After the tycoon went bankrupt, he was raised by the villainous female supporting character and beca

The jewelry box was only the size of a palm, and its shape was square. Pei Lingxuan could roughly guess what was inside with just one glance.

She curled her lips into a smile and looked up at Zhou Limin with a half-smile: "Mr. Zhou, our relationship really does need to change."

Zhou Limin used his index finger to hold the jewelry box and slowly brought it to Pei Lingxuan's eyes.

"Open it and take a look. If what's inside is what you want, I'll put it on for you myself."

“Okay.” Pei Lingxuan agreed readily, picked up the jewelry box, and opened the lid.

"..."

She guessed right; the item in the jewelry box was indeed a ring, a large and sparkly diamond ring.

The ring is beautiful; if it wasn't a gift from Zhou Limin, she would probably love it.

Pity.

"Xiao Xuan?" Pei Lingxuan saw the ring but didn't react for a long time. Zhou Limin was a little nervous and couldn't help but call out to Pei Lingxuan.

"Hmm?" Pei Lingxuan responded softly, but did not look up.

He leaned slightly closer to Pei Lingxuan, unconsciously asking, "So? Is this what you wanted?"

"..." Pei Lingxuan did not answer. She took the ring out of the jewelry box and held it up to the light to examine it closely.

Although diamond rings don't hold their value, they are a dream for many girls. Pei Lingxuan is no exception.

It is dazzling and sparkling, symbolizing purity and eternity. Pei Lingxuan had been fantasizing about receiving a diamond ring when she grew up since she was very young.

Now, her dream has come true, but the person who gives her the ring is not the one she expected.

"Hmph..." She curled her lips into a slight sneer and put the ring back into the jewelry box.

"...What's wrong?" This action startled Zhou Limin, and unease and fear enveloped him almost instantly.

"Xiaoxuan, don't you like it?" he asked nervously, suppressing his racing heart.

But instead of answering, Pei Lingxuan asked, "Mr. Zhou, how much does this ring cost?"

"...Why are you asking this?" Zhou Limin frowned in confusion.

Pei Lingxuan offered no explanation, but stubbornly asked, "The diamond on the ring is so big, it must be very expensive, right?"

Zhou Limin looked at her, unsure what she meant by asking that question. But judging from her less-than-pleasant expression, Zhou Limin could vaguely sense that she wasn't very happy.

"It's not very expensive," Zhou Limin said, feigning composure. "I bought this ring from a friend; it cost less than 100,000 yuan after the discount."

“Less than 100,000…” Pei Lingxuan pondered the words carefully, and after a moment, she suddenly laughed, “President Zhou is really generous, spending so much money on a simple ring.”

Zhou Limin: "Xiaoxuan, can I buy this ring...?"

"One hundred thousand!" Pei Lingxuan suddenly raised her voice, interrupting Zhou Limin, "President Zhou, do you know what one hundred thousand means to the Pei family, which just went bankrupt?"

"...Huh?" The question was so abrupt and unrelated that Zhou Limin had no idea how to answer it.

“Heh…” Pei Lingxuan sneered, not expecting him to answer.

“One hundred thousand.” Pei Lingxuan kept emphasizing this number. “When the Pei family went bankrupt, my brother sold all the valuables in the house and used the money to pay off debts and pay employees’ salaries. After all that, he only had less than ninety thousand yuan left in his pocket.”

"And he has to use this 90,000 yuan to support his family, his children, his studio, settle the old employees who have been with him for seven or eight years, and even occasionally set aside some to pay off his scattered debts!"

"If my sister-in-law hadn't sold all her luxury goods in time and dragged her pregnant belly around looking for work to earn money, our Pei family would probably be starving under a bridge by now!"

"..."

After hearing those resounding words, Zhou Limin was completely dumbfounded.

But he was dumbfounded not because he was shocked, but because he didn't understand why Pei Lingxuan would suddenly say this.

What does this have to do with him? The Pei family went bankrupt, so isn't it normal for them to be living in poverty?

"Xiao Xuan," he said patiently, still smiling, "why did you suddenly bring this up? Is it related to our topic tonight?"

His voice was soft, and his tone was somewhat puzzled, as if he had completely forgotten how the Pei family had ended up going bankrupt.

Pei Lingxuan's emotions froze on her face; her resentment and unwillingness instantly turned into a deep sense of powerlessness.

"Mr. Zhou really does have a bad memory." She took out her phone from her bag, pulled out the photos she had secretly taken of Zhou Limin and Lu Yibai meeting privately, and shoved them in front of Zhou Limin.

"It's no secret that Lu Yibai schemed against the Pei family. President Zhou, you and President Lu are so close, don't tell me you know nothing about the inside story of the Pei family's bankruptcy."

"..." Zhou Limin looked at the photos on his phone, and the smile on his face gradually froze.

There are five photos in total, and each one is very clear. There is no way to deny that he and Lu Yibai are close.

Pei Lingxuan stared intently at his face, slowly putting her phone away: "President Zhou, allow me to make a bold guess, were you also involved in the Pei family's bankruptcy?"

"I...I didn't!" Zhou Limin's lie was utterly unconvincing. He placed his hands on the dining table, clenching his fists so tightly that his arms trembled.

"Xiaoxuan, I didn't, I wasn't involved!" he pleaded in vain.

Pei Lingxuan raised an eyebrow, her gaze towards Zhou Limin filled with sarcasm: "President Zhou, are you really sure you don't have any?"

"I..." Zhou Limin choked for a moment, and suddenly couldn't say the rest of the lie.

The facts are clear, and Pei Lingxuan doesn't necessarily need him to admit it. To her, whether he admits it or not is meaningless.

“President Zhou, our Pei family is irreconcilably opposed to Lu Yibai. And also irreconcilably opposed to you.”

"As an accomplice in scheming against the Pei family, how dare you openly confess your feelings to me and ask me to be with you? What kind of person do you think I am, Pei Lingxuan?"

“Xiao Xuan…” Zhou Limin stammered, trying to salvage the situation, but Pei Lingxuan gave him no chance.

Pei Lingxuan pushed back her chair and stood up, looking down at Zhou Limin: "Zhou Limin, the love you offered is nothing but a fart in my eyes. Anyone who hurts my family is my enemy, Pei Lingxuan."

"This is the end for us. If we ever meet again, we will be irreconcilable enemies!"

After saying this, Pei Lingxuan finally felt a sense of relief after holding back her frustration for so long.

She picked up the bag from the table, took out her phone, keys, and some other small items, and then threw the bag at Zhou Limin.

"Take what you bought! I don't want it!"

After saying that, he turned around gracefully.

"Xiao Xuan!" Zhou Limin kicked aside his chair and rushed across the table, grabbing Pei Lingxuan's hand. "Xiao Xuan, don't go! Listen to me—"

"Let go!"

A cold, sharp male voice suddenly appeared, interrupting Zhou Limin's pleas.

Before Zhou Limin could react, a strong hand suddenly grabbed his wrist.