Chapter 716: Who's Jealous? You Are!
"Yes, yes, President Ling, you're not jealous at all. Yiyi misspoke."
He Yiyi panicked as she gazed at Ling Qingcheng's blushing face. Her own small face turned a deep crimson, and her mind went completely blank.
The woman before her was President Ling. Ling Qingcheng. The ultimate boss, the one who stood at the very apex of the corporate pyramid, countless levels above her.
And in He Yiyi's heart, Ling Qingcheng was also Brother Shen's official partner.
Facing Ling Qingcheng felt like being a student summoned by the strictest homeroom teacher. He Yiyi found herself cowering like a frightened quail, trembling from head to toe.
Shen Anyu watched this unfold and couldn't help but let out a laugh.
"Shen Anyu, you find this amusing, don't you?"
Ling Qingcheng's beautiful eyes shot him another glare, her voice laced with indignation.
"Yes, I do. What man wouldn't be proud to have won over the great President Ling?" Shen Anyu replied with disarming honesty.
'Eh? Is this a conversation Yiyi should be hearing?' He Yiyi's expression was one of utter bewilderment.
"Shen Anyu, don't you dare bring that up!"
Ling Qingcheng was so exasperated she had half a mind to jam the heel of her shoe into his smug mouth.
After the brief commotion settled, Ling Qingcheng turned to Shen Anyu with a serious expression.
"I've repaid my debt to you. From now on, don't contact me again. I don't want Zhang Yaqian to misunderstand. Treat her well; she's a good girl. Don't you dare hurt her."
He Yiyi's eyes widened in surprise. Was President Ling actually breaking up with Brother Shen? Was it… because of her?
But as she listened further, her confusion deepened. Who was Zhang Yaqian? Was she Brother Shen's true partner?
"That won't do," Shen Anyu said, shaking his head. Now that she was in his grasp, how could he possibly let her go?
Ling Qingcheng glared at him, unwilling to argue further. She resolved in her heart to sever all ties with Shen Anyu and do nothing that would betray her good friend, Zhang Yaqian.
Her gaze then shifted, landing on He Yiyi's small face. Looking at that pure, timid expression, her own features softened slightly.
"He Yiyi, you'll be my assistant from now on. I'm transferring you to my office."
This was, in a way, a move to help her friend Zhang Yaqian by neutralizing a potential love rival. Ling Qingcheng often worked punishing hours of overtime; any assistant assigned to her would have a grueling schedule, leaving little time for anything else.
Shen Anyu simply raised an eyebrow, saying nothing. With He Yiyi by Ling Qingcheng's side, it would only make it easier for him to visit.
He Yiyi glanced up at Shen Anyu. Seeing no objection from him, she quickly agreed.
Then, she looked at him with hopeful eyes, expecting him to bring up the embezzlement issue to Ling Qingcheng. She knew that as long as President Ling didn't press the matter, it would become a trivial problem.
Shen Anyu smiled and leaned in, whispering into her ear, "If you let President Ling solve this for you, wouldn't you be giving her use over you? You'd never be able to hold your head high around her again. Your Brother Shen can easily handle a small matter like this without her ever knowing."
He Yiyi's bright eyes lit up. The realization dawned on her, and she turned a sweet, adoring gaze on Shen Anyu. 'Brother Shen is so good to me,'she thought,'he considers everything so thoroughly.'
Ling Qingcheng watched the intimate display of Shen Anyu and He Yiyi whispering to each other, and an unfamiliar spike of displeasure twisted in her gut. She let out a soft, cold snort, picked up her handbag, and walked straight out of the room, leaving a single sentence hanging in the air.
"He Yiyi, today is a workday. Keep up."
"Ah, okay…" He Yiyi stammered, her expression timid as she prepared to follow.
Shen Anyu, however, smiled. "I'm taking Yiyi shopping today to buy her a few things. I'll be requesting a day of leave for her."
Ling Qingcheng's beautiful eyes swept over Shen Anyu, but she didn't say anything. With her intelligence, she was keenly aware that if not for her... special relationship with him, she would have no right to criticize him.
And since He Yiyi was now Shen Anyu's woman, she certainly didn't need this job. If He Yiyi chose to resign, Ling Qingcheng knew she wouldn't be able to stop her.
But the resentment in her heart only grew stronger. She was the one who had given her all to him last night, yet here he was, taking He Yiyi shopping on a date?
She had been the one to declare they should no longer contact each other, but now that Shen Anyu was actually ignoring her, a deep discomfort settled over her.
Shen Anyu noticed the flicker of resentment in her eyes, and the hint of a smile touched his lips, though he remained silent.
She was the one who had demanded a clean break. Fine. He would let her be the one to come back to him.
The real jealousy had yet to begin.
...
Ren Zhacheng's expression was numb.
Tied to a large tree, trussed up for all to see, subjected to the pointing fingers and scornful whispers of the surrounding crowd, he had already gone numb to the shame.
Whatever. So what if he was sent to the police station? So what if he was expelled from the university or fired from Ling Group?
He was still the man with the Goddess Future Diary System. Sooner or later, he would rise from the ashes and soar. He would marry a rich and beautiful woman and reach the pinnacle of life.
Just then, Ren Zhacheng's vacant expression shifted. His eyes locked onto the building across the street.
"Brother Shen, the weather is so nice today." He Yiyi's voice, sweet and energetic, drifted over. She was hugging Shen Anyu's arm, her small, pure, palm-sized face beaming with a brilliant smile.
"Yes, it is a good day," Shen Anyu responded with a smile of his own, his peripheral vision sweeping over Ren Zhacheng's pathetic state, causing his smile to deepen.
Watching He Yiyi approach, arm-in-arm with Shen Anyu, chatting and laughing, Ren Zhacheng's face turned a sickly shade of green.
He Yiyi really spent the night with Shen Anyu?
Could it be? Had she already... become Shen Anyu's woman?
'No, this can't be happening. He Yiyi can't have given herself to another man.''Right, right, He Yiyi's Goddess Future Diary said her period started a few days ago. She can't possibly get intimate during her period, can she?'
He scrutinized He Yiyi's movements. She didn't seem to be walking with any difficulty. Ren Zhacheng immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Still, his expression remained incredibly ugly.
Seeing He Yiyi acting like a young girl completely lost in love, he knew it was only a matter of time. Once her period was over, wouldn't she inevitably give herself to Shen Anyu?
He had to act fast. Otherwise, it would be too late.
He Yiyi was his second secret goddess; he absolutely could not let her fall into another man's hands.
'They're coming this way. I can't let them see me.'
Seeing Shen Anyu and He Yiyi getting closer, Ren Zhacheng quickly bowed his head, praying they wouldn't notice him.
This was too embarrassing.
The mere thought of Shen Anyu and He Yiyi seeing him tied up here for public display made his scalp tingle with humiliation.
One step. Two steps. Three steps.
As he watched them draw nearer, Ren Zhacheng's heart hammered in his chest.
But it seemed the spectacle of a crowd had no appeal for them. Shen Anyu and He Yiyi showed no interest in squeezing through to see what was happening. They didn't notice him tied to the tree as they walked toward the parking lot.
Ren Zhacheng let out a shaky breath, feeling a deep sense of relief.
"A Ling Group intern? What is going on here?"
Just then, a cold, authoritative voice cut through the air.
Immediately, the crowd parted, and a woman with an overwhelmingly powerful aura and extreme beauty stepped forward, the sharp clicks of her high heels announcing her arrival.
"President Ling?"
Ren Zhacheng's bowed head snapped up, his face contorted in horror.
How could he not recognize that voice? He had watched videos of President Ling's public speeches countless times, often until he fell asleep.
Ling Qingcheng's delicate, pretty face was frosted with displeasure. Her beautiful eyes scanned the large, crudely written characters on the sign next to him.
"Ling Group intern Ren Zhacheng trespassed into a private residence by climbing over a wall late at night... suspected of harboring ill intentions... and even fought with the security guard after being discovered?"
Ling Group actually employed such a scoundrel?
This discovery instantly soured Ling Qingcheng's already foul mood.
She scrutinized Ren Zhacheng with sharp, piercing eyes.
"Ren Zhacheng? Speak. What is the meaning of this?"
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