Chapter 22 Husband and wife are birds of a feather. Brother Wenqi, could you do me a favor?

Zhu Qingzhi added the other party on WeChat, adhering to the principle of "I will not move unless the enemy moves, and I dare not move if the enemy makes a move", and did not take the initiative to start a conversation.

The first step was to quickly review all available information. The profile picture was black and white, the WeChat ID was a string of gibberish, and there were no posts on Moments; it appeared to be a newly created alternate account.

Then she quickly checked the phone numbers of the dozen or so entertainment reporters who had just called, but none of them matched the WeChat account.

This is like finding a needle in a haystack.

At this moment, the other party sent another photo with a full-screen watermark. It showed Wen Qi standing next to her, reaching out to pull her arm and reminding her to get out of the car.

The photo only shows Wen Qi's tall back, but her profile is clearly visible.

She refrained from replying.

Sure enough, five minutes later, the other side sent another message: "I have a few more high-definition videos. How much are you willing to offer?"

Based on the angle from which this photo was taken, it would only capture the moment the two of them got out of the car; there would be no footage of them entering the Zhu family's residence afterwards.

Moreover, Wen Qi's face was not visible on camera during this period. Although his attire was very casual, his demeanor suggested that he was not someone to be trifled with.

Zhu Qingzhi suddenly realized why the other party only talked to her about their true intentions: those who lived in the seaside villas were either very rich or very powerful. If they could directly find the sugar daddy behind her and extort money from him, the price would definitely be easier to negotiate than with the company.

Paparazzi aren't stupid; news is for making money, and making more money is the ultimate goal. But it seems their information isn't very reliable, because even though she was in a car from the Zhu family hotel, the paparazzi didn't connect her with the Zhu family.

The Zhu family owns two houses in Binhai Villa. Although they are private properties that have not been publicly disclosed, anyone with a bit of connections in Haicheng can find out about this with a little inquiry. Therefore, she was certain that the other party was not from Haicheng.

If she's not from Haicheng and we have her personal contact information, the pool of possibilities narrows down considerably.

She was also aware of her own limitations; if she searched alone, she would probably have to wait until her next life. By then, not only would the opportunity be wasted, but she would also be completely forgotten.

Furthermore, she couldn't be certain that the paparazzi were using a fixed camera position; what if they were shooting from a 360-degree angle with no blind spots...?

Even if Wen Qi isn't in the entertainment industry, they'll find out eventually.

She quickly glanced at Wen Qi, who was working. So, she wanted to ask Wen Qi for help?

Seeing that she still didn't respond, the other party got impatient and sent her a few more photos.

Um, when did Wen Qi turn up her collar?

Yes, find Wen Qi.

Let's do it!

Zhu Qingzhi zoomed in on the first picture the paparazzi sent her, then scrambled up from the sofa, her movements swift but still causing her to stumble. A minor mishap, it didn't stop her from striding confidently towards Wen Qi.

A small lamp on the desk cast a warm yellow glow over his sharply defined features, adding a touch of softness.

Wen Qi had already hung up the phone, but was still staring at the computer screen. His messy hair was casually combed back, but because he hadn't used hair wax, several strands hung down as if it had been ravaged. His brows were furrowed, and his eyes were deep, as if he was thinking. A not-so-clear syllable escaped from his throat.

When Wen Qi looked up again, he saw Zhu Qingzhi with a fawning smile, a hint of shyness in her eyes: "Brother Wen Qi~"

He paused for a moment, then reached out and took the phone she handed him. The soft profile of Zhu Qingzhi on the screen and his out-of-focus back made him momentarily lose his composure.

"Can you do me a favor and fix this?" Zhu Qingzhi leaned closer and launched into her phone, "Look at these people, they're completely lawless! They're shoving a camera right in front of you, the president of the Wen Group!"

"This is absolutely unacceptable! If it happens once, it will happen twice, and if it happens twice, it will happen three times! If we can capture your back today, we can capture your profile tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow we can expose you!"

"Exposing you is like putting the Wen family on the hot seat! Even if it doesn't have much impact on the outside world, the board of directors will be in big trouble for you."

"If the tiger doesn't roar, they'll think you're Hello Kitty! Brother Wenqi, you absolutely can't hold back!"

Hmm? As he spoke, the meaning of his words changed. It meant that he was only dealing with this matter to solve his own problems, and incidentally, he was just smoothing things over for her.

Wen Qi raised an eyebrow, and the screen went dark before Zhu Qingzhi quickly turned it back on.

The scent of her that had lingered around him all night was now gradually receding, and her long hair, with her movements, like a kitten scratching, intermittently wrapped around his neck.

He suddenly turned off his phone.

The sudden action silenced Zhu Qingzhi, who was passionately delivering a "declaration against paparazzi."

Oh dear, has she messed things up? Looks like trying to change things up won't work, time to go straight to Plan B!

"Brother Wenqi~, look at you, so handsome, dashing, upright, and with bright, beautiful eyes..."

Wen Qi turned her phone over, as if examining her phone case, without showing any emotion on her face.

...No way, he's not interested in this either? But she didn't have a Plan C. If all else fails, she might as well wash the phone case and give it to him; after all, he snatched her phone the first time they met.

"Can't continue the idiom chain game?" Wen Qi finally put down her phone, leaned back to create distance between them, and looked at her with a half-smile.

Zhu Qingzhi suddenly felt a little uneasy. Wen Qi's eyes were too sharp, as if they could see through everything, but he didn't expose her easily, maintaining a dignified and fragile relationship between them.

But what's wrong with her? Doesn't this have anything to do with Wen Qi? If he didn't also live in Fanyin, if he hadn't gone home with her, would he have gotten into this mess?

If she hadn't told Wen Qi about this and had handled it herself, she couldn't bear the responsibility if it came out later and affected the Wen family!

So what's wrong with her? Her only problem is that she's too responsible!

Zhu Qingzhi prepared herself mentally and calmly met Wen Qi's gaze.

The space was deep, but as the light of dawn broke outside the window, it took on a touch of human warmth, tinged with an indescribable smile, as if laughing at her naivety, or perhaps at her overestimation of her abilities.

But somehow, Zhu Qingzhi knew that this was not mockery, but rather a unique kind of pampering, something that could change the nature of their relationship.

Zhu Qingzhi pursed her lips, thinking of dodging, but before she could react, Wen Qi leaned forward and handed her her phone back: "Send me the photos, and send me that person's account as well."

Zhu Qingzhi answered the phone, and the mental preparation she had just made crumbled again.

Wen Qi's tone was too casual, and all the emotions in his eyes had been completely suppressed, as if he had only spoken up now to make her quiet down, and was making a compromise out of necessity.

This guy is really hard to see through.

Zhu Qingzhi was frantically trying to figure out if he was just saying something polite, but Wen Qi had already taken out his phone, brazenly opened their chat window, and was waiting for the evidence she would send.

The game between the two sides was coming to an end, and it was a time of calm and tranquility. On the other side, Xiao Ao's face was already showing a complex and unpredictable expression.

He's going crazy! He wishes he could turn into a Tibetan Mastiff that only knows how to roar!

Who understands! Why does he always get into trouble every time he tries to talk to President Wen about work?

He was practically standing at their feet, observing the scene firsthand.

He's just an assistant, I'm really sorry for being so presumptuous, but because he's an assistant, and it's something that President Wen has decided to handle, he has to do it even if he doesn't want to!

He immediately opened Baidu and opened five pages in a row.

They started frantically searching for information such as "How to handle a sex scandal," "Code of conduct for bargaining," "How to advise a CEO who keeps a mistress," "How to balance the relationship between the wife and the mistress," and "How to cure a CEO's love-struck tendencies."

She listened intently to the sounds coming through the intercom, afraid of missing a tiny detail and falling behind. But why was the CEO suddenly talking to her about business again? Was he trying to fool this young lady?

He silently closed the search results for "How to cure a CEO's love-struck mind" and opened a new search result for "How to handle extramarital affairs effectively".

Wen Qi hadn't instructed Xiao Ao to handle this matter, and Xiao Ao simply pretended not to know. After they had finished discussing work, Wen Qi suddenly called out, "Wait a minute."

Xiao Ao's heart, which had been at ease, was now on edge again.

"Just to let you know, all meetings today will be held online."

*

When bad luck strikes, even drinking cold water can cause problems. When Zhu Qingzhi saw the notification that Xiaozhou forwarded in the group, she felt like the sky was falling.

"You're livestreaming from home," Dani offered a constructive suggestion.

...Zhu Qingzhi was somewhat helpless.

I've already spoken with the organizers. Don't worry.

Zhu Qingzhi was completely devastated. Dani and the others thought her home was a small apartment in Haicheng, not this four-story villa nestled against the mountains and by the water.

She stood up with a pained expression and decided to find a small corner to quickly make some arrangements.

The paparazzo she had recently added on WeChat was getting impatient with her feigning indifference, so she sent him a message saying, "Haste makes waste." to appease him.

Wen Qi had just finished a voice conference with Xiao Ao and was examining the blurry photo of them together that Zhu Qingzhi had sent, the screen filled with an unsightly watermark.

He then forwarded the photos and screenshots of the paparazzi information to Yang Qing, who immediately replied with "Received".

[Please edit.]

Even the most experienced chief assistant couldn't help but want to wipe away non-existent cold sweat from his forehead.

Please remember to pack up and send me a copy of the rest later.

Yang Qing didn't even ask whether the matter was handled in Chaoxing's name or Wen's name. Chaoxing hadn't received any news yet, but the president already knew. Besides, the date on the picture was still fresh; even a fool could tell that his wife must have told him.

That means it should be handled privately.

Yang Qing put down her phone, intending to deal with this "scandalous news" after the meeting.

But seeing Dani still talking non-stop with Shen Yaozhi's agent, discussing how to minimize the impact, he patted his assistant on the shoulder and casually asked, "How's things going with Zhu Qingzhi?"

The assistant was a little confused, but still replied, "Didn't Director Yang just agree to let her do a live stream from home?"

...Alright, he didn't have much time left, and Yang Qing left without looking back.

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Author's note: Qingzhi [Let me see]: *sobs*

Wen Qi [shyly]: Mmm-hmm.

Author [Sunglasses]: Oh~