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Morning in Nanjing.

Light streamed in from outside the glass, illuminating the meeting minutes that Su Yingxue hadn't had time to put away the night before. Three documents lay spread out on the table: a wedding planning proposal, a transfer receipt from Beichen Capital, and Su's third-quarter financial report.

Three documents, three kinds of trouble.

She looked at the wedding planning proposal first.

The venue was on the top floor of the Jinling Hotel, with a capacity of three hundred people. The menu, floral arrangements, lighting, and security were all priced. The total cost wasn't low, but the Su family could afford it. What truly made her uncomfortable was the "Special Thanks" on the last page—a donation of three million from Beichen Capital.

Three million is not a small sum. No one would give three million to a wedding for no reason.

She picked up the transfer receipt and looked at it again.

Payer: Ruixin Trading. Registered in: British Virgin Islands. Tracing back three layers, the ultimate beneficiary points to a private equity fund called "Beichen Capital" in the United States.

Su Yingxue had seen too many of these structures in the business world.

Shell companies operating within shell companies allow money to flow in from one end and out from the other, separated by a vast ocean, making investigation time-consuming and laborious.

She picked up her phone and sent a message to the CFO.

"The three million is listed as 'temporarily received pending investigation,' don't touch it. This afternoon, the legal department will issue an official letter to Ruixin, requesting proof of the source of funds and information on the ultimate beneficiary."

After sending it, she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.

Ye Heng didn't come back last night.

He sent a message saying "I'll be back tomorrow," and then nothing more. She called twice; the first call went unanswered, but the second was answered. The background was quiet, as quiet as if she were underground.

He said it was a "minor injury".

Su Yingxue didn't believe it.

She hadn't known Ye Heng for long, but she knew he had a flaw—the bigger the issue, the more he downplayed it.

The first time he saw her grandfather critically ill, he said, "I can cure him"; the first time the Jin family blocked her at the Su family's house, he said, "I'll handle it"; the first time he went to the Demon Sea, he said, "Just passing by."

She's seen men act tough before.

But when Ye Heng put on a brave face, she always felt that he wasn't lying to her, but to himself.

At nine o'clock, Su Yingxue went downstairs.

The living room was already full of people.

Liu Zhixian sat by the window, wearing a dark green cheongsam and holding a cup of tea, her posture relaxed. She had arrived this morning with two carloads of people from Tianfeng Pavilion, saying they were there to "help with the wedding arrangements."

Gong Yichu sat opposite her, holding a laptop with a densely packed chart of fund flows on the screen. She had rushed back from Beiyan, and although there were faint dark circles under her eyes, she was in good spirits.

Xia He sat on the single sofa at the far end, holding a guest list in her hand, her back very straight, as if afraid that sitting too comfortably would make her seem unprofessional.

Lin Ruofei, holding her Forget-Me-Not zither, sat at the top of the stairs, going over the wedding plan with the wedding planner. Today, she was wearing a light apricot sweater, her hair loosely draped over her shoulders, looking more like a wedding guest than a singer about to perform on stage.

Su Yingrou is not here.

Su Yingxue glanced upstairs and asked, "Where's Xiaorou?"

"She's not up yet," Xia He said. "She came back very late last night, and it seemed like she was rummaging through something."

Su Yingxue hummed in agreement and sat down in the main seat.

"The wedding will proceed as planned," she said.

The living room fell silent for a moment.

Liu Zhixian put down her teacup and glanced at her: "Are you sure?"

"Confirmed." Su Yingxue placed the three documents on the coffee table. "The invitations have already been sent out, and the media has been notified. Changing the date now is tantamount to telling everyone that something has happened to the Su family."

"But Ye Heng isn't here," Xia He whispered. "The groom isn't here, how can the wedding proceed?"

"He will come back," Su Yingxue said.

"just in case--"

"There's no 'what if'," Su Yingxue interrupted her, her tone not harsh, but leaving no room for negotiation. "He said three days, so it's three days. If he doesn't come back after three days, I'll walk the red carpet alone."

Liu Zhixian looked at her and suddenly smiled.

"President Su, the way you're saying that makes it sound like you're going to marry him, but also like you're going to fight him."

"Is there a difference?" Su Yingxue asked back.

Liu Zhixian didn't reply, but simply picked up her teacup and slowly took a sip.

Su Yingxue turned to Gong Yichu: "What did you find out about Beichen Capital?"

Gong Yichu turned the computer around.

"Ruixin Trading is just the first floor," she said. "I traced its shareholders upwards and found that it had registered three other companies in Jinling, all of which were shell companies. The registered addresses of all three companies were on the third basement floor of the Jinling Hotel."

"Three underground floors?"

"Yes." Gong Yichu opened a hotel floor plan. "The Jinling Hotel was built twenty years ago. The three underground floors have never been open to the public. The property rights are registered under the hotel's name, but they have never actually been used. I asked someone to check the property records. Last year, someone rented that floor under the guise of 'equipment renovation' for a ten-year term."

Who rented it?

Ruixin Trading Co., Ltd.

Su Yingxue tapped her finger on the coffee table.

"Three million for a wedding," she said. "That's too cheap. Unless they didn't buy a wedding at all."

"It's the foundation," Gong Yichu said.

Xia He looked up, her face a little pale: "What's... under the foundation?"

Su Yingxue did not answer.

She remembered that last night, Su Changhong called her to his study and said something.

"Yingxue, Ye Heng's senior uncle is no ordinary person. The array plate he sent is also no ordinary item. Keep a close eye on Xiaorou on the wedding day."

She asked why.

Su Changhong didn't answer, but simply stuffed an old jade pendant into her hand and said, "Crush it when it matters."

Su Yingxue looked down at her palm.

The jade pendant was still there, warm to the touch, like a stone that had been warmed by someone.

"President Su," Liu Zhixian began, "Regarding the hotel, I suggest we start operations three days in advance. Replace everyone who can be replaced—the catering, cleaning, and security personnel. Have the Tianfeng Pavilion staff disguised as waiters; at least that will ensure the front of house remains under our control."

"Okay," Su Yingxue nodded, "but don't alert them. There must be a reason for the replacement; don't let Beichen find out."

"clear."

"Xia He." Su Yingxue looked at her, "Go through the guest list again, especially the people from Beichen Capital and Tianying Country. I need to know who every single one of them is and what they're here for."

"Okay." Xia He nodded vigorously.

"Ruofei," Su Yingxue turned to Lin Ruofei, "on the wedding day, you will sing the 'Heart-Cleansing Mantra'."

Lin Ruofei paused for a moment: "Singing the 'Heart-Cleansing Mantra' at the wedding? Wouldn't that be a bit too festive?"

"Just sing the 'Purifying Mantra'," Su Yingxue said. "No need to change the lyrics or adapt it. You sing yours, and I'll handle the rest."

Lin Ruofei looked at her, seemingly wanting to ask something, but in the end she just nodded.

"it is good."

Su Yingxue stood up.

"There's one more thing," she said. "Before the wedding, no one is allowed to tell Xiaorou. If she asks, just say everything is normal."

"Why?" Xia He couldn't help but ask.

"Because she can't keep secrets," Su Yingxue said. "The more she knows, the more dangerous it is for her."

A soft sound came from upstairs.