Chapter 129: Digging a Pit and Waiting for the Other to Fall In

Troubled by what Chu Li had said earlier, Shen Qingli still felt uneasy and drove directly to find Xie Jinchuan. Upon arriving at the company, she realized they had been in meetings all afternoon.

She sat outside the conference room, listening to the man’s deep, faintly irritable voice from within, and frowned slightly. Turning to the assistant standing nearby, she asked, "I've noticed shareholders coming and going for the past few days. What exactly is going on?"

The assistant looked troubled, unsure of how to respond. However, knowing that Shen Qingli was, after all, their CEO's wife, he explained what had happened over the last few days.

"Ms. Shen, it’s because there was an error in a project contract. CEO Xie had already begun planning for that plot of land and was determined to secure it, but for some reason, the bid was entered incorrectly during the auction."

"Who owns the land now?" Shen Qingli asked, her brow furrowed as a suspicion began to form in her mind.

"The land now belongs to our rival, the Chu Corporation. If it weren't for the flaw in our bid, none of CEO Xie's efforts would have gone to waste."

Shen Qingli had heard rumors about the land auction. Logically, given Xie Jinchuan’s conduct and capability, that land should have been well within his grasp. Thinking back on Chu Li's words, she frowned deeply, sensing foul play.

"What is the Chu Corporation doing now?"

The assistant sighed. "Previously, we were certain to win this project. Now that things have suddenly shifted, the partners we had already negotiated with have all run over to the Chu Corporation. They are riding high right now; yesterday, they even demanded that CEO Xie cooperate with them, otherwise..."

The assistant didn't finish, but Shen Qingli could guess the rest. Knowing what kind of person Chu Li was, she could infer what his father was like. They were likely arrogant bullies, and they surely hadn't said anything polite yesterday.

Just as they finished speaking, the conference room door opened. The shareholders walked out with dark, gloomy expressions, frowning even more at the sight of Shen Qingli. She didn't understand why, but feeling equally displeased, she simply glared back at them. The shareholders pursed their lips and left, muttering things that were clearly not complimentary.

"Why are you here? Have you finished with your work at the company?"

Xie Jinchuan’s deep, stern demeanor vanished the moment he saw Shen Qingli. Seeing his transformation, her heart stirred, but feeling a pang of heartache as she noticed the fatigue under his eyes.

"You must have been under immense pressure these past few days; you haven't rested well at all. You have dark circles under your eyes."

Xie Jinchuan touched his face, feeling the stubble. "Do I look a bit ugly?"

Watching him ask this with such earnestness, Shen Qingli burst into laughter. "You do look a little rough, but in my heart, you are always the most handsome."

Xie Jinchuan chuckled softly and ruffled her hair. "There are still some things to handle at the company. Will you wait for me?"

"I’ll wait for you in your office. I can look through some artist profiles on the sofa."

As she spoke, they walked into the office, and the assistant thoughtfully closed the door behind them. Seeing some milk, Shen Qingli heated a cup and placed it by Xie Jinchuan’s hand.

"Drink some milk first to soothe your nerves and rest a bit. If you keep going like this, I’m starting to wonder if I’m about to become a widow."

She said it jokingly, but in the next second, she was pulled into his arms.

"How dare you say such unlucky things? Are you trying to curse me? Do you want me to eat you up?" Xie Jinchuan feigned ferocity, making Shen Qingli laugh.

"If you want to eat, then eat. I don't have much meat on me anyway, but you have to finish the milk first." She held the cup in front of him, blocking his view, and saw a hint of reluctance on his face.

"I knew you didn't want to drink it, so you're trying to stir up trouble. Drink it, quickly." She tried to stand up, but he held her firmly in his lap.

"Feed me, and I'll drink it." He looked deadly serious, as if he wouldn't let her go unless she obliged.

Helpless, Shen Qingli brought the cup to his lips. He turned his head away, his gaze lingering on her lips. After a bit of playful struggle, she fed him, only to find herself kissed until she went limp on the sofa.

It was in this moment of relaxation that she noticed something shiny under the table. She leaned over, reached out, and yanked it off. The device was blinking with a red light—it was clearly a bug.

"Xie Jinchuan, I know why your bid was leaked."

She shook the bug in her hand. Xie Jinchuan stepped over, his eyes turning cold as he looked at the device. Even though they possessed spiritual energy, they hadn't thought to scan for such trivial things.

"A stranger came to clean a couple of days ago. It seems it must have been sent by the Chu Corporation."

"No wonder they could call out the exact price I prepared. They put this thing in the office—it’s truly disgusting." Xie Jinchuan snorted, crushed the device in his hand, and threw the remains into the trash.

Watching the crushed fragments fall, Shen Qingli pondered for a moment. "I don't think we should let them get away with this after suffering such a huge loss."

"But the project is already finalized. Is there any way we can trip them up in return?"

Hearing this, Xie Jinchuan thought for a moment and pulled a file from his desk. "There is an abandoned factory in the south of the city that is part of the next new district development plan. However, that area is quite remote. I had already given up on it because I found a better location."

Understanding dawned on Shen Qingli. "You want to use this to trick the Chu Corporation, don't you?"

"It’s only fair to give as good as we get. Since they want to imitate us so badly, we might as well make a story out of this. As for the money they lose, let's just consider it the price of their lesson."

The two shared a smile, having dug a deep pit for their rivals—one that would surely cause them to take a massive tumble.

Shen Qingli cooperated with Xie Jinchuan, posting photos of the land on Weibo and various social media platforms. The official Xie Corporation website also released information suggesting that this land was their next objective, leading everyone to believe it was their target.