A warm, coarse palm covered her fist lovingly. Song Yu looked down and saw Qi Chengzhi's warm hand wrapped around hers. His fingers were softly caressing the back of her hand as well as her fingers, calming her down significantly.

Yu Keyao then turned to Qi Chengzhi and looked at him in all sincerity. "Young Master Cheng, I'm afraid you've been kept in the dark over this. The video is evidence that my big sister had an affair with none other than your brother-in-law, Jian Yi."

She knew all that because Liang Lihua recounted the encounter at the café. The way Jian Yi helped Song Yu, and the expression he had given her, seemed to hint at something much deeper than simply being relatives.

Some time after that incident, Yu Keyao attended a gathering with her friends, one of whom was the son of Chengyue's owner. The topic popped up during a conversation and Yu Keyao immediately requested to have a copy of the video recording.

Seeing as it was a small matter, the friend was more than happy to help.

"She may be my Big Sister, but I won't blindly side her, not when she does something as disgusting as being a mistress." Yu Keyao shook her head, seemingly full of disappointment.

Song Yu found everything rather amusing. All this time, Yu Keyao had been doing exactly what a side chick would do, and yet she had the decency to reproach Song Yu with that look of disdain.

"And Jian Yi's your brother-in-law now. He's in the same family as big sister. Maybe there's something going on between them…" Yu Keyao stopped talking midway. Her eyes were wide open in befuddlement and she let out an awkward giggle.

"I can't comment on this." Yu Keyao tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm talking too much."

"Young Master Cheng, please don't get me wrong. Maybe Big Sister does not have any relationship with him anymore and has completely forgotten about him. Maybe she really is focusing all her attention on you. If so, she wouldn't feel uncomfortable or reminisce about him even though they'll meet regularly in the future," Yu Keyao explained, but then covered her mouth hurriedly. She looked at Song Yu helplessly. "Big Sis, am I making things worse by helping you?"

"You might as well just go ahead and say that I like Jian Yi, that I want to get closer to him by marrying Qi Chengzhi. Just say that I'm planning to go behind Qi Chengzhi's back because Jian Yi and I still long for one another, and that I want to do all sorts of things that will disappoint Qi Chengzhi." Song Yu snickered. "The hell are you trying to pretend that you're some pure white lotus flower. I might even think better of you if you just say everything to my face."

Qi Chengzhi kneaded Song Yu's hand as soon as she completed her sentence.

She looked at him and he returned the glance, giving her the opportunity to notice the unhappiness in his dark pupils.

It would never cross her mind that Qi Chengzhi was angry because he believed Yu Keyao's words; she knew that it was precisely those words that had incited his anger—false though they may be, the way Yu Keyao said them infuriated him.

Song Yu became compliant immediately. Under the cover of the table, she laced her fingers with his in a silent gesture to please him. Only then did he become less ruffled.

Yu Keyao misunderstood his expression, assuming that her words had sowed seeds of doubt in him.

Then, Qi Chengzhi said, "I know."

His frigid tone served to cement her opinion.

Pleased, Yu Keyao blushed and tucked yet another lock of hair behind her ear, saying gently, 'Young Master… Brother-in-Law, can I call you Brother-in-Law? Since you're already married to my sister, I think it's too unfriendly to be calling you Young Master Cheng."

Song Yu was truly astonished by Yu Keyao's brazenness. If the other members of the Yu family had the same skill as her, they would not have needed to run up to Song Yu's family and apologize—a single sentence might have sufficed for them to secure the connections they needed.

"I'm not accustomed to being someone else's brother-in-law," Qi Chengzhi responded curtly.

"Brother-in-Law, stop kidding." Yu Keyao smiled shyly.

"I'm not someone who likes to kid around," came another cold rebuke. The art of a twitchy face was a page he took from Chu Zhaoyang's book.

Stunned, Yu Keyao let out an awkward dry laugh and proceeded to her next subject. "The reason I wanted to meet Big Sis is to give her advice. She has a wonderful husband in you. I envy that because I can't marry someone like you. She needs to treasure you and stop putting her hand into someone else's cookie jar. Being a two-timer is not something a woman should do."

Deep in her heart, Song Yu let out a silent bitter laugh. Yu Keyao's tone during the phone call—where she asked Song Yu to come alone—had indicated that Yu Keyao was planning on using the recording as a threat.

Qi Chengzhi's presence was unexpected, but Yu Keyao was quick to change her modus operandi.

"Miss Yu, you're too kind for telling me about this. How could I ever repay you?" Qi Chengzhi's curled one corner of his lips mockingly.

"No need for thanks. I treat Big Sis and Brother-in-Law as my own family. I said it only because I wanted the best for you, just in case the recording leaks out someday and leaves you helpless, unprepared, and unable to handle it swiftly. If I could get my hands on it, others can too, and we really don't know what will happen with this kind of thing." Yu Keyao hands were laced together, and she positioned them on the table so her wrists were close to the table edge. "If Brother-in-Law really wants to thank me…

"Brother-in-Law, I know you're mad at my parents, especially my mom. Even I had never thought that she'd do that kind of thing. But my mom has been punished and humiliated in public. Brother-in-Law, we're relatives now too. Can you spare our family's company? My parents genuinely know their mistakes," Yu Keyao pleaded gently. "I promise that they will never bother Big Sis again."

Qi Chengzhi looked at her in silence. His enigmatic eyes then narrowed, and his gaze was filled with endless ridicule. "Are you implying that you'll leak the recording if I don't agree to you? Are you threatening me?"

"Of course not. Brother-in-Law, please don't misunderstand. I wouldn't dare to threaten you," Yu Keyao replied in a hurry. She stared at him helplessly while her face began to pale, seemingly due to being wrongly accused. "I'm just asking for your help, Brother-in-Law. Regarding the video, I'll help Big Sis too. If it gets out, the Qi family won't be too happy with Big Sis even though you're both married now."

What else could her words be if they were not threats?

Yu Keyao was fortunate enough to be so thick-skinned. She could threaten someone by making herself look like the pitiable, helpless victim.

Qi Chengzhi let out a soft, mocking chuckle and stood up. The edge of the table was pressed to his thigh and it was just beneath his package, emphasizing the area around his zipper and between his thighs.

His suit pants were not at all tight, but they were cut in a way that flattered his body. It did not reveal his bulge, but Yu Keyao looked at that area and wondered what he looked like underneath his pants. She blushed as she fixed her gaze there and felt her mouth begin to dry up.

"Miss Yu," Qi Chengzhi called out coldly. "Let me take you somewhere."

Yu Keyao was momentarily startled. She stood up immediately. "Where to?"

Qi Chengzhi was silent. He led Song Yu out the door, leaving Yu Keyao with no choice but to catch up. Since Song Yu was also tagging along, Yu Keyao believed that Qi Chengzhi would not do anything bad toward her.

She followed the couple to the Range Rover, but Qi Chengzhi stopped in front of the car and pointed to another car parked behind. "Miss Yu, you'll be riding in that car."

Yu Keyao looked over, noticing an ordinary black Audi A6. Chang Lai got down from the A6 and opened the rear door. "Right here, Miss Yu."

She hesitated, because she felt less worried if she was in the same car as Song Yu. There was a sense of dread because Qi Chengzhi wanted her to get into the Audi with some driver she did not know, and a destination that was uncertain as of then.

Yu Keyao glanced at the Audi, then at Qi Chengzhi, before saying, "Brother-in-Law, can't I sit in your car?"

"I just had it cleaned yesterday. I don't want to waste my time having it cleaned a second time." Qi Chengzhi's voice was frigid. He drove off as soon as he helped Song Yu into the car and got in.

Yu Keyao stood frozen on the spot. Qi Chengzhi's words made her face redden up.

Did he imply that she would dirty his car if she sat in it?

Chang Lai walked over and remarked politely. "Don't worry, Miss Yu. Our director is a law-abiding citizen. He won't do anything that will go against the law."

"Where will you bring me to?" Yu Keyao questioned.

"Somewhere near. It's only five minutes away," Chang Lai replied. "If you don't feel reassured, you can choose not to go. I'll be heading back if that's the case."

Chang Lai went to the car immediately after finishing his sentence. Yu Keyao hesitated—she was torn between her feelings of apprehension and her curiosity for the answer.

Clenching her jaw, she figured that Qi Chengzhi was not some unsavory character who would kidnap or burn her alive. She dragged her feet and got into the car.

Chang Lai looked at her through the rear-view mirror, to which Yu Keyao responded, "Let's go."

To her surprise, the place that Qi Chengzhi told Chang Lai to bring her to, was Yu Zidong's company.

The car slowly came to a stop on the roadside, and the pavement was seen to be filled with people.

Men and women alike were present, apparently from all walks of life. Every single one of them had an irate expression.

Some were holding up wooden signs with lines of words written on the poster: Useless Company, Return My Money!

Another held up placards that were not fixed onto wooden sticks.

Some wrote on a piece of cardboard, filling the entire space with intricate details of the losses they had suffered. The cardboard was placed upright on the street. They stood beside it wearing white bandannas on their forehead, containing the words: Return My Money!

They stood there without moving, allowing all other passers-by to see what they were up to.

A middle-aged woman cried out in anguish and wailed at everyone who passed by her. "We're all ordinary people who struggle to save up our money. We don't know how to invest in stocks or investment funds, so we gave our money to the professionals to help us. When they took our money, they promised us this was a guaranteed fund. Even if they didn't earn anything, they promised that our money would not disappear and they would give it back to us. But now, we don't even have a single cent left!

"We saved all this money month-by-month by scrimping and saving. It was intended for our son, for him to get married. We're not greedy. We didn't have any intention to become rich overnight and that was why we chose this guaranteed fund. We were prepared for the outcome of having no return as long as our capital was still there! Now, this company can't even return our capital, and they can't even give us an explanation! The company owner hasn't shown his face for a few days already!

"Where's our justice! These company owners only know how to bully us, hardworking poor people. Ask the company owner if his conscience is clear when he has lost all our hard-earned money!"

Another even raised up Yu Zidong's black-and-white picture in a black photo frame. It was exactly the kind of photo used for deceased people.

"Everyone, look closely! It's this person! This is the useless and corrupt businessman who has deceived ordinary citizens and swindled our money away. He used our money to cover up other investors' debts. Now, he's not only failed to return our money, he has also disappeared into thin air. We have nowhere else to complain to because his company has closed down and he isn't allowing us to go in! This isn't one or two thousand we're talking about here. It's more than ten thousand! Ten thousand is a loss that many of us cannot bear! For all we know, he might not have had the intention to help us invest at all! He might have just scammed us by taking our money and making a run for it!

"All of you must remember this man and this company. Never come to this company ever again. Even if a new company is set up, don't ever trust that company if the boss is this fella!"

Yu Keyao had never imagined that the company's difficulties had reached a point of no return.

Her heart fell into an icy bottomless pit, and her lips were trembling incessantly. She did not notice that Chang Lai had stepped down from the car and opened the door for her.

"Miss Yu, please come down," Chang Lai implored.

Yu Keyao found it all too surprising that Qi Chengzhi had wanted her to come to the company.

Her limbs ran cold, and her handheld tightly onto the side handle as she got down from the car. At that precise moment, she was particularly worried that the crowd would recognize her as Yu Zidong's daughter.

She looked to the right and saw Qi Chengzhi's car parked just ahead.

Yu Keyao grasped her bag firmly and walked over to the Range Rover.

"Miss Yu," Chang Lai called her from behind.

She stopped, turned around, and watched as Chang Lai came to her. He remarked politely, "I will relay a message that Young Master Cheng has for you."

"Isn't he inside the car?" Yu Keyao asked. It was evident that she wanted Qi Chengzhi to tell it to her personally.

Ignoring her question, Chang Lai continued. "Young Master Cheng said that he would protect Song Yu even if you make the video viral and cause the internet folks to condemn her. People's attentions are easily diverted, and with time, public opinions will shift and voices of dissent will fade away. Their lives will continue as usual after that.

"But your family's company, Miss Yu, will die completely if it crumbles. Rectifying this loss won't be easy. It is your choice, Miss Yu," Chang Lai said plainly. "Also, Young Master Cheng knows of your ambition to become a fashion designer. If the company ceases to exist, so will your future."

Chang Lai finished his words and nodded to her. "That is all that Young Master Cheng wishes me to tell you. I won't be sending you. Goodbye."

Yu Keyao face changed into all sorts of expressions as she gnashed her teeth and watched Chang Lai get into the car.

When she finally came to her senses, she turned around to look for Qi Chengzhi. The car, however, was already some distance away.

Yu Keyao looked at the chaotic mass of people and felt a sudden sense of helplessness coming over her.

…

…

Qi Chengzhi sent Song Yu back to her workplace and went back to Qilin.

"Young Master Cheng, Yu Zidong has been waiting in the parlor." Cheng Dongge put down his cell phone. "He has been here since noon."

Qi Chengzhi nodded and walked over to the parlor, with Cheng Dongge following closely behind.

With a push of the door, the strong smell of smoke came crashing to their faces. The parlor was so densely filled with smoke that it was hard to open one's eyes.

Yu Zidong sat alone on the sofa. His legs were spread open and his elbows were placed on top of his thighs. One hand was holding a cigarette and he was leaning forward. His eyes were transfixed on the floor between his legs, where a pile of cigarette ash was scattered all over.

Qi Chengzhi was not accustomed to the smell of smoke, having quit smoking for quite some time already.

Yu Zidong did not notice Qi Chengzhi's arrival. He seemed to be so lost in his own thoughts that his face looked miserable and older by a few years. Even his vitality looked like it had been sucked out of him.

Qi Chengzhi frowned and greeted him, "Director Yu."

Yu Zidong looked up abruptly but did not stand up. Having been humiliated by Qi Chengzhi to such an extent, Yu Zidong was in no mood to continue currying favor with him.

Yu Zidong loosened his tie, as if he, too, began to feel the effects of the thick smoke.

On the table beside him was an ashtray, and he put out his cigarette in it. Cheng Dongge walked over to the window and opened it to let some fresh air in.

Qi Chengzhi re-entered the room only when the smoke had cleared up.

There was no small talk from Yu Zidong and he cut to the chase immediately. After what seemed like an uncountable number of cigarettes, his voice was very hoarse. "What will it take for you to spare my company? Name me your condition. Tell me something, at least, so I can know what I should do."

Qi Chengzhi walked silently over to the window beside him, standing righteously beside it. The sun rays entered the room, radiating on him and making him look even taller.

When Qi Chengzhi faced Yu Zidong, the latter could not see too clearly and had to squint because of the sun rays.

"Director Yu, have you ever thought about why I attacked your company?" Qi Chengzhi's voice was indifferent, and his expression was also exceptionally frigid.

"Because I pestered Song Yu and her parents," Yu Zidong replied. His voice was cracked in a way that suggested his throat had been filed down using sandpaper. Red streaks appeared in both his eyes, and an indignant unwillingness characterized his words.

He could not bring himself to use the word 'harass', so he beautified his sentence by using the word 'pester'.

Qi Chengzhi snickered and sneered. His tall figure loomed over Yu Zidong and he replied coldly, "That's only one reason. When I brought up the subject of your company to warn you, you still went and harassed my father- and mother-in-law. You're courting your own demise. This is the second reason.

"This afternoon, Miss Liang came to Chengshi. She stopped Song Yu and apologized profusely, but when she knew that Song Yu would not forgive her no matter how much she begged, she got angry and decided to slander Song Yu right in front of Song Yu's colleagues. The remarks she made were completely unreasonable. In fact, she doesn't seem to realize that she's in the wrong, and it has given Song Yu a lot of complications and embarrassment. This is reason number three.

"Do you know why it took me so long to return? It's not to make a show of pride in front of you, Director Yu, I'm not that childish. It is entirely because of the delay caused by your daughter. Just earlier, your daughter came to threaten both Song Yu and me. She thought that she could blackmail us into sparing your company. This is reason number four."

Qi Chengzhi placed both hands into his pant pockets and looked at Yu Zidong with disdain. "By these four reasons alone, why should I even spare your company?"

Yu Zidong's mouth opened wide in disbelief. He was completely in the dark over Liang Lihua and Yu Keyao who went to look for Song Yu.

He formed his hands into a tight fist and rued the inability of those women to make things right!

Qi Chengzhi noticed his movements and said plainly, "It seems you are unaware of your daughter's and wife's actions, Director Yu."

"I really didn't know." Yu Zidong felt helpless and wronged. It was a painful feeling indeed when one's own family was the cause of one's downfall. He was on the verge of vomiting blood.

He felt around his pocket and took out his pack of cigarettes. He then realized that he had just finished smoking his last cigarette.

"To tell you the truth, it's not like the entire situation can't be redeemed." Qi Chengzhi said suddenly. Yu Zidong looked up at him with full of hope.

"In fact, the only thing that really irks me is Miss Liang. Time and again, she has insulted and harassed Song Yu both verbally and physically. Nothing seems to give her peace, and nothing can stop her either. She'd turn into a complete lunatic once she goes insane." Qi Chengzhi ambled over mindlessly to Yu Zidong. "Speaking of which, if your wife was a reasonable person, to begin with, it wouldn't have to come to this, Director Yu. She not only goes around accusing people; she has even offended her own little sister. She's now willing to throw away her self-respect by begging for forgiveness, but what need is there for all this? If you knew that all these things would happen, wouldn't you have prevented it before it did?"