Chapter 54 Su Mian's Worries

Su Mian waited for a long time, but no sound came from the study, so she decided to leave.

Given the Huo family's extreme desire for control, the further she stayed away from Huo Beihan, the better. She wanted to avoid getting too close to him and inadvertently becoming a pawn for the old master to manipulate him.

She had witnessed all the help Huo Beihan had given her during this period; how could she ever willingly become a sharp blade wielded against him?

Huo Beihan happened to step out of the study at that moment. Seeing Su Mian's hurried retreating figure, he guessed she must have overheard the conversation between him and his grandfather.

He rushed after her and grabbed her hand. "Mianmian, are you leaving already?"

She forced the corners of her mouth upward, trying to make her smile look somewhat natural. "Yes, Big Brother. You must have a lot of things to attend to, so I won't disturb you any longer."

Old Master Huo's desire for control was simply too overwhelming; she had no desire to linger in such a terrifying place.

Hearing her words, Huo Beihan felt a cracking sound echo within his heart.

She hurriedly pulled her hand away, terrified that the old master might come out and cause trouble for him.

Huo Beihan didn't care. He gripped her hand even tighter. "Mianmian, are you afraid?"

She shook her head. "Not at all. Why are you acting so strange, Big Brother? I'm heading back now."

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't break free from Huo Beihan's grip. "You heard it, didn't you?"

Su Mian gave a bitter smile. "No, I'm just not feeling well and want to go back to rest."

Huo Beihan didn't want to let go, but for Su Mian's safety at this very moment, he had no choice.

"I'll take you back."

After a moment's thought, Su Mian shook her head firmly. "Big Brother, thank you for your kindness. You haven't slept all night, so you should get some proper rest first!"

He refused to put Su Mian in a difficult position, so he walked her to the front door and instructed the driver to take her back home.

Once Su Mian got into the car and saw the man who had such a close relationship with Lin Xiu, she asked bluntly, "How long have you been together with my mother?"

The driver started the engine without the slightest trace of guilt. "Miss, where is this coming from? The Madam and I have known each other for many years!"

For many years? Could it be that they had maintained this relationship for all this time?

Su Mian probed further. "You've always been the driver for the Huo family, so it's normal that you've known my mother for a long time. But I've seen you together with her many times, and I can more or less guess the nature of your relationship."

"I just want to know—do you have any genuine sincerity toward my mother at all?"

The driver's hands tightening around the steering wheel did not go unnoticed by Su Mian.

He sighed, a hint of tenderness slipping into his voice. "My sincerity toward the Madam cannot be expressed merely in words. Miss, you are still too young and haven't experienced many things, so you may not truly understand what we feel."

Matters of the heart had nothing to do with age; he was clearly just trying to brush her off with excuses.

"From the sound of it, you seem to care a great deal about my mother. But have you ever considered what the Huo family would do to you and my mother if they found out about this? When you both end up with nothing, will you be able to afford my mother's expenses?"

Lin Xiu had always been vain; probably even the cheapest handbag in her wardrobe would cost more than half a year of his salary.

Even Su Mian didn't believe in the romantic notion that love alone could keep you full, and surely neither did the two of them.

The corners of the driver's lips curved upward slightly. "I am well aware of all this. Rest assured, I will be more careful in the future. But even if the Huo family finds out, I will never let your mother and your younger brother suffer."

Although his words were clear, Su Mian still believed he harbored hidden motives.

Just as she was about to say something more, the car arrived at her destination.

Su Mian returned to her apartment, rested for a moment, and feeling somewhat bored, she called Wen Ke'ning. "Ke'ning, do you have time? Can you come out and keep me company?"

Although hers was a fake marriage, she was still someone's wife on paper, and going out probably required reporting to him.

Hearing the unusual tone in Su Mian's voice, Wen Ke'ning replied, "Of course! You're my best friend, Mianmian. Just wait, I'll be right over to keep you company."

After hanging up, Wen Ke'ning contacted Shen Tingzhou. "Um, I have a private gathering today and might come home quite late. I hope that won't disturb your rest?"

Shen Tingzhou kept a very strict routine. Leaving early and returning late had become the norm for him, and they had always slept in separate rooms. Therefore, as long as she wasn't throwing a rave at home, it was highly unlikely she would disturb his rest.

He glanced at the time and replied, "Go ahead, have a good time. If it gets too late, you can call me to pick you up."

They weren't even a real married couple; how could she possibly have the nerve to ask him to come pick her up in person?

Wen Ke'ning found him quite easy to talk to, so she pushed her luck further. "The other person is a girl, and she sounded upset. I'm afraid something might happen to her, so if it's okay, I might not come back tonight."

Shen Tingzhou paused, a nameless anxiety flashing in the depths of his eyes, but he simply replied with a single word: "Okay."

Ending the communication, Wen Ke'ning went to the supermarket to buy beer, drinks, and some stress-relieving snacks, then hurried over to Su Mian's place.

When the two met, Su Mian took the bags from her hands and sighed with emotion. "As expected, you understand me best. Come on in and take a rest."

Her voice was laced with exhaustion, and Wen Ke'ning asked with concern, "Mianmian, why do you look like you've lost weight? Is that bastard Qin Qinzheng coming to pester you again?"

Su Mian shook her head weakly. "No, I've completely cut ties with him. Stop letting your imagination run wild."

"If it's not him, then who could it be?" Wen Ke'ning's brain raced. "Don't tell me it's that step-brother of yours? You two could technically be together, but the Huo family's interpersonal relationships are far too complicated. You still need to consider it very carefully."

Su Mian pressed a hand to her forehead. This girl was truly getting more and more outrageous; if this kept up, who knew what even more explosive words might come out of her mouth.

She covered Wen Ke'ning's non-stop talking mouth with her hand. "Stop. It's not because of that. It's about my mother..."

Whenever Lin Xiu was mentioned, Wen Ke'ning felt it was a complete waste for Su Mian. If her mother hadn't abandoned Su Mian to remarry into a wealthy family, Su Mian wouldn't have wasted all these years because of that scumbag.

"What kind of trouble is your mother stirring up this time to make you so anxious and upset?" Wen Ke'ning cracked open a can of beer and handed it to Su Mian.

Taking the beer, Su Mian took a sip. "My mother has an unusual relationship with the Huo family. I asked that driver today, and he admitted it quite openly, but I always feel like his feelings for my mother aren't sincere."

"If he really harbors malicious intentions, what will happen to my mother for the rest of her life?"

Wen Ke'ning was also worried for Su Mian. If the Huo family decided to sweep that mother-and-son pair out the door, Su Mian would undoubtedly be implicated as well.

To ease Su Mian's mind, she quickly spoke up. "Don't panic yet. If all else fails, I'll help you look into that driver's background."