At this hour, Sucheng’s nightlife was just beginning. The bar was located on a street next to the city center, so it naturally had plenty of customers.
On top of that, Qiao Qingman and the others were all exceptionally good-looking. Before long, the few of them became the focus of attention for many passersby.
Gu Qianshi was the newly appointed person in power at the Gu Group, a man known in the business world for being decisive, ruthless, and composed.
A man like that would naturally not allow himself to become gossip for others’ idle talk.
Yet because of Qiao Qingman, after she had just stepped on his foot and he had chased out to question her, he had now become an object of curiosity under people’s gazes.
Gu Qianshi’s indifferent eyes darkened, and the look he directed at Qiao Qingman grew colder.
“Qiao Qingman, I told you to come here.”
This time, his low voice clearly carried the sound of exhausted patience.
Qiao Qingman: “……”
It was over. The male lead was definitely here to question why she had said something like “one day apart feels like three autumns,” and then turned around and stomped on him.
But who told him to be so annoying?
In contrast, Chen Leyan looked as though he already knew he would lose. His fists were clenched tightly, and his brows were filled with frustration.
He even lowered his head and stopped looking at her.
He looked exactly like a puppy about to be abandoned, making people feel inexplicable guilt and awkwardness.
Comparing the two, Gu Qianshi really was too annoying.
The drowsiness surged even stronger. Qiao Qingman could barely hold back another yawn.
Strange. Why had she been so sleepy lately? It was only a little past eight, right?
Ahhh. If only she knew where her car keys had gone. She could have just run away.
As she thought this, Qiao Qingman lowered her head and forced back a tiny, tiny yawn.
Tears immediately welled up and slid down.
Gu Qianshi, however, was completely angered by Qiao Qingman’s silence.
He had originally still had some doubts.
Now he was one hundred percent certain that Qiao Qingman was playing hard to get.
Thinking about it, that made sense. Qiao Qingman loved him so much. How could she change overnight? He had even thought she had some backbone.
He would see how long Qiao Qingman could keep this up.
He stepped forward and stood over her. “Qiao Qingman, lift your head.”
Qiao Qingman, who had just felt slightly better after yawning: “?”
Meeting his impatient gaze, Qiao Qingman suddenly felt that she really should not have stepped on the male lead before finishing all the plot and fully securing her life.
She was guilty. She would reflect on it.
But could someone please just let her go home and sleep?
She was truly so sleepy.
Yet in Gu Qianshi’s eyes, this scene took on a different meaning.
Qiao Qingman… was crying?
Under the swirling lights outside the bar, the hazy glow cast a soft halo over Qiao Qingman’s delicate features.
Her long lashes, misted with moisture, trembled lightly. The tip of her small nose was faintly red, and her rosy lips were pressed tightly together, as if she were trying hard to restrain something.
She looked especially pitiful.
Gu Qianshi’s Adam’s apple moved slightly, his brows tightening. “Why are you crying?”
He had not done anything. What was there for Qiao Qingman to cry about? It was as if he had bullied her.
Qiao Qingman, who was so sleepy she wanted to curse: “?”
When did she cry? She was just—
Wait. Wasn’t the male lead supposed to be meeting the female lead?
Why was he running out here to look for her?
At that moment, a bar staff member approached Qiao Qingman and respectfully held out a box with both hands. “Miss, this is from our boss.”
The boss?
Qiao Qingman froze. She took the box and opened it, only to find her car keys inside.
Could it be that a staff member had picked up her keys, handed them to the boss, and the boss then instructed someone to return them to her?
But that did not make sense. How did the boss know her?
When she claimed inside the bar that she knew the boss, she had only been bluffing.
In reality, she did not even know whether the boss was male or female.
Seeing the crowd growing larger and feeling unbearably sleepy, Qiao Qingman stopped dwelling on it.
She first thanked the bar staff member, then thanked Chen Leyan and politely declined his offer. After that, she glanced in the direction of the bar and forced what she believed was a bitter smile at Gu Qianshi. “You still have things to do, right? I won’t disturb you. I’ll leave first.”
Hurry back and accompany the female lead!
Without answering Gu Qianshi’s question, she got into her car and drove away without hesitation.
Gu Qianshi, who had originally only wanted to ask this woman why she had stepped on him, and had just happened to see Chen Leyan park by the roadside, intending to drive Qiao Qingman home: “……”
Qiao Qingman left? Just like that?
He had things to do? What did she mean by that?
Just then, his gaze happened to meet his cousin’s complicated eyes. Gu Qianshi frowned deeply. “Leyan, why are you here?”
Chen Leyan usually spoke gently and would avoid his gaze whenever Qiao Qingman was hesitating between choices.
But at this moment, because Qiao Qingman had cried, he looked at Gu Qianshi, his cousin, with unmistakable disappointment.
Did Chen Leyan really like Qiao Qingman?
What was there about Qiao Qingman worth liking?
Immediately, the image of Qiao Qingman standing in the cool summer breeze with tears at the corners of her eyes, looking delicate and on the verge of collapse, flashed abruptly through his mind.
A faint ripple passed through Gu Qianshi’s cool eyes, then quickly vanished.
Chen Leyan lowered his lashes slightly, as if unwilling to answer the question.
But perhaps Gu Qianshi’s gaze was too imposing. Chen Leyan took a light breath and said stiffly, “I just happened to be passing by.”
Gu Qianshi’s brows knit even tighter. “Just happened to be passing by?”
Chen Leyan replied, “Yes.”
Gu Qianshi said nothing more, only cast a meaningful look at his cousin, whom he had grown up with since childhood.
After a moment of silence, he turned and walked back toward the bar.
Su Xia was still waiting for him inside.
The moment he thought of Su Xia, the knot of frustration in his chest inexplicably loosened.
And almost instantly, he understood Qiao Qingman’s words: “I won’t disturb you. I’ll leave first.”
Combined with that bitter smile she had forced…
So Qiao Qingman had misunderstood his relationship with Su Xia, and that was why she had refused to walk toward him?
Inside the bar, Su Xia had seen everything outside clearly. Listening to Chen Yiyi repeatedly assure her, “Don’t worry. My cousin doesn’t like Qiao Qingman at all.”
“If he were going to like her, he would have liked her long ago. Why would he wait until now?”
Hearing that, Su Xia smiled gently. “I know.”
As for Chen Leyan outside, watching his cousin Gu Qianshi walk back into the bar, he returned to his car. Thinking about how Qiao Qingman had not taken the opportunity to spend more time with Gu Qianshi, the corners of his lips lifted slightly, forming an almost imperceptible curve.
The clear eyes that others saw as innocent were tinged with an indescribable trace of mockery.
It seemed that his chance had truly arrived.
On the second-floor balcony of the bar, Gu Qingshan glanced at Gu Qianshi’s cold expression. He watched Qiao Qingman’s car drive a short distance, stop briefly, and then continue moving. This time, it did not stop again until it disappeared from sight.
It was exactly the same as when she had left Rongjing Villa last night.
Recalling what had happened not long ago, the man’s gaze shifted slightly.
Qiao Qingman had cried again, shortly after kissing one of them.
And she had mercilessly stepped on Gu Qianshi.
Thinking carefully, even at Rongjing Villa last night, although Qiao Qingman had said she “liked” him, the resistance in her eyes had been real.
But if she resisted, why had she come to the bar the very next night to kiss him? And after kissing him, run away again?
What exactly was this Miss Qiao Qingman trying to do?
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Chen Leyan’s car still parked by the roadside. A trace of inquiry flickered through the cold depths of his eyes.
*
By the time Qiao Qingman returned home, she was exhausted with sleepiness. She washed her face briefly, lay down on the bed, and fell asleep instantly.
The next morning, Qiao Qingman woke up fully rested.
After stretching, she went into the bathroom and settled comfortably into the spacious, luxurious petal-shaped hot spring bathtub.
The water was clear and warm. Wisps of mist floated in the air, and the fresh fragrance of flowers from the backyard drifted in through the window. It was indescribably pleasant.
Qiao Qingman closed her eyes, immersing herself completely in the tranquility of the moment.
Then she heard the system say, [Host, the plot about spending a large sum to hire a teacher needs to be completed as soon as possible.]
After all, the “love lunchbox” plot was only a few days away.
If the system had not mentioned it, Qiao Qingman would have almost forgotten.
She lazily confirmed with the system, [This is a plot that’s glossed over in just one sentence in the book. Theoretically, I don’t need to actually learn how to cook. I just need to spend the ‘large sum,’ right?]
After all, the male and female leads were not present during the cooking lessons.
The system replied, [Yes, Host.]
Fine.
So at breakfast, Qiao Qingman called over Aunt Zhuang, who was responsible for her daily needs, and instructed her to find a highly capable chef. She emphasized, “It must be the kind who can only be hired with a ‘large sum.’”
“I need them in a few days.”
Aunt Zhuang enjoyed studying cuisine and had indeed followed several chefs with exceptional skills.
Hearing Qiao Qingman’s request, she immediately had someone in mind.
“Understood, Miss.”
With that small plot resolved, and having eaten and drunk her fill, Qiao Qingman began worrying about today’s kissing task.
Honestly, if she had not been so sleepy after kissing the male lead last night, she could have waited until after midnight, when it was quiet and Gu Qianshi was fully asleep, and secretly kissed him again.
Then she would not be troubled today.
[By the way, does the male lead have any recent events?]
Left with no other option, Qiao Qingman could only rely on the system’s plot information.
The system conducted a search. [On August 27th, Gu Qianshi will attend a charity gala.]
Immediately afterward, a plot summary related to this appeared in Qiao Qingman’s mind:
[After learning that Gu Qianshi would attend the charity gala, Qiao Qingman waited outside the hotel the entire time. However, Gu Qianshi did not even glance at her. Instead, when he saw a figure that looked extremely similar to Su Xia, he drove off without hesitation to chase after her.
Qiao Qingman was furious. She got into her car and followed behind Gu Qianshi’s vehicle, but in the end, her speed could not match his and she was shaken off.]
This directly led to the scene where, during the love lunchbox delivery, Qiao Qingman saw the male lead gazing intensely at Su Xia and, in her anger, pushed Su Xia on the spot.
However, Qiao Qingman did not quite understand. [How did I even know Gu Qianshi was going to attend the charity gala?]
If she already knew, why would she need to ask the system?
“Ring, ring, ring—” A rapid phone ringtone interrupted her thoughts.
She answered the call. A strange man’s voice came from the other end. “Miss Qiao, due to the increased difficulty of the assignment, the fee for investigating President Gu of the Gu Group’s itinerary will also need to be adjusted accordingly. Do you have time? We need to discuss this.”
Qiao Qingman froze. “Fee?”
What was this about?
Oh. She remembered.
Before her consciousness awakened, in order to keep track of Gu Qianshi’s schedule at all times and conveniently increase her presence in front of him, she had hired a private investigator at a heavy cost—paying one million per day.
The private investigator would send her Gu Qianshi’s schedule every day.
Fast, accurate, and efficient.
Other than being expensive, there was no problem.
Qiao Qingman opened WeChat and saw that yesterday the investigator had indeed sent her the address of the bar where Gu Qianshi first met the female lead. [President Gu is currently here.]
But because she was afraid others would discover her obsession, she had muted all messages from the investigator.
And over the past two days, she had either been figuring out how to kiss the male lead or sleeping. She had barely checked her phone and had completely forgotten about that message.
One million per day was already an astronomical price in the private investigation industry. And now they wanted to raise it?
Did they think she would continue throwing money away for Gu Qianshi?
Thinking about how she had already spent tens of millions just to see Gu Qianshi every day, Qiao Qingman felt heartbroken.
Was the version of her before her awakening an idiot? This was absurdly wasteful.
No.
She needed to cut her losses.
Having made up her mind, Qiao Qingman arranged to meet the private investigator.
Two hours later.
At a cafe in the city center.
Qiao Qingman got straight to the point. “If I remember correctly, there’s still five million left in prepaid funds, right?”
Private investigator: “Yes, Miss Qiao. Considering that President Gu of the Gu Group’s schedule is extremely—”
“Refund it.”
Before he could finish, the well-dressed girl across from him spoke calmly.
Her tone was even and natural, devoid of emotion.
The private investigator, who had come intending to raise the price, was stunned. “What?”
Qiao Qingman patiently repeated, “I said I no longer need you to investigate Gu Qianshi’s schedule. Please refund the money.”
Fortunately, the high-fee agreement could be terminated unilaterally at any time.
But the private investigator grew anxious. “Miss Qiao, if there’s anything you’re dissatisfied with, we can discuss it. H-how can you just stop the investigation like this?”
He had never expected that he came to raise the price, only for the price not to go up and instead have to refund five million at once.
Five million. What did that mean?
He had told the newly appointed boss not to increase the price, not to increase it. Where could you find another person willing to pay one million per day in this economy? They had finally found one, and the boss still insisted on squeezing her for more.
Qiao Qingman, however, had no interest in wasting time on this matter. “It doesn’t have to be a full refund. I have one condition.”
The private investigator immediately let out a sigh of relief. “Yes, yes, yes. Miss Qiao, please say it.”
As long as he did not have to refund the money, he would do anything.
Then he heard Qiao Qingman say leisurely, “Calculate it at one thousand per day, for ninety-eight days. Refund the rest.”
One thousand per day? Ninety-eight days would only amount to ninety-eight thousand. And she still wanted a refund of four million nine hundred thousand?
The private investigator felt like crying. “May I ask why you suddenly changed your mind, Miss Qiao?”
Why? Of course because the male lead was only worth that much.
Qiao Qingman smiled faintly. “One thousand per day. Not a cent more.”
She finished the last sip of her coffee and stood up. “Please process the refund as soon as possible. Thank you.”
She turned to leave, only to accidentally bump into a firm, solid chest clad in a dark suit.
Qiao Qingman cried out in pain. “Ah—”
She lifted her eyes and met a pair of deep, unfathomable ones.
If it was not the male lead, who else could it be?
Qiao Qingman’s breathing tightened. “?”
G-Gu Qianshi? Why was he here?
Wait. How much of what she had just said to the private investigator had Gu Qianshi heard?
At that moment, the private investigator saw the very man he had been investigating appear. His face changed drastically. Without thinking, he bolted like the wind.
As he ran, he left behind one sentence. “Miss Qiao, think it over carefully. I’ll contact you later!”
Watching the private investigator run faster than a rabbit, Qiao Qingman silently swore she would demand a full refund.
She wouldn’t let them keep even that hundred thousand.
Then she heard a low, half-smiling voice above her head.
“One thousand per day. Not a cent more?”
“So Gu Qianshi is worth so little to Miss Qiao.”