Shen Qingqing placed her phone on the bedside table and lazily got out of bed. As for what Ai Qi had said, she truly didn't care.
It wasn't that she didn't care about her grandmother, but rather that she believed in human effort and that a solution could definitely be found.
In contrast to the relaxed atmosphere here, Ai Qi's side was far from pleasant.
After hanging up the phone, the more she thought about it, the angrier she became, to the point of smashing her phone!
Just then, Fu Tingyi walked in. The phone, caught off guard, hit the floor near his feet. He was startled and looked at Ai Qi, utterly bewildered.
"What's wrong with you now?"
"What do you mean 'now'?" Ai Qi glared at Fu Tingyi, her eyes red, not with hurt, but with anger. "Have I thrown tantrums in front of you many times before?"
A woman in a fit of rage was not to be trifled with.
Fu Tingyi decided to remain quiet, believing that a step back meant a broader view. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm concerned about you. I just want to know one thing: when exactly can I make my move?"
"Soon."
Fu Tingyi looked at her in surprise.
He hadn't held much hope for this matter before coming. After all, this woman always held a peculiar feeling for Fu Jingshu.
Thus, while dealing with him, she would unconsciously protect Fu Jingshu, delaying her use of a killer move.
But today was different.
Fu Tingyi noticed that she wasn't stubbornly refusing to use it, which was very strange. "Did you two have a falling out?"
"What's it to you?"
Ai Qi retorted fiercely.
Fu Tingyi, being pragmatic, recognized that since the other party had agreed, it was a good thing. He didn't need to provoke her further out of curiosity and risk her changing her mind, so he naturally stopped asking.
"Then I'll wait for your arrangements. I want to use this move as soon as possible to get rid of both Fu Jingshu and Shen Qingqing!"
As Fu Tingyi spoke, he observed Ai Qi's expression and found that her attitude was completely different from before; she no longer protected Fu Jingshu as she used to.
It seemed she had truly changed her stance.
Fu Tingyi felt very pleased, and at the same time, he felt a hint of pity for Fu Jingshu. The facts proved that women were indeed not to be provoked.
Ai Qi returned to her room and made a call to Mark.
"Help me find someone..."
Mark felt this method was unreliable. "Are you really going to do this?"
Ai Qi said indignantly, "Stop the nonsense. If you still consider me your childhood sweetheart, then do as I say. Don't disappoint me."
With things having gone this far, what else could Mark say? He could only reluctantly agree to help. However, after hanging up the phone, he sighed deeply.
For some reason, he had a vague premonition that their actions would not go smoothly, and their plan would not succeed.
Unfortunately, Ai Qi wouldn't listen to advice.
...
Fu Jingshu was busy again these past two days because of a major company project that required his personal attention. Primarily, the other party had specifically requested him, and even as his special assistant, Lin Mo was deemed insufficient in status.
Shen Qingqing told him to focus on his work, assuring him that her grandmother and she would be fine and he didn't need to worry.
However, Fu Jingshu remained uneasy. But the project couldn't be put off. Before leaving, he held her tightly.
"You must wait for me. Once I finish this project, everything can be resolved."
Shen Qingqing nodded. "Okay, I'll wait for you."
The project Fu Jingshu was negotiating at the company went relatively smoothly. A letter of intent for cooperation was quickly signed, and a press conference was scheduled for three days later.
But after signing the letter of intent, he received a call from Ai Qi.
Ai Qi asked him to meet.
Fu Jingshu agreed.
He felt that some things couldn't be delayed and should be clarified at this opportunity.
So, he headed to the agreed-upon location.
When he arrived at the coffee shop, he waited for nearly half an hour. Ai Qi arrived late, dressed in a pink and white skirt, looking youthful and vibrant. She flashed a bright smile as soon as she sat down.
"Brother Fu, when I was abroad before, I wondered when I would see you again. I didn't expect us to meet so soon."
Fu Jingshu's expression was calm. Even with a beautiful woman sitting opposite him, there was no change in his demeanor. "What is it you want?"
Ai Qi was hurt by his impatient attitude, her eyes becoming somewhat mournful. "Are you unwilling to even reminisce with me?"
"After all, we went through life and death together once. Have you forgotten those days? I certainly haven't."
Fu Jingshu lowered his eyes slightly. After listening to her chatter, he looked up at the woman opposite him, who seemed like someone wronged by a faithless lover. "I am married."
His opening statement was a bombshell.
Ai Qi gritted her teeth, forcing herself to restrain her urge to scream at him. She truly detested the word 'married'. It signified that the man before her already belonged to another woman.
No matter how much she liked him, he wasn't hers.
"I want to ask you one more time, if I'm willing to trade medicinal herbs for you, would you be willing to come to my side?"
Fu Jingshu's thin lips moved slightly.
Ai Qi became flustered and stopped him. "Don't rush to refuse me, let me finish. If you're willing to come to my side, I will love you deeply. I will never love you any less than Shen Qingqing does. And I don't mind that you have children; I will treat them as my own. As long as you're willing to love me and stay with me for the rest of your life, my family, and everything I own will be yours!"
Any other man would probably find it impossible to refuse such an offer. So many temptations, coupled with the fact that this woman was young, beautiful, and deeply in love with him.
Fu Jingshu stared at her intently, his deep pupils unwavering. "I appreciate your kindness, but I don't need it."
Ai Qi was pushed to her limit. "Then what do you want? Just say it. Even if I don't have it, I'll find a way to get it for you! Why can't you just look at me? I love you so much, I left my family and came here for you. Why can't you even give me a proper glance?"
She didn't understand.
She had liked other people's boyfriends before. But each time she showed even a slight hint of interest, or beckoned them, those men would swarm to her like butterflies to nectar.
This was the first time, and the only time in her life she had failed.
It seemed no matter what she did, the man before her remained unmoved.
Fu Jingshu placed his hands on the table. Even in the face of such a devoted confession, the coldness and frost on his face did not soften in the slightest. "I said, I don't need it."
Ai Qi felt as if her strength had been drained away. She slumped onto the chair dejectedly and murmured, "Then what do you want me to do? Why can't you understand my feelings for you?"
"Would you be with someone you don't like?" Fu Jingshu suddenly asked.
Compared to Ai Qi's utter devastation and dejected expression, he was calm to the point of being frightening, truly living up to the saying:
When there is no regard, all efforts are in vain.
Ai Qi finally understood that she couldn't move this man with mere deep affection. A surge of vindictiveness rose in her heart. "Fine, then don't blame me for being heartless. Brother Fu, you'd better not regret this."