The Unspoken Warning and the Unexpected Confrontation

What kind of task?

A vivid image instantly flashed through Xiang Qing’s mind: Gu Wei, a gun pressed against her, compelling her to seduce Shen Lanzhi into her bed.

Chilling!

More than anything, she wished Gu Wei would keep her distance!

“Ahem,” Xiang Qing cleared her throat, spouting utter nonsense with a straight face. “What I admire most about your sister is… her focused demeanor when she’s working. It’s incredibly captivating.”

“Tch, how dull,” An Qi scoffed, rolling her eyes, clearly unimpressed by the answer.

Her eyes darted, then she suddenly pointed at a passing muscular man not far off, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. “Sister-in-law, what do you think of him? Is he your type?”

A death trap disguised as a question!

Xiang Qing’s survival instincts instantly went into overdrive, her head shaking vigorously like a rattle-drum.

“No, no, no! Absolutely not my type! I only have eyes for women, especially those like your sister!”

Though her words were resolute, her eyes, ever so honest, couldn’t help but steal another glance at the handsome man’s sculpted eight-pack abs.

‘Ah, what a pity. My “bro” days are over.’

‘Before, it was envy; now, all she could do was look.’

An Qi watched her display of staunch loyalty, shaking with laughter.

“Alright, alright, I’m done teasing you.”

After they finished their meal, An Qi suggested they go to a bar for a drink.

Xiang Qing initially wanted to decline, but the thought of Gu Wei’s command left her no choice but to grit her teeth and follow along.

The bar pulsed with a kaleidoscope of neon lights, and the music was a deafening roar.

An Qi seemed to be in her element, ordering a flurry of flamboyant cocktails and immediately trying to challenge Xiang Qing to a drinking contest.

Xiang Qing, of course, dared not drink. She merely clutched a glass of juice, feigning indifference.

After a few drinks, a rosy flush bloomed on An Qi’s cheeks, and her eyes took on a hazy, distant look.

She leaned close to Xiang Qing’s ear, her warm breath caressing Xiang Qing’s neck, sending a tickle down her skin.

“Sister-in-law, let me tell you something honestly.”

Her voice was hushed, a stark contrast to the surrounding cacophony.

“My cousin… she’s incredibly possessive.”

Xiang Qing’s heart gave a sudden lurch.

“What she desires, be it a person or an object, no one else is permitted to lay a finger on,” An Qi’s lips curved into a meaningful smile. “If anyone dares to, she’ll go absolutely mad.”

Xiang Qing knew precisely who An Qi meant by “anyone”: Shen Lanzhi.

This wasn’t a mere insinuation; it was a blatant warning!

A shiver ran down Xiang Qing’s spine.

“But don’t you worry.”

An Qi suddenly resumed her sweet smile. “As long as you’re obedient and become my cousin’s exclusive little darling, she’ll certainly treat you well.”

It was well past dark when Xiang Qing was finally released.

To Gu Wei’s home, of course.

She felt as though every ounce of her day’s energy had been completely depleted. Keeping up with An Qi, that spirited firecracker, was more exhausting than a month of her own all-night live streams.

Even worse, An Qi, that veritable force of nature, showed no signs of leaving. Driving her sports car, she simply followed Xiang Qing directly into the underground garage of Star Convergence International.

“Sister-in-law, your home is truly enormous!” An Qi exclaimed, trailing behind her and gazing around like a curious child.

Xiang Qing merely twitched the corner of her lips, too drained to respond.

‘Your sister’s home, not mine.’

Pushing open the door, she found the living room illuminated by only a single, dim floor lamp.

Shen Lanzhi was curled up alone on the sofa, a blanket draped over her, with a book resting on the coffee table before her.

She appeared to have drifted off to sleep, her entire form huddled into a small ball, her profile appearing exceptionally serene in the soft lamplight.

Xiang Qing’s heart gave an inexplicable pang.

‘For the past few days, to avoid any suspicion, she had treated Shen Lanzhi almost as if she were invisible. This gentle woman must have been utterly heartbroken.’

Just then, An Qi, who had been trailing behind her, spoke in a voice that, while not overtly loud, was certainly sufficient to rouse anyone from their slumber.

“Wow, sister-in-law, you have company at home?”

Shen Lanzhi’s eyelashes fluttered softly, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Upon seeing Xiang Qing, a flicker of complex emotions crossed Shen Lanzhi’s eyes. However, as her gaze swept past Xiang Qing and landed on An Qi, who was clad in a provocative outfit and beaming, the nascent warmth in her expression instantly vanished.

“And this is…” Shen Lanzhi sat upright, shifting the blanket aside. Her voice was still thick with the remnants of sleep, yet her tone remained impeccably polite.

“Sister Lanzhi, this is CEO Gu’s cousin, An Qi,” Xiang Qing introduced, forcing a smile. “She’s here for a visit today.”

“Oh, so you’re Miss Gu’s cousin,” Shen Lanzhi said, offering a perfectly gentle smile. “Hello, I’m Shen Lanzhi, a friend of Xiang Qing’s.”

She enunciated the word “friend” with deliberate clarity.

An Qi’s lively eyes swept over Shen Lanzhi, then she sauntered over with a grin, boldly linking her arm through Xiang Qing’s and pressing herself close.

“Hello, Sister! My sister told me that Sister-in-law lives here, but I never expected to find you here too!”

‘Sister-in-law?’

The gentle smile on Shen Lanzhi’s face froze for a fleeting moment.

A prickle of unease spread across Xiang Qing’s scalp.

‘Oh, for heaven’s sake! Would you stop fanning the flames?!’

“Such a playful little sister,” Shen Lanzhi remarked, picking up a cup of cold tea from the table and taking a delicate sip. “Qingqing and I share a special bond, and I wasn’t comfortable with her living alone, so I came to keep her company. As for you, it’s quite late; shouldn’t you be heading home?”

‘The unspoken message: You should leave now.‘

An Qi blinked her exquisitely lined eyes, her smile growing even sweeter.

“I’m simply concerned for my sister-in-law! My sister is swamped with work, so she specifically sent me to keep her company, lest she get bored all by herself.”

As she spoke, she deliberately tightened her grip on Xiang Qing’s arm. “Sister, you wouldn’t believe it, but today I took Sister-in-law all over the mall and bought her several bags! A woman’s true happiness, after all, comes from buying handbags!”

All the while, she defiantly jutted her chin at Shen Lanzhi, her expression that of a spoiled rich girl flaunting her family’s wealth with abandon.

Inside, Xiang Qing’s heart was already erupting in a silent fireworks display.

Silently, she extricated her arm from An Qi’s tenacious grip, then drifted quietly behind the marble bar. There, she poured herself a generous glass of iced cola and rummaged through the cupboard for a bag of potato chips.

Securing a prime vantage point, neither too close nor too far from the impending battle, Xiang Qing settled down with a contented sigh. Crunch. She bit into a potato chip.

‘Satisfying!’

Shen Lanzhi’s expression visibly darkened, yet she maintained her composure with impeccable grace.

“You truly shouldn’t have gone to such expense. However, our Qingqing isn’t a materialistic girl; she values sincerity above all else. I ensure she eats three meals a day and constantly look after her well-being. These are things that money simply cannot buy.”

Her words were delivered with an air of casual indifference.

‘The underlying message: You only know how to throw money around; what I offer is true affection.‘

“Oh, Sister, you’re absolutely right!”

An Qi, with an expression that screamed “I completely agree with you,” suddenly shifted her tone. “But health is the foundation of everything, isn’t it? Sister, your complexion doesn’t look too good either. Do you perhaps need to drink some traditional Chinese medicine to regulate it? My sister-in-law is perfectly healthy—she can eat, drink, and shop to her heart’s content. Unlike some people who look sickly, as if a gust of wind could knock them over, and always need others to care for them.”

‘Damn!’

Xiang Qing nearly choked on the potato chip in her mouth.

‘What a venomous tongue!’

‘That was a direct personal attack!’

Shen Lanzhi’s knuckles, gripping the teacup, tightened imperceptibly.

“Children should learn to mind their words,” Shen Lanzhi stated. “When you reach my age, you’ll understand the true value of health. Unlike now, you’re merely relying on your youth, treating your body with such disregard. Dressed in so little, aren’t you afraid of catching a cold?”

Her gaze swept over An Qi’s barely-there spaghetti strap dress, the disapproval in her eyes almost palpable.

“Oh, Sister, you actually care about me? I’m so touched!” An Qi exclaimed, dramatically clutching her chest. “But seriously, what era are we in? Your ideas are so utterly antiquated, Sister! Do you even understand freedom of expression through clothing? Unlike some people, dressed like a school dean—it’s just so terribly dull to look at.”

On the sidelines, Xiang Qing munched on her potato chips, her head swiveling back and forth like a rattle-drum between the two combatants.

‘What a showdown!’

‘Louder!’

‘The more fiercely you two clash, the more that lunatic Gu Wei will focus on you, and the safer I’ll be!’

‘You got this!’

‘Oli-gei!’