After a wealthy woman went bankrupt, her live-in husband became her sugar daddy.

Chapter 311 Withdrawal of Investment

Xu Sisi immediately chimed in, "Yes, Sister Gu, you must take care of your health and not overwork yourself."

Little Sweetie chimed in, "Yes, Sister Gu, we all feel sorry for you working so hard."

We chatted back and forth, our voices not loud, but enough to attract the attention of the woman at the next table. Sure enough, she turned her head again, her eyes filled with curiosity.

Just then, the waiter brought over a plate of desserts and placed it on our table: "This was given to you by the lady at the next table. She said she saw you having a good time and wanted to say hello."

We exchanged glances, secretly pleased. I stood up, picked up a glass of juice, walked to the next table, and said with a smile, "Thank you for the dessert, you're too kind."

The woman looked up, revealing a delicate face, and smiled gently: "You're welcome. I saw you two were having a great time chatting, so I couldn't resist getting to know you."

I sat down and introduced myself: "I'm Gu Mo, a designer. These are my friends: Xu Sisi, Xiaotiantian, and Lin Xiaoxia."

She nodded and said in a friendly tone, "I'm Fan Shuiguang, a jeweler. I overheard you discussing a collaboration earlier. Would it be convenient for us to chat a bit more?"

I was delighted; this was exactly what I wanted. So, we naturally started chatting, from design concepts to market trends, and the more we talked, the more compatible we became.

Halfway through the conversation, Fan Shuiguang suddenly said, "Ms. Gu, I'm currently preparing for a jewelry design competition. I wonder if you'd be interested in participating?"

I paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "Of course I'm interested! I wonder what the specific format will be?"

Fan Shuiguang took out a document from his bag and handed it to me: "This is the detailed description of the competition. You can take a look. I think your design style matches our theme very well. If we can collaborate, it will definitely be wonderful."

I took the materials, feeling a surge of excitement. I hadn't expected this chance encounter to lead to such a great opportunity. I nodded, my tone sincere: "Thank you for your kind words, Mr. Su. I will definitely prepare diligently."

The first meeting went very smoothly. She showed great interest in my design concept and even offered to invest in my new project.

We arranged to discuss the details of our collaboration at her office the following day. However, when I arrived at her office on time, I was told that she had something come up and could not meet with me.

"Ms. Gu, I'm so sorry, Mr. Su just received an urgent call and needs to handle some matters," her assistant said apologetically.

I nodded, feeling a little disappointed, but still politely replied, "It's okay, I'll come another day."

After leaving the company, I sent Fan Shuiguang a message asking if we could reschedule. However, a whole day passed and she didn't reply.

The next day, I decided to go to Fan Shuiguang's company again. This time, I arrived early and sat on the sofa in the lobby to wait. Not long after, I saw Fan Shuiguang come out of the elevator, accompanied by a strange man. The man was wearing a black suit, with a cold look in his eyes, and his demeanor exuded an unusual aura.

Fan Shuiguang's expression was somewhat serious, as if she were talking to the man in hushed tones. I wanted to go up and greet her, but seeing her expression, I hesitated. Just then, the man suddenly turned his head, gave me a cold look, and then quickly left the company with Fan Shuiguang.

I felt a vague unease; something just didn't feel right.

That afternoon, I finally received a call from Fan Shuiguang. Her tone was somewhat cold, completely unlike her previous enthusiasm: "Ms. Gu, I may need to reconsider the investment. The company is currently experiencing some financial difficulties and I'm afraid we can no longer support your project."

I was taken aback, feeling a little flustered: "President Su, is there a problem? We can talk again; perhaps there are other ways to cooperate."

She paused for a moment, then said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Ms. Gu, this is a company decision. I hope you can understand."

After hanging up the phone, I sat in my studio, my mind a complete mess. Everything had gone so well, why the sudden change of heart? Who was that stranger? What was his connection to Fan Shuiguang's decision to withdraw his investment?

I decided to discuss it with Xu Sisi and the others. After listening to my description, Xu Sisi frowned: "That man sounds suspicious. Could it be that he threatened Fan Shuiguang?"

Little Sweetie nodded: "Possibly. Fan Shuiguang was so interested in your project before, there must be a reason for his sudden withdrawal of investment."

Lin Xiaoxia suggested, "Why don't we investigate that man's background? Maybe we can find some clues."

The four of us split up. Xu Sisi was responsible for contacting her friends in the media circle, while Xiaotian and Lin Xiaoxia searched for relevant information online. As for me, I decided to go to Fan Shuiguang's company again to see if I could find out anything from her assistant.

The next day, I went to Fan Shuiguang's company again. This time, her assistant looked somewhat embarrassed when she saw me: "Ms. Gu, President Su is still not here today."

I smiled and said gently, "It's alright, I can wait. Or, could you tell me who the man who left with President Su that day was?"

The assistant hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "That's President Su's older brother, Su Ming. He recently returned from abroad and seems to have a significant influence on the company's decisions."

A thought struck me, and I pressed on, "Was President Su's decision to withdraw his investment also related to him?"

The assistant sighed, her tone tinged with helplessness: "I'm not too sure about that, but Mr. Su has indeed been under a lot of pressure lately. Ms. Gu, you'd better not ask anymore; Mr. Su is also caught in a difficult situation."

Through Xu Sisi's connections, we discovered Su Ming's background. He is the CEO of a multinational corporation, known for his ruthless methods and less-than-stellar reputation. Recently, he appears to be secretly acquiring Fan Shuiguang's company, attempting to gain control.

"No wonder Fan Shuiguang withdrew her investment; she was probably threatened by Su Ming," Xu Sisi analyzed.

I nodded, feeling conflicted. Fan Shuiguang wasn't a bad person; she was just forced into this situation. I decided to talk to her again to see if I could help her out of her predicament.

I dialed Fan Shuiguang's number and said sincerely, "President Su, I know you've been facing some difficulties lately. If you need help, we can work together to find a solution."

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone before Fan Shuiguang finally spoke, her voice choked with emotion: "Ms. Gu, thank you. But I really can't help it, my brother... he's in control of everything."

I took a deep breath and said firmly, "President Su, don't give up. We can work together to find a solution."

She was silent for a moment, then said softly, "Okay, let's talk in person."