Chapter 176 - 176: 174: Emerging Shadowy Hands Behind the Conspiracy (1)

Translator: 549690339

The Xin Family’s villa.

Xin Zaozao returned to her room, lying on her bed.

She was finally able to fall asleep after learning of Mu Cidian’s distress.

Her eyes are closed.

At this moment, the image of Mu Cidian holding a photo and staring blankly at a picture of him and Wu Qianyuan appeared in her mind.

A sarcastic smile played on her lips.

As expected, to Mu Cidian, she was just an object for his amusement.

Without any emotional attachment.

She rolls over, feeling there’s nothing to argue about.

She even felt fortunate that Mu Cidian didn’t like her, so she could take her revenge so ruthlessly.

Xin Zaozao fell asleep in a daze.

After almost staying awake all night and exhausting a great deal of energy today, she was really exhausted.

So exhausted, she didn’t even know what time she slept until.

When she opened her eyes, it was already dark outside the window.

She turned her head to look at her phone, which had been ringing incessantly.

She didn’t know how long it had been nagging at her ear before it finally woke her up.

She took a look at the caller ID, pursed her lips slightly, and answered, “Hello.”

Her voice was already hoarse.

Today’s strained voice led to her difficulty in speaking. At this moment, she still bit into the pain in her throat, speaking.

“Xin Zaozao, let’S meet.” Wu Qianyuan said.

Xin Zaozao’s gaze shifted slightly.

She got up from the bed and stepped onto the balcony.

The dusk had just come, the villa in the suburbs seemed particularly quiet.

She asked, “Where?”

“I’ll send you the address.”

“Hmm.”

After hanging up the phone, she received a message from Wu Qianyuan.

She looked at the map coordinates, took a deep breath, entered the bathroom to freshen up, and then went out.

In the living room, Wan Quan was watching TV while eating fruit.

Xin Zaozao went straight out.

Looking at her retreating figure, Wan Quan said loudly, “Vixen, you can’t sit still at night, are you going out to seduce men again?

Xin Zaozao really didn’t want to say a word to Wan Quan, especially since her throat was hurting, but at this moment, she still paused, saying, “That’s right, I’m going to seduce some men.”

Wan Quan sneered, “Cheap woman.”

‘Yes, I am a cheap woman, but your son is very fond of me!” Xin Zaozao said deliberately.

Wan Quan was shaking with anger. Xin Zaozao said, “Unfortunately, I look down on your son.”

Having said that, she walked away.

At that moment, Wan Quan was so angry that she threw the glass fruit plate in front of her, shattering it on the ground.

She wished she could strangle Xin Zaozao to death.

At this moment, on the second floor, Mu Cidian calmly watched everything downstairs, holding some of Wu Qianyuan’s unsorted belongings and descended the stairs.

Downstairs, Wan Quan was still exploding with anger. Seeing Mu Cidian appear, she shouted sharply, “Mu Cidian, where are you going!”

“I’m taking Qianyuan’s stuff over.”

“Are you blind? Why would you want that bitch Xin Zaozao when Wu Qianyuan is such a good woman?

She’s been touched by how many men, aren’t you disgusted?”

“Enough.” Mu Cidian said to his mother, “I know exactly what Xin Zaozao is like, I don’t need you to remind me time and time again.”

“Mu Cidian!”

“I know what I’m doing!” Mu Cidian dropped those words and left.

Watching her son’s retreating figure, Wan Quan felt even more infuriated.

She got so angry that she swept everything on the coffee table in front of her onto the floor.

One day, she would make Xin Zaozao wish she was dead!

At this moment, Xin Zaozao had already driven to the place where she and Wu Qianyuan had agreed to meet.

She parked the car, and under the guidance of the waiter, walked into a VIP room in the restaurant.

Only Wu Qianyuan was in the room. Even though she had applied makeup, her eyes were obviously swollen from crying all day.

Xin Zaozao pursed her lips and walked over with a cold demeanor.

Wu Qianyuan looked up at her, “Sit down.”

Xin Zaozao sat down across from Wu Qianyuan.

They were both a bit awkward.

Having lived under the same roof for a while, even though Wu Qianyuan had always been friendly, the two of them didn’t have any intersection, let alone any emotional connection.

Wu Qianyuan took the initiative to speak, and at that moment she spoke bluntly, “Are you really seeing Mu Cidian?”

Xin Zaozao’s eyes shifted slightly.

It wouldn’t be fair to say that there was something going on, but they did have a complicated relationship.

At that moment, she didn’t answer.

There were things she didn’t want to voice too clearlyu They would be hurtful to both parties, so why tear each other apart?

“I really didn’t see it coming! ” Wu Qianyuan scoffed, “If it weren’t for my father showing me the video, I would never have believed that you and Mu Cidian had this kind of relationship!”

“Hmm,” Xin Zaozao gave a noncommittal response.

She chose not to explain.

She didn’t explain that the relationship she had with Mu Cidian was purely physical.

At least, to Mu Cidian.

While Mu Cidian did have feelings for Wu Qianyuan.

But she didn’t say it.

By saying it, all her hard work would have been in vain.

She had rather go to hell and not let those people die a good death! “When did it start between you two?” Wu Qianyuan asked persistently.

“Why ask so clearly?” Xin Zaozao was direct. “I want to know just how foolish I’ve been.”

“Since I was 18.”

The moment Xin Zaozao’s words came out, Wu Qianyuan’s face turned pale.

She glared at Xin Zaozao.

18 years old?

At 18, Xin Zaozao is now 23 years old.

This means that they have been entangled for five years, even before she got together with Mu Cidian, he had already been with Xin Zaozao.

She had always naively believed that it was Mu Cidian’s first time, just like her… “Who initiated it?” Wu Qianyuan asked Xin Zaozao, resisting the urge to break down.

“Does it matter?”

“It matters!” Wu Qianyuan lost control of her emotions at that moment, her voice was loud.

Xin Zaozao said, “It was me.”

She wasn’t a total jerk.

She had no reason to deliberately harm someone who had little to do with her and had no grievances with her.

So she added at that moment, “That night a few days ago, it was also me who initiated it…”

“Slap!” Wu Qianyuan suddenly stood up from her seat in a rage and slapped Xin Zaozao’s face.

Xin Zaozao just took it.

There were very clear handprints on her pale face in an instant.

“Why are you doing this! If you want to take revenge, take it on Mu Cidian’s mother, why involve the innocent? You don’t know how much I like Mu Cidian, you don’t know how much I like him!” Wu Qianyuan, who had just slapped Xin Zaozao, was crying even harder than Xin Zaozao.

Xin Zaozao silently faced Wu Qianyuan’s cry.

She didn’t know how to comfort her, and certainly couldn’t at this moment.

She just looked at her, as she cried her heart out.

She thought, she didn’t need to stay any longer.

She had explained things clearly, she had hit her, she could only do this much.

Xin Zaozao stood up, “I’ll leave first.”

Wu Qianyuan just looked at Xin Zaozao’s indifferent face.

Didn’t this woman have a heart?

How could she be so indifferent, how could she be so emotionless. “Xin Zaozao, have you ever loved someone?” Wu Qianyuan asked her.

“No.” Xin Zaozao was straightforward.

“So you’ll never know how painful it is to not be with the one you love.”

Yes.

She thought as well, she didn’t know. Xin Zaozao walked towards the door.

Her steps suddenly paused.

The door of the dining room had been half open at some point, and Mu Cidian was standing there.

Xin Zaozao just looked at him indifferently.

Mu Cidian also looked at her the same way.

He saw the rosy mark on her face, he saw Wu Qianyuan’s heavy slap land on her face.

Xin Zaozao passed Mu Cidian, wanting to leave.

At that moment, she suddenly stopped.

When Mu Cidian was about to walk into the room, she reached out and grabbed Mu Cidian’s hand.

Someone’s body stiffened suddenly.

Someone’s heartbeat sped up suddenly.

Xin Zaozao’s action successfully got Wu Qianyuan•s attention.

Wu Qianyuan had arranged to meet Mu Cidian, she wanted to clear things up, clear things up in front of Xin Zaozao, but Xin Zaozao did not seem to want to say much.

And at this moment.

At this very moment…

Wu Qianyuan felt as if she was about to explode.

Then came an even more devastating thing.

She watched as Xin Zaozao tiptoed up, her lips moved close to his cheek and kissed him on the face.

Wu Qianyuan’s body felt like it had been drained, she just stared at them.

She even saw Mu Cidian’s suppressed emotions, even his eyes seemed to be trembling.

No.

Mu Cidian is a composed person, he is disciplined and introverted, he never shows his emotions.

He’s always like this with everyone.

With everyone…

He’s just not good at expressing himself, but he loves me.

But at this very moment, this very moment.

She couldn’t deceive herself.

She watched Xin Zaozao walk away cheekily after the kiss.

Leaving Mu Cidian standing there, not moving.

The luggage bag he was holding in his hand, he was holding onto it tightly, restraining himself.

Xin Zaozao quickly returned to her car in almost a trot.

She gripped the steering wheel tightly, her eyes fixed on the windshield in front of her.

That was intentional just now.

She didn’t want Mu Cidian and Wu Qianyuan to reconcile.

If they reconciled, all her efforts would be in vain.

So she kissed Mu Cidian.

She turned her eyes, picked up the napkin next to her, and wiped her lips hard.

Only when she was sure she had wiped herself clean, did she start the car and drive away.

The next day.

Jin City news, front page headline.

The Wu family issued a statement, due to incompatible personalities, Wu Qianyuan and Mu Cidian have amicably broken up and have broken off their engagement.

The news was not much, just describing a few small issues of the two people, the reason for the break-up was very simple, no explanation was given, the purpose was merely to inform the world of the fact that they had broken up.

As soon as the news came out, it instantly topped the headlines in Jin City.

The engagement banquet of the two was very grand, everyone knew that at the present special period of Xin Family, Mu Cidian couldn’t possibly choose to break up the engagement at this crucial moment, that would be digging his own grave. But the fact that it really happened in the end, was unbelievable.

Xin Zaozao sat in her office, just casually glancing at the news.

Yan Quan had just poured her a cup of warm boiled water, put it in front of Xin Zaozao, and said, “I don’t know what Mu Cidian has done to offend Director Wu. Not only does she not let her daughter marry him, but she even asks him to support you.”

Xin Zaozao didn’t explain.

She found some matters difficult to broach, and subsequently uncomfortable to discuss.

Even though Yan Quan did not receive a response from Xin Zaozao, he didn’t ask further. He stated, “Regardless of the situation, it’s beneficial for us. The bidding for the Commercial Management’s project is all but finalized. At least we’ve successfully taken our first step.”

“Hmm.” Xin Zaozao nodded.

He was right.

At least, she had taken the first step in her life.

This step was crucial!

Meanwhile, in the diagonally opposite office.

Mu Cidian sat quietly on the chair in his office.

Several important board members sat in his office, gathered together, pondering on how to oust Xin Zaozao.

“Cidian. ” One director, gazing at the silent Mu Cidian, called him, “Do you have any ideas? Now that Xin Zaozao has won over Director Wu and Director Zheng, adding their shares to Xin Zaozao’s, she will call the shots for all the group’s future decisions!”

Mu Cidian’s gaze faltered, he asked, “Did Xin Zaozao privately raise 300 Million? Where did these funds come from?”

The other directors stared straight at Mu Cidian.

Mu Cidian continued, “As far as I know, Xin Zaozao’s personal account has no more than 10 Million at most. This was living expenses her father gave her when she went abroad to study. Other than that, she has no other income. Even with the wealth of stocks and properties her father left behind when he passed away, she couldn’t use these assets since it’s not yet decided how they should be distributed. To put it bluntly, Xin Zaozao doesn’t have a lot of extra money.”

“So…” One of the directors glanced at Mu Cidian.

“The only valuable resource that Xin Zaozao currently controls is her share in the Xin Family.”

“You mean, Xin Zaozao might sell her shares?” A director suddenly realized. As expected, Mu Cidian was intelligent, others hadn’t thought of this angle.

Mu Cidian wasn’t certain either.

Logically, Xin Zaozao should hold on to her shares during this crucial period for safety. Selling her shares would only add fuel to the fire, but maybe, for the sake of achieving results, Xin Zaozao might take the risk. However, he couldn’t guarantee this.

He suggested, “Let’s all pay attention to see if there will be any share transactions. We don’t have to worry about Director Wu’s side, let’s see if Xin Zaozao is using her shares to win over Director Zheng.”

“Okay, I get along quite well with Director Zheng, I will go and inquire.” A director responded promptly

Mu Cidian nodded subtly.

At this moment, he looked out the floor-to-ceiling window at the vibrant Jin City.

Xin Zaozao, I hope she won’t be naive enough to make such a mistake.

Commercial Management.

Song Zhizhi also saw today’s headline news.

Mu Cidian and Wu Qianyuan have broken off their engagement. It was clear that breaking off the engagement at this critical juncture was extremely detrimental to Mu Cidian, so without needing to think about it, it could be deduced that it was Xin Zaozao’s “merit”.

Song Zhizhi smiled thinly.

It seemed, the emergence of a new businesswoman was near!

She put down her cellphone, her face suddenly turned serious.

Ever since she left her father’s office and spotted the cup of tea Liu Zizhong had made for him, she had been fretting incessantly. After pondering for two days, she ultimately decided it wasn’t wise to dismiss the matter lightly. Even if it was a misunderstanding, any action was better than overlooking it leading to a tragic outcome.

She opened the chat app and messaged Ji Baijian.

Zhizhi for Zhizhi: Do you remember testing my father’s blood and finding the chronic stimulant from Aspergillus niger?

Ji Dabai: Have you discovered something suspicious?

Ji Baijian was always so clever.

No matter what she said, he seemed to understand what she was going to say next.

Zhizhi for Zhizhi: I dropped by my father’s office the other day. I saw that he has the habit of drinking tea. Naturally, his teacup is personal to him, and his assistant prepares the tea. But… I don’t want to suspect Liu Zizhong.

Ji Dabai: Yet you are suspecting him.

Song Zhizhi bit her lip.

In front of Ji Baijian, it felt like she wasn’t wearing any clothes, she was utterly transparent.

Ji Dabai: Don’t harbor ill-intent towards others, but always stay vigilant. Figure out a way to get your father’s tea, I will help you test it.

Zhizhi for Zhizhi: Okay.

Ji Dabai: We’ll have our pre-wedding photoshoot this weekend.

Song Zhizhi was taken aback.

That activity was still scheduled.

She almost forgot.

Ji Dabai: No time?

Zhizhi for Zhizhi: No, there is. The bidding meeting is tomorrow. Once the bidders for each project are confirmed, there won’t be any pressing matters for me. I won’t need to oversee the latter stages of this project.

Ji Dabai: I will pick you up on Saturday.

Zhizhi for Zhizhi: Okay.

Then Ji Baijian logged off the chat.

Song Zhizhi closed the chat app too.

She looked up, contemplating how to obtain her father’s tea unobtrusively, without arousing suspicion.

After some thought, she became increasingly impatient.

Song Zhizhi rose from her office chair, not wanting to waste a single second. She reached for the small cup on her desk and headed for her father’s office.

At this early work hour, her father typically arrived a bit toward the later side. When Song Zhizhi went to find him, her father wasn’t in yet. Only Liu Zizhong was in his office, arranging work schedules for the day and preparing a cup of tea, already placed in front of her father’s desk. Upon seeing Song Zhizhi, he appeared very composed and respectful, “Miss Song, you’re looking for your father? He will be a bit late.”

“It’S no problem, I’ll wait for him a bit.”

Liu Zizhong nodded.

After tidying up her father’s office desk, he respectfully stood in the room.

Song Zhizhi said, “Uncle Liu, you don’t have to attend me, I’ll wait for a bit alone, you can go on with your work.”

Liu Zizhong seemed to hesitate at that moment, then slowly responded, “Alright, if Miss needs anything, just call for me, I’ll be outside.”

“Okay.” Song Zhizhi smiled sweetly, without any trace of abnormality.

Liu Zizhong left the office.

Only after Song Zhizhi was certain that he was gone did she hastily pick up her father’s teacup and opened it.

Then she quickly poured some tea from her father’s cup into her own cup.

Just as she finished,

Her father entered the office, followed by Liu Zizhong.

Song Shan saw his daughter and smilingly began to speak as he directly took his teacup, “You needed me for something? Why didn’t you say at home?”

The first thing to do in the office was to take a sip of tea, a habit Song Shan had had for many years.

Song Shan opened the teacup, his brow furrowed, “Assistant Liu didn’t fill the tea today.”

Liu Zizhong’s brow also seemed to furrow.

At that moment, Song Zhizhi’s heartbeat also inexplicably quickened.

As if she were the one who had done some wrongdoing.

The next second, she acted normally, leaning affectionately near her father, “Dad, it’s just a sip of your tea, you’re making a big deal out of it. Liu Uncle is so busy with your work from early morning, yet you’re always late for work and still have the audacity to criticize people?”

“Alright, alright, I was just saying, you make it sound so serious.” Song Shan indulgently replied.

Liu Zizhong at that moment laughed along as well.

Song Zhizhi carefully examined Liu Zizhong without showing any emotion, and only after seeing that he didn’t display any unusual reactions did she let out a slight sigh of relief.

That was a close call.

“By the way, why are you here?” After finishing his tea, Song Shan reclined in his office chair and asked her.

“Oh, Ji Baijian just told me we’re taking wedding photos this weekend.”

“Do you need my help with anything?”

“I’m about to get married and you still seem so indifferent, are you really my father?” Song Zhizhi feigned annoyance playfully.

Song Shan laughed heartily, “Every girl should get married, what do you want me to do? Keep you by my side forever? Ji Baijian is a good man, and I trust him.”

“Alright, alright.” Song Zhizhi shook her head, somewhat speechless. “Enough talk, I’m going back to work now. ”

“Go on.” Song Shan smiled.

Song Zhizhi left Song Shan’s office.

As Song Shan watched her leave, he sighed, “What a shame, a good cabbage being gnawed on by a pig.”

Liu Zizhong laughed, “At least this pig is quite decent.”

Song Shan bellowed with laughter.

Sometimes, there’s joy between two people.

Turning to Liu Zizhong, he said, “You’ve been with me for so many years, time has flown by. You’re still all alone…”

“You don’t need to worry about me, Chief. I consider myself lucky to have been working with you. Besides, you can’t force matters of marriage and family.” Liu Zizhong was very clear about this.

“Regardless, as long as Song Shan exists, I will never treat you unfairly.”

“Thank you, Chief.” “Get back to work now.”

“Yes, sir.”

Liu Zizhong left Song Shan’s office. The moment the door closed behind him, his face darkened.

All these years, working undercover right beside Song Shan… and it certainly shouldn’t have been Song Zhizhi who discovered this.

However, Song Zhizhi’s actions today were extremely odd.

She took the cup I was holding and drank Song Shan’s tea – it was inexplicable!

Returning to his desk, he picked up his phone to type a message, “Does Song Zhizhi know something?”

“What do you mean?” The response was a question.

While sending the message, Liu Zizhong deleted it simultaneously, “This morning, she did something strange in Chiefs office. We both know something’s wrong with his tea for years… I’m afraid…” “Song Zhizhi isn’t that clever.” “However, we can’t ignore the fact that Song Zhizhi has consistently been surprising us.”

“So, what do you propose?”

“It’s time to execute the plan.” Liu Zizhong typed.

The other side seemed to stay silent for a long while.

After a pause, a reply came, “Find the right opportunity to take action.”

“Alright.”

Liu Zizhong deleted all traces of the messages and turned to look towards Song Shan’s office.

His own office was right next to Song Shan’s.

After so many years of shadowing him like a loyal hound, it was time for things to end.

On the other hand,

While erasing her messages, Nie Wenzhi was mulling over some things.

As she finished cleaning up her phone, she looked up to see the wedding photo of her and Song Shan on the bedside table.

Over a decade has passed since they’ve been together.

Nie Wenzhi hardened her gaze.

Finally, there was no need to keep up appearances with this man anymore, no more need to feign happiness, no more need to deceive herself and suffer in silence sharing a bed with him.

A smirk crossed her lips.

Don’t blame her for being ruthless, it’S just that the Song family… were not only unlucky but also in denial!

Song Zhizhi left Song Shan’s office.

The project was already on track, all she had to do today was wait for tomorrow’s bidding work.

So there was not anything urgent that needed to be addressed.

Believing that a watched pot never boils, she took her own water cup and left the office directly.

She then called Luo Xiaolang to wait for her at the entrance.

By the time she descended the stairs, Luo Xiaolang had already parked the car there.

As Song Zhizhi climbed into the car, she told Luo Xiaolang, “Take me to the Jihong Group.”

Luo Xiaolang nodded, setting the navigation route as he drove. Song Zhizhi picked up her phone, “Ji Baijian, I’m coming over now.”

“Did you get it?”

“Mhm.” “Come straight to my office. 19th floor.”

“Okay.”

Song Zhizhi took a deep breath.

She gripped her water cup tightly, not knowing what she was hoping for.

If it really was Liu Zizhong…

Liu Zizhong had followed her father for so many years.

A chill ran down her spine.

Nie Wenzhi was my father’s partner in life, and Liu Zizhong was his partner at work…

And to keep their true colors hidden for so many years, for decades!

She could not even begin to imagine what sort of enormous conspiracy was looming behind all this.

She bit her lip as the car arrived at the magnificent Jihong Group.

She took her water cup and went directly to Ji Baijian’s office.

As always, Luo Xiaolang followed closely behind.

As soon as Song Zhizhi arrived at the floor where Ji Baijian’s office was located, she was stopped by the receptionist, “Miss, can I help you with anything?”

Before Song Zhizhi could answer,

A teasing voice from not far away said, “Pretty lady, aren’t your eyes pretty sharp.”

The receptionist stared blankly at Yin Qin.

“Why are you calling her Miss? Call her the General Manager’s wife.” Yin Qin corrected her.

The receptionist quickly registered the information and immediately curtsied, “Greetings, General

Manager’s wife.”