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Early in the morning, Qu Shiyao went to work, while Su Wanwan went straight back to her apartment.
While riding her electric scooter, she looked back and saw people carrying document bags entering and leaving the apartment building with serious expressions.
Upon arriving at the company, Qu Shiyao had barely stepped into her office when Jin Yuxi, who had been waiting nearby, burst out like a wild horse, her face radiating barely suppressed excitement.
"Shiyao! Shiyao! Look at the news! Something big has happened! A shocking revelation!"
Qu Shiyao leisurely placed her bag on her workstation, lazily yawned, and, in keeping with her exaggerated performance, asked in a haughty tone:
"Oh? What's the matter that alarms you so much, my dear minister? What important matter warrants my personal attention?"
Jin Yuxi, channeling his dramatic flair, adopted an extremely solemn posture, bowed, and replied, "Your Majesty! I must report! Today, Minister Su's father has been imprisoned!"
As someone who knew everything from last night, Qu Shiyao was fully aware of the situation, but she still managed to feign surprise and curiosity, leaning forward slightly and pressing for answers with an air of imperial authority:
"Is this really true? Who reported this?"
"It is Su Wanwan, the Minister of Revenue! She personally collected evidence, put aside her own family, and sued her own father!" Jin Yuxi said, word by word.
"Oh? Is that really so?" Qu Shiyao raised an eyebrow, leaned back in her chair, and tapped her fingers lightly on the table, looking deep in thought.
“I uttered not a single falsehood!” Jin Yuxi raised his head, his eyes gleaming, his tone resolute.
Lin Weiwei, Zhang Li, and Wang Qian, who were working at the next workstation, had already put down what they were doing and were watching the two of them put on a dramatic court drama with great interest.
Qu Shiyao pondered for a moment, then suddenly slammed her right hand on the table, making a soft "smack" sound, and asked with an air of authority, "What crime has her father committed?!"
The air was silent for a minute.
Jin Yuxi got stuck. She secretly turned to the side, quickly took out her phone, and tapped the screen with her fingers, muttering to herself, "How do you translate 'seizing Su Wanwan's assets' and 'manipulating the market'?"
Lin Weiwei's lips twitched violently as she watched, her newly cultivated interest vanishing instantly. She rolled her eyes impatiently.
"Just say it's corruption! Why pretend to be a cultured person!"
Jin Yuxi's ears twitched, and his eyes lit up instantly, as if he had found a lifeline. He immediately regained his composure and respectfully reported:
"Your Majesty! His father is corrupt and embezzles a huge sum of money! He also colludes with foreign forces, harming the interests of the court!"
"How far is this case from being solved?" Qu Shiyao continued playing the role of the emperor.
"Many people are involved! They have all been arrested by Minister Su's men... no, they have all been arrested by the judicial authorities in accordance with the law!"
"Such a momentous event! Have my people been alarmed? Is there any talk of it in the streets and alleys?"
"This matter has caused a sensation throughout the city! The people are discussing it extensively! The opinions are divided."
Qu Shiyao looked at Jin Yuxi and suddenly asked a question that was beyond her scope: "What was your role in this case? Did you accomplish anything?"
"Huh?" Jin Yuxi was stunned again, and subconsciously reached for her phone again.
Zhang Li, who was standing next to her, suppressed a laugh and whispered a reminder: "His Majesty is asking you what you did in this matter, such as whether you calmed the public's emotions or helped control public opinion."
"Read more books! Stop watching those ridiculous period dramas!" Lin Weiwei added sarcastically from the side.
Jin Yuxi silently gave Lin Weiwei the middle finger from behind before stammering, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty was responsible for collecting relevant intelligence and did not participate in the core..."
"Absurd!" Qu Shiyao slammed her hand on the table again, her voice suddenly rising in pitch, filled with the rage of an emperor.
"You are the Crown Prince! When faced with such a momentous matter concerning the stability of the court and the will of the people, you do not think of sharing the burden of the country and speaking up for the people, but instead you are idle and neglecting your duties!"
"You have failed the position of Crown Prince! You have failed the people of the land! And you have failed the expectations I had for you!"
"Your Majesty! I know I was wrong! I am guilty!" Jin Yuxi was so frightened that he fell to the ground with a "plop," grabbed Qu Shiyao's leg, and began to wail pitifully.
"Thump thump thump—!"
Just then, there was a knock on the office door.
Jin Yuxi's wailing stopped abruptly, and everyone in the office returned to normal in an instant.
Wen, the assistant, was standing awkwardly at the door. He silently took off his glasses, took out a cloth and wiped them, as if wondering if he had just hallucinated.
When he put his glasses back on, this was the scene he saw: everyone was sitting properly at their workstations, some looking at computers, some flipping through documents, and some drinking tea.
Everything seemed as if the neurotic scene of the emperor and his ministers playing music had never happened.
"Wen Zhu! What do you need us for?" Jin Yuxi, who had just been pleading for forgiveness on the ground, was now sitting upright in front of the computer with a serious expression. She looked up and asked Wen Yanbin in a natural tone.
Wen Yanbin glanced at Jin Yuxi with a complicated expression, seemingly finding it hard to reconcile the seemingly well-behaved girl in front of him with the dramatic woman who had just been clinging to someone's leg and crying.
He cleared his throat, remembered the important matter, and said to Qu Shiyao, "Assistant Qu, President Si wants you to go to his office."
"Okay! Coming right away!" Qu Shiyao replied in a clear voice, her attitude as enthusiastic as if she were going to receive an award.
As Wen Yanbin turned to leave, she called him back with a harmless smile, tentatively asking, "Assistant Wen, could you tell me a little bit about what President Si wanted to talk to me about?"
Wen Yanbin turned around, a hint of pity in his eyes, and said in a low voice, "Judging from what President Si said, it may be about job retention and some considerations for your future career development."
He actually didn't have a bad impression of Qu Shiyao, the newcomer who was transferred to the 66th floor by President Si.
Moreover, Mr. Si has been clearly treating her differently lately, yet she has managed to remain clear-headed and maintain a stable relationship with her boyfriend, which he finds somewhat admirable.
But judging from President Si's expression today... he felt that this assistant's good days were probably coming to an end.
-----------------
Upon arriving at the president's office, Qu Shiyao immediately saw Si Cheng sitting in a chair, his face pale, with an inescapable weariness and sickness between his brows.
Considering the timing of his frequent visits to the hospital recently, Qu Shiyao was almost certain that he had definitely drunk the dark drink she had specially mixed at the coffee shop that day!
She couldn't help but smile slightly, but quickly suppressed it and stepped inside.
"President Si, you wanted to see me?" Qu Shiyao stopped in front of the desk, her tone businesslike.
Si Cheng looked at her with an extremely complex gaze, a mixture of scrutiny, confusion, and even a hint of unfamiliarity.
He had experienced more than one reincarnation and believed he understood every version of Qu Shiyao, but the one in front of him was completely different from any of his previous lives in terms of behavior and personality.
Even if a person is reborn, how can the changes be so drastic?
This made him feel uneasy and out of control.
He didn't immediately ask Qu Shiyao to sit down, but instead cut straight to the point in a commanding tone: "You've been getting very close to Su Wanwan lately."
Qu Shiyao's brows furrowed subconsciously at first, then relaxed.
She raised her chin, a smile that was a mixture of mockery and coldness on her face, and retorted sharply:
"Wanwan's extreme behavior was only due to family reasons! Besides, if it weren't for you, she wouldn't have had such a deep misunderstanding of me, leading to what happened later..."
She stared intently at Si Cheng, her eyes surging with undisguised disgust, her voice as cold as ice:
"It all started with you! You caused my despair back then! To me now, you are no different from the arrogant, conceited person who treated others like playthings!"
"Shiyao!" Si Cheng suddenly stood up, walked around the desk, and approached her step by step, trying to intimidate her with his height and imposing presence.
"I admit that I owed you something in my past life! But that's not a reason for you to trample on my sincerity and dignity at will!"
"Who exactly trampled on whom?" Qu Shiyao not only didn't back down, but instead met his gaze, her tone becoming even sharper, her emotions extremely agitated.
"Do you still want to threaten me with those disgusting photos like you did in my past life?"
She gave a cold laugh, her eyes filled with a resolute, defiant attitude:
"Go ahead and release them right now if you dare! Let me tell you, the ones who should feel guilty and scared are the perpetrators in the photos! They should be glad they're not in this city! Otherwise, I would never let them get away with this!"
Her finger shot up, pointing directly at Si Cheng's chest. Her tone shifted from excitement to a chilling calm, yet carried an even stronger sense of oppression:
"And you! Si Cheng! If you really dare to distribute those photos, then how are you any different from those who hurt me? You are their accomplice!"
"Don't blame me for calling the police then; let the law resolve our issues!"
"Shiyao!" Si Cheng was completely enraged by her attitude; veins throbbed on his forehead.
"If...if your naive college student boyfriend saw those photos! Would he still listen to your explanation? He would only think you're disgusting! He would dump you without hesitation!"
Qu Shiyao raised her head, meeting Si Cheng's eyes, reddened with anger, without flinching, a mocking smile curving her lips:
“He’s different from you. He wouldn’t use such despicable means to force me, nor would he use my past scars as weapons to attack me.”
After saying this, she forcefully shook off Si Cheng's hand that was trying to grab her arm, turned around resolutely, and walked towards the door.
Just as her hand was about to touch the doorknob, Si Cheng's sinister and ruthless voice rang out behind her like a venomous snake, carrying a desperate madness:
"Fine! You say I forced you, right? Since I could force you the first time, it means I can force you a second time!"
"Qu Shiyao, listen to me! If you dare to step out of this door today, I guarantee you won't be able to find a single job in this city!"
Your childhood sweetheart's company will go bankrupt immediately, never to recover! And your boyfriend, even if he graduates, I'll make sure he lives a mediocre life, struggling at the bottom of society!
He roared out all the threats in one breath, his finger trembling as he pointed to the door, his chest heaving with intense emotions, his eyes bloodshot, and he was on the verge of losing control.
Qu Shiyao stopped in her tracks.
She stopped at the doorway, her back to Si Cheng, and remained silent for a few seconds.
Then, she slowly turned her head and glanced at Si Cheng.
In that instant, Si Cheng clearly saw that her eyes were slightly red and filled with crystal tears. Her eyes were filled with disappointment, heartache, and a kind of resolute determination as if she had been driven to the brink of despair.
"Do as you please..."
She uttered those three words softly, her voice slightly choked yet exceptionally clear.
Then, without any further hesitation, she turned her head, opened the door, and resolutely disappeared outside.
Si Cheng stared blankly at the door that was still swaying slightly. Qu Shiyao's last tearful look was like a needle, piercing his heart and bringing a sharp pain.
His outstretched hand, which he had tried to hold on to, fell limply to his side.
He staggered back a few steps and slumped onto the cold leather sofa, his hands tucked into his hair, an overwhelming sense of regret instantly engulfing him.
Why did he go crazy?
Why reopen her deepest wounds?
Why say those irreparable and hurtful things?
He regretted it.
He now just wants to take back everything he just said.
That's all for now...
Let Shiyao calm down, and let him calm down too.
Just pretend... he never said those words.
Yes, that's it...
Si Cheng leaned back on the sofa, his eyes tightly closed, trying to soothe his chaotic mind through self-deception.
-----------------
Meanwhile, Qu Shiyao, after leaving the president's office, went straight into the restroom.
She turned on the tap, splashed her face with the cold water, then looked up at herself in the mirror.
The woman in the mirror had clear, calm eyes; there was no trace of the tearful, heartbroken look she had just been.
Even the slight redness around her eyes faded quickly.
[You scared me to death, host! Why did you suddenly go all out and enter a tragic love triangle scenario?!] The system shouted in her mind, still shaken.
[The plot is so fast-paced, my CPU can barely keep up!]
"There's nothing I can do," Qu Shiyao said calmly, pulling out a tissue and slowly wiping the water droplets from her face and hands.
“When he started bringing up Su Wanwan, I knew that if I didn’t steer his suspicions elsewhere, my public image would crumble.”
Why does mentioning Su Wanwan mean he suspects you? The system's logic module is still a bit stuck.
"It's very simple," Qu Shiyao said, adjusting her wet bangs slightly in front of the mirror.
"What role does Su Wanwan play in the original novel? She is a vicious supporting female character who opposes the female lead at every turn and ultimately indirectly causes the female lead's death."
"And I, the original female lead who 'reborn,' not only don't hate her, but I'm also getting so close to her. In Si Cheng's eyes, who knows the original plot, this is the biggest illogical point."
The system suddenly realized: [So that's how it is! So, host, your actions just now were deliberately diverting the conflict elsewhere. Brilliant, host!]
"Shifting the focus and using stronger emotional conflict to cover up the original doubts is an effective way to get rid of suspicion."
Qu Shiyao carefully tossed the tissue into the trash can, calmly walked out of the restroom, and strolled toward her assistant's office.
【Then… host, aren’t you afraid of the harsh words he might say at the end? That he’ll make you unable to find a job, ruin Gu Yanxi, blacklist Yi Yu, and so on…】 The system was still a little worried.
"What's there to be afraid of?" Qu Shiyao's lips curled into a confident smile.
"The extra money we've earned during this period, besides bringing it home, is precisely to prepare for such potential extreme situations, isn't it? Wealth is one of the greatest sources of confidence."
"That makes sense..." The system brought up the backend account and glanced at it. The long string of numbers instantly reassured it a lot.
[We're now quite wealthy, with over 400 million in savings! Maintaining Miss Su's position as her sugar daddy is pretty secure! Most of that money came from her contributions!]
Qu Shiyao smiled, didn't reply, and pushed open the office door to go inside.
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