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

The message brought by the shadowy figure confirmed Su Jinxin's guess: the source of the rumors pointed to several teahouses in the west of the city.

These teahouses are bustling with people on weekdays, making them ideal places for the spread of news.

"Madam, I've learned that these teahouses have been spreading rumors that are detrimental to you, and it seems someone is behind it." The figure in black bowed his head, his tone respectful.

Su Jinxin frowned slightly, her slender fingers tapping lightly on the table, producing a crisp sound.

"The teahouses in the west of the city..." she murmured to herself, the faces of several teahouse owners flashing through her mind, all of them cowardly, profit-driven people.

"It seems someone wants to use these people's words to ruin my reputation." Su Jinxin sneered, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.

Yan Cheng'an came up from behind and gently wrapped his arms around her waist, his warm breath brushing against her ear.

"Madam, please don't worry. I will definitely investigate this matter and give you justice."

Su Jinxin gently patted his hand and said softly, "I know you feel sorry for me, but I have to handle this personally." She turned around, her gaze firm, "Some people, if I don't teach them a lesson, they won't know how powerful I am."

The next morning, Su Jinxin, accompanied by her personal maid, disguised herself and went to Zhang's Tea House, the largest tea house in the west of the city.

The teahouse was bustling with activity and filled with lively chatter.

The storyteller was vividly recounting the story, eliciting cheers from time to time.

Su Jinxin found an inconspicuous corner to sit down, ordered a pot of tea, and quietly listened to the discussions around her.

As expected, rumors about her have spread far and wide, and the versions are becoming increasingly outrageous.

Some say she monopolized the Yunnan iron ore mine, leaving other businesses with no mines to mine; some say she used unfair means to squeeze out competitors, even resorting to poisonous schemes to frame others; still others say she colluded with officials in private, embezzling and accepting bribes, becoming incredibly wealthy.

Hearing these absurd rumors, Su Jinxin couldn't help but sneer repeatedly.

She knew that these rumors were not unfounded and that someone was manipulating them behind the scenes.

What she needs to do is to expose the masterminds behind this and make them pay the price.

She summoned a waiter at the teahouse and asked in a low voice, "There's been a lot of talk in town lately about the eldest daughter of the Su family. Do you know anything about it?" The waiter's eyes darted around, and he stammered, "I... I'm just a waiter, how would I know about these things..."

Su Jinxin took out a silver ingot from her sleeve and placed it in the waiter's hand.

"I heard that these rumors all started from your teahouse. If you just tell me who first spread these rumors, this money is yours."

The shop assistant looked at the silver in his hand, swallowed hard, hesitated for a moment, and then shook his head. "I really don't know..."

Su Jinxin took back the silver, a hint of impatience flashing in her eyes.

"Looks like you're going to have to suffer the consequences." She got up and walked to the counter, her gaze falling on Zhang, the teahouse owner, who was doing the accounts.

"Mr. Zhang, it's been a long time."

When Boss Zhang looked up and saw Su Jinxin, his face turned deathly pale.

“Miss Su… Miss Su…” he stammered, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"I didn't know... I didn't know you were here. What brings you here?"

Su Jinxin sneered, her tone icy cold: "Boss Zhang, let's not beat around the bush. The rumors about me in the city started from you, didn't they?"

Mr. Zhang's obese body trembled like a leaf, and the smile on his face was more like a grimace.

"Miss Su... Miss Su, please... please don't wrong me! How dare I spread rumors about you!" He wiped the sweat from his forehead, his eyes darting around, not daring to meet Su Jinxin's sharp gaze.

"You've been wronged?" Su Jinxin raised an eyebrow, her tone laced with sarcasm. "My people heard with their own ears that the storyteller in your teahouse was spreading rumors. What else do you have to say?"

Mr. Zhang's face grew even paler, his lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a single word.

He was a timid and cowardly person, and had never seen Su Jinxin with such a strong aura.

"I'm giving you one last chance," Su Jinxin said coldly, with an undeniable air of authority. "Tell me, who instructed you to spread these rumors?"

Mr. Zhang continued to stammer, unwilling to tell the truth.

Su Jinxin lost her patience. She turned to the maid behind her and ordered, "Go and call all the owners of the teahouses in the west of the city. Tell them I have something important to discuss with them."

The maid took the order and left.

Upon seeing this, Boss Zhang was terrified. He knew Su Jinxin's power; if she really wanted to pursue this matter, he was afraid he would be in deep trouble.

In less than half an hour, the owners of several teahouses in the west of the city were brought to Zhang's Teahouse.

These people, who were usually rivals, were now gathered together because of a shared fear. They were all pale-faced and dared not even breathe.

Su Jinxin glanced around at everyone, her tone icy: "I don't want to waste time. I just want to know who instructed you to spread these rumors?"

Under Su Jinxin's powerful aura, the teahouse owners finally succumbed to the pressure and confessed one after another.

It turned out that a pedantic scholar named Wang Xiucai had taken money from others and written articles that he then disseminated in teahouses to incite public opinion.

Having obtained the information she wanted, Su Jinxin ignored the trembling teahouse owners and left Zhang's Teahouse directly.

Wang Xiucai, a down-on-his-luck, pedantic scholar, dared to stir up trouble behind the scenes. Su Jinxin decided to start with him and find out who was behind it all.

Upon returning to her residence, Su Jinxin immediately dispatched people to investigate Wang Xiucai's background and his recent movements.

As night fell, Yan Chengan came to the study and looked at Su Jinxin, whose brows were furrowed, his eyes filled with heartache.

"Jinxin..." he called softly.

Su Jinxin looked up and forced a smile.

"It's nothing, just a little trouble." Yan Cheng'an walked to her side and took her hand. "Don't be afraid, we'll face it together." Su Jinxin felt the warmth of his palm, and her heart warmed. "I..."

“I’m fine,” Su Jinxin grasped Yan Chengan’s hand in return, feeling the warmth of his palm and her heart warmed. “They’re just some clowns, nothing to be afraid of.” A cold glint flashed in her eyes. “However, since they dare to provoke me, I’ll let them know that I, Su Jinxin, am not someone to be trifled with.”

Yan Cheng'an looked at the resolute light shining in her eyes, feeling both heartache and admiration.

He knew that Su Jinxin was not a weak woman; she possessed extraordinary wisdom and courage, and was able to strategize and win battles in the business world.

“I’ve already sent people to investigate Wang Xiucai’s background,” Su Jinxin said. “He’s just a down-on-his-luck scholar, yet he dares to be so audacious. There must be someone behind him.” Instead of confronting Wang Xiucai directly, she decided to gather more evidence first and bring the mastermind to justice.

Soon, the investigation results were delivered to Su Jinxin.

Just as she had predicted, Wang Xiucai was a poor, penniless scholar who barely made a living by writing letters and legal documents for others.

However, he has recently become extravagant, not only buying new clothes but also frequently visiting restaurants and gambling dens.

All indications suggest that he is indeed being funded by someone.

“Interesting,” Su Jinxin sneered. “It seems the person behind this is trying to use Wang Xiucai to ruin my reputation.” She carefully reviewed the investigation report and found that Wang Xiucai had been in contact with the owners of several competing shops in the city.

This made her even more convinced that this was not a simple business competition, but rather that someone was deliberately targeting her.

“It seems things are more complicated than I thought,” Su Jinxin handed the investigation report to Yan Chengan. “Take a look at this.”

Yan Cheng'an took the report and read it carefully.

His brows furrowed, and his expression gradually became serious.

"It seems that the shadow of the same person is behind all these shops..."

“I noticed that too,” Su Jinxin said in a deep voice, “but this person is very well hidden, and it’s difficult to find out his true identity in a short time.” She stood up, walked to the window, looked at the dark night sky outside, and a sharp glint flashed in her eyes.

"However, no matter who he is, I will find him!"

Yan Cheng'an walked behind her and gently put his arm around her shoulder. "Jin Xin, be careful."

Su Jinxin nodded, a complex look flashing in her eyes.

She had a vague feeling that this incident was not as simple as it seemed on the surface, and that a larger conspiracy was hidden behind it.

She turned to look at Yan Cheng'an and said firmly, "Don't worry, I won't let them succeed."

Just then, there was a rapid knocking at the door. A guard rushed in, his face panicked, and reported, "Madam, something terrible has happened!..."

"Madam, something terrible has happened! Rumors are spreading throughout the city that you are selling inferior goods as superior ones and driving up prices!" The guard's voice trembled, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Su Jinxin's eyes darkened; it seemed the other party was determined to ruin her.

Yan Cheng'an had a cold expression and exuded a chilling aura.

"Continue," the guard swallowed hard, his voice trembling. "The people in the city are talking about it and are boycotting our shop. Business... business has plummeted!" Su Jinxin, however, remained surprisingly calm, a cold smile even playing on her lips.

"What's the panic? It's just some baseless rumors." She turned to look at Yan Cheng'an, her eyes gleaming. "It seems I'll have to handle this myself." Yan Cheng'an grasped her hand worriedly. "Jin Xin, this is dangerous. Let me go." Su Jin Xin gently shook her head. "No, it's more appropriate for me to go. I want to see who's stirring up trouble behind the scenes!" Her eyes darted around, and a plan formed in her mind.

"Afu, go and prepare a set of men's clothing for me. I want to meet this Scholar Wang in person." Although Yan Cheng'an was worried, he understood Su Jinxin's determination.

He held her hand tightly and said in a deep voice, "Be careful in everything." As the night deepened, a figure quietly left the Yan residence.

Disguised as a dashing young man, Su Jinxin, with a meaningful smile on her lips, walked towards a dilapidated hut in the west of the city.

That was Wang Xiucai's residence.

She gently knocked on the wooden door, her tone flippant: "Is Scholar Wang here? I have long admired him and have come to pay my respects."