Chapter 42
Lin Shuangzhi returned from a meeting with the station directors, hurriedly drank some water in her office, and then called Li Wan to Qin Qianrou’s office.
“Let’s have a quick meeting to discuss the current situation and our next steps.” Lin Shuangzhi’s tone was strictly business, and Li Wan and Qin Qianrou exchanged glances.
“Team Leader, did you have a rough time with the directors?” Li Wan didn’t tease her as usual, but she was still probing.
Lin Shuangzhi glanced at her indifferently, not wanting to answer the question.
“The directors met with me today to understand the situation.” She paused, then casually glanced at Qin Qianrou. “Mainly to understand Xiao Qin’s situation in Hai City, and also about Dongsheng Group.”
Hearing that it was all about Qin Qianrou, Li Wan immediately became defensive.
“The station suppressed the Dongsheng Group investigation, so why are they still asking about it? And the media hasn’t mentioned Qianrou’s name regarding the Hai City incident, clearly showing it’s not related to the station. I don’t understand what they’re worried about!”
Those directors, who seemed to do nothing all day, only knew how to avoid responsibility. The thought made Li Wan angry, even more so than the person involved.
Qin Qianrou and Lin Shuangzhi were used to her temper. However, this was the current situation, and they had to deal with it, no matter how dissatisfied they were.
“Xiao Qin, I need you to write a report detailing the events in Hai City. Of course, it’s unofficial, the directors just want to understand the specifics.”
Lin Shuangzhi gave an apologetic smile. She had tried her best to shield Qin Qianrou, but after such a big incident, they couldn’t simply do nothing.
“I understand, I’ll finish it as soon as possible.” Qin Qianrou didn’t feel it was unreasonable. Not being held directly responsible was already a good outcome.
They had to go through the motions, and she knew the consequences of her actions.
Li Wan, her anger subsiding slightly, brought up the Dongsheng matter. “Why did the directors suddenly mention Dongsheng?”
They had been suppressing it before, forbidding any mention or investigation, making everyone think Dongsheng was some special company.
“I’m not entirely sure, but during the meeting today, I sensed the directors might be softening their stance. They subtly inquired about the current situation with Dongsheng.”
Really?
Both Qin Qianrou and Li Wan were surprised. Hadn’t they explicitly stated they weren’t allowed to touch the Dongsheng story recently?
“Don’t get too excited yet. Until they officially announce it, the previous decision still stands. However, I know you haven’t given up, so I wanted to ask, how far have you gotten with the investigation?”
Qin Qianrou had been mainly focused on the He Chao matter in Hai City, while Li Wan had been handling the Dongsheng investigation. But this was a secret between them, and Lin Shuangzhi wouldn’t get any information easily.
“Don’t look at me like that, don’t you trust me?”
Lin Shuangzhi smiled wryly. Why did Li Wan treat her like an outsider?
“It’s all just superficial stuff so far, similar to before, no substantial progress.” Qin Qianrou answered on behalf of Li Wan, which was within Lin Shuangzhi’s expectations.
“So you’re still planning to continue the investigation?”
This time, neither Qin Qianrou nor Li Wan immediately responded. Although Lin Shuangzhi had always supported them, as team leader, she also had pressure to bear.
“I know your concerns. I’ve seen the Dongsheng materials, there’s definitely a problem, but we don’t know the extent of it. And I know a few words from me won’t be enough to dissuade you.”
Lin Shuangzhi was being honest. Although she was the team leader, she couldn’t completely control these two subordinates.
“We’ll be careful, we won’t make things difficult for you, Team Leader.”
Li Wan was a little surprised and glanced at Qin Qianrou.
How come after returning from Hai City, Qianrou seems different? Actually saying such things to appease the team leader, that was almost unheard of before.
Lin Shuangzhi’s main purpose was to remind and warn them; she couldn’t impose further restrictions. Seeing that they had discussed enough, she ended the meeting.
“Milk tea is on me today, no excuses about dieting, everyone participates.” Lin Shuangzhi reminded them before leaving.
Li Wan remained seated, waiting for Qin Qianrou to finish packing up before leaving together.
“The team leader’s words were a bit strange. Do you think that was her own opinion, or the directors’?”
Qin Qianrou, highly efficient as always, had already opened a document on her computer, preparing to write the report on the Hai City situation.
“I think it was the team leader’s goodwill.”
“Qianrou, you’re actually speaking up for the team leader now.” Li Wan chuckled, her mood improving.
“How have you been lately? Any more blind dates while I was away?”
“Don’t even mention it. The blind dates have stopped for now. But that pest Zhuo Cheng keeps showing up, it’s so annoying!”
“Oh? Zhuo Cheng hasn’t given up yet?”
Li Wan was irritated. Why was her ex so persistent? The most annoying thing was that he wouldn’t confront her directly, but would instead present himself as an outstanding and talented young man in front of her father.
Although he knew her stance, Li Wan’s father would occasionally lament the missed opportunity, subtly suggesting she reconsider. Fortunately, Li Wan was resolute, and as soon as she sensed his intentions, she would immediately change the subject or leave.
Li Wan suddenly leaned closer and whispered, “Don’t tell the team leader about this, okay?”
“Why? Afraid she’ll think your relationship is affecting your work and give you a bad year-end review?”
“Qianrou, you’ve become mean, making jokes like that.” Li Wan pouted. Her usually aloof and quiet best friend was becoming increasingly different.
Someone knocked on the glass window of Qin Qianrou’s office; it was a colleague calling them out. A group of people had gathered outside; the milk tea the team leader had ordered must have arrived.
“Don’t worry, I’m not one to gossip. If you don’t say anything, no one will go running to the team leader.”
Qin Qianrou stood up, preparing to leave with Li Wan.
Her phone, inside her bag, had been vibrating for a while, but she hadn’t noticed.
Her work phone was on her desk, but her personal phone was still in her bag. With so many people in the office and the constant chatter, she hadn’t heard it.
“Wait, I need to answer a call.” Qin Qianrou stopped Li Wan, who was almost at the door, and took out her phone.
She saw that Shen Yiqiu had called her at least seven times and was still calling.
“What’s wrong?” Qin Qianrou thought there must be an emergency.
The person on the other end seemed to be momentarily stunned, then cried out anxiously, “Jiejie, why did you just answer the phone?!”
Qin Qianrou frowned. Had something serious happened to Shen Yiqiu?
“I was busy just now, what happened?”
“I’m fine, I was worried something happened to you!”
“Did you have another premonition?”
This call would probably take a while. A colleague came to urge them again, and Li Wan pointed outside, signaling for her to go out first.
“Yes, I did. But I couldn’t see their face clearly, so I don’t know who it was.”
“Don’t worry, tell me slowly.”
Qin Qianrou’s voice, finally connected, was calm and gentle, gradually soothing Shen Yiqiu’s frantic heart, though the anxiety lingered.
“But I suddenly smelled something, like Sister Li Wan’s perfume.”
“You’re saying, this premonition is related to Li Wan?”
Shen Yiqiu couldn’t be certain, but honesty was better than concealment in this situation. She described the repeating image she had seen, though she didn’t understand its meaning.
“Okay, I understand. I’ll handle it, don’t worry.”
Qin Qianrou quickly hung up and hurried out, seeing almost everyone holding a cup of milk tea.
There were only two or three cups left on the table, presumably Qin Qianrou’s and the team leader’s.
Li Wan was also holding a cup, seemingly having taken a few sips.
“Qianrou, come here quickly, yours is still warm.”
Li Wan called out to her friend, but Qin Qianrou suddenly snatched the milk tea from her hand. The sudden movement startled Li Wan, splashing a few drops on her face.
“What are you doing?” Having never seen Qin Qianrou act like this, Li Wan was stunned.
Qin Qianrou anxiously examined the milk tea, then looked at Li Wan’s face. There didn’t seem to be anything unusual.
However, the urgency in Shen Yiqiu’s voice had been genuine. She had said she had a premonition, that someone was adding something to a drink, but which one? The takeout drink containers all looked similar; there were no distinguishing features.
“Qianrou, what’s wrong with you?” Li Wan took a tissue from a colleague and wiped her face, worried by Qin Qianrou’s serious and tense expression.
Could it be that phone call? Li Wan didn’t want to ask in front of so many people, but her curiosity grew.
“Xiao Wan, are you feeling unwell?”
“No.”
“Not before, I mean right now, do you feel anything unusual?”
Li Wan chuckled, finding Qin Qianrou’s paranoia amusing.
“Don’t laugh, I’m serious. Answer me properly!”
Qin Qianrou’s intensity made Li Wan cautious. But she genuinely felt fine, was she supposed to pretend to be unwell?
Just as they were at a standstill, a colleague suddenly exclaimed,
“Ouch, my stomach hurts!”
“Seriously? Now that you mention it, I don’t feel so good either, I feel a little nauseous.”
One after another, colleagues started leaving. Qin Qianrou glanced at the milk tea cups they had hurriedly put down, most of them half-empty.
Li Wan’s expression turned serious, and she looked at Qin Qianrou. “Qianrou, what’s going on?”
“I’m not sure yet, but someone must have tampered with the drinks. Tell them not to throw them away, preserve the evidence.”
Before they could finish speaking, someone collapsed on the spot, vomiting and convulsing, their symptoms more severe than the others.
The office was now in chaos, and someone immediately called for an ambulance.
Fortunately, their conditions didn’t worsen further. The most severely affected colleagues were taken to the hospital, and the others didn’t dare to drink anymore. Li Wan instructed them to carefully store the milk tea separately and not touch it.
After the police arrived and took statements, the milk tea was collected as evidence.
Lin Shuangzhi rubbed her temples, wondering what was going on.
A simple gesture of offering milk tea had turned into such a mess.
Although many suspected the milk tea shop’s hygiene standards, Qin Qianrou knew this was deliberate.
But she had no proof, except for Shen Yiqiu.
However, Shen Yiqiu couldn’t be involved publicly; her past experiences and her identity weren’t suitable for further media exposure.
Her phone rang again, and Qin Qianrou quickly answered.
“Jiejie, how is it over there? Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, Li Wan is fine too, don’t worry.”
Li Wan was standing beside Qin Qianrou and could hear the voice on the other end. Hearing her name mentioned, she guessed it was Shen Yiqiu.
A clear sigh of relief came from the phone, and a faint smile touched Qin Qianrou’s lips. She waited for Shen Yiqiu to continue, but she remained silent.
Just as Qin Qianrou thought there was nothing else and was about to hang up, Shen Yiqiu suddenly spoke.
“Could you come downstairs?”
“What?”
Another brief pause, then Shen Yiqiu’s voice, even softer and more hesitant, came through.
“I’m downstairs at the TV station, I wanted to see you.”
Qin Qianrou was about to ask why she had suddenly come from the university when she realized it must be out of concern, so she simply agreed without further questions.
Outside, a light but steady drizzle had started. Shen Yiqiu was wearing a sports jacket, her shoulders damp from the rain.
Qin Qianrou, emerging from the TV station in her high heels, saw Shen Yiqiu running towards her before she could even speak.
“Hurry up and go back inside, it’s raining, you’ll slip in those high heels.”
Qin Qianrou couldn’t help but laugh, looking at her. “You’re only worried about me, what about yourself?”
Shen Yiqiu looked down at herself, puzzled. She was wearing sneakers, flat ones, there was no problem.
Qin Qianrou hadn’t brought anything with her, only her phone. But she still reached out and brushed the raindrops off Shen Yiqiu’s shoulders. Thankfully, the jacket was water-resistant.
“I just wanted to check on you, I’m glad you’re alright.” Shen Yiqiu belatedly realized her sudden appearance might seem a bit abrupt.
“Thank you.”
Shen Yiqiu suddenly found it difficult to hear Qin Qianrou thanking her; if anything, she should be the one thanking Qin Qianrou. Without her, she wouldn’t be living such a free life, and she wouldn’t have witnessed He Chao’s downfall.
She impulsively embraced Qin Qianrou, the panic from the unanswered calls earlier surging back.
Before Qin Qianrou could react, Shen Yiqiu pleaded softly, “Don’t let me lose contact with you again, okay? I was so worried today!”
Qin Qianrou, instinctively wanting to pull away from the sudden embrace, was held even tighter.
The soft plea by her ear revealed deep concern and lingering fear. Sensing the genuine emotion, Qin Qianrou stopped struggling, and instead gently patted Shen Yiqiu’s back.
“Okay, I’ll check my phone more often.”
The person embracing her trembled slightly, and Qin Qianrou didn’t say anything more.
Li Wan, following Qin Qianrou downstairs, had thought she was rushing down for something urgent, but what she saw at the entrance was this scene.
Although she knew Shen Yiqiu’s situation and understood that this embrace didn’t necessarily mean anything, the atmosphere was undeniably… charged.
Beautiful, yet, Li Wan couldn’t help but interrupt. “Sorry to interrupt you two, but this is a public place, people are coming and going, this might not be a good look.”
Shen Yiqiu released her hold, blushing at Li Wan’s words.
Qin Qianrou glanced at Li Wan, signaling her not to tease them.
Smelling Li Wan’s perfume again, Shen Yiqiu confirmed that her earlier sensation had been real. She had indeed smelled it, so was Li Wan the target this time?
“Kid, what’s with that look? I was just reminding you to maintain your image, and you’re not happy about it?”
“No, no, I’m not unhappy.” Shen Yiqiu quickly explained, then looked at Li Wan again, relieved. “I’m so glad you’re alright.”
Li Wan looked at Qin Qianrou curiously. “What’s going on? Is today’s incident related to me?”
Qin Qianrou glanced at the weather outside and sighed. “Let’s talk somewhere else.”
So, Shen Yiqiu followed them to the café on the first floor, a place usually reserved for receiving visitors or holding small business meetings. But unusually, at this time of day, the café wasn’t crowded.
After hearing the story, Li Wan’s mood soured.
“There’s such a thing? If it was targeting me, why am I fine after drinking the milk tea?”
Qin Qianrou frowned and remained silent.
Shen Yiqiu shook her head helplessly. If only she knew more, she wouldn’t be so frantic every time she had a premonition.
“I remember the person was wearing a silver bracelet with a crescent moon pendant.”
Her premonition hadn’t shown a face this time, only the repeating image, but she remembered the hand.
“Bracelet? Pendant?”
Qin Qianrou and Li Wan both tried to recall, and after a moment, they seemed to have thought of the same person.
Li Wan exclaimed, “No way, could it be her?”
Shen Yiqiu was startled by her reaction. “You know her?”
“More than just knowing her, we’re quite familiar.”
Li Wan facepalmed. What is going on? She had thought the dramatic stories in the news were absurd enough, but she hadn’t expected something even more absurd to happen so close to home.
Seeing Li Wan ignoring her, Shen Yiqiu turned to Qin Qianrou.
“Jiejie, do you know who it is?”
“Don’t worry, we know how to handle this.”
Being excluded again, Shen Yiqiu felt a pang of disappointment. But she understood this involved internal matters at the TV station, and it wasn’t appropriate for her to be involved.
However, Qin Qianrou’s dismissive attitude made her feel a little hurt.
“Go back after the rain stops, and don’t skip class again.”
Qin Qianrou and Li Wan had already regained their composure, and Shen Yiqiu couldn’t help but admire their resilience. A normal person encountering such a thing would be frantic for a while, then go on and on about it.
“I don’t have class this afternoon, I didn’t skip class.” Shen Yiqiu still felt the need to defend herself.
But she knew, even if she had class, she would have come. She needed to see with her own eyes that Qin Qianrou was safe and sound.
“Since you don’t have class, go back early and take a hot shower.”
Shen Yiqiu obediently nodded, accepting Qin Qianrou’s arrangement. As she stepped out of the TV station, the rain had indeed stopped, and she felt a strange sense of disappointment.
“Jiejie will treat you to dinner sometime soon.” Li Wan patted Shen Yiqiu’s shoulder, the scent of her perfume wafting over again.
This time, Shen Yiqiu was used to it; it didn’t seem as pungent anymore.
She smiled, thanked her, and then bid them farewell.
Watching Shen Yiqiu’s retreating figure, Li Wan turned to Qin Qianrou and said, “Qianrou, it seems we’re becoming more and more reliant on this little one.”
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