Chapter 6: If she went to the Huo family to annul the engagement right now, how could she possibly manage to go abroad smoothly?

"That's good then." Lin Jie breathed a sigh of relief and waved her hand dismissively. "I'm off. Call me if you need anything."

After seeing Lin Jie off, Tang Ruan received a call from Tang Zhenguo. News of Huo Yanchuan's scene at the conference room had already reached his ears.

"Ruanruan, does the engagement annulment really have to wait until Sunday?" Tang Zhenguo's voice was laced with deep displeasure. He was itching to storm the Huo residence and demand an explanation from both Huo Yanchuan and the Huo family. It was one thing to suffer their slights and veiled insults in the past, but now they were coming to his doorstep to bully his daughter! Did they think he, Tang Zhenguo, was dead?

He had previously thought Huo Yanchuan was merely blind, unreliable, and recklessly hedonistic, but clearly, he was just plain stupid. If the Huo family ever fell into his hands, it would be ruined sooner or later!

"Dad, Sunday is the most appropriate time." If she went to the Huo residence to cancel the engagement now, how would she manage her smooth departure abroad? The TG project could not be delayed.

After some soothing words from Tang Ruan, Tang Zhenguo’s anger finally subsided, and she managed to pacify him.

The following days were a whirlwind. Tang Ruan was as busy as a spinning top, trying to make every minute count to ensure everything was in order for her trip to Country Y.

Friday afternoon, Tang Ruan's office.

Luo Yu had faint dark circles under his eyes, yet his gaze remained remarkably bright. He hadn't been idle either; he had spent the last few days cross-checking and refining the TG documents and contracts to ensure there were no errors.

"Get off early today. See you at the airport at four tomorrow afternoon."

"No, no, Little Director Tang, let me work a bit longer. There’s still some data that needs polishing."

Tang Ruan: "..."

"The data can be polished tomorrow. Get some rest today." His dark circles could rival a national treasure's. "If you don't rest, I'm afraid tomorrow's headlines will feature 'Tang Corporation Exploits Employees'."

Luo Yu paused, his face slowly flushing as he shyly rubbed the back of his head. "My mistake, Little Director Tang." He had been too excited, and combined with the rush to organize documents, he had indeed slept very little.

"Go on, get back."

Tang Ruan went to the breakroom to nap for a while. When she woke up, it was already getting dark outside. She checked her phone and saw a message from Lin Jie sent an hour ago, inviting her to a newly opened bar near the Lin family's company for a drink to relax.

Tang Ruan rubbed her aching neck and, after a moment's thought, agreed. She and Jie-jie truly both needed to unwind.

By the time Tang Ruan arrived, the bar was already quite crowded. Fortunately, Lin Jie had booked a table in advance. Tang Ruan gave her name, and a server led her inside.

"Miss, this is your table." The server pointed to the QR code on the table. "Just scan this if you’d like to order anything."

Tang Ruan nodded, "Thank you."

Lin Jie wouldn't be there for a while, and not wanting to drink alone, Tang Ruan ordered a glass of lemonade first. Her gaze drifted to the bar counter, where the bartender was mixing drinks with dazzling skill. Before she knew it, she had drifted into a trance.

"Ruanruan?"

A gentle male voice pulled her back to reality. She looked up to meet a handsome, smiling face. The man was wearing a lead-gray suit with no tie, the top two buttons of his shirt undone, giving him a relaxed and laid-back appearance. It was Lin Jie’s brother, Lin Wen.

"Brother Wen?"

Lin Wen smiled and nodded, asking, "It’s so late, are you here all by yourself?" As far as he knew, Tang Ruan wasn't the type to come to a bar alone.

"I’m meeting Jie-jie. She’ll be here shortly."

Lin Wen understood and pointed toward a certain area. "I’m here discussing some business with friends. We're over there; call me if you need anything."

"Okay, thank you, Brother Wen."

"You're welcome."

As Lin Wen led his friends back to their table, Tang Ruan returned to staring blankly at the bartender.

After walking some distance, the person next to Lin Wen nudged him with his elbow and teased, "Not bad, Ah Wen. Where did you find such a beautiful girl?" He added, "What's her name? Does she have a boyfriend?"

At this, a flash of deep displeasure crossed Lin Wen's eyes. However, knowing he needed to ask the man for a favor, he held his tongue. "Don't talk nonsense. She has a fiancé and will be married in a few months."

These rich scions were people he had met while attending university in another city. Over the years, they had gradually entered their family businesses, joined the decision-making processes, and taken over companies. The Lin family’s business happened to align with theirs, which was why he had invited them to Nancheng to see if he could secure some partnerships and give the Lin family a chance to breathe.

"Tsk, what a pity."

"Exactly, such a beautiful girl, what a pity."

"Stop going on about her. The drinks here are quite good, you should all try them." Lin Wen picked up a glass and handed it to the person nearest to him.

The topic was quickly changed. Seeing that they had had enough to drink, Lin Wen took some documents out of his briefcase and got to the point. "The Lin family has a few projects recently. I wonder if you all might be interested..."

The group paused, looking at Lin Wen and then collectively at the young man sitting in the center, as if waiting for him to speak. Lin Wen understood the signal, picked up a glass of wine, and walked over. "Young Master Wang."

Wang Chengzǔ looked lazy, not even bothering to lift his hand. He looked past Lin Wen and settled his gaze on a spot not far away. "Young Master Lin, that girl over there... is that your sister?" He had seen photos of her on Lin Wen's social media. He had thought she looked pleasant in pictures, but he hadn't expected the real thing to be so... stunning.

He stared at her fixedly, his throat working, his hand rhythmically stroking his wine glass.

"Sister?" Lin Wen turned his head in confusion and saw Lin Jie, who was now talking to Tang Ruan. "Young Master Wang knows my little sister?"

"You have photos of her on your social media."

Lin Wen vaguely remembered posting family photos. He supposed Wang Chengzǔ must have seen Lin Jie from one of those. He hadn't expected that while Wang Chengzǔ appeared like a slacker, he had a good memory.

"Young Master Wang, shall we look at the projects first?"

Wang Chengzǔ’s gaze didn't shift. "What's her name?"

Lin Wen: "?"

"Your sister."

Though puzzled, Lin Wen replied instinctively, "Her name is Lin Jie."

"Lin Jie..." Wang Chengzǔ murmured the name softly and suddenly smiled.

His gaze was so predatory that even someone as slow as Lin Wen realized something was wrong. A sinking feeling bloomed in his heart. "Young Master Wang, you—"

"Young Master Lin," Wang Chengzǔ interrupted him bluntly, "we can invest in the projects."

Lin Wen felt no joy. The gifts of fate were always marked with a hidden price. Wang Chengzǔ had shown little interest in the projects before, but now that he had suddenly changed his tune and agreed to invest, he definitely had ulterior motives. And those motives...

Lin Wen turned his head, his eyes landing on Lin Jie.

Someone patted Lin Wen on the shoulder, urging, "Young Master Lin, why are you frozen? You heard Young Master Wang—he’s willing to invest in your family’s projects! Hurry up and thank him!"

A long silence hung in the air. Wang Chengzǔ tilted his head and drained his glass in one gulp.

No rush.

There was nothing he wanted that he could not obtain.

Lin Wen’s mind was a battlefield, his eyes clouded with gloom. On one side was the sister he had watched grow up, and on the other was the Lin family, which desperately needed orders.

Wang Chengzǔ’s lips curled slightly as he played with the empty glass, unhurried and calm. "Young Master Lin, no rush. You can take your time to consider."