Return Chapter: My Hell and Heaven
Chapter 72: Purple Hair
Song Shu signaled her refusal to address the matter with her eyes.
Though Qin Lou was adept at playing the “getting away with something while pretending to be innocent” game, he understood the art of knowing when to stop—especially with someone like his little “clam” who rarely showed real emotions. If he were to unknowingly cross into a “danger zone” without realizing it, the outcome would be something he didn’t want to see—devastating.
“If it’s not possible, then forget it.”
Qin Lou seemed to have completely forgotten about the employees at the back table who were still tense and fearful. He smoothly took the tray from Song Shu’s hands, casually adding, “—Save it for next time.”
“…” Song Shu helplessly watched Qin Lou as he went to dump the food scraps, then returned to stand beside her.
Qin Lou asked, “What are you doing this afternoon?”
Song Shu thought for a moment. “I still need to follow up on the performance evaluation optimization for the HR department, there are a few things still unsettled.”
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“…”
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However, people always need something to gossip about during breaks, and soon after, topics like “Qin Lou left the meeting midway for his new assistant” and “Publicly ambiguous behavior in the cafeteria” or “The new assistant is getting cocky due to Qin Lou’s favoritism” began to spread in the company’s private conversations.
The buzz quickly spread from the company’s lower ranks to upper management. However, in the management team, only two vice presidents and the finance director had any real say beneath Qin Lou. The newly appointed vice president, Chu Xiangbin, always laughed these matters off, while the senior vice president, Lu Yunkai, was skilled at staying neutral, and the finance director, Jerry Qiao, was full of praise for Qin Qing, recalling the time she had helped with financial derivatives, and he spoke highly of her.
As for the board of directors, it had always been under Qin Lou’s absolute control. After the Bai Song incident, some of the smaller shareholders were also investigated, making it even more of a one-man show. No one could challenge him or question his decisions.
For a time, the name “Qin Qing” had become synonymous with the supreme power within Vio Capital, a near-legendary figure.
However, it was clear that there were some within the company who were unhappy with Qin Qing’s current treatment.
Not long after, the direction of the discussions shifted. The new rumor was that Qin Lou was so infatuated with his first love that he had showered his assistant, who merely resembled her, with so much indulgence that it had become outrageous. This was coupled with old stories from the Bai Song case, and some long-time employees who had been with the Qin family’s predecessor company began to “enlighten” others about Qin Lou’s first love—who lived only in rumors—and their childhood relationship.
Compared to the reality of what they saw as an “intruder,” the employees increasingly elevated Qin Lou’s late first love to the status of a beloved and unattainable figure, akin to a perfect but unreachably idealized memory.
And in contrast, the pitiful image of “Qin Qing” and Song Shu began to help balance their own mental state.
Naturally, Song Shu had also heard these rumors.
After the cafeteria incident, no one dared to openly discuss such things in front of her. However, Luan Qiaoqing, who was the first to act as Song Shu’s “devoted anti-fan,” though warned by Song Shu not to cause trouble, still couldn’t help but compile these rumors into little reports and pass them along to Song Shu.
At a Starbucks near Vio Capital’s office building, Luan Qiaoqing angrily crushed the macaroon in her mouth: “The worst part is that they even think I’m also charmed by you! I’m not stupid. If you really took my sister’s place, how could I possibly work with you sincerely? They just don’t use their brains!”
“…”
Looking at a piece of the macaroon crumble fall from Luan Qiaoqing’s mouth onto the small round table in front of her, Song Shu remained silent for a few seconds before slowly moving her coffee cup aside.
Luan Qiaoqing, who happened to be looking down, saw the motion. She twisted her face, and with a hint of grievance, she looked at Song Shu. “Sis, you don’t love me anymore. You’re starting to dislike me.”
“I didn’t start disliking you.” Song Shu’s voice was gentle as she pushed away the approaching Luan Qiaoqing. “I’ve always felt this way.”
Luan Qiaoqing: “…”
Song Shu: “Especially, don’t use that expression when talking to me again.”
Luan Qiaoqing looked like she was about to cry. “Why?”
Song Shu: “…”
Song Shu lightly tapped the cup in her hand, the sound crisp and pleasant. “Probably because this cup of Furuo Bai is a bit too sweet, and paired with that expression of yours sitting across from me, I might get indigestion.”
Luan Qiaoqing: “…”
After a few seconds of being stunned, Luan Qiaoqing rubbed her face and huffed in dissatisfaction. “Clearly, Qin Lou often looks like this in front of you, why don’t you dislike him?!”
Song Shu lowered her eyes, a smile forming naturally on her face, her gaze softening as she looked at the girl’s pretty brows. “He and you can’t be compared.”
“…”
Luan Qiaoqing’s macaroon got stuck in her mouth, neither going down nor staying up, exuding a strong, forced “dog food” flavor.
Song Shu checked her watch.
Luan Qiaoqing glanced sideways. “Is that the couples’ watch Qin Lou just gave you?”
Song Shu was a little surprised and looked up. “How did you know?”
Luan Qiaoqing: “How else would I know? Someone in the company is always keeping an eye on your movements. They would gossip about anything—from the slightest change in your hair, to why you moved a strand of it from left to right. Let alone this luxury watch on your wrist, which is said to be a limited-edition New Year piece with a long string of zeros attached to it.”
Song Shu nodded casually. “He gave it to me. It’s a New Year gift he had prepared in advance, afraid I might forget, so he gave it to me early.”
Luan Qiaoqing pouted. “I think he just couldn’t wait to show off his love.”
“Hm?”
“You don’t know his ways and demeanor, tsk tsk tsk,” Luan Qiaoqing leaned in. “Even if no one in the company talks about it, I’m sure he’d love to broadcast it himself. He probably wants everyone to notice that you and he are wearing matching watches. He’s showing off all the time, no wonder he’s made so many enemies in the company. Only you don’t mind and even indulge him.”
Song Shu smiled indifferently. “It doesn’t matter. I won’t be here for too long. Let him play.”
Luan Qiaoqing snorted coldly.
Song Shu pulled her watch back into her sleeve and lowered her hand. “So, you called me out for coffee today, and besides reporting back on who’s behind the rumors about me being his first love’s substitute, there’s nothing else?”
“… What are you going to do?”
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll just head back to the office.” Song Shu made a motion to get up. “The New Year’s coming, and there are a bunch of trivial things to follow up on, like department dinners and the annual meeting arrangements. Not everyone can be like you and just shirk responsibility.”
Luan Qiaoqing quickly pulled her back. “Which department are you going to for the New Year’s dinner?”
Song Shu paused. “What do you mean? I’m in the assistant secretary team. Why would I need to go to a department?”
“Eh, you didn’t know? It’s been the custom in previous years.”
“What custom?”
“For company events like dinners or the annual meeting, Qin Lou never participates. He spends the holidays alone on the 23rd floor. But as the general manager, he still needs to show some appreciation or motivation for the employees during these festive times.”
“… So?” Song Shu had a bad feeling rising in her chest.
“So, the appreciation and motivation stuff is always handed over to the assistant secretary team.”
Song Shu: “…”
Song Shu: “But I joined the team last year, why didn’t I hear about this? No one told me I had to be invoLued.”
Luan Qiaoqing smiled smugly. “Last year, there were five people in the assistant secretary team on the 22nd floor, not just you. This year, didn’t Xu Jiajia get fired by Qin Lou?”
“Five assistants… all of them need to be used?”
“Not exactly.” Luan Qiaoqing started counting on her fingers. “Two vice presidents and one financial director, each with three or more departments under them. Vio’s dinners are organized by vice-president-level units, so basically, each vice president sends one assistant.”
Song Shu said, “So, three people should be enough?”
“Don’t forget about the two major committees. Are the heads and staff of the Risk Assessment Committee and the Investment Decision-Making Committee not considered people?” Luan Qiaoqing continued gleefully, “And every year, they are the hardest to handle, the assistants in charge are always scrambling.”
Song Shu rubbed her temples in frustration.
Luan Qiaoqing blinked. “Why don’t you ask me why we need four assistants, and not just stop at three?”
Song Shu shot her a cold glance. “Aunt An is a special assistant, not someone who deals with entertainment or daily life—plus, with her experience and personality, no one would dare pull her into this mess.”
Luan Qiaoqing gave her a thumbs up. “As expected of you, you’re very perceptive.”
Song Shu sighed.
It was rare for Song Shu to be so helpless about anything—except when it came to Qin Lou. Therefore, Luan Qiaoqing’s gleeful expression was particularly obvious at this moment.
“How about it, Assistant Song, what are your thoughts on this good news?”
Song Shu asked blankly, “Is it still possible for me to resign now?”
“Forget about whether my brother would even agree to that,” the HR department head said with a smile that had a “mild approval” air to it, “But as for the HR department, don’t even think about it.”
Song Shu: “…”
Luan Qiaoqing added, “Out of humanitarian concern, I’ll give you a piece of good advice—come to our group’s dinner.”
Song Shu gave her a nonchalant glance. “Why?”
Luan Qiaoqing said confidently, “Anyway, you’re going to be hassled, so come to our side. At least I can protect you, right?”
“…”
Song Shu thought seriously for a moment.
She really wasn’t considering the two major committees, since they mainly consisted of the oldest staff in the company, with some members being retired and rehired. Entering those groups meant automatically lowering her rank by two generations. She understood why Lu Yun Kai chose to stay silent during the Bai Song case, but to say she was completely neutral about it was clearly not the case—so she wasn’t considering that either.
As for Financial Director Jerry Qiao… just thinking about his personality and the way he constantly flattered and ingratiated himself with her made Song Shu feel a headache at the mere thought of attending a dinner there.
In conclusion, Chu Xiangbin’s vice president group, which had Luan Qiaoqing as one of the three vice assistants, and where Luan Qiaoqing had first entered the Legal and Compliance Department of the Risk Management Division when she joined the company, was practically considered Song Shu’s “home” in the company. This group seemed the most suitable.
Song Shu nodded in agreement.
Luan Qiaoqing was overjoyed, immediately pulling Song Shu back to the office.
—Her unusually cheerful demeanor raised Song Shu’s suspicions. Later that night, after Qin Lou returned to the 23rd floor following a business matter, Song Shu decided to take the initiative and confirm it with him.
“Qiaoqing told me today that during the assistant secretary group’s annual dinner, we traditionally attend department dinners as representatives of the general manager to show appreciation for the work. Is that true?”
“Yes, it’s a tradition,” Qin Lou answered instinctively, but then his fingers, which were loosening his tie, paused. A few seconds later, he turned to look at her suspiciously. “Why did she bring that up to you?”
Song Shu, who was preparing dinner on the kitchen counter with no partition between them, replied without looking up, “Mm, she invited me to the group of Chu Xiangbin.”
“Mm, she invited me to Chu Xiangbin’s group.”
“——?” Qin Lou immediately stopped what he was doing and quickly walked over. “Did you agree?”
“Mm.” Song Shu answered, then slowly raised her eyes to meet his gaze, seeing him look as though he had a deep grudge. “What’s wrong?”
Qin Lou’s tone immediately became aggrieved, the hint of fierceness in his eyes hidden: “Last year you went home for the New Year, but this year everything is settled. You’re not going to spend time with me?”
Song Shu paused. “But isn’t it a tradition for the Assistant Secretary Group to visit various departments every year for work?”
“That was in previous years.” Qin Lou frowned, his expression turning increasingly unpleasant. “This year is different. I clearly told Chu Xiangbin a few days ago that his group would manage on their own. Did Luan Qiaoqing deliberately hide this from you and trick you into going to the dinner?”
Song Shu was taken aback.
A few seconds later, Song Shu lowered her head, placing the last carved carrot piece onto the plate, then smiled.
“Rarely do I see Qiaoqing playing mind games with me.”
Qin Lou snorted, “I think she’s been corrupted by him. She spends all her time with that fox, Chu Xiangbin. Sooner or later, she’ll turn into a little fox herself.”
Song Shu glanced at him while carrying the plate to the dining table. “Why do you suddenly have so much hostility toward Chu Xiangbin?”
Qin Lou sneered. “No, I’ve always had a lot of hostility toward him.”
Song Shu placed the plate down and reached to untie her apron. “Tell me, what did he do to you?”
Before her fingers could touch the apron tie, someone approached from behind and pulled her into their embrace, hands reaching around to undo the apron tie on her back.
As he did so, he spoke in a voice that sounded “aggrieved.”
“You went to the 21st floor a few days ago, didn’t you spend a long time in his office?”
Song Shu thought for a moment and blinked. “Wasn’t I there to talk about the stock rights issue for you?”
Qin Lou paused for a moment, pretending he hadn’t heard, then continued his “aggrieved” tone, “They all said you were cheating on me, that’s why you stayed in his office so long.”
Song Shu, amused and helpless, pushed him away.
“Alright, Qin Lou, stop messing around. Let’s eat.”
As they sat at the table, Qin Lou held back for a few seconds, then said, “Don’t go to the dinner, okay?”
Song Shu looked at him in surprise, laughing. “I thought you were going to tell me that if I go, you’ll go and smash their restaurant.”
Qin Lou’s gaze shifted. “I did consider it.”
“Mm, then why didn’t you say anything?”
“… Someone told me today not to keep too tight an eye on you, or you’ll slip away sooner or later.”
Song Shu pretended to be surprised. “Someone actually dared to speak the truth in front of you?”
Qin Lou’s expression immediately darkened.
But he held back, still not saying anything, his face twisted in frustration as he hid the predatory gleam in his eyes, lest he scare his “prey.”
Song Shu couldn’t help but smile faintly at his expression.
“Did Han Shi tell you this? I guessed it. I was just joking with you. Alright, let’s eat.” Song Shu handed Qin Lou his knife and fork, and as she retracted her hand, she casually ran her fingers through his hair. “As for the dinner, let’s go together.”
Qin Lou froze for a moment, both from the softness and warmth of her hand on his hair and from her words.
Song Shu naturally withdrew her hand and continued, “After the company’s reforms are finished next year and things are on track, we may not be here anymore—so let’s go to the dinner just once before we leave. If we don’t like it, we can slip away halfway, how about that?”
Qin Lou came back to his senses. “You’ve been thinking about this for a while?”
“Of course,” Song Shu smiled, “How could I possibly leave you alone for the New Year and go off to a department dinner? If I really did that, you’d probably feel wronged enough to climb onto the Yangtze River Bridge.”
“……”
After a few seconds of silence, Qin Lou suddenly put down his knife and fork, staring at Song Shu with a complex and deep gaze.
Song Shu paused under his stare and lifted her gaze.
“—Why aren’t you eating?”
Qin Lou said with justification, “I’m not eating. Is it okay if I eat small clams instead?”
“……”
Song Shu quietly paused for a moment, then slowly lifted the knife and fork she was holding, which reflected a cold light under the restaurant’s lighting.
She kept smiling, tilting her head slightly.
“Mr. Qin, be a good boy, okay?”
“……”
Qin Lou, feeling aggrieved, suppressed the predatory gleam in his eyes and slowly picked up his knife and fork.
The day before New Year’s Day happened to be a Saturday, and the two-day holiday meant an absolute celebration for the New Year. The atmosphere in the company was great.
At lunch, the new vice presidents in charge of Human Resources, Office Affairs, and Risk Management, including Chu Xiangbin, who had just assumed the role, personally paid for the meal. He also declared that each employee could bring up to three family members, and he would cover the extra expenses. The entire team was ecstatic.
This unrestrained excitement lasted until they were downstairs at the restaurant venue, where Chu Xiangbin, the vice president, announced that the General Manager’s assistant sent to represent the General Manager’s office for work visits was none other than “Qin Qing.”
The crowd gasped.
— As everyone knows, the office romance between one of the company’s highest-ranking bosses and this assistant has recently become so blatant that it’s almost impossible to miss.
According to observations over the past six months, unless the company is exceptionally busy, the area within a ten-meter radius of “Qin Qing” will inevitably feature the presence of Vio’s big boss, Qin Lou.
This has caused some employees in the company to develop a form of PTSD: every time they see “Qin Qing” for the first time, their automatic response is to look around her for signs of Qin Lou.
Perhaps sensing the employees’ unease, Chu Xiangbin smiled reassuringly, “Don’t worry, Assistant Qin won’t be here for a while. Just go ahead and eat, drink, and enjoy yourselves—there are no ranks today, no superiors or subordinates, only friends.”
After this effort to calm everyone down, the group reluctantly started entering the restaurant.
Chu Xiangbin stayed behind at the last, his smile slightly fading. He waited for about half a minute, then saw Luan Qiaoqing, who had just hung up the phone, walking over.
Chu Xiangbin glanced up. “Is he coming too?”
Luan Qiaoqing ground her teeth in frustration, “That little tail, of course he insisted on coming with my sister.”
“…” Chu Xiangbin paused for a moment, deciding not to disrupt Luan Qiaoqing’s thoughts. “When do you think they’ll arrive?”
“Probably in two hours.”
Chu Xiangbin was stunned. “Why so long?”
At this point, Luan Qiaoqing stopped talking.
Turning his head, Chu Xiangbin noticed Luan Qiaoqing displaying a subtly complex expression—half amusement, half something else.
Chu Xiangbin, who was rarely confused, asked, “What’s going on?”
Luan Qiaoqing came back to herself and winked with a smirk. “You know how protective Qin Lou is about his head, right?”
“…”
Chu Xiangbin recalled Qin Lou’s shocking purple hair that had initially left a deep impression on him, and fell silent.
Luan Qiaoqing continued, clearly enjoying the moment:
“That person’s crazy purple hair? It’s finally going to be tamed by the one person who can control him and chopped off at the hair salon…”
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