After a Flash Marriage with a Professor - Chapter 96

Chapter 96: Pretending to Be Good

Qiao Qian was stunned by Shen Muhua’s sudden slap. After falling heavily to the floor, it took a while for her to feel the pain in her face, legs, and tailbone. She hadn’t changed out of the high heels she wore in the morning after returning home, and the fall was miserable.

Shen Muhua was still furious. He felt he had tolerated Qiao Qian enough, but her actions continued to challenge his bottom line, making it truly unbearable.

“Get up. What kind of posture is that, lying on the floor?” Shen Muhua glanced irritably at Qiao Qian on the ground. Qiao Qian covered half of her face in disbelief, still somewhat dazed.

What heinous crime had she committed for Shen Muhua to treat her this way?

“Uncle Shen, I don’t understand why you suddenly hit me.” Qiao Qian said, struggling to stand up, clutching her waist and hip. She still refused to kick off her high heels. She walked unsteadily to Shen Muhua, shedding her façade of meekness and vulnerability, and asked sternly, “Uncle Shen must tell me why you hit me. I can’t be beaten without knowing why.”

Seeing Qiao Qian still so self-righteous, Shen Muhua almost fainted from anger.

“Without knowing why? You say I hit you without reason?” Shen Muhua said, his lips trembling. He raised his right hand and heavily slapped the other side of Qiao Qian’s face. This time, Qiao Qian was somewhat prepared and managed to dodge slightly, barely staying on her feet, but her eyes were filled with terror.

What exactly had caused Shen Muhua to be so furious?

Qiao Qian dared not speak carelessly again. She knew this man was definitely not kind. Her mother had painstakingly maintained this unsecured relationship, and as for herself, she merely had one leverage over Shen Muhua a leverage that was time-sensitive and for which evidence was now unattainable. Legally, she could no longer hold Shen Muhua accountable, having only relied on exploiting Shen Muhua’s sense of guilt.

But that bit of guilt seemed to have been almost completely consumed by her.

Qiao Qian covered her face with both hands. She felt her face was already swollen and burning with pain. This was the first time Shen Muhua had ever hit her. The situation was not optimistic. She forced herself to act meek, suppressing all her emotions, lowering her head, and waiting for Shen Muhua’s reprimand.

She heard Shen Muhua let out a heavy sigh. She silently rolled her eyes. Regardless, all the problems now were of Shen Muhua’s own making. She felt no guilt whatsoever. She believed she was merely taking back a bit of compensation that belonged to her from Shen Muhua.

“Sissi, do you still not know where you went wrong?” Shen Muhua had slapped Qiao Qian twice, and his own hand hurt. He clenched his fist and asked.

“I don’t know,” Qiao Qian raised her head, her eyes red, looking bewildered.

Shen Muhua couldn’t help but tremble inside at the sight. On an evening years ago, Qiao Qian had looked at him with the same eyes. He uncomfortably shifted his gaze, turning his back and saying, “The company you asked me to use my connections to recommend you into—is that Junlan’s wife’s company?”

“Yes, Uncle Shen,” Qiao Qian answered obediently.

Shen Muhua continued, “After you entered the company, did you target Junlan’s wife?”

“No.”

“Truly no?”

“If verbal provocation counts, then I provoked her a few times. But definitely not in terms of work. We aren’t even in the same office, so there’s no competitive relationship. Besides, I’m only there for a quick internship. There’s no need to compete with her, an older employee.”

Shen Muhua stared intently at Qiao Qian. Qiao Qian stared back, not blinking. “If Uncle Shen doesn’t believe me, I can swear. If I’m lying, may I die a horrible death.”

Shen Muhua was getting older, and his relationship with his biological daughter hadn’t improved. He couldn’t stand the word ‘death’ and frowned the moment he heard it.

“Nonsense.”

Qiao Qian closed her mouth, quietly waiting for Shen Muhua’s anger to subside.

Shen Muhua’s anger was stuck, blocked and suffocating. He couldn’t think of how to deal with Qiao Qian for a while.

Qiao Qian waited for a long time, and finally, unable to wait any longer, she took the initiative to ask, “Uncle Shen, everything I said is true. Did Sister Junlan misunderstand me? I can go explain clearly to Sister Junlan.”

“Don’t bother Junlan,” Shen Muhua commanded. “If you bother her again, I’ll simply send you abroad, and you’ll never come back.”

Qiao Qian’s eyes widened in horror.

Shen Muhua realized Qiao Qian’s weak spot. His expression softened slightly, and he threatened mildly, “Sissi, if you want to stay in the country, listen to Uncle. Be good. Junlan doesn’t like you. Find someone else you like, and Uncle will definitely help you.”

Qiao Qian remained silent. She had liked Sister Junlan for so many years. How could she possibly fall for someone else?

Ordinarily, she might have argued with Shen Muhua, but at this moment, Shen Muhua was clearly enraged, even talking about sending her abroad. She couldn’t afford to be arrogant or throw a tantrum carelessly.

Qiao Qian was forced to nod. Anyway, it was only for Shen Muhua’s benefit. She would decide what to do herself, as long as she avoided Shen Muhua’s surveillance.

“That’s my good girl, Sissi. You be good, and Uncle will make sure you marry into a good family with great fanfare.”

Marry her off isn’t that just a gentle way of kicking her out? Qiao Qian already understood Shen Muhua’s intentions. She was only the Shen Group’s young lady in name, but without legal proof of relationship. Once married off, Shen Muhua’s assets would have nothing to do with her. After she was abandoned, her mother would surely face the same fate.

She wasn’t that stupid. She wouldn’t do a loss-making business.

What she truly wished for was to marry Sister Junlan.

But she couldn’t tell Shen Muhua this. Her face still hurt. She couldn’t agree, so she changed the topic, asking, “Uncle Shen, you came over so angry today. What exactly happened with Yan Mingshu? Why did you have to handle it personally?”

“Did you really not have someone steal Ming Shu’s work materials?” Shen Muhua still didn’t fully believe Qiao Qian and asked with skepticism.

“What materials?” Qiao Qian feigned confusion.

Returning to this topic, the problem still wasn’t solved. Shen Muhua was somewhat exasperated. He actually hoped Qiao Qian was the one who did it and that Yan Mingshu’s work materials were genuinely in Qiao Qian’s hands. That way, getting them back wouldn’t be a wasted trip, and he would definitely be able to improve his father-daughter relationship with Junlan.

Unfortunately, Qiao Qian claimed she didn’t do it, and he had no absolute evidence to suspect her.

“Could it be that Yan Mingshu made an enemy of a colleague in the company, and a colleague deliberately tried to frame her?” Qiao Qian asked.

Shen Muhua didn’t answer, but he thought to himself that what Qiao Qian said made some sense.

“It better not be you,” Shen Muhua left with that warning.

Leaving Qiao Qian alone in the living room. She no longer had to act. All her focus was on her own body, and Qiao Qian felt pain everywhere.

So painful.

It hurt like hell.

Damn it. If it weren’t for Sister Junlan’s affection, Yan Mingshu would have been dealt with long ago.

With Professor Shen’s encouragement, Ming Shu decided to try and solve the problem herself.

Ming Shu got some inspiration from Professor Shen’s suggestion: to bluff the colleague. How to bluff him? Trying to bluff him alone felt too risky, so Ming Shu decided to use a gentler approach.

Returning to the office, Ming Shu gathered her colleagues and announced that a very important item was missing from the office. She hoped that if any colleague found it, they could place it on her desk before the afternoon work shift started.

The colleagues were all confused. One of them asked, “Can the Deputy Group Leader specify what exactly is missing?”

“Jewelry,” Ming Shu said.

“A ring?” someone asked.

“Mmm.” Ming Shu specifically emphasized, “It was placed in a file folder.”

Everyone began searching around, checking their own areas, and not forgetting to look underfoot, behind them, and then checking their neighbors’ areas.

Ming Shu clearly saw that the male colleague she and Ling Han suspected had shifty eyes and wiped sweat several times.

“Qin Nan, are you feeling unwell?” A colleague next to him asked with concern.

Qin Nan uncomfortably stopped wiping his sweat.

Ling Han asked, “Do you want to take sick leave and go see a doctor?”

“No need,” Qin Nan refused. It was almost time to leave work. He didn’t want to detach himself from everyone at this time, making him look particularly guilty, or like he was fleeing in defeat, similar to Qiao Qian.

“Then everyone, please continue working,” Ming Shu said, then stopped observing Qin Nan’s demeanor.

Qin Nan was in no mood to work. He stared at his phone, waiting for Miss Sissi to reply to his messages.

He really lost his mind. Yan Mingshu hadn’t given him any trouble after her promotion, but he was uneasy because he had previously targeted and ostracized Yan Mingshu. He felt that even if Yan Mingshu didn’t bother him now, she would seize an opportunity later. So, he was eager to use Qiao Qian’s power to take down Yan Mingshu and resolve his crisis.

But who was Yan Mingshu’s backer?

It was Professor Shen. Professor Shen alone was a connection their company struggled to reach, let alone who was behind Professor Shen—the entire Shen Group. And who was Qiao Qian? In the end, she wasn’t even Shen’s illegitimate daughter, just the mistress’s own daughter. He was truly momentarily insane to proactively seek cooperation with Qiao Qian.

Now Qiao Qian had run off, and the blame would likely be thrown onto him.

He didn’t want to become the company’s pariah, hated by everyone. Did he still have a chance to salvage the situation?

Had Yan Mingshu and Ling Han already discovered him?

Qin Nan instinctively felt he might have been discovered. And Yan Mingshu’s claim of losing a ring, asking colleagues to help find it and put it on her desk before the afternoon shift, was clearly a hint for him to put the stolen items back before the afternoon.

What happens after he puts them back? Is there still room for maneuver?

Can Yan Mingshu forgive him like before?

As Qin Nan was overwhelmed with anxiety, it was time to leave for lunch. A colleague next to him asked if he was going out to eat. Qin Nan, covered in sweat, slumped onto his desk and said he wouldn’t go. The colleague then left.

Ming Shu also went out for lunch with Ling Han. As she walked out of the office, Ming Shu suddenly turned back and glanced at Qin Nan. Qin Nan was so nervous, afraid that Yan Mingshu, seeing that only he and Ling Han were left in the office, was about to expose him. But when Ming Shu spoke, Qin Nan was dumbfounded.

“I’ll bring you a meal. Not eating can easily cause stomach problems.”

Wasn’t she supposed to be criticizing him? Qin Nan was completely stunned.

Walking out of the company, Ling Han said to Ming Shu, “Isn’t what you did too lenient? What if Qin Nan doesn’t appreciate it at all and is instead provoked into destroying the materials that might still exist?”

“I don’t know what he’ll do, but this is the only way I could think of that wouldn’t alarm everyone or involve a nasty confrontation. Someone who has made a mistake might hope for an opportunity to correct it.”

Ling Han shook her head and laughed, saying she disagreed. Ling Han believed that being lenient to others was being cruel to oneself. Ming Shu’s actions were a gamble on a person’s conscience and a fight against the darker side of human nature, which carried great risk.

“Did you discuss this method with Professor Shen?” Ling Han asked.

“I came up with the method after discussing it with Professor Shen and being inspired by her.”

“What was Professor Shen’s suggestion?” Ling Han asked curiously.

“Professor Shen suggested I bluff the suspect, saying that someone who’s guilty will easily give themselves away.”

Ling Han smiled, “Ming Shu, your method can hardly be called a bluff; it’s too gentle.”

Ming Shu blinked, and the bright light in her eyes momentarily dazzled Ling Han.

Ling Han suddenly seemed to understand why she was attracted to Ming Shu. It wasn’t just because Ming Shu was beautiful, but also because of Ming Shu’s pure, kind, tolerant, and warm heart, even after enduring so much malice.

She saw a fragile beauty in Ming Shu and wanted to protect that beauty.

Returning to the company after lunch, Ming Shu brought a lunchbox for the “sick” Qin Nan, just as she had promised.

As soon as Ling Han entered the office, she looked at Ming Shu’s desk. She smiled contentedly. Ming Shu had won the gamble.

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