Chapter 98: Undercurrents Part 2

Ji Yan didn’t give an opinion, only saying, “Find out which hospital he’s in.”

She was annoyed that someone had beaten them to the revenge; she had a surplus of rage with nowhere to vent.

A moment later, Lu Zhou’s expression soured. “I can’t find him.”

“What do you mean?” Ji Yan’s brow furrowed as a realization dawned on her.

The mention of a hospital brought one name to both their minds simultaneously.

“…Bai Ran.”

Bai Ran must have looked into this the moment she recognized Xu Yinian at the start of the semester at X University. It was obvious now: Chen Yu’s bankruptcy, the accident, and his current “disappearance” were all Bai Ran’s doing.

Bai Ran had long ago hidden the key to the truth and the leverage against Shen Ruoshuang.

“That lunatic!”

Neither Ji Yan nor Lu Zhou doubted for a second that if the man wasn’t still useful to Bai Ran, she would have simply let him die in that crash.

The trail had gone cold, leaving them both fuming.

“Is there still no news about Bai Ran’s arranged marriage?” Ji Yan’s teeth ground together. She hadn’t forgotten who was responsible for her being grounded. Old and new grudges were piling up.

“Not yet, but she’s run into some trouble these past two days. You’ll be happy to hear it. The Bai family was planning to give her the overseas medical facility construction project they’re partnering on with the government.”

Ji Yan’s disgust deepened. “Are you telling me this so I’ll congratulate her?”

“The timing is perfect. The Bai family’s overseas line just imploded. A scandal broke about them reusing needles and other medical equipment, causing a massive outbreak of infectious diseases. The previous manager resigned in disgrace. If Bai Ran doesn’t step up as the representative to clean up the mess immediately, she’ll lose that overseas line for good.”

The attack was too targeted to be a coincidence. It hit Bai Ran far harder than their plan to interfere with her marriage.

That overseas project, once a guaranteed career booster, had turned into a toxic mess that offended the government and left the domestic Xinyu headquarters scrambling to shift blame.

If Bai Ran ignored it, the prize she had fought so hard for would vanish, and her standing in the Bai family would plummet. If she took it on, she would have to take a leave of absence from school and likely spend a significant amount of time abroad.

The mastermind behind this move against Bai Ran was clearly someone of profound calculation.

Ji Yan asked sharply, “Who leaked the information?”

“Who knows? They were meticulous; they didn’t leave a single fingerprint. The Bai family is fuming because they can’t find the culprit. I bet Bai Ran is breaking into a cold sweat right about now.”

Lu Zhou looked on with malicious glee. Just then, her phone lit up.

Reading the message, Lu Zhou’s expression turned strange. She read it aloud: “She agreed to the blind date with my brother. It’s set for… Sunday.”

No one knew what Bai Ran was thinking, suddenly accepting the marriage pressure while facing the overseas crisis.

***

Shen Yi sat on her private jet, returning from a chemical energy summit in Singapore.

Three days of back-to-back meetings had taken a toll even on a workaholic like her. There was a hint of fatigue around her eyes, yet it only made her cold, glamorous features seem more breathtaking.

The secretary hesitated for a moment before taking advantage of the post-work lull to report.

“CEO Shen, regarding the matter with the Bai family… it seems Miss Shen has finished it within the deadline. Her methods were quite… efficient.”

The praise was the secretary’s own personal touch; she wanted her young mistress’s talents to be recognized.

Shen Yi showed zero interest in how her daughter had retaliated against Bai Ran. Her expression remained icy. “Don’t waste my time with such trivialities.”

The secretary choked on her words, feeling awkward. She sighed inwardly.

Usually, when CEO Shen returned to the country, she would make time to see a lover. But Liu Qiao had left in a hurried and ungraceful manner, leaving CEO Shen currently single.

Ever since the secretary had handed over the files on that girl, Xu Yinian, Shen Yi hadn’t made any formal statement, but she hadn’t looked for a new lover either.

It was impossible to tell what the CEO was thinking. Serving her was like serving a tiger; she was the most unpredictable boss one could have.

If the CEO liked the girl, she wouldn’t lower herself to say it—it was the secretary’s job to bring the girl to her. But if she didn’t have those intentions, bringing her unannounced would be a disaster.

With a hesitant tone, the secretary tried again: “CEO Shen, regarding the Xu Yinian you had me look into… I noticed she applied for the student financial aid our company established at X University. Her application was rejected because her documents weren’t standardized.”

She paused. “The financial aid ceremony is this Saturday. You have it on your schedule to attend. Should I contact her to come and handle the paperwork in person?”

The secretary was being incredibly calculating. By mentioning that Xu Yinian had applied for the Shen Group’s financial aid, she was creating a bridge.

And “contact her to come”… that was a loaded suggestion.

However, unlike the socialites they usually dealt with, Xu Yinian didn’t seem like the type to actively try and climb into CEO Shen’s bed. It wasn’t just about whether Shen Yi liked her; it was about whether the girl would be willing.

Remembering the girl’s background—innocent as a blank sheet of paper, a perfectly obedient student—the secretary knew the only leverage was her poverty. It was a delicate situation.

At the mention of the name, Shen Yi’s brow twitched almost imperceptibly, but her cold, crisp voice remained unchanged.

“Do as you see fit.”

With that one sentence, the secretary understood.

It seemed this was not a “triviality” after all.

That night, Xu Yinian received a message from an unknown number. It was the organizer for the Shen Group Financial Aid.

The message was a formal apology, stating that the rejection of her documents had been an administrative error. If possible, they hoped she could come directly to the financial aid ceremony on Saturday to finalize her application.

Xu Yinian froze, her eyes locked onto the two words: “Shen Group.”

It… it shouldn’t have anything to do with Shen Ruoshuang, right?