Shen Qingqing raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised by the woman's quick wit. "Then let him come and face me directly. No matter what, you can't escape."
"I didn't plan to run," the woman said. Even though she knew her fate wouldn't be good, and she was about to face legal punishment, she still showed no fear.
Shen Qingqing spread her hands. "Alright, then we'll have to wait and see."
The woman lowered her head again, seemingly indifferent to everything that was about to happen.
However, Shen Qingqing clearly saw that the woman's hands were clasped tightly together on her knees, her fingernails even leaving crescent-shaped marks on the back of her hands.
Shen Qingqing curved her lips slightly.
Not long after, Mark arrived, summoned by phone, rushing in with a dishevelled appearance. The first thing he did was glance at the woman sitting on the sofa, then turned to look at Shen Qingqing.
"What is the meaning of this?"
Shen Qingqing raised an eyebrow. "Hm?"
Why was this person still acting so aggressively? Did he have a point when his subordinate made a mistake?
Mark questioned, "Are you judicial authorities?"
Shen Qingqing shook her head.
"Then on what grounds did you bring her here without saying a word?!" Mark suppressed his anger, almost gritting his teeth. "You should have at least notified me, her employer! She's part of my household. If she made a mistake, I should be the one to discipline her. If she broke the law, the judicial authorities should punish her, not for you to detain her here in your private capacity!"
Shen Qingqing looked at his imposing demeanor and couldn't help but tug at her lips. With such an attitude, anyone would think he was the victim. "Please clarify, we summoned her with the support of the judicial authorities to ask her some questions. And the security guard currently in the police station has already confirmed that this woman bribed him to turn off our company's surveillance, which led to our design schematics being stolen!"
If it was about speed, who couldn't do it?
Shen Qingqing spoke without pausing, and Fu Jingshu, standing beside her, promptly handed her a cup of water. Without even reaching for her phone, she took a sip directly from Fu Jingshu's hand.
Then she continued, "What capacity are you questioning me in with such aggression? You are her employer, not her family. You have no right to be shouting here."
"Secondly, I also suspect that she bribed our security guard to steal our design schematics as revenge against us. In other words, this matter is not unrelated to you!"
She spewed out a barrage of words, leaving Mark speechless and infuriated. He roared, "How is this related to me? I wouldn't resort to such underhanded tactics!"
Seeing him red-faced and shouting, with no hint of guilt in his face or eyes, Shen Qingqing narrowed her eyes slightly and glanced at the woman.
A guess surfaced in her mind.
Mark turned to the woman, his tone tinged with exasperation. "Why did you do this? I never told you to do these things!"
When facing him, the woman's attitude was completely different from when she faced Shen Qingqing. Her hands were clasped tightly, appearing flustered and panicked. "Young Master, I'm sorry. I acted on my own initiative and caused you trouble. I really just wanted to help you solve your problems..."
Mark glared at her. "This is causing me trouble!"
The woman lowered her head deeply. "I'm sorry."
"Are you truly unaware of this matter?" Shen Qingqing asked, half-believing.
Mark said angrily, "Whether I'm aware or not, she is my household staff. I will bear the consequences of her actions. Whatever you want, I'll accept it."
Shen Qingqing found it peculiar. "Why do you care so much about this maid?"
Mark rolled his eyes at her. "This is my family affair. Do you have to ask about that too?"
"I'm not interested in your family affairs," Shen Qingqing shook her head without hesitation. "But I still don't believe that she could have come up with such a plan on her own."
Mark looked at the woman, pressing her. "Tell me the truth, what exactly happened?"
The woman hesitated, then said, "Miss Ai asked me to do it."
She knew her young master liked Miss Ai and even wanted to marry her. In her eyes, Miss Ai was the future young master's wife. So, she felt no problem with following Miss Ai's instructions.
Mark's face stiffened.
Shen Qingqing chuckled softly. "If that's the case, then it's not surprising. Ai Qi is such a smart person. Her plans are probably more meticulous than what we've seen."
"If you have any issues, come at me directly," Mark didn't understand her words, but that didn't stop him from protecting the woman he loved. "Whether it's Ai Qi or her, I will take responsibility for their actions."
"You are indeed a devoted person," Shen Qingqing glanced at him and sighed.
Mark's face was stiff. "You don't need to praise me. I know it's all flattery. Just tell me directly, what do you want?"
Shen Qingqing blinked. "Actually, I don't want anything. An middle-aged woman like her is just a pawn after her plan fails. I'm not going to hunt her down. On the contrary, I pity you."
"You pity me?" Mark almost thought he had misheard. He was born into a wealthy family, the designated heir, and possessed millions, even hundreds of millions in assets. What was there for others to pity him about?
Shen Qingqing propped her chin with one hand. "You look like a man deeply in love now, taking all the blame for the woman you adore. But have you ever thought that she might not have you in her heart at all?"
"You're trying to sow discord between us," Mark sneered. "I won't fall for it, and you don't need to waste your effort."
"Does your relationship need me to sow discord?" Shen Qingqing didn't want to get involved in this mess, but seeing him so pathetic, she decided to help him. "Don't you want to know what kind of status you hold in the eyes of your childhood sweetheart?"
Mark said calmly, "She might not like me, but she considers me family. Do you think I would believe someone trying to sow discord between me and my family?"
"Family?!"
Shen Qingqing almost burst out laughing. Who would ask someone close to their family to do such a thing? If the matter were exposed, not only would the woman be caught, but Mark would also be implicated. Was this how she showed her affection for her family?
Shen Qingqing didn't believe it. "How about this, we can do a test. It will immediately let you know what you mean to that woman."
Mark had to admit that this proposal made his heart race. Although he had been rejected unceremoniously by Ai Qi before, he couldn't help but want to find out how important he was in this woman's heart. If she truly considered him family, why would she ask Aunt Lin Na to do such a thing?