My cousin-in-law helped me achieve my ambitions.

She looked at Su Ming, her eyes filled with a mixture of heartache and helplessness: "Besides, with such a large sum of over two hundred thousand, Lin Shumei might not dare to plead for you. So, to be on the safe side, getting Yang Tian pregnant is the best course of action. It's like having another way out for yourself!"

Su Ming was completely stunned after hearing this.

He held his head in his hands, feeling like his mind was a complete mess. Tian Jing's words were like pebbles hitting his heart, creating ripples. He wanted to refute her, but didn't know where to begin; he wanted to refuse, but also felt that what she said seemed to make some sense.

"Let me calm down," he murmured. He had considered revenge, but doing it this way seemed too cruel. What if Yang Tian hadn't lied to him? Marrying her then seemed like a good option. But if she really had lied to him, could they still get along well in the future?

Su Ming was completely bewildered.

Seeing his distressed expression, Tian Jing's face softened. She reached out and gently placed her hand on his shoulder, her eyes glistening with tears.

"Actually, I didn't want you to come to this." Her voice choked with emotion, but she tried hard to remain calm. "But I really don't want to see you go to jail. Really!"

These words were like a needle, piercing Su Ming's heart.

He looked up at the slightly chubby girl in front of him, at her tearful eyes, at the sincere concern on her face, and a feeling of indescribable emotion welled up in his heart.

He suddenly stood up and hugged her tightly.

"Sister Jing, you're so kind." He buried his face in her shoulder, his voice a little muffled.

Tian Jing paused for a moment, her body stiffening slightly. Then she gently raised her hand and patted his back, her movements as tender as if she were comforting an injured child.

"Alright, alright, don't think about it so much," she said softly, her voice as gentle as cotton candy. "Go and get your leave approved. This is in the warehouse; if someone sees us, it'll be hard to explain."

Su Ming released her, smiling sheepishly. He raised his hand, hastily wiped the corner of his eye, and then nodded at her.

"Then I'll go see the manager."

Tian Jing nodded and watched him walk out of the corner.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on his tall, straight back. She stood there, watching his figure gradually disappear into the distance, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

Silly boy.

She sighed softly and turned back to check her stack of receipts.

But after taking only two steps, she stopped and looked back in that direction.

The way he hugged her just now was quite tight.

She touched her shoulder, and a bitter smile slowly appeared on her lips.

Then she shook her head, banishing those chaotic thoughts, and continued working.

Su Ming left the receiving warehouse and arrived at the door of Lin Shumei's office. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

He pushed the door open, went in, and closed it behind him.

Lin Shumei was sitting behind her desk, looking down at a document. Today she was wearing a dark gray business suit with a white silk blouse underneath, and a thin silk scarf tied at the collar. Her long hair was styled in a bun, revealing her slender neck and delicate ears. She looked both capable and elegant.

She looked up, saw it was him, and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

"Did you oversleep?" she asked, her tone indifferent, revealing no emotion.

"I'm sorry, Manager! I... I overslept." Su Ming nodded, walked to her desk, and said honestly, "Manager, I'm here to apply for leave."

Lin Shumei put down the documents in her hand, leaned back in her chair, and placed her hands folded on the table. She looked at him with a hint of amusement in her eyes.

"You must be very tired these past two days?" she asked.

Su Ming was taken aback for a moment, then realized that the woman was worried that he had worked too hard on his business trip, so he smiled a little embarrassedly: "It's not that tiring, it's just that last night, my friend treated me to dinner and I drank a little too much."

He couldn't back down on this; it was a matter of male pride. He'd only spent one night with her, how could he say he was tired? Besides, he was telling the truth. He hadn't been unable to get out of bed last night because his legs were weak; he was genuinely drunk.

Lin Shumei stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled.

There was no reproach in that smile; instead, it carried a hint of doting affection.

"Alright, I'll sign the leave slip for you in a bit." She waved her hand, her tone relaxed. "You've really been exhausted these past two days. Go home and get some rest, then come back to work tomorrow."

"Ah... tomorrow..." Su Ming scratched his head and said, "I don't think so, I can still go to work."

"It's alright, you don't have much to do anyway, you're not busy." Lin Shumei stood up and leaned close to Su Ming's ear: "I specially approved this day off for you, so relax for a day. I'll take you on a business trip next week."

"Ah... going again?" Su Ming was surprised.

"What's wrong? You don't want to go on this business trip with me?" Lin Shumei looked at Su Ming suspiciously.

"Yes, yes!" Su Ming nodded hurriedly. He had finally managed to latch onto this powerful figure, and he couldn't let go! He was planning to open an arcade and was short of money!

To be honest, he seemed a little infatuated with the woman in front of him. Especially when he saw her stunning figure, he couldn't help but imagine all the things that had happened between them in the hotel.

"Yes, I'm happy too. Take a good rest these next couple of days." Lin Shumei smiled and took a small cardboard box from the drawer, handing it to Su Ming and saying charmingly, "Here, I heard this stuff is very nutritious."

"What is this?" Su Ming asked curiously, examining the cardboard box.

"Open it and you'll see." Lin Shumei winked at him and reached out to open the cardboard box for him. Inside, there was a transparent plastic box, and inside that, a ginseng root thicker than a thumb, lay flat.

"Ah, it's ginseng..."

"Yes, it's ginseng, it's very nourishing." Lin Shumei whispered in Su Ming's ear, her breath warm against his skin, "You've made me happy, so I won't treat you unfairly. This time we're going to inspect another supplier, and you'll definitely get some benefits."

"Thank you, manager!" Su Ming was overjoyed!

He turned to leave, but Lin Shumei suddenly called out to him.

"etc."

Su Ming turned around.

Lin Shumei took an envelope from the drawer and handed it to him.

"Take it."

Su Ming took the envelope, opened it, and was stunned—it was another stack of banknotes, at least two thousand yuan.

He quickly waved his hand: "Manager, this... I can't accept this!"

Lin Shumei smiled, a smile that held a deeper meaning.

"Take it," she said. "This is a travel allowance. You'll get it every time you travel with me."

Su Ming opened his mouth, as if to say something, but then stopped himself. Oh well, he'd better just enjoy this wonderful moment! He needed to hold on tight to this powerful figure and focus on appeasing her from now on.

"Alright, you can go now!" Lin Shumei had already lowered her head and continued looking at her document, waving her hand to indicate that he could leave.

"Okay, I'm leaving now."

Su Ming held the envelope, happily stuffed it into his pocket, and then turned and left the office.

The door closed behind me.

He stood in the corridor, looking down at the cardboard box in his hand, feeling a mix of emotions.

Business trip allowance, and even ginseng! This is just too good to be true!

He recalled the events of the past two days, the frenzy at the hotel, her allure in bed, and the ten thousand yuan she had given him…

While feeling sweet inside, I also felt a little uneasy.

He knew that from now on, his relationship with Lin Shumei could never be the same again.

But what about Yang Tian? Should she continue with her? Should she really get her pregnant? But if she doesn't, and the IC scandal comes to light, she could go to jail! Will Lin Shumei take the fall for her?

Su Ming became increasingly uneasy. He knew he was walking a tightrope, but if he didn't, he would immediately fall into an abyss and die without a burial place.