Chapter 427: Chapter 427: I Want to Deepen Our Marital Bond (Second Update)
Inside the room at night, Yin Qin was gazing straight at Luo Xiaolang.

Was it because of the light?

It had somehow left him slightly bewildered.

He was bewildered, feeling as if Luo Xiaolang had become prettier.

The skin on her face seemed to have become smoother and even whiter.

Had he grown used to her looks?

Now it seemed to him, Luo Xiaolang wasn’t as ugly as he had imagined.

He asked, “Did my mom ask you to do this?”

Yet, a sense of inexplicable disappointment surfaced in his heart.

He could have guessed. In Luo Xiaolang’s world, feelings were an enormous blind spot, so he really wasn’t expecting much.

But what was he expecting?!

“I want to get along better with you,” Luo Xiaolang replied, as if she was the real deal.

Yin Qin was taken aback.

His heart was beating.

It was accelerating.

He thought Luo Xiaolang would respond with a resolute yes.

He did not even expect her to have any other answer.

Yet this answer left a warmth in his heart.

Luo Xiaolang had brought an unusual warmth into his life recently, like a hot spring at his heart, flowing non-stop.

Luo Xiaolang didn’t understand why Yin Qin had fallen silent, and why his gaze seemed a little too intense. She asked him, “Aren’t you going to take a bath?”

Yin Qin came back to his senses.

He told himself that he just might have been overthinking it.

He walked into the bathroom and lay in the bathtub.

Staring at the ceiling, he felt a bit strange.

What was it that he was expecting from Luo Xiaolang?

When he really thought about it, he couldn’t come up with an answer.

In his deeply ingrained thoughts, it was impossible for him to actually like Luo Xiaolang, a girl like her in looks or character. And yet, if he didn’t like her, what was he expecting from her?

He let out a slow breath.

Nevermind.

Overthinking wouldn’t help at this point, he might as well just let things be.

He got out of the bathtub, put on his clothes, and went back to the bed.

Luo Xiaolang watched as Yin Qin emerged, his hair still slightly wet.

She got the hairdryer from the bathroom, asked Yin Qin to sit by the bed edge, and then kneeled beside him to dry his hair.

Yin Qin laughed, “Did my mom teach you this too?”

“No, I taught myself.” Luo Xiaolang answered.

“You could teach yourself?”

“I looked it up on ‘Du Niang’.”

Hearing the words “Du Niang”, Yin Qin’s face turned slightly stiff.

He vividly recalled Luo Xiaolang saying that she’d looked up a lot of stuff online…

Damn, traumatic memories!

The biggest traumas in his life.

“Okay.” Luo Xiaolang finished drying his hair.

Yin Qin’s hair was short and soft, so it didn’t take too long to dry.

After drying his hair, Luo Xiaolang insisted that Yin Qin lay down so she could give him a massage, “So you can sleep earlier.”

Yin Qin didn’t resist.

After all, he’d been preoccupied with this all day.

Who knew that amid all his busyness, what he was really looking forward to was this exact moment when Luo Xiaolang sat on top of him, giving him a massage.

Pure bliss!

Relishing in the moment, Yin Qin fell asleep swiftly.

Truly, he was out cold in possibly less than 5 minutes, his breathing steady and rhythmic.

She got off him, turned him over, and tucked him in.

She turned off the lights, then cuddled up to him.

Instead of turning her back to him, she lay face-to-face with him.

After a while, she suddenly lifted her head.

She leaned in and gave Yin Qin a small peck on his lips.

She kissed him, seeking confirmation.

She kissed him again, still seeking confirmation.

Just like that…

The moonlight outside the window was enchanting, intermittently hidden behind clouds.

Trees swayed in the wind, making a rustling sound, like a melodic crying.

The next day.

The alarm went off.

Yin Qin barely managed to get up.

Pushing himself, he sprung up from the bed in his usual crazy fashion, forcing himself awake.

As he threw off the covers to get out of bed, he took a glance at Luo Xiaolang.

Suddenly recalling something in his mind.

Seeing both of them still properly clothed, he guessed it must have been an illusion.

He carefully got out of bed, didn’t even turn on the light, and stealthily went to the bathroom to wash up, fearing he might wake Luo Xiaolang up.

He didn’t know when, but he began to care for Luo Xiaolang, and also wanted to be nicer to her.

When he left, Luo Xiaolang was still fast asleep.

He couldn’t resist giving Luo Xiaolang another kiss.

Hmm.

Upon arriving at the office, Yin Qin was among the earliest to arrive.

He sat inside the office.

Wu Meili had by now basically familiarized herself with the habits of her company’s chairman, with the first order of business being to make him a cup of black coffee and tidy up his office before leaving him undisturbed to work.

11 o’clock in the morning.

Yin Qin received the arrangements he had made the previous day for Xie Mao and Lun Cheng, read them over, and picked up his office telephone, “4 PM, board meeting.”

“Chairman, isn’t the board meeting a bit too frequent during this period? Board members may have complaints,” Wu Meili gently reminded.

“No problem, they’ll be delighted to watch my ordeal during this period.”

Wu Meili was always rendered speechless by the incredible remarks of her chairman.

4 PM in the afternoon.

Yin Qin sat in the meeting room.

All the directors, too, were fully present.

Director Yu Ming said irritably, “Yin Qin, do you consider Milky Way your home? A board meeting every day, do you want us old-timers to punch in at Milky Way every day?”

Most of the director members have positions in Milky Way, functioning as managers with their own responsibilities. A minority who don’t but take part fully in decisions of the Milky Way board naturally expressed considerable dissatisfaction!”

“Please understand, directors, I am new here and don’t know much, I need the advice of my elders, hence the frequent meetings. However, I don’t have a choice, as there are many decisions I can’t make on my own and need the approval of all directors. I don’t want to waste everyone’s time either.”

His words were pleasant to the ears, implying many decisions he couldn’t make and so he had to call meetings again and again. It wasn’t his fault; they hadn’t given him the authority.

Zhang Qiang scoffed, “You’re blaming us now?”

“Not at all, I appreciate the current methods of Milky Way. This frequent exchange isn’t a good way for us to get to know each other better?!”

“Enough of this nonsense, what’s the point of today’s meeting?!” Zhang Qiang asked impatiently.

“This is how it goes.” Yin Qin didn’t get angry; he blocked and ignored the directors’ deliberate attempts to embarrass him. He said, “I recall Director Wei mentioning in front of all directors that I would be in charge of everything related to ‘Heaven’s Hall’. As long as it concerns the ‘Heaven’s Hall’ program, it doesn’t require Director Wei’s approval from Milky Way. I can make all the decisions. However, my subordinates are telling me that none of our applications are being approved.”

Wei Cheng’s face darkened.

None of the other directors spoke either, instead observing Wei Cheng’s reactions before taking action.

Yin Qin said, “No need to talk about the budget, as it affects Milky Way’s costs, which aren’t limited to just the ‘Heaven’s Hall’ program, and might impact the various other interests of the directors. Hence, I mentioned yesterday that I wouldn’t spend a penny of Milky Way’s money and instead fund the project myself. Since I’ve reached this extent, why is Director Wei still giving me a hard time? Is this the authority you meant to give me? Or is Director Wei truly scared of me making a breakthrough!”

“Yin Qin, what nonsense are you spouting!” The color on Wei Cheng’s face changed instantly.

Yin Qin’s face remained serious, “Didn’t Director Wei always insist on using professional titles, especially in important forums such as a high-level board meeting?”

Wei Cheng’s face turned even grimmer as Yin Qin countered him.

Yin Qin smiled and answered Wei Cheng’s previous question, “I’m not speaking nonsense.”

He indicated for his secretary to present some of his evidence on the screen.

Yin Qin even highlighted the key points, “This is the information my subordinate gave me. It’s a chat record between my promotional strategist Xie Mao and the marketing manager. It mentions numerous times that approval from Director Wei is required. My subordinate repeatedly clarified that only my approval is required for the ‘Heaven’s Hall’ program. He even provided my signed application to them and sent a digital copy. But they still refused outright, saying that in this company, it’s Director Wei’s word that counts!”

Wei Cheng’s expression turned extremely unpleasant.

He scrutinized the chat record in the document, as well as the many places that Yin Qin had highlighted in red.

“Director Wei, was the message not passed down due to your busy schedule, or was your promise to give me full authority just a way to appease me?! Wasn’t my five percent stake in the company swallowed up by you for nothing then?” Yin Qin retorted, his mockery of Wei Cheng’s cunning and deceit clear in his every word.

Wei Cheng, in front of all these directors, lost his patience for a moment as he said, “I did not know of this matter! No one reported it to me.”

“So Director Wei thinks I’m framing him? Shall I call the person involved here for a confrontation?!”

“Don’t capitalize on your advantages ruthlessly! When did I ever say you were setting me up? I merely said that I had no knowledge of this incident, and it’s most likely that someone from the lower management took matters into their own hands! Besides, as someone managing so many people in the company, how am I expected to control the actions of a department manager! It’s a joke!”

“Hasn’t Director Wei always said that he’s deeply involved at the grassroot level? Once you go deep into the grassroot level, shouldn’t you be involved in the grassroots bureaucracy?”

“Yin Qin!”

“Please call me Chairman.”

“Enough! Don’t misuse your authority. I will investigate this matter thoroughly.”

“Accountability is a matter for later,” Yin Qin said, “My project is pressed for time. I need a clear answer from Director Wei, whether I can approve of matters concerning the ‘Heaven’s Hall’ project without Director Wei’s agreement in the future?!”

Wei Cheng glared coldly back at Yin Qin.

Yin Qin said, “Or else, I might as well give you my five percent stake straight away and readily accept the title of the big fool.”

“Stop sneering here, I stand by my words.”

“Let me clarify once more, anything related to the ‘Heaven’s Hall’ program, be it external promotion or internal personnel scheduling, will only require my approval.”

“Yes.”

“Alright then.” Yin Qin stretched out his hand.

Wu Meili promptly handed him a red-topped document.

He passed the document to Wei Cheng, “Given that many from the lower management might not receive the notice, which might affect the progress of my project, I request Director Wei to sign it and let it be known.”

Wei Cheng coldly glared at Yin Qin.

Yin Qin didn’t care.

Wei Cheng looked at the content of the document, angrily signed his name, and threw it at Yin Qin.

Yin Qin took it and passed it to Wu Meili, “Give the photocopy to the Secretary of the General Affairs Department and have it distributed. Send it to everyone in the company and CC the sitting directors.”

“Yes.” Wu Meili answered respectfully.

Yin Qin stood up, “The meeting ends here, sorry to have taken up everyone’s time.”

With that, he turned around and left.

Due to Wei Cheng’s dark expression that day, none of the other directors dared to depart.

A somewhat tense atmosphere.

Zhang Qiang tried to lighten the mood, “Don’t take Yin Qin too seriously, he’s just a typical case of wielding little power like a big authority. He won’t be able to achieve much.”

“I never took him seriously.” Wei Cheng said bitterly.

Let him dig his own grave.

However, Yin Qin’s seemingly carefree attitude today did drum up his heartbeat a little.

The man seemed to have made progress since their last encounter.

But on a second thought,

Maybe this had just been a coincidence, a lucky strike. He still appeared like a notorious spendthrift to Wei.

He simply waited for Yin Qin to lose his stake in the company!

Of course, Yin Qin wouldn’t be so foolish as to really give up his stake. He was well aware that once lost, the stake couldn’t be bought back with just money.

He also knew exactly what Wei Cheng was up to.

Back in his office, he eyed the list in his hand. A list… he considered incredibly costly. He picked up the phone and dialed a number.

The other side picked up, “Hello.”

“Xin Zaozao, this is Yin Qin.”