Volume One, Chapter 40: I’m Pregnant

"Don't you have even a shred of trust in your own fiancé?"

Qiao Nianan glanced indifferently at Luo Yunzhu, her hands never stopping their steady rhythm on the keyboard, sounding almost like a mockery.

Luo Yunzhu was hopping mad. She believed that Qiao Nianan was only acting so haughty because she relied on her status as Fu Jingchuan's fiancée to put on airs in front of her.

Did a bumpkin like Qiao Nianan not even know that Fu Yunzhen was the true powerholder of the Fu family?

Fu Jingchuan was a complete nobody.

Just as Luo Yunzhu was boiling with rage, her phone rang.

It was a call from her good friend, Liu Yuan.

"Yuanyuan, how do you have time to call me? How are things going between you and Fu Jingchuan lately?" Luo Yunzhu asked.

Liu Yuan's excited voice came through the phone, "I'm pregnant! Now no one can snatch the position of Fu Jingchuan's fiancée away from me!"

She had fought tooth and nail to carve out a bloody path through a crowd of women, only to almost have victory stolen away at the very end by an unexpected interloper like Qiao Nianan.

"I can definitely kick Qiao Nianan out of the game this time! Daring to snatch a man from me, she has a death wish!" Liu Yuan said, gritting her teeth.

Hearing this, Luo Yunzhu felt a mixture of surprise and envy.

She hadn't expected Liu Yuan's womb to be so cooperative, actually managing to conceive Fu Jingchuan's child.

Luo Yunzhu replied, "Well, congratulations then."

Hearing that Liu Yuan was pregnant made Luo Yunzhu extremely anxious and irritated.

When Luo Yunzhu glanced over at Qiao Nianan's workstation, she found it completely empty.

As she walked over, she unexpectedly spotted an open wallet on the floor beneath the desk.

Finding it dirty, she gave it a kick with her foot, but was instantly drawn to the photographs inside.

Just as she bent down to pick it up, a pair of well-articulated, slender fingers snatched the wallet up ahead of her.

"Are you a thief? Stealing whatever you find?" Fu Yunzhen asked, slipping the wallet into his trouser pocket.

Fu Yunzhen's action left Luo Yunzhu stunned.

Was this Fu Yunzhen's wallet?

Luo Yunzhu hurriedly apologized, "I'm so sorry, I didn't know this was your wallet..."

It must have fallen out when Fu Yunzhen came looking for Qiao Nianan earlier.

She should have picked it up and used it as an opportunity to return it to Fu Yunzhen.

What a tactical blunder.

Heaven had handed her such a wonderful opportunity, yet she had failed to cherish it.

Ignoring Luo Yunzhu entirely, Fu Yunzhen noticed that Qiao Nianan wasn't at her desk and made inquiries, only to learn that she and Shen Niwu had gone out to discuss a business partnership.

Fu Yunzhen immediately called Assistant Lin. "Go and keep an eye on Qiao Nianan. See if the client company gives her a hard time."

Assistant Lin acknowledged the order and set off immediately.

...

Shen Niwu was driving and chatting with Qiao Nianan. "That woman Zhuzhu just now—was she giving you a hard time? I could sense her hostility toward you from yards away."

Qiao Nianan didn't deign to give Luo Yunzhu a second thought. "Pay no mind to idle gossips and riffraff like her."

Shen Niwu continued, "She didn't come through the regular recruitment channels; Madam Fu brought her in. Since she's part of the CEO's circle, we can't just fire her either. Working with someone like that means we'll definitely face endless trouble in the future."

"Honestly, making money is harder than eating dirt."

Hearing Shen Niwu's sigh, Qiao Nianan remarked, "All her energy and time are wrapped up in Fu Yunzhen anyway. When would she even have the time to bother us?"

Shen Niwu agreed, "True, that's fair. But if she ever finds out that you're the ex-girlfriend Fu Yunzhen has been searching for all this time, she'll probably explode from rage!"

Qiao Nianan glanced at Shen Niwu. "He and I parted ways long ago. Even if she found out, it wouldn't concern me in the slightest. That's for Fu Yunzhen to deal with."

Shen Niwu smiled without speaking. After a moment, she said with a grin, "You know, Fu Yunzhen is actually a pretty decent guy. He doesn't have an ounce of the airs put on by the CEOs in the romance novels and web dramas we write. Look at him—so adorable. Just because he was worried you might go hungry, he treated all of us to food. He fights tooth and nail for what he wants; he totally deserves to have a girlfriend and fall in love back in our college days."

Qiao Nianan gave Shen Niwu a sideways look. "You, keep remarks like that to yourself in private. Don't go spreading them around the office."

Shen Niwu saluted. "Understood!"

Chatting along the way, they soon arrived at the French restaurant.

The client had already been sitting at the table for a while. The moment he saw Qiao Nianan and Shen Niwu walk in, his eyes glued themselves directly onto Qiao Nianan.

Qiao Nianan was wearing a rose-red bodycon hip-skirt paired with a snow-white off-the-shoulder chiffon top, looking both sexy and elegant.

Her aloof demeanor and pristine temperament made her extremely captivating.

"Director Wang, apologies for keeping you waiting. Traffic was a bit heavy on the way over," Shen Niwu hurried forward to say apologetically.

Director Wang didn't even spare Shen Niwu a single glance. Instead, he stood up, pulled out the chair right beside him, and smiled at Qiao Nianan, "Miss Qiao, sit here. There are still a few details we can go over slowly while seated."

Qiao Nianan shot a glance at Shen Niwu.

Shen Niwu frowned, and with her sturdy frame, plopped right down into the chair Director Wang had pulled out. "Thank you, Director Wang! You're so kind! Pulling a chair out for me too—no wonder everyone outside says Director Wang treats business partners so well. I finally get to experience it firsthand today!"

Then Shen Niwu pulled Qiao Nianan down to sit in the seat to her right. "Director Wang, don't just stand there, take a seat. I'll be handling the contract details."

Watching Shen Niwu sit down, Director Wang's facial muscles twitched.

The duck ready to be eaten had just flown away.

It left Director Wang itching with frustration.

Throughout the entire meeting, Director Wang's eyes never left Qiao Nianan.

Finding herself persistently stared at by Director Wang, Qiao Nianan felt intensely displeased.

Her face instantly chilled.

Realizing this was getting nowhere, Director Wang came up with an idea.

He intentionally knocked over the water glass sitting near Shen Niwu.

Just as Shen Niwu reached out her hand to catch it, the water had already spilled and soaked her clothes.

"Oh dear, Director Wang, how clumsy of you! You've gone and soaked my clothes. You aren't trying to hit on me with unspoken rules, are you? Are you really that desperate that you'd even try to take down someone of my tonnage?"

Shen Niwu glanced at Director Wang, then picked up a napkin to dab at her damp clothes.

Hearing Shen Niwu's words and feeling mocked, Director Wang hastily stood up and moved over to sit right beside Qiao Nianan.

He poured a glass of wine and pushed it toward Qiao Nianan. "Miss Qiao, let's have a drink together. Once we finish this glass, we can sign the contract right away and make money together!"

As Director Wang spoke, he squeezed in close beside Qiao Nianan while his other large hand began to wander.

He reached out, intending to stroke Qiao Nianan's fair and tender leg.

Noticing Director Wang's illicit intentions, Qiao Nianan shifted away sharply, her face frosting over as she snapped at him, "Director Wang, if you have something to say, say it with words. Keep your hands to yourself."

Realizing these two women weren't so easy to handle, Director Wang's expression darkened as well.

"Don't you know the rules of the drinking table?" he sneered. "Who expects to make money without putting in a little effort? I invited you out here to give you face. If you aren't willing to suffer even this tiny loss, how do you expect to make money?"

"Be a good girl and let me have some fun, and we can have a long-term partnership in the future."

Thinking that such intimidation would frighten Qiao Nianan and Shen Niwu into submission, Director Wang puffed up his chest.

Just as he reached out his hand again to grope Qiao Nianan's thigh, Qiao Nianan raised her hand and delivered a fierce slap across Director Wang's fleshy cheek.

"Slap!"

Director Wang was sent reeling backward by the sheer force of Qiao Nianan's blow.