Chapter 82: Laying Down False Trails

Hearing Lin Li directly point out his earlier mistakes, Ye Aotian did not show the slightest hint of anger. He only looked coldly at Lin Li.

“I’m well aware there’s bad blood between us, but there’s no need to drag others into our affairs,” he said, his tone icy. “Besides, Ning Yurou has little to do with any of this. If it’s revenge you’re after, direct it at me.”

Ye Aotian spoke with absolute confidence. This time, he had brought no small number of people with him. Though he couldn’t quite fathom where Lin Li’s confidence came from, Ye Aotian was certain that, at least here, he had nothing to fear.

At that moment, Ning Yurou stood quietly at Ye Aotian’s side, looking wronged and aggrieved. “Why did it take you so long?” she asked, her voice soft and pitiful. “If you’d been any later, this guy would have bullied me.”

Seeing Ning Yurou’s pitiful expression, Ye Aotian’s feelings grew even more complicated. “Don’t worry. With me here today, no one is going to cause you any trouble,” he assured her. “No matter what tricks this fellow has up his sleeve, I’ll make him understand the consequences of opposing us.”

As he spoke, Ye Aotian’s gaze naturally fell on Lin Li. He might have had some lingering worries about the situation before, but now, those doubts had vanished completely.

Facing Ye Aotian’s furious expression, Lin Li remained calm and unruffled. “Ye Aotian, you know as well as I do that you’re no match for me as things stand. If I wanted to deal with you, I have many ways,” he said flatly. “But that’s not why I came here today.”

He glanced at Ning Yurou. “I trust Miss Ning remembers the promise she made me. Otherwise, we may run into some unnecessary trouble between us.”

With that, Lin Li strode away, leaving Ye Aotian standing alone, lost in thought, unable to recover his composure for a long while. It was obvious that Ning Yurou and Lin Li had made some sort of arrangement.

“What exactly is going on between you two? Why is that man suddenly seeking you out?” Ye Aotian was full of questions, but he dared not be too blunt, lest Ning Yurou take offense.

“Do you still remember the Tianxin District project?” she asked.

Ye Aotian hesitated, then nodded.

Ning Yurou went on, “Lin Li came here this time because of the Tianxin District project.”

At her answer, Ye Aotian’s expression changed slightly. The Tianxin District had long been one of the most critical issues in Jiangcheng. For years, no one had been able to resolve it—the area needed a massive investment. Yet those capable of such large-scale investments in this world could be counted on one hand. Even Ye Aotian himself handled the project with extreme caution, wary of making a reckless move. Only if he could truly wield the full power of the Ning family, together with the strength of the Leng family, might he attempt to take on the Tianxin District project.

And yet, Lin Li was already eyeing the Tianxin District.

“That project has been stalled for years. Every year, there are petitions about it,” he said darkly. “Right now, our focus shouldn’t even be on that project. Has Lin Li gone mad? Even if he’s just taken over the Qin family, his first priority should be consolidating their internal situation, not plunging himself into that quagmire.”

Ye Aotian’s mind was full of doubts about Lin Li’s actions, but at that moment, there was no one who could give him any answers. Even Ning Yurou could only shrug helplessly.

“So what did Lin Li want from you this time?” Ye Aotian asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

“He was warning me. The Qin family is about to increase their investment in the traditional medicine market, which will inevitably bring a huge impact to the Ning family,” she answered.

Lin Li had already calculated everything with Ning Yurou. What he wanted was for Ye Aotian to start feeling the pressure right now. If Ye Aotian was allowed to proceed step by step and truly gain control over the entire Ning family, then everything would be lost. Lin Li’s goal was simple: make Ye Aotian realize how grave the situation was. Only by making him uneasy could he force Ye Aotian into making mistakes, which Lin Li could then seize upon as leverage.

But Lin Li was confident Ye Aotian wouldn’t take the bait so easily. With his personality, he would surely believe that what Lin Li told Ning Yurou was nothing but a smokescreen, and that Lin Li had some other goal in mind. As soon as Ye Aotian started thinking that way, Lin Li would have his opening.

When Lin Li returned to the Qin family estate, Su Lan immediately approached him.

“How did it go?” she asked.

Lin Li smiled. “Just as I suspected, Ye Aotian has someone shadowing Ning Yurou, watching her every move. It seems that even though she’s agreed to his terms, he still can’t fully trust her.” Indeed, this man was cautious to the extreme; dealing with him would not be easy. But since he had no clue what Lin Li’s next move would be, his options were limited.

“But the Xingchen Group still hasn’t shown any sign of movement. Isn’t it too risky for you to act on this idea now?” Su Lan said with concern.

Lin Li only smiled and said nothing more.

Over the following days, Ye Aotian indeed assigned many people to secretly investigate Lin Li’s every move, trying to figure out his true intentions. Yet he had no idea that every thought and action of his was within Lin Li’s grasp. No matter how many people Ye Aotian sent to snoop around, Lin Li could easily spot them. Meanwhile, Ye Aotian, believing he had obtained reliable intelligence, was quietly congratulating himself.

“I told you, the Tianxin District project is so massive—this guy would have to be insane to throw himself into it on a whim,” Ye Aotian said with a smug laugh to Chen Along after receiving his latest report. “Even if he sold off the entire Qin family, he couldn’t raise enough capital.”

Chen Along, however, fell silent. He didn’t know exactly what was going on, but he sensed that the situation was not quite as they had predicted.

“Young master,” he said quietly. “I also think there’s something strange about all this. Maybe we should be more careful. Would Lin Li really reveal his most important secrets to us so easily?”

After so many years by Ye Aotian’s side, Chen Along had finally learned to be cautious. But clearly, Ye Aotian was feeling a bit stubborn now.