“Come in.”
“Oh.”
Lin Qing stepped inside.
Fu Sinian, knowing that Lin Qing was afraid of heights, used the remote to draw the curtains over the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Lin Qing sat down on the sofa and took out her briefcase.
Jiang Yuan placed a bag on the other side of the table.
The smell of food drifted over, and Lin Qing instantly felt a wave of nausea rise in her stomach.
She clenched her teeth, took a deep breath, then pulled out her thermos from her bag and sipped some lemon water. Only then did the nausea subside slightly.
“What’s wrong with you? You look pale. Are you sick?”
Fu Sinian, sharp-eyed as ever, immediately noticed something was off.
After just a few days apart, not only had her complexion lost its glow—she looked visibly thinner.
Lin Qing quickly denied it, “No, I’m fine. You’re imagining it.”
“Really?”
“President Fu, I don’t think I need to explain my health to you. The relationship between us is strictly professional—we’re not even friends. I hope you can make that clear.”
Her cold rebuke in response to his concern left Fu Sinian certain that something had definitely happened to her recently.
“Did you eat gunpowder today or something? Why are you so aggressive?” Fu Sinian snapped.
Lin Qing ignored him. She opened her briefcase and handed him the printed due diligence report.
Fu Sinian took the report and began reading it carefully.
Lin Qing glanced at the food containers on the table, and another wave of nausea rose—this time, even the lemon water didn’t help.
“Excuse me, I need to use the restroom.”
Covering her mouth, she rushed toward the office bathroom.
Once inside and the door closed, Lin Qing bent over the sink and threw up violently.
Hearing the sounds from the bathroom, Fu Sinian’s brows furrowed deeply.
He put down the report and walked over to the bathroom door, knocking gently.
“Lin Qing, are you okay?”
Inside, Lin Qing rinsed her face and mouth with a handful of cold water.
Hearing his voice, she replied quietly, “I’m fine.”
Fu Sinian waited a full five minutes before the door finally opened.
Lin Qing stood in the doorway, her expression briefly revealing a flicker of panic.
The man in front of her stared at her, his gaze filled with suspicion and scrutiny.
Lin Qing felt a little guilty under that intense gaze. She swallowed and said, “I’m fine. Just having some stomach issues these past few days.”
“Really?” Fu Sinian’s tone carried more pressure now.
“Really,” Lin Qing repeated.
Fu Sinian gave her a long, penetrating look, then finally looked away. “Alright, as long as you’re okay.”
They both returned to the sofa. Fu Sinian continued reading the due diligence report, while Lin Qing sipped her lemon water and waited for his next instructions.
As Fu Sinian read, his frown deepened.
“Who wrote the asset ownership and valuation section for this company?”
“One of the interns on my team. Is there a problem?”
“The data in this section isn’t even close to Dongxin Company’s actual valuation. It reads like some template copied from who-knows-where. Have her rewrite it.”
The moment he said that, Lin Qing’s face darkened.
She took the report from Fu Sinian and carefully reviewed the section written by Li Yue. Sure enough, some of the content wasn’t accurate, and part of the analysis lacked supporting data or theory.
She’d been so physically drained lately that she hadn’t had the energy to double-check everything. After the rest of the team submitted their sections, she’d only skimmed them instead of doing a thorough review.
“I’ll have her fix it. She’s an intern, and I wanted to give her a chance to grow by letting her participate in this project. It’s my fault for not reviewing it properly. I apologize, President Fu.”
As someone who had been hired and didn’t deliver flawless work, Lin Qing knew she was at fault and chose to take responsibility first.
But when Fu Sinian heard that an intern was responsible for part of such a major project, his tone turned sharp. “This acquisition cannot afford even the slightest mistake. How could you let an intern—someone who hasn’t even been officially hired—take charge of something this important?”
To Fu Sinian, interns simply didn’t have the qualifications to handle major deals.
Lin Qing didn’t agree. “President Fu, everyone who joins Huading comes from top universities. None of them lack capability. Every well-known lawyer has once been an intern. I was no exception. Giving interns the chance to work on big projects is how they grow. Not everyone gets opportunities like this—I’m willing to give them that chance. Even if they make mistakes, this is just the first draft. It can be revised.”
“Lin Qing, if everyone thought like you, the time cost would be immeasurable. Sure, giving opportunities to newcomers helps them grow—but have you thought about the risks involved? If there’s an unnoticed mistake in the data evaluation, Rui Feng could fail in the acquisition. That would impact the entire company’s capital flow. And that’s not a consequence you can afford. As the client, I can’t accept this kind of reasoning!”
As the project’s leader, Fu Sinian was focused on maximizing the company’s interests. He had no tolerance for Lin Qing’s trial-and-error approach.
Lin Qing felt a wave of grievance rise in her chest. He was criticizing her purely from the client’s standpoint. But mistakes were inevitable in any project—everyone makes them. This was just a first draft, not the final version. If it were final, she would’ve reviewed it eight or ten times before letting him see it.
“I got it! I’ll revise the final version perfectly—there won’t be a single mistake!”
Lin Qing spoke coldly, then stuffed the due diligence report into her briefcase and walked out of the office with a frosty expression.
Without even saying goodbye, her stiff demeanor made it obvious to Fu Sinian—she was angry.
“Lin Qing, Lin Qing!”
No matter how he called, she didn’t look back.
He glanced at the desk. Her thermos cup was still sitting there—she had forgotten to take it.
Fu Sinian picked up the thermos and hurried after her.
He quickly pressed the elevator button and rode it down to chase her.
Both elevators were descending at the same time.
Ding—the elevator doors opened.
Lin Qing stepped out first.
“Lin Qing!”
Fu Sinian called out as he reached the ground floor and ran after her.
Lin Qing marched forward without so much as a glance back, her briefcase in hand.
The reception staff on the first floor were stunned.
“Oh my god, could President Fu and Lawyer Lin actually be a couple?”
“Obviously! Look, Lawyer Lin is clearly upset, and President Fu is chasing after her. Who else would dare give him attitude like that unless they were dating?”
“CEO chasing his wife—hah, this is better than a drama!”
At the front of the company, Lin Qing heard the chatter behind her. Thinking about his attitude earlier—and the fact that she was pregnant—a wave of grievance swelled in her chest. She didn’t want to deal with him at all.
Her steps quickened.
Suddenly, beep beep beep—a blaring horn pierced the air.
Lin Qing turned her head—an electric scooter was speeding straight toward her.
“Lin Qing!”
Fu Sinian shouted loudly.
In the nick of time, he lunged forward and yanked her back by the arm.
The scooter screeched to a halt right in front of them.
The rider, panting and furious, yelled, “What the hell! Are you nuts? Crossing the street without looking?!”
Fu Sinian wrapped his arms protectively around Lin Qing and quickly apologized to the rider. “Sorry, really sorry.”
Thankfully, it was only a scare—neither of them were hurt. The rider looked at their sharp, professional attire and sensed they weren’t ordinary people. Swallowing his anger, he waved it off. “Whatever, just be careful crossing the street next time.”
He rode off.
Lin Qing stood rooted to the spot, her heart pounding wildly. Her vision blurred, the world spun.
Fu Sinian’s heart skipped a beat, panicking. “Lin Qing, are you okay? Lin Qing?!”
The wind howled around them. His voice rang faintly in her ears.
Her chestnut-brown hair was tousled by the wind. Gently, Fu Sinian brushed the strands away from her forehead, revealing a pale, bloodless face.
His fingertips brushed against her skin—it was cold to the touch.
Lin Qing took a deep breath, and her vision gradually cleared.
The man’s face came into sharp focus before her, his eyes full of concern.
Fu Sinian, seeing her dazed and downcast, her complexion pale as paper, asked, “Are you feeling unwell? You’ve seemed distracted all evening—and you almost got hit crossing the street.”
Lin Qing shook her head and said quietly, “I’m fine.”
Then she pushed away the hand he had placed on her shoulder.
Fu Sinian bent down, picked up the thermos from the ground, and handed it back to her. “You were in such a rush, you forgot your cup.”
Lin Qing took it and shoved it into her bag, still wearing a frosty expression—not even sparing him a glance.
Clearly, she was still angry.
She turned to leave.
But Fu Sinian grabbed her wrist.
“Let go.”
“No.”
Lin Qing gritted her teeth. “President Fu, I don’t want to end up on the front page of the news again tomorrow.”
Fu Sinian began pulling her back toward the building. “Let them write what they want. I don’t care. Look at the state you’re in—I’m worried you won’t even make it back to Huading. I’ll drive you.”
“I don’t want to. Let me go—let go!”
But Fu Sinian refused to let go.
The difference in their strength was obvious. Lin Qing couldn’t break free, so she acted on instinct—lowered her head and bit him.
“Ah—” Fu Sinian hissed as pain shot through his hand. Taking advantage of the moment, Lin Qing broke free from his grip.
She backed away several steps and said coldly, “My business has nothing to do with you!”
Then she turned and ran.
Fu Sinian glanced down at the back of his hand—a neat row of bite marks, with blood seeping from the skin. She hadn’t held back at all.
He cursed under his breath.
After years in the business world, he prided himself on being able to handle anything. But with her, every encounter left him completely at a loss—utterly infuriating.
People bustled along the street. A woman pushing a stroller happened to pass by. The toddler inside gave him a big, innocent smile.
Fu Sinian’s heart was in chaos.
He thought about how Lin Qing had been vomiting uncontrollably in his office earlier.
His eyes darkened.
Then, without hesitation, he called Jiang Yuan.
“Hello? President Fu?”
“Put everything on hold. I need you to take care of something.”