I Became the Mother of His Child

"I know those things are useless to you," Xu Xiuxiu agreed with Yu Rongye's words and nodded in concurrence, "However, Deputy Director Yu, are you sure you don't want to take a look at the contents of my two letters first?" Xu Xiuxiu was quite confident in what she had brought.

"..." Yu Rongye raised an eyebrow, "Do I need to look? The white one should be the whistleblowing letter you're prepared to send, and the red one probably has some money inside, right? Do you think I would engage in corruption for your little bit of money?" Yu Rongye walked to the desk and tapped on the red envelope with her hand, her tone couldn't be more serious.

"Deputy Director Yu, I'm not sure if you've ever heard an old saying: 'Don't put all your eggs in one basket, as it's easy for the eggs to break if the chicken flies away.' Similarly, I advise you not to invest too much into Zhou Jiaki, to put so much stake on a person you cannot necessarily rely on, you will definitely regret it!" Xu Xiuxiu continued her measured assertion.

Yu Rongye was completely shocked by Xu Xiuxiu's words.

Xu Xiuxiu coming to find her wasn't something that Yu Rongye needed to be surprised about, as she had bullied her sister; morally and logically, Xu Xiuxiu would seek her out, whether it was for official or personal matters. But what she didn't expect was for Xu Xiuxiu to mention Zhou Jiaki's name outright; did she come to her knowing who was involved because she had great confidence in her position?

Suddenly, upon hearing the name Zhou Jiaki, Yu Rongye felt a bit uncertain. She couldn't help but grow curious about what exactly was inside the white envelope Xu Xiuxiu had placed on the desk!

"Military discipline is strict; it's not up to Zhou Jiaki to decide whatever she wants. Zhou Yumin, Old Sir Zhou, may have enormous power, but in our realm, I believe there are those who can keep him in check," Xu Xiuxiu knocked on the table leisurely in this tense situation, presenting a somewhat nonchalant aura: "Tomorrow, all the things Zhou Jiaki has done over the years will be exposed to the public. If you still think this whistleblowing letter won't take you down, you might as well give it a try. Deputy Director Yu, you can think it over carefully, and if you regret it, you can come find me, but I can't guarantee it'll be in time." Saying this, Xu Xiuxiu picked up the two envelopes, one red and one white, and left.

Yu Rongye clenched her fist in silence for a long time, her interest somewhat piqued, but eventually, her calm suppressed it again. Zhou Jiaki wasn't simple, possessed power, and was calculative; Xu Xiuxiu, after all, was too young and presumptuous, and could not sway her.

...

After leaving the Yu Family's place, Xu Xiuxiu went straight to Sichuan Pavilion. She had passed a word to Su Juan in the morning to make a reservation call to the Director of the Industrial and Commercial Bureau, Cao Jingui, and had baited him with a huge lure for tonight's dinner meeting.

She believed that once she handed over what she had in her hands to Cao Jingui, she wouldn't worry about not being able to solve the minor issue of Sichuan Pavilion having to close for renovations.

Cao Jingui had been in the seat of the Director of the Industrial and Commercial Bureau for three years and, according to reliable news, was on the verge of a promotion. The man might not have any great talents, but he was no fool to have climbed up to the position of a director; he could discern where benefits lay, so today, when Xu Xiuxiu, as the owner of Sichuan Pavilion, invited him over, he, who always reminded himself that 'a cautious driver will drive a lifetime,' hesitated and then came directly.

"What is it that you wish to speak to me about?" In the private room of the Sichuan Pavilion branch, after a meal and drinks, Cao Jingui leisurely opened his mouth to inquire about Xu Xiuxiu's real intentions.

Xu Xiuxiu looked at the man before her, Cao Jingui, who appeared simple and honest on the outside but was actually full of cunning schemes. She reached out and handed the white envelope, originally intended for Yu Rongye, to him, "Mr. Cao, how about taking a look at what's inside?" Xu Xiuxiu raised an eyebrow as she spoke.

"What is it?" Cao Jingui, full of confusion, took the white envelope and opened it to look. Once he knew what was inside, he became so angry that he gritted his teeth and slammed the papers, looking like an agreement, onto the dining table with a smack.

"That bitch, Yu Rongye, dares to covet my position and even conspire with others to plot against me. She's got quite the imagination," Cao Jingui cursed through his yellow, gritted teeth, a fierce glint passing through his eyes.

No wonder Cao Jingui was jumping mad; the white envelope contained a cooperation agreement between Zhou Jiaki and Yu Rongye. The content detailed that after Yu Rongye helped deal with Xu Xiuxiu, Zhou Jiaki would unconditionally support Yu Rongye's promotion to Director of the Bureau of Industry and Commerce, taking Cao Jingui down.

Perhaps it's a common flaw among wrongdoers; despite the desire to destroy all evidence, they are also afraid of loss, so two mutually distrusting individuals secretly signed an agreement, each to control and bind the other to themselves—but they were unaware that grasshoppers on the same rope can also easily encounter disaster together.

Xu Xiuxiu had originally intended to let Yu Rongye off the hook. After learning about her family situation yesterday, Xiuxiu had such thoughts, which is why she made a special trip with gifts today. If Yu Rongye hadn't trusted Zhou Jiaki too much and had been slightly suspicious and attempted to open the envelope to see for herself, she might have still been able to continue as the Deputy Director of the Bureau of Industry and Commerce. But now that this valuable evidence was in Cao Jingui's hands, Yu Rongye had nothing but regret—suspecting that even if she turned blue with it, she would just have to admit defeat.

This Cao Jingui really wasn't a simple character.

Xu Xiuxiu watched Cao Jingui's reaction and thought to herself that if Yu Rongye hadn't trusted Zhou Jiaki too much, she actually wouldn't have wanted to cooperate with Cao Jingui. Nonetheless, this man was a pivotal point in this game. She was somewhat helpless towards Yu Rongye, but Cao Jingui had ways to plunge Yu Rongye into agony in mere minutes.

"Alright, tell me! What does Mr. Xu want me, Cao, to do?" After his anger subsided, Cao Jingui asked Xu Xiuxiu for her demands.

"I'll just trouble Mr. Cao with the notice that Sichuan Pavilion is closing for renovations. As for how to deal with this document and Yu Rongye, Mr. Cao can see to it himself!" Xu Xiuxiu didn't have many demands; she always avenged every grudge. The person who really provoked her this time was Zhou Jiaki, and naturally, she intended to find her.

"Good! Rest assured, I will handle this matter personally," Cao Jingui promised Xu Xiuxiu through gritted teeth.

Xu Xiuxiu nodded her head in agreement, and shortly after, the two of them went their separate ways.

With Yu Rongye on one side and Cao Jingui on the other, ready to deal without mercy with the foolish woman who tried to plot against him, the matter of Sichuan Pavilion's temporary closure for renovation would also be settled soon after. Xu Xiuxiu, returned to her home in the city and lay down, finally allowed her nerves, which had been tightly wound for days, to relax.

And the night before, after having lurked in the dark at Yu Rongye's house for a long time, Xu Xiuxiu, by taking advantage of the spatial opportunity, quietly sneaked into Yu Rongye's room and stole the agreement. At this moment, she couldn't help but yawn and fall into a deep sleep.