After Flirting with the God-Tier Beautiful Tycoon - Chapter 32

Shen Xiaojiang returned to the shelves and continued organizing products.

She didn’t think what she had just said would hurt Lin Qianqian. Even if it did, she didn’t feel it was a big deal after all, it was Lin Qianqian who had first made her uncomfortable and said things that were unpleasant to hear.

Ultimately, Shen Xiaojiang felt that she and Lin Qianqian were merely ordinary friends they hadn’t reached a level of intimacy where they could discuss deep topics.

Shen Xiaojiang was a keen judge of character. Generally, after interacting with someone once, she could accurately categorize them. To her, the vast majority of people were merely nodding acquaintances.

Lin Qianqian was no exception.

After the high school freshman military training ended, Shen Xiaojiang had been verbally crowned the “new school beauty” by upperclassmen. Coupled with her being the top scorer in the city wide high school entrance exam, she seemed to glow wherever she went, making her incredibly eye-catching.

Sun Jiabao was not a local and was often ostracized and isolated. Shen Xiaojiang felt she was a decent person and helped her. Under Shen Xiaojiang’s influence, other classmates more or less stopped isolating Sun Jiabao.

Lin Qianqian’s relative was a school leader, so she practically owned the school. While not exactly a “school bully,” no one dared to cross her. Upon hearing of Shen Xiaojiang’s “good deeds,” she developed a deep interest in her.

Shen Xiaojiang kept her head down and minded her own business; she didn’t know about Lin Qianqian’s status, nor did she want to provoke her. She wouldn’t even give her a second glance when they met.

This was exactly what got under Lin Qianqian’s skin.

She thought Shen Xiaojiang was very “A” (dominant/cool), and so her interest evolved she wanted to become Shen Xiaojiang’s girlfriend. She began writing love letters to her.

After the letters vanished into the void, she changed her approach, claiming she just wanted to be good friends. Later, Lin Qianqian would look for Shen Xiaojiang whenever she had free time. Wherever Shen Xiaojiang was, Sun Jiabao was there too. Gradually, Lin Qianqian’s visits became visits to both Shen Xiaojiang and Sun Jiabao.

To outsiders, the three of them spent a lot of time together and seemed to get along well. However, Sun Jiabao couldn’t stand Lin Qianqian and frequently argued with her.

Shen Xiaojiang and Sun Jiabao maintained friendly but distant relationships with both boys and girls. Lin Qianqian, on the other hand, lacked any sense of boundaries to an almost incurable degree. During their three years of high school, she had a long string of exes, both male and female. Sun Jiabao often fought with her over these matters.

Shen Xiaojiang believed Lin Qianqian wasn’t “their kind of person,” so she didn’t bother wasting emotional energy on her and usually just let her have her way. This only made Lin Qianqian like her more.

Even after being apart for two years after graduation, Lin Qianqian still couldn’t forget her. It wasn’t just Lin Qianqian many people felt this way about Shen Xiaojiang. Being the top student for three consecutive years, holding the title of school beauty for three consecutive years, and remaining single for three consecutive years made her unforgettable to anyone.

“A-Jiang, A-Jiang, talk to me, won’t you?” Lin Qianqian walked toward Shen Xiaojiang with teary eyes.

Shen Xiaojiang knelt to apply price tags and didn’t respond.

Lin Qianqian wasn’t discouraged and knelt down beside her. “I feel so miserable inside.” As she spoke, she tried to lean her shoulder against Shen Xiaojiang. “A-Jiang…”

Shen Xiaojiang moved away before the other girl could lean on her, saying expressionlessly, “I just remembered…”

Lin Qianqian leaned into empty air, her body trembling slightly. Though she was a bit unhappy, she bit it back and didn’t show it. Just like in high school, as soon as Shen Xiaojiang spoke, both Lin Qianqian and Sun Jiabao immediately became attentive.

“Don’t call me ‘A-Jiang’ anymore. I don’t like it.”

Too many people had given Shen Xiaojiang nicknames from “School Beauty Shen” and “God Shen” to “Cool Jiang,” “Beautiful Jiang,” “Xiao Jiang,” “Little Xiao Jiang,” “Ginger,” and “A-Jiang.” Shen Xiaojiang had been fine with all of them; she didn’t care. A name was just a label.

But from the day she met Chen Yi, she felt from the bottom of her heart that her name only truly sounded like her name when it came out of Chen Yi’s mouth.

“Then… then what should I call you?”

“Is your mouth that bored? Do you have to call me something?” After Shen Xiaojiang finished speaking, she turned back to continue tagging the items.

Lin Qianqian blinked blankly, thinking she had misheard. She was silent for a long time. In Shen Xiaojiang’s eyes, she had become a person without warmth.

When Chen Yi returned to the bar, she was informed by the floor manager that guests had arrived on the second floor. She nodded and gracefully made her way to the upstairs private room.

The music was loud, and the smell of smoke and alcohol was nauseatingly thick.

“Chen Heping, you’re here again?” Chen Yi’s voice wasn’t loud, yet it possessed the power to pierce through the music.

The chaotic dancing stopped at her voice. Several servers who had been forced to stay and pour drinks fled the room like they had been rescued the moment they saw Chen Yi’s hand gesture.

Then, He Zhong brought over a bronze mirrored jewelry tray. On it lay a pair of half-rim gold-framed glasses with a hanging chain. The chain was also gold, strung with tiny diamonds and freshwater pearls.

Chen Yi gave a faint, fluttering glance, then unhurriedly picked up the glasses and leisurely rested them on the bridge of her nose. The movement was fluid, elegant, and seductive. Her fingertip pressed against the temple of the glasses, pushing them up slightly.

“Is that any way to talk to your own father?” Chen Heping was drunk, speaking with a thick tongue and spitting as he talked.

Chen Yi didn’t smile, nor did she get angry; her emotional output was extremely low. Along with her entire presence, she radiated an intimidating low pressure atmosphere like a piece of heavy metal bass music. Hardcore, thuggish, and draped in a decadent, dark aura. She was intensely oppressive.

Another large bodyguard placed a single wingback chair behind her. Chen Yi sat down immediately.

She crossed her legs, propped her left elbow on the armrest, leaning her weight onto that arm. Then, with her right hand, she held up a stack of photos. Her eyes were icy, laced with a murderous intent.

A second later, she lowered her gaze, nonchalantly glancing at the white jade bracelet on her wrist. Only after a while did she slowly look up. Her light-colored pupils were coated in frost, every look was a blade that could kill without a trace.

“Father?” Her voice dropped low, yet hostility surged. “Didn’t he die a long time ago?”

Chen Heping swallowed hard, his throat dry. His mouth twitched instinctively, he didn’t dare look the woman in the eyes. Because those eyes seemed dipped in poison. She didn’t look like a person she looked more like a beautiful, vengeful demon crawled up from hell.

“You…” Chen Heping’s mouth felt frozen; he could hardly speak.

“Me what?” Chen Yi tilted her chin, slightly cocking her head, looking at him through narrowed eyes and the periphery of her vision.

Chen Heping didn’t dare open his mouth.

Chen Yi tossed the photos out. In an instant, the photos flew through the air like snow sealing a mountain. Chen Heping froze, only catching glimpses of Chen Yi’s sinister eyes through the gaps of the falling paper.

“Why did you come back?” Chen Yi glared at him. “Didn’t I tell you to stay in the Philippines and not move?”

“I… I just wanted to come back and see you.” Even Chen Heping didn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth.

“Oh?” Chen Yi smiled eerily. “To see if I was dead yet?”

“No, listen to me explain…” Chen Heping saw the photos clearly, they were all of his recent debauched lifestyle.

He had crossed the line. He had done exactly what Chen Yi forbade him from doing. Not only had he returned to the country without permission, but he had also gambled and incurred debts at Chen Yi’s own establishment. He had even followed Chen Yi, interrupting her private time with Shen Xiaojiang.

He was quite literally seeking death.

Since Chen Yi took over the “Venus” bar, she had used her power to arrange for Chen Heping to stay in the Philippines. She had made a pact with him: unless she called for him, he was not allowed to return. To the outside world, he was a low-profile businessman internally, he was to play the role of the loving father in a grand play of filial piety with Chen Yi.

The election for the President of the Chamber of Commerce was a major event in the Nancheng business world. The vetting mechanism was complex it didn’t just look at a candidate’s wealth but many other factors as well. Although the current president, Old Man Bai, had absolute say in the election, the final result wasn’t up to him alone. Opponents would use even the tiniest speck of dirt on a candidate to collectively demand an explanation from Old Man Bai. To put it nicely, they were “demanding an explanation” to put it bluntly, they wanted to cause trouble and force a replacement. If things got out of hand, even Old Man Bai would be in a difficult position.

Chen Yi understood this all too well. That was why she had gone to such lengths to package Chen Heping and send him to the Philippines, supporting him with money. Ultimately, he was no longer her father, he was a chess piece.

The moment the photos hit the ground, Chen Heping stumbled back in fear, his heel catching on the sofa leg, causing a sharp, numbing pain.

“I heard you’re going to run for… for the Chamber President.” A flash of cunning crossed Chen Heping’s face, but it was quickly replaced by fear.

While still in the Philippines, Chen Heping had learned his daughter was running for the presidency and immediately intended to return. His original intent was indeed to use their father-daughter relationship to blackmail Chen Yi, secure a lucrative but easy job at the Venus bar, and live out his days in comfort.

Chen Yi had seen through his ulterior motives last night.

“Who told you that?” Her tone was contemptuous, her gaze savage. “Give me a name. I’ll dig ten feet into the earth to find them and sew their mouth shut.”

Though Chen Heping didn’t care about Chen Yi, he knew his daughter. Chen Yi never made idle threats; if she said it, she could do it.

“I… I guessed it.” His eyes were shifty.

Chen Yi narrowed her long phoenix eyes and let out a cold laugh. “You’re quite the guesser. So, what do you want to say?”

“You… you’re using me as a ladder to climb up!” Chen Heping’s voice softened, losing the bravado he had last night.

Chen Yi was full of disdain. “Are you mistaken? A ladder? You’re not even worthy.”

“I”

Without giving him a chance to speak, Chen Yi curled her lip. “I simply wanted stability in the rear. Arranging for you to stay abroad was the simplest method and the one that carried the least guilt.”

“Chen Yi, I, Chen Heping, was born and raised in Nancheng. We are father and daughter, after all. What great crime did I commit for you to make me stay alone in the Philippines? Is it fair to me? Are you afraid that if I come back, I’ll tell everyone the truth about how you mistreat your own father?” As Chen Heping spoke, sweat poured down his forehead. It was clear he was terrified.

“Fair?” Chen Yi’s face was cold, her speech slow. “I gave you face. How have I mistreated you? I’ve provided you with the best food and drink. When you asked for money, I gave it to you nine times out of ten. That’s mistreatment? Chen Heping, use your brain were you ever fair to me?”

Chen Yi wasn’t one to bring up old debts; she couldn’t be bothered with those dusty old stories. But years of grievances surged in her heart like a flood, and a thousand words condensed into one sentence: “Do you think I’m still the thirteen-year-old Chen Xiaoqi?”

She stared directly at Chen Heping. The air around them stagnated, and the temperature plummeted. He Zhong closed the door and stood behind Chen Yi, his expression equally icy.

“Chen Heping, do you think I’m playing this game for fun?” Chen Yi smoothed her hair, rubbing her fingertips together, looking down at him. “You’ve stayed obediently in the Philippines for all these years. Even if you jumped out now and said I mistreated you, given my current status in Nancheng, who would believe you?”

“Who would dare believe you?”

“Don’t forget,” Chen Yi hooked the corner of her mouth into a half-smile, “The cars, the houses, and the land under your name were all bought by me. To outsiders, I’ve been… very good to you.”

She said “very good” slowly, like a binding curse. The assets were used for her accounting purposes; they weren’t actually his, but outsiders didn’t know that.

Having finished, she laughed a hollow, enchanting, and chilling laugh. Her thin shoulders shook with the sound. “In my heart, you ceased being my father long ago. You aren’t even a ladder. At most, you’re just a pawn. And a pawn is a piece to be discarded.”

As Chen Yi finished, a trembling Chen Heping slumped to the floor. His little farce was destined to end in failure.

After a moment of silence, Chen Yi found the smell in the room unbearable. She wrinkled her nose, wishing she could burn the whole place down. She thought for a few seconds, then let out a wicked smirk and beckoned with her finger to her back.

He Zhong stepped to her side. It was the same bronze tray, but this time it held a box of matches.

Chen Yi took the box and pulled out a single match. She struck it against the side… psshh….and a dancing flame flickered in her eyes.

“You, you, you… what are you doing?” Chen Heping panicked. “Don’t do anything reckless!”

Chen Yi looked at him with a mocking smile, then suddenly flicked her hand, tossing the match. In an instant, the flames caught, forming a long, wide line a barrier between Chen Yi and Chen Heping.

Inside the barrier, Chen Heping was terrified, scrambling onto the sofa, scared to death. Outside the barrier, Chen Yi was full of interest, arms crossed, watching like she was at a play.

As the tongues of fire spread toward the sofa and the room filled with choking black smoke, Chen Yi stood up and walked toward the door with cold, noble arrogance.

“Relax, I won’t actually burn you to death,” Chen Yi said without looking back. “Chen Heping, killing you isn’t a matter of whether I can, it’s a matter of whether it would make me happy.”

Chen Yi’s subtext was clear: Chen Heping needed to understand his place. If he dared to ruin her plans again, she would absolutely not let him have a peaceful end.

He Zhong bowed his head and opened the door for her. She ignored the wails and screams behind her, walking calmly down the second floor corridor.

At this moment, her eyes were clouded with a leaden grey. Originally, she had placed Chen Heping in the Philippines to avoid trouble, as she didn’t have the power to “dispose” of someone so easily back then. Cleaning up such a mess would have taken considerable effort, and the moral stain would never have washed away. Thus, restricting his freedom was the best and most practical solution.

Now, she had the power to cover the sky with one hand, but she no longer wanted to kill him. She didn’t want blood on her hands, because then, she truly wouldn’t be able to stand beside Shen Xiaojiang.

There are no walls that don’t leak. If Shen Xiaojiang ever found out, she would surely be afraid. Chen Yi didn’t want to become something that Shen Xiaojiang feared. Even if Shen Xiaojiang said she wouldn’t be afraid, their hearts would drift apart.

Moreover, even if Shen Xiaojiang didn’t mind and stayed with her, Chen Yi didn’t want the stain of murder to cause people to point fingers at Shen Xiaojiang behind her back. She had heard too many ugly things.

Chen Yi could already imagine how those gossips would slander Shen Xiaojiang: “Anyone who can be with a murderer can’t be anything good themselves.”

Shen Xiaojiang was so clean; Chen Yi could not let herself soil her.