55: Chapter 55 "She stood me up on my bill, and she can't afford the interest."

Second-floor study.

Jiang Xiaowan's face turned pale, her hands gripping the edge of the mahogany desk tightly.

"Lin Yuan, I don't care where you got this information."

She forced herself to suppress the tremor in her voice.

"If you dare to leak a single word, the Jiang Family will spare no cost to erase you."

Lin Yuan leaned back against the leather chair, fingers interlaced, looking straight at Jiang Xiaowan.

"Rest assured."

"Perhaps one day, you will beg me to use that system."

Jiang Xiaowan gritted her teeth, gave him a deep look, then turned and strode out of the study.

[Ding! Target Jiang Xiaowan (Appearance 92), Favorability -1%, Current Favorability: -1%!]

The next morning.

Cloud Top Palace, Villa No. 12.

Acid rain tapped densely against the explosion-proof glass of the first-floor dining room.

Beside the dining table, Lin Yuan sat in the main seat.

Wang Ya, wearing black lace-trimmed pajamas, stood on the left.

She picked up a freshly seared steak, skillfully trimmed the fascia from the edges, and cut it into small pieces.

Su Xiaonuan stood on the right.

Holding a tablet, her fingers sliding quickly, she spoke in a soft voice:

"General Manager Lin, the banquets at twenty restaurants have been booked; we can pick them up tomorrow evening."

"Eighteen of them indicated that their schedules are quite full."

"Fast food and the like are no problem."

Lin Yuan checked the time on his phone: "Have them work three shifts. I'll pick them up at midnight. Throw money at them."

"Understood." Su Xiaonuan got up to make the call.

Su Muxue sat across the dining table.

She wore an oversized white shirt, her face still somewhat pale.

The milk in front of her had long since gone cold.

She watched Wang Ya bring the cut steak to Lin Yuan's lips, then looked at Su Xiaonuan—the niece who used to tremble even when speaking in public, now speaking with a composure that made her seem like a different person.

Lin Motong sat beside Su Muxue.

The little girl was listlessly poking at the fried egg on her plate with a fork.

"Auntie Su." Lin Motong spoke suddenly, her voice flat,

"That boy at school who bit people the day before yesterday bit off his own tongue before the special police took him away."

"If a person loses the sense of pain, will they no longer feel fear?" Lin Motong stared into Su Muxue's eyes.

Su Muxue frowned: "Losing the sense of pain means the nervous system is completely destroyed; that is a precursor to destruction. He is sick."

Lin Motong lowered her head to eat a bite of egg, thinking about what to say next.

This was the task Lin Yuan had assigned last night: use small talk to break through the icy woman's defenses.

The intercom rang.

"Boss."

Lu Yan's voice came from inside, "Shadow has sent back news."

"Last night, Xia Qingqiu returned to Zhou Zihao's apartment. The two had a fierce argument, and Zhou Zihao laid hands on her."

"Afterward, Xia Qingqiu returned to her own apartment alone; she didn't come over as agreed."

Su Xiaonuan immediately put down the tablet, a flash of ferocity appearing in her eyes: "Ungrateful wretch."

Wang Ya topped off the black coffee in front of Lin Yuan, her eyelashes trembling, but she said nothing.

Lu Yan's voice came again: "Shadow asks, should we bring her back by force?"

Lin Yuan swallowed the meat in his mouth.

"No need." He picked up a white napkin and wiped the corners of his mouth.

"The account for standing me up—she can't afford the interest."

Lin Yuan picked up the black coffee, his gaze dark: "Tell Shadow to keep watching. She will come back."

Su Xiaonuan lowered her head and made a note on the tablet.

The dining room was silent for a few seconds.

A crisp, hurried sound of footsteps approached.

Tang Qiqi was wearing an extremely elaborate pink Gothic Lolita dress.

The skirt was supported by a huge hoop, and she wore a black and white lace headband, looking like a walking, exquisite doll.

Her big eyes swept quickly around the dining room first.

Lin Yuan was in the main seat.

Su Xiaonuan was reporting.

Wang Ya was serving the meal.

Qin Yumo was peeling an egg.

Tang Qiqi seemed to have made a big decision; she trotted over to Qin Yumo and tugged at her sleeve.

"Sister Yumo."

Her voice was soft and sweet.

"There's the biggest anime convention in the city in the East District today."

"Those rivals of mine are all there."

Qin Yumo didn't even look up.

"Not going."

Tang Qiqi pouted.

She hesitated for two seconds, then circled around to Lin Yuan's side.

"Um... Great Demon King."

Tang Qiqi twisted her skirt hem with both hands, looking pitiful, but her eyes were very bright.

"Can you lend me two people to back me up?"

"Just for today."

"I'll return them when I'm done!"

It wasn't that she absolutely had to go play.

She just wanted to let those self-righteous girls who were always being snarky see.

That she, Tang Qiqi, also had someone backing her.

Qin Yumo felt her scalp tingle when she saw this.

She strode forward, grabbed the lace collar at the back of Tang Qiqi's neck, and forcibly pulled her away.

"Are you crazy?!"

Qin Yumo scolded in a low voice,

"Do you think this is a playground? Have some respect!"

Qin Yumo's muscles were tense, prepared at any moment to take the punishment for Tang Qiqi.

She knew Lin Yuan's violence too well.

Lin Yuan's gaze swept over Qin Yumo's protective action and finally landed on Tang Qiqi's teary face.

[Ding! Target Tang Qiqi (Appearance 86), Current Favorability: 0%]

Lin Yuan reached out and pressed the intercom on the table.

"Fat Dragon. Send a Mercedes G-Wagon to the entrance, and pick the two biggest brothers."

On the intercom, Fat Dragon immediately replied.

"Alright, Boss!"

Lin Yuan released his finger and looked at Tang Qiqi: "Is that enough?"

Tang Qiqi's eyes widened.

She clearly hadn't expected this iron-faced King of Hell to agree so readily.

After being stunned for a full two seconds, excitement surged up from the soles of her feet.

"Enough, enough!"

"With this setup at the anime convention, I'll be the coolest person there!"

[Ding! Target Tang Qiqi (Appearance 86), Favorability +3%! Current Favorability: +3%!]

Qin Yumo stood where she was.

She looked down at the boiled egg in her hand.

She didn't know when, but she had crushed the eggshell.

Crack.

The sound was very light.

But it was exceptionally clear in the dining room.

Lin Yuan had actually indulged Tang Qiqi's unreasonable behavior.

Qin Yumo was silent for a moment, her eyes complex.

[Ding! Target Qin Yumo (Appearance 85), Favorability +1%! Current Favorability: 22%!]

Tang Qiqi ran happily to the gate to wait for the car.

Lin Yuan withdrew his gaze and continued speaking into the intercom.

"Lu Yan, tonight at twelve. All furniture, appliances, medical equipment, and that batch of multi-functional entertainment facilities must be delivered to the temporary warehouse at Tiangong No. 1."

Lin Yuan stood up,

"Take whatever they have at the furniture store."

"Su Xiaonuan will send you the room designs for a few people."

"Buy according to them."

Lu Yan immediately replied: "Understood."

Noon.

Tank reported that the Su Family members were at the gate asking for an audience.

The Su Family had found out it was the blind date man who took the photos that caused the disaster.

So they immediately tied him up and sent him over as a sacrificial pawn to appease Lin Yuan's anger.

Lin Yuan sat on the sofa, turned his head, and looked at Su Muxue, who was sitting by the window.

"Your family."

He pointed to the big screen, "Want to see them?"

Su Muxue turned around and stared at the screen.

Watching that father, who was usually high and mighty in the ancestral hall, now fawningly rubbing his hands.

"No."

Su Xiaonuan was just looking at her tablet on the side, as if this had nothing to do with her.

Lin Yuan pressed the intercom button.

"Tell them to get lost."

Lin Yuan's voice traveled through the loudspeaker, clearly reaching the heavy rain outside the courtyard.

The living room fell silent.

Su Muxue pressed her forehead against the cold glass.

Her shoulders slumped slightly.

The bones had set.

The person had not yet reconnected.

Lin Yuan stared at Su Muxue's back.

He didn't have time to wait for a depressed S-rank Esper to self-repair.

"We aren't going to the warehouse today."

Lin Yuan stood up and adjusted the stand-up collar of his black windbreaker.

"Go change your clothes."

Su Xiaonuan immediately stopped recording data, "General Manager Lin, where are we going?"

"Going out for a stroll."

Lin Yuan's tone was flat.

"Everyone is going."

Su Muxue had her back to him and didn't move.

Lin Motong walked silently to the window and reached out to grab Su Muxue's cold fingers.

"Auntie Su."

Lin Motong looked up, forcing a hint of reliance onto her expressionless face,

"If you don't go, I'll be very bored staying here alone."

She wasn't acting coquettish.

The fourteen-year-old girl just stood there quietly, clutching Su Muxue's fingers, revealing the old scar on her wrist burned by a cigarette butt.

Su Muxue lowered her head.

She stared at the scar and was silent for a long time.

That scar and the bruise on her collarbone left by being forcibly bent backward came from different abusers.

Yet they had the exact same shape.

Su Muxue closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, her voice was still very soft.

"Okay."