"Damn it!" Zhou Yuanfeng threw the wine glass on the marble floor. It shattered, spraying shards and red across the tile.
He ran his hands through his hair until his scalp burned. For a long moment, he just stood there, breathing hard, shoulders tight and edged with fury.
Su Mei didn't flinch. She sat on the edge of the sofa with her legs crossed. She'd seen him angry before, but not like this. Not this kind of fury that burned brightly.
"She played us," Zhou Yuanfeng said finally, voice rough with disbelief. "She actually played us."
Su Mei's expression didn't change. "You sound surprised," she said mildly, but her tone was careful.
He gave a bitter laugh, half-snarl. "I gave her every chance to stay predictable. And she married him."
Su Mei leaned back, eyes narrowing slightly. "Gu Liansheng," she said. "It's the only move that makes sense. Tie herself to someone the board respects, someone untouchable... for now."
"For now," Zhou Yuanfeng echoed. He paced once, twice, then stopped in front of her. "We lost control of the narrative. That's what kills people in this business."
"Then we take it back," Su Mei said simply. "We don't throw tantrums in the press. We move quieter than they can track."
That made him pause. He turned to her. "Go on."
"People don't need proof to panic," Su Mei continued. "They only need suggestions. One whisper, one doubt. If the board thinks her marriage threatens stability, they'll start protecting themselves. Contracts get reviewed. Audits start. She'll be forced to show her hand before she's ready."
Zhou Yuanfeng's lips curved faintly, not of a smile but of approval. "Subtle chaos."
"The best kind," Su Mei answered. "If we feed it right."
He sank into the sofa across from her, shoulders lowering but eyes still burning. "Director Liang will fold first," he murmured.
"He hates risk. Call him tonight. Act concerned. Say you've noticed inconsistencies. He'll run with it."
"I can do that," Su Mei replied without hesitation. "He still owes me from that gala."
"Good. And Su Mei—" Zhou Yuanfeng leaned forward, elbows on his knees, voice low and deliberate. "Make sure it sounds like you're protecting the company. If he senses we're driving it, it's over."
Her lips twitched into the faintest smirk. "I know how to plant seeds, Yuanfeng. You taught me that."
For a moment, the tension broke. Not with warmth, but with mutual understanding.
She pulled out her phone and scrolled to Liang's number. "You'll want me to call now?"
"Yes. And don't volunteer anything. Let him dig by himself."
She nodded, rose, and stepped aside to make the call. Her voice when she spoke was smooth and composed, carrying the soft rhythm of someone in control.
"Director Liang? Su Mei. Sorry to call so late. I was going through the latest Shen Group summaries, and something caught my attention. I thought you'd want to know before the next meeting."
There was a pause. Then a quiet, interested hum on the other end. Su Mei's expression remained neutral, her gaze flicking once toward Zhou Yuanfeng.
"No, nothing concrete," she said lightly. "Just… odd enough that it might be worth a closer look. I'd hate for it to cause confusion later."
She hung up minutes later, setting her phone down with deliberate calm.
"He's curious," she said. "Already asked for the summaries. He'll start talking by morning."
Zhou Yuanfeng leaned back, the faintest trace of satisfaction cutting through his anger. "Good. Curiosity is all we need. It spreads faster than rumors."
Su Mei smoothed the sleeve of her coat. "And while they panic, we prepare for the next move."
He looked up at her. "You sound like you've already thought of one."
She met his gaze evenly. "You wanted her to sign quietly. Now she's married to power. So we don't fight her head-on, we make her too busy putting out fires to notice the ground shifting beneath her."
For the first time that night, Zhou Yuanfeng's lips curved into a cold, satisfied smile. "That's my girl."
Zhou Yuanfeng stood and moved to the window. The city stretched before him. He placed both hands on the sill, feeling the chill of the glass beneath his palms.
The rage hadn't left him; it had only changed shape. He had always been better once he could measure the next move.
He turned slowly. "Tonight, gather whatever you can. Old contracts, connections, every name linked to Gu Liansheng. If there's a hole, we'll find it."
Su Mei nodded without hesitation. "I'll start with the board calls. And the analyst who posts early market notes, he still owes me a favor."
Zhou Yuanfeng gave a short, humorless laugh. "Good. Keep it small, keep it plausible. And Su Mei…"
"Yes?"
"Don't tell anyone else. Not your friends, not even the ones you trust. If this leaks back to us clumsily, we're done."
"I understand," she said with a hint of smile in her eyes.
He watched her for a moment longer, then exhaled slowly. "Make the first calls. I'll draft something in the morning. Nothing accusatory, just... concerned. We will let the questions grow on their own."
Su Mei nodded, already unlocking her phone. When she started dialing, she didn't feel fear exactly — more like pressure coiling tight in her chest. She'd been given a task, and she intended to see it through.
Zhou Yuanfeng returned to the sofa and sat down, hands clasped loosely. For a rare moment, he looked tired—the kind of tired that comes after being outplayed.
He thought of Shen Linyi's calm smile that morning, the quiet finality in her voice, and the way she'd walked away without looking back.
Engaged one week, married to another man the next. He'd underestimated her, and that mistake was one he wouldn't repeat.
He looked up when Su Mei's voice shifted mid-call, soft and persuasive. She was doing her part: spinning concern into curiosity, wrapping suggestions in politeness.
He didn't need to hear the words to know when the bait was taken. The pause. The low "Hmm." The faint promise to "look into it." Those were enough.
When she finally hung up, Su Mei's tone was even. "Director Liang will review the numbers," she said.
Zhou Yuanfeng nodded once. "Good. That's a thread."
She hesitated only briefly. "What if it backfires?"
"It might," Zhou said quietly. "But doing nothing is worse. If we can make the board uneasy, if they can start questioning Gu Liansheng's sudden involvement, they'll come looking for stability. We'll be that stability."
Su Mei's gaze lingered on him. "Be careful, Yuanfeng."
He gave a small, dry smile. "Careful has never been my best quality. But tonight, we'll be careful enough."
They both locked eyes, and something quiet passed between them—the need to win.