Chapter 35: Who do you think you are to reprimand my assistant?

Lu Qiuyi came to an abrupt halt and dumped everything she was holding into the arms of the still-stunned Zhou Shiyan.

The movement was crisp and decisive.

Caught off guard, Zhou Shiyan scrambled to catch the items, nearly dropping them. The smile on her face stiffened instantly as she stared at Lu Qiuyi in shock.

Lu Qiuyi didn't even glance at her, turning instead to He Jingyue. "Mr. He, while I may work as an assistant and earn a salary paid by you, my dignity and labor are not inferior to anyone else's. This esteemed Miss Zhou of yours has been badgering me at every turn, putting on the airs of a high-born lady and treating me like a servant to be ordered around at will."

"If this is the 'assistant's duty' that you condone or expect, then I am sorry—my self-respect is priceless. I cannot do this job!"

With that, Lu Qiuyi spun around with effortless grace, pushed through the crowd of onlookers, and strode away, leaving behind a silhouette of absolute resolve.

Zhou Shiyan was trembling with rage, her face flushing red and then turning pale.

Never in her life had she been humiliated like this, especially not by a lowly assistant she looked down upon!

Zhou Shiyan turned immediately to He Jingyue, her voice laced with tears and profound grievance. "Brother Jingyue, look at your assistant. What is this attitude? Does she even respect you as her boss? She doesn't even have you in her eyes! Someone like this should be fired immediately! She has no sense of decorum at all."

Her friends nearby chimed in, whispering in agreement, "Exactly, she's completely out of line."

They had assumed that given He Jingyue’s status and temperament, he would never tolerate such insolence and defiance from an assistant; he would surely lash out on the spot and punish Lu Qiuyi severely to vent Zhou Shiyan’s anger.

However, to Zhou Shiyan’s utter disbelief—

He Jingyue watched the back of Lu Qiuyi as she disappeared into the crowd. He remained silent for several seconds, his gaze behind his gold-rimmed glasses dark and unreadable.

Only then did he slowly turn his head, his eyes falling upon Zhou Shiyan’s tear-stained face.

His expression was ice-cold, devoid of any warmth, enough to send a chill down one's spine.

"Miss Zhou, may I ask, in what capacity and by what right do you presume to order around, or even reprimand, my assistant?"

Zhou Shiyan was caught off guard. "I am..."

She faltered. Was she supposed to say it was because she was the future daughter-in-law favored by He Jingyue’s mother?

He Jingyue gave her no chance to compose her words, continuing in a chilling tone: "To lack even the most basic sense of propriety and upbringing, and to point fingers at my assistant—it seems your parents have indeed been far too lenient in your discipline."

Zhou Shiyan’s face turned deathly pale, her lips quivering.

"As for this matter," He Jingyue turned away, tossing out a cold remark, "I will have my mother convey the facts to your parents."

His mother did indeed intend to arrange a marriage with the Zhou family, and the Zhou family held resources in certain sectors that he needed to consolidate.

Out of politeness and business considerations, He Jingyue had originally thought it acceptable to have Zhou Shiyan accompany them for a while.

Alas, Zhou Shiyan was truly foolish, failing even at the most superficial tasks, and had the audacity to target his own people.

Once He Jingyue’s figure had also vanished into the night market crowd, a woman beside Zhou Shiyan asked timidly, "Shiyan, Mr. He seems genuinely angry. What should we do now?"

Zhou Shiyan glared at her with hatred. "Useless thing! Why didn't you say a word just now? You couldn't even help at all!"

She stared resentfully in the direction Lu Qiuyi had left, her nails digging into her palms.

Just a small assistant!

How could He Jingyue actually rebuke her for the sake of Lu Qiuyi?

Back in her resort room, Lu Qiuyi threw herself onto the soft sofa, her chest still heaving violently.

She had encountered workplace PUA, and class discrimination at that.

No wonder the Zhou family could get along with the He family; the two families were birds of a feather.

One was an arrogant, self-important heiress, and the other a cold-blooded capitalist!

Although she had felt a sense of vindication when she saw the panicked, stunned expression on Zhou Shiyan’s face after dumping the items back at her, she couldn't explain why, but now that she was alone and quiet, she felt a stifling tightness in her chest.

Perhaps she was just too angry, the emotional volatility so intense that she even felt a dull, dragging ache in her lower abdomen.

Could it be... that she was so furious it triggered her period early?

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

Lu Qiuyi frowned immediately. She shuffled to the door in her slippers and peered through the peephole.

Sure enough, it was He Jingyue’s handsome, expressionless face.

She pursed her lips, deliberately remaining silent.

He Jingyue waited for a few seconds outside, seemingly aware she was inside. He raised the bag he was holding—clearly the shopping from the night market—and his voice came through the door panel. "The things you bought—you don't want them?"

Lu Qiuyi stared at the bag; it was indeed the small seashell wind chimes and wooden starfish carvings she had bought earlier.

She hesitated for a moment, but eventually, in a foul mood, she yanked the door open and snatched the bag from his hands. "Thank you, Mr. He, for delivering them yourself. If there's nothing else, I'm going to sleep."

She moved to close the door.

"I—" He Jingyue seemed to want to say something.

But Lu Qiuyi was in the heat of her anger and had no desire to listen. "What is it, Mr. He? Are you here to settle the score for your delicate friend? Are you blaming me for making her lose face and ruining the grand plan of a marriage alliance between your families?"

She glared at him, determined that if He Jingyue dared to criticize her even once—just once!—she would not hold back this time.

He Jingyue was slightly taken aback by her rapid-fire barrage of questions. "Settle the score?"

He looked at her flushed, angry appearance and retorted, "When did I ever say I was here to settle the score with you?"

"You haven't said it yet?" Lu Qiuyi was even angrier. "I humiliated the daughter of your mother's friend quite thoroughly."

The more she spoke, the more agitated she became. "If you aren't here to settle the score, then why, when that Miss Zhou was ordering me around with such arrogance, did you just stand by and ignore it?"

He Jingyue’s brow furrowed deeper.

Did he not know her by now? She was hardly the type to suffer in silence.

Given her temper, an outburst on the spot would have been normal.

Moreover, he had always been too lazy to intervene in the petty squabbles of women, and he never cared for the process.

"Hasn't our assistant always been quite capable?" He looked at her, his tone laced with a hint of indulgence. "These clumsy little tricks are hardly enough to warrant your attention. When have you ever needed me to intervene in such trivial matters?"

Lu Qiuyi froze at his words.

Understanding his logic was one thing, but the inexplicable grievance and sense of loss in her heart only grew heavier.

It was just... she wasn't happy.

"You—" She opened her mouth, wanting to retort, but suddenly felt a sharp, stabbing pain in her lower abdomen.

Immediately after, her vision went black, and cold sweat broke out on her forehead.

"Ugh..." She let out a pained gasp, clutching her stomach as she slowly doubled over.

He Jingyue’s expression changed drastically. He stepped forward to catch her as she slid down. "Lu Qiuyi?!"

Her consciousness slipped away rapidly. Lu Qiuyi’s hand, which had been gripping his arm, lost its strength and went limp, her body collapsing softly to the floor...