Lu Ming and Shen Dianlan found themselves at a complete impasse, neither willing to yield an inch. The atmosphere in the room had grown so thick it felt as though it could solidify, and the crowd dared not even breathe, as if the slightest sound, like a dropped pin, would be deafeningly clear.
At this critical juncture, Su Ru stepped forward.
She attempted to smooth things over, smiling as she said, "What's all this about? We're all family here, why make things so tense? Mom, from what I see, Boss Xiao has already come to apologize and re-sign the contract. The mistake was his, so why should we make things difficult for Wanran? Forget it, let's not have Wanran admit fault or apologize. This matter ends here."
Then.
Su Ru turned to Xiao Teng and asked, "Boss Xiao, according to Lu Ming, there's a traitor within our Su family, is that true?"
Xiao Teng, being a sharp individual, immediately understood Su Ru's intentions.
Since Su Wanran no longer needed to apologize, Lu Ming would certainly not insist further, and the matter of finding a traitor would be rendered unnecessary.
Xiao Teng smiled and replied, "What traitor? There's none, truly none. I suspect some gossipy old hag was spreading rumors behind closed doors, and it just happened to reach Mr. Lu's ears. In reality, nothing of the sort has occurred."
Without waiting for anyone else to interject, Su Ru immediately continued, "Oh, so it was a misunderstanding. Alright, since it's a misunderstanding, let's not pursue it further. Boss Xiao, go ahead and re-sign the contract with Wanran. Mom and I won't interfere. Everyone else, return to your posts and get back to your work."
In just a few words, she managed to de-escalate the incredibly tense atmosphere.
It had to be admitted, Su Ru was quite capable.
Everyone began to disperse.
Shen Dianlan glared fiercely at Lu Ming, vowing to remember this incident and seek revenge on Lu Ming later!
"Hmph, just you wait."
Supported by Su Ru, Shen Dianlan turned and left.
Only after everyone had left did Su Wanran's taut nerves finally relax. She nearly collapsed onto the stage.
The tension had been immense, and she was utterly exhausted.
Today's drama had been full of twists and turns!
First, the contract was mistakenly signed, and the Old Madam forced her to apologize; then Jiang Mengxin came to help, but her efforts were not accepted.
Just when she thought all was lost, Lu Ming and Xiao Teng arrived.
She had initially believed Xiao Teng's admission of fault would resolve everything, but the Old Madam was relentless, insisting on using her authority to pressure Su Wanran into apologizing.
In the end, Lu Ming played his trump card, using the accusation of a 'traitor' to prompt Su Ru into diffusing the situation.
Although Su Wanran hadn't spoken much, her emotions had been on a roller coaster, and she had been thoroughly frightened.
Subsequently.
Su Wanran and Xiao Teng re-signed the contract.
This time, Su Wanran checked it very carefully. It was Ji Hong, not Jī Hong. Of course, Xiao Teng didn't dare to deceive Su Wanran again; he still wanted to keep his life.
After signing the contract and seeing Xiao Teng off, Su Wanran closed her office door.
Locked it.
Tears streamed down Su Wanran's face as she embraced Jiang Mengxin, sobbing uncontrollably, "Mengxin, Lu Ming, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things to you last night, I shouldn't have..."
Before she could finish, Jiang Mengxin gently covered Su Wanran's mouth.
She smiled and said, "Sisters don't need to apologize to each other, do they? Wanran, neither you nor I did anything wrong. The fault lies with Su Ru, and with the Old Madam. Don't worry, Lu Ming and I will definitely help you secure the position of family head!"
"Thank you, thank you," Su Wanran said repeatedly.
At this moment, Lu Ming, with a mischievous grin, said, "Mengxin, you've already hugged Wanran. Isn't it my turn now? I haven't had a hug yet."
"Absolutely not!" Jiang Mengxin's expression changed, and she chided him, "You're just eyeing Wanran's good figure and large chest, trying to take advantage, aren't you?"
Uh...
Lu Ming awkwardly scratched his head. "Ah, you caught me."
A few seconds later.
The three of them burst into laughter simultaneously.
Su Ru had tried to use Lu Ming to sow discord between Jiang Mengxin and Su Wanran, but through Lu Ming's witty banter, their relationship had actually become much closer.
Suddenly, Lu Ming's phone vibrated a few times.
He picked it up and glanced at it. His expression shifted slightly. He put his phone away and said, "You two sisters continue hugging. My friends have invited me out for drinks and karaoke, so I'll be heading off."
Without waiting for Jiang Mengxin's reply, Lu Ming bolted.
Jiang Mengxin frowned slightly and said, "This kid has been acting weirder and weirder lately. When did he get friends? Could he be going to a KTV to find hostesses?"
Su Wanran chuckled, "Are you that worried about him?"
Jiang Mengxin said, "Heh, I really am. You have no idea about this guy. Although he looks honest and naive, he's full of mischief! You don't know, but in Jinling and Modu, he has a whole crowd of women vying for his attention!"
Looking at it this way, Lu Ming indeed had quite good luck with women.
Hmm...
Su Wanran took two steps back, her smile vanishing. She looked at Jiang Mengxin with a serious expression and, gathering her courage, said, "Mengxin, there's something that's been weighing on my heart for a long time. Today, I absolutely have to say it. If I don't say it, I won't be able to sleep or eat well, and I'll live the rest of my life in a daze."
"That dramatic?" Jiang Mengxin smiled. "Go on, tell me what's making you so nervous."
Su Wanran took a deep breath.
Her face flushed, and her heart pounded. It was evident she was very nervous.
Whatever she was about to say must be something incredibly significant!
Jiang Mengxin perked up her ears, listening intently.
A few seconds later.
Su Wanran, summoning all her courage, revealed the secret she had held in her heart: "Mengxin, I... I... I like Lu Ming!"
BOOM!!!
Jiang Mengxin felt as if she had been struck by lightning. The smile on her face instantly froze.
What was going on?
Jiang Mengxin was a woman of the world, she had seen all sorts of confessions. But this was the first time she had encountered someone like Su Wanran, confessing feelings for her fiancé to her!
City folks really played the game with flair.
Jiang Mengxin felt completely bewildered. Although she had long suspected Su Wanran's feelings, she had never imagined Su Wanran would be so bold as to actually say it to her face!
"Wanran, you... are you joking? This kind of joke is not funny."
"No, Mengxin, I'm serious!"
The atmosphere once again became tense.
The two women looked at each other, and Jiang Mengxin's eyes conveyed extreme shock.
After a long, long while.
Jiang Mengxin managed to calm herself slightly and said, "Wanran, I traveled all the way from Jinling to Wudu to help you secure the family head position, and I just helped you out of a difficult situation. Is this how you repay me? By stealing my fiancé? Without even trying to hide it, you're just snatching him away?"
Su Wanran lowered her head, feeling embarrassed and awkward.
But no matter how embarrassed she felt, she had to say it.
Su Wanran said, "I know this is wrong, but I truly can't suppress my feelings. The reason I lost my temper last night and foolishly signed the contract this morning was all because of my overwhelming jealousy. Seeing you and Lu Ming put on the engagement rings, I felt jealous, I felt miserable. Mengxin, I'm so sorry, I really like Lu Ming, I can't help myself, I... I'm sorry!"