The next day.
Sheng Qing finished washing up and casually grabbed a short-sleeved T-shirt from the wardrobe. Remembering what Qin Shi had said, she shoved it back in and took out a long-sleeved one instead.
After changing, she went downstairs.
In the dining room, Qin Shi sat in a chair while a servant set out breakfast.
He wore an expensive smoke-gray shirt, with gold-rimmed glasses perched on his straight nose. His bearing was refined and mature.
His slender, well-defined fingers held a white porcelain cup. He tilted his head slightly, bringing the coffee to his lips, while his other hand flipped through a newspaper.
A beam of light happened to fall through the window, landing on his sharply defined face—half in light, half in shadow.
Sheng Qing was stunned by the sight.
The texture, the composition—it looked just like a movie poster.
He was, like, ridiculously handsome.
Qin Shi suddenly looked up, his deep gaze sweeping over.
Sheng Qing hastily averted her eyes, though she wasn’t sure why she was flustered.
She hurried over, clumsily pulled out a chair, and sat down across from him. “Second Brother, good morning.”
His gaze swept over her once, and the corner of his mouth curved up almost imperceptibly. “Mm, good morning.”
Sure enough, she’d been obedient.
Long sleeves, long pants.
So worry-free.
Feng Xiaojing’s face fell.
In the past, with just a few words of provocation, she could get Sheng Qing to pick up a stool and smash it over the Qin family’s heads.
Now, Sheng Qing wouldn’t even spare her a glance.
As if she simply didn’t exist.
And the Qin family was treating her better and better.
This made Feng Xiaojing uneasy—at this rate, when would she ever manage to drive those two Sheng women out of the Qin household?
After breakfast, Sheng Qing set down her milk and stood up. “Take your time eating. I’m off to school.”
“Wait.” Qin Shi called her back. “I’ll drive you.”
“Is it on your way? Don’t want to hold you up from getting to the company…”
Qin Shi set down his coffee and rose directly. “I’m the boss. So what if I’m late? Who’s going to fire me?”
Sheng Qing: “…”
That was a fair point. She couldn’t argue with it.
Feng Xiaojing stood up too. “Brother Qin Shi, your company is on my way as well. I won’t make it in time if I take the bus—could you give me a ride too?”
Qin Shi frowned.
Sheng Qing shot her a glare. She really had no shame.
Feng Xiaojing said pitifully, “I want to keep my perfect attendance bonus this month.”
Qin Zhen, the head of the household, spoke up: “Qin Shi, give Xiaojing a ride too. It’s on the way anyway.”
Qin Shi grabbed his coat. “Let’s go.”
Feng Xiaojing felt a surge of joy and quickly followed.
Sheng Qing really wanted to punch her, but out of respect for Qin Zhen, she held back.
Feng Xiaojing’s brother had been a cook, but he’d worked for the Qin family his whole life. After he passed away from illness, he entrusted Feng Xiaojing to Qin Zhen.
Qin Zhen was traditional and sentimental. Having promised to take care of Feng Xiaojing, he would keep doing so.
If she laid a hand on Feng Xiaojing, it would put Qin Zhen in an awkward position.
She didn’t want Qin Zhen to break his promise to a dead man.
But she also didn’t want to see Feng Xiaojing, much less share a car with her.
Sheng Qing thought—maybe she should just take the bus instead.
Feng Xiaojing said cheerfully, “Brother Qin Shi, I’ve never ridden in your car before. If I’m not late today, I’ll treat you to a meal when I get my salary next month.”
Sheng Qing was speechless: “…”
No way. If she had to endure Feng Xiaojing’s chatter the whole ride, her fists would get the better of her.
She was about to speak up when Qin Shi called for Old Huang: “Bring the car around.”
Feng Xiaojing asked curiously, “Isn’t Old Huang Brother Qin Zhen’s personal driver? Are we taking Old Huang’s car?”
Soon, Old Huang drove the car over.
Qin Shi pointed at Feng Xiaojing. “She’s going to be late for work. Take her to the company—don’t let her miss out on this month’s perfect attendance bonus.”
Old Huang acknowledged the order. “With my driving skills, Second Young Master can rest easy.”
Feng Xiaojing was dumbfounded.
Sheng Qing was stunned too.
They could play it like this?
Qin Shi glanced at her. “Still not leaving? You want to be late for school too?”
…
The driver drove, with Sheng Qing and Qin Shi sitting in the back seat.
Sheng Qing clutched her stomach, laughing uncontrollably. “Did you see Feng Xiaojing’s expression? That was absolutely priceless.”
Qin Shi glanced at the person who was laughing so hard she was swaying all over. “No sense of posture.”
Sheng Qing immediately sat up straight and muttered quietly, “I’ve never even ridden in my brother-in-law’s car, and you let your personal driver take her. Does Feng Xiaojing deserve such high treatment?”
Qin Shi raised an eyebrow. “Want me to call her back? Or should you two switch?”
Sheng Qing said, “I have no problem with it. The main question is, are you willing, Second Brother?”
She could tell—Qin Shi wasn’t at all happy about letting Feng Xiaojing ride in his car. If it weren’t for Qin Zhen’s words, he definitely wouldn’t bother with Feng Xiaojing.
“Why wouldn’t I be willing? Whoever sits in it, it’s all the same.” As he spoke, Qin Shi took out his phone.
Sheng Qing quickly said, “I was just joking. It’s me who’s not willing—I don’t want to share the same cabin with her. Please don’t call her back.”
Qin Shi let out a snicker.
Sheng Qing watched his phone nervously, afraid he might actually make the call.
Qin Shi pressed his brow. “Stop staring. I’m not calling, and I don’t want her in my car either.”
“Really?”
“In my car, no woman has ever sat except my future wife.”
Sheng Qing thought about it—wait, isn’t that wrong? Am I not a woman?
As if reading her mind, Qin Shi glanced at her sideways. “You don’t count.”
Sheng Qing was displeased. “Why don’t I count? I have breasts, I can give birth—how am I not a woman?”
Qin Shi lowered his eyes and gave her a casual, dismissive glance. “How many men have you had, little brat, to dare call yourself a woman?”
Sheng Qing quietly straightened herself in her seat.
She shouldn’t have run her mouth and responded to him.
…
The commercial vehicle was big and spacious. Once the partition was raised, it became a completely private, independent space.
Sheng Qing looked left and right, touched things here and there—this car was clearly expensive.
Qin Shi was working on his laptop, his slender fingers moving across the black keyboard, occasionally furrowing his brow.
A man focused on work was indeed very handsome.
Sheng Qing stole several glances at him.
Suddenly, a phone rang. Sheng Qing reminded him, “Second Brother, your phone is ringing.”
Qin Shi didn’t even lift his head, his gaze fixed on the computer. He only hummed from his throat. “Who’s calling?”
Was he asking her to check his phone for him?
Sheng Qing picked up the vibrating phone and saw the caller ID on the screen. The expression on her face faded, and her lips pressed tightly together.
Qin Shi turned his head to look at her. “What’s wrong?”
Sheng Qing handed the phone over. “It’s Gao Tingting calling.”
If she remembered correctly, this woman was currently Qin Shi’s girlfriend.
Qin Shi took the phone, glanced at it, and casually hung up.
Sheng Qing sat back in her seat. “Why didn’t you answer?”
“I’ll see her when I get back to the company. No rush.”
“Oh.”
Sheng Qing responded simply, her mind occupied with thoughts.
Qin Shi was still focused on his work on the computer. After a while, he suddenly noticed how unusually quiet the cabin had become.
Ever since getting in the car, Sheng Qing had been chattering away nonstop. Now that she’d suddenly gone quiet, he found it rather unfamiliar.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Sheng Qing’s face scrunched up slightly. “I’m thinking about something. Don’t talk—let me sort out my thoughts.”
Don’t talk?
So she was bothered by him?
Qin Shi said, “Say it out loud. I’ll help you think it through.”
Sheng Qing’s eyes darted around, then she shook her head. “No, I can’t. What I’m thinking about is a secret. I can’t tell you.”
A secret, huh.
“Fine, then take your time thinking.”
Sheng Qing sank into her memories.
If Gao Tingting hadn’t suddenly called, she would have almost forgotten about this person.
This Gao Tingting was living out the complete Cinderella script.
27 years old, from a rural background, her parents were farmers back in their hometown, and her family wasn’t well-off.
After graduating from university, she went to work at the Qin Group, where she met Qin Shi by chance in an accident.
After that, Qin Shi pursued her, and amid the envious gazes of all the other women, Gao Tingting rose from rags to riches.
But if Sheng Qing remembered correctly, by this time, Gao Tingting had already cuckolded Qin Shi.
And not long after, her belly would start to swell.
But the child wasn’t Qin Shi’s.
Sheng Qing cast a sympathetic, pitying look at him, feeling like his head was a lush green meadow.
Qin Shi keenly caught her gaze. “What’s with that look?”
Sheng Qing leaned in slightly. “Second Brother, do you really like Gao Tingting a lot?”
Qin Shi raised an eyebrow, looking at her with a half-smile. “Is that what you’ve been thinking about all this time?”
“I’m just curious. I heard Gao Tingting was your first girlfriend, and you treated her especially well, completely spoiling her—giving her houses and cars, granting her every wish.”
Qin Shi closed his laptop and took off his glasses. “Isn’t it only natural for a man to treat a woman well?”
Huh?
Normally, one would say, “treat one’s girlfriend well.”
But what Qin Shi said was, “a man to treat a woman well.”
That sounded a bit odd, didn’t it?
They soon arrived at the school. Before getting out of the car, Sheng Qing licked her lips. “Second Brother, I have a question I want to ask you.”
“Go ahead.”