The next day when Yun Bixue arrived at work, her employees pointed at her as they talked behind her back. Just within a morning, all the employees who had been busy gossiping instead of working were dismissed. Those at the receptionist area who had let Su Lenghan and the others into her office were also fired.
The company was in an uproar. It was shocking that Yun Bixue had such a powerful influence.
Yun Bixue reviewed the report in her hands and smiled gracefully. Yesterday, Meng Xinyan had used Yun Mengshi to instigate a conflict between Su Lenghan and herself, making him feel disappointed by her. Thus, she decided to return the favor and use Yun Mengshi to annoy Meng Xinyan.
Yun Mengshi was truly fond of Su Lenghan, but she had never been triggered enough to reveal it. Yun Bixue had only incited her briefly yesterday, and she believed that this decision would soon bear fruit in the near future.
After that episode, the company's employees treated her with much more respect as she came and left from work. Yun Bixue offered no explanations and anticipated the results of the game that she was playing.
After getting off work that day, Yun Bixue arrived at Jorya Times, where Yun Mengshi sat waiting for her.
Yun Bixue noticed that the marks on Yun Mengshi's face had disappeared and nodded in satisfaction. Since she intended to make Yun Mengshi a key chess piece in her game, she definitely had to look pretty.
"Elder Sister!" Nowadays, whenever Yun Mengshi saw Yun Bixue, she would feel alarmed. She felt her elder sister had become rather insane and morbid, but thinking of what her sister had relayed to her, she couldn't help but feel enticed.
"Yes, let's go. As your elder sister, I've never bought you any pretty clothes. Let's stroll through this shopping mall, and I'll buy you something nice," Yun Bixue said through her smile, putting on the look of a loving older sister.
However, Yun Mengshi only felt that Yun Bixue emitted an aura of insanity. It made her hair stand on end.
Yun Bixue looked at Yun Mengshi who simply continued to sit there, and she knitted her brows impatiently. "Why are you still sitting here? Do you not like your elder sister buying clothes for you?"
Yun Mengshi shook her head frantically, "No!"
"Then let's go!" Yun Bixue led the way, and Yun Mengshi followed behind cautiously. In her heart, she was jealous and detested Yun Bixue, but with the tempting prospect of benefits right before her eyes, she could only endure everything.
Yun Bixue finally chose a pale yellow dress and a white shawl to lay over it. She asked Yun Mengshi to try it on before picking out a few accessories for her.
After Yun Mengshi was done, she stood before Yun Bixue. Watching the latter's eyes glitter brightly, she felt increasingly uneasy in her heart.
"My sister is indeed very pretty. Sigh, when I was together with Lenghan, he often said that he loved seeing me dress like this, looking pure and gentle. Yaoyao used to egg me on too, telling me that men would only take an interest when a girl looked very gentle. It will especially ignite a sense of protection within them. Sigh, such a pity that I didn't understand back then. It's too late for me to learn now, I'm already too old."
Yun Mengshi listened by the side and then turned over to look at herself in the mirror. She looked so beautiful and alluring that even she couldn't believe it. She could hardly contain the excitement in her heart. With such an appearance, she would certainly capture even more hearts.
"Sigh, when Lenghan pampers someone, it could make a girl drown in his warmth and care. I don't need to tell you that, you've seen it for yourself as well. Too bad Meng Xinyan saw me as someone offensive. By managing to snatch Lenghan away from me, it demonstrated how strong her charms were. Since nobody has managed to steal him away from Meng Xinyan, she is undoubtedly the top socialite…" Yun Bixue spoke bitterly at the side.
Yun Mengshi had been listening attentively, and an image of Su Lenghan floated into her mind involuntarily. He was such an exquisite and elegant man, and also so gentle and thoughtful. She then thought back on the bits and pieces of what she'd seen of him, and her heart felt more attracted to him.
Suddenly Yun Mengshi saw a familiar figure through the mirror. When she snapped her head back and saw that person once again, her complexion paled.
Yun Bixue followed the direction of her gaze—it was her youngest uncle and a young woman. Her uncle was hugging the young woman at that moment, and they flirted with each other from time to time.
"Baby, choose something from this place, and I'll buy it for you."
"Hmph, so annoying. Won't it just end up ripped apart by you?" The young woman draped herself meekly all over Yun Muzhong, and her amorous voice could almost make one weak in the knees.
"It's all because my baby is too beautiful. I'll buy you more today." Yun Muzhong slapped the woman's butt as his hands started to wander around her body.
"Aren't you worried that the old hag at your home will find out?" The woman struggled and broke free from Yun Muzhong's embrace.
"Don't mention that shrew. She's nowhere as gentle as you. Wasn't I forced by the old lady to marry her? That ugly old woman, hmph…" The mention of Yang Siru made Yun Muzhong feel rather resentful.
Whereas, Yun Bixue was on cloud nine. Besides her elation, her yields today were considerable. Men were truly all the same; the usually wooden uncle actually had such a side to him. It was an eye-opener.
She looked back at Yun Mengshi and saw her face was ghastly white, her body stiff as if she was standing unsteadily. Yun Mengshi clenched her fists tightly, as though she refused to believe it.
Yun Bixue pretended as if she didn't recognize the couple. "Mengshi, did you see that? All men like that kind of girl—gentle and deceivingly kind. If you acted like that, men would like you too. I truly have good taste. When you wear this outside, everyone will be mesmerized by you." As she spoke, Yun Bixue showered Yun Mengshi with compliments.
Yun Bixue broke Yun Mengshi's train of thought, and she snapped out of her daze. As she met Yun Bixue's eyes, she was filled with confusion. Had Yun Bixue really not recognized that man?
It was best that she didn't know. She didn't wish for anything to happen to her family and only questioned whether she should inform her mother. At this moment, Yun Mengshi seemed absent-minded.
Finally, Yun Bixue purchased the whole set of clothes for Yun Mengshi with her card. It cost more than ten thousand yuan.
"Elder Sister, thank you for today."
"No problem. Next time just bring home a suitable brother-in-law." Yun Bixue's words seemed to carry another meaning.
Watching Yun Bixue's sprightly steps ahead of her, Yun Mengshi's feet felt heavy by comparison. Her thoughts were chaotic; she never thought that the day would come where her father would actually betray her mother. Was what Yun Bixue said really true—did all men like that type of woman?
Then would she also be able to have Su Lenghan? However, the one she desired the most was Young Master Xie—the addictive and intoxicating Young Master Xie.
The Shen Family Home
Old Master Shen's health had only just slightly recovered before he heard the news that an accident had happened to the Jia family.
"Why would something happen out of the blue?"
"This time, the family of the worker who was killed from the mining accident are not giving in and looking past the issue. They want to sue the Jia family," Shen Wenqi explained as he poured Old Master Shen a cup of water.
"This is a simple matter to handle, let the Jia family silence them with money!" The Jia family's mining business was a source of income for the Shen family and couldn't be allowed to fall through.
Shen Wenqi frowned. "Hearing the Jia family's tone, it seems like the matter can't be resolved so simply. The family has even banded with the previous families to demand justice."