Volume One, Chapter 17: Unable to Stand Her

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Shen Qingqing felt as if time had come to a standstill. Her slender waist, her full curves... all laid bare before Mo Lingcheng without concealment. Though she was not a woman of strict propriety, this moment was mortifying beyond words. Instantly, Shen Qingqing pulled down her hem, lowered her head, and dared not meet Mo Lingcheng’s gaze. Suddenly, she understood why he might think her foolish. Over the past few days, she had indeed done many foolish things in his presence.

Mo Lingcheng stood at the bathroom door, stunned for a few seconds. Then his eyes traveled upward, gliding over the top of her head to rest at her earlobe. Where her fair skin had once been, now the earlobe was flushed a vivid red, like a boiled shrimp. Unexpectedly, Mo Lingcheng discovered this shy, delicate side of Shen Qingqing. In his memory, she was either shamelessly provocative or brazenly deceitful.

He looked again at her reddened earlobe, raised an eyebrow, and strode toward her with long strides. “Put on your clothes properly. Come downstairs to eat.” As he spoke, he handed her a neatly folded set of clean clothes. Shen Qingqing lifted her head slightly, astonished. The clothes in Mo Lingcheng’s hand were exactly what she had worn yesterday. She couldn’t help but meet his deep, penetrating gaze. His eyes were cool and composed, completely different from her own awkwardness and embarrassment.

It was as if him changing, washing, and fetching her clothes was the most natural thing in the world. Shen Qingqing even sensed a hint of elder care in his expression, like an older relative looking after a junior. The more she thought, the more vexed she became. During this period, Assistant Zhou had taken good care of her and helped her in many ways, yet she had never properly expressed her gratitude. Instead, she had suspected him of taking advantage of her vulnerability. Assistant Zhou looked at least seven or eight years older than her; perhaps he truly regarded her as a junior.

“The clothes weren’t changed or washed by me,” Mo Lingcheng said, reading her thoughts with a stern face. “This hotel has dedicated service staff.” Shen Qingqing felt embarrassed once more. She immediately took the clothes without daring to think further. “Thank you, Assistant Zhou,” she said sincerely. Mo Lingcheng watched her respectful demeanor with a twinge of discomfort. Yet recalling her boldness toward him last night, he felt a trace of apprehension. That night in the valley, he had not held back due to the special circumstances.

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Now, if he failed to restrain himself again, how would he explain it? Mo Lingcheng cast a cold glance at Shen Qingqing and admonished in a deep voice, “Drink less in the future.” Shen Qingqing was momentarily stunned, then forced out a dry laugh, attempting to ease the awkwardness with polite words: “I embarrassed Assistant Zhou. If I said or did anything last night that was inappropriate, please take it as a joke and forget it...” To her, they should return to a normal superior-subordinate relationship for smoother interactions ahead.

But Mo Lingcheng had no intention of cooperating. He snorted coldly, his face tinged with displeasure, his tone sharp. “I don’t think you need to find any patron. With your versatile abilities, what kind of life could you not live?” After speaking, Mo Lingcheng strode away. Shen Qingqing watched his departing figure, feeling conflicted. She sensed that although Assistant Zhou had helped her a lot, his impression of her was not favorable. Perhaps in his world, there was no need to curry favor or compromise oneself...

Thus, he despised her subtle scheming and her cautious calculations. Yet Shen Qingqing knew all too well that without external support and the ability to maneuver cleverly, she could never break free from the constraints of Xu Mingxuan and Shen Dahai. During yesterday’s confrontation, she had barely edged out a narrow victory, temporarily averting a potential attempted murder crisis, but the road ahead was still long. She couldn’t always walk away unscathed from battles against multiple adversaries.

Therefore, she needed a patron, someone to lean on. She glanced at the disordered bed sheets and smiled wryly to herself: thankfully, nothing happened last night. This wild grass still hoped to cling to Mo Lingcheng’s leg! How could she explain if she ended up sleeping with his assistant before even meeting the man himself?

Suddenly, the phone on the bedside table rang again. Shen Qingqing glanced at the screen but ignored it. There were over a dozen missed calls, all from Xu Mingxuan. Instead, her attention was drawn to the ointment by the phone—a special cream for reducing swelling, with a note tucked beneath it. The note bore vigorous, clear handwriting: “Apply the ointment three times a day. Avoid getting the wound wet.”

Gently touching her lips, still sticky with the ointment, Shen Qingqing felt a flood of emotions—Assistant Zhou’s attentiveness, Shen Dahai’s ruthlessness—all rushing to her mind. Taking a deep breath, she carefully folded the note, put away the ointment, changed her clothes, and stepped out of the bedroom.

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This was a detached lakeside hotel on the outskirts, with each room a small villa and impeccable butler service. Shen Qingqing descended the corner staircase. Before reaching the dining room, she heard Xiao Meimei calling, “Qingqing, over here.” Xiao Meimei sat alone at the dining table. Shen Qingqing scanned the room but saw no sign of Mo Lingcheng.

“Don’t look for him. He and Xiao Cong rushed back to the project department for a meeting,” Xiao Meimei said with a sly smile. Shen Qingqing awkwardly brushed her bangs aside, trying to hide the flush on her face. When she had grabbed Mo Lingcheng’s collar last night, she had still been relatively clear-headed. She recalled Xiao Meimei being right nearby then.

Sitting at the table, Shen Qingqing picked up a glass of water and took a sip. She feigned composure and explained, “You know I drank too much last night... I don’t remember much after that...” Xiao Meimei poured her a bowl of porridge, the mischievous smile on her lips growing more obvious. “Then you surely don’t remember dragging him by the arm and insisting he share a room with you.” Shen Qingqing choked on her water, coughing violently, and denied emphatically, “Impossible!” She had no memory of that at all!

Xiao Meimei propped her chin on her hand, gazing seriously at Shen Qingqing. “Before, I worried you’d get hurt and didn’t support you pursuing him, but now I’ve changed my mind. I’m going to fully back you in chasing after him.” Shen Qingqing stared at Xiao Meimei in surprise, puzzled. How had she guessed she was after Assistant Zhou?

Without waiting for a response, Xiao Meimei slung her arm over Shen Qingqing’s shoulder and went on, “Right now, don’t ask anything. When we get back to Jing City, I’ll explain. Rest assured, with my help, you’ll catch him easily. But for now, let’s eat well.” Smiling, Shen Qingqing popped a strawberry into Xiao Meimei’s mouth, not paying much heed to her words. For Shen Qingqing, the most important thing was to pass the assessment and smoothly join the Mo Corporation.

No sooner had she returned to the project department than the HR manager summoned her to the office. “I didn’t send the video,” Shen Qingqing explained proactively.