Chapter 17: I Won't Let You Go

At this moment, there was no trace of gloom or defeat to be seen in Xue Yuanyuan. She was as spirited as ever, flitting delightedly among the flowers and greenery, basking in sweet nothings from one suitor while accepting money from another, thoroughly enjoying herself. Clad in custom-made dresses from Maison M and striding confidently in high heels, she paraded through the mall, immersed in a world of handbags, jewelry, and glittering treasures, all the while coquettishly responding to the men messaging her on WeChat.

So what if she had lost Shen Qian and Qi Heng? She could simply find replacements—there was nothing remarkable about it. With her beauty, finding a man of even higher status would be effortless.

If not for that wretched Lin Zhiwei, she would never have had to endure such hardship.

Lin Zhiwei, I will never let you go. Crushing you now would be as easy as squashing an ant.

The thought made her grip the garment in her hand more tightly, causing the nearby sales clerk’s heart to skip a beat.

Miss, this dress is made of the finest silk—one scratch from your nails and…

Catching sight of the clerk’s anxious face, Xue Yuanyuan softened her expression and said gently, “Wrap this one up for me.”

The clerk’s face instantly lit up with joy, bustling around with new enthusiasm. What luck to have such a wealthy customer so early in the day! Her attitude became even more attentive. “Miss, perhaps you’d like to take a look at these new arrivals over here? With your beauty, you’ll look absolutely radiant in them.”

Xue Yuanyuan smiled regally, her heart brimming with delight, as she walked over, mentally calculating her next move.

Ha, what storm could Lin Zhiwei possibly stir up with that little scene on the balcony? What could she do to me? In the end, she can only serve as my foil. When the arbitration committee convenes the day after tomorrow, I’ll present all the evidence I have—who could doubt it, faced with her pitiful appearance?

After a while, having thoroughly indulged herself with shopping, she sat down for afternoon tea, dialed a number on her phone, and spoke in a low voice, “Is everything I asked for ready?”

“You offered a fair price, so of course it’s done,” came the reply.

Xue Yuanyuan arched an eyebrow, her expression dark and sly, her sense of triumph mounting. “Good. The day after tomorrow, I want that wretch ruined beyond recovery.”

“With what you have in hand, that’s easily done,” the voice on the other end rasped with a cold chuckle.

“Fine. Once it’s done, the remainder will be transferred to your account. Also, make me a new WeChat account.”

“No problem—same arrangement as always. Wishing your plan every success.”

Xue Yuanyuan ended the call, a satisfied smile playing at her lips, her eyes sharp with malice and cold intent. Just wait, Lin Zhiwei—the day after tomorrow you’re finished for good. Then, as the adopted daughter of the Lin family, I’ll naturally have even more attention and status.

“Yuanyuan, have you been waiting long?”

A gentle male voice sounded by her ear.

Xue Yuanyuan instantly withdrew her previous expression, replacing it with a demure and charming sweetness. Lowering her head shyly, she replied, “No, I just arrived.”

The man gazed at her dotingly, utterly captivated by her bashful demeanor. “Yuanyuan, you look stunning today.”

She lowered her eyes, a rosy blush blooming across her cheeks as she muttered, “You always know how to flatter me.”

Seeing the nervous adoration in the man’s eyes, her pride soared to its peak. This one had barely exchanged a handful of words with her and was already wrapped around her finger.

Ha, there is nothing I, Xue Yuanyuan, set my sights on that I cannot obtain.

…

Not far away, Lin Zhiwei sat a few tables over, watching Xue Yuanyuan’s affected performance and nearly spitting out her coffee. If there were an award for playing the delicate ingénue, Xue Yuanyuan’s acting could easily win her a place on the red carpet.

In the past, whenever Xue Yuanyuan went on a date, she certainly wouldn’t bring Lin Zhiwei along, so she’d only caught a glimpse of this soft-spoken, gentle act a handful of times—and even then, she’d rolled her eyes so hard in her mind, they nearly stuck.

Now that their relationship had soured, she was witnessing it up close, and it was almost unbearable to watch.

But she had to admit, when it came to seducing men, Xue Yuanyuan was a natural. Over the years, she’d played the field without ever running into real trouble.

To the men, she was the untouchable goddess of their dreams. Even those who were dumped blamed themselves for not being good enough, not for her caprice.

After seeing Shen Qian’s state today, Lin Zhiwei more or less understood it all.

She couldn’t help but click her tongue in silent amazement—even if she practiced for centuries, she doubted she could ever pull off such a performance.

She’d just slipped a miniature listening device near Xue Yuanyuan’s seat as she passed by. Every word of the phone conversation just now was coming through clearly in her earpiece.

While letting her long hair fall to one side, Lin Zhiwei listened in with her left ear. Meanwhile, in her right, Nan Yu’s chattering voice buzzed:

“Wow, that woman is truly disgusting and vile. Xiao Lin, I support you—beat her down!”

Lin Zhiwei rolled her eyes again, not bothering to respond.

“Xiao Lin, are you still there? Did you disconnect? Hello? Why aren’t you answering me…”

“I’m alive. Keep your voice down—I’m still nearby,” Lin Zhiwei whispered.

“Alright, everything you asked for is ready. The day after tomorrow, you’ll crush her completely. We’ll use our ultimate weapon,” Nan Yu said, sipping her milk tea, practically rubbing her hands in anticipation.

Lin Zhiwei’s eyes flickered with amusement as she replied coolly, “No, let her make the first move. We’ll wait and see—she puts on quite the show, after all.”

Nan Yu nearly dropped her milk tea in surprise. “Why let her steal the spotlight first?”

“I’ll be heading to Hua country soon to work with the movie king. Who knows, I might get a chance to play out a scene like this myself. Now’s the perfect time to learn—theory comes from practice. Only when she’s played all her cards can I strike back and leave her no room to recover,” Lin Zhiwei said calmly.

Xue Yuanyuan, I really ought to thank you—for giving me free acting lessons…