CHAPTER 212: CHAPTER 214: SUBMITTING THE ENTRY PHOTOS

Her heart was a mix of emotions, as she watched the sunset dye the man before her’s stern and meticulous brows. The faint warm orange glow made him appear not as intimidating.

Suddenly, she recalled a saying—"The closest and most distant relationship is that between husband and wife." She and he were sometimes so far apart, yet at times, it was as if they were the only teammates on a boat in the overturned world, so close, so close. He shielded her from outside harm, and she managed a small but restful home for him.

She suddenly thought, what right did someone like her have to desire love?

Growing up bullied by her stepmother and sister, faced with failure in the college entrance exams, dropped out of university, publicly humiliated and abandoned by her fiancé, and nearly sold off by her family to an unworthy playboy...

In this life, meeting Lu Shifeng had already been a fortunate thing.

At least, when she was lost and desolate after being abandoned by her fiancé, he offered her a home; when her family pinned her down like an escort on a rich wastrel’s bed, it was he who brought people to rescue her; when she was forced to drink in a bar, he endured his stomach pain to shield her and manage the situation; he always insisted she not go out to take photos, yet he organized a street photography competition just for her. Even the limited edition camera "Sorrow" she received after joining Blade Group was probably given with his tacit consent; he never doubted Zhuang Heng, nor did he consider Zhuang Heng’s private feelings to have any relation to him—he was sure, his wife was her...

A simple "You’ve worked hard," unravelled the defenses she had arduously maintained these days, finally letting her know there was someone, somewhere, who cared.

Despite the many issues between them.

But, take it slow, step by step...

He has ASD, and she’s not perfect either. She doesn’t know how many couples in the world don’t have love, but, they wouldn’t be a significant addition.

Su Xingyu looked at Lu Shifeng, a light smile adorned her rosy lips: "You’ve worked hard too."

He paused slightly, leaning down to embrace her again and kissed her deeply.

The night left her spent by his ruckus, and the next day the photos intended for Xia Ling were delayed.

Looking at the schedule, the third and fourth day had matters with Blade Group, so she just coaxed the impatient girl saying the set of photos needed careful retouching and special effects, and delayed the submission date by several days.

During these few days, something else happened.

Pei Ziheng’s family, spurred on by someone, went to Blade Group, blocked Su Xingyu at the building entrance, calling her a venomous-hearted, ruthless viper, demanding an explanation for Zhuang Heng’s disfigurement. In the scuffle, Su Xingyu injured a hand, and at night when she went to bed, Lu Shifeng looked at the bleeding abrasion, his face darkened, and he went searching for Pei Ziheng the next day.

"They curse Xia Ling as ruthless and vicious, like a vile person—how can she still have the face to live in this world?" Words Lu Shifeng repeated to Pei Ziheng from the monitoring at Blade Group where he heard the family curse Su Xingyu, though what they actually meant was the culprit who hurt Zhuang Heng, which of course was directed at Xia Ling.

Pei Ziheng’s face also darkened.

A few days later, news emerged of the Zhuang Family’s stock price plummeting.

Zhuang Heng’s face, wrapped in white gauze, came looking haggard to Lu Shifeng, asking him to apologize to Su Xingyu for her, and pleading for help with the Zhuang Family.

Lu Shifeng remained unmoved: "The Zhuang Family dared to trouble my woman, what reason do I have to intervene?"

Zhuang Heng’s complexion withered: "Shifeng, my family was rash, please... just think of it as them being worried sick because I got my face injured..."

"You can report your facial injury to HR as a workplace injury," Lu Shifeng interrupted her. "Didn’t you remember Blade Group’s dispute resolution process? You’re injured during a project shoot, HR will assign a lawyer team to go to Emperor Company for accountability, not have your family harass my woman."

Most times Lu Shifeng wouldn’t give her a hard time, but on principled matters, he wouldn’t yield.

Zhuang Heng understood his temper, not daring to ask for more, had to swallow her grievance and go seek Pei Ziheng, humbling herself to beg the Pei Family’s forgiveness.

Pei Ziheng directly summoned Xia Ling, and in front of Emperor Company’s executives and staff, the arrogant girl harshly mocked Zhuang Heng, leaving her with no dignity. Never in her life had Zhuang Heng been so disgraced publicly, as people looked on in surprise, disdain, and pity, apologizing repeatedly to Xia Ling, lowering herself to dust, leaving herself utterly worthless.

Finally Xia Ling calmed down, giving a word: "Scram."

She lowered her head, a wreck, and left Emperor, powerless against authority.

As she watched the bustling street, Zhuang Heng clenched her fist tightly, determined to marry Lu Shifeng...

Only by marrying Mr. Lu, could she face Xia Ling with confidence and not be publicly humiliated like this! Power has always been a good thing, Zhuang Heng will claim the position as the Lu Family’s mistress!

And as the crowd dispersed from Emperor Company, Pei Ziheng summoned Xia Ling to his Chairman’s office.

"Come here." The man removed his ash-grey suit jacket, casually seated in a leather sofa with just a shirt and vest, and pulled the stunningly beautiful girl into an embrace, "Why did you hit her so good?"

Pampering, without a trace of scolding.

Xia Ling turned, straddling his lap, acting a little spoiled and spoiled: "I just wanted to hit her."

Pei Ziheng gently said: "Venting for the Lu Family’s mistress?"

Xia Ling shook her head, suddenly turning a bit solemn. After a long pause, she softly said: "I don’t like her gaze on me." That reserved, subtly disdainful gaze, even as she lowered her head, her eyes and brows harbored scorn; it was the gaze many so-called noble wives had on her all these years. "I’m your adopted child, lacking any noble lineage," Xia Ling gloomily told Pei Ziheng, "Even if they fear you and bow to me, their hearts remain unwilling, looking at me like..." A heap of dirty trash.

Pei Ziheng said: "You are nobler than them all."

She rarely felt dejected: "No, I know inside. Ziheng, I hit Zhuang Heng accidentally, and it wasn’t entirely to vent for Xingyu, I just wanted to ruin her face."

"Then go ahead and hit." Pei Ziheng stroked her long hair gently, the strands softly fragrant, "I’ll be here if anything happens." No one could make his precious suffer any grievance, if any noble dared disrespect her, then ruin that noble’s face, if any family angered her, then destroy that family. She was his most treasured light.

With his words, Xia Ling’s earlier gloom vanished, soon pleased again: "I just knew Ziheng was the best!"

The best result Ziheng offered was the prolonged plummet of the Zhuang Family’s stock for several days before stabilizing; all the media outlets had incessant reports of the Zhuang Family’s business problems, leaving the family busy and exhausted, and even Zhuang Heng, with her injury unresolved, had to assist in handling family affairs, making it challenging to focus on matters at Blade Photography Center.

As for Su Xingyu, she completed the finely edited set of photos taken by Xia Ling among the lakeside woods, submitted as Emperor’s representative work.

Other photographers from the Blade Photography Center also gradually submitted their representative works to Emperor.