The moment Tang Lingyi saw the group of men in black suits, her first thought was:
Should I have checked the almanac before leaving the house today?
Getting caught red-handed like this was absolutely absurd!
Calm down, calm down—Tang Lingyi, you must stay calm.
Even the security system couldn't tell I'm fake—maybe Tian Suimei's own father won't notice either.
"Good morning, Father. Hello, Uncle Hu, Uncle Zheng, Uncle Zhang…" Fortunately, Tang Lingyi had done her homework thoroughly—she recognized every single executive. She gave a slight bow and greeted each one politely.
However, the young man standing right beside Tian Yushu was someone she didn't recognize. But it wasn't hard to guess—he was probably the young heir of another powerful corporation. She offered him a reserved, polite smile.
What stood out most about this young man was a short, faint scar cutting right through his left eyebrow, splitting it into two.
He stood tall and well-proportioned, clearly quite tall, with a mature side-parted hairstyle. He looked to be around twenty-five. When he saw Tang Lingyi smile at him, the corners of his lips lifted slightly in return—then, turning to Tian Yushu beside him, he said coolly:
"Uncle Tian, isn't she right here?"
"Ah… uh…" Tian Yushu stammered under the young man's sharp tone. He looked flustered as he turned to Tang Lingyi and asked, "Why did you come back, Suimei?"
Hearing him address her as "Suimei," Tang Lingyi's eyes lit up—she hadn't been exposed yet! Keeping her expression perfectly natural, she replied, "I just flew in from overseas and thought I'd drop by the company."
"You—why did you have to come back now…?" Tian Yushu covered his face, his voice heavy with resignation.
His tone confused Tang Lingyi. It sounded like this father didn't actually want to see his own daughter.
But if that was the case… even better for her, right?
She quickly said, "If you don't want me here, Father, I'll leave right away."
With that, she turned to walk past them and into the elevator—but just as she reached the young man's side, he suddenly grabbed her wrist.
"Tian Suimei, do you really think you can keep treating me like a fool?" The young man narrowed his eyes. Though his lips still curved into a smile, the force of his grip betrayed his simmering anger.
"Ow! That hurts—let go!" Tang Lingyi winced, clearly annoyed.
Seeing his "daughter" in pain, Tian Yushu's face twisted with concern. "Xiao Qin, you—"
"Uncle Tian," the man named Qin Xiu cut in coldly, "don't forget your promise—if you still want to remain Chairman."
Qin Xiu showed not an ounce of deference to the Chairman of Tianye Group.
Tian Yushu opened his mouth, but no words came out. After a moment, he gave Tang Lingyi a complicated look, then slowly shook his head and closed his eyes.
Tang Lingyi was utterly baffled. From their exchange, it seemed her cover hadn't been blown—but why did she suddenly feel a deep sense of foreboding?
Qin Xiu, seeing Tian Yushu fall silent, let out a cold laugh and pulled out his phone.
"She's here. Come up and take her away."
"Let me go! I'm leaving!" Tang Lingyi tried to yank her wrist free, but after several failed attempts, she glared at him with wide, furious eyes, hoping to intimidate him into releasing her.
"You'll be allowed to leave—just not yet," Qin Xiu said, slipping his phone back into his jacket pocket.
Something felt very wrong. Tang Lingyi suddenly suspected they might already know her true identity—they were just stalling for time.
She decided to drop the act. Escape was now her top priority.
In one swift motion, she raised the arm Qin Xiu was gripping, grabbed his wrist with her free hand, twisted her body sharply, and bent forward—executing a textbook back throw.
Despite being more than half a head taller, Qin Xiu was sent flying by her momentum.
Thud!
The tall man slammed hard onto the floor.
He hadn't expected this at all—his expression was pure shock for the first few seconds after hitting the ground.
The impact forced his grip to loosen. Seizing the chance, Tang Lingyi didn't hesitate—she bolted straight for the nearest window at the end of the corridor.
As she ran, she pulled a pair of gloves from her pocket. These weren't ordinary gloves—they were equipped with gecko-like suction pads, allowing her to cling to vertical surfaces.
Her plan: leap out the window, then use the gloves to scale the building's exterior and vanish onto the roof—pulling off a real-life "disappearing act."
"Qing'er! Don't do anything rash!" Tian Yushu's desperate cry from behind actually carried a note of genuine despair.
But Tang Lingyi had already decided they were faking—it didn't matter what they said. She wouldn't look back.
Once she jumped out that window, she'd be—
Bang!
A gunshot cracked through the air.
Tang Lingyi froze mid-step—then felt something whoosh past her ear.
Crash—!
The window ahead shattered into a thousand glittering shards, raining down onto the floor.
"I'll give you three seconds," Qin Xiu's voice rang out coldly behind her. He was already on his feet, crouched low, one hand steady on a pistol aimed directly at her. "Walk back to me yourself… or I'll shoot your leg off and carry you over."
His voice held no emotion—just icy, lethal calm.
Tang Lingyi never expected he'd be armed. In this day and age, with such strict gun control and advanced legal systems, she'd never encountered anyone carrying a firearm during all her previous heists—even when stealing highly sensitive corporate data.
This single gunshot left her utterly stunned.
Slowly, stiffly, she turned around and began walking back toward him—one reluctant step at a time.
It wasn't cowardice—no matter how fast she moved, she couldn't outrun a bullet.
Not long after Qin Xiu hung up the phone, several more young men in suits arrived from downstairs. Ignoring Tian Yushu and the other executives entirely, they marched straight toward Tang Lingyi.
She didn't resist. They seized her arms and began dragging her away.
"Hey! What are you doing?! I'm Tian Suimei!" Tang Lingyi insisted, still clinging to the hope that maybe they'd mistaken her identity—or that she could bluff her way out.
Hearing this, Qin Xiu's lips curled into a smirk. He stepped forward, gripped her chin, and tilted her face up to meet his eyes.
"Of course I know you're Tian Suimei," he said softly. "But unfortunately… there's no one left in the Tian family who can save you now."
Tang Lingyi's eyes widened in shock—confusion and disbelief written all over her face.
He knew she was Tian Suimei…
Yet no one in the Tian family could save her?
What on earth was going on?!