Tang Yan loosened his tie, revealing his collarbone slightly; the lines of his jaw were sharp, and his face remained expressionless, but his eyes carried a hint of an unusual meaning.
Jin Mo used to be like a fierce little cat, arrogantly holding her head high, tolerating no resistance from others, but now she had become subdued and restrained, even somewhat fatalistic.
The word "casual" was not something Jin Mo could say.
Suddenly, Tang Yan felt a loss, wondering why he actually longed to see the Jin Mo of the past.
An hour later, the villa was filled with smoke and dust, as the construction crew was demolishing the interior fixtures and decorations.
Jin Mo stood in the courtyard watching as the home that held fifteen years of her memories was slowly being erased.
From a short distance away, Tang Yan watched Jin Mo's expression, which was more composed than he had expected; she simply watched quietly, a touch of sadness in her eyes.
Jin Mo had really changed.
Suddenly her phone rang, and Tang Yan's eyes hardened instantly—a woman's voice came through.
"Tang Yan, I didn't have you stay at Lanshan Villa for your enjoyment. Don't forget your main task!"
Hearing the commanding tone of the other party, Tang Yan first let out a cold laugh, then replied icily, "Aunt Ning Ya, I'm not like you, I won't sell my body to achieve my goals."
The caller was Tang Yan's own aunt, Tang Ningya, who also held a pivotal position within the Tang Group.
Originally, women of the Tang Family couldn't obtain company shares, but after Tang Jingli's family perished in a fire, and his brother Tang Jingye's family died in a car accident, Tang Ningya went against popular opinion to help Tang Yan seize control of the group.
But... people are always greedy.
Tang Ningya was not content to simply dress another for the wedding; she cultivated her own power base in secret and even had an improper relationship with Ningjiang's power broker, He Shoucheng.
Tang Yan's words had hit her where it hurt.
"Don't bite the hand that feeds you! If I really wanted to harm you, I wouldn't be advising you to marry into the Jiang Family," Tang Ningya retorted, stifled with frustration.
"Sorry, but I'm not interested in Jiang Wei. However, there's another way to marry into the Jiang Family." Tang Yan paused. "You could marry Jiang Chengnian as the junior wife!"
"Tang Yan! Don't go too far!" Tang Ningya was furious. She, the aunt, had taken the initiative to be kind, only to be spurned?
Tang Ningya was about to say more when Tang Yan had already hung up the phone.
His eyes were as cold as ice, gripping the phone tightly as if he wanted to crush it.
Outsiders said he was heartless—back when Tang Ningya helped him take back the group, and now that he had succeeded, he turned his back on her without recognition.
The Tang Family was not lacking in ruthless people.
Jin Mo was still immersed in her sadness and did not notice the man's sudden approach until he whispered in her ear, "What is your relationship with Shen Hongyi?"
Jin Mo looked at him, puzzled. "He's the general manager, so of course, we have a superior-subordinate relationship."
Even as she looked down, she could feel the piercing gaze of Tang Yan. "Can a normal superior and subordinate hold hands with such affection?"
Jin Mo froze, remembering the misunderstanding that day. She hadn't expected Tang Yan to remember: "That... was a misunderstanding."
His lips curled with a coldness that gave an oppressive feeling, making Jin Mo feel that he was unhappy.
Was it because of her and Shen Hongyi's intimate gesture?
Quickly, Jin Mo cast the thought from her mind. It was a dangerous notion. He definitely wouldn't like her—most likely, he was just uncomfortable seeing a woman who once liked him engaging in flirtation with someone else. That's all it was.