After the Strategy Failed, the Heroine Turned into a Crematorium - Chapter 31

Bian You prepared breakfast, and after the two finished eating, she went to get herself ready. As she was about to leave for work, she noticed Qi Zhi’e, who still showed no signs of moving, and paused for a moment in slight bewilderment.

“Zhi’e, aren’t you going to work?” After finishing her meal, Qi Zhi’e had gone back to lounging on the balcony with a book, still dressed in loose, comfortable loungewear. She looked far too relaxed, didn’t she?

Qi Zhi’e looked up, a faint smile playing on her lips. “I won’t be going to Qi Corporation anymore. I’ll head out later to check out the High-Tech Zone.”

“???”

Bian You’s mind was filled with question marks. She wanted to ask more, but Qi Zhi’e raised a hand and pointed at her wristwatch, gently reminding her, “If you don’t leave now, you’ll be late.”

“…”

“Go on. I’ll explain everything in detail when you get back tonight.”

Bian You thought about it and decided that was fine. But just before stepping out, she quickly dashed back to Qi Zhi’e, bent down, and planted a hurried kiss on her lips, mumbling, “Love you.”

With that, she swiftly changed her shoes and left. As the door closed with a soft thud, Qi Zhi’e felt her heart tremble ever so slightly.

She sat there in a daze, slowly raising a hand to touch her lips, as if she could still feel the lingering warmth of Bian You’s presence.

Lowering her gaze to the book on her lap, she realized she couldn’t focus on it at all.

Lost in thought, the ringing of her phone snapped her back to reality. Glancing at the screen, she saw it was Ji Jiu calling.

Ji Jiu: “President Qun has been busy selling off some assets recently.”

Ji Jiu’s voice was full of confusion, she genuinely couldn’t understand why Qi Youqun would do such a thing. Was he that short on money?

Hearing Ji Jiu’s report, Qi Zhi’e’s expression remained completely unchanged, as if she had already anticipated this.

Her 18% stake in Qi Corporation was no small amount. Especially since she had demanded that he hand over the cash within a week, his only options for quickly raising funds were either borrowing or selling off his more valuable assets.

And the reason she had pressured Qi Youqun to buy out her shares with full payment so urgently was part of her own calculations.

Her own company’s product was at a critical stage of launch. The subsequent marketing campaigns, promotional subsidies everything required massive funding, and there were still plenty of areas where money needed to be poured in.

If she didn’t want to resort to financing and allow other companies to get involved, then she had to find a way to secure all the funds herself.

Coincidentally, due to recent national policies, the real estate market was showing signs of recovery, and the value of her shares had naturally risen along with it. Selling them to Qi Youqun now not only ensured she had enough capital to invest in her own company but also prevented future losses if Qi Corporation’s value plummeted under Qi Youqun’s leadership.

After all, with Qi Corporation in Qi Youqun’s hands, she had little confidence in him. Decline seemed inevitable sooner or later.

“Don’t worry about him,” Qi Zhi’e said indifferently.

Gathering such a large sum of money in such a short time was no easy feat. She couldn’t help but wonder what price Qi Youqun would have to pay to pull it off. The thought made her feel a faint sense of anticipation.

Though Ji Jiu was still puzzled by her response, she acknowledged it and said she understood.

Just as the call was about to end, Qi Zhi’e suddenly asked, “Do you want to come with me?”

Ji Jiu’s capabilities were quite impressive, but Qi Zhi’e wasn’t sure if she’d be willing to take the risk of leaving the Qi Corporation to join her new startup. After all, objectively speaking, her own company still carried too much uncertainty.

“Huh?” Ji Jiu was puzzled at first, then her heart skipped a beat as she realized what Qi Zhi’e meant.

“Wherever you go, I’ll follow,” Ji Jiu said earnestly.

She had been under Qi Zhi’e’s wing since joining the Qi Corporation essentially groomed by her. Moreover, Qi Zhi’e was never stingy when it came to rewarding her people. Though her temperament was a bit cold, she wasn’t difficult to get along with. Ji Jiu considered herself quite fortunate.

And someone like Qi Zhi’e, Ji Jiu believed she would achieve great things no matter where she went. Following her might just lead to unexpected rewards.

Hearing her answer, Qi Zhi’e gave a soft hum of acknowledgment, not saying much for now. After hanging up, she glanced out at the world beyond her balcony. Her mood wasn’t exactly light, nor was it heavy just tinged with an inevitable uncertainty about the future.

The path she was on now was completely different from the trajectory of her previous life.

Yet, thinking about how her past life had ultimately ended, her expression cooled.

Even now, she still wasn’t sure who had been the one pulling the strings behind the scenes.

In this life, she had investigated, kept her eyes open, but still found nothing unusual.

The thought of someone out there, lurking in the shadows, wishing her dead, it was enough to send chills down her spine.

Bian You strode briskly into the parking lot, and as she got into her car, she received a message from Assistant Zhou. After reading it, her expression darkened.

Ever since she’d sensed someone watching her from the shadows, she had arranged for bodyguards to keep an eye on her while also monitoring her surroundings for any suspicious individuals.

The bodyguards were responsible for surveillance, while Assistant Zhou reviewed all the security footage from the places she visited, trying to uncover even the slightest clue.

But the results were predictably disappointing, she still hadn’t found a single lead.

It was almost as if those prying eyes had no physical form in this world.

The original owner of this body had failed to uncover the stalker, and now, so had she. The frustration was undeniable.

Could it really be something like the Heavenly Dao watching her? That would be utterly ridiculous.

Bian You’s irritation grew, her earlier good mood completely gone.

If it were the Heavenly Dao, that wouldn’t make sense either after all, the feeling of being watched only ever occurred outside. In private spaces, that sensation never appeared.

After finishing the backlog of work at the company, Bian You rubbed her sore shoulders, finally free to check her phone.

When she saw the message Qi Zhi’e had sent not long ago, her eyes lit up. Without bothering to tidy her desk, she hurriedly shut down her computer and rushed out.

Qi Zhi’e had said she was coming to pick her up after work!

Bian You could no longer feel her own heartbeat, she was just brimming with sweetness. All her exhaustion vanished the moment she read Qi Zhi’e’s message.

By the time she reached the lobby, Qi Zhi’e hadn’t arrived yet. Her hurried demeanor made others think something urgent had happened, nearly causing them to break into a run alongside her.

Bian You waited downstairs for quite a while before Qi Zhi’e’s car finally came into view.

Her face lit up with joy as she waved eagerly, afraid Qi Zhi’e might not see her.

The white car pulled up in front of Bian You, the window rolling down to reveal Qi Zhi’e’s exquisitely delicate face, her lips curved in a soft smile as she looked over.

Bian You felt her heart skip another beat. Before even settling properly into her seat, she leaned over and planted a loud kiss on Qi Zhi’e’s cheek, gazing at her with a beaming smile.

Qi Zhi’e: “…”

It probably wasn’t her imagination Bian You’s affection seemed to be growing more fervent and unrestrained. If before there had been a hint of restraint, now she didn’t even bother hiding it in public, let alone in private.

“Buckle up,” Qi Zhi’e said, a faint trace of resignation in her voice.

“Okay!” Bian You chirped happily, fastening her seatbelt before turning her adoring gaze back to Qi Zhi’e.

Outside, other employees leaving work had naturally noticed the scene, catching a glimpse through the windshield of Bian You kissing Qi Zhi’e, her radiant, almost foolishly gleeful expression making her look like some lovestruck village simpleton.

Was this really their formidable, high-achieving CEO Bian?

The whole thing screamed “girl in love”!

Qi Zhi’e noticed the occasional glances disguised as casual curiosity. Without a word, she shifted gears and drove away from the Bian Corporation building, stealing a glance at the still blissfully oblivious Bian You, who continued to smile in satisfaction. A slight frown touched Qi Zhi’e’s brow.

She had wanted Bian You’s affection to make her easier to control, yet at the same time, she paradoxically wished Bian You wouldn’t grow too attached. Deeper emotions would only complicate things when the time came to disentangle herself.

Before she could dwell further, Bian You spoke up. “How did things go at the company today?”

Qi Zhi’e stopped at a red light, tapping her index finger lightly against the steering wheel. “Smooth, except…”

“Hmm? What’s wrong?” Bian You asked, concern flickering in her eyes.

Glancing at her, Qi Zhi’e accelerated as the light turned green and replied calmly, “Most of the engineering team are fresh graduates. They lack experience.”

Bian You fell silent for a moment. That was indeed an issue. While their technical skills were decent, they were still somewhat shallow.

“How about I mentor them? We could also set up specialized training programs,” Bian You suggested thoughtfully.

If she could bring them up to speed, they’d be better equipped to assist Qi Zhi’e in the future.

Qi Zhi’e’s grip on the wheel tightened imperceptibly. “Wouldn’t that be too much trouble for you?”

“Not at all! The better they get, the less work I’ll have to handle myself,” Bian You said with a blink. After all, she was currently the one dealing with the trickier problems soon, she could delegate those to them.

A faint smile touched Qi Zhi’e’s lips. “Then I’ll thank you on their behalf.”

“Hehe.” Bian You grinned goofily, but soon she fidgeted, her voice turning shy. “But you’ll have to reward me.”

The coy, bashful tone was enough to make one’s ears tingle. Qi Zhi’e pulled over and turned to her with an amused look. “And what reward would you like?”

Given Bian You’s current circumstances, material things weren’t what she lacked. So what could she possibly want…?

Bian You extended two fingers, mimicking a little person walking over to Qi Zhi’e. Then she pinched the hem of Qi Zhi’e’s clothes and gave it a gentle tug, unable to suppress the excitement on her face.

“That could you let me, do whatever I want on top for a day?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Bian You blushed and lowered her head, not daring to look at her. The tingling sensation in her heart mixed with its rapid beating was absolutely unbearable.

How shameless, to ask for such a reward.

Bian You mentally scolded herself, yet the temptation was simply too great, she really wanted it.

Just the thought of Qi Zhi’e letting her do whatever she pleased made her feel like her whole body was burning up.

For once, Qi Zhi’e’s expression turned complicated.

Wasn’t it enough that she wanted to be on top? Wasn’t once enough? Now she even wanted a whole day?!

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