Chapter Fifty-Two: She Really Did Come to Steal a Man

“So whose dress is actually a fake, then…?”

“President Shen’s gown was picked out in person, with President Xie accompanying her to the store. There are even photos online taken by the store staff.”

In an instant, every pair of eyes turned toward Shen Qingli and Rong Qiaoyi.

“Oh, come on, why fuss about it? We’re just wearing matching dresses, right, Qingli?”

Rong Qiaoyi hooked her arm through Shen Qingli’s, pulling her closer by her side. The scene drew the attention of all the reporters, who snapped photo after photo of the two of them.

Standing nearby, Xie Jinchuan frowned slightly when he saw Rong Qiaoyi. There was something oddly familiar about this woman.

“Jinchuan, let’s head inside.”

Without betraying any emotion, Shen Qingli gently extricated her arm from Rong Qiaoyi’s grasp, instead taking the man’s arm.

Behind them, a glint of coldness flashed in Rong Qiaoyi’s eyes as she looked at their entwined arms, a mocking smile curling at her lips.

Shen Qingli, we’ll take this one step at a time.

As the reporters swarmed forward, Rong Qiaoyi’s composure never wavered; she answered their questions one by one with practiced ease. After all, this was the first gala she’d attended since her return.

Some enterprising journalists wasted no time in asking about the incident with the evening gowns.

Rong Qiaoyi smiled candidly. “The one I’m wearing is a high-quality imitation. I just wanted to match with my best friend, so I pulled some strings to get it made.”

As she spoke, she glanced inside with a touch of resignation on her face. “But it seems… she’s not very happy about it.”

“Miss Rong, what did you say?” a reporter called out.

Feigning surprise and looking a little flustered, Rong Qiaoyi quickly waved her hands. “Oh, I didn’t say anything. You must have misheard. Anyway, it’s about time—I should head in.”

As they watched her hurriedly leave, a few reporters exchanged knowing smiles. They’d heard her words as clear as day; tomorrow’s headlines were all but guaranteed.

Meanwhile, Shen Qingli, seated inside, was oblivious to it all. After all, it was only the launch of a new brand—nothing particularly exciting.

“That Rong Qiaoyi from earlier, you should keep your distance from her in the future.” Xie Jinchuan glanced at the adorable girl beside him, unable to suppress his concern.

“Mm! Got it!” Shen Qingli nodded eagerly and scampered off to the nearby dessert table, but inwardly, she was turning things over in her mind. What exactly was Rong Qiaoyi’s aim in all of this?

“I barely even know her…” Shen Qingli snorted softly, nibbling on her sweets as she scanned the room, just in time to see Rong Qiaoyi hurrying after Xie Jinchuan.

“What is she doing with Xie Jinchuan?”

Just then, the green little Cilantro awoke. [Host, is it possible she’s here to steal your man?]

Cilantro’s words startled Shen Qingli mid-bite.

“Steal my man?”

She narrowed her eyes, watching as the two of them disappeared around the corner. Still uneasy, she decided to follow.

With a frown and a wary glint in her eyes, Shen Qingli paused before a door, then pushed it open and stepped inside.

But the room was empty.

“Where did they go?” she muttered. Suddenly, a sense of unease crept over her. She turned back toward the door, only to find it locked tight.

“I’ve been set up!” Her eyes grew cold as she scanned her surroundings. If the door wouldn’t open, the only way out was down the stairwell.

With that, Shen Qingli summoned her spiritual power and transformed it into a butterfly to scout ahead.

But the butterfly did not return.

“Cilantro, can you scan the area for any weak points?” Shen Qingli tried to channel her spiritual force to search for vulnerabilities, but for some reason, she found herself blocked, as though something was suppressing her powers. Other than summoning a butterfly, she couldn’t manage anything else.

[Host, there’s some kind of spiritual fluctuation nearby, I… careful… Host…]

Cilantro’s voice faltered, and then, as if sliced through by a blade, the connection between them was abruptly cut off.

“Cilantro! Cilantro!”

No reply. Shen Qingli stared at the shadowy stairwell, conjured a glowing butterfly, and began to descend cautiously.

Meanwhile, in the corridor outside, Rong Qiaoyi appeared, strolling leisurely from around the corner as she gazed down at the unconscious figure on the floor.

“So weak,” she sneered. With a flick of her wrist, Shen Qingli was shut inside the storage room.

And between Rong Qiaoyi’s brows, a faint phosphorescent glow appeared.

“Sleep well. Let the Soul-Devouring Powder slowly erode your mind. I’ll see how you dare challenge me then,” she spat coldly. After sealing the door with a gesture to keep anyone from finding it, she strode briskly away.

But as she stepped out, she nearly collided with Xie Jinchuan, who was searching for Shen Qingli.

“Where is Shen Qingli?”

His face was thunderous, his eyes icy and anxious in equal measure.

“Wasn’t Qingli with you? Maybe she stepped outside?”

She feigned confusion, but in the next instant, he seized her wrist in a vice-like grip.

“Rong Qiaoyi, you’d better pray nothing happens to her. If anything does, I swear I’ll make you pay a thousandfold!”

The frost in his gaze and the chill in his words stabbed at Rong Qiaoyi’s heart.

Pain shot through her wrist, making her even more miserable. She frowned, and noticing the curious stares from nearby, forced herself to speak in a low, composed voice. “President Xie, please let go! Besides, what could I possibly do to Shen Qingli? I’m just a woman—what harm could I cause?”

But the man only sneered. “Who you really are, and what you’re capable of—we both know all too well.”

Rong Qiaoyi froze. When she looked up, her gaze collided with his, as if he saw straight through her; her heart sank.

His words made it clear: Xie Jinchuan knew she had descended from the Celestial Realm…

“I truly don’t know anything! I genuinely want to be friends with Shen Qingli. What did she say about me—why are you so intent on defending her?” she protested, eyes reddening, tears brimming in her lashes, looking so pitiful she drew the attention of everyone nearby.

“What’s going on here?”

“Didn’t Rong Qiaoyi say Xie Jinchuan was standing up for Shen Qingli?”

“Could it be about the dress? If this is all over a dress, isn’t that too petty?”

“I saw Shen Qingli’s expression at the door just now—she didn’t look well…”

The crowd buzzed with speculation, everyone whispering among themselves.

Stubbornly, Rong Qiaoyi insisted, “No, it’s not what you think! Qingli and I are good friends! President Xie, I know you’re worried because Qingli’s missing, but we’re friends…”