Chapter 8: Living Together

The noisy villa finally returned to tranquility. Lin Feng poured another glass of water for Su Qingxue, placing it silently in front of her.

"Thank you, Lin Feng."

Su Qingxue looked up, her eyes shining brightly, making her look exceptionally beautiful.

Lin Feng smiled. "Why thank me? You earned this yourself. If you hadn’t insisted on confronting your mother, I doubt she would have agreed so easily."

"Is that so?" Su Qingxue gave a wry smile and continued, "I know you want to ask Mr. Li for help, but if he investigates even a little, he’ll find out our attempt to cooperate with Liran Group is to break off the engagement with the Bai family. He’ll definitely refuse then."

When Lin Feng calmly accepted the terms for her, she had considered this possibility, and it was the only reasonable one.

Yet, Lin Feng smiled and shook his head.

"I never said I’d ask Mr. Li for help."

"Huh?"

Su Qingxue was stunned, and somehow, her cheeks flushed with heat.

Her bright red face left Lin Feng bewildered.

He instinctively placed his hand on her forehead; she froze, as if electrified, not daring to breathe.

Lin Feng murmured, "You seem to have a fever. That’s strange. Is it possible my first attempt at the Ninefold Golden Needle technique still has flaws?"

"You… you misunderstand." Su Qingxue hurried to explain, "I don’t feel unwell. My forehead’s hot… maybe just because I’m embarrassed."

By the end, her voice was barely audible.

Lin Feng was even more confused.

"What’s going on? Why are you suddenly shy?"

He waited for a long time, but Su Qingxue gave no answer.

Only after she picked up the glass of water and drank half of it did she feel her temperature return to normal. Summoning her courage, she said, "Lin Feng, I know you want to help me, but no matter where I hide, my mother will find a way to track me down. Besides, there’s the Bai family, with their vast influence. I can’t outrun them."

"Ahem!"

"So you thought I wanted to… take you away?" Lin Feng almost blurted out the word 'elopement', but quickly corrected himself. "You misunderstood. I’m not asking you to run away, but to secure Liran Group’s business openly and honorably!"

"Is that so?"

Su Qingxue’s cheeks flushed again.

She bit her lip inwardly, admonishing herself for such wild thoughts—how could she have imagined elopement?

But soon, Lin Feng’s answer left her even more confused.

"Su Shifeng was right. Liran Group won’t cooperate with the Su family. It’s not just me—my father, representing Su Bank, has met with them several times, but nothing ever came of it..."

"It doesn’t matter," Lin Feng gently interrupted her. "I’ll handle it."

Just four simple words, yet they carried immense weight. In that moment, Su Qingxue felt that Lin Feng truly had the ability to solve this problem.

She didn’t know that Lin Feng indeed possessed such confidence.

Everyone in River City knew Liran Group was the largest pharmaceutical company in the area. Those seeking cooperation could fill the entire underground parking lot of Liran Group.

Though Su Bank was wealthy, they could offer nothing else of value to Liran Group. The group was never short on money and never considered working with the Su family.

But Lin Feng was different.

His family’s legacy included more than just the Ninefold Golden Needle medical technique. He believed he could impress a company like Liran Group.

As for his motivation, it wasn’t entirely for Su Qingxue—it was also for himself.

To discover his parents’ whereabouts, he needed wealth and connections—things he lacked.

Despite his inherited skills, he was still a nobody, and high-quality connections were beyond his reach.

"It’s late. You should rest," Lin Feng said, glancing at the wall clock. "Let’s meet outside Liran Group tomorrow morning."

"Wait."

"Yes? What is it?"

He turned, only to see Su Qingxue bow her head slightly, gathering her courage before speaking: "I’m worried Su Shifeng might come back with more people. Maybe… you could stay at my place for a few days? Would that be alright?"

Lin Feng was startled—after all, a man and a woman alone in a house could easily invite speculation.

But given Su Shifeng’s unpredictable nature, it was entirely possible he’d return to cause trouble.

"Alright," Lin Feng agreed readily. "I’ll make do on the sofa tonight, and tomorrow we’ll go to Liran Group together."

Su Qingxue laughed lightly. "How could I let you sleep there? There’s a guest room upstairs. The bedding is in the wardrobe. If you think it’s not clean, you can use the sterilizer."

"No need," Lin Feng waved it off, but once upstairs, he was surprised—the guest room was larger than the master bedroom of his rented place, complete with a bathroom and shower, remarkably luxurious.

This only strengthened his resolve to work hard and make money.

Soon, morning arrived.

Lin Feng rose early, sitting cross-legged to cultivate, running the Nirvana Sutra several cycles before leaving the room, satisfied.

He could clearly sense the vital energy in his body growing stronger and more abundant.

Su Qingxue was also up early—not just because she never slept in, but to prepare breakfast for the two of them.

After half an hour of effort, she ended up with a pot of pitch-black rice porridge.

Left with no choice, the two drove out and filled their stomachs at a nearby breakfast shop.

"I’m sorry," Su Qingxue said apologetically on the way to Liran Group. "I wanted to make you a hearty breakfast, but I overestimated myself."

"Haha, the breakfast shop is just fine."

"I’m glad you don’t mind."

Su Qingxue smiled gently, but her hands nervously gripped the steering wheel.

Noticing her small gesture, Lin Feng asked, "Are you nervous?"

"A little."

"There’s nothing to be nervous about. Just talk to them the way you would with any client."

"Yes, I understand."

After several deep breaths, Su Qingxue felt somewhat better when they arrived at Liran Group.

With Su Bank’s reputation, they soon met the chairman of Liran Group.

Zhou Liran.

In the spacious president’s office, Zhou Liran was hunched over his desk, scratching his head in distress.

"Mr. Zhou, I’m Su Qingxue from Su Bank. We’ve met before," Su Qingxue said with a friendly smile.

But Zhou Liran was far from welcoming. Without even looking up, he flatly refused, "If it’s about cooperation, Miss Su, please leave. I, Zhou Liran, never work with banks!"

"Mr. Zhou, this…"

Su Qingxue’s expression froze abruptly.