Chapter 18: A Sudden Itch in the Hand

At the fat woman's command, the black-suited bodyguards sprang into action, and chaos erupted in an instant. It was clear that the mall's security guards were no match for professional bodyguards; in less than ten seconds, six or seven of them were knocked to the floor, and the defensive line was breached. Surrounded by her entourage, the hefty woman charged into the building.

With the situation unfolding this way, Qin Chuan and Lan Jin found themselves unable to leave. It wasn't that they wanted to meddle, but the black-suited bodyguards blocked their way.

"Lin Qingcheng, you shameless woman! If you don't give me a proper explanation today, no one is leaving Qingcheng International Tower!" The fat woman jabbed a finger at Lin Qingcheng’s face, hurling insults with arrogant ferocity.

Lin Qingcheng's expression changed dramatically, but she quickly regained her composure, even managing to put on a smile, as if meeting an old friend after many years.

"Madam Lu, what has happened to upset you so much?" she asked warmly. "We are old friends, after all. Whatever the matter is, let's sit down and talk it through. There's no need for such a scene, don't you agree? No matter what happened, let me offer you my apologies first."

As she spoke, Lin Qingcheng bowed slightly, respectful but never servile—the gesture perfectly measured.

"She finally has her day! Heaven’s justice never fails," Lan Jin whispered, scarcely able to contain her glee at Lin Qingcheng’s predicament.

Qin Chuan was speechless. The enemy of one's enemy is truly a friend, an eternal truth.

"Lin Qingcheng is the eldest daughter of the Lin family. For her to swallow her pride and apologize so humbly—who is this woman, anyway?" Qin Chuan murmured.

"I don't know her," Lan Jin replied, shaking her head. Seeing Qin Chuan’s raised eyebrow, she quickly added, "But I heard that vixen call her ‘Madam Lu.’ She’s probably the wife of a core member of the Lu family here in Binhai City."

"But I’ve never heard of a Lu family among the four great families of Binhai," Qin Chuan said, more puzzled than before.

Even though businesses generally avoided making enemies, if there was a vast difference in strength between two families, the weaker side wouldn’t dare make trouble, and the stronger side wouldn’t need to bend so low.

Lan Jin suddenly found her moment to shine and explained eagerly, "The Lu family in Binhai is at best a second-tier family, but they are a branch of the prestigious Lu family in Yanjing. Rumor has it that the real decision-makers here are core descendants sent from Yanjing for experience, so even the top four families in Binhai avoid offending them."

"So that’s how it is!" Realization dawned on Qin Chuan. The saying that one should look at the owner before beating the dog was no empty phrase—life was full of such situations.

Still, if this really was one of Yanjing's Lu family’s dogs, given the ambiguous clue his master had left him before departing, perhaps he truly did need to teach this dog a lesson, just to send a message to its owner.

"What are you thinking about?" Lan Jin asked curiously. She suddenly felt a chill, an inexplicable coldness emanating from Qin Chuan that made her shiver involuntarily.

Qin Chuan’s smile was warm as spring sunshine. "Nothing much—just that my hands are feeling a bit itchy."

"Your hands are itchy?" Lan Jin echoed, baffled, as Qin Chuan slowly walked over to stand between Lin Qingcheng and the fat woman.

At that moment, Lin Qingcheng was still bowing slightly, awaiting a response. Qin Chuan gently steadied her arm and then chuckled, "Solving the problem is more practical than apologizing. Let’s ask this lady what trouble she’s encountered."

Lin Qingcheng was taken aback. She hadn’t expected Qin Chuan to step in, especially with a clear intention to stir things up. For a moment, she was at a loss.

"Who are you calling ‘lady’?" Zhou Yunping’s anger flared. While she was certainly not young and carried extra weight, her careful self-care meant her skin was as good as any woman in her early thirties.

"Forgive my poor eyesight—my apologies!" Qin Chuan said, admitting fault. But before Zhou Yunping could savor her triumph, Qin Chuan continued, "Qingcheng, ask this young lady what difficulties she’s facing."

"I—" Zhou Yunping nearly wrenched her back with the sudden turn. He was clearly mocking her. No matter how vain she might be, she would never put herself on the same level as Lin Qingcheng.

Confidence is a virtue, but when it crosses into self-delusion, it becomes vanity. If one ignores reality and insists on self-glorification, that's simply shameless.

As the wife of the Lu family patriarch, Zhou Yunping cared about her dignity, so she didn’t respond to Qin Chuan’s mockery, but to deny it outright would be to admit to being a ‘lady of a certain age’—which she also couldn’t accept.

"Hmph!" Zhou Yunping could only express her displeasure with a cold snort, and then tried to recover her pride by changing the subject.

"Lin Qingcheng, you’re young, so I wasn’t going to stoop to your level, but business is business. You once asked me to help promote your company’s weight-loss product in my circles, promising I’d lose at least thirty pounds in two months. I agreed without hesitation. But what happened? Not only did I not lose weight, I actually gained several pounds. How do you explain that?" she demanded.

Lin Qingcheng’s mind raced, but she remained courteous. "Madam Lu, this isn’t the place to talk. Shall we discuss this in a reception room?"

"Fine! I’d like to hear what excuse you’ll come up with to fool me," Zhou Yunping sneered.

"Come now, Sister Zhou. How could I possibly dare to fool you?" Lin Qingcheng replied with a respectful smile.

Just as the two women were about to head upstairs, Qin Chuan interjected, "There’s no need to move the discussion for such a minor issue. Give me three minutes at most—I can resolve it here."

At these words, every gaze in the room turned to Qin Chuan—surprise, confusion, shock, and delight flickering across different faces.

Lan Jin’s emotions were especially tangled. For over twenty years, she’d been pampered and had tasted all the sweetness life had to offer, but now she felt a sudden, indescribable sourness that she couldn’t quite accept.

Lin Qingcheng, for her part, was confused, though relief soon took over. Whatever Qin Chuan’s motivation, he was helping her out of a dangerous predicament.

If this matter with Madam Lu wasn’t handled well, it could set off a chain reaction that might implicate the entire Lin family. After all, Lin Qingcheng had been installed as the head of the family by the previous patriarch, despite much opposition, swearing to double the family’s market value within three years or else step down willingly.

Now, with the family business on the rise, any mistake could prove disastrous.

"And who are you?" Zhou Yunping asked with disdain.

Without hesitation, Qin Chuan replied, "I’m the technical consultant for all their pharmaceutical products, so I’m more qualified than her to answer your questions."

"Oh? Then tell me what's going on. How do you plan to solve the weight-loss problem?" Zhou Yunping pressed, haughty and relentless.

Qin Chuan was unfazed. "The main reason you didn’t lose weight and instead gained a few pounds is that you couldn’t control your eating. I’m sure President Lin told you to be mindful of your diet while taking the pills."

Zhou Yunping was about to deny it, but Qin Chuan cut her off. "That’s understandable, of course. I myself can’t eat a meal without meat. If you don’t indulge while you’re young, when you’re older and can’t digest anything, won’t you regret it?"

Zhou Yunping’s face softened. His reasoning was oddly convincing.

"So how do you solve it, then?"

"It’s actually quite simple. You need to combine medication with physical therapy. That way, you’ll see twice the results with half the effort."

"Physical therapy?"

"Exactly."

Their exchange quickly piqued everyone’s curiosity, especially Zhou Yunping, who was eager to know how to lose weight without dieting.

"Stop beating around the bush—just tell me!" Zhou Yunping demanded impatiently.

Qin Chuan frowned, looking troubled.

"Well, say it! What’s the big secret?" Zhou Yunping urged.

With a serious expression, Qin Chuan replied, "Madam Lu, this involves trade secrets. I can’t discuss it in public. How about President Lin finds us a private room, and I’ll explain everything in detail?"

Zhou Yunping agreed at once.

As Qin Chuan’s face lit up with a radiant smile, Lan Jin couldn’t help but feel a pang of worry—Madam Lu was most likely about to suffer a nasty setback.