There are still five minutes until the hero escapes from marriage.

Su Mengyao’s mind went blank as she stared intently at the phone, the beeping of the call waiting tone making her jump up instantly, reaching out to grab the phone.

She couldn’t let the call go through!

As Wen Zhao said, even if the police were called, she might only get a reprimand, but Su Mengyao would face an unknown and more terrifying future!

“Give it back to me… I won’t call the police. I won’t press charges against you. I was just talking nonsense! I was wrong. I’ll stay away from you from now on…” Her voice was urgent, her eyes filled with pleading.

However, at that moment, the call connected.

“Hello, Licheng Police Station. Are you reporting a crime?” The officer’s voice on the other end of the line came through clearly.

Su Mengyao’s face turned ashen, her whole body trembling, while Wen Zhao remained completely unbothered, as if she wasn’t afraid of anything she might say.

Not only that, she handed the phone to Su Mengyao.

“Hello? Are you still there?” The officer’s tone grew more serious, waiting for a response.

Su Mengyao kept retreating, but Wen Zhao grabbed her hand, forcibly opened her tightly clenched fist, and placed the phone in her hand. Then, with an elegant and calm gesture, she signaled for her to proceed as she wished.

For a moment, she truly wanted to spill everything, but seeing Wen Zhao’s composed demeanor, as if everything was under her control, she couldn’t muster the courage.

“I’m sorry, I dialed the wrong number by mistake,” she said, her voice trembling.

“Miss, are you sure it was just a mistake?” The experienced officer sensed something was off from her voice.

“Yes, I’m sorry. It wasn’t intentional. It won’t count as a false alarm, will it?” Her hand was gripping the phone so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Wen Zhao sat on the sofa, watching her with a detached expression, as the officer lectured her for a few minutes about the consequences of falsely dialing 110. Her attitude of admitting her mistake seemed acceptable, and the call ended quickly.

Wen Zhao knew that this woman loved herself the most. Having experienced a previous life, she firmly believed that there was no one more important in this world than oneself.

“Why didn’t you ask the police for help? I didn’t force you, nor did I threaten you with a knife,” she sneered.

Su Mengyao’s heart was still pounding, her limbs cold and numb. “Miss Wen, you don’t have to do this. You know very well that even if I did call the police, it wouldn’t help.”

“What is it that you have on you?” She asked. “Let me guess, is it a system?”

Su Mengyao’s pupils shrank. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“So it really is a system. What does it make you do?” She asked with interest.

“I said, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Su Mengyao couldn’t possibly admit it. “I’m sorry for today’s offense, but Wen Zhao, you won’t end well!”

“Whether I end well or not is none of your concern,” she said coldly. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t admit it. After all, you’re just a useless person with an equally useless helper.”

From beginning to end, she never took the so-called system seriously. If the system was truly capable, it wouldn’t have been threatened to unbind in the first place. 

She didn’t know what kind of system Su Mengyao had, but from her current behavior, it was clear that the system wasn’t of much use.

Moreover—

She looked at Su Mengyao with a deeper meaning, thinking it wouldn’t hurt to let her have more help. If she was really that useless, it would only be more troublesome for her.

“Do you have anything else to say to me?” She checked the time. It had been quite a while, and she needed to return to the island.

“Wen Zhao, love cannot be forced,” Su Mengyao said. “A forced relationship is never sweet.”

Wen Zhao stood up, clapping her hands. The bodyguard who had been waiting outside entered, awaiting her instructions.

“How do you know if a forced relationship isn’t sweet if you don’t force it?” She said lightly, then turned to the bodyguard. “Take Miss Su home.”

Su Mengyao felt completely belittled! This feeling was worse than being ignored!

Wen Zhao didn’t care what she thought or felt. As she left the bar, her secretary was already waiting by the car, stepping forward to open the door for her.

Wen Zhao got in, and the driver started the car smoothly. 

The black Cayenne slowly merged into the traffic. The secretary handed her a phone. “As you instructed, taken from the chief secretary at the Gu Corporation.”

“Thank you.” She took the phone. It belonged to Gu Xianting. On their wedding day, he couldn’t bring his phone on stage, so he had given it to the chief secretary. After she took him away from the wedding, the phone had been with the secretary ever since.

The phone’s battery was fully charged, but she failed to unlock it after several attempts.

The phone’s wallpaper was a photo of Su Mengyao, her pure smile looking sweet and fresh. She turned off the phone and tossed it aside.

She still took a private jet to the island. She arrived at sunset, the sun hanging low over the sea, painting half the sky red.

Meanwhile, when the bodyguard forcibly brought Su Mengyao home, she unexpectedly encountered someone at her doorstep.

Gu Ruoxian stood there impatiently, clearly having waited for a long time. When she saw her finally return, she frowned and asked, “Where did you go? Why weren’t you waiting for me in the reception room?”

Su Mengyao was in a terrible mood. Anyone would be, after being completely overpowered by a rival with no hope of turning the tables.

“Sister Ruoxian, aren’t you busy anymore?” She opened the door. She lived in a high-end apartment that Gu Xianting had given her. She initially didn’t want it, but he insisted, and she couldn’t refuse.

Gu Ruoxian didn’t want to beat around the bush and directly asked, “Mengyao, do you want to get back together with Xianting?”

Su Mengyao’s hand trembled, spilling the hot water she was pouring, nearly scalding herself. “Didn’t you tell me to face reality? Xianting is married now.”

“I was wrong before. I didn’t know Wen Zhao was such a lunatic.” Gu Ruoxian truly hadn’t expected what she thought was a sure win to be so far from reality!

“I can’t let him stay with a madwoman. Let’s save him together!” She reached out and grasped Su Mengyao’s hand, her eyes earnest and sincere.

Su Mengyao sneered inwardly but her eyes reddened. “Sister Ruoxian, you finally believe me.”

“Sorry, it won’t happen again.” Gu Ruoxian returned to her former role, playing the perfect big sister, patting her shoulder.

Alliances broken by interests can naturally be reformed by interests.

After returning to the island, Wen Zhao freshened up, washing away the dust and fatigue, and then asked the butler, “Has he caused any trouble?”

“He did cause a fuss at first,” the butler replied. “Mr. Gu tried to borrow a phone from the island staff, but everyone was instructed beforehand not to lend him one.”

“Very good. You’ve done well. Double the bonuses for this month.” She was very satisfied with Gu Xianting’s cooperation at the board meeting today.

She had been planning for three days. In the original work, the Gu Corporation’s shareholders’ meeting was briefly mentioned but symbolized the formal transfer of power in the Gu family. 

After this, although Gu Ruoxian held the title of vice chairman and Gu Xianting remained the official chairman, the real decision-maker became Gu Ruoxian.

“During the video conference, did anything unexpected happen on his end?” She asked.

She had considered attending the shareholders’ meeting with just the equity transfer agreement and the power of attorney signed by Gu Xianting. But given the uncertainty surrounding Gu Ruoxian, she ultimately decided to have him join via live video.

This added many uncertainties; if he slipped up during the video, Wen Zhao’s situation would become dangerous.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly. He cooperated from start to finish, showing no signs of being coerced.

“There were some issues, but nothing major,” the butler replied.

“Thank you for your hard work.” She prided herself on her judgment of people, with the only exception being Gu Xianting.

“It’s my duty,” the butler said modestly, bowing slightly.

She sensed that the butler’s modesty likely meant that Gu Xianting had tried something but had no opportunity.

Her eyelashes lowered slightly, a faint smile forming on her lips. How disobedient.

She pushed open the bedroom door and saw him sitting on the bed, holding a book. He was still in his hospital gown. Hearing the door open, he looked up and stiffened upon seeing her.

“Last time I saw you reading like this was in high school,” she said casually, walking slowly toward the bed.

He gripped the book harder.

“I met your Mengyao today. She said she wants to sue me, claiming I’m restricting your freedom,” she said as she sat on the bed, smiling as she saw his face turn pale. “What are you afraid of? Afraid I might do something to her?”

“Wen Zhao! You promised me that if I cooperated with the video conference, you’d leave her alone!” His voice tightened, filled with anger and restraint. “You can’t go back on your word.”

“Look at you, so scared. I didn’t do anything to her. She stopped me and insisted on talking, so I obliged and had her sent home safely afterward,” she said, her eyes gradually growing colder. “But letting her go was conditional on your cooperation. Did you really cooperate?”

His face stiffened, his gaze evasive.

During the video conference, he had considered subtly revealing his predicament, but the damned butler stood by the bed with a high-voltage stun gun aimed at him, ready to knock him out at any sign of trouble.

“But I did cooperate in the end!” He emphasized.

She stared at him intently, making his scalp tingle.

Yesterday, she showed him two surveillance videos, where Su Mengyao entered but never left, mysteriously reappearing elsewhere. 

Such footage, whether submitted to authorities or spread online, would spell disaster for Su Mengyao.

“Yes, but I am a bit unhappy,” Wen Zhao said, her hand gently touching his face. “You cooperated because you care about another woman. That makes me very unhappy.”

Gu Xianting felt a chill down his spine, his throat tightening, fear setting in.

Only now did he realize it had all been a trap!

“Gu Xianting, I said I’m very unhappy now.” She looked at him. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

His Adam’s apple bobbed, not knowing what to say or what could avoid provoking this capricious woman.

“Why don’t you try to make me happy?” Her hand caressed his face.

To him, her hand felt like a serpent’s tongue. “Wen Zhao…”