The first document detailed Qiao An’s background. It showed she was an orphan, adopted by a distant relative at ten, and had never lived comfortably. She was saddled with massive student loans and personal debts; even if she graduated successfully and found a job, she would likely be unable to pay them off within five years.
The second document covered her academic record. She had been an excellent student since childhood, admitted to Boston University with the highest scores, and had received scholarships and grants. Her professors were highly impressed with her, describing her as a "strong learner" and a "perfect student."
On the surface, Qiao An appeared to be a poor girl not yet crushed by reality, backed into a corner by the burdens of life, forced to make desperate choices before graduation.
Gu Jingxing handed the documents to Chen Wang, letting the others pass them around.
Xie Jibai picked up his tea and took a sip. "The people we hired in the US are quite professional, but even after two days, this is all they could find."
"Keep digging." Gu Jingxing’s eyes flickered, his tone as cold as ever.
Xie Jibai asked, "Brother Gu, how exactly did she manage to latch onto you?"
Gu Jingxing pondered for a few seconds. "The night of the alumni gathering, she drugged me."
The brothers fell silent.
"Afterward, she claimed she had a secret crush on me and wanted to be my mistress. She didn't want money or status; she just wanted to be with me."
Everyone remained silent.
After finishing the papers, they placed them back on the table. Xie Jibai looked indifferent, while Lu Yi frowned, his expression looking even worse than Gu Jingxing’s.
Chen Wang let out a loud, exaggerated sigh. "It’s a lie."
They all looked at him. What had he figured out?
Chen Wang continued, "What kind of 'secret crush' is that aggressive? She’s been shameless, pulling every trick in the book to get to our boss, hasn't she? Who believes she just wants to be a nameless mistress?"
Lu Yi looked at him. "Then what do you think is going on?"
Chen Wang looked at the two pages. "A 21-year-old girl with a million dollars in debt—do you know what that means?"
No one spoke.
Chen Wang went on, "It means that if she doesn't find a sugar daddy, she'll be unemployed the moment she graduates. She’s doomed. She finally ran into the golden bachelor, our boss, at the alumni event—of course she’d bet her life on it! I didn't quite understand it before, but now that I know her motive, all her behavior makes much more sense."
Chen Wang looked sympathetic. "No wonder I said I’d give her ten million earlier and she was unmoved—a million dollars in debt! Ten million is nothing; it’s barely enough to pay off the loans. By clinging to the boss, she secures her debts. If she plays her cards right, maybe she’ll have an even better future."
Seeing Chen Wang empathizing with Qiao An, everyone remained silent. Gu Jingxing flicked his teacup with his finger, lost in thought.
...
Liu Can liked Qiao An very much. She was vibrant, cheerful, flexible, and sharp. After observing her for several days, she decided Qiao An was capable of handling greater responsibilities—and therefore, began working her even harder.
Qiao An knew Liu Can was trying to groom her. Even though she was exhausted, she worked diligently like a beast of burden.
During the days Qiao An was working, Zhang Ling hadn't been idle either, having handled the arrangements for their living situation. On Friday night, when Qiao An returned to the hotel, Zhang Ling intended to talk to her about moving. However, when he opened the door, he found her asleep on the bed, still in her outdoor clothes. Her palm-sized face looked weary and haggard, enough to make anyone’s heart ache.
"Are you that tired?" Zhang Ling frowned.
"It’s alright. I’ll be fine once I adjust," Qiao An said, not even opening her eyes as she yawned. "Is something the matter?"
"You’re off tomorrow and the day after, right?"
"Mhm."
"I'll take you for a vacation," Zhang Ling suggested after a moment. "There’s a resort at the foot of Wen Mountain in the suburbs. You can play golf, soak in hot springs, and I heard the restaurant has some excellent signature dishes."
Qiao An opened her eyes, looking pleasantly surprised. "Really?"
"Yes. You get some rest, and I’ll go make the arrangements. Shall we leave at... eight tomorrow morning?"
Qiao An raised a hand and made an 'OK' sign, teasing, "Roger that."
...
The next morning, Qiao An groggily opened her eyes. Seeing the bright daylight outside the window, she sat up with a start. "I’m late!"
Zhang Ling was packing outside. Hearing her voice, he knocked on the door and opened it a crack. "It’s Saturday. We're off."
Only then did Qiao An come to her senses. She slapped herself on the forehead. "I’m so sleep-deprived..."
"Hurry up and wash up, change your clothes. Let’s go."
Recalling what Zhang Ling said last night, Qiao An immediately agreed. By eight o'clock, she was packed and ready, carrying the breakfast Zhang Ling had prepared, and got into the car he had called.
The car drove all the way toward the North Ring Dense Forest. Looking at the strange yet familiar street scenes passing by, a wave of nostalgia washed over her. But just as she remembered something, the smile that hadn't yet reached her lips slowly faded.
It took nearly two hours to reach their destination. As soon as she stepped out of the car, Zhang Ling noticed Qiao An didn't seem interested.
"What’s wrong? Don't you like it here?"
"No," Qiao An shook her head and forced a smile. "I’m just a little tired."
"Let's check in first, and you can rest in the room." Zhang Ling carried their two luggage bags and pointed toward the hotel entrance.
Qiao An nodded dully and followed behind him. But as they walked into the hotel lobby and saw Gu Jingxing checking in, her mood lifted slightly. She had been worried that she wouldn't see him over the weekend, which would be detrimental to "cultivating their relationship."
Gu Jingxing was wearing sunglasses and a black casual outfit, standing at the front desk with his golf bag slung over his shoulder. The receptionist’s face was beet-red, stealing glances at him while she processed his information.
Zhang Ling hadn't seen Gu Jingxing. His phone rang the moment he entered the lobby, so he told Qiao An to handle the front desk while he stepped outside to take the call.
Qiao An walked over. Gu Jingxing had one hand in his pocket, the other hanging naturally at his side, his gaze fixed on the giant painting behind the front desk.
Qiao An approached with a smile and wrapped her arms around his hanging arm. The moment Gu Jingxing frowned and looked over, she parted her lips and said sweetly, "Brother."
Gu Jingxing paused.
"What a coincidence, to run into you here." Qiao An leaned in and rubbed her face against his upper arm.
"Not a coincidence," Gu Jingxing said coldly, pulling his arm away. "I must not have checked the almanac today—ran into something dirty."
Qiao An didn't mind his sarcasm in the slightest. "Is that so? Then your luck really is poor. But it’s okay, you’ve met me now. I’ll take you to the hot springs in a bit to wash away the bad luck!"
Seeing the disgust in Gu Jingxing’s eyes, Qiao An mischievously stood on her tiptoes and leaned into his ear. "I heard the hot springs here are special, with plenty of unique services. If you want, Brother, I’ll make sure you have a good time."
As she spoke, she licked her lips and used the tip of her tongue to graze the curve of Gu Jingxing’s ear.
Gu Jingxing’s breathing grew heavy, and he reached out to shove her away hard. Qiao An stumbled, looking at him with watery eyes. Even though he was repulsed by her closeness, his body instinctively tightened in response.
Qiao An’s gaze swept across his lower abdomen. "Brother, feeling something?"
"Jingxing, aren't you coming in yet?"