Nighttime, Cloudtop Apartments, the lighting was soft.
Su Qianqian had just finished her bath and was curled up on the sofa drying her hair.
Gu Chengyu walked over and gently placed a document on the coffee table in front of her.
"Sign this," he said casually, as if it were a trivial matter.
Su Qianqian put down her towel, picked it up curiously, and glanced at it. It was a Shen Group equity transfer agreement, with Gu Chengyu as the transferor and herself as the transferee.
"Oh," she responded. Without even reading the details carefully, she picked up the pen Gu Chengyu had prepared and obediently signed her name at the bottom.
Gu Chengyu found her unreserved signing amusing.
He flicked her forehead lightly with his finger. "Silly girl, why don't you even look at what it is? Aren't you afraid I might sell you off?"
Su Qianqian covered her forehead, raising her dewy almond-shaped eyes to glare at him, her voice soft and coquettish.
"You wouldn't! Chengyu would never sell me!"
Putting down the pen, she snuggled into his embrace, wrapped her arms around his waist, tilted her little face up, and pouted.
"Chengyu is the best and loves me the most. Whatever you give me must be something good."
Gu Chengyu chuckled lowly, enjoying her affectionate gesture. His arm naturally encircled her, his chin nuzzling against the top of her fragrant hair.
"Mmm, consider it compensation from Shen Que, just a small share."
He paused, feeling it necessary to explain, lest this little thing not realize the immense wealth she had suddenly acquired.
"Shen Que built the new Shen Group headquarters primarily on overseas trade. It's his core business."
"Simply put, it's extremely profitable."
Su Qianqian nodded, only half-understanding. She had no real concept of business, but she latched onto the last part: extremely profitable.
She blinked her eyes and asked curiously, "Then... how much money would that be per month?"
Gu Chengyu was amused by her naive question. Deliberately teasing her, he pretended to think for a moment before giving a number.
"Hmm, in pure dividends, probably several billion."
"Several... billion?" Su Qianqian's brain short-circuited. Her eyes widened into perfect circles, her little mouth forming a stunned 'O'.
She looked down, staring dumbly at the seemingly weightless contract in her hand.
That much in just one month? How much would a year be?
Gu Chengyu adored her utterly dazed expression. Unable to resist, he lowered his head and planted a light kiss on her soft lips, his voice laced with laughter. "Yes, several billion."
"So now, our Qianqian is a little heiress."
Su Qianqian mumbled, "I'm suddenly so rich..."
Seeing her dizzied state, Gu Chengyu began to subtly claim credit, his tone tinged with a hint of grievance.
"To get you this bit of compensation, I went to great lengths—applying pressure, negotiating—I almost exhausted myself."
Su Qianqian, predictably taken in, was immediately moved. She tightened her arms around his neck and offered a sweet kiss.
"Chengyu worked so hard! Chengyu is the best!"
Gu Chengyu took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, his hands beginning to wander. "So, how is my darling planning to reward me?"
Su Qianqian's body grew soft under his kiss, her eyes becoming misty. She whispered, "My hair isn't dry yet..."
Gu Chengyu pulled her over to the hairdryer by the sofa, murmuring in her ear, "Sit on my lap. I'll pamper you while I dry your hair, alright?"
...
"Don't be naughty, Zxl, Qianqian..."
Later, the sound of the hairdryer finally stopped. The man impatiently tossed it aside, his hands gripping the girl's slender waist.
He began to punish her, fiercely, for her earlier disobedience.
...
The next day, Zhou Yu'an received Shen Que's call while in his private office at the hospital, learning of his decision to leave S City.
A look of surprise crossed his refined and gentle face. Had things really escalated to this point?
After hanging up, Zhou Yu'an walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. The sky outside was gray and overcast, mirroring his mood.
He had actually sensed Shen Que's interest in Su Qianqian quite some time ago.
He just never imagined that this time, it wasn't a passing fancy for Shen Que, but that he had fallen so deeply, even to the point of provoking Chengyu's wrath, resulting in having to cede assets and leave town.
Over the years, watching Shen Que's obsession with his brother's leg injury had also given him pause.
He, too, had done his utmost for Shen Que's elder brother, another victim of the internal strife.
Because of this, privately, his relationship with Shen Que was closer.
At this moment, his opinion of Su Qianqian, the one who had caused Shen Que's exile, hit rock bottom.
A canary kept in a gilded cage by Chengyu, what did she have besides that face and that body?
Was she worthy of causing a rift between brothers, of reducing Shen Que to such a state?
Though rationally he knew Shen Que was at fault first, for coveting a woman his brother truly cared for, people in their circle were naturally protective of their own and tended to blame the outsider.
Moreover, Zhou Yu'an had always harbored doubts about Su Qianqian, feeling there was something hidden beneath her pure and delicate facade.
Those doubts, combined with the recent turmoil she had stirred, filled him with intense dislike for her.
A helpless orphan girl, what right did she have to cause such upheaval? What kind of spell had she cast on Chengyu, and even on Shen Que?
A cold glint appeared in Zhou Yu'an's eyes. He picked up the phone on his desk and dialed a number.
The call was answered quickly, a gentle female voice coming through. "Doctor Zhou?"
"Doctor Lin."
Zhou Yu'an's voice betrayed no emotion. "Clear your schedule for the weekend. I have a friend who might need a psychological counseling session."
He paused, then added, "It's rather special. It will require some hypnosis techniques to ensure she is relaxed and speaks truthfully."
Doctor Lin on the other end sounded surprised but responded immediately, "Understood, received."
After hanging up, Zhou Yu'an sat back down in his chair.
He was determined to see for himself what lay beneath that beautiful exterior. Was she truly innocent and harmless, or was she deliberately sowing discord with ulterior motives?
If his test revealed she harbored malicious intent, that she was the one who had driven a wedge between Chengyu and Shen Que...
He would make her pay the price.
