Ch. 161..170

Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 161

“Keep her away from disasters?” Mrs. Shen looked irritated. “Qi, how could you think of me that way? That was never my intention. You know that you’re my daughter too, right? How could I treat you as a shield to keep Yue away from disasters?”

“Is that so?” The smile on Shen Qi’s face looked extremely bitter, and both her hands were clasped tightly together under the table. Her fingernails were digging deep into her skin but it did not feel half as painful as what she was feeling in her heart right now.

“Mom, I remember vividly what you said back then. You said you couldn’t have both your daughters ruined. Your precious daughter, Shen Yue, always had the best clothes and attended the best classes ever since she was little. I’m also your daughter, but it was a different case for me. I was assigned to take care of her and was expected to yield to her requests, but I wasn’t too bothered about it because I thought that it was something that an older sister should do.

Yet, when I went back home after my divorce, you didn’t even show your concern for me but forced me to replace Yue to marry into the Ye family instead. At that time, you knew that I was going to marry a handicapped man. You couldn’t bear to let Yue marry him, therefore you asked me to do it in her place.”

Apprehension emerged in Mrs. Shen’s eyes as she clarified, “The current situation is different. Aren’t you leading a comfortable life now? You’re working at a huge company, staying at a huge house and right now, you can even afford to have coffee at such a luxurious place. What else do you want?”

Shen Qi wiped away her tears. “If you could foresee the future back then, would you still ask me to marry into the Ye family?”

“Of course I wouldn’t… Let’s not talk about this anymore. In conclusion, you’re leading a good life now. Isn’t that the only thing that matters? Why do you have to care about what happened in the past?”

Mrs. Shen was starting to get impatient, and she was especially annoyed at the sight of Shen Qi’s red-rimmed eyes. She snapped icily, “Anyway, these are all I have to say today. Just give me one hundred thousand.”

Shen Qi remained silent.

“Let me tell you something. Your sister has already come this far in her studies, so if she doesn’t continue her studies, her future will be destroyed. As her older sister, you have to put her first.”

Shen Qi fixed her eyes on her as she posed her a sudden question. “Mom, am I really your daughter?”

When Mrs. Shen heard her, her eyes widened in astonishment as she gaped at Shen Qi incredulously.

“How could you ask such a question? I brought you up myself, but you’re actually doubting me?”

“If both Shen Yue and I are your daughters, why is everything I own ever since I was young always worse than hers? Mom, I’m a human, and I have feelings too.”

Mrs. Shen was so enraged that she started pressing her palm against her chest, her face pale as she panted. “What a filial daughter I’ve brought up! I can’t believe you’re actually doubting me. This is just great! I see the both of you have all grown up and are ready to leave the nest! I-I am leaving!”

As she was talking, Mrs. Shen rose from her seat and was about to walk out of the cafe. Yet, she panted heavily and her entire body stumbled backward.

“Mom!” Shen Qi was taken aback by the sight. Immediately, she rose to hold her.

Mrs. Shen pretended to be weak as she tried to push her way. “W-What an unfilial girl you are! Let go of me! I’m leaving this place… All of you have grown up and have your own family. No one needs me anymore. I should just leave this world… ”

As she was complaining, she started crying out loud. Because of the commotion she caused, many of the diners in the cafe turned to look at them before muttering among themselves.

A waiter approached them and warned, “Madam, making noise is prohibited in our cafe. May I know what’s going on? Is there anything we can help you with?”

Knowing that the place was a high-end cafe and that the fuss her mother was making would affect their business substantially, Shen Qi’s fair face went scarlet at once when she was questioned in front of everyone. She then offered her apology awkwardly, “I’m so sorry. I’ll bring her out right now.”

Then, she held her mother and tugged her toward the exit. “Mom, let me bring you out of here first.”

“I’m not going anywhere!”

Mrs. Shen acted like a shrew and plonked down on the floor as she reproached furiously, “All of you have grown up and no one needs me anymore. I’ve painstakingly brought you up but this is how you repay me? Have you ever seen me as your mother?”

Mrs. Shen’s behavior was considered bizarre anywhere else, let alone a high-end cafe like this.

Shen Qi was embarrassed but she could not have her mother carry on her humiliating behavior either. The only thing she could do was to walk over and help her get up.

“I’ll give you any amount you want, but you have to leave this place with me.”

Mrs. Shen’s eyes lit up at once when she heard her. “You promise?”

“Yes. Please get up first.”

This time, Mrs. Shen did not struggle but walked out of the cafe with Shen Qi’s help instead.

Shen Qi could sense the waiters’ disdainful gazes on them when they left.

Standing on the crowded street, Shen Qi remained composed but Mrs. Shen was looking restless. “Qi, are you really willing to give me the money? How much can you give me? I think you should give me more as we are rather tight on cash recently. You—”

“Mom.” Shen Qi interrupted her. She then said softly, “What if I can’t give you any?”

Right now, she herself was owing money to the company. Where was she going to get the extra money to loan her mother?

Once Mrs. Shen heard her, she immediately adopted a hostile attitude as she challenged, “What do you mean by that? You promised to give me money at the cafe earlier. Are you going back on your word?” Then, she immediately realized she sounded too aggressive. Hence, she quickly adjusted her tone before she continued, “Qi, don’t think of my request as an exploitation. Think about this—back then when you were with Lin Jiang, that poor guy, I’ve never asked you for a dime, did I? But it’s a different case now as you’re already leading a comfortable life. You couldn’t possibly enjoy a good life yourself but allow us to suffer at the same time. Qi, I just need one hundred thousand. If you have extra, one hundred and fifty thousand is even better.”

Shen Qi echoed, “You just need one hundred thousand, and one hundred thousand fifty is even better?”

Mrs. Shen had not detected the shock in her voice, and she looked pleased with herself as she had gotten the wrong idea that Shen Qi thought it was a small sum.

“Exactly. Isn’t that just a small sum of money? It’s only a meagre sum to you. Therefore, Qi, if you think it’s too little, you can give me more. Your dad and I would be very grateful for you.”

“Ha… ” Both Shen Qi’s eyes and the smile on her face looked extremely bitter. “Exactly. If I give you one hundred thousand or one hundred and fifty thousand, the entire family would be grateful to me.”

Mrs. Shen nodded forcefully in agreement. “Yes, yes, yes.”

“But Mom, the thing is, I don’t have that kind of money. I would help you if I could. But what should I do if I don’t have it? What do you think I should do?!”

As she nearly shouted the last sentence, her sudden emotional outburst made her mother’s eyes widened in shock.

“Do you really think my life is comfortable after marrying into the Ye family? Did you worry about me even once in the past whole month? You didn’t even ask me whether I was good when I was home last time. You just don’t care, but you ask for money the moment we meet. Mom, why don’t I just offer you my life?”

Mrs. Shen widened her eyes as she pressed her palm against her chest in disbelief.

“Stop putting up an act. I meant what I said. Right now, I only have my life, and if you think that is going to be worth some money, go ahead and take it.”

Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 162

Mrs. Shen gaped at her dazedly for a good long while.

“You… it seems like only pissing me off will make you feel good.”

Shen Qi stood rooted to the spot as her eyes were glued to her mother.

“Mom, isn’t asking one hundred and fifty thousand from me similar to taking my life?”

“Fine. You don’t have to give me one hundred and fifty thousand! How about one hundred thousand? Even fifty thousand will be fine too!”

“Mom, you really think too highly of me.”

“Shen Qi, I raised you. Is this how you’re going to repay my effort? Are you not even willing to give me fifty thousand? Are you going to be such an unfilial daughter?”

Remaining silent, Shen Qi clenched her fists that were at her side and bit her lower lip forcefully, ignoring the judging stares the bypassers were giving her.

It didn’t matter. She would just let them look as long as they liked.

The thing was, she really could not fork out that amount of money now.

“Say something!” Mrs. Shen walked over to her and tugged at her shirt forcefully. “Look at what you wear and what you use everyday. Didn’t I give all these to you? How unfilial you are for abandoning your parents after becoming rich!”

As she was shouting at the top of her lungs, Shen Qi closed her eyes as she allowed her mother to tussle with her.

All of a sudden, a pair of large hands drew her away as it blocked all Mrs. Shen’s attacks on her.

“Madam, please stop behaving in this way.” A gentle and soothing voice was heard somewhere above her. Shen Qi opened her eyes at once and stared at that person dumbfoundedly.

It was Ye Linhan…

Why was he here?

“W-Who are you?” Mrs. Shen stared at the man who had emerged suddenly and shielded Shen Qi behind him. He exuded a majestic aura and everything he wore looked extraordinary.

Mrs. Shen squinted her eyes as she sized him up. “Are you Qi’s husband?”

Shen Qi was stunned for a moment before she quickly clarified, “Mom, he is not…”

Ye Linhan appeared somewhat shocked when she heard Mrs. Shen but he answered with a faint smile, “Ah. So you’re Qi’s mother.”

Shen Qi stared at Ye Linhan in astonishment. What did he mean by saying that? Why didn’t he deny what her mother had said?

“Yes, I’m Qi’s mother. I suppose you’re her husband?” Mrs. Shen immediately put on a simpering smile as she continued, “To be frank, our family is having some financial difficulties, therefore I’m here to borrow some money from Qi. However, she is behaving rather stubbornly and she claims that she doesn’t have any… How’s that possible? Hasn’t she already married into the Ye family? I bet she is usually given a handsome sum as her allowance. What’s more, she is still working…”

Yet, before Mrs. Shen could even finish her grumbling, Ye Linhan had already asked with a subtle grin, “Sorry for interrupting, but may I know how much do you need?”

Mrs. Shen uttered the sum she wanted immediately, “It’s not much. I only need two hundred thousand!”

“Mom. That’s not what you said just now!” Shen Qi could not help but cut her off with a shrill voice.

Mrs. Shen shot her a vicious glare.

Still smiling, Ye Linhan pulled her behind him again to stop her from saying anything before taking out a card from his wallet and handing it to Mrs. Shen.

“Madam, there’s three hundred thousand in this card. If you need money urgently, just take it. The password is a hextuple of sevens.”

When Shen Qi, who was now behind Ye Linhan, heard the amount, she hastily stepped forward and tried to snatch the card away but it was already taken by Mrs. Shen, who looked overjoyed.

“It seems like my son-in-law is the more sensible one! Thanks for the money. Qi, you’ve found yourself a fine husband!”

With that, Mrs. Shen quickly retreated as she talked as if she was worried that Shen Qi would lunge forward and snatch the money away from her any minute. “I’ve got to go as I have something urgent to attend to. I’ll visit you two some other day.”

After turning a corner at the end of the street, something suddenly dawned upon Mrs. Shen.

That’s weird. Isn’t the man Shen Qi married a handicap? But that man was standing!

Forget it. After all, with three hundred thousand in my hands, I can do whatever I want.

On the other side, Shen Qi stood unmoving with a look of dejection on her face. Ye Linhan turned around to look at her.

“Your mother is gone now.”

“Why did you give her the money?” asked Shen Qi in a dispirited tone. She lifted her head, her beautiful eyes laden with desolation. “Do you have any idea how much money is three hundred thousand? I have no way to repay you that amount of money! Also, do you know what she is going to do with that money?”

Ye Linhan was first taken aback by the abjection in her eyes before letting out a faint laugh after a short while.

“That’s nothing. I’m happy to be able to help you. What’s more, I don’t intend to ask you to repay me the money.”

Shen Qi took a step back as her beautiful eyes opened widely.

“How could I not repay you? I loathe being in debt of favors the most. Since my mother has taken your money, I will repay the money on her behalf!”

She took three hundred thousand at one go. This is just great.

The smile on Ye Linhan’s face turned slightly bitter. “Are you blaming me for giving her the money?”

Staring at him unflinchingly, Shen Qi remained wordless.

A trace of concern emerged in his eyes as he added, “In that case, you have to forgive me. I really don’t want to see you suffer all that scolding and beating without fighting back. It makes my heart hurt, you little fool!”

With that, he even stretched out his hand and tousled her hair.

Shen Qi was left speechless.

She stood frozen on the spot as she gawked at him in disbelief.

What’s with his affectionate tone? Shen Qi could not gauge the emotions in his eyes as there was something complicated hidden beneath the gentleness and affection.

What’s that?

When Shen Qi came to her senses, she took a large step backward as she stared at him somewhat fearfully. Ye Linhan’s hand stopped moving and hung in the air before it was taken back after a long while.

The smile on his face slowly disappeared. “It’s my bad. What I have done for you is purely because you’re my family, so please don’t feel stressed about it. Just treat the money as my gift to you as a commemoration of our first meeting.”

Shen Qi said, “Linhan, you’re really generous for giving me three hundred thousand as a gift.”

The sarcasm in her words was so obvious that it was sensed by Ye Linhan too.

Shen Qi clenched her fists as she turned him down, “You don’t have to give me the money as a gift because I’ll slowly pay you back.”

With that, she turned around and left.

“Qi…” Ye Linhan tried to stop her by calling her name but it seemed like Shen Qi could not hear him; before long, she disappeared from his sight.

Shen Qi went back to the office tower at lightning speed; her face immediately became stern as soon as she stepped into the elevator.

Ever since she joined the Ye family, her life had been turbulent. Not only did she owe money to the company, but she was also indebted to Ye Moxuan. At first, she intended to work hard so that she could get new projects from which she could receive bonuses, but to her dismay, she was demoted by Ye Moxuan.

Right now, it was an arduous task for her to earn more money.

Suddenly, she thought of the agreement of the mall that Ye Moxuan gave to her.

If it wasn’t because she was desperate at this moment, she would have forgotten about the existence of that agreement.

At that time, Ye Moxuan had purchased the entire mall and gave her the ownership but she felt that it was inappropriate to accept it. Yet, he had not wanted it either, so she had kept the agreement in a box.

Right now, it seemed like it was about time for her to visit the mall.

She made her way directly to the mall after work.

Once she reached the mall, she went to the clothing store she had visited last time. The moment she walked in, the salesperson caught sight of her and beamed.

“Miss Shen, you’re finally here!”

Shen Qi was speechless.

Has she been waiting for me to come all this while?

Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 163

Still with some uneasiness, Shen Qi asked awkwardly after walking into the shop, “How’s the business going lately?”

The salesperson nodded before saying, “It’s going fine. Miss Shen, you are our boss now. As you’ve never been here ever since the ownership of the mall has changed, the issuance of our salaries has been stalled.”

Shen Qi was stunned when she heard her. Because of the change of ownership, they have not been getting their salaries?

The salesperson said with teary eyes, “The issuance of our salaries has been delayed for a week already. Miss Shen, I’m still waiting for my salary, as I need to pay rent.”

Shen Qi cleared her throat before asking, “How should I go about that? Should I just give it to you directly?”

“No, no! You have to head to the top floor of the mall.”

The top floor of the mall? Shen Qi nodded before saying, “In that case, I’ll go there and check it out.”

She made her way directly to the top floor by elevator. In stark contrast to the lower levels, the top floor was exceptionally quiet and it gave off a feeling akin to a hidden paradise.

When she was in there, she saw quite a few staff who were busy at work. Everyone shot her a bizarre look before withdrawing their gaze. Not knowing what to do or say, she could only throw her inquiries at a random employee. After listening to her explain the situation, the person led her to a room. “You may walk in directly and look for the person-in-charge.”

Shen Qi knocked on the door and a lady’s voice which sounded familiar to her was heard. “Come in.”

Shen Qi pushed the door open and popped her head into the room as she greeted, “Hello?”

When her gaze met the eyes of the lady inside, she looked somewhat shocked. Before Shen Qi could utter a word, the lady who sat behind her desk asked with a smile, “Are you Ye Moxuan’s assistant?”

Indeed, the lady in front of her was Ms. Jing who had once helped her with her makeup before. She rose from her seat and walked from her desk toward her. With both of her arms crossed in front of her chest, she leaned against the door and commented, “I’ve been waiting for you to come here for a long time and alas, you’re finally here.”

Shen Qi echoed, “Waiting for me?”

“That’s right. For some reason, the ownership of this mall was changed. As an employee, it goes without saying that I’m eager to meet our new boss; it surprises me that it’s you.”

Shen Qi questioned, “How did you know?”

“It’s a secret.” Then, Ms. Jing turned around and walked toward the inside of her room. “Are you here to check on the accounts? I’ve sorted out the latest ones. Should I send it to your email address?”

“N-No, it’s not necessary,” Shen Qi stuttered a little. “I’m just here to inform you on behalf of the retail staff that the issuance of their salaries has been delayed for a week and all of them seem rather anxious.”

“Tsk, they are not the only ones who are anxious. I feel the same, alright? The issuance of my salary has been delayed for a week too.”

“W-Why is that so?”

“I’m waiting for your signature, new boss.”

Ms. Jing placed the paysheet in front of her. “Please have a look. If there is no problem, you may sign on it.”

Dazedly, Shen Qi took the paysheet over but she was slightly confused. “Hmm…”

“By the way, this is the bank card for disbursements, new boss. The password is the date of your birthday.”

Shen Qi was speechless. Taking the bank card, she blinked in bewilderment. What was going on? Why was she given a bank card out of the blue?

“The monthly profit of the mall is inside this bank account.”

Shen Qi went to the nearest bank to check the balance of the bank account and found that tens of millions of profit were kept inside. She was so shaken that she almost threw the card away. Because of that, she went to Ms. Jing again.

“Ms. Jing, did you give me the wrong card? There are tens of millions inside this bank account…”

Ms. Jing threw her a dubious look before asking, “How could it be? This is such a huge mall and what’s more, it’s owned by the Ye Group. Tens of millions as profit… that’s considered comparatively little for this month.”

Shen Qi found it hard to breath all of a sudden and she quickly placed the bank card back onto the table. She felt as though the bank card which contained tens of millions was a steaming potato which she could not hold well at all.

“What’s wrong?”

“There is too much money inside. I can’t take it.”

“You’re the boss of the mall right now. Who else could keep it other than you?”

Shen Qi countered, “But…”

“Although I have no idea why Ye Moxuan transferred the ownership of this mall to you, I trust he has his reasons. The profit of the mall this month has gone down slightly compared to the last month. Do you have any idea on how we can revive the business? After all, managing such a huge mall is not a walk in the park.”

What?! Shen Qi widened her eyes as she heard her. Reviving the business of the mall? As she had never learned about business management before, she didn’t know anything much. At that thought, Shen Qi pursed her lips, took the bank card again and held it in her hands. “I’ll give you a reply regarding this issue.”

After leaving the mall, Shen Qi made her way straight back to the Ye residence. As she did not find Ye Moxuan in the bedroom, she went directly to the study to look for him after the housemaids told her that he was in there.

She walked inside and placed the bank card on the desk. Beneath the bank card was an agreement which was white in color. “This is the agreement of the ownership transfer of the mall together with the profit for this month.”

Ye Moxuan paid no regard to her and remained silent. Seeing that there was no reaction from him even after standing there for more than ten seconds, Shen Qi turned around and was about to leave the study.

“Once I’ve given something as a gift, I won’t take it back even if it’s returned to me untouched.”

Shen Qi’s pace came to a halt. It seemed like there was an underlying meaning in what he said.

She turned around at once and bit her lip as she confronted him, “Did you ask for my consent before giving it to me? Did I ever say I wanted it? It’s such a huge mall with so much profit, so how could I take it? Ye Moxuan, do you really think I can be bribed with money?”

Ye Moxuan looked up at her with his icy eyes. “If you can’t be bribed with money, why did you bring all these to my study today? Aren’t you just putting on a show of how innocent you are even though you’re actually dying to take the money deep down inside?”

Shen Qi snapped, “I am surprised you actually think of me in this way!”

What he said made her so angry that her body started trembling. However, she soon realized that he must have said it deliberately. Because of the hurtful comments she had made about him earlier, he must have purposefully said it in order to irritate her.

“Forget it! Just think of me however you want. Anyway, I won’t take these things.” With that, she turned around and left.

However, when she reached the threshold, she heard a thump; Ye Moxuan had actually thrown the agreement and the bank card into the dustbin.

Shen Qi widened her eyes in disbelief.

“Are you crazy? You just threw the agreement of the mall and the bank card which contains tens of millions into the bin!”

“Does your heart ache at that sight?” Ye Moxuan glanced at her icily as a cruel smile formed at the corner of his lips. “You could just take them back.”

She clenched her fists at the side of her body silently, her fingernails digging deeply into her flesh. Staring at the wicked man in front of her, the despair in her heart grew more intense. “Do you really have to humiliate others like this in order to be happy?”

“That is the best way to deal with women like you.”

“Fine, just throw it away if you don’t want it! Who cares?” Shen Qi really could not stand him anymore as she yelled at him at the top of her lungs, her pretty eyes becoming red-rimmed without her realizing. After that, she turned around and walked briskly away without giving Ye Moxuan another look.

Watching the small figure disappearing out of his sight, Ye Moxuan slowly averted his gaze to the dustbin as he balled his fists in silence.

Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 164

In the middle of the night, Shen Qi lifted her blanket and got out of bed. She walked out of the bedroom barefooted and went to the study, in search of both the agreement and the bank card which Ye Moxuan had thrown into the dustbin. When she got them back, she could not hold back her tears.

What a jerk Ye Moxuan was.

Those things which she retrieved were thrown away by him without a second glance.

It was as if he had never cared about these things at all back when he gave them to her.

As those things did not belong to her in the first place, she was fine to give up on them.

However, she still could not help feeling upset at the sight of how cold-hearted he looked.

Her depressing sobs could be heard coming from the dark study.

It was only after some time did she wipe away her tears and take the agreement and bank card back to her bedroom. She fell asleep and pretended as if nothing had happened at all.

On the next day, she made time to visit Ms. Jing at the mall.

“Ms. Jing, how much is the mall worth approximately?”

Ms. Jing squinted at her. “Why are you asking about this all of a sudden?”

“I just feel like getting to know the worth of this mall. Could you tell me please?”

“It’s a huge mall and you have already seen that its monthly profit is tens of millions. Mind you, that’s only what we earn in the off season. How much do you think it’s worth?”

She was right. The worth of the mall was beyond her estimation.

It seemed like she would not be able to purchase it outright for the time being. She bit her lips as she tried to come up with other solutions.

Yet, Ms. Jing’s guess of her intention was spot on. “Are you thinking of buying the mall?”

When Shen Qi heard her, the smile on her face turned slightly awkward. “It’s funny, right? I don’t even know why I thought of it. It’s impossible.”

“It’s not,” Ms. Jing said with a faint smile. “In any case, it shows that you’re an opinionated girl who doesn’t want to rely on Moxuan for your success. You have my support.”

Shen Qi’s eyes, which at first looked gloomy, lit up at once as she looked up at Ms. Jing with elation.

“Do you really support my idea? Yet… as you said, the worth of this mall is beyond estimation. I can’t afford it at all.”

“In my opinion, you don’t have to purchase it at all, you foolish girl. You may return a certain percentage of future profits to Ye Moxuan and take a cut for yourself. Do you think managing a mall is easy? Your effort in managing it has to be remunerated and at the same time, Ye Moxuan would not suffer a loss too.”

At that moment, Ms. Jing could only let out a sigh secretly.

She had no idea of the status of Ye Moxuan and Shen Qi’s relationship. It was apparent that Shen Qi felt restless after taking his asset and she was keen to settle her debt with him. If that was true, it would be disastrous for Ye Moxuan.

Not having the chance to meet Ye Moxuan lately, she did not have a clear idea of the situation.

“Really?” Shen Qi appeared doubtful.

“Of course, but that will only work if you are able to increase the profits of the mall. Please try to come up with some ways.”

Suddenly, Shen Qi was motivated as she nodded. “I will!”

Then, she signed the paysheets before returning to the company to continue her work. During lunch hours and breaks, she would spend her time learning about business management. She also specially bought a lot of books related to business management from bookstores.

Other than working and resting, she spent all her time studying.

There was already no going back for her.

With the motivation to increase her knowledge, Shen Qi found that she was left with lesser time for random thoughts. Prior to this, she would always find herself grappling with what happened with Ye Linhan and her relationship with Ye Moxuan.

Yet, when she had something of a higher importance to do, she discovered that these issues were relatively uncritical.

It was only when she was free or in the middle of the night would she think of those issues.

However… she still had no idea how to solve them. She could only allow time to pass by and do nothing at the moment.

As for Han Xueyou, she behaved as though she had really done something bad as she kept showering her with gifts. Within the span of over a week, Shen Qi had already received four gifts from her.

Today, Han Xueyou once again sent her something at the entrance of the office tower. Shen Qi finally could not contain her curiosity and asked, “Xueyou, what’s gone into you lately that you’re showering me with gifts?”

Han Xueyou waved her hands awkwardly when she heard her. “Haven’t I already explained it to you? I merely bought you a share when I bought the same thing. Look, I have one too. We have been besties for a long time and isn’t it marvelous that we’re using the same stuff?”

“There’s nothing bad about it but all these stuff are simply too expensive. You don’t have to buy my share every time; please don’t buy anything for me in the future.”

Thereafter, Han Xueyou remained wordless. After a brief silence, Shen Qi asked, “Xueyou, are you feeling guilty?”

What she said made Han Xueyou behave like a frightened bird as she lifted her head to look at her and said in an apprehensive tone, “Tsk. Qi, why would you have such a thought?”

“If you didn’t feel that way, why are you sending me gifts so frequently? In fact…” She paused before continuing. “If what troubles you is that matter, you don’t have to feel guilty about it at all. How things have unfolded in the end was beyond our expectation.”

Before she began the investigation, Shen Qi had never thought that the man would be Ye Linhan.

In fact, she was still not convinced up until now.

Han Xueyou looked up at her.

“Qi, do you not trust me?”

Shen Qi paused for a while before shaking her head. “I trust you, but… I can’t accept it.”

Han Xueyou stared intently at her. “In that case… are you in love with Ye Moxuan?”

Am I in love with him? Am I? Prior to this, Shen Qi would answer her firmly in the negative.

But right now… she did not have a sure idea herself.

At such thought, Shen Qi said with a faint smile, “I’m not.”

Han Xueyou’s eyes turned somewhat gloomier. “Qi, you’ve changed.”

“I’ve changed?”

“I’ve asked you the same question before but back then, you were able to answer in a very firm way, unlike how you hesitated before answering just now.”

Shen Qi asked, “Is that so?”

Even she herself was not aware of this as well as forgotten about it.

Han Xueyou lowered her gaze as she became dispirited for some reason. After a brief moment, her vision landed on Shen Qi’s belly.

“In that case, I suppose you’re not planning to tell Ye Linhan about this?”

Shen Qi did not notice the change in Han Xueyou’s mood as her mind was in a turmoil too.

“I’m not sure for the time being, but… I think there’s no way he would be able to accept it. What’s more, if that matter was exposed, it would definitely be considered a scandal to the Ye family!”

“So what?” Han Xueyou suddenly got agitated as she snapped. “As much of a scandal it might be, he is still the man who spent that night with you, and he is the father of your baby! Don’t you want your baby to have his or her father? Or is it because you’re in love with Ye Moxuan and you would rather have him, who is supposed to be the baby’s uncle, to be the father?”

What she said affected Shen Qi greatly.

She stared at Han Xueyou dazedly and felt as if Han Xueyou had just hit her head with a baseball bat.

She was right. How could she make Ye Moxuan the father of her baby?

Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 165

“Qi, I can see that Linhan has been treating you rather well, so are you really not going to tell him?”

Han Xueyou then continued in a harsher tone, “Are you not bold enough to do that? If you really can’t bring yourself to say it, how about I tell him on your behalf?”

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She had said that tentatively as the seed of evil had germinated in her heart and was growing out of control.

Shen Qi was shocked when she heard Han Xueyou’s offer. Before it could be processed by her brain, she already blurted out subconsciously, “Don’t do that.”

The hope in Han Xueyou’s eyes was dashed at once.

Once again, the two plunged into silence.

None of them spoke as they were both deep in thought.

Staring at Shen Qi who sat opposite of her, Han Xueyou clenched her fists tighter under the table.

She believed in the beginning that Shen Qi would be delighted when she heard the news as Shen Qi had been quite close to Ye Linhan lately after all. Why didn’t she just have a relationship with him instead? Why was she still pestering Ye Moxuan?

Sometimes, Han Xueyou felt that Shen Qi was too selfish and greedy for having two men and refusing to give any one of them up.

Han Xueyou had completely forgotten about the fact that she was actually an impersonator, and the fact that she had deceived Shen Qi.

Then, the two parted ways and Han Xueyou returned home in a bleak mood. When she passed through the gate, she was surprised to find that her brother’s car was there. Slightly bewildered, she asked the housemaid, “Did my brother skip the office today?”

The housemaid replied to her respectfully, “It seems like Sir is not feeling well today, hence he is working from home.”

Han Xueyou was taken aback by what she said. “My brother is not feeling well? I’m going to check on him.”

The housemaid immediately caught up to her and said, “Miss Han, Mr. Han has already instructed that no one is to disturb him.”

“What are you talking about? I’m his sister. Is my visit also considered a disturbance? I’m just going to visit my sick brother so don’t make too much noise.”

Han Xueyou looked intimidating and fierce.

Because of that, the housemaid lowered her head, not daring to utter a word more.

Han Xueyou made her way upstairs directly and headed toward Han Qing’s room.

In the end, she found that his room was actually unlocked and somebody else was inside.

“President Han, these are all the information regarding Miss Shen that you’ve instructed me to gather.”

It was Su Jiu’s voice. Quickly, Han Xueyou leaned against the door frame quietly as she peeked at what was taking place inside the room.

“Okay, just put it there.” Han Qing’s deep voice was croaky; he sounded like he was really sick.

Su Jiu continued, “President Han, why on earth did you ask me to investigate Miss Shen? Is it just because she is Miss Xueyou’s friend? According to my investigation, the girl named Shen Qi is a rather nice girl in terms of personality as well as other aspects. The only thing is… her life is rather unfortunate.”

In fact, Su Jiu was not supposed to make such comments as she would usually be ignored by Han Qing, and also because she was already accustomed to conveying everything to him succinctly.

Yet, as Su Jiu could see that Han Qing had been very interested in Shen Qi’s matter in the past two days, she could not help but elaborate on the subject.

After a brief silence in the room, Su Jiu cleared her throat. Just as she believed that her comment was unwanted and was about to stop, Han Qing asked in a deep voice, “Unfortunate?”

“Exactly.” Su Jiu nodded. “Her ex-husband was unfaithful to her right after they got married but Miss Shen was kept in the dark for two years. One day, her ex-husband struck the lottery and just as Miss Shen thought that that would be the beginning of her comfortable life, they ended up divorcing each other, and her ex-husband’s lover who was pregnant with his child took her place. In the end, Miss Shen received nothing.”

Han Qing instinctively put on a frown as he echoed, “She got nothing?”

“Yes. In fact, Miss Shen’s sister, Shen Yue, was supposed to be the one involved in the marriage between the Shen family and Ye family. But once Miss Shen’s mother found out that the man she was going to marry was a handicap, she cooked up the arrangement to have Miss Shen replace her sister to marry into the Ye family as she happened to be a divorcee at that time. I suppose what we saw at the conference room that day shows how she’s faring currently.”

After listening to Su Jiu, Han Qing remained silent. Only the sound of his slender fingers tapping the desk could be heard. Despite the fact that he remained expressionless, Su Jiu knew that he was slightly angry judging from his actions.

But…Why is he angry?

It has only been a short while even since he met Shen Qi. Did he fall in love with her at first sight?

But that’s unlikely. Although one would easily sympathize with Shen Qi’s ordeal, I think she isn’t so gorgeous that she could actually make one fall in love with her at first sight.

That’s not right either. Being gorgeous is not the most important ingredient of love at first sight. After all, Han Qing is different from other men and he has never been too preoccupied by appearances.

He might have fallen in love with her at first sight, but she is already a married woman.

At such thought, Su Jiu felt the urge to remind Han Qing out of kindness but at the sight of his intimidating face which looked as invasive as a sharp blade, she stopped herself.

Forget it. This man knew what he was doing and she thought better than to meddle in his business.

Han Xueyou who was eavesdropping on their conversation by the door caught everything they said. When the conversation inside the room died down, color had already drained from Han Xueyou’s face and she turned as terrifyingly pale as a piece of paper which had just been fished out from a pool of water.

Had her brother actually asked Secretary Su to gather Shen Qi’s information?

Why did he do that? Moreover, he had also done something unusual—he had actually asked questions about Shen Qi’s matter, and it seemed like he cared about her a lot.

At the thought of how she had impersonated Shen Qi, Han Xueyou felt weak and feeble. Was the reason why her brother had been treating her coldly because he was still having doubts about her identity?

Or was it because he had never accepted her as his sister right from the beginning?

He had immediately carried out an investigation on Shen Qi as soon as he caught sight of her.

No, things couldn’t go this way…

She had worked very hard to obtain this identity—Miss Han from the Han family. She had many who fawned over her, she ate well everyday, she stayed in a huge mansion which many would die for, and she bought all sorts of luxury perfumes, bags, cosmetic products, and clothes. Many women out there were green with envy of her life.

As she had already tasted how it was like to lead a lavish life, she could not afford to lose it.

What should I do? Han Xueyou was so panicked that her eyes became red-rimmed. The conversation inside the room began again.

Su Jiu said, “President Han, if you have no other instructions for me, I shall head back first.”

“Okay.”

Thereafter, some footsteps were heard. Han Xueyou was pulled back to reality and she realized she was still standing by the door of her brother’s room and Secretary Su was about to reach the door any minute.

She could not let Secretary Su find out that she was eavesdropping on them.

Quickly, she turned on her heels and left.

Hiding herself in a corner, she saw Su Jiu walking out of her brother’s room before striding off downstairs.

On her way down, Su Jiu turned around and took a glance in the direction of where Han Xueyou was hiding as though she had sensed something. Han Xueyou was so frightened that she immediately backed up and started breathing rapidly.

Su Jiu was his brother’s secretary whom he trusted a lot. If her presence was discovered by her…

Fortunately, the click-clacks of her high heel faded away. Han Xueyou found herself drenched in cold sweat out of shock, and she slumped to the ground weakly as she leaned against the wall.

What should she do? Her brother had already begun an investigation on Shen Qi. Would he find out that Shen Qi was the genuine daughter of the Han family? If the truth was unveiled, what should she do?

She did not feel like returning to her previous life which was bleak and hopeless.

Things could not go this way. She needed to come up with a solution…

Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 166

Over the past few days, other than spending her time on studying, Shen Qi visited the mall every day after work to learn from and study together with Ms. Jing.

Although Ms. Jing did not expect much from her in the beginning, her improvement over the past few days had taken Ms. Jing by surprise. On top of that, Shen Qi had turned out to be much more diligent than she had imagined as she was not deterred by hard and tedious work.

For several times, Shen Qi was so tired that she almost fell asleep in her office but still forced herself to stay awake. After a short while, she would again lean on the table and fall asleep.

Ms. Jing noticed the dark circles around her eyes and she could not help but tease her. “Look at you! Won’t Moxuan feel sorry for you if he sees you being this hardworking?”

At the mention of Ye Moxuan’s name, Shen Qi was stunned for a moment before she let out a faint smile without offering a reply to Ms. Jing.

This was the longest time Ye Moxuan and her were not on speaking terms ever since they got married.

Ye Moxuan treated her as if she was transparent whereas she did not make the initiative to strike up a conversation with him either.

Although the two stayed in the same room, they ignored and treated each other in a manner that was even colder than strangers.

After giving it a thought, Shen Qi thought the current situation was rather fine.

At least she didn’t need to be in a dilemma every time she faced Ye Moxuan by just focusing her entire attention on her work; as long as she didn’t see him, her mind would not get stuck in all those troubling thoughts.

“As a girl, you should treat yourself better as it’s not possible to stay young forever. If you keep going like this, I’m afraid you will age at a faster rate and Moxuan will blame me by the time it happens.”

Shen Qi paused what she was doing for a while before saying with a laugh, “Ms. Jing, don’t make jokes out of me.”

“Who’s joking? I don’t even have time to crack one. You’ve worked enough for today, so please go back and rest. Just take a look at how your eyes look right now. You really should check out your reflection in the mirror.”

Shen Qi did not take her words seriously as she thought she was just lying to her.

The next second, Ms. Jing had placed a mirror right in front of her. Shen Qi took a glance at it and nearly jumped at the sight of the woman in the mirror.

The woman in the mirror looked pale and her eyes were sunken. Even her lips looked dry and flaky unlike how smooth and shiny it usually looked.

“T-This is…”

“You’re shocked, aren’t you?” Ms. Jing burst out laughing. “You’re really the girl who has the least clue in dolling yourself up I’ve ever come across, and you really don’t care much about your appearance!”

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Shen Qi could not help but give her face a rub.

“So sorry Ms. Jing. I’ve frightened you with my look.”

“It doesn’t matter as we are all girls, but you should be worried about showing this look to Moxuan. As women, as much as we need to work hard, we have to take care of our appearances too. After all, we would only deserve outstanding men if we were outstanding ourselves.”

She was right. Shen Qi had always harbored such a mindset all these while.

Unfortunately, she was never one of those outstanding people.

Therefore, she did not deserve an outstanding man.

“Just go back home and rest.”

“Okay.”

Shen Qi too realized that she had been too worn out lately. After packing up her stuff, she went back home.

She usually got home late at night and more often than not, Ye Moxuan would have already fallen asleep. Today, she made it back home earlier and found that he was still in his study. As she was exhausted, she collapsed on the bed right after washing up.

In the middle of the night while she was sleeping, she felt someone’s hand touching her cheeks. The hand felt cold and dry as it was wiping her eyes with something. Slightly uncomfortable, she put on a frown and intended to open up her eyes to check it out but as she was totally drained, she could not lift her eyelids as much as she wanted to.

Later on, she let out a groan and the hand was withdrawn.

The rest of Shen Qi’s night was undisturbed and she was able to sleep soundly until dawn broke the next day.

On the next morning, she found something sticky on the surrounding area of her eyes when she washed her face and noticed that the dark circles had faded away slightly. Sleep was indeed a natural face mask.

After she washed up, she happened to see that Ye Moxuan had woken up as well.

He was sitting at the edge of the bed with a magazine in his hand.

His wheelchair was placed not far away from him and Xiao Su was not here yet.

After giving it some thought, Shen Qi decided to walk over to him.

She pushed the wheelchair toward Ye Moxuan and asked in a calm tone, “Do you need help?”

Ye Moxuan looked up when he heard her and he set his profound and calm eyes on her face.

They did not make it a habit to draw the curtains when they slept at night and the window in the room just happened to face the eastside. Although the window was located rather far from their bed, the gleaming sunlight could still shine on them.

The moment Ye Moxuan looked up at Shen Qi unflinchingly, Shen Qi noticed that half of his face was basked in the sunlight, making him look as dazzling as a divine being. As Shen Qi was staring at his profound eyes which were as mesmerizing as the stars and the sea, her heart fluttered.

It started racing at a frenzied rate.

Unfortunately, Ye Moxuan’s voice which came the next second made her heart drop.

“I don’t need help.”

The expression on Shen Qi’s face changed as she realized that her gesture was unwanted.

They were still not on speaking terms and she had been demoted for a long time now. He had even thrown away the bank card and the mall agreement in her presence, so why would he still pay any regard to her?

Her grasp on the handle of the wheelchair tightened and she let it go abruptly at last.

With her gaze lowered, Shen Qi turned around and left stubbornly as Ye Moxuan watched.

Looking at her back which looked frail but was kept up straight, the disdain in Ye Moxuan’s eyes grew more intense.

It seemed like that woman would never yield to him and she would always maintain such an attitude.

Forget it!

Since she refuses to give in, I will let her be.

Let’s see who can last till the end.

Just as Shen Qi reached the company, she found a breakfast set placed on her table. With a frown, she gave her surrounding a cursory glance. Who was the kindred soul who had brought her breakfast? Ever since she joined this department, most of her colleagues saw her as an eyesore and many wanted to sabotage her. Some harbored evil intentions toward her but did not have the guts to execute their plans, and some did not dare to get close to her in fear of getting implicated.

In that case, if someone were to bring her breakfast…

Shen Qi thought about it and she already had a rough idea of who it was.

Not touching the food, she switched on her computer and began working as though she had not seen it.

Gao Yun’s mockery came from her neighbouring seat.

“Alas, a woman who knows how to pick up guys is indeed different. Life’s easy for her no matter which department she’s in. See how she has picked up yet another guy after just joining our department for several days. Tsk, tsk, I really feel bad for the one who was nearly cheated on by her!”

Being Gao Yun’s right-hand man, Cui Minli went along with Gao Yun when she heard her.

“Gao Yun, this is how women who are good in bed behave. They can conquer men with their skills wherever they go. Sigh, I’m surprised that the newcomer is actually doing it to someone like Xu Liao.”

Gao Yun taunted, “I bet she doesn’t care much about ethics and morals. Won’t she feel disgusted doing such things to an old man? Just the thought of it causes goosebumps to prickle all over my body.”

What they said was heard by Shen Qi as well as the rest of the staff. All of them turned around as though they were waiting for an exciting show. Everyone was ready to be the audience of a verbal clash that was going to take place in the office!

To their astonishment, the woman mentioned by Gao Yun and Cui Minli did not move the least bit and did not even look at them.

The triumphant smiles on their faces slowly disappeared…

As Shen Qi did not have a flare-up as expected by Gao Yun and Cui Minli, they got to their feet and confronted her angrily, “Newcomer, what do you mean by this? Why are you not reacting to what we said?”

Only when Shen Qi heard them did she slowly turn around and meet their gazes with her eyes looking innocent, “Were you girls talking to me just now?”

Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 167

Everyone was dumbfounded.

The expressions of Gao Yun and Cui Minli alternated between all sorts of emotions and they were evidently livid because of Shen Qi.

Didn’t she catch even a sentence of the whole load of mockery they had made just now?

In that case, why should they even say it so excitedly if no one was listening?

“Hey you, don’t you think you’re being too arrogant? Do you really think you can do anything you want and act so haughtily just because the supervisor fancies you?”

“Exactly. Aren’t you just being sent a breakfast set? Do you really think so highly of yourself? Our supervisor is married. Aren’t you being too shameless to seduce a married man?”

Their voices got louder and louder and their words were getting more and more offensive. Some of the colleagues who were watching the clash thought they were going overboard and there were also those who preferred to chide in.

“Why would she even care about losing face? She throws herself at every guy. You should be asking her if she has any respect for herself to begin with…”

Shen Qi was speechless.

“Exactly. She has no respect for herself!”

The aura Shen Qi gave off suddenly turned icy as she slowly curled her lips into a sneer and added, “Is having a breakfast set on the desk considered seducing a married man?”

Everyone was stunned.

Shen Qi rose, picked up the bag of food from her desk and put it on Gao Yun’s desk.

“What about now? Miss Gao, could you please be more respectful of yourself?”

Gao Yun’s expression changed.

“I would have thought that such offensive remarks and everything that you girls just said earlier were things that would only be uttered by gangsters. To my surprise, those actually came from each and everyone of you here. Didn’t all of you ask me whether I could be more respectful of myself? In that case, I too have one question for all of you here—what’s the difference between all of you who are behaving in this way and those shrews and brutes out there who only know how to shout and yell in the streets? What’s the difference?”

Shen Qi’s words were not offensive but she had implied that their behavior was unsophisticated.

Blood started boiling in all of them as they retorted angrily.

“What do you mean by that? Since you dare to commit such an act, why can’t we point out what you have done?

Cui Minli snapped through gritted teeth, “Exactly. You have the guts to do it but you don’t dare to admit it. What’s more, you are even making slanderous remarks about others.”

With a subtle grin, Shen Qi stretched her hand and tucked a strand of hair which had fallen to the side of her cheek behind her ear. Suddenly, she walked toward Cui Minli and said, “Miss Cui, I saw a bald guy picking you up last night. At first, I thought that man was your father but later on, I saw you two smooching each other. May I know what is the relationship between that guy and you?”

Cui Minli got nervous right after she heard her and her pupils shrunk.

“W-What nonsense are you talking about?! I didn’t!”

Everyone gaped at Cui Minli in shock.

“You didn’t? I suppose you only have the guts to do it but don’t dare to admit it!”

Something dawned upon Gao Yun who stood next to Cui Minli—Shen Qi was sabotaging them by making allegations about them.

“Stop trying to divert attention away from yourself! The point is, aren’t you the one who seduced our supervisor? Why are you throwing mud at Cui Minli?” With that, Gao Yun got so outraged that she extended one of her hands to grab Shen Qi’s hair in an attempt to drag her away from Cui Minli.

The expression on Shen Qi’s face changed and she immediately dodged her attack.

“I didn’t get physical with both of you even after receiving a whole round of offensive remarks but right now, you two are already laying a finger on me after I’ve merely said a sentence. Is it because what I said was spot-on and you two are angry out of embarrassment? Or is it because you just can’t wait to help her cover up her scandalous deeds? How about I elaborate on some of yours too?”

Gao Yun countered, “Mine? What stories are you trying to sketch up again?”

“I’m not going to do that. I’m just going to give you a heads-up out of kindness—your boyfriend was talking over the phone with his lover before he came to pick you up.”

“What nonsense are you talking about?” It never occurred to Gao Yun that she would even slander her boyfriend; her anger hit the ceiling as she raised her hand and was about to hit Shen Qi.

“What are you guys fighting over?”

Suddenly, Xu Liao’s voice was heard and everyone’s voice came to a halt.

Although everyone loved to talk about him behind his back, he was still a very intimidating figure as he had been the supervisor of this department for around five to six years. At the sight of his presence, the crowd immediately dispersed.

Seeing that Xu Liao was here, Gao Yun’s eyes went red-rimmed as she started firing away, “Supervisor, you’re finally here. The newcomer talked to me rudely after I criticized her for the mistakes she made. What’s more, she made slanderous comments about Minli and I.”

Cui Minli, who got mentioned, immediately played along with Gao Yun as she stared at Xu Liao with a miserable look.

“Supervisor, what we said about her was not really harsh but she actually claimed that I have a sugar daddy. Being a pure and innocent lady, how could I ever be such a character? Supervisor, please do justice for us!”

No matter how ridiculous Gao Yun and Cui Minli’s claims were, Shen Qi remained standing at the same spot as she stared at the two girls icily.

Her demeanor made one hard to resist the urge to linger one’s vision on her.

She appeared independent and out-of-this-world.

Suddenly, Xu Liao discovered the beauty in her. Although she always treated him with indifference, her icy gaze and her tough personality were not annoying. On the contrary, Xu Liao found himself becoming more and more infatuated with her the harder she tried to push him away.

“She just made some casual remarks. When did you two become so fragile?” Xu Liao cleared his throat before turning to Shen Qi and asked in a soft voice, “Did you really say so or are they just framing you?”

Both Gao Yun and Cui Minli’s faces turned somewhat paler. “Supervisor, what do you mean by that? How is it possible that we are framing her?”

Shen Qi too was surprised by what he said as she did not expect he would ask her such a question. Was he trying to punish the two by making use of her? The thing was… she really did not feel like having anything to do with Xu Liao who was standing in front of her.

Forget it.

With her lips pursed, Shen Qi did not even bother to speak as she directly turned around and went back to her seat.

Xu Liao felt slightly bitter as he was being ignored.

“Supervisor…”

“Enough, you two. Can’t you girls create less trouble for me? You girls started having an argument in the early morning and I’m asked to settle your dispute. Do I have to start handling your meals too? Get back to work now. Otherwise, your bonuses for this month will be confiscated!”

With their bonuses at stake, Gao Yun and Cui Minli did not dare to comment further and could only return to their seats with anger bottled up inside them.

In the beginning, Xu Liao thought of leaving too but at the sight of Shen Qi’s curvy and attractive body coupled with the thought of her face and her icy gaze, he was filled with desire again.

Hence, he walked over and cleared his throat before saying, “Shen, please head to my room.”

Shen Qi paused for a second when she heard him and she turned around to glance at Xu Liao. “Supervisor, how can I help you?”

Xu Liao said, “I’ll tell you in the office!”

With that, he turned around and left.

Sitting at her desk, Shen Qi drew in a deep breath as she in fact already knew why he wanted to see her. Nonetheless, she would not go along with what he wanted to do; as long as she had a clear conscience, she should not be afraid of any slanderous remarks made against her.

It provided a chance for her to make her intention clear to Xu Liao too.

At that thought, she locked her computer, rose from her seat and headed toward his room.

As soon as she was gone, Gao Yun and Cui Minli got together again.

“What’s wrong with Xu Liao? Didn’t he say that Qiangwei already ordered him to give Shen Qi special treatment? Why didn’t he help us?”

“Damn, what a dirty old guy. He’s attracted to every woman he comes across. Is he really attracted to that ugly newcomer? She’s not even half as beautiful as Qiangwei. I can’t believe he is actually fancying another girl now. What a cheap guy!”

“Gao Yun, what should we do then? Without Xu Liao’s help, how are we going to sabotage her? What’s more, she seems rather sharp.”

Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 168

“Don’t panic and stay here. I’ll look for Qiangwei and update her about this.”

Gao Yun got to her feet and walked out of the office. As Cui Minli was left alone, she kept fidgeting as she was nervous-stricken.

On the other side, when Shen Qi went into Xu Liao’s room, she was greeted by the sight of him sitting at his desk with a smile as he said gently with his eyes fixed on her, “Shen, you’re here.”

Shen Qi put on a frown when she heard him. “Supervisor, how can I help you?”

Xu Liao kept staring at her with gentleness in his eyes. He thought the way he was looking at her was full of affection but in Shen Qi’s view, she felt as though her body was being dismembered in a terrifying way. Under his lewd gaze, a shiver ran down her spine and she could not help but urge, “Supervisor, if you have got no instructions for me, I’ve got to go!”

As soon as she turned around, Xu Liao rose from his seat anxiously. “Hold on. I just wanted to know whether the breakfast I prepared for you is to your liking?”

What the heck…

Shen Qi mulled over it and suddenly an idea hit her. Looking innocent, she countered, “Breakfast? I didn’t see any. Supervisor, if you have no work for me, I do have some work that I have to handle.”

Xu Liao sidestepped his desk, walked over and pressed his hand against the door handle to stop her from going.

The expression on Shen Qi’s face turned icy as she glared at him frigidly.

Just one glance from her was enough to make Xu Liao’s heart burn with desire. Grinning, he stared at her and asked, “Shen, what do you think about the matter that I’ve discussed with you several days ago?”

Shen Qi felt an urge to laugh out loud when she heard what he said.

“Supervisor, I’m pretty sure you already know the answer. Why are you still asking me that?” retorted Shen Qi icily with her lips pursed.

Xu Liao’s face changed slightly when he heard her. “What do you mean? Shen, are you turning me down?”

Shen Qi put on a frown and took several steps back to put some distance between them. “Supervisor, I’ve given you the answer to your question several days ago.”

“Shen, do you have any idea what you are talking about? Haven’t I already analysed the current situation for you? Although you had a fling with the president, he has already dumped you after all. Also, what’s so bad about me? If you stay on in my department in the future, you will be well protected by me by being my lover!”

“I don’t need protection from anyone, thank you.” Shen Qi directly pulled on the door handle as she was ready to leave.

Xu Liao exerted some pressure on the door handle and tried to persuade her again. “Are you not going to think about it further? Are you just going to turn me down so firmly?”

“Supervisor, please move away from the door,” snapped Shen Qi with an unfriendly face.

Having been rejected by Shen Qi for many times without having any respect paid to him, Xu Liao got slightly angry out of embarrassment. He snarled through gritted teeth, “You shouldn’t reject kind gestures from people while you’re offered one!”

Is he angry? Shen Qi lifted her head and glanced at him. “Step aside.”

“Since I am capable of protecting you, I could also make your life so difficult in the department that you will find it hard to stay on.”

“Is that so?” Shen Qi flashed him a subtle grin. “Is it just like what you did to me the first day I was here? You were just playing some petty tricks in the presence of the president. Supervisor, here’s a piece of advice for you—don’t lose the position you’ve fought hard for for years just because of a dispute with me.”

“You!” Her harsh words caught Xu Liao off guard. Just as his face was alternating from looking shocked to being pale, Shen Qi had already pulled the door open and left.

He could not help but curse at her back,“Just drop the act of being a cute little bunny. You’re just a woman who is dumped by a handicapped man. You should be grateful that someone still wants you. How dare you turn me down? Well, since you treated me with no respect, don’t blame me for what I’m going to do to you! Let’s see how you’re going to stay on here, b*tch!”

Shen Qi had no idea that her rejection would make him so angry and embarrassed. Yet, she had already prepared herself to face the consequences of her rejection.

Ever since she was demoted by Ye Moxuan, she had already gotten herself well prepared mentally.

No matter what came in her way, she would deal with them one by one and solve them with a calm mind.

After entering the password of her computer, Shen Qi adjusted her mood and got back to work.

During lunch break, Yan said excitedly, “The anniversary of the founding of our company is just around the corner and there will be a celebration. A grand dinner will be held at the Ye Residence as well.”

Shen Qi was stunned when she heard her. Did she mention a dinner?

“Everyone will be invited. Qi, have you thought of what you’re going to wear?”

“Me?” Shen Qi let out a laugh. “Right now, I’m just an ordinary staff member. Can I still attend the dinner?”

“Of course. It’s the anniversary dinner and everyone from the company is invited. You have no idea how fierce the competition was on the red carpet last year! It’s simply too frightening!”

“Competition on the red carpet?”

Shen Qi was rather surprised by the usage of such a term so she could not help laughing. “Are you sure you have not exaggerated it?”

“Of course not. Although the dinner is held by the Ye family, do you think the guests all come from the Ye family? Many others from the upper social circle will also be invited by the Ye family. If a girl could get one of the guys there as her boyfriend, she would no longer need to worry about her livelihood for the rest of her life, you know?” Yan explained.

Shen Qi was stunned for a brief moment before repeating what Yan had just said. “A girl would no longer need to worry about her livelihood for the rest of her life if she could get one of the guys there as her boyfriend?”

“Of course. If a girl could get any one of those guys there, she would be able to marry into a wealthy and prestigious family. Having married into such a family, what else would she have to worry about? All girls would want to be someone like that.”

“Are you one of them?”

Yan found herself unable to come up with an answer and it was only after being in a daze for a long while that she let out a laugh and condemned Shen Qi, “How could I be one of them? I would never pursue love in that way. I want a relationship where love is mutual. I would never marry a guy just for his money without having any feelings for him.”

Marrying a guy just for his money without having any feelings for him…

Wasn’t that a description of Ye Moxuan and herself?

She had married Ye Moxuan not for his money nor because she had feelings for him.

Nope, she was wrong about the money element. Right now, she was the owner of a mall and she had a lot of money.

At such thought, she pursed her lips but Yan suddenly tugged at her arm. “Should we head to a mall to check out the dresses after work? Let’s go to that one owned by Ye Group!”

Shen Qi’s face changed slightly. “Are you referring to that one?”

“Which other one could it be? Just that one which is super huge at Xuyin Road!”

Shen Qi was speechless.

Wasn’t that the mall Ye Moxuan had given her?

Was it just a coincidence or had Yan discovered something and was actually testing the waters?

“Why do you feel like going there suddenly?”

“Are you an idiot? The mall offers the best and most fashionable items in the entire North City. On top of that, that is the only place where you can get customized dresses and wedding gowns made by foreign designers. Are you always this uninformed?”

Shen Qi answered, “Yes, I don’t know much about it.”

Being the new owner of the mall, she actually knew nothing about it. “How about this? Let’s head over there after work. Can you also tell me everything you know about the mall?”

Yan nodded. “No problem. I’ll look for you after work then.”

Shen Qi returned to her department after they reached a consensus.

After work, she and Yan made their way to the mall at Xuyin Road.

Along the journey, Yan told her a great deal about the mall and some other closely related happenings. Shen Qi jotted down in her notebook occasionally as she listened.

According to Yan, almost all the best things in the entire North City could be found in this mall. Everything was of excellent quality whether it was edibles or inedibles.

It was all because the mall had a surname—Ye.

Numerous factories and designers fought hard in order to sell their products there, but because of the strict quality control in place, anything which did not fulfill the requirements or anyone who tried to bluff their way through would not be given a pass.

Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 169

“That’s really strict,” commented Shen Qi.

Yan could not help but roll her eyes at her when she heard her comment. “Of course. Otherwise, how do you think Ye Group became the top and largest company in North City? They are successful because of the strict quality assurance in place—anyone who visits the mall will get to buy the best products with its genuinity assured.”

Shen Qi muttered under her breath, “No wonder its monthly profit could reach over tens of millions even during off season…”

“What? Did you just mention a profit of tens of millions?”

“No, I didn’t.” Shen Qi came to her senses as she said, “Let’s check out that shop. By the way, the products here are sold at a high price. Do you really want to spend so much money on just a dress for one occasion?”

Shen Qi still remembered she had torn a dress back then which was worth over three hundred thousand according to a waiter.

These people could actually afford buying dresses that were worth hundreds of thousands just to attend a function. How rich were they?!

“For me, buying a dress that costs tens of thousands to attend a function is a very worthwhile investment. What’s more, girls our age should doll themselves up, don’t you agree? Otherwise, when we get older, we will become a laughing stock if we still try to dress ourselves up extensively. On top of that, we will also regret not dressing up when we were young.”

The two entered a shop. Being very acquainted with such a shop, Yan explained the purpose of her visit to the shopper right away after she walked into the shop.

“Hello, my bestie and I would like to buy dresses in the range of below fifty thousand. We prefer dresses with special designs and bright colors. Thank you so much.”

When the shopper heard their preferred price range, she quickly led them to a small area of the shop without looking disdainful.

“Good day to you, girls. I think the dresses in this area would fulfill your requirement. You girls may check out the designs first and the fitting room is right there. You’re welcomed to ask me anything.”

“Alright, thanks. We’ll take a look at the dresses first.”

Quietly, the shopper left and Yan curled her lips upward. “Did you see that? Even the shoppers here have undergone special training and all of them are extremely polite.”

Shen Qi was speechless. Why hadn’t she encountered such a nice shopper the last time she was here? It seemed like there would always be jerks among good people but she supposed that shopper had already turned over a new leaf by now.

“Qi, come and take a look at this. I think that dress in blue suits you well; it gives out a similar aura as yours.”

Shen Qi smiled apologetically. “I’m not buying. You can just buy yours.”

Yan’s expression changed a little as she gaped at her. “Why are you not buying? Are you not going to attend the dinner?”

“Yes.” Shen Qi nodded. She was not the least bit interested in the anniversary celebration where all the girls were going to fight hard to be the most gorgeous lady.

She could not afford the dress nor could she compete with the rest of the girls.

She preferred to just stay down-to-earth at the office or at home.

“D*mn it. If you’re not going to be there, it won’t be fun anymore. There’s no point in me going alone.” Yan was unhappy as she pouted.

Shen Qi let out a faint smile as she explained, “You’re different from me—you’re very beautiful and energetic. If you attend the dinner, you might even find your Prince Charming there.”

At the mention of her Prince Charming, the tension of the muscles in Yan’s face eased up substantially.

“That’s more like it. In that case, please wait for me while I try on the dress.”

While Yan was trying on the dress, Shen Qi found a place to sort out her notes. Every now and then, Yan would scurry over to ask for her opinion on the dresses but because she had a nice body, fair complexion and a pretty face, Shen Qi thought she looked good in every dress.

At last, they bumped into Ye Linhan when they walked out of the mall.

“It’s Vice President Ye!” Nervously, Yan grabbed her sleeve. “I didn’t expect to see him here! Hey, he’s coming in our direction!”

Shen Qi’s heart skipped a beat when she heard Yan. Did she just mention Ye Linhan?

Just as she lifted her head, Shen Qi caught sight of Ye Linhan striding toward them at a steady pace with a friendly and attractive smile on his face as usual. He looked exceptionally gentlemanly and amiable.

“Why are you girls here?” Ye Linhan asked them both but his vision could not help but land on Shen Qi’s face.

Shen Qi still felt awkward to see him. Ever since he gave her the card with three hundred thousand, she became even more stressed out and was even more reluctant to see him. Right now, the only thing she wanted to do was earn as much money as possible to pay him back so she would not feel so pressured.

Yan answered him instead. “We came here to buy a dress. Vice President Ye, why are you here?”

Ye Linhan answered with a subtle grin, “I’m here to buy something too. It seems like you girls are done shopping. Where are you girls heading? May I give the two of you a ride?”

“Great! I’m heading home. Thanks, Vice President Ye.”

“No worries.”

Yan was about to drag Shen Qi along to get a ride in Ye Linhan’s car but Shen Qi removed Yan’s hold on her and remained standing there. Because of that, Yan turned around and stared at her in bewilderment.

“I have something to attend to. Vice President Ye, please send Yan home first. I’ll go back home myself later.”

Yan widened her eyes and gaped at her in disbelief.

Judging from the way she was looking at her, it seemed like Yan was asking Shen Qi what had gone into her to waste such a good chance!

Ye Linhan’s eyes turned somewhat gloomier but he did not say anything else.

Yan was the one who could not hold her tongue. “You have something to do? What kind of things do you have to handle? Why didn’t you say so when we tried on the dresses just now? Is it urgent?”

Shen Qi said, “Don’t make a big fuss out of it. I really have something to do and it just popped into my mind. That’s it.”

She did not lie about this point as it had indeed popped into her mind suddenly.

“Really?” Yan stared at her dubiously.

Shen Qi looked embarrassed. She already felt awkward in the beginning and she felt even more so after Yan had posed her those questions. She could only say, “It’s true, I really have something to do. The two of you should head home first. I’ve got to go.”

With that, she directly turned around and left without waiting for their response.

Dispiritedly, Yan stared at her back and muttered, “What’s wrong?”

She turned around and found that Ye Linhan’s eyes were on Shen Qi. It was only until she vanished out of his sight did he avert his gaze but some lingering emotion could still be seen in his eyes.

“Vice President Ye, did you know Shen Qi prior to this? What’s the relationship between you two?” she asked curiously.

Ye Linhan flashed her a subtle grin. “Aren’t you going back home? Let’s go, I’m giving you a ride.”

Yan stuck out her tongue and said, “Anyone who has some sense will be able to see that I’m not the one you want to offer a ride to, and I’m just receiving the favor because of Shen Qi. Right now, the lady you wanted to send home has just left. I wouldn’t want to impose on you in that case.”

“It’s fine. Since you’re her bestie, I’m okay to give you a lift too.”

A profound message was hidden in his words. With her head tilted to one side, Yan asked, “Vice President Ye, are you pursuing Shen Qi?”

Ye Linhan let out a chuckle but remained silent.

“D*mn, was my guess spot-on? Are you really pursuing Shen Qi? But she…” Obviously, she was ignoring you. Have you been rejected by her?

“Let’s go.” Ye Linhan did not answer her question nor did he deny what she said. He merely turned around and strode off toward the car park.

Yan sprinted to catch up to him as she asked, “Vice President Ye, are you really pursuing Shen Qi? Do you need my help to make her come back? It’s very awkward to be in your car alone without her!”

“It’s fine.” Ye Linhan turned around to look at her. “Just take it as a bribe.”

Nothing To Give But My Heart Chapter 170

Just take it as a bribe?

Yan’s expression changed. It seemed like Ye Linhan was indirectly admitting that he was pursuing Shen Qi.

Oh my god.

Yan could not help but be surprised. If Ye Linhan was really pursuing Shen Qi, what about her relationship with Ye Moxuan? She did not think that the reason Shen Qi had managed to secure a job at Ye Group was because of Ye Moxuan, and she believed Shen Qi had a similar status as the rest of the staff in the company.

Come to think of it, is her identity really as simple as that?

Otherwise, why would the Ye brothers…

At that thought, Yan could not help but clear her throat. “Vice President Ye, are your feelings toward Qi genuine? Although both of us are ordinary girls whom you guys might think are easy, I want to emphasize that we too, have dignity. Shen Qi was demoted by President Ye not long ago, but right now Vice President Ye is…”

She stammered and spoke with reservation as she did not dare to reveal her opinion completely in fear of offending him.

Yet, Ye Linhan could still get the message she was trying to convey as he put on a subtle grin.

“I know what you mean. Don’t worry, I’m not that sort of man.”

Yan doubted, “Do you really know what I meant?”

After giving it a thought, Yan concluded that Ye Linhan was not that sort of man. He always behaved very gentlemanly and amiably at the office but no one had actually seen him having a serious relationship with anyone before. All of them were sure that if anyone was blessed with the luck to be in a relationship with Vice President Ye, he would surely be the most gentle lover.

Yet, Yan always thought that the smile on his face did not look sincere and it even gave off a distant and cold feeling.

“Vice President Ye, I think Qi is someone who is serious in everything she does,” added Yan after mulling it over.

Ye Linhan flashed her a grin but did not say a thing as the two of them walked further and further away from the mall.

Shen Qi made her way upstairs directly to look for Ms. Jing but she was shocked as soon as she pushed open the door and walked into the office.

It was because Ye Moxuan was in the office today instead of Ms. Jing.

“Why are you here?”

Ye Moxuan lifted his head and stared at her icily.

“What’s wrong with me being here? Does this place belong to you exclusively just because the agreement was given to you?”

Shen Qi countered, “I didn’t mean it that way!”

With that, she walked over and placed her stuff on the desk. She had said so as she really did not expect that Ye Moxuan would be here. That was all.

On top of that, he had actually spoken to her which was something that did not happen at home.

Ye Moxuan’s eyes were brimming with contempt as he asked, “Didn’t you want to return the agreement and the bank card to me? Why did you retrieve them? Miss Second-marriage, just how often do you lie?”

What he said was harsh. Shen Qi felt a pang in her heart and she bit her lower lip lightly without looking at him.

“If you think it’s true, it’s true. If you think I’m lying, I have nothing to say.”

“In that case, are you saying that I made a mistake?”

Shen Qi remained silent.

Ye Moxuan kept staring at her icily.

Drawing in a deep breath, Shen Qi said, “Since Ms. Jing is not here, I shall go back home first.”

As soon as she reached the entrance, she bumped into Ms. Jing. “Hey, Qi. You’re here. I just told Moxuan that you would be here soon but I didn’t expect you would be here so late today. These are the coffees that I’ve fetched from downstairs. Help me give one to Moxuan.”

Then, Ms. Jing got past her and walked to the other side of the office. “I’m going there to check on their progress.”

Shen Qi was speechless.

With two cups of coffees in hand, she was unsure what to do next.

At last, she could only turn around and place both of them in front of Ye Moxuan.

“Take your stuff away,” snapped Ye Moxuan icily.

Shen Qi countered, “It’s not necessary. These are from Ms. Jing.”

“Only one of them is mine.”

Shen Qi was fed up. “Aren’t you being too childish?!”

Outraged, she took her cup of coffee and walked away. Ye Moxuan’s piercing eyes landed on her back as he commented, “After the mall was handed to you, the revenue has decreased.”

Shen Qi snapped, “I know and I don’t need your reminder. Right now, I’m trying to come up with ways to deal with it.”

Ye Moxuan retorted, “Are you trying to come up with ways to decrease the revenue even further?”

Shen Qi clenched her fists tightly, turned around and met his eyes.

“You don’t have to shower me with sarcastic comments. I’ve been putting in much effort to learn from Ms. Jing lately. If you think I don’t have the calibre to handle this position, you can just take the agreement back. I will surely return it with both of my hands without delay!”

Ye Moxuan stared at her fixedly. Just some sarcastic comments were already enough to make her want to return everything to him. After such a long time, there was still no improvement in her rebellious personality and she was still as stubborn as a mule.

Seeing that he was not speaking, Shen Qi was too lazy to bother about him.

When Ms. Jing got back to them, the atmosphere was full of tension as none of them spoke. Ms. Jing’s eyes flitted from Ye Moxuan to Shen Qi then back again before she curled her lips upward. “By the way, should we have dinner together later?”

Shen Qi was interested in her offer but she instinctively glanced at Ye Moxuan from the corner of her eyes.

If the two of them could have a meal together, perhaps the tension in the atmosphere between the two of them could be eased up. She might even have the chance to explain about what took place that day. Although it had happened days ago, Shen Qi still found herself bothered by it as what she had said that day was way over the line.

She still felt she was too harsh even after such a long time.

Therefore, Shen Qi thought that Ms. Jing’s suggestion to have a meal together was a good idea.

She glimpsed in the direction of Ye Moxuan from the corner of her eyes but his icy voice was heard at the same time.

“I don’t want to.”

He had rejected the offer right away.

Shen Qi’s heart was filled with coldness as traces of disappointment could be seen in her eyes.

Ms. Jing thought of something and said, “Why are you turning me down? Moxuan, just come along. Shen Qi will be coming too.”

With that, Ms. Jing gave Shen Qi a nudge. “Isn’t that so, Shen Qi?”

Since he had already voiced out his rejection, Shen Qi simply replied, “Whatever.”

She sounded listless as though she did not care at all.

In fact, she felt disappointed. Since Ye Moxuan was not going, why should she offer him an explanation? Why should she be bothered by that incident? She should just let him be angry until he died.

In Ye Moxuan’s perception, he thought she sounded like she did not care whether he was going or not. Perhaps she even thought that Ms. Jing’s offer was demanding. Following from that, the surrounding air of Ye Moxuan turned hostile and icy as he let out a sneer after a brief moment.

Ms. Jing asked, “None of you two are going?”

As neither Ye Moxuan nor Shen Qi gave her a response, Ms. Jing had a feeling that she had done something that pleased no one. She then continued, “Fine, I’ll go myself.”

Being slightly frustrated, Shen Qi rose from her seat and announced, “I have an appointment with my friend and I’ve got to go.”

With that, she strode off and left the office without waiting for a reply from the other two.

Therefore, Ye Moxuan and Ms. Jing were the only ones left in the office. As Ms. Jing could obviously sense Ye Moxuan’s aura getting more intimidating, she could not help but take a swig of her coffee before glancing at him. “Moxuan, what’s going on with the two of you? Are you guys having a fight?”

Ye Moxuan glimpsed at her icily without saying a thing.

Yet, Ms. Jing curled her lips upward into a triumphant smile as she commented, “It seems like the relationship between the two of you is way more intimate than I’ve imagined…”

Right after she said that, Ye Moxuan rolled his wheelchair out.

Ms. Jing was speechless.

What had she done wrong?