Chapter 85: Hidden Beauty

After coming to Zhanzhou, she truly hadn’t logged in again, but that was no reason for Shi Ye to threaten or entice her with a check. Besides, they weren’t in a superior-subordinate relationship—just collaborators, that was all.

An Tong lowered her gaze to her toes, her tone colder than ever before. “If you don’t want to pay me, I don’t need it.”

Not far behind her, Rong Shen narrowed his dark eyes at her words.

The young lady rarely spoke in such a sharp and indifferent way. Had the person on the other end of the call angered her?

On the other side, Shi Ye instantly regretted his words, but pride and his position as boss kept him stubborn. He forced a cool laugh. “Don’t be so sure of yourself, kid. If you really can’t get your share of the reward, don’t come crying to me.”

He’d intended to alternate soft and hard tactics, but his temper got the better of him, and he couldn’t help but put on airs.

This time, An Tong responded coolly with just one word: “Fine.”

Shi Ye’s heart tightened. Before he could say anything to make amends, the call was already disconnected.

He tried dialing again, only to be met with a recorded message telling him the line was unreachable.

Damn.

She’d blocked him?!

Shi Ye threw his phone onto the table, fuming. What a temper—blocking him just like that, not even giving him a chance to take back his words.

She’d already embarrassed him by refusing to come to the annual meeting, and now she was confronting him head-on.

The more Shi Ye thought about it, the angrier he became. He pressed the internal line and summoned the heads of the tech and marketing departments.

“Starting today, have the tech team restrict Goddess Coder’s live-stream account from the backend,” Shi Ye ordered, clearly intending to teach An Tong a lesson. After giving instructions to the tech lead, he turned to the other, “Go through the accounts imitating Goddess Coder, pick out the ones with the most followers and bring me the list.”

The department heads stared at Shi Ye, bewildered. “President Shi, you want us to restrict Goddess Coder’s account?”

Had President Shi lost his mind, going against the app’s top moneymaker? Was he just burning through his cash for fun?

The marketing manager was equally puzzled. “But President Shi, the top imitator accounts barely have twenty thousand followers—the real Goddess Coder has millions. There’s no comparison.”

Shi Ye pulled out a cigarette, biting down on the filter. “Enough talk. Get it done.”

The two department heads slunk away, feeling like they were being sent to their doom.

But that’s the way it was in private companies—the boss’s word was law, and employees had no way to sway his decisions.

…

At the same time, An Tong returned to the sofa at a leisurely pace. Her expression was calm, betraying nothing, though she seemed lost in thought from time to time.

“Ran into some trouble?” Rong Shen observed her closely, his manner elegant as he brought her a cup of green tea.

An Tong snapped out of her reverie and explained succinctly, “Not exactly trouble. My former boss from my side job doesn’t want to pay me.”

The man took a sip of tea, indulgence flickering in his deep black eyes. “The Rong family has its own legal team. If you need anything, don’t hesitate.”

An Tong’s lips curved into a smile. “Alright~”

Soon, a housekeeper came to inform them that the eldest lady, Rong Xian, had returned home and invited them to dine in the front courtyard.

Rong Shen nodded, smoothing the creases from his trousers before rising and holding out his palm to An Tong.

He said nothing more, relying on this single, simple gesture for her response.

Looking at the slender, well-defined fingers before her, An Tong didn’t hesitate to take hold of them.

Hand in hand, they left the lakeside villa. Nothing seemed different, yet everything had changed.

…

In the front hall, Ruan Danling immediately saw them enter, fingers entwined, and grew so excited that she rubbed her hands together. “Ah, Xiao Jiu has finally made some progress.”

On a single armchair, Rong Xian looked up from her phone and gazed out the window, a knowing smile on her lips.

“Xian, I don’t mean to nag, but look at Xiao Jiu—he’s no longer single! When are you going to bring home a son-in-law for me to meet?” Ruan Danling asked.

Rong Xian continued texting, seemingly uninterested. “Another time.”

“You always say that,” Ruan Danling said earnestly, hoping to persuade her. “That won’t do. You’re already thirty. If you don’t find someone soon, you might end up becoming someone’s stepmother when you’re older.”

Rong Xian fell silent.

Ruan Danling pressed on, “Don’t think I’m exaggerating. Men only become more valuable with age, but it’s different for us women. I’m not rushing you to marry, I just hate seeing you work all the time without even dating. You should take advantage of your youth and have a proper romance—at least enjoy life a little.”

Rong Xian rubbed her forehead, smiling inwardly. “Mom, I’m not short on boyfriends, so don’t worry about me. Why not focus on Xiao Jiu? Maybe he’ll give you a grandchild soon.”

As she spoke, Rong Shen and An Tong entered the hall.

Without another word, Ruan Danling hurried over to An Tong, fussing over her, while her son and daughter could only stand aside.

…

Before dinner, Rong Xian and Rong Shen stepped outside to the garden to smoke.

The siblings sat across from each other. Rong Xian raised her menthol cigarette, arching an eyebrow teasingly. “At the party, you two weren’t this close. Just one night later, and things have progressed quickly.”

“Thanks to you,” the man replied, glancing up, amusement curling at his lips.

Rong Xian shrugged unconcernedly, taking a drag from her cigarette and laughing softly. “Don’t blame me—what Su Yiting and Yi Ke did had nothing to do with me. If you really want to get to the bottom of it, you should ask our dear mother. She probably knows better than I do.”

These childhood friends were never ones to meddle, yet their behavior at the gathering had been out of character.

Normally, Rong Shen would have noticed, but his jealousy had led him to drink too much, causing him to overlook important details.

It wasn’t until he sobered up this morning that he realized something was off.

Su Yiting and Yi Ke had worked together with deliberate intent.

…

At dusk, Rong Xian left the family estate, and An Tong and Rong Shen returned to the lakeside villa.

“Does your sister not usually live at home?” An Tong asked as they walked side by side down a tree-lined path. Thinking of the elegant and poised Rong Xian, her curiosity got the better of her.

“No, she has her own place—moved out years ago,” Rong Shen replied, lightly rubbing her fingertips, answering every question.

An Tong’s eyes flickered; she feigned casual conversation while probing, “And you? Have you always lived here?”

“I have other residences too. I rarely come here,” he replied with a smile in his voice, squeezing her hand lightly. “If you’re interested, I’ll take you to see them someday.”

An Tong didn’t think much of it, her curiosity piqued. “In Zhanzhou or in Hong Kong?”

“Both,” Rong Shen said.

An Tong blinked in surprise. “You have a place in Zhanzhou too? Then why did you buy Xiangzhang Residence?”

His deep gaze lingered on her, but before he could answer, four words flashed through his mind, betraying his original intentions: A gilded cage for a cherished beauty.

May 3rd will see a small update.

(End of chapter)