Leaf Family Manor.

  In the council chamber, a hastily convened family meeting filled the room with such tension it felt like the air could be wrung out like a soaked towel.

  “The deal with Douhai Corporation fell through! All the resources we invested earlier are completely wasted!” one of the elders slammed his hand on the table, face flushed with anger. “Someone must be held responsible!”

  Everyone’s eyes turned sharply toward Ye Fei. As the primary lead on the project, he was now visibly uneasy.

  Ye Fei stood up abruptly. Panic flashed in his eyes for a moment, quickly replaced by a vicious glint.

  Sweeping his gaze across the room, his eyes locked onto Ye Feng. With gritted teeth, he said, “It’s those incompetent subordinates who messed it up! But I think Brother Feng is quite capable. I heard he’s already almost filled the ten million yuan gap in his company. Why don’t we let him try negotiating with Douhai again? Maybe he can turn things around.”

  A smirk curled at the corner of his lips. “Surely Brother Feng isn’t too scared to handle such a small matter?”

  Ye Feng, sitting in the corner, turned pale instantly. He knew exactly what this was—Ye Fei was pushing him into the fire pit. With Douhai Corporation now hostile toward the Leaf family, trying to negotiate again would be a near-impossible mission.

  “I… I…” Ye Feng forced a smile, though his voice trembled. “I think…”

  Before he could finish, Ye Qingming waved dismissively. “Enough! I know Ye Feng has always been a sensible and responsible young man. Then it’s settled!”

  Ye Fei’s smugness couldn’t be more obvious. “Great. You’ll set off tomorrow. The family’s reputation is riding on you.”

  The elders, though clearly aware of Ye Fei’s manipulation, had no better plan and reluctantly nodded. The others were just relieved they weren’t chosen.

  Ye Feng walked out of the meeting with heavy steps. As he approached the front door, he heard bursts of cheerful laughter from inside.

  Pushing the door open, he was stunned by the scene before him—his mother, Cui Mei, was sitting on the sofa chatting merrily with Su Qing, pouring her tea with exaggerated enthusiasm.

  Su Qing noticed Ye Feng and flashed a smug smile. With faux concern, she said, “Oh, the young master is back? You’re going to Douhai tomorrow for negotiations—got a plan yet?”

  She had come today precisely to trample on Lin Xue’s pride.

  Ye Feng’s expression darkened instantly. Swallowing his frustration, he forced a weak smile. “Still thinking. No solid results yet.”

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  Cui Mei, however, scowled in disappointment. “Look at you! No ambition at all! Look at Su Qing—young and already successful. If only you had half her talent, I could rest easy!”

  Ye Feng opened his mouth, wanting to defend himself, but didn’t know what to say. Just then, footsteps echoed outside.

  Lin Xue stepped into the room.

  She was still wearing her plain coat, hair slightly disheveled—it was clear she had rushed back. But what caught everyone’s eye were the two leather bags she carried in her hands.

  Cui Mei’s face soured instantly. “You still know how to come back? Look at you—no sense of propriety! Su Qing kindly brought gifts for Ye Feng, and you had the nerve to say they were fakes! Apologize to her, now!”

  Lin Xue paused for a second but quickly regained her composure. “Mom, I came back today with ten million yuan in cash. I can handle this myself.”

  Su Qing couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “You? Riding that shabby electric scooter, dressed like a charity case—you expect anyone to believe you’re capable of anything? Honestly, just stop embarrassing yourself.”

  Cui Mei chimed in, “Exactly! Compared to Su Qing, you’re nothing. Apologize now. Maybe if she’s generous, she’ll help Ye Feng.”

  “Enough!” Ye Feng suddenly shouted, rising to his feet with such force that the chair screeched across the floor.

  “Mom. Miss Su. What gives you the right to humiliate Lin Xue like this?” His chest heaved with rage. “All these years, Lin Xue has stood by me through thick and thin without a single complaint. She’s sacrificed so much for this family—and yet you belittle her efforts like they’re worth nothing?”

  Lin Xue looked at him, a flicker of emotion in her eyes.

  She sat down, placed the bags on the table, and unzipped them. With a loud whoosh, stacks of pristine bills spilled onto the wooden tabletop, forming a small mountain that gleamed harshly under the chandelier.

  Su Qing’s laughter died in her throat. Her teacup slipped from her hand, shattering on the floor with a crisp clang. Cui Mei froze mid-scold, mouth still open, eyes fixed on the cash as if bewitched.

  “This… this can’t be real…” Su Qing staggered to her feet, her high heels screeching against the floor. “You—a broke woman on a scooter—where’d you get this kind of money? It has to be illegal!”

  Her voice cracked, fury and panic battling in her tone.

  Lin Xue casually ran her fingers over the stacks, lips curling in a cold sneer. “Miss Su, you seem awfully concerned about where my money came from. Maybe you should first worry about which knockoff stall you got your fake watch from.”

  She turned to Cui Mei, her tone calm but unwavering. “Mom, I said her gifts were counterfeit. I wasn’t wrong.”

  “It’s really… ten million…” Cui Mei’s face turned a shade of purple, staring dumbfounded at the pile of cash.

  Ye Feng, recovering from the shock, rushed to Lin Xue and grabbed her hand, pulling her into the bedroom.

  Once the door was closed, he looked at her with uncharacteristic seriousness. “Tell me. Where did this money come from? Please don’t do anything reckless.”

  “I borrowed it from a close friend,” Lin Xue replied quietly, eyes downcast.

  She was, in truth, the president of Douhai Corporation and the true power behind the Lin family empire. But she wasn’t ready to reveal her identity—not yet. Doing so now might only add more pressure to Ye Feng.

  After all, it’s lonely at the top.

  “A friend? What friend?” Ye Feng’s brow furrowed. “We’ve been married for years. How come I’ve never heard of her?”

  “Of course you haven’t.” Lin Xue looked at him blankly. “You come home every day, stretch out your hand for food, never once truly cared about me.”

  Ye Feng’s chest tightened painfully. It was true—he had never really paid attention to his wife of three years.

  Perhaps to hide the tears threatening to fall, Lin Xue turned and walked to the door. Without looking back, she said, “Just an old friend. She succeeded in business these past few years and lent me the money. Use it for now.”

  As she walked out, she faintly heard Ye Feng murmur behind her, “I’ll pay you back as soon as I can.”

  Back in the living room, Su Qing and Cui Mei had long since fled.