Chapter 32
Many students glanced up at her while doing their papers.
Zhong Zinuan finished all the questions with ease, handed in her paper ahead of time, and walked out of the classroom.
She didn’t go home but got into her car and made a phone call. “Is everything I asked you to prepare ready?”
“We’re all friends here. You won’t lose out.”
“Clean up your tracks better. Mother will definitely be angry. You don’t want her catching you, do you?”
After hanging up, she drove all the way to the Le Corporation building, entered the elevator like she knew the place well, skipping the front desk registration process.
The elevator took her directly to the top floor — the president’s office.
Zhong Zinuan knocked on the door, and a voice from inside replied, “Come in.”
“Darling, I turned in my paper early and came to see you. Is work busy today?”
The short-haired woman, who had been focused on her computer, softened her previously cold expression at the sound of her voice. “Not busy.”
——
If Zhong Ning were present, she could have recognized her without an introduction — Le Xi, the original novel’s female lead attacker, who supposedly took on the role of a dissolute president reformed by love.
Zhong Ning was actually curious — after hearing friends gush countless times about how sweet the romance was.
But she truly didn’t have time right now.
The engagement banquet date was already set. The invitation design had also been chosen and would be distributed to all the major families tomorrow. Meanwhile, she was being tormented by stylists, having to select her look for the big day in advance. From head to toe, including the outfit, everything had to be tailor made and handcrafted by top designers.
It was a grueling task.
It wasn’t exactly exhausting, most of the process was just sitting. But to say it wasn’t — she had to be restrained in a chair and let everyone measure her like a doll obediently.
Today was just for hair treatment. The specific hairstyle would be designed after the dress was finished so that it could be coordinated accordingly.
By then, it would be even more hectic than today.
Zhong Ning had attended her sister’s wedding and had seen how the bride got up at three in the morning to put on makeup. She felt that what she was going through today wasn’t all that different from what her sister endured.
A strand of highlighted hair on her head was deemed an eyesore by her mother, who ordered the hairdresser to dye it back.
As a result, when Fu Nanshuang saw her, she almost spat out her wine.
“That’s way too much,” she clicked her tongue. “Didn’t you once say highlights were your lifeline and you’d never change them, even if you died?”
Zhong Ning said, “Mother insisted I dye it black.”
Fu Nanshuang tried to hold back her laughter while attempting to console her, her expression contorted. Meanwhile, Zheng Xuan looked like a seasoned veteran, gestured for Zhong Ning to sit down, and said, “Just dye it back after the engagement banquet. The Zhong Head is way too controlling. What’s wrong with a little dye? So old-fashioned.”
The bar’s resident singer downstairs was performing a soothing and gentle English song. Blue and purple lights illuminate the room in a soft glow, and double-layered crystal curtains hanging down cast a hazy shadow over the private room.
It had been a week since Xie Shiqing last got angry. Zhong Ning had hurried to get familiar with the people in their small social circle and couldn’t refuse the invitation to the gathering, so she had no choice but to come out and meet them.
Besides Fu Nanshuang and Zheng Xuan, there were two other long-haired women — one with blonde hair and the other with pink. They were close, intimately leaning on each other, smiling at her.
They were a couple. Not married yet, but soon — their wedding was scheduled for the end of the year.
The group varied in age, with Zhong Ning being the youngest and Zheng Xuan the oldest. Zheng Xuan had already been married for several years.
Zhong Ning glanced around and felt that their little group really shouldn’t be called a “no-marriage alliance” — “hair dye alliance” would be more fitting. Zheng Xuan’s hair was blue-black, while Fu Nanshuang had dyed her hair ends purple again — the gradient from burgundy to dark violet resembled a sunset. It was flamboyant, but also strikingly beautiful.
She touched her newly blackened strand of hair and sighed with melancholy.
In fact, she quite liked the highlight. Her original appearance was more or less the same as now — distinct and sharp features. She had tried many hairstyles, but never this kind of highlight. Now that it was gone, she truly felt regretful.
Fu Nanshuang finally managed to hold back her urge to laugh, took another sip of her drink to suppress it, and teased, “Come on, everyone’s here now. We can finally start celebrating my singlehood.”
“How come it’s about you? It’s clearly to congratulate Little Ning for getting into a relationship,” the pink-haired woman rolled her eyes at her.
“Fine, fine, I’ve been outvoted.” Fu Nanshuang chuckled and raised her beer. “Whatever, we’re celebrating — cheers!”
Zhong Ning looked at the beer on the table and opted for a sundae instead. “Cheers.”
“What, you’re not even drinking now?” Fu Nanshuang stared at the ice cream in her hand.
“Shiqing doesn’t like the smell of alcohol,” Zhong Ning said.
It wasn’t entirely an excuse — Xie Shiqing truly disliked the scent of alcohol. In the vast villa, there wasn’t even a wine cellar. It was rather extreme.
With someone like Xie Shiqing, no one could ever expect her to lower herself to drink for socializing — everyone else simply catered to her preferences.
Facing the knowing or teasing looks from others, Zhong Ning lifted her sundae cup to hide her slightly flushed face.
Why were they looking at her like that? Seriously.
Hadn’t they ever seen someone in love?
————————
Zhong Ning: What’s wrong with spoiling my wife! She deserves it!
Xie Shiqing felt something was off.
At first, she genuinely believed that Zhong Ning was trying to please her because she wanted to use the engagement to gain power.
But the more time they spent together, the more wrong it felt.
Could someone so straightforward and predictable really change so drastically?
She did believe Zhong Ning was capable of wanting to fight for the Zhong family inheritance, whether relying on her own abilities or with help from friends, and willing to act on it.
Not that she cared much about the Zhong family, but she definitely didn’t want to see Zhong Zinuan and Madam Zhong doing well — that part was true.
But even so, with Zhong Ning’s capabilities, there was no way she could act so flawlessly, with not a single crack showing, to the point that it felt completely natural.
If she truly had that skill, she would have dealt with Zhong Zinuan and her mother ages ago — how could she have ended up in her current situation?