Ling Feng said playfully, "Secretary Lin, I think you should ask Chen Gui about this matter. He probably knows very well."

The shadow finally revealed its true form—it was about the size of a small black civet cat. However, its face bore a faint resemblance to Secretary Lin's. Trapped now, the shadow continually contorted into a ferocious expression, making everyone around feel uneasy.

"This thing came out from my body?" Secretary Lin involuntarily stepped back two paces. There was no doubt in his mind that this was nothing good.

At the same time, Secretary Lin's mind was completely clear. Recalling his actions earlier today, he could almost confirm that this was all Chen Gui's doing. Otherwise, why had he been obsessively fixated on Chen Gui's affairs? So much so that he even forgot today was his wedding anniversary with his wife?

"Chen Gui, give me a reasonable explanation for this!" Secretary Lin turned his head, his face dark and grim.

The Lin Family in Yanjing was no small or insignificant household. Although not as prominent as the major aristocratic families, they held their own place. Now, Secretary Lin had been manipulated by a mere businessman. If word of this got out, it would surely incite ridicule from other families.

"I..." Chen Gui was panicking. Why did everything unravel after just one glass of wine? How was the Curse Techniques undone in such a way? Why had the Spirit of Curse been forced out?

"I don't know what's going on either!" Chen Gui feigned ignorance: "This thing must've been conjured up by him. Otherwise, how could a glass of wine lead to this sort of outcome?"

Chen Gui spoke righteously, absolutely refusing to admit the truth.

But Secretary Lin was no longer the Secretary Lin he had been just moments ago. He sneered coldly at Chen Gui: "Oh, is that so? So, what you're saying is, this is all Ling Feng's doing, and his goal was to sow discord between us?"

"Precisely!" Chen Gui's eyes lit up: "Secretary Lin, you're indeed discerning, immediately grasping the essence of the situation. That's exactly what's going on..."

Ling Feng slowly stepped forward, glancing at the Spirit of Curse and nodding: "So it's the Thai Curse Techniques. However, the power of this Spirit of Curse is disappointingly weak—it can barely confuse an ordinary person at best."

As he spoke, Ling Feng snapped his fingers. The previously trapped Spirit of Curse shrieked, surrounded by golden flames. In a flash, it was completely consumed by the golden fire.

The scene left everyone utterly stunned. Ling Feng's ability to extinguish the shadow with a mere gesture left Chen Gui trembling with fear.

"Hot, so hot!" As the Spirit of Curse was burned away, Chen Gui felt as if his clothes were on fire.

He hastily reached into his chest and pulled out a wooden doll. The doll, too, was engulfed by golden flames. Even more terrifying, the doll—which resembled Secretary Lin—began flailing its limbs.

"Ah!" Chen Gui jumped in shock, quickly throwing the doll to the ground. The discarded wooden figure continued to struggle, but soon lost all ability to move, crumbling into a pile of black ash.

"Chen Gui, do you have anything else left to say?" Ling Feng said coolly, "That doll you carried in your chest—it must've been a Spirit Doll used in Curse Techniques, right? I didn't expect you to have connections with Thai sorcerers. We really underestimated you."

Chen Gui's lips quivered, his gaze filled with despair as he looked at Secretary Lin.

But Secretary Lin merely let out a cold snort, his expression tense and unpleasant. He then said to Chen Gui, "Chen Gui, this isn't over between us!"

With a swish of his sleeve, Secretary Lin stormed off.

"It's over, it's all over!" At this moment, Chen Gui's heart was filled with utter despair. Trembling with fear and anger, he glared at Ling Feng: "It's all your fault—you ruined everything for me!"

Ling Feng shook his head. For someone like Chen Gui, Ling Feng couldn't be bothered to waste time arguing.

After all, the Dragon Group would take care of the aftermath, and after this incident, Secretary Lin would likely stop backing the Asia-Pacific Biotech Group. Everything had already been resolved.

"Let's go!" Ling Feng said as he wrapped his arm around Yun Hanrui's slender waist. "If you're interested in showing off a triumphant stance in front of them, I can accompany you."

Yun Hanrui giggled softly, "I'm not that petty. Let's go home quickly for dinner—I bet Ting Yu has been waiting impatiently for us!"

Yun Hanrui didn't ask Ling Feng about the Curse Techniques, but she was very aware that the dangers Ling Feng faced were far more formidable than today's mere Curse Techniques.

As they exited the Junyue Grand Hotel, Secretary Lin caught up to them: "Ling Feng, could I have a word with you?"

Yun Hanrui glanced at Ling Feng: "Ling Feng, I'll go get the car."

Just as she was about to leave, Ling Feng grabbed her hand: "It's alright. I don't see why there's anything that needs to be hidden."

He then looked at Secretary Lin and said, "Secretary Lin, say what you need to say."

Yun Hanrui obediently stayed close to Ling Feng, her face radiating happiness. She wasn't particularly curious, but Ling Feng's attitude made her feel warm inside.

Secretary Lin smiled faintly: "Actually, it's nothing much. I just wanted to express my gratitude. I didn't expect you to save me today."

"I didn't save you—I did this for Xiao Rui." Ling Feng waved his hand dismissively: "Rescuing you was just incidental. You don't need to be so thankful... Oh, right, if I remember correctly, I once broke your son's leg. So strictly speaking, we're not exactly friends."

"That was my failure as a father!" Secretary Lin laughed bitterly: "After that incident, my son matured quite a bit, learning the truth that there's always someone better and stronger in the world. No matter what, you saved me today. I think it's fair for us to wipe the slate clean, don't you?"

With that, Secretary Lin extended his hand.

Ling Feng smiled and also reached out to shake Secretary Lin's hand: "Fine. In the future, you'll continue working with Xiao Rui. It's better for us to set aside past grudges, wouldn't you agree?"

...

A creak of the door sounded as Secretary Lin entered the room.

Turning on the light, he found the room warmly decorated. The walls were covered with photo collages of him and Feng Xin, capturing their shared moments.

"This..." Secretary Lin felt a surge of surprise. He recalled Feng Xin's words from earlier that morning, "Do you remember what day it is today?"

Suddenly, a wave of emotion and guilt welled up in Secretary Lin's heart. As he entered the dining room, he found his wife asleep at the dining table. On the table were two place settings and plates of steak—now cold.

"I'm sorry. I'm home late!" Secretary Lin whispered as he gently kissed Feng Xin's forehead.

"I'm sorry. I was wrong before..." Feng Xin mumbled softly in her sleep.

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