Chapter 10 – The Queen's Gambit
Bai Xueqing stood before her wardrobe, assessing each sleek, tailored outfit like a general preparing for battle. She wasn't dressing for beauty today—she was dressing to provoke.
She chose a deep crimson pantsuit, the color of power and blood. Sharp lines, plunging neckline, and heels high enough to signal she wasn't here to beg.
Today, she would walk into the lion's den.
Mo Chen watched her from the sofa, arms folded. "You know you don't have to do this alone."
"I know," she said, pulling her hair into a sleek ponytail. "But if I let a man fight my battles, they'll say I never truly returned."
He tilted his head, eyes dragging over her form. "You're magnificent when you're angry."
"And you're annoying when you're charming," she muttered.
He only smirked. "Let me drive."
Xueqing sighed but tossed him the keys. "You're not allowed to crash my car on purpose."
"No promises," he said as he caught them one-handed.
---
Thirty minutes later, they arrived at the executive boardroom of Bai Corporation. As Xueqing walked in, a hush fell. The men seated around the table were used to the old Xueqing—the delicate, silent daughter who smiled and nodded but never spoke.
But the woman who stood before them now…
She was reborn.
"Gentlemen," she said coolly, placing a USB drive on the table. "Before we begin today's agenda, I suggest you watch this."
The room fell into uncomfortable silence as the assistant plugged it into the central screen. The first image appeared: a secret meeting in a hotel suite.
Xu Yansheng. Three board members. And an envelope of cash.
Xueqing walked to the screen as the audio played.
"Vote against her. She's a child playing at business. I'll handle the rest."
Gasps rippled through the room.
The exposed members—Director Zhang, Wei, and Tan—shifted in their seats, faces pale. Zhang stood up, stammering. "T-this is fabricated—!"
"No," Xueqing said sharply, eyes narrowing. "It's forensic footage. Watermarked. And already copied to three law firms, two journalists, and one very bored hacker with nothing to lose."
She paused.
"Would you like to keep lying?"
Zhang crumbled into his seat.
The Chairman—an older gentleman loyal to her late father—coughed and said, "Miss Bai… what do you want done?"
She smiled, but there was no warmth in it.
"Immediate dismissal. Legal pursuit for breach of fiduciary duty. And public apology."
They voted. Unanimous. The traitors were out.
As the room cleared, Mo Chen leaned on the doorframe, arms crossed, watching her with something between admiration and amusement.
"You didn't even blink," he said.
"I used to fight in armor," she replied. "This is just silk and contracts."
He walked over, reaching out to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. The move was gentle. Too intimate.
"You're dangerous, Bai Xueqing."
She arched a brow. "Afraid?"
"No," he said with a glint in his eyes. "I'm turned on."
She blinked. "Excuse me?"
"I said what I said," he replied, completely unashamed.
She stepped back, cheeks heating. "Do you ever stop flirting?"
He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "Only when you finally kiss me. Then I'll flirt in other ways."
Her mouth parted, stunned into silence for a split second.
And then she turned away. "You need to focus on the mission."
He chuckled. "Don't worry. My eyes are only ever on you."
---
But later that night, as she looked over documents in her study, her fingers brushed her lips—wondering why his words lingered longer than they should.
This was a game of power.
But her heart…
Was beginning to remember what it felt like to need someone.