Chapter 36: A Chance Encounter on the Court

To make a good first impression, Shen Manli presented herself as incredibly amiable and approachable in front of everyone upon her arrival.

"Welcome, Secretary Shen! From now on, we are all colleagues on the same project!"

No matter how well Shen Manli performed, there were still those who were dissatisfied. After all, Lu Qiqi did not just have one secretary; she had an entire secretarial department. The position of project lead had long been vacant, and everyone assumed it would be filled by a promotion from within their ranks of high achievers. No one expected Shen Manli to be parachuted into the role. While they offered fake praise, everyone harbored their own hidden agendas.

"If you have any questions, feel free to come to me. I will definitely help you solve them!" Seeing everyone applauding her, Shen Manli genuinely believed her new colleagues were friendly and excited, and she continued to seek attention.

Meanwhile, whispers rippled through the secretarial department.

"Did you hear? Shen Manli has started managing the project!"

"We are all top graduates from prestigious universities who have worked diligently in this company for years. Why should it go to her?"

The entire department seethed with resentment, gossiping behind her back. Everyone had been eyeing that position, only for it to be snatched up by a useless vase.

"I also heard she has a very close relationship with our CEO. Isn't this just nepotism?"

"It’s infuriating. That position should have been ours. Can she really be so arrogant just because she has backing?"

"All our hard work meant nothing; she just walked in and became the lead."

As everyone discussed the powerful connections behind Shen Manli, their collective indignation grew. Lu Qiqi happened to walk past the office and overheard everything. Seeing that her goal had been achieved, she felt quite satisfied. Lu Qiqi knew perfectly well that this Shen Manli was an appointment made by Si Qinyu, but she hadn't expected them to lose their patience so quickly. What exactly were these two planning?

She pondered for a long time without reaching a conclusion. After some thought, Lu Qiqi decided that perhaps finding a way to coax the truth out of him directly would be more effective. With this in mind, she prepared a candlelight dinner to reward Si Qinyu, hoping to extract information from him.

Returning home, Lu Qiqi personally prepared a romantic dinner and set out wine, intending to wait for Si Qinyu to let his guard down. When Si Qinyu arrived home, he was shocked to find a lavish candlelight dinner awaiting him, the atmosphere exceptionally romantic with rose petals scattered about.

"What is this?" he asked in surprise. Just then, Lu Qiqi approached.

"Honey, you're back! I’ve prepared a candlelight dinner for you!"

The table was filled with steak and gourmet food. Lu Qiqi smiled warmly, claiming she had prepared everything herself. Seeing her uncharacteristic affection, Si Qinyu felt uneasy and hesitantly asked, "Is today our wedding anniversary?"

"Of course not! It’s just that you’ve been working so hard lately, so I wanted to treat you."

Lu Qiqi pulled Si Qinyu to the table and acted the part of a devoted, loving wife to lower his defenses. "How is it? Do you like the dinner I made?" She attentively served him food, playing the role of a virtuous spouse.

"It's delicious. It's been a while, and your cooking has improved even more."

The two sat amidst the romantic candlelight, each harboring their own secrets.

"We haven't spent much time nurturing our relationship lately. Let's have a toast," Lu Qiqi said with a joyful expression, pouring him a drink.

"I'm very happy you're being so sweet to me today." Si Qinyu was pleased by her initiative and downed his glass in one go. "Since the atmosphere is so good, let's drink until we drop!"

Throughout the dinner, Lu Qiqi kept the conversation flowing, encouraging him to drink. Si Qinyu, unsuspecting, became completely intoxicated. "Come on, keep drinking!" After two bottles of wine, he began to sway. His face flushed with a faint red hue, signaling he was thoroughly drunk. Lu Qiqi felt a surge of secret triumph; her plan was working.

Taking advantage of his drunken state, Si Qinyu leaned in to kiss her. "How long has it been since we spent time like this..."

"You're drunk. Don't drink any more." Lu Qiqi felt flustered as he kissed her neck and pushed him away in disgust. "Honey, Miss Shen came to the company today. Do you know why she’s really here?"

Seeing that he was sufficiently intoxicated, she went straight to the point. However, Si Qinyu was too far gone; he collapsed onto the table, fast asleep.

"Wake up! Si Qinyu!" Lu Qiqi tried desperately to rouse him, but he didn't budge. Damn it, her plan had failed. She hadn't expected his tolerance to be so low—he went down the moment he got drunk!

Abandoning the idea of getting him to talk, Lu Qiqi went out to get some air, feeling irritable. To vent her frustration, she called Bai Yu. "Are you free tonight? Care to join me for a drink?"

"I'm on my period and can't drink," Bai Yu sighed regretfully; otherwise, she would have joined Lu Qiqi for a few rounds. "How about we go golfing tomorrow instead?"

Just as Lu Qiqi feared she would have no one to keep her company, Bai Yu excitedly suggested golf.

"Can you even play golf?" Lu Qiqi asked, skeptical, as she had never heard of Bai Yu playing before.

"Don't question me!" Bai Yu retorted jokingly. "I've been taking lessons recently. I'm actually quite good—I'll show you!" She eagerly insisted on showing off the new skills she had learned.

"Fine, let's go golfing." Lu Qiqi agreed, aiming to clear her head.

The next morning, Lu Qiqi arrived at the golf course as planned.

"Over here!" Bai Yu waved excitedly, already decked out in full, high-end gear.

"Your equipment looks so professional. Do you really know how to play?" Lu Qiqi teased, eyeing her gear.