Transmigrated into the body of the vicious first wife of a fallen prime minister

An hour and a half later, Qi He sat "reluctantly" in the riverside elegant seat of Qingfeng Tower.

The river flowed quietly in the night, and the lights on both banks shone like stars, making the great river that runs through the city shine brightly.

It's only a short walk from Qianjinlou to Qingfenglou, and the remaining hour or so was wasted by Qi He dawdling at home.

The new dishes at Qingfenglou suited Qi He's taste perfectly, and the presentation was exquisite.

When the waiter brought the dish over, Qi He's eyes lit up slightly.

After the waiter finished announcing the names of the dishes, the young waiter blushed slightly and asked in a low voice, "Sir, is there anything else you would like to order?"

Qi He wondered: What's stuck in this person's throat? Why is he lowering his voice so much?

"That's all. You can go now. I'll call you if I need anything."

"Okay, go ahead and tell me what's up."

The waiter reluctantly left.

Qi He coughed lightly with restraint, picked up her silver chopsticks, examined the dish of fish slices with lotus root on the plate for a moment, and then began to eat.

Qingfeng Tower is a famous place in Jinling, and the news that Miss Qi Er dined there spread quickly.

Before half a cup of tea could be brewed, someone delivered the invitation to the door.

First, the second young master of Baofeng Shop in the city sent someone to deliver a basket of newly harvested loquats. Then, the third young lady of Wantong Silk Shop sent a box of rouge through her maid. Even the young master of Taifeng Rice Shop sent someone to deliver a jar of aged Shaoxing wine.

Qi He looked at the gift boxes piled up at the entrance of the private room, somewhat puzzled.

The waiter came in and reported, "Second Miss, several other families outside want to send invitations, saying they wish to catch up with you."

Qi He waved his hand.

She only had superficial relationships with these people, and they hadn't even exchanged more than a few words. What old acquaintance were they talking about?

It is clear that some people saw her come to Qingfeng Tower and then flocked to her to curry favor.

Her reputation for being foolish and rich was indeed well-known in Jinling.

No, it was the original owner who was foolish and had too much money, not her.

She is very smart.

Just then, a letter arrived from Hu Ying.

The maid whispered, "My mistress said that some people say they want to sever all ties with men, but then they turn around and sit in a private room at Qingfeng Tower drinking with other men. She asked you if you have betrayed our sisterly bond."

Qi He: "???"

Qi He picked up her pen and replied, "Who's your sister? If you say such things again, we shouldn't associate with each other anymore!"

The maidservant ran back, looking troubled: "Miss said that she just sent someone to inquire, and the person you were seated with in that private room was a young man. She said you must be having an affair with someone in secret."

Qi He nearly spat out her tea: "She sent someone to spy on me?"

The maid shrank back: "Miss also said that she has sharp eyes and can know what's going on at home, so there's no need to send anyone to investigate..."

Qi He was furious: "If she has so much free time, she should go to the government office and find a job investigating cases!"

The maid continued, "Miss also said you seemed guilty... that you were secretly having an affair behind her back but didn't dare admit it..."

Qi He wasn't guilty at first, but Hu Ying's words made it seem as if she had really done something shameful.

"snort!"

She looked up at Shang Jue, whose expression was indifferent. He was focused on eating the food in his bowl and didn't spare her a single glance.

Sensing Qi He's gaze, Shang Jue paused, a hint of wariness in his eyes.

Qi He was familiar with that look in his eyes.

Although he and Shang Jue had lived peacefully for the past six months, it didn't mean he had forgotten the torment the original owner had inflicted on him.

Qi He, who had read the original novel, knew very well that the male lead's greatest strength was his ability to hide a knife behind a smile and to slowly boil a frog in water.

We should be thankful that she wasn't killed, let alone be lovers? What kind of lovers are we talking about?

Who could possibly have a good relationship with this bastard?

Thinking about her future fate, Qi He suddenly felt a tightness in her chest, and after a few more bites, she couldn't eat anymore.

So when the dish of osmanthus cake was served, she lost interest, listlessly put down her silver chopsticks, and got up to leave.

......

The following afternoon, at the main branch of the Qi Family's Juxian Trading Company, located in the direction of the docks outside the city, a meeting was being held for the middle of the month.

Qi Zheng sat at the head of the table, while several senior managers of Juxian Trading Company below were arguing heatedly.

The topic kept circling back to whether or not the construction project at Qingshanjian should be handed over to Shang Jue for overall management.

The deputy manager of Juxian and Mr. Yang, the accountant, almost came to blows in the council hall.

Only after Qi Zheng made the final decision, handing over the entire task of Qingshanjian to Shang Jue, did Mr. Yang sit down with a livid face, but the hatred in his eyes as he looked at Shang Jue had not diminished.

Shang Jue didn't even look up; he simply twirled the teacup in his hand.

The meeting lasted from afternoon until sunset, during which the candles in the hall were changed several times.

After Qi Zheng finally announced the end of the event, he left Shang Jue alone.

After dismissing the servants, only the two of them remained in the hall.

"How have things been going with Xiaohe lately?"

"It's acceptable."

Qi Zheng sat in the armchair, looking at Shang Jue with emotionless eyes: "Xiao He is my sister. I know her personality. If she has offended you in any way, you should first think about whether you have done something wrong."

Shang Jue lowered his eyelashes and remained silent.

"If it weren't for my grandfather's dying wish that you marry Xiaohe, I would never have let her go with you." Qi Zheng frowned slightly, clearly very dissatisfied with Shang Jue. "Since I can't change this, I can only give you a few pointers. I don't care if you have any other people outside, but once you're in the Qi family, you need to cut all ties with them."

"Also, no matter what you were like in the past, Xiaohe and you are supposed to get married in a year. Wanxing and Juxian are now in your hands. I'm only giving you a year. After a year, I don't want people to say that my sister married a useless good-for-nothing."

Qi Zheng breathed a sigh of relief: "Don't worry about the job at Qingshanjian. You'll definitely be in charge. You don't need to worry about Qi Youwei's side of things. I'll take care of it for you."

Shang Jue's eyes remained completely calm, and he slightly tugged at the corner of his mouth, seemingly with a cold smile: "Thank you, Lord Marquis."

A suffocating sense of urgency spread silently through the council chamber.

Qi Zheng disliked Shang Jue from the bottom of his heart. Based on his years of experience in judging people, Shang Jue was definitely not a good match for Qi He.

"And another thing," Qi Zheng said, "Now that you're getting married, you should spend more time together. I heard from Xiao He last time that you've never been to her courtyard before?"

"I'll assign one of her maids to you later, so you can know what she likes and dislikes. Even if Xiao He wasn't good to you before, it's because she was still young. That's just her personality, you should be more accommodating to her."

"Don't worry, my lord, I will."

"Hmm." Qi Zheng continued, "Also, you should get to know her friends more often, so you can find out who she associates with. I'll have the manager send you a list of the people she knows. Besides the business, your top priority is to keep Xiao He happy, understand?"

Shang Jue clenched his fist slightly, then relaxed it: "I know."

The manager acted quickly, sending Qi He's maid along with a list of her usual associates to Shang Jue.

He flipped through a couple of pages as he walked, then put the book down without much interest.

Unexpectedly, they met Mr. Yang—Yang Zhao—under the corridor.

The one who vehemently opposed appointing Shang Jue to oversee the affairs of Qingshanjian during the discussion just now.

He was Qi Youwei's old subordinate, and after Juxian was swallowed up by Wanxing, he secretly opposed Shang Jue.

Seeing the words "Qi He's preferences" clearly written on the list in Shang Jue's hand, he couldn't help but smile contemptuously.

"No wonder he's the head manager of the business; he's really willing to go to any lengths to climb the ladder, even going so far as to lick the hem of Miss Qi's skirt," Yang Zhao said sarcastically. "Otherwise, how come we can't become head managers?"

A soft laugh echoed through the corridor.

Yang Zhao suddenly lowered his voice and said maliciously, "Don't think you've gotten the job at Qingshan Stream so easily. You're just a live-in son-in-law who climbed the social ladder by currying favor with the young lady. Just you wait and see!"

Shang Jue gave him a cold look and said nothing.

......

Qi He's birthday is at the end of May, which happens to be the same day as the original owner of the body.

Her birthday banquet is a major event held once a year. Every year, Qi Zheng invites many business associates and influential figures from various neighborhoods to attend the banquet.

Half a month before her birthday, Qi He was surrounded by embroiderers and tailors, who took care of everything from her clothes and shoes, from what she wore in the morning to what she changed into in the afternoon. They even inquired about the color of her hairpin every half hour.

Exhausted, Qi He fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

As the birthday approached, congratulatory gifts from all over the country poured into Qianjinlou like a flowing river.

Qi He was too lazy to count them, so he simply piled them all into the warehouse.

She'll be happy if she gets something good, but if there are too many good things, she'll lose interest.

She thought she had gone to bed late enough, but Shang Jue had gone to bed even later than her.

It wasn't that I was busy with her birthday celebration; it was because I heard there were some issues with the job at Qingshanjian.

Qi He recalled the original work and vaguely remembered that the development of Qingshanjian was described in considerable detail, and there seemed to be some important turning point in it...

What was it again?

My memory is limited; I can't remember it at all.

Anyway, it's the male lead's trouble, what does it have to do with her?

She's just an innocent rich person who receives so many gifts every day that her hands are sore from giving them away.

Ah, what a simple and unpretentious life...

Three days before her birthday, Qi He finally finished trying on the last lotus-root-colored brocade jacket and dress, and saw off the embroiderers.

She went to the bathroom in a daze and soaked for half an hour, until she was drowsy, before slowly drying herself off and coming out.

As I passed the study, the light was still on, and I could vaguely hear a deep male voice coming from inside.

What are you saying? Why are you speaking so softly?

Qi He's curiosity was instantly piqued.

She tiptoed toward the study, turned slightly to the side, and put her ear close to the crack in the door, but still couldn't hear clearly.

She had to move closer, bend down slightly, and listen intently.

Then, the back of my head bumped into a warm chest.

A voice came from above: "What are you doing?"

An awkward silence filled the air.

Qi He looked up at him, and after a long while, she couldn't find any excuse to argue.

So she spoke sincerely, innocently, and confidently: "I was eavesdropping."