Chapter 100: Sometimes You Have to Bow Your Head

Qiao Jiu laughed lightly, a hint of teasing in her voice. "Seen enough of your place? Still standing here—could it be you're waiting for me?"

Lu Fengzhou seemed to furrow his brow, then his tone turned several degrees colder. "Don't flatter yourself."

Qiao Jiu didn't take offense. She nodded and said, "Fine, then."

She stepped forward, brushing past Lu Fengzhou and heading upstairs. Standing in the elevator, she let out a scoff.

She hadn't been able to read his expression clearly just now, but that didn't stop her from detecting the discrepancy between his words and his intent. Two years of sleeping in the same bed wasn't for nothing.

So this was it—when it came to dealing with men, being tempered steel simply wouldn't do. She'd been too strong-willed before. Sometimes you had to lower your head to make the other person kneel.

...

Qiao Jiu went to the company the next day. The ointment the doctor prescribed worked well; with a light layer of makeup, the bruises on her face were barely visible anymore.

Liang Xiujin was taken aback when he saw her. "You're here today? Are you fully recovered?"

Qiao Jiu nodded. "I'm fine now."

Liang Xiujin let out a relieved breath. "I was planning to find time to visit you, but I've been swamped these past two days."

Qiao Jiu curved her lips into a smile. "It's all right. I'm fine."

She turned and headed toward her office, but after two steps Liang Xiujin called out again. "Qiao Jiu."

She looked back at him. "What is it?"

Liang Xiujin took two deep breaths. "Do you know what's going on with Guan Wei?"

She'd guessed he was going to ask about Guan Wei, and to be honest, she really didn't know. "What about her?"

Liang Xiujin stared at Qiao Jiu for a long moment, presumably gauging whether she was lying. "Never mind. Go get some work done."

Qiao Jiu didn't ask another word and went straight back to her office.

Having been away for two days, whatever she'd learned before had mostly slipped her mind. She sorted through the files on her desk, then got up and headed to Liang Xiucheng's office.

Liang Xiucheng had just arrived as well. He looked surprised to see her. "Come here."

Qiao Jiu walked over. A desk separated them, and Liang Xiucheng leaned forward, studying her face carefully. "Much better."

Qiao Jiu burst into laughter. "Otherwise I wouldn't have had the nerve to come to work. Showing up with a swollen face would've been embarrassing no matter how you look at it."

Liang Xiucheng sat back down and changed the subject. "I heard you went to see Zhao Shuo."

Qiao Jiu pulled over a chair. "He's in rough shape. Lu Fengzhou beat him half to death."

Liang Xiucheng chuckled. "Zou Qingqing too. She's still in the hospital."

Qiao Jiu was taken aback. "Hospitalized? Guan Wei told me her family was keeping her locked up at home."

Liang Xiucheng snorted through his nose. "That's just the nice way of putting it. She's badly hurt—got stitches, and her shinbone is fractured too."

Qiao Jiu's eyes widened. "Who did that to her?"

It couldn't have been Lu Fengzhou going after Zou Qingqing as well. He might be a piece of work, but he wouldn't stoop to that.

Liang Xiucheng fixed his gaze on Qiao Jiu without saying a word.

Qiao Jiu was perceptive enough to piece it together. "You?"

"Not exactly," Liang Xiucheng said. "I don't hit women. I just stood by and watched Old Mr. Zou uphold justice by turning in his own kin."

Qiao Jiu opened her mouth, not expecting Liang Xiucheng to have stuck up for her like this. It took her a moment before she spoke. "Will this cause you any trouble?"

"Nothing to worry about." Liang Xiucheng folded his hands on the desk. "They're in the wrong. They wouldn't dare make a peep."

Qiao Jiu let out a breath. "I've troubled you again."

Still, it was satisfying to think about. Liang Xiucheng had made his move first, so Lu Fengzhou was bound to feel a little choked up about it.

Liang Xiucheng was used to her politeness by now. A few seconds passed before he said, "If you're free this evening, let's have dinner together. We can wash away that bad luck of yours."

Qiao Jiu thought it over. "Let's go to my place. The kitchen hasn't been used yet—I'll cook tonight. I don't think you've ever tried my cooking."

Liang Xiucheng raised an eyebrow, looking rather pleased. "Sure."

The morning was busy. Around noon, Liu Changyong showed up, presumably having made plans with Liang Xiujin. Qiao Jiu and Liang Xiucheng had just come downstairs and spotted him in the company lobby.

Liu Changyong turned his head, caught sight of Qiao Jiu, and a smile instantly spread across his face. "Little Jiu."

Qiao Jiu naturally walked over to greet him. "Uncle Liu."

Liu Changyong laughed heartily. "What luck, running into you. Come join us."

Qiao Jiu and Liang Xiucheng had nothing else on their plate, so the group headed to a restaurant.

This time there was no drinking, and the conversation over the meal wasn't all about work. Liang Xiujin asked Liu Changyong how long he planned to stay in Cloud City.

Liu Changyong didn't seem to have a concrete plan. He paused for a moment before answering. "Ten days to half a month, I'd say. I need to see quite a few old friends, and there are some matters in my hometown to take care of."

He smiled. "No rush to get back to Shen City either. I can return later."

Qiao Jiu looked away. Last time, Liu Changyong had said he wanted to look into Lu Fengzhou. She suspected his extended stay here was for exactly that purpose.

But Lu Fengzhou wasn't easy to investigate. Back when she'd wanted to marry him, her own father had already done a background check. They'd found nothing—his record was so clean it was almost eerie.

Liu Changyong waited a moment, then asked Qiao Jiu, "I've never had the chance to ask you, Little Jiu. What's the situation between you and Lu Fengzhou these days?"

Qiao Jiu froze, then snapped back to attention, realizing he was asking about the two of them going to the cemetery together yesterday. "Nothing's going on. We just ran into each other yesterday. I mentioned it offhand, and he probably wanted to save face—didn't want it to look bad—so he went."

Liu Changyong mulled it over for a few seconds, then offered her a word of caution. "That man's got a deep mind. I could tell after just a few exchanges with him. Be careful—don't let him fool you again."

"I know." Qiao Jiu smiled. "Don't worry, Uncle Liu. I've fallen for it once, so I've learned my lesson."

There were other people at the table, so Liu Changyong couldn't be too explicit. He just nodded.

The meal didn't last long. When it ended, everyone parted ways at the entrance of the restaurant. As Liu Changyong turned to get into his car, the phone in his pocket rang. Qiao Jiu glanced over at him.

She watched him pull out his phone, visibly reject the call, and put it back in his pocket.

Qiao Jiu averted her gaze and got into Liang Xiucheng's car.

She was actually tempted to hire someone to look into Liu Changyong, but she didn't dare act rashly. Liu Changyong was an old fox; the moment someone ordinary started digging, he'd catch on immediately. He was the same type as Lu Fengzhou—scheming from head to toe.

Back at the company, Qiao Jiu went straight to her office and pulled out the project files from before, organizing them from start to finish. As she was still working, she heard Liang Xiujin's voice from outside the door. "Mr. Lu, right this way."

This floor had two conference rooms, one large and one small, and the small one wasn't far from her office. Liang Xiujin was presumably leading Lu Fengzhou there.

Qiao Jiu picked up her cup and walked out of the office. After opening the door, she didn't glance toward the conference room, heading straight for the break room instead. Judging by the sound, the group hadn't gone inside yet.

She entered the break room, poured herself some water, and waited a few seconds before stepping back out. The moment she emerged, she saw Lu Fengzhou standing at the entrance of the small conference room, turning his head to look at her.

He was so blatant about it that everyone around him—including Liang Xiujin—looked over at Qiao Jiu with confusion written across their faces.