Chapter 31: Deep Schemes

Antong asked in a flat tone, "What do you want to check?"

"Your personal information," replied the caller, who was none other than Shi Ye, the boss of Gongzi Chuang Technology.

Shi Ye exhaled a thin stream of smoke, his tone laced with mischief. "Word is, a major technology company is interested. They've been in talks with our IT department these past two days, trying to get your profile. So, tell me... should I hand it over?"

"Do as you like," Antong responded.

There was a two-second silence from the receiver before Shi Ye let out a snort of laughter. "Anyway, the registration info you used is fake. Even if I give it to them, it doesn't matter to you, right?"

Antong cast a sidelong glance at the fleeting cityscape outside the window and asked mildly, "Is there anything else?"

Shi Ye felt like he'd punched a cotton wall. "..."

He pressed his lips together, took a moment to compose himself, and then could only offer a helpless reminder: "Listen, kid. Take your boss's advice—don't log on for a while. That tech giant wants to poach you, but I won't let you go. Got it?"

"Mm. Goodbye."

As the automated hang-up tone sounded, Shi Ye gave a cold chuckle and tossed his phone onto the desk, thoroughly exasperated.

A classic case of an employee outshining the boss.

He couldn't scold her, couldn't reprimand her, and had to tiptoe around her for fear she might leave.

In his office, the IT director, who had come in for overtime, nervously shrank his neck and asked, "Mr. Shi, the people from the big tech company are still waiting in the conference room. Should we give them the Code Master's information?"

Shi Ye crossed his legs atop the desk, his eyes narrowing with a roguish glint. "How shameless can they get, trying to poach talent right under my nose?"

"I gathered that if we hand over the Code Master's info, they might consider entering a deeper strategic partnership with us."

Shi Ye sneered and lit another cigarette. "That's just a ploy to get something for nothing. Only a fool would believe them. If we hand over the info, you can bet they'll turn on us in a heartbeat."

The IT director nodded gravely in agreement. "Should I find an excuse to send them away?"

Shi Ye smiled with a hint of amusement. "Tell them the Code Master is currently on vacation abroad. We'll get back to them once we've made contact."

"Understood, Mr. Shi."

...

Inside the business van, Antong calmly pocketed her phone right after ending the call.

Turning her head, she found herself meeting the deep, enigmatic gaze of a man.

She addressed him, "Dr. Rong?"

Rong Shen lowered his eyelids, a meaningful smile playing at his lips. "I have something to attend to tomorrow. Let's tentatively reschedule for Wednesday."

"Alright."

Antong didn't press for details. She gazed at his handsome profile, bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun, still feeling as if this situation were faintly unreal.

A gentleman of such poise, and yet he too was flustered by the prospect of matchmaking.

No wonder he needed a nominal wife—perhaps simply to ward off troubles.

As she pondered this, Antong got out of the car on Yunhai Road and headed home.

Behind her, the slowly closing automatic gate blocked the man's searching gaze.

That call had been from a man.

Although he hadn't caught the content, Antong had instinctively pressed her phone to her ear on the window side, not the way one would answer a call from an elder.

The young woman seemed pure and transparent, yet as if she were hiding something.

"Ninth Master..." At this moment, Cheng Feng turned back with a sheepish grin, pleading, "I've realized my mistake. About mopping the laundry room... can we discuss this?"

The man lounged back in his seat, lifting his eyelids with indifference. "We're short-staffed at Yundian right now. Once Old Li hires a new maid, you can come back."

Cheng Feng: "..."

Burned the bridge after crossing it.

Granted, he'd exaggerated a bit when talking to Miss An, but who had he done it for?

Not only did he not get a raise, but he was also sentenced to two weeks of mopping floors in the laundry room.

A real devil!

Soon, the car started up and merged into traffic. The man's deep voice sounded, "Book a flight to Zhan Zhou for tomorrow."

"Yes, sir." Cheng Feng, not quite processing this, added, "Return on Wednesday?"

The man crossed his legs slowly, his tone unreadable. "In half a month, you'll bring Antong over to join me."

Startled, Cheng Feng nearly mistook the brake for the accelerator. The car lurched, and he quickly steadied the wheel, glancing back at the man's slightly displeased face. "You're leaving for half a month?"

Was he even human? Just a moment ago, he’d said he might meet Miss An on Wednesday, and now he’d changed his mind without warning?

Rong Shen adjusted his cuffs and gazed thoughtfully out the window. "Since you’ve lit the fire, you might as well add some fuel."

Cunning, calculating, inscrutable, deep as the sea...

Cheng Feng mentally ran through every idiom for scheming he knew.

In the end, he could only silently pray for Antong: in the face of such a master strategist, perhaps it would be best to give in quickly—otherwise, he'd be caught in the crossfire as a hapless accomplice.

...

Elsewhere, Antong, having returned home, played outside with An An, the puppy.

It had rained recently, and the garden weeds were beaded with droplets. After a few laps, An An's belly and little paws were soaked.

Watching the lively pup, Antong felt her spirits lift, as if the sky after the rain were clearing.

Life, with its newfound attachments and hopes, no longer seemed quite so hard.

As evening fell, Antong, still unwell from her period, ate only two boiled eggs for dinner.

By half past seven, An An was already dozing in his little nest.

Antong entered the study, turned on her computer, set up her equipment, and launched her stream within minutes.

She had completely forgotten Shi Ye's earlier warning to stay offline.

[Mashalato] sent flowers.

[YourArgumentIsRight: @Mashalato, why not send a Maserati? Think our Code Master isn’t worth it?]

[YourArgumentIsRight] sent 10 keyboards.

[Mashalato: What do you know? It's the thought that counts, not the gift.]

[Young Master Shi has entered the stream—]

[Young Master Shi: Impressive, going against orders?]

[123Boss: Did you walk into the wrong room upstairs?]

The chat messages flew by, and in the blink of an eye, Young Master Shi's comments were buried.

Unconvinced, Young Master Shi fired off three more messages.

[Young Master Shi: How long is the stream?]

[Young Master Shi: Can you answer?]

[Young Master Shi: ????]

Young Master Shi has been muted by the admin.

Shi Ye: "..."

That night's stream was a wild celebration for the Code Master's fans—the stream lasted over three hours.

Gradually, the chat's tone began to shift.

[Ye Qingqing Is My Goddess: Has anyone noticed there was no announcement for tonight's stream?]

[123Boss: The platform doesn’t care.]

[Susu Not Jiji: Our Code Master scoffs at capitalists.]

[Axi Earth Girl: Agreed with above.]

[…]

With comments piling up, Antong nevertheless noticed the account [Susu Not Jiji].

It was already past eleven. Without a word, she ended the stream, copied her freshly written code into a new folder, saved it carefully, and sent Su Ji a message on WeChat.

AN: Still awake?

The message had barely gone through when Su Ji called, "You just log off without saying a word to your fans?"

In the quiet of the study, Antong’s voice was flat but tinged with fatigue. "I never said goodbye before, either."

"You're something else!" Su Ji poured herself a glass of red wine and said cheerfully, "I've just returned from a business trip. Got five days off this time. When’s your next counseling session? I’ll go with you."

Antong flipped open the calendar on her desk. "Wednesday."

"Alright, then try to sleep early. I have some wrap-up work these days. On Wednesday, I’ll come pick you up."

...

Wednesday arrived in a flash.

Su Ji dressed in business attire, did her makeup, and styled her hair, aiming to present a shrewd, professional image.

Just after eight, she drove to Yunhai Road.

At the old wooden gate in the alley, Antong greeted her in a long coral fleece nightgown, hair draped over her shoulders, bleary-eyed. "Why are you here?"

Su Ji, carrying her knockoff Hermès, gave her a light tap on the head. "What nonsense—don’t you have counseling at nine?"

"It’s cancelled." Antong pursed her lips and trudged back inside.

Su Ji was momentarily stunned, then followed in on eight-centimeter heels, "I dressed up like this today just to make an impression on him—why the sudden cancellation?"

Inside, Antong slumped onto the sofa, gazing at the ceiling. "Didn’t I message you?"

Su Ji searched her phone for a while, then held up the screen. "Where?"

Antong silently returned to her room for her phone, only to find the message unsent in the draft box.

"Dr. Rong is still away on business and can’t make it back, so the session’s postponed."

Su Ji tossed her bag aside. "Postponed to when?"

Antong said she wasn’t sure.

She had received the news at ten the night before. Dr. Rong seemed very busy, the background noise on the call chaotic. He had apologized for not making it back and promised to reschedule as soon as possible.

Antong said she understood, though she felt uncertain inside.

Dr. Rong seemed to be getting busier and busier.

At that moment, Su Ji thoughtfully tapped her toe on the floor. "What a coincidence. I wanted to meet this doctor with you, but it seems fate has other plans."

She hadn't dressed up today to impress the man.

On the contrary, Su Ji's original intent was to establish authority and put pressure on Dr. Rong, to let him know Antong had an older sister—one who wouldn't tolerate any funny business.

Now, all that effort was wasted—her outfit had no occasion to shine.