Transmigrating Into the Beautiful CEO’s Doomed Substitute - Chapter 67

Qi Zheng changed a bit after that day. At the company, she was the same as before—focused and serious. But at home, she began to become proactive and enthusiastic. Aunt Xin and Uncle Yu clearly noticed the difference.

Aunt Xin’s impression of Qi Zheng was already very good, and she privately hoped she and Shen Zhibing could get along well, but she still felt Miss Qi was a bit distant.

Qi Zheng’s distance lay in the fact that she always wrapped herself in an invisible film, subtly isolating herself from her surroundings. Aunt Xin felt that even though they lived under the same roof, Miss Qi’s sense of distance had never disappeared.

These days, Shen Zhibing’s frequency of coming to the villa slowly returned to before. She often arrived home half an hour later than Qi Zheng, and then they would eat dinner together. After dinner, they mostly discussed work or chatted about current affairs. Sometimes, Shen Zhibing would even sit in the living room with her to watch TV.

They both liked watching documentary films; global exploration or archaeological excavation were both good choices. Qi Zheng became more and more relaxed, and her sensitivity also greatly increased.

For example, Shen Zhibing would often look at her inadvertently, sometimes even stealing extra glances when she wasn’t paying attention. Sometimes, CEO Shen would speak very close to her, the heat and fragrance emanating from her making Qi Zheng a bit uneasy.

Qi Zheng couldn’t determine if she was overthinking things or if Shen Zhibing was doing this deliberately. Considering CEO Shen’s consistent cold arrogance, Qi Zheng leaned toward the possibility that she herself had impure thoughts.

Putting aside their initial twisted relationship, Shen Zhibing indeed fit Qi Zheng’s aesthetic. Her beauty was clean, crisp, and flawless—simply an emphatic kind of beautiful.

The lines of her profile were smooth and fluid, her eyes bright, and her gaze insightful, not merely superficially attractive features. Shen Zhibing’s beauty was three-dimensional, whether it was her face or her figure, coupled with that temperament and experience, and her wealth with an uncountable number of zeros.

Qi Zheng smiled as she thought, someone like Shen Zhibing naturally didn’t lack admirers. In the past, her obsession with Lian Ao made her blind to others around her. Now that she was clear-headed, she would naturally have more and better choices.

She couldn’t exactly pinpoint the feeling, finally concluding that she was in contact with a great beauty too much and couldn’t help but hope Shen Zhibing could have a good destination. A clear-headed, no longer blind CEO Shen was actually quite good. Qi Zheng was very happy to see her slowly getting better.

Shen Zhibing was genuinely improving, something Qi Zheng could feel from their daily interactions. Because she herself had struggled out of the mire of a broken relationship, she could easily distinguish whether Shen Zhibing was truly relieved or merely pretending to be clear-headed.

*

Yun Fei gave Qi Zheng two hours off this afternoon: “The interview is tomorrow, good luck.”

Qi Zheng didn’t really want to leave: “Secretary Yun, you didn’t do this for the first two rounds of interviews, there’s no need for special treatment this time, right?”

“The result will be announced immediately after tomorrow’s interview. I hope you can face it in the best possible state. Of course, I’m very confident in your selection, but I hope your preparation can be more thorough.”

Qi Zheng was quite touched. Work hadn’t been light recently. Near the end of the year, data from various branch companies needed to be compiled and analyzed. Various business departments at the headquarters also loved to put good-looking data first, mostly reporting good news and hiding bad.

The difficulty of the first two interviews was not low. Fortunately, Qi Zheng had prepared thoroughly beforehand and was not stumped, but it also made her realize the capability of her competitors. These were mostly business experts drawn from various departments, generally young but with great future potential.

No one could be underestimated, and the final results would only be announced after all three rounds of interviews were completed. No one was eliminated in the first two rounds.

The number of people who started was still the number of people now, and the pressure fully rested on each candidate.

“Alright, I’m your leader. If I say you can go back, you can go back. Cherish this interview opportunity.”

Under Yun Fei’s gentle persuasion, Qi Zheng’s mind was swayed, and she grabbed her bag and left.

Shen Zhibing returned after her meeting and saw the empty seat. She casually asked Yun Fei, “Has she already gone back?”

Yun Fei nodded: “Yes, as you instructed, I let her leave early to prepare.”

Shen Zhibing hadn’t revealed anything about the interview content, but she did harbor a little self-interest. She could see that Qi Zheng had put a lot of effort into preparing for this selection and also saw her progress from her first two rounds of interviews.

However, in the final stage of the last round of interviews, Qi Zheng had an obvious weakness, which was her unfamiliarity with leading a team.

This was indeed difficult for Qi Zheng. As a new employee who graduated less than half a year ago, testing her leadership skills was indeed somewhat unfair. But the purpose of forming this small group was to create a force to contend with her second uncle in the shortest possible time. Every selected person must, of course, do what others cannot.

Shen Zhibing naturally hoped Qi Zheng would be selected, so she wanted to give her a little more time to prepare. She believed that with Qi Zheng’s comprehension and intelligence, she should know how to identify and address shortcomings.

But the difficulty of the interview would not change just because she wanted to choose Qi Zheng.

Qi Zheng did not disappoint Shen Zhibing. In the third round of the interview, her performance was outstanding, even better than the previous two times. There was still an assessment of leadership skills. This time, Qi Zheng was well-prepared and frankly stated that she lacked practical experience and could only discuss theoretical insights.

The interviewers were not just Shen Zhibing. They also included relevant department heads she relied on, including Yu Xinyan.

This Director Yu’s frequency of visiting the secretarial office was relatively high compared to other leaders of the same level, and each time she looked at Qi Zheng with a different gaze than others. She only became more reserved after being reminded by Yun Fei.

Qi Zheng wore a dark blue fitted blazer, standing in front of a large screen, talking about her understanding of data analysis and the practical application of data in business negotiations. She then listed several real cases, all from Shen’s past transactions.

Yu Xinyan leaned in and whispered to Shen Zhibing, “Sufficient data, looks like she put in a lot of effort.”

Shen Zhibing remained focused, only moving the corner of her lips: “To be selected, this is mandatory.”

She was very satisfied with Qi Zheng’s performance this time.

After a brief discussion, Yu Xinyan announced the list of selected candidates on behalf of Shen Zhibing. To Qi Zheng’s surprise, very few people were actually eliminated. It was then that she suddenly realized that CEO Shen had already chosen the people.

The so-called three rounds of interviews were merely to re-verify if they met the job requirements. She had previously thought it was a one-in-ten selection process.

She successfully entered the special team and got the analysis position she was good at. But Shen Zhibing told her that new personnel would join soon, and she would then start managing a team.

“You don’t need to worry about the secretarial office work. I have already instructed Yun Fei to borrow people from HR to help you.”

Qi Zheng felt CEO Shen was indeed very good and thoughtful. Perhaps because she herself was someone who got things done, she knew a horse needed to eat grass to run well. She also recalled Jiang Youyou’s complaints about being constantly overworked by her manager, saying she would be completely drained even if she were a peanut.

If they were to add people later, Qi Zheng wondered if Jiang Youyou would have a chance. Qi Zheng silently kept this in mind, waiting for the right opportunity.

*

Yongfeng’s behind-the-scenes boss flew in from the US and invited Shen Zhibing to meet again in Hong Kong. This time, he clearly stated that he wanted to discuss concrete cooperation. He felt the previous proposal from Shen’s was worth considering, but specific details still needed to be negotiated.

The bundled price of these assets was not low, and they were of uneven quality. Shen Zhibing naturally wanted to negotiate a good price to maximize cost-effectiveness.

She still brought Yun Fei and Qi Zheng, and this time, Yu Xinyan was also added. Last time, Qi Zheng was unable to meet the Yongfeng boss due to illness, and she actually felt a small knot in her heart. This time, she thought she absolutely couldn’t have an issue again, and quietly prepared a cold remedy tea.

The winter in Haicheng was damp and cold, while winter in Hong Kong was much warmer. After getting off the plane, Qi Zheng didn’t dare to easily take off her coat, which made Yu Xinyan laugh and call her conservative.

“Director Yu, this has nothing to do with conservatism, I call this prudence.”

“Little Qi, relax a little. From the moment we set off until now, you’ve been the most nervous.”

Qi Zheng’s nervousness showed in her extreme focus on the matter, considering all details as much as possible, making her appear a bit wordy.

Shen Zhibing ignored their debate, whispering instructions to Yun Fei about relevant matters.

The next day, their first meeting with the other party went smoothly. Both sides expressed great sincerity and expectations for cooperation, but the price difference was relatively large.

Yu Xinyan and Yun Fei went to the Hong Kong branch to retrieve related documents. Shen Zhibing and Qi Zheng returned to the hotel first. The meeting location was not far from the hotel, and they chose to walk instead of taking a car.

Qi Zheng walked while discussing several key points from the negotiation with Shen Zhibing: “I think we can make a breakthrough with those few bad assets. After all, they are dragging things down, and selling them separately is definitely impossible.”

Shen Zhibing thought the same, but she had heard from Director Le that this boss’s temper was a bit eccentric and he didn’t like people saying bad things about his assets.

A gust of wind blew from the front, and before Qi Zheng could clearly see, she was bumped into. She looked down and saw takeout food spilled all over her.

The person apologized profusely, saying they were rushing and didn’t look, compensated a little money, and then started playing for sympathy. Shen Zhibing, because she went to steady Qi Zheng, also got some on her clothes, though less than Qi Zheng.

Too lazy to argue, they chose to quickly return to the hotel to shower and change clothes. After showering, Qi Zheng did not wear a professional suit but chose a relatively loose casual shirt to wait for Shen Zhibing in her room.

Shen Zhibing didn’t have much stain on her clothes, but her hair was dirty. She specifically washed her hair and came out after it was half-dry.

She casually chose a white shirt, also a casual style, which completely hid her graceful curves. But when she turned sideways to wipe her hair, that gently swaying posture made Qi Zheng’s breathing a little uneven.

They discussed for a long time, and Qi Zheng was a bit sleepy, leaning on the sofa and resting her eyes. Shen Zhibing finished reading the last page, turned her head, and saw the person who had already leaned her head and fallen asleep.

This afternoon, Qi Zheng’s shirt had already made her heart restless for a long time. Ever since listening to her sing that day, Cheng Quan (Fulfill/Complete) had been downloaded to her phone. Shen Zhibing often recalled Qi Zheng on the stage that day, a Qi Zheng who seemed to be instantly infused with soul, stirring a slight itch in her heart.

She approached her like before, kissing that captivating lip.

But just after she pressed against it, the owner of the lips opened her eyes.

Their eyes met, the distance extremely close, so close that their eyelashes were almost touching.

Qi Zheng’s previous vague suspicion was finally confirmed. It really was Shen Zhibing kissing her.

Shen Zhibing had secretly kissed her a few times during her work breaks, but the time was very short, seemingly only to satisfy a momentary craving. But when Qi Zheng woke up and touched her lips, she increasingly felt it wasn’t a dream.

The feeling in a dream wouldn’t be this real, and it carried the same temperature and fragrance.

Qi Zheng stared steadily at her. Shen Zhibing didn’t flee, still pressing her lips against hers.

Seeing that Qi Zheng didn’t push her away, a thought stirred in her mind, and she intensified the pressure, leaning forward. Besides their lips, her whole body was practically pressed against her.

Qi Zheng’s breathing noticeably became erratic, and the soft body in her arms gradually warmed up. She knew she should push Shen Zhibing away, but the touch between their lips made her indulge in the moment.

CEO Shen’s kissing technique was still not very good, but it was much gentler and more respectful than on the mountaintop. She carefully approached, licking inch by inch, moistening her entire lip before slowly venturing inward.

Qi Zheng tilted slightly to the side, asking in a husky voice, “CEO Shen, do you know what you’re doing?”

“I know,” Shen Zhibing answered very directly. She smiled shallowly, holding Qi Zheng’s lower lip, and slightly opened a gap: “And you, are you willing to experience it with me?”

Qi Zheng’s hand, which was hanging on the sofa, slowly lifted, wrapping around that soft waist and pulling closer to Shen Zhibing: “CEO Shen’s kissing technique isn’t very good.”

After saying that, she took the initiative, pushing back that naughty little thing, and then followed the path Shen Zhibing had just taken, doing the same to her.