After Disabled A was Reborn, She Got Scummed Again - Chapter 22

Chu Qiyan frowned as she glanced at the figure walking away. Thankfully, the report in her hand was intact, but her minimalist casual outfit was a different story. It was completely ruined. The coffee had splashed over a wide area of her clothes, staining both the hem of her blouse and her pants in a large swath of brown.

“Sorry, I’m so sorry. Qin Lin has always been like that…” the manager apologized nervously, a sheen of sweat appearing on her forehead.

“It’s fine,” Chu Qiyan muttered, dabbing at the wet spots. But no matter how she wiped, the brown coffee stains refused to come off.

She made a quick trip to the restroom to rinse her shirt. The coffee marks on her white blouse faded significantly, but a faint tan trace can still be seen and now the fabric was soaked.

With no better option, she returned to the top floor with the report in hand. The pleasant smile that had once graced her face had all but disappeared and her brows faintly knitted with suppressed irritation.

Along the way, she could feel the subtle—or not so subtle—stares following her like spotlights, as if she were some sort of zoo animal. It only made her mood worse. Still, this was Qin Xiao’s company. No matter how uncomfortable she felt, she kept her composure and didn’t let her displeasure show.

When she pushed open the office door, she didn’t expect to see a familiar figure—Shang Niannian. She was sitting comfortably on the sofa, completely at ease, as if the office belonged to her now that Qin Xiao wasn’t present.

“You’re back?” Shang Niannian looked up, a flicker of surprise passing her face before she let out a laugh. “Oh dear, what happened to you? You look like a mess!”

Chu Qiyan pressed her lips together tightly, the edges turning pale from the pressure and her expression taking on a pitiful pallor.

Without saying a word, she walked over and placed the design report on Qin Xiao’s desk.

“You’re a secretary now? You’re working for Sister Qin?” Shang Niannian exclaimed, her voice full of envy and disbelief.

“Mm,” Chu Qiyan glanced at her. Her tone was flat, and her eyes devoid of emotion, but the slight crease in her brows betrayed her growing annoyance.

“Then I want to be her secretary too!” Shang Niannian gushed, stepping closer to examine the name tag on Chu Qiyan’s chest.

“…I’m going to find Secretary Lin,” Chu Qiyan replied, swallowing the words she wanted to say and opting to walk away. She needed to change her clothes.

“Wait! At least tell me—” Shang Niannian reached out to grab her.

But just then, the office door opened and Special Assistant Liu wheeled in Qin Xiao in.

Shang Niannian’s eyes immediately lit up. “Sister Qin!”

“…President Qin,” Chu Qiyan said softly, lowering her gaze.

“What happened to you?” Qin Xiao asked, finally noticing Chu Qiyan’s disheveled appearance. She looked like a wilted eggplant after frost—drained and drooping.

Qin Xiao’s gaze shifted from Chu Qiyan’s cold, tight expression to the large stain on her clothes.

Her brow furrowed. “What happened? Did you do this?” She turned to Shang Niannian with a hint of impatience.

“No,” Chu Qiyan quickly answered. She bit her lower lip, hesitating. Should she tell the truth? But given how Shang Niannian addressed Qin Xiao so casually, the relationship between them likely wasn’t simple. Maybe she wasn’t someone Chu Qiyan could afford to offend. 

Before she could say more, Shang Niannian jumped in. “No, no, of course not! I would never do something like that! She came back already looking like that—dirty and all teary-eyed. It wasn’t me!”

Qin Xiao’s brows pinched tighter. Her phoenix eyes lifted, sharp and glinting, adding a cold edge to her already aloof demeanor.

Special Assistant Liu raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly, though there was something unreadable behind the curve of her lips. Someone had dared to bully Chu Qiyan under Qin Xiao’s nose? That person must be either foolish or brave.

But, well—this would be fun to watch. Liu thought someone was about to have very bad luck.

“It’s fine, President Qin…” Chu Qiyan smiled politely, though the smile was stiff. Her bright almond-shaped eyes were clouded by an invisible haze, losing their usual sparkle.

“Oh, come on! Just say it. Qin-jie’s here to back you up, what are you afraid of?” Shang Niannian said, clearly frustrated with her hesitation.

Chu Qiyan glanced at her uncertainly. But she truly didn’t know where Qin Xiao’s allegiance lay.

She was a Chu. That woman was a Qin (Qin Lan, Qing Xiao’s cousin) Of course family would come first, right?

Qin Xiao frowned and looked to her assistant.

“From the design department… could it have been Qin Lin?” Liu suggested lightly.

Chu Qiyan’s head snapped up and was startled.

“Have her come here,” Qin Xiao ordered. Her brows relaxed again and her expression returned to its usual calm elegance.

Chu Qiyan stared at the floor, trying to guess what was about to happen.

“Go change first, Qiyan,” Qin Xiao said breezily—but the way she spoke her name carried a bit more weight than before.

“…Okay.” Chu Qiyan nodded and followed Secretary Lin out to change clothes.

When she returned, now dressed in a soft yellow dress, the office was visibly more crowded. Qin Lin, the culprit, was among them.

Everyone turned to look at her in unison.

Even Qin Xiao glanced over with cool detachment—but her eyes flickered briefly with interest. Compared to the buttoned-up, simple shirt Chu Qiyan usually wore, the light yellow dress softened her appearance, making her look more graceful and ethereal.

Qin Lin’s bright smile froze the moment she saw her.

“Qin-jie?” she called hesitantly.

“Hm?” Qin Xiao responded with a raised brow, the single syllable calm and composed.

But to Qin Lin, it felt like a knife slicing through her—cold, sharp, and deeply unsettling. She immediately corrected herself, bowing slightly. “President Qin.”

“Who’s going to explain?” Qin Xiao asked, casting a sideways glance at Chu Qiyan.

Chu Qiyan stood quietly off to the side like an outsider, showing no intention of speaking up for herself.

Her eyes met Qin Xiao’s piercing gaze, and though her expression was unreadable, there was a faint hint of impatience behind those sharp features.

Something about her gaze was different—familiar, but changed.

For a moment, Chu Qiyan couldn’t hear anything but the pounding of her own heart. The rest of the room faded into silence. Only Qin Xiao remained, and their eyes locked like a secret held between them.

“Say it. Qin-jie’s supporting you—what are you so scared of?” Shang Niannian nudged her with an elbow.

Chu Qiyan finally snapped back to reality, though her heart was still racing wildly. It beat erratically, shaken by Qin Xiao’s presence.

Qin Lin followed Qin Xiao’s gaze to Chu Qiyan and hesitated for a beat before blurting out, “President Qin, it was an accident. I bumped into Secretary Chu without meaning to—”

“Is that so?” Qin Xiao took a sip of her tea and looked back at Chu Qiyan.

Still hesitant, she looked like a turtle shrinking into its shell.

That look made Qin Xiao frown again. It seemed she hadn’t taken her words to heart after all.

The cool voice, as smooth and crisp as chilled water, reached Chu Qiyan’s ears and sent a tremor through her chest. Emotions stirred in her like waves—confusion, gratitude, even happiness—all of it urging her to speak the truth to the one person in this room willing to listen.

“…She did it on purpose.” Chu Qiyan looked straight at Qin Xiao with firm, unwavering eyes. There was no retreat and there’s no attempt to soften her words.

Her voice was clear and strong.

Qin Xiao set her teacup down and gave a simple, “Okay.”

Shang Niannian, who satisfied, didn’t nudge her anymore. Instead, she turned to enjoy the show, all eyes on Qin Lin.

“President Qin, please don’t listen to her! I swear it was an accident!” Qin Lin cried, her smile growing more desperate.

“You don’t need to come in anymore.” Qin Xiao’s voice was calm, but final.

“President Qin—Qin-jie—I’ve worked here for years, done my job faithfully. You can’t just fire me because of her!”

“Watch your words. I don’t have a younger sister (referring to how Qin Lan addressed her as Qin-jie or Sister Qin),” Qin Xiao snapped. The extended Qin family always came with unnecessary drama and presumptuous familiarity.

“She’s just a Chu! That stolen identity of hers isn’t even legitimate! I’m your cousin!” Qin Lin shouted, pointing viciously at Chu Qiyan. As far as she knew, Qin Xiao preferred the other Chu—Chu Qian.

Hearing this, Chu Qiyan’s hands curled into tight fists, and she nervously looked at Qin Xiao.

“Cousin this, cousin that—did you not hear her? Qin-jie said she has no sisters!” Shang Niannian barked back. “Who knows how far down the family tree you’re clinging from?”

“You—” Qin Lin turned to her, fuming.

But Shang Niannian didn’t flinch. “What? Let me remind you—Chu Qiyan is Qin-jie’s publicly acknowledged fiancée! And you? Who the hell are you?”

Chu Qiyan blinked in surprise, her eyes flickering with gratitude as she looked at Shang Niannian.

Qin Xiao let out a soft “Mm,” confirming it without hesitation.

Special Assistant Liu chuckled. “If we go by that logic, shouldn’t you be calling her sister-in-law?”

Qin Xiao, nearly choked. She had to forcibly swallow the tea swirling in her mouth.

She instinctively looked over at Chu Qiyan—who, moments ago, had seemed calmer—but now wore a startled and bashful expression, her pale cheeks flushed crimson.

Her long lashes fluttered like butterfly wings before she lowered them, hiding her thoughts behind a veil of shyness.

“Take her out,” Qin Xiao ordered coolly. Yet, her tone had softened slightly, and behind the mask of indifference, a sliver of amusement flickered in her eyes.

“President Qin, please—I was wrong! Don’t fire me!” Qin Lin cried as she was escorted out. Only now did she realize just how wrong her assumptions had been.

“Hmph! Assistant Liu, don’t talk nonsense. Sister-in-law? As if!” Shang Niannian huffed, both annoyed and indignant.

“You’re still standing there? Come here,” Qin Xiao said to Chu Qiyan.