Trapped in a Tempting Love - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Taking Responsibility

The air conditioner in the room was set quite low, but the sound of their intertwined breathing made Su Qianyi squeeze her eyes shut, not daring to look into Ye Feiran’s eyes.

Su Qianyi struggled twice, but her arms were only pinned down more firmly.

A light chuckle reached her ears: “Miss Su, have you thought of how to talk your way out of this with me?”

“I… who said I was leaving?”

“Oh?”

“I just didn’t see you, so I was going to the door to look for you.”

Ye Feiran sighed. “Then it seems I was overthinking it.”

Su Qianyi immediately nodded like a chick pecking at grain, starting her ‘pity act’: “Yes, yes, exactly. You’ve wronged me.”

“In that case, has Miss Su thought about how to thank me?”

“Let me go first. We can discuss things properly.” Water was still dripping from the hair on Su Qianyi’s forehead from her face wash, making her look utterly pitiable.

“Fine. Shall we eat something first?”

Ye Feiran released her and walked toward a small tea table by the floor-to-ceiling window, which was already covered with an exquisite breakfast. Seeing the plates of delicate Cantonese dim sum, Su Qianyi’s hand reached out before Ye Feiran could even offer an invitation.

However, a “thwack” sounded. Su Qianyi aggrievedly pulled her hand back, rubbing the red mark left by the chopsticks while mentally adding another strike to Ye Feiran’s tab.

Right in front of Su Qianyi, Ye Feiran slowly and methodically bit into half a crystal shrimp dumpling. The soup burst out, and from Su Qianyi’s angle, she could see the plump shrimp meat inside the remaining half.

Once the dumpling was down, Ye Feiran finally asked: “Want to eat?”

Su Qianyi feigned indifference, tearing her gaze away from the food. “It’s… alright, I guess.”

Ye Feiran chuckled. She took a bowl of seafood porridge that was no longer scalding and pushed it over. “Eat something light first. Has Miss Su thought about how to take responsibility for me?”

Su Qianyi quickly grabbed it and took a spoonful. The soft porridge mixed with delicious fish made her squint her eyes in satisfaction.

But, take responsibility?

Su Qianyi felt a bit dazed by Ye Feiran’s words. It was as if she truly were a heartless scoundrel who “hit it and quit it,” while Ye Feiran was the tearful, bullied maiden from a good family.

Su Qianyi fell silent for a moment. The original host had left her a mountain of a mess; she didn’t have any compensation on hand that was worth showing off.

But—the Ye-Su marriage alliance was all for the “Sky City” theme park project.

Su Qianyi looked at Ye Feiran. Since Ye Jingchen could cooperate with Su Wanwan, she could cooperate with Ye Feiran. Moreover, Ye Jingchen only wanted to buy shares, whereas she could give the entire project’s leadership to Ye Feiran.

After all, this was the “cub” she raised herself. If Ye Feiran liked it, why bother being so stingy?

Having made up her mind, Su Qianyi spoke: “Even though you are the head of the Ye family, the others are still restless. The second branch of the Ye family wants to team up with the Su family to cause trouble. You’ve surely endured this for a long time, right?”

The fingertip Ye Feiran was using to tap the table paused. She raised her eyes and looked at Su Qianyi seriously. “Go on.”

“I know you want to swallow the Su family, and I am your best partner. I can let you take over the Su family legitimately with the smallest cost.” Su Qianyi thought for a moment and added, “I hate everyone in the Su family. My only reliance is you, so you don’t have to worry about me betraying you in the future.”

“But I don’t like wolf cubs who might turn and bite me at any time,” Ye Feiran said, clearly not that easy to fool.

Su Qianyi blinked several times. Ye Feiran leaned down, and a crisp scent of perfume wafted over, making Su Qianyi instinctively lean closer.

Ye Feiran placed her palm on Su Qianyi’s head and gave it a rub, but her words were ice-cold: “How do I know Miss Su won’t leave me once her claws and teeth are sharp?”

—Just like that departure three years ago, without leaving a single word behind.

“You don’t need to worry about that.” Sincerity flowed from Su Qianyi’s eyes as she slowly stated her resolve: “I am just a powerless, unambitious, weak little ‘nobody’ who can’t even take care of herself.”

Ye Feiran laughed softly and sat back in her seat, pushing several plates of dim sum in front of Su Qianyi. “Eat more if you like it.”

“For me?”

“What, afraid I’ve poisoned it?”

“Didn’t you refuse earlier? So stingy,” Su Qianyi muttered under her breath.

“It’s different now.”

“What’s the difference?”

“Before, I was afraid you’d skip out on the bill. But now that you’ve shown your sincerity, it’s better to fatten you up so I can bargain with the Su family.” Ye Feiran leaned back against the sofa, lazily bathing in the sunlight, which made her skin look even fairer.

Su Qianyi froze, her chopsticks slamming onto the table with a clack. So she had become a commodity to be sold to the highest bidder?

She felt discouraged and then indignant. Is being rich and powerful that great?

Ye Feiran looked at her teasingly and urged again: “Aren’t you hungry?”

Su Qianyi gripped her chopsticks tightly. Was she the kind of person who would compromise for food?

But then she looked at the plate in front of her. The pink, translucent, plump shrimp dumplings looked extremely delicious. Su Qianyi bit her lip and silently swallowed her saliva.

Actually, eating just one shouldn’t matter, right? It wouldn’t really count as betraying myself… and it wouldn’t make Ye Feiran too proud…

Su Qianyi endured, and endured again.

Then, a golden, crispy pineapple bun was pushed over, even thoughtfully stuffed with a slice of butter. It was incredibly tempting.

Ultimately, Su Qianyi couldn’t hold out. While Ye Feiran looked down at her tablet, Su Qianyi quickly snatched a shrimp dumpling and popped it into her mouth. It was fresh and chewy, full of shrimp; she squinted her eyes in bliss.

Ten minutes later, the table was cleared. Su Qianyi, looking satisfied, took a tissue to wipe her lips and asked tentatively: “So, are you satisfied with this compensation I’m offering?”

Ye Feiran suddenly leaned in close. Her hair fell across her chest, softening her features and making her seem less oppressive than before.

“Given Miss Su’s current status in the Su family, the risk of cooperating with you is too high. Is this really compensation for me, or are you just dragging me into the water to sink with you?”

“But the second branch of the Ye family also has their eyes on the Sky City project. Wouldn’t it be more exciting to snatch it from them? They’re waiting for the Su family to come begging, not expecting you to intercept them halfway.”

“That does sound decent.”

Su Qianyi’s lips curled up as she said enticingly, “And if you cooperate with others, you won’t get as much as you’ll get from me.”

“But as far as I know, the Su family pushed you out for marriage because Sky City caused a break in their capital chain.” Ye Feiran shifted the topic, looking at Su Qianyi teasingly. “If I step in suddenly, the cost of taking over Sky City won’t be small. It doesn’t seem very cost-effective.”

Su Qianyi fell silent.

Not because of Ye Feiran’s question, but because this project itself absolutely could not fall into the hands of Ye Jingchen and the Su family. In the novel, the original host didn’t survive past ten chapters because of this very project.

A city’s large-scale theme park isn’t just for leisure; it’s a symbol of urban prosperity. The Su family started in real estate, and when they planned this park, they happened to coincide with the government’s development plans. The two parties hit it off, and the plan for a massive amusement park was set.

However, as the years of construction went by, even with small investments from other companies, the Su family was on the verge of collapse. With the complicated procedures after completion, they needed a backer. At this time, the Ye family elders wanted to find a boost for Ye Jingchen. The Su family needed money. The elders of both families agreed to use the famous vase Su Qianyi as the link for the marriage alliance.

But the project had been under construction for a long time, and with internal corruption at Su Corp, the late-stage corner-cutting led to a disaster on the day of the ribbon-cutting.

On that day, many government officials from A-City arrived. For promotion, countless media outlets gathered, and the whole event was live-streamed. Yet, during this crucial opening ceremony, the signature roller coaster used for the trial run crashed. An entire car of riders was involved, with countless deaths and injuries.

This incident immediately drew high-level attention from the local government. Ultimately, the original host, as the person in charge of the project, became the scapegoat along with several team members and ended up in prison.

When the project eventually restarted, people gradually forgot the initial accident. Sky City became a massive hit in A-City and eventually expanded across the country, becoming China’s signature theme park. In the book, Su Wanwan and Ye Jingchen officially got together after sharing this period of hardship.

No longer beating around the bush, Su Qianyi directly stated what she knew: “Su Corp is corrupt inside. Whether it’s you or Ye Jingchen, someone from the Ye family will eventually be involved. But Sky City has major flaws. If they aren’t caught during the final inspection, the consequences will be unthinkable.”

“But what does that have to do with me?” Ye Feiran took a sip of coffee, analyzing calmly. “This project has been involved with many parties since its inception; I don’t need to tell you how complex the interest chain is. Once it’s finished, there will be no shortage of people looking to cause trouble. Why do you think I’m willing to offend those people?”

Su Qianyi frowned. Sky City wasn’t just a piece of “fat meat”; it represented innocent lives. “Because your Ye family stands at the peak of A-City. Is that reason enough?”

“I’ve heard enough of those pretty words. If Miss Su wants to exchange a few compliments for my money and effort, you should save your strength.”

Su Qianyi walked to Ye Feiran’s side, blocking the sunlight in front of her. “But when flaws appear after completion, won’t the fallout be just as wide?”

“Mm, very wide.”

“Ultimately, as a member of the Ye family, Ye Jingchen will rely on the Ye family in the end.”

“Mm, correct.”

“So you’ll still have to provide money and effort later.”

“Mm. Anything else?”

Su Qianyi looked at Ye Feiran’s “you’re right but I just don’t want to get involved now” expression and gritted her teeth. She couldn’t help but suspect Ye Feiran was doing this on purpose.

Ye Feiran pulled Su Qianyi aside to continue sunbathing. “This project was started by the Su family. Even if it goes wrong as you say, Su Corp should be the one responsible. So, before you give me a sufficient reason, Miss Su, I’m curious—where exactly did I give you the delusion that I’m some great philanthropist who would provide poverty relief to your Su family based on a few simple sentences?”

Su Qianyi lowered her head. she understood perfectly that if Ye Feiran were to take over this project, she would not only have to snatch it from the Su family but also put in billions to fix it.

“Ye Feiran, perhaps I didn’t make myself clear just now.” Su Qianyi quickly adjusted her awkward mindset, her brain spinning as she recalled useful info. “I hope that when you cooperate with the Su family, you don’t just invest—I hope you take direct control of the project. As for profit… the initial investment was over ten billion, and people are increasingly willing to spend on leisure. Numerous cases of amusement parks prove the possibility of breaking even in a year, and every year after that becomes your net profit.

But if you don’t help, once the project fails, the Su family has put their entire fortune into it. They will surely drag the Ye family’s ship down with them—it’ll be a fight to the death. As long as Ye Jingchen is involved, the Ye family won’t be able to stay out of it, if only for the sake of their reputation. Invest a few billion now, or lose tens of billions later—it’s your choice.”

Ye Feiran said nothing. For a moment, the atmosphere grew heavy.

Su Qianyi was pondering how to solve this. Her eyes darted around. Thinking back to how Ye Feiran took her in last night and… did that… did that mean she still had some attraction to Ye Feiran? Sky City was vital to her, to Ye Feiran’s future, and to those innocent victims.

Su Qianyi bit her lip, suddenly moved behind the sofa, and leaned in close. “Ye Feiran.”

“Mm?” Ye Feiran remained unmoved.

She leaned even closer, whispering softly into Ye Feiran’s ear, “Ye Feiran.”

“What?”

Soft strands of hair brushed against Ye Feiran’s cheek. Even though they hadn’t actually touched, Su Qianyi’s own heart rate quickened.

“Ye Feiran~” Su Qianyi lowered her voice, drawing out the final syllable. “Since you’ll have to step in eventually to help Ye Jingchen, why not just help me from the start?”

Ye Feiran’s fingertips curled, but only for an instant before returning to normal. She turned around and grabbed Su Qianyi’s arm as she tried to pull away.

“If you don’t agree, you don’t agree. No need to get physical.”

Ye Feiran touched the back of her own neck, as if she could still feel the residual warmth from a moment ago. She teased, “Miss Su, are you trying this hard to throw yourself into my arms?”

Su Qianyi opened her mouth, unsure of how to refute that.

Ye Feiran suddenly pulled Su Qianyi down onto the sofa and hovered over her. Their hair intertwined, looking exceptionally harmonious.

Ye Feiran answered softly: “Okay.”

“After all, this proj—” Su Qianyi suddenly swallowed her words. “What did you say? You agreed?”

“Mm.”

She thought it would take much more effort. She hadn’t expected Ye Feiran to be so easy to talk to.

So obedient. As expected of the cub I raised, those previous years weren’t in vain. She felt very gratified.

“But I need a guarantee.” Ye Feiran looked down, studying Su Qianyi meaningfully. “Not just from the Su family, but from you—a guarantee from Su Qianyi herself.”

Su Qianyi’s eyes widened, and her mind went blank for a second.