Transmigrating Into the Beautiful CEO’s Doomed Substitute - Chapter 111

The time their hands were clasped wasn’t long, but it was enough to make Shen Zhibing’s heart tremble violently. The person she had longed for was now standing right in front of her; a slight movement could even let her feel the other’s breath. Such a scene had only appeared in her dreams before.

Unlike last time when she could only watch her secretly from a distance, now Shen Zhibing could openly take a good look at her.

“I listened to your speech just now, it was brilliant.”

Qi Zheng withdrew her hand and smiled faintly: “It’s just sharing some trivial life matters and personal insights.”

“It was very interesting nonetheless. I can see that you’re very happy in America.”

Over the years, Shen Zhibing hadn’t gone into minute detail to understand Qi Zheng’s every move in America; she felt that was an intrusion. However, that didn’t mean she was completely indifferent to Qi Zheng, it was just that the sense of distance was not an easy thing to maintain.

Qi Zheng casually looked around and asked, “Are you here alone today?”

“Yes, I heard you were the special guest for this salon, so I wanted to come and see.”

This attitude clearly stated her purpose for coming, and it was also a test.

She couldn’t gauge if Qi Zheng was still as resistant to her as she was three years ago, nor did she dare to easily express her feelings again, perhaps afraid of being rejected a second time.

“I thought you wouldn’t be interested in a topic like this.”

Shen Zhibing’s gaze never left Qi Zheng, but she didn’t dare to be too blatant: “I’m actually interested in art and cultural topics, I just haven’t had much time. But since you are here tonight, I had to make time, no matter how busy I was.”

Although Qi Zheng knew Shen Zhibing’s feelings, after three years of separation, her direct acknowledgement of her concern and emphasis upon their reunion surprised and somewhat touched her.

In fact, the moment Qi Zheng turned around and saw Shen Zhibing, she also noticed that CEO Shen had changed, becoming more mature and charismatic. The cool and arrogant tone about her seemed to have faded somewhat, but her charm was deeper than before, carrying a hint of gentle warmth.

“Ah Moon is the expert in this field. I’ll introduce you two sometime; she knows much more than I do.”

Qi Zheng recalled the expensive auction items in the suburban villa and realized that CEO Shen was indeed willing to invest in such art collections.

Shen Zhibing certainly knew that Ah Moon was Zhuang Muqing, and she also knew they had become acquainted because of this. It wasn’t so obvious on the stage just now, but hearing Qi Zheng mention her so casually and affectionately truly made her heart a little sour.

“Sounds good, I trust your recommendation.”

Qi Zheng maintained a polite, gentle smile, without the low spirits and distance from their last meeting three years ago, which allowed Shen Zhibing to secretly sigh in relief. However, after a brief exchange of pleasantries, she didn’t receive any more encouraging signals or hints from Qi Zheng that would allow her to move forward.

She was a little anxious but didn’t want to miss this opportunity. The moment she saw Qi Zheng, she once again confirmed that her feelings for her were genuine love. Her heart was in turmoil because of her, her mood colorful because of her, her eyes sparkled for her; these things couldn’t be faked or concealed.

Qi Zheng, still the same as in the past, attracts her, even more so than before.

The two continued to chat casually about the topics from the salon, but the conversation never extended to themselves. In addition to joy, a long-awaited reunion always carries a slight awkwardness.

Qi Zheng turned her head to look at the main hall; the crowd hadn’t dispersed, and ten minutes had already passed the scheduled end time.

“Ms. Zhuang is very popular. I estimate it won’t end anytime soon.”

Qi Zheng turned back, agreeing with the assessment: “In the last year and a half, she has been treated like this pretty much everywhere she goes, almost like a celebrity.”

Hearing her familiar and knowledgeable tone, Shen Zhibing’s heart couldn’t help but sink a little, the uncomfortable subtle sourness deepening.

Although she didn’t show it, Shen Zhibing didn’t want to keep the conversation centered on Zhuang Muqing anymore. So, she tried asking about Qi Zheng’s plans after returning to China, knowing she had already registered and established a company, but still asking, “Have you considered returning to Shen’s Group?”

“No. I’ve been an entrepreneur for a long time and am used to working according to my own ideas. I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to create much value for Shen’s Group if I went back.”

She was indeed more opinionated and assertive than before. Shen Zhibing increasingly clearly felt that the person standing in front of her had become stronger.

“Then it seems you plan to continue entrepreneurship. China is constantly developing, and there are still many opportunities. Shen’s Group is also exploring new businesses recently; perhaps we can cooperate.”

Someone had asked this question earlier, and naturally, Qi Zheng hadn’t held much hope. But it was different coming from Shen Zhibing; this represented the recent strategic direction of Shen’s Group, and there might really be an opportunity.

Qi Zheng’s thinking had changed due to her past entrepreneurial experience, and she quickly seized the business opportunity.

“If there’s a suitable opportunity, we might as well give it a try.”

Shen Zhibing saw that she wasn’t resistant to cooperating with Shen’s Group, which dispelled her previous concerns. The company Qi Zheng established wasn’t large, but the clients she had been in contact with during this period and the areas Shen’s Group wanted to enter surprisingly coincided.

Shen Zhibing gave Qi Zheng a brief overview of the changes in the domestic market over the past few years, partly to better facilitate the possibility of cooperation and partly to help Qi Zheng understand the market faster. After all, Shen’s Group had a professional analysis team and could spot market shifts earlier than most companies.

“We definitely need to explore some new industries. The economy is developing too fast, and many problems that appeared in Western societies will soon face us, but the corresponding industry development hasn’t kept up.”

When discussing business, they found more common ground, and the earlier awkwardness faded.

Shen Zhibing subtly observed Qi Zheng, finding her confident, calm, and resolute when discussing her views on the current state of society and predictions for future development, which was captivating.

She took advantage of Qi Zheng’s inattention to glance at her a few more times with a hint of longing. Her heart, long empty, felt as if a hot spring had been injected into it, warming up little by little.

They engaged in back-and-forth conversation, sharing their respective viewpoints, discovering many similarities, and sparking a lot of synergy. Qi Zheng was radiant, speaking eloquently, not at all as reticent as she used to be, yet without seeming garrulous.

Later in the conversation, Qi Zheng even took the initiative to give an example: “Take the pet industry, for instance. Most of the domestic market is still limited to grooming and basic treatment, but abroad, there are many mature derived types. You can buy insurance for pet medical care, and tickets for air travel.” She shook her head helplessly as she spoke: “Yunshan raised a golden chinchilla in America and wanted to bring it back this time. However, the procedures are very complicated and require friends to handle them before shipping it over. She’s been off her food and sleep recently.”

Shen Zhibing naturally understood this difference, but it couldn’t be caught up in the short term.

“After all, the societies aren’t exactly the same, and it’s impossible to completely copy and paste; we can only try to learn from good experiences and avoid stepping into the pits others have fallen into.” Shen’s Group has generally been stable over the years, and while it occasionally tries new things, it hasn’t always succeeded. Shen Zhibing strives to make this massive conglomerate move both fast and steadily.

Zhuang Muqing finally managed to break away from the crowd of admirers. She looked around but didn’t see Qi Zheng, thinking she had left early. However, a staff member said they hadn’t seen her leave, so she decided to check the back courtyard on a whim.

Sure enough, just around the corner, she saw Qi Zheng talking to someone. Judging by their distance and expressions, they seemed to be acquaintances.

“Qi Zheng, so you are here.”

Zhuang Muqing slowly walked over and finally saw Shen Zhibing’s face clearly.

Qi Zheng very naturally introduced them to each other: “This is CEO Shen, my former boss.”

“This is tonight’s protagonist, Zhuang Muqing, also Boss Zhuang’s niece.”

The favor back then was requested by Shen Zhibing, but this face-to-face thank you was three years late.

Shen Zhibing proactively extended her hand: “Thank you, Ms. Zhuang, for taking care of Qi Zheng all these years.”

Zhuang Muqing laughed heartily and shook her hand: “CEO Shen, you are too kind. I’ve also learned a lot from Qi Zheng. Especially about Shanghai-style culture, she is my tutor.”

Zhuang Muqing looked at Qi Zheng after speaking, clearly very satisfied with this tutor.

Zhuang Muqing’s departure meant that the salon for the evening was officially over. Shen Zhibing symbolically asked if they needed a ride, naturally receiving a negative answer.

Watching Zhuang Muqing and Qi Zheng walk away side by side, Shen Zhibing felt an indescribable sense of loss.

After getting into the car, Qi Zheng felt a little tired and prepared to close her eyes to rest. Zhuang Muqing, however, was still energetic and quite curious about Shen Zhibing: “I didn’t expect CEO Shen to be interested in topics of cross-cultural exchange.”

“She has quite a bit of research in many fields. Haven’t you seen it in the school magazine?”

Zhuang Muqing naturally had a good impression of this legendary senior, but this was the first time they had officially met, and she hadn’t had the chance to discuss these things.

“If I had known she was interested, I should have prepared a front-row ticket for her.”

Qi Zheng opened her eyes at this point, looking at her with a knowing smile: “Professor Zhuang, are you opening the back door and giving special treatment?”

Zhuang Muqing froze, realizing Qi Zheng was teasing her.

When she first arrived at the University of Arts and hadn’t fully settled down, a student’s parent came to her with lavish gifts. At first, she didn’t understand the intention behind it, but after talking for a while, she realized they hoped she could mentor this student individually, so the student would have an impressive resume for further studies in the US.

This in itself angered Zhuang Muqing, and what angered her even more was that this parent was actually a teacher at the school. She refused without hesitation, asking the person and the gifts to leave together. The next day, she went to the school administration, emphasizing that she would not accept any private, extra requests.

Thus, the image of Professor Zhuang being upright and incorruptible was instantly established.

“This is different; this is my private gift. Besides, for this type of salon, I have a certain quota of complimentary tickets.”

Seeing her explain so seriously, Qi Zheng couldn’t help but laugh: “Don’t be nervous, I was just kidding.” She recalled her interaction with Shen Zhibing just now; it wasn’t long, but the other party’s attitude seemed very clear.

“If she really wanted a front-row seat, she’d certainly find a way.”

Just a ticket, how could that possibly trouble CEO Shen?

Zhuang Muqing detected the emotion in her tone and probed: “Did you not contact CEO Shen after returning to China this time? You seemed unaware she would be here tonight.”

“She is very busy. Why should I bother her when I don’t have anything specific to discuss?”

“But it seemed like your relationship was quite good just now.”

Qi Zheng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, finally understanding Zhuang Muqing’s underlying meaning: “Ah Moon, are you trying to invite her out for dinner or something?”

“Is that convenient? You said she’s busy. Wouldn’t I have even less reason to ask?”

“I’ll try, but she might not have the time.”

Qi Zheng didn’t understand why Zhuang Muqing was so interested in Shen Zhibing. Was it truly because she had heard too many legends about this senior during her school days and couldn’t resist observing her up close?