Chapter 40: First Marriage, Then Love, and a Side of Scumbag Crushing 18
Qiao Xiaomian’s infectious laughter echoed through the sports car.
Something exploded in Ning Qingqing’s mind. She fumbled to turn off the voice note, so flustered that she nearly hit something else. In a panic, she just shut off the screen. In her haste, the phone slipped from her grasp and clattered somewhere under the seat.
She reached for it, but her fingers found nothing.
A man’s voice came from beside her. “Qingqing, don’t move. It’s dangerous. I’ll pull over.”
The light had turned green. Gu Youchen shifted gears and drove another ten meters or so before pulling over to the side of the road.
Ning Qingqing kept her eyes fixed straight ahead, unable to look at him. She wished the ground would swallow her whole. She unbuckled her seatbelt and groped for the phone again, but it was still nowhere to be found.
Beside her, Gu Youchen also unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned over. The space between them shrank, the air growing thick and heavy.
Ning Qingqing was still bent over, searching, when another hand reached down. Their fingertips brushed. She flinched as if she’d been burned and quickly pulled her hand back.
Gu Youchen continued his search, finally feeling the edge of the phone. “Qingqing, I found it.”
“Mm,” she mumbled, on the verge of tears from embarrassment. “Thanks.”
She wanted to die. Heaven only knew what he was thinking.
Gu Youchen retrieved the phone. He took a tissue and wiped off the dust before handing it to her.
Ning Qingqing didn’t turn her head. She was about to explode from the humiliation, unable to even glance in his direction. All she saw was his fair hand offering her the phone—the very culprit that had broadcasted those mortifying words.
She snatched it back. Her ears were still ringing, and she knew she should explain. But what could she say? That she and Qiao Xiaomian hadn’t been talking about him? Who else would they have been talking about? That friend of hers had already exposed everything. And she, who had always been so well-behaved and quiet around him, had been caught red-handed discussing… that… with her best friend. How could she ever face him again?
Ning Qingqing was on the verge of a breakdown, wanting to cry but having no tears. All she wanted was to get to the office, to escape.
But the man beside her didn’t start the car.
She grew anxious. Just as she was about to urge him on, he called her name softly, “Qingqing.”
Without turning, she replied in a voice devoid of all hope, “I know you want an explanation, but I…”
… I can’t explain. Being caught in the act like this was social suicide.
But then, an arm suddenly reached out and pulled her into an embrace. Her body went rigid. She wished time would just stop, that she could turn into a mindless mushroom.
“It seems you’re quite satisfied with me. I’m very happy,” Gu Youchen said, patting her back soothingly. “There’s no need to be embarrassed. I’ve been waiting for the day when you’d feel that us being together is a natural thing.”
Ning Qingqing said nothing. How could she not be embarrassed? And now, he thought she was satisfied with his… size. Ugh, I’m not some pervert!
Seeing her silent, he coaxed her in a low voice, “It’s okay. Because I’ve been thinking about it too. I really have.”
She didn’t hear the rest, but the words “thinking about it too” stood out. “Too” implied that he thought she was thinking about it. And “thinking about it” described what they were both doing. I’m going to die. Qiao Xiaomian, you just wait!
“So, are you still upset?” he asked, as if negotiating. “We could go back and erase that last memory, if you want.”
Could it really be erased? She was already socially dead. Giving up, she said, “No need to go back. I have a meeting with the Si family soon, I’ll be late.”
He nodded and released her, leaning in to place a kiss on her forehead. His voice was laced with amusement. “You’re cute like this. I like it a lot.”
Ning Qingqing was speechless. It wasn’t the first time he’d said he liked something. When she had tried on the wedding dress, he had said she was beautiful and that he liked it. Now, when she was discussing his… size, he called her cute and said he liked it. But she had to admit, his comforting words were working. Though her toes were still curling with embarrassment, she felt a little better.
Her phone vibrated intermittently in her palm. It had to be Qiao Xiaomian. Ning Qingqing didn’t dare turn on the screen, terrified of another accidental slip-up.
They finally arrived at the Ningchuang building. Gu Youchen stopped the car.
Ning Qingqing unbuckled her seatbelt, still unable to act naturally around him. “I’m heading up,” she said.
“Okay,” he replied. “I’ll pick you up after work.”
She shook her head. “A friend of mine brought me something from her trip, so don’t worry about me. I’ll head home as soon as I see her.”
He nodded. “Alright. We’re going back to the apartment today.”
Ning Ruoyun had flown out after lunch, and Tan Haize and Tan Xizhou had moved into a hotel.
Ning Qingqing agreed and was about to get out when he grabbed her arm. “Qingqing—”
She turned, confused. “Hm?” She thought he was going to bring up what had just happened, to comfort her again.
But he leaned in and kissed the corner of her lips. “A goodbye kiss.” It was a fleeting, butterfly-light touch, and then he pulled back, a pleased smile on his face. “Go on to work. I’ll cook dinner tonight.”
Her mind was a jumble. She got out of the car, finally feeling like she could breathe again. Without daring to look back, she hurried into the building.
Back at the office, Ning Qingqing went straight to the restroom. She still had fifteen minutes before the meeting. She splashed some cold water on her face, letting the evaporation cool her down. After drying her face and making sure she was alone, she took out her phone.
Learning from her earlier mistake, she turned the volume down before playing Qiao Xiaomian’s messages.
“Hey, honey, where’d you go? Come back!!!”
“Hahaha, did you go to test out your husband’s skills?”
“No way, it’s the middle of the day!”
“Honey, it’s been twenty minutes! I read a report that over half the men in the country last less than ten minutes…”
A vein throbbed in her temple. She hit the record button. “Qiao Xiaomian!!! You’re the death of me!”
Qiao Xiaomian, who had clearly been waiting, replied instantly. “Huh? Was I right?”
Ning Qingqing gritted her teeth. “Right about what?”
Qiao Xiaomian let out a dirty laugh. “Hehe, that you heard my message and immediately went to verify it with your husband, and then, you know—”
Ning Qingqing was so angry she had to laugh. She cut her off. “He heard your last two voice messages! He! Was! Right! Beside! Me!”
It took a full twenty seconds for Qiao Xiaomian to reply. “Holy sh*t!”
Ning Qingqing had nothing more to say.
Then Qiao Xiaomian came to her senses. “So what happened? Did he pounce on you?” She was already picturing a whole action scene of a domineering CEO pouncing on an innocent little bunny, and couldn’t help but sigh. “But it’s only been twenty minutes. I would have thought a domineering CEO would last at least half an hour, or even an hour…”
Ning Qingqing gave a cold laugh. “We were in the car, on the street. He was dropping me off at work.”
“Oh,” Qiao Xiaomian deflated, sounding disappointed. “I see.” Then she asked, “So how did he react? Did he laugh his head off? Was he super smug?”
At that, Ning Qingqing paused. The chaos in her mind miraculously quieted. She remembered his first reaction had been to hug her, to soothe her embarrassment. Not to be smug, or to try and prove anything. He hadn’t brought it up again, only comforted her and called her cute.
Something in her heart was touched, and for some reason, her heart began to beat faster.
When she replied, her tone was much calmer. “He didn’t laugh at me. He just tried to make me feel less awkward. He’s a good person.”
“Wow,” Qiao Xiaomian couldn’t help but be happy for her. “Do you think he likes you? Qingqing, a man’s first reaction in certain situations can reveal his true feelings. I really think he might actually like you.”
Ning Qingqing couldn’t suppress the smile that bloomed on her lips. A flicker of joy sparked within her, though she was barely aware of it.
Just then, the sound of heels approached. “I have to go,” she said quickly. “I’m in the restroom and someone’s coming. I have a meeting soon.”
“Okay, okay,” Qiao Xiaomian replied. “Honey, I’m so sorry. I’ll give you a massage after work!”
Ning Qingqing huffed haughtily. “We’ll see how you behave!”
She put her phone away, checked her appearance in the mirror, and walked out.
Si Yunli was already at Ningchuang. To Ning Qingqing’s surprise, he had brought Keni with him.
Unlike his usual flamboyant attire as Si Luoqing’s manager, Keni was wearing a proper suit today, looking surprisingly professional—if Ning Qingqing hadn’t known any better.
Ning Qingqing, along with an assistant from the project department named Xiao Lan, walked into the conference room with a laptop and documents.
“President Si, you’re here. I apologize, I had something to take care of and just got back. I hope I didn’t keep you waiting,” she said, shaking his hand.
Si Yunli smiled warmly. “We just arrived as well. We were early.” He then introduced his team. “This is my special assistant, Xiao Zhang, and this is my other assistant, Keni.”
Ning Qingqing nodded and greeted them politely. “Nice to meet you both.”
Xiao Zhang was very courteous. “Nice to meet you, Miss Ning!”
Keni, however, stared at her, a look of shock on his face. But with his uncle present, he could only nod. “Miss Ning.”
Acting as if she’d never seen him before, Ning Qingqing gave a slight nod and took her seat. “President Si,” she began, “our team has been conducting due diligence on your company’s project, and we have a few questions.
“First, the project has already passed the halfway point of its contract period, and the initial profits have been received. So if we were to collaborate, it would be to share in the subsequent profits. However, from what I understand, this entertainment project is highly replaceable, lacking any core elements that cannot be substituted. There are already many similar projects on the market, so even if the contract is completed, the subsequent profits are unlikely to exceed 70% of the initial profits, as stated in your project documents. In fact, it might even be difficult to reach 30%.
“Second, given the market competition, your company’s proposal doesn’t provide a contingency plan in case the project is overtaken by similar ones. Therefore, our investment rating for the project is likely to be quite low.”
Hearing this, Si Yunli’s heart sank. Their proposal and documents were indeed well-crafted and skillfully presented. They contained real data, but not all of it. If Ning Qingqing had been dazzled by the numbers, she wouldn’t have this attitude. It seemed she wasn’t as simple as he had thought. Perhaps she was a relative of Ning Ruoyun’s, and Ning Ruoyun was guiding her on her first project.
Si Yunli decided to test her. He nodded to the prepared Xiao Zhang, who stood up and said, “Miss Ning, your concerns are not an issue. Allow me to explain these two points—”
He connected his laptop to the projector and began his presentation. “First…”
Ning Qingqing listened intently, occasionally typing notes on her laptop.
Across from her, Keni watched with a growing sense of jealousy. He had been hitting roadblocks everywhere lately. Si Luoqing’s career was stagnating, and he had hoped that by making a name for himself while the Si family was in turmoil, his father might finally acknowledge him as his illegitimate son. That was why he had come with his uncle, looking for an opportunity. He never expected to run into Ning Qingqing. And this woman, who had landed this project simply because her relative was the CEO, was acting so high and mighty. He wanted to see her fall, and fall hard.
Why? Because Si Luoqing still hadn’t managed to get a moment alone with Shen Zhiqian. Because he had been so humiliated that day, and while he didn’t care about the others, he couldn’t stand the fact that she had seen it. What right did she have? The thought of having to apologize to Gu Youchen tomorrow, without even knowing what he had done to offend him, filled him with rage.
After Xiao Zhang’s explanation, Ning Qingqing looked at her screen and quickly pointed out the key issue. “I understand your explanation, Special Assistant Zhang, but there are a few questions I need a direct answer to…”
By the time she finished, Si Yunli’s expression had soured. He had his answer. Ning Qingqing wasn’t just some freeloader relying on connections. No wonder the shrewd Ning Ruoyun had put her in charge of this project. She was still just a project specialist, so this was likely a test, and the Si family’s project was her litmus test.
During a break, Si Yunli went to the smoking room. Keni followed him. “Second Uncle, this Ning Qingqing used to be just a legal advisor at the Shen Corporation. Someone must have coached her on what she said today, right?”
Si Yunli frowned, blowing a smoke ring. “If she didn’t have a mind of her own, could she have pinpointed the flaws in Xiao Zhang’s explanation so accurately? Keni, don’t think that what you’ve learned in the entertainment industry is a universal solution. In the business world, it’s not about hype, it’s about real ability!”
Keni was taken aback, a resentful look on his face. “She’s only been out of school for two years. How much experience can she have?”
Si Yunli shook his head. “She’s clear-headed and cautious. She doesn’t make any promises in the conference room, nor does she give us any opportunity to probe for information about Ningchuang. That alone makes her more composed than many of her peers. And even if she lacks experience, as you said, she can still learn from Ning Ruoyun. So this time, I’m afraid it will be very difficult for us…”
Hearing this, Keni felt a knot tighten in his chest.
Just then, his phone rang. Seeing it was from the agency, he quickly answered. “President Zhao.”
A man’s low voice came through the line. “Keni, the company has decided to shelve Si Luoqing. We know you’re cousins, so I’m calling to ask if you plan to stay with us or return to the Si family.”
Keni could hardly believe his ears. “What? President Zhao, I don’t understand… Luoqing’s popularity has slipped recently, but she still has a strong fan base. Even though she’s lost a few endorsements, there’s no need to shelve her, is there?”
“This has already been decided by the higher-ups,” President Zhao said flatly. “So you should start thinking about your own future career plans.”
Keni’s voice trembled. “Does Luoqing know about this?”
“You’re the first to be notified.”
“President Zhao, please don’t tell her yet. I’ll talk to her. As for my career, I’ll give you an answer within three days.”
“Fine,” President Zhao said, and hung up.
Keni lowered his phone, his face pale. Though President Zhao hadn’t said it explicitly, it was obvious that the decision to shelve Si Luoqing had come from someone at the very top.
Was it related to Gu Youchen? Keni’s heart ached. He decided he would go to the Gu Corporation tomorrow morning to offer a sincere apology.
The break was over, and they headed back to the conference room.
Ning Qingqing had just returned from her desk after getting some water and using the restroom when she received a call from Tan Haize.
“Qingqing, are you at work?”
“Yes, Dad, I’m at the office.”
The thought of his daughter working for Ning Ruoyun’s company left a sour taste in his mouth, but her major wasn’t really related to the entertainment industry, so there was no point in trying to poach her. He changed the subject. “Dad did something today that I’m sure you’ll be happy about.”
Hearing the excitement in his voice, she was curious. “You signed a good project?”
“Nope,” he said, his voice brimming with a desire for praise. “That Si Luoqing girl who was throwing shade at you? Well, Dad just told his people to shelve her. She won’t be able to show her face in front of you anymore!”
Ning Qingqing remembered the conversation she had overheard between her parents and couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, thanks, Dad! I am happy about that!” She wasn’t a saint. If someone bullied her, she wasn’t going to just take it. She was sure that if the roles were reversed, Si Luoqing would have already asked her father to blacklist her. And in her case, her father had taken the initiative.
“Remember to tell your mom,” Tan Haize added.
“Okay,” she chuckled. Seeing everyone heading back into the conference room, she said, “Dad, the meeting is starting again. I have to go.”
“Alright. If anyone bullies you in the future, remember to tell Dad first, then your mom.”
“Okay, okay!” she promised.
Hanging up, she walked into the conference room with a smile.
Meanwhile, in a conference room at the Gu Corporation, Zhou Linghang looked at Gu Youchen, who was still grinning like a fool while discussing business. “Hey, Brother Chen, you only saw your wife for half an hour. Do you really have to be smiling so… flirtatiously?”
Gu Youchen glanced at him lazily, his tone full of disdain. “What do you know? A single dog like you, compared to a married man!”
“Hey, hey, hey, so you’re proud of being married, huh? Looking down on people now?” Zhou Linghang was indignant. It wasn’t like he’d never been in a relationship before, just that his school romances had been a bit like playing house. But was it really necessary to be looked down upon by a formerly single man who had flash-married?
Though he was annoyed, he couldn’t help but be curious. “What did she say to you just now?”
At that, Gu Youchen’s smile widened. He put on a mysterious expression. “She praised me.”
Zhou Linghang’s curiosity was piqued. He put down the project proposal and sat up straight. “What did she praise you for? Tell me, I want to see if our sister-in-law was telling the truth or just exaggerating.”
Gu Youchen twirled the pen in his hand and said nonchalantly, “Let’s just say your future wife will definitely not praise you like that!”
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