Chapter 7

Su Qingqiu’s heart melted.

Her daughter was still her sweet little baby. Xixi must have been exhausted yesterday.

Su Qingqiu had always been utterly principle-less when it came to Su Xijing, tossing all her boundaries into the Mariana Trench—whatever the girl wanted, she got. She had originally planned to have Aunt Zhao stay home and play with Su Xijing, but the moment the girl cried, she waved the white flag and surrendered.

If she really left Su Xijing at home, it would break her heart.

Aunt Zhao came out of the kitchen and saw the tender mother-daughter scene. She glanced at the weather outside.

B City had been besieged by a week of gloomy rain, but it finally welcomed a bright sunny day. The trees outside the window were lush and verdant, with sunlight sparkling on the thick green leaves.

After sleeping at home for an entire week, going out to get some sun shouldn’t be a problem.

Aunt Zhao was extremely understanding. “Miss, why don’t you take the little miss out? Some sun will help with her recovery.”

Su Qingqiu hesitated a bit. She thought for a moment, held Su Xijing close, and gently wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes. “Mommy will take you out to play, but you have to be good and listen. No running off, okay?”

Rong Jin nodded vigorously.

She was already acting—face meant nothing now.

If Su Qingqiu remembered this later, she’d just claim amnesia and say she remembered nothing.

Rong Jin nuzzled her head against Su Qingqiu’s shoulder in an exaggerated show of affection, then lifted her little face with an obedient expression.

“Xixi will be good.”

Like hell she would. When Su Qingqiu was in her meeting, she’d find a chance to sneak away.

At that thought, she felt a pang of melancholy. The Rong Corporation was the fruit of years of her blood, sweat, and tears. It hadn’t even been that long, and she couldn’t even go there herself.

Su Qingqiu carried Su Xijing back to the room to change her clothes.

Rong Jin had completely given up. She’d already bathed—what was changing clothes?

Su Xijing’s room had a walk-in closet.

Rong Jin hadn’t noticed the separate space when she first woke up. Now, standing in the closet, the sight before her left her utterly stunned.

Over sixty square meters large, with floor-to-ceiling wardrobes lining all four walls—massive. The wardrobes were filled with clothes, organized by color: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, purple, black, white, gray—every shade imaginable, a spectacular display.

Nearly every high-end brand’s children’s line was represented, and with each new season’s releases, batches were culled and replaced.

Half a wardrobe was dedicated to a row of hanfu.

It was like playing a real-life children’s version of Miracle Nikki.

In the center of the room stood a row of cabinets displaying accessories: necklaces, bracelets, hair clips, watches, brooches, even half a cabinet of earrings.

Rong Jin was speechless for a long time.

How old was Su Xijing? Even Rong Jin’s own closet wasn’t this extravagant, and this was for a five-year-old girl.

Extravagant indulgence, utter luxury.

Was Su Qingqiu really not worried about spoiling her daughter rotten? And this wasn’t even her biological child. If it were, she’d probably raise the world’s number one little princess.

Su Qingqiu held Su Xijing in front of the rows of wardrobes, paused briefly, and headed straight for the pink section.

Rong Jin’s eyelid twitched hard.

As expected.

This section had the most clothes, styles so varied they dazzled the eyes.

Su Qingqiu held her with one arm while rummaging through the wardrobe with the other. She pulled out a pink tulle puff skirt. “Xixi, how about this one today?”

Rong Jin: “…”

No, no, absolutely not.

Triple refusal.

Su Qingqiu saw her little face scrunch up in dislike and put the dress back. She picked out a pink bubble skirt instead.

Rong Jin: “…”

Was there any difference between this and the last one?

Rong Jin pointed at the rows of wardrobes toward the black, white, and gray section opposite.

That area had the fewest clothes, but they looked relatively normal.

At least she wouldn’t lose face wearing them outside.

Su Qingqiu looked deeply disappointed. “Xixi doesn’t like pink anymore?”

Rong Jin: “…”

Fine, I like it. I can do it.

…

At the CBD Center, the Twin Towers stood as B City’s landmark, towering straight into the clouds.

The two buildings housed the offices of the Su Corporation and the Rong Corporation, respectively.

Rong Jin had founded the Rong Corporation at age twenty-two, and even today, only six full years had passed.

Yet in those six years of trials and tribulations, the Rong Corporation had risen to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the prestigious Su family conglomerate—an existence others could only dream of reaching.

It was a once-in-a-century business miracle.

The Su and Rong Corporations were bitter rivals, yet their office buildings stood side by side in the same industry. On the surface, tensions ran high, but privately, the employees got along well and even carpooled home after work.

At that moment, inside the Rong Corporation, panic reigned. Employees buzzed like ants on a hot pan.

“Even though my roommate works next door, I have zero desire to become colleagues!”

“I heard they do 996 over there. The workspace is deathly quiet—no one dares speak. I’m scared I’ll drop dead at my desk.”

“How’s President Rong doing? Still unconscious?”

“I’m wondering if President Su will fire us all…”

“I have elders above and kids below, plus two cats to feed…”

“If they fire us, fine by me. I refuse to work for Su Qingqiu. I’d rather starve than join the enemy!”

“Attaboy! Spine!”

“I don’t want to work under Su Qingqiu either. Let’s all quit together.”

On the top floor of the Rong Corporation building, in the conference room.

The Rong directors sat ramrod straight, awaiting Su Qingqiu’s arrival.

The clock on the wall ticked past 9:30, and the directors exchanged uneasy glances.

When Xiao Qiangwei had notified them yesterday of the 9 a.m. board meeting, she’d gritted her teeth and emphasized that Su Qingqiu hated tardiness. So why hadn’t she arrived yet?

Had something happened? Or was this a power play?

Cold sweat beaded on their foreheads.

Ten minutes later, someone grew restless. “Should we ask Special Assistant Xiao?”

Xiao Qiangwei hadn’t come to this board meeting either. She had a mountain of work, especially dealing with the recent wave of resignations.

But mostly, she was pissed at Su Qingqiu.

Someone said, “Let’s wait a bit more.”

Five minutes later, the heavy conference room door was pushed open.

The directors craned their necks to look.

Su Qingqiu wore a black dress cinched at the waist with a white belt, accentuating her slender, graspable figure. The skirt featured a slit at the hem, revealing her fair, long legs, paired with black strappy high heels.

Beautiful, elegant, and understated.

Her brows furrowed slightly, no smile on her face—her expression indifferent, carrying an implicit aura of dominance.

This was utterly different from Rong Jin, who never gave them such pressure.

The directors held their breath, not daring to make a sound.

Following Su Qingqiu in was a little pink tail.

The little tail wore a soft pink bubble skirt, with big doe eyes and an innocent, adorable look. From afar, she resembled a fluffy pink dumpling, instantly drawing everyone’s gaze.

Su Qingqiu held Su Xijing’s hand and said gently, “Slow down, watch your step.”

She turned back, her tone flat as she addressed the directors. “Sorry, my daughter just recovered from a serious illness and is a bit clingy. She insisted on coming with me, so I brought her. We were a little late.”

Rong Jin: “…”

The directors: “…”

Bringing a child to work—and so brazenly at that.

No one dared say a word against it.

At the enormous conference table, the two frontmost seats were empty.

Su Qingqiu led Su Xijing over. She lifted Su Xijing onto the adjacent empty seat and took the center position herself.

The room fell silent.

For a moment, even Rong Jin was a bit dazed.

Someone ventured cautiously, “President Su, you sitting there is fine, but that seat for Miss Su… no one else can sit there.”

Su Qingqiu asked, “Why not?”

“That’s the seat President Rong specifically reserved for the benefactor of our Rong Corporation. No one else is allowed.”

Su Qingqiu’s fingers paused on the table. She looked up. “Why?”

Someone stammered an explanation.

When the Rong Corporation was just starting out and took on its first ten-billion project, it nearly broke—cash flow severed, bankruptcy looming.

Everyone waited to laugh at them, mocking her for overreaching without any backing, dreaming of a slice of the business world.

But then, an anonymous investor poured in a huge sum. The Rong Corporation resolved its cash crisis, won a decisive victory, and netted tens of billions in pure profit.

That investment equated to fifteen percent of the Rong Corporation’s shares at the time.

Rong Jin had always remembered.

But the anonymous investor never showed their face.

To show gratitude and respect, Rong Jin always left a seat beside her at board meetings.

Over time, it became tradition, upheld for years.

Su Qingqiu nodded. “I see.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief—until Su Qingqiu said coolly, “But I want my daughter to sit there, so she will. Any problem with that?”

Cold sweat trickled down their backs.

Someone bold said, “President Su, bringing your daughter to a board meeting and letting her sit at the table… isn’t that inappropriate?”

Su Qingqiu’s gaze swept over.

The person shrank back.

Su Qingqiu said flatly, “My daughter is five now. In thirteen years, when she’s eighteen, all my assets will be hers—including ten percent of Rong Corporation shares. I don’t think she lacks the qualification to sit here.”

The directors exchanged stunned looks.

Everyone knew Su Xijing wasn’t Su Qingqiu’s biological daughter, but the child of her savior. That meant Su Qingqiu would never have biological children of her own.

It was unbelievable.

Even if Su Xijing’s father saved Su Qingqiu’s life, as repayment, was this level necessary?

Su Qingqiu said, “Any other issues?”

No one dared object.

“If not, let’s start the meeting.”