SCHS - Chapter 66
Chapter 66
Qin Zhen’s anger was more severe than anyone else’s. For people like them, who were usually restrained and amiable, the emotions suppressed within were no less than others. Once they erupted, they were like beasts lurking in silence, capable of making one tremble even without a single movement.
Wen Shixue was trembling now. Endless fear, like vines, climbed and grew from the deepest part of her heart, swelling her chest and making her feel particularly uncomfortable.
From the beginning, her choice to hide this matter from Qin Zhen wasn't just because she had made a pact with Xu Jianfan, but also because Qin Zhen was an honest person. If she knew about this, she would inevitably be caught in a dilemma, wavering between reporting it and not reporting it. No matter which path she chose, she would be like someone tied to a stake, unable to escape unscathed.
She once thought that as long as she kept Xu Jianfan hidden, as long as they achieved their respective goals and dissolved the engagement, she could be honest with Qin Zhen. In that calm period, Qin Zhen would surely understand and forgive her.
But unexpectedly, that barrier was consumed by a sudden flame before they could act, exposing all secrets to Qin Zhen and becoming the fuse for everything that was happening now.
Wen Shixue swore that if she found the person who took the photos, she would make them regret being born into this world for the rest of their lives!!!
The next second, she ran to the door, looking pitifully, and pleaded, “Lao Qin, I was wrong…”
“I didn’t mean to hide it from you. Xu Jianfan wouldn’t let me tell a third person, and knowing it would put you in a difficult position, I didn’t dare tell you.”
“I didn’t do it on purpose…”
“I know I was wrong, I promise there won’t be a next time. Please don’t be angry with me, okay?”
“If you’re really unhappy, come out and scold me a bit, don’t just bottle it up, okay?”
Wen Shixue felt like she was the most humble person in the world at this moment, but there was nothing she could do. She was in the wrong first. If she acted as arrogant as usual, Qin Zhen could instantly make her return to the ranks of single nobility.
However, she leaned against the door, acting pitiful for a long time, but Qin Zhen inside remained unmoved, not making a sound. Halfway through her pathetic act, she suddenly sneezed, her head tilting forward and hitting the door with a "bang". She couldn't help but let out an "ow", the pain making her feel disoriented.
Looking back at her sneezing experiences over the past twenty-odd years, hitting a door because of a sneeze was truly a first – she was probably the only one in the world! Sure enough, when you're unlucky, even drinking water can make you choke!
Covering her forehead, she spoke pitifully and aggrievedly to the person inside through the door: “Lao Qin, it hurts…”
But unlike what she imagined, Qin Zhen neither came out to hug her nor spoke to comfort her. Inside, there was still an unfathomable silence.
She dejectedly covered her head and leaned against the door, like a primary school student punished to stand. The iron-hearted Vice President Qin was angry, and even her bumping her head couldn't bring her out.
Although she felt a little wronged, she quickly cheered up again. Whether it hurt or not wasn't important; making her girlfriend happy was!
Another sneeze came, but this time her hand protected her, and her head was spared. Just then, Qin Zhen's slightly annoyed voice finally came from inside: "Wen Shixue."
Wen Shixue jumped in fright. The most terrifying thing in life was when someone close called you by your full name, especially with a hint of anger in their tone. She instinctively replied, "Present!"
Qin Zhen's voice sounded again: "Go back to sleep."
She was finally willing to talk to her.
She stood outside the door obediently and said, "Then I'll go to sleep. Please don't be angry, okay?"
Qin Zhen didn't say anything again.
Wen Shixue tried to negotiate: "Then, how about... don't be angry tonight? Get a good night's sleep, recharge, and then be angry at me tomorrow? Don't just sulk by yourself, okay? It'll hurt your health, and my heart aches."
"Okay?"
Responding to her was another silence.
She couldn't help but wonder if she should sneeze again to see if she could trigger Qin Zhen's speaking switch again. Then she heard a simple and calm voice: "Go sleep."
It was like she didn't agree, and also like she did.
Wen Shixue had no choice but to reluctantly return to her room. She didn't even bother to change clothes and buried herself directly under the covers. Her mind was a mess, and melancholy filled her chest. Just an hour ago, she was curled up on Qin Zhen's bed, and Qin Zhen was even smiling and stroking her head. An hour later...
She pressed her palm to her forehead and rubbed it.
Now, even bumping her head didn't earn her a word of comfort.
—That damn photographer!
She pouted aggrievedly and buried her face in the pillow. She had no sleepiness at all, her spirits were low, and she even answered Xu Jianfan's call listlessly.
Xu Jianfan's tone was firm and his voice clear: "Shixue, I thought about it for a while and decided to do as Vice President Qin said, and have a good talk with my parents."
After Qin Zhen and Wen Shixue left, Jiang Manwei stayed with him and thought for a long time. Just as Qin Zhen said, he shouldn't make his parents wait indefinitely. Although their methods were wrong, they ultimately loved and cared for him. He couldn't let them suffer in endless waiting and worry about him all day just because he was being stubborn. So he decided, like Wen Shixue, to bravely talk to his parents and set a deadline to check the results. Jiang Manwei also expressed her support.
As his ally and comrade throughout this journey, Wen Shixue had the right to know his decision, so he made this call.
"Oh," Wen Shixue responded weakly, not feeling surprised.
Xu Jianfan blinked blankly and asked, "What's wrong? You seem to be in a bad mood. Could it be because... Vice President Qin?"
Wen Shixue immediately became pathetic: "She's angry with me..."
"I made her angry..."
In the few months she had been with Qin Zhen, this was the first time she had made Qin Zhen angry. It was more serious than poking a hole in the sky, making her flustered and unsure how to coax Qin Zhen back.
She was on the verge of tears.
Xu Jianfan immediately felt more guilty and comforted her, "It's okay, it's okay. This is my responsibility, don't worry. I'll go explain to her for you. She'll definitely understand you, don't worry."
Xu Rangshan and his wife were people of action, and so was Xu Jianfan. After speaking, he hung up the phone and went to find Qin Zhen. A few minutes later, he called back.
He said, "I explained to Vice President Qin and told her not to blame you, that it was all my fault."
Wen Shixue suddenly perked up a little, her eyes full of expectation as she asked, "And then? What did she say?"
Xu Jianfan scratched his head: "She told me to go to bed early too. Wait, what does this 'too' mean?"
Wen Shixue: "..."
Wen Shixue's inner expression right now was just "QAQ".
...
Qin Zhen hung up the call with Xu Jianfan expressionlessly. Two messages suddenly popped up on her phone screen—
[Found them.]
[The photos were sent out by a little assistant named Jiang Rui from Director Jin's crew.]
Jiang Rui...
Qin Zhen's gaze fell faintly on these two words, her eyes flashing with cold stars, as cold as autumn frost. She really hadn't expected these two words to appear before her eyes again in this way.
After a moment of silence, her fingertip slowly landed on the screen.
[Okay, I understand.]
She looked up silently at the closed door. After a while, she withdrew her gaze and instead found Jin Yue's contact information, sending a message.
...
Wen Shixue was melancholic all night and only felt sleepy around five in the morning. She slept groggily and woke up vaguely around noon. Their return flight was scheduled for after five in the afternoon, so there was plenty of time. No one came to wake her, including Qin Zhen.
Qin Zhen...
Wen Shixue suddenly opened her eyes, her sleepiness instantly dissipating. She hurriedly got up to look for her and found that she wasn't in the room at all—if her luggage hadn't still been there, Wen Shixue would have suspected that she was so angry she had left without her.
Unable to find her, Wen Shixue had to go back to her room to get her phone and prepare to call her. The moment she lit up the screen, she saw the messages sent by Jiang Manwei, which the system had condensed into one notification, totaling over ten messages.
[Jiang Manwei]: Sis, what did you say to Vice President Qin yesterday? Why did Director Jin come out and fire someone on the spot after talking to her today?
[Jiang Manwei]: Good heavens, it's the first time I've seen Director Jin get so angry, and the first time I've seen her fire someone on the spot.
[Jiang Manwei]: Although Director Jin is strict and demanding about her work, she's quite amiable to the people under her.
[Jiang Manwei]: Hello? Are you there? Don't tell me you're still sleeping?
[Jiang Manwei]: ...
[Jiang Manwei]: As expected of you [I'm impressed.JPG]
Wen Shixue's brain was still booting up, digesting Jiang Manwei's messages very slowly. She could only piece the information together little by little: Qin Zhen, Jin Yue, angry, fired... Could it be that Qin Zhen caught the person who took the photos?!
She scrolled through the messages again, secretly hating that Jiang Manwei didn't mention the name of the person who was fired—you can't eat gossip like this!
Wen Shixue: Jiang Manwei, you are not a qualified gossip-eater!
She then found Qin Zhen's number. Just as she was about to dial, there was a knock on the door. When she opened it, she saw a hotel staff member dressed neatly, pushing a dining cart, standing outside the door. They smiled at her with a standard professional smile: "Hello, President Wen, this is the longan, red date, and brown sugar water you requested, as well as your lunch." They added, "The longan, red date, and brown sugar water is to warm you up."
Wen Shixue: "?"
"When did I order this?"
Could she possibly order food while sleepwalking?! But she didn't have a habit of sleepwalking!
She thought for a moment, and a familiar name surfaced in her mind, her eyes brightening: "Could it be—"
The staff member maintained their smile: "Yes, Ms. Lin specifically instructed us to send it. They also said,"
Wen Shixue's smile instantly froze. This wasn't the answer she was expecting.
The staff member said, "She said to send it when you woke up, and if it was mealtime, to prepare lunch as well. I knocked a few times earlier, but you probably didn't hear."
Wen Shixue indeed hadn't heard, but hearing that it was arranged by Lin Jiayu, she didn't say anything and let the person in: "Thank you for your trouble."
As the staff member placed the lunch on the table, they said, "President Wen, Ms. Lin said it snowed heavily today and the weather is cold. Please keep warm and don't run around."
Wen Shixue nodded faintly, completely without appetite.
Seeing this, the staff member persuaded again, "This is Ms. Lin's kind gesture. Please eat a little, President Wen, it's good for your health. Only when you're full do you have the strength to do what you want to do."
Wen Shixue glanced at her, then at the rich dishes on the table. After a moment of silence, she waved her hand: "I'll eat, you can go out first."
After the staff member left, she sighed heavily, turned to brush her teeth and wash up, and only then came back to eat. Her first bite was of the steaming sweet and sour pork ribs. She felt empty all over, a sense of melancholy pervading her, causing her to have no mood to savor even her favorite sweet and sour pork ribs, chewing them dryly in her mouth.
Her girlfriend was still angry with her today, even after resting and recharging.
Poor, pitiful President Wen: Feels like this anger is even stronger and fiercer now...
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