Chapter 26 Exploiting Women

Mu Lichen is well-traveled and possesses a great sense of humor. He often shares his experiences with Shang Qi, and by comparison, chatting with him feels much more relaxed than talking to Luo Yichen. Furthermore, when she is with Mu Lichen, Shang Qi does not have to be so guarded; whatever they choose to do together, they can do it openly and honestly.

Yu Xiufen is deeply concerned about her daughter's romantic life. One day, seeing Shang Qi return home, she asked, "How are things going with you and Mu Lichen?"

"It's fine! We haven't known each other long, so we still need to get to know one another."

"You should seize the opportunity when you have it!"

"Mom, these things can't be rushed," Shang Qi complained impatiently. In her heart, she pondered: "A paper wall cannot hide a fire. Sooner or later, they will find out that I am not actually dating Mu Lichen. It would be better to tell them I broke up with him while there is still room to maneuver."

After returning to the country, Luo Shixun began to step back from the front lines. He spends his days accompanying Yao Minzhi, making up for the thirty years they lost. One day, after Luo Yichen returned home, he saw them chatting and laughing in the living room. Yao Minzhi said, "Chen'er, come here."

"Mom, what is it?"

"Your father has been in touch with some old friends recently to arrange a marriage for you. I think the daughter of the Lin family is quite suitable. She is only twenty-four and just returned from the United States."

"Isn't she too young? We are almost two generations apart."

"Being young is better for starting a family. You aren't young anymore; your mother is looking forward to holding a grandson!"

Luo Yichen objected, "I have my own plans regarding my affairs."

Luo Shixun wanted to say something, but seeing his son walk away without looking back, he sighed and said, "When will he ever forgive me?"

"Don't worry! I will try to persuade him," Yao Minzhi comforted him.

Before Luo Yichen could go upstairs, he was summoned to the study by the elder Mr. Luo. Seeing his grandfather's dark expression, he felt a wave of anxiety, though his face remained calm. Luo Yichen asked, "Grandfather, why did you call for me?"

"What is going on between you and Xi Jingpeng?" the elder Mr. Luo demanded.

"Where did you hear that?"

"I met with Xi Zhengkai today. He is unaware that the Xi Corporation has suspended all of our loans. These are all tricks played by Xi Jingpeng behind the scenes. We have never had any conflict with the Xi family; have you offended Xi Jingpeng recently?"

Fearing that Shang Qi might be implicated, Luo Yichen quickly said, "It might be that I said something too blunt while we were drinking a while ago."

The elder Mr. Luo ordered, "I don't care what method you use, fix your relationship with Xi Jingpeng immediately. I have already spoken to his father. You must give Xi Jingpeng a way to save face."

Even though he was reluctant, Luo Yichen could only reply, "Yes, I understand."

Back in his room, Luo Yichen calculated: "The person who tied the knot must be the one to untie it. The feud with Xi Jingpeng must be resolved by Shang Qi. He dares to covet my woman; he is simply courting death. A gentleman's revenge is never too late. Since I still have use for him, I will temporarily ease the tension. However, I must strike the right balance so I don't lose both my wife and my soldiers."

At the end of each year, the Luo Corporation conducts evaluations of its various branches. At the same time, the president conducts random inspections. Taking advantage of this, Luo Yichen drove Shang Qi to a branch office in the suburbs. They completed the work inspection and held the evaluation meeting, and everything went smoothly. Luo Yichen managed to finish the day's work before the end of the shift.

They left the branch office, and as he drove, Luo Yichen said, "It's rare that work ended early; we can have some time to ourselves."

Shang Qi yawned and said, "What do you want to do now? I've been exhausted lately. There's so much to do at the end of the year that my head is spinning."

"Yes, this is an eventful autumn. I've been too busy to help you. If there is anything too difficult, you must tell me. The new labor contracts are basically finalized; make sure to arrange for everyone to sign them."

Shang Qi nodded listlessly and said, "I'm going to sleep for a while. Wake me up when we get there."

"All right."

Luo Yichen drove steadily. Shang Qi slept sweetly like a baby, looking very peaceful. Snow began to fall in the sky, appearing even more crystal-clear against the backdrop of the night. The car stopped in front of a hotel. Luo Yichen waited for a long time before waking Shang Qi when he realized time was running out.

She rubbed her eyes and asked, "Where is this?"

"A resort center owned by the Luo Corporation."

Shang Qi looked around carefully and recognized the place. She yawned and asked, "What are we doing here?"

"I'm hungry! Aren't you?" Because they were afraid their work would drag into the evening, they had barely eaten lunch.

"I'm tired, I want to go home," Shang Qi said lazily, stretching her sore neck.

Luo Yichen acted shamelessly, "I'm so hungry I don't have the strength to drive. Aren't you worried I might suddenly faint?"

"Don't make yourself sound so fragile!"

"Darling, please!" Luo Yichen’s voice was hard to refuse. He rarely coaxed women like this. Today, he had a compelling reason to go, which is why he "begged" Shang Qi. Unable to resist his charm, Shang Qi helplessly got out of the car and followed him into the clubhouse.

As they reached the front desk, someone came over and whispered to Luo Yichen, "Mr. Luo, the Xi Corporation's debriefing session has concluded."

Luo Yichen said to Shang Qi calmly, "I'm going to the restroom. Wait for me here."

Shang Qi nodded and stayed where she was. A short while later, Xi Jingpeng walked out of the auditorium, surrounded by a crowd. It had been an all-day meeting for the middle management and above of the Xi Corporation. Having not seen her for days, Xi Jingpeng felt his heart flutter when he suddenly spotted Shang Qi standing in the distance. He said to his assistant, "You go ahead to the banquet hall; I'll be right there."

With that, he walked toward Shang Qi under the gaze of everyone. After the previous incident, Shang Qi had become wary of Xi Jingpeng. She did not want to have another argument with Luo Yichen because of him, so her expression remained cold. Seeing Shang Qi ignoring him, Xi Jingpeng felt extremely hurt.

He said, "How have you been lately?"

Shang Qi dodged the question and replied, "I'm fine. I have things to do, so I'll be going."

Xi Jingpeng blocked her path and asked, "Do you really not want to see me that much?"

"Mr. Xi, you've misunderstood. I really do have things to attend to," Shang Qi answered firmly. She did not want to get entangled with him, but she dared not offend him either.

Xi Jingpeng suddenly said angrily, "Is it because Luo Yichen won't allow you to see me? It seems he hasn't learned his lesson yet."

Shang Qi had been furious about his intentional harassment of the Luo Corporation. Now, seeing him acting so righteous, she was even more incensed. She retorted, "Luo Yichen is not as despicable as you! No matter how you trouble the Luo Corporation, I will never bow down to you."

Xi Jingpeng thought to himself: "I've done so much, only to push Shang Qi further away? Her heart is entirely with Luo Yichen; even if I were to carve out my heart, she wouldn't see it. Because of the previous threat, she views me as a venomous snake. Now that I've suspended the loans, she has an even worse impression of me. How is this knot to be untied?"

Shang Qi ignored him and turned to head toward the restroom. Luo Yichen had been observing everything from the shadows. He was very satisfied with Shang Qi's performance; this woman had not disappointed him, as she was looking out for him in every way. Fearing that Shang Qi would come looking for him, he hurriedly appeared and said, "Didn't I tell you to wait for me in the lobby?"

Not wanting to cause further trouble, Shang Qi lied, "I wanted to go to the restroom, so I came over here."

Luo Yichen felt a bit uncomfortable with her concealment. He wished Shang Qi would be transparent to him, clear at a single glance. Seeing that Xi Jingpeng had not yet gone far, he immediately suppressed his displeasure and put on a smile. He put his arm around Shang Qi's waist and said affectionately, "Be good, I'll wait for you in front."

In the distance, Xi Jingpeng saw everything. He was consumed by jealousy but could not voice it. Luo Yichen was divorced, and Shang Qi was single. Even if they were dating, no one could gossip about it. Xi Jingpeng felt that Shang Qi was too stubborn. To win her heart, threats and inducements were useless; he had to get close to her first.

At this moment, his assistant came to urge him, and Xi Jingpeng had no choice but to head into the banquet hall.

A little while later, Shang Qi returned to the lobby. Seeing that Xi Jingpeng had already left, she finally felt relieved. To the right of the lobby was the hotel restaurant, and Shang Qi assumed they would eat there.

A resort staff member greeted them warmly, "Hello, Mr. Luo! The usual place?"

Luo Yichen nodded, and instead of walking into the restaurant, he prepared to take the elevator under the guidance of the staff. The directory in front of the elevator indicated that the floors above the second floor were hotel rooms. Unfamiliar with the layout, Shang Qi hesitated and asked, "Are we not going to eat?"

The attendant replied politely, "The first floor is a business buffet, and the twenty-fourth floor is the observation restaurant."

Shang Qi asked Luo Yichen, "Aren't you starving? Why go up so high? The buffet would solve our problem much faster."

"What are you worried about?" Luo Yichen noticed she was making excuses and was somewhat displeased.

Suddenly asked this, Shang Qi found it difficult to refuse further. When she entered the observation restaurant, she regretted her decision. This place was designed for couples, and every table was decorated in a very intimate manner. Fearing that her relationship with Luo Yichen would be exposed, she quickly said, "Wouldn't eating here be easy to misunderstand?"

Luo Yichen had brought her here specifically to let people know that his relationship with Shang Qi was extraordinary, which would help pave the way for making their relationship public in the future. Shang Qi's attitude annoyed him. He did not understand why this woman felt that he was someone who had to stay in the shadows. Was being a woman of Luo Yichen an unglamorous thing?

The attendant looked at the CEO, and seeing the displeasure on his handsome face, she quickly explained, "Besides the couple's area, there is also a general dining area."

Shang Qi noticed that the tables in the distance were decorated quite simply. She started to walk toward them, but Luo Yichen’s expression grew even uglier. He said sharply, "We'll eat right here."

With that, he walked to a table alone and sat down, leaving Shang Qi standing there.