Chapter 75 The Strategizing CEO Shen

Chapter 75: The Master Strategist CEO Shen

The night deepened.

Lu Lin knelt outside Shen Qingci's door, his back rigid and straight, like a lifeless statue.

He didn't dare knock again.

He was afraid of disturbing Shen Qingci's rest.

He was even more afraid that knocking would still get no response.

Uncle Fu came up several times, softly urging him to get up and go to bed.

Lu Lin acted like he didn't hear, not even raising his eyelids, just staring at the tightly shut door in front of him.

His gaze went from hope and pleading to dull, hollow emptiness, until finally he lowered his head, motionless.

The hallway lights dimmed automatically, the night outside deepened then faded, and the sky started to lighten.

He hadn't slept a wink all night.

The next morning.

A soft "click" broke the hallway's silence—the sound of a lock turning, unusually clear.

Lu Lin's head shot up almost instantly. His eyes were dry and puffy, but when the door opened, a faint light flickered in them.

The door opened.

Shen Qingci stood inside, his jet-black hair loosely draped over his shoulders, making his face look even more cold and jade-like.

He looked down, his eyes landing on Lu Lin, who was kneeling by the door.

That look was icy, so cold it had no warmth, just hollow emptiness, as indifferent as if he were staring at a stranger.

With just one glance, he looked away, as if Lu Lin were just an inconvenient piece of furniture in the hall.

Leaning on his cane, he walked steadily to the stairs.

In that one glance, a piece of Lu Lin's heart was ripped out.

He opened his mouth, his throat dry and raw, and with all his effort, he forced out those two words:

"Brother..."

His voice shook violently, the end of the word nearly cracking.

He tried to push himself up off the ground, but his legs, numb and stiff from kneeling all night, gave out halfway. He crashed back down to his knees, his knees hitting the marble floor with a dull thud.

It hurt, but not as much as the tearing deep in his heart.

He propped himself up on his hands, lifting his head to watch Shen Qingci's back as he walked steadily down the stairs without looking back.

Gritting his teeth, Lu Lin grabbed the wall and stumbled to his feet, then lurched after him.

In the dining room, Shen Qingci was already seated at the head of the table.

With his slightly long hair loose, he exuded an air of refined elegance. He took the hot towel from Uncle Fu and wiped his hands slowly and deliberately.

Morning light streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, falling on him and bathing him in a soft, unreal glow—cool, ethereal, like an immortal.

His brother was the same as ten years ago.

He was the moon in the sky, the reflection in the mirror, the light Lu Lin could never reach, no matter how he reached out, stood on tiptoe, or strained with all his might.

And what was he?

Lu Lin stood nearby, head bowed, not daring to approach or leave.

He looked down at his own broken hands—hands not even worthy of touching his brother.

Tears fell without warning, landing on the back of his hand, mixing with the bloodstains, spreading into a faint red.

He cried silently, his shoulders shaking, but he bit his lip hard, not daring to make a sound.

Shen Qingci finished his breakfast, put down his utensils, and stood up.

He picked up his cane, and as his gaze swept over Lu Lin, he paused for a moment.

His handsome brow furrowed ever so slightly, his eyes scanning Lu Lin's head, bowed almost to his chest, and his trembling shoulders.

Just a moment.

He looked away, and his cool voice rang out in the hall:

"Uncle Fu, prepare the car."

Lu Lin's body trembled violently. He didn't lift his head, nor did he follow.

He just listened to the familiar tap of the cane on the floor—once, twice, growing fainter and fainter, until it was drowned out by the car engine.

---

The car drove away from the villa.

Shen Qingci leaned back against the seat, eyes closed, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the top of his cane.

Sunlight streamed through the car window, flickering across his face, bright then dim, his emotions unreadable.

His brow never relaxed.

In his mind, the image of Lu Lin standing there in the dining room, head bowed, silent, like a shadow abandoned and unsure where to go, kept replaying.

Shen Qingci opened his eyes and looked at the driver in the front seat. His cool voice, in the confined space, sounded especially icy:

"How much do you know about Lu Lin's affairs?"

Wang Dacheng's grip on the steering wheel tightened. He pursed his lips, hesitated for a few seconds, then slowly began to speak.

"About Mr. Lu... I actually don't know much. His daily schedule is handled by Assistant Zhou; I'm just the driver."

He paused, quickly glanced at Shen Qingci in the back seat through the rearview mirror, and seeing no expression on that cool, beautiful face, continued:

"But in these seven years... as Mr. Lu's driver, my feeling is..."

He searched for the right words, then finally said:

"Like... a dead man."

Shen Qingci's eyelashes fluttered slightly.

"People say all kinds of things about CEO Lu—that he's ruthless, crazy, and cold-blooded. But as his employee, all I can say is that he's a very good boss."

Wang Dacheng's voice was low, filled with reverence. "Over the years, he's never been harsh on a single employee, never brought personal emotions into work. On the contrary, despite his temper outside, in the car, he's mostly quiet."

"So quiet... it's kind of creepy. He just sits in the back seat, not saying a word, staring out the window the whole way. I don't know what he's looking at—there's nothing out there."

Shen Qingci said nothing.

The car fell into a long silence.

Not until the car stopped at the entrance of Qingye Group did Shen Qingci ask no further questions.

He got out.

The winter wind, already biting, greeted him, lifting the ends of his flowing hair and the hem of his coat, arcing through the air before slowly settling.

Lin Wei was waiting at the door. Seeing him get out, she hurried over, her voice tinged with an unusual mix of urgency and excitement:

"President Shen, both the Xi Group and the Feng family have sent representatives to reach out, showing strong interest in working together. If we can secure both deals simultaneously..."

"Turn down the Xi Group." Shen Qingci cut her off, his voice flat, offering no explanation.

Lin Wei paused, then quickly nodded: "Understood. And the Feng family..."

Shen Qingci kept walking as he stepped into the elevator, after a moment's thought:

"Accept."

Lin Wei acknowledged, her mind already racing to draft the response for rejecting the Xi Group.

She was about to report the next task when Shen Qingci spoke again:

"Lin Wei."

"Yes, President Shen?"

"Why do people fall in love?"

Lin Wei froze.

She looked up at Shen Qingci.

His face was still cold and expressionless, as if he'd just asked something trivial.

Before she could answer, Shen Qingci posed a second question, his tone still calm:

"What is love?"

Lin Wei was completely stunned.

She stared at Shen Qingci's cold, otherworldly face, and for a moment, she had no idea how to respond.

The elevator doors opened.

Shen Qingci limped into the office with his cane, and Lin Wei followed mechanically, closing the door behind her.

She took a deep breath, ready to seriously think about how to answer her boss's philosophical question, when Shen Qingci had already settled behind his desk.

He looked up, fixing Lin Wei with those cold, penetrating eyes that seemed to see through everything, and dropped the third bombshell of the day:

"Lu Lin drugged me and kissed me."

Lin Wei: "..."