TNSFC – Chapter 81

Que Yining was the backbone of the company. After all, she had built it from scratch in the early stages and had always been involved in discussions and guidance, deeply loved by the employees.

The first thing Que Yining did upon her return was to give everyone benefits and a raise. The employees cheered, even more motivated in their work.

Que Yining entered her office, and Zhang Shiyu brewed her a cup of fruit tea.

“No need to be so cautious, I’m much better now. How about you, are there any other effects on your body?”

Que Yining looked at Zhang Shiyu’s cautious demeanor, smiled and shook her head, asking about her recent situation.

Zhang Shiyu: “I’m fine, I’m much better now, and my body isn’t affected.”

“Good, then let’s get down to business. Is it about the New Talent Recruitment Plan?”

Que Yining steered the conversation to business. She had many thoughts she didn’t intend to express to Zhang Shiyu. In fact, she was very glad Zhang Shiyu was unharmed. After all, this was aimed at her, and if someone else had suffered an undeserved disaster, Que Yining would inevitably feel guilty.

“Yes.”

Zhang Shiyu handed over the documents and began her report.

This New Talent Recruitment Plan was actually a plan under Que Yining’s company to attract new talent. The market wasn’t lacking in young people with new ideas, and every type of game had its unique audience. Que Yining didn’t intend to focus on just one type of game. By selecting from new talent and new ideas, she could achieve the greatest return with the smallest investment.

However, finding gold wasn’t that easy; it required careful screening. After several rounds of scrutiny, the proposals would be sent to Que Yining. Occasionally, Que Yining would also directly look through those emails to avoid missing any hidden gems.

After identifying two reasonably good games that could be considered for further evaluation, Que Yining had Zhang Shiyu reply to them.

After this matter was settled, Que Yining went to look at the building.

She had already been introduced to a potential location by a contact, and it was a very good one, just waiting for her on-site inspection.

Que Yining glanced at her leg and asked Zhang Shiyu to arrange for a car.

Zhang Shiyu: “Boss, this matter isn’t very urgent. Do you need to go see it now?”

“My legs are temporarily unable to walk, not my eyes unable to see. Why can’t I?”

Que Yining’s words carried no hint of reprimand. She smiled, but her tone brooked no argument.

She wasn’t crippled yet. If she really had to spend her life in a wheelchair, would she not do anything else for the rest of her life?

“Yes, I’ll arrange for the car immediately.”

Zhang Shiyu, knowing she had spoken out of turn, immediately contacted the driver.

The building Que Yining had selected was in an excellent geographical location with superior transportation links. There was a small plaza in front, making it look particularly grand.

The person in charge, smiling, introduced the area and its advantages, showing Que Yining every part. To accommodate Que Yining, he spent almost the entire time bent over while introducing it.

Zhang Shiyu pushed the wheelchair, followed by bodyguards. The group took a general look at the building.

Que Yining finalized the decision and contacted Li Suyin to handle the handover procedures.

At the same time, she was also expanding her team of assistants.

Given her current progress, two assistants were no longer enough to meet her needs, and expansion was imperative.

It was a large expenditure, and Que Yining was indeed feeling some strain. She still owed her father the twenty million he had given her, but she wasn’t in dire straits. Her father had also invested another twenty million in her name. Previously, she had obtained dividends from two of Wang Ruiyuan’s companies, investments from several of Gu Shanxue’s companies, and bank loans, so she was still managing comfortably.

After busying herself with these matters, the day was almost over.

Because of Que Yining’s leg inconvenience, Que Hanyi and You Lanqing didn’t approve of her returning to her own place after being discharged from the hospital, saying there would be no one to take care of her. So, Que Yining was taken back to the Que family home.

Her room was moved from upstairs to the first floor. Que Hanyi had previously arranged for two guest rooms on the first floor to be combined to create a new bedroom for Que Yining.

“Mom, you don’t have to wait for me to eat. If you’re hungry, go ahead and eat first.”

Que Yining looked at her family, who were only preparing to eat after she returned home, and smiled somewhat helplessly.

“It’s okay, waiting for you isn’t a big deal. It’s more lively when the whole family eats together. Zixi, bring this to your sister.”

You Lanqing handed the soup to Que Zixi, who was closer to Que Yining. Que Zixi took it and placed it in front of Que Yining.

The Que family’s dining table wasn’t very large. Que Zixi still lived at home, so with Que Yining and Xiaoxiao, there were a total of five people at the table.

The meal was quite harmonious, except for Que Zixi occasionally looking at Que Yining.

Que Yining didn’t look at her. This third sister, who had grown up with the original owner and was of a similar age, seemed to know the original owner very well. At least, she was the first person to suspect Que Yining. However, not long after that, Que Yining moved out and rarely saw Que Zixi.

After the car accident and this return home, Que Zixi often looked at her with that probing gaze. Que Yining knew her suspicions remained, but she didn’t care.

After dinner, Que Yining went to the room to draw with Xiaoxiao for a while.

Xiaoxiao seemed to have drawn very little these past few days. When she was with Que Yining, she held the paintbrush somewhat absentmindedly.

“What’s wrong, Xiaoxiao? You seem to have something on your mind?”

Que Yining looked at the little girl’s face. It was evident that Xiaoxiao had been well taken care of at her grandmother’s these past few days, her complexion was good, but her eyebrows were drooped, and she didn’t look happy.

“Youngest Aunt, did something happen at home? Why do you insist I stay at Grandma’s house?”

Xiaoxiao sat on the chair, thinking about what Que Yining had said in the hospital a few days ago, and looked at Que Yining questioningly.

Xiaoxiao was a very intelligent child, evident from her excellent grades and memory and observation skills far superior to those of ordinary children. Thus, Que Yining was not surprised that she asked this question.

She deliberated, thinking about how to answer the child’s question.

“I miss Mom and Dad a little, but are they very busy? Mom only called me a few times, and Dad only called twice. I wanted to ask Grandma, but Grandma didn’t know either. But I know you definitely know, Youngest Aunt.”

Xiaoxiao fiddled with the hem of her clothes, her voice very soft.

“Xiaoxiao, in your heart, what kind of people are your mom and dad?”

Que Yining answered with a question, bending down to look at her, gazing into the clear, innocent eyes of a child.

“They are very capable people. Dad is very busy, but he still comes home often. But I know his relationship with Mom isn’t very good. However, he brings me many things and plays with me. Mom is also very good to me. She buys me beautiful clothes, makes delicious food for me, and takes me out to play. They also accompany me to school activities together, and many, many other things, I can’t finish listing them.”

Xiaoxiao counted the couple’s good points on her fingers, her smile happy and sincere.

“So, Mom and Dad don’t have any bad points?”

Looking at her like this, Que Yining felt increasingly reluctant. She didn’t believe the reality was entirely so, but in a child’s eyes, they naturally view their parents through rose-tinted glasses.

Xiaoxiao shook her head like a rattle-drum, smiling obediently.

Actually, Mom and Dad always argued. Mom would tell her to stay in her room and not come out. At first, she would lean against the door and cry and cry, begging them to stop arguing, but it was useless. Instead, it would make their arguments even more intense, so she gradually learned to keep quiet.

But perhaps she was too quiet. Until that day, the sound of arguing stopped, and no one brought her out of the room.

From dawn till dusk, she tiptoed to open the door. The house was empty, not a soul in sight. She stumbled downstairs, took a tumble, but no one helped her up.

The house was pitch black. She called out for her mom and dad in fear, but there was no response.

She seemed to have been forgotten at home.

Terrified, she hid back in her room. The enclosed space gave her immense security.

After dawn, the nanny brought her out, tidied the room, and cooked for her. Mom and Dad came home in the afternoon, and everything was as usual, as if nothing had happened.

She became more silent and more accustomed to all this, but she knew that her parents loved her very much.

Que Yining stroked the little girl’s hair and couldn’t help but sigh.

What a good child, unfortunately saddled with such parents.

“Youngest Aunt, why are you asking this? Did something happen to my mom and dad?”

Xiaoxiao’s expression tensed, sensing something unusual from Que Yining’s sigh.

Que Yining was a little unsure how to begin. She couldn’t just say, ‘Your dad is a scumbag, your mom is about to turn on your dad, and I’m going to make sure your dad dies a horrible death,’ could she?

But she couldn’t not say anything either. At least at this moment, she had to say something.

Yet, she couldn’t directly disclose anything to Xiaoxiao, lest Xiaoxiao insist on going home or worry about her parents and tell Que Linyang something. After all, a child’s emotions are uncontrollable, and no matter how bad Que Linyang was, to Xiaoxiao, he was still her father. There were some things Xiaoxiao couldn’t understand or appreciate right now.

“Xiaoxiao, no matter what happens to your mom and dad, you will always be the cutest child in Youngest Aunt’s heart, our Que family’s little treasure. You will always be loved and cherished as you grow up.”

Que Yining cupped the little girl’s face, letting her see the sincerity in her eyes.

Xiaoxiao nodded, her eyes still filled with unease and confusion.

“As for going home, you might have to stay at Grandma’s for a while because your mom and dad are busy right now and don’t have time to take care of you. Alright, don’t think about those things. Let’s continue drawing.”

Xiaoxiao was a little bewildered. The words her youngest aunt had just spoken, the emotions she had revealed, made her feel like something was going to happen to her parents. But then her youngest aunt went back to the beginning, answering her question about whether her parents were busy. She was still a child, after all, and her mind couldn’t quite process it. Led by Que Yining, she dazedly continued to draw.

Watching Xiaoxiao draw intently, Que Yining fell into thought.

Hou Manni had already passed her initial test. After receiving her feedback, she became even more determined to bring down Que Linyang and planned to gain her own benefits from it.

It had to be said, this woman wasn’t stupid; on the contrary, she possessed a ruthless decisiveness. Just as Que Chuling had said, Hou Manni had long been dissatisfied, but her interests had made her choose to endure. Once her interests were threatened, she would unhesitatingly lean towards the side that benefited her.

Actually, Hou Manni hadn’t done anything particularly bad over the years. After all, Que Linyang didn’t trust her much and didn’t involve her in important matters. If she hadn’t chosen to marry Que Linyang back then, perhaps her life wouldn’t have been so turbulent.

However, Que Yining’s impression of her wasn’t very good either. She wasn’t a good person. After all, she knew exactly what Que Linyang was up to and didn’t stop him. Moreover, she enjoyed the benefits Que Linyang brought, resembling Que Chuling in some aspects. No wonder the two of them ended up together.

Que Yining returned from her thoughts, finished a drawing with Xiaoxiao, and praised her.

“Do you want to show the drawing to Grandpa and Grandma?”

Xiaoxiao nodded. Que Yining opened the door and watched her walk out with the sketchbook, her gaze falling on Que Zixi, who was leaning against the doorframe.

Que Zixi didn’t know how long she had been standing there. When she opened the door, she was already there.

“Is something wrong?”

Que Yining looked at her quietly and asked proactively.

“Yes.”

Que Zixi walked in and closed the door.

She sat down on a chair, facing Que Yining.

After a long stare, Que Zixi spoke.

“In the past, if I looked her in the eye for more than a minute without speaking, she would get very agitated.”

Que Zixi said this, seemingly not waiting for Que Yining’s reply, and continued on her own.

“She wasn’t that smart. Mom and Dad always spoiled her. She mostly played around in school. She liked watching some rather brainless TV dramas, didn’t like playing games, let alone researching games or managing a company. She was very afraid of pain, very delicate. Once, during sports day, we played the three-legged race. She fell half a step behind, tripped, and her knee turned red. She cried and scolded me for a long time. So, it’s impossible for her to be so calm after a car accident.”

“Even if she had completely let go of the man she loved most and couldn’t have, she wouldn’t have changed this much.”

“You’re not like her,” Que Zixi said. “Just like now, the way you look at me is like looking at a stranger. Do you know why I suspected you that day, a long time ago? Because she was only ever superficially impatient with me.”

They would go to the rooftop to watch the stars together, talking about what they wanted to do when they grew up. They would go skiing together, laughing heartily at each other’s falls. She never hesitated to show her worst temper in front of her, being bossy, willful, and imperious, yet she would also cry herself to sleep in her arms when she was sad.

Que Zixi couldn’t believe that Que Yining was no longer the original Que Yining. At first, she really thought she had just changed drastically because she had let go of Fu Wenjing. It was only later that she slowly realized that Que Yining had truly changed.

She could go for a long, long time without sending her a single message, without sharing any of her feelings, without losing her temper. When she wanted to go home to see her, she couldn’t even find her, couldn’t find any opportunity to talk to her. From her own eyes, from her parents’ words, from what others said, she pieced together a person she didn’t recognize, until the car accident more than a month ago, when she finally confirmed it.

When she saw the woman being wheeled out, she suddenly felt a sense of unfamiliarity.

It was as if there was a discrepancy with the person in her memory, but no matter how she tried to imagine, she could no longer picture her former appearance.

“I searched for a lot of information, constantly seeking those abstruse answers. Could such a strange thing really happen in the world? Actually, I’d rather believe something like she had a bad heart and received someone else’s heart transplant, but I know that’s not it.”

“Who are you exactly? Can she still come back?”

Que Zixi stared intently at Que Yining, suppressing her emotions. But from her continuous narration, her expression had changed from calm to agitated, and the tone of this sentence was full of accusation.

How she wished she could shout to her parents and everyone outside that this wasn’t Que Yining, this was someone else. But she knew that others would definitely just think she was crazy.

Soul transmigration, what an absurd and unbelievable thing.

Que Yining was somewhat surprised, but also felt it was expected.

She hadn’t deliberately tried to hide it. In fact, even if she had intended to imitate the original owner, it would have been impossible. She couldn’t replicate the original owner’s feelings for these people. Faced with Que Zixi’s questioning, she appeared very calm.

She didn’t intend to hide too much and spoke frankly, but still concealed a part.

Compared to soul swapping, telling Que Zixi that this was a book might seem even more like a fantastic tale.

“I am Que Yining, but not the one you know. In fact, I don’t know how I ended up here. Parallel universe? Who knows. After I died, I opened my eyes and found myself here, and I have some memories that don’t belong to this Que Yining.”

“What do you mean?”

Que Zixi was somewhat taken aback by her frankness, but was quickly drawn into her words.

“Understand it this way: I am the Que Yining from a parallel universe, let’s call her A. The Que Yining you know is B, and the future Que Yining is C. I went from being A to becoming B, and gained C’s memories.”

“Or rather, the future C died, and her memories appeared in B’s mind, which I received.”

“She… died?”

Que Zixi felt as if she had been hit by a blunt object, somewhat stunned.

Although she knew this answer was possible, she was unwilling to admit it.

During these times of doubt, she had read many books, whether on metaphysics, Buddhism, or various other subjects, even though she was originally a materialist.

One body cannot contain two souls. If borrowing a corpse to resurrect a soul truly exists, it is very likely that the original soul has dissipated, allowing a new soul to enter.

She went to consult a highly revered monk introduced by a friend, who was said to be very efficacious. The monk said, ‘The deceased is gone and cannot be pursued,’ advising her to let go and not dwell on it. But she refused to accept it, believing the monk was a fraud.

The moment she heard Que Yining say this, she even regretted sitting here. If she hadn’t been suspicious, then the Que Yining she knew would still be living well in the world she knew.

But this thought lasted only for a fleeting moment. Que Zixi still wished to know the cruel truth.

“Yes, she should have drowned, or rather, sunk in the river. I often dream of the scene of her death, being knocked unconscious from behind, tied to a stone, and thrown into the river. It was night, and the moonlight was very round. She was murdered. I know her unwillingness and resentment.”

Que Yining pressed her hand to her heart, recalling the original owner’s physical reaction when she saw Fu Wenjing.

But the murderer probably wasn’t Fu Wenjing. The original owner must have misunderstood. However, Que Yining couldn’t be 100% sure it was Que Linyang either, because the original owner probably hadn’t acted in the ways she had, and likely wouldn’t have aroused Que Linyang’s suspicion. But these were all just guesses.

And there were the strange things that had happened here, concerning the original owner and Fu Wenjing. Who knocked Fu Wenjing unconscious that night?

“The murderer?”

Que Zixi asked subconsciously.

Que Yining shook her head and said, “I don’t know. There are only some images. She didn’t know who killed her either, and I don’t know what happened to her at that time.”

“How do I know if what you’re saying is true?”

Que Zixi was silent for a long while before looking at Que Yining and speaking.

“It doesn’t matter whether you believe me or not. I’ve said what I needed to say.”

Que Yining responded rather coldly. She hadn’t done anything to feel guilty about, nor had she actively appeared here, so it wasn’t considered stealing someone else’s life.

She would try her best to help the original owner find the truth and protect her family. This was her repayment. As far as she was concerned, she felt she had done enough.

Que Zixi: “Aren’t you worried I’ll tell Mom and Dad or others?”

“Say whatever you want. I never intended to pretend to be her anyway. Appearing here wasn’t my intention, and I never planned to claim what belonged to her as my own. I didn’t tell them simply because I was worried they’d be heartbroken. If you intend to do anything to me,” Que Yining’s face turned cold, “I don’t mind treating you as my enemy.”

She understood Que Zixi’s feelings. For someone important to her to depart, yet their body be replaced and live on, that kind of feeling must be painful. But no one could take away her second life. This was a new life bestowed upon her by fate, and moreover, she had someone she liked here.

Que Zixi’s eyes were clouded, her temples throbbed, and the chaotic thoughts made her complexion unsightly and her posture somewhat unsteady. She gave Que Yining a complicated look and said wearily, “I don’t intend to do anything to you…”

Before knocking on the door, she had thought that if it really wasn’t her, if this person had taken Que Yining’s life, then she would, by any means necessary, not let her off easy, and would bring the real Que Yining back. But she had also considered, if this person had no ill intentions and the original one could never return… then she didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t possibly kill this person; she wasn’t capable of such a thing.

At this moment, Que Zixi loathed her own uselessness. Faced with this unknown, she didn’t know how she should strive, nor whether she could believe what this person said, and even less how to help the person she might never see again.

“I’ll tentatively believe what you said is true. If you can remember anything else, you must tell me. If she really was… then I must find the murderer!”

Que Zixi couldn’t bring herself to say those two words. Her expression already looked somewhat desolate and numb, but when she spoke the last sentence, a brilliant light flickered in the depths of her eyes.

“I have a suspect in mind.”

“Who?”

“Que Linyang.”

“What?”

Que Zixi was stunned, her face full of disbelief.

“It seems you don’t know anything either. I’m not sure if she was killed by Que Linyang, but I know that this car accident, which nearly cost me my life, was Que Linyang’s doing.”

Que Yining briefly recounted some matters, and also stated the fact that people around Que Zixi had also been enticed by Que Linyang.

“You can go verify it, but absolutely do not alert Que Linyang. Don’t startle the snake by beating the grass. I’ll tell you the rest, but not now, but with Mom and Dad. At that time, you’ll have to comfort them well and protect them, in case Que Linyang pretends to be remorseful. That person’s words are completely untrustworthy.”

Que Yining gave Que Zixi a heads-up first. Those matters couldn’t be explained in a few words now, and she would have to tell Que Hanyi and You Lanqing again later, so it was better to say it all at once.

Que Zixi walked out in a daze, needing to properly digest the enormous amount of information. She was now so numb that her face was expressionless.

After she left, Que Yining also leaned back in her wheelchair, feeling somewhat weary.

She stared blankly for a while, her phone vibrated. She initially didn’t want to look, but seeing it was a message from Gu Shanxue, she immediately perked up.

【Cutie Gu】: Are you free next Wednesday? I’m going to choose a site to develop a manor. The scenery there is very good. Do you want to go together?

Gu Shanxue is asking her out???

Did the sun rise in the west today???

Could it be that Gu Shanxue was hit by her directness and plans to face herself honestly!

【Que Yining】: I’m free!

【Que Yining】: If it’s with you, I’m always free!

Que Yining felt all her fatigue from the day swept away. She couldn’t wait until Wednesday; she wished she could go right now.

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