After the divorce, the aloof CEO begged me not to withdraw my investment.

"Impossible!" Su Hao pointed at the photo in Ye Feng's hand, shouting hoarsely, spitting almost onto Ye Feng's face. "This autographed photo is absolutely fake! Ye Feng, you actually forged Snow Goddess's autographed photo just to show off, have you no shame?!" His face flushed red, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, its fur standing on end. People around began to stop and watch, whispering among themselves.

Ye Feng remained unfazed, his eyes calm as still water, as if Su Hao's shouting was nothing more than a mosquito buzzing. He didn't even bother to glance at Su Hao, simply saying to Captain Zhao, "Old Zhao, here's the stuff, I'm leaving now." With that, he walked past Su Hao and left.

Su Hao stood frozen in place, Ye Feng's disregard fueling his anger even more. It was like punching cotton—his strength was wasted. He felt a burning sensation on his face, as if he'd been slapped in public. The surrounding chatter grew louder, piercing his eardrums like needles. He clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his flesh, his whole body trembling.

"Ye Feng! You stop right there!" Su Hao roared hysterically, his voice hoarse with excitement. He rushed forward and grabbed Ye Feng's arm. "You have to explain yourself today! Where did you get this photo from?!"

Ye Feng stopped and slowly turned around, staring coldly at Su Hao as if he were an ant. "Let go." His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.

Su Hao was stunned by Ye Feng's gaze, and his hand involuntarily loosened its grip. He felt as if the air around him had frozen, making it hard for him to breathe.

Ye Feng ignored Su Hao and turned to leave. His retreating figure appeared incredibly tall in Su Hao's eyes, like an insurmountable mountain. Su Hao stood there, his face ashen, his fists clenched, his heart filled with humiliation and resentment. He felt like a clown, thoroughly humiliated by Ye Feng in front of everyone.

……

Meanwhile, on the top floor of Jinxiu Group, in the president's office.

Qi Xue pushed open the door and entered. Liu Qingyi was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the distant city view. Hearing the door open, she turned around with a professional smile on her face: "Miss Qi Xue, you've arrived. Please have a seat."

Qi Xue ignored Liu Qingyi's polite words and went straight to her desk, placing a document on it. "President Liu, I'm here to terminate the endorsement contract." Her tone was cold and devoid of any emotion.

Liu Qingyi's smile froze instantly. She looked at Qi Xue in disbelief, "Terminate the contract? Why?" Her voice trembled slightly, and a bad premonition welled up in her heart.

"Baye Group has decided to terminate its contract with Jinxiu Group, so my endorsement contract naturally needs to be terminated as well." Qi Xue's tone remained cold, her eyes resolute, leaving no room for negotiation.

Liu Qingyi felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. She staggered back a step, barely managing to steady herself by grabbing the desk for support. Baye Group was Jinxiu Group's largest partner; losing their cooperation would result in enormous losses for Jinxiu Group. And Qi Xue was currently the most sought-after celebrity; her endorsement was crucial for Jinxiu Group.

"Miss Qi Xue, is there some misunderstanding? We can talk. Name your terms." Liu Qingyi tried to remain calm and attempted to persuade Qi Xue to stay.

"There's nothing to talk about," Qi Xue said resolutely. "I've made up my mind." She turned and walked towards the door without pausing.

Watching Qi Xue's departing figure, Liu Qingyi felt utterly drained, as if all her strength had been drained away. She slumped into her chair, her face pale and her eyes vacant. The office was silent, save for the howling wind outside the window, as if foreshadowing an impending storm.

The sound of Qi Xue's high heels clicking on the floor gradually faded away, and the office door closed softly with a barely audible click. This subtle sound, however, exploded in Liu Qingyi's ears like a thunderclap, making her eardrums ring. The office instantly fell silent, eerily silent, so silent that she could clearly hear her own rapid breathing and the pounding of her heart.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city's hustle and bustle was shut out, leaving only the cold silhouettes of skyscrapers, standing like steel behemoths in the twilight. The afterglow of the setting sun streamed through the glass windows, casting golden patches on the floor, but it did nothing to dispel the chill in her heart.

Liu Qingyi gripped the edge of the desk tightly, her knuckles white, veins bulging on the back of her hands. She felt as if her body had been hollowed out, utterly powerless. Qi Xue's words echoed in her mind like a curse: "Baye Group has decided to terminate its contract with Jinxiu Group..."

“Termination of contract…” Liu Qingyi murmured to herself. These two words weighed on her heart like a thousand-pound boulder, making it hard for her to breathe. The withdrawal of investment from Baye Group and Qi Xue’s termination of the contract were undoubtedly adding insult to injury for Jinxiu Group. She could almost see the Jinxiu Group building teetering on the verge of collapse.

A wave of intense fear washed over her. She bit her lower lip hard until she tasted a hint of blood, which brought her back to her senses. No, she couldn't give up like this! Jinxiu Group was the culmination of her years of hard work; she absolutely couldn't stand by and watch it be destroyed!

She took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. She picked up her phone and started making calls, contacting other investment firms and partners. However, all she heard on the other end of the line was rejection after rejection.

"Mr. Liu, I'm sorry, it's not convenient for us to make new investments right now."

"President Liu, we are concerned about the current situation of Jinxiu Group and need to reconsider."

"President Liu, if I may be frank, Jinxiu Group has lost the support of Baye Group, and the risks are too great. We cannot cooperate."

……

Each rejection felt like a sharp knife, piercing her heart. She felt her hope crumbling bit by bit, and despair overwhelmed her like a tidal wave.

She slumped to the ground, putting down her phone, and leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes. Ye Feng's image flashed through her mind, along with his cold gaze. Was it all because of him?

The thought flashed through her mind like lightning, making her open her eyes abruptly. No, impossible! Although Ye Feng was indifferent to her, he would never do such a thing!

But if it wasn't him, then who was it?

She rubbed her temples hard, trying to clear her thoughts. The withdrawal of investment from the Baye Group, Qi Xue's termination of her contract—it all happened too suddenly, too coincidentally. Could it really just be a coincidence?

She was filled with doubt and unease, as if she were in a fog, unable to see the road ahead. A sense of oppression permeated the office, like the calm before a storm.