Reborn and married in a swapped marriage, my aloof husband is too ruthless.

Yan Chengan followed Su Jinxin's slender finger and looked at the newly promulgated business rules, which were like shackles, restricting her business activities.

The stringent regulations and high taxes effectively strangled Su Jinxin's expansion in the new town.

She felt immense pressure, as if a mountain was pressing down on her chest, making it hard for her to breathe.

"This is clearly someone deliberately targeting us!" Su Jinxin bit her lower lip, her eyes burning with anger.

She had long anticipated that business expansion in the new town would not be smooth sailing, but she hadn't expected the obstacles to come so quickly and so fiercely.

Yan Chengan gently patted her shoulder, his warm voice carrying a soothing power, "Don't worry, let's find out who's behind this first."

After some investigation, they quickly identified their targets—Mayor Chen of Xincheng Town and President Wu of the Wu Chamber of Commerce.

These two colluded and worked together, and had long been deeply rooted in the commercial sector of the new town, forming a monopoly.

Su Jinxin, this outsider, has taken a bite out of their business, so naturally they won't let it go.

Mayor Chen, a fat, oily-faced man, was greedy, cunning, and obsessed with money.

The president of the Wu Chamber of Commerce was a lean, capable, and cunning old fox with a sinister look in his eyes. He was arrogant, conceited, and looked down on everyone.

The two of them, working together, practically ruled the entire town.

"It seems a tough battle is inevitable." Su Jinxin took a deep breath, a resolute glint in her eyes.

She is not one to give up easily. Since someone wants to stop her from moving forward, she must remove these obstacles one by one.

She decided to try a diplomatic approach first, and personally visited Mayor Chen and the president of the Wu Chamber of Commerce to try to negotiate with them.

However, the two men completely disregarded her, scoffing at her proposed collaboration and displaying extreme arrogance.

"Boss Su, Xincheng Town isn't a place where just anyone can run wild. You'd better give up on that idea as soon as possible!" Mayor Chen said with a contemptuous tone, his large belly protruding.

Chairman Wu gave a sinister smile, "If you know what's good for you, get out of the new town right now, or you'll face the consequences!"

Su Jinxin suppressed her anger. She knew that confronting these two head-on would only result in mutual destruction.

She needs to find another way to break this deadlock.

She turned to look at Yan Cheng'an, her eyes flashing, "It seems we need to change our strategy..."

Yan Chengan grasped her hand and gave her a firm look.

He whispered in her ear, "I've got an idea..."

With her carefully prepared cooperation proposal, Su Jinxin once again stepped into Mayor Chen's residence.

However, she was still met with contempt and ridicule.

Mayor Chen glanced at her sideways, his thick lips uttering a few light words: "Boss Su, I've made it very clear, Xincheng Town does not welcome you."

Chairman Wu chimed in, "A wise man submits to circumstances. You'd better leave now to avoid humiliating yourself." Su Jinxin suppressed her anger and tried her best to remain calm.

"Gentlemen, I've come here with sincere intentions..."

Before she could finish speaking, Mayor Chen rudely interrupted her, "Enough nonsense! You'd better abide by the rules of the new town, otherwise..."

A sinister smile spread across his fat face, the threat of which was self-evident.

Negotiations broke down again, and Su Jinxin's business plans came to a standstill.

Back at her residence, she studied the newly promulgated business rules repeatedly, over and over again.

The harsh regulations and high taxes, like iron walls, trapped her within them.

However, just when she was about to despair, she suddenly discovered a glimmer of hope.

Although the new rules are strict, there is a small loophole, a loophole that Mayor Chen and Chairman Wu overlooked.

A sly smile bloomed on Su Jinxin's lips.

She immediately set about adjusting her business strategy, cleverly exploiting the loophole to start small-scale business activities.

Her goods entered the new town in a new way, bypassing high taxes and cumbersome approval procedures.

Although small in scale, it has taken root like a seed in the commercial soil of the new town.

When the news reached Mayor Chen and Chairman Wu, they were furious.

They never expected that Su Jinxin could find a loophole in the rules and bypass their blockade.

Their plan had partially failed, which made them feel utterly humiliated.

"This woman is truly cunning!" Mayor Chen slammed his hand on the table, his fat jiggling.

"It seems we need to think of another way..." Chairman Wu narrowed his eyes, a sinister glint flashing in them.

Su Jinxin's actions were undoubtedly a challenge to their authority, which strengthened their resolve to drive her out of the new town.

Su Jinxin also knew that her confrontation with them had only just begun.

She devoted more energy to business operations, working day and night.

She even forgot the time, forgot the people around her... Yan Cheng'an watched her busy figure, his eyes gradually becoming complicated... "Jin Xin..." he called softly, his tone carrying a hint of imperceptible loneliness.

Su Jinxin was so engrossed in the business world that she neglected to eat and sleep, and even seemed to ignore Yan Chengan's existence.

In the past, she would always make time to be with him, chat with him, and share their joys and sorrows.

Now, her mind is full of business strategies and market trends. She is often absent-minded even when eating, and she still has an account book in her hand.

Yan Cheng'an looked at her increasingly gaunt face, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He understood her ambition and supported her career, but he also craved her attention and wanted to share every moment of his life with her.

However, Su Jinxin devoted all her energy to business and became increasingly indifferent to him, which made him feel a sense of loneliness from being ignored.

One day, Yan Chengan brought a bowl of carefully prepared bird's nest porridge to Su Jinxin's study, only to find her frowning as she faced a mountain of account books, completely unaware of his arrival.

"Jinxin," he called softly, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible resentment.

Su Jinxin then came to her senses, looked up at him, and a hint of apology flashed in her eyes: "I'm sorry, I..."

“You’ve forgotten to eat again,” Yan Cheng’an said, placing the bird’s nest porridge on the table. “If you keep going like this, your body won’t be able to take it.”

In the past, when Su Jinxin heard such words, she would always gently comfort him and put down what she was doing to stay with him.

However, this time, she simply replied, "I understand. You can go back now. I have a lot of things to take care of."

Yan Cheng'an felt as if his heart had been pricked by a needle. He silently put the bird's nest porridge away and turned to leave the study.

His back view exuded an indescribable sense of loss, as if silently telling of his grievances.

As Su Jinxin watched his retreating figure, a pang of guilt rose in her heart.

But instead of immediately explaining as she usually does, she took a deep breath and refocused her attention on the ledger.

She knew that now was not the time for sentimentality; she had to first establish herself and achieve something before she could better resolve the issues between her and Yan Cheng'an.

It was late at night. Su Jinxin rubbed her aching temples and stretched.

Outside the window, a bright moon hung high in the sky, its cool light bathing her and casting a silvery glow upon her.

She walked to the window, gazing at the brightly lit streets in the distance, her heart filled with fighting spirit.

She knew that even greater challenges lay ahead, but she was fearless.

Suddenly, a light footstep sound came from the doorway. Su Jinxin turned around and saw Yan Chengan standing there, holding a cup of hot tea.

"It's late, have a cup of tea to warm yourself up." His tone remained calm, yet carried a subtle hint of detachment.

Su Jinxin took the teacup and said softly, "Thank you."

Yan Cheng'an didn't speak, but just stood there quietly, his gaze fixed on the teacup in her hand.

"This tea..." he paused, then said, "was brewed by the new maid."

Su Jinxin held the teacup, the steam rising, but it couldn't warm her heart at that moment.

Mayor Chen and Chairman Wu of Xincheng Town joined forces to set up numerous checkpoints, impose exorbitant taxes, and make things difficult for her caravan, clearly intending to give her a hard time.

Although she managed to circumvent some of the restrictions and make some progress, it was like wading through a swamp, with every step fraught with difficulty.

“Yes,” Su Jinxin took a sip, the tea was slightly bitter, “The new maid’s skills still need to be honed.” Yan Cheng’an’s eyes were deep, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger: “You used to love the tea I brewed the most.”

Su Jinxin put down her teacup, stood up and walked to him, reaching out to smooth his slightly furrowed brow: "I've been busy with work lately and have neglected you; it's my fault."

Yan Cheng'an grasped her hand, his fingertips gently stroking the back of her hand, his voice low and deep: "Jin Xin, what I've always wanted is not an apology..." Before he could finish speaking, a knock on the door broke the delicate atmosphere between them.

"Madam, Merchant Liu requests an audience."