I raised an eyebrow in displeasure.

"Mr. Fu has a sensitive stomach. Last night, during a business dinner, I helped him avoid drinking a few glasses of alcohol. I'm allergic to alcohol, so he took me to the hospital and then back to my place..."

"Nothing happened between us. He just helped me take off the clothes I vomited on and helped me wash up..."

Shi Xia explained to me, her face turning red as she spoke, and she lowered her head, stammering.

Help her take off her clothes, help her wash up...

She's deliberately putting on a show of "trying to cover up the truth," trying to make me overthink and get jealous.

Shi Xia may seem gentle and weak, pitiful, but it turns out she's a scheming woman.

I didn't even realize it in my past life.

It's also my fault for being love-struck back then, blindly trusting Fu Yanshen's character.

He said he treated Shi Xia like a younger sister, and I never doubted that there was something between them.

"Sister-in-law, no, Miss, please don't overthink it. Mr. Fu and I grew up together, we're as close as siblings. He used to take care of me like this when we were little!"

Seeing that I didn't say anything, she explained again.

She looked at me timidly, as if I were going to eat her alive.

I curled my lips and mocked her: "Since you have the courage to do something that you know you're cheating on, why don't you be bolder and be clear about it? Then I might look at you with more respect."

I have the utmost contempt for scheming, malicious women.

Shi Xia's face turned deathly pale instantly, as if she had suffered a great injustice. She looked at me and shook her head repeatedly.

Her dark almond-shaped eyes were misty with tears, and she bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth, as if she was about to cry at any moment.

I rolled my eyes at her in disgust and started to walk away.

At that moment, someone grabbed my left shoulder from behind, with tremendous force.

"Apologize to Shi Xia."

A deep, serious male voice came from above and behind me; the person behind me had a sharp aura.

It is Fu Yanshen.

He came to protect his precious little childhood sweetheart.

Shi Xia's gaze moved upwards past me, looking at the person behind me.

"Mr. Fu, Miss didn't say anything to me!"

She spoke urgently.

He seemed to be helping me out of a predicament, but in reality, he seemed afraid of me and had no choice but to say it.

I turned around, indignant, and said, "Did I say something wrong? Why should I apologize to her?"

It was only then that I noticed that there were several senior executives behind Fu Yanshen, all dressed in suits and ties, one of whom was my cousin from my aunt's side.

He looked at me with an expression that seemed to say: Look, this is the man you insisted on marrying. For the sake of an assistant, he publicly disrespects you, his wife!

When I married Fu Yanshen, not a single relative approved of the marriage.

Everyone says I'm giving money away to help the poor.

"Memorize Article 12 of the Company Rules and Regulations and Employee Management Regulations."

Fu Yanshen glanced at my name tag and said in a serious, formulaic tone.

Knowing full well that I was a new employee, they deliberately used this method to make things difficult for me.

I rolled my eyes at him defiantly, "No."

Fu Yanshen glanced sideways and said to his assistant beside him, "Lin Xiao, tell her."

"Mr. Fu, let's consider it..."

Lin Xiao wanted to persuade him, but Fu Yanshen gave him a look, and he straightened up and started reciting.

"...Colleagues should cooperate with each other and work together. They should not quarrel, fight, chat or make conversation, or slander, spread rumors, or disrupt order."

After Lin Xiao finished speaking, I turned to face Shi Xia.

"She struck up a conversation with me first, and took the initiative to talk to me about some private things," I said loudly.

Shi Xia shook her head repeatedly, "Sister-in-law, Miss, I just... I'm sorry, it's all my fault!"

She wanted to retort, but changed her mind halfway through, looking like a wronged little wife.

It was obvious that she wanted Fu Yanshen to think that she, as a young lady, was abusing her power and deliberately humiliating him.

"Of course it's your fault! After all, it was you who did the petty theft—"

Before I could finish speaking, Fu Yanshen grabbed my arm, pulled me into the conference room next door.

I broke free from him and walked a few steps away.

His face was ashen, and with a flick of his long arm, he slammed the conference room door shut.

"What? Are you so afraid that your sweetheart will be gossiped about behind your back in public?"

I know he interrupted me in time because he was afraid I would expose his and Shi Xia's affair in front of the executives.

"Sheng Qiaoqiao, I'll say it again, Shi and I—"

"You're the one who caused your sweetheart to be talked about behind their back. If you dare to do it, you have to be responsible for it."

I said the same thing to him, and he was silenced by my words.

It was the same in my past life. He cheated on me with Shi Xia and forced me to divorce him. When I exposed them, he blamed me for ruining Shi Xia's reputation.

He blindly protects his precious darling.

Fu Yanshen raised his right hand, rubbed his temples with his fingertips, and stared at me with his deep eyes.

"Sheng Qiaoqiao, I haven't touched your people, so don't you dare touch mine."

The voice was cold and detached, carrying a warning.

Ah, his men.

I curled my lips into a smile. "Then keep your men in line and don't fucking mess with me."

I rolled my eyes at him and headed for the door. After taking a couple of steps, I remembered something and looked at him again.

"Fu Yanshen, if you cherish Shi Xia so much, you should have divorced me sooner and given her a proper status. What kind of man are you to let her bear the stigma of being a mistress?"

Knowing he couldn't get a divorce now, I deliberately mocked and ridiculed him.

His expression turned gloomy, his eyes like a pair of cold swords piercing me, and his tightly clenched fists made a crisp cracking sound.

I hit a nerve.

I want to be with the person I love, but for the sake of my own interests, I have to be tied to someone I hate.

I suppressed the sour feeling welling up inside me and glared at him. "What's most infuriating is that you're interfering with my carefree life."

As soon as the sound faded, I straightened my back, stepped into my high heels, and strode towards the door.

Before I even reached the door, I heard a crisp metallic "ding" behind me.

It's the sound from a limited edition Dupont lighter.

I gave it to him.

Everything on him, down to the smallest item like his underwear and socks, was bought by me.

Wearing my clothes, using my things, protecting her lover at my family's company, and making things difficult for me...

I gritted my teeth and pulled the door open forcefully. There it was again, that annoying sweet almond scent. Shi Xia stood by the door with her head down, like a maid who had done something wrong.

That's quite the show-off.

I didn't even glance at her.

...

"President Fu—"

"Shi Xia, don't take today's events to heart..."

I hadn't walked far when I heard the girl's aggrieved voice and Fu Yanshen's gentle comforting voice behind me.

Soon, that annoying sound was dispelled by the clatter of my high heels on the ground.