Transmigrating Into the Beautiful CEO’s Doomed Substitute - Chapter 58

When Jiang Youyou knew Qi Zheng was sick, she asked about her condition whenever she had a moment of free work time, which made Qi Zheng smile wryly: “Why are you more worried about my illness than the doctor?”

Jiang Youyou didn’t joke with her. Her tone was serious and a little sympathetic: “You ran all that way alone, and no one is taking care of you. You have to keep working even when you are sick. As your old classmate and roommate, isn’t this normal for me?”

Qi Zheng rubbed her nose with a tissue, suddenly feeling a little touched. Sick people are indeed prone to being sentimental.

“President Shen gave me time off. I’m not working. I came back to lie down after seeing the doctor.”

“Really gave you time off? Don’t just say it, and then ask for this document one moment and that file the next, and still say you hope I can understand.”

“Haha, Youyou, how much torture have you suffered at the firm? How come this routine is so familiar?”

Jiang Youyou pouted: “You are not as lucky as me to have a generous boss.”

That was true. Shen Zhibing was indeed not a stingy person. Except for her love life, there was nothing to fault her for.

Qi Zheng recalled how President Shen had comforted her just now. Although serious, she seemed quite sincere, much better than her initial perpetually cold face.

Qi Zheng sighed. Sure enough, leaving the scumbag and getting rid of the wrong relationship made life brighter.

The two were still chatting when the doorbell suddenly rang. Qi Zheng took the phone and walked behind the door, seeing a waiter.

The door opened, and the person politely spoke in English, saying that this was food for her.

Qi Zheng was confused and took it. The packaging didn’t look like it was from the hotel restaurant, but more like someone had ordered takeout from a Chinese restaurant for her.

It was warm, and she was slow to operate with one hand. Jiang Youyou on the other end of the phone was also intrigued and insisted on waiting until the answer was revealed before hanging up.

Qi Zheng opened the packaging, lifted the lid, and was stunned herself.

“What good stuff is it?” Jiang Youyou was more anxious than her.

“Small wontons.”

“What did you say?”

“Small wontons.”

Jiang Youyou was momentarily speechless: “Qi Zheng, you’re not serious. You’re in the US, and you’re still eating small wontons? Why don’t you order a scallion pancake while you’re at it?”

“When I’m sick, I especially miss the taste of home. What can I do?”

“That’s true. But I heard the Chinese food over there in the US is really… You’d better not have too much hope, in case you only want to eat the wrappers later.”

Qi Zheng smiled without speaking. These small wontons looked good and didn’t smell greasy or nauseating. They were even more tempting than what some small shops in Haicheng sold.

“Alright, alright, I won’t interrupt your meal. Remember to send me a photo so I can see what’s different about American small wontons.”

Qi Zheng hung up the phone and sent Jiang Youyou two photos, one full view and one close-up, which received three exclamation points and the words “I want to eat.”

Qi Zheng put one in her mouth and instantly widened her eyes, which were filled with bright surprise. This was many times better than she had expected. Not only that, but it was also the original taste from the past that she had searched for unsuccessfully in Haicheng in recent years.

It was the original purely hand-made taste that is hard to find now, a satisfaction where the heat and fragrance burst forth as soon as it was in her mouth. Qi Zheng felt that eating this bowl of small wontons had made her at least half better.

A scallion pancake would have been even better, but Qi Zheng felt she wasn’t quite up to it yet because the thought of the oiliness made her stomach feel slightly uneasy. It seemed this illness was more severe than the last, especially with the terrible jet lag.

Qi Zheng’s sleep quality was not good. She would wake up several times in the middle of the night, so she simply got up to read files, always feeling like the work would become unfamiliar if she didn’t look at it for a day. Some data needed daily updates, but Shen Zhibing and Yun Fei both wouldn’t let her interfere, insisting she focus on recovery.

She was clearly on a business trip with her boss, so how did it turn into her resting while the boss and her supervisor worked?

But it wasn’t a good time to disturb others. Qi Zheng opened a website to find a movie and also studied the packaging of today’s small wontons. She took a photo of the packaging, compared it online, and found out it was a well-known local Chinese restaurant.

It wasn’t close, and the key was that the restaurant’s menu didn’t include small wontons. Was it only available for dine-in? Qi Zheng was very happy with what she ate today, but she was still a little greedy and wanted to eat it again.

She saved the restaurant to her bookmarks, planning to go there herself when she felt better in a couple of days. However, by early morning, her condition changed again.

This time, she not only had a cold but also started to run a fever, which made her feel very uncomfortable.

For someone who doesn’t often get sick, the torment is definitely intense once they do. Qi Zheng held out until seven o’clock before calling Yun Fei, and soon both Shen Zhibing and Yun Fei arrived.

Seeing her state, Shen Zhibing’s face darkened, looking as if she wanted to erupt but was strongly restraining herself.

It was Yun Fei who spoke first to ease the atmosphere: “Xiao Qi, if you feel unwell in the future, tell me immediately. Don’t worry about the time. You are alone in the room, and if something serious happens, it can be very dangerous.”

Qi Zheng forced a smile and explained, “It’s just a fever. I can handle it. If it were some other acute strange disease, I definitely wouldn’t delay.”

Shen Zhibing still had a dark expression. Behind her was a middle-aged doctor with a Chinese face.

“Hello, Miss Qi, I’m a doctor, you can call me Paul. Now, please let me perform a basic examination for you.”

His Chinese was a little awkward, but at least understandable.

Qi Zheng was cooperative, as the feeling of being sick was unpleasant. After the examination, the doctor stood up and smiled at Qi Zheng: “Don’t worry, the problem is not serious. It’s just that the initial fatigue led to a weakened immune system, coupled with jet lag and changes in diet. With good rest, you will recover.”

The doctor’s words were similar. This was not a major illness, and it indeed required time to gradually get better. But what Qi Zheng felt was most luxurious right now was time.

Shen Zhibing asked Yun Fei to see the doctor out, while she remained standing there.

Qi Zheng sensed her displeasure and twitched her lips: “President Shen, I will try my best to make up for the lost time and work.”

“How do you plan to make up for it?”

Qi Zheng thought for a moment and said, “I will have a period of clarity after the medication wears off. I can use that time to…”

Shen Zhibing grew even more displeased: “How many times do I have to emphasize for you to rest assuredly? The company won’t fall apart because you’re gone for one or two days, but if your body lacks one or two days of rest and recuperation, the problem will be significant.”

Qi Zheng moved her lips but said nothing.

“Qi Zheng, I hope you can distinguish between primary and secondary importance. When I tell you to rest, then rest assured. Don’t worry about work for now.”

President Shen was unhappy. Even though she was sick, Qi Zheng didn’t want to clash with her and agreed while leaning against the headboard.

After Shen Zhibing left, Yun Fei came over again. Compared to President Shen’s stern demeanor, Yun Fei was gentler and more graceful.

“President Shen told you to rest, so just rest assuredly. All expenses and allowances for the business trip will not be affected. If there is anything you want to eat or anything you need, you can tell me. Don’t worry about the cost.”

Qi Zheng was a bit embarrassed. On a business trip with them, she should have been the one running these errands, but instead, she was unfamiliar with the environment and her body was uncooperative.

“Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. President Shen brought you this time mainly to give you more opportunities to experience the overseas market, not to have you relentlessly analyze data.”

After hearing this, the urgency in Qi Zheng’s heart indeed eased. But she didn’t secretly rejoice because that was her job.

“Do you still want to eat small wontons?” Yun Fei asked the last question before leaving.

“So, Secretary Yun, you bought them for me. I thought it was…”

Yun Fei smiled: “President Shen asked someone to make them for you. If you still want to eat, I’ll call them to send some over later.”

Qi Zheng was a little tempted. When sick, she didn’t really want to eat anything. But the taste of the small wontons seemed like a kind of spiritual strength, attracting her.

Seeing her hesitate, Yun Fei understood and smiled, “You sleep for a while. I’ll have them delivered later. Since they have to be made fresh, it won’t be that fast. Rest assured.”

They were actually freshly made. Qi Zheng felt that President Shen’s words carried great weight.

She drifted in and out of sleep, unaware that someone else had entered the room. Fearing she might push herself again, both Shen Zhibing and Yun Fei had a spare room card for her. Qi Zheng didn’t object, just thinking they were so busy they wouldn’t idly wander into her room.

Shen Zhibing received a call from Lian Ao, who told her he was also in the US and nearby.

This time, Lian Ao called her office phone. Shen Zhibing was not one to mix business and private life. Since the other party said he had business to discuss, meeting him was acceptable.

However, before leaving, Shen Zhibing was uncontrollably drawn to see Qi Zheng.

She appreciated Qi Zheng’s work ability and attitude, but she was also exasperated by this person constantly keeping secrets. Seeing her weak state, Shen Zhibing couldn’t pinpoint the reason for her frustration.

Perhaps, it was frustration that this young person didn’t understand the severity, or perhaps frustration that she never told her the truth.

Shen Zhibing moved closer, looking at Qi Zheng in her deep sleep, and found that the thought in her heart resurfaced.

In the past few days that Qi Zheng had been sick, Shen Zhibing hadn’t deliberately thought about anything. But whenever she got close, she could feel a calling from deep within her body, restless and increasingly obvious.

Shen Zhibing gently touched the lips she loved so much. The heat was still there, carrying a burning sensation, which made her heart flutter even more than the previous normal temperature state.

She couldn’t help but increase the pressure, wanting this heat, higher than body temperature, to burn away her confused heart. Shen Zhibing intended to only kiss her once, but once she touched them, she couldn’t bear to leave. She lingered, repeating the action several times.

Finally, a simple kiss was no longer enough to satisfy her. She wanted to more carefully trace Qi Zheng’s lip line. Shen Zhibing thought this and did it, cautiously yet without hesitation.

Lost in this tenderness, Shen Zhibing’s mind conjured up the image of Qi Zheng speaking normally. She even started to fantasize about what it would be like for Qi Zheng to interact with her. What if, when she kissed Qi Zheng, Qi Zheng also kissed her?

Time seemed non-existent in this moment of affection until Shen Zhibing’s phone rang.

The ringing startled Qi Zheng, who frowned as if waking up. Shen Zhibing quickly got up and answered the phone: “What is it?”

Her husky voice held both satisfaction and displeasure, which felt unfamiliar even to Lian Ao, who considered himself very familiar with Shen Zhibing.

“I just wanted to remind you that there are five minutes left until our scheduled time.”

In the past, Shen Zhibing would always arrive ten minutes early.

She hadn’t realized that time had passed so quickly. Shen Zhibing wasn’t too bothered about being late. After all, today’s meeting was dispensable to her.

“I ran into a sudden situation that needs to be handled. Wait for me for a moment.”

Hanging up the phone, Shen Zhibing took a tissue from her bag and wiped off all the residual lipstick from Qi Zheng’s lips. This time, the person who was truly about to wake up stirred.

Qi Zheng groggily woke up and heard the sound of the door closing, thinking it was her imagination, but a scent drifted in the room—perfume, and the aroma of food.

She turned over and got out of bed. The perfume scent near her bed gradually faded, while the food placed on the table was intensely fragrant.

She smiled when she saw it; it was the small wontons she had eaten yesterday.

So, someone had just come to deliver food for her, but why did Secretary Yun’s perfume scent seem so much like President Shen’s?

Qi Zheng thought it must be because she was sick, and her sense of smell was not very sensitive, possibly mixing up the smells.

*

Shen Zhibing arrived at the location Lian Ao had mentioned, an executive suite in a five-star hotel, which was indeed close to where she was staying.

Since the engagement party, the two hadn’t met privately. When Lian Ao saw Shen Zhibing arrive, he walked over to greet her. Before he could reach out to hug her as he used to, he saw Shen Zhibing take a few steps back.

He gave a bitter and awkward smile: “Xiao Bing, even if our relationship is over, a Western customary embrace should be fine. Why are you avoiding me like the plague?”

Shen Zhibing walked around him, ignoring the topic.

“I only agreed to meet because you said you had business to discuss. If you only want to discuss Western social etiquette with me, then I’m afraid I’ll have to excuse myself.”

She maintained her cold and resistant attitude, but Lian Ao was not as composed as the previous times. He was increasingly unable to fathom Shen Zhibing’s thoughts, even feeling that she had pushed him very far away.

Only now did Lian Ao realize how precious Shen Zhibing’s tenderness towards him had been.

“I know you’re here to meet with Yongfeng’s boss. I’m here for the same reason.”

Lian Ao went straight to the point. Shen Zhibing frowned, wondering how the news had leaked.

“This deal is tempting, but the risk is also significant. I think if we can join forces, it might be a good option.”

Shen Zhibing turned around and looked at him: “I made it very clear before that our two families have no chance of cooperating again. Have you forgotten?”

“I haven’t forgotten, which is why I came secretly this time and didn’t notify the board of directors.” He took a small step forward, maintaining an appropriate distance, “I established a new company with my own money, so it has nothing to do with Shiqun.”

Shen Zhibing knew that Lian Ao had always wanted to secure the right to inherit Shiqun. His current move looked like he was establishing his own independent venture.

“Is it your own money, or yours and Lin Muyun’s money?”

Shen Zhibing had no intention of cooperating, but it didn’t stop her from inquiring about the movements in the business world. Lian Ao was delighted to see her being so particular.

“It’s one hundred percent my own money. Lin Muyun and I are purely putting on a show for both families. There are no feelings involved, and there will be no financial overlap.”

Shen Zhibing sneered: “Is that so? You two looked very fond of each other on the day of the engagement. It seems I underestimated your acting skills.”

Slowly detaching herself from the past, Shen Zhibing gradually saw the self who was once immersed. Now, looking at the matter between Lian Ao and Lin Muyun from a different perspective, she couldn’t help but think that perhaps Lian Ao’s affection for her was also an act.

How pathetic. After so many years of steadfastness, she, too, inevitably became a piece of drifting wood in his gentle ocean.