Chapter 5: Where Did You Spend the Night?

In Feng Su’s eyes, a burning passion flickered, one that could consume her entirely.

“We…”

“Sister, don’t you miss me?” Feng Su took the opportunity to wrap his arm around Li Jiuwei’s waist. It was slender, delicate, and utterly intoxicating.

His warm breath spilled over her neck and earlobe, sending tingling shivers through her, stirring her heart into a wild, trembling flutter.

Feng Su grasped her hand and pressed it to his cheek.

Li Jiuwei gazed deeply into his ardent eyes, her own reflection shimmering within them.

She felt acutely the transformation in him.

“Sister—don’t you want to try what I’m like when I’m burning with fever?”

A rush of heat shot straight to her head.

Li Jiuwei, unable to hide her shock, shoved the fever medicine into Feng Su’s mouth. “Are you trying to kill yourself?”

Chastised, Feng Su swallowed the medicine, disgruntled, yet he clung to her, his tone tinged with melancholy. “Sister, don’t send me away…”

At this moment, he was no longer the prickly young wolf, but almost excessively well-behaved, keenly aware of how to win her favor.

Li Jiuwei soothed him softly, “Get some proper rest first.”

An answer that dodged the question was still an answer.

Sensing the boundaries, Feng Su yielded, murmuring, “Sister… can you stay tonight? I promise I won’t do anything.”

After a long silence, Li Jiuwei replied, “All right.”

Before Feng Su could break into a broad smile, she suggested they sleep in separate rooms; though disappointed, he did not protest.

The night passed quietly.

Li Jiuwei awoke with a sense of heaviness pressing upon her. Opening her eyes, she found Feng Su’s handsome face right in front of her!

As she shifted slightly, Feng Su opened his eyes, delighted. “Sister, you’re awake.”

“Why are you in my bed?”

“I suppose I must have been sleepwalking.”

“Feng Su, from now on, don’t get into my bed without my permission.” Her tone was cool.

“Oh.”

“…”

After washing up, Li Jiuwei went downstairs to see the breakfast neatly arranged on the table. Feng Su, busy in the kitchen, emerged with a plate of fried eggs and called out with a smile, “Sister, breakfast is ready.”

It was not the first time she’d eaten Feng Su’s cooking; his skills were impressive. She couldn’t deny that, with him, she tasted the flavor of home.

He was attentive, always knowing how to care for others.

The three years with him had been filled with happiness and contentment, yet they were never meant to walk the same path.

After breakfast, Li Jiuwei prepared to leave.

Feng Su couldn’t help but ask, “Sister… will you come back again?”

She gave no reply.

Behind her, Feng Su pressed his lips together, staring at the tabletop. He swept his arm across it in frustration, sending dishes crashing to the floor in disarray.

Li Jiuwei drove to Jiang Corporation.

“Jiuwei, you’re finally here!” Zhang Bing, her colleague from the design department, seemed to breathe a sigh of relief upon seeing her.

Li Jiuwei glanced at her. “Something happened?”

“Everyone in the design department is saying that our project is being handed over to Li Xinchun. For what reason? We’ve been following up on this all along, especially you, pouring in so much time and effort. How can President Jiang just replace you like that?”

Zhang Bing was indignant on her behalf, and she despised Li Xinchun, who had only gotten ahead through connections.

It seemed Jiang Huaiting’s words were true.

During the morning meeting in the jewelry design department.

Seven people took their seats; they were the backbone of the department. Seeing Li Xinchun again, Li Jiuwei felt a stir in her heart.

Perhaps because her pregnancy was still early, Li Xinchun’s condition was not yet apparent.

Li Jiuwei and Li Xinchun sat opposite each other.

“The main point of today’s meeting is this,” Wang Meng announced. “Jiuwei, the collaboration with Feng Group that you’ve been handling will be handed over to Xinchun. Chen Cai, you’ll assist Xinchun and give it your all.”

“I’ll do my best,” said Chen Cai.

“Thank you, Supervisor. I promise to fully support Xinchun.” Chen Cai shot Li Jiuwei a provocative look, her attitude insufferably smug.

“And why is that? This is the project Jiuwei’s been handling all along,” Zhang Bing demanded.

Wang Meng’s face darkened, but then he smiled amiably. “This is President Jiang’s decision.”

“Everyone knows the collaboration with Feng Group is a competition for the position of chief jewelry designer. If the work in Jiuwei’s hands is given to Li Xinchun, then the title goes to her as well. Why bother with the pretense of performance competition? Just hand her the position and stop wasting our time,” Zhang Bing said bluntly. She had never liked Li Xinchun, who had no real ability and relied solely on nepotism.

Everyone in the company was aware of the close relationship between Li Xinchun and Jiang Huaiting.

“If you lack the ability, you know it yourself. President Jiang’s arrangement is the best. If you’re not satisfied, you can take it up with him. Xinchun, I’ll always support you,” Chen Cai said fawningly.

In the company, she was more than willing to be Li Xinchun’s lackey.

“Jiuwei, you’re not angry, are you?” Li Xinchun asked deliberately.

“It’s not worth getting angry over.”

Li Jiuwei’s tone was calm, as if she truly didn’t care. Li Xinchun, failing to provoke her, was left dissatisfied.

The atmosphere turned icy in an instant.

Wang Meng continued, “Jiuwei, though you’ve lost the Feng Group project, President Jiang has assigned you a new one. You’ll be responsible for our collaboration with Li Group. I trust you’ll do well!”

“Congratulations, Jiuwei.” Li Xinchun’s smile was deep and mocking.

Li Jiuwei looked at her, realizing their true intention.

In the company, only Jiang Huaiting knew that she and Li Xinchun were sisters, heiresses of Li Group. No one else did.

Her family would never make things easy for her. Even if she didn’t take on this project, she knew exactly what the outcome would be.

Li Jiuwei remained silent. Chen Cai jeered, “If someone has no confidence, they might as well refuse outright rather than embarrass themselves and bring loss to the company.”

“We’ll just have to wait and see,” Li Jiuwei replied unflinchingly, then returned to her office with Zhang Bing.

A stack of documents related to the Li Group collaboration was already laid out on her desk.

She buried herself in work.

After a hectic day, Li Jiuwei ran into Jiang Huaiting in the elevator. She pretended not to see him.

Jiang Huaiting eyed her outfit, frowning. “You didn’t come home last night. Where did you go?”

“I didn’t ask you, so don’t ask me.”

“Heh, Li Jiuwei, stop playing tricks behind my back. I don’t like you, and no matter what you do, I never will. Even if you try to make me jealous on purpose, it makes no difference to me.”

He strode out of the elevator.

Li Jiuwei shrugged helplessly. Some people were truly shameless by nature. Outside, she caught sight of Jiang Huaiting and Li Xinchun kissing in the underground garage.

Both saw her; their embrace only grew more fervent.

A wave of intense disgust surged within her. As she drove past, she honked deliberately. The pair broke apart, glaring at her in annoyance.

“Li Jiuwei, are you insane?” Jiang Huaiting shouted, his face livid.

Inside the car, Li Jiuwei arched an eyebrow and smiled. “You two really are like a pair of toy poodles.”

With that, she sped away.

Jiang Huaiting, humiliated, glowered after her departing figure.

“Ah… Huaiting, my… my stomach hurts. The baby, the baby…”

“Don’t be afraid, Xinchun. I’ll take you to the hospital. You and the baby will be all right.”

As Li Jiuwei left, her smile vanished.

The sight of them together was utterly nauseating.

A ringing phone cut through her thoughts.

It was a call from her family. As soon as she answered, her father’s thunderous roar exploded through the line.

“Li Jiuwei, get home this instant!”