On the other side of the old mansion, Bai Xu nearly jumped out of his skin in disbelief: “How is that possible? Bai Shangmo’s influence is so formidable that even Bai Yao is wary of him. How could he be defeated so easily?”

Bai Qifeng, seated on the sofa with furrowed brows, replied, “I also find it hard to believe, but the news of the police manhunt is everywhere. That can’t be fake, can it?”

Bai Xu asked, “How did He Ju manage it?”

Bai Qifeng explained, “He used public opinion and the police to his advantage. Tonight, he was supposed to be implicated, but with an eyewitness to Zheng You killing Xu Le, He Ju was able to clear himself of suspicion. As long as the police don’t suspect him, whether he’s at the old mansion doesn’t matter. And if any of us were to accuse He Ju now, we’d become a thorn in his side.”

“He Ju is ruthless. Si Hua might be soft-hearted, but He Ju isn’t. If he finds out we’ve been stirring the pot behind the scenes, our good days are over.”

The thought of He Ju silently thwarting every move he and his accomplice made sent a chill down Bai Qifeng’s spine.

As far as he knew, He Ju was just a slightly talented ordinary person. How could he have such great ability?

Yet the reality was right in front of him, leaving no room for doubt.

After hearing his son, Bai Xu broke out in a cold sweat: “So, we can’t touch Si Hua or He Ju at all right now, nor can we even think about that money?”

Bai Qifeng confirmed, “Exactly. Not only can we not touch it, but we also have to act as if nothing has changed during this time.”

Bai Xu felt a surge of panic: “No wonder Bai Yan was so confident entrusting his financial power to He Ju. He had everything prepared…”

Bai Qifeng fell silent. He didn’t know who was backing He Ju or whether his every move was being watched by him. But one thing Bai Qifeng did know was that He Ju was not someone to be trifled with.

Around the corner, Bai Qifeng’s sister, Bai Shang, had overheard the entire conversation between her father and brother.

A slight smile played on Bai Shang’s lips. The first time she saw He Ju at the old mansion, she knew he wasn’t ordinary. It was a pity that her father, mother, and even her brother thought she was being alarmist.

Bai Shang slipped away quietly, already formulating a plan to make He Ju cooperate with them.

—

After today, He Ju was busy preparing for the honeymoon with Si Hua, while Bai Yan and the brothers were preoccupied with the grand opening of their new company.

Their new home would take over half a month to complete. After that, they’d need to ventilate the place thoroughly. By the time they returned from a month-long trip, it should be ready for them to move in.

But to everyone’s surprise, a major incident occurred before they could even go on their honeymoon.

The day before their departure, Si Hua went to the company with bodyguards due to a fight, while He Ju stayed at the old mansion to work on design drafts.

While He Ju was drawing on the balcony, the doorbell rang. It was the maid.

He Ju thought it might be Bai Yao and Si Mei with some matter to discuss, so he opened the door.

Maid: “Young Master, the master asks for your presence in the study.”

Without suspicion, He Ju agreed, knowing Bai Yao often invited him to play chess, taste tea, and chat.

He Ju wasn’t much into tea, but it was his father-in-law, so he didn’t complain.

He Ju: “Alright, I’ll head over in a bit.”

After the maid left, He Ju packed up his things and headed out.

The old mansion was vast, and even taking shortcuts, it was a half-hour walk for He Ju. Considering he had nothing else to do and driving seemed a hassle, he took the usual shortcut.

He Ju dressed simply that day, in a plain T-shirt and black suit pants, with a casually thrown-on coat due to the cold weather.

As he passed through the garden’s stone path, he encountered Bai Shang, dressed youthfully and beautifully in a black, shiny long hair and a body-hugging long skirt, draped in a white mink coat.

He Ju politely greeted, “Cousin.”

After speaking, he intended to walk past her, but unexpectedly, Bai Shang brazenly grabbed his wrist.

He Ju’s expression darkened instinctively, remembering the covetous feeling he had when he first met Bai Shang.

He Ju: “Cousin, what are you trying to do?”

Bai Shang’s face was not ugly, even quite beautiful, especially with the delicate makeup she wore today, which significantly enhanced her looks. But… He Ju’s guard was up even higher.

Unintimidated by He Ju, Bai Shang just smiled and said, “Nothing much, I just want to have a deeper conversation with my brother-in-law. Is that not okay?”

They were both adults, and He Ju understood what Bai Shang implied.

He Ju looked at her: “Cousin, you’re quite an eye-opener. But I only like clean women. Are you one?”

With that, Bai Shang’s face changed for a moment but quickly returned to normal, smiling at He Ju, “Why wouldn’t I be?”

He Ju observed all this but said nothing more.

Seeing He Ju’s silence, Bai Shang felt uncertain. She was a few months older than Si Hua, nearing thirty, unmarried, but never short of boyfriends. How could she not be…

Bai Shang didn’t understand what He Ju meant by ‘clean,’ but she had never been involved with disreputable people. How could she not be clean?

He Ju, tired of the entanglement, shook off her hand and prepared to leave, but the next moment, he suddenly felt dizzy and unstable.

He Ju realized almost immediately what was happening. In the old mansion, Bai Shang dared to drug him so brazenly?

He Ju’s vision darkened, and he stumbled, falling into the snow, his consciousness blurring. Clenching his teeth, he forced himself to stay awake.

Then, two people appeared, propping him up from either side.

He Ju felt numb, a thousand curses racing through his mind, but his body was limp, powerless.

Bai Shang smiled, “There are no cameras on this path. Whatever happens, no one will know…”

Her gaze turned cold as she continued, “How can you define whether I’m clean or not without trying?”

He Ju wanted to curse, but the next second, he was knocked unconscious.

Bai Shang glanced at He Ju. She didn’t want his life; she wanted his reputation and career in ruins!

Of course, He Ju had another choice: to cooperate with her. Then he could still stand on moral high ground and tell her: I like clean women.

Bai Shang almost laughed at the thought.

They were all adults. What did clean or dirty matter? Did he think he was so pure?

Bai Shang didn’t believe He Ju had only been with Si Hua.