Chapter 76

Xu Chun and Zheng Yanran’s frantic attempts to dodge left Jiang Banxia with mixed feelings. Watching the two of them practically drop to their knees in front of Qin Yao and Zhao Ciying, so terrified they couldn’t even move, and comparing that to how arrogant and reckless they usually were around her, made the contrast seem like night and day.

Jiang Banxia’s subtle gaze lingered on their tense little faces for a moment before she finally turned to Zhao Ciying and Qin Yao and greeted them. “President Qin, President Zhao.”

Qin Yao nodded in return. “Let’s go inside first.”

A whole group of people blocking the doorway really was a bit much. Hearing this, Xu Chun and Zheng Yanran scrambled away without a second thought. Zhao Ciying watched their fleeing backs with interest for a while, then turned her attention to Jiang Banxia. “Your methods have been quite impressive lately.” She glanced at Qin Yao, red lips curving slightly. “She taught you, didn’t she.”

Jiang Banxia smiled, neither confirming nor denying. “A wise bird chooses its perch. President Zhao could do the same.”

Zhao Ciying only scoffed. “Bow my head to someone else?” she said unhurriedly. She had never bowed to anyone in her entire life.

“Not bowing your head.” Qin Yao cut in, her voice calm but oddly serious. “Cooperating.”

This sudden remark genuinely caught Zhao Ciying off guard. She stared at Qin Yao in disbelief for a long moment. “Aren’t you already famous far and wide, with both fame and fortune?”

After a moment’s thought, Zhao Ciying narrowed her deep eyes, her casual expression tinged with wariness and caution. “Your ambition really is something else.”

Qin Yao curved her lips into a faint smile. “Cooperation benefits us both, doesn’t it?”

The logic held, but that faint smile didn’t reach Qin Yao’s eyes. Zhao Ciying couldn’t shake the feeling that this old fox had already quietly calculated how to set a trap for her, lure her in, and deliver a fatal blow, taking the fruits of years of hard work without leaving so much as a bone.

Qin Yao’s threatening, aggressive nature was something even Zhao Ciying had to guard against with everything she had.

Zhao Ciying politely declined. “I’m used to working alone.” The corner of her mouth tugged upward. “A deal with a tiger? I’m afraid I won’t even see the benefits before I’m eaten down to the bones...”

“My blade never points at my friends,” Qin Yao said evenly.

Zhao Ciying paused, then studied Qin Yao’s expression for a long while, searching for any subtle abnormality or flaw. There was none.

“Why?” Zhao Ciying truly couldn’t understand why Qin Yao would use today’s mahjong gathering as an opportunity to court her. Qin Yao now had status and position. Over the past six months, no one in the business world had been more brilliant, dazzling, and talked-about than her. At this moment of such renown, was there any need for her to seek cooperation?

Their respective markets and fields didn’t even overlap.

The saying went, “When something’s off, there’s a demon behind it.” This was like a weasel paying a chicken a New Year call. Nothing good could come of it.

Zhao Ciying certainly wouldn’t be swayed by a few sentences from Qin Yao, even though they’d been in contact for over half a year and she had a general sense of the other woman’s temperament, character, and methods.

But precisely because of that, she found it even more puzzling.

Logically, a career-driven woman like Qin Yao should be focused on her own group’s development. Yet now she was acting out of character, forming alliances and making friends everywhere. Something was off. Very off.

Zhao Ciying thought carefully about today’s mahjong game, which Qin Yao had initiated. Besides herself, Zheng Jinchan was also coming. Was Qin Yao harboring the same intention to cooperate and strengthen ties with Zheng Jinchan?

Although they had collaborated before, most of their interactions had been at the negotiation table. An occasion like today was clearly more conducive to deepening their personal relationship.

Jiang Banxia needed no explanation, as she had long since boarded Qin Yao’s pirate ship. Once Qin Yao provided her with sufficient support, the Jiang family would inevitably become dependent on Qin Yao sooner or later.

Tracing Qin Yao’s moves, Zhao Ciying suddenly uncovered a startling secret. Over the past year or two, Qin Yao had been quietly laying out her chessboard, step by step. She and Zheng Jinchan had been forced into the game long ago and had no way out.

Perhaps from the moment she became entangled with Qin Yao... no, with Xu Chun—she had already had no choice.

Realizing she’d been played by Qin Yao, Zhao Ciying fixed her with a fake smile. “President Qin, what a brilliant scheme. I underestimated you before.”

Qin Yao didn’t take offense at the sarcasm. Her manner remained mild, patient and courteous. “Then does President Zhao agree?”

Zhao Ciying’s first instinct was to refuse, but just as the words reached her lips, she changed her mind. “Whether I agree is a conversation for later. I just want to know. Who are you going after next?”

Silence followed. After a long moment, Qin Yao’s lips moved, and she said slowly, “Qiao family.”

Zhao Ciying raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t they your relatives?”

Qin Yao slowly turned her eyes and stared at Zhao Ciying without moving. Zhao Ciying immediately pulled one hand from her trouser pocket and raised it in surrender, a playful smile on her lips. “Fine, I won’t ask.”

The Qiao family... at the thought of their deep pockets, Zhao Ciying’s eyes curved. “Deal.”

As the two negotiated, Jiang Banxia listened quietly from the side. Her mind drifted to the terms of her own deal with Qin Yao. It wasn’t just Zhao Ciying who found Qin Yao’s recent behavior strange. Jiang Banxia did too. Qin Yao was planning ahead, arranging every detail, as if paving a road for someone and clearing away every obstacle.

As far as Jiang Banxia knew, the only person who could make Qin Yao care this much was Jiang Zhaolie.

But her relationship with Jiang Zhaolie... was it worth such devoted, painstaking effort? Jiang Banxia wasn’t quite sure.

The surface facts pointed that way, but a woman’s strong sixth sense told her the truth might be otherwise. The person Qin Yao valued so much might be someone else entirely.

Unexpectedly, Xu Chun and Zheng Yanran flashed through her mind.

A guess slowly surfaced, but without solid evidence, she couldn’t be certain.

With Zhao Ciying’s affirmative answer, half of Qin Yao’s task for today was done. She strolled over to the automatic mahjong table on those long legs.

Zheng Yanran and Xu Chun were fiddling with the tiles. Seeing her approach, they both instinctively edged toward the person beside them, like two little chicks huddling together for a sense of security.

Zheng Yanran was usually wild, but she knew Qin Yao wasn’t someone to mess with—especially since, for the past six months, Zheng Jinchan had drilled it into her head to behave around Qin Yao, lest she offend her and drag the family down with her.

Zheng Yanran’s ears were about to grow calluses from hearing it.

Because of that, she now went stiff and uncomfortable whenever she saw Qin Yao. Whether it was Zheng Jinchan’s constant reminders or simply Qin Yao’s overpowering aura, she didn’t dare act out in front of such an elder.

Qin Yao didn’t react much to their fear of her. After all, plenty of juniors had been afraid of her since childhood, more than she could count on two hands.

For some reason, her red lips curved into a faint smile. “President Zheng isn’t here yet. Let’s play a round first.”

With that, she looked at Xu Chun. Xu Chun was about to say she’d sit this one out and just watch, but Zheng Yanran beat her to it. “I don’t know how to play. I’ll watch from the side.”

Xu Chun’s expression twisted as she looked at her. “...”

Zheng Yanran, having successfully escaped the killing field, was full of smugness. She tossed Xu Chun a flirtatious wink. Even if you’re the reincarnation of the mahjong god, I bet you won’t dare win against Qin Yao and Zhao Ciying today.

How could Xu Chun not know Zheng Yanran’s little scheme? She took a deep breath and sat down decisively, then hesitated.

Maybe... she should go easy on them?

But with all these good tiles right in front of her, she really couldn’t bring herself to do it!

Winning once felt great; winning continuously felt even better. Under everyone’s astonished gazes, Xu Chun got good tiles every round. She won so much she was numb and her eyes turned red. It wasn’t until Zheng Jinchan arrived that Xu Chun glanced at the pile of checks beside her hand and her reason suddenly returned. “...”

Was it too late to drop to her knees now?

Zheng Jinchan spotted her winnings at a glance and couldn’t help exclaiming in surprise, “You won this much off President Qin and the others in such a short time?”

If she hadn’t mentioned it, it would’ve been fine, but the moment she did, Xu Chun felt the smile on her face freeze. She had indeed gotten a bit carried away by the money just now, so much so that she hadn’t considered the feelings and pride of these big shots...

“Your skills are quite good.” Fortunately, Zhao Ciying and Qin Yao didn’t show much reaction. Instead, they acknowledged Xu Chun’s technique. “Surprisingly good.”

Zheng Jinchan suspected the three of them were going easy on her but had no evidence. At that moment, Jiang Banxia set down her tiles and vacated her seat. “I need to go to a meeting first. President Zheng, why don’t you take my place?”

Zheng Jinchan didn’t stand on ceremony, nodding as she sat down.

As soon as Jiang Banxia left, Zheng Yanran instinctively wanted to follow, but Xu Chun was quick to grab her, asking warily, “Where are you going?”

The accusatory tone, as if catching her in an affair, made Zheng Yanran’s eyelid twitch. “...Nowhere.”

She sat back down anyway. She had no other ideas. She just wanted to see if Xu Chun would still have such good luck in front of her mother.

But who would’ve guessed that Xu Chun won against all three of them again, so happy collecting checks that she couldn’t stop grinning.

Xu Chun forcibly controlled the corners of her mouth that wanted to curl upward. Come on, she’d been touching mahjong tiles since she was three years old and had studied and honed her skills for decades. How could Qin Yao, Zhao Ciying, and Zheng Jinchan, people busy with business and making money every day, possibly be her match?

Zhao Ciying had lost until she had no temper left. Zheng Jinchan, having just arrived, was still a bit unconvinced and said she wanted another round. Only Qin Yao watched Xu Chun with a calm gaze containing a faint smile, as if she had long anticipated this.

Xu Chun inadvertently glanced up and met Qin Yao’s incredibly gentle eyes at that moment, and couldn’t help but freeze. Was it her imagination? Qin Yao’s eyes seemed to contain a story between the two of them. She couldn’t resist looking twice more, but when she looked again, Qin Yao had returned to normal, nothing unusual on her face.

Xu Chun unconsciously pressed her lips together. The joy of winning money faded somewhat, and afterward her gaze kept drifting toward Qin Yao. But no matter how thoroughly she examined Qin Yao from head to toe, she couldn’t discern anything more.

It wasn’t until Jiang Banxia returned that Qin Yao stood up, gestured for her to take over, and said, “I’m going to rest for a while.”

She was busy, spinning like a top every day, heels never touching the ground, sleeping precious little. Now that she finally had some free time, she made a quick decision between the two options without much thought: sleep came first.

Jiang Banxia came over at Qin Yao’s signal but didn’t take the seat. Instead, she turned to Zheng Yanran, who was craning her neck to watch the tiles. “You play.”

Zheng Yanran was about to say she had no money when she heard Jiang Banxia say, “I’ll cover for you.”

There was such a good deal? Zheng Yanran’s eyes lit up and she nodded and sat down at the table without a second thought, quickly setting up her stance as if afraid the other would change her mind. “Let’s start.”

Xu Chun’s gaze followed Qin Yao closely. Qin Yao walked into the resting room beside them; the door was gently pushed by the woman’s fair, slender hand but didn’t close fully, so glimpses of the interior were still visible.

She saw Qin Yao drape her jacket over a chair, then take a fleece blanket from the other side and cover herself with it. After that, there was no more sound.

At Zheng Yanran’s urging, Xu Chun reluctantly withdrew her gaze. “I know, I know.”

The mahjong sounds outside weren’t quiet. They could even be called a bit noisy. But in such an environment, Qin Yao’s heart felt a long-missed, inexplicable sense of steadiness and peace.

She couldn’t remember how long it had been since she’d felt this slightly contented mood. She only remembered that for the past two years, she seemed to have spent every day in busyness and calculation, lest she take a wrong step.

Actually, her situation wasn’t that bad, at least far from the days of utter destitution and abandonment by all. But since some things had already been foreseen, she would never allow herself to make even the slightest mistake and plunge herself back into irreversible ruin.

Qin Yao closed her eyes and quietly recalled past experiences. It had been less than two years, yet to the present her, it felt like events from a previous century.

This nap, unusually, was not a restful one for Qin Yao.

One bizarre fragment after another flashed before her eyes, finally settling on one scene.

Xu Chun, long since forced out of the entertainment industry by Yu Sui’an, who had then successfully applied to work at her company, wore a high-end custom black suit. Her makeup was cold and striking, her hair elegantly and sharply pinned up, her expression indifferent and distant. These days, Qin Yao rarely saw a smile on her face. Her eyes were like a stagnant ancient well, devoid of any vitality.

She just stared at her quietly, red lips parting, words aggressive: “President Qin, you still don’t dare?”

Perhaps seeing no reaction from her, she instantly flashed a disappointed smile. “I thought you dared to act and take responsibility. Turns out you’re just a coward running from yourself.”

She slowly moved her steps, high heels clicking loudly on the floor, not stopping until she reached the desk. She placed both hands on the surface, leaning slightly forward to look down at her, her tone noticeably heavier than before. “Qin Yao.”

“Is it really that hard to admit you’ve already fallen for me?”

“Is it only if I die that you’ll...”

Qin Yao’s lashes flew open, and for a split second she couldn’t distinguish dream from reality. Not until the sound of mahjong tiles tumbling drifted in did she gradually come back to herself, only to find her forehead and back already damp with fine sweat.

She closed her eyes, raised her hand, and rubbed her aching temples, brows tightly knit.

How long had it been since she’d dreamed of these things... She couldn’t quite remember anymore.

“Sister Qin.” Xu Chun noticed the blanket in the room shifting twice and realized Qin Yao had likely woken up. She immediately yielded her seat to Jiang Banxia and flew over like a butterfly.

She clung to the doorframe with one hand, her fair face wearing a cautious expression. “You’re awake.”

Qin Yao paused, looked up, and gazed at Xu Chun’s clear, foolish eyes. “Mm, just woke up.”

This current version of her was still the cute one.

The Xu Chun from back then had learned Qin Yao’s temper and moods down to the last detail and then some. She would fix people with those sharp eyes and use her aggressive, oppressive aura to force them, to force Qin Yao, into making choices.

If her answer didn’t satisfy her, she’d keep pestering relentlessly until she backed down and said what she wanted to hear.

Compared to that Xu Chun who left her utterly helpless, the girl before her now was delightfully well-behaved.

Xu Chun forced herself to endure Qin Yao’s gaze without moving. Meeting Qin Yao’s eyes, she felt an inexplicable illusion—as if she were fish on a cutting board, and Qin Yao, the ‘customer,’ could easily knead and reshape her however she pleased.

Startled by her own conjecture, she couldn’t help swallowing. Maybe she should just leave now.

But just as the thought crossed her mind, she heard Qin Yao say, “Come here.”

Xu Chun’s expression froze on the spot. “?!”

Here? Now?

No way! It was broad daylight, and there were so many eyes watching outside. Any little sound would give them away, and she hadn’t even closed the door, so it absolutely couldn’t be!

“What are you overthinking?” Qin Yao seemed to have guessed her thoughts, her tone carrying a subtle note. “I just wanted you to hand me my clothes.”

Xu Chun’s disappointment was instant. “...” Oh.

She’d thought she could pursue a little excitement today.

She thought expressionlessly: What a pity.

TL Note:

A wise bird chooses its perch (良禽择木而栖) = a talented person should choose a worthy employer or partner.

A deal with a tiger (与虎谋皮) = making a deal with a dangerous person, likely to backfire.

like a weasel paying a chicken a New Year call (黄鼠狼给鸡拜年——没安好心) = a folk saying meaning someone is up to no good; “when something’s off, there’s a demon behind it” (事出反常必有妖) means unusual behavior signals something suspicious.

clear, foolish eyes (清澈的愚蠢) = internet slang for an innocent, naive, gullible look.