Only when Yang Sijie was convinced she no longer cared about Tianyi and was deeply disappointed in Tianyi, did she have to pretend to be utterly disappointed in all men in front of him.
This was the only way to protect herself while dealing with him until the end.
Yang Sijie came to her side, put his arm around her, and said, "Let's eat breakfast. Don't be so dejected. I'll take you to meet someone later, and you'll be happy."
Susu finally nodded, forcing herself to cheer up and say, "Alright, who are you taking me to see? You know I hate superficial social engagements."
She had to strike a balance between her actions and words to avoid arousing his suspicion.
Seeing that she was obediently starting to eat breakfast, Yang Sijie smiled and said, "Don't worry, it's not a social engagement. You'll definitely want to meet this person."
As long as she stayed by his side, he would show enough patience and sincerity to mend the rift between them and win her heart.
Susu responded with a faint "Oh," feigning disinterest, but she wondered if it might be Su Kangxi.
Did he want to show her how Su Kangxi was being tortured?
Yang Sijie sat beside her, wanting to reminisce about their past. He said, "Susu, do you remember what you told me the night before I left the orphanage?"
"It was too long ago, I don't remember," Susu replied.
Her greatest regret now was her past feelings for him at the orphanage, her complete and unguarded trust in him.
Regardless of whether she remembered, Yang Sijie was lost in his own memories. He said, "You said, 'Brother Sijie, I'll wait for you to pick me up, and from then on, we'll be together forever, never to be separated even in death.'"
As he spoke, he couldn't control himself and kissed her cheek. She stiffened, resisting him completely.
He whispered in her ear, "We'll be together until death. Please don't be angry with me anymore. A lifetime is still very long. How good it would be to go back to how we were. In this world, besides me, who else do you have to rely on? Who else can be your friend, family, or lover? Only me."
Susu suppressed her annoyance. He was starting his brainwashing again.
But she wasn't falling for it anymore. It was enough that he was deceiving himself; he wanted her to believe such nonsense? Dream on!
Susu feigned compliance, pushing him away. She smiled at him and said, "Too much has happened in the past year. You need to give me time to digest it. I'll go change my clothes, and then I'll accompany you to meet the person you want to see."
She closed the door to the walk-in closet, trying to encourage herself and pull herself together.
Tianyi had almost lost his life protecting her. Now it was her turn to do something. She couldn't let her child get hurt, nor could she let her friends who were helping her be harmed.
She had to play with fire and ultimately send this great tiger to prison.
...
Susu's attitude toward Yang Sijie improved slightly. She put on makeup, looking less haggard and more spirited as she left with Yang Sijie.
Yang Sijie had moved back into the penthouse mansion, with bodyguards stationed at the entrance twenty-four hours a day.
Without Yang Sijie's permission, she couldn't leave alone.
What a joke that Yang Sijie constantly spoke of loving her, yet he still didn't fully trust her, keeping her like a caged bird without giving her freedom.
He claimed it was for her safety, but it was really because he was afraid she would escape again.
She inwardly found it amusing. Even if she had the chance to escape now, she wouldn't.
After everything she had been through, she understood that escaping was useless. To completely break free from his control, she had to bring him to justice.
She sat in the car, unsure of where Yang Sijie was taking her. She didn't ask, needing to appear as if she had seen through everything and was indifferent to everything.
When they arrived, Yang Sijie got out of the car first and opened the other car door for her.
As she stepped out of the car, Yang Sijie took her hand and led her into a cake shop.
The shop's display windows showcased a dazzling array of cakes, and they also sold hot drinks like coffee and milk tea, along with tables and chairs for customers to rest and chat.
Yang Sijie led her toward a table where someone was already seated.
She saw Su Kangxi sitting there, and her mind went blank. She froze in place.
How could Su Kangxi be here so openly? Had Yang Sijie not yet discovered his true purpose for coming abroad?
Yang Sijie, oblivious to her reaction, greeted Su Kangxi and continued to lead her forward like a wooden post. She stumbled, and Yang Sijie quickly turned, catching her in his arms as she staggered, asking, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"No, I just lost my footing," Susu regained her senses, suppressing her panic.
Yang Sijie led her to sit opposite Su Kangxi and said, "Look, Kangxi is so happy to see you."
Susu smiled and greeted Su Kangxi, "Hi, Kangxi, what are you doing here?"
"Sister Susu, you... why are you here too?" Su Kangxi was surprised for a moment, then smiled brightly at Yang Sijie and said, "Brother Sijie, you're playing a trick on me, aren't you? I was helping you find Sister Susu, and it turns out Susu is right beside you. You made me rack my brains to find her."
Yang Sijie looked at Susu dotingly and smiled at Su Kangxi, saying, "I didn't realize it was so difficult for your police to find someone. Once you go back from your trip, you won't have to worry about this anymore. Susu and I will never be separated again. Why haven't you brought a girlfriend with you? What about your fiery girlfriend from before?"
Su Kangxi scratched his head and said, "Brother Sijie, why are you bringing her up? We broke up long ago."
"She dared to dump you? Do you want me to help you find her?" Yang Sijie said as if joking.
Su Kangxi and Susu both tensed up, afraid something might happen to Yanan.
"No need, I'm the one who dumped her. She's not suitable for me at all," Su Kangxi said, maintaining a calm demeanor. "Why don't you introduce me to a beautiful girl, Brother Sijie?"
"You rascal, you've got it. No problem. I can find as many beautiful girls as you want."
Susu listened to their banter, extremely worried. Did Yang Sijie really not know Su Kangxi's true intentions? Did he really think Su Kangxi was just here for a vacation?
If he could find her and send Mark to pick her up, how could he not know that Yang Sijie had met her in Dechuan long ago?
Could he, a man who dominated both the underworld and legitimate society, be so stupid?
"Sister Susu, Sister Susu, what are you thinking about? Why aren't you speaking?" Su Kangxi noticed she had been zoning out.
Susu snapped back to attention, smiling, "Oh, I couldn't get a word in edgewise listening to you two chat. By the way, how many days have you been here on vacation? Where have you been? Is it fun here?"
"I've been to almost all the attractions, except Central Park. It's truly eye-opening," Su Kangxi said excitedly, looking exactly like someone on vacation.
Yang Sijie suggested, "Why don't we accompany you to Central Park tomorrow? It would be a good opportunity for Susu and me to relax as well."