Chapter 2 Who Do You Think You Are?

Chapter 2: What Do You Think You Are?

Xu Chen glanced at the woman’s calm expression in surprise.

A cold sneer rose in his heart. She pretended not to care outside the door, but just like other women, she’s spoiled and full of herself, convinced she's one of a kind.

Does she really believe someone of Master Jue’s status would stoop to pacify her?

Unexpectedly, Ling Jue’s magnetic voice chuckled softly by Qin Shuyi’s ear as he affectionately kissed her earlobe. “Are you angry?”

Qin Shuyi slapped away his arm as it wrapped around her. “Just stating a fact.”

Ling Jue, unfazed by the slap, fed her a grape and smoothly changed the subject. “Try this, it’s your favorite.”

Qin Shuyi took a bite. “Too sweet.”

Ling Jue naturally popped the remaining half of the grape into his own mouth. “A little, yeah.”

After a moment’s thought, he added, “I’ll have the new batch from the estate airlifted to you tomorrow.”

Just like that, a matter that could have caused turmoil in any young couple was brushed aside with ease.

Ji Xiuhang and Xie Muchen shared a look and smirked in sync. That bastard Ling Jue really has it good.

The men and women present secretly widened their eyes.

Their hearts were in their mouths the moment Qin Shuyi raised her hand to slap him, afraid they'd see a murder. They couldn't make sense of it.

Just how brave (or foolish) is this woman?

And Master Jue’s attitude… it's really something to think about.

Didn’t he say it was just for fun?

Xu Chen’s expression darkened. Who does Qin Shuyi think she is? Master Jue is meant for Tao Wangxi!

He casually started a topic: “Miss Qin looks stunning today. But is it really okay to dress like that when you’re in daily contact with corpses?”

Qin Shuyi glanced at him. “I’m off duty.”

She paused, then added with a hint of a sarcastic smile, “I didn’t know Young Master Xu was expecting me to wear my work uniform to see you.”

“Hahaha~” A round-faced girl in the corner, who had been eavesdropping on the gossip, couldn’t hold back her laughter, quickly muffled by her companion.

Xu Chen’s face clouded over.

Qin Shuyi was a senior embalmer at a private funeral company, especially skilled in restorative art. Showing up in her work uniform to see him was no different from cursing him.

Some who had just learned about the identity of Master Jue’s girlfriend were surprised. Such a beauty, seemingly stepped out of a misty Jiangnan painting, had such a contrasting profession. She wasn't anything like the rumors made her out to be.

Ignoring the barb in her words, Xu Chen forced a smile. “Dealing with the dead is always unlucky. Now that you have Master Jue, why continue with such work?”

An embalmer—how could she compare to a distinguished young lady from an elite family like Tao Wangxi, a renowned pianist?

Qin Shuyi replied, “Life and death are both significant events. If we follow Young Master Xu’s logic, embalmers aren't respectable. Does that mean you won’t need their services when you're the one in the coffin?”

Xu Chen glared at her darkly.

He had intended to belittle Qin Shuyi’s status, but she kept dragging him into it with every retort, leaving him speechless.

This woman is indeed cunning and silver-tongued.

Ling Jue watched indulgently as his docile little rabbit bared her teeth, a soft chuckle escaping his throat.

Ji Xiuhang winked at Ling Jue, his mockery evident: *This is your ‘docile girl’?*

Can’t you see Xu Chen’s face has turned green with rage?

Xie Muchen watched with equal amusement.

It's wrong to mess with a friend's woman. They hadn’t interacted much with Qin Shuyi before, and this was their first time seeing her sharp-tongued side.

Having finished putting the other in his place, Qin Shuyi, the center of attention, didn’t give him a chance to retort. She gracefully stood up. “I’m going to the restroom.”

Her stomach was still empty, and she had already encountered a mad dog. The people around Ling Jue were truly the unlucky ones.

Ling Jue watched her leave.

The moment she disappeared from sight, before the fuming Xu Chen, who had risen to his feet, could voice his complaint, there was a loud crash. A stool was suddenly and precisely kicked up, slamming into his knee.

“Ah—!”

With a sharp cry of pain, Xu Chen collapsed to the floor with a heavy thud, his face contorted in agony, his posture a pitiful sight.

The people in the private room were stunned by Ling Jue’s sudden attack. They held their breath for several seconds, the silence so profound one could hear a pin drop.

Ling Jue stood up from the sofa and let out a low laugh. No one felt relieved; instead, a chill ran down their spines.

“What do you think you are, daring to criticize her?”

Xu Chen’s body ached from the impact, but the terror spreading in his chest was far worse.

The man didn’t seem interested in hearing any excuses. As if the violence moments ago had been an illusion, he instantly reverted to his usual careless, languid demeanor. He glanced down at the trembling figure on the floor as if looking at garbage, then stepped directly on the other’s hand as he walked out the main door.

…

The minor incident left the entire room in stunned silence. The host of today’s gathering looked anxious, not daring to suggest sending Xu Chen to the hospital, and instead cast a pleading glance at Ji and Xie.

“Master Jue, he…?”

Ji Xiuhang, hands in his pockets and in high spirits after enjoying the show, whistled.

“Whether Miss Qin stays around for long or not, she currently bears Ling Jue’s mark. To embarrass her—does he not know his place, or does he look down on your Master Jue’s methods?”

Xie Muchen also leisurely wiped the wine splashes from his hand with a handkerchief. “Being foolish isn’t the issue. It’s laughable to be used as a pawn and still strut around.”

The expressions in the room varied.

Their meaning was clear: Ling Jue might play around, but that was between him and Qin Shuyi. It didn’t mean others could overstep.

Instantly, those who had harbored some ulterior motives after hearing Ling Jue’s “just for fun” remark began to reconsider.

The man who had first brought up buying a ring and marriage turned deathly pale.

With the three highest-status individuals having left, no one was in the mood to continue this gathering with its hidden agendas, and it soon ended in disarray.

…

At the entrance of Cloud Shadow Club.

Qin Shuyi stood quietly by the streetlamp, holding her phone. The warm yellow light fell on her dark hair, casting a hazy glow around her, giving her a serene, otherworldly calm.

This was the scene Ling Jue saw as he drove over.

Admittedly, even if it was just a game, Qin Shuyi’s appearance had played a significant role in his choice of her as his target.

Qin Shuyi looked up, recognized that flashy Koenigsegg One-1, put away her phone, and walked over slowly.

Her unhurried pace, completely unbothered by what had happened at the gathering, found Ling Jue suddenly amused.

“I’m hungry.”

After fastening her seatbelt, she spoke expressionlessly, like a little robot.

She had been having a perfectly fine dinner when he insisted she come. Then, out of the blue, he told her to leave the restroom and meet him at the entrance. Her stomach was still empty, and now she was annoyed.

Ling Jue reached over, took her hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Let’s get you some food.”

Qin Shuyi pulled her hand back.

The man raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. “What? Holding a grudge?”

It was as if he was hoping she would pick a fight with him.

Qin Shuyi replied, “No holding hands while driving, no driving while holding hands.”

Ling Jue: …

Before he could say anything, she paused, frowned, and asked, “Have you been drinking?”

“No.” Ling Jue let out an exasperated laugh. “I have *some* common sense, you know.”

He had picked up his glass but hadn’t taken a sip.

Besides, as someone who had won a professional racing championship, did she really doubt his driving skills?

Yet the woman simply stared ahead at the road, her expression deadpan, her tone serious.

“I’m afraid of dying.”

The implication was clear: given his habit of dabbling in life-threatening sports, her lack of trust was understandable.

After all, their first meeting had been at the funeral of one of his fellow racing enthusiasts.

Ling Jue, born into extreme wealth, was brash and free-spirited, who always got what he wanted.

He was a thrill-seeker—into car racing, skydiving, alpine skiing, underground boxing… He thrived on the adrenaline rush of life-and-death competitions.

This life that others deemed precious, he seemed to have no problem gambling with.

At the memorial service, the red, swollen eyes and mournful cries of the deceased’s parents stood in stark contrast to the man’s calm, almost indifferent demeanor.

The memory was etched in Qin Shuyi's mind.

As her mind wandered, a fleeting idea even crossed her thoughts.

So enamored with dancing with danger, perhaps one day, this strikingly handsome stranger attending the service would also become a cold corpse under an embalmer’s hands.

What a shame.

But such thoughts were impolite, and she quickly restrained herself, shifting her focus.

In this world, some seek doctors and make pilgrimages, traveling thousands of miles just to live one more day, while others squander fortunes, scoff at life and death, merely to feel the thrill of existence for a single second.

People are fundamentally different.

As strangers, all that’s needed is respect.

After all, someone like him and someone like her would never truly be part of each other's worlds.

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