After My Nemesis Discovered My Cross-dressing - Chapter 19

As Assistant Fang pushed open the office door, he saw President Qin standing right behind it, gripping his phone. Their eyes met, and he seemed to read a murderous intent in President Qin’s gaze. Assistant Fang instinctively leaned back: “President Qin, am I disturbing you?”

Qin Yue frowned and turned around, walking back to his desk: “Speak.”

Assistant Fang had no choice but to follow him: “The data you requested has been compiled. Please take a look and see if anything else needs to be added.”

“Leave it for now.” Qin Yue sat down, his brain processing information much faster than when he was at a negotiation table.

“Alright, then I’ll head out first.” Assistant Fang carefully placed the documents on the desk and quickly retreated from the office.

Qin Yue looked up, his tone cold: “Close the door tightly.”

Assistant Fang obeyed. With a loud bang, the office door was shut tight. Qin Yue looked down at his phone. The chat box was still stuck on the interface where the call had been interrupted. After careful consideration, he sent a tentative message:

Y: “Sorry, a call just came in.”

After sending it, he stared intently at the screen, as if terrified of missing something. Tick-tock, tick-tock. The clock on the wall moved second by second, and time felt as if it were being stretched infinitely. With a ding, a new message finally popped up.

77: “It’s fine.”

Qin Yue instantly breathed a sigh of relief, and the tense nerves in his face relaxed. It seemed Gu Qian hadn’t heard Assistant Fang say “President Qin.” Otherwise, he couldn’t have replied so nonchalantly. Even though he was laying the groundwork step by step to help Gu Qian slowly accept that Y and Qin Yue were the same person, voluntary confession and passive exposure were clearly two different things.

Y: “Shall we continue the voice call?”

77: “You go ahead with your work. I have some things to handle on my end as well.”

Y: “Okay, then let’s talk when I get back.”

Gu Qian frowned, rubbing his temples with his fingertips. If he wasn’t hallucinating, a very clear “President Qin” had come from the other end of the line. There are many people with the surname Qin in this world, and plenty of managers or presidents named Qin. However, immediately after that shout, the other party had hung up. It was a classic case of trying to hide something and acting out of guilt.

Gu Qian picked up his phone again. He entered their WeChat chat box and clicked on the profile picture to check the other person’s Moments. Y’s Moments was still a complete blank; it was clearly an alternate account, just like his own. After a brief thought, Gu Qian exited the Moments and initiated a transfer. The result showed only the WeChat ID, with no real-name authentication. Y was just as cautious as he was, perhaps even excessively so.

Gu Qian began tapping his finger on the desk, the frequency faster than usual. There were only two possibilities now. First, Y did indeed know Qin Yue, or perhaps Y was even an employee at Universal Group. As for the second, the second possibility was so absurd that he was unwilling to think deeply about it.

During the meeting the next morning, Gu Qian was somewhat distracted. President Gu’s face was exquisite and beautiful, but when he was expressionless, he appeared frost-cold, creating a particularly strong sense of pressure.

“President Gu,” Manager Chen said, seeing his continued silence. Cold sweat was nearly dripping from his forehead. “Is, is there a problem?”

Gu Qian snapped back to reality, his gaze landing on the presentation slide. He replied calmly, “No problem. Continue.”

“Right, right.” Manager Chen’s heart returned to its place from his throat, and he straightened his back. “Then I’ll continue, President Gu.”

After the meeting, Gu Qian returned to his office and stood by the floor-to-ceiling window to catch some air. A moment later, Assistant Liang knocked and entered: “President Gu, these are the documents that require your review and signature.”

Gu Qian raised a hand to loosen his tie: “Leave them on the desk.”

Assistant Liang placed the files down and was about to leave when he was called back.

“Assistant Liang,” Gu Qian turned and asked, “Do you know if anyone new has appeared around Qin Yue lately?”

He had been dealing with Qin Yue for over a year and knew the people around him quite well, yet no matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t match Y to anyone. Assistant Liang didn’t understand his meaning for a moment: “President Gu, you mean?”

Gu Qian gave a brief description: “A high-level executive at Universal Group, under thirty years old, likely taller than me, and should have a good physique.”

Assistant Liang found the description increasingly strange as he heard it, but he still searched through his mind before answering, “It seems there isn’t anyone.”

Aside from President Qin himself, where would Universal Group find another high-level executive who was that young and had such a good physique?

Gu Qian turned back: “Understood.”

Assistant Liang thought for a moment and offered, “If you need it, I can compile a profile of the high-level executives at Universal Group for you.”

An excellent assistant needs to solve all of the president’s worries as much as possible.

“Fine,” Gu Qian paused briefly. “As soon as possible.”

Assistant Liang’s efficiency was as high as ever. Before the end of the day, Gu Qian received a thick electronic file. He sat in his executive chair and opened the materials on his desktop. The office was silent, save for the sound of the mouse clicking through pages. Gu Qian read quickly and soon reached the last profile.

Qin Yue, CEO of Universal Group.

Gu Qian frowned slightly, his gaze falling on the ID photo attached to the file. It was likely taken from Universal Group’s official website. Even in an ID photo, the man had a faint, teasing smile, appearing handsome and dashing. Gu Qian looked away and began reading the text. Assistant Liang’s data was very detailed, even recording which high school Qin Yue had graduated from. As Gu Qian read further, his heart began to sink. If all other options could be excluded, then only the last impossible possibility remained.

At 7:00 PM, Gu Qian walked out of his office. Assistant Liang and Meng Siyao had not left yet. Meng Siyao stood up: “President Gu, are you heading home?”

“Mn,” Gu Qian replied. “You guys should head back too.”

Meng Siyao immediately took off his work ID and grabbed his phone from the desk: “Wait, I’ll head out with you.”

Gu Qian ignored him but didn’t refuse. The two entered the elevator one after the other. Meng Siyao’s eyes darted around: “Brother Qian, how about you give me a ride home tonight?”

Gu Qian was sparing with his words: “It’s not on the way.”

Meng Siyao took a step back: “Alternatively, you can just drop me off halfway.”

With a ding, the elevator reached the first floor. Gu Qian walked out: “Take a taxi back yourself.”

Meng Siyao followed behind him, pestering him relentlessly: “Then how about I stay at your place for a night?”

Gu Qian stopped in his tracks: “If you have something to say, say it.”

“What could I possibly have to say?” Meng Siyao replied casually. “I can’t really talk to you at the office usually, so I just wanted to bond with you in private.”

Gu Qian looked at him: “Tell the truth.”

Meng Siyao was quiet for a few seconds before lowering his voice: “Fine, I just wanted to ask you if the old man has said anything strange to you lately?”

Gu Qian started walking again: “No.”

“I feel like the old man is acting a bit eccentric,” Meng Siyao rubbed the back of his head. “He called me yesterday and said a bunch of nonsensical things.”

Gu Qian asked calmly: “What did he say?”

Meng Siyao recalled: “He told me to learn how to manage and run the company from you. He said that one day when he’s gone, the two of us will have to shoulder the burden of the company.”

Gu Qian glanced at him: “How did you reply?”

“I obviously said,” Meng Siyao shrugged, “if he relies on me, then Shengtai is finished.”

Gu Qian retracted his gaze: “And then?”

“But speaking of which, I really haven’t seen the old man in a long time. When he scolds me now, his voice doesn’t sound as energetic as before.” Meng Siyao’s voice trailed off as he spoke. “Brother Qian, do you think something might be wrong with his health?”

As they spoke, the two had already walked out of the company’s main entrance. Under the night sky, Gu Qian’s expression was as calm as water: “It’s fine, don’t worry.”

“Right, I also think there’s nothing to worry about.” Hearing him say that, Meng Siyao’s expression lightened. “I think the old man just dumped the company on you so he could travel everywhere and enjoy his life.”

Gu Qian raised a hand to fix his crooked collar: “Listen to your father and learn well.”

Meng Siyao was somewhat flattered and immediately tried to push his luck: “Then Brother Qian, tonight I”

“No.” Gu Qian withdrew his hand and turned toward his car without mercy. “Take a taxi.”

Gu Qian returned home and, after resting for a while, entered his study. He opened his computer, typed “Qin Yue” into the search bar, and clicked on the image gallery. There were many photos of President Qin on the internet. Most were news photos from industry summits or signing ceremonies, along with some candid shots uploaded by netizens. He had to admit that Qin Yue was very photogenic; not a single bad photo could be found.

Gu Qian browsed through them briefly, picked a high-definition image, and then opened his WeChat alternate account to pull up the selfies Y had sent him. His gaze moved back and forth between the computer and the phone. It was truly difficult to connect the man with the bare chest and abs in the phone to the Qin Yue who was properly dressed in a suit.

That was, until he scrolled to the close-up shot of the hand that Y had sent him. His gaze suddenly froze. After a long time, Gu Qian exited the browser and closed the laptop. Every instance of weirdness during this period now had a logical explanation.

Why Qin Yue suddenly appeared around him so frequently, why Qin Yue would repeatedly examine him with that strange gaze, and why Universal would so hastily start a project in Jiangcheng. Even the “accidental encounters” at the airport and the hotel were based on information he had personally revealed to the other party. At this moment, he was unwilling to recall how many inappropriate topics they had discussed or what kind of photos he had sent over these past few days.

Gu Qian leaned back against the chair, his face turned upward, slowly raising a hand to cover his eyes with the back of his hand.

Meanwhile, Qin Yue had returned to the Qin family’s ancestral home. Usually, the old man would have been asleep by this time, and the house was quiet. As he was about to go upstairs, he heard the familiar sound of a cane striking the floor behind him.

Qin Yue turned around: “Grandfather, why aren’t you asleep yet?”

Grandfather Qin huffed: “Follow me into the study.”

Qin Yue already guessed what the old man wanted to say, but he still played dumb: “Grandfather, what mistake did I make this time?”

Grandfather Qin sat at the desk and asked, “The last time you told me you had a new plan, was it that new project in Jiangcheng?”

“Don’t look down on that company just because it’s a startup; its potential is huge,” Qin Yue replied while leaning against the doorframe. “However, the big project I was talking about isn’t that one.”

Grandfather Qin’s expression softened slightly as he said earnestly, “Yue, I usually don’t interfere with how you manage the company. But before you make any decisions, you must always remember that you carry the entire Universal Group on your shoulders.”

Qin Yue stood up straight and replied seriously: “Grandfather, I have never forgotten.”

Grandfather Qin sighed: “Yue, I know that ever since you lost for the first time to that young man from Shengtai named Gu”

“Gu Qian,” Qin Yue suddenly interrupted the old man and repeated, “His name is Gu Qian.”

“I knew you were keeping a close eye on him!” Grandfather Qin slapped the table and pointed at him. “Didn’t I tell you long ago that the most taboo thing for a manager is to act impulsively when making decisions? Haven’t you noticed? You lose your rationality whenever you encounter him!”

Qin Yue was silent for a moment and replied in a low voice: “I admit that at the beginning, I only wanted to win against him. But it’s not like that anymore.”

Grandfather Qin was skeptical: “Really?”

Qin Yue nodded: “Really.”

“That’s more like it. Why make things difficult for him?” Grandfather Qin thought his grandson had finally come to his senses. “Yes, since Gu Qian arrived at Shengtai Group, he has completed many big projects. But at most, he is just an outside expert hired by the Meng family. How many years can he actually stay at Shengtai comfortably?”

Qin Yue frowned, wanting to say something, but the words rolled around his tongue and he swallowed them back down.

“Universal Group didn’t achieve its current success overnight. You don’t have to compete with him for temporary wins or losses,” Grandfather Qin continued to educate him. “The one who laughs last is the ultimate winner. I shouldn’t need to tell you this; you should understand.”

Qin Yue: “I understand, Grandfather.”

Grandfather Qin waved his hand: “Fine, I won’t say more. Go rest.”

“Alright, Grandfather,” Qin Yue replied. “You should rest early too.”

With that, he turned and left the study. After returning to his bedroom, Qin Yue sat on the sofa and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He opened his WeChat alternate account and entered the chat box with Qiqi. The last message was from 11:00 PM last night. Immediately after returning home, he had sent a message to Gu Qian. The other party replied quickly, saying he was going to sleep. Since they said goodnight, no more messages had been sent today.

Qin Yue stared at that last line of text for a while, then suddenly put down his phone and decided to take a shower first. The cool water hit him squarely on the head. He closed his eyes and wiped his face with his hand. Given Gu Qian’s personality, if he knew that Y was him, his reaction couldn’t possibly be this calm. But for some reason, the intuition he had developed over the years told him that this matter wouldn’t pass so easily.

Qin Yue turned off the shower, casually wiped the water off his body with a towel, wrapped another towel around his waist, and walked out of the bathroom. He picked up his phone from the sofa, intending to send a message. After thinking it over, he decided to send a photo to test the waters first.

Qin Yue walked back to the bathroom with his phone, wiped the condensation off the mirror, and adjusted the angle and lighting. He struck a very casual pose, making the curve of his bulging biceps look full and smooth. After taking a satisfactory photo of his abs, he cropped out his head, returned to the WeChat alternate account, and clicked send.

The next second, a bright red exclamation mark appeared next to the photo of his wet abs.

Qiqi: “One-click block.”

President Qin: “???”

Let’s all congratulate President Qin for finally successfully being blocked by his wife!