"I said, I detest women who play games the most."
Jin Ling looked coldly at Zhang Xiaoya, his tone impolite.
Seeing the girl here, he immediately guessed she intended to extort something.
"What?"
Zhang Xiaoya saw the disgust in Jin Ling's eyes, and her heart felt as if it had been pierced by a knife.
Did he think she had deliberately run into him here?
Her face turned pale and then flushed, she bit her lip tightly, wanting to explain something.
"Stop pretending. How much money do you want? Just say it."
Jin Ling frowned deeply, lowering his voice. "You waited for me here on purpose, you've planned this for a long time, haven't you? Why don't you just tell me, how much money would satisfy your appetite..."
"You, you're going too far!"
Zhang Xiaoya stared at that incredibly handsome face, so familiar yet so strange.
How many nights had they spent together intimately?
Even if there were no feelings, shouldn't there at least be a shred of trust?
Her tears couldn't help but fall, her face reddened with anger, but remembering she was at work, she tried hard to calm her emotions.
"Sir, I don't know what you're thinking, but I want to tell you that I've never played any games, nor have I waited for you here. Please leave!"
After calming herself, Zhang Xiaoya looked at him steadily.
Jin Ling seemed to hear something amusing and sneered, "It seems you're not as innocent as you appear. That's right, a woman who can be bought with money, how innocent can she be?"
He made a move to take out money, but then realized the current environment.
He suddenly stopped.
"Let's leave it at this. I'll pay you."
Jin Ling said coldly, his indifferent gaze passing over Zhang Xiaoya and heading straight towards the office.
Seeing this, Zhang Xiaoya quickly blocked Jin Ling's path.
She was afraid he would tell the store manager that she had done something for money.
The store manager was the person she cared about most besides her mother. She didn't want the store manager to be disappointed in her, nor did she want to betray their trust!
"What do you want!"
Zhang Xiaoya's pale face was filled with despair as she questioned, "Do you have to ruin me!"
Jin Ling found it laughable and was about to retort when the office door opened, and Su Ding walked out, looking at them with surprise.
"Store, Store Manager, this gentleman is looking for you."
Zhang Xiaoya immediately reacted, sniffled, and introduced them.
Jin Ling glanced at her, seemingly surprised, but quickly recovered. This woman wasn't that simple; she must have agreed to help him with this act after he promised her money.
"Wife."
Jin Ling looked at Su Ding and called out deliberately.
Su Ding's brow twitched. It wasn't that she hadn't heard Jin Ye call her that before, but the current address felt strangely awkward.
She glanced at Zhang Xiaoya and said, "Xiaoya, this is my husband. Next time he comes, just have him find me directly."
That word, "wife," completely stunned Zhang Xiaoya.
Her heart pounded erratically, blood surged backward, and a sense of regret and shock spread within her.
He was the store manager's husband?
The store manager was his wife, he had a wife, and he actually...
What had she done?!
Zhang Xiaoya looked at Su Ding's serene and beautiful face, and the guilt in her heart almost consumed her.
Her throat tightened, and for a moment, she couldn't speak.
She just looked at Su Ding guiltily, her eyes slightly red, her lips pressed tightly, as if forcefully restraining something.
Jin Ling realized Zhang Xiaoya's失态 (losing composure), and afraid she might say something.
He walked directly to Su Ding, "Shall we go in?"
Although Su Ding found Zhang Xiaoya's behavior odd, she didn't think much of it. She never imagined that these two unrelated people would have any connection.
Back in the office.
Jin Ling finally relaxed a little, instinctively tugging at his tie and sitting in a chair.
Su Ding looked at him, "What is it?"
Jin Ling didn't feel that Su Ding's attitude towards him was unlike that of a wife to a husband, but more like that of a friend.
"A few days ago, Shao Lin was taken away. Today I received news that she is in Jiangcheng and was sent to the city hospital for emergency treatment the day before yesterday."
Jin Ling didn't mention Zhao Qin, who had gone with them.
When investigating the Jin family in the past, he had learned that Zhao Qin had a bad relationship with Su Ding as mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Now, he certainly wouldn't let them clash directly.
"Emergency treatment?" Su Ding frowned.
"She was stimulated by something which caused severe bleeding and premature birth. But she was saved," Jin Ling said calmly.
Upon hearing this, Su Ding's expression changed slightly. Stimulated by something...
Soon, she realized the reason.
It seemed the other side had made their move. She was satisfied with this outcome; the suffering she had endured should now be Shao Lin's turn.
However, Luo Zhu had truly not told Jin Ye about this matter.
Su Ding glanced at Jin Ling, many emotions flooding her mind. He had truly changed so much.
He no longer showed the same aversion to Shao Lin; he seemed like a stranger.
"Mm, I understand," Su Ding said.
"Do you need me to bring her back again?" Jin Ling saw that she didn't elaborate and was surprised, so he took the initiative to ask.
He asked this in an attempt to resolve the recent estrangement with Su Ding.
He hadn't returned home for days. Although his heart was free, he was still far from completely replacing Jin Ye.
He wanted to win Su Ding's heart.
"No need. Let her stir things up a bit longer," Su Ding said calmly.
Jin Ling didn't understand her meaning, only finding this woman somewhat unfathomable.
But the more she was like this, the greater his interest in Su Ding became. He desperately wanted to see another side of this woman...
"Okay," Jin Ling stood up and paced a few times in the small office.
Then, he slowly walked towards Su Ding, who was sitting at the desk, looking at her fair and delicate profile, her fluffy long hair exuding a faint fragrance, and her innate cool demeanor, all of which gave him a sense of addiction.
This feeling was very close to—forbiddenness.
Jin Ye's woman, he wanted to possess her from body to soul; everything belonged to him.
"I haven't been home these past few days. Don't you miss me?"
Jin Ling leaned closer to Su Ding, gently stroking the ends of her hair, his voice somewhat lingering and ambiguous.
Su Ding, however, flinched as if electrocuted and suddenly dodged away.
She looked at Jin Ling with a defensive gaze, then her eyes became confused, and then somewhat dazed.
Jin Ling's expression also darkened in an instant.
"Is it because I've changed that you no longer love me?"
He questioned unyieldingly. He had fooled many people, making them believe he was Jin Ye himself.
But only Su Ding, only Su Ding!
She was the only one who consistently maintained a defensive stance towards him.
This drove him mad, yet he also savored this game of wits.
"I don't know."
Su Ding said in a low voice, then got up from her chair, creating some distance between herself and Jin Ling.