Chapter Sixteen: I Am Above Competing with Him
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Liu Yanyan Revenge Reward: “Revenge progress increased by 3%.”
As the system notification sounded, Wen Yan became even more certain that her plan had succeeded.
The door closed with a soft bang, yet it struck the two women’s hearts like a heavy hammer. Li Jingyan left without even turning his head.
An eerie silence descended upon the living room, broken only by the child’s sobs.
Wang Xiulian had apparently not expected her son to truly leave just like that. She stood stunned for a moment before recovering some of her previous arrogance, though it was clearly much weaker now. She snorted at Liu Yanyan, turned, and went back into the guest room, slamming the door behind her as well.
Holding the child, who was gradually calming down, Liu Yanyan stood blankly in the middle of the disordered living room. She felt more lonely and cold than ever before.
…
“The host’s revenge progress has reached twenty percent. Would you like to open a mystery box now?” the system prompted gently.
“No need. I’ll save up and open several at once.” Wen Yan hurriedly refused. Li Jingyan would be arriving soon, and she needed to prepare for the next step of her plan.
When Li Jinyan entered Wen Yan’s home with his suitcase, the sensor light in the entryway happened to come on.
He stepped aside to avoid the slippers Wen Yan held out to him and said in his usual calm tone, “Don’t trouble yourself. I can manage.”
With that, he bent down, changed his shoes, and walked straight toward the guest room. He did not say another unnecessary word, nor did he allow his gaze to linger on Wen Yan for even a moment.
Wen Yan knew she could not rush things at present. She did not speak to him either, but simply returned to her room, locked the door, and prepared to sleep.
Meanwhile, Qiao Chenye was still at the office organizing documents.
Assistant Liu quietly placed a file on Qiao Chenye’s desk, his expression somewhat peculiar. “President Qiao, you certainly won’t believe this. The matter concerning Li Jinyan is far more complicated than we imagined.”
Without looking up, Qiao Chenye tapped at his keyboard. “You don’t need to report any more of his family’s petty affairs.”
“No. I still advise you to take a look.” Assistant Liu persisted. Opening the folder, he revealed a photograph of Li Jinyan. “Li Jinyan is the youngest general manager in our group. He rose through the ranks at an astonishing speed within two years. You absolutely will not guess who was behind him.”
Qiao Chenye cast an indifferent glance at the photograph, but his gaze suddenly froze.
The man’s features and profile looked remarkably similar to someone he despised beyond measure—his stepfather, Qiao Guodong, one of the current heads of the Qiao family.
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Assistant Liu spread out the dossiers on Li Jinyan and Liu Yanyan. “Li Jinyan was able to climb so quickly over the past two years entirely because the Liu family was secretly supporting him. Liu Yanyan is his mistress, so the Liu family’s assistance would make sense. But look at Li Jinyan’s face…”
Qiao Chenye stared at the photograph, his expression turning cold.
The Liu family was Qiao Guodong’s most loyal faction. If Qiao Guodong was willing to invest so heavily—even sending a business partner’s daughter to become Li Jinyan’s mistress in order to support him—then Li Jinyan’s identity was obvious.
The child in Liu Yanyan’s womb carried even greater significance.
“That old bastard…” Qiao Chenye gave a mocking laugh and leaned back in his chair. “Is he really that afraid of me? Is he in such a hurry to bring his biological son back to secure his throne?”
“Your stepfather has always rejected you. His actions against you have escalated repeatedly of late. It seems he fears you will obstruct their succession plans.”
Qiao Chenye tossed the documents back onto the desk, his face filled with disdain. “I’ve never cared about the Qiao family’s meager assets.”
The only reason he had tolerated everything until now was that Old Master Qiao, who had raised him, was advanced in age and did not want to see internal strife tear the family apart. Qiao Chenye had mostly been too lazy to bother with his stepfather’s petty schemes. His personal assets overseas had long since surpassed the Qiao family’s fortune.
“Forget it. There’s no need to verify it. Even if he is Qiao Guodong’s illegitimate son who was left outside the family, I have no interest in disrupting his plans.” He waved his hand, signaling that the matter was closed.
Assistant Liu nodded and walked toward the door. As if making an idle remark, he added, “Then… shall I also withdraw the people monitoring Miss Wen Yan? After all, Li Jinyan has returned, and it wouldn’t be appropriate to keep watching the married couple.”
“Don’t mention her to me!” Qiao Chenye slammed his palm onto the desk, an inexplicable fury suddenly igniting within him.
“Yes.” Assistant Liu responded and carefully closed the door.
Inside the office, Qiao Chenye irritably loosened his tie. The thought of Li Jinyan being at Wen Yan’s home gnawed at him with an indescribable anxiety. He snatched up his coat and car keys and strode out.
Assistant Liu chased after him, asking whether he should accompany him, but received only a cold, “No.”
The car drove aimlessly before finally stopping once again beneath Wen Yan’s apartment building. Looking at the illuminated window on the second floor, Qiao Chenye frowned deeply. Why had he come here? Could it be that he had truly developed feelings for that woman?
“She refuses to divorce because she may want something in return. Perhaps she needs someone with influence to help her.”
He tried to convince himself of this, yet his gaze remained fixed on the window against his will.
Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared beside it. It was Li Jinyan. His build and the gesture with which he adjusted the curtains were exactly like those of Qiao Chenye’s stepfather.
The cruel sarcasm of his childhood, the relentless suppression he had endured while growing up—scene after scene surged through his mind.
Qiao Chenye gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white. He had never wanted to involve himself in the Qiao family’s mess. But when he saw Li Jinyan appear within Wen Yan’s territory, an inexplicable irritation and possessiveness suddenly surged through him.
In an instant, all the suppression, mockery, and schemes he had suffered at his stepfather’s hands for years came flooding back. Qiao Chenye’s fists clenched violently, his knuckles blanching.
He had originally been utterly uninterested in everything concerning the Qiao family, and even less inclined to care about that so-called “heir.”
But the moment he saw Li Jinyan appear in Wen Yan’s domain, a fierce possessiveness and destructive impulse instantly overwhelmed his reason.
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He wanted to take it all away.
Everything—including that woman.
He immediately took out his phone and called Assistant Liu. His voice was cold enough to freeze the air.
“Give you ten minutes. I don’t care what means you use—get Li Jinyan out of his house within ten minutes.”
Before the other man could ask whom he meant, Qiao Chenye hung up and stared fixedly at the entrance to the building.
Less than ten minutes later, Li Jinyan indeed hurried downstairs in a coat, got into his car, and drove away.
Qiao Chenye’s eyes darkened. Like a leopard lying in wait, he ascended the stairs without a sound and knocked on Wen Yan’s door.
The door opened quickly. Wen Yan assumed it was Li Jinyan returning and blurted out, “Did you forget to take something…?”
Her words faltered halfway when she met Qiao Chenye’s deep, scorching gaze.
The system shrieked in her mind: “Ahhh! He’s back again! Stay calm, host! Let me look for a magical item!”
Wen Yan drew a deep breath and suppressed her pounding heart. To her own surprise, she managed a faint smile and stepped aside, making an inviting gesture.
“Mr. Qiao, please come in.”
Qiao Chenye stepped inside and closed the door behind him.
The moment he entered, his gaze locked onto Wen Yan. His tone was far gentler than it had been the night before.
“I was rude yesterday. I owe you an apology.”
Wen Yan did not respond. She merely tugged at the corner of her mouth and nodded lightly, her eyes carrying a trace of scrutiny as she quietly waited to see what he would do next.
The two of them stood confronting each other behind the door, while the tension from the previous night still lingered in the air.
The next second, Qiao Chenye suddenly took a step forward, closing the distance between them. His voice carried a probing edge.
“May I ask you something? What exactly is it that you need? I don’t believe someone like you would willingly remain in such a disgusting marriage.”
His gaze fixed intensely on Wen Yan’s eyes, as though he wanted to see through her pupils and uncover the thoughts hidden deep within her heart.
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