Transmigrating Into the Beautiful CEO’s Doomed Substitute - Chapter 120

There were only three days left until the official opening of the exhibition, and Zhuang Muqing was much calmer than before. Most of the work was complete, and the remaining finishing touches could be safely left to her assistants. She was quite satisfied with her centerpiece work and highly anticipated this exhibition.

After giving instructions, she left the workshop and called Qi Zheng.

“Are you free tonight? Want to have dinner together?”

Qi Zheng seemed to be walking on her end; she was slightly out of breath, and there was the noise of people talking around her: “I’m afraid tonight doesn’t work. Is something the matter?”

Zhuang Muqing was momentarily stunned and a little disappointed: “It’s nothing. I just wanted to ask you out to relax and to thank you for your shoulder last time.”

That time, Zhuang Muqing had slept for nearly two hours, leaning on Qi Zheng’s shoulder the whole time. Only when she woke up and saw Qi Zheng slowly rotating her arm did she realize the person had barely moved, which was both annoying and touching.

Qi Zheng didn’t take the matter seriously at all: “The exhibition is about to open. You should rest more, keep up your spirits, and maintain a good state. We’re friends; that’s nothing.”

Knowing Qi Zheng was busy, Zhuang Muqing didn’t say much more and hung up the phone.

Qi Zheng looked up at the Shen Group’s logo and walked in quickly. Today was the official signing day, and Dongming had also given a formal reply, agreeing to co-invest.

She went directly to the CEO’s office, where Yun Fei was already waiting for her. Seeing her approach, she smiled and greeted her: “President Shen is back from the meeting and is waiting for you. I’ll take you in.”

Inside the office, Shen Zhibing was facing her computer screen. When she saw Qi Zheng, she merely curved her lips slightly, without much reaction.

“President Shen, Qi Zheng is here. I’ll go inform Manager Yu.”

After Yun Fei left, only the two of them remained in the office. Shen Zhibing nodded, motioning for Qi Zheng to sit down, and after a brief pause on her face, her gaze shifted away.

“Some details of the contract still need to be confirmed. It will be the final version soon.”

Qi Zheng felt that Shen Zhibing was a bit strange today. On the surface, she was no different from usual, but she felt a subtle, deliberate coolness.

She wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, and there was no other official business to discuss while waiting for Yu Xinyan. Qi Zheng had always wanted a chance to talk to Shen Zhibing privately, so she seized the opportunity: “Are you free to have dinner together after work today?”

She had planned this on the way over, which was why she had turned down Zhuang Muqing’s call.

Shen Zhibing hesitated for a moment and said softly, “Not tonight, maybe next time.”

She looked a little tired, and Qi Zheng guessed she might be exhausted from work lately. The unsuccessful dinner invitation didn’t ruin the atmosphere, and Qi Zheng brought up the exhibition this weekend.

“A’Moon said she prepared a special program and told us to be sure to attend on time. Do you think she’ll pull off some kind of surprise?”

Hearing her discuss Zhuang Muqing so casually yet intimately, Shen Zhibing felt another pang of heartache. She hadn’t asked Qi Zheng about what happened in the workshop that day, nor did she feel she had the standing to ask. But she was hurt, and she did mind. She could restrain herself from constantly thinking about it, but when Qi Zheng mentioned Zhuang Muqing so easily, her heart couldn’t help but swell with pain.

“We’ll know naturally when the day comes,” Shen Zhibing answered with a faint smile, though the smile looked somewhat forced.

The more Qi Zheng looked, the more she felt something was off, and she couldn’t help but worry: “Are you alright? You don’t look like you’re in great spirits.”

“I haven’t been sleeping well for the past two days.”

That was true; she indeed hadn’t been sleeping soundly. Whenever she slept, she would dream—dreams of the gains and losses over the years and the melancholy after waking up.

Qi Zheng couldn’t help but frown and said in a slightly reproachful tone that she herself didn’t realize: “You should take better care of yourself.”

Shen Zhibing thought for a moment, and just as she was about to say something more, Yu Xinyan arrived.

“Sorry to keep you both waiting. This is the latest version of the contract, just revised.” After saying that, she handed a copy to both Shen Zhibing and Qi Zheng.

Qi Zheng opened the contract and heard Yu Xinyan explain beside her: “Compared to the previous version, there are some additional supplementary notes, and a guaranteed follow-on investment commitment has been added.”

Following Yu Xinyan’s pointers, Qi Zheng finished reading all the revisions. She was a little surprised; these changes were basically all favorable to her.

Shen Zhibing met her gaze and nodded slightly: “Do your best to do what you want to do.”

Qi Zheng smiled faintly, pursing her lips, and took out a pen from her bag, ready to sign.

Shen Zhibing was visibly stunned when she saw the pen in Qi Zheng’s hand. She hadn’t expected Qi Zheng to be carrying the fountain pen she had given her.

Judging by the wear and tear, it seemed to have been used constantly, not just brought out specially for today.

“This pen…” Shen Zhibing muttered to herself, “I didn’t expect you to carry it all the time.”

Qi Zheng uncapped the pen, her thumb gliding over the kite pattern as she recalled the past, and she smiled lightly: “I told you, I like it very much.”

After a thought, she added: “I’ve signed quite a few contracts with it over the years. It’s a good luck charm.”

Shen Zhibing could see that she truly liked it and genuinely cherished it, and a trace of a real smile finally appeared on her face.

Once the contract was signed, Yu Xinyan let out a sigh of relief: “Now I won’t have to worry about being chased by those shareholders for projects at this year’s annual meeting.”

Shen Zhibing, however, pretended to be serious and reminded her: “I’m afraid this one project alone won’t satisfy them.”

“Don’t worry, we have two other projects in negotiation. But with Xiao Qi’s project, one is worth two. My performance target for this year is definitely covered.”

After saying that, she deliberately patted Qi Zheng’s shoulder, implying: “Work hard, your sisters are all rooting for you!”

Qi Zheng nodded with a smile: “I will work hard.”

After seeing Qi Zheng off, Yu Xinyan returned to the CEO’s office and saw Shen Zhibing staring out the window, her back looking a little lonely.

Puzzled, she asked, “I just heard Xiao Qi say she wanted to treat you to dinner. You don’t have plans tonight, do you? Why did you turn her down?”

Shen Zhibing didn’t turn around, her tone flat: “I have some emotions I haven’t processed yet. I’m afraid I won’t be able to control myself if I keep facing her.”

Yu Xinyan self-analyzed for a moment and suddenly smirked mischievously: “What kind of emotion? The kind where you’re so restless you want to pounce on her?”

Shen Zhibing helplessly turned her head and glared at her: “You should go wash your hair and scrub all those colorful cells out of your brain.”

Yu Xinyan walked over to her and defended herself: “Shampoo water won’t actually enter your brain. Besides, it’s perfectly normal to have thoughts when you’re facing someone you like.”

Shen Zhibing looked at her for a while and said faintly, “So, does Yun Fei know you’ve bought so many pets for your home?”

Yu Xinyan’s face immediately turned red, and she started to stammer: “Then… of course… she doesn’t know! Why would I let her know my secrets, ahhh!”

She was truly a theoretical powerhouse and an action dwarf. Shen Zhibing didn’t have the heart to criticize her further.

“You should make a move, or else a new version will come out.”

Qi Zheng failed to secure a date with Shen Zhibing and didn’t go back to find Zhuang Muqing. She didn’t know much about exhibitions and just wanted to avoid taking up anyone’s preparation time.

The next day, Zhuang Muqing called her again. Only then did Qi Zheng realize something was wrong. Since she couldn’t get any answers over the phone, she arranged to meet her at a restaurant near the workshop.

“A’Moon, are you under too much pressure and feeling anxious?”

After chatting for a while, Qi Zheng finally figured out what was wrong with Zhuang Muqing. Zhuang Muqing didn’t deny it: “There is indeed a little. Before, I was focused on creating and didn’t have time to deal with these things, but these past few days I’ve been handling the preparations, and the school keeps giving me many suggestions and requirements. For the first time, I feel exhausted.”

The Art University’s reputation in the country has soared in recent years. They have hired many famous international artists, and such a grand undertaking is naturally expected to yield results, so pressure is inevitable.

“You are absolutely fine. Just relax.”

Zhuang Muqing smiled, cut a small piece of steak, and slowly tasted it, squinting her eyes in happy contentment.

“Sometimes I really can’t adapt to those procedural regulations. They’re tedious and redundant and take up too much mental energy. After a while, I completely lose the desire and ability to create.”

Qi Zheng smiled without a word; she could understand Zhuang Muqing’s helplessness. She had also encountered some issues while handling various formalities recently, but she clearly had a higher tolerance for stress than the other woman.

“If you truly feel it’s affecting your creativity, you can communicate with the school. I believe they wouldn’t want to get their priorities wrong—hiring you at a high price but failing to provide the environment and conditions for creation.”

It was rare for Zhuang Muqing to be this downcast, and she only said these things in front of Qi Zheng. Normally in the workshop, facing her assistants and students, she was always bright and vibrant.

“Sigh, I just needed to vent to you. Thank you for being my trash can.” Zhuang Muqing raised her hand to signal the waiter for another dessert. “I’ll treat you to cake. We both need a bit of sweetness and shouldn’t be defeated by gloom.”

Shen Zhibing had also inquired about the exhibition progress and asked if she needed any help. Zhuang Muqing was very happy about her senior’s proactive inquiry: “Senior, you’re so busy, don’t let my matters distract you. I was quite annoyed before, but I’ve already vented to Qi Zheng, so I’m fine now.”

Shen Zhibing felt a little dispirited, but thankfully, her expression wasn’t visible over the phone: “Is that so… that’s good.”

“Senior, please be on time for the exhibition! I’m really looking forward to your arrival.”

Sensing Zhuang Muqing’s anticipation and excitement, Shen Zhibing didn’t want to spoil it and readily agreed. She was naturally a VIP, the kind whose name Zhuang Muqing personally handwrote on the invitation.

The exhibition was held on a weekend. The Art University had already done pre-event promotion, and many industry veterans were quite interested in Zhuang Muqing’s arrival to serve as a visiting professor in the country, so many people attended.

Lian Ao looked at Lin Muyun, who was still picking out clothes, showing a hint of impatience: “It’s getting late. How long are you going to take? If there’s a traffic jam later, we’ll be late.”

Lin Muyun was still unhurried. She held up the two outfits in her hands one after the other, comparing them. Looking at the person on the sofa who kept checking his watch through the mirror, she casually asked, “Which one looks better?”

“Whatever.”

“Could you stop being so perfunctory? If I look good, it reflects well on you.”

Lian Ao looked at her helplessly: “Both sets are similar. Just pick the one you like.”

Lin Muyun rolled her eyes twice and entered the dressing room.

They still hadn’t divorced because Elder Lian, after being admitted to the intensive care unit two years ago, was still struggling, hoping to spend a little more time in this world.

Moreover, when the elder was critically ill once, they were surprised to learn that a clause had been added to the property distribution: having a child not only meant receiving a larger share of assets but also affected the right of inheritance.

Lian Ao’s mind had somewhat changed. He had probed Lin Muyun’s stance a few times, but he didn’t dare to be forceful.

Lin Muyun sneered inwardly. An arranged marriage was one thing, but trying to trick her into having a child? No way! She was very clear that if she did have a child, she and Lian Ao would be inextricably linked forever. This was not something that could be resolved later with a simple divorce and asset division.

She wasn’t foolish enough to let herself fall into such a passive situation.

If it weren’t for love, what woman would be willing to give so much to have a child?

When they arrived at the venue, it was indeed almost time for the event to start. Lian Ao snorted lightly and whispered, “Luckily there was no traffic jam today, or it would have been truly embarrassing.”

Lin Muyun hooked her arm through his and, as usual when putting on a show, smiled and responded to the greetings of the people around them.

“What’s there to be afraid of? She’s not a bigshot. The nice way to put it is an artist; the nasty way is someone who sells products. If we were late, we could just buy two more pieces of work.”

Today’s exhibition, in addition to showcasing Zhuang Muqing’s representative works, would also feature an auction for some of the exhibits, with the proceeds going toward a newly established scholarship at the Art University.

Lian Ao no longer wanted to comment on Lin Muyun’s passion for buying. Their storage room was filled with a pile of things that had never even been unboxed. The housekeeper had asked several times what to do with them, and Lin Muyun would only say, “Just leave them for now.”

“No wonder you were so eager to rush me out today. So you had someone on your mind.” Lin Muyun spotted Shen Zhibing not far away. She was talking to Zhuang Muqing, with Yun Fei and Yu Xinyan standing nearby.

They had run into each other a few times at social events over the years, but Shen Zhibing seemed to deliberately ignore them, maintaining a fixed distance at all times, except for the unavoidable pleasantries.

Over the years, Lian Ao had been subtly coaxed by Lin Muyun into revealing many details from his past relationship with Shen Zhibing. He hadn’t expected the ally who was supposed to help him plot would instead constantly use these pieces of leverage to stab his sore spots, leaving him with a bitter taste he couldn’t express.

Lin Muyun hadn’t originally hated Shen Zhibing that much, but after learning that she had not only taken Qi Zheng but also constantly created difficulties for her, protecting Qi Zheng from the shadows and leaving Lin Muyun frustrated and unable to act, old and new grudges piled up, making her unwilling to let go.

She didn’t want to let them go. Whether it was Qi Zheng or Shen Zhibing, neither of them would escape.

She suddenly grew cold, but Lian Ao released her hand and went to talk to others.

Qi Zheng was casually chatting with Li Yunshan, her gaze occasionally falling on Shen Zhibing. Today, she was wearing a sapphire blue gown—not flashy but absolutely stunning—though she didn’t look very happy.

Yu Xinyan had wandered over to Qi Zheng at some point: “Xiao Qi, why don’t you go over there? It’s so boring here. Hurry up and go chat with them.”

“It looks like you guys are having a great conversation. I don’t want to interrupt.”

“Tsk, what’s all this about interrupting? It’s wrong for you not to go.” Yu Xinyan pulled and pushed, bringing Qi Zheng to where they were standing.

Seeing her approach, Zhuang Muqing’s smile deepened. She instinctively leaned over and put her arm on Qi Zheng’s: “Actually, Qi Zheng deserves a lot of credit for this successful exhibition. She recommended many good places to eat and stayed with me while I rushed to finish my work, completely accepting my garbage mood.”

After that, she looked at Qi Zheng and said, very happily and gratefully, “Thank you.”

Qi Zheng was already used to her enthusiastic and casual side, but the expressions of the other three subtly changed. Shen Zhibing silently took a sip of the wine in her hand and said nothing. Yun Fei shot a glance at Yu Xinyan, meaning it was all her fault for helping in the wrong way.

However, this made them somewhat understand why President Shen had been a bit unhappy lately.