That anonymous text message was like a cold venomous snake, entwining around Su Wanwan's heart.
Do you want to keep your position as Mrs. Lu? See you at the Blue Bay Cafe at 3 p.m. tomorrow. Come alone, or else the information about Su Mingwei's return flight ticket will appear in all media emails. - Insider
Every word is brimming with threats and calculations. Go alone? This is obviously a trap. But not going? Once the news of my elder sister's return to China is exposed, all the efforts, Lu Tingchen's protection and grandpa's forgiveness will come to nothing, and it may even lead to more terrifying consequences.
What should she do? Tell Lu Tingchen? He will surely stop her and then solve it in his own way. But his way... Thinking of his cold and cruel threat to her aunt yesterday, Su Wanwan's heart turned cold. She couldn't let him resort to such extreme measures any longer, especially against those "insiders" who might have known about it.
I couldn't sleep all night. The next day, Su Wanwan's eyes had a faint bluish-black tint. Lu Tingchen seemed to have an important international meeting. He went into the study early in the morning and told her to have a good rest.
Looking at his tightly closed study door, Su Wanwan clutched the mobile phone in her pocket and finally made up her mind.
She couldn't always hide under his wings, nor could she always let him charge for her alone. This time, she has to face it on her own. At the very least, you should first figure out who the other party really is and what they want.
At two o 'clock in the afternoon, she asked the driver to take her to a shopping mall in the city center under the pretext of "having an appointment with a designer to discuss sketches". After confirming that no one was following her, she left through the side door and took a taxi to the Blue Bay Cafe.
The coffee shop has a quiet environment and not many customers. Su Wanwan chose a secluded spot by the window to sit down, ordered a glass of lemonade, her heart beating fast and cold sweat kept oozing from her palms.
At 2:58, a figure dressed in a neutral suit, wearing a baseball cap and a mask sat down opposite her.
"Very punctual, Mrs. Lu." The other person's voice was deliberately lowered, a bit hoarse, making it impossible to tell the gender.
Who are you? Su Wanwan forced herself to stay calm and stared directly into the only pair of eyes the other person had exposed, but felt a strange sense of familiarity.
It doesn't matter who I am. The other person chuckled softly, "What's important is that I know who you are - Su, Wan, Wan."
The name was pronounced by the other party in a breathing tone, like a key that instantly unlocked Pandora's box. Su Wanwan's face turned deathly pale in an instant.
"Don't be nervous." The other person seemed quite satisfied with her reaction, "I have no interest in exposing you, at least not now." I just want to make a deal with you.
"What deal?" "
It's very simple. I want the pre-determined quota for the largest variety show project of "Starlight Entertainment" under the Lu family in the next quarter. The other person came straight to the point, "To you, it's just a matter of whispering in your pillow." Having got the spot, I guarantee that Su Mingwei will stay abroad peacefully. The mess that has been stuck in Macau will also be thoroughly cleaned up by someone for you. Otherwise..."
The threat is self-evident.
Su Wanwan's heart sank to the bottom. It turned out to be for resources. If one can know the internal project information of Xinghui, the other party must be an insider, or even someone from the rival company of the Lu family. Those eyes... She must have seen it somewhere!
"I..." "I can't do it." Su Wanwan shook her head. "I never interfere in the company's affairs, and Tingchen won't let me get involved either."
"That's your business, Mrs. Lu." " The other person leaned forward, his voice lowered with a hint of mockery. "Think about it, is it easier to put in some effort to make your husband happy, or is it easier to just stand by and watch the scandal of the substitute marriage come to light, be kicked out of the Lu family, and the entire Su family be doomed?" Don't forget, deceiving Lu Tingchen and Grandpa Lu is no small matter."
These words pierced Su Wanwan's heart like knives. She bit her lower lip so tightly that it almost bled.
Just as the other person thought she had given in and was about to give more instructions, the doorbell of the coffee shop rang clearly.
A tall figure walked against the light, with steady steps and an imposing presence that could not be ignored, straight towards their table.
Su Wanwan looked up and her eyes widened in astonishment in an instant - Lu Tingchen? ! How could he be here? !
The "insider" on the opposite side also froze obviously, subconsciously trying to lower the brim of his hat.
Lu Tingchen walked to the table, not even glancing at the panicked "insider", his gaze directly fell on Su Wanwan's pale face, his brows furrowed: "Didn't you say you wanted to meet the designer?" "
His voice showed no sign of joy or anger, but it made Su Wanwan feel a sense of guilt and fear for no reason. "I..." "
Before she could reply, Lu Tingchen's gaze finally swept towards the person opposite who was trying to reduce his presence, and he coldly said, "Take it off."
Two words, carrying an unquestionable command.
The other person's body trembled, hesitated for a few seconds, and in the end, they didn't dare to resist. Slowly, they took off their hat and mask.
A face that Su Wanwan had indeed seen before was revealed - it was Lin Wei, a supporting actress from a recent hit web drama! Su Wanwan saw her following Zhao Jing at a cocktail party!
"Lu..." "Mr. Lu..." Lin Wei was so frightened that her voice was shaking, completely losing the arrogance she had when threatening Su Wanwan just now.
Lu Tingchen didn't even bother to say a single extra word to her. He directly took out his phone and dialed a number: "Come in two people. Please ask Miss Lin to 'rest' for a while and ask who gave her the nerve to come and blackmail Mrs. Lu." "
Hardly had the words been spoken when two men in black suits, expressionless, walked in and, one on the left and the other on the right, "invited" Lin Wei, whose face was as pale as death, away.
The whole process was astonishingly fast, and the other guests in the coffee shop didn't even have time to react to what was going on.
Su Wanwan was still in a state of great shock and confusion: "You..." How could you...
Lu Tingchen sat down opposite her, his expression still not looking good: "Your phone's location was abnormally off the planned route. Qin Hao informed me immediately." " He looked at her, his eyes carrying a hint of suppressed anger and lingering fear. "Su Wanwan, who gave you the nerve to come and see such a person alone?" "
Su Wanwan felt guilty and aggrieved by him. She lowered her head and said, "I can't always rely on you..." Moreover, she said that if I didn't come alone, she would expose the news of my sister's return to the country...
"So you just foolishly came and jumped into the fire pit by yourself?" " Lu Tingchen's voice suddenly rose, drawing the sideways glances of several guests at the adjacent tables. He was clearly very angry. "What do you think you can solve by yourself?" Huh? Deal with her? Help her get the project? Do you know who is behind her? Do you know how deep this is behind the scenes? "!"
His series of questions came crashing down, making Su Wanwan's eyes well up with tears. She also knew that she might have done something wrong, but being criticized so mercilessly by him still made her feel embarrassed and sad.
"Sorry..." I just don't want to cause you any more trouble... Her voice took on a tinge of crying.
Looking at her like this, Lu Tingchen's rage in his chest seemed to have been punctured by a hole, instantly spilling out by more than half, leaving only a flood of helplessness and... My heart aches.
He sighed, reached out, and firmly grasped her hand on the table, which was trembling slightly: "Su Wanwan, listen up to me."
Your biggest trouble is that you always think about not bothering me.
"You are my wife. Your business is my business. There's no such thing as causing trouble!" "
"Next time you dare to act on your own," he pinched her palm, not forcefully but with a warning tone, "I'll..."
He stopped halfway through his speech, seemingly thinking about how to "punish" her.
Su Wanwan raised her teary eyes and looked at him, "So what about you?"
Lu Tingchen looked at her red-rimmed eyes and the tip of her nose, and the remaining anger completely dissipated. He leaned closer to her, speaking in a voice only the two of them could hear, fierce yet with a hint of gritted teeth and helplessness:
"I'll tie you to my belt and take you with me wherever I go!"
These words sounded vulgar and domineering, but strangely they dispelled all the grievances and fears in Su Wanwan's heart, and even made her want to laugh a little. She imagined that scene and her face couldn't help but warm slightly.
"Let's go home." " Lu Tingchen stood up and still held her hand tightly, as if afraid that if he let go, she would run and do something stupid again.
Back in the car, Su Wanwan asked in a low voice, "That Lin Wei..." What will happen?"
She will reveal the mastermind behind it and then completely disappear from this circle. Lu Tingchen's tone was flat, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.
Su Wanwan felt a chill in her heart but said nothing more. She knew that this was his world, cruel and realistic.
After a while, she couldn't help but ask again, "Then..." The matter of my elder sister returning to her home country..."
"I've already made the arrangements." " Lu Tingchen rubbed his forehead and said, "She will 'voluntarily' go to a beautiful island with poor communication for a period of time to recuperate until all the turmoil is completely over."
He had made thorough preparations long ago. Only then did Su Wanwan finally feel at ease, and at the same time, she felt even more regretful for her rashness.
She secretly glanced at the man beside her who was closing his eyes to rest. His cold and stern profile seemed somewhat unreal in the flowing light and shadow outside the car window. He was always like this, silent but sweeping away all the storms for her.
The words, "You are my wife. Your business is my business," still echoed in her ears.
Somewhere in my heart, I became exceptionally soft.
She quietly and carefully inserted her fingers more tightly into the gaps between his fingers, interlocking them with his.
Lu Tingchen's eyes were still closed, but the force with which he held her in his reverse hand was clear and firm.
The car drove smoothly towards home.
And none of them knew that in the corner of the coffee shop, a hidden camera had already recorded most of the process of Su Wanwan and Lin Wei meeting...