Shadow and Light: The Bride Who Clicks Her Way to Love-Chapter 285 - 298: A Contest with Zhuang Heng

Is Lu Shifeng really just standing up for her?

Maybe part of it is also because Qin Mu offended his woman and injured his dignity, so he’s standing up for himself, right?

That man is too domineering, she really has no confidence.

On the small sofa in the living room, Qin Zheng gave a knowing, bitter smile. He came to ask her for help today, but it was like trying a desperate remedy: "Thank you, Xingyu, please do your best; the fate of so many people in the Qin Family is in your hands. If you can save everyone, I, Qin Zheng, will be grateful to you for a lifetime."

These words weighed heavily on Su Xingyu’s heart.

After sending Qin Zheng away, she spent a long time organizing her words until, finally, in the evening, after Lu Shifeng returned home, she walked into his study.

"Shifeng." She called him softly.

He looked up from a stack of documents, noticed her, and asked, "What’s the matter?"

She nodded, feeling somewhat anxious. He always looked so dignified and cold at work, making her even less sure about what she was going to say.

Lu Shifeng urged, "What is it?" He was very busy, and every minute was precious.

She took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and said, "Shifeng, are you suppressing the Qin Family recently? I heard they’re about to go bankrupt. Could you...give them a way out?"

He slightly narrowed his long, sharp eyes, scrutinizing her, "Have people from the Qin Family come to see you?"

He knew very well her routine these days: resting, recovering, daydreaming.

She usually never cared about business affairs, so if she suddenly intervened in this matter, someone must have said something to her.

She knew she couldn’t hide it from him; once she started to speak, the rest was easier to say: "Yes, Qin Zheng came. He’s been nice to me since I was young. When something happened at my grandfather’s house, I stayed with the Qin Family for a while. At that time, the servants at the Qin Family saw me fall from grace and neglected me, and he even reprimanded them. Shifeng... I’m not hoping to repay him for these kindnesses, but at least don’t repay kindness with enmity, right?"

"Blame him for not taking care of his brother," Lu Shifeng was unmoved, "You wouldn’t be trying to plead for Qin Mu, would you?"

A slight pain hit her heart: "Don’t you believe me?"

He looked at her impassively, trying to judge the truth in her words.

Her heart hurt more: "After all this time, you still don’t understand what kind of person I am? Lu Shifeng, I’ve heard you’re dealing with the Qin Family under the guise of standing up for me, but I don’t need you to do this for me. By overturning the fate of so many innocent people, I would feel guilty for a lifetime!"

He remained silent for a long time before he said, "No one can get away unharmed after offending my woman."

"At least spare those innocent people!" she pleaded.

"No one is innocent; that’s how big families are, one shares in all glory and loses together. If the Qin Family didn’t teach Qin Mu well, they must pay the price."

"You’re too cruel!" Su Xingyu was anxious.

"Cruel?" He smirked slightly, "Did Qin Mu feel cruel when he treated you that way? Or do you think such matters are irrelevant?"

"Lu Shifeng!" She didn’t understand why he dragged the topic back to her, and his unpleasant words made her eyes slightly red.

He looked at her, stepped forward, lifted her delicate chin: "Xingyu, you belong to me, no one can have designs on you. I can give the Qin Family a way out, but you, what will you exchange for it?"

What... can she exchange?

In her heart, she was both aggrieved and angry. What else did she have to exchange with him?

Her body? Her love? Her wealth?

Everything—what else did she have that could be used as leverage?

It’s often said that the one who falls in love first loses, and she was already severely wounded and defeated.

She lowered her head, whispered to him, "What do you want?"

His eyes deepened; for the Qin Family, to what extent was she willing to go?

"One month," he said.

"What do you mean by one month?" She lifted her head, puzzled.

Lu Shifeng stared deeply into the girl’s eyes on the bed: "I’ll give you one month, whether you exhaust all efforts or use unscrupulous means, you must climb your way to your photography dream and tread on those you want underfoot. One month later, if you don’t succeed, don’t blame me for being ruthless."

Su Xingyu felt tight in her heart, not understanding his meaning, but when she asked further, he chose to remain silent.

She tossed and turned all night without understanding it; was he using one month as leverage, and if she kept up his demands, he would spare the Qin Family?

She began to pay attention to news about the Qin Family, calling Qin Zheng to ask about their situation.

Qin Zheng said over the phone, "Thank you, Xingyu. Lu Shifeng has recently slowed his offensive, and I’ve gotten some breathing space. But the surrounding strategy hasn’t truly been repealed, and I’m really worried about when he might launch another attack."

Su Xingyu basically confirmed her thoughts and told him, "Anyhow, please hold on for one month."

She couldn’t rest at home and grabbed her camera, throwing herself into work.

She didn’t know what height Lu Shifeng wanted her to reach or what level of achievement would satisfy him.

But now wasn’t the time to think about these things; she had to give her utmost effort, only then might the Qin Family have a glimmer of hope.

She worked diligently at Feng Ren; the tasks arranged by Mr. Yang were always completed the fastest and most outstanding by her, even putting Zhuang Heng behind.

For several consecutive days, Zhuang Heng had a terrible look whenever she saw her.

Xia Ranran was a bit worried, privately showing goodwill to Su Xingyu: "Xingyu, soon we’ll have our annual rating assessment at the Photography Center. Previously, at our center, the only active Venus-level photographer was Miss Zhuang, so she was also the acknowledged chief photographer by everyone. Now that there’s you, the chief title is uncertain..."

"I want the chief title." Su Xingyu said definitively.

A soldier who doesn’t want to become a general isn’t a good soldier. Moreover, she has always wanted to get that chief title, and now Lu Shifeng’s pressure has left her no retreat.

She invested herself wholly into her work, especially noting the rivalry with Zhuang Heng; wherever Zhuang Heng appeared, she had to do better than Zhuang Heng!

That day, Mr. Yang wanted everyone to use the latest model camera to capture a set of street scenes.

Zhuang Heng submitted a set of night shots: in the criss-crossing lights, a beautiful girl in a red cape skirt was crossing the street, with sporadic snowflakes swirling around her—she looked like Little Red Riding Hood traveling through time.

Mr. Yang praised, "Miss Zhuang, the photos you took are really great, well utilizing the advantages of this new camera; they could practically be used as a promotional film!"