Shi Qingyin looked at Shi Ning, her impatience barely concealed. “If you have anything to say, let’s talk later. You’ll talk to Brother Xizhou first.”
“I don’t want to be alone with Shen Xizhou,” Shi Ning retorted, her gaze firm. With a flourish, she handed the land transfer contract to Shen Xizhou. “Qin Heye has signed it.”
“The land at the west part of the city i?” Shen Xizhou’s eyes lit up, at the glimmer of opportunity given was too enticing to resist. He reached out eagerly to snatch it.
Shi Ning, however, was quicker, pulling her hand back just beyond his grasp. “Yes, but I don’t want to give it to you now.”
Shen Xizhou’s brow furrowed. “Why?”
Shi Qingyin, meanwhile, was frozen in disbelief, staring at Shi Ning. “Did Mr. Qin really sign and give up the land at the west of the city ?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Shi Ning waved the contract playfully. “Yes, my husband listens to me. Whatever I say is what he did .”
A torrent of complex emotions surged through Shi Qingyin hearing her boast . The land at the west of the city was coveted by countless businesses, a strategic stronghold that could dictate the fate of entire commercial empires. And now, Qin Heye, a man of such immense power, had simply relinquished it to Shen Xizhou, all for Shi Ning’s sake! He was a modern-day tyrant indeed, ready to squander his kingdom for a mere woman!
Thinkig about it envy gnawed at Shi Qingyin. How could a foolish woman like Shi Ning be so favored, so pampered by a man as noble as Qin Heye? If such a man were hers, she wouldn’t betray him; she would love him wholeheartedly. A virtuous, astute woman like herself was the only one who deserved to marry Qin Heye and ascend to the position of the Qin family’s young mistress.
Yet, amidst her envy, a malicious satisfaction bloomed. Qin Heye, for all his noble status, was proving to be utterly incompetent, squandering the Qin family fortune for Shi Ning’s whims. Sooner or later, Shi Ning’s life would descend into misery, far worse than anything Shi Qingyin might endure. Moreover, if Shen Xizhou truly secured the West City plot, within mere years, his standing in the business world would rival Qin Heye’s, perhaps even surpass it! Then, she wouldn’t need to risk her reputation by becoming his mistress.
Oblivious to the churning emotions around him, Shen Xizhou, ignoring his lingering pain, excitedly scrambled from his hospital bed. “Let me see the contract!” he demanded, his voice trembling with anticipation.
Shi Ning glanced at him, with a subtle smirk playing on her lips, and extended the contract. Shen Xizhou eagerly snatched it, his eyes devouring the clauses. It was a perfect contract, meticulously drafted. Then, his gaze snagged on a crucial phrase. His face flushed with sheer elation, his eyes widening as he looked at Shi Ning, his joy unconcealable.
“Are you transferring the land at West City to me for free? Is that true?” The question burst from him. This was the land Qin Heye had paid ten billion for. A free transfer meant a direct gift of ten billion, not to mention the immense commercial value, the access to power and connections that came with it the one which is truly priceless!
Shi Ning nodded. “So was the plan.” Initially, she had simply intended to offload the problematic land onto Shen Xizhou, letting him face the inevitable losses. But the comments she received (berrage) had reminded her that she couldn’t allow herself to suffer any loss.
Shen Xizhou was so consumed by excitement that he barely registered Shi Ning’s nuanced words, understanding only the “free transfer” part. “Yinyin, give me a pen quickly! I want to sign now!”
Shi Qingyin, equally eager, pulled a pen from the bedside table and handed it to Shen Xizhou. Swish, swish, swish. Shen Xizhou scribbled his signature, feeling an immense burden lift from his shoulders. His hands still trembled with excitement as he clutched the contract, turning to Shi Qingyin, his face alight with triumph.
“Yinyin, Plot 15, in the West City is mine right .” He grabbed Shi Qingyin’s hand. “I won’t let you suffer any grievances. In the future, I…”
Shi Ning watched the scene unfold, a silent sneer of ridicule playing on her lips. Hehe. In the original plot, she would have had to compromise deeply to wrestle the transfer contract from Qin Heye for him . She would have been the one who was truly wronged, wouldn’t she? Yet, Shen Xizhou, in his self-importance, believed it was Shi Qingyin who had suffered. This was truly hilarious; what a pair of fools!
“That’s right, they’re all idiots!” she think in her heart utterly amused .Shi Qingyin on the other hand quickly pulled her hand back from Shen Xizhou’s grasp, subtly reminding him. “Brother Xizhou should be grateful to my sister also.”
Shen Xizhou then turned to Shi Ning, his expression was now one of newfound sincerity. “Ningning, thank you so much this time.” He puffed out his chest, his ambition boundless. “If I take over Plot 15, I’ll at least be on equal footing with Qin Heye in the business empire.” He envisioned repaying Qin Heye’s humiliation from last night tenfold, even a hundredfold in the future!
Than he looked at Shi Ning again, with a complicated mixture of emotions in his gaze. “I’ll be even less afraid of Qin Heye when i develoed this land . Tahn i’ll protect you from him when the time comes. You two can also divorce quickly.” His mind, warped by his self-proclaimed obsession with cleanliness, refused to consider marrying a second-married woman who, in his twisted view, wasn’t “pure” anymore. Still he acknowledged Shi Ning’s unwavering devotion and felt he should “take responsibility” for her, care for her, and even give her a child. This, in his delusion, would be a way of doing her “justice.” The more Shen Xizhou pondered, the more he convinced himself of his own responsibility, his goodness, his utter confidence.
“In the future, I will take care of you and will not let Qin Heye bully you again…”
Shi Ning simply watched Shen Xizhou quietly, observing his excitement build, seeing him ascend higher and higher, seemingly above the clouds. She watched him crown himself the new emperor, looking down on all others, ready to crush them, even daring to look down on Qin Heye.
Then, at the pinnacle of Shen Xizhou’s soaring confidence, when he felt he was the best in the world and his sense of happiness overflowed, Shi Ning slowly delivered her crushing blow. “This contract is invalid, and it’s useless for you to sign it now.”
Shen Xizhou, who had just excitedly hugged the contract, kissing it three times in a row, was about to leap from the bed to handle the follow-up matters. But Shi Ning’s light words descended like a basin of ice water, extinguishing the excited flame within him and chilling his heart to the core. It was like dragging Shen Xizhou from the heavens to the deepest quagmire. He couldn’t withstand the immense shock, his face contorted in disbelief. “What did you say?”
Shi Ning was utterly satisfied with Shen Xizhou’s expression; otherwise, she would have stopped him from signing earlier. This was precisely what she wanted: immense hope, followed by devastating disappointment. She raised her eyebrows, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Qin Heye hasn’t stamped it yet, so this contract is invalid.”
Hope flickered in Shen Xizhou’s eyes again, and he frantically shoved the contract back into Shi Ning’s hand. “You go find Qin Heye to stamp it now, go immediately.” It was a command, devoid of any request. “I’ll drive you there; this matter can’t be delayed,” he added, his anxiety palpable.
Then, Shi Ning calmly tore the contract into pieces.
Shen Xizhou gasped, clutching the shredded paper with a pained expression, desperately trying to piece it back together, knowing it was futile. He roared at Shi Ning, rage twisting his features. “Why did you tear it up!”
Shi Qingyin’s mood swung once more, and she blamed Shi Ning. “Sister isn’t really helping Brother Xizhou; she doesn’t want to help him at all.” Her voice rose in accusation. “How can you give Brother Xizhou hope, then tear up the contract and let him down? Sister, aren’t you playing Brother Xizhou like a monkey?”
Shi Ning tilted her head, a cold sneer gracing her lips as she looked at Shi Qingyin. “I’m still here; don’t rush to discredit me.” Her voice dripped with quiet malice. “If you hadn’t called yesterday, saying that Qin Heye beat Shen Xizhou, and said that he called my name when he was unconscious, Qin Heye wouldn’t be angry either. This contract would have been stamped long ago! I sent it to Shen Xizhou yesterday.” Shi Ning raised an eyebrow, a triumphant chuckle escaping her lips. “So this matter is your fault. It’s you who made this contract invalid.”
Shen Xizhou, who had been on the verge of unleashing his wrath on Shi Ning, froze. He turned his head slowly, his gaze turning ominously towards Shi Qingyin. “Shi Qingyin!”
Very good! The provocation has begun.
Shi Ning raised an eyebrow and said to Shen Xizhou, her voice dripping with mock helpfulness, “Regarding the invalidity of the contract, please ask Shi Qingyin to find a valid contract for you. I’m leaving now.”