Xu Qingqing did not attend the committee meeting; she was absent.
Lin Wei attended in her place but had no right to speak. When it came to whether they should collaborate with Jiang Ruoning on the shoot, the majority voted in favor. Lin Wei looked at the opposing votes—they could be counted on one hand—and lowered her eyes.
Shi Sui’s scheming was even more ruthless than she had imagined.
After the vote came the discussion on Lin Wei’s position. Although the incident had caused quite a stir this time, Lin Wei had taken responsibility by voluntarily withdrawing from Q4. Plus, she was someone Xu Qingqing wanted to protect, so everyone gave her some face. They did not send her directly back to Linping but allowed her to stay in Shangjing.
However, her position was no longer general agent but deputy general manager.
Amid the applause from the crowd, Shi Sui took over the position of general manager.
Her long, wavy hair cascaded down, and she wore a professional suit with the top button fastened tightly. She sat in her seat, composed and unflappable, not a hair out of place.
But Lin Wei suddenly thought of the marks on her neck.
So bold.
Wasn’t she afraid?
Afraid that Xu Qingqing would directly kick her out of the company?
Xu Qingqing wanted to—desperately wanted to. She wanted to kick Shi Sui out of the company, then lock her up at home and not let her step out even half a pace.
She had known that nothing good would come from Shi Sui going to Shangjing!
She had known that Shi Sui went to Shangjing for that woman!
She shouldn’t have let Shi Sui create the LESS brand back then. She shouldn’t have agreed to let her go to Shangjing.
But now, many things were beyond her control. Shi Sui’s retention was a decision made by the entire committee, not just her personal choice.
But she still had authority.
She was Shi Sui’s mother.
She had the right to make Shi Sui come home!
Two hours after the meeting ended, Shi Sui walked out of the conference room. Jiang Nuan handed her some ointment from her bag and said, “Does it still hurt, sis?”
She pointed to her own cheek, which was still swollen and looked quite comical.
Shi Sui knew her own face wasn’t much better, but she didn’t care. She casually took the ointment from Jiang Nuan’s hand, pulled out a mirror from her bag, glanced at it— it wasn’t as bad as last time; at least, there was no bleeding.
Her tongue scraped the inside of her cheek.
A sharp pain hit her, and her face paled.
Seeing her apply the ointment to her face, Jiang Nuan said, “Getting slapped twice in a week—what’s that feel like?”
Shi Sui glanced at her. “Pretty refreshing.”
One was mentally refreshing.
The other was physically refreshing.
Shi Sui thought Jiang Ruoning was right.
She really was a pervert.
Over a long time, she had buried herself bit by bit, only for Jiang Ruoning’s slap to awaken her wildness and selfishness.
Jiang Nuan’s eyes widened. “How did I never know you had this hobby before?”
Shi Sui shoved the ointment back into her hand. Her phone vibrated, and she took it out from her bag. Seeing the flashing name, Shi Sui hesitated but still answered.
Jiang Nuan asked, “Your mom asking you to come home for dinner?”
Shi Sui nodded.
Jiang Nuan asked her, “Are you going back?”
When Shi Sui had worked in Linping before, she hadn’t lived at home. She had lived in an apartment across from No. 2 Middle School. Many times when Jiang Nuan came to pick her up for work, Shi Sui would stand at the school gate, and quite a few students thought she was a teacher and greeted her.
Jiang Nuan had said, “Do you have too much affection for your alma mater?”
Shi Sui had smiled.
Back then, she had just thought that maybe Jiang Ruoning would come back to visit.
Though Shi Sui knew it was a delusion.
Xu Qingqing had grumbled about her living outside but hadn’t forcibly interfered. Perhaps back then, she had felt that things between Shi Sui and Jiang Ruoning were impossible for life, so she let Shi Sui vent her anger.
Thinking that once Shi Sui had vented enough, she would surely understand her.
But what she got wasn’t venting finished.
It was using her as a springboard.
To go find that woman.
Xu Qingqing stood by the window, looking down. Lin Wei said, “Auntie, dinner’s ready.”
She walked behind Xu Qingqing and said, “Today at the company…”
Xu Qingqing said, “I already know.” She asked Lin Wei, “When’s the shoot?”
Lin Wei said, “Next Tuesday.”
Tuesday.
Xu Qingqing’s lips pressed into a straight line, her expression displeased.
Lin Wei glanced at her face and felt a secret thrill.
She was like a venomous spider; anyone’s dissatisfaction with Shi Sui was her source of nourishment. She loved seeing people shake their heads in disappointment or sigh regretfully when Shi Sui was mentioned—especially Xu Qingqing.
She loved most seeing Xu Qingqing’s furious expression because Shi Sui wouldn’t obey.
It was too satisfying.
There was a noise at the door. Xu Qingqing and Lin Wei turned to see Shi Sui walk in. Lin Wei glanced behind her and, not seeing the disgusting Jiang Nuan, felt her mood improve. She also wanted to stay and watch the show, but Xu Qingqing said, “Weiwei, you go back first. I have something to say to Shi Sui.”
Lin Wei forced a smile. “Auntie, call me if you need anything.”
She walked out of the house and even thoughtfully closed the door behind her.
This house was one Xu Qingqing had bought for Shi Sui back then, thinking she would take over the company after graduation, so she bought her several properties in Linping. But Shi Sui hadn’t wanted them and had bought one herself in the apartment complex across from No. 2 Middle School.
It was all traceable.
She had just been too careless.
Xu Qingqing’s face was cold as she heard Shi Sui say, “What does President Xu want with me?”
“I’m your mom!” Xu Qingqing said. “Can’t I call you anymore?”
“Of course you can.” Shi Sui smiled, but her eyes remained icy cold. She said, “Of course.”
Xu Qingqing didn’t want to look at the marks on her neck and ordered, “Go wash yourself clean!”
Shi Sui ignored that sentence and sat down at the dining table instead. She looked down at the full table of dishes and said, “Wash clean, and pretend nothing happened?”
Xu Qingqing didn’t respond to her but directly dragged her to the bathroom.
Shi Sui was pressed to sit on the edge of the bathtub. The showerhead sprayed water straight at her. Xu Qingqing turned to face her and said, “Take off your clothes.”
Cold water seeped through the fabric into her skin, a bone-chilling chill.
Shi Sui seemed to feel nothing as she undid the buttons of her shirt, one by one.
Her skin was soaked by the cold water, making the lingering marks even more obvious—red and white intermingled. Xu Qingqing gripped the showerhead tightly, her face dark. She snatched a wet towel and scrubbed it over Shi Sui’s neck.
The last bit of pale skin was rubbed red, and the hickey spots were even more vividly bloody.
In the next second,
the skin seemed like it would break.
But Shi Sui remained unmoved.
She coldly watched as Xu Qingqing scrubbed her neck, collarbone, and back over and over.
Shi Sui laughed out loud.
Xu Qingqing straightened up at the sound of her voice. Water from the shower poured down on Shi Sui’s head, making her look utterly disheveled. Xu Qingqing snapped harshly, “What are you laughing at?”
Shi Sui said, “Laughing at your self-deception.”
Xu Qingqing clenched the wet towel and said, “Shi Sui, don’t push me!”
Shi Sui lowered her eyes.
Xu Qingqing turned off the shower and threw the wet towel onto her face. The heavy wetness nearly suffocated Shi Sui, but she didn’t move. She heard Xu Qingqing say, “Clean it up!”
She walked out of the bathroom.
Lin Wei crouched at the door, but she heard no sound from inside. That shouldn’t be— Auntie was so angry; how could there be no commotion?
Footsteps sounded behind her. Lin Wei turned and saw Jiang Nuan. She frowned. “What are you doing here?”
Jiang Nuan said, “President Shi has a call.”
As she spoke, she pulled out her phone from her bag, preparing to knock. Lin Wei grabbed the phone. Jiang Nuan asked her, “What do you mean by this, President Lin?”
Lin Wei said, “Can’t you see? She’s busy.”
Busy getting beaten.
Busy dealing with the storm of blood and fury.
Busy facing Xu Qingqing’s raging anger.
Jiang Nuan ignored her, pushed Lin Wei aside, and tried to go in. Lin Wei blocked her desperately at the door. In the scuffle, the phone dropped to the floor. Lin Wei kicked it down the hallway. Jiang Nuan didn’t pick up the phone but looked at Lin Wei instead.
She asked, “Does President Lin not despise me anymore now?”
Lin Wei frowned.
Jiang Nuan stepped forward. Lin Wei shoved her hard and said, “Get lost!”
She used a lot of force; Jiang Nuan stumbled back two steps but still grabbed Lin Wei’s arm. Lin Wei immediately pulled back, but it was too late—she had already been caught. With this tug backward, Jiang Nuan smoothly moved to her side.
Her breath was right by Lin Wei’s ear.
Lin Wei screamed instantly, but before she could make a full sound, Jiang Nuan covered her mouth. Jiang Nuan said, “Aren’t you afraid your dear auntie will see you like this?”
They were very close. Lin Wei’s back pressed against the door, preventing her from going in or knocking. Jiang Nuan had one leg wedged between hers, one hand over her mouth, and the other holding her right hand.
Lin Wei ignored what was happening inside and struggled to free her right hand with force, but Jiang Nuan’s grip was like a vise. She couldn’t break free, so she bent her knee and rammed it toward Jiang Nuan’s abdomen. Jiang Nuan noticed the movement, stepped back two paces, and released Lin Wei.
Lin Wei’s breathing smoothed out immediately.
She spat. “So dirty and smelly!”
Jiang Nuan laughed in anger. “So what? Didn’t President Lin kiss her too?”
Lin Wei’s face changed instantly. She raised her hand for a slap, but halfway, Jiang Nuan grabbed her wrist.
Shi Sui might have that hobby, but she didn’t.
One slap hurt like hell.
She didn’t want another one.
Lin Wei struggled for two seconds and screamed, “Let me go!”
The commotion at the door finally silenced the sounds inside.
The door handle clicked, and Shi Sui walked out, head lowered.
She was drenched all over, her hair sopping wet, as if she’d just been fished out of water. The collar of her shirt was stained red.
Bloodstains.
Jiang Nuan immediately released Lin Wei and walked toward Shi Sui. Lin Wei, seeing how she disregarded everything upon spotting Shi Sui, grew even more irritated and stomped hard on Jiang Nuan’s foot!
Jiang Nuan turned in pain.
Lin Wei strutted triumphantly.
Like a victorious peacock, head held high proudly.
Jiang Nuan clenched her fist, didn’t look twice, and went to Shi Sui’s side. Shi Sui, still looking down, said, “Let’s go.”
Jiang Nuan picked up the phone from the floor, and they took the elevator.
She looked at Shi Sui worriedly and asked, “You…”
Shi Sui’s body swayed, as if her supporting strength had finally run out. Jiang Nuan quickly supported her. Up close, it was even more shocking—several places on Shi Sui’s neck had been rubbed raw, the back of her neck too, still oozing blood that soaked her collar. Jiang Nuan took one look and was stunned speechless.
So ruthless!
Xu Qingqing was too ruthless!
Jiang Nuan felt heartbroken. “Are you an idiot? Why didn’t you fight back?”
Shi Sui seemed not to hear, just leaning on her shoulder to stand. Jiang Nuan quickly got her into the car. Seeing her unresponsive, she ‘threatened’ Shi Sui, “If you keep this up, I’ll tell Jiang Ruoning.”
At that name, Shi Sui’s expression finally changed. She turned her head and saw Jiang Nuan really taking out her phone. She covered the screen with her hand.
Her voice was low and heavy.
Almost pleading, “Don’t tell her.”
Jiang Nuan gripped her phone tightly.
In her memory, Xu Qingqing had only hit Shi Sui once before, during that blind date setup. It had been quite severe; it took a week to swell down. Shi Sui had gone to work every day with a palm print on her cheek, indifferent to colleagues’ gossip, indifferent to all the stares around her.
She actually admired Shi Sui a lot.
Under Xu Qingqing’s high-pressure, suffocating control, she still did as she pleased, utterly unaffected.
Jiang Nuan couldn’t do it.
She thought that if she were Shi Sui,
she might have been driven to mutual destruction long ago.
She had never seen a mother with such strong control issues.
It left no room to breathe.
