CEO Above, Me Below

Chapter 35

“This search is not correct!” Xiaonian said anxiously .

“Will you please search again? ”

“Enough!” Gong Ouyang gloomily swept his eyes over Xiaonian, his voice angry . “I don’t want listen to this nonsense in the morning . Let’s have breakfast . ”

“But . . ”

“No buts” Gong OUyang rose from his seat and grabbed her slender wrist and pulled her towards him . When she was pulled into him, he bent his face down until his lips almost touched hers, “Shi Xiaonian, there is no substantive evidence to support your silly claims, so stop talking nonsense . ”

“… . ”

“Understood?” Gong Ouyang bit her upper lip until she flinched in pain .

When Xiaonian did not say anything, he frowned in displeasure, “Well?”

“…I’ll make the breakfast . ”

She was weak in front of him .

“That’s better” Gong Ouyang hooked his lips in a smile and watched her leave . Turning towards his housekeeper, he said, “Feng De, arrange a meeting two hours later at the head quarters to discuss the acquisition of Long Tai . If I don’t get any useful suggestions, they can consider themselves fired .

“Yes young master . ”

Feng De lowered his head and turned to leave the room . As he was leaving he couldn’t help but turn his head in the direction Xiaonian left, his eyes were clouded with sympathy . Although the young master was prone to violence, he was averse to touching people . But with her, his master was almost inseparable . It was like he could only stay calm with her by his side .

Was it a good thing?

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After breakfast, Gong Ouyang left with his guards, leaving behind Xiaonian to unpack her things while ruminating over the Baja cruise incident .

As long as she found Tang Yi, a university student who was working with her at that time, it would help her to prove her innocence . She shared a room with her on Baja and that person can vouch that she stayed inside their room all through out the night .

However, she lost contacts with almost all of her college classmates and at present she had no information or contacts of them .

How can she find Tang Yi?

Can she ask Gong Ouyang for help? May be he would want to know the truth as much and would be willing?

She immediately shook her head at that ridiculous idea . How can he help her when he so firmly believes that she was the culprit .

What can she do now?

Xiaonian was getting upset at the lack of her options and could not help but sigh . As she was trying to think of ways to get hold of Tang Yi’s contact, her phone notification sound rang . When she picked up the phone, the screen displayed a strange number, Feng De?

The message from Feng De requested her to buy dishes from a nearby porcelain store?

Was it Gong Ouyang who asked him to message her? With Gong Ouyang’s character, he most probably ordered her and the kind butler was too nice to phrase it so in the message .

But, dishes?

She remembered his criticism about her cutlery in her apartment . He really was uptight about something as mundane as cutlery .

How annoying .

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Please consider reading this on the translator's website: amatertranslations . blogspot . com

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Grumbling about this rich person’s weird eccentricities, she changed into her street wear she pulled out from one of the boxes and headed out after picking up her wallet and some change .

Xiaonian took the elevator up to the first floor . When the doors opened into the floor hallway, she saw that there were already two people, a handsome man and a beautiful woman holding hands, in the hallway .

Xiaonian’s eyes widened in shock as she looked at Mu Qian Chu and Shi Yue before her .

Her mind blanked in an instant . A lot of things have been happening and the fact that she saw someone like Mu Qian Chu yesterday had completely slipped off her mind until now .

It looked like the person she saw yesterday was not someone who looked like Mu Qian Chu but the person himself .

Once she regained her senses, her first instinct was to hide herself in the elevator from them . Unfortunately that was not possible, unless a dimensional door opened up in one of the elevator walls .

Her fingers twitched in embarrassment . She did not really understand why she felt the need to hide herself from them .

Although, in the past, she had presumably made herself a fool in front of them, but now, hadn’t she clearly drawn a line? So why was this hard?

“Mu Qian Chu, you are going to be busy again? Hmph! believe it or not, I have a movie coming up and I’ll be so busy that we can’t keep up with each other . ” Shi Yue’s iconic little girl’s voice rang in the hall .

Their line of sight was away from the elevator and for the time being, Xiaonian was safely out of their view, but there was no way she can exit the elevator without confronting them .

“Well, we will get married soon,” Mu Qian Chu said, “and I’ll be home everyday to see you . ”

“Really?”

“Of course, how can I deceive you?” he said as he gently pulled her with him around the corner slowly getting away from the elevator .

Xiaonian stood still for a moment in numbness . She was definitely not in pain, she told herself . After all, she had given up . And, Mu Qian Chu using the word ‘home’ just told her the importance he placed on Shi Yue . It was only natural . This was expected . Of course, it is .

Mindlessly, she walked out of the elevator, still reeling from shock that they lived here . Of all the places, why here?

She laughed low humorlessly .

Of course, they could be here . Mu Qian Chu was rich and he would want the best for Shi Yue . It was her who shouldn’t be here . A poor artist who couldn’t even afford to spend on clothes for new year because her pay check barely covered for her roof and food, how could she afford to be in a place like Tian Zhi?

A person like her wouldn’t even be allowed near the security door .

Tian Zhi, apart from being most expensive, was also home to some of the richest business men and stars because it affords a great deal of privacy . It made sense that Mu Qian Chu, a rich heir and Shi Yue, a popular star, would choose this place for their home .

If anything, it was weird that she became their neighbor .

If they knew that she was here, god only knows what criticisms they would fling her way .

“…”

Xiaonian chewed her red lips for long time considering the implications . But, there really was nothing she can do here . Even if she wanted to do something here, the decision wasn’t really in her hands . After a long time, she put her hands in the sweater and went outside .

Outside, the sun shone bright and a beams of light fell on the flower beds along the road and the nearby fountain rose and fell in intervals .

Xiaonian browsed through the stores looking for the Porcelain store Feng De mentioned in his message . Along her way, she saw country officials, second generation heirs, and other people of the upper class of the society .

Soon, she found the Porcelain gallery . It was was a big store with glass displays displaying extremely beautiful and delicate porcelain wear .

She was struck dumb for a few seconds . How was this a cutlery store? This was clearly an expensive artwork sale of porcelains!

Gong Ouyang wants to use these expenses things to eat her home made food?

He is crazy, right?

Hahahaha…

He is crazy!

“Miss, do you need me to show you anything? Please tell me what you need” a dignified looking young man in white shirt and black trousers asked her with a smile .

“I…I want to take a look” Xiaonian said flustered . How can she say that she is looking for some kitchen bowls!

The person escorted her inside the store and enthusiastically showed her the goods .

“Miss you look like a relatively low key person, so, I thin this subdued design will be more suitable for you . ”

“……”

She wasn’t low key, she was just wearing some cheap clothes she bought at discount store near her home . T_T

Xiaonian was by nature a very shy person . She always kept to herself and rarely made any contact with the opposite sex . She was unaware of the appreciative glances from her male classmates and the females she knew rarely made it a point to tell her about her beauty . In fact, her beauty was leaps and bounds beyond even the most popular star including Shi Yue . It was also one of the reasons why Shi Yue guarded so closely against Xiaonian .

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Please consider reading this on the translator's website: amatertranslations . blogspot . com

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So when Xiaonian walked into the store, with her face, the store sales person assumed that she belonged to the high society .

He kept showing her different pieces but the price tags that followed them literally scared the wits out of her . She could buy two of her old houses with one this small bowl!

The man insisted on showing her more varieties, but Xiaonian had enough of the insane prices so she searched for an excuse to leave when a contemptuous mocking sound came from behind her .

“So it was you . Shi Xiaonian, I really underestimated your stalking abilities . ”

Even before she turned around, she recognized who the voice belonged to .

Mu Qian Chu .

Just an hour back she decided to stay away from them and this quickly she was found . The fate was definitely having a laugh at her misfortune right now .

Mu Qian Chu stood beside a black wooden show case, his face was expressionless but his eyes were cold as he looked at her .

So, he saw her at the elevator . Was that why he steered Shi Yue away from the elevator then?

“……”

Xiaonian tried to stop the involuntary painful pangs in her heart .

“Mr Mu,” the attendant recognized Mu Qian Chu at a glance, “our rest area is over there, if you can wait there, we will bring over some refreshments and catalogues for your perusal . ”

“Good” Mu Qian Chu said coldly .

Xiaonian wanted to immediately leave and was preparing to do just that after informing the sales man . But as soon she started searching for him with her eyes, Mu Qian Chu spoke to her coldly, “How did you come here? You cannot afford to rent a house here and you can’t have any friends in this area . ”

The way he spoke to her was earth and heavens different from the way he spoke to Shi Yue . Forget Shi Yue, she had seen him speak better to a stranger . But she, she only got contempt from him . But then again, perhaps she deserved this for meddling in his life when he hated it .

Watching him pick up the coffee bough by the waiter, she said, “You don’t have to worry . I was not following you . ”

The sales attendant went inside to show her another set that had recently arrived and he still wasn’t out . She stood there waiting fidgeting .

Sunlight shone through the floor to ceiling windows, washing their section in a moment of brightness .

The attendant who brought the refreshments was momentarily dazzled at the picture Xiaonian painted with her cream sweater bathed in the bright sunlight . Her black hair that fell on her back sparkled like a thousand diamonds were embedded in them and her skin glowed, she looked like an ethereal being .

Mu Qian Chu looked up at the attendant who froze before him and follows his sight to Xiaonian . He clenched his fist and made a tapping noise on the table . The attendant jerked at the noise and moved his gaze away from Xiaonian in embarrassment .

Mu Qian Chu snorted in disgust . This was all she was worth . A beautiful face . But what does it matter when her character is so twisted and nauseating . Humph!

Xiaonian raised her face to look at Mu Qian Chu and flinched at the look in his eyes . Sure enough, there was no way she could convince him that she had no interest in involving with either him or Shi Yue .

Previously she followed him around persistently asking him o remember her, how could he believe her so easily?

“I’ll leave now . ”

It’s better to keep as much distance between them as possible .

“Oh” Mu qian chen sneered at her looking extremely satirical .

Mu Qian Chu watched her every move since he came here to make sure of her motives . But she really did not seem the same as before . Before, she used keep mentioning random things of past whenever she saw him .

“Is this another trick of yours?” Mu Qian Chu said expressionlessly, “your strategies surely are endless . ”

That was the only way he can define her motives now .

A trick .

Xiaonian stiffened at her spot . For the first time, she looked at him without trying to see the shadow of his past in him .

The two pairs of eyes stared at each other for a short moment .

Mu Qian Chu was the one to look away first and inexplicably, he felt a sense of defeat well up inside him .

Xiaonian picked up her bag from the counter and said, “I really gave up on you . ”

“Well, if you did, why don’t you tell me why you appeared in Tian Zhi?” he asked as if he he could barely believe her .

Hearing the question Xiaonian stilled .

What can she tell about her presence here in Tian Zhi?

Could she tell that she is now one of Gong Ouyang’s women . That he gave her a place here in this expensive apartments?

Even if the situation pushed her to the bottom, she still wanted to maintain an illusion of some sort of self esteem .

“It has nothing to do with you” Xiaonian could only give such an answer . “I’m leaving . ”

Mu Qian Chu stood up and moved in front of her, he was almost 6 feet tall and easily blocked the light . He looked at her indifferently, “Shi Yue’s pregnant now, I won’t tolerate any harm to befall her . ”

Xiaonian felt the onset of a slight headache at this display of affection towards his fiancee . A few days back, Shi Yue told her something to her along the same lines . What are these people doing? Displaying their love in front of her?

She had told them time and time again that she wasn’t interested in causing any disturbances in their lives and stayed away . At present, she was struggling to save her life from the whims of a crazy person like Gong Ouyang . She could barely breath sometimes when she imagines what her life could be if she can’t produce any evidence to prove her innocence . Will she even be alive?

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Please consider reading this on the translator's website: amatertranslations . blogspot . com

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She had personal experience with the ruthlessness of Gong Ouyang’s . That person pushed her near death because he did not get what he wanted . How can she hope to stay intact with a person like that?

And here he was, talking about how she could harm Shi Yue because of her existence in this place .

She really wanted to laugh . This situation was insane and yet she couldn’t cry . She even started to wonder if the experiences in the past few days were a wake up call . She certainly was able to put this part of her life into perspective .

The last glimmer of wishful thinking she had towards this Mu Qian Chu was snuffed out just like that in a porcelain gallery near Tian Zhi .

“Mu Qian Chu, I will not bother you again . I hope from now onwards, when we come across each other we can move on without recognizing the other person . ”

“… . . ”

Such a thing, it was laws him who said it, but hearing those words from her mouth made him feel defeated .

Standing with his back to the sunlight, Xiaonian couldn't make out any expressions on his face . Just as well, she had no more energy for this .

“Good bye” she said and walked away from him resolutely .

But god obviously had different plans for her, because in the next second, the sales person who attended her came back and Xiaonian who didn’t see him crashed into him making him drop the boxes in his hand .

Cling!

The delicate sound of porcelain breaking in the boxes rang throughout the store .

And just like that, in a second, a whole box of expensive china became a pile of worthless pieces .