On the day of graduation, I was dragged by my rich father to get the certificate

"Deal?" The bun in Mu Rui's hand suddenly lost its flavor. "What deal?"

"I don't know about that." Xiao Cui glanced nervously at the door. "Miss, I have to go. The old man will get angry again if he can't find me."

After Xiao Cui hurried away, the ancestral hall returned to silence. Mu Rui knelt on his heels, his thoughts swirling.

"Last night..." She closed her eyes and recalled.

Last night, she had arranged to meet Si Yehan at their old place. It was a factory they often visited when they were little, but it was now deserted.

She boldly asked him to spend the night with her, and Si Yehan actually agreed, even encouraging her to go to the nearest hotel. Afterwards, the two of them drank quite a bit in the hotel...

"Could it be..." Murui suddenly opened his eyes, and a chill ran up his spine.

Was all of this orchestrated by Si Yehan? Even anticipating her request? If so, what had he used to threaten Grandpa? What was the deal?

Mu Rui's fingers unconsciously dug into her palm. Could this be what Si Yehan had been searching for—something that could redress the Nangong family's grievances, something that could clear the Si family's old account books from twenty years ago? Those were the Mu family's top secrets, the ones her grandfather had never let her touch.

"Damn it!" Murui punched the ground, and the pain made her calm down a little.

She had to find out the truth. Kneeling here would not solve anything. Mu Rui looked around. The door was locked from the outside. Although the windows of the ancestral hall were very high, she had no choice.

When the house was completely quiet, Mu Rui stretched her stiff knees, stepped on the altar, and climbed onto the windowsill. Although it was not easy, she managed to flip out. The night breeze brushed her sweaty forehead. Mu Rui hunched over and walked through the garden, heading straight for her grandfather's study.

The light in the study was still on. Murray leaned against the window and heard Grandpa cough violently.

"Master, medicine..." It was the voice of the old butler Uncle Zhong.

"It's useless... ahem... that kid from the Si family is going too far!" Grandpa's voice was hoarse and angry. "He actually used such despicable means... to threaten me to hand over the account book..."

Murray held his breath.

"The young lady is still young and ignorant..." Uncle Zhong sighed.

"Ignorant? The heir of the Mu family is being used as a pawn!" Grandpa's slamming of the table frightened Mu Rui, "If that video gets out... what will become of the Mu family's reputation?"

"Master, do you really want to hand over the account book? That's..."

"What if he refuses?" Grandpa's voice suddenly grew older. "The kid in the video was clearly drugged... Rui Rui has no idea what she's doing... Si Yehan's trick is too ruthless..."

Mu Rui was struck by lightning. Drugged? Hadn't she drugged him? Did Si Yehan drug her too?

The only thing she remembered now was that she had indeed drunk a lot last night, and Si Yehan had indeed been pouring wine for her.

"The transaction will be in three days..." Grandpa's voice became lower and lower, "At the dock... You go there in person..."

Mu Rui couldn't bear it any longer. She tiptoed away, her mind a tangle. Si Yehan had used her to set up a trap and film the video, just to force Grandpa to hand over the account book.

Returning to her room, Mu Rui locked the door, leaned against it, and slowly slid down to the floor. She pulled out her phone and stared at Si Yehan's number for a long time, but ultimately didn't dial.

"Since you want to play..." Murui wiped away the tears that had flowed down her face, her eyes gradually becoming firm, "Then I will play with you to the end."

She turned on her computer and accessed the family business's permissions system. As the heir, she had backdoor privileges that even her grandfather didn't know about. If Si Yehan wanted the account book, she had to know what was inside.

As the night deepened, the blue light from the screen illuminated her face.

The night before the transaction, dark clouds hung so low that they seemed within reach. Mu Rui stood at the attic window of the Mu family's old house, his fingertips gently tapping the edge of the yellowed account book, his eyes fixed on the darkening sky outside.

"Miss, have you really made up your mind?" Uncle Zhong stood in the shadows, his voice low and hoarse.

Mu Rui didn't turn around, but simply flipped to a page in the middle of the account book. There was a noticeable tear there. "Uncle Zhong, this is the account from twenty years ago. Why do you think my father specifically asked me to protect this page before he died?"

The only sound echoing in the attic was the ticking of the old-fashioned clock. Uncle Zhong took a step forward, and the light finally shone on his wrinkled face. "The master has his own considerations. Once this account book is handed over, the truth about the Nangong family being framed will no longer be hidden."

"The truth?" Mu Rui sneered, leaving a white mark on the account book with his nails. "That's a life, Uncle Zhong. Everyone in Haishi knows how Nangong Jue died. It's just that no one dares to say it." As he said that, he tore off the torn paper.

A flash of lightning flashed outside the window, illuminating half of Mu Rui's face and the faded penmanship of "Si Group" on the account book. Uncle Zhong's Adam's apple rolled up and down, and finally he just sighed: "Miss, don't forget, you are also a member of the Mu family."

Mu Rui slammed the account book shut, the hem of her suit slashing in a sharp arc as she turned. "Luckily, I'm the heir to the Mu family, otherwise I wouldn't have access to this account book." She stuffed the account book into a brown paper bag. "Tomorrow, proceed as planned. I'm looking forward to Si Yehan's reaction when he sees the account book. This time, I'm going to make sure he stops wanting to be with Gu Wan!"

Uncle Zhong wanted to say something but stopped himself. In the end, he just bowed deeply and took away the cup of cold tea on the table when he left the attic.

The next day, when Gu Wan glanced at the clock for the third time, Nian Nian had already fallen asleep on her lap. The little girl's eyelashes cast fine shadows in the light, and in her hand she was still clutching the rabbit hairpin her father had bought her the day before.

"Mom, why hasn't Dad come back yet?" Nian Nian asked in a daze, rubbing her little face against Gu Wan's legs.

Gu Wan gently stroked his daughter's hair, but his eyes drifted to the window. Dark clouds had been gathering all day, now almost reaching the sea level. "Dad has something important to do, and will be back soon."

Her fingers unconsciously rubbed the screen of her phone. Si Yehan's last message was two hours ago: "Transaction time postponed to 6 o'clock." It was already 6:40.

The coffee on the coffee table had long since gone cold, a nasty film forming on its surface. Gu Wan was staring at the film in a trance.

Suddenly, the coffee cup slipped from Gu Wan's hand and rolled on the wool carpet. Nian Nian was awakened and rubbed her eyes and asked, "Mom?"

"It's okay, baby." Gu Wan forced a smile, her heart pounding in her chest. If that account book truly proved the Si family's guilt... she didn't dare to think further.

The phone suddenly vibrated, and the words "Ye Han" on the screen froze Gu Wan's fingers in mid-air. She took a deep breath before pressing the answer button: "Hello?"