sbdcsierra Chapter 38 Provoking Conspiracy, A Strategy to Break the Stalemate
Chapter 38 Provoking Conspiracy, A Strategy to Break the Stalemate
Su Jinxin's expression remained unchanged, her tone calm: "Today I went to a silk shop and selected some fabrics to make you a few new clothes." She paused, then took out a piece of fine brocade from her sleeve. "This fabric is perfect for you. What do you think?"
Yan Cheng'an's gaze fell on the brocade. It was delicate to the touch and had exquisite patterns. It was indeed a superior work.
However, his doubts were not completely dispelled, after all, the rumors were quite detailed and even included "eyewitnesses".
He gently stroked the brocade and said indifferently, "Is that so? But I heard that you went to the teahouse today and acted intimately with a man whose build resembles mine."
Su Jinxin sneered inwardly. Su Xiaoxiao's move was truly clumsy, but she had to admit that planting a seed of doubt in Yan Cheng'an's mind would indeed cause some unnecessary trouble.
Her eyes flickered, and she feigned surprise, saying, "Is that really true? Cheng'an, do you believe such nonsense? My heart is sincere towards you, as clear as day and night. How could I do such a despicable thing?"
Her eyes were slightly red, and her tone carried a hint of grievance, as if she had suffered a great injustice.
Yan Cheng'an looked at her, his heart filled with mixed feelings.
He knew Su Jinxin was intelligent and believed she was not a frivolous person, but the vivid "eyewitness testimony" made it difficult for him to completely let go of his doubts.
He didn't expose her immediately, but said, "Jin Xin, I believe you wouldn't do anything to betray me, but I need to find out the truth about this matter."
Instead of directly questioning her, Yan Cheng'an chose to investigate secretly, which introduced a change to Su Xiaoxiao's plan.
She originally thought that Yan Chengan would be furious, have a big fight with Su Jinxin, and even divorce her.
But now, Yan Cheng'an's reaction was beyond her expectations.
Su Jinxin understood that Yan Cheng'an didn't completely believe her; he was just giving her a chance, a chance to prove her innocence.
This further strengthened her resolve to expose Su Xiaoxiao's conspiracy.
She smiled slightly and said softly, "I believe in you, and I believe that the innocent will clear themselves."
The next day, Yan Cheng'an quietly found the "eyewitness," and after some skillful questioning, the servant quickly gave himself away.
Under Yan Cheng'an's pressure, he finally admitted that he had been instructed by someone to deliberately spread rumors.
The person who instructed him was none other than Su Xiaoxiao.
Yan Cheng'an took the testimony and went straight to the Xu family's house.
Su Xiaoxiao was smugly waiting to see Su Jinxin make a fool of herself, but she didn't expect Yan Chengan to suddenly appear.
He threw the testimony in front of Su Xiaoxiao, his tone icy: "Su Xiaoxiao, what else do you have to say?" Su Xiaoxiao's face was pale, her lips trembled, but she couldn't utter a single word.
Yan Cheng'an turned to look at Su Jinxin, his eyes filled with apology and tenderness: "Jinxin, I..." Su Jinxin gently shook her head, interrupting him, a meaningful smile playing on her lips: "Cheng'an, this isn't over yet..."
Yan Cheng'an's gaze fell on Su Xiaoxiao's face like ice, his tone icy and devoid of any warmth: "Su Xiaoxiao, you are so vicious. Jinxin treated you like a sister, yet you framed her like this. It's truly despicable." He grasped Su Jinxin's hand, their fingers intertwined, and said firmly, "Jinxin, I absolutely believe in you. No matter what happens, I will stand by your side."
Su Xiaoxiao was so angry that she trembled all over, her face turned ashen, and her nails dug deeply into her palms.
Her carefully planned scheme not only failed, but also made Yan Cheng'an trust Su Jinxin even more. How could she be willing to accept this?
She glared fiercely at Su Jinxin, her eyes burning with jealousy.
"Yan Chengan, you'll regret this sooner or later!" Su Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth and threw down a harsh remark before turning and leaving angrily.
Watching Su Xiaoxiao's departing figure, Su Jinxin's lips curled into a cold smile.
She knew that Su Xiaoxiao wouldn't give up so easily.
Sure enough, within a few days, negative rumors about Su Jinxin's business empire began to circulate in the city.
Some say she sells inferior goods as superior ones, some say she hoards goods for profit, and others say she uses improper means to gain benefits.
These rumors spread rapidly like a plague, and Su Jinxin's business partners began to worry, sending people to inquire about the situation.
Suddenly, Su Jinxin's business empire seemed to be in crisis.
Upon learning of this, Yan Cheng'an flew into a rage: "Su Xiaoxiao is utterly despicable and shameless! She actually resorted to such underhanded tactics!"
Su Jinxin, however, appeared unusually calm. She gently patted Yan Cheng'an's hand and comforted him, "Don't worry, I have my own way of dealing with it." A glint of shrewdness flashed in her eyes, as if everything was under her control.
She summoned her trusted confidant, gave him a few instructions, and then began preparations.
She knew that this business war had only just begun, and she was ready to meet the challenge.
Three days later, Su Jinxin hosted a banquet at her residence, inviting all her business partners.
Everyone was puzzled, wondering what she was up to.
As the banquet began, Su Jinxin slowly rose, looked around at everyone, and smiled meaningfully: "Ladies and gentlemen, I have invited you all here today because I have something to announce..." She paused, her gaze falling on the door, and said meaningfully, "Please invite the witnesses to take their seats."
Two servants led a hunched old man slowly into the banquet hall.
The old man walked shakily to Su Jinxin and bowed deeply.
Su Jinxin helped the old man up and said loudly, "This is the old butler of the Xu family. He knows many secrets about Su Xiaoxiao and Xu Mingxuan."
The old housekeeper tearfully recounted how Su Xiaoxiao instigated Xu Mingxuan to gamble, how she squandered the family fortune, and how she drove him out of the Xu family, leaving him to fend for himself.
He pulled out a thick stack of ledgers from his pocket, which clearly recorded Xu Mingxuan's gambling debts and the profits Su Xiaoxiao gained from them.
"This...how is this possible?" The guests were in an uproar, they never expected Su Xiaoxiao to be so vicious.
Su Jinxin then took out several more letters and showed them to everyone.
These letters were written by Su Xiaoxiao to several of her competitors in the city. The letters detailed Su Jinxin's business secrets and her plans to discredit her.
"To get revenge on me, Su Xiaoxiao didn't hesitate to sell my trade secrets, damage my reputation, and even destroy the entire industry!" Su Jinxin's voice was firm and resounding, echoing in the banquet hall.
The business partners present expressed their trust in Su Jinxin, realizing that the previous rumors were malicious slander by Su Xiaoxiao.
Some people were indignant and condemned Su Xiaoxiao's despicable behavior, while others expressed sympathy and support for Su Jinxin's plight.
Yan Chengan held Su Jinxin's hand tightly, offering her silent support.
Su Jinxin felt the warmth in his hands, and the two smiled at each other, everything understood without words.
Seeing this scene from behind the screen, Su Xiaoxiao was consumed by jealousy.
Her carefully planned conspiracy not only failed, but also brought Su Jinxin and Yan Chengan closer together. How could she be willing to accept this?
She bit her lip tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms, wishing she could rush out and tear Su Jinxin's smug face to shreds.
Mr. Xu's face turned ashen, and he remained silent.
He knew that Su Xiaoxiao's actions had completely ruined the Xu family's reputation.
He glared at Su Xiaoxiao fiercely, his eyes filled with disappointment and anger.
After the banquet, Su Jinxin and Yan Cheng'an walked back to their room side by side. Yan Cheng'an gently stroked Su Jinxin's hair and said softly, "Thank you for your hard work."
Su Jinxin smiled slightly: "This is just the beginning." A cold glint flashed in her eyes, "I will make Su Xiaoxiao and the Xu family pay the price they deserve!"
Yan Chengan gripped Su Jinxin's hand tightly.
Su Xiaoxiao hid behind the screen, her nails almost digging into her flesh. She was unwilling to accept it. Her plan was flawless, but it was no match for Su Jinxin.
With a gloomy face, Xu's father suppressed his anger and scolded in a low voice, "You good-for-nothing! You're more likely to ruin everything!" He had to find a way to save face for the Xu family, even if it meant sacrificing Su Xiaoxiao.
Su Jinxin looked at the scheming in Xu's father's eyes and a cold smile curled at the corner of her lips.
She knew this was just the calm before the storm.
To completely defeat them, one final blow is needed.
Su Jinxin walked gracefully toward Mr. Xu, her demeanor elegant, but her voice was as cold as ice: "Mr. Xu, you seem to have forgotten that I have something else in my hand." She slowly took out a letter from her sleeve, the envelope bearing the Xu family's seal.
"This letter was written by you personally, and its contents are..." Su Jinxin paused deliberately, her gaze sweeping over everyone present before finally settling on Xu's father, whose face was deathly pale, "...colluding with wealthy merchants in the city, attempting to monopolize the market, engage in bullying and extortion, and reap huge profits." Yan Cheng'an stood beside Su Jinxin, silently tightening his grip on her hand, offering her silent support.
Xu's father's face turned from white to green, then from green to purple. His lips trembled as he pointed at Su Jinxin, but he couldn't utter a single word.
Su Jinxin tossed the letter lightly into the air, her tone dismissive: "Master Xu, is there anything else you want to say?" Just then, a servant rushed in and whispered a few words in Yan Cheng'an's ear.
Yan Cheng'an's expression changed drastically, and he looked abruptly at Su Jinxin: "Jinxin..."