The sudden turn of events caught Susu completely off guard. She stood frozen, watching the car hurtle towards her.
At the last possible moment, someone rushed to her side, grabbed her arm, and yanked her violently to the side of the road. "Didn't you see the car coming? Are you out of your mind?"
Still shaken, Susu stared wide-eyed as the car sped past, missing her by inches, and quickly disappeared into the night. Only then did she manage to say, "I didn't have time to react."
"Be more careful crossing the road from now on. You won't always be lucky enough to run into me."
Susu regained her composure and turned to look at Ai Yifeng behind her. "Thank you. What are you doing here?"
"I just finished a delivery and parked the car to grab a coffee," Ai Yifeng said, holding up the coffee cup in his other hand. Susu hadn't expected to see him again. "How have you been? I'm sorry about how I treated you last time."
"Me too," Ai Yifeng replied, his expression blank as he prepared to drive away.
"Ai Yifeng, wait," Susu called out to him.
"What is it?"
"Let me have your contact information. You can reach out if you ever need help." Susu couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy seeing him in such a state.
After their last encounter, Ai Yifeng had thought about her for a long time. Her appearance had completely changed his life, and she was right; in this world, they were each other's only family.
He recited a string of numbers. "This is my current phone number, and also my WeChat ID."
Susu saved it on her phone and watched as he got into a car parked in the lot. He opened the ride-hailing app, indicating he'd be working late into the night.
The near-fatal accident made Susu hurry into her own car and drive home. Without Ai Yifeng's rescue, she might never have seen Tianyi and Xiao Xingxing again.
On the road, she reflected on the past grievances and entanglements with the Ai family, feeling a mix of emotions. It all seemed like water under the bridge now. Regardless of how they had treated her, Ai Shunan and Yuan Shuna were no longer alive, and she understood much of the reasoning behind their actions.
Since Ai Yifeng had just saved her life, she felt indebted and wanted to help him in return.
Upon arriving home, she found Qin Tianyi waiting for her.
He took her bag and asked, "What's wrong? You look so pale."
Susu didn't dare tell him about the near-accident, fearing he would worry or get angry. She pressed her hand to her forehead. "It's nothing, I'm just really tired."
"It's my fault for not holding back last night," Qin Tianyi said, his voice full of concern. He scooped her up into his arms, unwilling to let her walk. "I didn't realize you'd be so busy today, or I would have taken it easier."
Susu rested her head against his chest and whispered, "You just have too much energy."
Qin Tianyi carried her into their room and closed the door. "I promise I won't touch you tonight."
"Put me down. I want to take a bath and go to sleep," Susu said, laughing as she squirmed.
Qin Tianyi set her down and asked, "You're so tired, do you want me to help you wash up?"
Susu pushed him away. "Didn't you just say you wouldn't touch me tonight? Why do you always go back on your word?"
"Alright, I'll go to the study and live like a monk."
"Go on, go on. I'll have Xiao Mei bring you blankets and pillows later," Susu said before entering the bathroom.
Qin Tianyi knew she was joking. He also had important work to finish in the study. The centennial celebration of the Shu Group was approaching, and he had received an invitation.
This was the perfect opportunity to propose a tripartite cooperation. Representatives from the Huo Group would surely be there, giving him a chance to present the idea directly to Shu Zhongze and Huo Liangcheng.
With both old foxes present, they would likely show courtesy to each other and wouldn't appear unwilling to include the other party. Once they agreed, formal negotiations for the tripartite cooperation could begin.
Before proposing, however, he needed to spend more time refining the tripartite cooperation plan he had already drafted.
Since it was their company, Ao Xiang, proposing the cooperation, he had to be thoroughly prepared to avoid any potential criticism that could put them in a passive position.
After her bath, Susu lay alone in bed, not having asked Xiao Mei to bring blankets and pillows to the study after all.
She actually wanted to tell Tianyi about Ai Yifeng. It would be great if Ai Yifeng could work in Ao Xiang's network department. E-commerce was Ai Yifeng's specialty, much better than his current work as a ride-hailing driver.
But she tossed and turned, unable to figure out how to bring it up with Tianyi. Before he came, she drifted off to sleep from exhaustion.
...
Shu Yan put down her phone and cursed, "All useless good-for-nothings!"
She had become this way entirely because of Gu Susu. Her days were filled with pain and despair, all caused by Gu Susu.
If it weren't for Gu Susu, Qin Tianyi wouldn't have abandoned her at the wedding. If it weren't for Gu Susu, she wouldn't have tried so desperately to seduce Qin Tianyi, only to end up benefiting another man. If it weren't for Gu Susu's meddling, Huo Jin wouldn't have come to her, and she wouldn't have accidentally killed someone...
It was all because of Gu Susu!
But why was it so difficult to get rid of Gu Susu? Someone always intervened to save her. Why was Gu Susu always so lucky, while she was destined for misfortune?
It didn't matter that this attempt had failed; she was already planning another way. In any case, she would not let Gu Susu off the hook.
The next morning, Susu mailed her meticulously organized design drafts to the RJ director responsible for the Lancheng region, hoping her bold idea would come to fruition.
If she could truly collaborate with RJ, her studio would reach a new level, establishing its reputation in the high-fashion world.
When she was alone, the scene from the previous night, the near-fatal car accident, still lingered in her mind, leaving her with a lingering sense of dread.
She remembered not seeing any cars when she started crossing the road. It wasn't until she was in the middle of the street that the car had suddenly appeared. In her panic, she hadn't managed to get a clear look at the license plate.
At the time, she had assumed the driver, speeding in the night, hadn't noticed pedestrians on the road. But now, she wondered if it had truly been an accident.
Su Kangxi's words from that day echoed in her ears again, "If she is indeed the murderer, testing her like this puts you in great danger."
Could the car that suddenly swerved to hit her be related to Shu Yan?
If that were the case, it sent a chill down her spine!
After killing Huo Jin, was Shu Yan going to commit more murders to cover up her previous crimes?
Just then, her phone on the table rang. It was Huo Zheng.
"Susu Jie, everything was handed over yesterday, right?"
Susu hummed in agreement.
"Then I'll be relying on you for the department store this month."
"Don't worry, I won't neglect it." Susu asked him, "Why weren't you at the store last night?"
"RJ's efficiency is too high. They had me check into the closed-training hotel last night, and the intensive training has already begun," Huo Zheng complained. "The rules are so strict. I only managed to find a moment to call you."