"Eric, have a seat. When did you arrive in Beijing? You didn’t inform me beforehand; I should have sent someone to pick you up."

"Su Xiaomeng! I’m talking to you!"

Eric has no intention of making small talk or having a roundabout conversation with her.

A single question carries all his anxiety and anger.

He didn’t come to Beijing without understanding the situation, nor did he confront her based merely on what his subordinates said.

These rumors online are getting more convincing. Is Su Xiaomeng dead or what?

Will she just let Rong Jing take advantage of these rumors and continue to prosper?

Why do rumors arise? The wind is blowing stronger and more fiercely, making it hard to ignore.

Eric simply couldn’t sit still. Especially after seeing those analytical posts online, he was more convinced and wondered...

What exactly is this woman’s mindset?

Eric had to make this trip; he had to look into this woman’s eyes and ask this question!

"Why are you in such a hurry? Sit down first. Last time, you helped me with my financing issues, and I haven’t properly thanked you yet! Chen Lan, ask Secretary Luo to brew two cups of coffee. Oh, also, order a table of good dishes for dinner, since Eric has come a long way—"

"Su Xiaomeng!"

Eric was burning with anxiety, unable to tolerate Su Xiaomeng’s evasive comments.

Facing Eric’s glare, Su Xiaomeng was solemn,

"Why are you so angry?"

"Why am I so angry? I just want you to seriously answer me, are the online rumors true?!"

Su Xiaomeng took a deep breath but did not answer him immediately. She leaned against the edge of the table, hands resting on the tabletop, with her gaze fixed on Eric’s toes...

Her silence nearly drove Eric insane.

Chen Lan, standing by, was genuinely perplexed. He didn’t know what Su Xiaomeng was planning.

Isn’t this a straightforward question to answer...? Right?

A marriage alliance with Rong Jing was something Su Xiaomeng had never considered, nor would it ever happen.

Yet... she responded to Eric with prolonged silence.

Chen Lan could see Eric’s hands clenched tightly at his sides.

His pale and sculpted face was flushed with anger, veins pulsing at his temples.

Su Xiaomeng tapped her fingers lightly on the table as if she had made a decision, then slowly said,

"Rong Jing... he’s quite good. Yin Group and Rong Group have always been rivals. When Shixiu was here, Rong Group dared not do much. Or even if they did, it was to no avail."

"What do you mean by that, Su Xiaomeng! Are you seriously considering marrying Rong Jing?!"

"Marrying him... at least I won’t have to spend so much time and effort guarding against Rong Group. Honestly, I find it very difficult to keep going now. I don’t even know how much longer I can hold on..."

"..."

Eric was grinding his teeth in frustration.

He never imagined that while Yin Shixiu was struggling for survival on the operating table, Su Xiaomeng would consider remarrying!

"Aren’t I helping you? Aren’t your grandfather and your maternal uncles helping you? Isn’t Arthur’s family helping you? Aren’t the old employees in the company helping you! Su Xiaomeng, what else do you need, say it! I’ll find a way to help you!"

"Eric..."

Su Xiaomeng never looked up at him, even as the man in front of her was hopping mad. Xiao Meng just appeared thoughtful, speaking calmly,

"This life isn’t what I want."

"..."

"Even if more people help me, even if more people support me, can I support myself for a lifetime? And even if I did, what would this lifetime mean to me?"

With her eyes lowered, she murmured as if speaking from her heart, even Chen Lan beside her couldn’t help but become pensive...

In recent days, the rumors online about the marriage alliance between Yin Group and Rong Group have caught Su Xiaomeng’s eye.

She hasn’t responded at all; is it because she’s truly disregarded these rumors, or has she already started to waver?

If President Yin remains unaccounted for, if he isn’t as presumed, tragically gone from this world...

Would this 23-year-old young woman remain a widow for President Yin her whole life?

She’s only 23...

Isn’t it too cruel to make such a young woman live as a widow for her entire life?

Besides... Su Xiaomeng isn’t stupid. She’s very smart and increasingly thorough in her thoughts... In the long, sleepless nights, how could she not have considered this possibility?

Thinking about this, Chen Lan, who interacted with Su Xiaomeng daily, couldn’t help but start to worry.

"You don’t have to endure it! You don’t have to keep Yin Group!"

"Yin Group was founded single-handedly by him, Eric. It’s easy for you to say..."

"So, you’re planning to marry Rong Jing for Yin Group’s sake?"

"..."

"Su Xiaomeng, Arthur hasn’t been gone long! You’ve allowed the remarriage and the alliance rumors to fly all over the world! He paid such a tragic price for the sake of your family, for loving you! And you repay him with such shallow affection?!"

Su Xiaomeng’s eyes twitched, then lifted... staring intently at Eric.

He sacrificed so much for her family...

Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself,

"Eric, despite your kindness to me, my personal issues aren’t something you should manage, are they?"

"So... there’s indeed some truth in the rumors about you and Rong Jing..."

Su Xiaomeng moved her lips, just about to say something when Secretary Luo walked in with coffee and said,

"President Su, President Rong is here again; should I let him in?"

Secretary Luo casually asked.

Eric was too enraged to notice the hint in Secretary Luo’s words.

"Let him come up; there are no outsiders here."

Secretary Luo placed the coffee on the coffee table and was visibly startled by Su Xiaomeng’s directive, hesitatingly responding,

"Okay."

Eric’s blue eyes were sharp like blades, gleaming with icy intensity,

"This is the President’s office of Yin Group, where your husband used to work. You’re now letting another company’s president step in! You—"

"I let you in as well."

"..."

Su Xiaomeng’s calm remark nearly rendered Eric speechless.

"The coffee is ready, have some."

"Do you think I’m in the mood for coffee? Su Xiaomeng, you cannot marry Rong Jing!"

"..."

Su Xiaomeng didn’t respond to Eric; instead, she quietly picked up the coffee. The intense aroma mingled with a bit of bitterness; she took a small sip.

The bitterness that her taste buds encountered was deeper than imagined.

"Arthur’s death might be related to Rong Jing too; you must be aware of this! You’re smart enough to figure it out. After Arthur’s death, the share transfer document that Rong Jing presented at Yin Group’s shareholders’ meeting wasn’t entirely fake!"

"You’re right, I know."

"..."

Eric was stunned at Su Xiaomeng.

"But all of these are just speculations; I don’t have evidence, neither do you. After Arthur’s death, not only do I suspect Rong Jing, but I also suspect Yin Shiqing, and I feel like everyone in the world is a criminal!"

"..."

"I think everyone in this world is not a good person; I’ve had thoughts of destroying the world as his final tribute. But..."

"Ultimately, everything has to return to reality, to life. I don’t have the skills, nor do I possess sufficient capability."

"A marriage alliance with Rong Group, to me, seems the best way to escape the current distressing life situation."

Su Xiaomeng faced Eric, not a trace of evasion.

"Su Xiaomeng, your justification is grandiose, but do you know what the essence of what you’re planning is?"

"..."

"You’re simply trying to sell yourself at a good price! I pity Arthur."

As Eric concluded, Rong Jing was guided in by Secretary Luo.

Rong Jing held a large bouquet of flowers in his arms.

Eric had interacted with Rong Jing a few times; he hadn’t had the best impression of him.

Rong Jing and Yin Shixiu were friends at first, later becoming rivals.

These were things that Eric learned after he last met with Yin Shixiu.

Looking at the man dressed in a suit with hidden gold dragon patterns, Eric’s face was full of indifference.

"Eric Windsor?"