Beautiful Woman, You Have Another Express Delivery! (GL) - Chapter 30
Liu Shuhan woke up the next morning with a splitting headache. She struggled to sit up, recognizing she was in Cheng Qiuyi’s bedroom. Although Cheng Qiuyi had set aside a room for Liu Shuhan when she moved in, Liu Shuhan mostly stayed in Cheng Qiuyi’s room, so the other room had become practically unused.
“Qiuyi, what time is it?” Liu Shuhan asked groggily, rubbing her eyes on the edge of the bed. Her body woke up before her mind; she was sitting up, but her eyes were still closed.
After a long silence, Liu Shuhan asked again. The room remained quiet. She finally opened her eyes and looked at the bed. Cheng Qiuyi had gotten up at some point. There was a slight indentation on her side of the bed, and the duvet was cold.
Liu Shuhan didn’t remember anything from last night because she had drunk too much. She didn’t know how Cheng Qiuyi had gotten her back. Feeling guilty, she quickly got out of bed. After leaving the bedroom, she found Cheng Qiuyi sitting in the dining room reading the newspaper, wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, looking quite like a cultured scoundrel. A stack of bread and a cup of milk were on the table. It seemed she had already finished her breakfast.
Cheng Qiuyi had mild farsightedness, very slight, which didn’t usually affect her life, but she was accustomed to wearing reading glasses, also known as presbyopic glasses, when reading the newspaper. Liu Shuhan had mocked her many times for this. “Someone in their twenties wearing reading glasses, alas, it seems you’ll have to rely on me when you’re old. Who told you that you can’t see? Haha!” Cheng Qiuyi always smiled without a word, then severely retaliated in bed. After one, two, and three times, Liu Shuhan finally learned her lesson and dared not mock her farsightedness again, although Liu Shuhan secretly quite enjoyed Cheng Qiuyi’s punishment.
Cheng Qiuyi finished a page of the newspaper and looked up from under her reading glasses as she turned the page. She glanced at Liu Shuhan and motioned with her lips toward the chair next to her. “Sit.” Her face was expressionless, and Liu Shuhan couldn’t tell if she was angry or not.
Liu Shuhan’s heart sank. She quickly scurried to the dining table and sat down. The aftereffects of the hangover hadn’t completely disappeared. Running so quickly made her head start throbbing again. Liu Shuhan felt her nerves were painfully twitching. She frowned and vigorously rubbed her temples.
Cheng Qiuyi’s eyes were on the newspaper, but her mind was entirely on Liu Shuhan. She put down the paper, brought a bowl of hangover soup from the kitchen, and placed it heavily in front of Liu Shuhan. “Drink it.”
Liu Shuhan knew what it was. She usually disliked sour tastes, but she didn’t dare say anything at the moment. She pinched her nose and quickly gulped it down. After drinking it, she smacked her lips and realized the soup wasn’t as awful as she had imagined. Liu Shuhan put down the bowl and sat obediently in her seat, not daring to breathe loudly.
She was about to be late for work, and Cheng Qiuyi’s expression still showed no sign of softening. Liu Shuhan had to muster up the courage to whisper an apology. “Qiuyi… I was wrong…”
Cheng Qiuyi took a sip of the milk in front of her and said, “What were you wrong about?”
“I shouldn’t have drunk so much alcohol. I promise you, this is the last time! Never again!”
“That’s all?”
Liu Shuhan was dumbfounded. Had she done something outrageous last night that she didn’t know about? “Qiuyi, can you… give me a hint?” Liu Shuhan asked tentatively.
Cheng Qiuyi crossed her arms. “Who was that man you were hugging and embracing last night?”
“What man?” Was that true? Liu Shuhan genuinely had no recollection of it.
“The one who was skinny, tall, a bit hunched, and shifty-eyed,” Cheng Qiuyi said irritably.
Liu Shuhan recalled for a long time but couldn’t think of any colleague who matched Cheng Qiuyi’s description. After much thought, she suddenly realized. “You wouldn’t be talking about Brother Wang, would you? Brother Wang is a bit hunched, but his eyes are just a little small. It’s not to the point of being shifty-eyed…” Liu Shuhan continued to talk to herself, noticing that Cheng Qiuyi’s face was getting darker and darker, so her voice became quieter and quieter.
“Go on,” Cheng Qiuyi raised an eyebrow. “Why did you stop talking?”
“Qiuyi, are you… are you jealous?” Liu Shuhan asked tentatively.
Cheng Qiuyi didn’t say anything. Liu Shuhan became anxious. “Qiuyi, listen to my explanation! There’s nothing going on between Brother Wang and me. I might have been drunk yesterday, and he might have casually helped support me, but usually, there’s nothing between us! If you don’t believe me, go ask at our company! They can all testify! If you still don’t believe me, then… then I’ll just ignore him from now on, okay?”
Cheng Qiuyi couldn’t hold back her smile. After she laughed, she sighed. “Shuhan, I believe you, but don’t drink so much alcohol in the future. It’s bad for your health.” Liu Shuhan had thrown up several times last night, and in the end, nothing more could come out, which broke Cheng Qiuyi’s heart.
“So, you’re not angry anymore?”
“Who says I’m not angry? If you dare to drink like that again, from now on…” Cheng Qiuyi wanted to say she shouldn’t get into her bed, but on second thought, wouldn’t that mean she would be punishing herself too? So, she changed her words and chuckled sinisterly, “If you dare to drink like that again, I’ll punish you every time you get drunk, until you can’t get out of bed.”
Liu Shuhan swallowed hard and shook her head vigorously, indicating there would definitely be no next time.
Cheng Qiuyi finally patted her head with satisfaction. “Hurry up and wash up. Let’s go out for breakfast later. Look at the time.”
“Why go out to eat? I think there’s still some bone soup I made the day before yesterday. It’s perfect for making congee.” Liu Shuhan started walking toward the kitchen.
Cheng Qiuyi nervously blocked Liu Shuhan. “It’s so boring eating congee or noodles every day. Didn’t a new restaurant open across the street a couple of days ago? I heard their morning tea is quite good. Come with me to try it.”
Liu Shuhan pulled a long face. “You used to say you would never get tired of my cooking. It’s only been a few days? Cheng Qiuyi, you just try to fool people!”
Cheng Qiuyi awkwardly smiled and pushed her into the room to find clothes, finally letting out a sigh of relief.
No kidding, she had almost taken apart half the kitchen for that bowl of hangover soup this morning. If Liu Shuhan found out, she would be terrified.
“Wait, Qiuyi, where did that bowl of soup come from this morning?” Liu Shuhan pondered, poking her head out.
“I… I ordered takeout!”
Liu Shuhan understood and retracted her head. “Takeout in the early morning? That’s good business. But the food from that place is really good. Delicious.”
She came out after changing her clothes and said to Cheng Qiuyi, “Forget about morning tea. I’m going to be late for work. I’ll just buy two steamed buns on the way. Let’s do it another time.”
“I’ll drive you.” Cheng Qiuyi picked up her keys and wallet and headed out with her. “Let’s go out for dinner tonight, okay? To celebrate your promotion and raise.”
The mention of that made Liu Shuhan’s head start to hurt again. “I don’t know what kind of madness possessed the boss to make me the manager. Do you think I’m cut out to be a manager? I can’t even remember how many letters are in the English alphabet. How am I supposed to understand those English documents?”
“Bring them back if you can’t understand them. Don’t you have me? No one is unhappy about getting a promotion like you are,” Cheng Qiuyi said, locking the door and comforting her.
Liu Shuhan and Cheng Qiuyi complained as they entered the elevator. When they reached the main entrance, they found someone waiting there: Ye Jing.
Instinctively, Liu Shuhan stepped in front of Cheng Qiuyi. “What do you want?” Liu Shuhan genuinely disliked this woman. She was a beautiful woman, yet she could commit such despicable and shameless acts. Liu Shuhan thought of Cheng Qiuyi and wished Ye Jing would just disappear quickly.
Ye Jing was also surprised to see Liu Shuhan. She narrowed her eyes, and her tone carried a hint of danger. “You two live together?”
“None of your business,” Liu Shuhan was about to say more, but Cheng Qiuyi stopped her.
Cheng Qiuyi pulled Liu Shuhan behind her and said to Ye Jing, “Is there something you need?” Ye Jing was not easy to deal with and was a petty person who held grudges. If she did anything detrimental to Liu Shuhan, Cheng Qiuyi feared she would regret it for the rest of her life.
Ye Jing smiled and looked at Liu Shuhan. “Little sister, you should leave first. This is a conversation for the grown-ups.”
Liu Shuhan held Cheng Qiuyi’s hand, unwilling to leave, but Cheng Qiuyi patted the back of her hand and said softly, “Go to work quickly. You’re going to be late. Call me in advance this afternoon, and I’ll pick you up.”
“But I don’t want to…”
“Be obedient. I’ll worry more if you stay here.”
“Fine.” Liu Shuhan shot Ye Jing a fierce glare before leaving.
Ye Jing watched Liu Shuhan’s retreating figure and chuckled. “Qiuyi, your taste is truly peculiar. You could be interested in a woman like Miss Yuan, who has both talent and looks, yet you also show interest in this commoner.”
“What exactly do you want?” Cheng Qiuyi asked impatiently.
Ye Jing pressed her temple and shook her head. “Qiuyi, if you could show me half the tenderness you just showed that little girl, I would be perfectly content.”
“I’m not teasing you. I specifically came to talk to you this time.”
“Talk about what?”
“Here…” Ye Jing pointed to the bustling corridor. “Do you think this is a place for a discussion?”
Cheng Qiuyi took Ye Jing to a nearby teahouse. This teahouse was members-only, with excellent privacy. It had individual private rooms, making it convenient for discussions.
“Now you can talk?” Cheng Qiuyi asked after the waiter served the tea and left.
Ye Jing picked up the teacup, using the lid to brush off the tea leaves, looking composed. “Qiuyi, I understand you less and less. You show deep affection for Liu Shuhan on one hand, and on the other, you flirt with Yuan Ying. Is this inherent sentimentality or just a pretense?”
Cheng Qiuyi took a sip of tea and smiled. “I thought you understood.”
Ye Jing caught her drift. “Indeed, a woman like Yuan Ying is a top-tier delicacy. You have to take your time to acquire her and savor her slowly to appreciate the flavor. As for simple fare like Liu Shuhan, she can fill your stomach, but she can’t be the main course. She’s not presentable.”
Pah. Cheng Qiuyi felt utter disdain for Ye Jing in her heart but didn’t show it on her face. She just said, “CEO Ye is busy with official duties. Did you specifically come here just for this?”
“No.” Ye Jing took out an invitation and handed it to Cheng Qiuyi. “My birthday is on the fifteenth of next month. The few major families in City C will send representatives. Surely your Cheng family won’t refuse me this respect?”
“A single invitation warrants CEO Ye delivering it personally? Besides, the Cheng family has Cheng Tianhong, and if not him, the mother and son, Shen Wenqin and Cheng Boming. Everyone knows my relationship with the Cheng family. Wouldn’t it be a joke to have me represent them?” The fifteenth of next month was the Mid-Autumn Festival, a major holiday. Cheng Qiuyi only wanted to take Liu Shuhan out to relax and didn’t want to be entangled in such matters.
“Cheng Qiuyi, how long has it been since you returned to the Cheng family? Cheng Tianhong has been keeping his condition a secret. He’s at the end of his tether and probably won’t even make it through the winter. Now, the Cheng family has asked Old Master Cheng to return to oversee the overall situation.”
Cheng Qiuyi was startled. So the Cheng family had reached this point. It seemed they needed to speed up their plans. She pondered for a moment and said carefully, “When do you plan to make a move against the Cheng family—no, those few families?”
“That’s for you to tell me. For me, the sooner, the better. I’m just afraid you’ll be too soft-hearted and spare the Cheng Corporation.”
“We agreed initially that City C would be yours and Miss Yuan would be mine after the deed is done.”
“Naturally.”
“I’ve changed my mind,” Cheng Qiuyi said. “You embarrassed me in front of my Master last time. I must settle that score. I want not only Miss Yuan but also twenty percent of SL’s shares.”
Twenty percent. Ye Jing deliberately feigned difficulty. “I can’t do that. I can’t touch SL.”
Cheng Qiuyi scoffed. “Given your appetite, I don’t believe you’d be satisfied with just a small City C. Ye Jing, others might not understand you, but I am your Senior Sister in a way. Are you still trying to fool me?”
Ye Jing gritted her teeth, slammed the table, and said, “Fine, it’s settled!”
…
After seeing Ye Jing off, Cheng Qiuyi felt relieved. She looked at the time and found it was still early. She planned to call a few people to clean up her kitchen. At least it had to be restored before Liu Shuhan returned.
Just then, Zhi’s call came in.
“Song Kai Zhi, why are you calling me instead of taking good care of your wife and child?”
She could faintly hear a baby crying on the other end. Zhi soothed the baby and said to Cheng Qiuyi, “My Lady, I’m really sorry. I can’t be of much help with your situation…”
“Cut the nonsense.” Cheng Qiuyi started the car. “Your top priority now is to take good care of my sister-in-law and my precious goddaughter. If my goddaughter gets thinner, you’ll be in trouble with me. By the way, has the baby been named yet? If I remember correctly, she’ll be a month old next month, right? Where are you planning to hold the celebration?”
“Not yet. We wouldn’t dare make a decision without the godmother present.” Zhi was still in a joking mood. “I originally thought of having the one-month celebration at home, but the baby’s maternal grandparents and paternal grandparents all disagreed. We have to listen to them and wait for them to decide on a location.”
“Good. I’ll definitely give the baby a generous gift then.” Cheng Qiuyi suddenly remembered something else. “Oh, by the way, can you find a few clean and discreet people for me? Something happened in my kitchen, and it needs to be cleaned up.”
Zhi sounded very nervous. “Something happened? What happened? Is it serious?”
“It’s nothing. Just find a few cleaning ladies to come and tidy up. That’s all. I’m hanging up.” Cheng Qiuyi hung up the phone, feeling guilty.