Chapter Forty-Seven: Unusual

Shen Corporation had recently changed hands, and Li Xi at Tianqi Entertainment could not have been more delighted. With the formidable Xie now managing Ye Corporation, all they had to do was follow orders, making their work infinitely easier. As for Shen Qingli coming to oversee Tianqi Entertainment, to Li Xi, this was a windfall upon a windfall.

This company, now a training ground for the “Crown Princess,” meant that, if nothing else, she herself could claim credit for supporting the rise of a future monarch. With the influential Xie behind them, Tianqi Entertainment was assured not to run at a loss.

Buoyed by these bright prospects, Li Xi spent a sleepless night, dark circles under her eyes as she awaited her new boss, Xie Qingli.

On her first day at Tianqi Entertainment, Xie Qingli was a touch nervous. Yet, as soon as she stepped into the company, she was greeted by the sight of a female executive standing by the entrance, whose exquisite makeup could not conceal her fatigue. Xie Qingli couldn’t help but smile—clearly, she wasn’t the only one feeling tense.

As soon as Li Xi saw Xie Qingli enter, she hurried over with deference. “Director Shen, I’m an executive in Tianqi Entertainment’s planning department. I’ll help you get acquainted with our business.”

Xie Qingli nodded, and together they headed for the office.

She observed the woman beside her—black business dress, gold-rimmed glasses, hair loose around her shoulders; she exuded an intellectual, gentle aura. Xie Qingli recalled how Xie Jinchuan had praised Li Xi’s acumen, suggesting she could learn much from her. Indeed, appearances could be deceiving.

They soon arrived at Xie Qingli’s office. She glanced around—its minimalist style was much like Xie Jinchuan’s, free of unnecessary clutter. Taking a seat behind the desk, she leaned back, exhaled in comfort, and a small smile played on her lips. So, she was now Director Shen?

After savoring the moment, she opened her eyes to find Li Xi still masking her astonishment. Xie Qingli chuckled, “So, where shall we begin today?”

Li Xi was jolted back to reality by this question. She handed over a set of files. “Director Shen, you might want to review these scripts and see if any stories catch your eye. We’re planning to invest in a film soon.”

Xie Qingli began to read as instructed. Li Xi watched her, a flicker of warmth in her gaze as she remembered Xie Qingli’s earlier, childlike gestures. This boss was even more to her liking than she had expected.

In the entertainment industry, Li Xi encountered all sorts of characters daily and prided herself on her keen intuition. Xie Qingli’s unguarded moments had unexpectedly awakened a maternal protectiveness in her. Remembering the rumors of Xie Qingli’s mother’s early passing, Li Xi resolved to help this new leader make a triumphant debut.

Xie Qingli had no idea what twists and turns were brewing in the woman’s mind as she carefully read through the scripts before her. She selected one and handed it to Li Xi. “Let’s go with this one. The story seems quite fresh.”

Li Xi, having read all the scripts herself, immediately recognized Xie Qingli’s choice as a commercially viable comedy well-suited to the current market. Her confidence in Xie Qingli’s talent grew. “Very well, I’ll get things started.”

Thus, guided step by step by Li Xi, Xie Qingli embarked on a fascinating new chapter in her career.

Days passed, and Xie Qingli grew accustomed to the rhythm of shuttling between home and the company. Tianqi Entertainment, being at the heart of the entertainment industry, offered lively workdays. Occasionally, she would visit the dance studio downstairs to watch the trainees practice, their sweat and energy invigorating.

One day, after the usual report from Li Xi and wrapping up the day’s business, Li Xi left the office and Xie Qingli allowed herself a brief rest. The recent busyness had kept her from dwelling on what her mother had said, but she hadn’t forgotten her intention to probe Xie Jinchuan.

Yet, she dared not act rashly. With his power, any attempt to hire a private investigator would be futile. All she could do for now was use her spiritual energy each day to activate the jade pendant, severing her connection with the system.

With repeated experiments, she found that the more she used the pendant and the longer she blocked the connection, the stronger her spiritual power grew.

She ran her fingers over the raised koi design on the pendant, calling out silently, “System, are you there?”

No response—successfully blocked. Now she could maintain the barrier for about twenty minutes.

Meanwhile, the system within her mind, Caicai, began to sense something was amiss as these periods of disconnection lengthened.

After finishing her work, it was time to leave. She told Li Xi she was heading out and returned home, where she found the familiar figure busy in the kitchen.

Watching the man deftly stir food in the wok, she was puzzled. Managing just Tianqi Entertainment exhausted her, so how did he, running both Lu Corporation and Shen Corporation, still have the energy to cook?

Both of them were CEOs, after all!

The exhaust fan was loud, so Xie Jinchuan didn’t hear her come in. When he finished plating the food, he looked up to see the woman he’d been thinking of leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching him with an amused air. His eyes softened with a smile. “You’re back? Let’s eat.”

After washing her hands, Xie Qingli accepted the bowl he filled to the brim and dug in heartily. Xie Jinchuan placed a piece of fish in her bowl. “How’s the company?”

She swallowed her food. “Not bad! Li Xi’s been a huge help.”

They chatted over the meal. Xie Jinchuan, sensing the fluctuations of the system’s energy around her, lowered his gaze without betraying any emotion.

After dinner, Xie Qingli took a shower and lay down to rest.

A while later, Xie Jinchuan entered her room. Watching her sleep, he placed his hands gently on her forehead and called out, “System.”

Caicai, sensing Xie Jinchuan’s spiritual energy, responded to him, “President Xie, Miss Shen has been acting a little strange lately. Each day, there’s a period when I completely lose contact with her.”

His eyes turned cold, and he channeled his energy to check for anything unusual within Xie Qingli.

A moment later, he withdrew his hands, frowning—he found nothing out of the ordinary.

But Caicai’s report left him uneasy. He instructed, “No problems detected for now, but stay vigilant. I don’t want a repeat of what happened with An Yan.”

His tone was calm, yet it filled Caicai with inexplicable dread and it hastily agreed.

Finding nothing amiss, Xie Jinchuan gently stroked her cheek, tucked her in, and quietly left the room.

They slept soundly through the night.

The next morning, after breakfast, Xie Qingli drove to Tianqi Entertainment.

As usual, she worked with Li Xi in the office. After handing over the signed documents, she asked casually, “How’s that film, ‘Journey,’ coming along?”