Accidentally Sold Myself (Rebirth) - Chapter 14
14: A Storm Is Brewing
After Gu Xi finished breakfast, she glanced at the time and jumped up in a panic—she had only half an hour before she’d be late.
Without even saying goodbye, she hurriedly dashed out the door. The driver, who had been waiting for some time, gave Gu Xi a slight nod and said, “Good morning, Miss Gu Xi. My name is Yang De, and starting today, I’ll be your personal driver. Here’s my phone number.”
Gu Xi took the slip of paper and quickly got into the car, saying, “To the company, hurry!”
Yang De nodded and started the car. Just then, Shu Lanting came over with a thermos and handed it through the window to Gu Xi. “This is the porridge I made. Make sure Ningshuang drinks it.”
“Got it, Mom. I’m heading out now.”
“Alright, come back to visit!” Shu Lanting said with a reluctant expression. But as soon as Gu Xi left, her face gradually darkened.
Luo Ziqian, who had just followed her out, noticed her frosty expression and asked, puzzled, “What’s wrong? Who upset you?”
“What’s wrong? Your daughter-in-law is being bullied like this, and you’re still eating?” Shu Lanting said, glaring at him with clear displeasure.
Luo Ziqian: “…” What else am I supposed to do?
“Quick, get the money from that bank of yours.”
Luo Ziqian sighed helplessly. “It’s RX Bank. What do you need the money for?”
“Seriously, Luo Ziqian, are you getting senile? The Xiao family is clearly about to make a move, and right now, Ningshuang needs money the most.” Shu Lanting said with a worried tone.
“Don’t worry, the money was prepared yesterday. Just waiting for the Xiao family to make their move.” Luo Ziqian replied, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
“Then why were you playing dumb just now?”
“Because in front of you, I’ll always be a fool for life.”
“Hmph, how cheesy!” Shu Lanting’s expression finally softened, turning from stormy to sunny.
…
Gu Xi touched the makeup on her face. It was her first time wearing it, and it felt uncomfortable, like a thin film covering her skin, making it hard to breathe.
She sighed. Maybe she just wasn’t cut out for makeup. But she had stayed up too late the night before, and without makeup, she’d look completely drained.
Yang De spoke up: “Miss Gu Xi, we’re here.”
Carrying the thermos, Gu Xi entered the company. Everyone glanced at her, and as she passed by, each person would bow at a perfect 90-degree angle and respectfully say, “Good morning, Madam.”
Gu Xi: “…??”
Though it felt oddly satisfying, she was still young and didn’t enjoy being called “Madam” by everyone. Plus, the constant 90-degree bows made it feel like they were paying respects at her funeral!
Even though it was uncomfortable, she couldn’t say anything about it. Only after stepping into the elevator did she let out a sigh of relief.
“Ugh, I’m never gossiping about the CEO’s wife again.”
“Yeah, I was just gossiping too. Good thing the CEO didn’t hear, or I’d be fired.”
“The CEO’s so cool. I’m a fan.”
“No idea what’s going on, but I feel like I missed something big.”
Jiang Wenxi, at the front desk, saw Gu Xi and reminded her, “Gu Xi, President Shuang is sleeping in the lounge.”
“Where’s the lounge?”
Jiang Wenxi pointed. “It’s inside the CEO’s office. There’s a small room—that’s the lounge.”
“Thanks.”
After Gu Xi left, Jiang Wenxi sat down bored and started working. As the CEO’s only secretary, she had no one to gossip with, and without an office, she had every reason to suspect the CEO was treating her like a guard dog.
The lounge was simple, with just a single bed, a small table, and a recliner.
Luo Ningshuang was fast asleep, showing no signs of waking even when Gu Xi entered. She must have been up late in meetings the previous night.
Gu Xi moved quietly, placing the thermos on the small table beside the bed. Luo Ningshuang looked much softer while sleeping.
Gu Xi whispered, “No matter how gentle you look, it doesn’t change the fact that you’re a scumbag, hmph~”
She had planned to startle her awake, but seeing the dark circles under her eyes, Gu Xi decided to let her be.
She lay down on the nearby recliner and started playing on her phone.
First, she checked Jinjiang—no emails, no messages from her friends, and the comments under her novel were, as usual, completely off-topic.
Gu Xi suddenly realized that in her past life, she had spent all her time writing. Besides her girlfriend, she had no friends, rarely left the house, and her life revolved around nothing but writing and her relationship.
Was she doomed to spend this life the same way, buried in her writing?
She shook her head. No, this life would be different. She was going to achieve success and make lots of money. So, back to the grind of writing!
Gu Xi yawned while typing, her head feeling foggy. Her eyes would close briefly before snapping open, and she’d shake her head to stay awake.
Rubbing her cheeks, she was too tired to keep going. She’d barely managed 500 words. Forcing herself to continue, she wrote a few more dozen words before Luo Ningshuang’s phone alarm suddenly blared, jolting her awake.
Luo Ningshuang rubbed her temples, turned off the alarm, and sat up. Squinting, she looked at Gu Xi and said, surprised, “You’re wearing makeup?”
Gu Xi rolled her eyes. This woman’s focus was always so bizarre. She nodded. “Yeah, is that a problem?”
Luo Ningshuang smiled faintly, her tone ambiguous. “Of course not. It looks good. You seem more lively. Didn’t sleep well last night?”
Gu Xi nodded. No point hiding it. “Yeah, I was on my phone and slept late. The thermos over there has porridge your mom made for you. Drink it.”
Luo Ningshuang gave a cold laugh, clearly unimpressed with her mother’s reliability. She grabbed her phone and sent a message: No more kisses.
As soon as she put the phone down, Shu Lanting’s texts came flooding in:
Why, baby?
Don’t you love Mommy anymore?
It’s just a kiss!
I already bragged to your dad. If you don’t send one, I’ll lose face.
Annoyed, Luo Ningshuang blocked her mother and looked at the thermos. She had no appetite and said, “You eat it. I’ve got things to do. I’ll be busy today. Aunt Lan will bring lunch.”
That wouldn’t do. Food is essential!
Gu Xi stood up, sat on the edge of the bed, and opened the thermos. “No way, I already ate breakfast. We can’t waste this. Come on, I’ll feed you!”
Hmph, today she’d flirt back. She gently blew on the spoonful of porridge and brought it to Luo Ningshuang’s lips, raising an eyebrow.
She expected some resistance, but Luo Ningshuang just smirked, her piercing gaze locked on Gu Xi. She took the spoon in her mouth, swallowed cleanly, and even licked her lips provocatively with the tip of her tongue.
Fox! Her mother was right—this one spoonful nearly stole Gu Xi’s soul.
Snapping out of it, Gu Xi saw the teasing look in Luo Ningshuang’s eyes. Annoyed, she scooped a heaping spoonful and shoved it toward her mouth, speeding up the feeding.
The porridge wasn’t too hot, thankfully, but Luo Ningshuang couldn’t keep up. Another spoonful came too fast, and some dribbled from the corner of her mouth.
“Sorry, my bad. I’ll eat it myself.” Luo Ningshuang said.
Gu Xi handed her the thermos and said coldly, “Finish it all. No wasting.”
“Okay.” Luo Ningshuang replied obediently.
But as soon as she said it, she regretted it. The thermos was huge—how could she finish it?
“Eat faster! Don’t you have work to do?”
“Oh.” Luo Ningshuang ate spoonful after spoonful. What started as tasty soon became nauseating. She swore she’d never eat porridge again.
With more than half left, she looked up at Gu Xi, her eyes pleading: I was wrong. I won’t do it again. I can’t eat anymore!
Gu Xi found the pitiful look surprisingly cute. Noticing the moisture at the corner of Luo Ningshuang’s mouth, she instinctively wiped it clean with her thumb and said gently, “If you can’t finish, don’t force it.”
Luo Ningshuang turned her head awkwardly, and Gu Xi secretly gloated: Hmph, try flirting with me now. See how awesome I am!
But her smugness didn’t last. Luo Ningshuang’s face turned icy. “Come with me to the tech department.”
“Can I not go? I’m useless there anyway. I know nothing. I’d rather sleep here.” Gu Xi said. Luo Ningshuang’s double standards were glaring—one flirt, and her face turned sour.
“What do you think? As my personal assistant, you go where I go. Let’s move.”
Luo Ningshuang walked out first, and Gu Xi reluctantly followed. She was so tired.
The tech department had 25 people, each seated at a computer with a stack of documents beside them, all looking serious.
Jiang Wenxi reminded, “President, ten minutes left.”
Luo Ningshuang nodded and asked the finance team, “Is the funding ready?”
“Yes, President. In the short term, we’ve gathered all available liquid assets—a total of 10 billion.”
Gu Xi swallowed hard. So much money.
Luo Ningshuang nodded. Originally, this money was meant for her sister, but plans would have to change.
Everyone fell silent, waiting.
Gu Xi, confused, tugged at Jiang Wenxi and whispered, “What’s going on? Are you buying stocks?”
Jiang Wenxi shook her head. “Didn’t you see all those rumors about you and the President yesterday? The Xiao family hired trolls to spread them. Their goal is today—when the stock market opens, they’ll tank LS’s stock price to acquire it.”
Gu Xi nodded. She hadn’t expected to witness a plot straight out of a novel.
“But 10 billion might not be enough.”
Gu Xi was shocked. “Why not?”
Jiang Wenxi explained, “LS is one of the top clothing companies in the country. When it went public, shares were 4 yuan each. Now they’re 22.6 yuan. Retail investors hold 10% of the shares, and the Xiao family owns 15%. Ten billion isn’t enough to take control.”
“And loans? You can’t get those quickly either.”
“So what do we do?” Gu Xi asked, worried.
Jiang Wenxi smiled. “How should I know? You’re the President’s wife—ask her. But thankfully, tomorrow’s a weekend. If we survive today, the President has two more days to figure it out.”
“One minute left.”
Gu Xi grew nervous. Suddenly, Luo Ningshuang gripped her hand and smiled. “Don’t worry.”
In that moment, Gu Xi felt an inexplicable calm.