Chapter 4 — A Marriage of Convenience, A Graceful Exit

Her voice rang out again, as casual as if she were discussing dinner plans: "If they refuse to hand over the dowry, just handle it quietly. Turn them into a vegetable; wouldn't all the money be ours in the end? Just like what we did with your sister-in-law before."

"Don't tell me you don't even have the guts to do a small thing like this!"

Hearing this, my hand froze, and a flash of ironic contempt flickered in my eyes. So, the Xie family was nothing more than a nest of vipers. Just as I was about to step out after the mother and daughter left, a flurry of hurried footsteps sounded. Immediately after, a soft voice spoke up: "Director Shen, those words just now... you heard them all, didn't you?"

I yanked the heavy curtain aside and looked up. Standing before me was a tall, lean man with sharp, handsome features. He wore a subtle patterned white shirt beneath a charcoal-gray sweater, his eyes framed by wire-rimmed glasses. He possessed a scholarly air, yet his gaze was cold—a classic example of a "refined beast."

It was Xie Jingwen, the professional CEO of the Xie Corporation and the illegitimate son of the family. He had lived in the slums until he was fifteen, only to be taken back to the Xie household to live off their scraps. He had spent three years stoically enduring their abuse, was sent to study in America at eighteen, and chose to return to build the Xie empire after graduating.

I twirled a lock of hair and looked up at him with an indifferent expression. "CEO Xie, you intentionally let me overhear those words. What exactly is your objective?"

Xie Jingwen chuckled softly. He didn't bother with pleasantries, laying his ambition bare: "I want the entire Xie family."

"Collaborate with me. Once the mission is accomplished, you will receive six percent of the Xie Corporation’s shares. As for the fifteen billion, I will pay it back in full, both principal and interest."

I scanned him from head to toe before decisively reaching out to shake his hand. "Deal."

I agreed to work with Xie Jingwen for one simple reason: his background. A lecherous, mediocre father, an authoritarian, ruthless matriarch, and a mother who had been coerced and suppressed—add an illegitimate son to the mix, and his life was a living tragedy. His position as the professional CEO had long been an eyesore to Xie Wenyuan. Had it not been for the board of directors, Wenyuan would have kicked him out long ago. Things had reached a point where even if Jingwen wanted to live in peace, he couldn't. Furthermore, he was a man fueled by ambition.

After agreeing to the partnership, I maintained my daily routine. I went to work in the morning and returned in the evening as if nothing had changed. In my free time, I played the role of a doting mother, worrying over Xie Yuanyuan until she was exhausted from her studies. While I was at it, I didn't forget to use a few barbed remarks to drag Xie Wenyuan into the mud. A man like Wenyuan? If you are strong, he is weak; if you are weak, he climbs all over you. Under my "iron fist" policy, he didn't even dare to let out a breath in my presence.

It wasn't until I had the Beijing branch of the Shen Corporation running smoothly and began using my status as an investor to "bleed" the Xie Corporation of a significant amount of capital that the family could no longer hold back. The moment I withdrew my funds and walked out of the board meeting, the matriarch slammed her hand onto the table. In front of all the shareholders, she pointed a finger directly at Wenyuan and cursed, "How did I raise such a useless waste of space!" With that, she stormed out, slamming the door with a deafening crash.

When Jingwen recounted this to me with a faint smile, I burst into laughter. Once I stopped, he picked up his coffee, his tone calm: "However, Director Shen should be careful. Even the old lady is enraged now—I fear it won't be long before they truly come for you."

I scoffed, my smile cold. "The Xie family is falling into decline today because of that old woman with a Buddha’s mouth and a snake’s heart. So what if I withdrew forty percent of the profits? Without my investment, those people wouldn't even smell a penny!"

As soon as I finished, Jingwen nodded in agreement. "The Xie family is used to reaping what others sow; that is indeed the case. You must be careful now; I have my people close to her. If she intends to strike, I will warn you immediately."

With the agreement sealed, we discussed a few more minor details before parting ways. In truth, "rationalizing" a person's departure from this world is quite simple: poison or a car accident. Poisoning is divided into two types: instant and slow-acting. Since I had been appearing in public constantly since returning to the country, instant poison was too easy to trace. That left chronic poisoning. But I was currently like a sponge soaking up water—relentlessly expanding my influence, day by day eroding the Xie family's status among the Beijing elite. By the time the poison took effect, the Xie Corporation would likely already bear the name Shen.

Compared to poisoning, a car accident was the most efficient and cost-effective way to kill me. Jingwen had once said that the matriarch of the Xie family was most skilled at "accidental" traffic fatalities. His own mother had perished in a car crash orchestrated by her own hands. She remained the most powerful woman in the Xie house, but Jingwen was no longer the weak boy he once was. He promised that as soon as he received word from the inside, he would notify me. After all, we were in the same boat; if I died, he wouldn't survive either.

The day to "execute the plan" arrived soon enough. To polish Xie Yuanyuan’s artistic image, Wenyuan had commissioned a private art museum to display her oil paintings. The museum had just been completed, and the grand opening was upon us. As the primary investor, Wenyuan had to be present for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. I had always despised him, so I refused to share a car with him. Yuanyuan couldn't attend due to her studies. In the end, only Wenyuan and I were set to go.

Just before we departed, my assistant called, sounding frantic: "The lead supplier is suddenly demanding a price hike. They insist you negotiate in person, and it cannot be delayed."

After taking the call, I told Wenyuan to leave first. Though he felt some dissatisfaction, he was afraid of me and dared not protest—so he left alone. The car he habitually used had been discovered to have a system malfunction less than thirty minutes prior. Thinking this was a signal from his mother, he obediently switched to the car I usually used. Five minutes after he left, I picked a random car from the garage and headed to the office.

The supplier issue was indeed real, but I wasn't a fool. A problem prepared in advance takes less than an hour to solve. As I stepped out of the conference room, my phone rang. It was the police. They reported that my husband, Xie Wenyuan, had been involved in a serious traffic accident; his skull had shattered, and he was gravely injured. They ordered me to go to the hospital immediately.

I adopted a look of perfect cooperation, stating I would arrive at once and demanding the doctors save him at any cost. When I arrived, the matriarch was already waiting outside the emergency room. Seeing me, her eyes turned into blades, her rage nearly palpable. "Shen Shuyi, you bitch! Why did you hurt my son?!"

She lunged at me, hitting me repeatedly. "I only have one son! Why did you do this to him?!"

Fortunately, my assistant, Xiao Min, was tall and quick, stepping in front of me and shoving her back. "Madam, we understand you are anxious, but do not make baseless accusations! Director Shen just drove here from the office; when would she have had the time to plot against her husband? Instead, I should ask you—the road was wide and empty, so why did the vehicle causing the accident target the exact car the Director usually takes?"

Xiao Min had been trained by me for a long time; neither her composure nor her presence was ordinary. Her sharp gaze swept across the room, causing the Xie family members nearby to avert their eyes.

Xie Jingwen stepped forward to restrain the old lady. "Mother, the police have not finished their investigation. You should go inside and look after Eldest Brother."

Before he could finish, the old woman turned and glared at him with pure venom. *Slap!* A blow landed squarely on Jingwen’s face. The entire hallway went deathly silent. Jingwen simply lowered his head, his long fingers lightly touching his bruised cheek.

The matriarch sneered. "Your brother meets with a disaster, and you are the one most pleased, aren't you? Remember this: if anything happens to Wenyuan... don't expect any of you to live in peace!"

With that, she shoved aside the servant trying to support her and stormed off like a hurricane. Jingwen and I stood before the operating room, neither of us speaking. The lights in the hospital corridor flickered. But in Jingwen's eyes, I saw something burning—a fire. This man was not as harmless or gentle as his scholarly appearance suggested.