Goodbye, Scumbag! The Powerful CEO Is My New Devoted Lover - Chapter 7

She recognized this man. She had seen him at the Su residence yesterday, and he was likely one of her uncles.

“This place!”

He rushed over, and before he could even catch his breath, he hurriedly pushed the group outside the cordon. “This place is under the Su family’s jurisdiction now. No one enters without the Old Madam’s word.”

Su Hong stood with his hands on his hips, his chin held high, and his eyes gleaming with the same calculating look as Old Madam Su.

“Is that so? Since when did my father’s gallery become the property of the Su family?”

Su Xiao was nearly driven to laughter by his audacity. When it came to calculating the losses, they all acted like timid quails, yet now they were jumping out to claim ownership.

“Hey, how can you talk to me like that?” Su Hong choked on his words, his face flushing a deep red. “A married daughter is like spilled water. You haven’t been a member of the Su family for a long time.”

“Who would want to be?” Her voice was not loud, but every word carried a sting. “Move.”

Qin Yu took a step forward, shielding Su Xiao behind him. He was tall, and his fingers, which usually held a brush, had distinct knuckles that were now clenched tightly into a fist.

“What do you think you are?” Su Hong began disdainfully, but Su Xiao interrupted him.

“If you continue to block us, I will call the police right now.”

She pulled her phone from her pocket.

Su Hong’s face turned pale instantly. He had not expected Su Xiao to actually dare to escalate the matter. He did not truly dare to let the police come. Over the years, the Su family had reaped many benefits by leveraging Su Zhen’s connections. If the authorities were genuinely alerted, not only would the Old Madam never forgive him, but those connections would likely trample over the Su family’s threshold in anger.

However, he had heard the Old Madam say early this morning that Su Xiao was currently burdened with debt and her bank cards were frozen. He had relaxed then, thinking he could skim some profit for himself. He had not expected Su Xiao to be such a difficult person to deal with, just like her cheap father, with bones as hard as iron.

Su Xiao ignored him. Seeing the situation, none of the bodyguards dared to move, allowing the group to enter the gallery.

The first floor was the most severely damaged area, but fortunately, there was nothing of extreme value there. Most of it consisted of her father’s sketches and casual works.

“Senior Sister, over here.” Qin Yu’s voice came from ahead.

In a corner of the collapsed storage room, he found several small, charred boxes. They were made of fireproof material, but the paintings inside were likely discolored from the high heat.

“Looking at the degree of damage, it should not be too high, but the restored versions will still differ from the originals.”

“Put them in the car first. We will open them when we get to the studio to avoid causing secondary damage.” Su Xiao knelt down to help.

The group remained busy until after ten o’clock at night. After bidding farewell to Qin Yu, Su Xiao hailed a taxi and returned home.

The lights on the first floor were on, but there was no one in the living room. Su Xiao looked curiously at the shoes that had been changed at the shoe rack, lightened her steps, and walked toward the guest bedroom.

The sound of an argument drifted from the guest room. But as the argument went on, the tone shifted.

Su Xiao’s footsteps felt nailed to the spot, her fingertips tightly gripping her car keys. A warm yellow light filtered through the crack in the guest room door. Xia Zhi’s voice, carrying a sob, broke through, mixed with the rustle of rubbing fabric.

“What are you actually afraid of? Five years ago, you could pin me to the bed and kiss me. Why are you acting like a saint now?”

The door panel was suddenly struck again, making a dull thud. Su Xiao’s breath caught. The sound was so close it felt as if it were right against her ear.

“Xia Zhi.”

Yan Mingshen’s voice came from behind the door, lower and raspier than usual, his emotions unreadable. “Stop it.”

“I am acting out?” Xia Zhi raised her voice, filled with grievance and resentment. “Tell me honestly, haven’t you thought of me once in these five years? You have been so attentive to that Su Xiao. Did you sleep with her?”

Su Xiao’s nails dug sharply into her palms, the pain making her draw in a sharp breath. So, in Xia Zhi’s eyes, this was the nature of the relationship between her and Yan Mingshen. She thought of those nights spent in separate rooms over the past three years and felt as if a ball of cotton were stuck in her throat.

“No.”

Yan Mingshen’s voice turned cold, carrying an unquestionable firmness. “There is nothing between her and me of the sort you are imagining.”

“Then what is it like?” Xia Zhi was relentless. “Yan Mingshen, if Su Xiao knew about the scandalous things the Yan family has done!”

“Enough!”

Yan Mingshen’s voice was suddenly stern, followed by the dull thud of a heavy object hitting the floor. It sounded like a lamp had been swept off the table. Su Xiao’s heart beat frantically, the car keys digging painfully into her palm. She looked down at the ring mark on her finger, her feet feeling as heavy as lead.

The Yan family. What on earth had the Yan family done that required keeping it a secret from someone like her, who had no background?

It sounded as if someone had been pushed against the door. Xia Zhi’s voice softened, carrying a deliberate seductiveness. It was like a feather brushing against the heart. “I did it all for you. Mingshen, do not fail me.”

The sound of fabric rubbing became clearer, mixed with Xia Zhi’s suppressed panting. Su Xiao closed her eyes, but the scene from this morning uncontrollably flooded her mind. Xia Zhi’s hand slowly brushing the curves of her body, the warm breath whispering in her ear. Were they like that too?

“Don’t do this.”

There was resistance in Yan Mingshen’s voice, yet it was softer and lower than before. Xia Zhi sounded aggrieved yet full of desire. “Mingshen, love me, I beg you.”

The door was struck once more, this time with even greater force. Su Xiao could even feel the vibration through the wall. The guest room suddenly fell silent, leaving only the heavy breathing of two people.

Su Xiao’s hand clutched the keys, trembling, as fine beads of cold sweat broke out between her fingers. Xia Zhi’s voice became submissive and charming. What the two were doing was self-explanatory. The rustling of fabric began again, accompanied by Xia Zhi’s increasingly close breath. “Mingshen.”

Su Xiao’s heartbeat almost stopped. She bit her lower lip hard, standing like a puppet nailed to the floor. Filthy sounds drifted from the guest room, and the door swayed slightly again with a sticky ambiguity.

Xia Zhi’s voice was as soft as water. “Mingshen, just like before.”

Yan Mingshen’s voice was incredibly hoarse, punctuated by heavy breaths. “Xia Xia.”

Sudden, hurried footsteps sounded inside the guest room, followed by the dull thud of the door being firmly held down. Su Xiao’s stomach churned with nausea. She could not listen a moment longer. She turned to leave.

At that exact moment, the door was suddenly pushed open from the inside. Su Xiao was caught off guard and nearly collided with it. Yan Mingshen stood inside the doorway. The collar of his shirt was somewhat disheveled, his hair was slightly damp, and there was a thin layer of sweat on his forehead.

His eyes were cold and sharp. When he saw Su Xiao, he was visibly stunned for a moment, and then a flash of panic crossed his face.

“Xiaoxiao.”