VBNWDW - Chapter 20
Chapter 20
"It does seem to be a tradition," Xi Zhoulu said, touching the tip of her nose and confirming Luo Yueqing's statement.
The woman in her arms nodded and replied, "I knew the Xi family wouldn't be that petty."
She turned to look at Xi Yunting, her peach-blossom eyes curving into crescents. Her smile was surprisingly innocent and lovely as she said, "Thank you, Father-in-law."
Her use of titles was all over the place, but Xi Yunting had no mind to nitpick. He just gave an awkward tug at the corner of his mouth, his gaze evasive.
The tradition did exist, but the welcoming gift from a prominent family was always more substantial and valuable than that of an ordinary one. And for a family at the very top like the Xis, it was on another level entirely.
For instance, Xi Yunting's first wife had been given a glass-type jadeite bangle, and after the wedding, a car and a house.
And while his current wife wasn't favored by Old Master Xi, she had still received a pair of Hetian jade earrings, with a car and house added later.
But even though it was tradition, he had never once considered giving Xi Zhoulu's wife anything!
In his plans, all his assets were to go to Xi Zhoukang. Even half of Xi Zhoulu's own assets were supposed to be given to Xi Zhoukang. How could he possibly use Xi Zhoukang's things to give a gift to Xi Zhoulu's wife?
It was like carving out his own flesh and blood—absolutely unthinkable.
However, he still had to maintain a certain image in front of Luo Yueqing and not be a hindrance to his son, so a direct refusal was also out of the question.
In an extremely difficult position, Xi Yunting turned to look at his wife.
Her face was also stiff, her thoughts mirroring his. Gritting her teeth, she forced a smile and walked forward, saying quickly, "Yes, yes, that is the tradition."
Luo Yueqing was quick on the uptake. "So Mother-in-law prepared it. Thank you, Mother-in-law."
When asking for money, her voice was exceptionally sweet, deliberately pitched to be cloying.
The stepmother hadn't expected Luo Yueqing to be so brazen. She forgot the words she had just prepared and could only stammer, "But…"
The moment Luo Yueqing heard that, she immediately turned to Xi Zhoulu, her voice suddenly taking on a sobbing tone as she complained, "They say the richer you are, the stingier you are, and it's really true for your Xi family. Even ordinary families know to give a red envelope, but what about you?"
"Before we registered our marriage, our parents didn't even meet, and we just rushed to get it done. I tolerated it. You said we couldn't have a wedding until our future child was born. I tolerated it. And now you can't even afford a red envelope?!"
It was a tone she must have learned from somewhere, making her sound even more miserable and pitiful than an abandoned, resentful wife. A mist even formed in Luo Yueqing's eyes, as if she were about to burst into tears at any second.
"It's not like I was the one desperately clinging to your Xi family, begging to marry in. Now you're all taking turns tormenting me."
Xi Zhoulu, watching the performance up close, couldn't quite keep up with the act. She could only struggle to keep a straight face while reaching back to grab the hand Luo Yueqing had plastered to her waist.
Who would have thought this woman was not only a professional actress but could also multitask? With her other hand, she was busy flipping up the hem of Xi Zhoulu's shirt and pressing it against her waist. If Xi Zhoulu hadn't stopped her, she probably would have explored further up and unfastened the clasps of her undergarment.
Her mischievous hand caught, Luo Yueqing's face fell. "A divorce! Let's get a divorce right now! I'm going to the media to expose you all."
She tried to struggle, but the other woman's grip only tightened. Her tone grew angrier as she cursed, "Your Xi family is full of iron roosters! Iron roosters who won't part with a single feather!"
Xi Zhoulu was afraid her next line would be, An iron rooster who won't let me touch anything at all.
Fortunately, the people opposite them finally reacted. Even the stepmother grew flustered and hurriedly said, "Oh, child, let me finish what I was saying!"
She quickly emphasized in a heavier tone, "Of course we'll give you something. We will."
Getting these two to divorce was indeed their goal, but not like this!
If she really went to the media and tomorrow's headlines were about the Xi family's stinginess, never mind the impact on stock prices or what other families would think.
Just the traditional, face-conscious Old Master Xi at home would be angered to the point of spitting blood. He'd chase them with his cane until they were all in wheelchairs right alongside Xi Zhoulu.
"We didn't know we'd see you here," she said hastily. "We're completely unprepared."
She felt around on her body, her hand brushing against the expensive jadeite bangle she wore. Startled, she quickly moved her hand up. The necklace around her neck was a gift from Xi Yunting from an auction, so that was even more out of the question. Further up were a pair of diamond stud earrings, which were relatively cheaper.
She breathed a sigh of relief, quickly took them off, and walked toward Luo Yueqing, deliberately affecting a kind expression. "These are some earrings I just bought two days ago. When I bought them, Xiao Kang even said the style was too young for me. I don't know what came over me, but I just had to buy them."
"It turns out I must have had a premonition that I'd be meeting you and prepared the gift in advance," she said with a smile, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes showing.
"Here, don't mind them for now. When you come to the house later, I'll get you something new to make up for it," she said, pressing the earrings into Luo Yueqing's hand.
Luo Yueqing was naturally willing. She even raised her hand proactively to help, taking a firm hold of the earrings as the tears in her eyes vanished completely.
"See, I told you! What kind of family is the Xi family? They would never forget something like this," she said, her eyes curving into a smile.
The stepmother's smile was strained, but she had to nod in agreement.
And Xi Yunting could only force a smile as well.
They couldn't bring up their previous request again. They certainly couldn't let Luo Yueqing know that Xi Zhoukang still couldn't get into the company and had to rely on his parents for help. So, after a few more pleasantries, they left.
The closing door made a soft click, and the sound of footsteps faded into the distance.
Xi Zhoulu looked down at the woman in her arms. Her cool features relaxed, and a hint of a smile appeared. In a rather good mood, she teased, "You're quite something."
"That old thing is usually the most miserly person. Even Xi Zhoukang has a hard time getting money from her. He can only complain to Xi Yunting to get a little more allowance."
Luo Yueqing hooked her arms around the other's neck, her legs starting to swing restlessly again. She smiled. "So, does President Xi have a reward for me?"
Sunlight streamed in from the window, reflecting in the woman's smiling peach-blossom eyes and stirring the light within, revealing a clear, bewitching charm.
Xi Zhoulu couldn't help but look away. Then her gaze fell on the object in Luo Yueqing's hand, and she frowned in distaste. "Throw them away. I'll get you a new pair."
Whether it was jadeite or diamond, it was something that woman had worn. Xi Zhoulu was thoroughly disgusted by it.
Luo Yueqing nodded, not objecting in the slightest. With her arms still wrapped around a twenty-million-dollar neck, how could she possibly care about something like this?
Xi Zhoulu pulled a tissue from the side and wrapped the earrings in it, but then she paused. It was, after all, a piece of flesh carved from that woman. It seemed a waste to just throw it away.
She pulled open a drawer, tossed the wadded-up tissue inside, and said, "I'll have someone bring over a few pairs of earrings later. You can pick what you like and keep them."
When it came to purchasing luxury goods, the privileged class was different from ordinary people. Ordinary people had to go to stores to shop and would occasionally encounter all sorts of inexplicable difficulties.
The privileged, however, only needed to make a single phone call, and a top salesperson would rush over with a large selection of limited-edition items to a location of their choosing, letting them pick at their leisure.
Luo Yueqing agreed, then circled back to the topic she was so fixated on, repeating once more, "What about my reward?"
Xi Zhoulu wasn't sure what this person wanted. Her lowered eyes softened slightly as she asked, "What reward?"
The woman in her arms swung her legs one moment and snuggled into her embrace the next, like a little cat that couldn't stay still for a second. Because of this, her loose shirt was pulled askew, revealing half of her fair neck and a faint, alluring curve.
Xi Zhoulu averted her gaze, looking instead at the fountain pens scattered across the desk.
Seeing her deliberate avoidance, Luo Yueqing didn't speak, but simply tightened her arms around the other's neck and chuckled softly by her ear. "President Xi isn't thinking of going back on her word, is she?"
She drew out her words, and though it was broad daylight, an ambiguous air inexplicably filled the space. "You always gave me one before. Every time I made you happy, you would reward me."
"What?" A ticklish sensation spread from her ear. Xi Zhoulu tried to pull back, but she was pinned against the back of the chair.
"You did," Luo Yueqing said, looking up at her with a pair of pitiful peach-blossom eyes that were both soft and enchanting.
"That was what you wanted yourself," Xi Zhoulu could only stress.
"And it was Miss Xi who indulged me," Luo Yueqing retorted shamelessly. Her other hand slid down and tugged at Xi Zhoulu's collar, easily undoing a button.
Not expecting her to be so blunt, Xi Zhoulu pressed her lips together, her gaze dark as she looked at her.
It was almost noon, and the sunlight outside was growing brighter, flooding the office and illuminating the entire space.
Xi Zhoulu finally spoke. "Then what do you want this time?"
Luo Yueqing didn't answer, just smiled and undid another one of her buttons, revealing the dark green undergarment beneath, which still matched the shirt she wore over it.
This wasn't a difficult matter for Xi Zhoulu. In fact, she needed it more urgently than Luo Yueqing did. After all, she was the one with disordered mental power, and she was the one who needed a suitable heir.
But Xi Zhoulu hesitated for a moment, instead bringing up another matter. "Old Master wants to see you."
Luo Yueqing's heart skipped a beat. Old Master Xi was far more difficult to deal with than the two who had just left. She subconsciously asked, "When?"
"Tomorrow afternoon." Xi Zhoulu's hand rested on the other's waist, unconsciously tightening its grip, cinching the slender waist in the web of her thumb and forefinger.
"I didn't expect Xi Yunting and the others to come to the company and run into you," she said, frowning with a hint of irritation.
"Since they lost face here, they'll definitely run to Old Master and add fuel to the fire."
Luo Yueqing, however, suddenly brought up something else. "Why do you sometimes call him Grandfather and other times Old Master?"
Xi Zhoulu explained patiently, "Outsiders like to call him Old Master Xi. It's a term of respect, and he likes the title himself, so he's happy when people call him that. That's why even Xi Yunting often calls him Old Master."
She then instructed, "When you see him tomorrow, just call him Old Master."
Luo Yueqing nodded, then asked, "Doesn't Old Master Xi like you more? Why would he give me a hard time?"
The concept of loving someone for the sake of another was universal. Besides, the Xi family was, in a way, asking a favor of her now. She didn't understand why Xi Zhoulu's expression was so serious.
At the mention of this, the faint warmth in Xi Zhoulu's eyes dissipated. Her jaw tightened into a sharp line, giving her an inexplicably cold air. "Some things can't be judged by their surface."
Luo Yueqing frowned slightly, sensing that something was off. She suspected there might be a slight error in the information the System provided. After all, it was content recorded by a cold machine from an observer's perspective, which often couldn't discern the hypocrisy and pretense of complex human society.
"If he truly liked me, I wouldn't have…" Xi Zhoulu stopped abruptly, her hand clenching her own knee.
Though it was noon and the sun was bright, the room felt as cold as an ice cellar.
Xi Zhoulu seemed to recall something and fell silent for a long time. Her straight back was tense, and the hand gripping her knee was slightly bent. The joints beneath her gaunt skin were faintly visible, pale and sharp, as if they might pierce through the thin layer of flesh.
"Luo Yueqing."
"Some things can't be judged by their surface. You can't listen to what he says. You have to watch what he does, how he does it, and how he treats everyone."
She took a deep breath, her tone returning to normal as she masked the obscure emotions in her eyes, a practiced motion as if she had done it countless times before.
"Xi Yunting is bad, but he's not capable of doing anything truly harmful. But some people are different."
After saying this, she didn't intend to elaborate further. Her cold hand returned to Luo Yueqing's waist as she said in a low voice, "I'll pick you up tomorrow afternoon."
Luo Yueqing decided not to press the issue. She suddenly acted mischievous, giving a sharp tug on the arm hooked around Xi Zhoulu's neck. Without any resistance, Xi Zhoulu lowered her head.
Then, a faint fragrance filled the air, and Xi Zhoulu's earlobe was enveloped in something hot and moist.
It was a sensation she had never experienced before.
The woman, as bewitching as a rose, chuckled softly and bit down on the soft flesh, complaining in a low voice, "There's no reward, so you should at least pay a deposit."
"President Xi can't be stingy."
That spot was sensitive. Normally, even an accidental bump would cause it to turn red and swell for a long time, let alone being teased like this, gently held between canine teeth and slowly ground against.
Xi Zhoulu couldn't help but hiss, leaning back and tilting her head up, but she still couldn't escape her pursuer's relentless chase.
The overburdened chair creaked in protest. Her arched neck was slender, revealing the lines of her throat and, below that, her straight collarbones.
Luo Yueqing must have been planning this for some time, having unbuttoned the shirt long in advance. Now she had a convenient view of the considerable allure hidden beneath the prim shirt.
"Luo Yueqing," she managed to say, the three words that were usually so easy to speak now becoming difficult.
With great effort, Xi Zhoulu warned in a hoarse voice, "Don't mess around."
"This is the office," she emphasized again, her tone heavy.
A glance around revealed the extremely formal, Chinese-style decor. The door nearby was shut, and only the occasional sound of a secretary's voice could be heard. Fortunately, it was now lunchtime, so no one would come up to disturb them, but Xi Zhoulu still gripped the armrests tightly.
Luo Yueqing finally let go, but not with the intention of letting her off. Her red lips moved down, pressing against the other's.
Xi Zhoulu finally relented, murmuring a reminder, "The secretary will be here with lunch in half an hour."
The triumphant woman couldn't help but laugh. "As you command, President Xi."
How improper.
Xi Zhoulu wanted to reprimand her, but her lips were sealed shut, and in the next second, the scent of roses completely occupied the space.
Swinging bare feet brushed against suit trousers, occasionally hooking the cuffs to reveal pale ankles.
Xi Zhoulu didn't stop her, only pulling her closer.
Cascading black hair tangled with other strands, gradually becoming inseparable. A fountain pen left on the desk rolled off, hit the floor, and shattered completely.
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