The guests of the Wen Family had all but left. Only a few cars remained parked along the road, the moonlight unable to fully hide the decorative lampposts.
A few strands of faint yellow light cast down. Xu Si, who had had a little to drink, possessed delicate eyebrows and peach-blossom eyes that glistened even brighter, looking as if they were about to ignite. Her voice was laced with a cool sweetness. "Mr. Xie, I advise you to let go."
Xie Ming was reluctant to remove his hand from her waist. He moved even closer, his lips curling into the reckless smirk of a man accustomed to picking up women in nightclubs. "Miss Xu, the Wen Family didn’t provide tea. How about you do me the honor of joining me for a drink to sober up?"
"Are you going to let go or not?" Xu Si smiled, revealing her neat, pearly-white teeth. Her voice trailed off, the final note rising, her tone drawn out.
"What am I to do? I don’t really feel like letting go," Xie Ming replied with a roguish grin, squeezing her waist tighter, his expression flippant.
Her bodyguard immediately stepped forward, intending to pull him away. Xie Ming’s bodyguard also stepped forward, though he felt utterly mortified by his employer’s behavior, his face burning with shame.
"Then I’ve been far too lenient with you." Xu Si let out an almost inaudible sigh and gestured to her bodyguard.
The next second, a breeze brushed past her ear. A hand with well-defined knuckles and coolly pale skin appeared before her eyes—it possessed an air of nobility, not like a bodyguard’s hand. Xu Si’s heart skipped a beat. Then, she sensed a familiar figure approach and stand behind her, blocking all light. Only their breath tickled her ear, and a voice she knew well, usually warm, now sounded strikingly cool. "Auntie, is he bullying you?"
The moment his words landed, she felt the greasy, lecherous hand on her waist abruptly yanked away. A moment later, Xie Ming’s petulant voice followed. "Damn, that hurts!"
Standing in the dim twilight, Xu Si turned. She saw the young man’s eyes—usually gentle, now holding a cold, restless fire. He wore an outfit she hadn’t seen before and was staring intently at the lecherous Xie Ming.
Xu Si patted his shoulder comfortingly. "Azhen, thank you. I’m okay."
"Mm." He lowered his eyes, his concern evident.
Perhaps it was due to his naturally superior vocal quality that every word he uttered, though soft, reached Xu Si’s ears with clarity. "Auntie, do you want to come home with me?"
Their gazes met. Xu Si saw faint concern and relief in his eyes, as if he were grateful for his coincidental arrival, fortunate enough to stumble upon such an incident. She was about to agree when she glanced back. Xie Ming had moved a short distance away and was being examined by his bodyguard. His lewd eyes were fixed on Pei Zhen, like a venomous snake calculating how to strike down a lamb.
Xu Si frowned. Leaving is an option, but Pei Zhen would likely face trouble.
A wave of protectiveness washed over her. She shook her head and said softly to Pei Zhen, "You go back to the car first. I still have a few things to discuss with this gentleman."
Pei Zhen’s fingertips twitched slightly. He lowered his gaze. "...What does Auntie want to discuss with him?"
"You’re unhappy that I’m talking to him?" Xu Si chuckled.
Pei Zhen tilted his head up slightly, avoiding her gaze. His tone was serious, his meaning unclear. "A little. He’s not worthy of you, Auntie, and he might put you in danger. The mere thought of that makes me unhappy."
Xu Si stared at him. She instinctively felt his comment was inappropriate. It brought back that earlier sensation: this wasn’t how a younger relative should address an elder, an aunt; it overstepped a certain boundary. This needed to be corrected immediately.
"I won’t encounter any danger." Xu Si’s expression turned stern, her tone becoming slightly more serious. "Azhen, you said you’d listen to me. I need you to wait for me outside first."
Despite her stern demeanor, the young man remained unfazed. His eyes were gentle as he met her gaze. After a pause, he handed his coat to the nearby bodyguard and slowly turned. His voice, unhurried, drifted through the night air.
"It’s chilly at night, Auntie. Remember to dress warmly."
He then obediently left.
He climbed into the car, his posture still sharp and upright. From the partially open window, she could see him glance back, his refined eyes tinged with a faint desolation, like an unneeded puppy.
Xu Si’s heart suddenly softened, yet she fought back the urge to ask him to stay.
Actually, Pei Zhen wasn’t at fault. He simply wanted to protect her. But now was not the time.
She turned her gaze to Xie Ming, who was standing by the steps. He seemed largely unharmed, even unhurried enough to wait for her. Catching her eye, Xie Ming smiled and raised his hand to check his watch. "Miss Xu, you wanted to talk to me! I was quite angry at first, but never mind. Let’s just be friends. Where shall we go for tea later?"
Xu Si gestured for someone to bring a bottle of red wine from the car. It was a French label, its fine vintage radiating a tantalizing ruby glow through the clear glass.
Xie Ming leaned lazily against the marble wall, as if boneless. "Drinking is fine too. Admitting a mistake over drinks shows more sincerity, doesn’t it?"
The corner of Xu Si’s mouth twitched slightly before her expression smoothed. "Yes, I also think my nephew was in the wrong."
She held the wine bottle, her lips rose-colored. A hairpin secured her loosely gathered hair, and a pearl necklace cast an extravagant shimmer. She walked slowly, her graceful figure subtly outlined beneath her coat. Her subsequent actions, however, were anything but gentle.
She casually juggled the wine bottle in her hand, then gripped its neck, her eyes flashing with a grim, impatient light.
The next second, she raised her hand high.
The expensive bottle of red wine shattered against Xie Ming’s head. The loud, crisp crack, followed by the scattered tinkling of glass and the dripping of wine, startled everyone present.
Some onlookers, startled, glanced over. Seeing Xu Si’s cold, proud face, they somehow found it unsurprising.
She had been formidable even when she was just a wealthy young lady. Now, as a true financial magnate, she was naturally even more so. This Xie Ming was certainly audacious, daring to provoke her of all people.
"Young Master!" Xie Ming’s bodyguard cried out, instantly shielding Xie Ming and eyeing Xu Si nervously. He clearly hadn’t expected her to assault someone in public. "Miss Xu, you’ve gone too far!"
Xu Si laughed and gestured for a white wallet. "Xie Ming, I think my nephew’s only mistake was being too lenient. Go back and ask your father how one deals with competitors, then come talk business with me. If you ever lay a hand on me again, I guarantee you’ll be hit by a car the very next day."
As she spoke, she retrieved a card from the wallet and casually tossed it at the bodyguard. "I know your young master is valuable. Here, medical expenses. Have him get his brain checked at the hospital—see if he’s sprouted an extra tumor. What kind of standing does the Xie Family, who scraped their way up as profiteers on Hong Kong Island, even have to dare provoke me?"
She turned. Her bodyguard immediately draped the coat over her shoulders. Without giving Xie Ming a chance to speak, she bent down and entered the car.
Xie Ming took several deep breaths. The wine bottle hadn’t been made of sugar glass; it was distressingly solid. That single smash had drawn a copious flow of blood, washing away both his drunken bravado and his lecherous nerve.