Xiao Linye had no idea of the torment Ye Yuning was going through. He then said, "You and Xiao Shuo were really clashing fiercely." He had noticed earlier that Xiao Shuo just wanted to scold Ye Yuning, even without caring that Xiao Linye was present. When he suddenly said this, Ye Yuning almost choked on her drink again. So, one really can’t lie. Once you lie, anything others say can make you overly suspicious. That was exactly her situation now. But it was only for a moment. She quickly composed herself and nodded. "Yes, he gets even fiercer when you’re not around. But aren’t you two on bad terms at Xiao Corporation? You didn’t even greet each other just now." "Yes, we’re not on good terms." Compared to Ye Yuning’s forced composure, Xiao Linye was much more natural. When Ye Yuning heard their relationship was bad, she breathed a sigh of relief. A bad relationship—that was a good thing. This likely meant Xiao Shuo wouldn’t deliberately go to Xiao Linye to talk nonsense. But at the same time, considering Xiao Shuo was such a gossip, it seemed uncertain! So, what should she do? Should she just come clean to Xiao Linye herself? To prevent him from hearing something unfavorable from Xiao Shuo? Caught up in her thoughts, they had already reached Shanyu Pavilion. Ultimately, Ye Yuning still couldn’t find the courage to speak up. Xiao Linye said, "I originally wanted to cheer you up with something tasty, but then this happened. What would you like to eat now?" He noted she had barely touched the fish. She’s definitely going to be hungry tonight. Ye Yuning replied, "My throat still hurts a bit. I’ll just have some milk." She definitely couldn’t eat much now. While her throat felt much better after the fishbone was removed, it still hurt a little. The two returned to Shanyu Pavilion. After all the hassle, Ye Yuning was tired. She just drank some milk, took a bath, and went to her room. Xiao Linye, on the other hand, went to the study to make a phone call, without the slightest suspicion about the hospital incident. The call was to Lai Shuo. Xiao Linye asked directly, "Why would Gui Xingli collaborate with Manlang?" Xiao Linye had been pondering this ever since he saw the photograph. Luozhou has plenty of outstanding designers, and Simon himself has a strong design team. Their company could complete any project internally. Yet, she not only collaborated with Manlang this time but also personally came to discuss it. Lai Shuo said, "They are cooperating on the Yuntai Mountain project." That was indeed a big project. No wonder Manlang had been so arrogant towards their Xiao Corporation before. Could this be Gui Xingli’s way of retaliating against him? Thinking of Gui Xingli’s hatred for him, a hint of helplessness flashed in Xiao Linye’s eyes. He closed his eyes briefly, then changed the subject. "Keep a closer eye on Xiao Shuo!" When he mentioned Xiao Shuo, his tone clearly became colder. Lai Shuo knew of Xiao Linye’s dissatisfaction and therefore didn’t press further. "I understand. What about Miss Gui?" "Let’s not bother with her for now. Let’s see what her next move is." If this was her revenge against him, and if it made her feel even a little better, then he’d let her do as she pleased, Xiao Linye thought. Lai Shuo said, "Okay." Xiao Linye hung up the phone. The atmosphere in the study quieted down. However, Xiao Linye’s frown deepened, a throb of pain intensifying between his brows. Compared to his irritation, Ye Yuning was also very uneasy, but their reasons for unease were on completely different tracks. Xiao Shuo had an acute abdominal condition! The doctor suggested he be hospitalized for a week. Yang Jing called Lai Shuo directly, who said they’d deal with it after Xiao Shuo was discharged. The implication was that they wouldn’t trouble him during his few days in the hospital. He also informed Xiao Linye, who didn’t say much. The company was extremely busy; promotion for the Nanjia Peak project was already underway. Yang Jing couldn’t possibly stay at the hospital with Xiao Shuo, so after leaving the nurse’s station number, he hurried back to the company. This time, Xiao Corporation’s promotional campaign for Nanjia Peak was immense. Meanwhile, at Manlang, Ye Yuning was fraught with worry. Chen Wei, looking at the related promotions, couldn’t help but click her tongue. "It seems Xiao Corporation is really going all out for Nanjia Peak this time." The investment in this promotional campaign was indeed substantial. Ye Yuning was snapped back to reality. "Has the publicity already started?" "Not just started. Since early this morning, everything has been switched to the Nanjia Peak renderings. It’s destined to be another major online-famous tourist destination," Chen Wei said, her words laced with obvious schadenfreude. Ye Tong looked at the omnipresent online publicity, extremely pleased with herself. She managed to hold back until noon but ultimately couldn’t resist flaunting it in front of Ye Yuning. "Well? Sister, do you think my design will become a huge hit in the design world this time?" Ye Yuning nodded, her tone very affirmative. "Yes, it absolutely will be a huge hit!" As she said this, she even gave Ye Tong a thumbs-up. Ye Tong, seeing her sincere praise, chuckled. "So, are you admitting defeat?" "Admit defeat over what?" "When I become a huge hit, you’ll be a has-been," Ye Tong taunted. Hearing her foolish words, the corners of Ye Yuning’s mouth couldn’t help but twitch. She made no attempt to hide her ambition or her intent to undermine me—everything was so blatant! Ye Yuning wondered how on earth Ye Tong had managed to survive all these years without being crushed by the harsh realities of the world.