"This is my mother," Hu Li said to Hua Yan in a low voice, looking at her expressionlessly. Hua Yan stiffened immediately, waking up fully. Despite her dislike for Hu Li's mother, she felt a bit embarrassed.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'll go upstairs and change."

"Is this the woman you've chosen? How can she be worthy of becoming the future mistress of the Hu family?"

"Mother, everyone is different. Not everyone needs to have the same family background as you. I actually find Xiao Yan's authenticity quite special."

Hu Li's mother gave him several looks before leaving with a stern face. Although furious, she was now more determined to get rid of Hua Yan. To avoid suspicion, she didn't mention staying at Hu Li's villa.

"How are things progressing?"

"Auntie, everything's arranged. You'll see the news in a few days."

"Good."

When Hua Yan came downstairs again, Hu Li didn't see his mother. When he found out she had left,

"Did you argue with your mother again?"

"No need to worry."

The next afternoon, Hua Yan finally got up because there were some matters at the company that required Hu Li's attention. She went to Feise Jiannian to find Mr. Secretary.

"Xiao Yan, nice to see you again. Are you here because something's happened?"

"How could that be? I'm not a troublemaker. I just came to see you."

"Has Hu Li found you?" Mr. Secretary, now even more handsome, smiled gently. Even someone as accustomed to Hua Yan as him would be momentarily dazzled.

"He has. Will you be invited to the Hu family banquet in a few days?" Hua Yan, just as casual as ever, took out tea leaves from the cabinet and started brewing slowly. Mr. Secretary also rarely put down his work and sat on the other side, reminiscent of the times with Hua Yan and Gao Ruqing.

"I've received the invitation. Will Hu Li be taking you as his guest?"

"You guessed it," Hua Yan said with a smile.

"He's quite something. I heard his mother has invited many young ladies to attend. It seems like it's all prepared for him. Yet, he doesn't pay any attention."

"That day should be quite fun. How is Mr. Gao doing now?"

"He's doing well. He and his old friends are off on a trip to the north."

"Oh? It sounds like Mr. Gao is enjoying life."

"Yeah, I hope he can put aside work and do what he loves."

It seemed Mr. Secretary and Gao Ruqing were getting along well. Hua Yan was happy to see father and son getting along harmoniously.

"How's the company doing now?"

"The overall trend is good, but Cheng Jia's growth in the jadeite industry is particularly rapid. They hold a grudge against us for terminating contracts with them in the past. They've already managed to snatch away a few small deals behind our backs."

"Could that be possible? Is Cheng Jia's growth rate too fast?"

"There must be someone backing them behind the scenes. And the scandal about me being an illegitimate child was also leaked by Cheng Jia."

"Mr. Gao doesn't know about it, right? If he knew, he wouldn't have the mood to go on a trip."

"Of course he doesn't know. There's a batch of good jadeite rough materials at the antique jade street on the outskirts. I want to go take a look, would you like to come along?"

"Sure... let's go. I have nothing else to do. Will people from Cheng Jia also be there?" Feise Jiannian doesn't need to buy jadeite rough materials anymore, but seeing how eager Mr. Secretary is, he must not want Cheng Jia to get their hands on them. He truly is Gao Ruqing's son, with a personality that seeks revenge.

Mr. Secretary smiled and said, "We don't need those jadeite rough materials, but we can't let them fall into Cheng Jia's hands either."

Stolen novel; please report.

Despite it being midwinter, many luxury cars were heading towards the antique jade street on the desolate outskirts.

When Hua Yan and Mr. Secretary got out of the car, people were surprised to see them, and there was also some discontent in their eyes. After all, everyone knew that Feise Jiannian had no shortage of raw materials.

Now that he appeared here, if he intended to purchase materials, those small fries wouldn't stand a chance against Feise Jiannian.

Some people managed to strike up a conversation with Mr. Secretary, which meant others followed suit to find out the truth: "Mr. Gao, we didn't expect such a small jadeite rough material transaction to attract your attention."

Mr. Secretary smiled and replied, "Dealing with jadeite rough materials is our business; we can't afford to neglect them."

"We've heard that Feise Jiannian has more jadeite rough materials than they can use. Meanwhile, those of us small fries have very little. If we can't purchase more materials, we won't be able to keep up with demand. Mr. Gao, please be merciful and leave some for us."

"Alright, alright. Did the people from Cheng Jia also come?"

The person hesitated before saying, "Yes, they're over there," pointing towards a group inside.

Mr. Secretary turned to Hua Yan and said, "Let's go over and take a look."

The person also wanted to see what would happen when Feise Jiannian and Cheng Jia faced off, so they followed to observe. Others joined in gradually.

Cheng Jia, Cheng Yunqi, and other company members were purchasing jadeite rough materials at a large store. They heard the commotion outside and went to see Mr. Secretary and Hua Yan. Cheng Jie looked surprised, "Long time no see, Hua Yan."

Hua Yan noticed that Cheng Jie was not going to be ignored, so he turned to Mr. Secretary and said, "Mr. Gao, are you planning to compete with us small companies for jadeite rough materials?"

Upon hearing this, others also perked up their ears. They were eager to know if a major competitor was entering the fray.

Seeing the situation, Hua Yan realized that if Mr. Secretary indicated they were also here to trade jadeite rough materials, it could upset many people. Some might even blame Feise Jiannian if pushed to desperation.

"No, we're just here to look around," Hua Yan spoke first. She looked at Mr. Secretary, blinking her eyes to signal him not to speak. She had already devised a plan on how to handle the Cheng family, using her ability to turn jadeite into stone.

She intended to absorb each piece of jadeite that Cheng Jie intended to buy, using her current destructive power to cause immediate mineralization. Thus, even if Cheng Jie acquired good jadeite, it would be useless once it was ruined.

"Alright, we're just looking. Feel free," Mr. Secretary replied.

With this, everyone visibly relaxed, and their stares softened.

Throughout the time, Cheng Yunqi only glanced at Hua Yan a few times, showing no intention of confrontation. Hua Yan was astonished by this change in Cheng Yunqi's demeanor after not seeing him for so long.

Later, as Cheng Jie finalized the purchase of jadeite rough materials and calculated payment with the shopkeeper, Mr. Secretary waited until Cheng Jie generously allowed them to inspect the jadeite he intended to purchase. He and Hua Yan then proceeded to touch each piece.

Cheng Jie was overly confident and never expected Hua Yan to tamper with the materials. Hence, he didn't notice any communication between Mr. Secretary and Hua Yan. Others were too focused on purchasing their desired jadeite rough materials and paid no attention to Hua Yan and company.

"Since we're not buying, please refrain from touching things recklessly. It wouldn't be good if your bad luck rubbed off on the materials," Hua Yan said coldly, giving Mr. Secretary a signal, "Let's go."

Although Cheng Yunqi was displeased, he didn't say anything further. Hua Yan admired his restraint. It seemed adversity was necessary for personal growth.

Afterward, Hua Yan and company visited other places to inspect their purchased materials. Mr. Secretary exchanged insights with some company representatives. As the sun set, they finally started their journey back to the city.

Halfway there, it was already dark, with a moderate amount of traffic on the road. Mr. Secretary drove while Hua Yan sat in the back seat, suddenly feeling someone's gaze on them.

She looked around at the surrounding vehicles and noticed two cars following them—one in front and one behind. She informed Mr. Secretary of the situation, who also noticed. He made a call, and Hua Yan called Hu Li, explaining the situation.

Now they needed to stall for time until Mr. Secretary and Hu Li's people arrived. Mr. Secretary tried several times to overtake the leading car, but it clung stubbornly.

Soon, the trailing car seemed to realize that Hua Yan and company had detected them. In a desperate move, they sandwiched Hua Yan's car between theirs, slowing down progressively.

"Are they trying to force us to stop?" Hua Yan asked.

"Seems like it. They're skilled drivers; we can't shake them off for now."

"Let me drive." Hua Yan squeezed to the front from the back, switching seats with Mr. Secretary with difficulty. Maneuvering cars in tight spots was part of her training in special base driving skills. Although both drivers were skilled, Hua Yan aimed to survive and buy time until Hu Li arrived.

Upon receiving Hua Yan's call, Hu Li was alarmed. He rushed over with his team, though the distance meant it would take some time. Driving himself, Hu Li sped like drifting in the sky. Despite Hu Er and Hu Da wanting him to slow down, they swallowed their words.

They were deeply worried about Hua Yan's dangerous situation. Clearly, Hu Li was anxious.

Seizing an opportunity, Hua Yan performed a sharp turn, swiftly veering off the road. Just as they were about to hit a large tree by the roadside, she spun the car back onto the road in three seconds. Their sudden maneuver left the two pursuing cars momentarily stunned. By the time they reacted, Hua Yan had escaped their clutches.

However, their pursuers were not giving up easily. After a few minutes of chasing, one car ran parallel to Hua Yan's, while the other continued from behind.

Mr. Secretary admired Hua Yan's driving skills, but his stomach churned uncomfortably. He felt as if his internal organs had shifted positions. Seeing him in distress, Hua Yan tried to comfort him.

"Hold on, just a little longer, and we'll be safe," she said.

Mr. Secretary managed a weak smile and replied, "Don't worry, just drive and shake these bastards off."

"Okay." Hua Yan accelerated again, widening the gap between their car and the pursuers. However, after a short while, she noticed the fuel gauge rapidly dropping.