Chapter 35: Her Concealment

Seeing him arrive, Shang Qi couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

After Luo Yichen sat down, he asked, "What are you two chatting about? You seem so happy!"

Sensing that Luo Yichen was quite displeased, Shang Qi assumed he had encountered trouble at work again. Mu Lichen replied, "We were discussing the plan for the anniversary event."

"There is no need to rush that. Lichen, focus on finalizing the work plan for the entire coming year. That is the most pressing matter right now. Shang Qi, how is the redrafting of the labor contracts coming along? Why haven't I seen a draft yet? Do you not realize how urgent this is?"

"I am aware. A draft was already sent to your email," Shang Qi answered cautiously. In truth, she had sent the draft to Luo Yichen’s inbox three days ago and had even notified his secretary. He must have been too busy to look at it.

Mu Lichen joked, "Can you not arrange work during meals? Be careful of indigestion!"

Luo Yichen said nothing more and lowered his head to eat. Mu Lichen turned to Shang Qi and asked, "Which movie were you saying you liked earlier?"

Shang Qi dared not be as reckless as he was. This was the employee cafeteria, and dining with the president required a sense of propriety. She said, "I suddenly remembered some parts of the labor contract that need revision. Mr. Luo, please enjoy your meal! I’m going back to the office."

Mu Lichen was not surprised by her reaction at all. He said, "I have work to do on the plan anyway. I’ll go with you."

Listening to their back-and-forth, Luo Yichen felt a surge of irritation. He felt an uneasy sense of restlessness, wondering what Mu Lichen was up to. Shang Qi, not noticing Luo Yichen’s expression, said directly, "Alright, let’s go! Tell me more about that plan you mentioned."

"You have to tell me which movie you like first!" Mu Lichen teased again.

Fearing that Luo Yichen might get angry, Shang Qi forced an unnatural smile.

After they left, Luo Yichen had no appetite left. He was desperate to know what was going on between Shang Qi and Mu Lichen. He stood up and returned to his office. After calling Shang Qi in, he didn't mention Mu Lichen immediately, opting to talk about work first.

He said, "The police have conducted a thorough investigation into the recent protest. The conclusion is the same as my assessment: someone intentionally incited the employees to cause trouble. The company has decided to file formal lawsuits against the agitators, and you will be in charge of the specifics."

"Although those troublemakers behaved aggressively, the company is also at fault regarding the contract renewals. For instance, the renewal of unexpired contracts was done without offering employees financial compensation. At the time, I didn't include such clauses due to cost considerations. If they use this as grounds to sue the company, we might not win. Even if we do, the public opinion will be very unfavorable to us."

Luo Yichen frowned, calculating as he listened: this situation was indeed thorny. The opposing party’s clear intention was to smear the reputation of the Luo Group, and the plan had been meticulously laid out. As Shang Qi said, if the Luo Group publicly filed a lawsuit, the other side would continue their performance. This would only put us on the defensive.

Thinking of this, Luo Yichen said, "Hold off on the lawsuits for now. Investigate the backgrounds of these troublemakers thoroughly. Focus on their current difficulties."

Surprised by his arrangement, Shang Qi asked, "Why investigate their difficulties?"

"Whoever is inciting these employees is surely sitting back and watching the show. I refuse to let them succeed! In the name of the Luo Group, help these troublemakers find jobs—high-profile ones, and ensure they are satisfied."

Shang Qi secretly admired Luo Yichen’s foresight. This man always did things that were unexpected yet entirely logical. Over the years, this was exactly what had deeply attracted her to him.

Suddenly, Luo Yichen changed the subject: "You’ve been getting quite close to Lichen lately, haven't you?"

Shang Qi was caught off guard and stunned by the question. She thought to herself: Mu Lichen is innocent. If I drag him into this, it will only cost him his job. Besides, there is nothing between us. We’ve just had a few meals and chatted a bit more than usual.

So, she replied, "Is that so? There are some work matters that require his cooperation."

Luo Yichen noticed that Shang Qi avoided his gaze while speaking, which only deepened his suspicions. His intuition told him that the woman before him was hiding something. However, he trusted that Shang Qi wouldn't look for other men behind his back; he had at least that much confidence. The most important thing right now was to win over her parents.

Luo Yichen asked, "Have you mentioned me to your parents lately?"

"I..." Shang Qi was extremely nervous and dared not lie to him again.

Seeing her stammering, Luo Yichen knew things were not going smoothly. He said, "Since you can't handle them, let me do it."

"No. My mother has a heart condition; she can't handle the stress."

Luo Yichen snapped, "Shang Qi, don't be so spoiled! My patience has limits. Let me tell you today: regardless of your parents' attitude, I am determined to marry you."

Luo Yichen never did anything halfway. He had already shown the utmost tolerance toward Shang Qi. Considering he was the president of the Luo Group, how much else did he have to worry about? And how many heiresses wanted to marry him? Being constantly looked down upon by the Shang family elders wounded his pride.

Seeing him pressure her like this, Shang Qi felt very unhappy. She said, "Luo Yichen, do not disregard my parents. In my heart, you cannot compare to them."

"Say that again!" Luo Yichen roared.

All of his pent-up frustration and anger surged forward, manifesting as an invisible hostility that made Shang Qi tremble. She dared not speak again, simply glaring at Luo Yichen. In her eyes, helplessness and sorrow gradually appeared. The atmosphere in the room was suffocating.

Luo Yichen calmed down, realizing he had gone too far. If it were someone else, he wouldn't have lost his temper like that, as anger only made him more vulnerable. But whenever it came to Shang Qi, he became uncharacteristically irrational, even doing things that were out of line.

Luo Yichen said, "I didn't mean to disrespect your parents, nor am I asking you to choose between them and me. Qiqi, what makes me most angry is your attitude toward me. Just because they don't approve, you want to hide me away?"

Shang Qi said coldly, "Being with you puts me under immense pressure. There are too many things I have to worry about. Is this even a relationship? It’s like walking on thin ice."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Luo Yichen said, "Come in!"

The financial director entered with a file and said, "Mr. Luo, there are some issues with this year's financial analysis. I would like to discuss them with you."

As he spoke, he glanced at Shang Qi and Luo Yichen, noticing that both of them were looking grim. Financial data was confidential for every company, and others should not be present during such discussions. Shang Qi, of course, understood this.

She said, "Mr. Luo, I have work to do, I'll head out now."

Luo Yichen wanted to keep her, but the financial director was standing there waiting, so he had to let it go. After Shang Qi left, Luo Yichen listened to the report. Finally, the director said, "Mr. Luo, the startup capital for next year is mostly in place, but there is still a shortage in liquid funds. Should we reduce the dividends for shareholders this year?"

"I don't advise sacrificing the interests of the shareholders; that would affect their investment enthusiasm. You should discuss this with Mu Lichen first. Bring me a proposal after you two have reached an agreement."

"Very well. I’ll take my leave."

The financial director took the documents and knocked on the door of the assistant’s office. Upon entering, he said, "Assistant Mu, Mr. Luo wants me to discuss how to raise liquid funds with you."

Mu Lichen had already pondered this matter. He hadn't found a better solution, which was why he had pushed the director to consult Luo Yichen. Now, it had been pushed back onto him. He asked, "Did Mr. Luo have any other instructions?"

"No. When I went to ask him, Director Shang was in his office. Who knows what those two were talking about, but neither of them looked very happy. So, I didn't dare say a word more than necessary."

Mu Lichen was generally an affable person. His open-minded personality made him easy to get along with and well-liked. The financial director had a good impression of him and would occasionally confide in him. Luo Yichen was often too harsh in his methods, and the director had complained to Mu Lichen about it more than once.

Mu Lichen asked, "What were they talking about?"

The director gave a mysterious smile and said, "How would I know? At the Luo Group, no one dares to gossip about what they want to do."

Mu Lichen thought to himself: Luo Yichen is probably jealous and is giving Shang Qi a hard time. Since there is a rift between them, why shouldn't I add some fuel to the fire?

Seeing Mu Lichen in deep thought, the director assumed he was considering the liquidity issue. He said, "Every department has a small surplus this year. We can use that as liquid funds, but it’s still not enough."

Mu Lichen snapped out of his thoughts and asked, "How much risk is there?"

"If operations proceed smoothly, there shouldn't be any problems. I’m just worried about any emergencies; that might be troublesome."

"The Luo Group’s business has been good for these past few years, and I doubt next year will be much different. Let's proceed with the liquid funds plan as discussed. Draft a report quickly so I can present it to Mr. Luo."

"Yes, I understand."

After the financial manager left, he quickly drafted the documents and submitted them to Mu Lichen. The capital issue for next year was the top priority and could not be delayed. After reviewing it and finding no issues, he went immediately to report to Luo Yichen.

After the financial director left, Luo Yichen tried calling Shang Qi, but she refused to answer. Furious, Luo Yichen threw his phone against the floor, shattering it into pieces. Unable to focus on work, he stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, lost in thought.

Just then, Mu Lichen entered with the report. Seeing the shattered phone on the floor, he asked, "What's wrong? Why such a temper?"

Luo Yichen had just suppressed his anger and didn't want to bring it up again. He sat at his desk and asked, "What did you come to me for?"