"..." The other party dared not speak again, and the phone was hung up once more.
"Hmph!" Qi Longbing snorted coldly, a wave of disgust in his eyes, and immediately blocked the caller.
Long strands of hair fell across his forehead, slightly obscuring his eyes. He quickly brushed them aside, slipped one hand into his trouser pocket, and walked into the villa, his mood very gloomy.
In Chaohu Alley, Yu Bao dropped Hua Xiaomo off.
On the road, Hua Xiaomo’s phone suddenly rang.
Hua Xiaomo flipped open her phone, and her eyes lit up as soon as she saw the screen. She answered promptly, lowering her voice right away, "I’ll call you back later." Then she hung up.
Yu Bao, watching her secretive manner through the rearview mirror, couldn’t help but smile. "Was that President Qi calling?"
Hua Xiaomo neither confirmed nor denied, smiling. "Mr. Yu, you really are a gossip, aren’t you!"
"Actually, President Qi has been quite good to you. I’ve been with him for so long, I’ve never seen him invest so much in anyone as he has with you," Yu Bao said with a chuckle.
Invest in anyone? What a joke! He was certainly ’investing’ alright—racking his brains on how to cause trouble for me, find fault with me, and generally make my life miserable! Acquiring the Hua Clan, deliberately crashing his car into me, then demanding compensation, my mother’s surgery fees when she was critically ill, forcing me to sign that contract, then my diploma, and finally being forced to work at the Hua Clan. And I owed this whole series of ’gifts’ entirely to him, Qi Longbing.
Hua Xiaomo sardonically mocked him in her heart. Suddenly, she thought about everything that had happened on the tower.
Still, who would have thought he’d actually be willing to be her painting model? But that was probably just some rich man’s eccentric whim.
Suddenly, a mischievous thought surfaced. Fresh chapters posted on 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩⁂𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱
He didn’t want her to take the painting out, did he? Well then, stealing it would do the trick!
HMPH. HMPH. Qi Longbing! Let’s see if you dare to trouble me again. I, Hua Xiaomo, am not afraid of you anymore!
Hua Xiaomo smiled mischievously. HMPH. HMPH. She said nothing. Shortly after, they reached their destination, and she got out of the car.
She quickly unlocked her phone and began dialing while walking.
"Xiao Mo, it’s so late, aren’t you at home?" A melodious male voice came through from the other end.
"Nope, I’m just strolling near my home!" Hua Xiaomo responded cheerfully.
"Oh," he replied, pausing as if wanting to say more.
But his breathing was clearly audible, coming through the phone at a steady pace.
Listening to his breaths, Hua Xiaomo felt inexplicably unsettled and couldn’t help asking, "Brother Long... what’s wrong? Are you sick?"
"I... can’t sleep," Long Shangxuan said slowly, his voice still heavy with sleep and fatigue.
"You have insomnia? Maybe you should try some sleeping pills, see if that helps?" Hua Xiaomo suggested with a laugh.
"Xiao Mo... thank you..." Long Shangxuan fell silent for a moment before continuing, "You always make me feel so at ease."
Hua Xiaomo’s heart fluttered upon hearing this, and the smile at the corner of her lips grew wider. "Brother Long, you never call me this late. What made you think of calling me today?"
"Sorry to bother you..." the other party replied with an air of humble gentlemanliness.
"It’s not that! I mean... I’m really happy! Truly happy!" Hua Xiaomo said, smiling sweetly.
She unconsciously leaned against a pillar downstairs, chatting on the phone for what seemed like ages.
Unaware, a dark figure had been watching her from a shadowy place the entire time.
Hua Xiaomo, still on the phone, continued to laugh and talk. The phone call was winding down, and the two seemed reluctant to hang up.
"Xiao Mo, you haven’t forgotten what I told you, have you?"
Hua Xiaomo feigned coyness, pretending not to understand while secretly smiling with sweetness in her heart.