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Yu Qing stared at the advertising slogan “Love at First Sight.” This round of public opinion warfare had cost Duo Xin a significant amount in PR expenses, and their company Lemong had also poured in a substantial sum.
Now that Duo Xin had pulled off an ad campaign, they had clearly gained from it.
But Lemong’s money had gone down the drain—a total loss.
After a moment of thought, Yu Qing handed her car keys to Qin Moling. “Have the IT department extract footage from my dashcam—January 1st in the afternoon and all day on the 2nd. Capture scenes of me holding hands with Fu Jichen as we walked through the market, and clips of us drinking beverages. He was drinking our Lemong drink, while I had Duo Xin’s lemon tea.”
“Are you planning to learn from Fu Jichen?” Qin Moling asked.
“Mm-hmm, piggybacking on his popularity. Otherwise, wouldn’t Lemong have lost big time?” Yu Qing sat down at the computer. “Once the video is edited, send it to marketing accounts—they’ll love this kind of scoop.”
Yu Qing had another idea: to take advantage of the current buzz and repackage some of Lemong’s declining beverage products into couples’ editions with Duo Xin, aiming to boost sales this summer.
Qin Moling twirled the car keys in his hand. Creating couples’ editions for drinks from two companies was unprecedented and could be a unique selling point. “I’ll call a meeting right away.”
“I won’t attend,” Yu Qing said as she began drafting the promotional plan herself. “On your end, hurry up and push the design team to create bottle advertisements. I’ll post them first on my Weibo. I’ve already thought of the copy.”
Qin Moling asked, “What’s the copy?”
Yu Qing: “It’s a secret for now.”
Qin Moling wasn’t overly nosy. He was busy heading to the meeting but stopped after taking a few steps and turned back.
He decided to give her a heads-up. “My old man has been pressuring me to go on blind dates again. This time, I don’t know whose daughter it is, but I’m too lazy to meet her. I told them I’ve fallen for you and will only marry you.”
Yu Qing, who was typing, slowly raised her head. “President Qin, the father of my child is Fu Jichen, not you. Why are you pursuing me?”
Qin Moling: “It’s not like my brain has been functioning properly for just one or two days. You don’t need to make such a fuss.”
After deep consideration, he had his own reasons for this plan.
Whether it was him or Yu Qing in their current positions, life was exhausting.
Seeing how tired she had been yesterday made him feel sorry for her. He knew she loved her legal career, but Grandpa Yu’s pressure left her no choice.
If he pretended to be “infatuated” with Yu Qing, over time, his family would find ways to separate them. At that point, Grandpa Yu wouldn’t be able to interfere anymore.
Yu Qing would then be free to return to the law firm.
“In December this year, the three-year term for Lemong’s board of directors will end, and there will be a reelection. There will be some changes in the company’s personnel then. That’s when you can leave. By that time, you’ll have given birth and can return to Shuoyu.”
He had heard from Qin Yu that even though she had resigned from Shuoyu, she still tried her best to pass on her case sources to them and maintain good relations.
She probably hoped that one day she might return to Shuoyu.
Yu Qing studied him. “You’re being unusually generous—it makes me uneasy.”
Qin Moling: “It’s not entirely for your sake. Having you at Lemong influences me; every decision I make requires careful consideration. If I were too harsh on Duo Xin, I’d fear affecting your relationship with Fu Jichen, making others think I intentionally wanted to break you two apart. Although I’ve always wanted to do just that.”
Yu Qing: “...”
“When you’re no longer at Lemong and we’re not working together, I can openly try to break you two up.”
Qin Moling didn’t give Yu Qing a chance to retort. Instead, he sincerely thanked her. “You coming to Lemong might be the best decision Grandpa Yu made, aside from investing in Lemong.”
Over the past two years, Lemong’s development had hit a bottleneck.
As she had said, Lemong was already on a downward trend.
She brought fresh ideas, whether in management or promotion.
She also saved Lemong a lot of advertising expenses while achieving unprecedented promotional results.
Regarding Wenning’s planning, he and two other directors had considered replacing her before, but due to Leng Wenning’s extensive network, he couldn’t refuse her outright, so the matter was shelved.
When she took office, however, she unhesitatingly forced the change.
Because of the trouble caused by offending Leng Wenning, she bore all the consequences herself, resolving crises one after another.
Several of the company’s previously popular drinks had seen their sales decline year after year due to a lack of innovation in both promotion and bottle design over the past two years.
He had been racking his brains over this issue when she brought another opportunity—to repackage these drinks as couples’ editions with Duo Xin and relaunch them.
In less than three months at Lemong, she had probably exhausted three years’ worth of brain cells.
It was taxing on both her body and mind.
“In the future, Lemong will hire you as an honorary consultant. You’ll provide strategic advice, and I’ll handle execution.”
Qin Moling thought for a moment, wondering if there was anything else he hadn’t mentioned.
After praising her so much, he couldn’t let her get too cocky.
“You coming to Lemong is a milestone in your career. Before, when you handled mergers and acquisitions, you couldn’t fully empathize with the boss’s and shareholders’ perspectives. With your experience at Lemong, you’ll handle projects more skillfully in the future.”
Yu Qing didn’t interrupt, listening carefully to his words.
She extended her hand. “Nice to meet you.” Today, she had met a different Qin Moling.
Qin Moling symbolically shook her hand. “I definitely understand you better than Fu Jichen. Hurry up and have the baby, then hand the child over to Fu Jichen so we can be together.”
Yu Qing: “...”
This person… without even being given an inch, he was already demanding a mile.
Qin Moling got back to the point. “By the way, regarding Leng Wenning, have you figured out how to respond? She won’t let this go easily.” After reminding her, he hurried off to the meeting.
Just hearing Leng Wenning’s name made Yu Qing feel physically nauseous and gave her a headache.
She grabbed a piece of scrap paper and listed several possible scenarios.
Leng Wenning wouldn’t openly approach Ji Qingyuan.
Leng Wenning’s level of sophistication was something ordinary people couldn’t handle. Otherwise, over the past four years, Yu Jingxin wouldn’t have silently swallowed all the bitterness.
Ji Qingyuan VS Leng Wenning ×
She drew a large “×.” No need to think about it—Ji Qingyuan would be utterly defeated.
Yu Qing called her secretary and instructed her to quickly gather all the information and latest updates on the companies controlled or partially owned by Leng Wenning.
The sooner, the better.
________________________________________
In just a few short days, Leng Wenning had suffered severe blows, both to her company and her health. Last night, she drank more than a bottle of red wine and had only just woken up.
When she finally got up, her mouth was dry, and her head throbbed painfully.
Her best friend hadn’t gone home last night, fearing Leng Wenning might need to go to the hospital.
She hadn’t dared to sleep in the guest room but instead spent the night on the sofa in the master bedroom to keep an eye on Leng Wenning.
Even now, her head was still spinning.
Hearing movement, her best friend turned her head. “Awake?”
Leng Wenning slowly sat up. “Didn’t I tell you to go home last night?”
Best friend: “You were so drunk—I couldn’t leave you alone.”
She got up and handed Leng Wenning a bottle of soda from the coffee table.
“Do you remember anything from last night?”
Leng Wenning’s memory was fragmented. After thinking for a long time, she shook her head. “I forgot. I only remember you picking me up and telling you to go home.”
Her best friend held up her phone, tilting her chin slightly. “Take a look at the screenshots I sent you.”
“What?”
“From the group chat with Ji Qingyuan’s friends.”
Leng Wenning was confused. “Where did you get those chat screenshots?”
“A friend of yours sent them to me. They want the two of us to go to the club tonight.” After a pause, her best friend added, “Ji Qingyuan will be there too.”
Leng Wenning froze. “What did you guys do?” She quickly checked the chat records—there were seven or eight screenshots in total.
After reading them, her expression turned icy.
“Not…”
She was so angry she couldn’t speak.
Her best friend cautiously asked, “Did I… say something wrong?”
Leng Wenning pressed her forehead, massaging her throbbing temples. “Do you think Ji Qingyuan is stupid? The story you made up…”
Too many flaws to count.
A complete disaster!
Her best friend instinctively held her breath, feeling equally stunned.
What she had told Leng Wenning’s friend was mostly true, except for one thing—she claimed that Leng Wenning had returned home and cried.
In reality, Leng Wenning hadn’t cried. She had simply collapsed onto her bed and fallen asleep. The reason she fabricated this detail was to elicit sympathy, as a woman’s tears were often seen as a powerful weapon.
Unexpectedly, the effect was better than she had anticipated—it was more damaging than she could have imagined.
She didn’t know why Leng Wenning was so furious now.
“Wenning, what’s wrong?”
Leng Wenning took a deep breath. “Ji Qingyuan is the head of Jiashi Group. Do you really think he’s an idiot to have reached that position? He hates it most when people try to manipulate or toy with him.”
She tossed her phone aside, unwilling to look at it anymore to avoid further irritation.
“Do you think he’s going to the club tonight to support me and humiliate Yu Jingxin?”
She looked helplessly at her best friend. “Sister, were you also drunk last night?”
Her best friend whispered, “But all your friends believed it, didn’t they?”
Silence lingered for a moment.
Leng Wenning: “That’s because they’re not Ji Qingyuan, nor can they ever become him.”
She sighed deeply. “Even if we take a step back and assume it was Yu Jingxin’s fault, Ji Qingyuan would never publicly embarrass her for my sake. Do you understand?!”
Her best friend nodded, finally realizing her mistake.
Leng Wenning smoothed her hair. “I do plan to approach Ji Qingyuan, but not now—it’s not the right time.” She intended to wait until her company was on the brink of collapse, unable to secure financing, and completely cornered by Fu Jichen before seeking him out.
For now, she still had several investments and controlling stakes in various companies.
How could she truly gain sympathy?
Her media company was currently seeking funding. Several investment firms had shown interest before, but now those prospects likely fell through.
She had originally planned to use this opportunity to approach Ji Qingyuan—not to rekindle their past relationship, but to ask for his help. Ji Qingyuan wouldn’t stand idly by and let her go bankrupt, given their history.
If he helped her, it would be like driving a wedge into Yu Jingxin’s heart.
That was the outcome she wanted.
But who would have thought such a mishap would occur at this critical juncture?
Only now did her best friend realize the severity of the trouble she had caused. She feared implicating Leng Wenning, which would also mean ruining her own company and career.
Panicking, she suggested, “What if you blame everything on me? After all, you were drunk and unconscious last night.”
Leng Wenning waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t say anything for now. Let me think.”
She was frustrated too.
She worried that Ji Qingyuan might get upset and sever ties with her circle of friends, which wouldn’t be worth it.
After some deliberation, she finally came up with an idea.
It was somewhat accidental, but she decided to use this opportunity to boost her favorability in front of Ji Qingyuan.
Her best friend briefly summarized the events from earlier that morning. “Who would’ve thought Fu Jichen would pull such an unexpected move? Not only did he decisively win, but he also shamelessly flaunted his love.”
Not only had their attempts to drive a wedge between them failed, but it had also given Fu Jichen and Yu Qing a chance to promote their products.
Leng Wenning felt even more suffocated. It seemed like nothing was going her way—drinking cold water even got stuck in her teeth.
Her best friend had privately inquired around. There was no scandalous romantic history about Fu Jichen, which made it impossible to create any real rift between him and Yu Qing.
But given Fu Jichen’s immense power, directly confronting him wasn’t feasible either.
“Any ideas?” she asked Leng Wenning.
Leng Wenning: “He’s such a ruthless man—he’ll eventually face consequences from above.”
Her best friend didn’t understand. “What do you mean?”
“Last night, I heard that President Zou’s precious daughter, Zou Lexiao, has returned after completing her studies and is working here in Beijing.”
Her best friend asked, “Does President Zou’s daughter like Fu Jichen?”
Leng Wenning shook her head. “No. If she were a rival in love, things would be simpler.”
If she were a romantic rival, Fu Jichen would actively distance himself. The problem was someone like Zou Lexiao—a younger sister from a family tied by generations of friendship—who harbored no ulterior motives toward him.
If she were the type with a strong personality, Fu Jichen wouldn’t dare say much.
Zou Lexiao was just twenty-one or twenty-two years old and had always regarded Fu Jichen as an older brother.
Zou Lexiao was strikingly beautiful, exuding confidence and charisma.
She was also a law graduate and had been hired by Shuoyu Law Firm.
________________________________________
Lunch break had long passed. Fu Jichen had slept a little longer. From yesterday until now, his physical and mental energy had been severely depleted. Now that the public relations crisis was resolved, he finally felt a sense of relief.
Just as he was drifting off to sleep, he was awakened by a private call.
“Second Brother, open the door! Are you hiding a lover in there? I’ve been knocking for ages, and you haven’t responded. Pan Secretary said you’re in the office.”
Fu Jichen woke up fully. “When did you get back?”
“This morning. Coincidentally, I arrived just in time to see you flaunting your love online at the airport—I almost choked on it.”
“Can you open the door for me?”
Fu Jichen: “In twenty minutes.”
He hung up, showered, and changed clothes.
Zou Lexiao hadn’t wandered far. She paced back and forth outside the CEO’s office, scrolling through her phone.
Seeing that she hadn’t entered after so long, Pan Secretary approached. “Is Mr. Fu in a meeting?”
Zou Lexiao shook her head. “From the sounds of it, he might have been napping. He’s freshening up now and told me to wait twenty minutes.”
Pan Secretary explained, “He probably pulled an all-nighter dealing with the public opinion crisis last night.”
Zou Lexiao smiled. “My father mentioned that Lawyer Yu is quite impressive.”
Pan Secretary merely smiled without commenting. Regarding the boss’s fiancée, he refrained from making any remarks—it was the boss’s private matter.
Not long after, the door opened from the inside.
Fu Jichen fastened his cufflinks. “Why the sudden return?”
Zou Lexiao closed the door and scrutinized him from head to toe. “People in love are different. Look at you wearing that burgundy shirt.”
Finally responding to his question, she said, “My father has been too busy to visit me lately, so I came back to see him. On the way, I also met the mentor who will guide me at the law firm. After my thesis defense, I’ll officially start working.”
Zou Lexiao placed a gift bag on his desk and spun his chair a few times. “Guess which law firm I got hired by?”
Fu Jichen glanced at her. “You’re here gloating instead of being busy elsewhere—it must be Shuoyu.”
Zou Lexiao emphasized, “I applied and got in on my own merits. I didn’t rely on my father pulling strings.”
She pointed to the gift she brought. “A present for your fiancée.”
Fu Jichen opened it—it was a bottle of perfume.
Zou Lexiao leisurely spun the chair. “Before, my father told me about that paper ring you made at a dinner party. I didn’t believe him at first, but I didn’t want to hurt your feelings by asking. Congratulations on finally finding happiness.”
She mentioned the perfume. “It took me a lot of effort to find this one. I didn’t give it to my mother or Aunt Ye—I saved it for you. See how much I care about you.”
Her mother and Aunt Ye shared a hobby—collecting perfumes. Once, Aunt Ye had visited their home, and during a conversation about a particular scent, her mother owned it, but Aunt Ye didn’t.
Rumor had it that Aunt Ye went home and cried, saying she wanted it too.
Later, her mother used this tactic herself.
Perfume could be toxic.
Fu Jichen wasn’t well-versed in perfumes, but judging by the bottle, it seemed quite old. “I’ll thank Yu Qing on your behalf.”
“Can you stop being so formal with me?” Zou Lexiao stood up. “I won’t keep you any longer. I’m going home to adjust to the time difference—I’m exhausted. By the way, tomorrow evening I’m treating everyone to dinner to celebrate my acceptance at Shuoyu. No outsiders—just my parents, Uncle Fu, Aunt Ye, Big Brother, and you. Oh, and a special invitation for your fiancée. I’ve already booked the restaurant—I’ll send you the details later.”
The “Big Brother” she referred to was Fu Jichen’s eldest brother. She was an only child.
Fu Jichen: “I don’t have a problem, but Yu Qing might not be free tomorrow night.”
Zou Lexiao thought for a moment. “Then we’ll work around her schedule. Whenever she’s free, I’ll host the dinner. Anyway, I’m not returning to school until next Monday. Bye.”
She waved and left.
________________________________________
Fu Jichen had no social engagements that evening. When darkness fell, he arrived home.
Yu Qing hadn’t returned yet. Only Ji Qingyuan’s car was parked in the villa’s parking area.
As soon as he stepped out of his car, Ji Qingyuan strode briskly out of the house.
“Going out again?” Fu Jichen asked.
Ji Qingyuan nodded. “To the club.” Yu Jingxin was unavailable today, so he had finished work early and taken his son for vaccinations.
They were meeting Leng Wenning and others at 7:30 PM.
The sooner it ended, the sooner he could return.
As Ji Qingyuan walked toward his car, he suddenly turned back. “Do me a favor.”
Fu Jichen stopped. “What is it?”
Ji Qingyuan showed Fu Jichen the chat screenshots from yesterday’s group chat. “I’m going to handle this matter. If there’s any misunderstanding later, clarify it for me since it involves you too.”
With no time for further explanation, he sent the screenshots while getting into his car.
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