"You..." Hua Xiaomo looked at him, her eyes filled with confusion.
"I’m sorry I’ve been hiding my identity from you," Qi Lingfeng said slowly. "I hope you won’t hold it against me. Let me formally introduce myself: I am the Xia Shuangming you know, and also Qi Lingfeng." His gaze was fixed intently on her eyes.
Hua Xiaomo didn’t say a word, but her heart was still reeling with shock. So it was all true. Xia Shuangming is the Second Young Master of the Qi Family, Qi Lingfeng!
As the two talked, everyone else’s gaze also turned towards them.
Qi Longbing, who had been sitting in the first seat next to Qi Haitian, said nothing, but his expression was incredibly dark and grim, and rather unsettling to behold.
Qi Haitian glanced at him, his gaze still carrying a hint of warning and reminder, as if to ensure he didn’t forget the bet they had just made!
So that was it. The bet Qi Lingfeng had mentioned involved them both being in danger, forcing Hua Xiaomo to choose whom to save. Whoever she rescued would be her choice, and the other would have to withdraw from the competition unconditionally.
As it turned out, he, Qi Longbing, had lost. He’d never dreamed he would lose this bet.
He had fully believed he occupied a very, very important place in Hua Xiaomo’s heart. After all, he was her first man!
They had been intimately close; they had shared so many sweet moments. He loved her, he tolerated her—he hadn’t even wanted to blame her for taking his nude photos to threaten him! Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵·𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮·𝓷𝓮𝓽
All he wanted was to be with her, to think of ways to treat her well, to make her comfortable and happy every day, but...
Even after doing everything he could, he still hadn’t reached the depths of her heart. She had unhesitatingly chosen to save that other person.
And all he got in return was a cold text message? The irony! It was a bitter, biting irony!
He’d lost this bet. He’d lost so thoroughly, he had no fight left in him.
If he could still sit here calmly and watch her being affectionate with another man, then he would truly be a saint.
Just as Qi Lingfeng was pulling Hua Xiaomo to sit down, Qi Longbing suddenly pushed back his chair and stood up.
"I have something urgent at the company; I must leave," Qi Longbing said. Then, ignoring everyone, he strode quickly towards the exit of the hall.
Yu Bao quickly followed him.
Watching Qi Longbing suddenly leave, Hua Xiaomo didn’t know what had happened, but she felt she needed to clarify a few things. Why had he and Qi Lingfeng conspired to stage such a drama just to invite her here? Was it really only for a meal? Her intuition told her it wasn’t that simple!
"President Qi! Wait a moment," Hua Xiaomo called out, hurrying after him. She followed him out of the dining hall and into the larger hall beyond.
For a moment, everyone was wildly speculating about Hua Xiaomo’s actions, but Qi Lingfeng simply smiled generously.
"Elder, please begin eating. I’m going to check on Xiao Mo," Qi Lingfeng said before he, too, quickly headed outside.
In the great hall outside, Qi Longbing didn’t slow his pace in the slightest as he walked towards the main entrance.
"President Qi, stop right there!" Hua Xiaomo had to raise her voice. What was with this guy? Why was he walking so fast? Was she a tiger, that he had to flee ? She called out to him, yet he didn’t stop, didn’t even turn around, just kept forging ahead. What did that mean? Had she offended him somehow?
But as soon as that question arose, it inevitably brought to mind a tangle of unwelcome thoughts she’d rather not revisit. Yet, avoidance wouldn’t solve anything.
Hua Xiaomo’s heart tightened. She quickened her pace, catching up to him at the doorway and blocking his path.
"President Qi, why did you have Yu Bao make that phone call to me if you were clearly not in danger?" Hua Xiaomo looked at him, unsure whether to be angry or amused. "Was all this just for a meal? Was there really a need for all this, President Qi?"
Qi Longbing said nothing. He looked at her, his expression as dark and heavy as a stormy sky, his eyes practically smoking.
Facing his inscrutable gaze, Hua Xiaomo hesitated for a moment before pressing on, "Can you tell me... why did you have my phone before? Or rather, did you have someone steal my phone?"
Not waiting for his response, she voiced the thoughts tumbling through her mind. Yes, he would definitely do something like that. Those compromising photos of him were on it; he would go to any lengths to get her phone back. And then that day, he’d chased her down in his car and smashed her phone right in front of her—just to intimidate her, to show her what he was capable of!
Hearing this, Qi Longbing’s gaze dimmed, a flicker of unpredictable light in their depths. He remained silent for a long moment, making it unclear whether he was angry or experiencing some other emotion.
Noticing something amiss in his expression, Hua Xiaomo lowered her voice. "I’m sorry, did I make you very angry? But... haven’t you already recovered what you wanted? What else is there to be angry about?"
He claimed he only trusted her, that as long as they both honored their agreement, she wouldn’t leak his compromising photos. But behind her back, he had Yu Bao steal her phone? So, was everything he’d said just to lull her into a false sense of security, giving Yu Bao the perfect opportunity to snatch her phone unnoticed? Even though at the time she’d been suspicious about how her phone went missing, a few days later, it had mysteriously reappeared in Qi Longbing’s hands. If he hadn’t had it stolen, then who else could it have been?
Qi Longbing watched her, silent for another long stretch, his gaze intensely dark. Recovered what he wanted? No, he had lost even more!
Just then, he noticed the man who had followed her out—Qi Lingfeng. Qi Longbing’s expression hardened even more.
He had lost the bet. He had lost her. She would be with that man, his own dear brother, and she would become his sister-in-law.
Such a relationship... truly left one at a loss for words.
Fine. If his dear brother didn’t mind that he had slept with her, what right did he have to object?
But still... he was furious! Why should he be the one to give way?
Wasn’t she his woman? Yet, in the blink of an eye, she was in another man’s arms?
"Xiao Mo, Big Brother, what are you two talking about?" Qi Lingfeng interjected, casually placing his hand on Hua Xiaomo’s shoulder.
As Qi Lingfeng’s arm settled around her, Hua Xiaomo suddenly felt a wave of discomfort. She glanced sideways at him but didn’t speak.
"Go and eat your meal! Stop bothering me!" Qi Longbing’s voice was low and suppressed. Seeing her embraced by the other man, he felt a surge of fury with nowhere to vent. "Tell the Elder I won’t be back tonight!"
Quickly, without a backward glance, he strode to his car and hastily departed from the Qi Residence.