Duan Fan blinked and placed a hand on Liu Qiu’s shoulder, smiling as she gently pushed her away.
“President Liu, aren’t we standing a little too close?”
“I’m someone with a strong sense of boundaries.”
Liu Qiu took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
The warm air carried a faint fragrance as it brushed against Duan Fan’s face.
“Duan Fan, weren’t you moaning in my room last night?”
“What boundaries are you talking about?”
Her voice was hoarse, and paired with the faint panting that followed, it carried an inexplicably sensual edge.
Duan Fan found herself trapped within Liu Qiu’s space.
Liu Qiu’s arms were braced on either side of her, and her chest was directly in front of her.
Liu Qiu was looking down at her from above, expressionless, her gaze faintly cold.
Duan Fan’s eyes lingered on Liu Qiu’s slightly parted lips.
Her throat bobbed subtly.
“President Liu, when did your words become so crude?”
She had meant it as teasing flirtation.
She hadn’t expected someone as old-fashioned as Liu Qiu to casually say the word “moaning.”
It was provocative.
And undeniably alluring.
Duan Fan’s gaze lifted to Liu Qiu’s eyes.
The hand resting on Liu Qiu’s shoulder tightened slightly.
“I—”
Liu Qiu did not wait for her to finish.
She released her grip on the armrest, straightened up, and pinched the bridge of her nose with slender fingers.
“Sorry.”
“I went a little too far.”
As Liu Qiu stepped away, the oppressive heat and scent that had made Duan Fan’s legs feel weak dissipated.
Duan Fan lowered her lashes and leaned back against the chair, crossing her legs.
The dazzling smile returned to her face.
“Oh my, President Liu knows how to apologize.”
“That’s worth commemorating. Heh.”
Those two soft chuckles sounded thoroughly mocking to Liu Qiu.
Was she being laughed at for lacking manners?
Duan Fan and the original host truly had never gotten along.
Liu Qiu frowned.
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re very annoying?” she said coldly.
Duan Fan laced her fingers behind her head, the sharp curve of her lips lifting high.
“Yes.”
“My lovers say I’m very annoying in bed.”
Liu Qiu’s expression turned even colder.
“Disgusting.”
Duan Fan narrowed her eyes.
“How is that disgusting?”
“President Liu, don’t tell me you’ve never done it?”
Her gaze slowly swept over Liu Qiu from top to bottom.
“Does Fu Jinyin not let you touch her?”
“Then again, who would like someone with no sense of romance?”
“Do you even know how to whisper sweet nothings?”
“Do you know how to please someone?”
“Want me to teach you where to touch so a woman will feel something?”
A faint flush crept onto Liu Qiu’s cheeks.
How had the conversation suddenly turned to this?
Duan Fan’s mouth truly had no filter.
Liu Qiu pressed her lips together, abruptly removed her suit jacket, and threw it over Duan Fan’s face.
“Shut up.”
“If you’re in heat, go find your lovers.”
“Don’t spew vulgar nonsense in my company.”
It was too hot.
She needed to get back to the conference room and turn on the air conditioning.
The sound of heels clicking against the floor grew fainter and fainter until it disappeared.
Duan Fan’s face was covered by the jacket.
The warmth lingering from Liu Qiu’s body seeped into her skin and nose, flooding her brain.
Her scalp tingled.
After a long moment, she pulled the jacket off her face.
Her pale cheeks were faintly flushed.
The smile vanished completely.
She covered her face and cursed softly.
“Damn it.”
Her mind was filled with the image of Liu Qiu looking down at her moments ago.
The pale pink lips opening and closing.
The glimpse of teeth and tongue.
The hoarse voice.
The rapid breathing.
That cold expression.
Duan Fan threaded her fingers through her hair and tightened her grip.
“This is insane.”
She had actually let her imagination wander toward that antique of a woman.
Liu Qiu had already returned to the conference room.
Even without her jacket, she still wore a fitted black top underneath.
It wasn’t hot, and with the air conditioning running, the heat in her body gradually subsided, leaving only her burning forehead and a faint throbbing in her head.
“All right, let’s continue the meeting.”
Liu Qiu held fifty-five percent of the company’s shares and therefore had the final say.
As soon as she spoke, the discussion resumed.
But it was clear the shareholders had already aligned their positions earlier.
Most of them believed that being acquired was the best option.
The acquiring company’s offer was generous.
They would still retain a certain percentage of shares.
It was far better than watching the company go bankrupt.
If the company declared bankruptcy, their shares would be worthless.
After liquidation, they would receive almost nothing.
They might even have to use their shares to cover debts.
Liu Qiu remained silent.
She understood their desire to maximize their benefits.
[System, how did the investigation go?]
The system replied: [Many accounts were deleted. The remaining ones trace back to various ordinary individuals. I checked their social connections. There are no online transfer records or chat logs.]
[If it was done offline, I can’t trace it.]
The original host had already spent a large sum investigating privately, and it had led nowhere.
An unsolvable predicament.
“President Liu, I understand Li Yuanli.”
“What’s the point of holding on at this stage?”
Liu Qiu lifted her eyes.
“So you’ve already transferred your shares?” she asked coldly.
Silence fell.
The shareholder took a deep breath.
She had made her decision.
“…If you want to buy the shares in your hands, then buy them.”
Liu Qiu stood up and left the office.
She didn’t fully understand these matters.
If everyone supported it, there was little point in stubbornly resisting alone.
As she stepped out of the meeting room, she ran into Duan Fan holding her jacket.
Liu Qiu walked over.
“Let me see the contract in your hand.”
Duan Fan narrowed her eyes and handed over the document generously.
“If President Liu wants to see it, of course I’ll show you.”
Liu Qiu skipped the formalities and went straight to the numbers.
This wasn’t a simple transfer.
It was a sale.
Six percent of shares had been sold for eight hundred thousand.
“I’m being generous,” Duan Fan said lightly.
“Your company’s shares aren’t worth that much.”
Liu Qiu calculated quickly.
If one percent equaled one hundred thousand, her fifty-five percent would be worth 5.5 million.
Yet Duan Fan was willing to spend thirty million just to buy Fu Jinyin.
With thirty million in liquid funds, the company could survive.
But she would never sell Fu Jinyin.
Liu Qiu’s lashes trembled.
She handed the contract back and took her jacket.
The low-grade fever kept her cheeks faintly flushed.
“The meeting is over.”
“You can leave now.”
Duan Fan stared at her flushed cheeks with interest.
“Running a fever?”
Liu Qiu ignored her and walked away.
Duan Fan followed.
“I’m concerned about you, President Liu.”
“If you have a fever, don’t walk so fast.”
“Be careful not to fall.”
Liu Qiu did not respond.
She left the company, hailed a taxi, and got in without looking back.
The exhaust fumes were all Duan Fan was left with.
Duan Fan watched the shrinking taxi, then pulled out her phone and called someone.
The first thing she said was, “Have you slept with Liu Qiu?”
“What’s she like in bed?”
Beep.
The call was hung up.
Duan Fan clicked her tongue.
That was why she didn’t like either of them.
Judging by that reaction, nothing had happened.
If they had, Fu Jinyin wouldn’t have answered at all.
Fu Jinyin truly despised Liu Qiu to the extreme.
Even drugged, she could hold back.
“Hello, beautiful.”
A soft voice called out beside her.
Duan Fan looked up.
A petite young woman with a cute face stood there.
Duan Fan curved her lips into a smile.
“What is it?”
“Can I add your contact?” the young woman asked shyly.
Duan Fan handed over her phone.
“Of course.”
“I have group-buy discount coupons on my Moments.”
“I can invite you to a group for deals.”
The young woman froze.
Her smile stiffened as she handed the phone back.
“I—I have something to do. I’ll go first.”
“Oh?” Duan Fan laughed.
“We haven’t even added each other yet.”
“I don’t tell just anyone about my coupons.”
The young woman flushed bright red.
“No need, thank you.”
She hurried away.
Duan Fan chuckled softly before her smile faded.
How boring.
Liu Qiu went to a clinic to buy more fever medicine.
It was only a low-grade fever, and the heat had mostly subsided by now, leaving only a dull ache in her head.
She called a lawyer to draft an agreement.
With the medicine in one hand and the contract in the other, she headed home.
She had made up her mind.
She would transfer her shares to Fu Jinyin.
Now that Duan Fan was a shareholder, if Fu Jinyin also held shares, she would effectively become the company’s largest boss.
They would have more opportunities to interact.
Even if she chose not to go to the office, Liu Qiu would handle the aftermath.
It did feel like she was throwing away a mess.
But the original host had no debts.
After bankruptcy and paying employees’ wages, she would simply become an ordinary poor person rather than a poor person with a company.
There were still new products in stock and old inventory piled in the warehouse.
Even selling them wholesale could earn some money.
With the shares added, Fu Jinyin would at least have a source of income.
Liu Qiu had never truly been a CEO.
This was the best solution she could think of.
She could preserve the brand name the original host had built while ensuring Fu Jinyin benefited.
She was only a temporary outsider here.
Rather than managing a dying company, it would be better to liquidate everything and give Fu Jinyin funds for the future.
Still, she felt a little guilty.
It felt like one of those melodramatic lines—
“She only lost her legs, but I lost love.”
Except here it was bankruptcy instead of a name change.
[Host, what if she lets someone else acquire the company?] the system asked.
Liu Qiu paused.
“I didn’t think that far.”
“But it’s fine. I’ll just tell her the shares can be sold. She probably won’t understand the rest.”
She suspected Fu Jinyin would sell the shares on the first day.
So she didn’t overthink it.
“Forget it.”
Her gaze landed on a clothing store by the roadside.
She glanced at her thin suit.
Even if it was lightweight, summer called for short sleeves and shorts.
They were nearly broke.
Surely the world’s consciousness wouldn’t find it strange if “Liu Qiu” changed.
Behavior changed according to survival conditions.
At seven in the evening, Liu Qiu returned to the old, run-down apartment the original host rented.
It was cheap but clean.
Two bedrooms and one living room—perfect for her and Fu Jinyin.
Fu Jinyin was home and had already cooked and started eating.
Liu Qiu placed her purchases on the coffee table.
She sat down at the dining table.
There was already a clean set of utensils prepared.
She served herself rice and began eating.
Fu Jinyin did not like talking.
Neither did Liu Qiu.
The meal was silent.
Liu Qiu glanced at Fu Jinyin’s bowl.
Raw meat again.
This time she didn’t add anything to it.
After finishing, Fu Jinyin washed her own dishes.
As she headed toward her room, Liu Qiu stopped her.
“Jinyin, wait.”
Fu Jinyin halted without turning around.
“What is it?”
Liu Qiu hurried over with the contract.
She handed it to her.
Fu Jinyin looked down at the document.
“The company has no debt,” Liu Qiu explained.
“You can sell the shares and make money.”
“I don’t—”
“Pen.”
Fu Jinyin looked up and interrupted her.
Liu Qiu pressed her lips together and handed over a pen and ink pad.
Fu Jinyin signed and stamped without another word.
“You’re not afraid I’m lying to you?” Liu Qiu asked.
Fu Jinyin handed the contract back.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“I have nothing anyway.”
Liu Qiu lowered her lashes.
“Keep the contract.”
“You can go to the company tomorrow.”
Then she added coldly, “Duan Fan is there. Avoid her.”
Fu Jinyin’s pale eyes regarded Liu Qiu.
Her voice, slightly amplified through her hearing aid, sounded low and hoarse.
This person was always concerned about her interacting with others.
Because they were partners.
Fu Jinyin said nothing and walked past her.
“Jinyin!”
“I bought you clothes!”
She had thought of Fu Jinyin while shopping.
“I don’t need them,” came the hoarse reply.
Liu Qiu felt deflated.
She just wanted to treat her better.
Fu Jinyin was too pitiful.
Late at night, Liu Qiu slept deeply.
The door creaked open.
A shadow stood at the entrance.
Fu Jinyin stepped inside.
Purple-black tentacles writhed across the floor, leaving sticky trails behind.
They slid into the bed and coiled around Liu Qiu’s limbs, lifting her from the mattress.
Her eyes were pitch black, no whites visible.
Half her pale face was streaked with purple veins.
Terrifying in the dark.
The tentacles tightened slowly, slick secretion soaking into Liu Qiu’s clothes and skin.
She would not wake.
The secretion numbed human senses.
Fu Jinyin wanted to tear her apart.
But death would be too easy.
Liu Qiu had transferred the company and shares without warning.
Yet a bankrupt company was still a mess.
Fu Jinyin drew her closer and wrapped a hand around her neck.
She truly wanted to kill her.
Warm skin.
A steady pulse beneath her palm.
Sleeping soundly.
The tentacles tightened further.
This was the first time she had shown this form before Liu Qiu.
If Liu Qiu saw her like this, would she scream?
These past two days, Liu Qiu’s strange behavior had unsettled her.
She wanted to ignore this person.
The one she despised and hated.
“Fu… Fu Jinyin…”
A faint murmur.
Clear in the silent night.
Fu Jinyin looked down.
Liu Qiu’s lips parted slightly, calling her name.
A tentacle covered her mouth.
“Disgusting,” Fu Jinyin said coldly.
“Don’t call me.”
She would not kill her.
Not yet.
In the morning, Liu Qiu woke with a groan.
Why was her whole body sore?
Still, she felt oddly clear-headed.
She must have been exhausted yesterday.
There was a strange stiffness on her wrist, like dried soap.
She sniffed.
Strong body wash scent.
She sighed.
She must have been too tired to rinse properly.
After showering again, she felt refreshed, though her limbs still ached faintly.
When she stepped into the living room, Fu Jinyin was already putting on her shoes.
“So early? Where are you going?”
“To the company.”
Liu Qiu blinked, then remembered yesterday’s transfer.
“It’s only seven-thirty.”
“We can go together later.”
Fu Jinyin straightened, towering over her.
“You showered.”
“Yes,” Liu Qiu replied honestly.
“I felt uncomfortable.”
Fu Jinyin lowered her gaze.
So her tentacles made Liu Qiu uncomfortable.
That was good.
She left without another word.
Liu Qiu hurried after her despite skipping breakfast.
By the time they reached the gate, she felt dizzy.
“Fu Jinyin! Listen to me!”
Fu Jinyin ignored her and got into a taxi.
Liu Qiu squatted down weakly.
She really should have eaten something.
In the rearview mirror, Fu Jinyin saw her crouching.
Her fist tightened.
So last night’s tightening had made her that uncomfortable.
She was pleased.
“Up early, President Liu.”
That voice.
That tone.
Liu Qiu closed her eyes briefly.
A horn blared.
She turned sharply.
“Duan Fan, are you sick?”
It wasn’t even eight.
Seeing her this early was like seeing a ghost.
Duan Fan got out of a purple sports car, smiling.
“Had breakfast?”
“Why are you here?”
“I bought the unit downstairs.”
“I live here now.”
Liu Qiu pressed her temple.
“You’re insane.”
Duan Fan looked pitiful.
“You’ve insulted me twice already this morning.”
“I get hurt too.”
“Get lost,” Liu Qiu said flatly.
“I’m only coveting your wife.”
“I haven’t succeeded yet.”
“Why so hostile?”
“We grew up together, after all.”
Liu Qiu searched her memory.
They had barely spoken as children.
“You’re really crazy.”
Duan Fan ignored that and produced two vouchers.
“Breakfast tea coupons.”
“Originally two thousand per person.”
“With this, only fifty.”
Liu Qiu frowned.
“Really?”
She was tempted.
But suspicious.
“Come on,” Duan Fan said, opening the car door.
“I’m going too.”
Liu Qiu hesitated, then refused.
“No.”
“But your wife went that way.”
“Guess I’ll have breakfast alone with her.”
Liu Qiu’s fingers tightened.
She walked over and got into the car.
“You’d better not be lying.”
Duan Fan laughed as she drove off.
“Liu Blockhead.”
When Liu Qiu’s stomach growled loudly, Duan Fan burst into laughter.
President Liu had no expression, but her cheeks were red.
She turned her head toward the window, offering only the back of her head.
The car finally stopped.
Duan Fan stepped out and opened the door for her, extending a hand.
“Let’s go, President Liu.”
Liu Qiu slapped the hand away.
“Don’t disgust me.”
“Take me to find Jinyin.”
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! 🙂