Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
After she had received her brother’s call, Lin Qian sat in her hotel room and looked out the window at the blurry night sky, while using a towel to wipe her wet hair.
She had just finished bathing. The was a hotel situated in the northern suburbs of the city and it was also distant from Aida Organization. The driver had brought her and Li Zhicheng there directly.
In one moment, she thought to herself: “It’s unthinkable that she, Lin Qian, would actually also face a situation where she was unable to return home.” Because the reporters and media were following rather closely and they still had to protect against other troublemakers, they were temporarily unable to return to Li Zhicheng’s townhouse or her small rented home.
She did not know how long they had put up with this situation.
At the moment, it was already past 11 o’clock at night. The outskirts were even more silent and all the little villages and towns had no light other than the stars; almost everyone was already in a deep sleep. Only Li Zhicheng was in the living room outside, with Xue Mingtao, Jiang Yuan and the rest with their indistinct voices travelling through the partially opened bedroom door:
“Send them all to the police station and give a greeting to Zhao, the bureau deputy director.”
“Control all the reporters that can be controlled.”
“Gather all the staff who are department managers and above first thing tomorrow morning for a meeting.”
Li Zhicheng’s voice was calm and deep. Because of his composed calmness after being angry, Lin Qian felt that his terrorizing power was even stronger.
Lin Qian walked over and tightly shut the bedroom door. Only then did she tell Lin Mochen, who was waiting on the line, “I’m fine. I’ve already arrived at the hotel with Li Zhicheng… Surprise attack? No, it was just some people making a scene and we were blocked but we took the chance and got in a car to escape… How would they have attacked me?”
With her brother, she usually reported only the good news and not the bad as a rule of thumb. All the more reason that she did not mention about her being hit by the egg.
But this time, she couldn’t hide it. Because Lin Mochen said neutrally, “Still keeping it from me? I’ve already seen the picture of you being hit by the egg.”
Lin Qian was also confused about where he had even seen the picture. However, she knew that her brother had always possessed unusual powers and had many means of doing things, so she did not question him anymore closely. When she heard him speak, she inadvertently felt a little aggrieved and answered, “Alright, I was only hit by one but Li Zhicheng was hit by four or five on his back. It was a little painful but I wasn’t hurt.” She paused for a while and after sighing, she said, “My heart ached way more than my physical pains.”
Her words were said half-jokingly but Lin Mochen grew silent listening to it.
“Where are you? I’ll come over.”
Lin Qian hesitated, “I don’t think that’s a very good idea. Especially at this point when things are in chaos.”
However, evidently, every time Lin Mochen was angry, the overcast aura that enveloped him was different from that of Li Zhicheng. Not only did he have that aura, he also had an ominous aura that made people cautious.
He laughed coldly and said, “Address!”
Lin Qian immediately gave him the name of the hotel and the room number. With a “toot, toot, toot”, the phone had been hung up by him.
Lin Qian felt at a loss whether to laugh or cry. If he wanted to come, then he would come, she had no need to worry if she had done nothing wrong. It was her brother after all, so he definitely would not let the both of them be at a disadvantage again.
Keeping this thought in mind, Lin Qian threw her phone to the side and lay on her bed.
Weird, she had obviously only been hit a little on her face. Why did she feel as though her heart was gripped with worry and fatigue?
She scanned her surroundings and her gaze naturally fell on the shirt that was draped on the table. It was the one that Li Zhicheng had taken off. Back at the hospital, Lin Qian did not notice but only heard a few sounds of eggs cracking from behind her. It was only after getting in the car that she realized Li Zhicheng’s arms and back had been so smashed with eggs that they had become all yellow and white. She did not know why but looking at him get hit actually made her feel more wronged and angry than getting hit herself. There was only one thought in her mind: How could they smash him with eggs? They did not even know how much effort he was putting in to protect the local brands!
Thinking about it made Lin Qian feel a familiar dull mood. She jumped off the bed and picked up Li Zhicheng’s shirt before going into the bathroom.
Li Zhicheng had only taken a very rushed bath before leaving to talk to the other managers. Lin Qian had initially wanted to go as well but perhaps seeing her get smashed with an egg earlier that day made his heart ache too deeply. He had simply lowered his head to kiss her and said, “I’ll go settle it. You rest, stay inside and don’t come out.”
Li Zhicheng had never prevented her from joining in discussions about work matters. This time was out of the ordinary and Lin Qian could feel his intense desire to protect her. Thus, her heart softened and she nodded her head, obediently staying in the bedroom.
The water was flowing and Lin Qian carefully scrubbed his shirt. Thinking about it, this was the first time that she had washed his shirt for him. In the days that they had cohabited, the both of them were busy and their clothes were almost always thrown into the washing machine or taken to the drycleaners. Even though he was a male chauvinist through and through, he was used to doing things himself after staying in the army for so many years. Hence, Lin Qian had not washed a single one of his clothes for him.
As she thought about it, her heart softened and it was as though she could still feel the warmth of his skin while scrubbing the delicate fabric beneath her hands.
She had to treat him better, she thought, and take care of him more.
She was focused in her washing when a soft sound was made as someone pushed open the toilet door.
Li Zhicheng walked in dressed in his usual simple shirt and formal pants, his gaze aimed at her.
Lin Qian looked behind him and the outside had fallen quiet. Hence, she asked, “They’ve all gone?”
“Yes.” He stood by the basin, his gaze falling on her hands, “Why did you come over to help me wash my clothes?”
Lin Qian smiled slightly and raised the shirt to scrub it a little before wringing it dry and hanging it on a clothes hanger and walking back into the bedroom. Li Zhicheng placed both his hands in his pockets and followed behind her.
Lin Qian hung up his shirt on the balcony and clapped her hands. The wind on the balcony was strong but it was as if it had blown away the smog within her heart. She zoned out a little and gazed into the distance. Li Zhicheng wrapped his arms around her waist and lowered his head and lightly sniffed her neck.
Lin Qian’s heart softened into a mess. She grabbed hold of his hand and said in a soft voice, “Zhicheng, I saw a few of Aida’s old staff amongst the crowd that was making trouble just now.”
After saying that, she kept her mouth closed.
They were really Aida’s old staff and were the ones who did not leave Aida for other companies even back when it was faced with the most difficult times. Lin Qian and Li Zhicheng would both notice people like that.
But today, they did not know who instigated them but they were also standing in the crowd of protestors.
And being instigated was just an external cause, perhaps it was because they didn’t understand her enough or because the Old Aida’s stocks were now under the control of DG and it made them too upset. However, looking at them stand over there today made Lin Qian bitterly disappointed.
Li Zhicheng paused in his actions and raised his head.
Both his hands were resting against the balcony and his hands were still wrapped around her, keeping her in his embrace. This pose made Lin Qian feel warmer than ever and she turned her head to graze his neck before lifting it to look at him.
He also lowered his head to look at her, “It’s impossible to have everything go one’s way, but one can only aim to have a clear conscience.”
Lin Qian nodded her head.
Even though it was like that in words, her heart still felt the regret of being wronged by others.
If…
If she, Lin Qian, was not Li Zhicheng’s subordinate, she would not have to participate in his expansion of the business. At least in the eyes of outsiders, she was still Lin Mochen’s little sister so who would have a chance of gossiping behind her back?
This thought flashed through her mind and seemingly opened a window as more thoughts and impulses all started to appear. She didn’t make a sound and just silently thought about these things. Meanwhile, Li Zhicheng had not noticed as he also had his own thoughts. In the moment that Lin Qian was in a daze, he surveyed her forehead, eyes and nose bridge without moving.
Other than the subtle bruise on her nose bridge, her other places weren’t hurt. Li Zhicheng stretched out his hand and his fingertips gently stroked the small bruised area. Lin Qian’s heart softened as he touched her. This man’s love and care was silent, yet so moving.
“Is it very embarrassing?” she pursed her lips.
Li Zhicheng looked at her and stopped his stroking but rather singlehandedly pulled her into his embrace to look at the endless night sky together.
“Yup, very embarrassing.” His voice was low as he answered, “But the more embarrassed one is me when I look at you hurt right before me.”
Lin Qian’s heart skipped a beat as she looked at his beautiful and silent profile in the night light. In the end, she did not say a word but only extended her hand to return a hug.
“Ding dong”.
The doorbell rang and Lin Qian released Li Zhicheng, “My brother is here.”
Li Zhicheng did not comment and held her hand as they walked back to the living room. Lin Qian blinked her eyes, “You just wait by the side.” Releasing his hand, she opened the door.
Outside the door, Lin Mochen was dressed in a black windbreaker, and his tall build and handsome face was as if it was still stained with the chilly night lights. Even his gaze was cold and dark as he focused his gaze on her.
He looked at Li Zhicheng behind her and only then did he walk in as he closed the door.
The living room was warmly lit. Lin Mochen did not even take off his jacket before he extended his hand and grabbed onto Lin Qian, lowering his head to look at her face. Then, his face got even darker and his next action was exactly the same as Li Zhicheng’s which was to stretch out his hand and gently rub on the bruised area.
Lin Qian said in a small voice, “Brother… It’s a small thing, I’m okay.”
Lin Mochen gave her a sweeping glance and released her. As compared to his insuppressible rage back in the office, he had now completely calmed down. Lifting his head to exchange a glance with Li Zhicheng, the both of them walked over to the sofa and sat down.
This time, Li Zhicheng did not chase Lin Qian back to the bedroom so she sat by his side and grabbed hold of his arm.
Three people, six eyes, a moment of silence. Lin Mochen was the first to speak, his voice was smooth, “What do you plan to do?”
Li Zhicheng replied, “All the people have been caught and sent to the police station. This issue…” he looked at Lin Qian, “We plan to not delve into it for a time. We’ll leave it until next time when I will teach the ones who caused the trouble a lesson.”
Lin Mochen nodded his head, his long legs were crossed and his hands were gently tapping on his knees, “Now is indeed not the time to dig deeper into it and worsen the matter.” He also looked at Lin Qian, “Suffer a bit now, I will take revenge for you at a later date.”
However, Lin Qian was tickled by their words. How could she ignore the bigger picture just after going through such a small grievance? Instead, it was them who flew into a rage after the incident had happened. Luckily, they were ultimately both sensible and at the same time came to the decision that they would only act after coming up with a plan.
Lin Mochen asked, “How do you plan to fight after this?”
It was a very normal question but it mildly stunned both Lin Qian and Li Zhicheng.
All along, Lin Mochen had never interfered in the acquisition of Aida and of course had not asked about their counteracting plans so as to maintain his neutrality. Now he suddenly asked…
Lin Qian quickly opened her mouth, “Brother, what are you thinking of doing? Why would you ask this?”
Li Zhicheng looked at her and did not say anything. However, that quiet yet sharp gaze appeared to have already guessed Lin Mochen’s thoughts.
As expected, Lin Mochen gently smiled and said, “Lin Qian, I have my own principles. Beforehand, I would not be biased towards you. With the same logic, now that someone has imposed on you, do you think I will just let it be? It is a ridiculous provocation that’s bringing about his own destruction.”
Li Zhicheng’s eyes had subtle amusement, as if he already knew the meaning in his heart.
“But!” Lin Qian furrowed her brows, “What about your job?”
Lin Mochen answered calmly, “There’s no way. I have already transferred the cases of acquisition on New Bori and SMQ to my colleague. There’s no way of continuing.
Lin Qian opened her mouth but did not speak. He turned away from her and started to chat with Li Zhicheng of his own accord.
“Now, DG is playing the brand card, pushing ZAMON to the top amongst China’s foreign brands.” Lin Mochen said, “What do you plan to do?”
Li Zhicheng replied in a low voice, “The higher they push it up the ranks, the harder they will fall. I have already arranged for people to conduct thorough investigations. Although ZAMON is considered a top-tiered brand in their local American market, it is far from the image of a first-class extravagant brand that they have created for themselves. Their pricing is also the same as luxury goods. There is a huge difference in their image in China and overseas.”
Lin Mochen had a restrained gaze and thought for a bit, his eyes then had a hint of amusement, “You plan to break through from that aspect?”
“Yup.” Li Zhicheng answered calmly, “One of the most important things in buying luxury goods is the pricing. The pricing is in the interests of the customer and higher prices just add on to a brand’s prestige. If their prices attract controversy, the customers would feel as though as their interests are being compromised and the prestige of the brand will collapse together…”
The two of them lowered their heads and with a corner of the coffee table between them, they talked as their posture remained relaxed and their gazes crossed each other’s. Lin Qian had long released her hold on Li Zhicheng and sat by herself on the sofa. She looked at the two similarly cold yet focused expressions and listened to their similarly cold voices as her thoughts trailed far away.
Her first thought was that the problem her brother met with was not as simple as he made it out to be.
If he got involved in the acquisition battle, retreating from the acquisition work team was definitely not enough. DG was his company’s customer and with the development of things, he would have to resign.
Of course, her brother had his own company and these few years of investment were just a hobby. However, she did not want to see that his career plans be affected because of her.
As for Li Zhicheng?
Lin Qian’s gaze focused on his face. His calm, indifferent face. At this moment as he sat with her brother, he looked young, handsome and stable. It was as if he had ten thousand gullies in his chest and didn’t need one woman to worry at all. However, Lin Qian felt uncomfortable just thinking about the doubt he was about to feel.
The thing that made her most uncomfortable was related to herself.
The problem that she had sensed all along, the one that had been dissected time and time again in front of her tonight was something that clearly required her to acknowledge head on. Of course, she could let it be and not care about it, maintaining the current situation. The current situation was very good. The two of them were as strong as two tall mountains and she could freely demonstrate her talent and enjoy life while being shielded by their power. Love and kinship enveloped her and she was already much more happy and fortunate than many others.
But it was still not enough. She knew it wasn’t enough.
Once that thought sprouted in her mind, it incited conceit and hot-bloodedness in her bones.
She thought: If I was not relying on Li Zhicheng’s career to survive now, how would outsiders question anything? Just as Li Zhicheng had said, only the powerful had power in their words. If I had the ability to prove myself not guilty, how would onlookers even dare to say a word of slander again? Chen Zheng would not dare. He would not dare to look upon me as Li Zhicheng’s weakness and provoke us time and again; the reporters would not dare, because my talents and morals would be displayed in front of everyone.
Those old members of Aida would not doubt her either. She would not need to rely on their Li Zhicheng to survive.
These thoughts attacked her brain and became a compelling will and yearning. She knew that she had to do it herself. In life, some things were required of one to do and they were impossible to resist or overlook. It was as if you could already see your fate changing as a voice resounds in your heart, saying, “This is something you must do.”
She lifted her head again and looked at the two men who were secretly plotting in front of her.
“…For this segment, I will remain low-key in handling it.” Li Zhicheng calmly said, “This incident will be explained internally in the company.”
“Not bad.” Lin Mochen raised his brows, “You can get her to hand over all of her share of Mind’s stock to you, which would also solidify her stance.” Looking at Lin Qian again, he said, “She can leave Mind temporarily and not take on any jobs related to Aida, subtly retreating from the public eye.”
Li Zhicheng looked towards Lin Qian and exchanged glances with her for a moment before nodding, “Alright.”
Seeing her slightly stunned, however, Lin Mochen actually smiled and said to her calmly, “Just let Li Zhicheng protect you for this period and leave all the outside stuff for us to handle. Once DG is completely defeated, you will naturally be free of your prolonged injustice. Don’t worry.”
Li Zhicheng extended his hand and massaged her shoulder. Perhaps he saw that she had been quiet all this while and his deep voice gently asked, “Is that okay?”
At that moment, both Lin Mochen and Li Zhicheng thought that Lin Qian would definitely say okay. Because she had always been smart and knew when to step in or retreat. In the face of big things, she would listen and follow the two of their arrangements.
Lin Qian lifted her head and looked at her brother first, before she shifted her gaze to Li Zhicheng.
“It’s not okay,” her clear voice said.
Li Zhicheng and Lin Mochen became silent simultaneously.
Amusement floated through Lin Mochen’s eyes and he leaned into the sofa, picked up his teacup and took a sip without saying a word. Li Zhicheng gazed deeply at the woman in his embrace, and after a moment, he had the same reaction and actually smiled gently.
“Why?” he asked.
It was the first time Lin Qian would be expressing such a view in front of the both of them. She felt a little self-conscious, but more than that she was firm. She lifted her gaze and fixed it on the both of them, saying, “Just like the art of making tea, you have already helped me arrange for the possibilities in future and all the potential obstacles I may face. You have also arranged what I have to do and where to go. But this time, your arrangement may be the safest option for me but it isn’t the one that will benefit me most.”
By this time, both Lin Mochen and Li Zhicheng were slightly stunned. Lin Mochen placed the teacup down and slowly repeated her words, “You feel that our arrangement will not benefit you?” Li Zhicheng, however, was quietly looking at her. Looking at her delicate eyes and brows. Looking at her quiet yet determined expression. His hand was still holding on to her waist and his fingers silently edged closer to her skin. Looking at this strong-headed version of her, he could almost guess what she was going to say.
Then, he felt the sudden urge to envelop her completely in his embrace and not let her escape from his grasp; a protective impulsion took over him.
However, Lin Qian did not notice the dark gaze in the man’s eyes. She simply licked the parts of her lips that were dry and said in a clear voice, “No, you both treat me very well. Brother, you want to quit your current job which will have a detrimental effect on your career and reputation just because of my incident; Li Zhicheng…” she revealed a helpless smile, ” now everyone thinks that you succumbed to the temptation of beauty and are planning to sell off the local brands.”
She stood up suddenly and within their line of sight, took a long, deep breath.
“But, some things require me to face them and resolve on my own. No matter how much effort you put in and how much you sacrifice, it cannot be resolved.
“You can perhaps easily make DG collapse and make the public believe that Aida will resolutely maintain its status as a local brand. But deep inside, will they believe that I, Lin Qian, had never conspired with the outsiders? If I return to the bag industry again, the name ‘Lin Qian’ would always carry a blurred stain. Everyone would think of this rumor that had once been circulated.
“How can I place my hopes on the possibilities of bygones being bygones and people forgetting to clear my name? No, I don’t want to be specious, neither do I want to become an ambiguous topic in conversations. I want to use my own method to completely clear my name. I want to let everyone see clearly that I, Lin Qian, was not ever a spy for DG. I want to stand up for myself, stand in front of them and make a deep impression on them, such that they will never misunderstand me and never see me as ‘some woman who relied on a man to attain her status’.
“I will definitely… let them see.”
When Lin Mochen left, it was already one o’clock in the morning.
Lin Qian sent him outside of the bedroom door.
He turned his body to look at her, his gaze still held a trace of playfulness as usual.
“If you want, I can temporarily keep myself out of things.” He continued unperturbed, “But DG had better pray that you will succeed. For if my little sister cannot do it, it will naturally be her older brother’s turn.”
Lin Qian giggled and reached out her hands to hug him lightly, “Brother, thank you.”
There was a hint of amusement floating in Lin Mochen’s eyes. His gaze went past her to exchange a glance with Li Zhicheng who was in the house. Then, he released her and turned to leave.
Lin Qian watched him get on the lift before she closed the door and reentered the house.
After she had just revealed her true feelings and thoughts, her brother had spontaneously agreed to temporarily stay out of things.
He could actually understand what she wanted as they had been there to pull each other through all these years.
Lin Qian’s heart softened and she raised her head again to look at Li Zhicheng who was on the sofa.
It was already the middle of the night and yet he did not show a hint of sleepiness. Both his elbows were propped against his knees as his fingers interlocked. In this contemplative posture, he gazed at her.
This dark yet bright gaze always made Lin Qian’s heart light and floaty. She walked over to sit by his side and held onto his arm, leaning onto his shoulder. The two of their cheeks were pressed onto each other just like that and Lin Qian could feel him slightly turn his face as he looked at her while his hot breath fell on her forehead.
Lin Qian could not suppress her smile and she said in a soft voice, “I rejected your arrangement, are you angry?”
Actually, she knew that Li Zhicheng would not be angry but she was just teasing him. After she had bared her feelings to these two most important men in her life, she felt merry and unreserved, as if the gloom in her heart had been swept away completely. Now, she wanted so badly to return to her new factory and immerse herself into producing her goods at once. Just as she had said, she wanted to let everyone see Lin Qian’s own brand.
She had not expected that the moment she finished saying those words, Li Zhicheng suddenly extended his hand and placed it round her shoulder, taking the opportunity to press her onto the sofa and gazed down upon her from above.
Lin Qian blinked her eyes and also looked at his unmoving face.
“How long do you want?” he asked.
Lin Qian’s heart softened extremely as she replied, “I will come back once you launch your grand counterattack.”
I will definitely come back.
I will bring with me my own brand; bring with me my loyalty and help you regain your position at the top of this industry.
I will stand by you and that is the love I have been longing for this whole lifetime.
