The old lady exhaled sharply and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her voice was low but resolute.
"You still have a way out, Mingyuan."
"Sign the transfer agreement. Hand over your shares and Gu Xiangyun's. From today onward, you are not allowed to touch company affairs."
Su Mingyuan looked up, panic creeping into his eyes. "But Mom, if I give that up, what will I have left?"
"You'll have the Su family's name and a roof over your head," the old lady said coldly. "And if you refuse—don't call yourself my son again."
Silence fell.
Even Su Jin was slightly startled by the finality in the old lady's words.
Su Mingyuan knelt stiffly for a long moment, his breath shallow, face ashen. Finally, he swallowed hard, and his voice came out hoarse and broken:
"Okay… I'll sign."
"If we want to save Su Corporation, we have to find something bigger—something powerful enough to overshadow the scandal completely."
"But what could possibly be big enough… to cover up a mess this deep?"
The old lady's eyes fell on Su Jin, making her heart clench with unease. She instinctively knew what was coming.
Sure enough, the next second, the old lady said firmly, "Now, the only person who can save the Su family… is Xiao Jin."
As soon as the words landed, Su Mingyuan looked at her in shock. "Mom, what do you mean?"
The old lady's gaze remained steady. "Let Xiao Jin marry into the Fu family."
Su Jin's breath caught. Her heart sank, tangled in a storm of emotions—shock, confusion, and a bitter sting of betrayal.
She never imagined the old lady, who had always stood by her side, would choose to use marriage as a bargaining chip… to save the Su family.
Su Mingyuan eventually gave in. He surrendered all his shares and walked out of the old house in defeat, his figure looking especially small in the vast courtyard.
The old lady didn't let Su Jin leave. Instead, she called her to stay.
"Xiao Jin," she said softly, "do you hate Grandma?"
Her voice trembled slightly, betraying a rare trace of vulnerability. She was referring, of course, to the marriage with the Fu family.
Su Jin lowered her eyes. If she said she had no complaints, it would be a lie. No one wants to be used as a chess piece—even for a noble cause.
But at least… it was Fu Siyan.
That thought alone eased some of the bitterness in her heart.
"Grandma is also thinking for the sake of the Su family," Su Jin replied calmly, her tone deliberately ambiguous.
Although Su Jin appeared obedient, the old lady caught the flicker of emotion in her eyes.
With a soft sigh, she said gently, "It's only out of necessity that we're arranging this marriage with the Fu family. I've already discussed it with them, and they've agreed. But don't worry, Xiao Jin—this isn't a real marriage."
Su Jin looked up, puzzled.
"You're not truly marrying into the Fu family," the old lady explained, her fingers gently brushing Su Jin's hair. "It's just a public arrangement to divert attention from Su Corporation's scandal. When the storm settles, I'll find the right time to announce the engagement has been called off."
The warmth in her voice couldn't entirely mask the fatigue in her expression.
"During this period, you might be wronged," she added, "but I need you to cooperate and spend more time with Fu Siming. Appear close to him—just enough to convince the public."
Su Jin's brows furrowed slightly. "Contact him more?" she echoed, as if uncertain what that would entail.
"Yes, you'll move into the Fu residence today," the old lady said with unwavering determination.
Su Jin's heart skipped a beat—part shock, part unease.
Move in today?
Her fingers curled slightly at her side. She hadn't even prepared herself mentally, and now she had to face Fu Siyan under the same roof. What kind of expression would he wear when he saw her? Would his hostility deepen? Would he play along?
She remembered clearly—in her previous life, after the scandal broke, it was Su Nuo who had been sent to act as Fu Siyan's fiancée, a temporary shield to protect both families' reputations. But this time, with the surgery moved ahead and Su Nuo in recovery, the role had fallen to her instead.
A twist of fate—one ripple changed everything.
And now, Su Jin would be the one standing beside Fu Siyan in public.
Not Su Nuo But Her.
She inhaled quietly, trying to steady her nerves. No matter how cold Fu Siyan was to her, she had to endure. For the sake of her grandmother, for the sake of Su Corporation's survival—and, above all, for her own redemption.
Su Jin was very worried about going to the Fu residence. In truth, what troubled her most wasn't the change in environment—it was Fu Siyan's attitude.
"Don't be nervous," the old lady reassured, mistaking her hesitation for fear. "Fu Siyan may look cold, but he's a good child. He won't make things hard for you."
Su Jin forced a smile and nodded. "Grandma, I'll do my best to get along with him."
Though deep down, she knew—Fu Siyan wasn't someone easily approached.
At noon, someone from the Fu family came to pick her up. What caught her completely off guard was who it was.
Fu Siyan.
He sat inside the sleek black car with his back straight, one arm resting on the door, the other flipping through his phone. His expression was cold, carved in stone, and his aura was one of absolute distance.
His presence alone seemed to lower the temperature in the car by several degrees.
Su Jin's heart clenched. She hesitated for a moment before silently getting into the car and sitting down as far from him as possible.
The silence was suffocating.
She snuck a glance at him from the corner of her eye—Fu Siyan didn't look at her, not even once.
It was as if she were invisible.
She folded her hands tightly in her lap to keep them from trembling.
So this was how it would begin—living in the same house as a man who likely saw her as nothing more than a pawn in a transaction.
And she wasn't sure how long she could survive the cold.
The atmosphere inside the car felt frozen, as if even the air had turned to ice.
Su Jin sat rigidly in her seat, her back straight, hands tightly clenched in her lap. Her heart pounded so loudly she was afraid Fu Siyan might hear it.
She didn't speak—out of nerves, out of fear.
And Fu Siyan didn't speak—because he found the entire situation absurd.
Two strangers, silently imprisoned by their own thoughts, shared a suffocating space that offered no comfort, no warmth.
By the time they arrived at the Fu residence and stepped out of the car, the air between them was still thick with tension—unyielding and cold.
Waiting at the entrance, Old Master Fu was all smiles. His joy at seeing Su Jin was uncontained.
"Xiao Jin, I'm really grateful you're here. It'll be a bit of a grievance to live with this stinky brat for a while," he said with a chuckle, his tone half-joking. "But don't worry—if he dares to bully you, just tell me. I'll give him a good beating."
Fu Siyan's brow furrowed slightly. "Live with me?"
Clearly, he hadn't expected things to go this far.
Old Master Fu shot him a stern glare. "What? Don't act like you didn't know! Thanks to Xiao Jin, the hospital avoided disaster. She did more than any of us expected."
He then turned to Su Jin, his eyes kind and warm. "During this period, I want you to stay here comfortably. Siyan will take care of you. If he gives you trouble, come straight to me."
"…I understand, Grandpa," Fu Siyan said coldly.
His tone was calm, but Su Jin could sense the underlying resistance in it. Still, she offered Old Master Fu a polite smile and a small bow. "Thank you, Grandpa Fu. I'll do my best."
As they entered the grand estate, the invisible wall between her and Fu Siyan followed—tall, cold, and unshakable.
Su Jin was also stunned.
She thought she was just going to stay at Old Master Fu's house for a few days—pretend to be engaged, smile politely, and then return home once the storm passed.
But now, she was being told to move in with Fu Siyan?
Live under the same roof with that iceberg?
Wouldn't she freeze to death before the engagement was even broken off?
"Grandpa, isn't this... a little inappropriate?" Su Jin asked, her voice filled with hesitation.
Old Master Fu waved his hand dismissively. "If you two don't live together, who's going to believe you're engaged? This is the only way to calm the public down. You'll be fine."
Before they had even finished the meal, he was already ushering them out. "Alright, alright—it's getting late. Time to go back."
Su Jin glanced at the wall clock.
Three o'clock in the afternoon.
Not even close to dinner time.
Fu Siyan didn't waste a second. As soon as the words left the old man's mouth, he rose from the table and strode straight out.
His long legs carried him forward at a fast pace, and Su Jin had to half-trot to keep up with him.
Behind them, Old Master Fu shook his head and sighed dramatically. "This brat has no appreciation for beauty. No romantic bone in his body. He's nothing like me in my youth."
Outside, Fu Siyan's sleek black car was already waiting by the curb.
Su Jin walked toward it, but paused when she noticed he wasn't inside.
She looked around.
Nothing.
Then she heard the beep of the car unlocking behind her.
Turning around, she saw Fu Siyan standing on the other side, already opening the driver's door.
He hadn't even waited for her.
Su Jin pressed her lips together, suppressed the small sting in her chest, and got in silently.
The car was just as quiet as before.
And colder.
Fu Siyan's private villa in the city centre was minimalist, cold, and too large for one person. Su Jin felt like an intruder the moment she stepped inside.
Assistant Xu, ever polite, helped her carry her luggage in. "The room has been arranged for you, Miss Su. If you need anything at all, feel free to call me."
"Thank you," Su Jin replied gently.
Once Assistant Xu left, she took a moment to look around. The space was pristine—too pristine, like no one truly lived there.
She unpacked only what was necessary, then quietly slipped out and hailed a taxi.
Her destination: the hospital.
---
In the ward, the air smelled of antiseptic and burnt skin.
Gu Xiangyun lay motionless on the bed, her arms and legs wrapped in thick gauze. The exposed skin was mottled, raw and angry—testament to the fire that had nearly claimed her.
She stared blankly at the ceiling, the life drained from her once-proud face.
The moment Su Jin stepped through the door, that hollow gaze flickered to life with burning hatred.
Her voice was hoarse and venomous:
"You bitch. What are you doing here?"
That face—once obsessively maintained with the best skincare, procedures, and cosmetics—was now ruined. Her beauty and her pride had burned away in one reckless blaze.
All of it, gone.
And the one person she blamed for it was standing right in front of her.
Su Jin's smile didn't reach her eyes. "Mom, how could you say that? I came to check on you."
Her voice was calm, even warm, but the glint in her eyes could slice glass.
She didn't come to offer comfort. She came to enjoy the fallout.
The deeper Gu Xiangyun's despair, the lighter Su Jin's heart felt.
Every ounce of pain Gu Xiangyun endured was payback. And she hadn't even started yet.