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"Oh, CEO, are you involved with him?"

Xiang Changge acted as if she had no idea what a "CEO" was and kept pressing Chu Keke for an answer.

"Involved?" Chu Keke thought about it blankly. "He and I... we're kind of seeing each other," she replied softly.

"Seeing each other? So you haven't made it official?"

Chu Keke was completely at a loss. She was afraid Shangguan Min would take revenge, and worried about Xiang Changge, too. When asked all these questions, she forgot to feel embarrassed and blurted everything out.

"We've known each other for over half a year. We've been flirting, I guess, but we've never clearly defined our relationship."

"Then do you like him?"

At Xiang Changge's question, the other two men present held their breath, waiting for Chu Keke's answer.

"I..."

She did like him, at least a little. Lately, his every move had been able to affect her mood.

But the difference in their status was so great. What could liking him possibly change?

Besides—remembering that text message, Chu Keke lowered her eyes. "I did, a little, before. But now... now I don't..."

"Keke!"

Shangguan Min, who had been beaten until he was almost unrecognizable, suddenly called Chu Keke's name. As if he knew what she was about to say, he cried out in despair, "I love you! You can't leave me!"

Xiang Changge pulled out the half-eaten hamburger she'd stashed in her pocket and shoved it, wrapper and all, into Shangguan Min's mouth. "Be quiet."

Shangguan Min: "Mmmph! Mmmph! Mmmph!"

Xiang Changge didn't need to guess what he was saying. "I don't know who you are. If you've got a problem, take it up with my boss."

Shangguan Min: "Mmmph?"

Xiang Changge looked at the man sprawled like a puddle of muck and curled her lips into a mocking smile. "Who's my boss? If I told you, you'd be scared to death."

Shangguan Min: "?"

Who in City A would dare go against him, Shangguan Min?

Just wait. Once she told him her boss's name, he'd make sure both her and her boss learned what it meant to pay the price.

Watching the man refuse to give up until he hit a wall, Xiang Changge folded her arms and looked down at him, then slowly gave him his answer. "Yu Qing. Heard of her?"

At the sound of that name, shock flashed in Shangguan Min's swollen eyes, narrowed to slits.

He was probably so stunned that he didn't just fall silent; he even forgot to take the hamburger out of his mouth.

With the noise gone, Xiang Changge turned back and patted Chu Keke on the shoulder, continuing to talk some sense into the clueless girl.

"So you haven't clearly defined your relationship, but he's already treating you like he owns you. He saw you with someone else and got angry enough to come beat him up, right?"

Chu Keke nodded blankly. That did seem to be what had happened.

"Then he's the one with the problem. Some men have this inexplicable possessiveness toward things that belong to other people. It's as if the whole world has to cater to them."

"His behavior is called stringing you along. He won't give you a title, but he won't let you go, either. That's classic having his cake and eating it, too."

"Why would he do that? Either giving you a title would get in the way of him pursuing other women, or he's already married."

At that, Xiang Changge glanced coldly at Shangguan Min. He broke out in a cold sweat under her gaze.

"There's not much of anything else in this world, but there are plenty of people."

"Why waste your time on someone who isn't sincere or honest? Trash belongs with trash. Being with him would only mean shortchanging yourself."

Xiang Changge smoothed Chu Keke's disheveled hair. "Don't torture yourself over it. If you want to know something, ask him directly. If he can't give you an answer, that's an answer in itself."

"Don't be afraid. City A doesn't belong to the Shangguan family."

Xiang Changge didn't bother hiding her words from Shangguan Min. She spoke to Chu Keke right in front of him, as if she wanted to make sure he heard every word. It was truly a vicious blow.

Chu Keke listened with tears in her eyes, while Shangguan Min could only seethe in silence.

He wanted to shout at Xiang Changge to stop driving a wedge between them and making up lies about him. But the name "Yu Qing" she'd just said had him completely cowed.

Yu Qing?

Her boss was Yu Qing?

Then who exactly was she, and what did she know?

Author's note: This is just a novel. No violence, please.

Young Miss: Why isn't she back yet? Do I have to go find her myself? [clown] [clown]

Chapter 25: The Cutest Puppy in the Whole World...

Keke had called her Steward Xiang. Could she be the new housekeeper at the Yu family's home?

Shangguan Min's thoughts raced.

The Yu family's previous housekeeper really was getting on in years. And lately, Shangguan Min had been away on business, overwhelmed by work and the competition. He'd barely been able to spare a thought for Chu Keke, who hadn't spoken to him in days, and had planned to see her after he got back. He certainly hadn't had time to deal with anything involving Yu Qing.

Maybe too much had happened while he was away—things he didn't know about.

If this woman was Yu Qing's housekeeper, and she already knew about him and Keke, did Yu Qing know, too?

Looking at Chu Keke, who stood obediently before the woman who'd appeared out of nowhere, listening to her ramble on about all sorts of nonsense, Shangguan Min felt a stab of sorrow.

He really did like Keke. She was in his heart; he'd give her his life. But... Yu Qing was like a younger sister to him.

She was frail and often sick, and her mental state was worrying, too. Until he'd made all the necessary preparations, he simply couldn't tell her he'd fallen for someone else and wanted to break off their engagement.

If she couldn't handle it and something happened to her because of him, he'd never forgive himself for the rest of his life.

Keke was a good girl. She'd surely understand his predicament.

Wait for me, Keke. Once I've arranged everything, I'll make sure you can stand proudly by my side. I'll tell the whole world that you're the one I love most.

After comforting Chu Keke, Xiang Changge glanced at the two lumps still sitting on the ground.

Shangguan Min was trash, worth two slaps. This so-called second male lead was trash, too, so he deserved two slaps as well.

"You can't even win a fight, and all you do is mope around in secret. What are you, an attention seeker? If you can't do anything else, at least call the police."

Xiang Changge took aim at everyone there indiscriminately. This remark was directed at Wei Quan.

In the original story, after Wei Quan was beaten up, all he could do was watch Shangguan Min kiss Chu Keke by force on the street, then stuff her into his car and drive away.

And what did Wei Quan do? He went home in the rain, nursing his injuries and a broken heart.

Xiang Changge's reaction back then had been: "?"

Seriously? You just let that violent lunatic take her away? You got beaten up, fine, but you couldn't call the police? Couldn't even call them for Chu Keke?

What if he were a psychopath who took her away, tortured her, then dismembered her?

Xiang Changge didn't understand. She felt a little exasperated. She glanced at Wei Quan, still unable to get up off the ground, and delivered her verdict. "Useless."

Wei Quan's face had already been as colorful as a paint palette, and now his expression shifted again.

"You!"

The young man was furious and humiliated. Being scolded in front of the girl he liked made his anger flare. He glared at Xiang Changge through gritted teeth, looking as if he wanted to rush over and fight her himself.

Xiang Changge put on a look of surprise. "Oh, look at that! You weren't angry when you were getting beaten up, but I say a few honest words and suddenly you've got some strength?"

So Shangguan Min could beat him up, but she couldn't criticize him?

If she weren't worried about having to pay for it, Xiang Changge would've loved to beat him up, too.

"Call an ambulance. You can file a police report while you're at it."

Having neatly dealt with one plot point and confirmed that neither Shangguan Min nor Wei Quan was in any shape to follow the story, Xiang Changge said goodbye to Chu Keke.

Then she didn't stick around to clean up. She turned and headed back.

She had to hurry—or she'd be too late. It was about to rain!

Sure enough, just two steps after she turned around, thunder cracked overhead, followed by fat raindrops.

Xiang Changge hurried along and finally made it back to the car before she was soaked through.

Sitting in the car and wiping the rain from her hair with a tissue, Xiang Changge looked out at the dense curtain of rain and sighed. "Sure enough: a dark, rainy night and a heartbroken romantic. Tsk, what an atmosphere."

The system sighed along with her. "A dark night, a torrential downpour. It sets the story's melancholic tone and highlights the protagonist's loneliness. (Sighs and lights a cigarette.) (Comes back.)"

Xiang Changge: "...What are you getting sad about?" And since when did it smoke "e-cigarettes"?

The system sighed again. "You beat up the male lead, so he might not come after you for compensation. But you wasted two hours here. That means two fewer hours for Tongtong to spend with Baby Yu Qing. Tongtong is heartbroken."