Taking a deep breath, Xia Yuqing walked towards the large office doors. As she entered the lobby, her eyes scanned the polished floors and high ceilings, the beautiful office environment taking it all in with quiet curiosity—like a child seeing the world for the first time.
Because, in a way, she was.
Her gaze flickered to the receptionist, and she was about to walk toward her when she heard her name being called.
"Miss Xia, you're here!"
She turned around and stared at the man rushing toward her—Gao Yiming, her husband's assistant. She recognized him immediately from her memories. Tall, good-looking, and sharp in appearance with his gold-rimmed glasses. He was the one who had cheerfully delivered the marriage contract to the original Xia Yuqing.
While singing praises of Lu Jinchen and exploiting the original owner's situation regarding her ex, he duped the poor girl into signing the contract.
What a charming little schemer, she thought.
"Mr. Gao," she greeted him coolly, her lips curled into a small smile. "I hope I didn't make you or your CEO wait for long."
He paused, seeming started by her response before quickly shaking his head. "Ofcourse not, Miss Xia," he said, his smile polite but she didn't miss the guilt that passed through his eyes.
Oh? So this man was guilty? But for what?
For deceiving the original owner into signing the marriage contract? Or for exploiting her situation?
Interesting.
"Shall we?" she asked, not missing the way a few of the employees in the lobby looked at them. Their gazes toward Gao Yiming were of admiration and respect, while toward her they were simply curious.
"Yes," he nodded, but then his gaze landed on something. His eyes widened in shock. "Miss Xia, is that... you are injured!" he exclaimed, "How? Is everything alright? Are you okay?" His eyes flashed with genuine concern.
Xia Yuqing touched her forehead. The blood had already dried, and she barely felt any pain. If he hadn't mentioned it, she would have almost forgotten about it. After all, in her past life, this kind of small injury was nothing.
"I'm fine, really," she said, giving him a reassuring smile.
But, he didn't feel better. Seeing her injury, his thoughts spiraled adding more to his guilt. "What happened to you, Miss Xia? Did that scumbag ex show up again? Was he the one who did this?" he continued, his expression darkening. "If he was the one who..."
"No, it wasn't him," she answered quickly, interrupting him. "I just fell."
Gao Yiming looked utterly unconvinced. "You… fell?"
"Yes." She nodded, puzzled at his disbelief. Why did he look doubtful?
What she failed to realize was that, along with the injury on her forehead, he had also noticed the faint mark on her cheek. Just when he was about to ask her, she interrupted. "Shall we go see your CEO? He must be waiting."
He hesitated. "Shouldn't you clean that wound first? I can fetch a first-aid kit—"
"No need," she refused. "Let's get this done first."
Seeing her resolve, he could only sigh and nod. "Alright."
He led her to the CEO's exclusive elevator. Whispers ran through the lobby as they stepped inside the elevator under many curious gazes. The door closed as Xia Yuqing watched him press the button. She had figured out what an elevator was and how it worked.
But this was her first time experiencing it. Was this thing as thrilling as her Qinggong?
She couldn't help but feel slightly excited.
The elevator moved, rising higher and higher. Xia Yuqing's gaze followed the changing numbers—1, 2, 3—as they climbed steadily. She felt a light sensation in her stomach, but beyond that, nothing.
Her lips pursed in disappointment.
That's it?! This was what being in an elevator felt like. What a letdown! This wasn't exciting at all… not at all what she expected.
Her Qinggong was far better than this.
While Xia Yuqing felt disappointed, Gao Yiming quietly observed her from the corner of his eye. Something about her today felt different. For a moment earlier, he almost didn't recognize her. It was not that she looked different—she looked the same—but she felt different.
Yesterday, before meeting her, he had reviewed her profile carefully. She had seemed like a simple, kind-hearted girl. Too kind, in his opinion.
And when he met her, she had been just that—easy to persuade, easy to manipulate. That was how he had successfully convinced her to sign the contract, something he still felt guilty about.
But today… she felt different. She seemed sharper, more guarded. There was a coldness to her that made him think of someone he knew well—someone like his boss. But that was impossible. No one changed that quickly.
He pushed the thought aside, feeling ridiculous.
A soft 'ding' snapped him from his thoughts.
The elevator doors opened slowly and they stepped out. Xia Yuqing followed behind him, her eyes scanning the cold, uninviting space. The atmosphere here reminded her of the royal study where the emperor used to spend most of his time.
It was just like this cold, dark, and suffocating.
She quickly shook those thoughts from her mind as they approached a sleek black door. Gao Yiming knocked. Almost immediately, a cold, sharp, and unmistakably attractive voice rang out.
"Enter."
Xia Yuqing's breath caught in her throat. Her body stiffened.
No.
It can't be.
That voice…
She could never forget that voice.
"Miss Xia, you can enter now," Gao Yiming informed her. But when he glanced at her, he saw her standing frozen in shock, staring at the door.
Huh? Was she really that affected just by the boss's voice?
He chuckled inwardly. If this was her reaction only by hearing his boss's voice, he wondered what she would do after seeing that face. After all, his boss was known for making women lose their senses with just a glance.
What if she fell in love with his boss at first sight?
"Miss Xia?" he repeated, nudging her lightly.
She blinked, snapping back to reality. "Y-yes."
The door was right infront of her, the cold steel of the handle now seeming like a daunting obstacle. Her fingers hovered over it, trembling slightly. Was it possible? That voice—that voice—it couldn't be...
Her fingers clenched around the handle. Because if that voice belonged to who she thought it did…
Then she had just walked into the lion's den.
A nightmare she never expected to face ever again.