Chapter 37 "I'll serve you along with it"
Qiao Shu gritted her teeth; if someone were in front of her, she might have bitten them.
She may not need it, but he cannot arbitrarily discard it.
Qiao Shu hung up the phone expressionlessly. She closed the drawer again, changed her clothes, and went downstairs. The Pilates teacher had just arrived downstairs, and she greeted her with a smile. However, during the class, she was thinking about Yu Zeheng, and her movements were very energetic. The teacher kept reminding her to slow down.
She was full of strength, enough to crush and flatten Yu Zeheng in her hands.
After the class ended, the two of them synchronized their schedules and sat at the same table to eat breakfast.
Qiao Shu forcefully cut her food with her knife and fork, her lips pursed, her emotions written all over her face: "Where did you put my things?" Yu Zeheng slowly swallowed the food in his mouth: "You didn't have time to pick them up."
"?"
When did she say she was going to pick it up?
Qiao Shu chewed her food fiercely, then drank a large glass of water: "I'm very dissatisfied with you. If you continue like this, I'm going to return you."
“That’s not what you said last night.” Yu Zeheng said calmly, having already drunk his coffee. “You said you were very satisfied, that you liked it very much.”
Last night, a jumble of memories came flooding back, and when hormones take over, anything can slip out.
Qiao Shu sneered: "What a joke."
"I'll record next time."
"You dare!"
Yu Zeheng glanced at her lazily: "Are you also afraid of leaving behind evidence?"
As the housekeeper came and went in the living room, Qiao Shu controlled her emotions. The more she smiled, the more she felt an urge to tear him to pieces.
She casually lifted her foot, accidentally stepping on his. With an innocent expression and lack of apology, she said, "I'm so sorry," then picked up a piece of carrot, flicked her finger, and the carrot flew in an arc, hitting Yu Zeheng's arm.
Qiao Shu hadn't expected it to be so precise. She let out a soft "Sorry, my hand slipped."
The carrots were boiled, leaving only a few water stains on the dark fabric. Yu Zeheng pulled out a tissue and wiped them a couple of times, remaining silent about her childish act of revenge. He tossed the tissue aside and stood up. Qiao Shu lowered her head and chuckled softly. By the time she finished laughing, Yu Zeheng was already beside her.
She tilted her head back, a bright smile still on her face.
The longer they spent together, the clearer Yu Zeheng realized that Qiao Shu was heartless and hypocritical, and that following her lead would only lead to repeating the same mistakes.
Yu Zeheng lowered his head and gave her a quick, light kiss. He gazed at her dazed eyes with his lips close to hers, then turned away and brushed his lips against her cheek.
Qiao Shu had a terrible look on her face, as if she had seen a ghost.
Yu Zeheng straightened up, a gentle smile on his face, and greeted her again: "Good morning."
The moist touch still lingered on her lips. Qiao Shu stood rooted to the spot at the dining table, her brows furrowed by the inexplicable kiss. She wanted to say something sarcastic, but he had already turned and gone upstairs, his figure disappearing into the stairwell.
There were people in the hall the whole time. As the supervisor, Aunt Chu was assigning tasks, so she naturally saw the kiss and Qiao Shu staring blankly with her hands on her cheeks, looking confused.
Qiao Shu has never changed this habit since she was a child. She has no interest in eating. When she was a child, it was difficult to get her to finish her allotted portion. Her grandfather would strictly order her to finish her food before she could leave the table. She was like that back then, looking quite distressed.
Aunt Chu came over and started clearing away Yu Zeheng's plates.
Holding her coffee cup, Qiao Shu stated the conclusion she had just reached: "You really can't give men the time of day, or they'll take advantage of you."
Aunt Chu just smiled.
Her depressed and frustrated mood improved slightly when she saw the transfer of one million, but only for a moment. She still found him annoying.
—
Because of her personality, Qiao Shu didn't like spending all day in the office looking at boring contracts or reports, and she wasn't interested in talking at meetings. What she was best at was going out socializing with Guan Han, discussing cooperation with people on golf courses, tennis courts, or at dinner tables.
At the dinner party, the other party brought dozens of men. Guan Han also tends to bring more men when she goes out for social events to avoid being groped by someone while drunk. She doesn't care because the girls under her are still young and inexperienced.
Qiao Shu is different.
Given her status, everyone had to give her face. With an irresistible smile, she replaced half of the wine with fruit and corn juice: "We're all out here to work. Drinking so much will damage your liver, and all the money you earn will end up going to the hospital. Corn juice is good for your stomach."
"Whatever Mr. Shu says goes," the other party's boss said calmly.
Qiao Shu smiled and said, "I was chatting with Manager Guan the other day. He said that President Shen is only in his thirties but he leads so many people and is so impressive. Manager Guan said that you are over forty years old. I didn't believe it. You seem to know how to take care of your health. Do you usually not smoke or drink?"
"Your clothing style is also excellent and suits your temperament very well."
"..."
Qiao Shu stirred things up and then took away the rest of the wine.
The other party didn't complain much. After discussing the project, they renewed the contract on the spot.
Guan Han gained a new understanding of Qiao Shu. She thought that as a spoiled young lady from a wealthy family, she would inevitably be arrogant and look down on junior executives like them. However, Qiao Shu's words were impeccable and made people feel comfortable and at ease.
After the dinner, she praised Qiao Shu a couple of times.
Qiao Shu smoothed her long hair and said, "Anyone can say these things. It's just that he buys into it because my surname is Qiao. If it were someone else, the same words might not work."
She has a clear understanding of herself.
They're all shrewd people; they can't be fooled by a few words. In the end, it's still about exchanging value.
Qiao Shu sometimes wonders, what if the old man remembers her and throws a tantrum, refusing to acknowledge her? And when the news of her divorce from Yu Zeheng is announced, she'll be a person again. How many people will still believe her then?
When Guan Han came out after paying the bill, Qiao Shu was outside.
Winter always comes early in the north. She was tall and slender, wearing a light gray shawl coat and matching wide-leg trousers. Her long, black, curly hair was draped over her shoulders, and she wore gold earrings that flickered in the night. When she was silent, she had a cool and aloof artistic air about her, but when she smiled, her features became more striking.
They are warm and considerate in daily interactions, but they are actually hard to approach and don't open up to anyone.
On Friday night, the department colleagues wanted to go out for dinner and karaoke. After making some requests, they finally asked the two bosses, Guan Han and Qiao Shu, if they wanted to join.
Guan Han knew that her subordinates were uncomfortable with her around, but she couldn't bring herself to lower herself to manage them in the future. So she waved her hand and refused, telling them to go have fun.
Qiao Shu smiled and agreed. She enjoyed lively atmospheres and didn't mind socializing outside of work.
She mingled among her colleagues, listening to their gossip about the company: who was having an affair, how they broke up and made a scene in the work group, how they made a PowerPoint presentation about how relationships ended and broke down, the details of which were so detailed it was as if she were lying under someone's bed, and the bloody battles surrounding Guan Han's promotion.
Qiao Shu listened with great interest, her bright eyes and focused expression acting as a catalyst for gossip, as her repeated "And then?" and "Anything else?" catalyzed even more explosive news.
Inside the private room, the deafening music filled the air, with love songs being sung with heartbreaking intensity.
Qiao Shu's phone screen lit up, and she saw a message with the note "...". She didn't look at it immediately, but waited five minutes before opening it.
Yu Zeheng asked her where she was.
Ever since he took it upon himself to throw away her things, Qiao Shu has disliked him. She leaves early and returns late, so they don't see each other often. She's been sleeping exceptionally well lately, and in the last three days, she hasn't spoken more than ten sentences in total.
Qiao Shu coldly replied with two words: 【What is it?】
Yu Zeheng: [It's nothing, just telling you not to worry about your dog.]
He sent a photo of himself sitting on a sofa with his long legs crossed, and Xiao Xi lying on his lap, squinting her eyes and comfortably accepting his caresses.
Qiao Shu: "..."
This subtle feeling is like having a child, and then getting along well with your ex-husband after the divorce.
Qiao Shu suppressed her displeasure: "I'm not worried at all. Xiao Xi has someone to play with; I'm more at ease than ever."
Yu Zeheng could feel her baring her teeth and making a face even through the screen. He then posted another photo, which showed half of his profile, his thin jaw, with Xiao Xi perched on his shoulder, her head like a fluffy, soft marshmallow.
Yu Zeheng: [It's quite clingy.]
Qiao Shu said expressionlessly, "Xiao Xi has always had a good personality; she's close to everyone."
While she was away from home, her ex-husband was trying to win her over. She imagined a scene of the two of them, and the more harmonious the scene, the more upset she became.
My house was robbed.
Yu Zeheng: [I won't bother you, have fun.]
Qiao Shu looked at the two photos repeatedly, feeling like there were tiny claws scratching at her heart. Even the gossip her colleagues were talking about no longer held any appeal for her. She kept thinking, if she let them stay any longer, would her puppy still be her puppy?
She bit her finger.
Qiao Shu sent him another message: [Uncle Qin is off work.]
A message popped up half a minute later: "I'm coming to pick you up."
She hummed, a slight upturn at the corners of her lips. She liked men to be a little intelligent. She replied, "I guess so."
After Yu Zeheng sent the message, Qiao Shu greeted her colleagues. She picked up her handbag, took the elevator to the first floor, and stepped out. Yu Zeheng had already arrived. Parking was not allowed here, so he crossed the square and spotted Qiao Shu in the crowd.
The same goes for Qiao Shu.
He was so tall that even from a distance, though she could only see his silhouette and not his face, she had a strong feeling that it was him.
Upon seeing the person, Qiao Shu stopped and waited quietly for him to come closer.
The desolate wind whistled past her ears, and she suddenly felt that the environment was very quiet, so quiet that she could hear her own heartbeat.
For three days, Qiao Shu hadn't given Yu Zeheng a single kind look.
She kept a straight face and looked at him with hostility. When she didn't speak, she was as cold as ice, like a winter night, silent as water, with only a chill emanating from her.
Yu Zeheng walked over, took off his coat and wrapped it around Qiao Shu, then lowered his head and buttoned it up one by one. Qiao Shu remained motionless. After he finished buttoning it up, he pulled him closer. The person inside the coat was like a sculpture. Even when he moved, it was as if his whole body was a single piece, pressing down like a shadow.
Qiao Shu stared into his eyes, her eyes and brows clearly showing her unhappiness and dissatisfaction with him. She warned him, "Stay away from Xiao Xi from now on."
Yu Zeheng straightened his coat collar, her earring brushing against the back of his hand, the cool touch of the metal: "Why?"
Qiao Shu was unmoved. She looked at him as if he were going to fight her for custody: "Don't think I don't know what you're up to."
Yu Zeheng paused, "What am I planning?"
Qiao Shu blinked, not answering, but asking sarcastically, "Didn't you say you hate dogs?"
How long has it been?
"I don't dislike it anymore. It's so small but quite energetic, beautiful, and soft. Sometimes it can be a little temperamental, but it's easy to coax."
Qiao Shu's tone was awkward as she pursed her red lips: "You've only known each other for a short time, yet you talk as if you know so much about it."
Yu Zeheng's lips twitched: "You'll understand better in the future."
The sound was like a light drizzle falling on a winter night, drifting slowly under the streetlights, its light sometimes bright and sometimes dim.
Qiao Shu wrinkled her nose, still remembering what happened between them: "I've already ordered a doll just like yours, you know those, right? A one-to-one replica, the same size, even better behaved and more obedient than you, you can make him do whatever you want."
"Hmm." Yu Zeheng's expression was calm, but his eyes seemed to hold snowflakes falling into them. "You like me that much?"
"You are seriously ill."
Qiao Shu thought there was something wrong with his thought process, and stared at him with a rare and incomprehensible look: "I want to see how you will turn your face when you are picked up by someone else and do some bad things this time."
She wanted to see something like an insult or a hint of anger on his face, not the drowsy smile he had on it now.
"Buy it back, it won't get lost this time."
Yu Zeheng gripped the collar of his coat with both hands, lowered his head, and almost touched Qiao Shu's nose: "I'll serve you along with it."
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Author's Note: My ex-husband is a very service-oriented guy, and he keeps up with the times.
50 red envelopes, kiss kiss!
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