“Even the doctors said my constitution is extraordinary.” As the hospital building receded in the rearview mirror, Lin Xu boasted about herself, rolling up her sleeve to reveal a section of her lean, white arm. With a slight flex, her distinct biceps became visible.
“You’re not allowed to dislike me for gaining weight. I’m going on a diet.”
While driving, Shu Qingyou glanced at her. Her girlfriend, who was so conscious about her weight, constantly wanted to show off her figure, all because of Lin Xu’s casual joke the day before yesterday.
She couldn’t help but tug at the corners of her mouth. “A little chubby is cute too. Rongrong’s pets are fat and fluffy—very adorable.”
Lin Xu widened her eyes and huffed in annoyance. “But I don’t see you treating me like a pet. Pets get carried in hands or tucked into pockets. With your strength, you couldn’t even lift me.”
Indeed, Lin Xu weighed more than her and was taller too. Shu Qingyou didn’t immediately deny her own strength. “Wait until I start working out.”
“Ha, you? It’d take at least a year and a half.” Lin Xu couldn’t imagine her Omega lifting weights for shoulders and back.
Consistent workouts would have to wait until Rongrong started kindergarten. Shu Qingyou said somewhat dejectedly, “You wouldn’t wait for me?”
Lin Xu was texting Gu Huaiyuan on her phone, setting up a meeting with a director tomorrow. She quickly replied, “I would. A hundred times over, a thousand times—I super look forward to Princess Qingyou carrying me bridal-style.”
“By the way, I won’t be home tomorrow. I have to head back to the Old Mansion.”
Shu Qingyou nodded. Lin Xu didn’t seem to want to elaborate, but her tone was relaxed, unlike the distracted state from last time, so she didn’t worry too much.
The next day, the sky hung low and overcast, as if the entire heavens might collapse. Thick clouds like untouched gray cloth blocked all sunlight.
Lin Xu was all dressed up and ready to go. Before she could open the door, Shu Qingyou called out to her.
“What’s up? Want me to bring you a gift?” Lin Xu lowered her gaze, looking at Shu Qingyou with a half-smile.
Shu Qingyou hesitated for a moment, then reached out with her soft palm, cupped the back of Lin Xu’s head, and pulled her down. She tiptoed up and kissed her lips, pursing them together a few times.
She released Lin Xu, then hugged her reluctantly, her eyes brimming with tenderness that nearly overflowed.
“I’ll wait for you to come home…”
It wasn’t until she got into the private car that Lin Xu snapped out of her daze. The sour, swelling sensation in her heart, like being struck by an arrow, lingered for a long time.
Her heart thumped wildly for a full minute before slowing.
In the depths of winter, Lin Xu found the car’s heater unusually stifling. She unbuttoned the top two buttons of her inner shirt, her fair neck faintly flushed pink.
She had lied to Shu Qingyou. Before, she had often been indifferent toward her and lied effortlessly, since she didn’t want outsiders knowing her whereabouts or privacy.
But back then, Shu Qingyou had been passive and wouldn’t initiate intimacy. Now that their roles had reversed, Lin Xu had to admire how Shu Qingyou constantly teased her.
They arrived at the destination—a high-end restaurant in the city center, a place Lin Xu used to frequent.
The manager, who had received the notification, was already waiting. Seeing President Lin hobbling on crutches, deep step then shallow, she hurried over and carefully asked if she needed assistance.
Lin Xu leaned back and coldly refused. She’d rather have her leg broken than be touched by others.
Once they reached the private booth with good privacy, Gu Huaiyuan was chatting amiably with a director. Upon seeing Lin Xu, she immediately gloated and pulled out her phone to snap photos.
“My disabled-but-determined fiancée is so invested in this project. I suggest the group awards you Employee of the Year.”
Lin Xu ignored her and nodded to the director. “Long time no see, Director Zhao.”
“President Lin, Ms. Gu just told me about your ordeal. I’m deeply sorry. As for the mastermind behind it…”
“No rush. Let’s talk over the meal…”
This restaurant had an excellent dessert made by a five-star chef—the standout was a hidden item never listed on the menu.
She had already eaten her fill at home. Shu Qingyou tempted her with food every day—it was excessive, but Lin Xu had no backbone and was drawn to meals infused with pheromones.
Gu Huaiyuan and Director Zhao went over the company’s biggest project in detail.
“This is the financial statement they submitted to the audit department. From the backup database, we found that the initial version had a budgeted amount…”
Gu Huaiyuan chimed in about the project’s cash flow direction being advanced by a quarter, which made no logical sense.
Lin Xu flipped through the report, which also included hidden subcontract agreements. Looking at the data listed on the tablet, she sneered. “An outdated trick: inflating costs, diverting funds, using fake contracts, then leveraging connections in audits to cover it up.”
The evidence was overwhelming. Lin Hai’s family was truly desperate, but stupid to boot—they didn’t even realize their asses were on fire.
Three hours passed, and the information exchange was complete.
To strike a snake at its vital point—since Lin Hai had bypassed the board by going through project fund approval channels, those old folks wouldn’t let it slide.
Lin Xu checked her watch, put on her coat, grabbed the crutch leaning nearby. “Sorry, Director Zhao, I have something else to attend to. I’ll take my leave first.”
After only Director Zhao’s farewell, Gu Huaiyuan—lacking any tact—was glued to her phone, probably flirting with another woman. Lin Xu coughed. “Fiancée, won’t you see me off?”
Gu Huaiyuan finally looked up from her phone. “Of course, fiancée.”
As usual, the restaurant manager handed her a beautifully packaged dessert as they walked out side by side.
“Xiaoyuan, I got the info on the car accident driver. He received a large transfer before the crash and was placed by Lin Hai as the legal representative of that so-called ‘consulting company.'”
Gu Huaiyuan asked puzzledly, “Then why aren’t you rushing to report it to the police? Still leisurely going about your days.”
Did she have leisure? Gaining a few pounds didn’t count, did it? “No rush. Let Grandma know first, and let her decide.”
“You’re too magnanimous. Expose them now, and they could rot in jail for life. Why bother with a board meeting? Just let the police handle it.”
A ruthless glint flashed in Lin Xu’s eyes. She was anything but magnanimous. When the time came, she’d hit them from both sides—leak a bit of wind ahead, and those people would surely flee abroad for refuge.
Once abroad, they wouldn’t have the final say anymore.
“Yeah, I’m such a saintly little white flower. Only realizing it now?”
Though Gu Huaiyuan didn’t know Lin Xu’s full plan, she disagreed. “Pull the other one. Everyone knows you’re petty. When we were kids, if I ate a piece of your cake, you’d ice me out for days…”
Mentioning their childhood, Lin Xu chatted with her a bit more.
“Almost forgot to give you this.”
Before Lin Xu could react, a cool diamond ring was shoved into her hand—matching the one on Gu Huaiyuan’s. Their engagement rings, with diamonds sparkling brilliantly.
Lin Xu frowned. “Making me see your parents again.”
Gu Huaiyuan smiled coyly. “Yep. This time, they’re specially thanking you for yielding that plot of land.”
Seeing Lin Xu casually stuff it into her pocket, Gu Huaiyuan blocked her hand in distress. “This is at least one I picked for my future wife. Can you treasure it a little?”
“Put it in the box.”
Lin Xu irritably repackaged it and tossed it in, completely missing Chi Jia at the street corner, who happened to be dining there with her girlfriend.
Chi Jia and her girlfriend watched the whole scene, especially that blindingly flashy, expensive pair of diamond rings—one slipped onto the finger of the other radiant beauty. Chi Jia’s gossip itch reached its peak.
“So Qingyou’s little lover has her own lover too… Their circle is a mess.”
The weather had been dropping these past few days. When she got home, the dry heat of the heater hit her face. Lin Xu set down the cake and eagerly hobbled forward, hugging Shu Qingyou and rubbing her face repeatedly against her neck.
“Baby, it’s so cold outside. I missed you.”
Shu Rong watched in astonishment nearby. Big Sis called Mommy “baby”?
Shu Qingyou blushed furiously. Lin Xu’s grip was so tight she nearly embedded her into her body.
Not daring to push too hard, Shu Qingyou distracted Shu Rong instead. “Rongrong, look—Big Sis brought you dessert.”
Shu Rong perked up like she’d been injected with energy, hurriedly clawing open the cake box. The artistic cake captured her attention.
A pale milk-white chocolate hemisphere shell, adorned with white peach and almond milk sauce in perfect harmony, with a faint creamy fragrance lingering at the nose.
Shu Rong forgot all about her mom and grinned at Lin Xu brighter than a flower—truly proving that with milk comes motherhood.
Lin Xu ignored the glutton and contentedly sniffed Shu Qingyou’s scent, mumbling, “Share it with Shu Rong, but don’t give her everything. You can’t make yourself suffer just because you’re the adult.”
Faced with this twisted logic, Shu Qingyou was amused and exasperated. She stroked Lin Xu’s back twice. “I’m not suffering. I’m happy with you here.”
“How’s things with your grandma?”
Lin Xu’s back stiffened for an instant. Shu Qingyou keenly noticed but didn’t overthink it.
“What’s wrong? Did she give you trouble? Or is the old lady’s health…”
She was tough as nails—Grandma was the type who daily claimed she was on her last legs but outlived everyone.
Lin Xu finally released Shu Qingyou. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m just a bit hungry. What’s for dinner tonight?”
She clearly had something on her mind and was hiding it from her. Shu Qingyou never forced it, suppressing her disappointment and curving her lips into a smile.
“Nothing special—just our usual.”
As she spoke, Shu Qingyou habitually moved to help her remove her coat.
Lin Xu suddenly remembered the diamond ring and jolted in alarm, dodging Shu Qingyou and removing her outer clothes herself, slowly hanging them on the rack.
“Yesterday you mentioned Ms. Chi’s coffee shop opening soon and wanted to take me along.”
Shu Qingyou paused, her hand hovering in midair for a good while.
Had she done something wrong? Moments ago, Lin Xu had embraced her with fiery passion, and now she avoided her like the plague.
She lowered her eyelids to hide the disappointment in her eyes, her arms dropping to her sides as she clenched her fists.
“Alright, I’ll take you for coffee.”
Lin Xu pinched Shu Rong’s chubby, stuffed cheeks. “Didn’t you say before to have me help drum up business, and to dress nicely?”
Shu Qingyou smiled faintly. “You look great right now.”
On the day they went to support Chi Jia’s opening, before even entering the shop, they saw an internet celebrity live-streaming by the old wooden window frame at the coffee shop door.
As Lin Xu passed her, it caused a stir. “Oh! Miss, we meet again.”
“You talking to me?”
Hearing she was being addressed, Lin Xu stopped and sized her up. Dyed golden long curls, a pink bubble skirt, and a seemingly warm wool coat—but only white stockings on her legs. Lin Xu figured she’d get arthritis later in life.
Shu Qingyou pretended not to notice Lin Xu’s eyes practically glued to the girl.
“Last time at the pet store—remember?”
The girl’s eyes sparkled. So handsome—the sharp black gold-patterned suit, sleeves rolled to the wrists, distinct knuckles resting on the crutch. It was like a fashion shoot.
Lin Xu averted her gaze in distaste, not wanting to be pestered. Her tone was cold. “Sorry, I forgot. Please make way—my girlfriend and I have something to do.”
