"How so?" Qiao Zhen leaned forward, looking very focused.

"If Lu Zheng has something to hold against Zhou Zheng that can shut him up, then we can find something to hold against Zhou Zheng that can make him talk."

After listening to Gu Xijue's line of thought, Qiao Zhen nodded: "That's what I was thinking too, but my abilities are limited. It's almost impossible for me to find any dirt on Zhou Zheng."

"I can help you with what I just said."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Zhen looked up, her tone incredulous: "Really?"

Hearing this, Gu Xijue nodded and said, "Of course it's true, but I need you to believe me completely."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Zhen naturally nodded and said, "Of course, I believe you."

"Leave this matter to me. I'll go back and find out more about Zhou Zheng's background. I'll let you know if anything comes up."

Hearing this, Qiao Zhen nodded gratefully: "Thank you."

After their conversation, Qiao Zhen returned home, only to find that Lu Zheng was already waiting for her.

"Finally back?"

Qiao Zhen glanced at him but ignored him, then looked at the food beside her, only glancing at it briefly without any intention of eating.

Seeing that Qiao Zhen was about to go back to his room, Lu Zheng immediately called out to him, "You haven't eaten yet, hurry up and eat."

"I've eaten," Qiao Zhen replied without thinking, but the rumbling of his stomach betrayed him the next second.

"Gurgle—"

Hearing her stomach growling uncontrollably, Qiao Zhen blushed.

However, Lu Zheng, unusually, said without any change in expression, "Hurry up and eat."

Qiao Zhen glanced at the food on the table, thinking that she might as well eat it, so she sat down at the table.

Qiao Zhen picked up her chopsticks, took a bite of the stir-fried vegetable, and was about to put it in her mouth when she stopped again.

Lu Zheng frowned impatiently, "Are you going to eat or not, Miss?"

"I'm afraid you've put something in my food."

Qiao Zhen did have this worry. Given Lu Zheng's obsession, he was afraid that Lu Zheng might do something to him under these circumstances.

Unexpectedly, Lu Zheng snorted coldly after hearing this: "Why would I want your life? Is your life worth anything?"

Hearing this, Qiao Zhen was taken aback and gave her a disgruntled look, saying, "Anyway, it's more worthwhile than yours."

Lu Zheng ignored Qiao Zhen's childish bickering, and after watching her eat to her heart's content, he picked her up and carried her back to the bedroom.

"What are you doing? I can walk by myself!" Qiao Zhen struggled in his arms, but Lu Zheng still held her tightly: "Let's talk about it when you can beat me."

Hearing Lu Zheng's words, Qiao Zhen rolled his eyes helplessly, then resignedly watched as Lu Zheng carried him to the bed.

The expected storm did not come; instead, Lu Zheng remained quiet, closing his eyes to rest.

The more unusual it is, the stranger it is.

Qiao Zhen was having second thoughts and secretly glanced at Lu Zheng next to her.

He thought Lu Zheng wouldn't notice, but to his surprise, Lu Zheng suddenly said, "Stop looking. Even if you keep looking, I'm not Gu Xijue."

Qiao Zhen was startled: "Weren't your eyes closed?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng scoffed coldly: "You should get some rest."

"I don't..." Before Qiao Zhen could finish speaking, Lu Zhengjin opened his eyes, as if he had thought of something, and asked leisurely, "Or is it you who feels that something is missing between us?"

Upon hearing this, Qiao Zhen's face immediately turned bright red, and she quickly shrank into the quilt, turning her back to him.

The next day, Qiao Zhen went to work as usual, only to find a huge pile of documents on her empty workstation that she needed to process.

She walked to her seat with a shocked expression, a bad feeling rising in her heart.

Before he could even react, two more employees piled two more documents on his desk.

"Let's finish this together, thank you, Sister Qiao Zhen."

Although they spoke respectfully, the two employees showed no respect at all; on the contrary, they had an air of arrogance.

Qiao Zhen narrowed her eyes. Reason told her to be patient. She quietly put away the documents and turned to open one of them.

Looking at the document which contained the tasks that other employees needed to complete, Qiao Zhen felt even colder.

What does this mean? Are we using him as free labor?

Even so, Qiao Zhen still needed to live on her salary, and since these jobs weren't particularly difficult for her, she gritted her teeth and endured it.

After a busy morning, Qiao Zhen was so tired that her spine ached. She went to the restroom to wash her face and calm herself down. There, she overheard a conversation between two employees.

"Who did Qiao Zhen offend? How come he's suddenly allowed to do everyone's work?"

Another employee nearby said excitedly, "You don't know this, do you? It's because her sugar daddy, President Lu, suddenly gave the order. This is what happens when you anger your sugar daddy. Luckily, we don't have the fortune to enjoy that."

The two employees burst into laughter, completely disregarding Qiao Zhen who was walking by.

Qiao Zhen walked past the two of them with a cold face, listening to their entire conversation.

He wondered why his attitude had suddenly changed so drastically; it turned out it was because of Lu Zheng.

Thinking back to how she had challenged him yesterday, Qiao Zhen sighed resignedly. Who told her to say those things just to save face?

Back at her workstation, even though it was already lunchtime, she sighed as she looked at the few tasks she hadn't finished and continued working.

Suddenly, a male voice came from the side: "Stop working and eat."

Hearing that voice, Qiao Zhen knew it was Lu Zheng again. She chuckled and snorted, "President Lu, you really put eating your first priority. If you want me to eat, why do you have others do so much work for me?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng frowned deeply and asked in an ambiguous tone, "What do you mean?"

"What else could it mean? Don't you know what you've done?"

She rolled her eyes at him, then angrily flipped the lunchbox he was holding aside and yelled, "If you want to target me, I'll target you completely. Don't give me a slap and then a sweet treat; I don't care."

Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng did not react. He simply looked at Qiao Zhen for a while before turning and leaving.

Qiao Zhen didn't take it to heart and continued working.

Only after finishing all her work did she take a short break and check her phone to see the notification in the work group.

"Qiao Zhen's salary has been reduced by two thousand yuan."

Upon seeing this message, Qiao Zhen was so shocked that she stood up abruptly from her workstation, her hands trembling as she held her phone.

She really forgot that she was indebted to those who paid her. If she wanted to work at Lu Zheng's company, the worst thing she could do was to make her boss angry.

Thinking of this, she immediately went to Lu Zheng's office. Before she even opened the door, she heard laughter coming from inside.

"I'm not trying to be mean, Lu Zheng, but you were so funny back then. Why did you have to be bullied instead of other people?"

Hearing Tang Yue's laughter, Qiao Zhen hesitated for a moment, then finally knocked on the door and went inside.