After Falling in Love with the Scum Alpha’s Beautiful Original Wife at First Sight - Chapter 7

On the wide, flat road, a Land Rover drove steadily down the center of the lane.

Qi Hengxing sat in the back seat and stretched without any regard for her image.

The sleepiness on her face was completely undisguised. “Chengcheng, next time, don’t schedule meetings this early. I almost fell asleep just now.”

Chengcheng, who was driving in the front seat, complained with a wooden expression, “Does nine-thirty still count as early?”

She glanced at the rearview mirror and questioned, “Actually, you stayed up late again last night, didn’t you?”

Qi Hengxing met her gaze confidently.

Chengcheng’s mouth twitched. She stepped on the brake, and Qi Hengxing, who had been about to collapse and sleep in the back seat, jolted forward, her forehead hitting the back of the front seat.

“…”

Fine. Qi Hengxing propped up her head and endured it in silence. Yesterday, she had been busy dealing with Qi Yue’s matters and had almost let Qi’s mother notice something was wrong. Fortunately, Chengcheng had helped cover for her.

Her subordinate was simply too capable. Sometimes, even Qi Hengxing, the immediate superior, found it hard to offend her.

“This isn’t the way back to the company, right? Where are we going next?” Qi Hengxing asked casually, watching the scenery flash past outside the window.

“To Huai Kang City No. 1 High School.”

“Huai Kang City No. 1 High School?”

Qi Hengxing raised an eyebrow.

This was Qi Hengxing’s alma mater. She had studied there for two years in high school, but after graduation, she had never returned to visit.

Chengcheng focused on driving. “To discuss a donation. Before the New Year, Vice Principal Zhao from No. 1 High contacted me. But at the time, you were busy with the cooperation project in Belgium, so you casually made the decision and approved it.”

As she spoke, her tone became resentful. “I also told you about this yesterday, but you were at the hospital then. Last night, I reminded you again on WeChat, but you never replied to my message.”

Qi Hengxing sincerely admitted her mistake. “I’m sorry.”

Sorry, but you’ll dare do it again next time, right? Chengcheng only wanted to roll her eyes. She ground her back teeth and said nothing more.

She did not know that Qi Hengxing’s thoughts had already drifted far away in the back seat.

She had only stayed at the school for two years, and during that time, she had constantly gone to other cities to participate in all kinds of academic competitions. On top of that, so much time had passed since graduation. In truth, Qi Hengxing did not have many memories of her former school.

However, she remembered that No. 1 High’s cafeteria was quite delicious, especially the food in the teachers’ dining hall. The taste had been rather good.

This time, she was returning to her alma mater with a donation. Having the vice principal treat her to lunch should be a very worthwhile deal, right?

When the Land Rover drove onto the street outside Huai Kang City No. 1 High School, the rows of snack stalls outside had long since disappeared, once again giving space back to pedestrians and traffic.

Golden rain trees stood at orderly intervals along the street, making Qi Hengxing vaguely remember a little of her brief high school years.

This kind of golden rain tree usually bloomed with small golden-yellow flowers. When it bore fruit, the trees would be covered in tender red fruits that looked like little lanterns, hanging from midsummer all the way until late autumn.

After autumn rain and wind, these little lanterns would tremble as they floated in puddles. Back then, Qi Hengxing, who was in her edgy teenage phase and did not like listening in class or rainy days, would sit by the window and stare blankly at that scene for an entire lesson.

Qi Hengxing finally felt something like the passage of time and the irretrievable loss of youth. She sighed emotionally, “Time spares no one.”

Chengcheng: ?

The vice principal had probably informed the security office in advance, because after the guard saw the Land Rover’s license plate, he let them through directly.

After the Land Rover was parked, Qi Hengxing opened the door and got out.

She raised her hand and smoothed her hair. In her other hand, she carried a handbag that was actually empty inside and was only there to complete the look.

The rare warm winter sunlight fell on her lowered hand, illuminating the slightly protruding blue veins beneath her pale skin.

Chengcheng also got out of the car. She took out her phone and scrolled through her contacts, preparing to call the vice principal and tell him they had arrived at the school. But just as she was about to dial, something suddenly caught her eye.

“President Qi, that thing hanging on your bag—how come I’ve never seen it before?”

Qi Hengxing followed her gaze and looked over. She shook her handbag, and the glossy turquoise stone drew circles in midair. “You mean this? I picked it up.”

Chengcheng could not help wondering where she picked up all these little odds and ends. Every time she went on a business trip with Qi Hengxing, if she did not pay attention for a moment, this woman would suddenly have a whole pile of random trinkets in her hands.

“But this is turquoise, right? How did you pick up this kind of turquoise?”

“I picked it up at the hospital yesterday.” Qi Hengxing touched the cool little stone. “So this is turquoise.”

This little stone was irregular in shape and covered in black patterns. At first, Qi Hengxing had not looked at it carefully and had simply thought it was an extremely ordinary little stone.

She was just about to examine the turquoise more closely when someone strode over from a distance and called out to her excitedly.

“Hello, President Qi!”

In recent years, Huai Kang City No. 1 High School had expanded its enrollment every year. It was accepting more and more students, but in the old campus, there were not enough classrooms, dormitories, or teachers.

The principal of No. 1 High had secretly worried about this for a long time.

Later, during a meeting, the principal heard that the city wanted to accelerate development in the relatively slower-growing northern area. After observing for a while, he saw that many institutions were indeed moving one after another to the new district in the north.

Putting the two together, the principal suddenly understood. Taking this opportunity to quickly build a new campus for No. 1 High might be a good way to solve the problem.

According to the original plan, No. 1 High should have moved entirely to the new campus last year.

But what the principal had not expected was that the budget had basically already been spent, while several buildings in the new campus still had not been fully completed.

Because of this, the principal and Vice Principal Zhao, who was in charge of finances, were frantic with anxiety. In the end, they had thickened their skin and thought of the idea of “asking for donations.”

When he heard the security office report that Qi Hengxing had already arrived at the school, the vice principal was overjoyed. He dropped the work in his hands and hurried to meet this God of Wealth.

The vice principal had heard of Qi Hengxing long ago.

When he had first been transferred to No. 1 High to work, Qi Hengxing had already been signed early and recommended for admission. During the entire senior year, aside from a few necessary occasions when Qi Hengxing returned to school to handle matters, she spent the rest of her time auditing classes at university.

The vice principal had never met her in person. He had only heard that this student had taken on the burdens of the Qi family and the Qi company at a young age. Only a few years after graduation, her net worth was already calculated in hundreds of millions.

If she made a move, even if they flattened the new campus and rebuilt it, it should be easy for her.

The vice principal specially took out the good tea he had kept hidden and had been reluctant to drink. Sitting in the conference room, he spoke eloquently for most of the day, until his mouth was nearly worn out. Yet Qi Hengxing, sitting opposite him, still looked as if her mind had wandered beyond the heavens.

The vice principal, who had thought the donation matter could be settled very quickly, could not help feeling uneasy.

What was going on?

Before the New Year, when he contacted Qi Hengxing’s assistant, the assistant’s reply had clearly made it seem very hopeful.

But looking at Qi Hengxing now, that did not seem to be the case at all.

The vice principal repeatedly gave Chengcheng, who was sitting beside them, meaningful looks. Chengcheng received his signals, but only pretended not to see them.

Qi Hengxing, this person, was hard to explain.

Chengcheng had worked by her side as her assistant for several years. Many times, she felt she had already adapted to Qi Hengxing’s strange temper and train of thought, but every few days, something would happen that made her wonder whether she would ever be able to understand what exactly was inside this superior’s head.

However, judging from how Qi Hengxing was clearly not interested in the conversation with the vice principal today, yet had still persisted in sitting in the conference room for so long, the vice principal did not need to worry about the donation at all.

If Qi Hengxing had not given a definite answer yet, either she was simply spacing out, or she was thinking about something else, such as that messy pile of “collectibles” of hers.

The little assistant sat at the side with a righteous expression, handling her work and ignoring the looks he sent her. The vice principal truly had no choice. He could only drink tea cup after cup without tasting it. He had already said everything he should and could say. In the conference room with only three people inside, the atmosphere instantly became strange.

Seeing that the last class of the morning was about to end, the vice principal could not help growing anxious. He gritted his teeth and was just about to ask Qi Hengxing more directly for a clear answer when the dismissal bell suddenly rang.

Qi Hengxing, who sat opposite him, visibly perked up. “Class is over?”

She turned her head and looked out the window. Students continuously poured out of the teaching buildings opposite. Only a minute or two after class ended, the students in the buildings were almost gone.

“That’s right,” the vice principal said casually. “Look at these students. They run so fast the moment class is over, as if the cafeteria won’t have food left for them if they go a little late.”

The vice principal had only meant to make a joke. Unexpectedly, Qi Hengxing followed his words and said, “Maybe they’re worried that if they go late, they won’t be able to get the good dishes.”

The vice principal suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

“Oh my, President Qi rarely gets to return to your alma mater. Now it just so happens to be lunchtime. Why don’t we go to the faculty cafeteria and chat while we eat?”