condition. We should really head back to Night Garden—"

Before Jiang Qing could finish, Su Hua repeated, "Do as I say."

Jiang Qing frowned.

Something was wrong. Su Hua’s tone was unusually off.

She turned to check Su Hua’s expression—only to see the blood-red tint in her eyes.

Jiang Qing’s eyes widened.

This episode had come on faster than ever. Normally, Su Hua could last until they returned to Night Garden.

Just then, they passed a hotel—one incidentally invested in by Su Corporation.

The investment amount was minor for the conglomerate, but it still made them a major shareholder here.

"Stop the car!" Jiang Qing ordered.

Once parked, she helped Su Hua inside.

"Welcome. What type of room would you like, and how many?" the front desk clerk asked politely.

Jiang Qing flashed her employee badge. "I’m Secretary Jiang of Su Corporation. This is President Su."

The clerk’s eyes widened.

If this was President Su’s secretary, then the woman she was supporting must be President Su herself.

Only her third day on the job, and she was meeting such an important figure!

Suppressing her excitement, the clerk bowed. "Secretary Jiang."

Jiang Qing spoke rapidly, "Arrange a room for President Su. Also, ensure no guests are booked in adjacent rooms or the floor below."

"Right away."

Seeing Jiang Qing’s urgency, the clerk acted swiftly, handing over a key card.

"Here you are, Secretary Jiang."

She discreetly studied Su Hua as Jiang Qing guided her toward the elevator.

The moment they were gone, the clerk whipped out her phone, typing excitedly in her group chat:

[OMG I JUST MET PRESIDENT SU!!!]

Her friends quickly responded:

[Yeah right, like you’d randomly run into her?]

The clerk: [I swear! She came to our hotel—I saw her up close! If I’m lying, I’m a dog!]

Convinced by her certainty, the group bombarded her with questions:

[So?? How does she look? What’s her figure like?]

The clerk: [STUNNING. Unreal elegance! Perfect curves, long legs—absolute goddess vibes! She and Lin Xuan would make the most gorgeous power couple!]

Because, yes—this clerk was a devoted fan of Lin Xuan.

She and her friends agonized over his love life, convinced no woman was worthy of him.

But if they had to pick one, it had to be the most exceptional woman in Xia Country.

Su Hua—CEO of Su Corporation, wealth and influence unmatched—was their top choice.

They’d just never seen her in person, fearing she might not measure up.

[Guess everyone’s really back in school—site traffic’s plummeted. T_T]

[Loves, if you’re around, toss some free support my way. Mwah!]

[Goodnight, everyone!]