Before he could finish, Xiao Linye coldly interrupted him. When Ye Yuning heard Xiao Shuo utter the word "withdraw," her face turned pale. She clutched at Xiao Linye’s clothes, her grip unconsciously tightening. She wasn’t ready to be honest with Xiao Linye, nor did she want him to discover her identity under such circumstances. At this moment, the aura emanating from Xiao Linye was also intensely cold. He simply said to Xiao Shuo on the other end of the line, "What kind of person she is isn’t for you to comment on. Show some respect when you see her in the future." Each word was chilling and dangerous, carrying a heavy warning for Xiao Shuo. On the other end of the phone, Xiao Shuo was stunned by this warning. His uncle actually warned him because of Ye Yuning! Could they really be together? This...! He wanted to say more, but Xiao Linye had already hung up. Xiao Shuo’s mind was a complete mess! What did his uncle say? To respect Ye Yuning? So Ye Yuning now holds such a high status in his uncle’s eyes? The thought that Ye Yuning might have seduced Xiao Linye made Xiao Shuo’s mind cloud with anger. Picking up his phone, he frantically dialed Ye Yuning, but no matter how many times he called, he kept getting a notification that the call was being transferred. She had already blocked his number... "This woman!" Xiao Shuo gritted his teeth in anger. Yet, he had absolutely no way to deal with Ye Yuning. At this moment, held in Xiao Linye’s arms, Ye Yuning’s inner turmoil wasn’t much better than Xiao Shuo’s. Just now, Xiao Shuo had been about to reveal the reason their engagement was called off. That bastard, still so classless. After hanging up, Xiao Linye looked down and saw Ye Yuning’s pale face. The icy aura around him instantly softened. He gently pinched her cold cheek. "What’s wrong? What are you thinking about?" Ye Yuning snapped back to her senses. She looked at Xiao Linye, her expression one of disbelief. She couldn’t fathom how a mere manager in the business department would dare to warn a member of the Xiao Family—the Third Young Master, no less—so brazenly. Was this really alright? Meeting Xiao Linye’s probing gaze, Ye Yuning took a deep breath and said, "Xiao Shuo is just like that; he wants to destroy what he can’t have!" "Hmm?" Xiao Linye was puzzled. Ye Yuning continued, "He did the same to our boss before. First, he had an affair with Ye Tong, and then he framed our boss." Xiao Linye frowned, lost in thought. He had to admit, the son raised by someone with his second brother’s character truly wasn’t anything special. Xiao Li himself had been just like Xiao Shuo in his youth. He’d never imagined that while Xiao Li seemed to have settled down in his old age, his son would turn out to have the same flawed character. Aware of Ye Yuning’s concerns, Xiao Linye said, "Don’t worry, I’ll handle him." Ye Yuning’s lips twitched at his words. That was the Xiao Family’s Third Young Master he was talking about! He said he was going to handle Xiao Shuo? Was he serious?! After all, that was still a member of the Xiao Family. Ye Yuning laughed nervously. "That’s not necessary. I’m not that upset, really." In Ye Yuning’s view, no matter how capable Xiao Linye was at Xiao Corporation, he was just a manager in the business department. And no matter how pathetic Xiao Shuo was, he was still the Xiao Family’s Third Young Master. If things truly escalated, given the Xiao family head’s tendency to protect his own, he would likely side with his family first. She didn’t want Xiao Linye to lose everything he had worked for at Xiao Corporation because of her. "What? Don’t you believe me?" Xiao Linye asked. "No, it’s not that I don’t believe you!" Ye Yuning said hastily. Despite her words, Xiao Linye could clearly see the worry for him in her eyes. He affectionately ruffled her soft hair. "Alright, leave this to me. You are not to have any more dealings with him from now on." "I swear, I never have before either!" she declared. Even if there had been anything, it was all on Xiao Shuo’s part; she had never given that bastard an ounce of hope. "Mmm, I believe you," Xiao Linye replied. Hearing him say he believed her, Ye Yuning finally breathed a sigh of relief. Heaven knew how furious she felt. That blasted Xiao Shuo! In Upper City, he’d put on such a show of goodwill towards her, only to turn around and try to stab her in the back. Him daring to say *she* wasn’t a good person? True, she wasn’t a saint, but her character was far better than his, wasn’t it? The thought made Ye Yuning seethe. Although she couldn’t go out, Xiao Linye was very focused on the Nanjia Peak project. After chatting with Ye Yuning for a bit longer, he left. The more Ye Yuning stewed over it, the angrier she became. Finally, she picked up her phone and dialed Xiao Shuo’s number directly. The call connected quickly. Before Ye Yuning could speak, she heard Xiao Shuo angrily demand, "Ye Yuning, are you with my..." "Xiao Shuo!" Ye Yuning cut him off abruptly, disgusted by the thought of hearing even one more word from him. Hearing Xiao Shuo’s explosive tone, she felt as if he wanted to devour her whole.