"How could he possibly know?!"

Chen Lan was so shocked for a moment that she didn’t know what to say!

From start to finish, only Su Xiaomeng and he, along with Shan Mingxu of the Shan Family, knew that the severed arm wasn’t Yin Shixiu’s and that there was indeed a possibility Yin Shixiu was still alive.

How could Rong Jing possibly know that Yin Shixiu wasn’t dead?

Could it be...

"Did he meet with President Yin?"

Chen Lan made a bold conjecture.

Su Xiaomeng merely pressed her lips together; she still needed to think it over carefully.

Rong Jing couldn’t have drawn this conclusion for no reason, and Shan Mingxu would absolutely not have exposed the fact that Yin Shixiu wasn’t dead to anyone.

To this day, they were completely concealing this fact from Ming Lang, let alone anyone else.

As for Chen Lan...

Su Xiaomeng trusted him, plus if Chen Lan really were involved with Rong Jing, given that nearly two months had passed, Rong Jing wouldn’t have waited until today to bring it up.

So that leaves only her...

Could it be that she slipped up and let something slip, which Rong Jing caught on to?

Su Xiaomeng couldn’t make an accurate judgment at that moment.

But regarding Chen Lan’s conjecture, Su Xiaomeng shook her head, indicating it wasn’t likely...

"If he did meet Shixiu, there’s no way he could remain so calm."

"You’re right."

"And if he had seen Shixiu, at the very least, he’d let Yin Shiqing know. Once Yin Shiqing knew, Wu Rong wouldn’t be kept in the dark either. So even if Rong Jing didn’t react, Yin Shiqing and Wu Rong wouldn’t remain silent."

"I think it’s more likely that we made a mistake which caused him to make such a guess or draw such a connection..."

Su Xiaomeng pressed her lips together, but this was just her guess.

In reality, they could only take it one step at a time.

Rong Jing said those things just to test her.

Earlier, when he offered her alcohol, if she had followed his lead, discussing or explaining whether her husband was dead or alive, she would have fallen into his trap.

That would have essentially reinforced Rong Jing’s suspicions.

Su Xiaomeng’s palms were sweating; were it not for her trust in Chen Lan and Shan Mingxu, she might have truly fallen into Rong Jing’s trap.

Rong Jing was so cunning, and his probing was caught people off guard.

A slight oversight and the fact that Shixiu wasn’t dead would spread...

By then, there would be opportunists like Rong Jing, perhaps Yin Shiqing, and even Wu Rong, who would definitely conduct further investigations.

Whether Shan Mingxu’s actions were truly flawless and left no trace, Su Xiaomeng didn’t dare to guarantee.

Especially Wu Rong...

As long as Wu Rong wanted to investigate, he’d definitely find something.

Su Xiaomeng and Chen Lan got into the car, and Su Xiaomeng let the driver go back by himself. Chen Lan was driving, while Su Xiaomeng sat in the passenger seat.

"So... what would make Rong Jing give rise to such conjectures?"

Chen Lan was really quite uneasy.

Su Xiaomeng was also thinking about this question...

Could it be that Shan Mingxu’s previous investigations near Tianjin Port had alerted Rong Jing?

Seeing that Su Xiaomeng couldn’t figure it out, Chen Lan said,

"Maybe you’re right, he might have just seen or heard something and started making connections based on just a tiny clue."

"What he said and did just now was merely a test."

"... Let’s hope so."

That’s all Xiao Meng could think.

"If Rong Jing was testing you, then I feel like he’s already failed."

Chen Lan stated with certainty.

While saying this confidently, deep down, he admired Su Xiaomeng’s reaction on the spot.

If even that behavior wasn’t enough to dispel Rong Jing’s suspicions...

In any case, Chen Lan felt that even if Rong Jing initially thought Yin Shixiu wasn’t dead, Su Xiaomeng’s outburst would likely make him stop overthinking.

————

Su Xiaomeng and Chen Lan had already left for a while.

Rong Jing was still at the cocktail party venue.

The baijiu on his face had been wiped away, and his clothes were drenched with alcohol.

He was still standing there, with his domineering eyebrows sternly furrowed, his face somewhat ominous and terrifying.

Apparently...

Su Xiaomeng’s actions not only caught him off guard but also shocked him! Stunned him! And made him... furious.

She humiliated him, taunted him, belittled him, and now... she even dared to douse him with alcohol!

He’s lived his whole life without anyone throwing alcohol on him!

A young woman like her, is she just tired of living?!

"President Rong..."

His assistant Deng Wei handed him another clean wet towel.

Rong Jing threw away the wet towel in his hand and took the one Deng Wei offered. His face had been wiped several times, yet his anger hadn’t diminished in the slightest.

"Deng Wei."

"Hmm?"

"Do you have President Hua’s contact information? I have something to discuss with him."

Deng Wei raised his eyebrows slightly, then nodded,

"I do. Do you want to arrange a meeting, or just contact him over the phone?"

"Arrange a meeting. I saw he just left not long ago; ask him to turn around and come back."

Rong Jing’s tone turned completely cold.

He had said he wanted Su Xiaomeng to willingly marry him...

He initially intended to be patient and gentle with this woman...

Now, it was clear there was no need.

The alcohol she threw at him made him extremely angry, but at the same time, he also felt slightly relieved. Because of Su Xiaomeng’s actions, he basically dismissed the possibility that Yin Shixiu was still alive...

But that was just barely dismissing the thought; Rong Jing wouldn’t forget the note Su Xiaomeng wrote in the café in the small town near Tianjin Port...

Deng Wei dialed the secretary for the Green Forest executive, and after a brief exchange, the other party agreed to turn around and come back.

"President Rong, it’s arranged. President Hua will be back shortly."

Deng Wei said.

Rong Jing’s eyes narrowed slightly; the clothes on him felt uncomfortable, so he loosened his shirt collar and sat on a nearby chair, asking a waiter for another glass of wine.

He gently swirled the wine glass, talking to Deng Wei or perhaps just mumbling to himself,

"President Hua is always a lecher, and particularly one who sees women as playthings. From how he deliberately made things difficult for Su Xiaomeng today, it’s not hard to tell he’s got his eyes on this young widow."

"..."

"Su Xiaomeng should taste some hardship too. So many people are protecting her; she probably doesn’t even know her own weight."

"President Rong, are you thinking of..."

"Satisfying President Hua’s appetite, while giving myself some leverage to bind Su Xiaomeng. Isn’t that killing two birds with one stone?"

Rong Jing downed the drink in one go.

Deng Wei knew exactly what Rong Jing meant...

Rong Jing was cunning, and most of his methods were extremely despicable; Deng Wei was well aware of the tactics Rong Jing had in mind to make Su Xiaomeng suffer.

"President Hua is here; do you know what to say?"

Deng Wei nodded,

"Understood."

Rong Jing nodded, "Your speaking and actions are reassuring; that’s why I’m willing to let you handle many important matters."

"Thank you for your trust, boss."

Rong Jing was a smart man and never uttered or executed any despicable or sleazy acts himself.

As they spoke, President Hua had already returned...

————

London.

Late July.

A reputable orthopedic hospital in the city center.

At this moment, dozens of orthopedic and neurology experts were conducting a consultation, which had already lasted over six hours.

The patient they were examining was precisely Yin Shixiu.

In four weeks, Yin Shixiu had undergone one major surgery and three minor surgeries.

The surgeries had left Yin Shixiu so thin he was almost skeletal.

The external injuries caused by the yacht explosion were almost all treated, with the wounds having grown new flesh and slowly healing.

The initially treated internal injuries hadn’t received timely follow-up treatment, leading to problems with his internal organs after being transferred to London, resulting in several critical conditions for Yin Shixiu.

Eric had stayed by Yin Shixiu’s side, watching him countless times on the brink of death, with his heart constantly in a state of unrest.

Standing outside the ward, looking at the ICU where Yin Shixiu had to rely on machines to maintain life signs, Eric felt truly uneasy in his heart...