Chapter 10: The Fool Turns Out to Be Herself
1110 Words
Poetry Li walked past Qinru Ye, balancing her tray, and just as she was behind her, she deliberately loosened her grip, sending the tray tumbling towards Qinru’s head.
Before she could fully bask in her anticipated triumph, a sharp cry escaped her lips, "Ah! What are you doing?"
Qinru had swiftly raised her hand and deflected the tray, causing all its contents to cascade onto Poetry instead.
Poetry’s clothes were now smeared with food, making her look utterly disheveled.
“Poetry, this is what happens when your scheme backfires,” Xiaoya Lin sneered at her. If not for Qinru’s quick reflexes, the mess would have ended up on her.
“You... I don’t know what you’re talking about. It wasn’t on purpose,” Poetry stammered, glaring at Qinru. “Qinru Ye, this outfit is a custom piece from OVL's latest collection, costing five figures. You have to compensate me!”
“Oh? Regardless of whether your actions were intentional or not,” Qinru looked her over, “are you sure the outfit you're wearing isn’t a knockoff?”
“How dare you! Do you think a Li family heiress would wear a knockoff?”
Poetry’s anger flared. “If you can’t afford to compensate, then kneel and apologize, and I might let it go.”
“As far as I know, the latest OVL collection doesn’t have this pattern on the collar,” Qinru remarked coolly, noticing the detail, having seen an authentic piece owned by her sister, Xinyu.
Poetry instinctively covered the collar with her hand, realizing Qinru had caught her out. Her proud facade crumbled, and she seethed with frustration. Her plan to humiliate Qinru had backfired, making her the fool.
“Oh, so even heiresses have to resort to flaunting fake clothes, huh?” Xiaoya clapped her hands, her voice just loud enough for the surrounding diners to hear, stirring a wave of whispers and glances.
“I…”
Poetry’s face turned red as she realized the room’s attention was on her. She couldn’t bear the stares and the murmurs, so she turned and fled.
“Qinru, you were brilliant. Just a few words, and she ran off with her tail between her legs,” Xiaoya laughed, feeling victorious. “This will keep her quiet for a while.”
But Qinru sighed inwardly, knowing Poetry wouldn’t let this public embarrassment go unpunished.
...
After lunch, Qinru didn’t return to the dormitory. She left the campus instead. Her afternoon classes were electives, and she could always catch up with Xiaoya’s notes later.
She suspected her father, Guoqiang Ye, might have lied about transferring her mother, Limei Yang, to a better hospital. Determined to find the truth, she decided to visit every hospital in Ting City.
After two hours and several hospitals, she still couldn’t find her mother. Her heart sank further with each failed attempt.
Curse that Guoqiang Ye. Where could he be hiding her?
Her phone rang. Seeing her father's name, she answered with a bitter tone, “Where is my mother?”
“There’s no need for you to keep searching,” Guoqiang’s voice was cold. “When the Gu family invests, you’ll see your mother.”
He was furious that the Gu family had not yet invested and, unable to pressure them directly, he turned to threatening Qinru instead.
“You’re cruel, knowing how fragile her health is,” Qinru’s eyes filled with tears. How could he be so heartless?
“If you care about her health, you’ll push the Gu family to invest soon,” he replied with a cold laugh. “Don’t blame me if her condition worsens.”
“I want to see a video of her. I don’t trust your words,” Qinru demanded, suspecting her mother might already be dead and her father was using this to manipulate her.
“Fine, I’ll send it in five minutes.”
Guoqiang hung up. Qinru clutched her phone, anxiously waiting.
Five minutes later, a video arrived. It showed Limei lying in a hospital bed, surrounded by medical equipment.
“Mom…” Qinru whispered, touching the screen, tears streaming down as she saw her mother, unconscious and frail.
Limei had lived a hard life and now was being used as a pawn by Guoqiang. It was heartbreaking.
Guoqiang called again, “Push the Gu family to invest, and you can see her and even take her away. I’ve given you the opportunity. If she doesn’t make it, it’s on you.”
“Alright, but you’d better keep your word,” Qinru said, determined to get her mother away from the Ye family’s control.
With a plan in mind, she took a deep breath, contemplating how to ask Gu Shenyin for help.
...
At Gu Group’s meeting room, Gu Shenyin’s expression was as cold and hard as ever, exuding an aura that made everyone in the room uneasy, despite their best efforts to remain composed.
Only he knew that his heart softened when it came to Qinru.
“The sales department’s quarterly plan is ready,” Manager Wang Qiang nervously presented the file to Shenyin. “Please review it, Sir. If approved, we’ll proceed with the implementation.”
Shenyin glanced through the document and tossed it back, “Redo it. This is too rough. How did this pass your review?”
“Yes, Sir.”
Wang Qiang broke out in a cold sweat, while the other managers exchanged nervous glances, remaining silent.
“Anyone else have something to add?” Shenyin’s gaze swept across the room. No one dared to speak up.
“Meeting adjourned.”
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and began to leave.
“Mr. Gu,” his assistant, Zhiyuan You, handed him a file, “He Shengming’s company is now in bankruptcy proceedings. He’s desperately seeking connections to save it.”
“Keep the pressure on. Give him no chance,” Shenyin ordered, his tone icy. He was determined to create a bigger crisis for Shengming, who had betrayed Qinru.
Zhiyuan nodded, “Understood.”
Shenyin’s phone rang. Seeing it was Qinru, he signaled Zhiyuan to leave.
He walked to the window and answered, “Qinru, what’s up?”
“Shenyin, can you come pick me up? I need to talk to you,” Qinru asked, gripping her phone nervously.
“Alright, where are you?”
His voice softened instinctively as he spoke, “I’ll be there soon.”
“I’ll send you my location,” Qinru replied, ending the call and sending her coordinates, anxiously waiting for him in the dessert shop.
She needed him to agree to invest in the Ye family immediately, so she could see her mother.
- Writer
