Chapter 33: How could a woman be so brazen, utterly devoid of shame.

The coaxing tone sounded almost magical to Xie Beishen’s ears, and against his better judgment, he found himself believing her.

Before Xie Beishen could reply, Su Heng snuck over. Seeing them still standing in the same spot, he said, "Sis, that bastard is still slandering you behind your back. When were you ever involved with him? I’m going to settle the score with him tomorrow."

Su Wanwan thought her brother was truly reliable. Second brother was the best!

She feigned grievance and said, "Second brother, I never dated him. I go to and from work with you every single day. He just wants to frame me. This isn't the first time he’s tried to hurt me; it’s a good thing I ran fast last time, or I surely would have died."

Su Heng clenched his fists. "I won't let him get away with it. I'll deal with him tomorrow. For now, I'm taking you to find Father." He then looked at Xie Beishen. "Xie Beishen, thanks for keeping my sister company. We’ll be heading off now."

Xie Beishen replied, "All right."

*Could I have really misunderstood her?*

Taking advantage of her brother’s distraction, Su Wanwan tugged at Xie Beishen’s clothes and leaned in close to his ear. Perhaps because she moved too quickly, or because it was dark, her lips accidentally brushed against his earlobe.

She pulled back slightly and whispered, "I'll find you tomorrow and explain everything."

Realizing she had accidentally kissed his ear and fearing her brother might see, she quickly hurried after him.

To Xie Beishen, that moment felt more like a lingering kiss, making his eyelids twitch uncontrollably. His ear, where she had brushed against him, burned with heat. How could she kiss him? She was simply a...

A temptress. A bewitching temptress.

Every time he saw her, he felt stirred by her presence. In the few times they had met, she had touched his lips, his chest, and his ear. A sudden, irrepressible heat surged within him. This woman was poisonous, and he had been struck hard by her venom.

He thought back to the incident half a month ago. Combining that with what they had just discussed, it was clear that Ma Zhiming was the one who had drugged Su Wanwan. A man truly interested in a relationship would never drug the woman he was courting.

*She must have refused him, so he drugged her.* His mind filled with harrowing images of Su Wanwan being forced by Ma Zhiming. His expression turned ice-cold as he headed back home.

Su Wanwan followed Su Heng up the mountain to the spot where their father was hiding. Seeing his children arrive, Su Jianjun said, "I’ve found where they are hiding the grain. There is so much of it that it would take all night to move. Let’s head back for now and find another time to come back."

The three of them took a different path home.

Xie Beishen didn't return until very late. As soon as he entered the house, he found Xiao Hei sleeping by his door. Upon seeing him, the dog immediately picked up the object it had been pinning under its paws and trotted toward him, tail wagging.

Just then, Lin Yu heard the noise and stepped out of his room. He saw Xie Beishen holding the item the dog had been carrying and, noticing a wound on the back of his brother’s hand, asked, "How did you hurt your hand?"

Xie Beishen glanced at the wound. "It's nothing, just an accidental scratch."

Lin Yu didn't press further. If his brother didn't want him to know something, he wouldn't tell him. But don't think he couldn't tell; that was clearly an injury from a fight. Given his brother's strength, whoever had taken that punch wouldn't have fared well, and considering Xie Beishen’s hand was injured, the other person must have been badly hurt.

"Brother, what did Xiao Hei bring you? The dog wouldn't even let me see it."

Xie Beishen held the item and told Lin Yu, "Go to sleep. I’m turning in, too." He then signaled to the dog, "Go on back."

Xiao Hei trotted off into the night.

Xie Beishen went inside, placed the object on the table, and lit the kerosene lamp. He changed his clothes, sat on the bed, and unwrapped the plastic, pulling out the note inside to read it.

The handwriting was exquisite—flowing regular script, elegant and free-spirited.

*“Xie Beishen, I’ve received the items. Once I eat what you sent, I should put on some weight, and in all the right places, too. If you become my partner in the future, you’ll be a lucky man! Don’t reject me next time!”*

Xie Beishen read the words "all the right places" over and over. He instantly recalled the sight of her curves when she had been in the water, and his face flushed with heat.

How could there be such a brazen woman? She had no shame. She was like a temptress. No, she *was* a bewitching temptress.

This woman was constantly trying to seduce him. She even wanted him to write her back—how was he supposed to reply?

His typically stern face softened into a faint, unconscious smile. He read the note again and again. She was truly bold to write something like that.

The next morning, Su Wanwan ate breakfast and headed to the mountain with her father and brother to the place where Su Jianwei had hidden the grain.

Su Wanwan watched as her father pulled back a thick layer of vines and dead branches covering the rock face, revealing a cave entrance two people wide. Who would have guessed such a secret lay hidden here?

Su Jianjun turned on his flashlight and stepped inside, with Su Heng and Su Wanwan following close behind.

Su Wanwan scanned the interior with the beam of the flashlight. *How much grain did they embezzle?* This was several times more than what they had seen at the old Su family residence, and there were many oil drums as well.

Su Heng looked on in shock. "Father, where do you think they got all this grain? And this oil?"

Su Jianjun shone the light around, examining everything. "How should I know? Their whole family is headed for the firing squad. Quickly, help me look for where he hid that small box."

They began their search. They didn't leave a single corner of the cave unexamined until they finally found signs of freshly disturbed earth in the innermost corner.

Su Wanwan handed over the flashlight. Su Heng and Su Jianjun quickly began to dig with their hands. Soon, Su Jianjun smiled. "Found it!"

He pulled out a small box and placed it in the back basket. "We'll look at it when we get home." He then quickly smoothed over the hole they had dug.

Su Wanwan had no intention of putting the grain into her spatial storage. She guessed that this was state property; if she took it, she would be no different from Su Jianwei. She didn't want these things—she had plenty of ways to make money in the future.

The three of them replaced the vines and branches before heading back down the mountain.

Zhao Hefen had followed her daughter's plan and hadn't gone to work that morning. She knew that once they returned, they would go to the old residence to reclaim what belonged to them over the years. She would no longer let those animals profit from them.

Soon, she heard the courtyard gate open. Seeing the expressions on the three of them, she knew they had found what they were looking for.

Once inside the room, Su Heng set the basket down and took out the contents. He quickly unwrapped the plastic and oil paper, placing the delicate little box on the table.

Su Wanwan looked at the deep purple box on the table. The lid was carved with a lifelike lotus flower, and every detail spoke of its refinement. She recognized it immediately as top-quality rosewood.

Su Jianjun’s hands trembled as he opened the box.

When Zhao Hefen and Su Heng saw what was inside, they were struck speechless by shock.