You two have such a great relationship

Lei Hui shook his head with a click of his tongue as he watched the surveillance feed from the hospital room.

How could Lin Li be such a good actor? He should’ve just become one—specifically, the kind who plays eunuchs.

Inside the hospital room, the heartwarming scene of a devoted mother and her filial son continued to unfold.

"Li'er, this was all Lin Xuan’s scheme. Mom doesn’t blame you. You’re a victim in all this too, so don’t take all the responsibility on yourself, understand?" Jiang Shuqin feared Lin Li might actually go through with suicide.

Lin Xuan had already cut ties with her, and her three daughters often sided with him now. Lin Li was the only one who still listened to her.

She couldn’t afford to lose him.

"But Mom, I really don’t want to live anymore. Life is just too painful," Lin Li sobbed.

"Li'er, you must live—and live well! If anything happens to you, I won’t go on either," Jiang Shuqin declared.

Hearing this, Lin Li immediately dropped the knife in his hand.

"Mom, I’ll listen to you. I won’t hurt myself, so please don’t do anything reckless either," he pleaded urgently.

"Good, good. Mom won’t do anything rash."

Seeing that Lin Li had truly abandoned his suicidal thoughts, Jiang Shuqin finally relaxed slightly.

"Li'er, I’ll go to the police later. Mom will make sure justice is served for you," she said firmly.

The police?

Panic flashed in Lin Li’s eyes.

"Mom, no! You can’t report this!" he blurted out nervously.

"Why not?" Jiang Shuqin frowned. "We didn’t go to the police before because we were afraid Lin Xuan would use his connections to sweep it under the rug. That’s why we made a scene at the hotel instead. But now that the hotel can’t prove Lin Xuan was behind it, the police are our only option."

A thought struck her, and her frown deepened. "Li'er… don’t tell me you’re worried about Lin Xuan going to jail?"

The more she considered it, the more convinced she became.

"Li'er, after everything Lin Xuan has done to you, how can you still protect him?" she scolded, exasperated.

Lin Li’s expression darkened.

Protect Lin Xuan? He’d sooner wish for the man to rot in prison for life.

But this was his own scheme. If the truth came out, even the Lin family would abandon him.

"Mom," he said, his eyes reddening, "Lin Xuan’s influence is terrifying. What if he fabricates evidence and turns this around on me? What if I’m the one who ends up arrested?"

Jiang Shuqin slumped into a chair.

It was true. If Lin Xuan could fake surveillance footage, there was nothing he couldn’t manipulate.

Lin Li bit his lip. "Mom, let’s just drop this. I’ll try my best to forget what happened."

Jiang Shuqin stroked his hair, her face filled with guilt. "Li'er, I’m sorry. Mom failed to protect you."

Lin Li shook his head. "It’s not your fault, Mom. I’m just… unlucky."

His fists clenched imperceptibly.

If only things had gone the way they did in his dream…

Meanwhile, employees at Su Corporation were also discussing Lin Li’s situation.

"Tsk, tsk. Lin Li actually tried to frame Young Master Lin. He should be grateful he failed—with how fiercely our CEO Su protects her man, he’d be in for a world of suffering otherwise."

"I almost feel bad for Lin Li. First, he gets turned into a eunuch, then he ends up with those two men… I’ve never seen anyone suffer so spectacularly. But hey, he brought it on himself."

As Huo Shen passed by, he overheard their chatter and frowned. Pulling out his phone, he skimmed through the trending posts about Lin Li on Weibo.

What an idiot.

To think Lin Li could fall for Lin Xuan’s trap!

He’d originally considered collaborating with Lin Li to deal with Lin Xuan, but clearly, that was off the table now. Working with Lin Li would only expose him.

He needed a plan—one that would permanently separate Su Hua and Lin Xuan without leaving a trace back to him.

Just then, Lin Xuan arrived at Su Corporation, lunchbox in hand.

The employees immediately recognized it as his usual delivery for Su Hua and greeted him warmly.

"Young Master Lin, here to bring lunch for CEO Su again?"

"Young Master Lin, good afternoon!"

"Young Master Lin…"

Their enthusiasm was palpable.

"Good afternoon," Lin Xuan replied with a smile.

One of his admirers in the office blushed.

"Young Master Lin smiled at me! He’s so handsome when he smiles. If he weren’t dating CEO Su, I’d be tempted to snatch him up myself."

"Are you trying to get yourself fired? If CEO Su hears you, you’re done for," her colleague warned.

She quickly covered her mouth.

Better keep those thoughts to herself. Showing too much affection for Young Master Lin was dangerous—Su Hua was fiercely possessive of him. If she found out, her job would be on the line.

Su Corporation was a top-tier employer. The workload might be heavy, but the pay was excellent, and having it on her résumé would open doors anywhere. She couldn’t afford to lose this.

Huo Shen had just finished gathering information on Lin Li when Lin Xuan appeared.

Spotting him from a distance, Huo Shen clenched his fists.

Lin Xuan noticed him too and deliberately walked over.

"President Huo, long time no see," he said with a smile.

Despite his hatred and disdain for Lin Xuan, Huo Shen maintained his composure.

"Young Master Lin, it has been a while," he acknowledged with a nod.

"I’m here to bring Hua’er her lunch," Lin Xuan said, lifting the lunchbox slightly.

Huo Shen’s fists tightened, his eyes darkening.

He knew Lin Xuan was here to gloat—again.

Every time they met, Lin Xuan made sure to flaunt his relationship with Su Hua, rubbing their intimacy in his face.

Huo Shen remained silent.

Lin Xuan sighed dramatically. "Hua’er and I stayed up a bit too late last night."

Huo Shen’s brow furrowed.

Stayed up late? Doing what?

As if on cue, Lin Xuan touched a spot on his neck, his lips curling into a smug smile.

There, barely visible, was a faint bite mark.

The implication was unmistakable.

Huo Shen’s expression nearly cracked.

Last night, Su Hua and Lin Xuan must have—

The mental image of them tangled together made Huo Shen’s blood boil. He wanted to tear Lin Xuan apart.

Lin Xuan continued, "Since we stayed up late, I was exhausted today and just wanted to rest. But Hua’er is so clingy."

He feigned exasperation.

"Ever since we got together, she’s been glued to me. She used ‘wanting my cooking’ as an excuse to see me, so here I am, delivering lunch like a dutiful boyfriend."

Huo Shen’s self-control was hanging by a thread. He wanted nothing more than to wipe that smug grin off Lin Xuan’s face.

Taking a deep breath, he forced a smile. "Is that so? You and CEO Su must be very close."

Lin Xuan’s smile widened. "Of course we are."

Yan Xi reminds you: Due to Tomato's request volume exceeding 3 million+ daily, causing excessive server pressure, we now recommend using sources from other major providers.