Lou Qingshuang opened her arms with a smile on her face, a smile that was mature and profound. She was giving both herself and Shen Yue a chance.
A chance to see through their relationship clearly.
The moment Shen Yue reached out to embrace her, Lou Qingshuang whispered in her heart, Shen Yue, please don’t betray me.
Hand in hand, the two returned home. As soon as Shen Qiao and Aunt Wu returned, they spotted Shen Yue.
“Yueyue is here!” Shen Qiao greeted her warmheartedly as usual.
“Have you eaten yet? The cook will be here in a bit,” Shen Qiao offered.
Shen Yue hurriedly greeted her back with a sweet smile. “Auntie, I’ve already eaten. Thank you for your concern.” For some unknown reason, Shen Yue was struck by a terrifying feeling of sudden panic.
Shen Qiao pulled Shen Yue over to sit down, eat fruit, and watch TV, effectively rescuing her daughter, Shuangshuang, from Shen Yue’s side.
Shen Yue wailed inwardly. Aunt Shen was great in every way, except she was a bit too enthusiastic. Every time, she prevented her and Shuangshuang from having any private time together, which left Shen Yue feeling helpless and frustrated.
Lou Qingshuang returned to her room, took off her coat, and pulled Shen Yue’s suitcase inside as well.
Sitting on a chair, Lou Qingshuang stared quietly at the suitcase. Shen Yue should have already come back, right? Liu Yu’s words echoed endlessly in her ears. Her heart beat wildly, dong, dong, dong, so anxious that her fingertips throbbed with numbness and trembled uncontrollably.
She hoped it wouldn’t be Shen Yue.
Lou Qingshuang had already asked Bai Wan to privately investigate the Chairman of Blue Dye’s private affairs, and news should arrive within the next two days.
Dressed in an elegant white cheongsam, she sat gracefully in her chair, quietly waiting for Shen Yue to come in.
After chatting with Shen Qiao for a few minutes, Shen Yue used the excuse of changing clothes to go into Lou Qingshuang’s room.
She looked at Lou Qingshuang, who sat elegantly with her legs crossed. Her hair was gathered by an exquisite, classic hairpin. Under the soft lighting, Lou Qingshuang looked noble, dignified, and full of gentle smiles. Shen Yue slowed her steps as she walked toward her.
“Shuangshuang.” Shen Yue knelt before Lou Qingshuang, taking her hand and placing it against her own cheek. “I missed you so much. You look so beautiful today.” Shen Yue raised Lou Qingshuang’s hand and planted a kiss on it.
Lou Qingshuang lifted her hand to stroke Shen Yue’s cheek, suppressing the anxious turmoil in her chest, and said somewhat stiffly, “As long as there’s nothing urgent at the company, I’ll stay home and keep you company for the next few days.”
“Okay.” Shen Yue closed her eyes, resting her head contentedly against Lou Qingshuang’s knees.
Shen Yue hid the guilt deep in her eyes. Besides keeping Lou Qingshuang company, her main reason for returning this time was to get her hands on the formula for the newly developed product.
It was by leveraging Lou Qingshuang’s formula that she managed to catch Zhu Rui’s attention.
Zhu Rui had many illegitimate daughters, but only two amounted to anything and Shen Yue was one of them. To enter Zhu Rui’s company and gain power, she had no choice but to sacrifice Shuangshuang’s hard work.
Once she established a firm foothold in Blue Dye, Shuangshuang could join her and enjoy endless wealth and luxury.
When Bai Wan’s message arrived, Lou Qingshuang opened it and saw the name. Shen Yue. Or rather, Zhu Yue.
Before the age of ten, her name had been Zhu Yue. After turning ten, she took her mother’s surname and became Shen Yue, all because Zhu Rui had abandoned her mother.
Lou Qingshuang closed her eyes gently and took a deep breath. Sensing the movement, Shen Yue opened her eyes and asked tenderly, “Shuangshuang, are you tired?”
“No, the light is just a little glaring,” Lou Qingshuang said, suppressing her voice to sound calm. Her heart was tearing in two. She desperately wanted to confront her, but without enough concrete evidence, she needed to see for herself. Did Shen Yue truly care so little for her as a fiancée?
Shen Yue stood up to block the glare of the light for her. One standing, one sitting, they looked like a perfect match.
She leaned down, wanting to kiss Lou Qingshuang, but Lou Qingshuang turned her head away. “Go change your clothes first.” Lou Qingshuang instinctively turned and stood up, resisting Shen Yue’s kiss.
She had tried her hardest to suppress her anger, but she still wanted to find out. Would Shen Yue really betray me over this?
She wanted absolute certainty on whether Shen Yue would betray her and betray their relationship!
Shen Yue watched Lou Qingshuang glide out the room like a butterfly. A look full of love remained on her face until the door clicked softly shut, after which her expression gradually hardened, becoming heavy and obscure.
Sitting in the chair Lou Qingshuang had just occupied, Shen Yue let out a heavy sigh, her expression dark and her brows tightly knitted.
Wanshuang Company cannot be allowed to rise. If it succeeds, Blue Dye’s market value will plummet.
Standing on the balcony, Lou Qingshuang looked at the text message sent by Liu Yu.
[Add my WeChat ID.]
Lou Qingshuang couldn’t help but laugh out of pure annoyance. Did this woman think she was some kind of overbearing CEO?
[No!] Lou Qingshuang replied crossly. What did Liu Yu take her for? Her mood was completely ruined by her!
Buzz, buzz… The phone vibrated as Liu Yu called her directly. Lou Qingshuang glanced back at the living room and hung up.
[Fine, I’ll add you.] Lou Qingshuang’s sadness vanished under Liu Yu’s persistence, replaced by sheer helplessness. What kind of person was this? Her presence was so overwhelming she popped up everywhere!
Once Lou Qingshuang added Liu Yu’s private WeChat, Liu Yu finally settled down.
Lou Qingshuang scoffed at Liu Yu’s blank profile picture, putting her phone away to keep it out of mind.
Looking at the notification confirming they were now friends, Liu Yu raised an eyebrow in satisfaction, setting her phone aside to read her book.
With Shen Yue back tonight, Liu Yu felt uncomfortable. She truly wished she could just snatch Lou Qingshuang away and mark her thoroughly.
So, she intentionally sent another WeChat message to irk Lou Qingshuang.
[Have you verified Shen Yue’s identity yet?]
Lou Qingshuang saw it but didn’t bother replying, exiting WeChat directly.
Shen Yue stepped out after changing her clothes. Seeing the beauty standing on the balcony, her heart fluttered. She called out softly and affectionately, “Shuangshuang.”
Hearing her voice, Lou Qingshuang’s expression turned cold, though she quickly put on a faint smile before turning around. “You’re done changing?”
Shen Yue nodded, stepping forward to take Lou Qingshuang’s hand. “It’s cold outside, look how chilly your hands are.” Shen Yue nagged softly, full of care.
In the living room, Aunt Wu was massaging Shen Qiao’s acupoints. Both overheard Shen Yue’s voice. Shen Qiao still looked worried, she wanted to have a serious talk with Shen Yue. If the two families still wouldn’t meet, she thought it best to just call off the marriage.
However, Shuangshuang had said she would talk to Shen Yue herself.
“Yueyue, when can I meet your elders?” Lou Qingshuang set down her fruit fork and asked softly.
Shen Yue’s heart tightened, her eyes betraying a hint of unnaturalness. “My mother is abroad, as you know. Maybe she can come back during the New Year.”
“‘Maybe’?” Lou Qingshuang’s voice was melodic, yet laced with clear doubt.
“If I don’t see your elders by next month, let’s just call off our engagement,” Lou Qingshuang said, looking at Shen Yue with absolute seriousness.
Shen Yue looked into Lou Qingshuang’s eyes, she meant every word. “Shuangshuang, I…” Shen Yue instinctively reached out to grab her hand.
“I can’t wait forever. Your family hasn’t shown a shred of sincerity. Shen Yue, I’m not some love-blind fool.” Lou Qingshuang looked at her calmly and rationally, pulling her hand back.
Seeing the look in Lou Qingshuang’s eyes, a surge of anger rose in Shen Yue’s heart, and her tone turned cold. “Got it. I’ll talk to my elders.”
Lou Qingshuang knew Shen Yue was intensely proud, she hated being contradicted, disobeyed, or having her control challenged.
Normally, Lou Qingshuang would yield to her, but now she needed to force Shen Yue into making a quick decision.
When Lou Qingshuang said she would stay home with her, she truly did. Yet, during their time together, Shen Qiao and Aunt Wu were always present.
It wasn’t until the third day that Lou Qingshuang made a quick trip to the company before rushing back home.
Wearing an apron, Shen Yue looked at Lou Qingshuang. “What’s wrong, Shuangshuang?”
“I came back to grab some company documents. I brought them home to review a few days ago and forgot to take them back today. Representatives from Xinyu Group are here, and we need to negotiate the details,” Lou Qingshuang said hurriedly.
Lou Qingshuang had returned through the rain. Drenched, she rushed to her room, opened the safe, and pulled out a document folder. Just as she was about to leave, Shen Yue appeared. She took Lou Qingshuang’s hand, her eyes filled with concern.
“Shuangshuang, you’re soaked from the rain. Change your clothes before you leave.” Shen Yue used a towel to gently dry her hair, looking heartbroken for her.
Moved, Lou Qingshuang leaned into Shen Yue’s embrace for a brief moment. “Yueyue…”
“Go change quickly and touch up your makeup,” Shen Yue smiled, patting her back gently as she nudged her to change.
Lou Qingshuang nodded and headed to the dressing room. The document folder was left right on the vanity table.
Shen Yue stared at the document folder. After a few seconds, she reached out and opened it. Inside were the joint product formula chart developed by Xinyu and Wanshuang, along with the signed corporate agreement between both parties.
Shen Yue quickly pulled out her phone, taking photos of the formula chart and the signed agreement.
A minute later, the folder was returned to its original position, placed precisely the way Lou Qingshuang had left it.
When Lou Qingshuang returned after changing, Shen Yue had already left the room.
Staring at the document folder, Lou Qingshuang’s heart trembled slightly. Today, I will finally know the truth. She picked up the folder and walked out.
“Shuangshuang, take an umbrella with you,” Shen Yue said, thoughtfully handing her an umbrella.
“Okay. You’re so thoughtful, Yueyue.” Lou Qingshuang thanked her with her usual smile.
Once Lou Qingshuang left, Shen Yue sent the photos out and deleted them from her album.
She then returned to cooking delicious food for Shen Qiao with a bright smile, and the three of them spent the afternoon chatting and laughing together.