Chapter 414: Are You an Idiot?

In the core laboratory of the Situ family’s drug manufactory.

Shen Xi was toiling away all on her own in the huge laboratory.

Having been keeping his shoulder to the wheel for Ning Sinian, Pei Xu did not want to take up her time. He waited outside the lab so as not to bother her.

So far, it had been a whole day. As dawn turned to dusk, Pei Xu reached to retrieve a cigarette, but the box was empty.

The sight of a pile of cigarette butts piling up in the ashtray and several empty cigarette boxes left him dumbstruck. He stood to tidy up and chewed on some gum.

He returned and waited by the laboratory door. Gazing at the occupied figure inside, his eyes were filled with gratitude.

Pei Xu always considered himself a hapless dude. Who knew that he would one day be blessed by good luck? Meeting her was the luckiest thing to happen in his life.

His phone vibrated and he whipped it out for a look. It was Fu Qingxuan. This guy was more worried and anxious about the situation. “She’s still in the lab!”

Fu Qingxuan was cranky. “Get her to rest before picking it back up. It’s been a while. She’s been working at it from four in the morning to six in the evening. Are you trying to wear her out?”

This issue had already come to Pei Xu’s mind. She had been on constant focus for fourteen hours straight yet showed no signs of fatigue or slowing down. “I can’t enter the laboratory.”

See!

He was different from Fu Qingxuan. Fu Qingxuan was concerned about her health, body, whether she could keep up at it, and if she would tire herself out.

What about him?

Admittedly, Sinian was Pei Xu’s only worry. He was more concerned whether Shen Xi would be successful in producing the drug. His priority was not her well-being.

Fu Qingxuan was on pins and needles. “Are you an idiot? Do I need to teach you? Knock on the door and ask her to get out.”

Helplessly letting out a bitter smile, Pei Xu taunted him. “If you’re so great, why don’t you come here and get her out!”

Her head was in the game and her enthusiasm remained high. The way he saw it, Shen Xi loved her job.

Pei Xu rarely ever saw such expression in her eyes. It was the same sparkle when she chatted about Toffeecito’s dad with Song Wenye.

It dawned on him that people do glow when talking about their loved ones.

It turned out that people also glowed when doing what they loved.

“F*ck! You punk!” Fu Qingxuan cursed.

Letting it slide, Pei Xu merely warned him. “Cut the foul language in front of her.”

The first thing Sister Xi did after her return was giving him a telling-off, asking him to stop being a bad influence, and teaching Fu Qingxuan cuss words. Nevertheless, it took two to tango. Fu Qingxuan picked it up himself.

It only made Fu Qingxuan run his mouth. “F*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck…”

Dazed, Pei Xu uttered the same and cut the line.

Ten minutes.

Half an hour.

An hour.

Pei Xu kept watching by the door, observing her every move.

The clock ticked to half-past seven.

Shen Xi looked at the ten tiny pills and let out a sigh of relief. A smile did not go amiss.

The third time was the charm. She was surprised and lucky to succeed on the third trial under precarious conditions.

After inserting the pills into a jade bottle gourd and putting the cap on, Shen Xi lifted her chin and met with Pei Xu’s bloodshot eyes.

She was exhausted, but more so for Pei Xu. Shen Xi could at least take breaks in between.

Pei Xu, on the other hand, would not dare relax. While handling matters, he was constantly on the tenterhooks about Ning Sinian and worried about her progress.

A wave of emotions overtook Pei Xu as Shen Xi opened the door and stood before him. There were no words to express his gratitude and it took a while for him to utter, “Good job.”

Shen Xi gleefully fist-bumped his chest. “There’s no need to be polite between bros.”

Pei Xu was left speechless since no words were enough to show his gratitude. He kept it in his mind that it was two lives now.

Now that he owed her two lives, Pei Xu would be at her beck and call, even if it would kill him.

They had not been at the parking lot for long before Pei Xu was bombarded with calls from Fu Qingxuan again. “How dare you hang up on me!”

It never occurred to Pei Xu that Fu Qingxuan was still hung up on that. Pei Xu thought Fu Qingxuan was an aloof man when they were not close, but after getting to know him, it turned out Fu Qingxuan was a chatterbox. Pei Xu patiently replied, “We’re out now.”

Fu Qingxuan’s nerves got the best of him, and it showed in his voice. “How was it? How was it? Was a drug developed?”

Pei Xu acknowledged and took a glance at Shen Xi. “It’s a success.”

Her expression revealed that the drug was a success.

“Really? That’s great.” Fu Qingxuan shouted out of excitement before turning down the volume. “Get her to send me a sample. Also, about your friend, keep an eye on him and remember to take notes for me.”

Truth be told, Fu Qingxuan had no faith the person could be treated after Meanie shared the patient’s report with him. With the patient on his last legs, it would be a miracle if he could make a recovery.

It only confirmed his suspicion when he read her test reports. The person was beyond help. The hospital was right in their diagnosis, and it was time to get the patient’s affairs in order.

Yet, Meanie calmly told him that she could develop an antidote for the neurotoxin. Fu Qingxuan decided to give her his full confidence this time. She would gain notoriety if she succeeded.

It was high time he gave up the title as a medical prodigy to her.

He kept in touch with Pei Xu ever since her return home. Because of Qingli, Shen Xi blacklisted Fu Qingxuan from contacting her.

Pei Xu had been on the edge of his seat for an entire day, but the anxiety and anticipation were more intense for him. Fu Qingxuan looked forward to the surprise and miracle she could bring.

News of the success saw him leaping joyfully in the laboratory hallway, drawing attention from his colleagues who were passing by.

“You have to ask her that.” Pei Xu handed the phone to Shen Xi. “It’s Fu Qingxuan.”

Shen Xi shook her head, refusing to take the call.

Taking the cue, Pei Xu replied, “She’s not with me.”

Fu Qingxuan turned grumpy. “You’re lying. You just said that you guys are out. Tell her to pick up my call. Hurry up and give her the phone.”

Pei Xu answered, “I need to head to the hospital now. Bye.”

He then hung up.

Walking beside Pei Xu, Shen Xi resumed her indifferent self. After noticing the black Maybach parked out front, she said to Pei Xu, “Give him two pills and observe for the night. Let me know if his situation gets any worse. I’m going home for a rest and will check up on him tomorrow.”

Pei Xu was curious as to what happened between her and Fu Qingxuan but did not have the chance to ask as she already made a beeline towards the Maybach across the road.

Chapter 415: Aunt Fu

The moment the door opened, Pei Xu saw the man sitting in the car. The man looked at him too with a sharp hawk-like gaze. His eyes were like a deep cold lake, and his aura was so oppressive that Pei Xu instantly felt a little short of breath.

The inside of the car was dim. The man was in the shadows and seemed to be one with the darkness.

Pei Xu did not see the man’s face clearly, but he was sure this man was Toffeecito’s Dad, the man that Shen Xi liked.

When Shen Xi got to the car, she waved back at Pei Xu, entered the car before closing the door behind her.

The lights in the car lit up but Pei Xu still could not see the man’s face because the windows were tinted, so only those sitting inside could see outside. Pei Xu watched the car leave before he turned around and got into his own car. He felt a little regretful.

Song Wenye mentioned Toffeecito’s Dad was insanely handsome, so he would like to see how good-looking that man was for Song Wenye to describe him as such. She did not even use such gushing adjectives on her favorite idols.

Shen Xi got into the car and received a cup of warm milk tea. While drinking, she smiled happily and shared her joy with Li Yuan. “It’s a success!”

Li Yuan looked at the girl who was begging for praises and hooked up the corners of his lips. He handed her the burrito she had ordered and laughed. “Congratulations!”

“Thanks!” Shen Xi said while giving him the milk tea. She took the burrito and ate it because she was starving.

Since this morning, she did not even rest for a minute, let alone stop to drink or eat. She was famished, but fortunately, the medicine was a success. Otherwise, she would be annoyed to start all over.

Li Yuan watched as she wolfed down the burrito and reminded her. “Eat slowly… No one’s fighting with you. Dinner’s prepared at home too.”

Shen Xi spoke incoherently with her mouth full. “I’m starving to death and can eat a whole cow!”

Li Yuan looked at her helplessly and felt heartbroken. “Next time, you need to take a break to eat when you’re working…”

Shen Xi muttered incoherently, “It’s an emergency, so it needs special treatment!”

Li Yuan saw she had gorged down the burrito and milk tea in a few minutes, so she must be famished. He then instructed Kun Lun to drive faster so they could go home for dinner.

However, Shen Xi looked at him and said, “Brother, I have to go to the office now. If you have something to do you can just drop me off anywhere and go home first. I’ll take a taxi there.”

“I’m free.” Li Yuan sighed and did not hide his distress. “I’ll take you there. It’s not very convenient to take a taxi at this hour.”

He could never leave her to go to the office by herself. Even if she insisted, he would not rest assured and would still accompany her.

Shen Xi chuckled and thanked him with lovely smiling eyes. After having enough to eat and drink, she leaned back on the seat and talked to him.

Li Yuan looked at the happy girl whose chatters gradually quieted down. Her little head tilted on his shoulder and she finally fell asleep.

He sighed softly and thought he would have to get her out of this unhealthy working habit.

Kun Lun looked at the rearview mirror and watched as his boss covered the girl with a blanket. He turned off the lights at the back seat and the soft warm orange light from the front created a warm and fuzzy atmosphere in the car.

‘Boss and Ms. Shen truly give it their all when they work… Back then, Boss could go up to a few days and nights without rest and was crazier than Ms. Shen.’

The Situ family’s pharmaceutical factory was actually quite close to Cosmos Entertainment if there was no traffic. Since it was a Sunday and it was the evening rush, it was a long journey.

An hour later, the car arrived at the entrance of Cosmos Entertainment.

Li Yuan looked at the girl sleeping so soundly and could not bear to wake her up, but she still had work to do, so he finally called out to her softly, “Xixi, we’re at your office.”

Shen Xi lifted her heavy eyelids. She was exhausted and sleepy. The warm and comfortable environment pulled her back and she lazed for a long time before slowly sitting up and forced herself to get up.

Li Yuan helped put on her jacket, hat, scarf, and gloves. After wrapping her up nicely, he said, “I’ll wait for you here.”

Although it was spring, it was still cold at night. Since she just woke up, it was better to dress warmly.

When Shen Xi heard this, she felt energized and instantly woke up. “I don’t know when I’ll be done. You can go home first, then I’ll get my big brother to send me back later.”

“I’m fine,” Li Yuan said.

Shen Xi looked at him seriously. “Really?”

Li Yuan nodded. “Yes, really.”

Shen Xi took out her phone and gave it to him, but she was afraid she would get an emergency call later, so she took it back and said, “Then can you edit Toffeecito’s video? I just uploaded it to the drafts in Cosmos Short Vid app.”

Li Yuan would be bored if he was only waiting for her, so she found something for him to do.

The girl, who was lazy, wilted, and sleepy earlier, instantly became energized the moment she got out of the car. Her temperament changed so fast. Li Yuan was proud of her, but more than that, he was heartbroken.

Shen Xi was shocked by the cold air outside and was jolted awake. She settled her mind and regained composure before walking towards the building.

There was a car parked on the left in front of the office. It was a sports car filled with flowers.

Shen Xi looked at the car puzzled. She frowned and wondered why the security guard allowed someone to park so blatantly at the office entrance.

She thought as she walked towards the car. She saw a beautiful woman leaning on the car door with one hand holding a cup of milk tea and another hand holding a stick of corndog. The woman took a bite and alternatingly sipped the milk tea.

The pretty woman was none other than Aunt Fu, Fu Junqiu!

Shen Xi quickly pulled down her hood and pulled up her scarf to cover her whole face so that only her eyes were visible.

‘I can’t let her recognize me… Otherwise, that son of a b*tch, Fu Qingli will say I’m trying to get into his family’s good graces.’

Shen Xi consciously took measures and thought that no one could recognize her like this, so she calmly walked past the car and did not even look at Fu Junqiu.

Fu Junqiu was conspicuous with her sports car filled with flowers at this time of the night. What was she trying to do?

Shen Xi walked ahead and heard Fu Junqiu’s sudden call for her from behind. Her words were incoherent because she was still chewing, but Shen Xi was sure that Fu Junqiu was shouting her name. “Shen Xi!”

Chapter 416: Going to the Cemetery?

Shen Xi continued walking without showing any reaction. She walked towards the entrance at a normal pace so that she would not seem abnormal.

“Shen Xi!” Fu Junqiu saw the girl ignoring her and shouted louder before chasing after her.

Shen Xi’s mind buzzed for a moment. ‘How did she recognize me when I’m dressed like this? I didn’t even acknowledge her, but why is she still calling out to me and even caught up to me?!’

Fu Junqiu also wondered how she could recognize Shen Xi without even seeing her face. She had only seen Shen Xi once, so perhaps it was because Shen Xi had a unique aura. Fu Junqiu ran over and tugged on Shen Xi’s arm. She sounded a little aggrieved as she said, “Why did you ignore me?”

Shen Xi sighed in resignation. Since they had come to this point, it was pointless to deny it. She was polite and detached as she looked at Fu Junqiu. “Hello, Ms. Fu.”

“What Ms. Fu?! You’re too polite! Call me Auntie.” Fu Junqiu was friendly with Shen Xi.

Shen Xi looked at the woman in front of her and thought she was similar to Fu Qingye. Fu Junqiu was straightforward and never beat around the bush, and very lovable.

Fu Junqiu saw Shen Xi was silent and took advantage to say, “Then don’t call me Auntie, just call me Sister!”

Shen Xi was not so unruly. Since she had decided to stay away from the Fu family, she could no longer be over-friendly to them. “Ms. Fu, you’re joking.”

“I’m not joking, I’m serious!” Fu Junqiu then pulled Shen Xi over intimately. Her eyes were shining brightly. “Are you working for this company? Are you familiar with Qi Xiu? I’m his fan, so can you take me inside to get an autograph?”

Shen Xi thought of a hundred reasons why Fu Junqiu would show up in front of her office, but fangirling was not one of them. If Shen Xi did not keep her cool, her eyes would have popped out and fallen to the ground.

‘Aunt Fu is a fangirl?!’

Looking at the current situation, Fu Junqiu was the obsessed and crazy kind…

“You’re an artist of this company, right? Can you please take me to meet Qi Xiu?” Fu Junqiu looked at Shen Xi expectantly. When Shen Xi did not answer, she looked a little disappointed and muttered, “If you’re not, forget it… I’ll just wait out here.”

Shen Xi was shocked but she had her poker face on. ‘With her status and net worth, does she even need to wait at the building entrance just to meet a small-time idol? Just say the word, and every agency and artist will rush over to sign autographs and take photos with her!’

In the end, Shen Xi could not help but ask, “How long have you been waiting?”

Fu Junqiu recalled. “Three days. The first day, I was waiting for He Pei, but he’s not my type when I saw him in person, so I switched over to Qi Xiu now! I saw Qi Xiu enter the building two days ago, but he hasn’t come out since.”

Shen Xi was speechless. ‘Wow… She’s not ashamed at all and switches idols like changing clothes. She even has so much perseverance to squat in front of the office. This spirit is truly commendable…’

“Then you should go in. I’ll continue to wait.” Fu Junqiu did not want to bother Shen Xi. She waved at Shen Xi and asked, “Do you want a corndog? I bought a few… They’re still hot!”

Shen Xi looked at Fu Junqiu’s confidence and enthusiasm and suddenly felt distressed. She felt a little pity for Fu Junqiu and turned to look at her. “You wanna meet Qi Xiu? Come with me then!”

Since Qi Xiu came to the Capital, the office was his second home. It was normal for Qi Xiu to stay here for a week, let alone two days. He would eat and sleep in the office and would not step a foot outside, so there was no way Fu Junqiu could see him if she waited out here.

Initially, Qi Xiu stayed in his own Director’s Office, but the Director’s Office did not have a lounge, so Shen Xi, who seldom went to the office, allowed Qi Xiu to use the lounge in her office as his bedroom.

Shen Xi naturally welcomed such a workaholic who worked hard without being told to.

“Really?” Fu Junqiu regained her excitement and with a surprised face, she said, “Then wait for me! I’ll go get my flowers and CDs.”

Shen Xi turned around again and saw Fu Junqiu had left. She was running as if Shen Xi would leave her behind. She darted back once she got her things.

She thought about the three Fu brothers and Mama Fu, then looked at the woman in front of her. There was no way Shen Xi could connect Fu Junqiu with the Fu family, but she was adorable and was not at all snobby.

Outsiders would assume that Fu Junqiu was an ordinary rich girl. After all, her sports car was worth a lot of money.

Fu Junqiu held the flowers in her left hand and two sticks of corndogs in her right hand. She handed one to Shen Xi and asked, “Do you want one?”

Shen Xi shook her head. “No thanks.”

Fu Junqiu was a little disappointed, but that was brushed off quickly and she continued rambling, “It’s delicious!”

Shen Xi did not speak. When she inadvertently saw the flowers from the corner of her eye, she almost fell flat on her face.

Chrysanthemums.

The bouquet Fu Junqiu was holding was chrysanthemums.

‘Is she going to see her idol or to the cemetery?! Is it because she grew up abroad and didn’t know that in China, chrysanthemums are generally used for visiting graves?’

Moreover, the Chinese Tomb Sweeping Day was only a few days away!

Shen Xi did not know if she should remind Fu Junqiu.

“Why chrysanthemums?” Shen Xi could not hold back.

Fu Junqiu’s answer was simple. “Qi Xiu said that it’s his favorite flower!”

She whipped out her phone after she said that to show Shen Xi a recent interview of Qi Xiu.

[Favorite flower: chrysanthemums.]

Shen Xi asked her implicitly, “Do you know when chrysanthemums are generally used the most in China?”

Fu Junqiu replied, “Qingming Festival, a.k.a Tomb Sweeping Day!”

Shen Xi almost choked and thought, ‘If you know, why are you still sending chrysanthemums to your idol?! Maybe she’s our rival’s spy!’

Since Fu Junqiu was well aware, Shen Xi had no further comments. She could just imagine Qi Xiu’s expression when he saw the chrysanthemums and felt a vague pain in her heart.

At this time of day, most staff had gone home and only a few were working overtime.

Besides the shareholders and upper management, no one else knew of Shen Xi’s identity. They only saw her as Chairman Yuan’s friend who would sometimes drop by.

Shen Xi informed Yuan Yu and Qi Xiu not to reveal her identity before she took Fu Junqiu with her to the Music Department’s recording studio.

Qi Xiu exited the studio and bumped into Shen Xi. He smiled and waved at her, then saw Fu Junqiu. “Hello.”

Fu Junqiu sized up the young man in front of her and smiled broadly. “Hello, I’m your fan!”

Shen Xi noticed Fu Junqiu was different from her obsessive fangirl demeanor earlier when she saw her idol. Fu Junqiu was no longer a nervous star-struck fangirl. Instead, she was calm, but her eyes were bright and she was obviously very fond of him. To be exact, it was admiration, kind of like she was looking at a precious gem for sale. Shen Xi felt that it was a little strange.