"You should be congratulating me!" Lin Xi withdrew her finger and looked at Shen Qi with a sly grin. "When I talk to Yining later, I'll have him give you a hundred or two hundred thousand as compensation. Then take that money and get the hell out of the He family, out of Jinghua Manor!"
After saying this, Lin Xi jabbed her finger hard into Shen Qi's shoulder.
Shen Qi wasn't expecting Lin Xi to suddenly lash out and stumbled back from the push.
"I'm the mistress of this house. No one is going to take my place!" Lin Xi said smugly, looking at Shen Qi. "Even if Feng Kexin comes back, so what? I'll be the one laughing in the end! Now that Feng Kexin's gone to America, what are you still holding out for? Get lost! If you leave today, maybe I'll throw you a little extra. Don't be clueless!"
Shen Qi pulled her coat tighter and made a gesture of invitation. "Fine, then go ahead and get He Yining to bring the divorce papers! As soon as he signs, I'll be out of here!"
"You won't give up until you see the coffin, won't cry until you see the grave!" Lin Xi glared viciously at Shen Qi. "I'll make you submit soon enough!"
Lin Xi turned, got into her car, slammed the door, and sped off.
Shen Qi stood there, dazed for a long time.
Oh well, she'd take it one step at a time.
If He Yining only felt obligation toward her with no real feelings, then when the time came, they'd go their separate ways.
She'd use this time while her brother was being treated to focus on learning from her teacher.
Even if she and He Yining parted ways eventually, she'd have a skill to fall back on.
It wasn't that she wasn't hurting.
But she still had her brother, and she couldn't afford to be sentimental.
Lin Xi hadn't driven far before she was stopped.
The bodyguard glanced at her and said flatly, "Miss Lin, please turn back. The CEO isn't home."
"What? Impossible!" Lin Xi's eyes widened as she pointed at the bodyguard. "Let me warn you, I'm about to be the mistress of Jinghua Manor. How dare you offend me? Don't you want to keep your job?"
The bodyguard replied patiently, "No matter who Miss Lin becomes in the future, the CEO isn't home right now."
Furious, Lin Xi jumped out of the car and charged at the bodyguard, raising her hand to slap him.
The bodyguard grabbed her wrist and said in a low voice, "Miss Lin, please show some respect."
"You dare stop me?" Lin Xi's face was a mask of disbelief. She struggled several times before freeing her wrist, her eyes wide and her tone aggressive. "I'll remember you! The day I become the second young mistress of the He family, you're out!"
"Then let's wait until Miss Lin becomes the mistress of the He family first," the bodyguard said impassively. "Please go back."
"I'm not leaving!" Lin Xi turned to rush inside, but when she saw the bodyguard approach, she shielded her chest with her purse. "Come any closer, and I'll scream harassment! I'm the woman He Yining has been searching for eighteen years! If you dare touch me, it won't just be about getting fired—he'll make sure you're gone without a trace!"
Shen Qi had just walked up and overheard the argument between Lin Xi and the bodyguard.
She couldn't be bothered with Lin Xi and deliberately took a wide detour to keep walking.
"Wait! Why does she get to go in? She's about to divorce He Yining—a discarded woman! Why aren't you stopping her?" Lin Xi pointed at Shen Qi in the distance and yelled at the bodyguard. "Stop her!"
The bodyguard looked at Lin Xi as if she were crazy and needed to see a doctor.
"She's currently the legal wife of the second young master of the He family and the legal mistress of Jinghua Manor. Why would I stop her?" the bodyguard shot back bluntly. "If you want to kick her out, shouldn't you ask the master's opinion first? Miss Lin, do you know where the Eighth Hospital is?"
"Huh? What?" Lin Xi looked confused.
The bodyguard replied seriously, "It's the best psychiatric hospital in H Province. If you don't know how to get there, I can provide a map. Take your time, no need to thank me."
Lin Xi was so enraged by his words she was trembling all over.
A mere bodyguard dared to humiliate her?
What a death wish!
"Fine, fine, fine! Just you wait!" Lin Xi stormed back to her car, shaking so badly she could barely turn the key.
Shen Qi had kept her distance, so she hadn't heard what Lin Xi and the bodyguard were arguing about.
As soon as she entered, a maid greeted her with a plate of freshly picked fruit and a bright smile. "Second young mistress, this was sent from the main estate. The young master said to let you try it first."
Shen Qi thanked her and carried the fruit to the study.
Her study was right next to He Yining's.
She noticed his study door seemed slightly ajar and hesitated for a moment but didn't step inside.
If she had, maybe things would have turned out differently...
But that one split-second decision changed everything.
He Yining woke up and instinctively reached out to grab someone, only to grasp at air.
He jolted upright, his face darkening. "Xiao Qi..."
Xiao Chun heard his voice and immediately knocked before entering, handing him a glass of water.
"Where is she?" He Yining asked nervously, looking at Xiao Chun.
Xiao Chun was speechless but still answered, "The second young mistress is in the study. She's been reading since this morning."
Hearing that Shen Qi was home, He Yining finally relaxed.
He'd been searching for his little angel for eighteen years—he couldn't lose her again!
He downed the water in one gulp and headed for the study.
"CEO, Lin Xi came by earlier but was sent away by the bodyguards," Xiao Chun reported. "It seems she said something to the second young mistress, and her expression didn't look right. I didn't get close, but a worker by the roadside told me."
He Yining snorted coldly. "What else could she say? Just showing off. Alright, go handle your business. I'll check on her."
Xiao Chun withdrew immediately.
Barefoot, He Yining knocked and entered Shen Qi's study.
As soon as he stepped in, he saw her hunched over the desk, sketching nonstop. His phoenix eyes softened, and he couldn't resist wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. "Why are you working so hard? Worried your husband can't support you?"
Shen Qi replied casually, "Yeah, my dream is to one day support my husband."
He Yining burst into laughter at that and tapped her nose. "Good! I'm looking forward to it!"
He held her waist, unwilling to let go. Shen Qi sighed helplessly. "How am I supposed to draw with you holding me like this?"
"How about I get you a huge display screen, and you draw on a tablet?" He Yining muttered.
Shen Qi raised an eyebrow. "Hand-drawing feels better!"
"Fine... Have you designed anything for me?" He Yining looked at her sketches. "What are you working on?"
"A tie," Shen Qi replied without looking up.
He Yining's eyes lit up. "I want to be the first to use it!"
Shen Qi was a bit embarrassed. "But I'm not that skilled yet."
"It's fine! Who dares to criticize my wife's design? I'll fire them!" He Yining's phoenix eyes narrowed with authority.
Shen Qi couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, alright! I'll design a tie for you, and you'd better not complain!"
He Yining looked at her expectantly. "When will it be ready?"
"Hmm, probably tonight," Shen Qi said, checking the time. "I'll need to find someone to make it by hand."
He Yining immediately raised his voice. "Xiao Xia!"
Xiao Xia was standing at the door, munching on a watermelon. "CEO? What's up?"
He Yining glanced at him and almost laughed.
"Go find me two skilled craftsmen. Xiao Qi designed a tie for me!" He Yining said proudly to Xiao Xia.
Xiao Xia nearly dropped his watermelon on the floor!
CEO, can you not do this?
You get a new batch of ties every week, and most of them are swapped out before you even touch them!
Can you stop acting like this is your first tie ever?
Xiao Xia, still chewing, replied, "Yes, right away!"
Shen Qi shot He Yining a look, a bit flustered. "Don't make a fuss. What if I mess up the first design?"
"It's fine, I trust you!" He Yining was overjoyed.
This was his wife's first creation—he had to treasure it.
Xiao Xia was efficient. Within an hour, the craftsmen arrived with various materials and tools.
Shen Qi handed over her design, and the workers quickly cut it out according to her plan.
They made the same tie in several different fabrics.
As soon as the finished product was in hand, He Yining happily shoved the tie into Shen Qi's hands. "Tie it for me."
Shen Qi glanced at the amused servants and workers around and blushed as she slowly tied it for him.
He Yining was too tall, so he had to bend down to accommodate her.
Watching her rosy-cheeked as she tied the tie, he found it utterly endearing.
Shen Qi said as she worked, "This is a business-style tie, good for formal occasions. When I have time, I'll design a few casual ones for you."
"Good." He Yining nodded contentedly.
His wife's craftsmanship was the best!
He added, "I have a business dinner tonight. I'll wear this one."
Shen Qi panicked a bit. "That's not a good idea! This tie doesn't look like it's from a famous designer—it won't match your outfit!"
"I say it matches, so it does." He Yining's phoenix eyes narrowed, a confident gleam in their corners.
Shen Qi couldn't talk him out of it, so she helped him pick out an outfit that better suited the tie.
"Get ready too. You're coming with me," He Yining said, planting a satisfied kiss on her forehead. "Tonight's dinner is to welcome the Commerce Department. Whether we land this big deal depends on this tie!"
Shen Qi couldn't help but laugh. "Come on! How much can a tie do? By the way, are there a lot of competitors for this project?"
"Yeah, Feng Manlun will be there too," He Yining replied casually.