Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
Advance chapters available for patrons on Patreon. And a chapter can be sponsored by buying me a ko-fi.
Ming Yao had no time to explain to Qi Xu what a “sucker” was; she immediately told him about being surrounded.
She knew very well that at this moment, only the power of capital could help her fight against those outsiders. Whether it was Qi Xu or Jiang Yuhe, whom Qi Xu knew, whoever made a move, this matter could be suppressed without a ripple.
Qi Xu had been in meetings all morning. Normally, he wouldn’t answer any calls during meetings, but when he saw that it was Ming Yao calling, he selfishly answered it anyway.
He never expected something like this to happen.
He immediately stood up and calmly replied to her, “Don’t move, wait for me.”
This was the longest time for which Ming Yao had ever used the toilet.
Five minutes passed, then ten minutes passed, and people kept knocking on the door, asking for an interview. Each knock felt like a heavy blow to Ming Yao’s heart, making her tremble with fear.
But gradually, the knocking stopped.
Ming Yao observed for a long time, and several minutes had passed without anyone knocking on the door.
Unsure if the person outside had left, she pressed her ear to the back of the door and listened for a while before quietly opening it.
It was quiet all around, and everyone had disappeared.
Ming Yao breathed a sigh of relief and lowered her guard a little, but then she caught a glimpse of another figure walking over.
She jolted awake and immediately darted back into the bathroom.
Three seconds later, the person knocked on the door, and a deep voice came through, “Ming Yao, it’s me.”
“…”
It was no exaggeration to say that Ming Yao felt that Qi Xu was closer to her than her own mother at that moment.
The moment she opened the door, she even wanted to rush up and hug him, but she held back.
“Have they all left?”
“They’re gone.”
Ming Yao leaned against the wall with a sigh of relief and patted her chest. “How can these people run so fast? I was the champion of the 800-meter race in the first year of junior high school, and I still couldn’t shake them off. If it weren’t for you, I would definitely be done for today.”
After saying that, Ming Yao remembered something and looked at Qi Xu seriously: “Thank you, really. Consider this a favor I owe you today. If you ever need my help in the future, just let me know.”
Putting aside those experiences, Ming Yao’s gratitude towards Qi Xu at this moment was genuine.
Qi Xu merely tugged at his lips slightly, offering no response.
Ming Yao felt offended. “What are you laughing at? Are you so confident that you won’t need my help someday?”
“Okay, I’ll remember.” Qi Xu glanced at the bowl of clumped noodles she was still holding. “You can’t bear to throw this away?”
Ming Yao was so nervous that she forgot about the bowl of noodles.
She tossed the noodles into the trash can and asked Qi Xu, “Have you eaten? How about I treat you to lunch?”
Qi Xu’s lips curled up almost imperceptibly. “Okay.”
“So, would you like Chinese food or Western food? Do you want hot pot? I know a really good one…”
The two walked out of the restroom side by side. Ming Yao was discussing what to eat when an inconspicuous little Polo suddenly stopped next to her.
Ji Muyang’s assistant got out of the car. “Sister Yao, are you alright? Brother Muyang came here to pick you up so you can avoid the storm. Get in the car quickly.”
Ji Muyang sat in the car, wearing a hat and mask, fully disguised.
Ming Yao was about to speak when Qi Xu coldly interrupted her—
“She’s too scared to even get down, yet you want to take her away?”
The next second, before Ming Yao could react, Qi Xu pulled her forward.
Ming Yao: “…?”
She looked down at her hand, which Qi Xu was holding, and tried to utter a sound of refusal, but no words came out.
It wasn’t until they reached Qi Xu’s car that Ming Yao suddenly pulled away, her expression somewhat unnatural.
The warmth of the man’s palm still lingered in her hand.
It felt warm, like an electric current, spreading throughout the body from the peripheral nerves.
Ming Yao lowered her head, suddenly at a loss.
Qi Xu then opened the car door for her. “Get in.”
She quickly sat down, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to fly.
Ming Yao didn’t know why she was so nervous; it was probably because it was the first time a man had held her hand, and it was all too sudden.
Qi Xu closed the door and sat down next to her, as if he could see through her thoughts. While fastening his seatbelt, he said calmly, “I just want him to stay away from you.”
Ming Yao paused for a moment, then slowly understood what Qi Xu meant.
Not wanting Ji Muyang to have any further connection with her, she simply held his hand in front of him, thus extinguishing any thoughts he might have.
Like Gu Yuan in the drama, he was full of possessiveness towards his substitute.
I don’t love you, but I won’t allow anyone else to covet you either.
Ming Yao clicked her tongue inwardly. What’s wrong with these CEOs? Why are they all so domineering?
Just then, Qi Xu suddenly said, “You can’t stay in this house anymore, move out.”
Ming Yao nodded. “I know.”
Although today’s events had temporarily passed, those with ulterior motives would certainly not give up. They were lurking in the shadows while Ming Yao was in the open, making it impossible to guard against them.
The only solution was to move away completely and disappear.
But things happened so suddenly, and all she could do was look for a place to live.
Qi Xu took out the room key again, “Until you find a place to stay, you should stay at my place first.”
Ming Yao didn’t take it. “No need, that’s your room.”
She checked last night and found that the 28th floor was full of presidential suites, with the lowest-priced suite starting at 58,000 yuan per night. She didn’t know the price of Qi Xu’s suite.
Ming Yao felt uneasy, fearing that ghosts would knock on her door in the middle of the night.
But Qi Xu replied meaningfully, “It will be yours sooner or later.”
Ming Yao: “…”
Sooner or later, it’ll be the place where she’s kept, right?
She understood, she understood all these codes.
Well, it doesn’t matter where I live, it’ll take time anyway. Jian Ning’s gone to another city right now, and it’s inconvenient for her to go see Guan Xingdi and her boyfriend, plus there might still be reporters who haven’t given up.
Hiding in Qi Xu’s gilded cage seems to be the best and safest option right now.
Ming Yao hesitated, “Then you…”
Qi Xu knew exactly what Ming Yao was struggling with.
Although he liked this woman, he wasn’t in such a hurry to get her.
“I won’t stay here while you’re staying,” Qi Xu said calmly, even reassuring Ming Yao, “Besides, I’m going on a business trip out of town tomorrow and won’t be back for about a week, so you can stay without worry.”
Qi Xu’s honesty made Ming Yao lower her guard. She took the room key and said, “Okay, I’ll stay for a week at most. I’ll move out as soon as I find a place.”
“Whatever.”
After dinner, Qi Xu took Ming Yao’s keys and asked someone to help her pack her luggage in the community.
Overnight, Ming Yao indeed found herself on the same path that Lin Yunyun had taken.
In the script, Lin Yunyun moved from her studio apartment to Gu Yuan’s mansion.
She moved from a simple little apartment to a luxurious presidential suite.
In a way, the plot was unfolding in a similar way.
….
Qi Xu’s people were quick to act; they moved Ming Yao’s luggage to the hotel by the afternoon.
“Miss Ming, everything from the room has been brought. Please check if anything has been forgotten.”
Ming Yao only had two suitcases, which weren’t fully unpacked when she checked in, so she moved them in and out almost exactly the same way.
She glanced at them briefly, thanked the assistants, and pushed the two suitcases into the living room.
Ming Yao spent the morning watching a movie and flipping through the script; she had a very peaceful time.
Qi Xu kept his word and did not come to disturb her.
It was almost 10 p.m. when Ming Yao finally prepared to take a bath.
She went to the box to get her usual pajamas, which were purple. When Ming Yao saw that color, she suddenly remembered something important.
Something extremely important!
Did Qi Xu bring her diary with him?
Ming Yao remembered that the night she moved into the small apartment, she deleted Qi Xu from her friends list and criticized him ninety-nine times in her diary.
She put it on her bedside table after she finished writing it.
Ming Yao had a bad feeling and immediately started looking for her diary.
That place was not only where she recorded the feelings of her substitute, but also the evidence of her crime of using Qi Xu as a tool. It must not be lost.
Unfortunately, what you fear most is what happens. Ming Yao emptied both suitcases and searched them thoroughly, but she still couldn’t find the light purple-covered diary.
She started to panic.
Where’s the diary?
Fortunately, the deliveryman had called her before delivering the items in the afternoon, so Ming Yao quickly found the number and called back to ask about the whereabouts of the diary.
The mechanic said, “I’m so sorry, Ms. Ming. When I was cleaning the car after work tonight, I found a purple notebook that had fallen out of the trunk. It must be the diary you mentioned.”
Ming Yao immediately breathed a sigh of relief, “Where are you now? I’ll come and get it!”
The master’s next sentence almost sent Ming Yao to her death on the spot—
“I originally planned to deliver it to you, but I didn’t know if you were resting, so I asked President Qi, and he asked me to deliver it to his office first.”
Ming Yao broke out in a cold sweat, her heart pounding, and she suddenly wasn’t sure if she had locked the diary properly after writing it for the last time.
She quickly pictured Qi Xu sitting at his desk reading her diary.
As he watched, the CEO hardened his fist.
The immersion was so strong that Ming Yao began to feel like she was gone.
With a start, she quickly stopped imagining.
Qi Xu hasn’t contacted me, which means he probably hasn’t seen the diary yet. If he had, he would have already come over.
If Ming Yao didn’t want to die right away, she only had one option left.
Before Qi Xu discovered the diary’s special features, she had to take advantage of the dark and quiet night to sneak into the lion’s den and retrieve it.
Although it sounded like a risky thing, Ming Yao had no other choice.
Fortunately, Dai Zhiyang had taken her to the president’s office before; the office building was right next to the hotel, just a short walk away.
She took a deep breath and set off.
It was 10 p.m. now, and some floors of the office building still had lights on.
However, Ming Yao was automatically stopped by the machine as soon as she arrived in the lobby on the first floor.
She couldn’t get in without an employee card.
This feeling was like excitedly opening a game, ready to beat it, only to have the power suddenly cut off and the screen go black.
They didn’t give them a chance to perform at all.
Ming Yao stood listlessly outside the lobby for a while, just as she was about to resign herself to leaving, Qi Xu’s assistant, He Zheng, came out of the elevator.
“Miss Ming? What are you doing here?”
Ming Yao recognized this person; he was the one who delivered the earrings from Qi Xu to her dorm last time.
He Zheng’s appearance immediately gave Ming Yao hope again. She suppressed her excitement and tried her best to act naturally: “I left something in President Qi’s office. I’ll go up and get it.”
“I see.” He Zheng swiped his employee card at the sensor area. “But President Qi has already left work. Why don’t you come back tomorrow?”
Ming Yao couldn’t believe that she had not only entered the office building so easily, but also heard the news that Qi Xu had already left.
It was as if heaven was on her side.
Ming Yao maintained her calm expression and walked inside without turning her head. “No, I need it urgently.”
He Zheng was stunned for a moment, and wanted to call out to her to say something, but Ming Yao had already entered the elevator the next second.
….
Ming Yao got too happy too soon; she only realized something when the others were in the elevator.
What’s the point of her coming in? Qi Xu’s office would definitely be locked. All her efforts will likely be for nothing.
She miscalculated. She should have let He Zheng come up with her; maybe he had the key and password.
But things had come to this point, and Ming Yao had no way to turn back. She could only silently hope for a miracle.
For example–
Qi Xu didn’t like to lock the door.
The elevator stopped on the floor with the president’s office.
The entire floor was dark, with all the lights off, and you couldn’t see anything.
Ming Yao wasn’t very brave, but all the scenes from horror movies set in the office flooded her mind. She stood at the elevator door for a moment, hesitating, before finally realizing…
Compared to ghosts, Qi Xu finding her diary seemed to be a little scarier.
So Ming Yao swallowed hard, turned on her phone’s flashlight, and went outside.
Everything was quiet. Ming Yao felt uneasy and walked very fast. Before long, she reached the door of Qi Xu’s office.
Her heart was pounding, and she silently prayed, her hand on the door lock— “It’s unlocked, it’s unlocked, it’s unlocked.”
Then, with a little force, the door opened easily.
Is it really not locked?!
Ming Yao couldn’t believe her luck and immediately went into her office and closed the door.
Looking out through the dim light, the huge office was completely overwhelming.
Ming Yao didn’t dare turn on the main light, so she started searching slowly from places like the desk and coffee table where she could put things. After searching the office area without finding anything, she was about to go check the reception area when she suddenly heard a very soft sound outside the office.
It sounded like someone was walking, and the sound was getting closer.
Ming Yao was stunned. She thought that if Qi Xu suddenly came back, she wouldn’t be able to explain why she was here even if she had ten mouths.
She quickly ran a few steps into the darkness into the office and found a rather secluded-looking room. Without thinking, Ming Yao opened the door and hid inside.
The room was also completely dark.
Ming Yao’s heart pounded. In her lifetime, she had experienced what it felt like to be a thief, all for the sake of a diary.
She held her breath and pressed her ear against the door, listening for any sounds outside, hoping for a safe signal. But a few seconds later, she heard a crisp snap.
The room lights came on.
??!
Ming Yao’s stress response caused her adrenaline to surge, sending a chill down her spine and to the top of her head.
After calming down for a second, she silently comforted herself, telling herself not to be afraid. Everyone was off work, and it was 99.9% not human; it must be something like a motion-sensor light.
She mustered all her courage and turned around.
All right.
Perhaps the smooth journey just now used up all the good luck, so now, this tiny 0.01% has blessed me.
A bedroom lit up with soft, dim light.
Qi Xu lay half-naked on the spacious bed, propping himself up on his arms and leisurely observing Ming Yao.
“What, I’m not going over, so you’re coming over?”
Ming Yao: “…”
The author has something to say:
Xiao Ming: A series of actions as fierce as a tiger, but when I turned around, I found it to be fu**ing absurd.
Qi Gou: Since you’re already here, why don’t you sit on the bed?
Xiao Ming (dirty): …Which one?
….
Yesterday, I asked for book titles on Weibo, and a reader’s comment, “The Adventures of Xiao Ming,” cracked me up.
Upon closer inspection, it turns out that Xiao Ming really has been on adventures all along, hahaha.
Ding ding ding~ The next chapter of the story of Xiao Ming, who rides the waves, and Qi Gou, the tool, will be available for purchase! The update time is midnight on August 26th! Note that it’s midnight the day after tomorrow, which is 12 o’clock tomorrow night.
There will be a giveaway event for verified users, so please join in! We’re eagerly awaiting your participation.
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