The room fell into silence again, heavy with tension.
"You want to be my pawn?" Lu Zeyan asked.
"I want to be your partner," she corrected. "And in return, you help me ruin Jiang Yuze. You know his father's recent land bid? I know who he bribed to get it approved. That flash drive contains documents proving it."
He finally picked it up. Plugged it into a sleek laptop.
As the files loaded, his brows lifted. Surprise—brief, but there.
"You're not bluffing," he said quietly.
"No."
He sat again, folding his fingers. "Fine. I'll give you what you want—resources, access, protection. But there are rules."
She raised a brow. "I'm listening."
"One: you follow my instructions when we act. No impulsive moves. Two: this partnership stays between us. If you betray me—"
"I won't," she cut in.
He studied her. "And finally: I want full access to anything Jiang Yuze sends you going forward. You're still 'engaged' to him, right?"
"Not for long," she said coolly. "But I'll play along until the time is right."
He slid a sleek folder across the desk.
"A contract," he said. "Read it. Sign it. We work together from this moment forward."
She flipped it open, skimmed the clauses.
And signed her name.
Tang Xinyue had just aligned herself with a wolf.