Ch. 121..130
Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 121
Shen Qi was speaking very seriously with a look of utmost sincerity.
After finishing speaking, she found that Ye Moxuan was staring back at her with a scorching look that made her return to her senses. After realizing the words she had just said to Ye Moxuan, Shen Qi’s face became hot as she uttered flusteredly, “Okay, you can do your own activities now. I have something else to do today, so I have to go first.” With that, Shen Qi fled from the room.
When she went downstairs, she ran into Old Master Ye, and as soon as the old man saw her, he frowned and asked, “Shen Qi, have you told the girl from the Han Family about what I asked?”
Oh, no! Shen Qi’s expression immediately changed because she had almost forgotten about this, so she could only say, “Grandpa, I have rarely seen Xueyou recently, but I will definitely ask her on your behalf when I see her.”
Old Master Ye nodded with a smile, a glint flashing in his eyes. “The opportunity to cooperate with Fang Group can’t be messed up.”
Hearing this, Shen Qi became more nervous and nodded. “Of course, of course.”
After leaving the Ye residence, Shen Qi thought that she had to take the time today to help contact Fang Group.
At Ye Group.
After Shen Qi went to work, she called up the people from Fang Group.
Upon hearing the collaboration offer, the other party readily agreed, saying that he would like to meet first to discuss the details.
Shen Qi waited for Ye Moxuan to be in office before mentioning this to him, but he frowned when he heard that. “Are you really going to involve yourself in this matter?”
Hearing that, Shen Qi was taken aback for a moment. Then, she blinked rapidly and said, “I’m your assistant, so it’s normal for me to assist you in this.”
“So have you read up about them?”
Shen Qi paused and nodded. “Yes.”
“Hah.” Ye Moxuan looked into her eyes intently. “So, do you now understand the personality of the Chairman of Fang Group?”
Shen Qi paused before she answered, “Yes.”
The office became quiet, leaving only the sound of the shutters being blown by the fan, and she could feel the sudden drop in temperature around her.
“It seems that you didn’t learn from the incident last time.”
Before she could answer, Ye Moxuan added coldly, “If you want to meet them, go on your own.”
A look of surprise flashed in Shen Qi’s eyes. “But aren’t you going? They asked to talk to you.”
“Pfft, when have I ever said that I want to cooperate with Fang Group?”
Shen Qi was speechless to hear that. So, I was the one who misunderstood him? She then opened her lips and stated weakly, “Old Master Ye—”
“Since you’re taking orders from the old man, you can go and discuss this yourself, or you can invite him to attend the meeting in person.” Ye Moxuan had a mocking expression as he smiled, looking as if he was watching a comedic skit in front of him. Shen Qi’s face blanched immediately as she bit her lower lip. “So you have never thought about cooperating with Fang Group from the beginning?”
“Have I mentioned anything about it before?” Ye Moxuan’s eyes were cold, as if he was looking at a dead person. “Have I even spoken the words, ‘Fang Group’?”
Shen Qi finally couldn’t help but shudder. Her lips trembled as she said, “No, never.”
Indeed, she was the one who talked about this with Old Master Ye the other day, and Ye Moxuan didn’t utter a single word next to them. At this moment, she felt ridiculous recalling the situation that day. He probably thought that she was too assertive and annoying.
Thinking of this, Shen Qi’s eyes drooped, and her small face gradually became pale as her voice gradually became lower. “I see.”
“Even if you manage to seal the deal successfully, I won’t sign the documents, understand?” he added.
Shen Qi nodded. “Since you don’t want to discuss this, I won’t talk about it again. But Old Master Ye—”
“Has nothing to do with you.” With that, he had completely blocked the remaining words that Shen Qi wanted to say.
“Got it.” After saying her last sentence, she turned and left.
Shen Qi returned to her desk and looked at the pages full of information that were collected in the past two days to strike a deal with Fang Group, but she didn’t expect that Ye Moxuan had not even considered it.
She then rested her chin on her palms and stared at the computer screen. It seemed that Ye Moxuan was against Old Master Ye from the beginning, and their relationship was particularly poor. It was almost like Old Master Ye wanted to collaborate with the people whom Ye Moxuan didn’t like or didn’t want to cooperate with.
She heard from Ye Linhan before that Ye Moxuan did not live with them when he was a kid.
All of a sudden, Shen Qi became curious about Ye Moxuan’s life. When she returned to her senses, she opened the search engine and entered ‘North City, Ye Family’.
Following that, Shen Qi read up on some information on the Ye Family. There was a lot of information about them online, but they were all common news. For example, after Ye Moxuan took over Ye Group, their business began to flourish. Apart from that, there was news about his disability as well. There was really a lot of news about Ye Moxuan, but Shen Qi already knew about them.
Finally, when Shen Qi became a little tired, a special article entered her view—‘A Juicy Revelation of the Affair in Rich Families. Ye Moxuan Is an Illegitimate Child?’
Of course, it was a clickbait—the title and content was completely different.
At the start, the article revolved around the title, making everyone think that Ye Moxuan was the illegitimate child of the Ye Family. However, the content suddenly switched direction and pointed out that Ye Moxuan’s mother was the first wife, and that Ye Linhan’s mother was the despicable mistress.
Then, the first wife was chased out of the Ye Family by the mistress. Many years later, she returned to the Ye Family and moved into the main power of the Ye Family in order to take revenge. Thereafter, the conspiracy theories about Ye Moxuan’s disability began.
The author wrote that Ye Moxuan was not born with a disability, and he asked a rhetoric question on how he became a cripple. Although it was not mentioned explicitly, his words had an implied meaning that guided the readers to think along the same lines as him.
Seeing this, Shen Qi felt a chill run down her spine.
Although the author didn’t say it clearly, she could also feel the grudges between the rich and powerful families. Thinking of the words that Old Master Ye had said to her after calling her into the study before, she could tell that Ye Moxuan was the Ye Family’s common enemy.
Then, she remembered Ye Linhan’s gentlemanly and kind appearance. Ye Linhan probably isn’t that kind of person, right?
As she was deep in her thoughts, a cold voice suddenly came from her left, making Shen Qi jolt out of shock. “Why are you reading this during working hours?”
Shen Qi suddenly turned around and saw Ye Moxuan beside her. Although he was sitting in a wheelchair, he was much taller than her, and he looked at Shen Qi condescendingly. His eyes were as sharp as a dagger, and he pursed his thin lips as he exuded a cold aura.
Sh*t. He caught me! She blinked and looked at Ye Moxuan with an innocent expression. How should I explain to him?
“Umm… I was just looking around.” It was indeed her fault; she shouldn’t be reading this kind of stuff when she was at work.
With that, Shen Qi held the mouse in her hand, but just when she was about to close the page, a pair of big hands rested on her little hands faster than her and enshrouded her hands warmly, catching her off guard.
She raised her head and looked into Ye Moxuan’s deep eyes surprisingly. Then, she heard his low voice. “I didn’t know that you care about my matters so much.”
Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 122
The low voice was like neon lights and old wine that seemed to slide down her throat. After some time, it slowly burned in her stomach.
Shen Qi immediately withdrew her hand like she was electrocuted.
The corners of Ye Moxuan’s lips twitched slightly into a smile. Under the warm light, his smile seemed to have been plated by gold.
Thump! Thump!
Shen Qi heard her heartbeat speed up.
“I don’t care about you at all!” she retorted in a flustered manner after withdrawing her hand.
But her expression obviously showed the opposite.
Ye Moxuan looked at her with interest. “Really? If you don’t care about me, why are you looking at my profile? Or should I say, why are you trying to look into the Ye family?”
He slowly pulled his hand back, but Shen Qi didn’t dare to click on the mouse again and changed the subject. “Weren’t you in the office? Why are you suddenly here? Did you change your mind to cooperate with Fang Group?”
When they talked business, Ye Moxuan reverted back to his usual aloof expression.
“Fang Group is not qualified enough to work with Ye Group.”
“But as far as I know, Fang Group is the only one out there that can replace Lu Group. Are you sure you don’t want to collaborate with them?” Shen Qi frowned. “Do you really have to do everything that is against the wishes of Old Master Ye?”
“Tsk!” Ye Moxuan wore a smirk on his face. “Who told you that I’m trying to rebel against him? Miss Second-marriage, you’re getting better at making bad assumptions.”
Shen Qi was at a loss for words upon hearing that.
Thump!
Ye Moxuan suddenly threw a folder to her. “Read through this.”
Shen Qi hadn’t returned to her senses and could only reach out quickly to catch it. When she saw the files and wanted to ask Ye Moxuan about this strange behavior, he had already rolled his wheelchair and left.
What a weirdo!
Shen Qi complained about him internally and then opened the folder.
What he gave her was information about Han Group.
Of course, it was impossible for Shen Qi to be unfamiliar with Han Group.
When Han Xueyou was adopted by the Han family, Shen Qi heard some news about Han Group. However, Han Xueyou didn’t reveal too much to her, and she was quite mysterious. On the other hand, Shen Qi didn’t have much interest in knowing, so she just let it slide without asking too much about it.
However, Ye Moxuan suddenly gave her the information about Han Group. Was he planning to collaborate with them?
Thinking of this, Shen Qi’s expression became serious.
Even though she had slept with Ye Moxuan, she still could not forget the words he said to her the other night.
He wouldn’t refuse a woman who took the initiative.
Han Xueyou often came to visit her before this, and Ye Moxuan seemed to be quite satisfied with her.
After suddenly recalling something, Shen Qi got up, took the documents, and entered Ye Moxuan’s office without even knocking on the door.
Ye Moxuan frowned unhappily. “Have you forgotten what I told you before?”
Shen Qi knew what he was referring to, but she couldn’t suppress the anger within her. She stepped forward and put the information in front of him while addressing his full name directly. “Ye Moxuan, what are you trying to do by giving me information about Han Group?”
Hearing that, Ye Moxuan’s eyes turned cold. “I want to collaborate with them. Didn’t you always want to contribute to the company? Now that I gave you the information of Han Group, you don’t want to do it anymore?”
“There are so many business groups out there, yet you rejected Lu Group and Fang Group. Why do you only want to cooperate with Han Group?”
Ye Moxuan frowned and looked at her sharply.
Shen Qi took a deep breath and said what was on her mind straight-forwardly. “Do you really want to collaborate with Han Group, or do you have another purpose for doing so?”
Ye Moxuan still didn’t speak, but his eyes turned gradually colder.
Shen Qi put on a brave front and continued asking, “You’ve once told me that Xueyou—”
“Hah,” Ye Moxuan sneered as his eyes were already embroiled with hostility. “So you think that I’m cooperating with Han Group because of her?”
“Otherwise, why would you choose Han Group?”
The atmosphere had become quieter. After a while, the corner of Ye Moxuan’s lips curled into a teasing smile as he shot her a stern look.
“Miss Second-marriage, you suspect that my purpose is impure. But aren’t you selfish too? You are afraid that something might happen between me and your good friend, and you will become an abandoned woman again. Am I right?”
Shen Qi’s face turned pale after hearing that her past was being brought up by him over and over again.
“You really have a lot of confidence in yourself, don’t you? I just don’t want people like you to meddle with my good friend!”
“Meddle with her? Are you sure it’s not your friend who wants to meddle with me instead?”
Shen Qi’s lips trembled with anger. “Xueyou is not that kind of person!”
“In that case, shall we place a bet?”
Shen Qi didn’t speak.
Ye Moxuan lowered his head and sneered with an undercurrent surging in his dark eyes. “If you lose, you have to stay with me obediently and be my woman for the rest of your life.”
Hearing this, Shen Qi couldn’t help looking at him in bewilderment.
“If you win, I can warm your bed for you.”
Shen Qi didn’t know how to respond to that.
“If there’s nothing else, you can leave now. I’m going to have a video conference soon.”
Ye Moxuan asked her to leave immediately without waiting for her to return to her senses. Hence, before Shen Qi could figure out what was going on, she turned around and walked out mechanically. When she returned to her seat, the words that Ye Moxuan had said just now echoed loudly in her thoughts.
If you lose, you have to stay with me obediently and be my woman for the rest of your life; if you win, I can warm your bed for you.
Was it my illusion?
Why do I think that those two sentences seem to have the same meaning?
No matter how she looked at it, it seemed like he wanted them to be together either way. But why did Ye Moxuan say this to her?
Shen Qi’s mind was in a mess, and her thoughts were completely influenced by Ye Moxuan’s words.
After a long time, she stretched out her hand blankly to open the folder in front of her.
It took fifteen minutes for her to quickly browse through the information. The information Ye Moxuan gave her was the compact version that contained all kinds of useful information, so it didn’t take long.
After reading the introduction of Han Group, Shen Qi suddenly realized that Ye Moxuan did not do things as reckless as he seemed to.
He had a reason behind every action that he took. Though it appeared to be a sudden decision, it seemed to be the most apt when one gave it some thought.
Shen Qi squeezed the corner of the document and blinked a few times.
Has he already planned it out? In the beginning, Lu Group was just a cover, and the business group that Ye Group really wants to cooperate with has always been Han Group.
Shen Qi quickly contacted the person in charge of Han Group. After hearing her introduction, the other party was not surprised and calmly said that they would pass along her message. After waiting for nearly half an hour, they called back saying that they would like to meet with her for further discussions.
Shen Qi nodded. “Of course. When will it be suitable for you?”
“Miss Shen, Han Group has always wanted to cooperate with Ye Group, but we didn’t have any chances before. I have conveyed your message to President Han just now, but he is currently abroad. I’m afraid that he can’t meet with you that soon.”
Hearing that, Shen Qi paused for a moment. Indeed, she remembered that Han Xueyou told her recently that her brother was abroad to locate someone for her.
Thinking of this, Shen Qi’s face became a little hot, and she said awkwardly, “It’s okay. I can just wait until he is free.”
“Thank you very much for your understanding. President Han will return on the day after tomorrow, and he will be free for around half an hour at noon. Miss Shen, is the time alright for you?”
“No problem!” Shen Qi quickly agreed.
Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 123
After making an appointment with Han Group, Shen Qi felt relieved.
She had wanted to buy Han Qing a meal before, but she never had a chance to do so. Han Xueyou said that her eldest brother was very busy, and it seemed that that really was the case—he only had half an hour during lunch time to spare.
Shen Qi took some time to check Han Qing’s eating habits and then booked a place at a restaurant.
Shen Qi was worried again when she submitted the request because she had run out of money.
Logically speaking, the expenses that she had spent for work should be reimbursed by the company, but she still cared a little about her previous affairs with Lu Group, so she dared not seek reimbursement from the company at all and thought about paying for it using her own money.
Now that she had no more money, how could she invite Han Qing to dinner?
After thinking for a long time, Shen Qi called her sister, Shen Yue.
Since the last time she left the Shen family, she had not contacted any of her family members, and they, too, had never contacted her. It was as if they had disappeared—they had never called her, nor had they asked her how she was doing at the Ye family.
Hence, when Shen Yue received Shen Qi’s call, she hung up without hesitation because she felt guilty, and she was afraid that Shen Qi would ask for the previous money.
A sneer flashed across Shen Qi’s lips when she saw that her sister had hung up on her.
Does she think that I can’t do anything about that? Hence, Shen Qi went directly to the school gate to block her after work.
Originally, there should be no one in school at this time, but Shen Yue was different from other girls; she would go to dance practice after class, so it was just the right timing when her dance practice was over.
Shen Qi saw Shen Yue from a distance—she was coming out of the school with a few of her classmates who were in the same dance practice as her.
“Shen Yue!” Shen Qi called out her name.
Shen Yue froze for a moment and looked at her. Then, her expression changed slightly after seeing Shen Qi.
“Yue, isn’t that your sister?”
“Your sister has come to see you. Then are you still going out to dinner with us today?”
Shen Qi stood aside calmly and waited for her, but Shen Yue was a little impatient. “Guys, why don’t you go to a nearby bubble tea shop and wait for me there? I’ll join you shortly after having a few words with my sister.”
“Alright.”
After they had left together, Shen Yue looked at her with an annoyed expression. “Sis, why didn’t you tell me in advance that you’re coming to see me? You’re putting me at a difficult position, suddenly appearing at the school gate like this. My friends are waiting for me, you know.”
Shen Qi remained impassive and looked at Shen Yue coldly. “I wanted to tell you in advance, but have you answered my phone?”
While talking, Shen Qi took out her phone and waved it in front of Shen Yue. “I called you several times. Have you answered any of my calls?”
Hearing that, Shen Yue’s gaze flustered. “That’s because I was practicing dancing, and my phone was muted, so I didn’t hear it. Sis, didn’t you know that I was having dance practices? Yet you still called me at that time!”
“If it was muted, didn’t you look at your phone after you’ve finished dancing?” Shen Qi’s expression was still cold while she spoke in a low tone. “I let it slide that you took the money in my bank account last time with a few then thousands in it. Now, pay me 10,000 back.”
Shen Yue couldn’t help widening her eyes. “Give you 10,000? Sis, do you have amnesia? Didn’t mom tell you that she was the one who took the money and spent it? You should go to mom if you want any money. Why are you looking for me?”
Shen Qi sneered, “You know very well who took the money.”
“The point is that I didn’t take it, so I won’t give you 10,000.”
“Really?” Shen Qi curled her lips into a sneer. “Being siblings, I have never wanted to push things too far. Since we were young, I have always taken it easy on you. Whatever that you wanted, I’ve always given you. But you actually stole from me this time. So as your elder sister, I have an obligation to educate you.”
With that, Shen Qi directly grabbed Shen Yue’s sleeves. “Follow me to the police station. Or we can go to your teacher and see what you have learned during your time in school.”
Shen Qi didn’t have a lot of strength, but she was on par with Shen Yue, who had a guilty conscience. When Shen Yue heard that Shen Qi was going to take her to the police station or to see the teacher, panic was shown on her fair face.
“Sis, please don’t do this. I didn’t take your money. I really did not spend your few ten thousand.”
“It doesn’t matter. We can discuss it with the teacher or the police,” Shen Qi uttered coldly.
Shen Yue pleaded, “Sis, you have always doted on me since we were young, and you have been very forgiving each time. Please forgive me this time too. If you take me to the teacher, I will be very embarrassed in the future, and my boyfriend will dump me if he found out about this. Sis, you are the best. Please let me go this time.”
“Finally you are willing to tell the truth?” Shen Qi stopped tugging. “Where did the money go, then?”
“On my last birthday, I said I would invite everyone to a party, and everyone came. To save face, I took your money and spent it. You know, if I had asked mom and dad for that amount of money, they would definitely not give me any. And if mom knew that I had spent so much money on a party, she would definitely kill me. Sis, I just said it casually at the time. I didn’t expect that so many people would come, and they even brought their friends. I had no choice, so please forgive me this time, sis. We are sisters, after all… I really didn’t mean to steal; otherwise, I would never have taken your hard-earned money, sis!”
Shen Yue burst into tears, crying miserably while holding Shen Qi’s arm.
When Shen Qi heard that, she became speechless, and her tough attitude softened.
No matter what, Shen Yue was her biological sister, after all. Shen Qi just came here to have a look at her attitude. Now that Shen Yue admitted her mistake and told her everything, Shen Qi found that she really couldn’t stay angry anymore.
“Sis, you won’t be angry with me anymore, right? I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean it.”
“What can I do even if I’m angry? I can’t possibly chop you into pieces, can I?” Shen Qi was livid—she had saved the money for a long time, but it was all squandered away by her sister in one go. Now, she didn’t have any money left for urgent use.
“I’m really sorry, sis. I still have 2,000 here. I can give it to you now.” With that, Shen Yue hurriedly took out her wallet and gave the 2,000 to Shen Qi. “This is the remaining money, which I have always wanted to give back to you. But when you asked me last time, I was scared and didn’t dare to admit it.”
Looking at the red notes that made up 2,000, Shen Qi felt a little upset. “What would you do after giving me all of this?”
Shen Yue wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and smiled. “It’s okay, my classmates have a meal card. I will just eat some of their meals later. Otherwise, I can also keep 100 to buy some bread. This matter was my fault, and I should be punished for this.”
After all, they were sisters, and they had a very close relationship when they were young. Until now, even after so many years had passed, Shen Qi was unwilling to let her suffer too. Now that Shen Yue had taken the initiative to admit her mistake, Shen Qi had also softened her tough stance.
“Forget it. Let’s split it in half. You can keep 1,000 for your meals. I really have no other choice because I need money urgently. After I get my salary, I will give you more money.”
Hearing that, Shen Yue’s smile froze. “Sis, have you been having a hard time after marrying into the Ye family?”
Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 124
Having a rough time?
Shen Qi didn’t know how to describe it.
To say that she had a hard time, it was not quite true, for Ye Moxuan treated her very well sometimes. Although he seemed wicked on the surface, he was really helping her out. But to say that she was having a good time, that was not the case too. After all, she didn’t have wealth and status, so there were many things that she couldn’t do.
“Sis?”
Shen Qi returned to her senses and smiled.”Don’t ask so much. Your friends are still waiting for you, right? Off you go.”
Only then did Shen Yue blink. “Okay, sis. Then I’m going to find my friend first,” Shen Yue said cautiously while putting the remaining 1,000 into her wallet.
“Alright. I’m going back too.”
After that, when both of them went their separate ways, Shen Yue waited for her to leave before taking out a bank card from her purse and looked at Shen Qi’s leaving figure with a mocking smile.
“What a fool.”
She held the bank card to her mouth and kissed it, showing a smile.
“Being so touched by a mere 2,000—she really is an idiot!”
After that, Shen Yue put away the bank card and turned to leave.
When Shen Qi returned with the 1,000 in her hand, she was still frowning. The person she was meeting was the president of a company after all, and the restaurant that she had booked had the starting price of 1,000. She totally did not have enough money for that. Where would she find the money to treat him for a meal?
But this is the task that Ye Moxuan gave me…
Shen Qi took off her shoes and lay on her blanket, feeling very depressed.
After thinking about it, she couldn’t help texting Han Xueyou in the end, but after editing the text message, Shen Qi stopped her actions immediately.
Xueyou is already very busy looking for the person for me. If I ask her for money now, wouldn’t it bother her more?
Even if she was her good friend, Shen Qi couldn’t possibly ask her for help over and over again.
Thinking of this, Shen Qi locked the phone on the screen and buried her face in the pillow.
“The task has failed?”
A quiet male voice rang coldly behind her, making Shen Qi stiffen and turn around abruptly.
Ye Moxuan appeared silently behind her again, making Shen Qi’s expression change slightly. “H-How do you always show up without making a sound?”
Ye Moxuan knocked on his wheelchair. “Without making a sound?”
Shen Qi was speechless after hearing that.
Indeed, his wheelchair did make a sound when it moved. It was because she was too absorbed in her thoughts that she didn’t realize it. “What did you just ask me?”
“How is the task going?”
Shen Qi paused. He’s referring to the cooperation with Han Group, right? Shen Qi looked at Ye Moxuan inquisitively. Or should I tell him about the reimbursement first and ask him to deduct from my salary?
“I-I want to borrow some money from you first!” Shen Qi exclaimed suddenly.
Ye Moxuan narrowed his eyes and raised his eyebrows. “You want to borrow money from me?”
His lips curled slowly with a look of sarcasm in his eyes.
After lurking for so long, are you finally showing your true colors?
“Yes.” Shen Qi nodded furiously. Probably because she was embarrassed, she hesitated when she spoke. “I’ve contacted the people at Han Group, and they said that they are willing to discuss with me at noon on the day after tomorrow, but… I have to invite him for lunch, and I don’t have any more money…”
Speaking of this, Shen Qi timidly raised her head to look into Ye Moxuan’s deep eyes while she asked tentatively, “I just need 5,000 from you. I will pay you back when I get my salary, okay?”
Ye Moxuan was at a loss for words upon hearing her words.
This woman… is always so unexpected.
She never follows what I expect from her.
He thought she would ask for a lot of money, but she only asked for 5,000. Yet, what did her gaze and expression mean? It was as if she was afraid that he would not borrow her.
The long silence had given Shen Qi the illusion that Ye Moxuan didn’t want to lend her the money, so she anxiously said, “I’m sorry. I know that it’s my fault if this collaboration goes down the drain. I know I shouldn’t borrow money from you, but I really can’t help it. After all, I don’t have any more money…”
In the end, Shen Qi lowered her head in embarrassment.
“If you don’t want to lend it to me, that’s fine. I will figure out a solution by myself.”
After speaking, Shen Qi leaned back and buried her entire face in the soft pillow without uttering another word.
Ye Moxuan felt sorry for her without knowing the reason.
She was obviously desperate, seeing as she was asking for his help tentatively, but she was afraid that he would get angry and would not agree, so she rejected herself before he could speak.
What a hopelessly stupid woman.
Ye Moxuan’s eyes gradually darkened as he replied in a distant tone, “This is considered a public reimbursement. Why don’t you go to the financial office to declare it?”
Hearing that, Shen Qi sat up quickly. “W-What did you just say? Can I report to the financial office in advance?”
She thought that the company would only be able to reimburse her after receiving the bill, but she did not expect that she could apply in advance.
Ye Moxuan originally wanted to say that there was no such thing, but seeing her pitiful look and expression, he suddenly felt that it was not impossible to treat this as a special case. Otherwise… she had no other way out.
“Of course,” he answered in a low voice.
In the next second, Ye Moxuan saw that Shen Qi’s eyes lit up. Initially, her aura was like a dark sky without any stars and moons, but suddenly, the clouds opened to reveal the moon, and then the surrounding stars shone brightly.
Ye Moxuan felt a jolt in his heart.
Shen Qi suddenly sat upright. “Then I will apply tomorrow. Ye Moxuan, your company’s benefits are really great. The small company I used to work for could only reimburse the money afterward.”
As the problem was solved, Shen Qi’s mood improved. She suddenly reached out and grabbed Ye Moxuan’s sleeves. “I will do well this time, and I will definitely not cause you any more trouble.”
Her little hands were quite soft, causing Ye Moxuan to lower his head and glance down at her. Though she was holding his shirt, Ye Moxuan felt like her hand was holding his heart, making his breathing speed up involuntarily.
After a long time, Ye Moxuan spoke again, and his voice had become hoarse and low.
“Let go.”
Hearing that, Shen Qi was stunned for a moment, and then she realized that she was grabbing the corner of his clothes. She then immediately retracted her hand while slightly pouting.
What a petty guy. I was just pulling the corner of his clothes.
“When you go to work tomorrow, remember to apply for the fund.” With that, Ye Moxuan slowly turned the wheelchair away.
“Got it!” Shen Qi was happy to hear that. Her problem was finally solved, and she didn’t have to worry about messing up this matter anymore.
“Don’t get smug too early. Han Qing is not an easy person to be handled.”
Ye Moxuan said that deliberately to prevent Shen Qi from getting too excited.
When she heard that, she thought that it made sense.
But she was still happy. At least she solved one of the tricky problems before the meeting. The next thing she had to do was to convince Han Qing to cooperate with Ye Group.
Han Qing is a stoic and serious person. Anyway, the meeting with him about the collaboration between the two groups is considered my first official task since I have entered Ye Group, right?
Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 125
Time flew in the blink of an eye. The first thing Shen Qi did when she arrived at the company the next day was to apply for a reimbursement from the finance department of the company.
However, the staff in the finance department didn’t want to meet her at first, and she even looked impatient upon seeing Shen Qi.
“How can you apply if you don’t submit any receipts? Besides, you need to follow proper procedures, and it needs time to process.”
Shen Qi asked blankly, “I thought that’s not needed?”
The employee in the finance department rolled her eyes at her directly. “Who told you that? Didn’t you know the rules when you first joined the company? Or do you think you can do whatever you want just because you have a strong background?”
Hearing that, Shen Qi’s face turned pale, and she bit her lower lip.
Ye Moxuan clearly told her that she could apply for reimbursement beforehand at this department, but now, the staff of the finance department clearly stated that they did not operate this way. What is going on? Is it because the people in the finance department do not like me or, or did Ye Moxuan lie to me?
Thinking about that, Shen Qi thought for a while before asking again, “Well, could it be that you made a mistake? Is it really not possible to apply in advance?”
The person gave Shen Qi a cold smirk and looked at her as if she was an idiot. “It’s the answer even if you ask ten times. N-O, no!”
Shen Qi could only return to her office disappointedly. After thinking for a long time, she went to Ye Moxuan, who couldn’t help frowning when he heard about this.
Oh, no.
He originally planned to ask Xiao Su to notify the finance department in advance, but he forgot about it. This was the reason why she was rejected.
“Is it against the company law to apply for reimbursement beforehand? Should I—”
“I’ve told you already—you can do that. Do you believe that woman or me?”
Shen Qi hesitated before she replied, “You.”
Unconsciously, she answered Ye Moxuan this way, making him smile slightly. “In that case, go to the finance department again.”
“What? Again?” Shen Qi interlocked her fingers together, looking quite reluctant. It was quite disgraceful for her last time, seeing that she was almost chased out, so Shen Qi felt that she didn’t want to go back again.
“Go,” Ye Moxuan ordered firmly.
Shen Qi paused. “Alright.”
Well, she was indeed short of money. Hence, Shen Qi went out again to take the elevator to the fifth floor.
Ye Moxuan quickly took out his mobile phone and called Xiao Su. “Notify the finance department to allow Assistant Shen to apply for reimbursement in advance.”
Although Xiao Su didn’t understand what was going on, this was the first time that such a special case was allowed. But it was no surprise for Xiao Su, seeing that this was for Assistant Shen. After all, he had seen how Ye Moxuan treated Shen Qi during this period.
“Got it. I’ll tell them immediately.”
…
Shen Qi had been standing outside the finance department for a long time before entering, wondering if she should go back and talk to Ye Moxuan. After all, the staff working there told her that she must have the receipt and follow the procedures. Perhaps Ye Moxuan didn’t know about this because he was the boss who sat in the president’s office most of his time.
After thinking about it, Shen Qi decided to go back, but right then, a bald middle-aged man in the finance department suddenly walked out and stopped her hurriedly when he saw her. “Assistant Shen.”
Hearing that, Shen Qi stopped and gave him a puzzled look. “You’re calling for me?”
The middle-aged man smiled. “You’re Assistant Shen, right? Why are you standing outside? Come in quickly.”
Shen Qi was puzzled, but he was too enthusiastic for her to reject, so she followed him.
“I heard from Yan that you just applied for reimbursement in advance, right?”
Shen Qi nodded awkwardly. “But you guys said that I have to follow the procedures, and you need a receipt, so I—”
“Oh, there’s no need for that—she remembered it wrongly!” The middle-aged man quickly waved his hand airily. “There is no such thing. Let’s see how much you are applying for, and I will type out a report immediately.”
Shen Qi paused before she asked, “Is it really possible?”
She glanced inside, and sure enough, she saw the girl named Yan standing there, looking furious while glaring at her hostilely.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t it be possible? Come in.”
The middle-aged man growled at Yan, “What are you doing, standing here? Hurry up and print a report for Assistant Shen. Don’t you want to keep your job?”
Then, Yan turned around and took the form angrily before handing it to Shen Qi. “Fill this in and write down the amount you want to apply.”
“Thank you.” Shen Qi stretched out her hands and took it politely, and she took five minutes to fill out the form carefully.
Yan stared at her grumpily, and when she saw Shen Qi filling it up seriously, she muttered angrily, “She’s just using her connections, so why are we making an exception for her this time?”
Shen Qi didn’t hear her clearly and raised her eyes to glance at her with an extremely innocent look. Yan only shot her a look, yet she suddenly felt guilty for what she had just said. Then, she asked Shen Qi viciously, “What? Did I say anything wrong?”
Shen Qi didn’t utter a word. Instead, she just handed in the form she had just filled out. “I would like to apply for 5,000 first. May I?”
“So much? Why don’t you rob the bank instead?” Yan still murmured in annoyance.
The middle-aged man patted Yan’s head, almost unable to keep the smile on his face. “Do you really want to lose this job? Would you like to pack your things and go home now?”
Yan snorted and looked at the middle-aged man angrily while clutching her head. Shen Qi noticed that although the middle-aged man looked quite fierce, he also looked a little doting but helpless. The feeling that the pair of them exuded was like… they were father and daughter.
“Assistant Shen, would 5,000 be too little? After all, you are President Ye’s personal assistant; 5,000 may not be enough for you. Why don’t I add another 20,000 for you?”
When Shen Qi heard that, her expression changed immediately. “20,000, you say? I think that’s too much!”
Sure enough, Yan exclaimed, “Dad, are you crazy? We are working at the company’s finance department. If you give her 20,000, what if President Ye blames us for that?”
“Who is your dad? Get out of here, you brat.” The middle-aged man motioned for her to get out. Then, he smiled at Shen Qi. “I’ll just increase the amount to 20,000 for you. Yan, hurry up and handle this matter. Don’t let Assistant Shen wait for too long.”
Shen Qi stood there, waiting for them to process this request as she wondered about the reason behind the huge change of attitude. Could it be that Yan doesn’t like me? While thinking about it, the man’s voice rang again. “I’m really sorry about Yan—she is a bit short-tempered, but she definitely does not have any ill intentions toward you. Can you let this matter slide, seeing that she is still a young woman?”
“You are too polite. I appreciate it a lot that you’re letting me apply in advance.” Shen Qi smiled slightly.
She could tell that the middle-aged man was very careful when facing her, as if he was afraid of offending her, and he looked as if he was being pressured. For instance, when he talked to her, a large amount of sweat broke out on his forehead.
After listening to her, he heaved an obvious sigh once more.
Shen Qi couldn’t help asking, “Yan said that I have to follow the protocol in the beginning, but now, I suddenly don’t have to do that. Did someone call you up about this?”
Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 126
This question made the man embarrassed as he reached out and wiped the sweat away from his forehead.
“What are you talking about, Assistant Shen? This has always been the company’s regulations. Moreover, you are President Ye’s personal assistant, so if you apply for reimbursement in advance, it must be for some important issues. In that case, the finance department must cater to your needs.”
“But before this—”
Shen Qi still had some doubts about it, but Yan had already completed the paperwork. “Here you go.”
Shen Qi reached out and took it from her. “Thank you.”
“Don’t think that I won’t hate you just because you thanked me!” Yan spat. “Although I also joined this company through connections, the way you do it is more despicable than me,” she added hostilely.
Shen Qi was speechless upon hearing that.
She actually proudly revealed the fact that she was here because of her connections. However, looking at her straightforward and indignant expression, Shen Qi didn’t find it annoying at all. She merely smiled and uttered, “Thank you, both of you. I shall take my leave now.”
When Shen Qi had left, Yan looked at her father with a dissatisfied expression.
“Dad, why did you suddenly give her so much money? What if President Ye blames us? I have to work so many hours to earn 20,000.”
Hearing that, the man glared at her, and his tone became stern. “Don’t be so impulsive next time. Assistant Xiao, who works for President Ye, called me to let me know about this. Fortunately, you didn’t say anything that’s too much, and thank god she didn’t hold it against you.”
“Tsk, you thought she is forgiving? She fought with others in the cafeteria, and she even poured her food on them. Just because she’s close to President Ye, she thought she can do anything and bully others.”
“Don’t involve yourself in that matter, and don’t listen to what the others said without verifying it yourself. Look at her—do you think she is the fierce type who would bully others? You know clearly what the people in this company are like.”
Yan pouted. “No matter what, I just think that it was wrong of her to spill her food on others. Look at how all three of them turned out after that incident. Do you still think that that is untrue?”
With that, Yan directly turned around and left.
After Shen Qi had settled the financial issues she was facing, she returned to her seat, but she couldn’t help remembering what Yan, from the finance department, had said just now. She said that Shen Qi was here because of her connection—in everyone’s opinion, she was here because of her relationship with Ye Moxuan.
Ah, forget it. Why should I even bother about this? I’ll just have to do my job well.
…
Time flew quickly, and soon, the day had passed.
When Han Xueyou knew that Han Qing was returning today, she became very excited and called him before he got on the plane.
“What’s up?” Han Qing’s voice was as cold as ever.
However, Han Xueyou didn’t care about that because she was very excited—she could finally know the father of Shen Qi’s baby.
“Qing, are you coming back today?”
“Yes. I’m boarding the plane in fifteen minutes.”
“Qing, have you found out the matter that I asked you?”
Han Qing’s deep eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the people at the airport while pursing his thin lips.
“Yes.”
“Really?” Han Xueyou laughed on the other end. “Thank you so much! I knew that you could do it! Can you tell me in advance about—”
“I’ll show you the documents when I reach home. That’s all.”
With that, Han Qing hung up immediately. A well-dressed secretary who stood beside him reminded him, “President Han, your flight will arrive in North City in five hours. Assistant Shen from Ye Group has already booked the restaurant, so we can meet her right after we get off the flight.”
Han Qing nodded and stretched out his hand to straighten his tie. Under his sharp eyes, there were dark circles, showing how busy he had been recently. His secretary, Su Jiu, couldn’t help saying, “President Han, do you want to rest first? You have been pretty exhausted, going here and there—”
“There’s no need for that.”
Since he refused, Su Jiu did not speak any more. Instead, she handed over the documents to him. “President Han, this is the information of Ye Moxuan of Ye Group.”
Han Qing took a look at it and commented, “He’s our rival.”
Su Jiu took the documents back. “Yes, since he joined Ye Group, their business has been doing well, and they’ve even surpassed Han Group in North City. He has always been arrogant, so no one dares to offend him. It’s rather unexpected that they would offer to cooperate with us this time. By the way, President Han, this is President Ye’s new assistant. I looked into her background briefly.”
Su Jiu handed him another piece of document.
Han Qing took a glance at it, and a strange emotion appeared in his hollow eyes while his gaze was fixated on Shen Qi’s face.
Why is this woman’s face so familiar?
“President Han, is there any problem?” Su Jiu asked.
Han Qing frowned slightly, his rough fingers brushing at the woman’s eyes. Although the woman in the photo was smiling, her eyes looked cold, like there was an endless ocean within it that was void of any unnecessary desires and emotions.
It was calm.
He had only seen such eyes on one person.
“Oh, by the way, I’ve also found that Assistant Shen and Miss Xueyou were classmates.”
Han Qing asked, “Classmates?”
“Yes.”
Han Qing stared at the photo for a long time without looking away. Su Jiu had been working for Han Qing for quite a while, yet she had never seen him like this. Hence, she couldn’t help wondering aloud, “President Han, have you taken a liking to her?”
Han Qing did not reply and shot her a cold glance, making Su Jiu immediately lower her gaze. “I’m sorry. I’ve said something I shouldn’t have.”
Han Qing put away the document with the photo by folding it into a smaller square and putting it in his pocket. “Is this person I’m meeting today?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s go.”
…
Five hours later, Han Qing’s flight had arrived in North City.
Shen Qi knew that his flight would arrive at this hour, so she came to the airport and waited in advance. She knew very well that she should be sincere when discussing business collaboration; in the past, she had waited for many businessmen at the airport and had also sent them off as well.
The airport was crowded with people as Shen Qi stared at the flight number displayed on the screen. Finally, she saw that the plane Han Qing was taking had landed. She had already asked Han Qing’s assistant beforehand, so she knew that he would leave the airport through the VIP passage.
After landing, Su Jiu’s assistant switched on Han Qing’s mobile phone immediately, and when she was about to call Shen Qi, the phone rang.
Su Jiu picked it up with an impassive expression, and then a look of surprise flashed across her face. “What did you just say? You’ve… come to fetch us?”
Han Qing glanced at her, and Su Jiu lightly coughed. “President Han, Assistant Shen has arrived to pick us up, and she is right outside.”
Initially, Su Jiu thought Han Qing would frown, but he just said with an indifferent expression, “At least she’s quite sincere about this. Let’s go.”
“Yes.” Su Jiu quickly followed him.
This was the first time Han Qing recognized a woman from the crowd with just one glance.
He didn’t even feel this way when he first recognized Han Xueyou.
But this time, with eyes as sharp as a falcon, he saw Shen Qi standing among the crowd at the exit.
Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 127
She was quite slim, and her slender body was wrapped in a light blue dress. Her fair complexion made the dress look very elegant on her, and her waist-length hair hung loose on either side of her face. Her prominent facial features looked quite delicate when the lights of the airport shone on her. She had that timeless beauty that reminded Han Qing of someone else.
Han Qing’s footsteps stopped subconsciously as he looked intently at her. Su Jiu had been working for Han Qing for a long time, hence she noticed his drastic reaction when he spotted Shen Qi. “President Han, are you okay? Are we really going to let her drive us?”
“I’m fine.” Han Qing came to his senses, and the two of them quickly walked toward Shen Qi.
When Han Qing and Su Jiu were walking toward her, Shen Qi had a stiff smile on her face. In fact, before they arrived, Shen Qi had practiced this smile many times because she knew that the person she was meeting was the president of Han Group, and he had also done many things for her, so Shen Qi became nervous unconsciously.
“Hello, President Han. I’m Shen Qi, Ye Group’s Ye Moxuan’s assistant.” When she introduced herself, she did not reach out to shake his hand; instead, she bowed at him very humbly.
“I have prepared the car. If both of you don’t mind, you may catch a ride with me.”
Han Qing’s indifferent gaze fell on her face as he said in a lukewarm tone, “You know how to drive?”
Hearing that, Shen Qi blushed and nodded. “Yes.” When she went out in the morning, Shen Qi wanted to borrow a car from Xiao Su. Although he didn’t want to lend her at first, he suddenly agreed in the end. Besides, Shen Qi had learned how to drive before, and she had a driver’s license. In fact, her driving skills were quite good.
Han Qing was quite surprised to hear that, but Su Jiu asked, “Assistant Shen, as a safety precaution, I have to ask: do you have a driver’s license?”
Shen Qi nodded in response.
After that, Han Qing and Su Jiu got into Shen Qi’s car.
Ever since he laid eyes on her, Han Qing’s eyes had been locked on Shen Qi. Even though he was sitting in the back seat, his cold, serious gaze was still burning holes in the back of her head, and it slightly frustrated her.
As far as she knew, Han Qing was a very rigid and serious person. Usually, even if one had his attention, he would not even look at the person twice. Why is he looking at me so intently today?
Shen Qi straightened her back. Perhaps Han Qing is secretly a pervert?
Su Jiu noticed that the President had suddenly changed and acted like a psychopath, and she also felt Shen Qi’s uneasiness, so she explained in a low voice, “Assistant Shen, there are many passersby here. Please be careful when you drive.”
Her words made Shen Qi return to her senses immediately. Of course. What am I thinking? Perhaps he’s staring at me because he is worried about my driving skills, so he wants to remind me by looking at me. And here I am speculating about him and having the wrong assumptions about him.
Shen Qi put away her tangled emotions and focused on driving.
After half an hour, the car arrived at a high-end restaurant. Shen Qi handed the car to the manager to park and led Han Qing and his assistant into the restaurant.
Su Jiu was walking behind Han Qing, and when she saw the restaurant, she couldn’t help but smile. The fact that Shen Qi had even found out about President Han’s favorite restaurant showed that she was quite attentive.
After sitting down, the waiter served the prepared dishes first.
Han Qing was speechless upon seeing that.
Even Su Jiu was surprised. She’s quite something! She has even found out about President Han’s preferences. It seems that Ye Moxuan’s assistant is quite sincere!
Shen Qi rubbed her hands nervously and bit her lower lip. “President Han, I’ve asked the staff to prepare these in advance. You must be very tired from such a long flight. Please do eat first, and we can talk about cooperation later.”
With that, Shen Qi sat on the opposite side and smiled at Han Qing. She was grinning like a Cheshire Cat, and it looked quite strange.
Not more than a minute later, the smile on Shen Qi’s face gradually disappeared, and a wave of embarrassment washed over her. “D-Does President Han not like what I’ve prepared?”
Han Qing’s gaze fell on her face coldly, making Shen Qi gulp subconsciously.
After a long while, Han Qing raised his hand and picked up the chopsticks. Shen Qi felt relieved upon seeing that.
After a while, he said in a cold voice, “Thank you.”
At first, Shen Qi thought that she had heard him wrongly, but later, it became clear to her that Han Qing was really thanking her. She couldn’t help but smile when she heard that.
In the autumn afternoon, a ray of sunlight shone through the glass window into the quiet restaurant, while the world’s most famous classical music played in the background. Shen Qi sat there in a light blue skirt, looking exceptionally warm.
Ye Moxuan raised his eyebrows after receiving the news that Han Qing had boarded Shen Qi’s car, so he asked Xiao Su to come along as they went to the restaurant they had agreed upon.
It was at that moment he happened to see this scene from outside, so he narrowed his eyes dangerously. This woman really can’t last a moment without drawing attention to herself when I’m not around. And who said she could put her hair down? They are just talking about work. Does she have to dress up so beautifully?
Standing behind him, Xiao Su already felt his hostility and anger, so he cautiously asked, “Young Master Ye, shall we go in as well? I think it is more appropriate for you to talk to President Han about work. If we leave this to Assistant Shen, I am afraid the result will be unsatisfactory.”
Ye Moxuan didn’t speak, but the cold aura emanating from him was extremely frightening. Xiao Su pouted and asked, “Should I go in first and say hello?”
Ye Moxuan replied, “What for? Do you think you’re meeting your old friend?”
Xiao Su was speechless upon hearing his remarks. Well, I’m just trying to give you a plausible reason to go inside!
Ye Moxuan ordered, “Push me in. I want to see how many men she is planning to seduce.”
Seduce? Xiao Su was speechless upon hearing that. As he pushed Ye Moxuan into the restaurant, he spoke up for Shen Qi, “I think Assistant Shen looks quite normal. Why do you say that she’s trying to seduce other men?”
“She has dressed up specially for this,” Ye Moxuan reminded him with a sneer.
Xiao Su glanced at the people inside again and said incredulously, “Young Master Ye, Assistant Shen doesn’t seem to have any makeup on, and I think she’s even wearing the dress you bought for her.”
Ye Moxuan didn’t know how to reply to this. Suddenly, he felt a little embarrassed. So, am I annoyed because I can’t stand seeing her wear the clothes that I bought for her to meet other men?
“Plus, weren’t you the one who asked her to arrange this?”
Another slap in the face for me. Ye Moxuan sneered, “You don’t want your job anymore, huh?”
Xiao Su immediately said, “Of course not! Young Master Ye couldn’t have possibly done such an embarrassing thing! Assistant Shen has gone overboard today, dressing in a showy manner, even though they’re just discussing work-related stuff. Why is she being so ostentatious?”
“Who gave you the right to comment on my woman?”
Upon hearing that, Xiao Su could only smile bitterly deep down.
Shen Qi was very excited when she saw that Han Qing had eaten what she had prepared, so much so that she forgot to serve herself and spent the entire time staring at Han Qing. Even Su Jiu, who was sitting next to them, felt awkward looking at them.
On the other hand, Han Qing was like a statue that didn’t feel anything as he ate in front of her impassively.
Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 128
Thus, the scene appeared as though a freshly trained chef was serving a completed meal to a customer. Seeing that the customer was enjoying their meal, the new chef then broke into a meaningful smile.
Su Jiu thought the scene before her felt rather bizarre.
What is happening?
“I’m sorry I’m late,” a cold and crisp male voice spoke out of nowhere.
Su Jiu and Shen Qi were both startled, and they turned toward the direction of the voice.
It was Ye Moxuan. He was wearing a black and smart suit and looked handsome sitting in his wheelchair. Xiao Su, who was standing behind him, pushed Ye Moxuan toward the group.
Shen Qi’s eyes opened wide in surprise when she saw Ye Moxuan. Why is he showing up suddenly? Shouldn’t he be in the company right now? Besides, he passed this task to me. Did I do something wrong somewhere?
Shen Qi stood up abruptly the moment she thought of the previous two incidents, and she walked toward him while trembling reflexively. Her demeanor, which made her look like an obedient wife, caused Han Qing who was seated opposite and had an indifferent facial expression to lift his head up. His dark and serious eyes gazed at Shen Qi unwaveringly.
After that, Han Qing’s gaze shifted from Shen Qi’s figure to Ye Moxuan’s eyes.
Ye Moxuan…
When Han Qing thought of the results of the investigation this time, something flashed across his dark, serious eyes as though he thought of something.
For some reason, Han Qing’s gaze became rather curious.
Su Jiu stood up abruptly and greeted Ye Moxuan, “President Ye, if I had known you were coming too, I would have—”
Ye Moxuan answered indifferently, “No need to be so polite. I’ve just came over to check up on my assistant and the progress of the discussion.”
His voice was emotionless, and no one could figure out what was on his mind.
Su Jiu glanced at Shen Qi, embarrassed, whereas Shen Qi stopped in front of Ye Moxuan and whispered, “Why are you here?”
The surprise and amazement on her face was similar to that of a child, and Ye Moxuan squinted at her. Why have I not noticed how adorable this woman is?
Somehow, every expression of hers, including every tiny gesture or fleeting look, looked pleasing to Ye Moxuan.
In fact, he felt as if it was becoming more attractive with time.
Damn it! Is this happening because I slept with her once? This is impossible!
The more Ye Moxuan thought about it, the angrier he became, and he whispered in a very soft voice, “I’m checking up on you to see if you’re flirting with other men behind my back.”
Shen Qi was rendered speechless by his words.
In that instant, her expression stiffened.
On the other hand, a faint smile was plastered across Ye Moxuan’s handsome face when he pushed his wheelchair to the dining table. “I don’t suppose you mind an extra person joining?”
Han Qing put down his cutleries, remaining expressionless.
“President Ye, it’s an honor to have you here.”
Ye Moxuan smiled and replied to him, “The pleasure is all mine.”
Meanwhile, Shen Qi was still rooted to the spot, but she snapped out of it when she heard their conversation, and she turned around to look at them.
She walked back to her original seat, and everyone sat awkwardly while facing each other at the dining table. After a while, Shen Qi realized that Han Qing was the only person served with food, and she had forgotten all about herself and Su Jiu’s serving.
“I’m so sorry. I’ll get the server and order some food right away!”
Once the server arrived, Shen Qi asked for everyone’s preference and made the necessary order before finally sighing in relief.
Ye Moxuan broke the silence suddenly with a suggestion. “The atmosphere here is rather good. President Han, why don’t we have a couple of drinks?”
Su Jiu was about to answer Ye Moxuan, saying that President Han did not drink alcohol, but Han Qing agreed unexpectedly, “Sure.”
Thus, before the dishes were served, the server brought two bottles of liquor to the table.
Shen Qi’s expression changed slightly when she saw the bottles. She took the chance when they were both drinking alcohol to inquire about the price of the liquor, and she started panicking.
This was a famous restaurant in North City, and the food was prepared by a renowned chef. Their signature dishes alone were already very expensive, not to mention alcoholic beverages such as red wine.
Usually, ordinary workers wouldn’t patronize such a restaurant because these high-end venues were more suited for negotiating business deals or expanding one’s social circles. However, since the dishes here were prepared by a famous chef, there was a rather large crowd that patronized this restaurant to enjoy a good meal.
Nevertheless, the majority of the crowd was mostly wealthy.
Shen Qi was obviously the type of person who couldn’t afford to eat at such a restaurant.
Although the old man at the Finance Department applied quite a huge sum of money for her, it might not be sufficient to pay for this meal.
Shen Qi looked up at them before going quietly to the bathroom with her phone in her hand.
There was no one else in the women’s restroom, so Shen Qi stood outside of the cubicle and phoned Han Xueyou.
Han Xueyou was surprised when she received Shen Qi’s phone call. “Why are you calling me at this hour? Shouldn’t you be working? Are you going to ask me to have lunch with you?”
Shen Qi did not have the time to joke around with her because she was very anxious right now.
“Xueyou, I need help urgently. Please lend me some money!”
Han Xueyou asked tentatively, “What’s wrong?”
Shen Qi answered swiftly, “It’s a long story, but I really need that money right now.”
“All right, how much do you need? I’ll transfer to you right now,” Han Xueyou agreed without a second thought.
The two of them had been friends for many years, and ever since Han Xueyou joined the Han Family, she had been trying her best to make it up to Shen Qi in any way she could. Thus, Han Xueyou had been urging Shen Qi to find out if she needed anything at all, but Shen Qi had never asked Han Xueyou for money, nor had Shen Qi asked for help.
Besides, Han Xueyou was the one who offered to help Shen Qi search for that strange man.
Hence, Han Xueyou was quite happy that Shen Qi wanted to borrow money from her because Shen Qi was the one asking for help this time. This meant that Han Xueyou found a chance to repay Shen Qi, and she didn’t feel so bad anymore.
Han Xueyou transferred the money to Shen Qi promptly, and Shen Qi thanked her gratefully once she received the text confirming the transfer. “Thank you so much.”
Han Xueyou asked casually, “You haven’t told me what the money is for. Shouldn’t you just summarize it even if it’s a long story?”
Shen Qi giggled when she thought of that. “It really is a long story. Didn’t I mention that I’d like to treat your older brother to a meal before?”
Han Xueyou’s heart skipped a beat when she heard that, but she managed to mumble, “Y-Yes, why?”
“Ye Group will be collaborating with Han Group! That’s why I am lucky enough to treat your brother to a meal today.”
“Wh-What did you say?”
The color drained from Han Xueyou’s face after listening to Shen Qi’s explanation. Shen Qi heard as if Han Xueyou knocked over something on the other end of the line, so she asked in bewilderment, “What happened?”
“You… met with my brother?” Han Xueyou sounded very anxious, and Shen Qi frowned slightly since she was baffled by her reaction.
Shen Qi seemed to have thought of something, and she explained hastily, “Don’t you worry. I am not disrupting your brother’s work. We have the opportunity to meet today due to some work-related matters.”
“Where are you guys now?” Han Xueyou asked out of the blue.
“Why?”
“Tell me. Aren’t you guys having a meal? Which restaurant are you at?” Han Xueyou did not realize that her voice was quavering at that point.
Shen Qi answered gingerly, “We’re in North City’s most popular—”
Before she could finish her sentence, Han Xueyou blurted out swiftly before hanging up on her, “Wait for me! I’ll be right there!”
Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 129
Shen Qi stood rooted to the spot while spacing out, and her mind was blank for the longest time despite the engaged tone ringing from her mobile phone.
Xueyou sounded rather agitated when she heard that I’m meeting her older brother, but why?
She couldn’t understand the reason why Han Xueyou was freaking out so badly that she had to hang up on Shen Qi and rushed to the restaurant they were at.
Shen Qi lowered her mobile phone before checking the transferred amount, and she was convinced that it was at least sufficient to pay for the meal this time.
Just as she turned around to leave the restroom, her leg kicked against something, and she fell forward.
Bang!
Someone closed and locked the restroom door from inside, and Ye Moxuan took the chance and wrapped his arm around Shen Qi who was leaning toward him. He then retracted his other arm after locking the restroom door.
Shen Qi was shocked to the core the moment she looked up and saw Ye Moxuan.
“Why are you in here? This is… the women’s restroom, so you can’t be here.”
Ye Moxuan must be a pervert. He has actually entered the women’s restroom and even locked the door.
Ye Moxuan cocked a brow at her while looking displeased. “My woman is in here. Why can’t I come in?”
His blunt words caused Shen Qi to blush furiously, and she realized that he had been acting very strangely after they had slept together. She felt as if he was constantly trying to be close to her.
Shen Qi’s hands moved slightly when she thought of that, and she pushed against his chest, trying to stand up. However, Ye Moxuan tightened his grip around her waist, and she slumped back into his embrace.
“What are you doing? Let go of me now,” she begged him anxiously. “President Han is waiting for us.”
Ye Moxuan squinted at her dangerously when he heard that. He leered at her while looking displeased. “Are you in such a rush to see him?”
Shen Qi didn’t understand what he meant. “What nonsense are you talking about?”
“You even dressed up and put on makeup before meeting him!” he growled.
“When did I dress up?” Shen Qi asked before rubbing her cheeks. “I didn’t even put on makeup today,” she added in a hurt tone.
“Is that so? Let me have a look,” Ye Moxuan remarked skeptically before reaching out and grabbing her chin. He lifted her face up before leaning closer to her and observed it from both left and right.
His warm breath hit Shen Qi’s face, and it felt like a gentle caress from the feathers of a newborn bird, which tickled Shen Qi and caused her heart to skip a beat.
Her breathing paused for a moment as she stared at Ye Moxuan who was inches away from her. She realized that the man had deep-set eyes, and despite the fact that she was barely inches away from him, his skin appeared to be incredibly smooth and flawless. She felt lost while staring into his deep eyes, which felt as vast as the boundless ocean.
For some reason, Shen Qi felt anxious, and she licked her lips unconsciously.
A trace of an unknown emotion flashed across Ye Moxuan’s eyes, and he tightened his grip on her chin even more. “I see that you do not have makeup on indeed. In that case, why are you wearing a dress on purpose? Do you really have no other motives?” he asked in a hoarse voice.
“What sort of motives are you referring to? You gave me the information, and you asked me to come over to discuss the business deal. Even the dress I’m wearing… was bought by you,” Shen Qi exclaimed.
Ye Moxuan’s voice turned even huskier. “Woman, is talking back the only skill you have?”
“I’m just telling you the truth,” countered Shen Qi.
She felt the temperature of her surroundings increasing rapidly, and she tried to struggle out of Ye Moxuan’s grasp instinctively. “Let me go. We should leave now—”
The next thing she knew, Ye Moxuan was already kissing her.
His hand, which was pinching her chin just now, started cupping her face tenderly. Ye Moxuan’s palm felt warm and dry, and it moved slowly from her cheek to the back of Shen Qi’s head.
His tongue started skillfully prying her teeth apart.
He got the upper hand before Shen Qi could come to her senses.
She was now lying on top of him, and Ye Moxuan had his arm around her waist, so it seemed that she had no choice but to accept Ye Moxuan’s kiss.
The atmosphere inside the restroom was hot with passion, and Shen Qi felt the body temperature rising steadily as well. Ye Moxuan’s large hand explored the back of her dress, and he pulled down the zipper before slithering his hand into her dress.
At the same time, there were clicking sounds of several women’s high heels coming from outside of the restroom.
Bang!
Someone tried pushing the restroom door open, but it wouldn’t budge.
“What’s wrong?”
“The door of this restroom would not open, what is happening?”
“Let me have a look.”
There was another bang, and someone kept trying to open the restoom door. Shen Qi was still in Ye Moxuan’s arms while he continued kissing her. On the other hand, Ye Moxuan seemed unfazed by the situation while focusing on kissing Shen Qi.
Shen Qi was panicking, and she pushed hard against Ye Moxuan, but she didn’t dare to make a sound.
“Eh, it seems like it isn’t opening, do you think it’s faulty?” The people out there tried opening the restroom door several times to no avail.
The two women decided among themselves. “Why don’t we ask for the restaurant’s manager, I think the door is broken.”
The clacking of the high heels left and faded away gradually.
Shen Qi finally shoved Ye Moxuan away violently, and she was left gasping for air. Her face was flushed red, and she stared at Ye Moxuan vehemently while scolding him. “Are you insane? What are we going to do if they find us here? We’d be embarrassed publicly!”
Ye Moxuan licked his red, moist lips while leering at her fair and exposed shoulders. He pressed his hand against her waist while speaking in a husky voice. “I am in the mood, Miss Second-marriage. Let’s go back to the company.”
“Wh-What are you talking about?” Shen Qi said.
She was shocked to the core by Ye Moxuan’s comment, but she acutely felt the heat radiating from Ye Moxuan as well. Shen Qi blushed deeply in that instant. This pervert is actually aroused right here, right now.
Previously, Shen Qi thought that Ye Moxuan was impotent, but that feeling…
Not only was Ye Moxuan not impotent, in fact, he was…
Shen Qi stared at him, blushing. “Are you insane? Let me go now. We are here to discuss the business deal!”
“Oh.” Ye Moxuan leaned forward and pressed his lips against her fair shoulder. “Are you saying that it’s allowed as long as we aren’t discussing the business deal?” he asked in a gravelly voice.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Manager, this is the restroom I was talking about.” The two women were back again with the restaurant’s manager. The manager tried opening the restroom door several times, but to no avail.
“What could be the problem here?”
“I truly am sorry. Perhaps the lock on the other side is faulty. I will call someone to repair it right now. I would like to redirect both of you, young misses, to the restroom upstairs.”
Ye Moxuan still appeared calm as if he wasn’t worried that they might be discovered. However, Shen Qi was very anxious because Ye Moxuan could be shameless, but she didn’t want to embarrass herself. When she noticed that he was still licking and kissing her shoulder, she pushed his face away before straightening up quickly to tidy her clothes and pulling the zipper up.
Damn it, the zipper is stuck, and I can’t seem to pull it up.
The more she tugged the zipper, the more panicked she became. Shen Qi blew up when she saw Ye Moxuan staring at her while being lost in his thoughts. “This is all your fault.”
“What’s wrong? Do you want me to help you?” Ye Moxuan’s lips curled into a flirtatious smile.
Shen Qi snorted and ignored him while continuing tugging her zipper.
Ye Moxuan rolled his wheelchair forward and helped her to pull the zipper up.
In the end, she couldn’t be sure if he did it on purpose because while he was pulling the zipper, there was a tearing sound, and somehow the zipper broke.
Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 130
“Ah, what are you doing?” Shen Qi exclaimed in surprise, and she turned her head around, trying to check the situation that was happening behind her.
“Don’t move,” instructed Ye Moxuan with a frown. He stared at the zipper behind her back in confusion because he couldn’t figure out how it broke with just a light tug. “Let me check what’s going on.”
Shen Qi was furious. If the zipper is broken, how can I go out later?
Shen Qi was fuming the moment she thought that it was very possible for her meticulously planned meal to be ruined just like that. Her heart started racing with that thought.
“You don’t have to look, Ye Moxuan. You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
Ye Moxuan wanted to check the zipper out for her, but his hands froze mid-air when he heard her. He looked up, and his dark eyes stared at her unblinkingly. “Do you really see me as that sort of man?”
“Isn’t that the case?” Shen Qi’s eyes were rimmed with red. “Do you know how much effort I poured into planning today’s lunch? This is my very first time to head a business deal discussion after I entered Ye Group. Can’t you be serious for once? Why must you fool around and accuse me of flirting with other men? It seems that you see me as a promiscuous woman, and I’m that sort of woman who is always focused on luring men, right?” she asked angrily, but Ye Moxuan’s eyes had already darkened with fury.
Shen Qi’s eyes turned bloodshot as she spoke her mind. Just when she was about to turn around, a suit jacket was draped over her shoulders, startling her, and she turned her head to look at the man.
“Put this on for now.”
Ye Moxuan was left with a white shirt after giving her his suit jacket, and arrogance shone in his eyes.
Put on his suit jacket?
Although she was reluctant, Shen Qi was left with no choice because she couldn’t very well leave the restroom barebacked.
In the end, Shen Qi could only glare at Ye Moxuan vehemently while tightening her grip around his suit jacket before dashing out through the restroom door.
Coincidentally, the restaurant manager called for some maintenance workers to open the restroom door, but before he reached for the door, it opened suddenly, and a woman came dashing out with bloodshot eyes.
“Uh? How are you coming out from the restroom? Isn’t the door lock spoiled?” However, he stopped mid-sentence when he saw Ye Moxuan coming out from the restroom as well. The restaurant manager turned around to look at the figure that was running quickly down the corridor before turning back to look at Ye Moxuan who was seated in the wheelchair.
He realized what was happening with a start.
The two of them were in there?
Before his imagination could fully form, Ye Moxuan gave him an icy-cold stare, and his intimidating aura suffocated the manager while rendering the manager speechless as well.
The restaurant manager looked terribly shocked when he focused on the man’s face. Isn’t that President Ye?
I can’t believe that he was actually in there.
“P-President Ye!” greeted the restaurant manager.
Ye Moxuan pursed his lips, and he remained cold and detached when he asked, “What did you see earlier?”
“I didn’t see anything,” replied the manager.
Ye Moxuan let out a scoff and smirked. “Not bad. You will get a big bonus by the end of the year.”
The manager grinned broadly. “Thank you, President Ye. I have to get them to repair the lock since it’s broken. Please go on with your day, President Ye.”
Ye Moxuan glanced at him in approval before straightening his collar, and he then pushed his wheelchair forward to leave.
Once he left, the restaurant manager turned to look at the two men who were standing behind him. “Don’t just stand there. Go on and repair the door lock.”
The both of them rolled their eyes silently and lamented internally, The door lock is fine, how should we fix it? Should we pantomime fixing it?
…
Shen Qi was wearing an additional layer of a man’s suit jacket when she returned to the dining table.
Hence, Su Jiu flashed her an odd look. She went to use the washroom just now. Why did…
Han Qing appeared calmer than Su Jiu; he barely glanced at the suit jacket on Shen Qi before looking away swiftly.
Soon after Shen Qi returned, Ye Moxuan was back too, but his suit jacket was gone now. Su Jiu blinked several times as if she had grasped something unspeakable.
Xiao Su was at a loss for words.
Can this get any more awkward than it already is?
“Well…” Shen Qi suppressed the anxiety bubbling in her chest while placing the folders, which contained project information she had prepared, on the table. “President Han, I know that you are a busy man, and it truly is our company’s honor to have the chance to invite you out for lunch today. Please have a look at this information here.”
She placed the file on the table.
They were finally discussing the main topic, and Su Jie let out a sigh of relief. She took the file and flipped through the pages while asking some questions in between.
Just then, Ye Moxuan reached the table. In fact, the liquor and dishes were all served as well. When the server started pouring them the liquor, Shen Qi couldn’t help but feel her heart ache when she observed the liquid sloshing into the glasses.
Those splashes cost money!
Sigh.
Han Qing noticed her tortured expression, and he could guess what was on her mind. Thus, his eyes crinkled with amusement.
“President Han,” Ye Moxuan sounded cold, and Han Qing came to his senses.
Han Qing looked up and met Ye Moxuan’s gaze.
“Nice to meet you.”
The two men clinked glasses.
Just then, someone pushed the restaurant door open in a panic. A pretty woman, who was wearing a pink and fashionable suit, ran into the restaurant while started scanning her surroundings frantically. Her expression changed drastically when she saw Shen Qi and Han Qing seated opposite each other. She then took a huge step, ready to charge toward them.
However, Han Xueyou seemed to recall something on her second step.
If I rush over in a panic, wouldn’t I look guilty? Qing is such a smart man, and if I were to expose myself in any way at all, he would undoubtedly notice it.
Han Xueyou didn’t dare rush over when she mulled over that thought despite how anxious she felt.
She had no choice but to suppress her anxiety before walking toward them with a friendly smile plastered across her face.
“Qing, why didn’t you tell me that you’re back? Qi!” Han Xueyou greeted them when she got closer. Her voice and gaze were filled with anticipation, and she looked adorable as though she was especially excited to learn that her older brother was back from abroad.
“Xueyou?” Shen Qi smiled when she heard Han Xueyou’s voice. “You’re here?”
Han Xueyou made her way directly toward Shen Qi before clearing her throat. “Uh, Secretary Su is here as well. Are you guys working?”
Su Jiu nodded.
Han Qing remained indifferent.
“I’m sorry, Qing. I didn’t know that you guys were working. I heard from our chauffeur that you didn’t call for him after you got off the plane, so I came over to look for you. I didn’t know that…” She looked very apologetic at that point.
Han Qing finally looked up at her before speaking in a deep voice.
“That’s fine. Have a seat.”
“Thank you, Qing!” Han Xueyou took a seat beside Shen Qi promptly. Han Xueyou looked excited and happy on the surface, but in truth, her heart was in a turmoil.
After she took her seat, she realized that Ye Moxuan was at the dining table as well, and Han Xueyou’s eyes twinkled while greeting him.
“Hello, Young Master Ye. You are here too.”
Ye Moxuan nodded in acknowledgement.
It was supposed to be a discussion about the collaboration between two companies, but the lunch was crashed by two surprise guests—Ye Moxuan and Han Xueyou.
In that instant, Shen Qi had no idea how to start their discussion, and she felt rather bewildered.