Chapter 13: Only Responsible for Eating

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Shi Ran sat on the toilet. Only after she had finished did she realize that she seemed to have left her handbag at the table.

Earlier, while eating and drinking, she had found the shoulder bag cumbersome, so she had taken it off and hung it on the back of her chair.

She had left in such a hurry that she had grabbed only the phone from the table.

And her sanitary pads were in the bag.

After all, her evening gown had not been designed with pockets.

Without the bag, she would have had nowhere to put most of her things.

Given her current situation, going back for it was out of the question.

She could only find someone to bring it to her.

But who?

Shi Ran stared at the phone screen, her eyes fixed on the numbers displayed there.

She currently had two choices: Zuo Yelin or Su Yu.

All she had to do was notify one of them, and ask them to arrange for a waitress or another female assistant to bring it over.

After hesitating for a moment, Shi Ran chose to message Su Yu.

Given Zuo Yelin’s personality, he would most likely pretend not to see it even if he did.

She could only place her hopes in Secretary Su.

…

The luxurious private dining room was filled with influential figures raising their glasses and exchanging toasts.

Shi Ran’s departure had attracted no one’s attention.

“Chairman Zuo, this toast is to you. I hope our future cooperation will reach even greater heights!”

Someone rose to offer a toast. Zuo Yelin lifted his wineglass and gestured in that person’s direction without standing to return the courtesy.

No one took offense at his behavior.

Su Yu was watching the scene when he suddenly felt his pocket vibrate.

He instinctively glanced at the empty seat beside Zuo Yelin.

Then he lowered his head and took out his phone.

“Secretary Su, could you find someone to bring my bag to the second stall from the left in the women’s restroom? Please!”

“Chairman Zuo, I’m going to use the restroom.”

Su Yu slipped his phone back into his pocket without a flicker of emotion.

He rose, offered a brief apology to the others, and, as he passed Shi Ran’s seat, quietly took the bag hanging from the back of her chair.

He hurried to the women’s restroom.

There, he stopped a young woman coming out.

“Excuse me. I’ll give you a hundred. Could you take this bag to the second stall from the left?”

Su Yu pulled out a hundred-yuan note.

The young woman eyed him suspiciously, then nodded.

After taking the money, she carried the bag back inside.

Su Yu took out his phone and typed, “It’s been arranged.”

Ding.

Shi Ran, crouched inside the stall, saw the message appear on her screen and abandoned the idea of shouting for help.

She had originally planned to yell at the top of her lungs if Secretary Su did not reply, just in case she happened to encounter some kindhearted young woman.

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She had not expected Secretary Su to be so efficient.

Knock, knock, knock.

Almost the moment she finished reading the message, someone knocked on the stall door.

“Someone’s in here,” Shi Ran called.

“Hello. A gentleman outside asked me to give you your bag. Could you open the stall door?”

That quickly?

Shi Ran froze for a moment, then reacted swiftly.

She opened the door just wide enough for an arm, and immediately saw a hand reach through.

“Thank you.”

Recognizing her bag, Shi Ran did not forget to express her gratitude.

“I was just doing it for the money. No need to thank me.”

The young woman waved her off.

Shi Ran changed inside the stall, took out what she needed, and replaced her sanitary pad before stepping out.

After washing her hands, she slung the bag over her shoulder and returned to the private dining room.

“You can’t even eat in peace. You might as well not eat at all.”

The moment Shi Ran sat down, the plate and food before her were swept into the trash can beside her chair.

Why was he blaming her?

He knew she was on her period and feeling unwell. Even if he could not bring himself to ask how she was doing, why did he have to treat her like this?

The more Shi Ran thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. Her nose stung, and two hot tears slipped down her cheeks.

“Chairman Zuo, please don’t be angry. Special circumstances call for special treatment,” someone said, trying to smooth things over.

“Waiter, bring this lady another seafood platter.”

Someone called for a waiter and promptly ordered more food.

Look at everyone else. They were complete strangers, yet they still knew how to comfort her.

Why couldn’t he do the same?

Was she indebted to him in a past life?

“Giving you this tea is such a waste. You should drink milk instead.”

Zuo Yelin’s cool voice sounded beside her ear.

Shi Ran gripped the chair and sniffed hard, trying to force her tears back.

“One glass of warm milk,” Secretary Su said.

Wait, warm milk?

Shi Ran paused slightly.

Could it be that Zuo Yelin knew she had a weak stomach and had deliberately arranged this?

No. Impossible.

If he had wanted to arrange it, he could have done so with a single word.

How could he possibly humiliate her at every turn and still have a conscience?

She would sooner believe that a roadside pig could climb a tree than believe Zuo Yelin had suddenly developed a conscience.

Before long, the waiter brought over another steaming seafood platter.

There was also a glass of warm milk.

Shi Ran poured all her resentment toward Zuo Yelin into the food and began eating heartily.

Her plan was to eat Zuo Yelin into bankruptcy. But after finishing one seafood platter, she realized just how wildly unrealistic that was.

With Zuo Yelin’s wealth, he could probably afford quite a few seafood platters.

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It seemed unlikely that she could actually eat Zuo Yelin into bankruptcy.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if she could marry him?

A ridiculous thought suddenly surfaced in Shi Ran’s mind.

It was not that she liked Zuo Yelin. She merely wanted to bear him dozens of children, then let them fight over the family fortune until Zuo Yelin died unable to rest in peace.

But that would only make her suffer.

In the end, Zuo Yelin would be the one benefiting.

And the results would come far too slowly.

Shi Ran picked up the milk and swallowed a mouthful.

Was there any way to take revenge on Zuo Yelin quickly?

Drug him?

Wouldn’t that only make her suffer as well?

Defy him in secret?

That would not work either.

Zuo Yelin had countless ways to deal with her.

What was she supposed to do?

Shi Ran blinked and fell into deep thought.

A moment later, she suddenly cried out, “I’ve got it!”

The noisy atmosphere fell silent in an instant, and countless eyes turned toward her.

“There’s so much roe in this king crab. I can’t finish it.”

With a flash of inspiration, Shi Ran picked up the half-eaten king crab and offered her observation.

“If you’re full, then get out. Stop embarrassing yourself here.”

Zuo Yelin did not even lift his eyelids as he spoke contemptuously.

In the past, such words would probably have left Shi Ran feeling wronged or resentful.

But at that moment, she was too pleased with her plan to care about any of it.

“Assistant Shi, here are the car keys.”

Secretary Su handed her the keys.

Shi Ran pulled out a tissue and wiped her hands before accepting them. She picked up her shoulder bag and phone, checked her belongings to make sure nothing was missing, then lifted the glass of milk from the table and drained it in one gulp.

After that, she strode out of the private dining room, completely indifferent to the looks and opinions of everyone inside.

Back in the car, Shi Ran looked at the empty cabin.

A smile curved across her lips.

“You don’t like other men touching me, do you? Then I’ll do exactly what you don’t want. Not only will I let another man touch me, I’ll sleep with him too. I’ll make him go seven times in one night without using protection, just to drive you mad.”

At first, Shi Ran had only intended to find someone to put on an act with her. But Zuo Yelin had humiliated her one time too many.

So she made an extremely bold decision.

She would find some random man and sleep with him.

Whether he was a male model or someone else did not matter, as long as she found him pleasing to the eye.

She refused to believe that, after something like that happened, Zuo Yelin would still be willing to keep her around.

After all, the young master of the Zuo family was a notorious germaphobe.

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