Chapter 132: What Are You Afraid Of?

Qiao Jiu halted her steps. It was not that she meant to eavesdrop; it was simply that, under the circumstances, going over to interrupt would have been inappropriate.

Liang Xiucheng held the phone in his hand. After a few seconds, he said, “She doesn’t know. She only thinks of me as a friend.”

The person on the other end said something, and he gave a soft laugh. “Before you, I went on quite a few blind dates, but none of them worked out. The problem is mine. I’m too deeply attached to her.”

Qiao Jiu had more or less figured out what was going on. She took two steps back.

Liang Xiucheng did not stay on the phone for long. After exchanging a few casual and polite words, he hung up.

Only then did Qiao Jiu walk over. “Morning.”

Liang Xiucheng was startled. “When did you get here?”

“I just came out of the elevator.”

He was visibly relieved. “You startled me, appearing out of nowhere.”

With the corners of her lips curved upward, Qiao Jiu asked casually, “I saw you on the phone just now. Who was it?”

“Oh.” Liang Xiucheng paused. “The girl I went on a blind date with yesterday. I thought she would tell her family the truth after she got home, but she didn’t. She took all the blame upon herself and said she was the one who didn’t like me.”

Qiao Jiu was rather surprised. “She sounds like a very kind girl.”

Liang Xiucheng smacked his lips. “A girl like that is too good for me.”

Qiao Jiu nearly burst out laughing. “Don’t be ridiculous. I think the two of you look quite well matched.”

Liang Xiucheng turned to look at her, his expression once again as serious and focused as it had been the day before.

Qiao Jiu could not take it anymore. “All right, all right, I won’t say anything else. Can’t I even make a joke? The moment I bring this up, you pull a long face at me.”

Liang Xiucheng turned his gaze away. “You’re hopelessly stupid. You understand nothing.”

With that, he lifted his foot and returned to the office first.

Qiao Jiu stood where she was and called after him twice. “Who are you calling stupid?”

There was a Monday morning meeting. Qiao Jiu did not linger for long. She returned to the office, tidied her desk, then took her pen and notebook and went to the conference room ahead of time.

There were not many people inside. She found a seat in the corner and sat down. The moment she spread open her notebook, the phone in her pocket buzzed several times. A message had come in.

Qiao Jiu pulled it out and glanced at the screen. It was from Lu Fengzhou.

He said that an addendum to the contract between the two companies was with him and asked her to come by and collect it when she had time.

If the circumstances had been different, Qiao Jiu would have laughed aloud.

Last time, Ding Mei had delivered the documents. Even if they were too busy to send them over this time and needed someone from her side to collect them, there was no reason for it to fall to her.

The project between the two companies was not under Liang Xiucheng’s responsibility. She was Liang Xiucheng’s assistant—what did it have to do with her?

Qiao Jiu had not intended to respond, but after hesitating for a moment, she sent a reply.

She said she would inform Liang Xiujin and have him send someone over to collect it.

She was obviously trying to annoy Lu Fengzhou. There was no response from him for quite some time.

The company’s senior executives arrived one after another. Liang Xiucheng came in with Liang Xiujin.

The two of them were talking as they walked, their expressions faintly grave.

Qiao Jiu’s phone vibrated twice more. It was lying on the table, and she glanced at it. Lu Fengzhou had replied with only two words:

Come yourself.

He was really becoming unbearably arrogant.

Qiao Jiu deleted the message, switched her phone to silent, and put it back in her pocket.

Once everyone had arrived, the meeting began. Meetings like this generally concerned the work arrangements for the coming week. They had little to do with Qiao Jiu, so she only needed to listen quietly and take notes.

Thus, spacing out for a moment in the middle of it did not affect the meeting.

For some inexplicable reason, Qiao Jiu began thinking of things from the past—back when she had just married Lu Fengzhou and was still wrapped in the sweetness of newlywed bliss.

But the man had started coming home later and later, with nothing but work on his lips.

Naturally, she had been unwilling to accept it, so she had gone to confront him.

Business dinners were not attended only by men. She had seen Lu Fengzhou raising glasses and exchanging laughter with women across the dinner table.

He was stingy when it came to giving her even half a smile, yet remarkably generous with everyone else.

She wondered what Lu Fengzhou had felt when he saw her yesterday with her arm linked through Liang Xiucheng’s. Back then, she had been heartbroken.

She had gone home to argue and make a scene, but Lu Fengzhou had remained silent. With one sentence—“I’m only attending a normal business engagement”—he had dismissed every one of her emotions.

So what right did that man have to make a fuss now? Her attitude yesterday had been far better than his had been back then. What was there for him to be dissatisfied about?

Lost in thought one moment and focused the next, she remained that way until the meeting ended.

Her notebook was filled with messy scribbles and random marks. Even Qiao Jiu could not make sense of them.

She closed it. Liang Xiujin was walking alongside Liang Xiucheng again.

After a brief hesitation, she went over. “Mr. Liang.”

Liang Xiujin stopped. “What is it?”

Qiao Jiu repeated what Lu Fengzhou had told her in his message. “Miss Ding must not have had time, so this time we need to send someone to collect the documents ourselves.”

Liang Xiujin nodded and was just about to speak when Liang Xiucheng interrupted. “I’ll send someone over later. It’s only a quick trip; there’s no need to trouble you.”

Qiao Jiu smiled at that. “All right, then. You two go ahead and talk. I’ll get back to work.”

She had only taken two steps when she heard Liang Xiujin say, “What are you afraid of?”

Naturally, he was speaking to Liang Xiucheng.

Liang Xiucheng’s voice was calm. “When was I ever afraid?”

Qiao Jiu quickened her pace and hurried back to the office.

Once seated, she took two deep breaths. She could not quite describe what she was feeling. It was as though some inexplicable thought had suddenly been about to surge into her mind, but before her brain could react, it scattered in an instant.

She took out her phone and placed it on the desk. Lu Fengzhou did not message her again.

There was quite a lot to deal with that day. After composing herself, Qiao Jiu began checking the data and reviewing the materials.

Once she became busy, those irritating, tangled emotions gradually dispersed as well.

This continued until nearly noon. Her phone buzzed twice beside her. Qiao Jiu was comparing a document spread open in her hands with the information on her computer. She frowned but paid it no attention.

She worked for nearly another half hour before reaching a stopping point.

After stretching, she picked up her phone.

Another message from Lu Fengzhou. This time there was no content at all, only two words:

Qiao Jiu.

Let him be angry. The angrier he became, the happier she was.

She deleted the message without even replying, then got up with her cup and went to the pantry.

A few steps later, she happened to see Liang Xiujin’s assistant. Taking the opportunity, Qiao Jiu asked, “Special Assistant Zhou, have you brought back the contract addendum for the project with the Lu family?”

The moment he saw her, Special Assistant Zhou immediately broke into a broad smile. “Yes, we brought it back hours ago.”

Then he muttered, “It wasn’t particularly urgent, really. There was no need to make a special trip. President Lu is just the sort of person who insists on doing everything by the book.”

Qiao Jiu curled her lips. “I see.”

She said nothing more and went straight into the pantry.

That man had done it deliberately, but he certainly had no shame.

Although Qiao Jiu had not often visited her own company in the past, everyone there naturally knew who she was. Lu Fengzhou truly was not afraid of making her appear at the company and stirring up unnecessary gossip by sending her to collect the contract addendum.

No matter how much mud he threw at himself, his control over the company was already morally questionable. By sending her over, she could not tell whom he was really trying to embarrass.