"Alright, as long as the child can have surgery as soon as possible, I'll do whatever you say," Susu agreed without any objection.
"I'll arrange everything. You and the child should get ready. We'll likely be abroad for a while."
"Okay, then you get busy. Don't stay up too late. I'm going to take a bath," Susu said, not wanting to disturb him further, knowing he would accompany Xiao Xingxing abroad for the surgery.
Before going abroad, he had many tasks to complete, and she also needed to make arrangements for her studio.
Tianyi glanced at her retreating back as she entered the bathroom, hoping her kindness would bring good fortune to Xiao Xingxing, and then he returned to his work.
...
Less than two days later, Susu received a call from Xie Zhendong's male assistant, who said he wanted to thank her in person.
She wasn't sure if she should meet Xie Zhendong, so she discussed it with Tianyi.
Tianyi didn't object, letting her decide whether to meet Xie Zhendong.
Susu thought about it seriously, feeling that it was better to resolve conflicts than to create them. She thought this might be an opportunity to clear up some misunderstandings between them, Xie Zhendong, and Zhan Jiayi.
Therefore, she decided to accept Xie Zhendong's invitation and meet him.
She arrived at the restaurant mentioned by Xie Zhendong's assistant as agreed. It wasn't a high-end restaurant, but it was located right next to the hospital where Zhan Jiayi was staying.
Xie Zhendong was wearing a formal suit, his hair always meticulously combed, though the black hair could no longer hide the white strands.
His gaze, like Tianyi's, was always distant and sharp, making him seem unapproachable.
Susu walked towards Xie Zhendong and said calmly, "Hello, am I late?"
"No, I arrived early," Xie Zhendong said gentlemanly. "Please sit."
People of Xie Zhendong's caliber could always maintain outward politeness, no matter who they were dealing with.
Susu sat down and, not wanting to beat around the bush or waste each other's time, said directly, "Mr. Xie, I actually just happened to encounter Ms. Zhan when she was in trouble. It was just a small favor, you don't need to thank me specially."
Xie Zhendong handed her the menu and said, "Mrs. Qin, if it weren't for you, Jiayi and her unborn child might have been in danger. It's only right to express my gratitude."
Susu didn't feel like eating and didn't take the menu. She asked, "How is Ms. Zhan now?"
"She's out of danger," Xie Zhendong said, putting the menu down without insistence. He actually didn't think much of the environment or the dishes here; he hadn't invited Gu Susu over for a meal.
"That's good," Susu said. Then she asked, "Have the police found out why those people wanted to harm her?"
"They are investigating," Xie Zhendong asked curiously, "Did Mrs. Qin know Jiayi before?"
Susu was slightly taken aback. Xie Zhendong asking this meant that Zhan Jiayi hadn't told him about their past.
It wasn't surprising. Her father had erased all traces of Zhan Jiayi from Shu Corporation. Even if Xie Zhendong investigated, he probably wouldn't find anything.
"Yes, we've met a few times, but we're not very close," Susu replied. "If I encountered such a situation, I would help anyone."
Xie Zhendong looked at her and said, "Does Mrs. Qin know that your husband and I have some business rivalry? Won't your husband blame you for helping my woman?"
"Mr. Xie, you underestimate my husband; he's not that petty," Susu said, seizing the opportunity. "Actually, I know there's no major conflict between you; some misunderstandings are caused by your son."
"You are correct. Let's not mention past matters; we'll settle accounts separately." Xie Zhendong cleverly avoided the issue of Xie Qining. Even if he understood it was Xie Qining's fault and that the Xie family hadn't raised Xie Qining properly, he wouldn't admit it in front of Gu Susu.
Susu also understood and smiled faintly, saying, "You're right, we'll settle accounts separately. I never get involved in my husband's business matters. Mr. Xie, please send my regards to Ms. Zhan. If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving."
At this moment, she realized her thoughts were too naive. For her to resolve past misunderstandings with Xie Zhendong, Xie Zhendong would have to admit to covering up his son's mistakes.
He would never admit he was wrong, so Susu knew there was nothing more to discuss.
"Wait, Mrs. Qin," Xie Zhendong said, revealing the purpose of calling her today. "To show my gratitude, I can grant you one request. Whatever you ask for, as long as it doesn't harm the interests of the Xie Corporation and is not illegal or against regulations, I can fulfill it."
Susu stood up, not caring about this, and said, "Mr. Xie, there's no need."
"I just said we'll settle accounts separately, but I still need to thank you. Please state your request." Xie Zhendong didn't believe anyone could refuse such a form of gratitude.
As Susu was about to leave, she looked at him and said, "I can't think of any requests right now, so I'll owe you one. Sorry, I have something to attend to, and I must leave."
Xie Zhendong spread his hands gentlemanly and said, "Alright."
As soon as Susu got into the car and was about to call Tianyi, her phone displayed an unknown number.
"Hello."
"Gu Susu, where are you? Are you alone?"
Susu recognized Zhan Jiayi's voice and said, "Ms. Zhan, I'm glad you're alright. I just parted ways with Mr. Xie and am alone in the car."
Zhan Jiayi paused on the other end of the phone with a complex mood before asking again, "You just met Zhendong. What did you talk about? Did you… did you not tell him about my past?"
Susu instantly understood her concern and said calmly, "I didn't tell Mr. Xie anything."
Zhan Jiayi felt a wave of relief and said softly, "Thank you."
"You're welcome. I wasn't very clear about many things from your past, so there wasn't much to say."
"I'm thanking you not for that, but because we had just argued that day, and you still saved me. I'm truly grateful," Zhan Jiayi said sincerely.
Although Susu didn't like some of her actions, she also sympathized with her and asked, "Do you know who wanted to harm you?"
"Who else could it be? It's most likely Xie Zhendong's wife. She's the one who least wants me to have this child," Zhan Jiayi knew very well.
However, the three people caught by the police insisted that they had a grievance with Zhan Jiayi's brother, which led them to attack Zhan Jiayi, and they did not implicate Feng Rou.
She had also asked her brother if he had any recent grudges.
Her brother thought about it and recalled that a thug had bumped into him on the road last week, and they had a big argument on the street. The thug almost attacked him, but was stopped by passersby.
Apart from this incident, her brother had not had any conflicts with anyone or any grudges.
Her brother had also gone to the police station to identify the suspects, and one of the thugs who had taken her to the clinic was the same one who had argued with her brother on the street.
This completely cleared Feng Rou's name. Without any evidence, she couldn't insist to Xie Zhendong that Feng Rou was the mastermind.