Chapter 46

Xu Chun said nothing and immediately ducked behind Bai Xianxian, bracing herself. Bai Xianxian turned her head to look at her for a moment, then redirected her attention to Qin Yao. "President Qin, is there something you needed from me?"

"Come to my office for a moment." Qin Yao withdrew her gaze from Xu Chun and looked into Bai Xianxian's eyes.

Bai Xianxian froze, briefly unable to work out why Qin Yao would come in person to tell her this. After a moment of blank surprise, she nodded and said yes. Qin Yao added emphatically, "Head over now and wait for me there."

Bai Xianxian didn't ask why. She nodded again, then tactfully slipped past Qin Yao and left. In an instant, only Xu Chun remained in the small office. Without a word, Xu Chun backed away until her back hit the hard, cold wall. With nowhere left to retreat, her restless steps finally stopped.

What was she supposed to do now? Feeling Qin Yao's smiling gaze settle on her again, Xu Chun nearly jumped out of her skin.

But Qin Yao didn't seem in any hurry to settle scores with her here. Instead, she curved her lips slowly. "You..." She seemed to be doing it on purpose, drawing the word out. At that slight lift at the end, Xu Chun's heart shot up, and she barely dared breathe.

"What exactly do you mean by close and not close?"

Qin Yao didn't press her hard; she asked about her criteria with great patience. But even with a question like that, Xu Chun didn't dare answer honestly with so many people watching in the livestream room.

Her mouth twitched. Xu Chun fought to stay composed and put on an air of mystery. "You'll know when the time comes."

Qin Yao watched her for a long moment, eyes heavy, then her smile suddenly deepened. "Then I very much look forward to that day."

It was an ordinary sentence, but somehow, coming from Qin Yao, it sounded inexplicably ambiguous, especially with those long, narrow eyes of hers, so dark and deep that a storm and tenderness seemed to brew in them at once. In an instant, Xu Chun was dragged back to the heart-fluttering moment of last night.

The air around them seemed to warm, and Xu Chun couldn't help imagining the other woman pressing her down and kissing her again, forceful and dominant.

Her body felt weak, almost boneless; even braced against the wall, she might slide to the floor.

That strange, subtle sensation made Xu Chun unconsciously press her moist lips together. Something was wrong—very wrong. Qin Yao had only said a few words to her, so why did she look like she'd taken an aphrodisiac?

This shouldn't be happening.

Her small face was set in a severe expression, fine brows slightly knit. No matter how hard she racked her brains, she couldn't understand why Qin Yao's pull on her was so strong.

Could it really be like that saying on the internet—that her body and genes had already chosen Qin Yao on behalf of her heart and mind?

Qin Yao took in every one of Xu Chun's oddities. Her lips curved gently, and then she stepped closer, asking with kind concern, "You seem a little unwell. Do you need help?"

She had closed the distance without warning, and the familiar faint scent of her body rushed into Xu Chun's nose, filling her whole mind. Xu Chun panicked and shook her head frantically. "N-no need."

Help? How would she dare let Qin Yao help? Qin Yao's kind of help... wouldn't that just make things worse? It would probably take three or four hours before it was over.

Qin Yao watched her for a long moment, half-smiling, and when she spoke, she sounded almost disappointed. "Well, all right then." She turned to head back to the President's Office, but before leaving, she remembered to remind Xu Chun, "If you're really unwell, you're welcome to come find me anytime."

How was she supposed to take that...

Xu Chun's ears burned. The dark look she shot at Qin Yao held a hint of resentment. Whose fault was this?

If Qin Yao's hormones hadn't captivated her so deeply, how could she have lost her composure in front of her, in front of so many livestream viewers? Thinking of how she'd have to rack her brains to explain things to the audience next, Xu Chun's head started aching at once.

Qin Yao didn't seem to mind getting no answer. She turned and left with easy grace, her retreating figure moving a little hurriedly, which made Xu Chun wonder: what important matter required Qin Yao to come notify Bai Xianxian in person?

Fortunately, she didn't have to wait long before Bai Xianxian returned. Xu Chun hurried to meet her, asking with concern, "What did President Qin ask you about? How did it end so quickly?"

"Nothing much." Bai Xianxian smiled. "She just couldn't quite understand why I would suddenly resign."

She suddenly laughed, eyes full of cunning. "I lied and told her my family was urging me to go back and get married. After she heard that, she was quiet for a while and didn't ask anything else." Bai Xianxian sighed. "Maybe from her perspective, I'd worked at the company for almost six or seven years, and everything was going fine, yet suddenly I was dead set on resigning. She found it hard to understand."

Xu Chun thought that made sense. "If it were me, I wouldn't understand either."

If Bai Xianxian hadn't given her a reasonable explanation earlier, Xu Chun wouldn't have understood why she'd give up a job that paid tens of thousands a month. Apart from being a bit strict, Qin Yao wasn't like other bosses who only made empty promises before manipulating and controlling their employees. Working under Qin Yao was, relatively speaking, already a stroke of luck—especially since Qin Yao paid such high wages.

Bai Xianxian pressed her lips together and smiled. "Don't let anything slip—"

Before the words were out, a commotion broke out ahead, as if a group of people were approaching in twos and threes. Xu Chun had just craned her neck to look when a group of uniformed police filed in and surrounded the office. The lead officer, an older policeman, went straight to Bai Xianxian. "Someone has reported you in connection with several criminal offenses. Please come with us now to assist in the investigation."

Xu Chun and the audience: "?!!!" What kind of development was this?

A perfectly good workplace variety show. How had it turned into a crime drama?

Xu Chun instinctively looked at Bai Xianxian, but Bai Xianxian was unhurried. She rose slowly, offered no resistance at all, and was docile as could be. Even when she caught Xu Chun's shocked gaze, she remained calm and composed, offered Xu Chun no explanation, and quietly left with the police.

The group came quickly and left quickly. In the blink of an eye, only Xu Chun was left in the office again. She and the livestream audience stayed dumbfounded for quite a while. When the viewers finally reacted, they all fired off questions in the comments: 【What happened? Sister Xu, tell us! Quick—!】

【Sister Xu, you and Bai Xianxian spent every day together—you must have noticed something. Give us a hint! Don't make us kneel and beg!】

Ignoring the viewers practically clawing at their hearts for inside information, Xu Chun snapped out of it, dropped the phone she was livestreaming from, and rushed out of the office. She was about to head to Qin Yao's office to confirm her guess when she ran into Secretary Zhao after a few steps. Reflexively, she grabbed her. "Was it her?"

Secretary Zhao nodded without even asking what she meant.

Xu Chun frowned, her face full of questions. "How did you find out?"

In her view, Bai Xianxian had disguised herself well. In daily interactions, she was a perfectly normal colleague, with strengths and flaws alike, so vivid and alive that no one would ever connect her to all the scheming she'd been doing in secret. And when she'd told Xu Chun she was resigning, even the reason had been so real and convincing that Xu Chun hadn't thought twice about it.

Who would have guessed this person had been playing double agent right under Qin Yao's nose?

"Actually, we didn't suspect her at first," Secretary Zhao said. "She'd been at the company six or seven years. At first she seemed ordinary, not especially good, not especially bad. She made mistakes sometimes, but also did things well. She was diligent and eager to learn, and willing to endure hardship, so after she passed her probation, President Qin brought her along on business trips."

"She was very clever. Working alongside us, she slowly earned our trust. Later, once she had access to more company secrets, she didn't act immediately. Instead, she lay low for another four years, and only two or three years ago did she begin selling company information, bit by bit, without a trace, to a foreign competitor."

After hearing this, Xu Chun didn't know whether to call the woman overly arrogant or simply too confident in her own cleverness—so utterly sure that Qin Yao would never discover her. But logically speaking, if Bai Xianxian could calculate fortunes, she should have been able to figure out whether she would succeed and whether she'd face this tribulation. How could she make such a mistake, capsizing just as victory was within reach?

"At that time, President Jiang had just taken office, and the company underwent a major reshuffle. She kept her head down and worked diligently every day, so no one paid her any attention. Later, a large batch of old employees left and a large batch of new ones came in. Our focus was always on those holding important positions within the company. We overlooked the little assistant right beside us, honest and inconspicuous on the surface, but in truth incomparably dangerous."

"Speaking of which, we have you to thank for this." Secretary Zhao cast her an appreciative look. "If you hadn't been livestreaming twenty-four hours a day and clinging to her shamelessly from morning to night, we really might not have caught on."

"After we began to suspect her, President Qin acted decisively and swapped her companion on the business trip from Bai Xianxian to you." Though Secretary Zhao had always felt Qin Yao's move wasn't entirely about Bai Xianxian—there was a hint of personal motive in it too. "And sure enough, the details of this negotiation with President Zheng didn't leak again."

"Instead, back at the company thousands of miles away, the false information President Qin had deliberately planted was leaked."

Hearing this, Xu Chun felt conflicted. Perhaps Bai Xianxian's fortune-telling did have some real skill to it. She might have cast a few hexagrams for herself at first, and every result came out as success, which was why she'd boldly come to infiltrate Qin Group.

Who would have known that after all these years, just as she was about to wrap things up, Xu Chun and Director Guo would suddenly barge in and decide to run a livestream variety show at Qin Group, broadcasting Xu Chun's entire day from every angle, breaking the original plot and exposing her by accident. After all, in the original story, Xu Chun wasn't filming a variety show at Qin Group at this point; she'd probably already been driven out of the entertainment industry by Yu Sui'an, her reputation in ruins.

Xu Chun didn't know what to say for a moment. Secretary Zhao, thinking she'd been dealt a blow, kindly consoled her. "There are no friends in the workplace. That saying probably applies just as well in your entertainment circle."

She'd originally meant to pat Xu Chun's shoulder, but then something occurred to her. Her eyes flickered unnaturally for a moment, and she awkwardly put her hand back down. "Don't open your heart to others so easily." She paused, then added, "Of course, President Qin excepted."

Xu Chun immediately: "?"

At her skeptical look, Secretary Zhao smiled with a hint of embarrassment. "I need to go deal with the aftermath of Bai Xianxian's situation."

Bai Xianxian's arrest on a variety show would undoubtedly spark speculation, which would in turn affect Qin Group's reputation and stock price. For at least the next month, Secretary Zhao would get no peace. She'd be working frantic overtime.

Xu Chun nodded. "If there's anything I can help with, just say the word."

Xu Chun had only meant it as a courtesy. Who would have known that the very next day, Secretary Zhao really did put her to work—and after discovering just how useful Xu Chun was, she wouldn't even let her leave the company at night. If Xu Chun had known she'd end up like this, she wouldn't have said that extra sentence today for anything.

Dazedly returning to the office, she found the comments still relentlessly asking questions. Xu Chun said with a straight face, "I really don't know anything. Actually, Assistant Bai and I aren't that close."

"Something this big has happened—Qin Group and the authorities will definitely make an announcement. Just keep an eye out for it. I'm a female celebrity here to film a variety show—how would I know a company's secrets?"

She said it earnestly, but the audience clearly didn't believe her: 【Your relationship with Bai Xianxian is visibly good, and President Qin specifically brought you on her business trip. Can you honestly say you and President Qin aren't involved?】

Xu Chun answered without thinking, "I don't have a conscience."

The comments: 【...】 She was impossible. They'd never seen anyone so tight-lipped.

After failing to dig up any information from Xu Chun, the crowd migrated to other social platforms. Because the arrest had happened in Xu Chun's livestream room, the matter blew up enormously. Related hashtags were now hanging high on Weibo, sparking widespread discussion.

While Bai Xianxian's affair drew attention, the collaboration between Qin Group and Zheng Group was also leaked, spreading privately through every circle. With both matters exposed at once, people inside and outside the industry couldn't figure out what Qin Yao was planning.

Qin Group was already powerful. Over the years, allied with Jiang Group, it had stood towering and unshaken for decades. Now, with Zheng Group added on top... they were trying to reach the heavens.

People who didn't understand were still guessing at the reasons, while the smart ones had already jumped in to buy Qin Group stock. Xu Chun was no exception. Without hesitation, she poured her entire fortune in. Even Qin Yao was silent for a long while before finally commenting in a low voice, "...Gambler."

Xu Chun was indeed gambling, betting that Jiang Zhaolie wouldn't repay kindness with betrayal, that Qin Yao wouldn't collapse, that Qin Group would only grow stronger under Qin Yao's leadership.

As long as Qin Yao stood firm, this vast Qin Group would remain formidable, and by then Xu Chun could make the leap from wage earner to capitalist.

Suddenly flat broke, Xu Chun felt lightheaded. She hurriedly set a photo of Qin Yao as her phone wallpaper and bowed to it again and again. "Auntie, please don't let me down."

When Xu Chun's parents learned that she'd invested her entire fortune in Qin Group stock, they hesitated, then followed suit with more than half of theirs. Even Xu Wei sold everything she owned except the sports car Xu Chun had bought her and threw that in too.

When Xu Chun heard the news: "..." A family of gamblers. She finally understood how the Xu family went bankrupt in the original story.

But this time it probably wouldn't come to that. Jiang Zhaolie probably wouldn't be ruthless enough to strike at herself. If she wanted to take over Qin Group, any tiny problem at Qin Group would do her no good at all.

Having thought through the stakes, Xu Chun let out a long breath of relief. Now she really was poor beyond poor, inside and out. So where was she supposed to go make money now?

Her eyes darted, and she thought of her agent. "Sister Yang~"

She called out affectionately, and her agent immediately grew alert. "What trouble have you gotten into now?"

Xu Chun said plaintively, "Sister Yang, has anyone approached me recently about filming ads or magazine shoots? I'm a bit short on cash right now, so as long as they're not too awful, take them all for me."

The agent: "?"

"Short on cash? How short?"

"Penniless?" Xu Chun offered.

The agent: "...Xu Chun, did you get scammed by one of those nude video chat frauds?!" Meeting you really is my tribulation.

Fortunately, though the agent was speechless, she agreed. Soon the assistant came running over with an armful of contracts. "Sister Xu, take a look. Are these all right? You're popular lately, so the ones approaching you are all big brands. Not only are they high-class, the pay is generous too. If you're willing to take them all, I guarantee you'll make a fortune."

Xu Chun's eyes lit up. That was more like it! She waved a hand. "Then take them all for me."

Since she had to work at Qin Group during the day, she went to the studio at night to work overtime. After a solid week of it, Xu Chun deeply regretted it. Actually, she could have done without this bit of money.

No money might mean starving to death at worst, but overtime was a double torment of mind and body!

And so, after half a month of Secretary Zhao filling her days at Qin Group to the brim and various advertisers filling her nights just as thoroughly, Xu Chun was finally free. Without hesitation, she took a day off and slept like the dead at home, oblivious to the world.

The comments fell silent: 【Sister Xu is this rich and still works this hard—what excuse do I have to slack off?】

【But slacking off really is bliss. Sister Xu's diligence does give me anxiety, but lying flat still makes me feel great in body and mind. You don't hustle, I don't hustle—working every day is risk-free.】

【I think the sister above is right!】

【Seeing Sister Xu work so hard puts my heart at ease. There's hope for the entertainment industry's future!】

The group was discussing enthusiastically. Who would have known that just after praising Xu Chun, the very next day she did a complete about-face from her previous diligence and began her slacking life. After resting for a day, Xu Chun felt refreshed. Returning to the company, she wandered here and there like a street loafer, and Secretary Zhao's brow twitched watching her.

She couldn't help stopping Xu Chun. "If you really have nothing to do, then take over all of Assistant Bai's former work. You've been doing it long enough anyway. It shouldn't be a problem for you."

"Share a bit more of the load now, and when final accounts are settled, your salary gets an extra share."

Xu Chun immediately shook her head in refusal. "No, no, no, I have things to do. I'm very busy. I'm about to go meet with Fu Xin right now."

Secretary Zhao was momentarily speechless, and Xu Chun seized the chance to slip away and flee to Fu Xin's side. She'd promised He Qingli she would look after Fu Xin, but lately she'd been so busy she was seeing stars and hadn't managed to find the time.

Fu Xin had adapted to Qin Group quite well over the past twenty-some days. The director team had placed her in the design department based on her strengths. Though it didn't quite match her clothing brand and jewelry design major, it was close enough, and it put her skills to some use. She worked nine to five, and her serious, rigorous work ethic had won her a good number of devoted fans; her popularity was second only to Xu Chun's.

From what Xu Chun had observed, the vast majority of Fu Xin's fans were mother fans. These older sisters were successful in their careers and willing to spend money, so Fu Xin's livestream donations were the highest among the guests.

But two days ago, Fu Xin had gotten caught up in a family scandal.

The Fu family had once run a mid-sized company. Later, for certain reasons, they went bankrupt under a mountain of debt, and the whole family except Fu Xin emigrated abroad. After watching the livestream, the creditors the Fu family owed money to all rushed online to demand that Fu Xin repay them. The Fu family owed a considerable sum, and with the internet's reach, the matter quickly blew up.

Though it was Fu Xin's parents who had caused this, Fu Xin was a child of the Fu family, and it was only right that debts be repaid.

When Xu Chun saw Fu Xin, her condition was clearly worse than before. She'd always been thin and slight, but now her skin was even paler, and her whole body radiated a sickly weakness. She looked unsteady, as if she might faint the next second.

Seeing Xu Chun arrive, Fu Xin forced a smile onto her deeply exhausted face. "Sister Xu Chun."

Xu Chun nodded. "Have you eaten? Want to eat together?"

Fu Xin hesitated, then finally nodded. "All right."

Because of the family scandal, the guests and colleagues who had previously been friendly to her had all distanced themselves, afraid of being dragged down and cursed out by netizens. Though Fu Xin had been mentally prepared, when the moment actually came, she still felt awful.

But she had no right to resent others, because this was what she deserved to bear.

Her mom and dad owed people money and hadn't repaid it; it was only right that she face curses and accusations. It was just that... her parents and younger brother had all emigrated, leaving her alone in the country. Even though she worked hard on the variety show to earn money, compared to the debts her family owed, it was a drop in the bucket. She didn't know how many years it would take to repay it all.

From the moment the matter broke until now, that faint despair had shrouded her without her meaning it to. Even though she tried hard to appear strong, every time she woke in the middle of the night, these debts pressed down on her until she couldn't breathe.

Sometimes she even wanted to just walk away from it all, but...

Thinking of He Qingli, Fu Xin was ultimately unwilling.

After this matter was exposed, Xu Chun guessed this might be why He Qingli had specifically asked her to look after Fu Xin before going on the variety show. The internet was a double-edged sword; with Fu Xin exposed to the cameras, these things coming to light was only a matter of time.

After chatting with Fu Xin about this and that, Xu Chun realized the kid really was strong, but beneath that strength was a deep, suffocating air of death and despair. Xu Chun was silent for two seconds. "Your performance on the variety show has been quite good. If a suitable program comes up in the future, I'll recommend you."

Fu Xin knew she meant well. She pressed her lips together and smiled gently and obediently. "Thank you, Sister Xu Chun."

"But have you ever thought about acting? If a suitable role comes up later, I could recommend you for it." Supporting roles could wrap their scenes and leave; compared to leads who might spend four or five months or even most of a year on set, it was much lighter and freer.

And during the gap before landing a role, Fu Xin could do other side work to earn extra income, taking design commissions, for example, which would make money much faster than a nine-to-five dead salary.

Fu Xin thought about it. "I've never taken professional acting classes. I'm afraid I wouldn't be up to it."

She solemnly thanked Xu Chun, then said with an easy smile, "Don't worry, Sister Xu Chun, I'm fine." She pressed her lips together, revealing two deep dimples on her cheeks. "I'm living my life step by step now. It's a bit different from before, sure, but I believe that with my effort, things will get better."

Hearing that, Xu Chun said no more and continued chatting with her about this and that.

The food in Qin Group's cafeteria was quite good. Xu Chun and Fu Xin had just gotten their food and sat down to eat when a dazzling figure, utterly out of place here, burst in. The newcomer stood at the door and swept a glance around the room; when her eyes happened to meet Xu Chun's, she immediately flew over and stopped in front of her with arrogant swagger. "Ha! Finally caught you!"

Xu Chun couldn't help looking baffled. "Who are you?"

"Me?" The girl pointed at herself. "You don't know me?" She thought about it. She really hadn't met Xu Chun before, so it was understandable that Xu Chun didn't know her. She cleared her throat, lifted her chin high, and said with great pride, "I'm Jiang Banxia's future girlfriend, Zheng Yanran."

"Oh." Xu Chun's face lit with understanding. "I'm close with your mom."

"Go call your mom here."

Zheng Yanran: "?"