My Gorgeous Wife Relies on Her Beauty to Commit Crimes - Chapter 2.2

Undeterred, Shen Tuo persisted. Xie Jing reached for a fried dough stick and dipped it into her soy milk. Seeing Shen Tuo’s hand still extended toward her, she hesitated before breaking the dough stick in half and placing one piece into his palm. “You want some?”

Shen Tuo glared. Xie Jing lowered her head and continued eating, while Shen Tuo sighed and took a bite of the crispy dough stick.

……

At the company, Ge Xinqing brought the finished sample garment to Shen Jin. Shen Jin seemed distracted after looking it over. As a senior employee with a good relationship with the boss, Ge Xinqing asked worriedly, “Did Shen Tuo cause trouble again? I noticed you were an hour late today.”

Shen Jin shook her head, unwilling to elaborate.

Shen Tuo had indeed caused trouble, but her tardiness today wasn’t because of him. Thinking of Xie Jing, the light in Shen Jin’s eyes softened. She asked Ge Xinqing, “If you had an old friend you hadn’t seen in years, and that friend had changed so much they were nothing like you remembered, what would you do?”

Ge Xinqing was momentarily stumped. She hadn’t expected her boss to be pondering interpersonal relationships. After careful consideration, she replied earnestly, “If it’s been years, there must be a reason for her changes. Whether they’re good or bad, it’s probably the best outcome for her. You just need to decide whether you still want to be friends. If you do, then accept her as she is now, don’t judge her based on who she used to be.”

Shen Jin paused, her gaze deepening. She nodded at Ge Xinqing. “You’re right.”

Shen Jin knew Xie Jing, but Xie Jing likely didn’t remember her.

She was ten years older than Xie Jing. When Shen Jin was ten and had just arrived at the Shen household, Xie Jing had been a newborn in swaddling clothes she had even held her. At fifteen, overwhelmed by academic pressure, Shen Jin couldn’t sleep well, and it was five-year-old Xie Jing who handed her a lollipop. At twenty-five, Shen Jin began working for the Shen family, but fifteen-year-old Xie Jing had disappeared. Now, at thirty-five, Shen Jin had become Shen Tuo’s mother, while twenty-five-year-old Xie Jing had reappeared as Shen Tuo’s girlfriend.

Shen Jin didn’t know where Xie Jing had been all these years. But she would never forget the five-year-old Xie Jing handing her that lollipop and saying, “Big sister, don’t cry. Eat something sweet, and it won’t feel so bitter anymore.”

Shen Jin pulled open her drawer, took out two candies, and handed one to Ge Xinqing. She unwrapped the other and ate it herself.

Ge Xinqing was unfazed by this. Although the boss was strict when it came to work, she had her gentle moments like ordering takeout for employees working overtime, arranging for her driver to take female staff home late at night, or stepping in when someone pressured others to drink at gatherings. She never cut overtime bonuses or work benefits and was never stingy with small gestures. Secretly, employees called her “the one who whips and then offers candy.” Yet even those who grumbled about being lectured at work or having their proposals sent back for endless revisions couldn’t help but feel warmed by her care.

Ge Xinqing reported on her work: “This year’s winter collection is finalized. I’m planning to hold the launch event in the northwest, the Gobi Desert complements the bold, powerful silhouettes of our winter designs. I’d like to set the theme as ‘Feminine Power.’ Do you have any suggestions, boss?”

Shen Jin wasn’t a professional fashion designer by training, she had studied management. But after years of experience in the industry, she could visualize the designs just by glancing at the sketches. She nodded and said, “You’re the lead designer. These decisions are yours to make.”

“Thanks, boss.” Ge Xinqing beamed. This was exactly why she had stayed at Shen Corporation for seven years because Shen Jin fully respected her team’s autonomy.

Clutching the files, Ge Xinqing left the office. No sooner had she stepped out than the secretary came in to report, followed by department heads and project managers. Shen Jin buried herself in paperwork, too busy to dwell on anything else until quitting time arrived. Rubbing her temples, she wondered how she would face the unfamiliar presence of someone from her past when she got home.

Sitting in her office chair, Shen Jin lit a cigarette, exhaling slowly before finally leaving.

She had barely taken a few steps outside her office when her phone rang. Pressing the elevator button, she checked the caller ID, it was her friend Lan Yiqing.

Lan Yiqing’s voice was languid on the other end. “Hey, darling. Off work yet? I’m back want to catch up?”

Shen Jin chuckled. “Sure.”

They agreed on a meeting spot. The elevator stopped at the 30th floor, and Shen Jin headed down, instructing her driver to take her to a bar.

Lan Yiqing was a wildlife photographer who often disappeared into remote areas for months at a time. Having just returned from one such expedition, Shen Jin was worried about her well-being. Only when she saw Lan Yiqing unharmed at the bar did she relax.

Lan Yiqing raised her glass with a teasing smile. “I’m an experienced photographer nothing’s going to happen to me.”

Shen Jin sighed. “That’s easy to say, but when you vanish into the wilderness for weeks with no signal, no way to check in, of course people worry.”

Lan Yiqing clinked her glass against Shen Jin’s. “Got it, Mom. That’s why I came straight to see you the moment I got back.”

Shen Jin laughed. “Did you manage to photograph the Tibetan antelopes this time?”

At the mention of her work, Lan Yiqing’s eyes lit up. “Yes! Thanks to the nature reserve staff. I had no idea Tibetan antelopes were so skittish. Oh, and guess what? I even ran into a brown bear! Right outside my tent! It was too dark, otherwise I could’ve gotten a shot of it!”

Shen Jin’s expression darkened.

In the wild, humans were just another link in the food chain especially in nature reserves, where they were no match for predators like lions, tigers, or brown bears.

Her voice turned stern. “What did you promise me before? That you wouldn’t put yourself in dangerous situations.”

Oops, I got too excited and let it slip.

Lan Yiqing humbly tried to placate Shen Jin, “I’m fine. The nature reserve staff were there too. She knows more about animals than we do. Although brown bears have a keen sense of smell, their eyesight is poor. It was scared off before it even got close to us. I’m completely unharmed.”

Lan Yiqing gave Shen Jin an ingratiating smile, which finally softened Shen Jin’s expression. However, Shen Jin still sternly admonished her to value her life and stop taking unnecessary risks. Lan Yiqing repeatedly agreed, but only she knew what she truly thought.

Seeing that her words had no effect, Shen Jin could only sigh helplessly.

Lan Yiqing teased her, “If Boss Shen keeps worrying like this, she might end up with a few more wrinkles.”

“Really?” Shen Jin touched her face.

Lan Yiqing observed Shen Jin’s radiant complexion despite having worked all day, she looked even better than Lan Yiqing, who had rested the whole day. Some people were just naturally blessed. Shaking her head, Lan Yiqing asked, “Boss Shen, you’re glowing. Did something good happen?”

She leaned closer to Shen Jin, winking mischievously, “Could it be that spring has finally arrived in your heart?”

A flicker of discomfort crossed Shen Jin’s face, which Lan Yiqing immediately caught. She chuckled slyly, “Be careful, or the old house might catch fire and ruin your impeccable reputation.”

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