L&H - 5

Before leaving work, Yu Qing had an unexpected “distinguished guest” visit her office.

Zhao Shuqun, the Sales Director of Dixin, personally delivered a statement to her regarding the distributor’s qualification issue.

Standing at 185 cm tall, Zhao Shuqun was charming and debonair. However, at this moment, dressed in a navy-blue suit, he exuded an unspoken sense of pressure as he stood by Yu Qing’s desk.

Of course, that was precisely the purpose of his visit.

“Lawyer Yu, I apologize for the trouble caused by the distributor issue this morning,” he said with a faint smile, his tone polite and courteous.

Yu Qing responded with an equally perfunctory smile. “No trouble at all. In fact, I should thank Director Zhao for supporting my work.”

Zhao Shuqun didn’t linger long. After exchanging a few more superficial pleasantries, he excused himself.

Once he was out of earshot, Zhang Xiaochi gave Yu Qing a thumbs-up. “You’re amazing! You actually got the Sales Director to personally deliver a statement.”

What impressed her even more was that Zhao Shuqun, a top-tier handsome man, didn’t even make Yu Qing bat an eye.

Any ordinary woman would have been completely smitten.

Yu Qing joked with herself. “Maybe it’s because I’m poor right now—salary is more important than male charm.” Zhang Xiaochi only saw the surface. In reality, Zhao Shuqun’s personal delivery of the statement was a subtle way of pressuring her, silently conveying: Look how much trouble you’ve caused.

She glanced at the signed statement from Zhao Shuqun and the sales department’s official seal.

It was essentially an IOU, so she locked it away in the safe.

At the usual time, the client was bringing their parents to view the rental property.

After work, Yu Qing took a taxi back to her rented apartment. Qian Cheng had been delayed today due to a delivery and hadn’t been able to pick her up.

Yu Fei arrived a few minutes earlier. After exchanging brief pleasantries, Yu Qing led them upstairs.

Yu Fei’s parents were also satisfied with the property.

Seeing this, Yu Fei didn’t waste any more time.

“I have another client meeting at eight o’clock,” she said. “My parents and I all like the house. Full payment, fifteen million yuan. If you agree, I’ll pay the deposit now, and we can handle the transfer procedures next week.”

Old Qian was stunned. That was nearly a million yuan slashed off the price in one go.

If it weren’t absolutely necessary, he wouldn’t have wanted to sell the house.

This was originally intended as a wedding home for his son. But with no cash flow at the moment, he figured selling the house would allow him to repay the bank mortgage, keep two million yuan for liquidity, and quickly secure a down payment for a new mortgage for his son.

The real estate market wasn’t doing well recently, but a sudden drop of a million yuan was hard to accept.

Yu Fei was in a hurry to meet her client. She told the real estate agent, “If Uncle Qian makes a decision, call me anytime. But the price on my end won’t change.”

With that, she left hurriedly with her parents.

The real estate agent consoled Old Qian, “Uncle, think it over carefully. When Ms. Yu isn’t busy, I’ll communicate with her again.”

Old Qian sighed. “She’s driving too hard a bargain.”

The agent could only offer a helpless smile. “Perhaps it’s related to her profession. She’s a lawyer and doesn’t have time to haggle, but she genuinely wants to buy.”

As they chatted, they headed downstairs.

Just as Yu Qing was about to close the door, it was pushed open again. Old Qian poked his head in slightly. “Little Yu, sorry for troubling you again with these repeated trips.”

“No trouble at all. Don’t worry about it,” she replied.

The door closed, and the sound of heavy footsteps gradually faded.

Yu Qing didn’t leave immediately. During her downtime today, she had been thinking about how to quickly earn two million yuan to hire Fu Ji Chen for a week.

If luck was on her side, during that week, she could have Fu Ji Chen analyze the stock market for her. Perhaps she could not only recover her losses but even turn a profit.

She stood at the doorway of the spare bedroom, staring intently at the bag cabinet. It seemed she really had to start live-streaming to sell bags.

Deciding to take the plunge, she decided to promote her items on social media.

After standing in front of the bag cabinet for a while, Yu Qing finally decided to part with the most expensive piece.

This particular bag was one of only a few in the world, each with unique colors and dimensions.

She had never used it, not even removing it from its dust bag.

Setting up the lighting, she took photos of the bag.

Before posting on her social media, she blocked certain people from seeing it.

Her caption read: [Recently fallen for something else, this bag has lost its charm. Brand new, 20% off. Interested fairies, please message me privately.] After posting, she felt uneasy about being too greedy, realizing she couldn’t expect to recoup millions in one go.

Such an expensive bag likely wouldn’t attract many buyers.

To her surprise, luck was on her side.

Soon, someone messaged her.

[Ms. Yu, I’ll take this bag.]

Shortly after, the buyer transferred a 20,000-yuan deposit.

Yu Qing stared at the profile picture and nickname in the chat window, unable to recall who it was. Normally, her obsessive-compulsive tendencies would prompt her to add notes to her contacts.

But this time, she hadn’t.

It was probably a client she’d added while collaborating with securities firms at her previous law firm.

[Hello, beautiful. When are you free? I’ll deliver the bag to you.] The buyer sent an address—it was a private club.

[Come around eleven. If you arrive too early, I might not be there yet. Call me when you arrive.] Yu Qing didn’t ask who the buyer was. All her contacts were people she knew, so she figured she’d recognize them upon meeting.

She retrieved the bag’s original packaging box and outer shopping bag, checking to ensure all receipts and accessories were included.

At ten o’clock, she set out.

Fearing that taking the subway might damage the bag’s packaging, she indulged in a taxi ride instead.

Yu Qing rested her chin on her hand, gazing out the taxi window.

The city bustled with traffic and noise, its lights reflecting off the scenery in dazzling brilliance.

All day, she hadn’t contacted Fu Ji Chen.

[Are you at the company?]

Fu Ji Chen replied with a question: [Missing me?]

Yu Qing ignored his narcissistic remark.

A moment later, he sent another message: [I have a meeting scheduled.]

When she arrived at the club, Yu Qing paid over a hundred yuan for the taxi fare.

In the past, she wouldn’t have batted an eye at such an expense, but now, it made her wince for several minutes.

She contacted the buyer, informing them that she was already at the club entrance.

[Please wait a moment. I’ll be there soon.]

Standing on the curb, Yu Qing glanced toward the club’s gate. This was a members-only venue—non-members couldn’t even enter the courtyard.

Not long after, a low-profile sedan slowly turned into the driveway.

The car window rolled down. “Ms. Yu.”

Yu Qing smiled. The buyer was Feng Mai.

Feng Mai had been one of the client representatives during a cross-border acquisition project her previous law firm collaborated on with a securities firm. For easier communication, they exchanged WeChat contacts.

After the project ended, they had no further contact.

Yu Qing handed over the shopping bag. “Ms. Feng, please take a look.”

Feng Mai casually placed the shopping bag at her feet. “Thank you for your trouble.” She was remarkably straightforward: “Give me your bank card, and I’ll transfer the money to you now.”

Yu Qing teased half-heartedly, “You’re really so trusting? You’re not even going to check if this bag is genuine?”

Feng Mai replied, “If Ms. Yu’s bags are fake, then there’s no such thing as a real bag.”

Yu Qing didn’t dwell on the deeper meaning behind Feng Mai’s words, taking them merely as polite remarks.

This spot was near the entrance. Feng Mai gestured toward the courtyard: “Let’s talk inside.”

Feng Mai exchanged a few words with the security guard, and Yu Qing was spared from registering, smoothly entering the club’s courtyard.

The car came to a stop and the engine turned off.

The rear door on the other side opened, and Yu Qing glanced over.

When she realized who it was, she froze.

She hadn’t noticed there was someone else in the car earlier.

Selling a bag had unexpectedly led her to Qin Moling.

A second later, it dawned on her—no wonder Feng Mai hadn’t checked the authenticity of the bag. She must have already known about Yu Qing’s background.

It wasn’t surprising. Women around Qin Moling would naturally try to find out who he might marry.

The courtyard lights were dim. Qin Moling stood by the car door, lighting a cigarette, his gaze drifting over the roof of the car.

He simply watched Yu Qing quietly.

Yu Qing barely spared him a glance before turning her attention back to Feng Mai.

Feng Mai got out of the car, sensing the tension between Qin Moling and Yu Qing. Pretending nothing was amiss, she said to Yu Qing, “Give me your bank card, and I’ll transfer the money right away.”

Yu Qing opened her bag, pulling out a bank card from her wallet. The balance in it was less than five digits—it was all she had left.

From the other side of the car, Qin Moling still hadn’t taken his eyes off her.

The woman standing across from him, separated by the car, was the arranged marriage candidate his family had chosen for him. Even in her professional suit, she remained strikingly beautiful and sexy, exuding a charm that surpassed Feng Mai’s by leaps and bounds.

He had heard that, to avoid marrying him, she had chosen to rent a place outside instead. Unable to find work and with her cards frozen, she was now selling her bags after being driven into a corner.

He wanted to see how long she could remain stubborn.

He felt a strange sense of perversion—her resistance only made him more inclined to marry her.

Qin Moling extinguished his cigarette, tossed it into the trash bin, and strode into the club.

Feng Mai glanced back at Qin Moling. After transferring the money, she picked up the bag from the backseat, gave Yu Qing a slight nod, and hurried after Qin Moling.

Within a minute, the money arrived in Yu Qing’s account.

Yu Qing checked the balance on her card. She was now closer to hiring Fu Ji Chen for a week.

As for Qin Moling and his pride, they were worthless—mere fleeting clouds. Nothing compared to cold, hard cash. For the first time, she carefully placed her bank card back into her wallet.

At that moment, two cars entered the courtyard. The lead car was a luxurious Bentley.

Once the Bentley came to a stop, Fu Ji Chen continued to look outside.

Qiao Yang also followed his gaze.

She hadn’t been mistaken—the woman standing just a few meters away was Yu Qing.

Fu Ji Chen observed the woman walking lightly, wallet in hand. His fingers tapped absentmindedly on the car door. Suddenly, he turned to Qiao Yang and asked, “What’s her name?”

He pretended ignorance.

“Yu Qing,” Qiao Yang replied. “The yu in ‘elm tree’ without the wood radical, and the qing in ‘captivating.’”

Fu Ji Chen repeated softly, staring out the window: “Yu Qing.”

Qiao Yang was startled. “Why are you calling her?”

Fu Ji Chen’s tone was indifferent: “This place is members-only.”

Qiao Yang caught the subtext—someone like Yu Qing wouldn’t be able to get in here.

“Yu Qing!” Fu Ji Chen called again.

Qiao Yang’s gaze unconsciously fell on Fu Ji Chen’s profile. Was it her imagination, or did his voice carry the familiarity of someone who had called her name countless times?

Yu Qing thought she was hearing things. She turned around, following the sound, and sure enough, there he was—Fu Ji Chen. His white shirt stood out vividly in the dimly lit courtyard.

Backlit, his expression was obscured.

The car door opened, and Fu Ji Chen stepped out with his long legs.

With that, Yu Qing also spotted Qiao Yang.

Tonight, Qiao Yang wore an elegant gunmetal gray dress, her long hair tied up, gracefully stepping around the rear of the car.

Standing next to the tall and imposing Fu Ji Chen, Qiao Yang appeared petite, evoking a protective instinct in men.

Perhaps because Qiao Yang was by his side, his expression tonight was unusually serious, his gaze calm and deep—not at all like his usual three parts flirtatious and seven parts mischievous demeanor.

Yu Qing rarely saw him in such a formal light. It seemed she owed this rare sight to Qiao Yang.

Yu Qing tightened her grip on her wallet, realizing once again that joy often precedes sorrow.

How unfortunate was she? Just moments ago, she had sent off the arranged marriage candidate her family had chosen—Qin Moling—and now she was greeted by Fu Ji Chen, the man she shared her bed with.

Thankfully, they had missed each other and hadn’t crossed paths.

After a brief pause, she walked over.

In those short ten meters, she pieced together why Fu Ji Chen, the president of a conglomerate, would call her—a mere legal specialist from the corporate legal department—in front of the company’s second-in-command of finance.

This club was exclusive, with membership thresholds incredibly high. Money alone couldn’t secure entry; one needed sufficient influence to belong to this circle.

And her? Poor enough to still be wearing her work uniform after hours.

“President Fu, Manager Qiao, what a coincidence,” Yu Qing said calmly.

Qiao Yang’s tone remained gentle. “What a coincidence indeed. Are you here with friends?”

Yu Qing gave a faint smile. “If only I had such influential friends.” She quickly added, “I’m here to deliver a bag to a client.”

She had already prepared an excuse: “I do personal shopping on the side.”

Fu Ji Chen remained impassive, no longer looking at her but gazing absently at the shrubs beside her.

Qiao Yang was visibly surprised that Yu Qing engaged in personal shopping—it was something she had never expected.

But upon reflection, she realized she was overreacting.

Anyone with a decent background wouldn’t carry a bag worth just a few hundred yuan. And anyone with money would surely dress up beautifully after work to enjoy themselves.

Yu Qing looked around the club’s courtyard. “This is my first time visiting such a high-end place. Truly eye-opening. Turns out the joys of the wealthy are beyond our wildest imaginations.”

Fu Ji Chen raised an eyebrow, glancing at her peripherally.

Qiao Yang chimed in: “Personal shopping isn’t bad. Otherwise, you’d just waste time scrolling through your phone.”

Yu Qing’s tone and expression were perfectly natural, feigning helplessness. “Honestly, I’d love to come home after work, lie in bed, and scroll through my phone while shopping online.”

She mocked herself: “But my bank balance won’t allow it.”

Seizing the opportunity, she steered the conversation back: “During my internship at the law firm, I worked on projects with brokers and got to know some corporate executives. Since resources go to waste if unused, I repost luxury items people want to sell on my social media to earn some extra cash for rent.”

This logic was flawless.

Suddenly, silence fell. An awkward pause lingered for a few seconds.

Qiao Yang still couldn’t figure out why Fu Ji Chen had called Yu Qing over.

Fu Ji Chen’s gaze rested on Yu Qing as he finally spoke: “In the future, when delivering goods to clients, please don’t wear your work uniform.”

Yu Qing: “...”

Qiao Yang: “...”

So, the reason he had called Yu Qing was to remind her not to tarnish Fu Corporation’s image.

On second thought, something about this rationale felt off.

This wasn’t a school uniform with the institution’s name printed on it. Only Fu Corporation employees could recognize the work uniform.

Perhaps Fu Ji Chen assumed that others in his circle would recognize the uniform just as easily as he did.

Qiao Yang didn’t have time to dwell on it. Nor did she have the leisure to listen to Yu Qing explain her side hustle.

She gestured to Yu Qing: “Go home early. You have to wake up for work tomorrow.”

Fu Ji Chen looked at Yu Qing: “Where do you live?”

Yu Qing gave the address of her rental apartment. “Good night, President Fu, Manager Qiao.”

Fu Ji Chen tilted his chin slightly: “Get in the car. It’s too late.”

Qiao Yang couldn’t help but glance at Fu Ji Chen. Since when had he become so meddlesome? However, his last three words seemed reasonable—after all, it wasn’t safe for a beautiful girl to take a taxi late at night.

Yu Qing politely declined. But Qiao Yang had already walked over and opened the passenger door. “Don’t be shy. It’s on the way anyway.”

She pointed upstairs. “I’ll go up with President Fu to handle something. We’ll be down in a few minutes.”

Tonight, she and Fu Ji Chen were meeting to discuss matters related to the two plots of land. They had arranged to meet with relevant department heads, and Fu Ji Chen personally smoothed over relationships.

After the dinner gathering, they planned to relax at the club.

Fu Ji Chen usually kept a strict schedule and didn’t intend to stay long. He was just here to open a private room and have a drink.

She looked at Fu Ji Chen, waiting for him to head upstairs together.

Fu Ji Chen took out a cigarette and placed it in his mouth.

Qiao Yang instantly understood—he wasn’t planning to go upstairs. He wouldn’t even bother drinking a glass of wine in the private room.

She quickly went upstairs to open the private room and make simple arrangements.

The courtyard was quiet, with the shadows of trees swaying gently.

Fu Ji Chen hadn’t intended to smoke. Just as he was about to remove the cigarette and toss it into the trash, Yu Qing—seeing no one else around—grew bolder. She stepped forward and snatched the cigarette from his mouth, placing it between her own lips and playfully biting on it.

Fu Ji Chen took out his lighter but didn’t ignite it. Instead, he made a symbolic gesture of lighting her cigarette.

He put the lighter away.

“All for the sake of earning two million—you’ll stop at nothing.”

Yu Qing pretended the cigarette was lit, inhaling deeply. Then, pretending there was smoke in her mouth, she slowly exhaled toward his face. “You should feel honored that I’m doing personal shopping for you late at night.”

Fu Ji Chen locked eyes with her. Her gaze was alluring, as if a thin veil of white smoke hung between them.

He pulled her into his arms, lowered his head, and kissed her lips lightly: “Hmm, truly honored, utterly privileged.”