Chapter Sixty-Seven: Female CEOs Are Usually Older Single Women

Qin Mengxue finally released her bite only ten minutes later. At this moment, she was still panting heavily from their earlier intense tussle, but her pretty face was alight with an unmistakable pride she could not conceal. Glancing at the bite marks scattered across Xue Tian’ai’s arms, neck, and even his face, Qin Mengxue felt a surge of accomplishment, her heart brimming with satisfaction, the corners of her lips curving uncontrollably into a smile.

Xue Tian’ai now leaned silently against the sofa, his eyes vacant as he stared at the ceiling, looking utterly dazed. “Me, the great young master of the Xue family, have actually been utterly ravaged by a woman today. I've failed as a man, I’ve failed as a Xue!” he lamented.

“Hey, I didn’t force you! Don’t spout nonsense!” Qin Mengxue hastily interjected, worried by his ridiculous theatrics.

“Wife, what’s your Chinese zodiac sign?” Xue Tian’ai ignored her protest, abruptly changing the subject.

“Huh? I’m a Rabbit. Why?” Qin Mengxue was puzzled by the sudden question. Why ask about that? What’s the point?

“What? You’re a Rabbit? If you hadn’t said so, I’d have thought you were a Dog, the way you were biting!” Xue Tian’ai widened his eyes in feigned shock, clutching his mouth as though incredulous.

“Xue Tian’ai!” Qin Mengxue’s expression darkened, her teeth grinding audibly.

“Ah! Um, wife, look at that weather outside—it’s absolutely gorgeous, isn’t it?” Xue Tian’ai, noticing the thunderclouds gathering on Qin Mengxue’s face, hurriedly changed the subject. Heaven knew whether she’d decide to bite him again!

Qin Mengxue snorted softly, stood up, and walked over to her desk. She sat down in her chair and asked calmly, “Are you really planning to negotiate with Tianming Group?”

Hearing the name Tianming Group again, a subtle flicker crossed Xue Tian’ai’s eyes, but he quickly regained his composure, answering coolly, “Of course. I’ve already made a bet with Su Jiaqi; I want her to treat me to dinner, after all.”

So this scoundrel is really that eager to dine with Su Jiaqi! Infuriating—simply too infuriating! Qin Mengxue cursed inwardly, though her face revealed no trace of emotion. “Do you even know how difficult it is to negotiate with Tianming Group?”

“How hard can it be? There’s nothing that can’t be settled over a few drinks. If one round isn’t enough, then two! I refuse to believe anyone can outdrink me. Once they’re under the table, the business will take care of itself, won’t it?” Xue Tian’ai replied carelessly, though a glimmer in his eyes betrayed a hidden calculation.

Hearing such nonsense, Qin Mengxue could almost see cows flying across the sky. If closing a deal was really as simple as drinking someone under the table, all the bosses would just hire teams of professional drinkers.

“Xue Tian’ai, don’t get reckless. The president of Tianming Group is a woman, you know!” Qin Mengxue reminded him kindly.

“A woman? Even better! Female CEOs are usually all leftover spinsters...”

“Xue Tian—” Qin Mengxue’s face instantly darkened. Female CEO, leftover spinster? Was this scoundrel mocking her indirectly?

Sensing the murderous aura emanating from her, Xue Tian’ai quickly added, “Oh, but of course you’re the exception, wife. After all, you have an absurdly handsome husband.”

Her face, so recently clouded, suddenly tinged with a faint blush. Yes, she almost forgot—she no longer had anything to do with the word “spinster,” having been married for three years already.

“The president of Tianming Group is only a year older than me. How could she be called a leftover spinster?”

“Oh? The president is twenty-four? A young girl, then? Is she prettier than you, wife? Is her figure as nice? Are her legs as long? Her waist—slim or not? Is her face oval or heart-shaped? Does she have long straight black hair or big, luscious curls?” Xue Tian’ai’s eyes suddenly gleamed with anticipation.

At the sight of his eager expression, Qin Mengxue’s face turned icy, as if winter frost had descended. Still, the fire in her eyes danced furiously within that chill. Yet she forced herself to suppress her anger.

“She’s beautiful, stunningly beautiful—a truly gorgeous president!”

“Perfect! In that case, there won’t be any problem. This deal is as good as done. I just need to get her drunk, find a room, conquer her, and become her king. Won’t the business fall into place then?” Xue Tian’ai’s eyes gleamed with a wicked, lecherous light.

“Go to hell!” Qin Mengxue grabbed a stack of documents from her desk and flung them at him.

With his agility, a few files posed no threat. He reached out, caught them easily, and grinned. “See, my wife cares about me—she knows that hitting me with papers won’t hurt. You’re the best, honey!”

“Hmph, keep dreaming. Your plan is utterly unworkable, at least when it comes to the president of Menghua Group. You’d better think of something else. If you ask me, you should just forfeit your bet with Su Jiaqi. Based on my experience, your chances of winning are about zero point zero zero zero one percent!”

“What! If you round that, it’s just zero!” Xue Tian’ai exclaimed.

“You’re so smart—truly remarkable!” Qin Mengxue applauded mockingly.

“Damn, my own wife looks down on me. I’m heartbroken!” Xue Tian’ai wailed.

“It’s not that I look down on you. There’s just no possibility of negotiation. I was turned away myself when I tried before!” Qin Mengxue pouted, recalling the time Ye Hairuo had unceremoniously rejected her, and a faint sadness flickered in her heart.

“No way! A man never admits defeat! (It’s time to face the past.) No matter what, I have to try! (It’s time to see her again.) Only then can I call myself a man.” Beneath Xue Tian’ai’s joking smile, there seemed to be a hidden sorrow.

“Whatever—just don’t blame me for not warning you if you end up embarrassing yourself.” Qin Mengxue waved her hand helplessly.

“By the way, when are you planning to go?”

“Tomorrow. Do you think I can go out looking like this today?” Xue Tian’ai pointed to the bite marks on his face, then stood up and moved over to his own desk.

“Um...” Qin Mengxue couldn’t help but feel a little awkward at the sight of the lingering marks. She really had gotten carried away earlier and forgotten about such things.

“Do you want me to set up the meeting, or drive you over?” Qin Mengxue offered, her tone tinged with a hint of guilt.

“No need, I’ll go myself. I know the way.” Xue Tian’ai bent down, adjusting the height of his desk chair.

“You know the way?” Qin Mengxue was skeptical.

“Phone navigation, of course—just search and go. Wife, are you silly or what?” Xue Tian’ai replied, booting up his computer.

“Fine! See if I ever offer to help you again!” Qin Mengxue pouted and turned away, fuming. She had only wanted to show concern, but this jerk didn’t appreciate it at all. Unforgivable!

Xue Tian’ai, oblivious to her girlish antics, asked as he powered on the computer, “Wife, can I play a game for a bit?”

“Do what you want, just keep quiet!” Qin Mengxue snorted and buried herself in work.

“Heh, great!” Xue Tian’ai grinned. If he couldn’t play games, he’d probably die of boredom in her office.

Yet instead of launching the shooter game he’d played that morning, he logged into a strange website. The entire site was black, save for a blood-red “Enter” button, which gave it an eerie, sinister feel. Xue Tian’ai shot a quick glance at Qin Mengxue, confirming she was engrossed in work, then subtly turned his monitor so its back faced her. He pressed Enter.

The screen shifted abruptly, the black fading away to reveal a stark white login page. He carefully entered his username and password, and the site transformed once more.

A huge message appeared at the center of the screen: “The chip platform welcomes you!”

Yes, this was the infamous “Chip” platform—the shadowy investor behind the Night Club, the organizer of the Night Auction. Here, you could buy or sell nearly anything; here, there were also bounties specifically for assassins and mercenaries. In short, it was a magical, omnipotent, yet utterly dark and wicked platform.

Xue Tian’ai logged in only to check if Qin Mengxue’s name had appeared again among the bounty targets. After all, there was still no clue about this mysterious “Mr. Y,” and the faint murderous intent he’d sensed that morning kept him on edge.

He scoured the bounty section, refreshed it again and again, but after confirming there was no trace of Qin Mengxue’s name, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and closed the site.

Just as he was about to start his game and unleash some virtual carnage, the QQ icon in the lower right of his screen suddenly began to blink, and his computer erupted with the familiar alert tones—ding, ding, ding—over and over.

The office was instantly filled with ringing.

Xue Tian’ai was momentarily stunned.

Qin Mengxue shot him a furious glare.