Shao Lin laughed wantonly, "Me? I'm pregnant."
Su Ding's mind buzzed, her thoughts hazy and lost. Could she mean...
"That's right, it was that night. I got pregnant."
Shao Lin knew exactly how to pierce Su Ding's heart. With a smile, she said slowly, "Jin Ye promised me he'd marry me."
Su Ding's entire body froze, as if encased in ice.
She couldn't breathe, couldn't think. Shao Lin's voice echoed in her mind like a cursed incantation...
"That night, he held me and said he regretted loving you."
"The thought of your past makes him sick."
"He wants to completely forget the foolish things he did for you. He kissed me madly, touched me, possessed me..."
Shao Lin spun her story with abandon, making it all so real.
Su Ding didn't want to think, didn't want to listen, but her mind couldn't help but conjure those images.
He caressed her, entered her, and they slept in each other's arms.
They made passionate love, conceived her, and together they sought revenge on Su Ding, their common enemy...
Heh, she was nothing but a joke.
"Enough."
Su Ding gathered all her strength to force herself to calm down and interrupt.
Her lips trembled, her heart quaked, her nose felt sore, and tears teetered on the brink of falling...
Shao Lin's laughter grew more unrestrained, "What? Hurt?"
Su Ding clenched her fists tightly, her fair, slender face drawn taut, veins bulging on her forehead as she struggled to maintain control.
"What are you trying to say by telling me this?"
Shao Lin immediately replied, "What do you think? I'm saying karma is a bitch. What's mine is mine, and you can't snatch it away. Look, Jin Ye is back by my side now, obediently~"
Su Ding's voice was icy, chilling the air even through the phone.
"Then aren't you afraid your bastard child won't survive birth?"
This sentence struck Shao Lin like a hammer blow, catching her off guard. A sense of crisis surged.
She shrieked angrily, "You wouldn't dare?!"
Su Ding faced her fearlessly, retorting coldly, "See if I dare!"
"If you dare touch me, I..."
Before Shao Lin could finish her sentence, Su Ding cut her off, "What else do you want to threaten me with!"
She let out a cold sneer, "Don't forget, you already killed my daughter! I'm all alone now, and I'd drag you down with me even if it meant my own demise!"
Drag you down with me, even if it meant my own demise.
Shao Lin was stunned by these words, left speechless for a long time.
She knew Su Ding was not to be trifled with. If Su Ding truly intended to kill her child at any cost, she couldn't guard against it!
Before, when she kidnapped Su Ding's daughter, Su Ding had directly barged into the Jin residence and beaten her.
Now her daughter was gone...
Su Ding would go mad, she would kill!
The more Shao Lin thought about it, the more frightened she became. Looking at her own still flat stomach, she panicked completely!
"If you dare, Jin Ye won't let you go. He won't let you go..."
At this, Su Ding's anger and hatred surged towards her brain!
Her reason completely collapsed. She violently hurled the cup in her hand, her voice rising to a roar, "Jin Ye! He can protect you for a while, but can he protect you forever?! Don't you forget, how did you ruin me to this state!"
As she spoke, she could no longer control her emotions.
"Shao Lin, I'm telling you, our feud is irreconcilable until death!"
Su Ding, like a demon from hell, issued a final warning and declaration to Shao Lin.
With that, she abruptly ended the call.
Her emotions surged violently, her blood boiled, and a dull ache throbbed deep within her brain.
Even leaving Jiangcheng couldn't escape the nightmare!
...
Shao Lin, having been hung up on, dared not call back.
She was now completely flustered.
Originally, she just wanted to provoke Su Ding, to emphasize her current happiness and success, and gain a perverse sense of satisfaction.
But she never expected Su Ding to dare threaten her!
Perhaps it was the help of Brother Gong and Sister Min that had allowed her to suppress Su Ding so easily, making her mistakenly believe Su Ding was a pushover.
Even a cornered rabbit will bite, let alone a lunatic like Su Ding.
She nervously stroked her abdomen, growing more anxious with every thought. This child was her most powerful bargaining chip.
She had to protect it at all costs!
Shao Lin took a deep breath to devise a plan. Her own caution alone was far from enough.
She needed someone dedicated to protecting her.
With that thought, she directly called Jin Ye—
"What is it?"
"Brother Jin, I've been having very frightening dreams lately. I'm so worried about the baby, could you assign some people to protect me?"
Shao Lin sobbed weakly, "I'm so afraid someone will harm my baby..."
Jin Ye agreed readily and said sternly, "Tomorrow I'll send someone to take you to the villa. Don't go out without my permission."
Shao Lin thought Jin Ye cared about their child and was deeply touched.
"Mmm, I'll listen to you."
For this child, she was willing to stay indoors, absolutely refusing to give Su Ding any opportunity to harm her!
Jin Ye added, "Don't tell my mother you're pregnant until you've given birth."
"Why? Auntie would be overjoyed to know!"
Shao Lin asked curiously, not understanding why they had to keep it a secret.
"As I said, if you successfully give birth, I'll marry you."
Jin Ye repeated coldly, "Did you hear me clearly?"
Shao Lin was stunned for a few seconds, savoring the meaning of his words...
If she gave birth successfully, he would marry her.
But if not?
Her heart sank. This situation absolutely could not happen!
"I heard you clearly, Brother Jin. You must arrange for capable people to protect my safety."
Shao Lin emphasized anxiously.
Jin Ye grunted and hung up the phone.
He looked up at Luo Zhu, who was reporting on company matters in the ward, "Have you found her?"
Luo Zhu lowered his head, "No. We suspect Miss Su may have already left Jiangcheng."
Left Jiangcheng.
Jin Ye narrowed his dark eyes, "Can you get her travel records?"
"There are no records of her leaving Jiangcheng, but she is indeed nowhere to be found. That rental apartment is empty too."
Recalling her selling off her company some time ago, Jin Ye understood.
Trying to escape, was she?
He would never allow it!
"Send people to keep an eye on the Xin family's daughter and monitor her recent movements."
Luo Zhu quickly agreed, "Understood."
Mr. Jin is truly clever, to think of starting with her best friend.
Then, Jin Ye spoke again, his voice heavy, "Invite Shao Zhenggang over. I have something to ask him."
Luo Zhu immediately went to execute the order.
That afternoon, Shao Zhenggang was "invited" to Jin Ye's hospital room.
"Mr. Jin, what business do you have with me?"
Shao Zhenggang was still respectful towards Jin Ye, but thinking of Su Ding's current situation, he couldn't help but resent Jin Ye.
Jin Ye looked at Shao Zhenggang indifferently.
He looked much more weathered than before. His legs were empty beneath him, and seated in a wheelchair, there was no trace of his former glory.
"Where is Su Ding?" he asked directly.
Shao Zhenggang had promised his daughter not to reveal her whereabouts, and he would never break his word.
"I don't know."
Jin Ye's gaze turned sharp, as if he could see through the old man before him. "Speak."
Shao Zhenggang clenched his fists, "I don't know!"
He was somewhat angered, his old face tense, his eyes blazing with fury, "Please don't trouble an old man like me any further, Mr. Jin!"
"What makes you say that, Mr. Shao?"
Jin Ye tapped his fingers leisurely, "You might still become my father-in-law in the future."
Shao Zhenggang had already heard the rumors about Jin Ye and Shao Lin.
Instantly, his old face turned red with anger. Jin Ye knew that Shao Lin was not his biological daughter!
This brat was deliberately hitting his sore spot!
"Jin Ye, no matter how you insult me, I'll say the same thing: I don't know!"
Shao Zhenggang roared in anger, gripping the wheelchair handles tightly.
Jin Ye's cold gaze locked onto his eyes like a venomous snake, and he coldly reprimanded, "Mr. Shao is truly biased!"
"Your daughter betrayed me and brought shame to the Jin family. You know about this, don't you?"
Shao Zhenggang's ashen face showed no lessening of his anger.
Jin Ye continued to speak slowly, "Do you really think my Jin family is a pushover, to be played with as you please?"
His clear, low voice carried a deep sense of danger.
Shao Zhenggang broke out in a cold sweat.
He knew about that incident, but he still chose to believe his daughter.
Xiao Xu would never do something like that!
"In any case, she only has hatred for you. You might as well tell me, and I can forgive you, only pursuing her personal wrongdoing."
Jin Ye seemed to be tempting him to confess.
But Shao Zhenggang was no longer the man he used to be. He only had Su Ding as his daughter now!
Thinking of his adorable granddaughter, whom he hadn't even met before she was killed, immense grief surged within Shao Zhenggang. "Jin Ye!"
"Do you have any conscience left! You killed her only daughter, what more do you want to do to Xiao Xu!"
"Come at me, at me!"
"Even if I have to give up my life, I, Shao Zhenggang, will protect my daughter!"
Shao Zhenggang exclaimed, patting the wheelchair handles agitatedly. His chest heaved violently. The thought that he might never see his daughter again made him completely lose control of his emotions.
But Jin Ye froze completely on the spot!
Su Ding's daughter was killed?
When did that happen... he didn't know...
That cute, soft girl who loved to hug him and call him Daddy, had passed away?