“Look, look! CEO Qin is about to dance with Vice CEO Meng! Don’t they look perfect together?” Yang Wei said excitedly. Beside him, Gao Jianxiang and Cai Kun also showed expressions of envy.
To them, a stunning and talented woman like CEO Qin was someone they could only admire from afar. Now that she was going to dance with another man, how could they not feel a pang of bitterness?
Hearing their conversation, Jiang Zhao, who had been dozing off, immediately sat up and looked toward the center of the hall.
What the hell?
My woman dancing with another man?
Sure enough, Jiang Zhao spotted the young man in the white suit on the stage, surrounded by others, about to place his hand on Qin Lingxue’s shoulder.
Seeing this, Jiang Zhao shot up from his seat, fury rising within him.
Damn it! This little punk must be tired of living!
Meanwhile, as a gentle classical melody began to play, Meng Zhou’s hand inched closer to Qin Lingxue’s shoulder. Excitement swelled in his heart.
He had given up the chance to develop his career abroad and stayed with Lingxue Group precisely for this moment. Finally, the beauty would be his.
Hmph, what cold and aloof ice queen? In the end, she’d still fall under my charm.
Qin Lingxue, watching that hand slowly approach, was already mentally counting down, ready to kick him away at any moment.
And just at that critical moment—
“Get your filthy hand off her, you damn bastard!”
A furious voice roared from the crowd, and a figure dashed toward them at high speed. Meng Zhou, startled, instinctively backed away, ignoring Qin Lingxue.
Seeing who it was, the corners of Qin Lingxue’s lips lifted slightly, the frost in her eyes melting away.
This guy… finally came to his senses.
Just before crashing into her, Jiang Zhao managed to stop himself in time. Standing firm, he glared at her and said with dissatisfaction, “Dancing with another man right in front of me—what’s that supposed to mean? If you want to break up, just say it.”
Meng Zhou, having dodged safely, now came to his senses. His golden opportunity had been ruined, and he immediately shouted in anger, “Which department are you from? Don’t you know the rules? This is not a place you can just barge into!”
Jiang Zhao, though once a renowned entrepreneur in Jiangnan City, rarely appeared publicly, so few people recognized him. Naturally, Meng Zhou mistook him for a regular employee and didn’t hold back.
Hearing that, Jiang Zhao raised an eyebrow. Under everyone’s stunned gaze, he wrapped an arm around Qin Lingxue’s slender waist and pulled her into his embrace, sneering, “You want to dance with my woman, and you don’t know who I am? I’m your Grandpa Jiang Zhao!”
Qin Lingxue’s face turned red with embarrassment.
Who’s your woman? We’re not even married yet! This chapter was copied from novelping.com without permission.
Those nearby began whispering among themselves.
“Jiang Zhao? Isn’t he the former chairman of Tianyang Group? Since when did he become CEO Qin’s man?”
“No idea. I heard he vanished after Tianyang Group dissolved. No one knew where he went. Who would’ve guessed he was in our company?”
“Things just got interesting. Everyone knows Vice CEO Meng’s feelings for CEO Qin. And Jiang Zhao? He’s not someone to mess with. This is going to be wild.”
Meng Zhou’s expression changed. He stared at Qin Lingxue in disbelief and asked, “Lingxue, is what he said true? Are you two really…?”
He had chased her for three whole years and eliminated countless rivals. And now she tells him she’s already with someone?
Qin Lingxue didn’t try to hide it. She pinched Jiang Zhao’s cheek and said calmly, “Even though this guy looks a little unreliable, everything he said is true.”
Hiss—everyone gasped. They hadn’t expected the cold and aloof CEO Qin to already have a boyfriend!
In the corner, Gao Jianxiang and his two teammates were completely dumbfounded.
Shocking! The CEO’s boyfriend is our new boss?
No wonder Brother Jiang always looked indifferent whenever we talked about CEO Qin. Turns out she’s your girlfriend!
Brother Jiang, you really know how to keep a low profile.
“Why?! What does he have that I don’t?! I’ve chased you for three years! Why him and not me? Why?!” Meng Zhou shouted through clenched teeth, unwilling to accept it.
In terms of background, his parents were among the most powerful figures in Jiangnan City. In terms of talent, he graduated from a top university in the country.
And Jiang Zhao? Just a bankrupt former CEO. What made him more worthy?
Hearing that, Qin Lingxue stepped out of Jiang Zhao’s embrace. A sharp, icy aura radiated from her as she spoke coldly, “Considering your years of contribution to the company, I’ll tell you why.”
“Last January, I asked you to acquire a clothing factory. To make your performance look better, you used your mother’s position as the director of the Education Bureau to threaten the owner with his daughter’s education, forcing him to sell cheap.”
“Then in May, during the real estate project, you had people break the legs of the holdout residents to make them leave. When they went to the police, your father covered it all up. Later, I had to pay each of them 1 million yuan in compensation.”
The more she spoke, the colder her face became. Her piercing gaze made Meng Zhou involuntarily avert his eyes.
“A person who only knows how to use underhanded tricks—what makes you think you’re better than Jiang Zhao? He may be greedy, lustful, and lazy like a pig, but he’s ten times more capable than you!”
At first, Jiang Zhao was enjoying her words, but by the end, his face turned dark.
Was that a compliment or an insult?
The surrounding executives looked serious. Their eyes toward Meng Zhou had changed completely.
A capable man is always respected, even if he falls from grace.
But someone who plays dirty tricks is despised no matter where they go.
Meng Zhou’s face turned pale. He hadn’t realized that all his shady deeds had been known to Qin Lingxue all along.
“You all just wait!”
After tossing out that threat, he turned and stormed out of the hotel in shame, unable to stay another second.
Only then did everyone turn their gaze to Jiang Zhao.
Tall, decent-looking, clearly competent—no wonder CEO Qin liked him.
But after such a scene, no one felt like celebrating anymore. Jiang Zhao and Qin Lingxue were the first to leave. They didn’t drive but chose to walk home.
In the dark night, bright streetlights lit up both sides of the road. Trees rustled gently in the breeze, adding a peaceful touch to the quiet night.
As they walked, Jiang Zhao shoved his hands into his pockets. Glancing at the elegant beauty beside him in high spirits, he frowned and said, “Anyone can just put their hands on your waist? Can’t you maintain a bit of distance from other men besides me?”
Hearing that, Qin Lingxue’s lips curved up. Her beautiful eyes narrowed into crescent moons, “Jealous, are you?”
“You never confessed to me, nor proposed. What right do you have to be jealous?”
That’s right. Everything that happened tonight was part of her plan to provoke this man and push their relationship forward.
“Haha, me? Jealous?” Jiang Zhao pretended not to care, looked away, whistled, and said casually, “Why would I be jealous? Maybe I’ll go wrap my arm around some other woman someday too.”
The moment he said that, Jiang Zhao felt his body lurch. Qin Lingxue had grabbed him by the collar. Her gaze was icy cold like frost from the ninth hell, and her red lips parted, “If you dare get close to any woman besides me, I promise you’ll regret ever being born.”
Before he could react, Jiang Zhao felt something soft press against his lips.
That familiar sensation.
After a long moment, Qin Lingxue finally let him go. Resting her forehead against his, she smiled wickedly and said in a tone that brooked no argument, “You are my man. Your body, your soul—everything—can only belong to me, forever!!!”