Chapter 65: Rebellion?

Return: My Hell and Heaven
Chapter 65: Rebellion?

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On Monday morning, in Vio Capital’s General Manager’s office on the 22nd floor.

Over the weekend, Song Shu had been tirelessly sorting and preparing evidence documents for a new round of litigation, familiarizing herself with various related laws and statutes. Qin Lou, regardless of how much he could actually help, insisted on staying up with her.

The result was that his own work piled up, and he ended up working through Sunday night to avoid delaying the start of the week’s tasks for the departments on Monday.

At around five or six in the morning, Qin Lou caught a quick three-hour nap on the 23rd floor, only to be dragged downstairs by Song Shu before nine. Now, he sat in his office chair, looking utterly lifeless.

Seeing him like this, Song Shu couldn’t help but laugh.

“Who told you to insist on helping me organize materials over the weekend? You didn’t really help much anyway.”

Qin Lou raised his gaze lazily, “Even if I can’t help much, I can at least offer moral support.”

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“…”

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“R okzz.”

Fsdt Fbw aykple y byde yp kq oydvkdt vs jdsnj psxl pldpl kdvs bkx. “Zswa vkl kp nassjle.”

Ckd Nsw tzydnle esod.

When he’d tied it this morning, he hadn’t put much thought into it and had done it haphazardly—about as skillfully as a second grader tying a neckerchief.

Staring at the poorly knotted tie, Qin Lou lifted the end and leaned slightly closer toward Song Shu.

“What are you doing?” she asked, expressionless.

Qin Lou also kept his expression blank, though his eyes held a trace of feigned helplessness. “Help me.”

“Where’s your right hand?”

“Broken.”

Song Shu couldn’t hold back a laugh. “You’d go that far just for a tie? If it’s broken, forget it—why bother with a tie?”

Despite her words, she moved around the desk and stood in front of Qin Lou.

She took his tie, untied it, and started retying it. Just as she was halfway done, a commotion erupted from outside the office. Despite the soundproofing, the voices grew louder and closer.

“Director Luan, you can’t go in there! Director Luan…”

Song Shu’s fingers paused. She exchanged a quick glance with Qin Lou and tried to step back.

But it was too late—Qin Lou, sensing her intention, grabbed her hand that was still holding his tie and pulled her back.

At that moment, the office door was suddenly pushed open.

“Director Luan—”

Xu Jiajia’s anxious voice stopped at the doorway. Seeing Director Luan Qiaoqing forcibly push open the door and the ambiguous scene between the two behind the desk, Xu Jiajia quickly looked down.

“Sorry, President Qin, Director Luan insisted on coming in. I couldn’t stop her.”

Qin Lou, barely containing his amusement, replied, “Mm, I understand. You can return to your work.”

Xu Jiajia closed the door and left cautiously.

Now only Luan Qiaoqing remained, standing rigidly, her face pale with a hint of green.

Song Shu quickly finished Qin Lou’s tie, then shot him a warning glance as she withdrew her hand.

But Qin Lou wouldn’t let go. Song Shu had to pry each of his long fingers off her wrist before finally freeing her hand.

With a sigh, Qin Lou glanced over at Luan Qiaoqing, his smile fading as he frowned, “What are you doing here so early on a Monday?”

Song Shu gave him a sidelong look.

After a moment’s thought, Qin Lou rephrased, “What childish tantrum brings you here so early on a Monday?”

Only then did Song Shu look away.

Normally, Luan Qiaoqing might have been annoyed by the two of them being so close, but she wasn’t in the mood right now.

Once Song Shu stepped aside, she strode up to the desk and slapped a file down.

“Chu Xiangbin resigned?!”

A hint of anger flashed in Qin Lou’s eyes.

Song Shu frowned slightly, “Director Luan, watch your tone.”

Just as Luan Qiaoqing was about to continue her outburst, she caught sight of Qin Lou’s chilling gaze, making her instinctively shrink back.

Yet in an instant, Qin Lou repressed his emotions. He leaned forward, rested his elbows on the desk, and rubbed his sore neck. After a few seconds, he spoke lazily, “It’s all clearly written in black and white. Do you really need me to read it to you word by word?”

Luan Qiaoqing’s aggressive stance had weakened somewhat, but she still raised her head defiantly. “But I’m the head of Human Resources. I wasn’t informed, nor did I have time to find a suitable replacement to take over his duties—how could he just leave after completing his resignation procedures?!”

“He submitted his resignation to me last week. I approved his HR paperwork, and he directly handed over his work to Lu Yunkai and the head of the Investment Department. Isn’t there still a deputy in the Investment Development Department? Let him take over for now.”

“But this… this completely disregards proper procedures!”

“Special personnel, special circumstances, special handling.”

“And what makes him ‘special personnel,’ and what’s so ‘special’ about these circumstances?”

Luan Qiaoqing’s persistent questioning finally wore out Qin Lou’s patience. He shot her a cold glance.

“This matter is already settled. Digging into it further won’t help. Instead of questioning me in my office, you’d be better off using your time to contact a headhunter to find a suitable replacement.”

Gritting her teeth in anger, Luan Qiaoqing replied, “I am the head of HR. I have the right and need to know the exact details of personnel changes.”

“No, you don’t.”

The color drained from Luan Qiaoqing’s face.

Qin Lou’s expression was even harsher. “Within the company structure, I am the one making the decisions. Not every personnel change requires your consent—I still have the authority to make these decisions. And if being in this HR position makes you feel uncomfortable, I can always find someone else to take over.”

Luan Qiaoqing froze in place.

Since this was an internal matter at Vio, Song Shu didn’t want to take sides, but seeing Luan Qiaoqing standing there, obviously on the verge of tears, she felt a pang of sympathy.

Song Shu cleared her throat softly.

Qin Lou looked up, and in that brief exchange, he understood her intentions without her needing to say a word.

Suppressing the coldness in his expression, he softened his tone.

“If there’s nothing else, you can go now.”

Luan Qiaoqing stood there for a few seconds, then nodded slowly and turned to leave.

Near the door, she slowed her steps and finally came to a stop.

Holding the metal handle of the frosted glass door, she paused, then spoke quietly, “I just want to understand why he suddenly left… He was still involved in developing derivatives, wasn’t he? Isn’t it best to avoid personnel changes at such a crucial time?”

Qin Lou paused, looking up. “What are you really trying to ask?”

Luan Qiaoqing bit her lip, gathering her courage, and turned back to face him.

“Rumor has it that he was seen at Qianrui. Did… did he actually switch over to Qianrui?”

As she asked, her entire body shook slightly, her hands clenched tightly, whether from anger or something else.

Song Shu lowered her eyes, exasperated.

Qin Lou remained silent for a few seconds before letting out a mocking chuckle and looking away. “So what if he did? Does Vio fall apart or become unmanageable because of one person’s departure or defection?”

“But his leaving now affects new product development—”

“That’s not an HR matter!” Qin Lou snapped, slamming his hand down on the desk.

The loud sound startled Luan Qiaoqing, leaving her frozen in place.

After a long pause, she finally came to her senses, lowered her head, and said hoarsely, “I understand… I apologize, President Qin. I lost my composure.”

With that, she pulled open the door and left without looking back.

The office fell silent for a few seconds. Qin Lou raised a hand in irritation, wanting to loosen his tie, but remembering that Song Shu had just tied it for him, he paused. After a moment’s hesitation, he let his hand fall.

Feeling frustrated, he leaned back into his chair.

Song Shu walked over to stand behind Qin Lou’s chair, reaching out to gently massage his temples.

“Maybe you’re right. Qiaoqing might not be the best fit for the HR Director role. Even if you’re looking out for her, there’s no need to place her in such a position.”

The moment her fingertips touched him, the tension on Qin Lou’s brow eased. After a few more seconds, he relaxed and let out a small laugh.

“If she weren’t HR Director, she’d probably get herself kicked out of the company by HR within a few days.”

Song Shu chuckled softly. “Then you’ve certainly had your hands full handling her all these years.”

“…She wasn’t always this troublesome.”

“Oh? With her personality, that’s surprising.”

“She didn’t dare,” Qin Lou scoffed. “Now she probably feels emboldened with you backing her up. Her courage is inflated like a balloon, ready to carry her into the sky.”

Song Shu feigned innocence. “Me, backing her up? We’re practically on equal footing, job title-wise.”

“But you’ve got that ‘pillow talk’ advantage.”

Song Shu was momentarily stunned, then, after a few seconds, her face flushed with a faint blush.

“If you were a ruler in ancient times, you’d be a foolish one.”

“So, what does that make you—a mischievous enchantress?”

That line finally pushed Song Shu to her limit. She gave Qin Lou a light shove and muttered, “Get lost.”

Qin Lou laughed, a deep, contented sound.

---

By evening, the lights in the General Manager’s office were off. Song Shu and Qin Lou exited together. Only An Xingyun was still at her desk, and as they passed, Song Shu respectfully greeted her, while An Xingyun looked on with a mix of exasperation and amusement as Qin Lou unabashedly took Song Shu’s hand and led her to the elevators.

As they stepped into the elevator and started to talk, the stairway door to the fire exit suddenly opened, and Luan Qiaoqing walked out.

Song Shu was taken aback. “Why are you… here?”

“I was waiting for you.” Luan Qiaoqing’s eyes were rimmed red. “I want to take you out to dinner tonight. Let’s go together?”

Song Shu hesitated. “But I already… have plans with him tonight.”

Luan Qiaoqing looked as if she was about to burst into tears.

Song Shu felt a headache coming on, while Qin Lou remained unaffected. “We’ve already made a reservation. You’ll have to wait your turn, another day.”

Luan Qiaoqing gritted her teeth. “No.”

Qin Lou frowned. “So now you’re even ignoring what I say?”

Luan Qiaoqing lifted her chin defiantly. “It’s after hours, so you’re not my boss. Why should I listen to you?”

Qin Lou narrowed his eyes in a dangerous look.

Seeing the tension rising, Song Shu intervened. She turned slightly, avoiding Luan Qiaoqing’s gaze, and mouthed to Qin Lou, “Just let her join us.”

Qin Lou frowned. “…She might cause trouble.”

“Or perhaps she’ll be helpful?”

After a moment’s thought, Qin Lou nodded, giving Luan Qiaoqing a stern look. “Just this once.”

Only then did Luan Qiaoqing reluctantly let go of her stubborn stance.

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Half an hour later.

Qin Lou’s driver took the three of them to a private dining establishment in Q City.

This restaurant, known for its high prices, had limited public awareness, making it difficult to find without the right connections. It was decorated in a style reminiscent of a Suzhou garden, with bamboo groves, streams, small pavilions, and long corridors separating dining areas for maximum privacy and aesthetic appeal.

The only drawback was the winding path—traversing the garden’s maze-like paths was challenging.

Qin Lou’s group had barely entered the garden when, at a fork in the path, they saw another group approaching from the opposite direction.

As their eyes met, Luan Qiaoqing recognized one of the people at the front of the other group.

She froze, clenched her jaw, and spat out his name with gritted teeth.

“Chu Xiangbin!”

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