"Impossible, I know that even though you say you don’t care, you’re definitely regretting it like crazy inside. Men are all the same, die-hard proud, stubborn, and love to say one thing and mean another." The woman’s expression momentarily flustered upon hearing Xu Ke’s words, but soon she regained her previous demeanor, looking at Xu Ke as if he were a jerk, clearly believing her own narrative.
"I’ve really seen plenty of men like you. I don’t even know how I liked you in the first place, blindly ignoring your married status and trying to pursue you. But now I’m awake, even if you divorce your wife and beg at my feet to be with you, I won’t agree." The woman said contemptuously.
"Do you realize how ridiculous you look flaunting your ignorance ? If you don’t know, I’m telling you now, you’re really ridiculous." Xu Ke said while looking at her smug expression.
"What do you mean? Oh, I get it, you’re jealous of me and want to use words like these to regain your dignity?" The woman’s face showed a sudden realization, her gaze towards Xu Ke turning nastier.
"You think you’re all decked out in luxury and expensive, but actually one cufflink of mine costs more than your entire outfit. So please stay away from me, your air of poverty is suffocating." Xu Ke’s voice was light, yet more damaging than a loud outburst could ever be.
The woman’s face turned pale immediately as she heard Xu Ke’s words, her gaze involuntarily drifting to Xu Ke’s cufflink, which was a sapphire cufflink—simple yet elegant, not like any design she’d seen before.
Knowing world-famous luxury brands intimately, she quickly scanned her memory for information on the cufflink but couldn’t recall any luxury brand ever making such a style. Her facial expression improved a bit, but she still didn’t speak, carefully assessing Xu Ke’s entire outfit and realizing nothing was from a brand she’d known, making her completely at ease.
"I thought you were serious, making me nervous for nothing, and it turns out you were just talking nonsense. Honestly, I’m not afraid of saying it; I know every single product from any known luxury brand thoroughly, so your lies can’t fool me. Not a single thing you’re wearing is a brand name, so stop lying to me and just admit it. Otherwise, you’ll only make yourself look more ridiculous; nothing else will change." The woman said.
"The world is big, and there’s much you don’t know. What you need to do now is get out of my way and stop blocking my path." Xu Ke couldn’t even muster the contemptuous expression anymore, finding the woman entirely unworthy.
"I’ll let you go today only if you admit I was right. Otherwise, I’ll cling to you right here, coming to bother you every day. After all, I know where you work now, and I’m not afraid; I have all the time to waste with you. Let’s see who can hold out longer. It’s not like I rely on a job to make a living." The woman raised an eyebrow proudly, silently applauding her own cleverness.
"You don’t even really like me. This so-called love at first sight is just for my face. You don’t understand me at all, know nothing about my character. Everything from the beginning till now is just your one-sided wishful thinking. And now you’re creating this whole scenario to place yourself on some moral high ground, making it seem as if I’m the one who’s wronged you, forcing me to admit something that’s not true for the sake of your so-called pride. Do you find this interesting? Think you’re truly remarkable for doing this?" Xu Ke asked calmly.
"What I do is none of your business. Who are you to teach me? I’m an independent individual and can do whatever I want; it has nothing to do with you. Stop lecturing me here. Before you teach me, look at what you are. Just a worker. You think working at Xu’s Company makes you extraordinary? That qualifies you to lecture me? Really, who gave you the courage? Do you think you are Xu Group’s CEO?" The woman retorted with a cold snort, without any courtesy.
"If you want to go home early, don’t pretend. Admit that you’re worse than me, that you’re trash, admit seeing me doing so well now makes you regretful. You’d love more than anything for time to turn back, return to the past, and slap yourself twice, hating for turning down my request. Say it, and I’ll let you go." The woman stretched her arms, standing resolutely in front of Xu Ke, vowing not to give up until she achieved her aim.
The woman’s relentless pestering finally ended Xu Ke’s patience. "If I were Xu Group’s CEO, would you leave my sight and never disturb me again?"
"Sure, if you were, I wouldn’t bother you," the woman nodded and said casually.
"Alright, I admit I am Xu Group’s boss, Xu Ke. Now, can you leave my sight?" Xu Ke said, enduring the pain of his temple veins throbbing.
"Just because you say you are, you are? By that logic, I’d say I’m the Queen of the British Empire too," the woman mocked Xu Ke, deriding his delusions. "Wanting to save face, you need to check if you’re even worth it, don’t overestimate and make a fool of yourself."
As the woman wanted to further ridicule Xu Ke, Xu Group’s quitting time arrived. Office workers left Xu Building in groups, recognizing Xu Ke still standing at the entrance. A sharp-eyed one quickly ran up to greet him, "Hello, President Xu."
While considering how to prove his identity, Xu Ke directly pulled the approaching employee over, and asked, "Tell her who I am?"
Puzzled by being suddenly pulled over and asked a question, the employee with a slightly faster mouth than brain answered, "You’re Xu Group’s CEO."
The employee’s words wiped the smug expression from the woman’s face, turning stiff instantly, then like a dried and cracked mask, it peeled away, revealing beneath it a mottled surface and the woman’s grimacing, twisted grin.
"Wha... what did you say?" The woman, still processing, stammered a question.
"Tell her again," Xu Ke said coldly.
Detecting Xu Ke’s foul mood, the employee didn’t hesitate a bit to repeat again, leaving no room for the woman to deceive herself that it was just an illusion.