Frankly, the business world... requires a disposition like his to thrive, and Qi Longbing has never disappointed him...
"Don't be in such a hurry... your Uncle Hua still has another daughter!" Qi Haitian said with a smile.
As soon as he finished speaking, a figure in peach-pink appeared at the railing of the second-floor staircase. A middle-aged man was pulling the girl's elbow as they made a tardy entrance.
Her? He remembered the pink dress. Qi Longbing's smile turned eerie, his eyes lifting at the corners, a sinister softness and hidden strength in his gaze. His thin lips curved slightly. "This woman is quite good! I'll marry her!"
"Uh..." Hua Xiaomo jolted at the sound of his voice. She had always possessed exceptional hearing and was particularly sensitive to voices; she could recognize people by their voice even without seeing their faces.
Damn! That annoying guy! Oh my god...
When their eyes met, Hua Xiaomo was momentarily stunned.
Her two sisters shot her looks filled with envy, while the man stared at her with a sneer.
The atmosphere is all wrong. I have my whole life ahead of me; I don't want to die on this kind of "battlefield." Hua Xiaomo shivered. "My clothes aren't appropriate. I'll go change." She was attempting to slip away when—
The middle-aged man beside her firmly gripped her elbow. "No need to change. They've already seen you." Then he dragged her down the stairs.
"Xiao Mo, come here, let me introduce you. This is Mr. Qi Longbing, president of the Qi Family, and that is Old Master Qi, chairman of the Qi Family," Hua Renda said with a complimentary smile, looking at Old Master Qi and Qi Longbing. "This is my third precious daughter, Hua Xiaomo. She's a bit outspoken and doesn't quite understand propriety. Please don't mind her."
What? That annoying guy is the president? Ugh, this is a nightmare!
Hua Xiaomo's face stiffened for a moment. Then, forcing a smile, she quickly said, "I... I drank too much water and suddenly need the restroom. Please, go ahead..."
"Oh, what a coincidence. I also need to use the restroom. Then I'll trouble Miss Hua Xiaomo to show me the way," Qi Longbing said, a cunning glint in his handsome eyes.
Hua Xiaomo? Interesting!
The moment Hua Xiaomo heard this, her ears burned a little. She scratched them and said quickly, "Uh, I suddenly don't need to go anymore. Since the president needs to, please, let my eldest sister take you!" She then shot a pointed look at Hua Shuyue, who was standing nearby.
But Hua Shuyue didn't get a chance to intervene.
Qi Longbing directly grabbed Hua Xiaomo's hand, a predatory grin on his face. "Why make it so complicated? Just lead the way." Then, he pulled Hua Xiaomo towards the stairs.
"Hey, hey, who said it's upstairs? There's one downstairs too!" Hua Xiaomo protested. Is this guy crazy? My arm is killing me!
"I prefer to use the upstairs restroom," Qi Longbing stated. Without allowing her to struggle, he dragged her to the second floor.
Once they reached a secluded corner, ensuring they were out of sight, Qi Longbing quickly closed a nearby door. He then looked at her shoulder and chuckled.
"Just who the hell are you?" Hua Xiaomo said, annoyed, her guard instantly up as she tried to quickly move away from him.
Unexpectedly, Qi Longbing stared straight at her, mocking, "You've been staring at me from the very beginning... But I have to tell you, people like you... make one very uncomfortable."
With that, Qi Longbing walked out.
BANG! The door slammed shut, and a pillow went flying fiercely towards it.
"You goddamn bastard, piss off! Who cares about being your Qi family's young mistress! Some president—you're just an insufferable creep!" Hua Xiaomo cursed, her face flushed with rage. She'd never met such a rude, ill-bred scumbag!
Right, he's nothing but a shameless scumbag! Hua Xiaomo fumed, looking down at her dress. It's all this dress's fault! So infuriating...
In a flash, Hua Xiaomo changed into a T-shirt and jeans. I wonder if that guy is still out there. Forget it, I'm not going out. It's better to stay in the room.If I'd known this would happen, I never would have come. Such rotten luck!
This room looked like it hadn't been lived in for ages; everything was still the same. But her heart was already riddled with scars.
Just as the outside finally quieted down and Hua Xiaomo was about to open the door to leave, her father, Hua Renda, pushed it open and entered.
"Have they left?" Hua Xiaomo asked tentatively.
"Yes." Hua Renda looked up at her and, after a moment of thought, said, "Xiao Mo, you're almost graduating from the art academy, and you're not getting any younger. It just so happens that the Qi family's eldest young master has taken an interest in you. I've discussed it with Old Master Qi, and we're thinking of picking a date to settle things for you two."
"Settle what?" Hua Xiaomo bit her lip slightly, looking at Hua Renda with furrowed brows and strong aversion. "I still have one more year until I get my diploma, and I'm only twenty-one. You want me to rush into marriage and become some frumpy housewife? I don't want to! I absolutely don't!"
The more I think about it, the angrier I get! So this was a conspiracy all along! All that talk about just wanting a meal was bullshit! Hua Renda... you tricked me again!
If it weren't for Mom, and my tuition and living expenses, I couldn't even be bothered to step into this house... But sweet talk, fawning, playing the sycophant, putting on airs – if others can do it, so can I. That way, I can get more, right?
Clenching her small fists, Hua Xiaomo gritted her teeth. "Alright, there's an order to things. If we're talking about marriage, my eldest sister is twenty-six, and my second sister is twenty-five. They're the ones of suitable age."
"Do you think I don't want your eldest and second sisters to marry? But the crucial thing is, they only took a fancy to *you*! What am I supposed to do? What are we, the Hua Clan, supposed to do?" Hua Renda said, his expression troubled.
"What does this have to do with the Hua Clan?" Hua Xiaomo immediately grasped something and asked again, "Oh, I get it. This is a political marriage... Fine, since it's about an alliance through marriage, why should they get to choose us, and we can't choose them? Doesn't the Qi Family have a second young master? Why not have him come over too? Let me see who *I* find more agreeable."
"Nonsense!" Hua Renda scolded. He stood up, his face turning livid. "In any case, I'm making the decision on this. In a few days, we'll prepare for the engagement. And you'd better get your act together and stop causing trouble."
"Dad, what era is this? Love has been a matter of free choice for ages! Are you still clinging to those archaic ideas?" Hua Xiaomo retorted, unable to understand. The word 'Dad' felt hollow as it left her lips, a mixture of truth and pretense only she could decipher in her heart.
"How dare you! Have you no manners? How can you speak to me like this?" Hua Renda's face stiffened. "Do you know why I sent your two elder sisters abroad but kept you here?"
"..." Hua Xiaomo remained silent, but her heart pounded. What other reason could there be? If he doesn't dote on me, he just doesn't. After all, I'm just an illegitimate daughter...
Even so, I'd rather live in that humble little house with Mom, Su Ronghua. Though it couldn't compare to this place, it was much cozier.
Seeing Hua Xiaomo's expression, Hua Renda swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue. After a long pause, he finally said, "Your mother... she brought you here when you were only twelve... you were still sick... Even though you haven't lived here these years, there hasn't been a moment I didn't think about you. When you occasionally come back to stay for a while, I'm content."
"Dad..." Hua Xiaomo suddenly realized something. Was that why he wouldn't let me study abroad? But he clearly knew that if I could go abroad, it would be such a great help for my future, especially since I'm studying art. No matter how I tried to please him and curry favor, he never agreed.
"Back then, you were sick for a long time. To change your fortune, I even specially hired a Feng Shui Master to look into it. He bestowed upon you the character 'Mo,' saying it would bring you good luck." After saying this, Hua Renda sighed. "Enough, let's not dwell on the past. You need to be sensible from now on..."
Hua Renda stood up, his body weary.
Be sensible? Does that mean I should just be a lamb to the slaughter? Hua Xiaomo narrowed her eyes. As he turned to leave, she said quickly, "Tuition, twenty thousand. Living expenses, thirty thousand."
Hua Renda frowned. "Have you already spent the fifty thousand I gave you before?" Then, as if remembering something, he added, "...When your stepmother isn't around, I'll have the finance department deliver the money to your mother."
Hua Renda left the room. The moment the door closed, Hua Xiaomo's face twitched coldly. Fifty thousand? The amount he gives my two sisters is many times more than that!
To avoid conflict with his legitimate wife, her mother had endured all kinds of hardship. She didn't even dare ask him for money to move to a better apartment, afraid of causing him trouble or stress. When it comes to who let whom down, it was only Hua Renda who failed Mom and me.
It turned out her mother, Su Ronghua, was his first love. But later, after Hua Renda met Zhou Nana, the daughter of a prestigious family, a melodramatic soap opera unfolded...
Thinking of this, Hua Xiaomo snorted coldly and walked quickly to the door. She pulled the handle. Huh? It wasn't opening?
Locked? An ominous feeling surfaced in my mind.
Hua Xiaomo muttered to herself with a humorless smile, "Hua Renda, you're pulling this stunt on me again..."
She glanced around. "But, you have your schemes, and I... I have my countermeasures! Dream on if you think you can lock me, Hua Xiaomo, up! And don't even think about me letting you order me around!"
Soon, Hua Xiaomo took out her cellphone, and a familiar number popped up.
Within minutes, a figure in a white dress appeared beneath her window.
"Hey, Xiao You, throw it up!" Hua Xiaomo called out to the pretty, long-haired girl in the white dress.
Dong Xiaoyou smiled and threw the grappling hook she was holding up towards her window. Hua Xiaomo quickly caught it. She glanced at it with a smile, then, without bothering with any special tools, she simply gripped the rope, climbed out the window, and leaped down along the wall.
Hua Xiaomo walked up to Dong Xiaoyou, smiling brightly. "My Xiao You is always so considerate! I'm so touched! Come on, smile for me, smile..."