"The group's stock price has started to fall today. Two shareholders have been insisting on seeing the young lady to find out how long this fluctuation will last."
"In that case, do I need to go to the group?" Susu asked.
Uncle Xu hummed on the other end of the phone and said, "Young lady, if President Qin can accompany you, those two shareholders will be appeased without much explanation."
"Alright, I'll contact Tianyi," Susu said, outlining a possible plan. "It would be best if he could come with me. If he's unavailable, I'll go to the group myself first to pacify those two shareholders."
"Understood."
After finishing her call with Uncle Xu, Susu perked up. She changed her clothes before contacting Tianyi.
Tianyi answered her call quickly. She told him that the Shu Group was facing some internal trouble and asked if he could accompany her to the Shu Group.
"I can't appear with you right now," Tianyi said after considering. "An Jing and I are preparing for a formal press conference to clarify the online rumors to everyone. However, we need to use the time before the clarification to expose the enemy hiding behind the scenes, so this act needs to continue for a couple more days."
"Okay, then I'll go by myself." Susu felt a pang of discomfort but couldn't help asking, "Have you seen all the content online? Are you, are you angry..."
"No," Tianyi replied directly before she could finish, knowing what she was about to say.
Susu quickly said, "Really? Even if you are angry with me, I can understand. How about you hit me or scold me..."
Tianyi playfully interrupted her, "Are you actively asking for punishment? After this is over, we can try something more stimulating. Should I prepare a small whip to spank you, or a candle?"
"I'm being serious with you, and you're going off on some tangent again. How annoying!" Susu's previously uncomfortable emotions were completely dispelled by him.
Tianyi laughed on the phone, "I am being serious. Shouldn't we dare to try things we haven't tried before?"
"I won't do it. That's too perverted."
"But you just said you wanted me to hit you," Tianyi teased her. "Who was it that said we should respect each other and be equal? Now you're willingly accepting inequality."
"That's not what I meant," Susu said shamefully. "Everything started because of me, yet you have to endure this humiliation with me. Although I can assure you that I haven't done anything to betray you, I'm always dragging you down. Ultimately, it's my fault."
Tianyi had already vented his displeasure last night and had come to a complete understanding about some things.
After they had gone through the nightmares brought by Yang Sijie, they had finally overcome one hurdle after another to reach their current happiness.
They couldn't fall back into their past mutual hurt just because someone deliberately dug up these photos again.
"This is not your fault. You clearly rejected Yang Sijie's advances back then," Tianyi was comforting her, but also stating his true feelings. "He's the one resorting to unscrupulous means; you are the victim. How could I possibly blame you? I only feel heartache for you and want to love you even more."
"Tianyi..." Susu was so moved that she choked up, her throat feeling dry as she said, "I love you too, I love you very, very much."
"Alright, you're not allowed to cry when I'm not by your side," Tianyi said softly. "If you cry, who will wipe your tears? My wife is a strong woman. Hurry and get ready to go to the Shu Group. When you get there, you'll have to deal with those two shareholders. Remember what I'm about to tell you."
Susu let out a tearful laugh and hummed in agreement.
Tianyi carefully explained to her how to deal with the shareholders who wanted to stir up trouble and how to temporarily stabilize the Shu Group internally.
No longer listlessly cooped up at home, Susu regained her confidence and strength, heading to the Shu Group with great vigor.
After Tianyi finished his call with Susu, he felt that one of the things Susu had said had given him a reminder. Susu had clearly rejected Yang Sijie back then, but she had valued her past relationship with Yang Sijie too much, which led her to fall into Yang Sijie's trap.
Now, although he harbored some suspicion towards Sophie, Susu still placed considerable importance on her relationship with Sophie. They couldn't repeat the mistake made with Yang Sijie.
It seemed he still needed to focus on eliminating Sophie as a suspect. He immediately called Xiao Lin and asked him to quietly search Sophie's room after Susu had left the villa.
If this matter was related to Sophie, they would surely find some clues in her private space.
An hour later, Xiao Lin had finished searching Sophie's room. He had been very careful and restored everything he had moved before leaving her room.
However, he was startled by what he found. Was there something between the young master and Miss Sophie?
But if there was, why would the young master ask him to search Miss Sophie's room?
He hesitated for a moment, then could only report truthfully to the young master.
"How is it? Did you find anything suspicious?" Tianyi immediately asked when he answered the phone.
Xiao Lin tried to sound calm and said, "Young master, I found some things in Miss Sophie's room. I don't know if they are considered suspicious."
"What things?"
"I found, I found a shirt and a pair of underwear belonging to you, placed under Miss Sophie's pillow," Xiao Lin said, mustering the courage to continue when he heard no response from Tianyi. "I also found a bloodstain on the dumbbell in Miss Sophie's room. Other than that, there were no other abnormalities."
Xiao Lin's findings also greatly surprised Tianyi. Sophie should have an unusual dependence on Susu, and her feelings towards Susu seemed to be more than just friendship. But why would she place his clothes under her pillow?
"Young master, do you have any other instructions?" Xiao Lin asked, holding his phone as Tianyi remained silent for a long time. He couldn't understand how the young master's clothes could be in Miss Sophie's room. Could there really be something unspeakable between the young master and Miss Sophie?
Tianyi snapped back to reality and immediately clarified, "I have never entered Sophie's room. Do not let the young madam know that you found my clothes."
"Understood." Xiao Lin knew how loving the young master and the young madam were and could not believe the young master would have an affair with Sophie.
Tianyi then casually added, "Get some blood samples from that dumbbell and send them for DNA comparison with everyone in the household to see whose blood it is."
"I've already collected some samples and will go do it now," Xiao Lin said. "Should I call some bodyguards today and have them guard the villa inside and out? After all, Miss Sophie has a history of mental illness. If she truly harbors malicious intent, she wouldn't be held legally responsible for murder."
"You're right. After the bodyguards arrive, you can go carry out your task. You must tell the bodyguards to primarily guard against Sophie, but this matter must also be kept from the young madam for now, and we mustn't alert her."
Xiao Lin immediately replied, "Young master, rest assured, I was very careful when I searched her room. She won't discover that anyone has entered her room when she returns."
Tianyi asked indifferently, "What clothes of mine did she hide? How could I have not noticed?"