The Guide to Rising to Power: The Ultimate Schemes of a Green Tea Beauty

"Yes."

Shen Yao looked at Lu Xiuting, her expression suddenly turning cold.

"That's really cunning."

After she finished speaking, she looked away, her tone devoid of anger or even sarcasm, only a sense of listless weariness.

Shen Yao turned and walked towards Qin Fang.

Qin Fang's fall had left the staff at the horse farm on tenterhooks. Now, a group of people surrounded him, wiping his face, sweat, and clothes, making a grand spectacle of them serving some royal relative.

Shen Yao walked over, her voice gentle and soft, as if nothing had happened:

What do you think of our collaboration? Money is not an issue.

The thing she has in abundance right now is money.

To find Liang Zhenghe and cause trouble for Xiao Weixun, she was willing to give Qin Fang 20 million yuan under the guise of cooperation. Who would complain about having too much money?

Qin Fang was a sensible man. Seeing that her interest had waned, he wisely refrained from saying anything more and readily replied:

There's no reason to refuse.

Shen Yao received an affirmative answer, nodded, and turned to go to the dressing room to change her clothes.

She left decisively, without even exchanging a word.

The resolute figure in his back made Qin Fang smile faintly.

It's interesting, even more interesting than before.

Seeing this scene of "mutual affection," Lu Xiuting's arm trembled slightly, and a cold glint flashed in his almost dark eyes.

He sat on his horse, looking down at Shen Yao's departing figure, the reins slowly tightening between his fingers.

After changing her clothes, Shen Yao came out and was about to leave.

She also needed to visit Xue Huaiqing, whose case was currently in the spotlight, and she felt she had to go no matter what.

But after taking only two steps, his arm was suddenly pulled back by a force.

Shen Yao staggered, barely managing to steady herself in Lu Xiuting's arms, and looked up to meet his dark and deep eyes.

"So rushed? To catch your next date?" His voice came down from above, flat and emotionless.

Shen Yao steadied herself, took a half-step back, and spoke calmly:

"I'm looking for Qin Fang to find Liang Zhenghe, and also to help Xue Huaiqing. You don't need to think that all I do is date men all day."

Lu Xiuting paused for a moment, his brow furrowing slightly: "You know that's not what I meant."

He looked down at her, his gaze lingering on her face.

Thinking about how she was kidnapped by Liang Xiheng and taken to Italy, where she was trapped for so long in that unfamiliar place, and how Liang Xiheng had ulterior motives towards her, she wondered what exactly he had done...

The nameless anger in the man's heart suddenly dissipated.

"Do you need my help?"

Lu Xiuting's voice softened, and he asked gently.

Shen Yao looked up at him and asked in return:

Why do I need your help?

Why not?

Lu Xiuting leaned down slightly, his gaze pressing down on her like a shadow, neither too heavy nor too light.

"If you want to clear Xue Huaiqing's name, you should know that all the cases of the most powerful people in Yanjing must first go through me. As long as I'm determined to fight to the bitter end, he will one day be exonerated."

As he spoke, the sunlight shone brightly on the two of them, the warm golden light falling into her clear pupils, reflecting a look of bewilderment and shock.

Just like countless days and nights during their courtship, she would look up at him like this, her eyes full of light.

Lu Xiuting's gaze softened unconsciously.

But Shen Yao said, "I would never choose Lu Xiuting, no matter which man I'm looking for."

Lu Xiuting's hand froze in mid-air.

Shen Yao's eyes reddened slightly, but her voice did not tremble:

"I remember what you said. We've broken up. I admit I was wrong the day we broke up, and I apologize. I still have feelings for you—"

She paused for a moment, then said, "But the past is the past."

Lu Xiuting's hand slowly fell down.

He looked down at Shen Yao, observing her as she made a clean break with the past, calm, resolute, and unwavering.

He knew she was never an indecisive person, but he never expected her to be so decisive, so efficient, leaving him... speechless.

"so……"

The man's voice went hoarse for a moment.

"Even if I did nothing wrong, I caught you and him in bed together, and today I took the initiative to apologize and make amends, you still won't accept it?"

Shen Yao and Lu Xiuting stared into each other's deep black eyes.

At that moment, she completely gave up the idea of ​​rekindling her relationship with him.

"Yes." Shen Yao looked at him calmly and said, word by word, "I've figured it out. I don't want to use relationships with men to do anything anymore. Relying on others is unreliable; I'm tired of it all. I just want to be in charge of my own life."

"Aren't you sad?" he asked softly.

"How could that be?" Shen Yao said. "You're good to me. But I used to be no different from an orphan, I'm used to all this."

Lu Xiuting suddenly felt as if something was clenching his heart.

What kind of girlfriend did he find?

He thought he was open-minded enough about love, but someone else withdrew even faster and was harder-hearted than him.

Goodbye, Lu Xiuting.

Shen Yao spoke to him in the same tone she used to. Her voice softened for a moment, carrying a hint of tender farewell.

She was ready to leave, ready to sever all ties with the past.

At this moment, Shen Yao was truly prepared to have no further relationship with him.

She trusted Lu Xiuting; he was an upright man, and even though her relationship with Xue Huaiqing was awkward, he would handle the case impartially.

She turned around, took two steps, then stopped. Without looking back, her voice came calmly:

"You broke up with me in such a dashing way back then, even returning the necklace to me, a clean break. So don't hesitate any longer now."

She said, still harboring her past resentment, "This kind of relationship between men and women was something you used to hate the most, wasn't it?"

After saying that, Shen Yao walked away.

Lu Xiuting stood there, when suddenly he felt his heart twist and a wave of dizziness wash over him.

A nameless expectation and longing led them to the top, only to suddenly stumble and fall.

The autumn sun shone warmly on him, but he felt as if the light could not reach the ground, as if it were suspended in mid-air and could not touch the ground.