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Chapter 10 - The Overbearing CEO Buys a House

The waiter quickly brought over the menu. Once he had left, Song Jinxing said, "Order whatever you like."

Zhong Ruanxing happily flipped through the menu. Since she was in someone else's body, she felt no psychological burden while eating—she ordered all the rich, oily, and spicy dishes she had avoided for a long time. After a moment of thought, she asked, "Do you have any dietary restrictions?"

Song Jinxing, still looking through some documents, replied, "None."

After placing the order, he handed her a workbook. Zhong Ruanxing looked down and saw the wobbly characters "Zhong You" written on the top line of the cover—it was clearly little Youyou's homework book. She opened it and found neatly drawn grids breaking down the characters of "Song Jinxing," turning the notebook into a handwriting practice book.

Song Jinxing said, "I'll have to trouble you to practice my signature. If there's ever an urgent document that requires signing on the spot, you'll need to do it for me."

He gestured for her to flip further. Zhong Ruanxing turned a few more pages and saw a signature that looked about 80% similar to her own handwriting.

"This morning, I practiced using your contract signature for reference. It's not quite there yet, but I'll keep working on it," he added.

Zhong Ruanxing: ...

(Speechless.)

"Are you academic geniuses born just to make us mere mortals feel ashamed?"

With a serious expression, Zhong Ruanxing carefully put away the workbook, making a firm resolution in her heart: as soon as she got back to the company, she would start practicing her handwriting—she absolutely couldn't lose to him!

This damn competitiveness always showed up in the strangest places.

The waiter began serving the dishes. Having finally finished reviewing the documents, Song Jinxing glanced at the spread on the table and quickly got a sense of his tastes.

Zhong Ruanxing dove into the food with great enthusiasm, but a thought suddenly struck her. Curious, she asked, "I've noticed that your employees seem a bit scared of you. Why is that?"

"Scared of me?" Song Jinxing raised his eyebrows, clearly unaware of this before. He paused, thought for a moment, then answered, "When I first joined the company, some people didn't accept me. I used a few methods, fired a number of them, and a few even ended up in prison. I guess it scared the rest."

He said it lightly, as if it were nothing, but Zhong Ruanxing was left wide-eyed in astonishment.

Even without the details, it was easy to imagine that it must have been a fierce battle fought without smoke or gunfire.

To secure the position of CEO of the Song Corporation in just half a year—how could he have done it without a ruthless streak and calculated moves?

Zhong Ruanxing looked a bit nervous.

"You didn't use any illegal methods, right? We still don't know when we'll switch back—I don't want to end up touring prison!"

"..." Song Jinxing was momentarily speechless.

"I just happened to have evidence of their illegal activities, that's all."

"Oh! Then I should praise you—a model citizen brave enough to report crimes!" she said brightly.

"..."

Before she could excitedly press further about what kind of illegal evidence it was, Song Jinxing interrupted her, "I just ran into Duan Tanyun."

As soon as that name was mentioned, Zhong Ruanxing's attention was immediately drawn away. The light that had just animated her eyes dimmed in an instant.

Even though she tried to act indifferent, being stabbed in the back by a close friend was never something one could truly be unaffected by.

In a low voice, she asked, "What did she say?"

Song Jinxing recalled Duan Tanyun's demeanor.

"She admitted that what happened last night was her doing."

Zhong Ruanxing's lips twitched faintly.

He asked, "What are you planning to do about her?"

She let out a sigh and silently poked at the garlic spare ribs in her bowl without replying.

That surprised Song Jinxing. With how passionate and clear-cut her personality was when it came to right and wrong, he had expected a thunderous counterattack.

He was genuinely curious.

"How did you end up becoming friends with her?"

They clearly weren't the same type of people.

Zhong Ruanxing poured herself a cup of tea. After a moment of silence, she finally spoke.

"In my third year of university, I got an offer to act in a web drama. It was a low-budget production, but it was the first real opportunity of my life, so I took it seriously and prepared thoroughly before meeting the producer. We met at a Hong Kong-style café, and the meeting went really well. I thought I'd found someone who truly appreciated my talent."

As the meal was nearing its end, she excused herself to the restroom. When she returned, the producer was holding a wine glass with a beaming smile, toasting her: 'Here's to a great collaboration.'

Naïve and unaware of the darker side of society, Zhong Ruanxing lifted the glass, ready to drink it.

At that moment, a girl suddenly stood up from a nearby table and called out, "Don't drink that!"

Her face was flushed red, and even though the producer shot her a warning glare, she still mustered the courage to say,

"I saw him put something in your drink."

The producer accused her of slander, even tried to lunge at her.

The girl looked like she was on the verge of tears, but she still stood her ground and said firmly,

"I saw it. I recorded a video."

Only then did the producer back off a little, muttering curses as he left.

That girl… was Duan Tanyun.

In the past few years, Zhong Ruanxing had never doubted the friendship between them.

But this industry was far too deep—like a vat of dye that taints everyone who jumps in, distorting them beyond recognition, making it almost impossible to maintain the person they once were.

She didn't know when it started, but somehow, she and Duan Tanyun had slowly grown apart.

"Forget it," she murmured, as if convincing herself.

"She saved me once, so let's say I've repaid her now. From now on, we're just strangers."

From what Song Jinxing had seen of Duan Tanyun's hysterical state that morning, he didn't think she would let things go so easily.

But he didn't say anything.

From this point forward, he was the one living as Zhong Ruanxing.

Whatever schemes or traps came next—he would be the one to take them on.

Dishes continued to be brought out one after another.

The five-star private chef's skills were top-notch, and Zhong Ruanxing hadn't eaten so contentedly in a long time.

In the past, she only ever ate until she was 50% full.

But being 100% full? That feeling was pure bliss.

She glanced at Song Jinxing, who had just put down his chopsticks as well, then gave him a solemn reminder:

"You ate a lot today. Be sure to hit the gym for at least an hour. You absolutely can't let my figure go out of shape."

Song Jinxing glanced at her. "Same goes for you."

Zhong Ruanxing patted her own abs and vowed with full confidence,

"Got it! I won't let your abs disappear!"

Song Jinxing: ...

He still found it incredibly difficult to watch her touching and handling his body so casually.

Noticing his expression, Zhong Ruanxing burst out laughing. "Still not used to it?"

She deliberately teased, "I already used the bathroom this morning, you know."

Song Jinxing's face turned green.

Zhong Ruanxing tried to comfort him. "Just treat it like your own body. The sooner you get used to it, the better."

God knew how miserable CEO Song had been that morning—walking into the bathroom with his eyes tightly shut, nearly exploding from holding it in.

After the meal, Zhong Ruanxing had to return to the office to continue playing her role, while Song Jinxing had his own schedule. Before parting ways, Zhong Ruanxing transferred 10,000 yuan to his bank account.

Even though they had swapped bodies, they still used their own bank cards. After all, their spending habits were in completely different leagues.

Song Jinxing gave her a questioning look.

Zhong Ruanxing smiled. "I have a kid and an elderly person at home—there'll be expenses. I can't just mooch off you."

He frowned slightly. "Not necessary."

She waved her hand. "Alright, see you tonight."

They had agreed to meet again for dinner. It was only the first day of the body swap—they definitely needed to communicate frequently.

Song Jinxing only stood up and slowly put on his mask and hat after she left. But instead of hurrying to get a taxi after leaving the restaurant, he wandered around the nearby area. Before long, he found a real estate agency.

Even though he was bundled up and dressed plainly, the noble aura he carried was impossible to hide. One of the agency's employees immediately noticed and eagerly approached him. "Miss, are you here to look at properties? Are you looking to buy or rent?"

Song Jinxing, ever efficient, replied, "Buy. Somewhere nearby, with good privacy, spacious and well-lit. Ideally, I want to be able to move in today."

A VIP client!

The staff member instantly launched into a warm and enthusiastic round of recommendations.

The Song family had built their fortune on real estate, so Song Jinxing was naturally well-versed in the field. He quickly selected a property.

The full purchase process usually took a day or two, but because he was a VIP client paying in full upfront, he paid the deposit, signed the contract, and after a quick word with the agent and the homeowner, he was handed the door code and could move in immediately.

It had been a long time since the Greentree Agency had seen such an easy and high-value deal. The employee beamed with joy. Upon hearing that "Miss Zhong" would be moving in that very night, they took the initiative to help purchase living essentials.

With a few colleagues, they sped around town on electric scooters until the motors were practically smoking. In one afternoon, they bought everything—pots, pans, bedding—and even thoughtfully placed a bouquet of white lisianthus in a vase, giving the empty house a warm, homey feel.

Song Jinxing swiped his own card and signed Zhong Ruanxing's name—without even blinking.

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