Helian Yu froze for a moment, then suddenly shrieked hysterically, "Liu Qingfeng, you’re not standing on my side? Are you even a man?"
Liu Qingfeng quietly gazed at her, his deep, dark eyes like an endless cold abyss, sending a chilling sensation through Helian Yu’s entire body.
Father and son shared strikingly similar features, even their way of looking at others was remarkably alike.
They seemed incapable of anger or losing their temper, speaking in a heavy but calm tone. Yet, like the hidden undercurrents beneath a tranquil lake, they harbored a silent and overwhelming force capable of swallowing people whole.
"You know I’ve always disliked the Yu family, yet you deliberately go to great lengths to curry favor with them. In your eyes, am I really that incapable?"
The man shook his head in disappointment.
Helian Yu opened her mouth but found herself speechless.
"Even if I leave Qingzhou, I will do so with dignity, relying on my own abilities, not through fawning and exploiting connections. Helian Yu, you’re insulting me."
With those words, Liu Qingfeng didn’t spare her another glance. He turned around and strode away.
"Sir, you just returned, and now you’re leaving again?" The butler’s worried voice called out.
"Keep an eye on Madam. Make sure she doesn’t leave the house for the next few days. I have matters to attend to, I’m leaving now."
The ruthless cold wind slipped in through the wide-open door, enveloping everything in its icy grasp.
The secretary awkwardly stood still for a moment, then hesitated before picking up the blanket from the sofa and walking over.
"Madam, please take care not to catch cold."
Helian Yu stood there in a daze, letting the cold wind strike her face, her two strands of hair at her temples blowing messily.
"Did I really make a mistake?" she murmured to herself.
After much effort comforting Helian Yu, Secretary Han had just stepped out of the Liu family estate when Liu Qingfeng’s secretary took her away. Check latest chapters at novel-fire.net
In the office, Secretary Han dared not lift her head, timidly calling out, "Sir."
Liu Qingfeng closed the folder and set down his pen before finally looking at Secretary Han.
Secretary Han still vividly remembered the cold and merciless figure of this man admonishing Madam earlier. Her heart fluttered with unease.
"How many years have you been with Madam?"
"F-Five years." She had been with Helian Yu ever since she came to Qingzhou.
On usual occasions, Helian Yu had many social engagements, needing to entertain the wives from various prominent families, both in grand banquets and in subtle social intricacies. Secretary Han handled all of it—as well as the charitable projects under Helian Yu’s name, where Helian Yu only lent her name while the specific matters were managed by Secretary Han.
"Madam trusts you greatly, and you haven’t let her down either. But things can only happen once; it must not happen again."
The man’s inherent authority, cultivated through years in a high position, did not require deliberate display. With just a few words, he made Secretary Han tremble in fear.
"Sir, I know Madam was in the wrong, but you also know her temperament—she doesn’t listen to reason. I... I didn’t have a choice."
The man picked up a thick book from nearby, opened it, and said, "I’ve been reading the ’Records of the Grand Historian’ recently. Just now, I came across this passage: ’For Qin was unrighteous, so Lord Hei was able to prevail. If one assists tyrants like King Jie, it is equivalent to aiding wickedness.’"
The emphasis he placed on "aiding wickedness" made his voice ring as if striking a bell.
Secretary Han had a solid education, and she immediately recognized this section from the ’Records of the Grand Historian.’
The next line was, "Good advice can be harsh to hear but beneficial for action; bitter medicine can be hard to swallow but effective for healing."
Sir was warning her not to help Madam perpetuate wrongdoings anymore.
Trembling all over, Secretary Han seemed to reach a resolution and gritted her teeth, saying, "Sir, I will absolutely do my best to advise Madam going forward to keep her from committing any foolish acts."
"Secretary Han is a smart person. I trust you have the ability to accomplish this."
Secretary Han gave a bitter smile.
Liu Qingfeng abruptly shifted his tone, his words now icy: "Don’t investigate Shen Li anymore. Secretary Han, do you understand?"
A wave of cold chills surged through Secretary Han’s back.
So, the sir knew everything.
Secretary Han staggered out of the office, her thoughts muddled, until suddenly she recovered her senses.
Sir had always turned a blind eye before, but this time, he decisively intervened to stop Madam.
Was it for the young master... or for that man named Shen Li?
A haze of mystery surrounded everything; she couldn’t make sense of it.
Enough—her sole responsibility now was to look after Madam, ensuring she didn’t do anything foolish. If she truly provoked him, the consequences would be dire.
Inside the office, Liu Qingfeng sat in silence, murmuring, "Shen Li..."
The secretary carefully placed a steaming cup of herbal tea beside him and began to retreat.
Without warning, Liu Qingfeng spoke, "Arrange for that girl named Shen You’an. I want to invite her to a meal."
Shen You’an was quite surprised when she received Liu Qingfeng’s secretary’s call.