Su Li stood quietly, looking around the room. Her gaze swept slowly across every corner; everything appeared exactly as it did in her memory, unchanged.
A touch of emotion flickered in her eyes, as if time had frozen in this very moment.
She walked over to the painting hanging behind the bookcase. With practiced familiarity, she turned the incense burner placed nearby. Each twist followed a specific rhythm, as if responding to an ancient code. Then, she precisely pressed a small mechanism hidden beneath the intricate carvings on the third shelf of the bookcase. The device was so delicate that it would have been impossible to notice without careful observation.
As her finger pressed down, a low "hum" resonated through the room. The space behind the mural suddenly shifted, revealing a hidden chamber. Su Li’s expression remained calm; since she turned eighteen, her grandfather had brought her here many times. She walked into the secret room with composure, and the door closed behind her.
The chamber was not as dark as one might imagine. It was illuminated by night-pearls embedded in the walls—treasures usually seen only in ancient imperial palaces. They cast a soft, gentle light, devoid of any glare and free from the concerns of electricity, for the old estate had been built long before the house was wired. In this gentle glow, everything in the room was clearly visible.
Su Li walked steadily forward. This chamber had been built deep beneath Cangming Mountain. Its location was exceptionally well-concealed; from the outside, the mountain appeared entirely natural, showing no signs of what lay within. Inside, the chamber was designed as a labyrinthine network of passages, based on the ancient principles of the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams. Only the successive heads of the Su Family knew the secrets of which passage led where.
Su Li moved unhurriedly through one of the tunnels. After a while, she stopped, turned to face the wall, and focused. She began to count against the surface: three taps, then a precise press on a corner of a brick; then she counted back three and pressed another corner. Finally, she pressed the corners of two bricks simultaneously. With a soft "click," a door in the wall swung open. Su Li stepped inside and activated the internal mechanism, causing the door to seal shut so tightly that no trace of it remained in the passage outside.
The interior space was small but equally illuminated by the soft light of the night-pearls. Looking around, one could see ancient artifacts, exquisite wooden trunks with complex, vintage carvings, numerous modern safety deposit boxes, as well as unique masterpieces, famous paintings, and rare, out-of-print books. She opened several of the deposit boxes to find them filled with gold, silver, and jewelry, while others were packed with gold bars. A complex, heavy feeling washed over her. Looking at the wealth and treasures accumulated by her family over generations, she felt both the crushing weight of responsibility and a deep sense of reverence for her ancestors. She knew these were not merely material riches, but the legacy and glory of her family.
Su Li walked up to a deposit box on the desk, entered a code, and opened it. Inside were three items: a gold-leaf invitation, a handwritten letter from her grandfather, and an exquisitely crafted jewelry box.
She carefully opened the letter. In bold, powerful strokes, it read: "I, Su Ruifeng, the eighth head of the Su Family, hereby declare that upon my death, my granddaughter Su Li shall succeed me and inherit the position of head of the Su Family."
Seeing this, Su Li understood—this was one of the tokens confirming her legitimate succession. She stared at the calligraphy; every stroke felt like a heavy hammer against her heart, stirring memories of her grandfather’s love and guidance, which flashed through her mind like a film. She began to reflect on her past, despising herself for having nearly lost her way and abandoned her family duty for the sake of so-called love. How childish and foolish she had been.
Setting the letter aside, Su Li opened the gold-leaf invitation. It bore the names of all the previous heads of the Su Family, and now, her own name was inscribed among them. She realized this was the second token. Seeing her name alongside those of her ancestors filled her with both pride and a trace of tension. She understood that from this moment on, she carried the fate of the entire family.
Finally, she looked at the jewelry box. Its fine material and intricate carving spoke of its exceptional quality. Inside lay a ring. It looked quite ordinary, made of something resembling a modern alloy. However, Su Li knew that this ring was forged from thousand-year-old Dark Iron. It was engraved with vintage patterns of breathtaking craftsmanship. The ring was not unfamiliar; she had seen it since childhood, as it was the one her grandfather always wore—one of the most critical tokens of the family head.
Su Li took it out and tried it on her right index finger. It didn't fit perfectly at first, being slightly too large. Just as she was about to take it off, she discovered that the ring could adjust to the thickness of her finger. Once adjusted, it felt perfectly comfortable. One could only marvel at the craftsmanship left behind by their ancestors.
Looking at the Dark Iron Ring on her finger, Su Li whispered to herself, "Grandfather, today I wear this ring, signifying that I have accepted the position of family head. Rest assured, this time, I will protect the Su Family."
Su Li thought for a moment, then returned the other two tokens to the safe. After securing it, she activated the mechanism and exited the chamber.
In truth, this was not the only such secret chamber. The Su Family had touched upon countless industries over the years, and the efforts of previous heads had built a truly solid foundation for their descendants.
Su Li thought of her past life and felt like a fool. For the sake of some ridiculous love, she had discarded such a massive legacy. If she had accepted the position back then, Ji Qinchuan and that tramp would never have been able to scheme against her so easily.
They were just too impatient. If Ji Qinchuan had kept up the act for a few more years, once her unborn child was safely born, the maternal Su Li would have certainly made new plans for the sake of the child. But they were too eager. They naively thought that Su Li was just a pampered heiress. They believed that if she died in an accident, it would be a devastating blow to Father Su, who had lost his only daughter. Then, they could have conspired with her stepmother to do something to the grieving Father Su, and no one would have been the wiser. The Su Group would have been theirs. Even if they couldn't truly control it, they could have bought time to siphon off plenty of money.
*Heh.* What a pipe dream. They had all severely underestimated the Su Family; they had no idea just how deep the family’s roots went. Even if Father Su had been unable to recover from the grief of losing his daughter, the family elders would never have sat idly by. One could only imagine what would have happened once the Su Family took action; no matter how clever the scoundrel’s plans were, he was destined for total ruin.
The corners of Su Li’s mouth curled up, and a bloodthirsty smile appeared on her beautiful, seductive face.
"This time, I don't need anyone else to do it. I will settle the score with you two wretches myself. The game has only just begun."
Leaving the secret chamber, Su Li did not linger in the study and walked straight out.