Ling Chuxia entered the room and accidentally stepped on the clothes scattered on the floor. She looked down and saw Shi Che’s shirt and pants spread out just like at home. Perhaps out of habit over the years, she didn’t think much about it and reflexively squatted down, picking up the clothes one by one, dusting them off, and then hanging them up.
After she finished all this, she turned around, and just as she lifted her eyes, she met Shi Che’s gaze. He seemed to have been watching her the whole time, his dark eyes growing deeper. Ling Chuxia’s own heart skipped a beat, and she realized what she had done. Oh God, why couldn’t she control herself? These were things she shouldn’t be doing now.
Ling Chuxia’s hand involuntarily clenched a corner of her clothes and she decided to get straight to the point, to resolve this matter quickly and leave.
Ling Chuxia raised her eyes, striving to maintain her composure. Her red lips moved slightly, and in a low voice, she said, "Shi Che, I came today to discuss the collaboration proposal with you. I know... you might not want to discuss this collaboration because of me, but this proposal is really important to our company. I hope you will reconsider it, and to show our sincerity, the contract has already been revised to ensure the Shi Family’s maximum benefit..."
Before she could finish, Shi Che interrupted coldly, his tone undisguised with sarcasm. His eyes narrowed slightly, the chill spreading from their depths, his voice growing colder, "Ling Chuxia, aren’t you overestimating yourself? Who do you think you are?"
Ling Chuxia’s words stopped abruptly, her clear eyes widened, her face paling slightly.
Shi Che watched as Ling Chuxia’s face suddenly turned pale, feeling as if something sharp had fiercely stabbed him in the chest, shaking with pain. But it was this kind of pain that sobered him up, made him fully aware of the pain she brought him, so he shouldn’t be soft-hearted toward her anymore, shouldn’t be led by the nose by her.
Ling Chuxia had always known that Shi Che was harsh with his words, never sparing her feelings. She had long gotten used to his harsh words, used to ignoring them.
But she realized that when you truly love someone, you can’t just ignore it.
The deeper the love, the stronger the destructive power of those harsh words; so strong that she could barely bear just this one sentence.
Her body trembled violently, her eyes hot, her nose sour, her throat feeling as though it was blocked, incredibly uncomfortable.
But she knew that now she couldn’t cry, couldn’t even let Shi Che notice a hint of her upheaval. She had to smile, forced herself to smile.
Ling Chuxia gradually forced her lips to curve upward, struggling to bring a smile to her face. Her voice was hoarse, but she managed to say each word, "If... If it’s not because of me, then that’s for the best. Our company is sincere about collaborating with the Shi Family. I hope you can take a look at the contract first. If there’s anything unsatisfactory, we can discuss it."
Having managed to say this with difficulty, she controlled her trembling and took a few steps forward, lifting her hand and presenting the kraft paper bag to Shi Che.
Shi Che looked at the kraft paper bag in front of him and then at Ling Chuxia. Her entire demeanor was utterly calm, even her lips curled into a smile, as if his words didn’t affect her at all. She was only focused on her deal.