Transmigrating Into the Beautiful CEO’s Doomed Substitute - Chapter 113

Qi Zheng accompanied Zhuang Muqing to visit the locations she had listed in her notebook, one by one. There were some places Qi Zheng herself hadn’t noticed before, so while she led the way initially, it soon became a journey of fresh curiosity for both of them.

“Ah Moon, thanks to you, I wouldn’t have known Haicheng has so many strange and interesting places.”

The two had just emerged from an old-style nongtang (lane). It looked ordinary, but decades ago, many interesting things happened here, which unfortunately only some local elderly residents now remember.

“I asked my students. I’ve been to Haicheng before, but I was always rushing in and out, never getting a chance to truly appreciate the city.”

Taking up her current position gave Zhuang Muqing more time to immerse herself in life in this former “Paris of the Far East.” This feeling was entirely different from the hometown she had only known through the accounts of her uncle and father over the years.

In the past, she had always felt Haicheng was like a distant relative—connected, but without emotion. But after less than a month back, she was already growing to love it.

“So, that’s another benefit of being a teacher. I learned something new.”

Zhuang Muqing doodled and scribbled in her small, personal notebook; she loved moments where she could instantly record inspiration and insights.

“I suppose this counts as strength in numbers, where the wisdom of the masses is unmatched?”

Qi Zheng smiled, looking at her, and affirmed, “Your Chinese is getting better and better.”

Zhuang Muqing didn’t care if Qi Zheng was genuinely praising her or teasing her; she knew Qi Zheng meant no harm. After putting her notebook back in her bag, she casually asked, “Last time you said you’d arrange a meeting with CEO Shen for me, has she replied yet?”

Qi Zheng paused, realizing she hadn’t gotten around to mentioning it. She had planned to tell Zhuang Muqing during their dinner tomorrow night.

“I haven’t found a chance to talk to her yet, but I’ll do it as soon as possible.”

Zhuang Muqing was very happy to hear this, her eyes curving into crescent moons.

Her smile was typically Western; whenever she was truly happy, she paid no mind to her so-called image and expressed her emotions to the fullest extent.

Qi Zheng was still the mistress of this city, familiar with most places, and knew a multitude of historical anecdotes that her peers had long forgotten. Zhuang Muqing listened with great interest, offering frequent exclamations and feeling great admiration for Qi Zheng.

“I knew you were articulate in the States, but it wasn’t until I got to Haicheng that I realized how much you know.”

“Who could be completely ignorant of their own hometown? Besides, the history of this city is rich in itself.”

“But what you just said is from roughly the same era as my uncle. Did you hear all this from your elders?”

Qi Zheng shook her head: “I’ve loved reading books on history and folklore since I was a child. I have a good memory, so I haven’t forgotten any of it.”

After walking around for a while, they had planned to have dinner together, but close to evening, Zhuang Muqing had an urgent matter come up at the Art University that required her return.

“You go back to school first. I’ll come find you later.”

After parting with Zhuang Muqing, Qi Zheng had no other plans. After thinking for a moment, she decided to visit her aunt.

She had been back for a while, but with various things keeping her busy, she hadn’t truly gone back to visit. In the years she spent in America, her wretched birth family hadn’t bothered her much, which was a relief.

Her aunt seemed unaware that she had returned to live in Haicheng permanently. Seeing her so suddenly, she was stunned for a moment before snapping back to attention.

“Xiao Zheng, you really should have told me you were coming back so I could buy some groceries and cook you a good meal.”

“No need to bother. I already have plans for dinner.”

Qi Zheng placed the items she had bought casually on the coffee table and noticed that her aunt’s home seemed to have been renovated.

It wasn’t luxurious, but it was much better than the dark, cramped atmosphere from before.

“It must have been hard working abroad all these years? We knew you were busy with work and didn’t dare to disturb you unnecessarily.”

Her aunt brewed Qi Zheng a cup of tea and sat down on the sofa next to her, sighing with emotion. Over the years, Qi Zheng occasionally contacted her aunt, sending money transfers or red envelopes on holidays. But overall, she was busy, and with the time difference, she simply didn’t have the bandwidth to look after them much.

“It’s a good thing your company has heart, and the boss is generous.”

Qi Zheng raised an eyebrow, instinctively feeling there was a hidden meaning behind her aunt’s words.

Just as she thought, her aunt pointed around: “The year before last, your company’s management found a quiet, low-stress job for your father, which finally got him out of my hair. They also gave me some money, saying it was a family reward for your excellent performance overseas. Your uncle and I discussed it, and we renovated the house. It’s much more comfortable now.”

Qi Zheng remained silent. It sounded like her aunt didn’t know she had resigned from Shen Group a long time ago, which meant she wouldn’t know about her startup in America either. She rarely shared these details with her family. After all, she wasn’t the original owner of the body, her feelings for the family were shallow, and with Qi Youtian involved, she had to remain wary.

“When you first went to America to study, I worried you wouldn’t know how to take care of yourself. Later, when your company said they were temporarily assigning you to work abroad for experience, I was even more worried. Last year, when your grandmother accidentally fell, broke a bone, and had to go to the hospital—your company stepped in and handled everything.”

This genuinely shocked Qi Zheng: “Grandmother fell?”

When the original Qi Zheng was homeless as a child, her grandmother took her in, squeezing money from her meager pension to support her education and life, never asking for anything in return. Even without the original body’s connection, Qi Zheng felt the old woman was worthy of respect.

“When your company heard about the situation, they quickly sent someone over to arrange the hospitalization. Afterward, they even provided nursing care, and they covered all the medical expenses.”

“Why didn’t I know about this?”

Her aunt sighed softly: “Your manager said you were in charge of a very important project abroad and asked us, your family, to be understanding, to try not to disturb you, and not to give you any worries. They even said that if we had any difficulties, we could contact the company.”

Qi Zheng guessed it must have been Shen Zhibing’s instruction. Otherwise, who would be so idle as to handle such complicated, trivial matters for the family of a former employee?

“Xiao Zheng, you found a good workplace and a good boss. You must cherish it and work hard. I know the trend nowadays is to change jobs every three to five years to double your salary, but there aren’t many companies with this kind of responsibility anymore.”

Her aunt was actually nostalgic for the era of state-owned enterprises, when being a factory worker meant having no worries.

“I understand.”

She had originally wanted to visit her grandmother, but there wasn’t enough time. She called her from her aunt’s house, and hearing the old woman’s strong, clear voice, she knew she was healthy.

“We don’t ask anything else of you. We just hope you stay healthy and work well. In the future, find a suitable person to marry, settle down, and live a peaceful, smooth life.”

The original Qi Zheng’s family broke up when she was little, leaving her adrift. Even with help from relatives, it was never truly her own home.

Before leaving, Qi Zheng transferred some money to her aunt, a significantly larger amount than before she left for the US.

“You child! A few hundred yuan is enough as a token! Why send so much?”

“I made some money in America, and I haven’t been able to look after you all these years. Keep it, I still have money.”

Seeing her aunt still reluctant, Qi Zheng reluctantly showed her her checking account balance. Only then did her aunt agree to keep the money.

“You finally made it through all the hard times. Having money protects you and prevents you from being taken advantage of. But don’t let your father find out; I’m afraid he’ll start plotting again.”

“I know what I’m doing.”

Hua Chifeng agreed to move the meeting time to tonight, but he was attending a conference on the other side of the city. He wouldn’t be able to make it back to their originally agreed location, and the time would be later than the standard dinner hour.

Shen Zhibing didn’t care where they ate; for her, it was just a business task: “CEO Hua, you don’t need to rush over. It’s fine if we meet somewhere closer to you.”

There were plenty of good restaurants on that side of the city as well. This was a key characteristic of Haicheng’s balanced development: nearly every district had a similar commercial center.

Shen Zhibing had already arrived by the time Hua Chifeng rushed in.

“My apologies for keeping you waiting, CEO Shen. We ran into a small issue at the meeting.”

Shen Zhibing was completely uninterested in Dongming Group’s internal meeting. She had only been sitting for ten minutes, and all she could think about was where would be best to take Qi Zheng for dinner tomorrow night.

“You’re too kind, CEO Hua. It was my last-minute change that caused you trouble.”

Hua Chifeng greatly admired Shen Zhibing’s capable and unpretentious style. Both her business acumen in the market and their occasional interactions left a deep impression on him.

He had few scandalous rumors, and most of his energy was focused on business, a quality that was much appreciated by the Shen family elders.

The two ate and chatted, finalizing the details of their upcoming cooperative project in a relatively harmonious atmosphere.

As the conversation neared its end, Hua Chifeng suddenly brought up a new topic: “Our current collaboration is still a traditional commercial real estate project. I wonder if CEO Shen would be interested in considering a new model of cooperation?”

“Such as?”

“I heard that Shen Group is looking to expand into new sectors. Dongming happens to have the same intention and has already established a special fund.”

Shen Zhibing knew Dongming’s style: their innovation capability was weak, but they were absolutely generous when it came to investment, making them not entirely undesirable partners.

“Does CEO Hua have a particular sector in mind?”

Hua Chifeng looked at her meaningfully. The admiration and appreciation in his eyes were genuine, but they were not overly urgent.

“Naturally, we’d like to follow Shen Group’s lead. I just don’t know if CEO Shen would look down on us or be willing to let Dongming hitch a ride.”

Shen Zhibing understood his intention to throw money at a project and hitch a ride. She didn’t immediately refuse, but she didn’t agree right away either.

“If there’s a suitable project, we can consider it. But Shen Group has sufficient cash reserves, so there’s no immediate need to hastily launch new business for the sake of acquiring external funds.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t dream of forcing it.”

From start to finish, Shen Zhibing maintained a strictly professional attitude, giving Hua Chifeng no room for personal fantasies. Seeing that the business discussion was mostly concluded, she decided to leave early.

She wanted to get a beauty sleep tonight, perhaps apply a face mask, and she still needed to go home and change before her dinner with Qi Zheng tomorrow night.

Hua Chifeng didn’t press her to stay and followed her, intending to see her out. Unexpectedly, before they reached the door, Shen Zhibing heard a familiar voice nearby.

She immediately looked in the direction of the sound, and sure enough, it was Qi Zheng.

Next to her was Zhuang Muqing. Shen Zhibing’s initial joy instantly sank. She had declined Shen Zhibing’s invitation tonight, claiming she had an engagement. It turned out she was having dinner with Zhuang Muqing.

Qi Zheng felt someone looking at her and quickly found the source of the gaze. She hadn’t expected to run into Shen Zhibing here. This area was a bit far from Shen Group and not a place Shen Zhibing usually frequented.

Standing beside her was a man of similar age, a face Qi Zheng recognized from the Dongming Group’s website when she was researching their materials. It was Hua Chifeng, the current head of Dongming, a rumored generous investor, and the potential partner she was about to try and persuade.