87: Chapter 87 The Love Rival Appears 87: Chapter 87 The Love Rival Appears Six in the afternoon.
A private tea house.
Miss Su He had just gotten out of the car and had barely reached the entrance when a man in a suit and leather shoes came out to greet her.
“Are you Miss Su He?”
Su He, “Yes.”
The man made an inviting gesture, “Miss Su, please come inside.”
Su He gave him an indifferent glance, “You can just lead the way.”
Upon hearing this, the man didn’t say much more.
“Alright.”
Passing through the main gate, a long corridor came into view.
After walking down the corridor and turning a corner, they arrived at a private room.
The man opened the door, “Miss Su, please, my master is already inside.”
Su He nodded and stepped in.
A peony flower screen came into sight, along with the ancient style decoration of the room.
Beyond the screen, a tall figure came into view.
She moved forward two steps, and the man turned his head towards her.
She narrowed her eyes slightly, “Is it you, Si Jinchuan?”
The handsome features of the man suddenly lifted in a smile, “It’s quite something that you still recognize me after all this time.”
His voice was deep and pure, carrying a comforting quality.
“So it really is you.”
Su He had initially just speculated, but now she was genuinely surprised.
After all, they hadn’t seen each other in over a decade.
Si Jinchuan glanced at her, his handsome face still smiling as he nodded: “Su, my fellow classmate, it’s been a long time.”
She remembered him mainly because of his distinctive narrow phoenix eyes, deep like the night sky, shrouded in mystery, and his face, which from childhood to adulthood, was particularly enchanting.
More importantly, like her, he also had a tiny mole at the corner of his eye, his being on the left corner.
Such a connection, she had only encountered once, and that was with him.
His handsomeness was comparable to Jiang Yan’s, yet he always carried with him a gentle and subtly feminine quality.
Jiang Yan, even though sometimes he seemed somewhat weak, always had an authoritative emperor-like presence that seemed to enshroud him in a layer of golden light.
After exchanging a few words of greetings, Su He learned that Si Jinchuan had inherited the leadership of the Si Family.
She knew that his status within the Si Family had always been sensitive and that it must have been at a great cost that he became the head of the family.
However, that was none of her business.
Su He curiously asked, “How did you find me?”
“I watched the live broadcast of the medical conference yesterday and I saw you.
You looked very much like the person I remembered, so I had someone check, and indeed it was you,” he answered truthfully.
After finishing, he then asked, “Do you mind that I had someone look into you?”
This gave Su He pause.
He was so candid that if she were to say she minded, it would seem overly pretentious.
“I don’t mind it per se, just curious, why would Handsome Si suddenly get in touch with me?” she asked with a light smile.
It couldn’t possibly be to rekindle old flames, right?
Besides, she and he didn’t really have any old flames to speak of.
At most, they were classmates for a year in junior high, and at that time, she was the only one who could really talk to him.
After that, she skipped a grade, and they hardly saw each other.
Si Jinchuan’s deep gaze lingered on her for a moment, before he smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I’m aware that you’re married now.
I won’t disrupt your family.”
Su He: “…”
She hadn’t taken her thoughts in that direction.
“You know about my marriage?” she asked, puzzled.
Si Jinchuan: “Mm, I heard it from your brother.
He also gave me your number.”
Since when was Su Zhimian so close to him?
It was as if he read the doubt in her heart, “Your brother and I have professional interactions, so we’re relatively close.”
Upon hearing this, Su He asked, “So, what is it that you wanted to see me about?”
Si Jinchuan didn’t beat around the bush but directly took out a file from beside him and slid it in front of her, “I know you’re with the First Research Institute.
I have a project about human immunology experiments here.
Take a look, there’s no need to agree in haste.”
Su He raised an eyebrow subtly, glanced at the document in front of her, and after pondering for a few seconds, she finally opened it.
Five minutes later.
She raised her eyes to look at him and said apologetically, “I can’t respond to this matter right now.”
Si Jinchuan was not surprised, and his eyebrows carried a gentle smile, “No worries, take your time to consider.
There’s still time.”
Su He hummed in response.
Then he appropriately asked, “I wonder if Su would do me the honor of having a meal together?”
Su He said, “Just call me by my name, ‘Su Student’ sounds a bit odd.”
It had been many years since she’d last heard this appellation, mainly because she skipped grades in middle school and was several years younger than her classmates.
“Okay, then you wouldn’t mind if I call you Susu, right?”
“Not at all.”
Most people called her that.
Thirty minutes later.
At a Chinese-Western restaurant.
“Chinese or Western cuisine?” Si Jinchuan asked her very gentlemanly.
She said, “Western cuisine.”
Mainly because she was used to eating at Moon Gift Villa, and suddenly coming here to eat Chinese cuisine would definitely make her picky and unhappy with the meal, and she wasn’t going to shortchange herself.
During the ordering process, Si Jinchuan was almost completely accommodating her tastes.
On the second floor in a booth.
An Xueyin was preparing to take a selfie to post on her social media.
Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared in the frame.
She turned her head and looked toward the first floor.
“Cousin, look, isn’t that Su He?” An Xueyin said after taking a glance at Tang Sirou, who was looking down at her phone.
“What?” Tang Sirou lifted her head to look at her.
Clearly, she had not been paying attention to what she was saying.
An Xueyin pointed downstairs and said, “Downstairs, Su He is eating with a strange man.”
Tang Sirou took a glance.
It really was her.
And that man was not Jiang Yan.
“Look at Su He, grinning so shamelessly.
A married woman often goes out to dine with different men, smiling like a fox.” An Xueyin said with disdain.
A thought flashed through Tang Sirou’s mind instantly, and she spoke with feigned indifference, “Xueyin, don’t say that.
Perhaps Dr.
Su is just having a meal with a friend.
Besides, who doesn’t have friends of the opposite sex?
Let’s not make wild guesses.
Moreover, the relationship between Dr.
Su and Mr.
Yan seems quite good.”
“Besides, it seems Dr.
Su has a complicated background.
She knows two renowned figures in the medical field.”
At this point, An Xueyin was both puzzled and surprised.
Why Su He could know such influential figures was beyond her.
She raised her eyebrows with disdain: “Maybe she earned this honor by selling herself!
Given her appearance, how could she possibly know people like Old Mr.
Yuan and Old Mr.
Qi?
There must be a scandal behind it, and I certainly don’t believe it!”
Tang Sirou looked shocked, “That can’t be possible, can it?
Xueyin, you shouldn’t speak carelessly, if someone with intentions hears this, it could cause trouble.”
“Oh, cousin, how could I speak carelessly!”
“I’m part of this circle after all.
Old Mr.
Yuan, Old Mr.
Qi, and the like are national figures who have contributed greatly to the country.
With such high standards, and the An Family not acknowledging her, how could Su He possibly reach that level?
She must have used some unsavory means!” An Xueyin said conclusively.
Tang Sirou pursed her red lips, silent, looking incredulously.
An Xueyin continued, “I’ve seen Su He with different men in the hospital twice before, and one time there was even a child involved.”
Hearing this, Tang Sirou’s eyes brightened, slightly astonished, “Really?”
“Of course!
Anyway, Su He is an indecent woman, always hanging around with different men.
Calling her a vixen is not wrong at all!”
“Xueyin, we should always rely on evidence.”
“I have evidence.
I took photos both times.”
While speaking, she pulled out the saved photos from her album and handed them over, “Here, see for yourself.”
Tang Sirou looked at them and indeed it was true.
However, one of the photos did not show the face, only a silhouette.
She frowned slightly, feeling that there was something familiar about that figure…
And that child’s hat, too, seemed oddly familiar.
“Dear cousin, come, take a photo for me.
I’ll send it to you, and then you can quietly forward it to Fifth Young Master Jiang, so he can see her true face,” An Xueyin said with righteousness.
“Xueyin, is it really okay to do that?”
An Xueyin opened the camera app and quickly snapped a high-definition photo of Su He’s table below.
It was clearly identifiable as Su He in the photo.
An Xueyin said, “Dear cousin, there’s nothing wrong with it.
If you don’t want Fifth Young Master Jiang to know you sent it, I can find someone else to send it.
Just give me his mobile number.”
Tang Sirou hesitated for a moment, “Maybe we still shouldn’t do it, I just feel it’s not right.”
“Dear cousin, you’re just too kind-hearted and soft-hearted.
Now that we have the chance to bring down Su He, why give it up?”
“Even if we can’t bring her down, it would still create a rift between the two of them.
Wouldn’t that give you a chance?”
An Xueyin persuaded her with another sentence.
Tang Sirou bit her lower lip, undecided.
An Xueyin glanced at her phone and then reached out to take it.
It was unlocked, and she immediately opened Tang Sirou’s contacts and found Jiang Yan’s mobile number.
Tang Sirou only made a symbolic attempt to stop her.
——
Elsewhere.
Jiang Yan had just finished work at DK Corporation and was preparing to go home when he received several photos from an unfamiliar number.
He opened the images.
All three photos were of Su He, each with a different man.
He recognized two of them, and the other one looked somewhat familiar, like he had seen him somewhere before, but he couldn’t recall.
A cold light flashed through his dark eyes as he said in a deep voice, “Jiang Feng, check this number for me!”
He sent the number to Jiang Feng.
Jiang Feng glanced at the rearview mirror and replied, “Yes, Master.”
Then, he forwarded the number to someone else for investigation.
Jiang Yan looked at the photos on his phone again before deleting them.
He held his phone and was silent for a few seconds before dialing Su He’s number.
The ringtone sounded for a few seconds, and then the call was answered.
“Wife, I heard from Uncle Zhong that you’re not at home.
Are you coming back for dinner tonight?” he asked naturally.
Hearing his magnetic voice, Su He felt her ears tingle with warmth.
Most of the time, she couldn’t control herself around his voice, but she managed to hold back this time.
She took his call without avoiding the presence of Si Jinchuan.
“Mhm, I won’t be coming back.
I’m currently having dinner with a friend at a restaurant on Zhuangyuan Road.
You guys eat first; no need to wait for me.”
Jiang Yan on the other end said, “Oh,” and then, “Then take your time eating, come home early when you’re done.”
Su He thought he might have had something important to say, but it turned out to be just a few words.
“Mhm, understood.”
The call lasted about a minute or two.
After hanging up, Si Jinchuan, who was at the restaurant slicing steak, asked, “Your husband?”
Su He’s gaze softened and she nonchalantly replied with a “Yeah.”
“He won’t blame me for asking you out tonight, right?”
With a light smile, Su He answered, “Don’t worry, he isn’t that petty.”
Si Jinchuan chuckled, “That’s good.
Otherwise, I’d feel terribly guilty.”
Su He did not continue the conversation.
Half an hour later, the two got up and left the restaurant.
An Xueyin and Tang Sirou, who were still on the second floor, had been waiting for Jiang Yan to show up.
Instead, they saw the two finish their meal and leave.
An Xueyin immediately grabbed her purse and urged Tang Sirou to leave as well.
Outside the restaurant.
Si Jinchuan saw Su He and said, “Since you drove here yourself, I won’t give you a lift.
Drive safely.”
He always had a gentle smile on his face.
Su He replied, “Okay, I’ll go first.
As for the cooperation matter, I’ll think it over when I get back.”
Si Jinchuan smiled and nodded.
They exchanged a few simple words and then each headed to their own cars.
Hidden nearby, An Xueyin and Tang Sirou were left confused.
“Just like that, they left?” An Xueyin asked with bewilderment.
Tang Sirou, feeling down, replied perfunctorily, “Seems so.”
The two cars went their separate ways, taking completely different routes.
On the way home, Su He couldn’t shake off a strange feeling.
Si Jinchuan’s appearance was too sudden.
However, he seemed to be very good at keeping a distance, whether it was in his interactions with her, or the things he said, all deliberately kept a certain distance from her.
No, it should be said that he made her feel that he was a person with a good sense of measure.
When she arrived back at Moon Gift Villa, neither Jiang Nanche nor Jiang You were back, and An Mi had also returned to the An Family.
She went upstairs to her room, grabbed some clothes, and headed to the bathroom.
After she finished, Jiang Yan still had not returned to the room.
She simply took her phone to the sofa, only to find two A4 sheets of paper lying on it.
Bending down, she took a few glances and realized that the content was almost the same as what she had seen at Si Jinchuan’s earlier.
It was all about the experimental project for x-human immune cells.
Although both were targeting the same project, there was still some difference in the content.
The study.
“Knock knock!”
Jiang Yan, who was reviewing documents, heard the knocking and without lifting his head, simply said, “Come in.”
Su He pushed the door and entered.
She placed the two sheets of paper in front of him.
It was not until he saw a pair of white slender hands that the man lifted his head, realizing it was Su He.
At first, he thought it was Uncle Zhong delivering milk.
Their eyes met.
Su He was wearing a black silk nightgown, making her skin look even more fair and delicate, as if it could ooze water when squeezed.
She rested her hands on the edge of the desk, looking at him obliquely, gesturing to the two sheets of paper in front of him.
She spoke up, “Is this deliberately for my eyes?”
Her doubt was mixed with some certainties.
Jiang Yan dropped his gaze, his lips curling into a smile.
He leaned back in his chair, meeting her gaze, and said with a smile, “Sometimes, my lady, your intelligence gives me quite a sense of crisis.”
Su He’s beautiful eyebrows furrowed, her forehead marked with a big question mark, “Hmm?”
“I’m worried that one day, I won’t be able to keep up with my lady’s pace.”
Su He: “…”
Such a meticulous man as he is, how could it be possible to accidentally leave such important documents in the bedroom!
And since he deliberately showed them to her, it meant he already knew that she had resources in this area.
But he wouldn’t say it, and neither would she break the silence.
“So, what are you trying to imply by showing these to me?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.
Jiang Yan had no intention of hiding, “You know Old Mr.
Yuan, you know Old Mr.
Qi, and you are a disciple of Old Mr.
Yuan, so you must have ties to the First Research Institute.”
“The Jiang Family started preparing for this project two years ago, but we never found the right opportunity.”
“So, you think now is the right time?”
The man nodded and hummed a yes, “My lady, strictly speaking, the Jiang Family belongs to you; I’m merely working on your behalf.”
Su He narrowed her eyes slightly, “What are you trying to say?”
“Perhaps, my lady should consider partnering with the Jiang Family.
It would be a win-win situation.”
“Old fox!”
“Then that would make you the little fox, wouldn’t it?”
Su He: “…”
“Then tell me, what does it mean for you to invest in this project?”
She had posed the same question to Si Jinchuan today.