Transmigrating Into the Beautiful CEO’s Doomed Substitute - Chapter 51

Qi Zheng confirmed she hadn’t misheard. CEO Shen looked relatively clear-headed, but her words sounded strange.

She delayed her answer, but Shen Zhibing wasn’t annoyed. She just repeated softly, “I just want someone to talk to.” She raised her eyes to look at Qi Zheng. “If you want to go back, I won’t force you to stay.”

Qi Zheng was someone who responded better to a gentle approach. She had noticed the improvement in CEO Shen’s attitude. These days, aside from work-related matters, Shen Zhibing had hardly made any demanding requests of her in their personal lives. Although they were still bound by that absurd contract, Shen Zhibing hadn’t forced her to fulfill it according to the originally agreed timeline.

“I’m afraid you won’t have enough energy tomorrow. You have a dinner engagement tomorrow night.”

Tomorrow morning involved listening to a meeting, the afternoon was a site visit to Huatian, and the evening was a return dinner hosted by Shen’s Group for the Huatian people. All in all, it would be even more exhausting than today.

“I’m used to it. Which business trip wasn’t like this?” Shen Zhibing was surprisingly relaxed and not worried about her condition tomorrow.

Seeing her composure, Qi Zheng had no choice but to agree: “Then let’s chat.”

Shen Zhibing was delighted. She went to the closet, took out two jackets, and handed one to Qi Zheng: “Put this on, and follow me.”

Could CEO Shen want to go out before dawn? But that wasn’t right; to go out, she’d need to change completely. Just a slightly thick jacket wouldn’t be enough.

Shen Zhibing urged, “Hurry up, come with me.”

Qi Zheng put on the jacket and followed Shen Zhibing through the luxurious suite until she pushed open the floor-to-ceiling glass door behind the curtains.

Though they lived right next door, the difference between the rooms was significant. CEO Shen’s suite had a curved balcony, unique with nothing above, below, or to the sides.

“CEO Shen, are you planning to chat while standing out here in the wind?”

Yongcheng was considered a northern city. Although it was only early autumn, the temperature wasn’t high right now. Qi Zheng pulled at the jacket she was wearing, thinking that CEO Shen’s mood was truly unique.

“There’s fresh, real air here, natural.” Shen Zhibing took a deep breath, seemingly fond of the idea.

She looked towards the indistinct distance, knowing Qi Zheng hadn’t left: “How do you feel about this business trip?”

“No particular feeling, I just dislike the drinking culture.”

Shen Zhibing understood: “Yongcheng’s drinking culture is notorious, especially for state-owned enterprises like Huatian. It’s an old tradition. Yongcheng is like a dividing line, representing the cultural differences between the north and the south. If you go further north, you’ll have to drink even more.”

Qi Zheng recalled similar occasions when she worked on projects before. However, the team members usually protected her, seeing that she was a young woman.

“Thank you for taking the drinks for me today, but in the future, don’t do it again.”

Qi Zheng looked at her calmly. CEO Shen’s attitude tonight was exceptionally gentle, and this ‘thank you’ made her feel a hint of sincerity.

“In that situation, you were at a disadvantage, and I had the ability, so naturally I would help. I’m not someone who likes to show off normally, CEO Shen, please rest assured.”

Shen Zhibing pursed her lips and smiled: “I’m telling you not to reveal yourself too early. I brought you on this trip because I want you to get familiar with how to interact with clients. As for drinking, unless absolutely necessary, don’t personally engage.”

With that, Shen Zhibing turned around, facing Qi Zheng, and earnestly warned: “Although gender shouldn’t be a barrier in the workplace, you must remember that at a drinking table, women are ultimately more likely to suffer a disadvantage.”

Qi Zheng lowered her eyes: “CEO Shen, aren’t you a woman too? Aren’t you afraid?”

“My status is there. Even if those people had intentions, they wouldn’t dare to act rashly, at most being impulsive with their words after drinking. But you are different; you are a Shen’s Group employee. I can protect you, but there are times I might overlook things. If you get hurt, it would be too late to pursue the matter.”

The way those two men from Huatian looked at Qi Zheng yesterday made Shen Zhibing uncomfortable even now. She had seen this kind of thing often at her social engagements, but this time, it particularly irritated her.

Qi Zheng thought for a moment and said jokingly, “I won’t let CEO Shen worry.”

“You won’t, but others will.” Shen Zhibing felt that Qi Zheng was still too young and tended to think these social engagements were too simple.

In fact, socializing was much more complicated than working. Eating and drinking at the dinner table seemed relaxed and harmonious, but in reality, there were undercurrents. They didn’t dare miss a single glance or subtle hint.

But for Qi Zheng to go further and stand on a bigger stage, she had to engage in these activities. Shen Zhibing personally brought her along, yet she worried about moments she couldn’t watch over.

Shen Zhibing was naturally displeased that others coveted Qi Zheng. Whether for business or personal reasons, Qi Zheng was, in a sense, hers. Regardless of her final thoughts on Qi Zheng, she couldn’t tolerate others coveting her.

With her characteristic stubbornness, Shen Zhibing seemed ready to wait until Qi Zheng agreed.

“CEO Shen, you must also protect yourself.” Although you are better than me, there are more people coveting you.

Qi Zheng suddenly changed the subject, startling Shen Zhibing.

After a while, she said somewhat unnaturally, “We were talking about your problem; how did it turn to me?”

Qi Zheng sighed softly. CEO Shen was, after all, strong-willed, but the potential dangers wouldn’t disappear. The greasy glances from those two ‘pig-headed’ men from Huatian had been constantly directed at them. Even knowing it was a necessary social engagement, Qi Zheng felt uncomfortable for Shen Zhibing.

If it weren’t for that, she wouldn’t have volunteered to take the drinks. Qi Zheng never liked to seek the limelight.

Shen Zhibing looked into the distance again. The sky was getting lighter, but the distance remained blurred. Her heart, however, inexplicably softened and was somewhat confused.

“Qi Zheng, would you mind talking to me about your relationship with her?”

Huh?

Shen Zhibing hesitated, then spoke: “I just want to know what you were like in the past.”

Aili’s investigation covered the publicly available information about Qi Zheng, which Shen Zhibing had already understood. But what was Qi Zheng like in love? How did she interact with Lin Muyun?

In fact, Shen Zhibing hadn’t become curious just tonight. This question had been on her mind for some time. She saw Qi Zheng as a role model, wanting to be as indifferent and unconstrained as her, but first, she wanted to know if Qi Zheng had also been as intoxicated, clueless, repeatedly conflicted, and unwilling to let go as she was in the past.

Seeing Shen Zhibing’s rare awkwardness, Qi Zheng actually felt like laughing. She knew what Shen Zhibing wanted to hear, but the original owner’s past with Lin Muyun was, after all, someone else’s privacy. Even with the memories, she didn’t want to casually tell anyone.

But her own story might not be worth hearing.

“It was just a wrong encounter, not worth mentioning.”

She sighed faintly, as if mentioning a past event that had long vanished in the stream of time, leaving no fragments behind. The more unconstrained she seemed, the more Shen Zhibing yearned for it. In her eyes, Qi Zheng could reach such a state in just a few months; she was practically a divine being.

The psychologist had said that Shen Zhibing’s emotional distress was quite severe. To thoroughly treat it, she couldn’t rush and shouldn’t set any short-term goals that must be achieved.

But she was still anxious, desperate to escape the vortex, fearing that if she sank any deeper, no one could save her. Lian Ao had left, and she was the only one left in this relationship. Shen Zhibing refused to be the one left behind, so she had to hold her head high to maintain her last bit of pride and dignity.

“I’ve also made mistakes, and kept repeating them, stubbornly clinging on.” Shen Zhibing rarely brought up this relationship with Qi Zheng. She needed to confide, which was also the advice given by the psychologist.

Qi Zheng didn’t interrupt, continuing to listen as Shen Zhibing spoke: “I thought that was the most sincere emotion I would ever have in this lifetime, so I used all my energy and focus to manage and maintain it. Even though I knew there would be no result, I still refused to let go.”

Shen Zhibing had never imagined that she would one day say these words aloud to someone else. She turned and glanced at Qi Zheng, then looked away: “Am I especially foolish?”

Qi Zheng smiled bitterly. She stood beside Shen Zhibing, looking in the same direction as her: “Not foolish, just overly serious.”

Shen Zhibing trembled slightly. Qi Zheng’s words provided a rare sense of affirmation for her, who had been consistently denying herself.

“Don’t you hate her? She made you suffer so much, then she just turned around and went off to enjoy herself.” Shen Zhibing revealed all the dark, hidden corners of her heart that she was unwilling to show to others.

“I hated her, and I was extremely angry. I wished I could go up and slap her a few times, and also wanted to hit myself a few times.” Qi Zheng recalled those indescribable yet chaotic days, which she now mentioned so lightly.

She paused, then sighed deliberately with a sense of helplessness: “But after all the trouble, I realized, it was all pointless.” (然并卵 – a Chinese internet slang term, literally ‘but with an egg’, meaning ‘but it’s useless’ or ‘it made no difference’).

Shen Zhibing listened intently. When she heard the last sentence, ‘it was all pointless,’ she tilted her head, paused, and actually laughed.

“I really envy you for being like this. I hope I can be like you too.”

Qi Zheng thought about the original book’s ending, where Shen Zhibing was deceived and played by Lian Ao, eventually having an emotional breakdown and going completely insane for love, making her unable to bear it.

“CEO Shen, it’s never too late to wake up. Don’t let the wrong person hurt your heart.”

For some reason, hearing Qi Zheng’s few words tonight made her feel more comfortable and reassured than hearing Aili say countless times that Lin Muyun and Qi Zheng had limited contact.

Shen Zhibing then told her more about her past with Lian Ao, never mentioning his name. Qi Zheng also didn’t ask, as if she had no curiosity about the other protagonist.

Later, the two sat down on the hanging chair on the balcony. Shen Zhibing sat with her legs bent, and Qi Zheng was responsible for pushing off the ground, swinging them slowly.

The sky was about to dawn, but Shen Zhibing was feeling a bit sleepy.

“Do you want to take a nap?”

Shen Zhibing had spoken about a lot of things weighing on her heart and immediately felt lighter, indeed a little tired.

“Just for a little while.”

She closed her eyes, seemingly intending to rest right there. Qi Zheng felt that CEO Shen was truly a bit masochistic.

But she didn’t disturb her, watching the rising sun in the distance. The light hadn’t reached them yet, but it was full of hope.

After a while, a weight suddenly settled on her shoulder. Qi Zheng glanced sideways and saw Shen Zhibing leaning against her, seemingly asleep.

Qi Zheng didn’t move, letting Shen Zhibing lean on her, and teased in a voice only she could hear: “You have a perfectly good bed but insist on sleeping on my bony shoulder. You really don’t know how to enjoy yourself.”

Shen Zhibing didn’t sleep for too long, but she felt much better when she woke up. Seeing Qi Zheng shaking her arm, she paused: “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“It’s rare that you’d be willing to sleep. If I woke you up, you’d probably bite me again.”

In Qi Zheng’s subconscious, CEO Shen would bite when displeased. She had already been bitten twice. Compared to that, having her shoulder pressed didn’t count as much of an ordeal, as Shen Zhibing wasn’t heavy.

“Don’t make me sound like a demon from TV.” Shen Zhibing hesitated, then took the initiative to massage Qi Zheng’s shoulder a few times.

Qi Zheng was startled, quickly moved away, and looked at her in shock.