Substitute Bride to the Crippled Billionaire
Chapter 111 Disdain

Chapter 111: Chapter 111 Disdain

"How’s that possible?" Gu Xiaoxiao tapped Su Qingnuan’s foot with the broom. "You’re just an intern. What kind of amazing task could they possibly assign you? Stop joking."

That wasn’t inaccurate.

But the attitude of the two colleagues was perfectly fine during the morning. After just a single lunch break, it shifted so drastically. If it wasn’t due to some oppressive pressure, then what else could it have been?

Su Qingnuan frowned slightly, pulled Gu Xiaoxiao closer, and whispered, "Do you think it’s because the two of us started sweeping the floor on our first day, and they felt embarrassed on our behalf, so they immediately drew a clear line with us?"

"...That’s quite possible."

Su Qingnuan forced a bitter smile. "What should we do? I feel so embarrassed."

"Feel? It *is* embarrassing, alright?"

"...."

The two wallowed in self-pity for quite a while in the break room before their supervisor finally showed up.

"What are you two doing here slacking off?" The supervisor frowned deeply, pointing outside. "Once you finish sweeping this floor, there’s still the upstairs waiting."

"...We still have to sweep?" Gu Xiaoxiao looked at her in disbelief.

The supervisor nodded. "Of course. The cleaning lady happened to take the day off, so the two of you can handle all her work today."

"...."

By the end of the day, Su Qingnuan was utterly exhausted, and Gu Xiaoxiao didn’t even have the energy to crack jokes anymore.

"Let me tell you, I’ve probably swept more today than I do in an entire month," Gu Xiaoxiao said, clutching her back, her face filled with despair, looking every bit like someone who had the worst of luck.

Su Qingnuan supported her lower back as well and said helplessly, "I... I haven’t even done this much in half a year."

Though no one in the Su family ever cared about her much, they at least didn’t make her do physical chores like sweeping, though she was frequently ordered to wash dishes.

Gu Xiaoxiao patted Su Qingnuan on the shoulder and sighed, "Kindred spirits. Tomorrow will be better. Hang in there!"

Gritting her teeth, Su Qingnuan nodded. "Alright!"

Encouraging each other, the two of them finally left the company.

For the first time ever, the sight of Ah Qi’s car filled Su Qingnuan with sheer excitement.

Opening the car door, Su Qingnuan wanted to dive in immediately, but that thought evaporated the moment she saw the person sitting in the back seat.

"Mr. Fu," Su Qingnuan forced a smile as she greeted him.

Fu Yihan was immersed in the book he held, silent and impassive.

Clenching her teeth, she moved her sore hands and climbed into the car, leaning back against the seat in a semi-reclined position.

The car swayed gently as it moved forward. Exhausted to her very core, Su Qingnuan’s body leaned into the chair, and she dozed off almost immediately.

The sound of heavy breathing reached keen ears, prompting Fu Yihan to turn his head.

As she slept, her lips parted slightly, her jaw gently bobbing with each breath.

What if I slipped a candy into her mouth—would she wake up?

An oddly mischievous thought crossed Fu Yihan’s mind without his permission.

He stared at her for a moment before finally withdrawing his gaze.

"When did companies start treating interns this harshly?"

Ah Qi glanced into the rearview mirror, taking in the scene in the backseat.

"I’m not entirely sure. Perhaps it’s because of the young madam’s health. It might make her feel more drained than others."

Frowning slightly, Fu Yihan said nothing more.

The car came to a stop in front of the Fu family residence. Even the noise of Fu Yihan getting out of the car wasn’t enough to wake the person inside.

Looking at the figure slumped over in sleep, Fu Yihan said coldly, "Let her sleep. Don’t wake her."

"Understood."

Fu Yihan wheeled himself into the house while Ah Qi stood by the car, waiting silently.

Somewhere between a dream and wakefulness, Su Qingnuan vaguely felt the sensation of a soft cushion beneath her head, prompting her to shift upward instinctively.

*Bang*—

A sharp pain shot through her head, and Su Qingnuan’s eyes flew open.

A cramped space, neither soft cushions nor a pillow—only a leather seat and the car door she’d just bonked into greeted her.

Rubbing her head, she sat up and immediately spotted Ah Qi standing outside the car door.

"Ah Qi?" Su Qingnuan leaned against the window, confused. "What are you standing here for?"

Lowering his eyes respectfully, Ah Qi answered, "Young madam, you fell asleep in the car. I couldn’t lock it."

"...."

A fleeting moment of awkwardness crossed Su Qingnuan’s face. Clutching her bag, she stepped out of the car.

"Thanks for your trouble," Su Qingnuan said with an awkward chuckle.

Ah Qi’s expression remained unchanged.

"No trouble at all. It’s my duty."

With that, Su Qingnuan walked into the house under Ah Qi’s watchful gaze.

Back in her room, Su Qingnuan glanced toward Fu Yihan’s room. His door was locked.

What’s he up to now?

Curious but not pursuing the thought further, Su Qingnuan opened her own door.

Sitting down, she found herself unable to focus on anything else. Thoughts about Fu Yihan occupied her mind.

What could she possibly do to make him less upset?

Su Qingnuan had grown up with Shen Lin’an, her childhood sweetheart. Because of his presence, she had barely interacted with other men.

For this reason, when Ah Qi mentioned the word "appease," Su Qingnuan drew a complete blank.

Shen Lin’an never needed to be cheered up; he was always the one taking care of her.

How exactly does one cheer up a man?

Su Qingnuan typed this question into a search engine, yielding countless suggestions.

Some proposed giving gifts, others suggested cooking a meal, and there were all kinds of quirky ideas too.

But overall, cooking or gifting seemed the most reliable options.

It was already evening, so going out to buy something wasn’t an option.

How about cooking?

Having grown up without much parental affection, Su Qingnuan had picked up some cooking skills. The kitchen helper was around as well—she could ask for a few tips. It shouldn’t turn out too badly.

With this in mind, Su Qingnuan stood up and tiptoed out of her room.

"Auntie!" Su Qingnuan leaned over the kitchen auntie’s shoulder and whispered, "Could you teach me how to cook something?"

"Huh?" The auntie looked at her in surprise. "Young madam, you don’t like my cooking? If there’s something you’re not happy with, you can tell me. We’ll work to improve it, or..."

"No, no!" Su Qingnuan quickly grabbed the auntie’s hand, exasperated. "It’s not your fault."

Leaning closer to the auntie’s ear, she whispered, "I wanted to make something for Yihan to eat, to cheer him up."

The auntie nodded knowingly. "I see."

"Mhm!" Su Qingnuan flashed a bashful smile. "What do you think I should make?"

"How about I teach you how to make soup? It’s simple and nutritious."

"Sounds great!" Su Qingnuan clapped her hands, smiling brightly. "I’ll be counting on you, then."

"Not a problem at all. In fact, a fresh chicken just arrived this morning. I’ll teach you how to..."

...

After three hours of hard work in the kitchen, the aroma of freshly made chicken soup wafted through the air. Seeing it served at last, Su Qingnuan beamed with pride.

"Does this count as a success?" Su Qingnuan asked the auntie.

The auntie nodded, giving her a thumbs-up. "You’ve got talent, young madam."

Embarrassed, Su Qingnuan smiled shyly. "Thank you."

She ladled out the soup and plated some drumsticks and wings separately.

"Thank you, Auntie. I’ll take it up now."

"Alright."

Carrying the chicken soup carefully, Su Qingnuan walked forward with great caution.

"Young madam?" Ah Qi, stationed at the door, raised a curious brow at her careful movements. "What are you doing...?"

"Ah Qi, can you help me with something?" Su Qingnuan grimaced. "I’ve done too much today; my hands have no strength left. Can you help me carry this soup inside?"