Chapter 103: A Branded Woman

Thanks to Mo Qingchen, Qian Meng had a hard time concentrating on all the work she had to do the next day. Since their discussion, she had thought the ridiculousness of the whole thing would have let her forget it easily. But no, it lingered in her mind.

It was like a small, obnoxious voice at the back of her head kept repeating everything Mo Qingchen and she had talked about. And damn that rain-soaked kiss.

It replayed in her mind continuously as she tossed and turned in bed. No matter how many times she pushed Mo Qingchen's thoughts away, they reappeared.

Well, nobody could offer her better conditions in this life. And she had been set on marrying for monetary and social gains, knowing she wouldn't love anyone, and Mo Qingchen was the most illustrious man who could propose marriage to her.

But even though the proposal was amazing, his idea was still ridiculous. A marriage with a business partner was disastrous from the very beginning. One should never mix business with pleasure.

And that damned kiss. She had known some to be sweet, some passionate. But she hadn't expected them to remotely compare to what Mo Qingchen had unleashed in her. She wouldn't have a clear business minded attitude in a marriage with him.

And Mo Qingchen had made it clear that nothing of the sort was supposed to happen. Good reasons… logical reasons. The few hours she managed to drift off to sleep the next few days were filled with dreamed of their infuriatingly unforgettable kiss and the prospect of a harmonious marriage with Mo Qingchen.

Somehow, they kept her thought away from the hundreds of phone calls her father made to her and the angry voicemails he left. She didn't pay heed to any of them.

Four days after the disastrous Mayor's anniversary party, she woke up before her alarm went off. While showering, she concluded that it was just the thrill of the moment and her distressed state had made it so amazing.

If they ever kissed again, it would be awful. As would their marriage, if it happened.

It was definitely a one-time fluke. Nothing that incredible could ever happen more than once.

As she ran the soapy loofah across her stomach, she noticed the purplish imprint of Mo Qingchen's fingers on her hips. Her eyes flickered to the small bite mark on her lips.

She was a branded woman.

For some unknown reason, that made her smile. It worried her.

There was no doubt she needed deep therapy.

She was running just on time. She threw on the first set of clothes she saw and headed out the door, the motions practiced.

She received the legal notice while she was in the executive meeting. She looked over the document and scoffed. For the next few hours, she remained stoic and finished her busy first half of the day.

Once done, she called Li Jun.

"I received the legal notice. I'll forward it to you shortly," she said in a bland voice.

"Is it entertaining?" Li Jun asked. Ever the multi-tasking king, Li Jun was typing on his laptop. "I'm typing out the postulates as of now. Can I get the information about Mo Yize? I think I will need to talk to her to get the story straight."

Qian Meng sighed. "Of course. I'll forward her number to you. She must have her own lawyer, but you could collaborate on this. You're sure she'll get away with a fine, right?" Qian Meng asked.

"Yes, she could simply say that you coerced her or abused her volatile state to make her join you on the hate crime. Your clothes will act as proof that it was intentionally done, so be careful," he warned.

"I'll talk to Li Min about that. You know what to do next," she informed.

"Yes, I'll call you once I have sorted everything out. I need some information on the opposition's attorney, too."

Qian Meng hummed before hanging up.

The phone on her desk rang and she took the call immediately. "What is it?" she asked, frustration setting in.

"Your father is here to see you," her assistant said quickly, almost on the verge of panic.

Qian Meng pressed her lips together in contempt. "Send him in after fifteen minutes," she ordered.

Li Min was silent. "Boss," she said hesitantly.

"Do as I say." She hung up and went back to her paperwork. She didn't need to put Yun Sui Bo in such high regard that he came before her critical work.

He could wait like everyone else if he came without an appointment. She wasn't a little girl who was at his beck and call. She had a business to run and employees to handle. She didn't have time for his bullshit.

And he finally needed to realize that.

She made him wait twenty-two minutes instead of the promised fifteen.

"Send him in," she said finally through the intercom and heard Li Min take a deep, relieved breath.

Her father barged in. He shoved past Li Min and entered the room like he owned the place.

"What brings you here, Mr. Yun?" she asked, looking up from her work.

"You have a great way of ignoring your family," he seethed.

"Take a seat," she said indifferently, pointing towards the couch. "And you relinquished your rights as my family member the moment you struck me." She had a small smile on her lips.

Yun Sui Bo gritted his teeth together when he realized that she was cold. She wasn't worried or angry that he had come, just indifferent. That pissed him off further.

"You deserved to be hit." Qian Meng's head snapped up.

"Sit," she ordered. She went around her desk and took the seat at the head of the sofa. A clear display of her authority.

In this building, he was nothing but a nuisance who was meaning to make a scene out of nothing.

"What brings you here this morning?"