Transmigrating Into the Beautiful CEO’s Doomed Substitute - Chapter 84

Qi Zheng began an extremely busy life of preparing for exams. As the Lunar New Year approached, everyone was busy, and she felt bad about offloading too much work. But Yun Fei consciously took her situation into consideration and generally avoided arranging overtime for her.

The others in the Secretary’s Office also supported Qi Zheng; she was the only one who could leave on time every day after work. Sometimes, even General Manager Shen was still working overtime, yet Qi Zheng still clocked out punctually.

Yun Fei brought the newly delivered dinner into the office. They were working overtime tonight, and everyone in the CEO’s office, except Qi Zheng, was present.

“How is her exam preparation going lately?”

“She hasn’t said much, but I think she’ll be fine.”

Shen Zhibing wasn’t overly concerned with the details; if she could pass, that would be good enough.

“I called my mentor last week and also consulted Anna. This year, B University has lowered the hard background requirement and increased the weight of the interview.”

“Then Xiao Qi should be fine, she’s already seen quite a few big occasions.”

Yun Fei was very clear about the capabilities of her subordinates. She was very optimistic about Qi Zheng’s potential and ability.

“This child is more composed than when she first arrived, and a little more outgoing too. What she lacks is opportunity and practice; she really should seize this chance.”

Shen Zhibing shared the same view. Initially, she just wanted Qi Zheng to go to school to avoid trouble and get a degree along the way. But seeing Qi Zheng work so hard and set her sights firmly on B University, Shen Zhibing felt instead that Qi Zheng was meant to pursue further studies, and avoiding trouble had become secondary.

Yun Fei said with a mix of confusion and relief: “Before, when I told her to go to school, she was reluctant and kept dragging her feet. I never thought she’d suddenly come around, and now she’s actively taking the initiative to work hard. I can really relate to those parents’ feelings now.”

Which parent wouldn’t clasp their hands together and say Amen when they have a child who actively loves learning and strives for progress?

Shen Zhibing also felt that provoking Qi Zheng had instead stimulated her fighting spirit. Although after that night, they had almost no private interaction. Firstly, she was genuinely busy before the Lunar New Year with continuous socializing, banquets, and networking. Secondly, she also hoped Qi Zheng could focus on her exams.

Shen Zhibing had initially thought Qi Zheng would at least cry or make a fuss for a while, but apart from speaking less than before, Qi Zheng hadn’t changed much. Outside of work hours, she poured all her energy into exam preparation.

Shen Zhibing instructed Auntie Xin to tell the kitchen to prepare brain-boosting and nourishing food for Qi Zheng and to pay more attention to her physical condition. Shen Zhibing hadn’t forgotten the last time Qi Zheng had quietly been sick for several days.

She got so sick on the business trip to the United States; if she actually went to study, Shen Zhibing wondered if she would be dizzy for a whole week. Shen Zhibing’s thoughts drifted, and she didn’t even notice the person who had walked up to her had been standing there for a few minutes.

“General Manager Shen, what are you thinking about, so focused.”

Shen Zhibing saw a face that was once familiar, but whom she hadn’t seen for several years.

She smiled and asked, “David, when did you come to Hai City?”

“I was transferred to the China region a month ago.”

David was Shen Zhibing’s classmate from her time at B University, one of the few male classmates with whom she had a decent relationship. Probably because David only ever had admiration for her and no further intentions, their relationship had remained stable.

“My apologies, I haven’t been keeping up with alumni news lately.”

“It’s alright, you might see more of me in the future.”

David had always worked in banking and finance, and he himself came from a banking family in the United States.

“Then if Shen Group has any financing needs in the future, my old classmate, you must give us extra consideration.”

David was very fond of Chinese culture and had married a Chinese wife, who was also a classmate from their class. Although he had a foreign face, he was quite knowledgeable about Chinese language, etiquette, and culture.

The chance encounter with David finally made tonight’s cocktail party less boring. Towards the end, Shen Zhibing turned the conversation to B University and asked David, “Are your acquaintances at B University still there?”

“Why, do you have a friend who wants to go? You could just write a letter of recommendation under the name of an outstanding alumnus; the professors remember you as an honor graduate.”

David’s grades weren’t bad, but in front of a top student like Shen Zhibing, he could barely keep up, and only just. Catching up or surpassing her was impossible.

Shen Zhibing had already written a new letter of recommendation and had also asked a foreign friend who was familiar with the B University Business School for the latest information. But seeing David, she couldn’t help but want to learn more.

David explained what he knew, which was similar to what Shen Zhibing had already grasped.

“Taking this so seriously, is your boyfriend going to study there?”

Shen Zhibing never lacked admirers. David hadn’t seen her fancy anyone, but he could roughly guess from her preferences that she likely favored older, more stable men.

Logically, someone going for an MBA at this age should have about five years of work experience, which would put them around Shen Zhibing’s age.

Shen Zhibing sipped her champagne before speaking faintly: “It’s a friend.”

David had never seen Shen Zhibing care so much about a friend, to the point of actively asking about application-stage details.

On the way home, she happened to receive the latest interview reference materials from her American friend. Shen Zhibing hesitated for a moment, then told the driver, “Go to the suburban villa.”

Qi Zheng finished her late-night snack, took a short break to relax, and prepared to do another set of reading practice. She had already brushed up on her English for the CFA exam and her business trip to the United States. Coupled with her decent foundation, she found the practice increasingly easy after becoming familiar with the test patterns.

But she didn’t dare to slack off. After all, the application and test scores were due in April, and the time left for her was limited. She had left herself no so-called retreat, not even considering a chance to retake the test.

She wanted to succeed on the first try and give it her absolute best.

There was a sound downstairs, but Qi Zheng didn’t notice it because she was wearing earplugs. She was immersed in speed reading, and her efficiency remained high even late at night.

Shen Zhibing knocked twice on her door and waited for a while but saw no one opening it. She knocked twice more, and still no one answered.

After she returned to her own room and finished showering, she finally received a reply from Qi Zheng, who said she was doing practice questions and hadn’t heard the knock.

Shen Zhibing put on her bathrobe and went to Qi Zheng’s room again.

Qi Zheng opened the door but showed no intention of inviting her in.

“General Manager Shen, is there something you need so late?”

Shen Zhibing stood right in front of her. They hadn’t been this close for a while. The faint scent of body wash and the light perfume Qi Zheng habitually sprayed after a shower mixed together, making Shen Zhibing’s heart flutter.

But she was here to talk about business today.

Shen Zhibing shook her phone and said, “My friend just sent some reference materials for the B University Business School interview, which should be helpful for you.”

Qi Zheng glanced at her phone and nodded, “Thank you, General Manager Shen.”

But she still had no intention of letting Shen Zhibing in and was even preparing to close the door after saying thank you.

Shen Zhibing was slightly annoyed, but didn’t want to show it, so she had to say, “Are you just going to let me give this to you like this?”

Qi Zheng was confused, glanced at the phone again, and released the doorknob.

Shen Zhibing smiled. Before she could step forward, she saw Qi Zheng quickly retrieve her own phone from inside the room.

“General Manager Shen, please transfer it to me now, that would be faster.”

Shen Zhibing gave her a deep look, but Qi Zheng avoided her gaze. They stood very close, as close as they were when they danced together that night, yet Shen Zhibing felt that Qi Zheng was distant from her.

“General Manager Shen?”

Shen Zhibing composed herself and sent the files to her via Bluetooth.

“B University has undergone quite a few adjustments in recent years; you should rely on the latest materials. If there’s any information you truly can’t find, you can come and ask me.”

“Thank you, General Manager Shen. Good night.”

Qi Zheng’s polite courtesy was flawless, yet Shen Zhibing felt a tightness in her chest. The frustration from the cocktail party was not alleviated by coming to the villa; instead, Qi Zheng’s attitude made it even more difficult.

Shen Zhibing returned to her room, unable to sleep.

She turned on the record player, which was still set to the last song played.

It was the music from their dance: The Moon Represents My Heart.

There was clearly no moon that night, but Shen Zhibing remembered clearly seeing brilliant fireworks sparkling in Qi Zheng’s hazy eyes with a dazzling, magnificent glow.

*

During the Lunar New Year holiday, Shen Zhibing spent most of her time at the main house. During such traditional festivals, even people who were usually at odds would gather amicably under one roof to accompany the elders at home.

Qi Zheng claimed she needed to prepare for exams and didn’t go to her aunt’s house for dinner. Her aunt, who rarely contacted her, called her a few times before the festival. She knew it was likely Qi Youtian who wanted her to return but was afraid she would ignore him.

Qi Zheng sent red envelopes to her aunt and grandmother, amounts typical of an average family in Hai City. Although she disliked Qi Youtian, she still sent him five hundred yuan and asked her aunt to pass it on.

Her year-end bonus was generous, covering her performance on the Yongfeng project, an additional bonus for joining the special team, and a performance incentive for completing high-quality reports.

Shen Group indeed never shortchanged talent. Qi Zheng had finally saved up enough money for the contract termination fee.

Once the Lunar New Year was over, she would give this money to Shen Zhibing. This bizarre and ridiculous contract would finally end.

The relationship between them, which had never been defined, should also come to an end.

Qi Zheng was scheduled to take the GMAT after the holiday. Her English proficiency was acceptable, but she was still unfamiliar with the problem-solving approaches for some of the logic questions. Out of necessity, she had to ask Yun Fei for help.

“To be honest, I only managed a score of 700 back then. I can give you some advice, but if you want a better score, you should ask General Manager Shen.”

“General Manager Shen?”

“She could score a perfect mark.”

Qi Zheng thought about it and decided against it. She shouldn’t bother General Manager Shen, especially during the Lunar New Year holiday.

Whether General Manager Shen proactively inquired or Yun Fei informed her, Qi Zheng saw Shen Zhibing at the villa the next day.

And with her, she brought GMAT problem-solving technique notes.

“These kinds of exams actually have specific techniques. If you hit a bottleneck, you might want to try a different approach.”

Shen Zhibing didn’t give her detailed tutoring; perhaps she was rusty after so many years since graduation. She brought Qi Zheng a collection of problem-solving notes from some unknown source and shared some of her insights and understanding of these exams.

Putting aside personal feelings, Shen Zhibing was highly capable in both academics and work, and she was generous in helping others.

Qi Zheng sighed, thinking that true strong individuals didn’t need to be secretive; when they were powerful enough, they could use their strength openly and treat it with normalcy.

Inspired by Shen Zhibing’s guidance, Qi Zheng refocused on the practice questions. Shen Zhibing sat in her room for a while and found it amusing that Qi Zheng seemed completely oblivious to the presence of another person behind her.

She had never seen Qi Zheng study before. At that time, she heard Lin Muyun say that Qi Zheng wasn’t particularly dedicated to studying, getting decent grades through a bit of natural smarts.

But one’s attitude towards learning somewhat reflected one’s character. Shen Zhibing felt that Lin Muyun’s assessment might have been biased. Perhaps Qi Zheng’s diligent efforts were simply not witnessed by her.

Now, however, she was able to see it.