Chapter 69

He Qingli almost called the police. She stared at Xu Chun with an indescribable expression, as if she wanted to bore holes straight through her.

But after He Qingli's little pep talk, Xu Chun was in a much better mood. After all, no one could resist being someone's one and only—especially when that someone was as lofty, accomplished, and untouchable as a deity.

So that was how it worked in yuri novels. Everyone chased true love this boldly and bluntly.

Failure was terrifying, sure. But the moment she thought about giving up and letting someone so captivating end up in a devoted, lovey-dovey relationship with someone else, Xu Chun's heart clenched with pain.

She steeled herself. To hell with it—whether it worked out in the end or not, she'd try and see.

Xu Chun let out a soft breath and patted He Qingli's shoulder, her face full of gratitude. “Thank you. You're a beautiful soul and a genuinely good person.”

He Qingli: “…” You can keep the good-person card, thanks.

Xu Chun quickly pulled herself together and threw herself into work. He Qingli stayed where she was, watching as the crew clustered around Xu Chun like stars around the moon. Even in the simplest, most threadbare rough-spun clothes, she carried an elegance all her own.

Her slightly messy black hair was casually pinned up, which only accentuated the gentleness of her aura. Her cheeks were thin now, but her features were refined, bright, and striking. Though she wore no makeup, her snow-white skin made her breathtaking at a glance, a beauty that captivated the soul and drew uncontrollable admiration.

The skin under her eyes had a faint grayish-blue tinge. Even with concealer, it was still somewhat visible. Her weary face, dull eyes, and slightly knitted brows made her look exactly like someone who’d pulled an all-nighter. Xu Chun couldn’t help but walk over. “You had insomnia last night, didn’t you? Something happened, and it’s about Fu Xin.”

In He Qingli’s eyes, Xu Chun was resilient and stubborn. Her whole being, especially those pitch-black eyes, radiated a vigorous life force and a sexual tension that was nearly impossible to resist.

Everyone around Xu Chun had lowered their voices now. Many crew members stole glances at her, wanting to look away but unable to, wanting to peek but afraid of being caught. Their shy expressions were, in themselves, the greatest affirmation of that face.

Looking up at Qin Yao, Xu Chun felt she was like a star high above, untouchable. But in the eyes of others, wasn’t she herself just as unattainable?

Others looked up at her in silence, just as she looked up at Qin Yao.

To those who liked and loved her, wasn't she the brightest star in their world?

He Qingli thought calmly: even if Qin Yao was formidable now, in the eyes of those who loved her, status, position, and the gap between them were no obstacle at all.

Xu Chun stopped fretting over the distance between herself and Qin Yao. In the days that followed, she looked at Qin Yao’s proud, cold, gorgeous face on her phone every day, with its aloof, unapproachable expression. Where that first day had left her dejected, every additional glance only hardened her resolve. I will make this person mine.

Because whether it was Qin Yao's looks, her bearing and temperament, or every other aspect of her, she had struck Xu Chun's heart with perfect precision.

Sometimes Xu Chun even turned it over in her mind: if she could succeed, she'd willingly give up twenty years of her life. What was a little lifespan? How could it compare to Qin Yao?

Qin Yao had no idea Xu Chun had secretly set her sights on her. Lately she'd been dressed to the nines every day, mingling with one tycoon after another. In a whirl of toasts and clinking glasses, she secured the partnerships she wanted and achieved the purpose of her trip.

After leaving the noisy venue, Qin Yao sank her tall, slender frame into the car seat. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, then asked slowly, her voice cool: “When's the flight back?”

Secretary Zhao bowed slightly. “In two hours.” Her voice softened. “Would you like to go back to the hotel first and change, or…”

“No need. Straight to the airport.” Qin Yao opened her eyes, her dark gaze shifting to Secretary Zhao. “Is the meeting with President Xu and the others today, China time?”

“Yes.” Secretary Zhao couldn't help glancing at Qin Yao through the rearview mirror. She knew Qin Yao had been running nonstop these days, with almost no time to rest. Though Qin Yao's face showed no fatigue, Secretary Zhao still gently suggested, “How about pushing back the meeting with them? Get some rest first, then—”

Qin Yao's expression didn't change. “No need. Just a meal; it won't take long.”

At that, Secretary Zhao stopped trying to persuade her. It was useless anyway. Qin Yao didn’t change her arrangements easily, especially when President Xu and his wife were involved.

The car fell silent again. The person in the back seat seemed to have fallen asleep; not a sound came from her. But when Secretary Zhao looked, she found Qin Yao's black hair still elegantly pinned up, her dark eyes fixed motionless on the laptop screen, reading intently.

Must be work emails again.

Even before Qin Group entered the public eye, Qin Yao had already been busy, personally reviewing every major matter across the company. Now that the business empire had expanded overseas, she was busier than ever, wishing she could stretch twenty-four hours into forty-eight.

Fortunately, Jiang Zhaolie could help handle some of the secondary matters.

Secretary Zhao let her mind wander for a bit. When the airport building gradually came into view, she perked up. Finally, they were going back. She quietly glanced at Qin Yao. President Qin must be missing Miss Xu terribly, right?

Otherwise, why would she have compressed a one-month timeline into half a month and wrapped everything up so efficiently?

Xu Chun only learned during a casual chat with Tang Shiyu that Qin Yao would be returning home today. Not only that, Qin Yao’s first stop after landing would be dinner with Xu Chun’s parents to discuss details related to “Tianyu.” Xu Chun was so envious she felt her soul leave her body. She wished she could fly over immediately and casually crash the dinner as if nothing were amiss.

Unfortunately, the mountain roads were remote and rugged, and she was still in the thick of filming. There was no way she could get away.

So she had no choice but to pin her hopes on Tang Shiyu. “Mom, when you see President Qin later, you have to look at her a couple extra times for me.” She said it with a perfectly serious expression. “I haven't seen her in so long.”

Tang Shiyu: “?” So long? It's only been a month, hasn't it?

Her brow twitched involuntarily. Tang Shiyu turned her down without hesitation. “If you want to see her, come yourself. All right, I’m hanging up. Your dad and I need to get going.”

With that, she mercilessly ended the call, leaving Xu Chun standing there dumbfounded, her heart sliced to ribbons.

On the way to meet Qin Yao, Tang Shiyu felt a little uneasy. She’d been keeping track of Qin Yao’s movements these past few days, so she knew Qin Yao’s current status was extraordinary. The invitation had come from Qin Yao herself, no less. Tang Shiyu felt flattered and secretly wondered what Qin Yao’s true intentions were.

Sure, they'd collaborated on a project and grown closer because of it, but it still seemed unnecessary for Qin Yao to carve time out of her packed schedule just to have a meal with her.

Qin Yao had just returned from abroad. What on her plate could be more important than this?

Besides, Qin Yao had been running herself ragged for a long time now; surely the most urgent thing was to adjust to the time difference and get a good night's rest, so she'd be in better form for work tomorrow.

Tang Shiyu quietly fretted on Qin Yao's behalf, and before she knew it, they'd arrived at the agreed hotel. She tugged at Xu Chun's father and reminded him, “Do you remember what your daughter said that day?”

“I remember.” Xu Chun's father nodded. How could he not? He wouldn't forget it even with one foot in the grave.

It was those words from their daughter that had set off a butterfly effect, pulling him out of a twisted friendship and putting him on the path to slowly rebuild the company alongside Tang Shiyu, giving them a future a hundred times brighter than before.

Though at the time, hearing those words had shaken him deeply.

“Whether what our daughter said that day was true or not, don’t make it too obvious in front of President Qin later.” Tang Shiyu was genuinely worried. The gap in status and position between Qin Yao and Xu Chun was vast, and even their ages differed. Sure, most people who made it big liked chasing after young girls, but in most cases it was just for fun.

Tang Shiyu didn't want Xu Chun's hopes to come to nothing. Even more, she didn't want to see her daughter sink into the mire and throw her whole life away.

Xu Chun’s father nodded. Whatever his wife said was what went. Tonight’s dinner would simply be treated as a business discussion. As for everything else, he’d never been one for schemes, and there wasn’t much he could say to Qin Yao anyway.

After briefing her husband, Tang Shiyu took a deep breath. For some inexplicable reason, in that moment she felt a strange echo of the time she'd followed her husband home to meet his parents all those years ago.

She gave a slight shake of her head, smoothed the extra emotion from her face and eyes, and stepped into the restaurant with forced composure.

The woman was tall and slender, still in her evening gown, with only a loose suit jacket draped over her shoulders. She wore no other fine accessories, yet she was radiant and dazzling, drawing every gaze the instant she appeared.

Tang Shiyu knew Qin Yao had beautiful features and an excellent figure, but in this moment she was still unavoidably struck by her beauty.

Unlike Xu Chun's delicate loveliness, Qin Yao's stunning looks carried an added maturity born of experience, along with the arresting presence of someone in power.

She was like a cold, lofty flower atop a high peak, captivating and dangerous.

Tang Shiyu stared, a little dazed, until her husband called out, “President Qin,” pulling her back to reality. Coming to her senses, Tang Shiyu finally understood why her daughter was so fixated on her.

If it were her, she wouldn't be able to resist the temptation either.

When Qin Yao looked over and addressed her respectfully as “Mrs. Xu,” Tang Shiyu nodded, a polite smile forming on her face as she took the seat a waiter attentively pulled out for her. She saw no trace of fatigue on Qin Yao’s face, but still offered a few courteous words of concern, “This is really too much trouble. You just got back, and we’ve made you come all this way.”

“Not at all, Mrs. Xu.” Qin Yao handed the menu to Tang Shiyu, her gaze moving between the two of them. “I happened to have something I wanted to discuss with Mrs. Xu and President Xu as well.”

Tang Shiyu took the menu from her hand, seized by an inexplicable premonition that whatever Qin Yao was about to say definitely had something to do with Xu Chun.

Sure enough, just as her eyes fell on the menu, she heard the woman speak slowly: “Xu Chun isn't engaged yet, is she?”

As Tang Shiyu's gaze snapped up, Qin Yao unhurriedly curved her red lips, with no trace of aggression, raising an innocent, faint smile. “What do you think of me?”

Tang Shiyu stared at Qin Yao in utter astonishment, unsure what she meant by that. Qin Yao, as if deliberately giving Tang Shiyu a chance to confirm she’d heard right, added considerately, “I’ve already prepared the betrothal gifts.” She took a folder from her briefcase and handed it gently to Tang Shiyu. “Take a look. This is the list I’ve drafted.”

Tang Shiyu and Xu Chun's father both stared at the thick folder, and their hearts skipped a beat in unison. The contents... at minimum, they'd be worth a hundred Xu families...

TL Note:

good-person card (好人卡) = internet slang for a polite romantic rejection; being given one means being friend-zoned.

so envious she felt her soul leave her body (羡慕到质壁分离) = online slang from the biology term for plasmolysis, meaning being so envious you feel like falling apart.

betrothal gifts (聘礼) = formal gifts presented by the groom's family in a Chinese marriage arrangement; here Qin Yao is effectively proposing marriage.