The Devious, Seductive Older Woman Has Been Plotting to Get Me for a Long Time - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Swallow Your Pride and Beg Her

On the third day of the National Day holiday, Xiang Shuxing’s sweet dream was shattered by a cacophony of clanging and banging. She covered her ears, frowning.

Disturbing someone’s sleep.

Where was that noise coming from? She had always been a light sleeper. Since her mother passed away, the massive house had felt empty and hollow, making it hard enough to sleep through the night as it was; now that she had been jolted awake, there was no chance of falling back asleep.

Xiang Shuxing opened her eyes, stared blankly at the ceiling for a few seconds, then got up to wash and dress. She was going to find out exactly who was making such a racket first thing in the morning.

When she reached the first floor, the first things that met her eyes were piles of unfamiliar luggage stacked by the entrance, and Auntie Wu, the housekeeper, bustling back and forth.

Xiang Shuxing was puzzled. “Auntie Wu, what is all this?”

Auntie Wu directed the movers to be careful before answering, “Does Miss Xiang not know? I thought President Chu had told you that today is the day President Chu moves in.”

“…President Chu?” Perhaps her mind was still foggy from sleep, but Xiang Shuxing stood frozen for a few seconds.

Before she could recall which “President Chu” this was, the woman herself walked slowly into view. She wore a light gray wool coat with the collar slightly open, revealing a black top underneath. The hem fell to her calves, giving her a slender, elongated silhouette.

Chu Yingqiu!

Xiang Shuxing rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn’t seeing things, then her voice turned icy. “Why are you here?”

Chu Yingqiu said something to the person on the other end of her phone, then hung up and said coolly:

“Aunt Xiang entrusted me to take care of you. Besides, I am your older sister. This is my home as well.”

Auntie Wu, busy nearby, chimed in, having evidently been shown the letter of appointment earlier. “That’s right, Miss. President Chu was adopted by President Xiang all those years ago. She was just studying abroad for a few years. It is only right that you call her ‘Sister’.”

Auntie Wu had worked for the Xiang family for decades, caring for Xiang Shuxing from childhood until she left for college. Nowadays, she was older and only came by to cook the three daily meals.

Xiang Shuxing was shocked. “Auntie Wu, why are you taking her side?”

After saying this, she shot a cold glare at Chu Yingqiu, crossed her arms, and turned to the movers: “Don’t move anything! Nobody is allowed to move another thing.”

The people who were clearly Chu Yingqiu’s subordinates simply buried their heads in their work, completely ignoring her.

Clad in her fuzzy house slippers, Xiang Shuxing stomped over to Chu Yingqiu and gritted out: “What exactly are you trying to do?”

The woman was half a head taller than her, forcing Xiang Shuxing to look up slightly.

No, that puts me at a disadvantage. Xiang Shuxing stood on her tiptoes to level their eye lines and raised her voice: “I told you, I don’t need you looking after me! Get your people to move this stuff out immediately. Do you know that breaking and entering a private residence is illegal?”

Chu Yingqiu examined her with interest, a fleeting smile passing through her eyes.

“Sui Sui, it isn’t whoever shouts the loudest who is in the right.”

A hand pressed onto Xiang Shuxing’s shoulder. She had been wobbling on her tiptoes, and that light push caused her heels to slam back onto the floor.

Unhurriedly, Chu Yingqiu pulled out a document folder. She spread it open to reveal the property deed for the villa, which clearly featured two names: Xiang Shuxing and Chu Yingqiu.

“See for yourself, Sui Sui. This is my home, too.”

Xiang Shuxing read it word for word, her fierce energy instantly deflating. Chu Yingqiu noticed her clenched fingers and said languidly, “There’s only one copy. Don’t go crumpling this one on purpose.”

A flood of dense text swirled through Xiang Shuxing’s mind; she felt dizzy. There was no way Chu Yingqiu could have forged such a document. Could everything really be her mother’s wish?

Chu Yingqiu folded her arms, admiring Xiang Shuxing’s sense of helplessness, her fingertips tapping rhythmically against her arm. A savory aroma wafted from the kitchen. Chu Yingqiu glanced at her watch; as the last of the luggage was moved inside, she asked in that direction: “Auntie Wu, Sui Sui hasn’t eaten breakfast yet?”

“Yes, Miss just woke up. I cooked extra. Would you like to sit down and eat with us, President Chu?”

“She doesn’t need to…” Xiang Shuxing began to refuse, but a cool, clear voice spoke up at the same time:

“Then I’ll trouble you for an extra set of chopsticks, Auntie Wu.”

Xiang Shuxing turned, catching the woman’s downward-cast gaze. She actually managed to find a hint of “innocence” in it. Her chest heaving slightly, she simply turned her face away and ignored her.

Auntie Wu had been with the family for years and worked quickly. Two bowls of piping hot congee with century egg and lean meat and a plate of side dishes were placed on the table in no time.

Noticing that the woman hadn’t moved, Xiang Shuxing paused while pulling out her chair and looked up. Chu Yingqiu stood in place, arms folded, her gaze resting calmly on Xiang Shuxing, seemingly waiting for her to take her seat first.

What is she plotting now? Xiang Shuxing snorted softly, too lazy to guess her motives, and pulled out her chair to sit down.

This was a four-person table. In the past, Xiang Yinghua always sat opposite her, and she had grown used to seeing her mother the moment she looked up. Xiang Shuxing habitually glanced across the table, but was met with Chu Yingqiu’s elegant face instead.

She frowned. “This is my mother’s seat.”

“My apologies.” Chu Yingqiu gave her a look, her voice filled with feigned regret, and stood up to leave the seat opposite her.

Xiang Shuxing felt a momentary sense of relief, but the next second, the woman sat down right next to her. Xiang Shuxing froze. “You…”

“What’s wrong, Sui Sui? Can’t I sit here, either?” Chu Yingqiu asked with an earnest expression, as if everything were entirely unintentional.

Whatever, it’s just this one meal. Xiang Shuxing suppressed her annoyance and said coldly, “It’s fine.”

The congee gave off a steaming, tempting aroma. Xiang Shuxing picked up her bowl; the warm, soft white rice congee warmed her stomach immediately, and she squinted her eyes in satisfaction.

As the bowl of congee neared its end, Xiang Shuxing caught a different scent. It was fresh and elegant, unlike the cloying sweetness of ordinary perfume. She suddenly remembered smelling it in the car earlier.

She glanced sideways. The woman beside her had her long, dark hair slightly tucked up, revealing a fair neck. That elegant scent was definitely coming from her.

Her gaze dropped. The congee in front of Chu Yingqiu had barely been touched. Her long, slender fingers held the spoon handle, her beautiful eyes cast downward as if she were lost in thought.

Xiang Shuxing looked away and said nonchalantly, “What? Is the congee not to your liking, President Chu?”

“No,” Chu Yingqiu smiled faintly, loosening her grip on the spoon and turning away, “I was just thinking about some things.”

Xiang Shuxing didn’t care what she was thinking about. She said coldly, “Please leave after you finish breakfast, President Chu. Oh, and by the way, take all those things with you when you go.”

Chu Yingqiu gave a soft, restrained laugh. When she looked up again, the complicated emotions from before were gone.

“Sui Sui, it seems you still haven’t grasped the situation.”

What does she mean? Xiang Shuxing frowned. Before she could press her, the person in front of her stood up and walked away. Her assistant, catching a look, packed the congee and followed.

She had been unable to get Chu Yingqiu to leave earlier no matter what, yet now she left so readily, leaving behind only that cryptic remark.

“Grasped the situation…” She pondered those words. Suddenly, something occurred to her, and she pulled out her phone.

She didn’t even need to search; as soon as she opened it, she saw the latest news regarding Mingchen on the trending list, and the heat was only continuing to climb.

Xiang Shuxing stared at the screen, her heart sinking.

“A-Jin, is there anything you can do?”

Fu Jin, sitting across from her, furrowed her brow and quickly scanned the news reports. The Fu and Xiang families had been close for years. She had noticed this hours ago and had specifically sent people to suppress the trending topics, but she hadn’t expected…

Xiang Yinghua’s methods had been decisive; Mingchen’s growth to its current state was bound to have offended people. There were even those in the shadows, watching the Xiang family, waiting to take advantage of this.

There had been several traffic accidents in Lucheng recently due to the rainy weather, yet at this very moment, gossip accounts had emerged, spinning rumors that Xiang Yinghua’s accident was due to improper driving. Mingchen, already morale-depleted after losing its backbone, was being hammered by these negative speculations and rumors.

“Don’t worry,” Fu Jin said, patting her hand comfortingly. “I’ve already sent people to suppress the heat.”

Xiang Shuxing nodded. Her usually lively voice was now soft. “My mother valued Mingchen above all else. It was her life’s work; it cannot be destroyed like this.”

Fu Jin looked at her with hesitation. “Although we are trying to suppress the rumors, someone is clearly working behind the scenes. I’m afraid it won’t be easy.”

Xiang Shuxing’s face went stiff. After a long while, she murmured, “So, that’s what Chu Yingqiu meant by ‘grasp the situation’—Mingchen’s predicament.”

Hearing her self-talk, Fu Jin’s eyes lit up. “Right, don’t you still have Chu Yingqiu? Since she returned to the country at Aunt Xiang’s request, she certainly wouldn’t just stand by and watch Mingchen be destroyed. Besides…”

She pulled out her phone and showed the search results to Xiang Shuxing. “If Chu Yingqiu intervenes, these rumors will likely be suppressed very quickly.”

Xiang Shuxing looked over. A Baidu search for “Chu Yingqiu” revealed a great deal of information, which she read through carefully line by line.

Fu Jin: “Do you know the company ‘Yingxing’? I heard their CEO has been developing her business abroad. I never expected it to be Chu Yingqiu.”

She hadn’t dealt much with company matters before, but she had heard her mother mention “Yingxing” a few times. The young CEO’s decisive methods had propelled a little-known company to the forefront of the industry; her mother had spoken of her with undisguised admiration.

But why had her mother never mentioned that Chu Yingqiu was the CEO of Yingxing?

“A-Shu,” Fu Jin patted her shoulder, “I understand. It’s hard to have someone you aren’t familiar with suddenly in your home, but think about Mingchen. For Mingchen’s sake, you have to get on good terms with Chu Yingqiu.”

Round and round she went, always back to the same spot. Was she really expected to beg that woman to help Mingchen?

Xiang Shuxing felt incredibly stifled. Somehow, Chu Yingqiu’s words surfaced in her mind once again:

“Don’t be self-righteous.” She probably had predicted everything from the start. She was staying silent and withholding her help, waiting for her to come and beg.

Xiang Shuxing bit her lip. At the thought of having to swallow her pride and beg Chu Yingqiu, she instantly lost her appetite, even for the exquisite desserts on the table that she usually loved.

“Thank you, A-Jin.” After parting ways with Fu Jin, she left the shop and walked slowly home.

She hadn’t noticed it when she left, but now that she was back home, she spotted a business card sitting on the table.

It was Chu Yingqiu’s, with her phone number on it.

Xiang Shuxing bit her lip, and after a long time, she dialed the number.