Online Love, Based on the Real Object - Chapter 43

Qi Ning resolved to give Chu Yunjing a proper lecture soon. People shouldn’t just meet strangers from the internet; the risks of online dating were simply too high! The two of them were living examples of that.

However, before she could figure out how to phrase it, she drifted off into a hazy sleep. Learning her lesson from the gastroenteritis, Qi Ning didn’t dare set the AC too low, bumping it up two degrees before bed. This made her even more bold about not using a blanket.

In the middle of the night, Chu Yunjing got up for a glass of water. Passing Qi Ning’s room, she paused and quietly pushed the door open. The main light was off, leaving only the warm yellow glow of the nightstand lamp. Chu Yunjing saw Qi Ning sprawled in a strange position, the blanket completely pinned under her legs.

She stepped inside and gently lifted Qi Ning’s ankle to pull the blanket out. Just as she almost had it, a dreaming Qi Ning sensed something and instinctively gripped the edge of the quilt.

Chu Yunjing: “…” “Let go,” she whispered.

Qi Ning, of course, heard nothing. It took two more tugs for Chu Yunjing to retrieve the blanket and tuck her in. Every time she did this, she felt like shaking Qi Ning awake to show her exactly how she slept. If you don’t catch a cold, who will? This girl was truly a handful.

The next morning, Qi Ning found the blanket mysteriously draped over her again. She scratched her head and didn’t overthink it she was a restless sleeper; maybe she’d just gotten cold and covered herself.

Coming out of the bathroom, she found two bowls of steaming porridge on the table, cooled to the perfect temperature. The aroma of stir-fried pork wafted from the kitchen. Qi Ning took a few bites of porridge and wandered toward the stove.

Chu Yunjing was wearing dark trousers and a white blouse, topped with a mismatched plaid apron. It was a domestic scene that had become a daily occurrence. Qi Ning, whose greatest talent was eating, felt that moving in was the best decision she’d ever made. No more stale bread for breakfast or greasy takeout for lunch.

“What are you standing there for?” Chu Yunjing asked, noticing her lingering in the doorway.

“Thinking about how lucky your future partner will be!” Qi Ning said, her voice sweet as honey.

“Heh,” Chu Yunjing gave a cool laugh, recalling Qi Ning’s previous comments. “Didn’t you say my partner would be a ‘unlucky soul’?”

“That…” Qi Ning stalled, her “visual-focused” heart taking over. “Depends on how good-looking she is.”

Chu Yunjing rolled her eyes. “If you have nothing to do, go pack the lunch boxes.”

The two packed their meals into insulated bags. As they drove out of the underground garage, the sun was shining brightly. It looked like a good day—until it wasn’t.

The Crisis Begins

Chu Yunjing’s schedule was packed. She had meetings all morning and a mall partnership negotiation in the afternoon.

“President Chu, the factory reported that the Bureau of Industry and Commerce will be coming for a random inspection this afternoon,” Xu Lu reported after a meeting.

Random inspections were common in the skincare industry to prevent harmful substances like heavy metals from reaching the market. Usually, Chu Yunjing would attend personally, but with a major contract on the line today, she couldn’t be in two places at once. VER products strictly followed national standards; she was confident in their quality.

“Call He Hao in,” she instructed.

He Hao arrived quickly. Chu Yunjing asked about production. “We’ve added several lines and hired a batch of temporary workers. We’re hitting a million masks a day now,” He Hao reported.

“Double 11 is less than half a month away. Don’t slack off,” Chu Yunjing said. “The Bureau is inspecting the factory this afternoon. I have meetings, so you handle the reception.”

“Consider it done!” He Hao promised.

As he left, Chu Yunjing rubbed her eyes. Her eyelid had been twitching all morning. She had a nagging feeling that something big was about to happen.

That afternoon, Chu Yunjing headed to the mall. The mall manager wanted to feature VER in a “Double 11” physical promotion. The terms were lucrative but strict: VER had to guarantee that products passed all tests. Any quality issue would result in massive penalties and damage to the mall’s reputation.

They were in the middle of discussing the contract when Xu Lu knocked on the door. Chu Yunjing’s heart skipped a beat; Xu Lu never interrupted a meeting unless it was an emergency.

Xu Lu whispered in her ear. Chu Yunjing’s face paled instantly. She pushed through the final details, signed the contract, and hurried to the parking lot. She called He Hao immediately, her voice sharp with demand: “What exactly happened?”

Thirty minutes later, she arrived at the factory. The gates were shut. He Hao and the factory leaders were standing outside, looking terrified.

“President Chu…”

“Skip the nonsense. Tell me everything.”

He Hao had arrived early and checked the workshop. Everything seemed perfect. But during the random sample of the facial masks, the testing machine went off. The indicators weren’t just slightly over they were in the range of heavy metal contamination.

The officials ordered an immediate shutdown for rectification and took more samples for lab testing.

“After they left, I ran a test on our own samples,” the factory director said, his face white with fear. “It’s lead and mercury. We checked other masks three out of ten samples were contaminated. The rest are normal.”

“Our formula contains zero lead or mercury. In fact, those substances shouldn’t even exist in this factory!” Chu Yunjing’s expression was grim. She suddenly remembered Shu Mingyao’s warning about malicious competition.

She let out a cold, bitter laugh. The others flinched, thinking she had finally snapped.

“President Chu…” He Hao started, but found no words. A fine was the least of their worries; they could lose their license, and Double 11 was just around the corner. If the factory couldn’t ship, the entire production chain would collapse. Worse, they didn’t know how many “toxic masks” were already in stock or if any had been shipped.

Chu Yunjing forced herself to stay calm. If she panicked, she’d fall right into their trap. “How many temporary workers did we hire recently?”

“Sixty-five,” Director Liu replied.

Chu Yunjing’s eyes darkened. “Get their files. Every single one. Then, pull all surveillance footage from the moment the first temp started until today. Check every frame. Do not miss a single second.”

She turned to He Hao. “Go to the police station and file a report immediately.”

The reality set in for everyone: there was a mole. VER had grown too fast and stepped on the wrong toes. Someone had chosen the most critical moment to strike.

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