The immediate surroundings fell into silence. Everyone was astonished by Shen Qingqing's beauty, but even more so when Shen Qingqing picked up her mask, put it back on, and then, with a flick of her wrist, slapped the man!
The man's head turned to the side from the impact, his ears buzzing. In a fit of rage, he instinctively moved to retaliate. However, his outstretched hand was stopped mid-air by a large palm. The newcomer wore a black mask, and behind it, a pair of eyes, deep and dark, exuded an intimidating aura.
Shen Qingqing stared blankly at Fu Jingshu.
The man, furious, snarled, "Let go! Are you in league with this slut? If you dare treat me like this, I will absolutely not let either of you off!"
The commotion had escalated, attracting the attention of the security guards. With stern, expressionless faces, two guards grabbed the man. In their eyes, everyone was treated equally; they were preparing to deal with the troublemaker. It was at this moment that Lin Mo stepped forward.
He whispered something into the ears of the two guards. Their eyes widened in alarm as they glanced at Fu Jingshu, then they dragged the struggling man away.
Fu Jingshu shot Lin Mo a cold look. Lin Mo instinctively flinched, his heart filled with bitterness. He had been so foolish just moments ago, insisting that Shen Qingqing wasn't the person she claimed to be. Now, it seemed he had only helped conceal her identity. Miss Shen had truly been the ruin of him!
Shen Qingqing pursed her red lips, unsure whether to first thank him for extricating her from the situation or to explain her presence there. "I..."
Suddenly, a weight settled on her shoulder. It was King, his playful voice ringing in her ear, "This gentleman is quite the charmer, helping you out like this. Truly a knight in shining armor."
Fu Jingshu's expression darkened, and he turned to leave. Lin Mo quickly followed, but before departing, he couldn't resist casting a slightly reproachful glance at Shen Qingqing. Lying was one thing, concealing her identity here was another. But getting involved with another man here?
All the words Shen Qingqing had intended to say were choked in her throat. Watching him disappear in an instant, she couldn't help but glare at King, who had so rudely interrupted. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
King spread his hands. "Didn't you ask me to help you put on a show? I thought you didn't want this man to get close to you. Or perhaps you were worried he would misunderstand?"
Shen Qingqing shot him a look, her mind still focused on her original purpose. She tapped on the window again. "I need to buy some medicine."
As for Fu Jingshu... she would find a way to apologize tomorrow.
...
Fu Jingshu got into the car, casually removed the mask from his face, and tossed it to the floor. He then stepped on it, and the mask shattered with a crisp sound. Lin Mo shrank back, feeling as though Mr. Fu was using the mask as a surrogate for him.
"Mr. Fu, I really think there might be a misunderstanding... That man might not be involved with Miss Shen in the way you think. Perhaps they're just friends..." Under Fu Jingshu's piercing gaze, his voice grew fainter and fainter. Forget it, he decided. It was best to keep his mouth shut.
...
The next morning, Shen Qingqing woke up early. Before heading to the company, she went to purchase something. Upon arriving at the office, she noticed a palpable tension in the air. Before entering her office, she glanced at Lin Mo.
Lin Mo returned her gaze with a complex expression before turning away and lowering his head. Shen Qingqing had a good idea why the company's atmosphere was so grim. No one else besides Fu Jingshu could possibly influence so many people.
She knocked on the door. A cold voice from within responded, "Enter."
She pushed the door open, holding a gift box, and walked in. Her eyes immediately fell on Fu Jingshu's stern, taut expression. It was evident that his mood was at an all-time low. He looked up at her briefly, then, as if he hadn't seen her, expressionlessly lowered his head.
Shen Qingqing placed the gift box on the desk and slowly pushed it towards him. "I'm here about yesterday's incident. I apologize for what happened." She opened the gift box, revealing a meticulously crafted, luxurious yet understated Rolex watch nestled within.
Fu Jingshu's gaze flickered to the watch. Shen Qingqing pouted. "This is my apology gift to you. Please don't be angry anymore."
"You know you were wrong?" he asked slowly.
The fact that he was willing to speak was a good sign. Shen Qingqing straightened her back, her demeanor naturally becoming more solemn. "Yes, it was wrong of me to deceive you, but I was in a situation where I couldn't reveal my identity. Besides, didn't you also fail to tell me you were going to the black market..."
Fu Jingshu extended a hand, then slowly retracted it. "Do you have anything else to say?"
Shen Qingqing thought for a moment and shook her head. "I came today solely for this matter."
"You took the trouble to come and explain. How honored I am."
Shen Qingqing frowned slightly. Why did his words sound so sarcastic? Fu Jingshu continued, his voice drawn out, "Watching me dote on you every day, are you mocking me in your heart?" Seeing Shen Qingqing now, his mind was filled with images of her intimately talking with that man, him even putting his arm around her shoulder! He felt an intense ache and suffocation within him. He suddenly realized that she already had someone she liked.
What kind of words were those? It sounded as if she were a superficial woman who reveled in having admirers and mockingly played with people's genuine feelings! Shen Qingqing felt a pang of discomfort but didn't want to escalate the situation too much. She suppressed her annoyance and explained, "Please don't say that. I didn't mean it that way."
"Take your gift and leave," Fu Jingshu said, appearing unwilling to listen to her explanation. He casually picked up a document from the desk and began to read. Shen Qingqing's expression changed slightly. "Fu Jingshu, you..."
"I said leave," Fu Jingshu repeated without looking up, his voice devoid of any warmth. "Miss Shen, can you understand my words?" Miss Shen? Shen Qingqing didn't know when it had happened, but she hadn't heard such a polite and distant address from him in a long time. Hearing it now felt strangely unfamiliar.
"You're determined to sulk with me, aren't you?"
Fu Jingshu stated calmly, "Miss Shen, your words are strange. What is our relationship? Why would I sulk with you? What right do I have to be upset with you?" Shen Qingqing's face also turned cold. "Fine. You say you have no right, then I have no reason to apologize to you, nor to give you a gift." She snatched the gift box from the table and turned to leave.
As the door closed behind her, the atmosphere in the office became palpably heavy. Fu Jingshu's face was as dark as a gathering storm. After a long silence, he swept everything on the desk onto the floor. Lin Mo, who had arrived to deliver documents, stopped at the doorway, listening to the sounds from within with trepidation. He dared not enter and, after a moment's hesitation, decided it was best to avoid the storm. He didn't want to become Mr. Fu's punching bag.
At noon, Shen Qingqing received a phone call and hurried away from the company to meet him at a restaurant. Neither of them liked being confined, so they chose a table by the window in the main hall instead of a private room.
King handed her a document. "This is some information I found about your mother in the black market. Take a look." As Shen Qingqing reached for it, she noticed the gift box in her hand and recalled the earlier unpleasantness. Annoyed, and with a "out of sight, out of mind" attitude, she directly tossed the gift box to King.
King whistled. "For me?"
"Yes." Shen Qingqing lowered her head to read the document. King opened the box, twirling the expensive watch on his finger. "Cool. It's my kind of style."