TNSFC – Chapter 45

The air suddenly fell silent.

Que Yining was momentarily at a loss for words regarding this truth. This news was, to say the least, a bit cruel for the mastermind behind it.

Xie Yanhuai seemed to have sensed something too and was unsure what to say. He and Que Yining on the other end of the line were silent, waiting for the boss to speak first.

Que Yining: “Alright then, I understand. It’s nothing.”

Xie Yanhuai: “Did that person confess? Was it aimed at me?”

Xie Yanhuai spoke bluntly. He was quite afraid that this incident had occurred because of him. Although no significant losses had been incurred so far, he didn’t want to leave a bad impression on his boss.

Que Yining: “No, just continue with your work.”

Que Yining strongly suspected the other party was targeting her; after all, this was a malicious act of sabotage.

Although the outcome seemed a bit amusing, if Xie Yanhuai’s skills hadn’t been so high and her core data had indeed suffered major errors due to this virus, she would have definitely destroyed the person behind it.

Who on earth held such a deep grudge against her?

Que Yining thought of Wang Ruiyuan. After all, since she had dealt with him last time, there had been no further news from him, nor any retaliation.

But Que Yining wasn’t sure it was him. After all, Wang Ruiyuan probably wasn’t patient enough to wait this long and specifically hire someone to do such a thing. It wasn’t that Que Yining looked down on his intelligence—no, wait, Que Yining did look down on his intelligence.

Then who else could it be? The original owner’s older brother, Que Linyang?

Que Yining sat in the car, her thoughts heavy.

In the blink of an eye, it was noon. Unlike yesterday’s heavy rain, today was cloudy, perfect for an outing.

Gu Shanxue’s message arrived late, only reaching Que Yining’s phone at this moment. Her reply was very brief, just like her usual style, revealing nothing unusual. But Que Yining’s own psychological factors were at play, making her feel that every word from the other person was laden with deep meaning.

Could it be that Gu Shanxue still remembered yesterday’s events and was feeling a bit shy?

However, Gu Shanxue didn’t ask her anything, not even indirectly, which made Que Yining uncertain again.

【Que Yining】: Shanxue, what time are we going to the concert this afternoon?

【Dear Miss Gu】: It starts at three-thirty. I’ll pick you up at three.

【Que Yining】: Okay! I’ll wait for you at the company then!

【Que Yining】: [CatMakingAHeartSign.jpg]

Gu Shanxue, sitting upright and proper in her office, saw this cheerful message and put down her phone.

She pressed her temples. The smooth desktop vaguely reflected her frowning face.

Seeing Que Yining, that scene replayed in her mind. Even Gu Shanxue felt a bit dazed. She had originally planned to avoid Que Yining for a while, but she wasn’t one to break a promise. So, for today’s invitation, which she herself had initiated, she would definitely attend.

Her mind was on Que Yining as she signed the documents she had just reviewed. When she came back to her senses and looked, she found that she had unconsciously written Que Yining’s name in the signature space.

This paper was now useless. She called her assistant and asked her to reprint the document.

Her gaze fell on the floating clouds outside the window, and she let out an unconscious, soft sigh.

The clouds in the clear sky leisurely watched the human world, drifting from one end to the other.

Que Yining had a meeting at the company. After it ended, she saw several missed calls from Qiao Yuchu on her phone.

She walked back to her office with the documents and leaned back in her soft executive chair to make a call.

“What’s up, Xiao Qiao? You called several times. Is there something urgent?”

Qiao Yuchu: “There was something earlier, but it’s fine now.”

Que Yining raised an eyebrow: “Oh?”

Qiao Yuchu chuckled on the other end: “It’s already resolved.”

Que Yining: “Judging by your tone, you sound very happy?”

Qiao Yuchu replied: “Mhm, happy.”

Que Yining didn’t press further. It was usually about Qiao Yuchu and her girl. If the other person didn’t say, she naturally wouldn’t ask.

Qiao Yuchu sighed as if she had discovered some profound life lesson: “I’ve realized that many things aren’t as they seem on the surface, sometimes they’re even the complete opposite. I always thought my girl found me annoying, but it’s not actually like that. It’s just that I got caught up in that mood and couldn’t help but think negatively. Complaining to you about those things, I didn’t bother you, did I?”

Que Yining chuckled lightly: “This isn’t like you, Xiao Qiao. It’s like you’ve had a personality change. Asking so politely makes it seem so distant.”

Qiao Yuchu: “Hey, I’m just giving you a heads-up. You know how I am, blowing hot and cold. If I’m unhappy, I’ll say it. I’m afraid I’ll complain to you again later and annoy you. I thought about it, and you’ve never complained to me about relationship problems, not even about… you-know-who. You always spoke well of him. This current one is even more remarkable; you barely mention her to me. I don’t even know if things are going smoothly for you.”

That “you-know-who” was, of course, Fu Wenjing. Que Yining listened to her lengthy speech and curled her lips.

“Things are going very well, everything’s smooth, so I didn’t say much.”

Qiao Yuchu: “Really smooth? Is there anything I can help with? That expensive lingerie from last time, should I get you a couple more sets?”

Que Yining was about to refuse, but then she had a second thought. It seemed it wasn’t entirely out of the question. What if it came in handy someday?

So she replied: “Sure, but not the swimsuit type like last time. That one was too revealing. I want something less… direct.”

Qiao Yuchu understood: “Got it. You’re going for the subtle and graceful style, right? No problem. I’ll send two sets over to you later. Just tell me if there’s any particular type you want. My older cousin owns a lingerie shop, direct supply, absolutely no cutting corners, okay?”

Que Yining chuckled and praised: “That’s just like you.”

The usefulness of sisters was demonstrated at this moment. What kind of friends one has depends on their circle. Que Yining felt that friends like Qiao Yuchu and Bian Ji’an were definitely a great help on her path to a happy life. Absolutely fantastic.

Qiao Yuchu: “Of course. Are you free this afternoon? Want to hang out, go shopping?”

Que Yining smiled and declined: “No time. I have a date with my Miss Gu.”

Qiao Yuchu’s interest was piqued. She asked curiously: “Have you won her over?”

Que Yining: “Not quite.”

Qiao Yuchu, her interest halved, asked: “I know, haste makes waste. What are you two doing? Don’t tell me it’s watching a movie and drinking coffee?”

She felt that given Gu Shanxue’s personality, even a date would likely be at some elegant place. In any case, it definitely wouldn’t be an amusement park.

Que Yining: “A concert.”

Qiao Yuchu: “Huh? You’re really going through a lot, sis. Sacrificing for love.”

As far as Qiao Yuchu was concerned, neither of them was the type to appreciate classical music. The original owner indeed wasn’t.

Que Yining corrected: “This isn’t a sacrifice.”

“Got it, so sweet,” Qiao Yuchu said, stroking her chin. “Things are looking great. I won’t disturb you then. Hanging up.”

Qiao Yuchu lay on her big bed at home, lazily getting up, thinking to herself that Que Yining would definitely succeed this time.

If this were some cultivation novel, Gu Shanxue would definitely be the cold-hearted leader of the righteous path, and Que Yining would absolutely be a demoness who brings calamity to the world—either a fox spirit or a snake spirit, the kind that coils around people, destabilizing their Dao heart and breeding inner demons.

Que Yining had no idea about Qiao Yuchu’s high praise for her. She waited in her office for Gu Shanxue to arrive.

Before Gu Shanxue arrived, she even specially touched up her makeup, applying a thick layer of lip gloss to make herself look exceptionally stunning.

After receiving Gu Shanxue’s message, Que Yining grabbed her bag and went downstairs. When she got into Gu Shanxue’s car, she specifically looked at Gu Shanxue’s expression.

Gu Shanxue gave her a slight nod, signaling her to fasten her seatbelt.

Que Yining didn’t do it immediately. Instead, she first moved closer to Gu Shanxue and tilted her head up slightly towards her.

“Shanxue, look, this is my new lip gloss. Do you think the color is pretty?”

Her lips were beautifully shaped, and her breath carried a hint of peach fragrance.

Gu Shanxue’s gaze lingered on Que Yining’s red lips. They were full, soft, and supple. The way she tilted her head up towards her looked like she was asking for a kiss.

Memories resurfaced. The rich fragrance intertwined with a fiery heat, causing the air to warm up continuously. Those eyes were moist and bright, her flushed cheeks exuded an astonishing allure, like a soul-snatching enchantress.

Gu Shanxue discreetly pressed her fingertips together and nodded at Que Yining, saying, “It’s pretty. It suits you very well. There’s a peach scent.”

Her gaze focused on the road, and she started the car.

Her calm and unruffled demeanor disappointed Que Yining somewhat. Que Yining turned her head to hide those emotions, fastened her seatbelt, and smilingly continued Gu Shanxue’s words: “I just had a peach-flavored candy.”

Gu Shanxue thought, that candy must be very sweet.

Gu Shanxue wasn’t a talkative person. On the way, Que Yining didn’t try to force conversation either, but quietly listened to the music playing on the radio.

She now somewhat suspected that Gu Shanxue didn’t remember yesterday’s events at all; otherwise, how could she be so calm?

But she couldn’t ask now, afraid she might reveal her intentions and cause Gu Shanxue to feel repulsed.

In the past, Que Yining wasn’t such a cautious person. But when it came to Gu Shanxue, she always found herself repeatedly wondering if what she was doing was okay. This was different from her previous deliberate scheming. Perhaps when you like someone, even racking your brains for them brings joy.

Before she knew it, the car arrived at their destination.

Even though it was sunny today, the winter wind was still bitingly cold and harsh. Que Yining, having dressed lightly for appearance’s sake, couldn’t help but shiver when a gust of cold wind blew past.

As Gu Shanxue walked over from the other side of the car, Que Yining couldn’t stop herself from turning her head and sneezing.

If it had been just one sneeze, it would have been fine. But Que Yining couldn’t hold back and sneezed three times in a row. She wiped her palm and her slightly red nose with a tissue, feeling extremely embarrassed.

This was not romantic at all! And it was in front of Gu Shanxue, three times in a row!

Que Yining sniffled, almost unable to maintain her smile. But Que Yining was still Que Yining. She quickly adjusted her facial expression and said to Gu Shanxue, as if joking, “Were you just thinking about me?”

“Hmm?”

Gu Shanxue hadn’t expected to be called out on the spot. Her composure wavered, and she almost gave herself away, but she managed to maintain a calm exterior, tilting her head slightly in feigned confusion.

Que Yining’s eyes curved into crescents: “Haven’t you heard this saying? When you sneeze, it means someone is thinking of you.”

When Que Yining was little, her mother told her that sneezing once meant someone was thinking of her, twice meant someone was cursing her, and three times meant she had a cold.

Although the first two had no basis, since her mother said so, Que Yining believed it.

She directly ignored the fact that she had sneezed three times and tried to cast a romantic light on the situation.

“So there’s such a saying,” Gu Shanxue said as she took off her own scarf and tied it around Que Yining’s neck. “The wind is strong. Don’t catch a cold.”

Her voice drifted in the cold wind, tinged with a hint of gentleness.

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