But she forgot whose contract it was!
Qi Longbing didn’t say anything, his handsome face very gloomy as he grabbed her hand and led her straight into the car.
Hua Xiaomo’s hand was caught by him. For a moment, she tried to pull it back, but unexpectedly, he tightened his grip, sending a twinge of pain that made her furrow her beautiful brows slightly.
Qi Longbing looked at her, his smile neither cold nor warm. "You are my woman, and I warn you, don’t even think about running away! Not ever!"
Hua Xiaomo returned a knowing smile but said nothing.
Hua Xiaomo sat in Yu Bao’s gray-silver Lamborghini and quickly arrived at Chaohu Alley.
"Thank you, Mr. Yu," Hua Xiaomo said as she was about to get out of the car.
"Hua Xiaomo..." Yu Bao called out to her, seeming to have something to say.
Hua Xiaomo paused and looked at him. "What’s wrong?"
After a moment’s thought, Yu Bao spoke, "Today, thank you for protecting President Qi."
Hua Xiaomo was startled to hear this, naturally understanding that he was referring to the incident at "Paris Rainy Night."
She smiled and shook her head. "It was nothing, just a helping hand. Alright, I’m going now. You should also go back and rest early!"
After saying goodbye to Yu Bao, Hua Xiaomo returned home. Her mother had already taken her medicine and gone to sleep.
Hua Xiaomo saw a note on the desk with elegant handwriting. It read: Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝙣𝙚𝙩
Xiao Mo, I’m afraid I can’t come to take care of Auntie anymore. Something came up at home, and I need to go back for a while. Message from Dong Xiaoyou.
Xiao You... Hua Xiaomo murmured the name in her heart. She really hadn’t seen her close friend in a long time, but how could she not care about her best friend? She wanted to give her a call, but then she remembered her cellphone was still with Mo Rutian...
A hint of frustration furrowed her brows.
"What does he mean by this? He even dares to keep my phone and not return it?" Hua Xiaomo muttered to herself. Never mind, I’ll get it back from him tomorrow.
After Hua Xiaomo left, Qi Longbing, for reasons unknown—perhaps restlessness and difficulty sleeping—thought of calling her.
The call went through, but no one answered.
Qi Longbing thought for a bit and decided to send her a text message:
"Xiao Mo, I told you I was willing to devote myself to your art. From then on, you were my woman! You can’t escape!!
"My painting of you in that outfit, you... continue to complete it for me. From Long Bing, who likes you."
The receiver, Mo Rutian, had straight, plain, long hair softly draped over his cheeks and shoulders.
When Mo Rutian saw the text sent from Hua Xiaomo’s cellphone, he was quite surprised.
Starlight, as subtle and elegant as mist, seemed to dance in his handsome brown eyes, a slight contemplation revealed in their depths.
Mo Rutian held her wine-red smartphone in one hand and lit a cigar with the other, slowly leaning back on the comfortable, luxurious sofa, his legs crossed and propped on the coffee table.
He pondered the various intriguing messages this text had brought.
"I really didn’t expect her to paint him wearing clothes," Mo Rutian murmured to himself, a trace of reflective brilliance on his charming and graceful face.
As he toyed with her smartphone and took a drag of his cigar, the exhaled smoke wreathed the air, mingling with his handsome features and making him appear even more elegantly attractive.
At the same time, an unintentional darkness surfaced in those beautiful brown eyes, further elongating the shadows at their corners.
"Qi Longbing, I definitely won’t let things go your way," Mo Rutian said with an elegant smile, his thoughts sinking slightly.
「The next day, at the Qi Imperial Court.」
While Qi Longbing was out, Hua Xiaomo quickly fumbled a business card from her bag and used the company phone to call the person on it.
"Hello?" A melodious male voice came through the phone.
"Brother Long, it’s me, Xiao Mo," Hua Xiaomo said excitedly, clutching the phone. It had been such a long time since she had heard his voice.
"...Xiao Mo? Is it really you?" Long Shangxuan sounded somewhat surprised, his phoenix eyes slightly melancholic.
Looking at this phone number, it was clearly an unusual one. Although he had never interacted with President Qi’s two secretaries, it didn’t mean he was unaware of certain things. In the business world, he was extremely sensitive to all kinds of information. Especially since his company was currently involved in a bid for the other party’s advertising copy, he had to pay even more attention to every detail. But he never expected that she would be calling from this number. That confirmed she was currently in the rival’s CEO office.
"It’s me," Hua Xiaomo said, quickly gathering her thoughts. "Brother Long, could I ask you for a favor?"
Long Shangxuan, with graceful poise, seemed to raise a speculative eyebrow over the phone. A hint of cunning glinted in his eyes as he asked, "What is it? If there’s something I can help with, Brother Long will definitely assist you."
"It’s just... my smartphone is still with Mo Rutian. Could you help me get it back?" Hua Xiaomo said, her eyes gleaming with a soft radiance.
This was the best approach, she thought. She didn’t want to confront Mo Rutian for it; she was annoyed enough already. Who knew what sort of act he would put on to embarrass her further? Hmph! What classmate? Nothing but a scumbag, that’s what! Hua Xiaomo didn’t deign to pay him any mind.
"He didn’t return your smartphone?" Long Shangxuan asked, somewhat surprised, but he quickly seemed to understand something.
Hua Xiaomo laughed awkwardly. "As for him... never mind, it’s not worth mentioning. Brother Long, can you help me retrieve it?"
"...Yeah. No problem," Long Shangxuan answered, then asked with a laugh, "I heard from the director that you were his middle school classmate. Your relationship back then... wasn’t very pleasant, was it, Xiao Mo?"
"Uh..." Hua Xiaomo paused, then chuckled. "Brother Long, you and your director are pretty close, huh? He’s told you everything. So, actually, I don’t know him at all! Brother Long, you must help me get my smartphone back, okay? It’s really important to me; I have so many acquaintances’ contact details on it."
"OK, I understand," Long Shangxuan said with a light chuckle, a shrewd glint in his eyes. "How shall I give it to you?"
"If it’s not too much trouble, could we meet at the McDonald’s in Tonghua Street Xingda Mall? How about that?" Hua Xiaomo proposed after some thought.
That place was Zhou Xiyang’s shop. It was a good opportunity to also visit him and inform him about a certain someone’s situation—two birds with one stone.
"Sure!" Long Shangxuan agreed cheerfully. Just as she was about to hang up, he added another question, "Xiao Mo, where are you calling from right now?"
"I..." Hua Xiaomo froze for a moment before reflexively saying, "A public phone booth!" Ah, how embarrassing, she thought. It was the first time she had ever lied to Brother Long.