"What's up?"
"I've requested the Land Bureau, along with two experts from the Agricultural Research Institute to visit Xing Village. Do you want to come along?"
Bai Xue, who only had one meeting scheduled for the afternoon, responded, "Sure."
Xing Village, a remote hamlet in the northwest corner of Jin City, is notoriously poor due to its isolated location and ungainly roads. Successive mayors have tried to improve the village's condition as a feather in their caps, but any investments in the village seemed cursed to fail, discouraging investors from showing any interest.
Bai Xue is not one to give up easily. Having had her sights set on this piece of land, she had no reason to ignore the opportunity presented to her.
She agreed to accompany Gongze Yu majorly because of the two accompanying experts from the Agricultural Research Institute.
She needed their professional assessment. Moreover, having the Mayor's company implied the presence of the key decision-makers from the Research Institute. She aimed to conduct some transactions with the Institute through this tour.
The group spent the whole afternoon exploring Xing Village and didn't return to Jin City until past eight in the evening.
Perhaps it was the fatigue, but as Bai Xue got out of the car, her vision darkened and she collapsed.
Seeing her stumble, Gongze Yu sprung out of the vehicle, catching her in his arms just in time to prevent her from falling.
"Thank you," Bai Xue wanted to put some distance between them but was too weak to move.
"What's wrong? Should we go to the hospital?" Gongze Yu asked with concern.
"I'm fine," Bai Xue reassured him. After pausing for a moment to regain her strength, she managed to move away from him.
Gongze Yu, suddenly feeling desolate, offered to take her home.
"It's alright. Someone is here to pick me up," Bai Xue said. As she spoke, Xu Qiming disembarked from his car and started walking towards them.
Gongze Yu gave a wry smile. She was always so cautious around him.
While taking Bai Xue home, Xu Qiming noticed her pale face, "CEO Bai, should we stop by the hospital for a check-up?"
He had never seen her so weak and exhausted before.
"It's alright. A bit of rest should do the trick." Bai Xue closed her eyes.
Xu Qiming didn't say anything more.
On reaching home, the darkness reminded Bai Xue that Su Yan and Jones Ellie had not returned yet.
Feeling even worse and reclaiming her room, she collapsed onto the bed. She didn't want to move a muscle and, before she knew it, she fell asleep.
When she woke up the next day, there was no sign of the others having been there. She was alone in the house again.
She thought about how she had failed as Mrs. Su, not being able to protect her husband's chastity.
Imagining him and Jones Ellie rolling in the sheets all night long made her feel nauseous. In the end, she actually ended up vomiting into the toilet.
Vomiting till her insides ached, she found herself unable to stand.
That's when Su Yan and a radiant Jones Ellie returned.
They looked down at her.
Bai Xue was frustrated that they had seen her in such a sorry state.
She pulled herself up using the toilet, putting on a brave face to hide her embarrassment.
Su Yan's face didn't look good. Bai Xue could tell his anger was directed at her.
She found it amusing. Was Mr. Su blaming her for failing to protect his chastity?
She had tried hard to shield him, keeping everything under wraps. But she couldn't stop him when he willingly got intimate with someone else. Those photos in the newspaper, they really hurt her.
She knew Su Yan didn't have to go that far. Half of his actions were just to make her suffer.
She'd been naive, believing everything he told her, only to be played by him in the end.
Jones Ellie stood off to the side, clearly gloating. 'Bai Xue, you're too inexperienced to compete with me for a man.'
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