If there must be embarrassment, it could only be due to her past foolishness. Too stupid and weak, allowing herself to be bullied.

Du Zhaoqi sneered, “Of course, it was with my permission. Without my consent, where do you think you got the right? A mere painting worth 400,000 Hong Kong dollars means nothing to me! But do you know how much the entire Cheng Rong Group is worth? How many such paintings it could buy?”

The market value of Cheng Rong Group was beyond Ye Xiaoqiong’s imagination.

“I don’t care how much you spent on this painting under my direction, but Cheng Rong Group is worth a thousand, ten thousand times more. You still think you can influence my decisions?”

Ye Xiaoqiong closed her eyes. “Second Young Master, have you always suspected I wouldn’t be loyal to you? Have you never truly trusted me…”

Du Zhaoqi threw the painting at her face. “You need to be worthy of my trust! Why did Du Zhaohui create Cheng Rong Plaza? Because of Xia Xiaolan! Xia Xiaolan helps Du Zhaohui, making her my enemy. You show weakness to my enemy, you’re indecisive, and you still expect me to trust you?”

Du Zhaoqi stepped over the desk, and grabbed Ye Xiaoqiong’s chin, forcing her to meet his gaze: “Do you know why your ex-husband’s family could bully you? It’s because you’re indecisive, your pride is misplaced. You can’t stand on your own yet want to live with dignity. How laughable!”

“You’ve truly disappointed me. I thought you would be grateful and loyal to me.”

“Second Young Master, I haven’t betrayed you. I just felt you didn’t need to cooperate with Xia Ziyu. She’s dragging innocent people into this conflict. Even if Xia Xiaolan is helping Du Zhaohui, what does this have to do with Xia Xiaolan’s mother—”

Du Zhaoqi tightened his grip on her face, his eyes dark: “Shut up. I don’t need you teaching me how to handle matters. Ye Xiaoqiong, do you know what others say about you? They say you climbed into my bed to become my special assistant. Now I almost wish they were right – at least then you’d have some use to me.”

He watched as Ye Xiaoqiong’s face grew increasingly pale.

He had once admired Ye Xiaoqiong and valued her.

He had given her chances.

This was the second time Ye Xiaoqiong had wavered, betraying his trust.

Du Zhaoqi would never trust this woman again.

He wanted to destroy her, punish her.

What method should he use?

Revoke all of Ye Xiaoqiong’s privileges, halt her revenge, and destroy everything she cared about.

Only such punishment could vent Du Zhaoqi’s rage and disappointment.

Now Ye Xiaoqiong dressed fashionably, indistinguishable from the stylish office ladies outside.

And among those women in the company, nine out of ten wanted to seduce him.

Did Ye Xiaoqiong want to seduce him? Did she know she was attractive?

She must have known, perhaps she had even seen through his admiration, thought herself special, and thus became so unrestrained, testing his patience—

Well then, he would have to oblige her!

Du Zhaoqi had always maintained the image of a good boy. He excelled in his studies, and after going abroad, he even took up outdoor sports, so he wasn’t a physically weak scholar.

But even if he were a weak scholar, what of it?

A man’s strength was naturally greater than a woman’s.

He grabbed Ye Xiaoqiong, and she couldn’t break free.

Du Zhaoqi tore her clothes… Ye Xiaoqiong was terrified, struggling with all her limbs:

“Second Young Master!”

“This office is completely soundproof. You can scream as loud as you want, and see if anyone outside barges in. Or if you’d like an audience, I don’t mind!”

When working at the docks carrying heavy loads, Ye Xiaoqiong had become very tanned. After so long without physical labor, away from sun and wind, staying indoors, she had gradually regained her fair complexion.

But now, her face was the palest part of her body.

She went from fierce resistance to utter despair.

When Du Zhaoqi succeeded, Ye Xiaoqiong’s face was filled with pain.

They say intimacy, but she felt no pleasure from beginning to end – this was force!

She had truly brought shame to the Ye family…

The painting she had yearned to recover lay on the floor beneath her, now soiled.

Perhaps this was her karma – she had once intended to do this to Zhou Yi, forgetting the teachings of the sages she had read. Because the Yuan family was evil, she too had abandoned her principles.

So, in the end, it all came back to her.

Du Zhaoqi pressed down on her, while Ye Xiaoqiong stared vacantly at the ceiling, her eyes unfocused.

Du Zhaoqi seemed to despise her intensely, refusing to touch her after he was done.

Ye Xiaoqiong silently put on her torn clothes.

“Second Young Master, I betrayed your trust, but after today, we’re even.”

She had brought this upon herself.

Xia Xiaolan had shown her the right path.

She had sought shortcuts for revenge.

Reality proved she was wrong.

Du Zhaoqi was also wrong – this act degraded both her and himself!

Du Zhaoqi straightened his clothes, looking at Ye Xiaoqiong with contempt and cruelty:

“Ye Xiaoqiong, you think sleeping with me once means I’ll forgive you, that we can go our separate ways? This is just a bit of interest. I know you look down on Xia Ziyu, but I’ll make you become a second Xia Ziyu. No, you’re not even her equal – she at least gets to be a pampered songbird, while you’ll be nothing but a caged sparrow without freedom.”

Ye Xiaoqiong bit her lip.

Du Zhaoqi sneered, “Should I let you go, so you can tip off Du Zhaohui? Ye Xiaoqiong, you can’t go anywhere. You must stay by my side, not because I like you or can’t leave you, but because I want you to watch how I defeat Du Zhaohui—”

Ye Xiaoqiong’s body stiffened.

Du Zhaoqi pressed the phone on his desk, and a respectful voice came through:

“Second Young Master, as per your instructions, all documents and files have been delivered to the Du family mansion.”

Du Zhaoqi hung up and turned to smile at Ye Xiaoqiong:

“Others are more loyal than you, they work for me when paid. Look at yourself, getting all battered up for nothing.”

Ye Xiaoqiong smiled bitterly.

Indeed, those people in Pengcheng, though they followed her orders, were only superficial about it.

So even though she burned one copy of the documents, another copy had long been handed to Du Zhaoqi.

Du Zhaoqi… had never truly trusted her.

In the temperature-controlled office, Ye Xiaoqiong felt an all-encompassing coldness wrapping around her. She clutched her torn blouse tightly, trying to grasp the last bit of warmth.

…

It was again the day for Xia Ziyu to return to the Du family mansion.

As usual, she ignored Liu Keying and the Third Concubine, while flattering the Second Concubine.

The second Concubine appeared cold towards her but had already given her the investigated documents.

Xia Ziyu read them page by line.

Reading about Liu Fen’s legendary experience.

Reading about Liu Yong’s changes.

Everything was different from before.

Her guess was correct – it was Liu Fen.

“What methods did you use to marry the mayor of Pengcheng…”

Xia Ziyu muttered, wishing she could devour Liu Fen whole.

Yes, if Liu Fen retained her memories from before, could recognize the Pengcheng mayor, approach him, and use every means to scheme her way into marriage with him, it wasn’t really surprising.

After all, Wang Jianhua had once had a successful career, and though Liu Fen had been meek all her life, she might have met the current Pengcheng mayor at some event through Wang Jianhua’s connections.