After the Strategy Failed, the Heroine Turned into a Crematorium - Chapter 32

Qi Zhi’e felt she might need to reassess her understanding of Bian You.

She had never imagined Bian You harbored such thoughts in her mind.

Seeing Qi Zhi’e remain silent for so long, Bian You grew increasingly uneasy, wondering if she had come across as too forward.

Stealthily raising her eyes to sneak a glance at Qi Zhi’e’s expression, she suddenly felt a hand gently cover her vision, accompanied by Qi Zhi’e’s soft voice.

“Alright, I’ll let you have your way for a day.”

As she spoke, the complexity on Qi Zhi’e’s face had already shifted into calm composure. After all, Bian You was gentle in such matters, and Qi Zhi’e could derive pleasure from it too. A win-win situation, why refuse?

“Really?!” Bian You exclaimed in delight.

“Of course it’s true.” Qi Zhi’e leaned in, pressing a light kiss to Bian You’s lips before whispering suggestively in her ear.

“Mmm~”

The sensation sent a shiver down Bian You’s spine as she inwardly marveled at how skilled Qi Zhi’e was, she knew exactly how to make Bian You feel even more drawn to her!

The two had dinner outside before returning home. While Qi Zhi’e went to shower, Bian You immediately set to work drafting her “training plan.” The mere thought of the reward Qi Zhi’e had promised filled her with boundless motivation.

To think that even during Qi Zhi’e’s past cycles, she had never allowed Bian You such free rein, this reward was clearly of the highest caliber!

By the time Qi Zhi’e finished her shower, Bian You was still hunched over her desk in the study. Not wanting to disturb her, Qi Zhi’e settled into the hanging chair on the balcony, swaying leisurely.

Though she had schemed to manipulate Bian You, she hadn’t expected Bian You to agree so readily, leaving all her darker intentions with no place to go.

This Bian You… really seemed eager to be taken advantage of.

At ten in the evening, Qi Zhi’e knocked on the study door. Watching Bian You lift her head in a daze, she said, “Enough work for now. Go shower, it’s getting late.”

Bian You glanced between her and the computer before obediently packing up. As she approached Qi Zhi’e, her eyes sparkled. “So tonight.”

Does that mean I can have my way?!

“Aren’t you tired today?” Qi Zhi’e countered.

With the backlog of work Bian You had been dealing with, she must have had a busy day at the company, followed by hours at her desk. How could she still have energy for anything else?

The question made Bian You belatedly aware of the stiffness in her shoulders and neck.

Her expression fell, eyes tinged with grievance.

Now that she thought about it, she really was exhausted.

Though she could technically push through, her performance would undoubtedly suffer not only wasting this golden opportunity but also failing to give Qi Zhi’e the best experience.

“Alright, go shower. We’ll do it when you’re rested.” Qi Zhi’e chuckled, cupping Bian You’s face and giving it a gentle squeeze.

“Mmm, fine,” Bian You mumbled, though her tone was unmistakably dejected.

After her shower, Bian You flopped onto Qi Zhi’e’s bed, burying her face against her abdomen and grumbling, “Zhi’e, work is so annoying.”

If she didn’t have to go to the office, she could spend so much more time with Qi Zhi’e.

Seeing her sullen expression, Qi Zhi’e reached out and ruffled her hair, chuckling softly, “Are you feeling lazy?”

Bian You pouted, “I’m just so annoyed.”

Qi Zhi’e shook her head slightly and turned her gaze back to the book. “You could always delegate some of your work to others.”

She wished she could, but how would Bian Lian ever agree?

Bian Lian was practically eager to dump all the work on her, ensuring she gained a thorough understanding of the group’s affairs so that the Bian family wouldn’t fall apart once it was handed over to her.

“By the way, what did you mean this morning when you said you wouldn’t be going to work at Qi Corporation anymore?”

Qi Zhi’e leisurely turned a page and replied calmly, “I sold all my shares in Qi Corporation to Qi Youqun.”

She briefly explained the general situation at Qi Corporation, confident that Bian You would quickly grasp her reasoning.

However, after hearing her out, Bian You froze. She sat up cross-legged on the bed, frowning in thought, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t figure out the reason for this unexpected turn of events.

After all, in the novel, Qi Zhi’e had ultimately taken full control of Qi Corporation so why had everything changed now?

Or was it, the butterfly effect?

“Why that look?” Noticing her expression, Qi Zhi’e closed the book and set it aside, fixing her with a steady gaze.

Bian You met her eyes. Since Qi Zhi’e already knew about her circumstances, there was no need to hide her thoughts. She asked directly, “In the novel, Qi Corporation ended up in your hands. Why are you abandoning it now?”

Moreover, in the story, Qi Zhi’e had led Qi Corporation onto a path of diversification, building an even stronger moat for the business.

Hearing this, Qi Zhi’e let out a soft laugh. “As you said, that was the novel’s plot. But in reality, I simply don’t want it anymore.”

She had pursued it in her past life, only to meet such an end.

Besides, the Qi family was already rotten to the core, why should she exhaust herself creating value for a pack of ungrateful wolves?

If she was going to pour her heart into something, why not focus on her own ventures, building her own empire without any ties to those backstabbers?

Bian You was taken aback. Was this really how Qi Zhi’e thought? It was so different from the novel.

“Bian You, can I ask… in the novel, what was my final outcome?” After some hesitation, Qi Zhi’e finally posed the question.

Yet she didn’t hold much hope for a revealing answer. After all, if she was the protagonist, as Bian You claimed, the story likely ended the moment she achieved success.

What came after probably wasn’t even written.

Sure enough…

“Huh? Your ending was becoming the head of Qi Corporation and leading it to even greater heights?”

Bian You was puzzled by the question. The novel had revolved entirely around Qi Zhi’e, how could her ending possibly be anything but triumphant?

Qi Zhi’e gave a faint smile. As expected, she hadn’t gained any useful insight from Bian You.

“Alright, enough of this. Get some rest tomorrow’s going to be busy.” Qi Zhi’e reached out and pinched her cheek before sliding down from her reclined position, settling flat on the bed.

“…Oh.”

Bian You glanced at the time just past eleven still early by adult standards.

She reached out to turn off the light, slipped under the covers beside Qi Zhi’e, and wrapped her arms around her again, murmuring in a clingy tone, “Zhi’e, can you turn and face me while we sleep?”

Holding Qi Zhi’e like this, she desperately wanted Qi Zhi’e to hold her back.

Qi Zhi’e: “…”

In the end, she turned to face Bian You and draped an arm over her waist.

Bian You gave her one last kiss on the lips. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

The next day, when Bian You arrived at the Bian Group, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the looks she was getting from others were laced with barely concealed amusement.

What were they laughing at?

Baffled, she made her way to her office, only to find Madam Bian Lian waiting inside. She couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

Was this woman’s phone just for show? If she had something to say, why not just text her instead of making a trip here for a face-to-face?

“Mom, what’s up?” Bian You walked in casually, tidying the scattered documents on her desk.

Bian Lian frowned at her, silent for a long moment, as if struggling to make sense of something.

Bian You stared back, confused. What was this about? Surely she wasn’t here for some mother-daughter bonding session?

“Have some self-respect,” Bian Lian said sternly.

She couldn’t understand it. Neither she nor Bian You’s other mother were foolish people, how had they ended up with such a hopeless daughter?

Completely wrapped around someone else’s finger. If that woman ever decided to sell her out, Bian You probably wouldn’t even realize it.

“Huh? What are you talking about?” Bian You was completely lost. Since when was she lacking in self-respect? And she hadn’t done anything to provoke her, right? What was with this random lecture first thing in the morning?

“You’re at the company. Mind your image from now on! Don’t wear your emotions so openly!” Bian Lian’s heart ached just thinking about how the entire office was gossiping about Bian You’s lovestruck behavior.

Bian You: “…”

She might have an inkling now.

Had they seen her kissing Qi Zhi’e when she left work yesterday?

“Oh, I’ll be more careful,” Bian You conceded.

Bian Lian’s frown deepened. She wanted to reiterate that Qi Zhi’e was beyond Bian You’s league, but seeing how smitten she was, she knew it would fall on deaf ears.

When Bian Lian still didn’t leave, Bian You ventured cautiously, “Is there anything else?”

“You’re going to handle the M Country branch issue.” Since she couldn’t separate Bian You from Qi Zhi’e, she might as well drown her in work, no time for romance then.

Bian You: “…Isn’t there already someone in charge there?”

“You’ll have more authority to negotiate.” Bian Lian’s tone was indifferent.

Bian You: “…”

Was she… going through menopause?

In the end, Bian You’s business trip to M Country was finalized. The government there had recently imposed a series of restrictions that were disrupting their operations.

This trip was to negotiate terms.

Bian You’s heart sank. Who knew how long these talks would take? She and Qi Zhi’e had just gotten together, their relationship was still in its honeymoon phase. The thought of being apart for so long was unbearable.

Moreover, she had to bring along the engineering department staff. With an ocean between them, communication would have to account for time differences, making the road ahead seem bleak just thinking about it.

When she returned and told Qi Zhi’e about it, Qi Zhi’e simply smiled, gently pinched her cheeks, and said work was the priority, advising her not to worry about anything else.

With such a beautiful face, such a soft voice, and such understanding, Bian You found it even harder to bear leaving her.

So annoying, so annoying! Why did she have to work? Why did they have to be apart for so long?

Bian You inwardly wailed, her mood thoroughly dampened, her whole person wilted like frostbitten eggplant.

Seeing her like this, Qi Zhi’e didn’t say much. After all, there were still a few days before Bian You’s business trip wasn’t it a bit too early for her to start moping now?

But perhaps because Bian You’s emotions were fluctuating too intensely, her still-not-fully-stable pheromones suddenly surged.

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