Beautiful Woman, You Have Another Express Delivery! (GL) - Chapter 17

“Qiuyi? Why are you here?” Liu Shuhan said, surprised.

Cheng Qiuyi had a man following her, and Shen Wenqin was still sitting opposite them. Liu Shuhan was suddenly kissed by Cheng Qiuyi and was so embarrassed she didn’t know where to look when she realized. She picked up the menu on the table and handed it to Cheng Qiuyi. “Do you want something to drink?”

Cheng Qiuyi picked up the already cold coffee in front of Liu Shuhan and took a sip. She smiled at Liu Shuhan. “Why does the coffee taste particularly fragrant today?”

Liu Shuhan thought Cheng Qiuyi was asking for trouble. No matter how much Cheng Qiuyi disliked Shen Wenqin, she was still an elder. Cheng Qiuyi was being so blatant in front of Shen Wenqin; wasn’t she afraid that Father Cheng would cause trouble for the two of them?

Liu Shuhan’s hand secretly reached for Cheng Qiuyi’s thigh under the table, then pinched hard through her pants. Cheng Qiuyi winced in pain and leaned against Liu Shuhan’s shoulder, grimacing. She whispered pitifully in her ear, “Shuhan, it hurts.”

Liu Shuhan pushed her away, glanced at Shen Wenqin, and signaled that there were outsiders present. However, Cheng Qiuyi’s expression didn’t seem to be feigned. Liu Shuhan felt sorry for her and reached out to rub her thigh. Cheng Qiuyi narrowed her eyes, wearing a look of satisfaction, like a smug cat who had stolen something. Liu Shuhan found it both irritating and funny.

Ah Zhi, standing behind Cheng Qiuyi, couldn’t help but look away and lightly coughed twice to remind his young mistress to mind her manners.

Shen Wenqin hadn’t expected Cheng Qiuyi to be here and felt a little embarrassed. She offered an awkward smile. “Qiuyi, you’re here too.”

Cheng Qiuyi pretended Shen Wenqin didn’t exist and said to Liu Shuhan, “You don’t have to work today?”

“I… I have a day off today…” Liu Shuhan desperately winked at Cheng Qiuyi, indicating that Shen Wenqin was still there. Only then did Cheng Qiuyi turn to look at Shen Wenqin.

“Shen Wenqin, do you have something else to say?”

Shen Wenqin awkwardly clasped her hands. “Qiuyi, I know you hate me. I’ve wronged you… and I’ve especially wronged your mother. But you are a member of the Cheng family after all. The Cheng family is in danger now. Even if you won’t look at the monk, you should look at the Buddha and help your father.”

Cheng Qiuyi sneered. “When you two decided to sell me out together, why didn’t you remember I was a member of the Cheng family? Buddha… who is the Buddha? Could it be the aging old man of the Cheng family?

“Cheng Tianhong has never been capable of running a company. Cheng Corp. back then was solely supported by my mother. It’s his own fault that Cheng Corp. has fallen to this state.”

Cheng Qiuyi and Shen Wenqin were discussing family matters, and Liu Shuhan couldn’t interject, so she simply stared at Cheng Qiuyi’s profile in a daze.

Cheng Qiuyi was usually playful in front of Liu Shuhan, but when she was discussing serious business, her expression was extremely stern, her brows slightly furrowed, her eyes carrying contempt, and every nerve in her face was taut. She surprisingly exuded a sense of heroism.

Liu Shuhan quietly took out her phone, set it to camera mode, focused on Cheng Qiuyi’s profile, and pressed the shutter button.

“Click.”

The phone’s sound effect was amplified several times in the quiet private room.

Due to her job, Liu Shuhan always kept her phone volume at maximum. She used to remember to turn on silent mode when secretly taking pictures of Cheng Qiuyi, but this time, in front of so many outsiders, she completely forgot. Realizing the stupid thing she had done, Liu Shuhan shoved her phone behind her butt, pretending nothing happened, and turned to look at the scenery outside the window.

Cheng Qiuyi’s expression, which had been solemn the second before, couldn’t help but break into a smile. She reached behind Liu Shuhan to feel for the phone she had hidden. “What good things did you take a picture of? Let me see.”

With outsiders present, Liu Shuhan couldn’t make a scene, so she obediently handed over her phone.

Cheng Qiuyi saw the photo and was amused. She nodded, satisfied. “Shuhan, your photography skills are getting better and better. You made me look so good.”

“…” Liu Shuhan took her phone back, silently complaining that Cheng Qiuyi’s cheek was getting thicker and thicker.

Shen Wenqin was asking for a favor. Seeing Cheng Qiuyi about to ignore her again, she urgently said, “Qiuyi, your father doesn’t have much time left. The doctor said he has at most six months… He is your father after all. Even if he wronged you later, he raised you. Can you really bear to watch him die with regrets?”

Cheng Qiuyi sneered. “Even if you plead with me all day, I can’t help Cheng Corp. Please leave. Ah Zhi, see Mrs. Cheng out.”

Cheng Qiuyi’s mind was made up, so Shen Wenqin had no choice but to leave dejectedly.

As soon as Shen Wenqin left, Liu Shuhan could visibly sense Cheng Qiuyi’s mood lighten considerably. Cheng Qiuyi leaned back in the sofa tiredly and stretched. “I wonder when this family drama will end.”

Liu Shuhan patted her shoulder. “Let’s go home and eat. I rarely have time off today. I’ll make you some winter melon and pork rib soup.”

“Aren’t you curious? About all this messy stuff.”

“I’m in a relationship with you, not with your family’s annoying mess. If you want to talk, I’ll listen. If you don’t, it’s fine. Let’s go quickly, or the pork ribs at the market might not be fresh anymore.”

Cheng Qiuyi groaned. “Ah? The wet market again?”

Cheng Qiuyi had only accompanied Liu Shuhan to the wet market once. The mixed stench of various poultry and seafood nearly made her vomit, and it ruined her favorite pair of high heels. Since then, Cheng Qiuyi swore never to step into a wet market again.

“I mean, the supermarket is right outside our neighborhood. Why do you have to go all the way to the wet market to buy groceries?”

“The produce at the supermarket isn’t as fresh as at the wet market,” Liu Shuhan said as a matter of course. Liu Shuhan’s mother was a typical Chinese woman who firmly believed in the rule that produce at the wet market was always fresher than at the supermarket, and she loyally passed this belief on to Liu Shuhan.

Cheng Qiuyi had no say when it came to cooking, so she dejectedly followed Liu Shuhan to the car.

Ah Zhi, who was driving, was discreet. Knowing Cheng Qiuyi wanted to get cozy with Liu Shuhan, he raised the partition between the front and back seats without waiting for Cheng Qiuyi’s instruction, which made Liu Shuhan feel a bit embarrassed.

The car stopped by the side of the road near the wet market. Liu Shuhan only wanted to buy pork ribs, so she got out and went in by herself, leaving Cheng Qiuyi to wait in the car.

Only when Liu Shuhan was far away did Ah Zhi lower the partition and tease, “Miss, we are in the same boat now.”

“What do you mean, in the same boat?”

“Under the wife’s thumb!”

“Get lost.” Cheng Qiuyi kicked the back of the driver’s seat. “You’re the one under the wife’s thumb. Our Shuhan is usually as docile as a rabbit. Do you think everyone is as fierce as your sister-in-law?”

“Yes, yes, yes. Miss Liu is gentle and considerate, as docile as a little rabbit,” Ah Zhi nodded repeatedly, then slyly added, “Perhaps a rabbit that only bites?”

Cheng Qiuyi raised an eyebrow. “Song Kaizhi, how long has it been since your sister-in-law put you in your place?”

“Don’t! Miss, I was wrong!”

After joking around for a while, Ah Zhi sighed. “Miss, you’ve been alone for so many years. You’ve finally found someone you can spend your life with.”

Cheng Qiuyi stared silently at the entrance of the wet market. Ah Zhi continued, “The late Madam worried most about you, Miss. She said you are naturally aloof and might end up lonely. Thankfully, the Madam was wrong… Miss Liu is a good person and genuinely good to you. If you can make it work with her, it will fulfill one of the Madam’s wishes.”

“It’s a pity that domestic troubles are constantly swirling around. We have the Cheng family closing in, Ye Jing watching like a tiger, and other families waiting to see the Cheng family become a laughing stock. Although I left the Cheng family a long time ago, outsiders still view me as one of them. With internal strife and external threats, I’m afraid I won’t be able to protect Shuhan completely.”

Ah Zhi sighed softly. “Miss, your sister-in-law once told me that love should be shared by two people. There’s no such thing as one person entirely protecting the other.”

Cheng Qiuyi rubbed her temples, gently changing the subject. “How is the plan progressing?”

“It’s going smoothly. Ah Ying will be back next month.”

“Good. We don’t need to lift a finger for Cheng Corp. Cheng Tianhong will ruin it himself. Now, I’m worried about Ye Jing. That woman isn’t easy to deal with. We only have one chance. We must ensure that Ye Corp. can never rise again.”

“This…” Ah Zhi hesitated. “Miss Ye Jing is your fellow disciple, and the late Mrs. Ye was a close friend of your mother. It might be difficult to explain your actions to our master.”

“I will visit our master later to apologize. I have tolerated Ye Jing for five years. It’s time I taught her a lesson.”

Ah Zhi was about to say more, but Cheng Qiuyi suddenly opened the car door and ran toward the market entrance.

The path in front of the wet market was uneven, but Cheng Qiuyi managed to run in high heels without stumbling. She stopped at the entrance, and only then did Ah Zhi clearly see that Liu Shuhan was coming out of the market, hugging a large winter melon about half a meter long.

“…” No wonder his young mistress was interested. Miss Liu was also a remarkable woman.

Liu Shuhan struggled to reach the market entrance, hugging the winter melon that was thicker than her waist. Cheng Qiuyi, afraid she might hurt her back, quickly took the winter melon from her arms and placed it on the ground. “Didn’t you say you were only buying pork ribs? Why are you carrying this thing out?”

“Buying the whole thing is cheaper. It’s half the price of buying it by weight!” Liu Shuhan was breathless from exhaustion, sweat rolling down her neck, but she looked very happy.

“No, can you even finish a melon this big?”

“I can, I can. The weather is dry lately. I plan to make a whole winter melon feast tonight, just to clear the internal heat.”

Cheng Qiuyi rested her arm on Liu Shuhan’s shoulder and smirked. “You need winter melon to clear internal heat? Doing it with me a few times is more effective than anything.”

“You!” Liu Shuhan looked around at the people passing by and lowered her voice. “Cheng Qiuyi, you’re harassing me again!”