When Liu Qiu came out of the kitchen, she found that Duan Fan had already moved from the sofa to the dining table.
She really had no sense of courtesy at all.
Noticing Liu Qiu’s gaze, Duan Fan waved at her.
“President Liu, come sit.”
Today Duan Fan wasn’t wearing a shirt. Instead, she had on a red deep-V short-sleeved top. The neckline was very low, but on her it didn’t look vulgar. Rather, it gave off a sexy, slightly provocative charm that was extremely alluring.
Her orange-red lipstick and sharply extended eyeliner created a bold, striking makeup look. Combined with her natural beauty, it made her look dazzling and flamboyant.
Liu Qiu didn’t want to deal with Duan Fan, but it was time to eat, and she couldn’t exactly stand there.
So she walked over and sat diagonally across from her.
Duan Fan rested her cheek on her hand and smiled, her gaze fixed on Liu Qiu’s face.
“President Liu looks so cute in home clothes.”
Liu Qiu took a deep breath and asked, “Duan Fan, what exactly do you want?”
Duan Fan pointed at her own face.
“I came to claim credit. I want President Liu to kiss me as a reward.”
Liu Qiu frowned. Instead of answering, she changed the subject.
“What’s the relationship between Chaoyue and your sister?”
She had no intention of continuing this nonsense with Duan Fan.
Duan Fan sighed in disappointment.
“You chose to ask about Chaoyue?”
But then she continued casually.
“Chaoyue… she’s been with my sister since she was very young.”
“Most people say they’re lovers.”
Liu Qiu looked at her suspiciously.
Duan Fan’s expression was sincere.
“It’s true. If I’m lying to you, then I’ll never get Fu Jinyin in this lifetime.”
It sounded believable. Duan Fan usually acted carefree and playful, but whenever it involved Fu Jinyin, she became serious.
Liu Qiu looked away and thought about it carefully.
Maybe Duan Fan was telling the truth.
Still, Liu Qiu didn’t actually care about the relationship between Chaoyue and Duan Liming. Instead, she asked another question.
“Do you know Chaoyue’s parents?”
The system prompt had shown the connection between Chaoyue and Fu Jinyin. If she could find out who Chaoyue’s parents were, maybe she could trace Fu Jinyin’s parents as well.
Duan Fan tilted her head.
“President Liu, you’re asking so much about Chaoyue… Don’t tell me you’ve really fallen for her?”
Bang—
Another dish was set down heavily on the table.
Liu Qiu turned her head and saw Fu Jinyin.
Her hair had stopped dripping, but it was still damp.
Steam rose from the freshly stir-fried dishes, and the fragrance drifted into Liu Qiu’s nose.
“Jinyin has quite the temper,” Duan Fan commented lazily, her tone teasing.
Fu Jinyin didn’t respond. She returned to the kitchen and came back with a pair of chopsticks and a bowl.
She placed them in front of Liu Qiu.
Liu Qiu froze for a moment and looked up.
“Jinyin, aren’t you eating?”
From this angle, she could see Fu Jinyin’s lowered lashes and the faint glimpse of pale irises beneath them.
But she couldn’t read any emotion from Fu Jinyin’s cold expression.
Fu Jinyin was always like this—indifferent and distant.
Liu Qiu pointed at the bowl again.
“Jinyin, aren’t you eating?”
This time Fu Jinyin responded.
She shook her head.
Then she turned to look at Duan Fan. Her long lashes trembled slightly before she turned and walked into the room.
Now only Liu Qiu and Duan Fan remained at the table.
Duan Fan clapped her hands lightly with a grin.
“President Liu, your wife is as cold as ever. That’s really exciting.”
Liu Qiu’s face remained expressionless, though the corners of her lips dipped slightly.
“Duan Fan, you should leave.”
A glint of darkness flashed through Duan Fan’s narrow eyes.
She clasped her hands under her chin and stared straight at Liu Qiu.
“Seriously. Thirty million. Give her to me.”
If before she had said it just to tease Liu Qiu, this time she meant it.
First, she wanted to see how deep Liu Qiu’s feelings for Fu Jinyin really were.
Second, if Liu Qiu truly didn’t want Fu Jinyin anymore, she could take Fu Jinyin far away.
Liu Qiu’s expression turned completely cold.
“Duan Fan. Don’t bring that up again.”
Duan Fan wasn’t intimidated by her expression, but she began weighing things internally.
It seemed Liu Qiu still liked Fu Jinyin very much. That would make things harder.
Duan Fan smiled and straightened up.
“Fine. I won’t mention it anymore.”
Liu Qiu studied her face.
She was certain Duan Fan hadn’t taken her warning seriously.
Of course, her warning probably didn’t have much effect anyway.
Duan Fan stood up, served Liu Qiu a bowl of rice, and placed it back in front of her.
“President Liu, please enjoy your meal.”
Liu Qiu pressed her lips together and ignored her, lowering her head to eat.
Duan Fan sat down again and watched her with a smile as Liu Qiu took bite after bite.
Her cheeks puffed slightly as she chewed, clearly enjoying the food.
Duan Fan found it enjoyable to watch as well.
Now that she had realized her feelings, even Liu Qiu’s facial features seemed perfect to her.
Every part of her.
Every part she wanted to lick.
Duan Fan’s gaze slowly drifted downward until it settled on Liu Qiu’s slender fingers.
They were long and elegant, with faintly pink fingertips.
Everything about her looked delicate and beautiful.
Normally Liu Qiu kept a cold expression, which made people forget that her face was actually soft-looking.
The slightly drooping corners of her eyes and her long lashes made her eyes appear innocent.
Duan Fan was admiring her when suddenly—
A hand grabbed her shoulder with such force that her arm went numb from the pain.
Duan Fan’s smile didn’t change.
She looked up and laughed softly.
“Jinyin, why are you being so enthusiastic?”
Liu Qiu stopped eating and raised her head.
Across from her, Fu Jinyin was gripping Duan Fan’s shoulder. The two of them looked strangely close.
Fu Jinyin had changed out of her wet clothes, but her long hair was still damp and unstyled.
Liu Qiu blinked, trying to decide how she should react.
If a cold wife took the initiative to approach someone else, as the original partner she should probably get angry, right?
But yelling at Fu Jinyin was something she simply couldn’t do.
Before Liu Qiu could think it through, Fu Jinyin spoke.
“Duan Fan. Come with me.”
Liu Qiu’s eyes widened slowly.
“Jinyin—”
“Alright, alright. If Jinyin wants me to leave, then I’ll go.”
Duan Fan stood up and cut off Liu Qiu’s words.
She threw Liu Qiu a flirtatious wink and followed Fu Jinyin out.
Liu Qiu watched their figures disappear through the doorway.
When she turned back to the steaming dishes on the table, she suddenly remembered the gemstone necklace Duan Fan had given her before.
She still hadn’t returned it.
Just now would have been a good opportunity since Duan Fan had come herself.
But then Liu Qiu thought about it again.
Duan Fan definitely wouldn’t come only once.
She could give it back next time.
Outside the apartment building, Duan Fan was dragged all the way to the entrance of the residential complex by Fu Jinyin gripping her shoulder.
The intense pain made Duan Fan’s face turn slightly pale.
“Fu Jinyin, what are you doing?”
“If you break my arm, are you going to pay for it?”
Fu Jinyin abruptly let go and stopped walking.
She said coldly, “Why did you try to kiss her?”
Duan Fan rubbed her shoulder and smiled faintly.
“Jealous?”
“Fu Jinyin, do you actually like me?”
Fu Jinyin’s expression grew colder.
She didn’t speak, just stared at Duan Fan with terrifying hostility in her eyes.
Duan Fan chuckled.
“You’re really funny.”
“You don’t like Liu Qiu, and you don’t like me either. So why do you care about this?”
“Are you upset about being cuckolded?”
Fu Jinyin pressed her lips tightly together.
Her tall stature made her presence extremely oppressive.
Looking down at Duan Fan, she said slowly,
“Duan Fan… you’re disgusting.”
Duan Fan narrowed her eyes and laughed softly.
“No. You’re wrong.”
“The disgusting one is you.”
“Don’t forget, I still have the contract we signed.”
“That contract was your idea—asking me to cooperate with you to cuckold Liu Qiu.”
“Weren’t you happy about it back then?”
“And now you’re calling me disgusting.”
Fu Jinyin slowly clenched her fists.
Her hoarse voice was rough like grinding sand.
“I don’t need it anymore.”
Duan Fan yawned lazily.
“That won’t do.”
She truly couldn’t understand how Liu Qiu had fallen for this idiot for so long.
When Fu Jinyin dragged her out of the apartment just now, she hadn’t even considered how Liu Qiu might feel seeing them leave together like that.
Duan Fan shrugged and turned toward where her car was parked.
“Alright, let’s drop that topic.”
“Fu Jinyin, are you going to the company? I can give you a ride.”
Her tone made it sound as though their earlier argument had never happened.
Fu Jinyin refused hoarsely.
“No need.”
Duan Fan laughed.
“Right. Liu Qiu cleaned up your mess anyway. Whether you care or not doesn’t matter.”
After saying that, she got into her car, stepped on the accelerator, and drove away.
Fu Jinyin lowered her head and stared at her toes.
Her fingernails dug deeply into her palms.
She needed to go to the company.
She needed to earn a lot of money.
She needed money to buy medicine that could stabilize her body.
Inside the apartment, Liu Qiu noticed that Fu Jinyin and Duan Fan had been gone for quite a while and hadn’t come back.
She didn’t call to ask.
If Fu Jinyin felt happy being with Duan Fan, there was no need for her to interfere.
After finishing her meal and cleaning up, Liu Qiu returned to her room.
Her body didn’t feel well today, so she didn’t want to go looking for work.
Lying on the bed, she opened her phone and realized Chaoyue had sent her many messages.
There was also a transfer notification.
Chaoyue:
Transfer:300Transfer: 300 Dear, this is our payment. The manager couldn’t find you, so they sent it to me first.
Chaoyue:
Qiūqiū, accept it quickly. Are you feeling better after getting drunk? It’s all Sister Liming’s fault for ordering such strong alcohol.
Chaoyue:
…Qiūqiū, why aren’t you replying yet? I miss you.
Chaoyue:
Dear, remember to reply when you wake up~
Liu Qiu hesitated, then exited the chat.
She would reply later.
Chaoyue was very clingy—once she responded, she would probably have to chat with her endlessly.
Scrolling through her phone, Liu Qiu opened the app where she had listed second-hand items for sale.
She discovered that someone had actually left a message under the suit she had posted.
xxxsl:
Is the item still available? I urgently need it. We can meet at a store or I can pick it up. I can pay half in advance.
Someone really wanted to buy her second-hand suit for four thousand yuan.
They seemed quite desperate.
Liu Qiu replied:
Yes. If it’s convenient, can we meet at the xxx milk tea shop?
The address was listed in the app, so the buyer was probably nearby.
She had expected to wait a long time for a response.
But within seconds, a new reply appeared.
xxxsl:
Okay.
Then a transfer notification appeared.
Liu Qiu squeezed her phone happily.
Her little savings had increased again.
She didn’t think too much about it.
If the buyer was willing to meet at a milk tea shop, they probably weren’t a strange person—just someone who urgently needed a suit.
At three in the afternoon, Liu Qiu arrived at the agreed milk tea shop carrying the suit packaged neatly in a gift bag.
The shop was quite large.
When she pushed open the door, a blast of cold air greeted her, easing the heat in her body.
But there seemed to be a lot of people inside.
The crowd of dark heads made her feel slightly dizzy.
So Liu Qiu stepped back outside and called the buyer.
“Hello, I’m at the entrance of the milk tea shop. Have you arrived?”
“Wait a moment.”
The voice on the other end was low and magnetic.
It sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t place it.
Looking into the shop again, Liu Qiu suddenly noticed a tall man in a black suit walking toward her.
He was really tall—almost the same height as Fu Jinyin. His skin was wheat-colored, his features sharp, and his aura imposing.
Was he the buyer?
He didn’t look like someone who needed a second-hand suit.
The thought flashed through Liu Qiu’s mind.
In the next moment, the man stopped in front of her and made a polite gesture.
“The boss is inside. Please follow me.”
So he wasn’t the buyer.
Liu Qiu nodded and followed him.
As they walked inside, the people in the milk tea shop parted to make way.
Liu Qiu whispered to the system in her mind.
Thisdoesn’tfeellikesomeonewhowouldbuyasecond−handsuit.This doesn’t feel like someone who would buy a second-hand suit.
Ithinksotoo.Host,maybeweshouldleave.I think so too. Host, maybe we should leave.
Liu Qiu shook her head.
Forgetit.We’realreadyhere.Forget it. We’re already here.
She raised her head and looked ahead.
At the far end of the shop sat a slender figure wearing a blue-and-white porcelain cheongsam. Her long hair was neatly pinned up.
Even from behind, she looked elegant and dignified.
It seemed like someone Liu Qiu had never seen before.
But when she walked closer, Liu Qiu realized she had been completely wrong.
The woman in the cheongsam was none other than Duan Liming.
Liu Qiu’s face visibly darkened.
The person she least wanted to deal with was Duan Liming.
Duan Liming slightly turned her head and lifted her gaze, gesturing for Liu Qiu to sit.
Liu Qiu clenched the gift bag in her hand and pressed her lips together, not wanting to speak.
Duan Liming tapped the table lightly.
“Sit.”
Liu Qiu glanced at the tall man standing beside her and reluctantly sat down across from Duan Liming.
Now she understood why the milk tea shop was so crowded.
Any news about Duan Liming could shock the business world.
Even though she wasn’t a celebrity but a businesswoman, countless people still wanted to approach her.
Liu Qiu was wearing a simple T-shirt and shorts, with her hair tied into a messy bun.
She looked obedient and youthful—nothing like a twenty-eight-year-old woman.
After placing the gift bag on the table, she lowered her head and avoided looking at Duan Liming.
“Suit.”
Her voice sounded extremely cold, though a slight tremor could be heard if one listened carefully.
Duan Liming spoke calmly.
“Liu Qiu, do you plan to avoid looking at me forever?”
Hearing that, Liu Qiu raised her head.
Duan Liming naturally had a cold temperament.
The cheongsam didn’t soften her presence—instead, the blue-and-white pattern made her appear even more distant and solitary.
Liu Qiu nervously clenched her fingers.
“Miss Duan… what do you want?”
Duan Liming glanced at the milk tea on the table.
“Drink first.”
“I’m not thirsty.”
Duan Liming’s gaze swept across Liu Qiu’s flushed cheeks.
“That’s strange.”
“Liu Qiu, I haven’t done anything to you.”
“Yet you always seem afraid of me.”
Her voice was deep and pleasant, each word sounding as if it carried a story.
Liu Qiu’s lashes trembled slightly.
She really was afraid of people with such overwhelming presence.
Instead of answering, she asked,
“Then why did you ask to meet me?”
“We’re not familiar.”
Duan Liming looked into Liu Qiu’s clear eyes.
Her expression remained calm.
“Liu Qiu.”
“I can bring your company back from the dead.”
If You Notice any translation issues or inconsistency in names, genders, or POV etc? Let us know here in the comments or on our Discord server, and we’ll fix it in current and future chapters. Thanks for helping us to improve! 🙂