Volume One, Chapter 23: Enumerating Her Crimes

Jiang Shuwei looked at him and asked, "Is something the matter?"

He Jingcheng’s eyes were cold, and his voice was deliberately lowered: "Jiang Shuwei, how much longer are you going to keep up this act?"

"What do you mean?" Jiang Shuwei frowned.

He Jingcheng began to list her "crimes" one by one: "Because of my relationship with Su Mian, you compete with her at every turn. When you found out she got into medical school, you made sure to excel in the medical field just to overshadow her. Now, knowing I’m renting office space to the Su family, you went to Grandfather to secure the middle floor. And now that Tingting is upset, you’ve rushed over here to comfort her. Don’t you ever get tired of constantly competing with others?"

Hearing this, Jiang Shuwei’s heart went numb. It felt as though she had been sentenced, yet she lacked the strength to argue.

"You’re overthinking it," Jiang Shuwei said, drawing in a sharp breath. "Everything I do has nothing to do with you."

"Jiang Shuwei, do you know what kind of personality in a woman is the most annoying? Being duplicitous, hypocritical, and... deliberately ingratiating." He Jingcheng stared at her expression, convinced that she was only rushing to defend herself because her facade had been pierced.

Jiang Shuwei stared at him blankly, suddenly wanting to laugh.

Is this the boy in white she had secretly loved for ten years? Why had he become so extreme and sharp? And why did he always love to maliciously speculate about her intentions? Perhaps the eyes she once had were better off donated to someone else.

"I don't care what you like," Jiang Shuwei blurted out coldly. "From a medical perspective, narcissism is a condition that requires treatment."

With that, she pushed past his arm and walked into the bathroom.

He Jingcheng’s handsome eyes widened, staring at her retreating back in disbelief. Was this woman throwing a tantrum out of shame?

"Auntie... I’m here!" came the sweet, clingy voice of He Tingting from outside.

He Jingcheng quickly adjusted his expression, shifting it to a gentle hue.

"Yay, is Uncle here too?" He Tingting was wearing cream-colored pajamas, small and adorable. She tilted her little head, her waist-length hair making her look even more spirited.

"Uncle, did you come here to sleep with Auntie?" He Tingting asked with the unfiltered innocence of a child.

"I... ahem, no," He Jingcheng said, his voice tightening as he immediately denied it.

He Tingting’s large eyes curved into crescents. She quietly climbed onto the bed, hugged the quilt, and lay down: "That’s good, because Auntie is sleeping with me tonight."

Watching his niece’s bossy little demeanor, He Jingcheng walked over and patted her hair: "Tingting, do you like her that much?"

He Tingting nodded vigorously: "Of course! Auntie is teaching me how to fight monsters."

He Jingcheng paused and immediately asked, "Who are the monsters?"

He Tingting blinked and shook her head: "No way. I only want to talk about monsters with Auntie; Uncle can’t join in."

"Why not? Uncle is the one who wants to protect you the most. Tell me, are you being bullied?" He Jingcheng couldn't help but get anxious, wanting to get to the truth.

"No, it’s just... I miss Mommy," He Tingting said, twisting her little fingers, looking sad. "But when Auntie is with me, I don't miss her as much."

He Jingcheng choked back his words. A moment later, he gently stroked her hair: "I see. Get some rest early."

Jiang Shuwei told He Tingting a story. Halfway through, the little one fell asleep in her arms. She kissed the child's forehead, said goodnight, and turned off the lights.

The next morning, Jiang Shuwei dropped He Tingting off at school on her way. Tingting attended the most expensive school in the capital. Wearing her uniform, she hopped along, holding Jiang Shuwei’s hand toward the school gate.

"Goodbye, Auntie." He Tingting waved her small hand happily and entered the gate.

Jiang Shuwei stood outside, watching the little girl follow her teacher inside before turning to leave. Unexpectedly, as soon as she turned around, she ran into Su Mian. It seemed Su Mian was also dropping off a child—a little boy with his nose pointed to the sky. He walked with a swagger, looking every bit like a little bully.

This boy was the youngest son of Su Mian’s uncle, born late in life, precious and spoiled by the entire family.

Su Mian hadn't expected to run into Jiang Shuwei here either. But the moment she realized Jiang Shuwei was here to drop off He Tingting, her expression turned cold.

Jiang Shuwei glanced at the boy. He was pouting and demanding that Su Mian buy him a toy before he would enter the school. Su Mian coaxed him, and he ran off.

"Jiang Shuwei, how did you manage to secure a partnership with President Qin?" Su Mian asked suddenly as Jiang Shuwei was about to leave.

Jiang Shuwei replied coldly: "That doesn't seem to be any of your business."

Su Mian’s face darkened. Every time Jiang Shuwei spoke, it was filled with thorns, as if everyone owed her money.

"Do you have to be so cold and biting? We don't have to be enemies," Su Mian said, putting on a reasonable facade.

Jiang Shuwei sneered at her: "There aren't many people worth my hatred, and you don't even make the list."

Su Mian felt a lump in her throat; Jiang Shuwei’s venomous tongue was as lethal as arsenic. Jiang Shuwei ignored her further, opened her car door, and got in. Su Mian took two steps forward, clenching her fists.

Jiang Shuwei had a lot to deal with today—finding a renovation company and discussing the details. The drafts piled up on her desk, and she had to handle them carefully.

At the renovation company that morning, Jiang Shuwei hadn't chosen blindly; she had shopped around and squeezed the prices hard. The owner frowned as he looked at her: "You’re such a young, pretty girl, but you drive a hard bargain."

Jiang Shuwei smiled like a little fox, squinting her eyes: "I have no choice. Money is tight. If I were wealthy, who wouldn’t want a luxury renovation?"

The owner took the job anyway and sent her on her way. Standing by her car, Jiang Shuwei let out a sigh of relief. She was planning to head back to her studio when she received a call from Yuntu, asking her to attend a meeting.

She didn't dare refuse the client's request and confirmed the time.

At three in the afternoon, Jiang Shuwei arrived with a stack of documents for the meeting. Yuntu was merely a tiny subsidiary of the Qin Group, which already dominated the internet industry in the country. There were many people at the meeting, and Jiang Shuwei was just an insignificant part of it.

The meeting was held in a conference room at the Qin Group headquarters that could accommodate a hundred people. Jiang Shuwei sat among them, listening intently. Suddenly, there was a commotion at the door, as if someone important was arriving.

Amidst the astonishment of the crowd, Qin Weizhou walked in.

The man wore a business suit without a tie, which didn't make him look less formal. His tall, lean, and athletic frame was wrapped in a crisp, well-fitted suit. He had an outstanding temperament and an imposing aura.

Upon seeing this "cold-faced Yama," those present lost their composure. Everyone knew that the decisive Qin Weizhou never showed mercy to anyone. He demanded perfection in everything; if you couldn't meet his standards, you were out. Even though he was handsome and had a dreamlike, prince-like quality, those who knew his methods were terrified of him and avoided his path.

During the meeting that followed, everyone was on edge, as if facing a formidable enemy. No one dared to be negligent when it was their turn to present. Yet, several people were stumped by Qin Weizhou’s questions, their faces turning red without being able to offer a perfect answer. Qin Weizhou demanded they submit better proposals on the spot, and they returned to their seats, crestfallen.

Jiang Shuwei felt a chill run through her. She didn't know if she would be called to present today; the documents she brought weren't complete, and more importantly, she had social anxiety. If she had to stand in front of over a hundred people, her legs would turn to jelly and she would be tongue-tied.

Fortunately, there were so many people there that the meeting time was limited, and it didn't get around to small players like her.

After the meeting, Jiang Shuwei breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to leave.

"Ms. Jiang, please stay," Qin Weizhou’s assistant, Sun Xuan, suddenly appeared and called out to her.