Chapter Twelve (Part 1)
On the second day of the New Year, Qin Song returned to work. His workload at Liang’s company was steady because he’d finish most of the important paperwork at the end of last year. Whilst his workload at Qin’s company was heavy.
During the time Qin Song was busy, his uncles wanted to hold an impromptu shareholders’ meeting. Qin Yun was able to control the outcome of votes during his decades as head of Qin’s company. But Qin Yun’s supporters changed boats after Qin Yun’s hospitalization. Qin Song’s uncles submitted a request to the Board of Directors to hold a shareholders’ meeting to cast votes on who should be the head of Qin’s company.
Ji Nan had compiled reports on Qin Song’s uncle’s scandals and shady business deals under the table. Qin Song read the reports and felt disgusted and disappointed in them. Afterward he stood by the window, took a deep breath and looked at the sky. He thought about his next course of action, whether it was worth exploiting his uncles’ secrets to keep his position at Qin’s company… but it’d be at the expense of cutting ties with his uncles… and it’d affect his dad’s fragile health.
Ji Nan joined the reports on the table to make a puzzle picture. ‘Song Song, do you want to teach them a lesson? They have too many weaknesses to choose from, it’d be easy to take them down.’
‘No,’ Qin Song declined. ‘If I use dirty methods to threaten them into backing down then I’m lowering my own self-worth to their level. Even if I threatened them in the future they have more motivation to dispose me.’
‘Oh,’ Ji Nan said then stacked the reports to one side and focused on eating her toast.
‘This will be the first and last time they try to revolt. I’ll make them understand that whether it’s me or my dad, it’s better for them not to stir the pot,’ Qin Song said coldly as the dark clouds in the sky.
The approved shareholders’ meeting was held, Qin Song walked into the meeting with half of the people in the room looking at him like he should prepare to lose his position as head of Qin’s company.
‘Let’s cast our votes,’ Qin Song’s third uncle suggested.
Qin Song’s third uncle sat on the right of Qin Song. Everyone heartily agreed with his uncle’s suggestion. No one bothered to ask Qin Song who was sitting at the head of the shareholders’ meeting venue for his opinion.
‘Why do we need to vote?’ Qin Song asked coldly. ‘I’ve fulfilled all my duties as head of Qin’s company. Unless, is there someone in this room who’s dissatisfied with my performance?’
Many of the people in the room were envious of Qin Song. They wanted to use the excuse that Qin Song had a conflict of interest to dispose him. That Qin Song wasn’t fit to be head of Qin’s company whilst being a major stakeholder at Liang’s company, hence he wouldn’t always put Qin’s company interest first and breech a fiduciary duty.
‘I’ve read all the official complaints that were brought to the attention of my father,’ Qin Song said. He gestured for his two trusted a.s.sistants to put them on the table and laughed coldly. ‘I admit what was written sounded convincing.’
Qin Song was angrier that they disturbed his dad’s recovery than the rubbish they wrote. They informed his dad that he was unfit to be the head of Qin’s company because he prioritised Liang’s company over Qin’s company.
The people involved in sneaking behind Qin Song’s back to double cross him couldn’t believe their plan was found out by Qin Song. Their complexions all paled.
‘The concerns everyone raised wasn’t unreasonable. It’s true that Liang’s company is a strong compet.i.tor and poses a threat to Qin’s company,’ Qin Song said. He leaned back in his chair and enjoyed seeing his uncles squirm. ‘I’ve decided to agree to have another third party investor. I’m not happy that it’d affect our percentage ownership of Qin’s company. But I’m going to think of it as a free practical lesson to ease the concerns of my uncles whom are dear to my heart and whom I respect as my elders.’
Qin Song’s uncles wiped their sweaty foreheads. Their plan backfired on them. If their relationship with Chen Yi Feng’s company is profitable then Qin Song would receive the credit. If Qin’s company was devalued then Qin Song had the ammunition to hold it over their heads because they were the ones that proposed another third party investor. They underestimated how cunning their little nephew was.
‘Chen Yi Feng’s company offer is average. I suggest we open our options and have a public tender. There’d be plenty of investors keen to make higher biddings than Chen Yi Feng’s proposed offer,’ Qin Song said. ‘I’m grateful to all the support I’ve received from everyone in this room, it’s been fundamental to my personal growth. If I have offended anyone then I’m deeply sorry. We’re all family here and I believe that as my elders you all have generous hearts to give me a chance to satisfy your expectations of me as head of Qin’s company.’
Qin Song felt he said enough to scare his uncles from planning another mutiny. He stood and bypa.s.sed his frozen uncles to leave the room with his two a.s.sistants.
Back at Liang’s company Rong Yan was digesting Qin Song’s recount of the Qin’s company shareholders’ meeting. ‘Mmm. With Chen Yi Feng’s abundant resources do you actually think having a tender is a good idea? There won’t be many companies that are on par with Chen Yi Feng’s company and if they did, I doubt they want to make Chen Yi Feng their enemy.’
‘I have someone that can help make the tender compet.i.tive,’ Qin Song said. He leisurely twirled his pen around his fingers. ‘All it takes is one right bait to hook the biggest fish.’
‘Is that person trust worthy?’ Li Wei Ran asked.
‘Of course!’ Ji Nan answered before Qin Song.
‘Take a look for yourselves,’ Ji Nan said. She spread out copies of background checks on Qin’s company secret weapon to help lift the biddings. ‘Yuan Yi Yi, heiress of her dad’s Yuan’s company. She’s not just a pretty face, her extensive business credentials in Singapore are impressive. Her business mind is exceptional as her looks.’
The photo of Yuan Yi Yi clipped to doc.u.ments on the table was a photo of a vivacious young woman in a tight silver dress that highlighted her feminine curves. Her hair was tied back and her long slender legs were appetizing.
‘Um, she’s alright,’ Rong Yan said. His former player mentality kicked in. ‘Yuan Yi Yi wants to make connections with Qin Song’s company. But I bet she agreed to make an offer because she wanted to meet me.’
‘Is that so? Does anyone know Ye Mu’s number off the top of their head?’ Li Wei Ran asked teasingly and took out his phone ready to dial.
Rong Yan rushed to stall Li Wei Ran from dialling his little beast. ‘You didn’t let me finish. Even if Yuan Yi Yi was interested in me, for her it’d be nothing more than a fancy dream. I’ve been reformed long ago. I rather die than jeopardize my happy marriage with Ye Mu than fall for Yuan Yi Yi’s seduction!’
The former player Rong Yan was scared his wife would find out about his careless comment that he was temporary knocked into a paranoia abyss by his sworn brothers.
‘Sixth brother, you have to think this through carefully. Your share of Qin’s company is barely sc.r.a.ping major control. If your share is reduced by a lot then in the future it’d be harder for you to be the main decision maker relating to Qin’s company business deals,’ Liang Fei Fang advised.
‘I didn’t offer her any of my shares in Qin’s company,’ Qin Song said and shrugged his shoulders.
Li Wei Ran was surprised. ‘Then what’s in it for her to help you? This kind of short term gain is puny, someone with her dad’s backing and her own resources wouldn’t be interested in offending Chen Yi Feng for crumbs.’
Chen Yu Bai who was quietly looking over doc.u.ments and drinking coffee had enough of his sworn brothers’ slow thought progression. ‘Sixth brother promised ten percent of his Liang’s company to give to her if she helps him.’
Big boss gritted his teeth. Rong Yan climbed out of his paranoia abyss. Ji Nan cracked her knuckles. Li Wei Ran rolled up his sleeves.
Qin Song quickly walked backward to the door. ‘Don’t be like that. We’re all brothers. Why fight over my tiny parting of Liang’s company shares? You guys should be flattered that an attractive and intelligent person like Yuan Yi Yi is interested in Liang’s company… Ah! Ting Ting, where are you? Your Song Song needs your help!’
In real life Yuan Yi Yi was more beautiful than what a camera lens could capture.
Yuan Yi Yi arrived in the same district as the Liang’s sworn brothers on a cold winter day. But Yuan Yi Yi was dressed in a thin tight black dress, black heels, black sungla.s.ses and a blood red scarf around her neck. Her striking beauty was impossible to miss against the white snowy landscape.
Qin Song was attending a business banquet and had asked one of his a.s.sistants to pick Yuan Yi Yi from the airport and drive her to meet him at the banquet venue.
When Qin Song spotted Yuan Yi Yi entering the banquet venue with his a.s.sistant, he immediately went to greet her. He put his hand out to shake her hand and gave her a charming smile. ‘Miss Yuan, thank you for travelling a long way to meet me.’
Yuan Yi Yi a.s.sessed Qin Song from top to bottom for a while. Then she took off her gla.s.ses and smiled. Bystanders thought her smile was intoxicating as the strongest alcohol.
‘Nice to meet you Mr Qin junior,’ Yuan Yi Yi greeted. She shook Qin Song’s offered hand. Then she comfortably stood on her toes and held onto his shoulders for their cheeks to meet. Afterward she gave him her best intoxicating smile. ‘Mr Qin junior, your reputed handsomeness was indeed not a bluff.’
Qin Song’s heart felt the bad kind of discomfort. He was used to being praised for his looks. But the way Yuan Yi Yi praised him was like the way she would inspect a pair of heels at a shoe store and pay any price to own it.
Qin Song escorted Yuan Yi Yi to meet the other guests at the banquet.
Yuan Yi Yi wined and dined the guests at the venue. Her directness, wit and intelligence impressed the guests. It meant that Qin Song’s position as head of Qin’s company was going to be cemented.
But Yuan Yi Yi’s intense gazes at Qin Song, gave Qin Song the creeps.
‘Let’s discuss business further another day. It’s getting late. Miss Yuan you must be tired too,’ Qin Song politely said and forced a smile. ‘My a.s.sistant will drive you to your hotel.’
‘You’re not going to personally take me back to my hotel?’ Yuan Yi Yi asked.
Yuan Yi Yi pouted her pink lips and leaned closer to Qin Song.
Yuan Yi Yi’s fragrance affected Qin Song… not in a good way.
‘Achoo!’ Qin Song sneezed. ‘Sorry, I have allergies. My nose is sensitive to dust.’
‘It’s nothing,’ Yuan Yi Yi said.
Yuan Yi Yi didn’t take back her intention to flirt with Qin Song. She stayed standing at a close distance to him.
Qin Song wasn’t interested in Yuan Yi Yi one bit. He fled home to be with his loving Ting Ting, who he missed all day.
On the drive back home, Qin Song had many conflicting thoughts.
‘How am I going to explain my work relationship with Yuan Yi Yi to my ‘little country bun’? I don’t want her to worry and at the same time I want her to be a little jealous. That way she’ll be more attentive to me and show me more often that she loved me,’ Qin Song said to his heart.
Qin Song was happy to be at home. He changed into his slippers and walked into the living room. Ting Ting wasn’t there. He went into the kitchen and he saw a half full bowl of soup that was still steaming hot on the dining table. In front of the bowl of soup was a pair of chopsticks that were wet at the tips. It led him to think that her dinner was interrupted.
Qin Song was too busy at the banquet keeping Yuan Yi Yi at bay that he couldn’t eat or drink much in case Yuan Yi Yi spiked his food and drink when he wasn’t looking. The aroma of Ting Ting’s homemade soup made his taste buds come alive and he picked up Ting Ting’s chopsticks to scoop the dumplings inside the bowl of soup into his mouth. He ate happily and felt his good mood could only improve with Ting Ting beside him.
Han Ting Ting heard Qin Song opened the front door from inside the bathroom. The moment she stepped out of the bathroom she saw Song Song at the dining table eating the bowl of soup left on the table.
‘Song Song… why are you eating that bowl of soup?’ Han Ting Ting asked. ‘Didn’t you get to eat at the banquet?’
Song Song continued to eat happily and nodded his head. Han Ting Ting wanted to tell him about the owner of that bowl of soup he was eating, but she decided to go back to the bathroom and tell Xiao Tao not to say anything to Song Song about it.
Unexpectedly Xiao Tao couldn’t wait any longer for Han Ting Ting to come back to the bathroom to help him wash his hands and walked into the kitchen. ‘Miss Han, I washed my hands already.’
‘Oh?’ Qin Song said in between slurping the soup broth. ‘Why is the kid next door here in our home at this time?’
‘My parents are at a work function. After dinner my parents will come pick me up,’ Xiao Tao said. Before Han Ting Ting could cover his mouth, he went to stand next to Qin Song. ‘Miss Han, take a look. Uncle is a dirty man. He didn’t wash his hands and is eating my leftovers.’
Han Ting Ting rushed over to Xiao Tao to cover his mouth before he said anything else to make Song Song angrier. ‘Tao Tao, do you want me to make you a new bowl of soup?’
Xiao Tao obediently nodded his head. ‘Yes please. I’m all clean, not like dirty uncle.’
Qin Song didn’t know whether to swallow the soup broth or throw up the soup broth. But he was certain he wanted to wash the little critter’s mouth with soap.
Before bed Qin Song brushed his teeth thoroughly countless times. Then he laid in bed with his back facing Ting Ting.
Han Ting Ting was excited all day to show Song Song the nightie and lingerie that Tu Tu delivered through the post. But she was disappointed to see Song Song’s back turned to her. She lifted the bed sheet and laid at the edge of the bed too scared to touch him.
But Han Ting Ting couldn’t sleep. Her body felt itchy. She scratched her skin under her nightie. No matter how vigorously she scratched it didn’t make the itchiness go away.
Qin Song and Han Ting Ting’s sleeping style in bed differed that night. Qin Song eyes were open and his body was alert. Han Ting Ting had her eyes closed but couldn’t stop scratching.
Han Ting Ting was innocently scratching when all of a sudden Song Song’s body rolled on top of her body.
‘Honey, are you purposely turning me on?’ Qin Song whispered into Ting Ting’s hot ear.
Han Ting Ting tried to push Song Song off her to keep scratching. ‘My nightie is itchy.’
‘Take it off,’ Qin Song said.
Qin Song bit Ting Ting’s throat. He pulled her nightie down her body. He peeled off her lingerie with his teeth. Then he kissed and licked the red blotches on her body.
Qin Song ate his ‘little country bun’ until her whole body trembled.
A long time later… Qin Song’s nose was itchy. He wanted to sneeze but it was rare for Ting Ting to parade meat on their bed. He didn’t want to waste the golden opportunity she gave him otherwise she’d make it harder for him to eat meat later on. He really wanted a second serving of meat but his nose wouldn’t cooperate and he sneezed loudly.
The morning after the night Qin Song got a sneeze out of his system and had many meat servings, Han Ting Ting forced her aching corpse out of bed. But Qin Song pulled his wife’s corpse back onto the bed, hugged her sore waist and rubbed his cheek on her thigh. ‘Honey, give me a morning kiss.’
Han Ting Ting laughed. She slid her corpse down the bed and grabbed Song Song’s face to kiss him. ‘Ah! Song Song, your face!’
Qin Song in his sleepy state got out of bed and looked in the mirror to see what Ting Ting’s early morning hysteria was about. He was speechless and swollen. His usual handsome face was blown up to the size of a jumbo pig’s head.
‘Um, it’s an allergic reaction. Song Song has been allergic to dust since he was a babe. Ting Ting, you don’t need to worry. We’re about to head into spring, it’s to be expected. Song Song, you need to be more careful,’ Qin Song’s family doctor said. The doctor was also the Zhang household family doctor too. He took care of Qin Song’s health from birth to adulthood and understood Qin Song’s body condition well. ‘Song Song, during the last two days have you come into contact with flowers or particularly dusty places?’
Qin Song’s swollen face, ears, nose, and throat were probed by his family doctor. ‘Nope… ah, last night at a banquet I mingled with guests and there was one guest that wore a special fragrance, one sniff and I sneezed.’
‘Oh, the fragrance must have given you an allergic reaction. But it wouldn’t have triggered a reaction this severe. I think the main culprit is these white cotton threads,’ Qin Song’s family doctor explained. He used long thin tweezers to remove white cotton threads from Qin Song’s throat. ‘How did cotton threads from fabrics end up inside your throat?’
Qin Song saw his white ‘little country bun’ sat beside him turned into a red ‘little country bun’ after she heard his family doctor asked about the mysterious white cotton threads. ‘It could be because of my white cotton night shirt that had loose threads and while I was sleeping I accidently swallowed the threads.’
Qin Song’s family doctor thought Song Song’s explanation was abnormal. He saw Ting Ting’s blush and understood the white cotton threads Song Song swallowed was Ting Ting’s lingerie. ‘Ok, it’s no big deal. I’ll write you a subscription. Make sure you take the medication as directed and in a couple of days you’ll be your old handsome self again.’ He turned to look at Ting Ting and gave her a knowing smile. ‘Next time be more cautious. Your little monkey husband thinks he has a body of steel but his nose is his kryptonite. The slightest dust will set him off. In the future if he doesn’t bully you then don’t buy clothing that uses the same fabric as his ‘white cotton night shirt’ for him to eat.’
Han Ting Ting nodded her head like a naughty kid admitting to their bad deed.
Qin Song who was usually the centre of attention at Qin’s company, but his stardom exploded that same day his family doctor prescribed him anti-inflammatory medication. He wore thick shades to Qin’s company and walked with dignity to his office. He bypa.s.sed all the curious stares but couldn’t stop everyone from top to bottom speculating why there were spots of red rashes on his face. The moment he sat on his chair at his work desk, he received a phone call from Li Wei Ran who was at Liang’s company. The purpose of Li Wei Ran’s call was to make fun of him more than to console him.
Qin Song wasn’t productive that day, he spent most of it locked in his office looking at himself in the mirror and missing his usual handsome face.
Qin Song sighed. At least the medication was effective, his swollen face had halved after rubbing the soothing cream prescribed on his face once. He wished there was a prescription to wipe off the spotty red rashes on his face p.r.o.nto.
Qin Song who loved himself almost as much as he loved his ‘little country bun’ sat in front of his work laptop and downloaded bank statements to see what purchases Ting Ting bought online.
Qin Song discovered Ting Ting’s online purchases were from the same supplier. He went to the supplier’s website and was surprised to find the white cotton lingerie Ting Ting bought was a popular sold item.
Qin Song widened his swollen eyes and left negative feedback for that listed online item – ‘bad fabric quality, not new condition as advertised, underwear delivered stained, each bra’s cup size didn’t match, buy at your own risk!’
Qin Song posted his negative feedback and his good mood returned. After venting he ordered for a cup of coffee and started proper work.
Tu Tu who was Ting Ting’s online supplier wasn’t in a good mood like Qin Song the sabotaging little monkey. Tu Tu immediately logged into QQ. Unfortunately for Tu Tu, Qin Song knew Ting Ting’s QQ pa.s.sword and secretly pretended to be Ting Ting online.
Tu Tu Is Not Mao Mao: ‘???!!!’
Ting Bao Most Obedient: ‘You’re the one who sells faulty products, what else did you expect?’
Qin Song laughed happily, his wife’s online supplier would be out of business before he headed home to his loving wife.
Tu Tu Is Not Mao Mao: ‘(view middle finger flipped CGI)’
Ting Bao Most Obedient: ‘Hurry up and unlist those b.u.t.t wipes! Not everyone is as kind as I am, I didn’t ask for compensation from you.’
Qin Song sipped his fragrant coffee.
Tu Tu Is Not Mao Mao: ‘It’s more like not everyone is like you, buying lingerie to eat!’
Qin Song almost splattered out his fragrant coffee.
Ting Bao Most Obedient: ‘???!!!’
Tu Tu Is Not Mao Mao: ‘What do you expect the fabrics are made of? G.o.ddess feathers? If you know your kryptonite nose is no good then you should have kept your distance from the fabrics, it’s your fault for acting out your dirty mind. Hurry up and delete those trashy comments! Otherwise I’ll pay you back for the text message incident!’
Qin Song was shocked and he remembered his mum and Ting Ting’s online shopping bonding session and his body turned cold.
Ting Bao Most Obedient: ‘You’re Ting Ting’s best friend Tu Tu? The one whose dad calls Mao Mao?’
Tu Tu Is Not Mao Mao: ‘h.e.l.lo, Mr Wild Boar Head!’
At Qin’s company that day a scream was heard from Qin Song’s office.
Yuan Yi Yi heard the scream from a close distance. Qin Song’s a.s.sistant had escorted her up to his office area. She looked at his office door suspiciously and turned to look back at his a.s.sistant. His a.s.sistant could only ask Qin Song’s secretary to announce her arrival at Qin’s company.
‘Mr Qin junior, Miss Yuan is here to see you,’ Qin Song’s secretary said.
There was silence for a while on the other end of the intercom before Qin Song’s usual charming voice was heard, as though the scream heard before had nothing to do with him. ‘Ask her to come in.’
Yuan Yi Yi entered Qin Song’s office and saw him sat straight in his chair and his hands hovered over his keyboard as if he was in the middle of work. He smiled politely at Yuan Yi Yi. ‘Good morning Miss Yuan.’
‘Did I come too early?’ Yuan Yi Yi asked and gave Qin Song her best intoxicating smile.
Yuan Yi Yi wore a black vest over a tight white dress and beneath her long slender legs were nude heels. Any straight man at Qin’s company except for Qin Song would have fantasized about bringing Yuan Yi Yi home for the night.
Qin Song’s kryptonite nose was quick to react to Yuan Yi Yi’s fragrance. He moved his chair back to add more distance between him and the stinky witch.
Yuan Yi Yi didn’t miss Qin Song moving back from her. She calmly sat on the guest chair in front of his work desk. ‘Why were you screaming before? I heard you from outside your door.’
‘Ah… I was doing my morning vocal cord exercise. It helps to relieve body tension,’ Qin Song said and glanced at the QQ conversation on his laptop.
Tu Tu Is Not Mao Mao: ‘Hey, don’t think I don’t stock higher end goods. I’ll give your eyes a treat.’
Qin Song discreetly opened the link and saw listings of see through lingerie that would bring out his animal drive if his ‘little country bun’ was the one modelling them. He looked away from his laptop screen.
‘What are you looking at on your laptop?’ Yuan Yi Yi asked. She angled her head to try to see the laptop screen. ‘And why are there spotty red rashes on your face?’
Qin Song coughed and laughed awkwardly. ‘It’s nothing. About what we were discussing at the banquet I think the tender…’
Qin Song wanted to seriously discuss work but he was distracted by another QQ message icon that popped up on his laptop screen.
Qin Song was planning to log out of QQ but couldn’t resist clicking on the last message… his innocent ‘little country bun’s’ face was photo shopped on the lingerie models’ bodies. The caption read – ‘Master you’ve worked hard. Tonight Ting Ting will serve you!’
Qin Song’s body boiled and blood flowed between his legs. He breathed heavily and he shut his laptop.
End of Chapter Twelve (Part 1)