Transmigrating Into the Beautiful CEO’s Doomed Substitute - Chapter 11

Shen Zhibing had a restful, dream-filled sleep that night, waking up refreshed and comfortable. As the faint morning light seeped in through the window, she slowly opened her eyes. The dull headache from the previous day was completely gone, and while her stomach felt a bit empty, it was simply anticipation for breakfast—there was no longer any pain.

Compared to yesterday morning, she felt like a completely different person: light, relaxed, and in a state that satisfied her. Glancing down at her wrinkled shirt, she quickly grabbed a fresh suit from the wardrobe and headed into the bathroom.

This was the bedroom she occasionally stayed in when she spent the night at the villa. The wardrobe was always stocked with the latest seasonal outfits. Even if she didn’t have time to wear them, they were updated regularly.

Her legs still felt a bit weak, and she nearly stumbled at the bathroom door. Yesterday had been exhausting. Some of the division heads were loyal to her second uncle—companies she had long planned to reclaim management of but hadn’t found the chance to yet.

She could afford to tune out the other reports and rely on Yun Fei’s meeting minutes later, but with her second uncle’s people, she couldn’t afford a moment’s lapse in attention.

For the past two years, her grandfather had been signaling his intention to retire. Although Shen Zhibing was the designated heir, not everyone in the family was on board with that decision. With the old man still in charge, no one dared to say it outright, but she could already sense the challenge to her succession brewing beneath the surface.

She had an older brother and sister. Although their father was devoted to art and refused to take over the business, it technically shouldn’t have fallen to her. But her grandfather was a firm believer in fate—Shen Zhibing’s birth chart promised prosperity for the family. Combined with her natural brilliance and the fact that he had personally groomed her from a young age, she became his chosen successor.

Fortunately, her siblings supported this decision, so there was no rift between them. Her second uncle and aunt, however, did not share that view—and Shen Zhibing was well aware of it.

She wanted to reclaim control of all the subsidiaries while her grandfather still held power, so that once she officially took over, she could reassign new managers. But Shen Shijun was shrewd and calculating. He kept blocking her efforts, insisting those veteran managers had earned their positions through hard work and that replacing them now would be ungrateful.

The covert battle between them had dragged on for nearly a year. Her grandfather had noticed but deliberately refrained from intervening—wanting to see how capable she truly was.

This past year had been the most exhausting of her life—and there was no one she could lean on.

After showering, she quickly dried her hair, put on makeup, and tidied herself before heading downstairs. Aunt Xin had already prepared everything and looked pleased to see her in such good spirits.

“Third Miss, breakfast is ready.”

The aroma drifting from the dining room was even more tempting than usual. Shen Zhibing was indeed hungry, but her manners remained impeccable.

She walked a little faster than usual but didn’t see Qi Zheng anywhere.

“Where’s Qi Zheng? Did she go back to school?”

“She’s still here,” Aunt Xin explained. “I think she’s not awake yet. I’ll have someone go wake her.”

Shen Zhibing glanced at the time, slightly displeased, and sat down at the table. The servants began serving her usual breakfast dishes, and she didn’t intend to wait for Qi Zheng.

Aunt Xin sent someone upstairs and turned back just in time to see Shen Zhibing elegantly slicing into her bacon, looking relieved.

Yesterday, Qi Zheng had said that Shen Zhibing wasn’t feeling well and could only eat liquid food. Aunt Xin had been worried it would be like last year’s annual banquet all over again—when things got so bad they had to call a doctor. But now, seeing her looking so healthy and eating heartily, it seemed it had been a false alarm.

Qi Zheng hadn’t left Shen Zhibing’s room until the middle of the night. Having seen how Jiang Youyou used to cause trouble, she was worried Shen Zhibing might also act out during the night. So she stayed on the sofa for several hours, keeping watch.

It wasn’t until her body was aching from the uncomfortable sleep and she was sure Shen Zhibing was fast asleep and stable that she quietly slipped back to her own room.

By the time Qi Zheng had freshened up and came downstairs—still wearing yesterday’s clothes—Shen Zhibing was already halfway through her breakfast.

Qi Zheng glanced at her as she walked over. Seeing the healthy color back in Shen Zhibing’s cheeks, she felt relieved.

She pulled out a chair and greeted her, “Good morning, President Shen.”

Only after swallowing a bite of egg did Shen Zhibing reply, “It’s not that early.”

Qi Zheng paused, halfway through unfolding her napkin. Sure, she had woken up later than usual—but wasn’t that because she had stayed up watching over her? Besides, it was just past eight; that wasn’t exactly late.

Breakfast was brought out for her. Since Shen Zhibing didn’t seem interested in chatting, Qi Zheng kept her head down and ate quietly.

When Shen Zhibing finished, she dabbed the corners of her mouth with a napkin, crossed her arms, and studied Qi Zheng for a while.

“I don’t care what time you usually get up. But when I’m here, you’re not allowed to wake up later than me.”

Qi Zheng froze, her fork still holding a piece of fried egg midair. She turned to stare at Shen Zhibing, utterly speechless.

“President Shen, I’m not sleeping with you. Why do I have to wake up at the same time as you?”

Indeed, they had already agreed yesterday that they wouldn’t be taking that step anytime soon. So naturally, Qi Zheng didn’t see why Shen Zhibing’s sleeping schedule should dictate hers.

Shen Zhibing closed her eyes for a moment before reopening them, forcing herself to stay calm. It had been a long time since anyone had talked back to her like this. Usually, when she issued a request, the response was immediate compliance—Understood, I’ll do it.

But with Qi Zheng, even step one was a struggle.

“I don’t like waiting for people to join me for breakfast. And I especially don’t like being interrupted halfway through my meal.”

Qi Zheng knew she was referring to this morning and found her attitude rather unreasonable.

She was just about to explain what had happened last night when Shen Zhibing’s phone suddenly rang. Glancing at the screen, her expression instantly softened.

She answered quickly, her tone gentler—though not by much. “Mm, it’s me.”

While listening to the caller, she glanced over at Qi Zheng, who was still focused on her fried egg. Then she rose from her seat and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room.

Qi Zheng looked up at Shen Zhibing’s silhouette by the window—tall and slender, narrow shoulders and a graceful waist, every curve beautifully defined. Sunlight poured in from outside, wrapping her in a soft halo. With the lush garden greenery behind her, the scene looked almost dreamlike.

Qi Zheng was a little mesmerized. She had always known Shen Zhibing was beautiful, but seeing it in person was different from imagining it. Shen Zhibing was flawless from every angle. Even last night, when she helped her lie down from a less-than-flattering angle, her beauty remained undiminished—let alone now, when she was perfectly put together.

Shen Zhibing gazed out at the garden. The lawn had been freshly trimmed, and many new plants had been added—ones she had ordered after signing the lease. If someone was going to live here long-term, it needed more signs of life.

She explained over the phone why she hadn’t returned last night. When Lian Ao heard she hadn’t been feeling well, he sounded deeply concerned.

“Are you feeling better today? Should you see a doctor? I know a really good one—want me to introduce you?”

Shen Zhibing listened absentmindedly, then suddenly asked, “Would you have time to go with me?”

Lian Ao hesitated, clearly troubled. “Xiaobing, you know that we…”

Shen Zhibing blinked, her eyes stinging slightly from the sunlight—an urge to cry rising in her chest.

“I was just joking. Don’t take it seriously.”

Lian Ao sighed in relief, unwilling to probe further to see if she really had been joking. Shen Zhibing quickly changed the subject, and Lian Ao suggested meeting up again.

Beyond the three months they’d been apart, he actually had something important to discuss: Yongfeng’s land. Shiqun Group was very interested in acquiring it, and he wanted to sound out the Shen family’s position—and see if Shen Zhibing could persuade them to let it go.

“This week might not work. Next week, maybe.” Shen Zhibing thought about her schedule. If she hadn’t canceled last night’s engagement because of her condition, she would’ve been too busy anyway.

There was too much going on at the company lately, and she realized she no longer felt the same urgency to see him as before.

Her slender fingers traced invisible words on the glass—letters only she could understand.

Lian Ao accepted her refusal with a light laugh, not pressing the issue further.

He was always like that—one small step forward, then he stopped insisting.

Shen Zhibing let out a bitter, lonely smile. Without thinking, she traced two characters on the glass: “Leave.”

Their conversation didn’t last much longer. Just before hanging up, Lian Ao said, “Xiaobing, thank your friend for me.”

“Who?”

“Oh, last night when I called, your friend answered. She said you weren’t feeling well and had already gone to sleep, so I didn’t call again. I’m guessing she was the one taking care of you.”

If the person who had answered last night had been a man, there would’ve been a sharper edge to Lian Ao’s tone. But since it was a young, unfamiliar female voice, he wasn’t suspicious—only curious about who she was.

Shen Zhibing suddenly turned around and looked back into the dining room.

Qi Zheng had just glanced her way and was caught in the act.

Embarrassed, she quickly looked down and pretended to focus on her food. Thankfully, she still had a small piece of bread left—otherwise, her plate would’ve been empty, and she’d be pretending to eat thin air.

Shen Zhibing was displeased that Qi Zheng had answered her phone without permission. Luckily, Lian Ao hadn’t been suspicious. If Qi Zheng found out about their relationship, wouldn’t that give her leverage over Shen Zhibing?

Her thorns bristled, sharp and defensive. She ended the call with a few curt words and strode back toward the dining room. Each step echoed like a drumbeat on Qi Zheng’s heart, making her tense up.

What Shen Zhibing was really thinking was this: I will never let the canary I keep dare to negotiate with me.