Chapter 75

Yan Qingqiu still couldn't believe it. How could this task be so twisted?

Was the second level really this hard? It was like they weren't leaving her any room to survive.

Sitting on Song Qingre's lap, Yan Qingqiu felt uncomfortable in every way and couldn't help complaining, "Really? Did you read it right? Maybe you misunderstood."

"I'm not sure either." Song Qingre didn't directly confirm. She glanced at the top of Yan Qingqiu's head. "There might be a mistake, but my guess is it's mostly about marriage, having kids, that sort of thing. Isn't that how happy endings always go? They never stray far from the core."

The two protagonists getting married is the happiest ending; that route had to be taken.

Admiration surfaced in Yan Qingqiu's eyes. She genuinely thought Song Qingre was amazing. Without her having to explain much, Song Qingre had already processed the whole thing about the words above Yan Qingqiu's head on her own.

If it were her, and one day she suddenly saw words above someone's head—something like "task"—and realized that person was here in this world to complete some mission, having never seen such a phenomenon before, she'd be startled and stare at it constantly.

She'd spend at least three days and nights unable to get over it, then another three days and nights convincing herself it was some optical illusion, that her eyesight had failed her that day. If the words stayed above the other person's head the whole time, she'd just have to endure it, keep enduring, and think there was something wrong with herself.

Yan Qingqiu pinched Song Qingre's cheek with her fingers and said from the heart, "You're really so smart." Without needing Yan Qingqiu to rack her brains explaining, Song Qingre could figure it out herself and even help her get through the tasks.

Song Qingre almost laughed at the compliment. Yan Qingqiu's fingers landed on the corner of her mouth and gently pushed upward, turning her into an enormous smiling face.

"Have I ever told you you're super beautiful?" Yan Qingqiu said.

Song Qingre nodded, confident in her appearance.

"It's just that underneath these looks, I might not be so beautiful."

"But... I'm used to it now. I've fallen in love with the darkness beneath your skin. When I enter, I won't turn on any lights; I'll just quietly sleep in the dark." After saying that, Yan Qingqiu moved herself to tears. "I'm a love girl."

"Your English is pretty good, Qiuqiu," Song Qingre said.

"You flatter me, you flatter me. I really am such a sweet-talker." Yan Qingqiu wanted to brag, but she had barely passed CET-6 back then, and without studying much since, she'd already returned all that knowledge.

She added, "I mean it, every word I just said."

The atmosphere grew tender. Yan Qingqiu lowered her head, touching her nose to Song Qingre's.

They were so close, and then she lightly brushed her lips against Song Qingre's, her cheeks flushing slightly, feeling a bit shy.

Yan Qingqiu pulled back just a little, pressing her cheek against Song Qingre's. Song Qingre's fingers landed on the back of her neck, reaching out to touch her gland.

Yan Qingqiu's breath quickened. She turned away, dodging once or twice. Song Qingre tilted her head to kiss the corner of her lips.

"Is your gland fully healed?" Song Qingre asked.

Yan Qingqiu's eyes were shut, her lashes fluttering slightly. She was getting aroused, her breathing heavier. "Don't touch it randomly... it tickles."

"Where does it tickle?" Song Qingre asked.

The atmosphere turned subtle.

Yan Qingqiu didn't clarify. She looked at Song Qingre's lips and asked, "Are you going to scratch the itch for me?"

Song Qingre smiled. She leaned sideways, opened the bedside table drawer, and took out a small box. The two words written on it made Yan Qingqiu's eyes widen. Yan Qingqiu asked, "Didn't we just move here? How did you even prepare this?"

"Of course. This is a necessity. I had to make sure everything was well-stocked." Song Qingre held the box and looked at her.

Yan Qingqiu's face flushed at her words. She was too embarrassed to look at her. The newly hired maid outside was bustling around, tidying things up and making quite a bit of noise.

Yan Qingqiu stared for a while and decided she'd better stay on the proper side. She didn't dare be wild. Sitting on Song Qingre's lap, she gave her another kiss on the lips. "No need for that. I'll be fine in a bit."

She was shy. She sat up a little, then stood.

Song Qingre pinched her ear and kissed her chin.

The sound of breathing fell into her ear. Yan Qingqiu had always had thin skin, and Song Qingre's words made her even more embarrassed. She turned her head and bit Song Qingre's ear.

"That hurts a bit... ow..." Song Qingre held her waist, settling her back on her lap. Yan Qingqiu breathed softly, warm air sliding across her neck as she leaned against her, feeling the warmth.

They fooled around like that for a good while.

It happened to be a coincidence when they went out—Ye Sichun and Luo Xi had arrived. After coming in, Ye Sichun looked around, her gaze sweeping through the house.

She praised the villa's decor as quite nice.

Luo Xi was curious. "It's your first time here too?"

Ye Sichun explained, "I didn't know her that early. She was in college then and stayed at school, not coming back often. Her place wasn't really lived in, so no one kept up with it. Later, she went abroad and the house fell completely into disuse."

"Mine's a bit smaller than this." Luo Xi had met Song Qingre during their school days, and after she had a falling out with Yan Qingqiu, she often came here to wait for her.

But she only knew about Yan Qingqiu's big house. She'd never noticed the neighbor, and didn't know Song Qingre's home was so spacious either.

Luo Xi said, "A few days ago, I heard from my dad that Song Qingre seems to be pretty well-off abroad, and her father's assets are all overseas."

"Well, your dad got half of that right. Song Qingre also makes her own money; she doesn't rely entirely on what her parents left her. I just can't figure out how she invests. I asked her before, but she didn't say." Ye Sichun then cautioned her, "Don't spread this around. Be careful, or she won't let you call her sister."

"Got it." Her dad always said wealth shouldn't be flaunted. Luo Xi nodded. She was different from before now; she used to hang around with bad company all day, but these days she played with Chun Chun and had cut off all those fake friends.

She felt her days were fulfilling, and she was happy every day. Her dad even said she hadn't cried recently, like she'd finally seen the sun.

Recently, she was also planning to find something to do, something real.

The two hadn't come empty-handed; they brought some gifts, originally thinking about giving them furniture and appliances, but once inside, they saw everything was already there.

Seeing this, they had to praise Song Qingre for being so thoughtful.

After some polite small talk, Su Xingjie also came downstairs.

Song Qingre turned on the TV as background noise, and they listened quietly.

Luo Xi asked, "I saw a car at the entrance just now, parked right in the middle of the road. Whose car is that?"

Yan Qingqiu said, "Fu Sang's."

"What?" Just hearing the name made Luo Xi's anger flare up, even more than Yan Qingqiu's. "Seriously, how thick-skinned is she? This is the first time I've met someone like her."

She thought her own past obsession with Fu Ye was shameless, but Fu Sang was on another level, showing up right here. Luo Xi asked directly, "What's she doing? Did she pay you back for the car? Did she come to kneel and beg for forgiveness?"

Dirty laundry shouldn't be aired in public. Yan Qingqiu didn't want to tell outsiders about the real-or-fake Miss Yan situation. She said, "She's got her eye on Fu Ye and came over specially to ask us to help make it happen."

"... She's addicted to being a substitute? Damn, so cheap."

Su Xingjie said, "Let her be. None of you go mock her. Let her marry Fu Ye. Trash guy and trash girl, a match made in heaven. Best if they stay together."

"It's freezing out, minus ten degrees, and she's still waiting outside. What determination. Heaven must be moved by her." Luo Xi commented, then glanced at Su Xingjie, feeling pleased. In the past, Su Xingjie never responded to her. Luo Xi was prideful too, but if she could get on good terms with Su Xingjie, she'd be the fashion guru of their circle—others could only dream of such connections. Who'd have thought she'd ever sit down and have a pleasant chat with Yan Qingqiu? Amazing.

She cursed at Fu Sang for a good while, and the others listening felt quite satisfied.

Luo Xi turned her head and saw the bracelet on Yan Qingqiu's wrist that she had given her, thinking to herself, they counted as friends now, didn't they?

The maids and butler Song Qingre had hired had all arrived, and she went to assign tasks. The artist's home was aesthetically pleasing in its design, and Ye Sichun was curious about it, so she took Luo Xi for a stroll around the villa.

Reaching the second floor, Luo Xi picked up a monocular telescope.

She twisted the focus wheel and looked outside.

Ye Sichun rested her chin on her hand, watching alongside her.

Luo Xi had originally wanted to look at the flowers and take a photo to show off on her social feed, but she kept seeing that car outside, and couldn't help but curse at it, a stream of endless abuse.

She was cursing so enthusiastically, and Ye Sichun didn't stop her, to the point where Luo Xi felt embarrassed herself.

"Don't you find it annoying?" Luo Xi asked.

Ye Sichun smiled. "It's fine. I knew you weren't a great person when I met you anyway."

Luo Xi felt something was off about that statement, but also felt teased by it. "Then you still had a secret crush on me?"

"Huh?" Ye Sichun looked at her in confusion.

Luo Xi felt her tongue burn the moment she said it, and quickly shook her head. "Nothing."

She picked up the telescope to keep looking. After checking Fu Sang, she looked downstairs and saw Yan Qingqiu holding a broom, helping sweep the snow in the yard. Song Qingre was saying something to her, and the two of them had lips slightly curved in smiles, faces brimming with joy. Even Luo Xi was stunned. "I always feel like I've looked at them through a telescope before."

"Why would you look at them?" Ye Sichun asked. "Peeping?"

"Not me watching—those two were shameless, fooling around right at my doorstep." Luo Xi argued, feeling more and more like it had happened. "I watched for a long time back then. It seemed to be at Yan Qingqiu's place, the new house her dad gave her. They were so brazen, doing it in the car and even right at the entrance."

Luo Xi still felt something was off. Why, then, when Yan Qingqiu asked her last time, did she remember nothing?

She found it strange but couldn't explain why. Could it be that she drank too much and forgot what happened moments later?

"You think I should go apologize? Maybe that jellyfish play last time really was me spouting nonsense online and embarrassing them. When she came to ask about it, I said it wasn't me. No wonder she couldn't stand me." Luo Xi asked. This was ages ago—back then she'd run into Yan Qingqiu driving around her neighborhood, and later she saw Yan Qingqiu and Song Qingre messing around at the door. But the next day, somehow she didn't remember any of it.

Luo Xi thought back. "I must have blacked out from drinking that day. That's why I didn't remember and didn't admit it."

"You can't be sure it was you anyway. Just bring it up tactfully, don't be too blunt. After all... they play pretty wild, even going that far." Ye Sichun remarked, then added, "You should drink less from now on."

Luo Xi hummed in agreement. Seeing the two downstairs part ways, she looked at the car below and yelled, "How shameless, refusing to leave. But watching you freeze in the cold wind does my heart good. Evil has its own retribution, you big idiot, blooming fruit under the tree."

After cursing, she went downstairs and messaged her best friend about Ye Sichun's comment—that she knew what kind of person Luo Xi was when they met. What did that mean? Her best friend interpreted it for her: "She likes you no matter what you're like. She'd love it if you stayed mean to her forever. She loves you, girl. She's jealous."

Luo Xi said she only knew they were going to have barbecue later.

Best friend: "Sizzle sizzle, she's gonna eat you up, sleep with you, obsessed with your body."

This—this was way too exaggerated!

Her best friend was talking nonsense, right? But why did it feel so plausible to her?

Luo Xi saw Yan Qingqiu and, after hesitating for a moment, walked over to her. Yan Qingqiu was helping wash cups. Noticing her, she glanced over.

Luo Xi slowly walked over, picked up a cup, and washed one alongside her before speaking. "About that thing last time... I'm sorry."

Yan Qingqiu raised an eyebrow. Wasn't it snowing today? How was the sun rising from the west?

Luo Xi said, "If you don't remember, never mind."

"Hold on, I'm just wondering which apology you're giving. There are quite a few things you should apologize for." Yan Qingqiu said seriously.

Luo Xi got a bit annoyed and ground her teeth. "It's about the jellyfish thing. I just remembered I did post something online, but I forgot about it afterward. Maybe I was drunk. When you came to confront me the next day, I'd forgotten, so I didn't admit it. It wasn't intentional lying."

Yan Qingqiu stared at her in shock. She turned off the tap, quickly put all the cups away, and pressed a finger to her lips. "Don't tell me things like that from now on. Go tell your sister instead."

"Why?" Luo Xi didn't understand.

"It's just..." How to put it? She couldn't exactly say, "Because I'm afraid your memory will get wiped again," could she?

Luo Xi's memory had been tampered with back then, and now she'd actually remembered it.

Yan Qingqiu was racking her brains for an explanation when Luo Xi suddenly looked enlightened. "Oh~ I get it."

"What do you get?"

Luo Xi laughed. "In this house, you don't have the final say. My sister runs the place. You're whipped."

She clicked her tongue twice. "Who would've thought, Yan Qingqiu, you're that type. Well... hahaha."

"..."

Yan Qingqiu pressed her lips together, wanting badly to ask what Luo Xi scored on her IQ test. She patted Luo Xi's shoulder. "I'm doing this for your own good. One day, you'll thank me."

"You're afraid I'll end up whipped? That won't happen." Luo Xi said with certainty. Ye Sichun liked her so much that she asked Luo Xi's opinion on everything. She'd hold up her phone and ask, Luo Xi, can I delete this friend of yours? Luo Xi, skip the party tomorrow and come play at my place. Luo Xi, want me to make you a spiral bun? Luo Xi, that white coat of yours is really nice—can you wear it again tomorrow?

She asked for input on everything, treating her as an equal. There was no way she'd ever end up whipped.

Luo Xi kept laughing. Yan Qingqiu didn't want to deal with her. She went to grab a paper towel to dry her hands while Luo Xi, in a loud voice, giggled and ran off to tell Song Qingre something.

Yan Qingqiu stepped back, her eyes fixed on the two of them. Song Qingre listened for a moment, nodded silently, and finally smiled.

Yan Qingqiu worried Luo Xi was spreading rumors, so she shot her a look, signaling her to rein it in, or else she'd go spread nonsense to Ye Sichun too.

Luo Xi laughed and sat down to one side, messaging her best friend while Ye Sichun sat beside her watching.

Yan Qingqiu didn't have the nerve to ask Song Qingre what Luo Xi had said, but Song Qingre leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Your dream is to be whipped."

"!!!" She knew it—Luo Xi loved spreading rumors about her.

Just as Yan Qingqiu was about to blow up, Su Xingjie came over. Su Xingjie had just finished a phone call in the side hall. "I found Qiang Wei."

"Where'd she go?" Yan Qingqiu asked. "Is she okay?"

"Her secretary said she's fine. She's coming to the office tomorrow, and I plan to talk to her. Qiubao, come with me." Su Xingjie said.

Yan Qingqiu nodded. Sure, that worked.

"Want to invite her over to hang out?"

"No. Even if we did, she probably wouldn't come."

The grill net was set up, the table laid out with ingredients, and just as they were about to eat, You Liyin arrived with her girlfriend.

You Liyin also brought gifts. Everyone sat down to eat together. The house was warm, and their faces were all flushed.

The newly hired chef had also cooked steaks. Yan Qingqiu thought they tasted pretty good, so she packed a few pieces, added some barbecue, and paired it with a serving of rice, planning to take it to Yan Fu.

Song Qingre didn't stop her. Yan Qingqiu put on a cloak and went outside.

The snow had fallen thick outside, each step leaving a footprint. Yan Qingqiu waited for the butler to come out, then handed him the box in her hands. She sniffled—coming out of the warm house into the cold wind was freezing.

The butler said, "The master isn't coming home today."

The butler brushed the snow off her shoulder and asked why she hadn't brought an umbrella. Then, thinking about it, he added, "The butler Miss Song hired isn't up to par. Not attentive enough."

Yan Qingqiu smiled. She felt there was no butler in the world as thoughtful as Dong Shu, but she was a bit sorry he couldn't come over. She said, "Since Dad isn't coming back, you should have dinner with Junjun and the others. It's actually pretty good."

The butler acknowledged with a yes. Yan Qingqiu waved goodbye to him and went back to Song Qingre's place. Song Qingre letting her move in definitely meant she had something up her sleeve. Others might not see the intricacies and think Song Qingre was just taking the chance to come home, but Yan Qingqiu understood clearly: Song Qingre usually protected her and wouldn't easily give up her position to Fu Sang. Not tearing into Fu Sang directly and instead telling her to move meant she was planning something. Thinking about it, they still had chemistry, able to start understanding what the other was doing.

Fu Sang, on the other hand, couldn't make sense of it. She watched the butler close the door and asked, "He's not coming back today? Why not?"

The butler said, "It's busy at year-end, and he has dinner plans with the Fu family, so he might not have time to come home."

The butler had always been mild-tempered and meticulous, but after just receiving the food box Yan Qingqiu delivered, he grew increasingly displeased with Fu Sang and went cold with her. "You should come back tomorrow instead."

So, she'd waited all day for nothing. Yan Qingqiu had happily eaten lunch and dinner, and she herself had been waiting here all day.

Fu Sang still felt Yan Fu wasn't busy—he was dodging her, not letting her set foot in the house.

Yan Qingqiu ate barbecue while Fu Sang, starving with stiff fingers, messaged her lawyer.

She reported staying at a hotel tonight.

The lawyer was baffled. Hadn't she said she had a trump card and planned to stay at the Yan residence?

·

Everyone was pleased with the gathering, and they stayed late before leaving. Yan Qingqiu walked them out with her hands in her pockets.

After the meal, she helped clean up the table, humming a tune. She wasn't upset about moving at all.

That night, Yan Qingqiu first went to Song Qingre's room. Even though she had her own separate room, she was used to sleeping with Song Qingre.

"Have you figured it out?" Yan Qingqiu sat on the edge of the bed, asking Song Qingre, who had already gotten under the covers. "Any plans to deal with it?"

Song Qingre said, "We'll have to think it through slowly. Need to be thorough."

Yan Qingqiu lay on the bed, but after a moment, propped herself up and sat again. "When is your heat?"

Song Qingre thought for a moment. "Not sure. Why?"

"Are you dumb? The prompt just says 'alpha,' not a specific alpha. Listen..." Yan Qingqiu crooked her finger, and when Song Qingre leaned in, she whispered, "Before, it was always specified—like 'punch your ex's head crooked' or 'kiss your first love until she can't breathe.'"

"Oh... I see." Song Qingre figured this was her first time setting a task, so she had no experience.

Yan Qingqiu asked, "Why are you so surprised?"

"So I was the first love all along?" Song Qingre said.

Yan Qingqiu sighed. Song Qingre's memory was really good. How long ago was that? She still remembered the first love, and that Atong, she probably remembered that too. But Yan Qingqiu had made a new discovery: little things that couldn't be mentioned before could now be brought up. Her intuition told her it was related to Luo Xi remembering things today. The System must have been somewhat broken by their messing around.

She hoped Luo Xi would still remember tomorrow.

Yan Qingqiu lay on the bed on her stomach. "So, are you gonna do it or not?"

"Right now?" Song Qingre propped herself up, chin resting on her hand.

"No, don't play dumb. I'm not sleeping with you tonight. I'm going to sleep at Xingxing's place. I'm worried she might be scared."

"Then I'll come too," Song Qingre said.

"What for?"

"I'm worried you might be scared."

"..."

Yan Qingqiu pushed her. "Have you thought about that task? Don't mess around."

"Not yet." Song Qingre's voice was soft.

Yan Qingqiu was anxious. "Hey, think about it seriously. That task is coming fast. When the time comes, if I don't complete it within the limit, I'll die."

Song Qingre said, "I'll help you get it done. Don't worry."

Song Qingre looked very confident, but her words said she hadn't thought it through.

Yan Qingqiu threw back the covers, ready to get out of bed. Song Qingre lay back down and said, "What can I do? The moment you leave, my head goes empty. I feel like I can't remember anything at all."

"How can you be like this?" Yan Qingqiu looked at her helplessly.

Song Qingre closed her eyes. Yan Qingqiu sat for a minute, then lay back down, muttering to herself that she was glad she hadn't told Su Xingjie ahead of time, or canceling on her would be so awkward. Song Qingre said matter-of-factly, "Because I'm scared too."

Yan Qingqiu held up her phone to message Su Xingjie, asking if she was scared. Su Xingjie said she wasn't. Song Qingre pressed over her directly, her voice landing in Yan Qingqiu's ear. "You can only sleep with me."

Yan Qingqiu felt she had misunderstood.

This woman had a strong possessiveness. It's just that her circle was big enough to let Yan Qingqiu run around in, but if she ran out of it, that wouldn't fly.

Song Qingre kissed her gland. "Pick a time to go to the hospital for a checkup."

"What checkup?" Yan Qingqiu asked.

Song Qingre said seriously, "To see if your gland is fully healed, and when my heat will come. I want to break the fast."

Every day just scratching the itch wasn't satisfying. Yan Qingqiu nodded. She felt it would be hard to run around anymore; she'd been fenced in.

I really... never learn my lesson.

··

The next day, Yan Qingqiu's body was numb from being pressed under.

The snow outside was even thicker than yesterday, and the temperature hadn't risen at all.

Yan Qingqiu stood on the balcony with her toothbrush, brushing her teeth. Because it was cold, the moment she set her cup on the railing, it froze right onto it.

She looked down. Fu Sang was there again early in the morning.

"Tsk, tsk. If Fu Sang had stubbornly stayed last night, she'd probably have frozen to death."

"She can't die yet. I'm waiting for her to do me a favor." Song Qingre stood beside her, saying softly, draping a coat over her and smoothing down her messy hair.

"What favor?" Yan Qingqiu asked her.

Song Qingre didn't answer. She glanced at her cup. "Brush your teeth first. Your cup's about to freeze over soon."

The wind kept blowing outside, and Yan Qingqiu didn't stay out long—her face was chilled. The warm water had turned to ice water. She went inside to brush her teeth, while Song Qingre stayed on the balcony.

Fu Sang looked up at Song Qingre, and Song Qingre looked down at her.

Fu Sang couldn't help but wonder, what was this woman planning?

Would she try to stop her?

She'd thought all night—had Song Qingre moved out too fast?

Was Song Qingre deliberately making her think the move was too fast?

Fu Sang's head spun from overthinking.

Yan Fu returned, saw her car, ignored her, and drove straight past.

Fu Sang honked her horn several times in succession. Yan Fu's car stopped. He frowned at her and asked, "Why are you still here?"

Just as Fu Sang was about to say something, Yan Fu cut her off with a single sentence. "No place to go? Want me to help pay off your debts?"

Fu Sang's face paled. She hadn't considered that option—why else would she have come back?

But Yan Fu clearly wasn't letting her through the door now.

Fu Sang was determined to get through that door. She didn't believe Yan Fu would really refuse to help her pay back the money. Once she got inside and had a position, she'd return to her old track eventually. The female lead had privileges. Besides, the anger alone would kill Yan Qingqiu.

And if she kept drifting outside, she could be taken out by Song Qingre at any moment.

Yan Fu didn't intend to talk more with her. He drove the car into the courtyard, and Fu Sang quickly followed, squeezing in behind him.

She refused to believe Yan Fu would kick her out. She'd fought with him plenty of times before, and more than once he'd told her to get lost, but in the end, she stayed and he was the one who stormed off.

This time, though, Yan Fu didn't drive her away. He went inside and drank a cup of hot tea, looking like he was willing to talk.

Fu Sang sat down. Without Yan Qingqiu and the others causing trouble today, they should be able to talk properly.

Yan Fu said, "I went out and checked your information yesterday. You owe the Fu family three hundred million. I can't pay that off for you, and I don't have that kind of money to waste on your mess."

Yan Fu had indeed met someone from the Fu family yesterday. They'd treated him to a meal, and he'd been blunt. "If you want to come back, you can. Pay off your outside debts first. I won't pay them for you, and I can't afford the shame. I don't want to acknowledge you as my daughter and have people saying you're drowning in debt. I've thought it over now. If you obey, you're still my daughter. If you don't, then so be it—I'll pretend I have only one daughter, and whether you live or die, it has nothing to do with me."

Fu Sang tried to argue further, but Yan Fu's tone grew heavy: "From now on, you'll listen to me. No more running wild. You'll come work at the company and help out. No more modeling—you've already made enough of a spectacle of yourself. Everyone's laughing at you. I hope when I leave the family fortune to you two, you won't drag my name through the mud."

That hook landed hard enough to knock her senseless.

The Yan family's market value was nothing to sneeze at now—major capital. For a starving fish like Fu Sang, this was a fat, juicy bait.

As a businessman, Yan Fu knew how to paint a grand picture. Fu Sang wanted to rail at his favoritism—how Yan Qingqiu was free to go be a model with Su Xingjie—but Yan Fu knocked her down with one blow, saying he could give her the family business. Compared to modeling, running a company naturally paid better. She wasn't interested in modeling anyway; she'd only done it to get close to Su Xingjie.

"If you can do all that, I'll agree to let you come back."

Fu Sang was tempted. Her earlier scheme with Fu Ye had been to take over the company, but Song Qingre had cornered her, forcing her to stop. She asked, "What will I do at the company?"

"You'll start by following me. I don't trust you yet." Yan Fu looked at her. "Don't negotiate with me. This isn't up for discussion. Before, you had Fu Ye invest in the company and nearly screwed us over. Now... those three hundred million, you figure out how to handle it yourself. If you can't clear it, don't come back."

Yan Fu sipped his tea, not forgetting the big picture. "Get yourself cleaned up. Tomorrow, I'll take you to the Fu family to discuss the marriage. Keep your temper in check. Maybe those three hundred million from the Fu family will end up as a gift for you."

··

After eating at home, Yan Qingqiu accompanied Su Xingjie into the company. Su Xingjie had originally wanted her company, but at the entrance, she told Yan Qingqiu to wait in her office.

"By the way, after I finish talking with her, we'll all go downstairs for coffee together." Su Xingjie said.

"Us and Qiang Wei?" Yan Qingqiu asked.

Su Xingjie nodded, and Yan Qingqiu immediately understood what she meant. If they grabbed coffee together, it would look to outsiders like they were all friends, and later, Su Xingjie and Qiang Wei could interact without leaving room for gossip.

"Xingxing, you're so gentle." Yan Qingqiu patted her shoulder. No wonder Qiang Wei liked her, swooning over her like that.

Yan Qingqiu was a bit uneasy, watching her go in and standing at the door for a moment.

Qiang Wei was already waiting inside. Yesterday, the secretary had given her a rough rundown: Qiang Wei had left on her own, no harm done. For the past few days, the secretary had been sending emails to her inbox, saying the company was swamped at year-end and they really couldn't spare her, hoping she'd come back to help.

Qiang Wei hadn't replied. Two days ago, the secretary got clever and said Su Xingjie was overwhelmed and something had happened. Qiang Wei responded to the email that very night.

Su Xingjie entered the office, found it too hot, took off her coat and draped it over the chair, then turned on her computer.

Her fingers landed on the keyboard, the sound of typing barely a whisper.

Qiang Wei wore a taro-purple down jacket, head hung low, looking thinner than before.

Su Xingjie typed for a bit. She had no real work today, just typed out a line of random characters. She leaned back, chair slowly turning in a circle. "You can just pretend nothing happened."

Qiang Wei stood rooted to the spot, her shadow stretched long by the dim light. Her fingers clenched tightly, and she said not a word.

Su Xingjie's gaze settled on her. Qiang Wei probably hadn't been living well these past few days—her complexion was poor. Su Xingjie said, "We won't bring this up again. If you're willing to throw away your career over this, you can pretend everything's happened and leave."

Qiang Wei still didn't speak.

Su Xingjie said, "The impression I have of you is still someone who knows what's important, works hard, and learns quickly."

Qiang Wei felt happy inside, thinking she was different from others.

But her mouth felt sealed shut, she didn't know what to say. She'd walked for days and thought for days, yet hadn't come up with a single sentence.

If Su Xingjie knew what she was thinking, she'd regret saying all that. When Su Xingjie had entered earlier and dared to take off her coat in front of her, Qiang Wei thought Su Xingjie was truly captivating.

She hadn't learned her lesson at all.

Su Xingjie could be open and confident, but Qiang Wei couldn't even lift her head in shame.

Su Xingjie said, "I'll give you three months off. Go rest. Consider what happened before as never happening. You don't need to worry about others' judgment—Fu Sang is completely gone from the company now. And you haven't crossed my bottom line yet. If you want to keep working, nod."

Before coming, the secretary had told Qiang Wei that the director wasn't all that angry, that she'd been sending people to look for her, and that she shouldn't take the past too seriously—Su Xingjie valued her very much.

Qiang Wei nodded.

Su Xingjie's tone turned icy, back to her usual work demeanor. She didn't seem concerned at all. She wrote out a leave slip for Qiang Wei, as if she'd completely forgotten their prior chat history.

Qiang Wei hesitated for a moment, then looked up with reddened eyes.

"We'll grab coffee downstairs later." Su Xingjie put her coat back on—a black coat, the latest design from the company after Qiang Wei had left.

Leaving the office, Su Xingjie told her assistant to clean up the office, and that unless something important came up, she wasn't to be disturbed—she was off today.

The assistant nodded, watching the two leave together.

Qiang Wei followed behind Su Xingjie, step by step. Qiang Wei might have been a bit taller than Su Xingjie, but Su Xingjie's presence was overwhelming. Her reflection flickered across the white tiles on both sides as she said, "Being forcibly pulled out of your shell hurts, but you can always crawl back in. Just endure it a little longer."

Qiang Wei hummed. She was experiencing the pain of healing.

Su Xingjie knocked on the door beside her. Yan Qingqiu came out, greeted Qiang Wei, then linked arms with Su Xingjie, saying, "Where are we going for coffee? My treat. Song Qingre said she has some questions about Fu Sang she wanted to ask Qiang Wei."

"That coffee shop just outside the company," Su Xingjie said. Being in the company felt too deliberate; outside was better. Company people frequented the place too, and if someone saw them, word would spread naturally—better than deliberately having coffee in the office for show.

They headed to the café downstairs together. On the way, Song Qingre had already started asking, "Did Fu Sang suddenly start talking to you like that?"

"Mm... It was when the company started promoting her. When she got big." Qiang Wei said.

"She kept threatening you?" Song Qingre asked. "Didn't you find her strange?"

"I did. But it also seemed normal. In the modeling industry, a lot of people are close, and when one gets famous, it's normal for them to stop talking to the other."

"Still, she changed pretty suddenly. I asked her about it, and she said she felt dizzy and in a bad mood. Later, she got more and more irritable, and she'd yell at me for caring too much." Qiang Wei's voice was low.

Song Qingre hummed. Someone walked by, and she waited for everyone to get into the elevator before pressing the ground floor. It was a bit crowded.

Song Qingre stepped back and asked, "Do you think Fu Sang is weird enough to have mental problems?"

"Huh?" Qiang Wei didn't quite follow. She thought Song Qingre was helping ease the awkwardness between her and Su Xingjie, so she said, "Yeah, a bit."

The elevator stopped on the ground floor, and they left the company for the café next door.

Four coffees were ordered, white steam curling up from the porcelain cup rims as they sipped unhurriedly. Song Qingre held her fine spoon, asking now and then.

Qiang Wei spoke little; she answered when asked.

Indeed, some company people were there. Everyone glanced at them, curious to see them chatting and laughing.

Until an uninvited guest appeared.

Fu Sang showed up at the café entrance with startling speed. Qiang Wei was facing the door, and the two locked eyes.

Fu Sang looked angrier seeing Qiang Wei than seeing Yan Qingqiu. Qiang Wei lowered her gaze, gripping her coffee and refusing to look at her.

Su Xingjie noticed someone had arrived, turned to glance, frowned, and turned back.

Song Qingre held her coffee cup, her tone lazy. "Here comes the troublemaker again."

"Figures. How dare she let Qiang Wei and Xingxing interact?" Yan Qingqiu felt Fu Sang's possessiveness over Xingxing had crossed all bounds. It was like a cleanliness obsession, but a very targeted one. Whoever liked Su Xingjie, she'd jump out to wipe that relationship clean.

Was she that homophobic?

Fu Sang glared at Qiang Wei. Qiang Wei was afraid of her, so used to it that she just sat there drinking coffee without a word. Fu Sang wanted her gone, displeased by her presence. She strode over and, with no sense of boundaries, stood beside Su Xingjie, blocking Qiang Wei's view of her, and said, "Xingjie, don't talk to her."

Su Xingjie was annoyed by her blocking and didn't want to engage. Pretending not to hear, she drank her coffee and asked Yan Qingqiu if she wanted to head back.

Fu Sang disliked being ignored like this. She knew Su Xingjie's weakness. "Xingjie, you don't want to lose your friends, do you..."

"We were never friends." Su Xingjie said.

Fu Sang said, "I'm talking about you and..." She looked at Yan Qingqiu and continued to poke at Su Xingjie's bottom line. "You don't want me to expose your secret, do you?"

Su Xingjie didn't move. She set her coffee cup down on the saucer, and the faint clink made both of them frown. Su Xingjie clenched her hands. She hated people testing her limits over and over.

Her jaw ached from grinding her teeth.

"Xingjie..."

Before the next threat could finish, her head suddenly throbbed, the words forcibly smashed back down her throat. Su Xingjie froze too, turning to see Qiang Wei standing there holding the table's flower vase, a single rose still inside, the water splashing straight out.

The commotion startled everyone.

Fu Sang couldn't hold steady and started to topple.

She grabbed the table to steady herself and looked up in disbelief at Qiang Wei. This woman had been afraid of her before, like a mouse spotting a cat every time.

Now Qiang Wei had dazedly become a cat herself.

Qiang Wei clutched the vase, at a loss. She stepped forward, then back, holding the vase.

"Qiang Wei." Fu Sang gritted her teeth, glaring at her.

Qiang Wei snapped back to herself. Looking down at Fu Sang, a surge of energy rushed through her. "I can't take it anymore. I hate people like you—grabbing hold of one little weakness and threatening endlessly. From now on, threaten me once, and I'll smash you once."

With that, seeing Fu Sang glaring wide-eyed, she kicked her lightly. "Go ahead and faint now."