Gu Xiangyun stared at Su Jin like she'd lost her mind. "A deal? With me? You must be crazy."
To her, Su Jin was no better than dirt—how dare she speak of bargaining?
But Su Jin didn't flinch. Her eyes remained steady as she calmly said, "What if Grandma found out you were the one behind it all?"
The words landed like a bomb.
Gu Xiangyun froze. Her face went pale, and her gaze toward Su Jin turned frantic. Her heart pounded in panic.
This little witch—did she really knows?
A flicker of killing intent flashed in Gu Xiangyun's eyes.
You brought this on yourself, Su Jin.
Her expression shifted into a twisted smile as she slowly moved closer, hiding a syringe in her palm. "Do you have any proof?" she asked coldly, keeping her voice steady as her hand inched toward Su Jin's neck.
Su Jin, seemingly oblivious, didn't move—until the syringe was just about to touch her skin.
Then she spoke, her tone as sharp as a blade:
"i have found a matching heart for Su Nuo."
Gu Xiangyun froze mid-step, her entire body stiffening as if struck. She stared at Su Jin in disbelief, her voice trembling. "What…" What did you just say?"
Su Jin smiled faintly, the corners of her lips curving with amusement. In this game of cat and mouse, she was no longer the prey. She had become the one pulling the strings.
"You heard me," she said slowly and clearly. "I can keep quiet about what you did. And I can make sure Su Nuo gets the surgery she needs. But that depends entirely on you."
Gu Xiangyun's heart pounded violently in her chest. For years, Su Nuo's failing health had been her greatest source of fear and despair. She had clawed, schemed, and destroyed for her daughter's survival. Now, with a compatible heart finally found, salvation was within reach.
But Su Jin's calm words were like ice water thrown over her head.
She narrowed her eyes. "What do you want?"
Su Jin gave a light laugh, slow and cold. "You really do live up to the title of Su family matriarch. Sharp, quick-witted, ruthless when needed."
She stepped forward, voice steady. "I want ten per cent of your shares."
Gu Xiangyun's face changed dramatically. Those shares—her last foothold in the Su Corporation—were the only thing keeping her influence alive. Even after her dismissal, that twenty percent guaranteed her a seat at the table… and the chance to rise again.
"Ten per cent?" she snapped, her voice rising. "Do you take me for a fool? That's half of everything I have left!"
Su Jin didn't blink. Her tone remained even. "It's the price of silence. And the price of Su Nuo's life."
Gu Xiangyun looked at her as if she were a stranger—no, a monster. She wanted to curse, scream, and slap her across the face. But Su Jin's gaze was calm, unreadable… and terrifyingly firm.
She wasn't bluffing. And she had the upper hand.
Gu Xiangyun clenched her fists tightly, nails digging into her palm. Rage and despair churned in her chest.
"You've learned to bare your fangs," she hissed.
Su Jin's smile deepened. "Only when someone tries to bite first."
Su Jin's expression remained composed, a faint smile playing at her lips. She didn't flinch, didn't show fear—just calm control.
The more composed Su Jin was, the more unsettled Gu Xiangyun became.
"Ten per cent," Su Jin repeated softly, her tone smooth and persuasive, "for your peace of mind… and for Su nuo's life. You're not losing anything, Mom. You're gaining everything you care about."
"You dare threaten me with Nuo're life?" Gu Xiangyun finally snapped, her voice trembling with suppressed fury. "The heart… it's in your hands, isn't it?"
Su Jin gave her a sincere nod and even clapped lightly, as if genuinely impressed. "Exactly. You're as sharp as ever."
She took a slow step forward and added in a tone that turned cold at the edges, "But I don't have all day. If I don't get your answer before dawn, the heart will be… unavailable. Permanently."
"You—how dare you—what are you even worth?" Gu Xiangyun's rage exploded. She raised her hand, ready to strike Su Jin across the face.
But before the slap could land, Su Jin grabbed her wrist mid-air, eyes darkening.
"Mom," she said in a low voice, her grip tightening slightly, "I suggest you calm down. If you push me… I won't be responsible for what I might do next."
Gu Xiangyun's chest heaved. She had never felt so powerless in front of this girl before.
"And with just your words," she said, struggling to save face, "why should I believe anything you say?"
"All I need is your answer. Ten per cent. Before dawn. Or the chance passes, forever."
Gu Xiangyun clenched her fists. Her nails dug into her palms, fury and desperation battling in her heart.
But Su Jin didn't rush her.
She knew the woman well. Gu Xiangyun would never let her precious daughter die—not when a heart was dangling just out of reach.
And for that heart... she would pay any price.
Gu Xiangyun naturally wanted her daughter to get better. But with her rare Rh-negative "panda blood," finding a matching donor was nearly impossible.
Now, a perfect opportunity had appeared right in front of her — like a freshly cooked piece of fragrant meat, impossible to ignore. Tempting, irresistible.
After a long moment of internal struggle, Gu Xiangyun finally made up her mind. "Fine. I agree."
She could give up her shares — but even if Su Jin lived today, she swore she'd make sure she died another day.
Hearing her answer, Su Jin smiled slightly and extended her hand. "Then it's a deal."
The winner had yet to be decided.
Gu Xiangyun gripped her hand tightly, her face still twisted with malice. "If you dare lie to me, I'll make sure you wish you were dead."
With that harsh threat, she turned and stormed out of the ward.
If she stayed a moment longer, she might truly lose control and strangle Su Jin right then and there.
Once she was gone, the faint smile on Su Jin's lips slowly faded.
Gu Xiangyun… you deserve all of this. And just watch — I will drag Su nuo to hell with me, one step at a time, until she's stuck in a place where she can't live and can't die.
When Su Jin first saw that the kidnapper was Zhou Tao, she had been stunned.
Zhou Tao, the former Su family security guard who vanished mysteriously after the old lady's birthday banquet.
And now — the same man who had dragged her into a remote alley and tried to kill her.
In her previous life, Zhou Tao had also died in a car accident under strange circumstances. This time, history repeated itself… but she made sure to twist fate.
The moment she heard he was dead brain on the scene, Su Jin's mind had already turned cold and calculating.
Zhou Tao's blood type was Rh-negative. Panda blood. Just like Su nuo's. She knew about it on her previous life, though at that time, his heart wasn't saved
As per emergency medical procedures, when the paramedics confirmed his brain is dead, they quickly preserved his heart and vital organs — rare blood types were treated with high priority for potential transplants, especially in the capital where such emergencies were logged into the national transplant registry within minutes.
But before it could be claimed by the system, Su Jin — who had rushed to the hospital with Fu Siyan — pulled every string she could.
She contacted a private medical facility and used an alias to quietly secure and store Zhou Tao's preserved heart under her control.
It was a gamble.
But it worked.
Now, Zhou Tao was dead, and his heart — the only match for Suno in years — was in Su Jin's hands.
She quickly contacted the private clinic and requested the heart to be brought to where she was
When the formalities were completed, it was daybreak.