Deep Fog Kiss

"She's run into some trouble," Gu Zhishen said casually.

"Troublesome?" Huo Jinyan clearly didn't believe his lame excuse, chuckling, "Is it really troublesome or just a facade?"

The answer is obvious.

Looking at Gu Zhishen's somber expression, he asked with a smile, "When did she return to the country?"

"A few days ago."

"Where are you staying?"

Gu Zhishen gazed at him, "Beishan Villa."

"She caused a mess as soon as she came back, and now you're cleaning up her mess." Huo Jinyan took out his phone, found a news article that had gone viral late at night, and placed it in front of Gu Zhishen. "She offended a high-ranking official, and you took over his company."

Gu Zhishen glanced at his phone. "It should have been crushed a long time ago."

"Ha!" Huo Jinyan looked at him. "For President Gu, crushing a media company is a piece of cake, but if it weren't for her, such a small company wouldn't even be worthy of dirtying your shoes."

Gu Zhishen picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and remained silent.

Huo Jinyan is a man who always speaks his mind.

"You've done a good job as an elder," Huo Jinyan said with a smile, her tone gentle. "You raised her, then she slept with someone for two years, and in the end, she was kicked to the ground without saying a word. When you almost died, she didn't even come back to see you once."

"Now that she's back, all she knows is to use you as a pawn." Huo Jinyan's tone was angry and sarcastic, and the smile on his face disappeared. "Someone as smart as you can see that she's playing you just like she did a few years ago."

Gu Zhishen's eyes suddenly darkened, his gaze surging with turbulent emotions.

As his friend, Huo Jinyan had witnessed the gradual deterioration of his relationship with that girl, and having already ignited the fire, he had no intention of extinguishing it.

He continued, "She's twenty-two now, not a child anymore. How do you plan to handle your relationship?"

"What's the relationship?" Gu Zhishen asked indifferently.

He pretended not to know, and Huo Jinyan didn't spell it out, saying, "You know perfectly well."

He wasn't a senior, nor a lover; he spoiled her for years without any official status, only to nearly die on the operating table at the cost of half his life.

Huo Jinyan had never seen someone of Gu Zhishen's high position feel so aggrieved by anyone.

Jiang Li, the girl he raised, was the first.

Huo Jinyan used to think that little girl was well-behaved and sensible, but after those events, his opinion of her completely changed.

Now, when Jiang Li is mentioned, he only has one description—an ungrateful wretch who can't be tamed.

Huo Jinyan suggested, "Since you broke up back then, and she didn't ask you a single question for two years, you should have seen through her intentions. Now, your relationship should end. It's best if you go your separate ways and neither of you bothers the other."

"She can play you once, and she can play you countless times. She's young; she has plenty of time to start over. What about you? How many lives do you have to play with her?"

He poured himself another glass of wine, stared at Gu Zhishen, and said sternly, "Zhishen, you have important things to do. Don't risk dying for her a second time!"

......

In the penthouse suite of the Regalia Club.

Jiang Li rolled around on the large bed, holding her phone, tapping the screen to type a line of text before deleting it.

I want to send something to Gu Zhishen, but I don't know what reason to give.

She clicked on the completely black profile picture; the Moments feed had a straight horizontal line and a completely black background.

There was nothing there.

Even trying to spy on his life was impossible.

Feeling bored, Jiang Li slammed her phone face down on the bed.

What are Gu Zhishen and Yu Wanqing doing so late at night?

Just as she was wrapped in the blanket, fuming, her phone suddenly rang.

She suddenly came to her senses and immediately picked up her phone.

His bright eyes dimmed somewhat.

She answered, "Sister Nianchu."

"Pear! Breaking news!" Shen Nianchu exclaimed excitedly, "I've sent you the link, check it out!"

Jiang Li opened her phone, and a link popped up from the other party.

She clicked on it, then suddenly frowned slightly. "Shile Media has been reported and is under investigation?"

"I heard that someone reported a staggering amount of tax evasion. Luo Hui has been taken away for investigation, and Shile Media's stock is all in the red. At this rate, Shile Media will go bankrupt!"

Shen Nianchu lowered her voice, "From the time the report is filed to the investigation, it will take at least a week. Moreover, a company as big as Luo Hui's should have heard about it long ago."

"In just two days, Shile Media's stock plummeted, and its head was taken away for investigation." Shen Nianchu clicked her tongue twice. "He's offended some big capital! Now the whole industry is in a state of panic, afraid of becoming the next target of investigation."

"Pear," Shen Nianchu suddenly asked, "you're not some rich heiress from Beijing's elite circles, are you? Luo Hui offended you and immediately suffered the consequences."

"How could that be!" Jiang Li quickly sat up in bed, her voice rising. "It's just a coincidence."

"I was just kidding," Shen Nianchu laughed. "If you were a rich heiress from Beijing's elite circles, our studio would have been thriving long ago."

Jiang Li chuckled, "Exactly, exactly."

"However, I'm also very curious. Which deity did Luo Hui offend to 'die' so tragically?" Shen Nianchu muttered, "Like a living Yama, coming to take lives whenever he wants."

Jiang Li immediately pictured that cold and superior face in her mind. She pondered for a moment, wondering if this living Yama was him.

......

The next day.

The morning light streamed in through the suite's floor-to-ceiling windows, making the girl's unadorned face appear even whiter and more translucent.

She stood by the window, making a phone call, looking down at the morning view outside, a confident smile playing on her lips.

"Mr. Tang, I'm Jiang Li. I'd like to meet with you alone."

"See me?" Tang Yi's deep voice came through the phone. "I've already told your uncle about the annulment of the engagement. What is Miss Jiang's purpose in still wanting to see me?"

"My meeting with you has nothing to do with the annulment of the engagement," Jiang Li said with a calm smile. "It's about the cooperation between Yaojie Building Materials and Tang's Real Estate."

Tang Yi felt like he had heard a joke. "The cooperation was based on the marriage between the Tang and Xiang families, which made them in-laws. Now that the marriage is called off, what cooperation are we talking about?"

Jiang Li smiled and said, "If I had something that would be more useful to you right now than a marriage alliance, would you be interested?"

"What is it?" Tang Yi asked.

"That would require Mr. Tang to grant me an opportunity for a face-to-face meeting," Jiang Li said with her smile unchanged. "You can choose the time and place."

Upon hearing this, the other party pondered for a second and said, "Come to my company at 10 a.m.

Jiang Li glanced at the time; there was still an hour left!

"no problem!"

She quickly ran to the door to change into high heels, saying, "I'd appreciate it if Mr. Tang could prepare the cooperation contract in advance."

"Quite the boast." Tang Yi sneered and hung up the phone.

Jiang Li didn't mind, put away her phone and hurriedly left the club.

......

One hour later, Tang's Real Estate.

Tang Yi sat in the boss's chair and didn't even look up when he heard the secretary bring Jiang Li in.

Jiang Li didn't stand on ceremony. She sat down on the sofa, ordered a coffee, and specifically instructed, "One cup of milk and two cups of sugar."

Tang Yi looked up and sneered, "Miss Jiang, isn't this a bit too impolite?"

Jiang Li remained unfazed, raising her smiling eyes, "You got so angry after just one cup of coffee from President Tang, isn't that a bit petty?"

Tang Yi was surprised to find her so quick-witted, a far cry from her gentle demeanor when they met at Buyun Pavilion last time.

"I know Mr. Tang has been in a bad mood lately," Jiang Li said with a smile. "What I brought today is just what you need to calm down."

She took out the file bag she had brought, placed it on the table, and tapped it twice.

Tang Yi sat down opposite her, looking like he didn't believe she was up to anything, and frowned as he opened the file folder.

A large number of obscene photos and documents appeared on the desktop. His pupils contracted. "Where did you get all this?"

"You don't need to know how I got it, but it's absolutely genuine." Jiang Li smiled, meeting the other party's surprised gaze. "It's enough to exchange for a chance to cooperate with you."

In his anger, Tang Yi looked at Jiang Li with a hint of scrutiny.

This Jiang Li, both in her speech and her scheming, is quite different from when we met at Buyun Pavilion.

He doesn't seem to be someone from a family like Xiang Yaojie's that could raise such a person.

Clearly, she had been hiding her true abilities.

Tang Yi put away the documents on the table. "Miss Jiang, you have some impressive skills."

"You flatter me, Mr. Tang."

Jiang Li slightly curved the corners of her lips, her smile distant, as she gazed at Tang Yi.

The contract is settled.

It's time to settle accounts with the Xiang family.