Chapter 23: A Professional Manager Part 8

Gu Xueqiang said, “I checked. You and Gu Fei were college roommates. After marrying Shuangshuang, you used her to get on my mother’s good side. Now, among the younger generation, my mother likes Gu Fei the most, followed by Shuangshuang and you. As for Mengdie and Qingzhi, you were right not to deal with them.”

Ming Li: “…”

Ming Li hadn’t expected Gu Xueqiang to know about the things she had done when she first entered the family. But she had never said anything. She had simply been as strict and demanding as ever.

“I’m not saying this to scold you. I’m just telling you that there’s no need to play those schemes with me. Your opponent has never been me,” Gu Xueqiang said. “Our opponents are the same.”

Ming Li suddenly caught a hint of something. “You don’t like Shen Lideng?”

Gu Xueqiang remained silent. After a long while, she said calmly, “If I liked her, then the one entering this house wouldn’t have been you, Ming Li.”

Ming Li: “…”

The blunt admission left Ming Li unsure how to respond. Fortunately, Gu Xueqiang continued, “But you don’t need to look at me like that. Her breakup with Shuangshuang was their business. I didn’t interfere.”

Gu Xueqiang had simply held Gu Qingshuang back from marrying her too early. In the end, Shen Lideng had received an offer from the Paris Opera House and dumped Gu Qingshuang. Ming Li didn’t know what to say. Now that things were out in the open, she felt Gu Xueqiang was being a bit too frank.

“Once you reach my age, you’ll realize that things like ‘love’ are illusory. Money and power are the only things you can truly hold in your hands.”

“Also, you sent a resume to the Jing’an Grand Theater, didn’t you? I had it suppressed.”

Ming Li froze. “What do you mean?”

“Since we’re being honest, I won’t hide it from you. I don’t want you holding a grudge later,” Gu Xueqiang said calmly. “Right now, you are still Shuangshuang’s wife, someone who is training under me, and the Young Madam of the Gu family. It’s fine for you to make occasional appearances—like acting in your friend’s production—to improve your public image. That benefits the corporate image. But you cannot go dancing, especially at the Jing’an Grand Theater.”

“Why?” Ming Li asked. “Is dancing something shameful?”

Gu Xueqiang shook her head. “No. It’s just that you have more important things to do.”

“Spending all your energy on the business for three years wasn’t enough. How could you possibly do well if you’re both dancing and acquiring a company?”

“So you’ve already chosen for me, haven’t you?” Ming Li retorted.

In that moment, the fact that Gu Xueqiang was her mother-in-law truly felt real.

A wave of suffocating pressure, born of being controlled and managed, washed over Ming Li.

Even though she knew Gu Xueqiang was right and had her best interests at heart, this was nothing like the treatment she had received since childhood. It still felt like someone had their hands wrapped around her throat.

“To be precise, I chose this for Shuangshuang’s wife,” Gu Xueqiang said. “If the day ever comes where you and Shuangshuang divorce and you still want to dance, I can arrange a solo showcase for you at the Jing’an Grand Theater.”

Ming Li remained silent.

The woman’s planning was truly seamless, leaving no gaps and no room for anyone to find fault.

“I know you’re upset with me. Calm down and think carefully about whether you want to take over Xingwan,” Gu Xueqiang added.

Almost without hesitation, Ming Li answered firmly, “I’ll take it.”

“I knew you were a smart woman, Ming Li. I didn’t misjudge you.”

“Mother has already cut off that other path for me. I have no choice but to take this one.”

Gu Xueqiang didn’t push too hard, her voice dropping to a low rumble. “When a person has enough power, they can have their cake and eat it too.”

Ming Li nodded. “I understand.”

“Shen Lideng’s return to the country has nothing to do with you,” Gu Xueqiang said. “She came back for Shen Chu’s wedding. Once the wedding is over, she’ll head back to Paris.”

“But I saw the news. She resigned from her position at the Paris Opera House,” Ming Li countered.

Gu Xueqiang paused for a moment before saying dismissively, “As long as the scent you emit is enticing enough, it doesn’t matter how many butterflies swarm outside.”

–

This “heart-to-heart” with Gu Xueqiang was something Ming Li had never imagined happening. The outcome wasn’t strictly good or bad; since Ming Li had no other options, she could only try her best.

Ever since the night she and Gu Qingshuang had been together, their relationship had softened somewhat. It was mostly because Ming Li returned home late and Gu Qingshuang was often buried in work in the study. They usually only crossed paths when it was time for bed.

Perhaps because Gu Qingshuang had realized how comfortable it was to sleep against someone that night, she had spent the last two days using Ming Li’s arm as a pillow.

Every morning, Ming Li woke up with a completely numb arm. Usually, Gu Qingshuang woke up first, so by the time Ming Li opened her eyes, the other woman had already left the room.

However, that morning, her arm was particularly dead. When she woke up, she found Gu Qingshuang still fast asleep in her arms.

Ming Li couldn’t help but stare at her for a while. When Gu Qingshuang finally woke up and their eyes met, Ming Li—not quite sure what she was thinking—leaned in and kissed Gu Qingshuang on the forehead.

Gu Qingshuang froze. Ming Li froze as well.

The awkwardness was so thick Ming Li didn’t know what to do with herself. She stammered out an explanation: “That, uh… I just wanted to… move my arm… I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s fine.” Gu Qingshuang sat up. “I slept on your arm all night again. I’m sorry.”

Ming Li was speechless. Gu Qingshuang was being so polite that Ming Li didn’t know how to respond.

Ming Li shook her arm out. “We’re sleeping in the same bed. There’s no need to be so formal.”

“Oh.” Gu Qingshuang paused. “Thank you.”

The morning passed in a blur of awkwardness.

Aside from that, everything between them returned to the way it was before. They had truly reached that “stable” state Gu Qingshuang had wanted.

Ming Li threw herself into her work. For an entire week, she didn’t share a meal with anyone or even send a single message to Zhu Hanxing. Acquiring and restructuring a company was entirely new territory for her, but since she had committed to it, she intended to do it right.

She worked herself to the bone, to the point where even Assistant Lin couldn’t stand to watch anymore. While handing her a coffee, the assistant finally said, “Why don’t you take a break today?”

“No need.” Ming Li pointed to the stack of files on her desk. “There’s still a lot to do.”