Lin Xiao called Shao Mei'er.

"Smelly Daddy, you miss me?" Her sultry voice purred through the phone.

Thank goodness I don't have this on speaker. If Su Qingning heard that... God only knows how big of a blow that would be.

"My wife wants to invite you to dinner at Chunyu Pavilion!"

"Of course, I'll be right there!" Shao Mei'er said with a seductive smile.

Lin Xiao hung up the phone and then drove toward Chunyu Pavilion.

After a few moments on the road, Su Qingning suddenly spoke softly, "Lin Xiao, what I said earlier might have been a bit harsh. I'm sorry. It's just... I really want to be with a down-to-earth person and live a simple life. I hope you can understand."

Faced with Su Qingning's sudden confession and the expectant look in her eyes, what else could Lin Xiao say?

He smiled helplessly and replied, "Alright. From now on, I'll be down-to-earth and live a simple life with you."

Su Qingning breathed a sigh of relief, gratitude shining in her eyes.

"Thank you!"

"Silly girl, what are you thanking me for!" Lin Xiao said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"It's nothing. I just hope you'll be more grounded from now on and stop boasting. Otherwise, I'll really start ignoring you!"

Lin Xiao sighed in resignation. "Okay, you have my word!"

When they arrived at Chunyu Pavilion, Shao Mei'er was already waiting by the entrance. Her outfit was as seductive and eye-catching as ever. The skintight bodycon dress did little to hide her fiery figure; in fact, it only served to accentuate her sexiness. Paired with the black stockings wrapped around her long legs, her sensual aura was elevated to a whole new level.

Upon seeing Lin Xiao and Su Qingning, Shao Mei'er smiled coquettishly.

"Greetings, Master. My respects to the First Lady!"

Su Qingning despised being called "First Lady," but since she needed a favor, she could only say reluctantly, "Miss Shao, you really don't have to be like this. We invited you to dinner today because we actually have something to ask of you."

Shao Mei'er looked at Su Qingning with theatrical alarm. "First Lady, you honor me too much. If you need something, just give me a command. I truly cannot bear the word 'ask'!"

Su Qingning didn't know how to reply. She wasn't normally such a timid person, but asking for a favor now made her feel inferior, so naturally, her words lacked confidence.

At that moment, Lin Xiao smiled and said, "Come on, let's go inside. We can talk while we eat!"

The two women nodded in unison. It wasn't just Su Qingning who felt awkward; even Shao Mei'er was a bit uncomfortable. Although my status and background are more impressive than Su Qingning's, I can't change the fact that she is Lin Xiao's wife. And Lin Xiao is no ordinary man. Although Shao Mei'er didn't know the specifics of Lin Xiao's background, she knew that any man who could compel her father to order her to become his woman at any cost was obviously far from ordinary.

The trio entered a private room. Shao Mei'er's arrival sent the entire restaurant into a state of high alert. After all, the owner herself had arrived. From the manager and head chef down to the waitstaff, everyone was treading on thin ice. Fortunately, Shao Mei'er was a relatively kind person, so she wasn't difficult to please.

"Miss Shao, may I know what you would like to eat?" Manager Zhuo Bufan asked respectfully.

Shao Mei'er smiled and said, "Just bring us your specialties."

Zhuo Bufan quickly retreated.

While they waited for the food, Shao Mei'er asked with a charming smile, "First Lady, have you run into some trouble?"

Su Qingning didn't hide anything and directly told Shao Mei'er the whole story.

After hearing Su Qingning's account, especially when she heard that Xue Jingdong had hired the Du Family to deal with Lin Xiao, Shao Mei'er's seductive smile vanished, replaced by an icy fury.

"A mere Du Family dares to bully my master? They must have a death wish! First Lady, just relax and enjoy your meal. After we eat, I'll go find the Du Family and have a nice, long talk with them. If the Du Family dares to disrespect my Shao Family, I won't mind making them disappear from the face of the earth. They shouldn't think they can bully people just because their eldest son, Du Shaolong, is now part of the Martial Alliance. The Shao Family might not have anyone in the Martial Alliance, but we are members of the A9 Alliance. So please, First Lady, set your mind at ease," Shao Mei'er said reassuringly.

A look of envy appeared in Su Qingning's eyes. She had certainly heard of the A9 Alliance; her father had told her about it when he was still alive. Su Qingning knew the A9 Alliance was composed of the nine most powerful families in all of Kyushu, led by the number one financial magnate in the nation. Their influence wasn't just domestic; they were a renowned power on the international stage as well. After all, it was said that the A9 Alliance even included top-tier foreign families. Su Qingning never imagined the Shao Family would be one of its members. For a moment, her heart swelled with envy.

If only my family could join the A9 Alliance one day... how wonderful would that be?

Hearing Shao Mei'er's words, Lin Xiao couldn't help but smile. This woman may look utterly coquettish, more feminine than any other, but I never expected her to have such a fierce side to her personality.

It had to be said that Shao Mei'er's words had a profoundly comforting effect on Su Qingning, allowing her panicked heart to finally settle down.

"Miss Shao, thank you. What would you like in return?" Even though Shao Mei'er called her 'First Lady,' Su Qingning didn't take her help for granted.

Shao Mei'er looked at Su Qingning with a teasing glint in her eyes. "First Lady," she purred, "can I ask for anything I want?"

Su Qingning seemed to grasp her meaning, and precisely because she understood, a wave of panic washed over her. She blurted out, "Anything except my husband!"

Shao Mei'er discreetly shot Lin Xiao a thumbs-up. She smiled and said, "Don't worry, First Lady, I wouldn't dare try to steal the Master from you; he's clearly so fond of you. What I meant was, if you truly want to thank me, how about giving me a card for unlimited drinks at your bar?"

At these words, Su Qingning sighed softly. "Miss Shao, I'd love to, but I'm afraid that's not possible for a while!"

"Why?" Shao Mei'er asked with a smile.

Su Qingning said gravely, "The bar was smashed."

Shao Mei'er was taken aback. The flirtatious smile on her face froze instantly. "What? Smashed? When?"

"In the early hours of this morning," Lin Xiao said.

"Who did it? How despicable!"

"We don't know."

"Could it have been the Zhao Family? Oh, by the way, First Lady, did you hear? Something happened to the Zhao Family... you know, Zhao Qingqing's family."

Su Qingning's heart trembled. She asked urgently, "What happened?"

"I'm not sure about the details, but Zhao Qingqing is dead, and the Zhao Family has been wiped out."

BOOM!

Su Qingning felt as though she'd been struck by a bolt of lightning that left her mind blank and her entire body numb. She was stunned, completely and utterly frozen. After what felt like an eternity, tears suddenly streamed from her eyes like a dam bursting. She collapsed onto the table, sobbing her heart out.

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