Shi Ning’s hand rested in Qin Heye’s trouser pocket, feeling the warmth of his scalding body temperature through the fabric. A blush crept up her neck, and she quickly withdrew her hand, intertwining her fingers with his instead. She tilted her chin slightly, her gaze flicking to Shi Qingyin, who was still lurking in the shadows upstairs.
“Look at Shi Qingyin,” Shi Ning whispered, a hint of disdain in her voice. “Peeking at us in the dark, feeling jealous, ready to steal our love at any moment, like a dark, twisted reptile!”
Qin Heye’s body stiffened, his eyes flashing with a dangerous glint. A sour, painful ache twisted in his heart. If she knew that he also ‘stole’ her love in his own way, would she also think he was a ‘stinking bug’? Would she dislike him? Stay away from him? The thought filled him with a sudden, desperate panic and fierce possessiveness. His slender fingers tightened around Shi Ning’s, intertwining them in a possessive grip. “Don’t worry about her,” he murmured, his voice firm. He knew then, with absolute certainty, that he had to hide his true methods from her.
The two continued upstairs. Shi Qingyin, however, emerged from her hiding spot, deliberately crossing their path. “Sister,” she called out, her voice gentle and well-behaved. Then, her eyes, filled with a spring-like warmth, turned to Qin Heye. “Brother-in-law~” Her voice, when addressing Qin Heye, was soft, charming, and utterly seductive.
Yet, Qin Heye didn’t even spare her a glance, as if he hadn’t heard her at all. Shi Ning chuckled, taking the diamond card from Shi Qingyin’s hand. “I’ll take this card.” She then called down to Shi Guoqiang. “Dad, I’ll take the diamond card!”
Shi Guoqiang looked up. “Okay, I’ll have someone unfreeze it right away and increase the balance by another 5 million. Is that enough?”
Shi Qingyin’s face twisted, a pale mask of disbelief. The diamond card she used had a limit of only 5 million, and now he was giving it to Shi Ning and adding another 5 million? How could her uncle be so incredibly biased?
“Yeah.” Shi Ning then looked at Jiang Huaijing. “Brother.”
Jiang Huaijing was momentarily stunned, realizing she was addressing him. He immediately looked up. “Here.”
“Catch.” Shi Ning called out, raising her hand and tossing the diamond card to Jiang Huaijing.
Jiang Huaijing caught the card, utterly flattered. He instinctively blurted out, “Miss…”
Shi Ning interrupted. “Here you go. Remember to call me sister.”
Jiang Huaijing held the diamond card, feeling its heat. “Sister, you don’t have to give it to me. I have money to spend.”
Shi Qingyin’s face grew even uglier. Why should the diamond card be given to Jiang Huaijing, who had a different surname and no blood relation? Surely she, Shi Ning’s biological cousin, was more deserving of it than someone without blood ties!
Shi Ning linked her arm through Qin Heye’s. “You are so long-winded. You’re not as rich as my husband. His secondary card has a lot of money.”
Qin Heye looked down at her. “I didn’t give you a secondary card.”
It seems Qin Heye is also on guard against Shi Ning, Shi Qingyin thought, a flicker of satisfaction spread through her eyes . He’s not so nice to her, doesn’t even give her a secondary card.
“Puff.” Shi Qingyin, whose mood had been utterly depressed, suddenly let out a happy laugh. She even offered Shi Ning a comforting, understanding smile. “Sister, you don’t have to worry about clothes. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a secondary card. The diamond card has been given to Brother Jiang. You shouldn’t regret it and ask for it back, right?”
Jiang Huaijing, too, wanted to return the diamond card to Shi Ning, and even offer her all the money he had saved over the past few years.
Shi Ning ignored Shi Qingyin’s mockery and turned to Qin Heye. “Didn’t you give me a card before ?”
“Yeah.”
Shi Ning began to wonder if she had a memory disorder. “What was that black and gold card you gave me on our wedding night?”
“The main card.”
Shi Ning’s eyes widened in surprise. “Main card?”
“Yeah.”
“The main card of your entire fortune?”
Qin Heye nodded naturally. “Yes.”
Shi Ning’s jaw dropped. !!! On their wedding night, Qin Heye had given her a black and gold card from a private bank—the main card to his entire fortune of hundreds of billions! And she, in her foolish attempt to prove that she valued love over money, had thrown the card aside, letting it gather dust for three whole years! What on earth had she been pretending for all this time?!
“Dad! we are going back to the room to rest first. Call us for dinner when it is ready .” With that, she practically dragged Qin Heye back to her room, closing the door behind them with a decisive click.
Shi Qingyin watched their retreating backs, her face twisted with jealousy. The fleeting joy of mocking Shi Ning had vanished, replaced by a bitter, burning envy. Qin Heye had actually given Shi Ning the main card! The main card! Worth Hundreds of billions! Main card versus secondary card—this was the ultimate declaration of status! Qin Heye, how could you pamper Shi Ning like that?!
Jiang Huaijing handed the diamond card back to Shi Guoqiang. “Dad, this card is still…”
Shi Guoqiang interrupted him directly. “Ningning gave it to you, just take it. We don’t have to be so polite as a family.”
Jiang Huaijing reluctantly put the card away, resolving to work harder and earn enough money to return the diamond card to Shi Ning, fully loaded. He only needed a basic salary; his life belonged to Shi’s father and sister!
Butler Zhao stood beside Shi Guoqiang. “Where the money is, there is love. The son-in-law loves the eldest daughter more than the master.”
Shi Guoqiang frowned. “I want to give the main card to Ningning too!” He then declared, a newfound pride and expectation in his voice, “Let Ningning manage the company too. Tomorrow, my family will give up the throne to Ningning, and she will be the chairman!”
Shi Guogang clenched his fists, trying to dissuade him. “Big brother gave the main card to Xiaoning, and the secondary card is also with Huaijing. Then big brother’s future expenses…”
Shi Guoqiang waved his hand indifferently, his face beaming with pride. “It’s okay, I can just eat Xiaoning’s food !” He then looked at Shi Guogang, his gaze sharp. “Xiaoning is still young and has never studied finance. Is it not good to let her manage the company?”
Shi Guoqiang’s stare was too piercing, too suspicious. “No, it’s very good,” Shi Guogang quickly conceded, abandoning his persuasion. It’s good for Shi Ning to manage the company. Shi Ning was a spoiled rich girl; she would surely mismanage the company into chaos. Then, he could easily step in and legitimately transfer the Shi Group’s assets into his own hands. The thought of the Shi Group going bankrupt due to Shi Ning’s mismanagement, with his elder brother none the wiser, filled him with satisfaction.
On the orther side as Shi Ning dragged Qin Heye back to the room and closed the door. She pushed him gently against the wall, looking up at him. “You didn’t take the card back?” On their wedding night, Qin Heye had given her the black gold card. She, in her foolish pride, had angrily thrown it back at him, declaring, “I don’t want your stinky money!” How incredibly stupid!
Qin Heye looked down at Shi Ning, her small face so close to his. If she just tilted her head a little more, and he leaned down a little, their lips would meet. His eyes were fixed on her mouth. “You only love my money?”
Shi Ning suddenly felt his paranoid intensity, a dangerous force wrapping around her. As the barrages had warned, it felt as if a nod, an affirmation of loving only his money, would lead him to imprison her with a golden chain. Terrifying!
Shi Ning smiled, trying to soothe the storm brewing within him. “I love your money, but I love you more…”
Before she could finish, Qin Heye’s hand gripped her slender waist. Then, a dizzying sensation. Qin Heye lifted her, carrying her directly to the bed, and leaned over, pressing her gently onto the quilt.
“You… what are you doing?” Shi Ning blushed, her voice a stutter.
Qin Heye looked at her, slowly unbuttoning his suit jacket. “Didn’t you say that you wanted me to wash my skin white , rub my body and sleep with you?”
Shi Ning’s face burned. !!! She had only been teasing him, not actually expecting him to follow through! She watched as Qin Heye unbuttoned his shirt, her face growing even redder. “In broad daylight, this… this isn’t good.”
Qin Heye took her hand, placing it on a shirt button, and coaxed her in a low, husky voice. “Take it off with your own hands, and check for your self. Have I washed it white enough, have I rubbed it enough to smell good, and do I have enough energy after a full meal?” His gaze intensified, “Can my service satisfy you?”