Chapter 125: Asking for Trouble

She had never expected that the two of them would be so sweet together. It was as if everything she had done before had been entirely in vain.

"If I haven't been able to leave a mark on you, then I will make sure you both experience what true suffering feels like!"

Thinking of a plan she had long kept hidden, Rong Qiaoyi’s lips curled into a slight smile. She refused to believe that once Xie Jinchuan saw that person, he would still be able to remain as unmoved by Shen Qingli as he was now.

Not until their figures had completely vanished from sight did Rong Qiaoyi drive away. But she had not gone far when, in a stretch of road devoid of surveillance or streetlights, a loud bang erupted, and her tire appeared to have blown out.

What was going on? She had checked the car thoroughly before leaving; how could something like this happen?

As soon as Rong Qiaoyi stepped out of the vehicle, four men lunged from the sides of the road. She took a closer look and realized—these were the very people she had hired to take care of Shen Qingli!

"What are you doing? I couldn't reach you last night! Do you still want your money or not?"

Seeing the woman’s aggressive demeanor, the four men looked confused.

"Boss, why do I feel like this one is the actual employer?"

"Yeah, Boss. We were left out there all night last night. I don't think Shen Qingli would have the means to pull off something this big, right?"

"Shut up!" The leader glared at his three underlings and muttered, "Use your heads! The person right in front of us is Shen Qingli! Let's just finish the job and get paid. Don't listen to whatever she says—how could our own memories be wrong?"

Hearing this, the other three found it logical and cast fierce, menacing glares at Rong Qiaoyi.

"Shen Qingli, today is the day you die! You managed to escape last night, but that won't happen today!"

"That's right, just wait for your end!"

Although they had lost their firearms, they still carried daggers, which were their true specialty. Seeing the four of them pounce, their blades glinting in the dark, Rong Qiaoyi cursed under her breath. She currently possessed only the power of the Deer Spirit, and unfortunately, this energy could not be used to attack others. Otherwise, she never would have hired mercenaries to kill Shen Qingli. She never imagined that she would be the one to trip so spectacularly.

"I am Rong Qiaoyi! Are you all blind?"

She dodged while shouting, but without her spiritual power, she was now as weak and helpless as a chick. The men ignored her and charged forward. With a few swift strikes, they left several deep cuts on her body. The pain turned her face pale, and her limbs grew sluggish. Even though the power of the Deer Spirit could keep her from dying, the torture was still excruciating.

Realizing she couldn't win, Rong Qiaoyi fled to the side. The four men pursued her relentlessly; if she hadn't exhausted every ounce of her strength to shake them off, she likely would have met her end that night.

When Rong Qiaoyi returned to her villa, she was covered in blood and in a state of utter disarray. She looked absolutely wretched. She stared at herself in the mirror and roared, "Shen Qingli, I will never forgive you!"

The power of the Deer Spirit within her had been depleted, and she had no choice but to try and absorb the energy from the trees. However, as she was not a true inheritor of the Deer Spirit, the amount of energy she could absorb was negligible. She was left with no choice but to return to cultivating demonic arts. But then, a thought crossed her mind...

After the Great War of Gods and Demons, she had crippled her own demonic powers out of fear that Xie Jinchuan would discover them. Yet now, she had no other path to take. If she didn't walk this road again, she would be left with no options, and she would never be able to defeat Shen Qingli.

...

Back home, after hearing the report from Green Cilantro, Shen Qingli felt even better.

[Host, Rong Qiaoyi has finally tasted her own medicine. But what do you intend to do about those men? That prop has a time limit; it should disappear by tomorrow or the day after.]

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingli couldn't help but scoff, "It has a time limit? That's a truly useless prop."

"Find a way to send them back directly so they don't cause any other trouble. As for the spiritual energy consumed, I won't be replenishing it for you."

Green Cilantro, who had been hoping to swindle some spiritual energy, looked utterly devastated upon hearing this. [Host, you can't be this heartless! I'm still just a baby; how will I survive without spiritual energy!]

Shen Qingli ignored him, refusing to fall for his act. Green Cilantro could only pout as he went off to clean up the remaining mess.

...

The concert was a massive success. When Shen Qingli arrived at the company the next day, she was greeted by her staff.

"Our most understanding, thoughtful, cute, beautiful, generous, and indescribable boss is here!"

Dong Yang led the cheering. Seeing the celebration banner hanging from the company rafters, Shen Qingli finally remembered the event.

"Everyone has been working hard for so many days. Unless there is essential work, everyone else can take a break—work from home if you must—and take two or three days off before coming back."

Gu Qingming’s concert had been in preparation for over a month, and during this time, everyone had been under intense pressure and working at high capacity. If they didn't rest, they would surely burn out.

As soon as Shen Qingli finished speaking, the employees looked as if they had been injected with adrenaline.

"No, Boss! We want to stay and build the company's glory with you!"

Seeing their reluctance to take a break, Shen Qingli had to instruct Dong Yang to reduce their workload so they could give their minds a rest.

"Boss, we have quite a few people in the company now. Would you like to go check on the practice rooms?"

The company had expanded. While they had Gu Qingming as a top-tier star, they had a few other smaller celebrities, but for a talent agency, that wasn't enough.

"Fine, I'll go take a look with you." Perhaps she would discover some new talent!

In the practice room, a solitary girl was huddled in a corner, sweat from dancing still glistening on her forehead. Her eyes were fixed on a group of glamorous girls who were the center of attention, and a dark shadow flickered in her gaze as she gripped an empty water bottle.

"You don't have the family background to make it in the entertainment industry. Do you really think you have the money or the looks to be noticed?"

Chu Li glanced at the figure in the corner with cold, mocking eyes, relentlessly attacking the girl's confidence.

"I dance better than you."

The girl stood up. Her long bangs obscured her remarkably bright eyes, and her clothes were worn and tattered, clearly indicating a poor background. At this moment, she radiated such a powerful aura that even Chu Li was momentarily taken aback.