The simple phrase "Miss Shen" once again distanced their relationship.
Before speaking, Shen Ming felt a slight unease.
"That night at the hotel, I admit I calculated you. My intentions were clear, as I mentioned before—there was no deception. I truly wanted to use you to solidify my position within the Su family."
He silently waited for her to respond.
She continued.
"To be fair, you didn't really lose. After all, you probably enjoyed yourself—you're the man, and I'm the woman..." The more she spoke, the stranger it sounded. "But right now, within the Su family, I'm just a figurehead. Mrs. Su doesn't plan on transferring any shares to me. Even your beloved Gu Feng—she has her own fashion design company."
Su Ning would never give her the shares.
Even though she was being pampered by her now.
After all, Shen Ming was the only one who knew that she wasn't Su Ning's biological daughter.
Sooner or later, the truth would come out.
She couldn't understand why Su Ning was so kind to her now.
Rong Zhaonan, with his exquisite features, listened carefully as she spoke.
A face like his, paired with such a serious expression, was truly captivating.
She nearly found herself distracted again, caught off guard by his appearance.
After a brief pause, he spoke again.
But his expression had darkened.
"Who says I didn't lose out? That night, it was my first time."
What was he even saying?
His first time?
After the whole night...
Could it have really been that intense?
Her face turned bright red as she struggled to keep up with his words.
"Stop joking! Who doesn't know that you, Rong, are powerful, wealthy, and so much older? It couldn't have been your first time!"
The mention of his age clearly hit a nerve.
"You think I'm Su Yuyan? Older?" he snapped, his brow furrowing. "Shen Ming, haven't you had enough of your little lesson in the bathroom? Want another round?"
He couldn't stop bringing it up.
She was about to lose it.
Her face was burning with embarrassment.
"Don't talk about my brother like that… Alright, fine. The things that happened last night—let's just forget about them. I won't hold it against you. But I've heard something. Your family's old man is planning to arrange a marriage for your younger brother."
Rong Zhaonan's gaze darkened instantly.
The arranged marriage was supposed to be a private matter. How could she possibly know?
The truth was, she not only knew, but she also knew who the old man had chosen as the match.
"It's Gu Feng, right? Don't bother wondering how I know. Just understand this: once Rong Tianqi and Gu Feng are engaged, his position in the Rong family will only strengthen. Not to mention, with your current terrible relationship with my brother, you have to wonder: when that happens, do you think my brother will help his future brother-in-law fight for your inheritance?"
She knew everything, down to the smallest details.
Putting aside these matters, he thought for a moment.
"Forget about last night. I never knew our Su family's eldest daughter was so casual—coming and going from men's bedrooms as she pleases. What were you really doing before? Only running a small company?"
Shen Ming's fists clenched tightly.
She was speechless, so furious that her hair almost stood on end.
Seeing her reaction, he finally smiled, wiping his lips.
"The old man is stubborn. Once he sets his sights on Xiao Feng, there's no turning back. Tell me, do you have any way to stop this marriage arrangement?"
Xiao Feng.
Did she even know what was going on? Just a moment ago, he'd pinned her down in the bathroom.
How shameless.
She gave him a sharp glare.
Then, she regained her composure.
"The solution is simple. As long as Gu Feng is taken, the old man won't be able to arrange a marriage. Not only can I stop Rong Tianqi's engagement, but I can also sabotage his business. All you have to do is cooperate with me."
He raised an eyebrow.
"That's your solution? If you want to keep Gu Feng out of the picture, there are many ways to do it. For instance, I could announce that I'm dating her."
Shen Ming scoffed.
"Rong, you really think I don't know anything? You and Gu Feng, the two of you are as obvious as it gets. Everyone knows it. But why is the old man still pushing for this marriage? Because the old man is stubborn. The person he cherishes most in the Rong family is you. Your future partner can be anyone, except for Gu Feng. Because she doesn't have the right bloodline."
To put it bluntly, the old man was biased.
But that bias wasn't obvious to most people.
And that bias was the most crucial thing.
The Rong family's pampered young master, raised by the old man himself, had inherited the same stubbornness.
Rong Zhaonan's eyes narrowed deeply.
A layer of anger appeared on his face.
"Quite insightful. No wonder you work in this field. Since you have such methods, why come to me for cooperation? Speak, what do you want from me?"
"I need initial funding," Shen Ming stated directly, "You come from a banking background, so you understand this better than anyone. However, I can't tell you where the money will go just yet. But when the time comes, I'll need you to assist generously."
She then pulled out a contract from her bag and placed it on the coffee table in front of him.
He glanced at the contract for a moment.
Rong Zhaonan lowered his gaze.
She was thorough in everything, leaving no detail overlooked—she was exactly what he expected.
He tossed the contract aside.
"Doesn't seem like I'm losing anything. The eldest daughter of the Su family is lacking money to this extent? How could I not help? But since we're discussing cooperation, I think your offer is a bit too light. Compared to your suggestion, I have a better idea."
His willingness to invest was good news.
"Do tell."
Rong Zhaonan smiled slightly, his gaze lingering on her beautiful face, composed and poised.
"To ruin the engagement, why not start with Rong Tianqi instead of Gu Feng? I want you to seduce him, create some scandalous headlines. The more provocative, the better. I'll give you a month. If you fail, the investment is off."
Shen Ming never imagined that just by stepping into the Rong family's residence for a brief moment, she'd end up with such a heavy responsibility.
To seduce Rong Tianqi.
Now that was an interesting proposal.
The third day after publicly acknowledging her identity as the Su family's eldest daughter, Shen Ming hadn't even enjoyed a couple of days of peace at home before she was assigned a series of tasks.
The cause? She had suggested to Su Ning that she visit the company.
However, it seemed that Su Ning had sensed her intentions. She immediately called Gu Feng, Su Yuyan, and others back to the family residence for a meeting.
"That's the situation. Ming Ming, did you understand?"
Su Ning said a lot, but Shen Ming was busy looking at her phone.
Lein had messaged her saying that the house her father had left her was resold.
That house was the only thing her father had left her.
"Miss Ming, Miss Ming, the madam is calling for you."
The butler's voice pulled Shen Ming back to the present, and she looked up.
"Yes, what were you saying?"
Su Ning's face darkened.
Shen Ming was spoiled and had been away for years, so even when talking about serious matters, her attention was elsewhere.
Her expression became stern, no longer amused.
"Ming Ming, put away your phone and listen to Yuyan's opinion."