The place Duan Fan brought her to was, for Liu Qiu, a little too “magnificent.”
Not in the sense of extravagance—the décor here had nothing to do with gaudy luxury.
Instead, it was grand and elegant, steeped in ancient charm.
The moment she stepped inside, Liu Qiu almost thought she had traveled back to antiquity.
The attendant leading them wore gorgeous traditional clothing, her steps graceful, her speech soft and refined.
Walking down the long corridor in her modern suit, Liu Qiu saw artificial rockeries, gardens, ponds, and even a small arched bridge beside her.
On the bridge, two women in flowing long dresses with exquisite makeup performed—one playing the guqin, the other the xiao.
The beautiful, ethereal melody drifted slowly through the air.
The attendant stopped outside a private room and said politely, “Ladies, your upper room has arrived.”
Liu Qiu glanced at Duan Fan.
This woman truly knew how to enjoy life.
Duan Fan caught that look immediately and tilted her head, her brows curving with amusement.
“President Liu, why are you standing there? Go in.”
Liu Qiu cleared her throat.
“Where’s Fu Jinyin?”
Duan Fan didn’t answer.
She simply spread her legs and walked straight inside.
With the attendant watching from the side, Liu Qiu had no choice but to follow.
After sitting down, Liu Qiu asked again, “Duan Fan, didn’t you hear me?”
Duan Fan smiled.
“Guess.”
Liu Qiu stared at her expressionlessly, her brows knitting as her voice turned colder.
“You lied to me.”
Dishes bursting with color, aroma, and flavor were brought in one after another.
The rich scents reached Liu Qiu’s nose, and her stomach began to growl again.
Duan Fan narrowed her eyes.
“Eat first.”
“You’re already here, and I’ve used my coupon. If you don’t eat, this 1,950-yuan coupon will go to waste.”
Liu Qiu opened her mouth to speak but didn’t know what to say.
She could only sit there and eat in silence.
After a few bites, her expression paused slightly.
[System, this is really delicious.]
The system replied: [Host, you can eat more. These ingredients are highly nutritious. Eating more is good for your body.]
Liu Qiu couldn’t quite tell what she was eating; every dish was delicate and beautifully presented.
As she ate, she lifted her gaze and looked at Duan Fan across from her.
Their eyes met directly.
Duan Fan’s eyes curved with amusement.
Liu Qiu felt that Duan Fan smiling like this meant no good.
She put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth, stood up, and said coldly, “I’m full.”
Duan Fan’s gaze lingered on Liu Qiu’s lips, now flushed and rosy.
Her smile deepened.
She took out two coupons from her pocket and handed one to Liu Qiu.
“Here. Pay for your own meal.”
Liu Qiu accepted it and nodded.
If Duan Fan had given her both coupons, she might have grown suspicious, but Duan Fan only handed her one.
Even so, Liu Qiu didn’t lower her guard.
Led to the front desk by the attendant, Liu Qiu let Duan Fan pay first.
She watched as Duan Fan handed over her coupon, and the receptionist accepted it.
Liu Qiu quietly let out a breath.
So it was real.
She handed over her slightly crumpled paper and turned to glance at Duan Fan waiting by the door.
Duan Fan stood there like a living signboard, lips curved, eyes smiling, leaning against the doorway.
A beautiful woman always drew attention, no matter where she stood.
Especially someone like Duan Fan, whose style was bold and eye-catching.
Liu Qiu noticed several people turning back to look at her.
She didn’t think highly of Duan Fan.
She felt this woman was far too fickle.
Despite openly declaring she wanted Fu Jinyin, she still had a constant stream of lovers.
Fu Jinyin should be with someone devoted and gentle.
“Miss, your ticket is not one of our store’s discount vouchers.”
The words hit Liu Qiu like a bolt of thunder.
She turned stiffly, speaking one word at a time.
“But the person just now—”
Meeting the receptionist’s apologetic gaze, she stopped.
“Sorry, miss. Our establishment does not issue coupons.”
“HAHAHAHA.”
Duan Fan’s laughter rang out openly, full of blatant mockery.
Liu Qiu even heard the hushed whispers behind her.
“What is she doing?”
“Is she pranking the staff?”
“She’s so pretty, yet she’s doing something like this.”
Liu Qiu’s ears and cheeks burned red.
She pressed her lips together and said softly, “I’m sorry. How much is it?”
The receptionist replied, “Miss, the lady before you has already paid for your meal.”
Duan Fan’s voice came from behind.
“President Liu, why are you still standing there? Let’s go.”
Liu Qiu lowered her head and walked straight ahead without looking at Duan Fan.
Duan Fan called out and followed, grinning.
“President Liu, was it fun?”
“President Liu, don’t walk so fast. Get in the car—I’ll take you to the company. We can go to work together.”
“President Liu, wh—”
Duan Fan’s smile faltered slightly as she suddenly grabbed Liu Qiu’s wrist.
“President Liu, stop. You can’t run a red light.”
[ Ding! Confirming target character’s frequent ‘cuckold option.’ ]
Liu Qiu stopped and began struggling, her voice hoarse.
“Duan Fan, let go of me.”
Duan Fan was slightly taller.
With Liu Qiu lowering her head, Duan Fan asked softly, “Are you really angry?”
Liu Qiu said nothing, trying to pry Duan Fan’s fingers off her wrist.
Duan Fan narrowed her eyes, suddenly crouching down to look up at Liu Qiu’s face.
A teardrop fell from Liu Qiu’s chin to the ground.
Her long lashes trembled as she turned her head away.
She hadn’t meant to cry.
She was a CEO now—how could she cry so easily?
But she couldn’t hold it in.
The more Duan Fan teased her, the more wronged she felt.
Duan Fan loosened her grip.
Liu Qiu’s voice was low.
“Don’t come find me anymore.”
Duan Fan stood up without speaking.
Liu Qiu raised her head, her expression cold, her eyes cold, yet tears streamed down her face, staining her reddened cheeks and the corners of her eyes.
“I hate this kind of joke.”
For once, Duan Fan’s glamorous face showed something close to helplessness.
“I—”
“That’s enough,” Liu Qiu interrupted in a low voice.
“I know I’m in a difficult position right now.”
“But that doesn’t mean anyone can step on me.”
Her tear-dampened lashes lowered.
“I’ll pay you back for the meal.”
With that, she turned and left, leaving Duan Fan with only her thin retreating figure.
Duan Fan instinctively took a step forward to follow but stopped mid-motion.
She irritably fiddled with her earring.
Liu Qiu was crying because of her.
She should have been happy.
She had always disliked Liu Qiu.
So why did she want to chase after her?
Maybe she just hadn’t expected Liu Qiu to cry over such a trivial prank.
It felt unexpectedly out of control.
Back in her car, Duan Fan tapped the steering wheel repeatedly.
She couldn’t get the image of Liu Qiu crying without expression out of her mind.
Annoying.
Frowning, she called Fu Jinyin.
The phone rang for a long time before being answered.
Duan Fan carefully chose her words.
“Fu Jinyin… does Liu Qiu have anything she likes?”
Fu Jinyin’s voice was icy even in summer.
“Go ask her yourself.”
The call ended.
Duan Fan cursed softly.
“Rude little brat.”
She rested her forehead on the steering wheel.
“Annoying. So annoying.”
“Why so stingy?”
Around ten in the morning, Liu Qiu arrived at the company.
After briefly responding to greetings, she stopped someone and asked, “Have you seen a woman about 1.8 meters tall, wearing a dark blue short-sleeve shirt and dark jeans, with long hair and long bangs, very beautiful?”
“No.”
Liu Qiu sighed and called Fu Jinyin, but no one answered.
She kept searching.
It was possible Fu Jinyin had come to the wrong place.
At the elevator, she ran into the company’s finance director.
“President Liu, your wife came very early this morning and went straight to your office.”
“She’s still inside.”
Liu Qiu let out a breath of relief.
So she was in her office.
After entering the elevator together, Liu Qiu said quietly, “Wang He… if you have another company in mind, I can write you a recommendation letter.”
“I won’t blame you.”
Wang He widened her eyes and admitted honestly, “…I do.”
When Liu Qiu pushed open her office door, she saw Fu Jinyin sitting calmly at the computer.
She didn’t ask why the phone hadn’t been answered.
Instead, she said, “You don’t need to come so early.”
Fu Jinyin looked up and noticed Liu Qiu’s slightly red eyes.
Her voice was flat.
“Don’t worry about me.”
Liu Qiu’s expression cooled.
“We’re married.”
“You can choose to divorce,” Fu Jinyin replied.
Liu Qiu fell silent and sat on the sofa.
So that was how Fu Jinyin saw it.
She could divorce—but not now.
After a pause, she said, “If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can ask me.”
“Can you leave?”
Liu Qiu’s fingers tightened slightly.
“All right.”
After leaving, she stood by the window, looking down at the bustling street.
It hurt a little to be treated with such coldness.
But only a little.
She understood why Fu Jinyin hated the original host.
After some thought, Liu Qiu took out her phone and announced in the employee group chat that from now on, the boss would be Fu Jinyin.
She also informed the shareholders.
This way, no one would dare make things difficult for her.
At noon, Liu Qiu went to call Fu Jinyin for lunch.
When she reached the office, the door wasn’t fully closed, and voices could be heard inside.
She knocked.
The room fell silent.
Maintaining her cold expression, she pushed the door open—
And froze.
[ Cuckold Value +1 ]
Duan Fan was leaning against the desk, bending forward, completely blocking Fu Jinyin from view.
It looked exactly like they were kissing.
For the first time facing such a situation, Liu Qiu didn’t know what to do.
[System, this—]
The system’s mechanical voice rose sharply.
[Host, go slap Duan Fan.]
[Don’t forget, Fu Jinyin is your wife. If someone kisses your wife, you have to punish them first.]
Liu Qiu clenched her fingers.
[Right. I have to… be angry.]
Duan Fan’s tie was being tugged as she looked into Fu Jinyin’s cold eyes at close range.
Before she could finish saying, “What the—” she heard an icy voice behind her.
“Duan Fan!”
Duan Fan’s eyes flew open.
Liu Qiu?!
The tie was released.
Duan Fan straightened and turned around.
Liu Qiu stood there with red-rimmed eyes, staring at her.
Before Duan Fan could finish, a sharp slap echoed through the room.
Her cheek burned.
Yet she felt no anger.
Liu Qiu was crying again.
Tears fell one after another, sliding down her pale face.
Her eyes were cold but filled with tears.
“Duan Fan, get out!”
Fu Jinyin, who had been completely blocked behind Duan Fan, watched silently.
She had done it on purpose.
She didn’t want Liu Qiu to have it easy.
Apparently, Liu Qiu cared more about her chastity than she had imagined.
She had even raised her hand.
Next, Liu Qiu would probably hit her.
Fu Jinyin lowered her lashes.
Liu Qiu’s strength couldn’t hurt her anyway.
Footsteps approached.
“Jinyin,” Liu Qiu said hoarsely.
Fu Jinyin pretended not to hear.
Would she scold her first?
Or slap her?
“Jinyin, I’m sorry. I let you be bullied.”
Fu Jinyin’s pupils contracted.
She looked up sharply.
Liu Qiu’s face was still expressionless, but her eyes were brimming with tears.
Why was she apologizing?
Why did she think she had been bullied?
Was this woman stupid?
Had her brain collapsed along with her company?
Fu Jinyin stood up abruptly, her aura turning cold and oppressive.
“Don’t come to the company anymore.”
“It annoys me.”
Liu Qiu saw the disgust in her eyes clearly this time.
“Jinyin, don’t you love me anymore?”
Fu Jinyin said nothing, only grabbed her wrist and dragged her roughly to the door.
“You gave me the company and the shares.”
“From today on, you’re not allowed to come here.”
Liu Qiu stumbled and fell to the floor when released.
Her heart ached.
Her palms hurt.
Her pride hurt.
But more than anything, she felt wronged.
“I understand,” she said hoarsely, standing up on her own.
The door slammed shut.
Outside, Duan Fan was still waiting.
She stepped forward with a grin.
“President Liu, where are you going? I’ll take you.”
Liu Qiu turned her head away.
Who would associate with a green-hat culprit?
Duan Fan grabbed her wrist.
“I didn’t kiss her!”
“President Liu! You slapped me, fine—but you can’t just abandon me like this!”
Liu Qiu quickly covered her mouth.
“Don’t shout!”
Duan Fan’s eyes curved.
“What do I want?”
“President Liu, I want you—”
Another slap.
Now both cheeks were red.
“Duan Fan!”
“I’m joking,” Duan Fan laughed.
“I really didn’t kiss her.”
Liu Qiu didn’t reply.
Duan Fan took her hand gently.
“Your palm is red from hitting me.”
She placed a gemstone necklace in Liu Qiu’s hand.
The deep blue gem shimmered like the ocean.
“President Liu, this is for you.”
“I’m sorry about this morning.”
Without waiting for refusal, she turned and left.
“See you tomorrow.”
“Believe me—I didn’t kiss her.”
Liu Qiu watched her retreating figure and quietly put the necklace away.
[Host, that gemstone is worth at least one million on the market. Possibly two million.]
[System, I won’t sell it. I’ll return it someday.]
After lunch, Liu Qiu went home and continued drawing her comic.
This time, she drew everything that happened today, including Duan Fan.
[Miss Fan is very annoying, but she said she didn’t kiss her. Miss Qiu chose to believe her.]
[Miss Qiu feels sorry. She hit her hard and hopes Miss Fan won’t be angry.]
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! 🙂