However, a day after submissions, she received a phone call from Qi Chengzhi whilst she was in the office. "Song Yu, the design you submitted is exactly the same as Guanyu's."

"How's that possible!" Song Yu stood up abruptly and nearly sent the chair tumbling.

Her sudden actions caused the rest of the office to look at her.

Song Yu glanced at them and rushed out of the office. When she reached the stairs, her body turned weak immediately, and she leaned against the icy wall.

It was then that she noticed her body was feeling cold. She had no idea where the strength that compelled her to walk all the way there came from.

"Impossible!" Song Yu mumbled again as her voice faltered. Unbeknownst to her, she was grasping her cell phone very tightly.

On the other end of the phone, Qi Chengzhi was looking at the two sets of similar designs that were laid in front of him. His slender, well-defined fingers tapped lightly on his cell phone casing. "Okay, how about you come over here in the evening. The relevant people from Guanyu will also be here. Whatever the problem may be, we'll discuss it face-to-face then."

Song Yu nodded. In her absent-mindedness, she forgot that they were talking through the phone and that Qi Chengzhi was not able to see her action.

After arranging a time, Song Yu relaxed the hand which was holding her phone to her side. Her back remained in contact with the wall as she slid down and crouched there.

She placed her hand on her forehead and recalled the time she lost the design drawing. She remembered Guan Xiaolin's phone call, where she was told that Guanyu was one step ahead of her and had already submitted their design drawing.

From that perspective, it seemed as though she would not be able to exculpate herself.

She remained at the staircase for quite some time, going back to the office only when she could no longer bear the cold.

As soon as she entered, she saw Wang Liwei sporting a disgusting smile. "Song Yu, Director Zhao wants to see you."

Song Yu surmised that Wang Liwei gave the design drawing to Guanyu in addition to stealing it. Wang Liwei was someone Song Yu despised from the bottom of her heart.

She kept quiet and walked to Director Zhao's office. He had a sour look when he said, "Song Yu, I just got a call from Guanyu. They said you stole their design. Now there are two identical designs submitted to Qilin. Fortunately, Guanyu was the first to submit, so the conclusion to this is fairly obvious, and because Miss Guan pleaded on your behalf, this matter will not be pursued. Hopefully, you'd take the initiative to withdraw from the competition.

"Song Yu, what I did regarding the contract signing was improper, but I've apologized to you. I've given you a raise, and I've done it in all sincerity. I didn't expect that you'd still harbor hard feelings. You treated the company's reputation and our business as a joke!"

Song Yu pursed her lips and asked unemotively, "Director Zhao, are you suggesting that I stole Guanyu's design on purpose just so Chengshi wouldn't get this business?"

"Up till this point, everything seems to suggest exactly that!" Director Zhao had a stony expression, and his gaze turned fierce as well.

"Director Zhao, have you forgotten that in the past few days, my design was stolen? Right after that, Guanyu submitted a design that was identical to mine. Who did this? Shouldn't you be investigating it, Director Zhao? Pointing the finger at me will only harm the company!" Song Yu's expressions turned similarly frigid.

"Well, it's because we investigated that we came to you! You say that your design was stolen, but who stole it, and how was it stolen? Where's the proof? You locked your drawer and the design disappeared; this is all your one-sided story! Who knows, you and Guanyu may have conspired to do this! If that weren't the case, why didn't Guanyu pursue an issue as important as stolen documents?" Director Zhao lambasted before sneering.

"In that case, haven't you thought about the consequences it would have on me if word spreads out? Stealing designs out of jealousy will send my career down the drain! How much hate would I need to have for your company that I would be willing to risk my entire future? Okay, you said that I conspired with Guanyu. Let's assume I did and I had a business transaction with them. I destroy your company and go to Guanyu, but if a client sees my name, who would dare to task me with designing for them? Didn't this point cross your mind, Director Zhao?" Song Yu took no liberty with her mocking tone and derisive jeer.

"What company would want an architect that has no clients? I sure as hell wouldn't want to become like Wang Liwei," Song Yu scoffed.

Director Zhao's blood began to boil. Never did he expect that at that juncture, Song Yu did not forget to bring that up to spite him.

"I'll be going to Qilin this evening to confront Guanyu. I never harmed this company, so if there was any stealing of designs involved, Guanyu stole mine. If I can't prove this, and it causes a loss to the company, I'll resign!" Song Yu spat out those words and stormed out of the office.

She could not care less about how displeased Director Zhao looked. With all the things that happened, Song Yu was not about to be courteous with him.

If she could not get Qilin's business, she would resign.

If, after that, she was still in charge of Qilin's project, Director Zhao had to treat her with respect. He would not dare to bother her anymore, and she would no longer have to be worried.

…

…

That evening, Song Yu went to Qilin at the agreed-upon time.

Contrary to her expectation that hostility was awaiting her, Cheng Dongge was actually very courteous toward her. "Miss Song, Guanyu's personnel are already waiting inside."

Song Yu nodded and entered the office. She noticed that Guan Xiaolin and Fu Junya were present too.

At that point, the two ladies were seated opposite of Qi Chengzhi, separated by Qi Chengzhi's wide work desk. He was silent, and so were Guan Xiaolin and Fu Junya.

Upon seeing Song Yu, Qi Chengzhi nodded at her. He put on a very professional look and gestured with his chin. "Sit."

Song Yu saw an empty seat beside Guan Xiaolin. Knowing that it was reserved for her, she took her seat there.

During that moment, Song Yu felt uneasy sitting beside Guan Xiaolin.

Qi Chengzhi's handsome jaw tensed up, and his stern contours were still present even when his lips parted. "Since everyone's here, let's begin. These are both your designs. Please, have a look."

He laid out both designs in front of them, and although Song Yu somewhat knew of it earlier on, it still disgusted her to see them with her very own eyes.

Both their designs were the same!

The only differences were in the lines drawn, their handwriting, and the inscription.

"Young Master Cheng!" Guan Xiaolin exclaimed before Song Yu could say anything. "Before anything else, let me make my case."

Qi Chengzhi looked at her. His spectacles obscured his eyes somewhat, but even then his gaze was still very rattling.

Moments later, he remarked curtly, "Talk."

Guan Xiaolin licked her lips and smiled awkwardly. She tightened her grip on her knees and said, "Guanyu will not pursue this matter. Song Yu's actually my good friend, and ever since her family's bankruptcy, her life isn't too good anymore. Song Yu's character is someone eager to get ahead in life, and she crossed the line this time because she really wanted the project. Although her means of doing so were inappropriate, as a friend, I understand her completely.

"So, I hope that Qilin won't press on with the matter too. Don't make this public either. I don't want Song Yu's name to be tarnished in this industry since she'll be depending on this for her livelihood. Just treat this matter as though it never happened, but since the design is identical, I think it's best that Song Yu withdraw herself from the competition. That's enough for me," Guan Xiaolin explaining and looked at Qi Chengzhi with the utmost sincerity.

Qi Chengzhi's lips curled, but he remained silent.

Song Yu, on the other hand, could not believe that Guan Xiaolin twisted the facts and made such pompous remarks!

She had always trusted Guan Xiaolin. Even after the bankruptcy, Song Yu cut off all contact with everyone, with Guan Xiaolin being the sole exception.

Little did she expect that Guan Xiaolin would sling mud at her like that!

Song Yu recalled how Guan Xiaolin asked Jian Yi why Song Yu came out of Qi Chengzhi's room. Then Song Yu remembered how the night after, Guan Xiaolin came to Qi Chengzhi's door and tried to offer herself to him. Song Yu's ears were ringing with what Guan Xiaolin said just moments ago.

Song Yu felt a disappointment that she never once experienced in her life. The plot against her, one that was a result of her friend's betrayal, was like a knife that pierced deep into her heart. It was so painful that her entire body was shuddering.

Her eyes felt sore, and the pain she felt suffocated her somewhat.

"Guan Xiaolin." Song Yu was frightened by her own voice as well, as it was unusually unfriendly and calm. Her helplessness she felt deep within her heart was not shown at all. "Do you dare to look me in the eye and repeat that again?"

Perhaps she underestimated Guan Xiaolin's shamelessness.

Guan Xiaolin did turn around. She even held Song Yu's hand and stared at the latter's face without even blinking. With a face full of sincerity, she said, "Song Song, I know you've put in a lot of effort for this project and you wanted to use this opportunity to prove yourself. I totally understand why you did something so rash under such circumstances. But I hope that you won't do something unethical like this ever again. Once is enough. I can decide not to pursue it on behalf of Guanyu, but I hope that you will realize your mistake and never do such a thing in the future."

Song Yu smiled bitterly. She was so angry that she could not say a single word.

She never knew that Guan Xiaolin was able to distort the truth to such an extent!

Song Yu withdrew her hands immediately. Guan Xiaolin's touches were disgusting, and it felt like her hands were dirty.

She kept quiet, and the one who spoke was Qi Chengzhi, surprisingly. His voice was as insipid as ever and completely devoid of any emotion. "I truly admire the relationship between Miss Guan and Miss Song."

Guan Xiaolin finally shifted her gaze to Qi Chengzhi's face. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, seemingly rather shyly, and every movement she made was modestly gentle.

"On to serious business," Qi Chengzhi said coldly. "Miss Fu, you're the architect in charge of this, yes?"

"Yes." Fu Junya nodded immediately.

"So, this design. You drew it?" Qi Chengzhi pushed forward one of the design plans to Fu Junya.

"That's right." Fu Junya nodded again, but for reasons unknown to her, apprehension began to surface in her heart.

"When did you start drawing this design?" Qi Chengzhi asked again.

Fu Junya recited the answer that she had prepared beforehand. "After coming back from our visit to the construction site, of course. I began immediately after that."

"But this is remarkably different from the earlier design that you came to us with." Qi Chengzhi answered bluntly.

"Young Master Cheng, do you remember when I came looking for you saying that we have a new idea for the design? It was at that time. After seeing the site, I talked with Junya and we decided to modify the design." Guan Xiaolin smiled plainly.

Qi Chengzhi nodded and held his phone. He swiped a few times on the screen and clicked on a picture, which she showed Guan Xiaolin. "Does this picture look familiar to you?"

"This is…" Guan Xiaolin looked at the picture of the draft design in Qi Chengzhi's phone. Although it was not as complete as the finished design, the outline was already visible.

Guan Xiaolin looked suspiciously at Qi Chengzhi, but what she did not know was that Song Yu recognized the picture as being from the night that Qi Chengzhi went to her house. He saw the design and must have taken a photo of it at some point.

"This picture was taken a week before the failed first negotiation with Chengshi. That time, Miss Song showed me her sketch. Unless you drew that much earlier than that, it's impossible that Miss Song stole Guanyu's design." Qi Chengzhi took back his phone and prevented Guan Xiaolin from getting a chance to touch his fingers.

"As to who it was exactly that did the stealing, I've already known that from the start. I called all of you here simply to give you one last chance. You said it earlier, Miss Guan, if you admit to it, then I won't divulge the truth to the public. Guanyu is a respectable company. There's no need for Guanyu's reputation to be harmed simply because of one architect, but it seems like you haven't understood the gravity of this situation, Miss Guan."

Both Guan Xiaolin and Fu Junya's expressions changed dramatically. Neither of them expected that Qi Chengzhi had contact with Song Yu from such an early stage.

Fu Junya did not agree to the shenanigans in the beginning, since she had no intention of treating her future as a joke. Guan Xiaolin however, persuaded her by saying that Song Yu slept with Qi Chengzhi. If Guan Xiaolin was the one who could get into his bed, the project would have been hers as well, without any sort of fuss.

Otherwise, from what Guan Xiaolin said, there might be a possibility that Fu Junya would never be able to continue working at Guanyu, or for any other company in a related field for that matter.

Once the harsher words were all said, Guan Xiaolin made a few gentler remarks, saying that the project was important to Guanyu, and assuring that it would all go without a hitch because there was no evidence. Song Yu could do nothing but suffer that loss.

However, nothing went according to plan!

Guan Xiaolin stood up suddenly, saying. "I'm sorry, our company will never do such an unethical thing. Still, we can't guarantee that our subordinates practice professional ethics. If that's truly the case, we won't tolerate it. Young Master Cheng, I'd like to talk with Junya in private. Is that okay?"

"Outside the door, right-hand side meeting room. Special Assistant Cheng will lead you," Qi Chengzhi remarked curtly.

Guan Xiaolin nodded and brought Fu Junya out.

Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu were the only two people left in the office. Song Yu was once again going through the ordeal where she had to be careful even when breathing.

Her gaze was directed downward and her scalp was feeling numb under Qi Chengzhi's direct stare.

Qi Chengzhi leaned back casually and asked, "Were you afraid when you came?"

"With this kind of thing happening, of course I am," Song Yu replied earnestly.

In all honesty, her fear was practically sky-high.

"You regretted letting me visit you at home." Qi Chengzhi then asked, as if holding back a chuckle, "Do you still regret it?"

"…" Song Yu ignored his question. "Thank you for this."

"How do you plan on thanking me?" Qi Chengzhi interlaced his fingers together. He looked very reserved and extremely serious, and from his look alone, she would never have imagined that he would say the kind of words. Those remarks were usually only made in TV shows, under circumstances where the character decides to do something naughty.

"…" Song Yu was speechless. She did not expect that he would want a mile after being given an inch.

Qi Chengzhi took out a cigarette and placed it between his lips. He then took out his exquisite-looking lighter and was about to light it up. Song Yu, however, let out an almost unnoticeable frown, which caused him to halt his actions in frustration.

The cigarette remained in his lips. He closed his eyes and twirled the lighter in his hands, but he did not light up his smoke.

He looked very uneasy at that point and coupled with those non-prescription glasses that he was wearing, no one knew what he was mulling over at that time.

With the cigarette still in between his lips, he said, "I'll accept your thanks, but I'll decide how you should return the favor. Let me think about, and I'll let you know later. When that time comes, you'll repay me then."

He had just finished speaking when Guan Xiaolin brought Fu Junya in.

Fu Junya's face was pale and her eyes were red. Tears flowed down her face in a continuous stream.

Guan Xiaolin put on a regrettable face, saying, "Young Master Cheng, we didn't expect Guanyu to be at fault for this. I've already asked Fu Junya about this, and she was the one who fraudulently copied Song Yu's design. This matter is a disgrace to our company. I've already terminated her employment with us, as of immediately. Song Yu, I'm sorry that you've suffered this injustice."

Ignoring Guan Xiaolin completely, Song Yu stood up and asked Fu Junya, "How did you get my design?"

Fu Junya sniffled and said, "Some… Someone sent it anonymously to me."

Song Yu did not buy such an excuse at all. She smirked and said, "You're quite brave to use a design of unknown origin, Miss Fu."

Fu Junya could not understand why Guan Xiaolin told her to use such an excuse.

They had nothing to do with Wang Liwei, which begged the question of why she should be protected.

Song Yu formed her hands into a fist and heard Qi Chengzhi's insipid voice. "Song Yu, go back, prepare, and bring someone with you tomorrow to sign the agreement. You stay back, Miss Guan."

After Song Yu said her goodbye, Fu Junya left as well. They walked together out of the company, but neither said a word to each other.

Song Yu did not know what benefits Guan Xiaolin gave to Fu Junya. Blatant plagiarism was not something that Fu Junya would be brave enough to do herself. It was impossible to think that Guan Xiaolin did not have a hand in it.

All those nasty remarks that Guan Xiaolin directed at Fu Junya were etched in Song Yu's memory.

There was nothing Song Yu could do though as it was Guanyu's internal matter.

Once out of Qilin, she took a cab back to Chengshi.

…

…

"Miss Guan, whether you have a hand in this or not, it will be a severe blow to Guanyu if word gets out. Besides, if Qilin's public declares that we will never cooperate with Guanyu ever again in the future, I'd think that it would be hard for Guanyu to continue surviving in this field." The cigarette that had been in his mouth for ages was lit up, and he smoked it enjoyably.

Guan Xiaolin was mesmerized. She felt that Qi Chengzhi was simply too charming, and his magnetism was something no other men could hope to even achieve.

"Young Master Cheng," Guan Xiaolin's body swayed and she went around him to sit at the edge of his work desk. Her fair-skinned thighs were exposed, and she crossed her legs seductively, one over the other.

"I've already fired the person that ought to be fired. I'll do anything for you as long as you don't go hard on Guanyu." Guan Xiaolin looked down with those lustful eyes of hers. One hand was placed on Qi Chengzhi's shoulder while the other was creeping up his chest.

"Seems like you and I are on the same page." Qi Chengzhi took out his phone and went to his contacts. He searched for the name of Haichen Corporation's director and said, "Women who think they're good-looking are usually really horny. It's humiliating when they don't find a suitable partner, but if they can't even find a partner at all, then they're just plain stupid."

Guan Xiaolin's expression changed drastically. She did not expect Qi Chengzhi to humiliate her there. She retracted her hands immediately and looked at Qi Chengzhi's phone.

"Young Master Cheng, what do you want from me?" Guan Xiaolin's expression changed yet again as she saw the name of Haichen Corporation's director in Qi Chengzhi's phone.

Haichen Corporation was one of the clients that Guanyu was trying hard to get.

Guan Xiaolin grabbed his phone hurriedly. His long fingers were still clipping his cigarette, and he did not rush to get it back. With a relaxed posture, he said, "I told you, I can make Guanyu's progress in this field difficult."

"What do you want me to do, Young Master Cheng. Just say it." Guan Xiaolin hoped to be able to seduce him, but she did not expect him to be so direct. She no longer dared to let herself loose around him.

"Help me with a small matter." Qi Chengzhi flicked off the ash from his cigarette.

Ten minutes later, Guan Xiaolin went out of the office. From Cheng Dongge's estimation, her expression was exceedingly ugly and her heart was filled with resentment.

…

…

Song Yu went back to the company to find Wang Liwei in the midst of doing her fingernails. The latter looked up and snarked, "I heard you plagiarized Guanyu's picture? Song Yu, oh Song Yu. What can I say about you? You lost your design, and when you couldn't come up with one in time, you stole someone else's, right? You're such a disgrace."

Fu Junya did not reveal who it was that gave her the design and Song Yu had no evidence that it was Wang Liwei. However, Wang Liwei's attitude prompted Song Yu to go up to her.

Song Yu gave Wang Liwei a tight, hard slap, after which she turned around and headed straight into Director Zhao's office.

Wang Liwei was stunned by Song Yu's sudden slap, leaving her unresponsive for a few moments. Once she finally came back to her senses, her face was stinging and Song Yu's presence was long gone.

"SONG YU!" Wang Liwei chased her to the office and shrieked in the hallway.

…

…

Song Yu barged into Director Zhao's office without so much as a knock on the door.

Director Zhao frowned, thinking that Song Yu was getting more and more out of hand. Was she being so lawless because she was acting out in despair?

Before he could even rebuke her, he heard Song Yu say, "I'll bring Xiao Chen and Manager Wang to sign the contract at Qilin. I won't take my anger out on the company because of a personal matter, and I hope that Director Zhao will also put work-related matters first!"

A mixture of emotions appeared on his convoluted face. He could hardly believe it when Song Yu really managed to snag the project back.

The design was similar, was it not?

Guanyu was the first to submit their design, right?

How did Song Yu manage to do that!

Faced with Director Zhao's surprise, Song Yu did not try to mask her wry smile. She turned around and left the office.

Wang Liwei was waiting right outside the door. Once Song Yu appeared, Wang Liwei pointed to her nose and blasted, "Song Yu, you stole someone else's design and the contract is gone. What kind of person are you for using me as your punching bag?"

"No one in the company knows about this. How did you know? If it wasn't for Guanyu calling Director Zhao, even he wouldn't know. You may have slept with him, but would he really come to you and tell you this kind of thing?" Song Yu cocked a brow coldly.

"And also, when my design went missing, I was only told today that my design with Guanyu's was similar. Thank goodness Qilin was fair with me, and the contract is still mine. As for how my design went missing and how it managed to fall into Guanyu's hands, I'll definitely look into it," Song Yu remarked icily.

"What do you mean the contract's still yours?" Wang Liwei's face turned unpleasant. "Song Yu, don't try to act like you're innocent in front of me. The evidence is there. No one will believe that the contract is still yours unless you went and slept with Qi Chengzhi in exchange for it!"

Song Yu laughed out of spite. "I won't even do such a thing, but you, you like using that kind of method, don't you? How sad. He doesn't even like you at all."

After saying that, she turned to Ruan Danchen and said, "Danchen, I won't be staying at the company after noon. It disgusts me to see Wang Liwei. If Director Zhao asked, just tell him what I told you."

"OK!" Ruan Danchen obliged happily.

By virtue of such an important business Song Yu managed to obtain, Director Zhao would never hold it against her for such a petty thing. That was why Ruan Danchen did not stop Song Yu.

Song Yu's words angered Wang Liwei to no end, but unfortunately, Song Yu was already long gone.

Wang Liwei stomped her foot angrily, and upon realizing that she could no longer irritate Song Yu, she went to her seat. She decided to glare at Ruan Danchen, but Ruan Danchen simply responded by rolling her eyes.

…

…

Song Yu left the premises and decided not to go back to work later in the afternoon.

She went home to see her parents, saying that she had nothing more to do and so she came home earlier. Yu Qianying was really happy to hear that and had Song Yu stay over for dinner. Song Donglin was told to get some ingredients from the supermarket. An extravagant dinner would be made that night.

When they were eating, Yu Qianying could not resist harping on about Jian Yi.

It would have been much better if Yu Qianying had just kept quiet. Whenever the subject of Jian Yi was brought up, Song Yu remembered the mishap she had when she confessed to the wrong person back in the hotel. The confession-gone-wrong led her to meet head-on with Qi Chengzhi, being on the receiving end of his passionate yet overpowering kiss.

Song Yu's face was burning and her face was insanely red.

Yu Qianying misunderstood the blush and blurted out, "Look at you. Whenever Jian Yi is mentioned, your face gets so red. Isn't it because you really like him?"

"Enough, don't keep nagging her. You know that men will hop on the high horse and won't appreciate it properly if a woman is too eager. Men are like that. It's not good to rush her," Song Donglin interjected, unable to stand the scene in front of him. He took a piece of chili chicken for Song Yu. "Let our daughter have her meal in peace."

Yu Qianying mumbled but did not press on, perhaps because she finally realized that Song Donglin was speaking rationally.

After dinner, Song Yu spent some time talking to them before leaving the place.

Once she returned to her apartment building, she passed by a silver Audi. The car door swung open barely moments after she walked past it.

"Song Song!" Guan Xiaolin came down from the car and called out to Song Yu.

Song Yu stopped and turned to see Guan Xiaolin walking over. Guan Xiaolin looked at her and lowered her gaze. "Song Song, I… I came to apologize for what happened this morning."

"It's nothing. You were just doing your job. Our stands are different, that's all." Song Yu looked at her unemotively, while her heart instinctively put up a barrier.

Earlier that morning in Qilin, Song Yu could not see clearly due to her anger and disappointment.

Under the glow of the streetlights, she looked at Guan Xiaolin and noticed all of a sudden, that her childhood friend was no longer someone she knew.

Guan Xiaolin's face was full of worry and regret, but Song Yu felt that it was insincere. Perhaps that was due to the prejudice Song Yu formed toward Guan Xiaolin as of then.

"Song Song, I know you haven't forgiven me yet. I disappointed you when I did not trust in you this morning." Guan Xiaolin's voice was trembling from the cold. "It's cold out here. Can we talk inside?"

'If it's cold, then you should've worn more clothes when you came.' Song Yu had to restrain herself from saying that. She turned around without a word and walked to her unit.

Guan Xiaolin hurried behind her, and because it was difficult to walk in high heels, she made sure to be cautious.

Having entered the house, Song Yu neither took off her jacket nor sat down, and it was obvious that she did not want Guan Xiaolin to stay around long.

"Sorry, I just came back and I didn't turn on the water dispenser. I don't have any warm water right now."

"It's okay. I won't bother you for long." Guan Xiaolin smiled uneasily. She walked forward and held Song Yu's hand intimately. "Song Song, I was wrong to doubt you this morning. I'm really sorry. Fu Junya is one of our company's more experienced architects. She received quite a lot of projects as well. I've always trusted her, but I never expected her to do this kind of thing."

Song Yu kept quiet and simply stared frigidly.

"Song Song, can you forgive me? I hurt you and I'm really sorry," Guan Xiaolin pleaded.

Song Yu retracted her hand immediately and remarked bluntly, "There's nothing to forgive. I already said that you're just doing your job. Since you fired Fu Junya, this matter is in the past, and there's nothing more to talk about."

"Are we still friends then?" Seemingly oblivious to Song Yu's hostility, Guan Xiaolin once again held Song Yu's hands.

Song Yu kept quiet and refused to be dragged into the question of whether they were still friends or not. She knew that Guan Xiaolin would continue to bother her even if she made things clear.

She was far too tired to be bothered by Guan Xiaolin.

Nevertheless, Guan Xiaolin treated the silence as acquiescence. She smiled happily and jiggled Song Yu's hand like a mid-teen girl. "That's just perfect. I knew that Song Yu's a kind-hearted person who wouldn't get angry at me."

"Oh yes, the picture that Young Master Cheng showed us today, when was that?"

Song Yu's stare became ice-cold. At exactly that moment, her phone buzzed briefly inside her pocket.

She took the opportunity to loosen herself from Guan Xiaolin's hand and took out her phone. It was a message from Jian Yi. [Song Yu, I'm downstairs, can you come out for a bit?]

Song Yu looked up and saw that Guan Xiaolin's eyes were staring intently at the phone. "Who messaged you? Qi Chengzhi?"

Song Yu placed her phone back into the pocket and said, "I have something I need to do. I don't know when I'll come back. You're free to wait here if you want, but if you don't want to wait, please make sure you close the door."

"Going on a date with Qi Chengzhi?" Guan Xiaolin managed to sneak in another snarky remark.

Song Yu went out of the house in silence, completely ignoring Guan Xiaolin.

Downstairs, the parking spot in front of the entrance was occupied by Guan Xiaolin's car. Song Yu looked around and saw that Jian Yi's car was parked on the opposite side of the road.

He was standing in front of the car and leaning against the car door. Both his hands were placed inside his pockets.

Song Yu half-jogged over to him and smiled, calling out, "Jian Yi."

However, his expression seemed sullen, and something was clearly not right.

Under the dim light, he lowered his head and his face looked like it was shrouded.

"What is it?" Song Yu's smile disappeared as well, and she looked suspicious.

"I heard that…your design was the same as Guanyu's, but Qi Chengzhi later gave the contract to you." Jian Yi's voice was deep and his mien was tense.

Song Yu's expression sank immediately. Her eyes narrowed and she tried hard to suppress the anger within her. With a sulky voice, she said, "You don't trust me too? You think that I did something that went against my principles just to get the contract?"

She was able to dismiss everyone else's remarks as mere jibes.

However, it felt vastly different then, because the one blaming her was Jian Yi!

His distrust and doubt made her feel incredibly disappointed.

"The design I did was stolen by Wang Liwei. She betrayed Chengshi to Guanyu, but lucky for me, Qi Chengzhi saw my draft before that. That was how I managed to prove my innocence. I don't care if others doubt me, but it really hurts if you're the one that's doubting me, Jian Yi! I always felt that you should trust my character, but I never imagined that the trust between us is so fragile!"

Song Yu turned her back in dismay and did not wish to talk with him any further. Jian Yi grabbed her arm though, pulling her back and drawing her into his embrace.

He hugged her tightly, locking her in and trapping her in his arms.

"I trust you, but I'm jealous!" Jian Yi hugged her tightly. His chin was touching the top of her head, and it was like she could feel his Adam's apple vibrating.

"I heard from Guan Xiaolin that she saw you coming out from Qi Chengzhi's room. I know you didn't do anything with him, but when I heard it, I just felt disgusted. It's a terrible feeling when you see your own woman exiting from another man's room.

"I like you. Don't you realize that at all? I can't take it when you're close with another man. I trust you, but I don't trust Qi Chengzhi. I'm worried that he might have ill intentions for you."

Song Yu's anger disappeared immediately and was replaced with a gentle warmth. She raised her hands slowly and allowed her body to feel his warmth. Slowly but surely, she returned the hug.

"There's nothing between us."

"Then be my girlfriend. No matter how many men like you, it'll kill off their hopes." Jian Yi took a step back and looked at Song Yu, waiting for her answer.

Song Yu smiled shyly. "What do you mean many men. It's not like I'm that attractive."

"In my eyes, you're the best. If a man can't notice you, he's blind." Jian Yi's eyes lit up with sincerity and tender sentiment. He smiled suddenly and said, "It's contradictory, isn't it? I feel like men who don't see your beauty have terrible eyesight, but if any man looks at you, I'll be extremely jealous."

- - - - - - -

It's going on the shelf today1. Thanks to all those who were the first to subscribe. Today's two chapters had a 20k word-count. This is the first. There's another 10k word chapter plus a mini-scene interaction between Young Master Cheng and Yan Beicheng. Continue to click on the next one yo~~ this one is about Jian Yi seducing Xiao Yu, but don't be anxious, in the next one Young Master Cheng will have a rival in love~~

The following word count is not included in the fee~

Time for an out-of-story interview:

Old Man: "After so many days, Young Master Cheng, you are finally able to meet Song Yu. She walks into your office, and you look at her with those serious eyes. What is in your mind exactly?"

Boss Qi raises an eyebrow lazily: "Sleeping with her."

Old Man: "…"

Old Man: "A lot of things are happening with Song Yu's work, and all you think about is sleeping with her. That's not very nice is it?"

Boss Qi glances askance: "The whole purpose of this business is to sleep with her."

Old Man: "…"

How's the mini scene? Happy with it? If you're happy, please vote~ This month there will be a spurt of new chapters, even though it's the last third of the month, but I still want to make an effort and push out ten. So, all you little goblins, cast your monthly votes for the new chapters and remember to use the web client to cast your votes~~

上架 – it literally means 'going on the shelf', but in web novel terminology, it means the author has begun to receive fees from the readers to continue reading.