CHAPTER 257: CHAPTER 236: THE TIDE SEEMS TO BE TURNING (PART 2)

"But if it’s because I betrayed him, causing all his efforts to go up in smoke, I fear I’d become the most disgusting woman in the world."

Rong Jing’s narrowed eyes slowly relaxed, a faint smile shimmering in his gaze.

"Uncle, if I hand the USB drive you gave me over to the police, do you think it could constitute a charge of corporate espionage?"

"Su Xiaomeng, you’re overthinking it. You don’t really believe that just a USB drive could send my brother to jail, do you?"

Rong Qiao couldn’t help but snort with disdain.

"Or perhaps, when you expose my matters and I bring out this USB drive, can I say that you’re threatening me and colluding with Ren Yixuan to set up this trap?"

"Su Xiaomeng! Are you out of your mind? Who would believe that?!"

Rong Qiao stood up from the stone bench, not expecting Su Xiaomeng to play this card.

Su Xiaomeng looked at Rong Jing, "Uncle, what do you think? Who would believe it? The Rong Family and the Yin Family seem to be just superficially friendly, and you’re naturally cunning; isn’t this something you could do?"

"...You and Shixiu are business rivals, and as for Ren Yixuan, he harbors the despicable mindset that if he can’t have me, he’d destroy me. So you set up a trap... to threaten me."

"And what exactly happened in the room that night? No one can say for sure. Saying I had a relationship with him? Who can testify to that? Who saw it with their own eyes? How did it happen? In what position?! Did you record it on camera?"

"But I have evidence that Ren Yixuan drugged me and took me from the bar to the hotel! These can be checked!"

Su Xiaomeng stepped forward, slightly raised her head, and looked at Rong Jing, "And I will insist that Ren Yixuan never had any relationship with me..."

"This is your setup. Logically, Miss Rong wouldn’t be so generous as to let her own man sleep with another woman for the sake of a scheme, right?"

"Miss Rong, don’t you think?"

"Of course, if Miss Rong intends to destroy not just me but also Ren Yixuan... then that’s another matter altogether."

"However... is it worth it? In the end, what will you gain?"

Rong Jing listened to what Su Xiaomeng said, his eyes narrowing again, it seemed...

He had to reassess the woman standing in front of him.

The USB drive was something he had just taken out. Meaning... in just half a minute, she had already used it to overturn the whole matter and restructured a narrative.

Was it out of desperation, or... was she not as simple as he thought?

"Rong Jing, if my father-in-law and mother-in-law knew you were scheming so hard to frame me, what would they do? Could that facade of ’good relations’ be maintained?"

Su Xiaomeng stepped closer to him again, calmly speaking, "And if my grandfather knew?"

The situation seemed to change from the moment Rong Jing took out this USB drive.

"Hmm... then I’m afraid the Yin Family and the Bai Family wouldn’t let us off easily, right?"

Rong Jing shrugged, speaking with little concern.

Su Xiaomeng saw his self-satisfied expression and felt an inexplicable unease in her heart...

This unease intensified when he let out a mocking laugh with his self-satisfied expression.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Little Mengxin, you really are... so naive and tender."

"Many who achieve great things end up dying due to underestimating their opponents..."

"...What do you mean?"

"According to your narrative just now, I might really drag myself and the Rong Family into this... if that USB drive were real.

Rong Jing raised an eyebrow, a hint of ridicule playing at the corner of his mouth.

"Do you think I would easily give you a real USB drive without a hundred percent guarantee?"

Su Xiaomeng’s heart sank, her body stiffening once more.

"After dealing with people like your husband for so long, I naturally keep a cautious eye on everyone. But..."

Rong Jing changed his tone, unable to hide his admiration for Su Xiaomeng, "I truly didn’t expect your mind to work faster than I imagined, not bad..."

"Don’t try to deceive—"

"Alright, it seems you’ve made your decision."

His snake-like eyes fixated on her, as if looking at prey.

"You plan to let things develop in the worst direction rather than accept my proposal."

His voice suddenly dropped by eight degrees, forcing Su Xiaomeng to swallow back the words she wanted to retort.

Su Xiaomeng clutched the USB drive in her hand tightly, her palm damp with sweat...

"I really wonder how your small body will handle everything that’s to come..."

Su Xiaomeng looked steadily at Rong Jing...

The storm was coming, and she couldn’t actually stop it.

Even if this USB drive was real, what then? She merely didn’t let Rong Jing succeed, merely didn’t let Rong Qiao succeed.

No one knew better than she did that she couldn’t go back, could never return to being the Su Xiaomeng that Yin Shixiu deeply loved.

She no longer had the ability to fulfill her marital duties to him...

A woman like her could no longer sustain this marriage.

However, what made her heart ache was that Shuangshuang and Huang Huang were still so young...

Precisely because of this, she held nothing but deep hatred for the man before her, for the Rong Family’s malicious arrival today, and for Ren Yixuan, the mastermind behind it all.

"How I will bear it is my matter, no need for you to worry."

"Oh? Would you really think the Yin Family would show you such leniency, let this matter fade away with time? Not just the Yin Family, the world isn’t that forgiving."

Rong Jing took a deep breath, fixing his gaze firmly on Su Xiaomeng.

He disliked the determination he saw in her eyes, the fire he thought he’d extinguished had reignited, the resolve to fight him to the bitter end was not what he ultimately desired.

"You’re right in everything you say, but I know there’s a certain type of person the world is particularly lenient towards..."

Su Xiaomeng’s lips curled slightly, her eyes glistened, and when she lifted her gaze, they seemed to flash with circles of glass-like brilliance...

Rong Jing squinted his eyes, reflecting on her words for a moment, then—

He looked incredulously at the two words that sprung from Su Xiaomeng’s pale lips: "The dead."

Rong Jing’s spine stiffened, even Rong Qiao was startled by these words, though she didn’t believe Su Xiaomeng had the guts.

"You’re scaring us!"

Rong Qiao stood up, "Su Xiaomeng, anyone can flap their lips."

Su Xiaomeng chuckled lightly, her gaze towards Rong Qiao filled with disdain and pity, "If you really push me to that extent, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do. Living a life, only knowing to eat, drink, defecate, and sleep, oh, and bark at people like a dog, that’s just being an animal."

"Who are you talking about? Look at me and say that! What do you mean?"

"Listen... barking so loudly..."

"Su Xiaomeng! You’re doomed, you’re doomed!"

Rong Qiao was so furious that veins popped on her forehead, wanting to strike her, but was held back by Rong Jing.

"Tut tut..."

Seeing Rong Qiao so hysterical, Su Xiaomeng couldn’t help but feel much relieved, "Big Uncle, does your sister love to shout with her throat since childhood?"

"Su Xiaomeng, you should say less."

"Why?"

Su Xiaomeng didn’t understand, knowing the worst-case scenario, Rong Jing had already laid it out clearly for her.

Whether she’s afraid of it coming or not, it will come.

Rong Jing was utterly bewildered by Su Xiaomeng’s question.

He knew what mindset Su Xiaomeng had now!

When the pot is broken, you let it fall, when death is at the doorstep, enjoying a quick chat is still delightful!

Su Xiaomeng withdrew the smile from her face, looking at Rong Jing with an exceptionally calm and indifferent expression, "In a lifetime, there are things more important than life. I’m not threatening you with death; from the moment you stood here, I haven’t been able to threaten you. I merely wanted to tell you that I am not without solutions."

"Everything you said is right, if I were married to an ordinary person, even if I were really caught cheating by my husband, it wouldn’t be terribly scary..."

"But I married the Yin Family’s Fourth Young Master. Everything you said is correct, I would harm Yin Shixiu terribly, making him the laughingstock of the world, but who made him marry me?"

"If I hadn’t married him, I wouldn’t be so miserable now; if he hadn’t married me, he wouldn’t be implicated by me."

"I feel guilty, but he can’t blame me, this is marriage... this is cause and effect."

"Young Master Rong, if one tells a lie, endless lies must follow to cover it up; as long as one lie is inappropriate, the truth will eventually surface, whether in a year or ten years..."

"Cause and effect will always have consequences, if I walk into a dead end, it is your murder."

At this moment, Rong Jing retreated, her every word and sentence was imbued with an intrinsic resolve.

He heard that Old Sir Bai’s youngest daughter was beautiful and gentle, ice intelligent, yet unlike those pampered daughters living in ivory towers.

He heard that the gentle-looking daughter had a character as strong as steel.

He heard that the strong-willed daughter sacrificed everything others deemed unreachable for the sake of what she believed in.

The resolute daughter fell in love with a handsome and honest gardener, left her castle-like home, and became an ordinary woman.

That woman had a daughter, innocent, carefree, happy...

Rong Jing had to admit, he greatly admired the fearless Su Xiaomeng before him.

Even being pushed to desperation, few can still smile under such circumstances.

He had to admit, Yin Shixiu marrying Su Xiaomeng and not glancing at Rong Qiao seemed utterly justified.

Rong Jing had already understood...

He could not achieve what he wanted from Su Xiaomeng.

His aim was not to expose this matter, as Su Xiaomeng said, they didn’t hold such great animosity, there was no need to push her to death.

Whether she seduced Ren Yixuan or Ren Yixuan forced her, Rong Jing understood.

Yet, in matters like these, only the one holding the initiative is qualified to "reveal the truth".

"You win, Su Xiaomeng."

Rong Jing chuckled lightly, then said, "The matter between you and Ren Yixuan, only you and Ren Yixuan truly understand."