Mrs. Fu, please be mindful of the appropriate boundaries.

He seemed tense and unapproachable all day, but the arm he was holding around her was strong, secure, and... gentle.

Although this description is not quite accurate, this word is probably the one that best expresses Xu Qingcheng's gratitude.

He's been pretty good to her, hasn't he?

"What are you looking at?" Fu Jingting put her down and helped her find a standing position where she wouldn't aggravate her wound, but he saw her staring at him.

Caught red-handed, Ms. Xu blurted out, "Because you're handsome."

"..." Fu Jingting paused for a second, then replied matter-of-factly, "You're only just finding out?!"

Miss Xu rolled her eyes and called out over the man's shoulder, "Changchang, come help me."

"How can I help you?" Miss Song felt that if she had a man like this to help her, she wouldn't need anyone else's help.

Xu Qingcheng was furious. "I need to use the restroom. Come here and help me take off my pants."

She couldn't very well ask Fu Jingting for help.

The man gave her a cold look, as if to say, "What haven't I seen? It's too late to be embarrassed now!"

But Miss Xu doesn't think so.

That was then.

This is the time.

Song Chang still took over the work Xu Qingcheng had assigned her. But as she pulled down her pants, Song Chang stared at the bruises near her upper thighs that were clearly different from ordinary injuries, and the marks of binding on her ankles. She teased her, "Miss Xu has been to quite a few murder scenes lately, hasn't she?"

"You're crazy, what...?"

Under Song Chang's ambiguous gaze, Xu Qingcheng finally understood. A little color returned to her pale face as she avoided the topic.

It was fortunate that she was the one who was injured, otherwise Song Chang would have really asked her in detail how the teeth marks came about, and how the bondage play was done. Just thinking about it made Emma's blood boil and feel incredibly excited.

Mr. Fu really knows how to have fun.

Xu Qingcheng tossed and turned in bed for the rest of the night, the pain causing her to regret her plan countless times.

When Song Chang saw her in so much pain while carrying Fu Jingting, she scolded her, "You deserve to suffer. You don't even tell me the truth. You're really something."

"When Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on a person, it first tests their resolve, strains their muscles and bones, starves their body, empties their resources, and frustrates their endeavors, so as to strengthen their character, increase their abilities..."

While Xu Qingcheng was in so much pain that tears were streaming down her face, she tried to find a reason for herself.

She memorized it quite well.

Fu Jingting snorted coldly, looking at her, "Has Heaven gone blind, bestowing such a great responsibility upon you?"

Song Chang, "..." This man has a sharp tongue.

Xu Qingcheng, "Young Master Fu, you can leave now." The off-screen voice seems to say, "You'd better leave now, I don't need you, don't rub salt into my wounds."

Xu Qingcheng was still worried about the media, so she looked at Song Chang and said, "Don't stay here with me. I'm fine. As for the media, you..."

"Don't worry. My brother has taken care of it." Song Chang glanced at Fu Jingting discreetly, feeling a little annoyed. She hadn't wanted to bother her brother with this matter.

"Song Xingzhi?" Xu Qingcheng couldn't help but lift herself up, but the pain made her lie back down completely. "You..."

"Don't worry about it. My brother will handle it better than I can. It's okay!" Song Chang comforted her.

"This isn't a matter of whether it's a good thing or not. We have a gentleman's agreement. Song Xingzhi told me before that he wouldn't interfere in my struggle with the Ye family." He wouldn't help her, but he would never kick her when she was down.

Similarly, Xu Qingcheng also promised that she would not involve Song Chang or put her in a difficult position.

But now, she's dragging the Song family into this. The key point is, this time the matter isn't so important that this is necessary.

Xu Qingcheng felt a little sorry for Song Chang. "I'm sorry, Changchang."

"No need to apologize. If Song Xingzhi can't even handle this simple matter, he should step down."

Fu Jingting hit the nail on the head.

While Song Xingzhi was handling these matters at the Song family home, he was suddenly sprayed in the face with ink from a fountain pen. He cursed, "Xu Qingcheng, what a troublemaker!"

Song Chang and Fu Jingting stayed with her all night, and he left the next morning because he had urgent business to attend to.

The man emerged from the hospital, emanating a chill from him.

Duan Heng reported the situation to him, saying that apart from Xu Qingcheng's injury, the media had already embellished the reports on everything else.

This includes speculation about the relationship between the two.

Fu Jingting glanced at the newspaper and then tossed it aside.

He pressed his temples, tilted his head back, and asked, "Is there anything else?"

"Ms. Xu's assistant applied for a forensic medical examination for her yesterday. I guess she doesn't want to settle privately. Intentionally causing minor injury can result in up to three years in prison if the victim insists on not seeking compensation and instead wants a criminal sentence."

Now, Duan Heng is about 70-80% sure he knows what Ming Xuqingcheng is thinking.

"Miss Xu's behavior is too extreme. She may not be able to achieve the result she wants by doing this, and the Ye family will not let her achieve it easily. In the end, she will lose more than she gains. She will only suffer the pain herself." Duan Heng shook his head, completely disagreeing.

Fu Jingting took off his wristwatch and held it up in front of him, watching the second hand tick away.

A thousand-mile dike can be breached by an ant hole.

Experience from ancient times.

Even a mantis trying to stop a chariot isn't necessarily doomed; they'll all end in defeat.

Not everyone has the courage to raise their arms and shield themselves like she did.

"Any news about the private investigator I asked you to arrange?" Fu Jingting suddenly asked.

"I have news," Duan Heng replied. "Ye Chengnian has been in contact with two senior executives of Shengshi Group recently: Chen Guangnian and Huang Ke."

Fu Jingting hummed in response, then lightly tapped his leg with his finger, but gave no further instructions.

Duan Heng's business acumen made it easy for him to realize that Ye Chengnian wouldn't have contacted these two people without a reason. Considering the Ye family's current attitude, it was clear that one side had overwhelming power in the power struggle, which meant there was a lot of work to be done.

As the car drove along the wide roads of Ancheng, Fu Jingting remained silent. Duan Heng couldn't help but ask, "Young Master Fu, shall we continue following?"

"No."

Fu Jingting chuckled lightly. He had underestimated her after all. She probably already knew about Ye Wenhan's press conference.

Duan Heng was somewhat surprised. They weren't going to follow?!

Seeing his hesitant expression, Fu Jingting simply cut to the chase, "Do you think that Ye Chengnian's contact with them will inevitably bring a lot of changes to Shengshi? The Xu family has a shallow foundation. In the early years, Xu Shengchang introduced many corporate shareholders for development, resulting in dispersed shareholdings. Once someone with ulterior motives secretly acquires the shares, the Xu family may directly lose control of Shengshi Group."

Duan Heng nodded. "Yes. It's too obvious. All the shares held by their entire family combined can barely reach the safety control line of 34%."

"Since we understand, she might understand as well." Fu Jingting's eyes deepened. "Ye Chengnian wanted to take over Shengshi half a year ago, even risking Ye Tinghong's career, but unfortunately, he hasn't succeeded yet. Before Xu Shengchang's stroke, Shengshi was already on its last legs. Now, Shengshi has a chance to catch its breath, and that's not thanks to Xu Shengchang."

After Fu Jingting finished speaking, he paused for a moment, then, thinking of her pale face, he suddenly snorted.

She's got brains, but they've been kicked in the head by a donkey.