Lu's father kept deflecting Qin's father's questions, refusing to engage. Seeing that his goal was impossible, Qin's father reluctantly ended the call.
After the call ended, Lu's father returned to work. While they claimed their family only had a daughter, Lu's family also only had one son. Every child was precious, why would he let his son be wronged? Ridiculous.
Jun Jiuli worked through the night, having her puppets place a talisman on all relevant personnel involved, drawing their world willpower to herself.
Only Qin Ruannuan acted according to her own desires. The true protagonist of this novel was only her; the original host was merely a tool she fancied.
Qin Ruannuan spent the morning at her company, shaking her head and being unable to understand most of what her assistant said. She had no desire to learn, and felt extremely restless.
Her assistant, desperate for money, pressed on with the teaching. When lunchtime arrived, both breathed a sigh of relief. Qin Ruannuan quickly ran into the CEO's office and, with a fawning smile, spoke to her father.
"Dad, I'm really not cut out for this. I chose finance back then because of Brother Lingheng. Can I please go home? I'll only cause trouble for you here. In the future, Brother Lingheng can take over your business."
Qin's father looked at his beloved daughter and, for the first time, felt she was utterly useless. If something happened to him, could she manage the family business?
The answer was already clear in his mind, and Qin's father's face turned ashen with anger. The oblivious Qin Ruannuan didn't notice this, continuing to feed assurances to Lu Lingheng.
"Enough, shut up. You useless thing, get out of here. You're always babbling about your Brother Lingheng. Have you no shame? He's never even given you a second thought."
Qin Ruannuan was slow to react, her mouth agape for a long time without remembering what to say. Her mind was filled with: My dad is angry with me, and Lingheng doesn't love me.
Seeing her like this, Qin's father's anger intensified. "What are you standing here for? Will a few tears make Lu Lingheng notice you? Pack up and go home."
Qin Ruannuan's tears began to fall. "Dad, how can you say that about me? Even you look down on me? Am I really that bad?"
She stared stubbornly at Qin's father, who ignored her and continued to process his documents. Qin Ruannuan's heart shattered. Why didn't even her family support her? Covering her eyes, she ran out of the office.
Seeing his daughter like this, Qin's father felt a pang of guilt. However, he couldn't bring himself to apologize to her. While his words were harsh, they were also entirely reasonable.
He hoped his daughter would see clearly soon, enrich herself, and stop chasing ephemeral love. How many more years could he work for her? This child was too immature.
He himself had been foolish, indulging his daughter's whims. Only today did he truly see, and he hoped it wasn't too late to regret it. He had to discipline this daughter properly and stop spoiling her.
Qin Ruannuan ran out of the company crying, then called her mother at a coffee shop to complain. Her mother chatted with her about gossip, diverting her attention.
Before long, she regained her usual cheerful energy and, with time to spare, decided to visit Jun Jiuli's company to express her affections.
After hanging up, Qin's mother also felt helpless. After tidying up, she also prepared to go find Jun Jiuli. Ruannuan was such a good daughter, and so devoted to him. Why was this boy so oblivious? For her daughter, she would cast aside her pride.
At this moment, Jun Jiuli was having lunch with his girlfriend. The two were a striking pair, their presence alone a beautiful sight, except for the deeply resentful Lu Lingheng.
They were in the same major, and Meng Jiaxiao came from a well-off family. After graduation, Meng Jiaxiao had been the original host's assistant, possessing excellent work capabilities.
She also understood the original host's heart very well, and their relationship had always been stable. Both sets of parents knew this; they just weren't in a hurry to get married, so they hadn't met each other's families.
Upon learning that Jun Jiuli was not present, Qin Ruannuan could only sit in the lounge area of the lobby and wait. Her eyes kept darting towards the door, and the paper cup in her hand was creased from her grip.
Seeing Jun Jiuli and Meng Jiaxiao walk in, laughing and talking, Qin Ruannuan's face instantly turned pale. She knew she shouldn't disturb them, but her body wouldn't obey, and she walked forward.
Instantly switching to a pitiful and innocent expression, she bit her lip and shyly said, "Brother Lingheng, last night... last night..."
Before she could finish, she blushed and lowered her head. Employees passing by felt their ears perk up.
If you called her brainless, she would still play little tricks, but she kept fixating on the original host for no reason.
Meng Jiaxiao beside him was already angry. She turned her head to see how Jun Jiuli would handle this.
Jun Jiuli's voice boomed, "What kind of way are you to speak? Clarify what you're saying. What did I do to you last night? Don't slander my reputation with baseless accusations."
"I... I didn't."
Qin Ruannuan was so embarrassed she wanted to find a hole to crawl into. She didn't know how things had escalated to this point. The two young ladies at the reception couldn't hold back their laughter, their eyes frequently glancing over.
"Brother Lingheng, you've misunderstood me."
"Stop cackling like a hen. Are you laying eggs? We're not close, and my girlfriend is standing right here. If you're trying to sow discord, your skills aren't good enough."
She looked up and cried pitifully, "How can you say that about me? I'm sincere towards you!"
"What use is your sincerity to me? Do you want to feed it to dogs? Sincerity can't be an excuse for your shamelessness. I have a girlfriend. Do you want to interfere? Even if you interfere, I don't want you."
Jun Jiuli directly pulled Meng Jiaxiao, who was shaking with laughter, closer.
"Please, lady, have some dignity. She's my girlfriend, my future wife. Stop causing trouble every day. If you continue, I'll report you for sexual harassment."
With that, he turned to leave. Qin Ruannuan, very indignant, rushed forward, blocking their path with outstretched arms. She stubbornly tilted her head up and asked,
"What am I not as good as her? Why won't you even look at me?"
"You're not as good in any aspect. Why would I look at you? I'm not crazy. I suggest you get checked at a psychiatric department. Narcissism is an illness, and it needs treatment."
"Wuwuwu~ Lu Lingheng, you're too much. You'll regret this. I'm the one who loves you most in this world."
Jun Jiuli scoffed, "What does your love have to do with me? Don't insult the word love. Has love numbed you to the point where you've lost all morals and shame? You want to be a mistress, you know?"
"How can you say that about me? It's all for you. For you, Lu Lingheng, I've abandoned all the pride of being the Qin family's eldest daughter. Are these truly worth nothing to you?"
"Hahaha, can you stop being so hilarious? I can barely hold it in. What pride do you have? Did I ask you to abandon anything for me? You're already causing me trouble. Just pick up your 'eldest daughter's pride' and leave. I don't need it. Really, I can't bear such a heavy burden."
"Is that how you see me?"
Her eyes were complex as she stared at Jun Jiuli like he was a scumbag. Several employees waiting for the elevator stopped and watched the scene with great interest.
"Please, how do I see you? I've already told you I'm not interested, can you stop bothering me? The elevator's here, and I have work to do, unlike you, the Qin family's eldest daughter, who is so idle."
"Jiaxiao, let's go. Someone's trying to steal your boyfriend, and you're not even a little jealous?"
"Stop your sweet talk."
The employees quickly got into the elevator, while Jun Jiuli and the others took the private elevator to the top floor. The entire lobby was suddenly filled with Qin Ruannuan's weeping. The two receptionists focused on their work, ignoring her, while the company's internal chat buzzed with discussions.
Shui Wa: "Ah~ Satisfying. Host's talent for arguing is superb, but speaking so much doesn't fit your cool and aloof persona."
Jun Jiuli: "Am I cool and aloof? I was just bored. But arguing is really satisfying, rubbing my hands together jpg."
"The female lead's mom is on her way. You can continue arguing. Haha, another happy day. The way the big boss argues is exceptionally handsome, hee hee."
"You don't have to flatter me so much just to pad the word count. Pouting face jpg."
"..."