Chapter 66: Acting Coquettishly

After temporarily stabilizing Wen Lan Sheng, Fan Xia returned to the office. The oppressive atmosphere silently declared the office owner’s current displeased mood. The cold-toned light reflected on his deeply contoured profile through the obsidian-like desktop. Those hands, which could be called perfect, rested on the desk, fingertips tightening and gripping the surface.

Fan Xia slowly walked over and held his hand, “Are you angry?”

Rong Xiu’s thin lips were tightly pressed: “No.”

“I thought you were angry. It’s good that you’re not. I knew you were different from ordinary men,” Fan Xia said softly, like a gentle breeze.

Rong Xiu’s thick eyelashes fluttered, and his heart stung.

He once thought that because he was educated, had received higher education, and had been honed in the business world for so many years, he was different from ordinary men.

But now he realized that all men are the same. No matter how many books he had read or how much of the world he had seen, in front of someone he liked, he was still like other men – petty, jealous, affected, and prone to being sour and jealous at the slightest provocation.

He also wanted to be coddled and pampered by the person he liked, just like an ordinary man.

He said he wasn’t angry, but did she really believe he wasn’t? Men are creatures who like to say the opposite of what they mean, how could she not hear it?

He was very angry! Seeing Fan Xia with Wen Lan Sheng, he was almost furious to death! He wanted to tear off Wen Lan Sheng’s face. Beneath his calm appearance, he had already cursed Wen Lan Sheng’s entire family with the dirtiest, most vicious words, like a vulgar market man.

In the past, he had been so attentive and considerate to Wen Lan Sheng, even now after the break-up, he still protected him, not letting Wen Lan Sheng be exposed to his sphere of influence. How could she not hear through his insincere lie?

Or was Wen Lan Sheng right? Had Fan Xia grown tired of him?

He had originally volunteered to be Fan Xia’s tool to stimulate Wen Lan Sheng, willingly becoming a knife for her. Now that Wen Lan Sheng was out of the picture, was this knife useless, to be discarded anywhere without care, even if it rusted?

Rong Xiu felt as if something was stuck in his throat. Saying it out loud would be uncomfortable, but keeping it lodged in his throat, neither up nor down, was even more uncomfortable.

“I’m going out for a bit.” Rong Xiu suddenly stood up, supporting himself on the long office desk, and strode into the private elevator. The elevator quickly reached the first floor lobby. Wen Lan Sheng’s thin figure was slowly walking outside the building.

Rong Xiu clenched his fists tightly.

He didn’t dare to vent his jealousy at Fan Xia. Nor did he dare to rashly rush up and have a confrontation with Wen Lan Sheng, ruining Fan Xia’s plans. Instead, he went to the first-floor reception desk and scolded the two young men harshly: “How do you do your job? How dare you let someone like this in! He’s not even from our company, and you dared to give him a card! Don’t you have brains?”

The two young receptionists were stunned by the scolding, standing there dumbfounded and timidly enduring the reprimand.

Still not satisfied after the scolding, Rong Xiu’s eyes caught sight of the security sister not far away.

He rushed over, grabbed her security uniform, and forcefully poked the glass, pointing at Wen Lan Sheng outside: “This person is not an employee of our company. He has already trespassed twice. If I see him appear in my office again, you’ll all be fired!”

After venting his anger fiercely, Rong Xiu sat on the sofa by the window in the lobby, panting heavily, his gaze fixed coldly on Wen Lan Sheng, who had not yet gone far. The next moment, Fan Xia’s faint shadow appeared on the window, her slender hand resting on his shoulder: “So you were angry after all.”

Rong Xiu lowered his head, and suddenly an overwhelming sourness rose in his nose. Tears flowed uncontrollably.

Fan Xia sat down beside him, shielding him from the view of others, protecting his dignity.

She pulled out a tissue and gently wiped for him, apologizing in a gentle tone: “I could tell earlier that something was off with you, but you said you weren’t angry. I didn’t want to press further, afraid you might think I considered you petty and hurt your feelings.”

Rong Xiu kept his head down, tears splashing one by one onto the back of his hand: “But I am exactly as petty as you thought. I’m not generous at all. Every time I see you with Wen Lan Sheng, I feel very uncomfortable and jealous. Especially just now, I wanted to tear Wen Lan Sheng apart alive. I hate Wen Lan Sheng. Not only do I hate him, but I also hate all men who have unclear relationships with you.”

This outburst clearly caught Fan Xia off guard, but she quickly smiled: “So that’s how it is… That’s quite good, actually.”

Rong Xiu raised his head in disbelief, looking at her through tear-blurred eyes: “You—”

“What about me? I’m happy that you could tell me the truth.” Fan Xia thoughtfully took off his glasses and wiped the thin lenses splashed with tears. Her two slender fingers gently wiped back and forth through the thin cloth.

“You don’t dislike me like this?” Rong Xiu asked.

“Why would I dislike you? Rong Xiu, in my heart, you are a very, very good man.”

The cold and aloof male strong figure in front of others had turned into an ordinary little man in front of her. Fan Xia felt that she hadn’t given him enough sense of security, so how could she dislike him?

Fan Xia put his glasses back on for him. With his slight myopia, he could once again clearly see every subtle change in Fan Xia’s eyes. Under the bright, dazzling light, she was unbelievably beautiful.

A man’s heart is like the weather in July, changing in an instant. The sourness that had just filled his entire heart suddenly vanished without a trace.

“Then… just now when Wen Lan Sheng came to provoke me, I… I was wronged. You should comfort me…” Rong Xiu’s tone carried an unreasonable spoiled attitude.

Fan Xia nodded with a smile: “Alright, alright.”

Zhuang Nian was busy working when he glanced up to see Fan Xia leading Rong Xiu back.

Just a moment ago, the atmosphere between them was so tense it could freeze, but now they were as close as glue. It could only be said that Fan Xia’s skill in handling men was truly on point. Even with the legal wife showing up at the door, she could still manage the relationship between the red flag and the colored flag, achieving a strange balance.

However, Zhuang Nian was used to such scenes, so he quickly refocused on his work.

But as a life secretary, he originally didn’t have much work to do, and after Fan Xia’s arrival, his work became even more pitiful. After being busy for an hour, he started to secretly slack off and browse his phone.

Out of sympathy for the original wife Wen Lan Sheng, Zhuang Nian immediately checked that explosive post as soon as he opened his phone.

When Wen Lan Sheng was live-streaming his suicide attempt by cutting his wrists in the post, he didn’t know. The next day, the internet was already in an uproar, saying they must find that vicious homewrecker and expose them. Fortunately, Wen Lan Sheng was fine and had been rescued.

Just now, Wen Lan Sheng had posted an update from the square near their company, sending a message:

“Today I went to my wife-master’s company to find her. That man looked like he wanted to kill me as soon as he saw me, as if I were the mistress. Luckily, my wife-master stopped him, otherwise, I don’t know if he would have beaten me a second time.”

“I also had an open-hearted talk with my wife-master. She still remembers our years of feelings, but has just been blinded by that overbearing man. However, she promised me that she would return to the family after a while. I’m very happy.”

Comments quickly appeared below the post.

“To be fair, when the poster’s wife-master heard about the suicide attempt, she rushed to the hospital immediately. This shows there’s still marital affection.”

“How dare that stinking mistress! Even following to the hospital, turning the poster’s desperate suicide into an act for sympathy. Finished playing the white lotus, now switching to an honest persona? Unbelievable!”

“The couple clearly had a chance to reconcile, but it was all ruined by this mistress. He even dared to hit the poster at the hospital. Even a shrew wouldn’t do such a thing. How did the poster’s wife-master fall for someone like this?”

“Oh my god, how can there be such a person!”

“Have you noticed that the picture the poster shared should be from Qianda Square on Road, a prosperous business district? There are more than a dozen office buildings nearby. That scumbag should be in one of these office buildings.”

“The one above is right. The range has narrowed again. Please, internet experts, quickly find out that scumbag’s identity. Save the poor poster and help him get his family back.”

Zhuang Nian wiped his sweat, cold sweat breaking out. He prepared to notify the security department to strengthen security measures during this period, strictly preventing strangers from sneaking into the building, especially those carrying unknown liquids.

A month later, on a rest day afternoon, the warm sunset light shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the villa. The huge setting sun seemed about to melt the rolling sea water into flowers.

Fan Xia tilted her head back, leisurely watching the magnificent spectacle outside the window. One hand stroked Rong Xiu’s soft short hair, while the other twirled his thin gold-rimmed glasses between her fingertips. The cold light took on a lingering, flowing luster in the warm tones of the sunset.

Yi Zhi wagged its tail as it walked over, its round head tilting in confusion, not understanding why Rong Xiu was on all fours like itself.

The shrill ring of a phone tore through the ambiguous atmosphere.

Yi Zhi was startled and ran off to play in the backyard.

Fan Xia picked up the phone, saw the caller ID, and smiled: “Hello?”

Xie Cen’s crying voice came through the receiver: “Is this Fan Xia? I’m begging you, please, for the sake of our Lan Sheng having served you before, help us one last time. Lan Sheng’s mother can’t go to prison!”

“Dad, don’t call Xia Xia! Give me back the phone! Give it back to me! Xia Xia, it wasn’t me who called, really it wasn’t me. You have to believe me! Give me back the phone!” Wen Lan Sheng’s screams came through the phone speaker intermittently.

“Don’t interfere!” Xie Cen shouted loudly. “Fan Xia, please consider this uncle’s plea. Lan Sheng’s mother is almost 60 years old. At her age, if she goes to prison, will she even come out alive?”

“Lan Sheng’s mother misappropriated public funds. Originally no one discovered it, but some damned anonymous person reported it to the factory director. Now everyone knows.”

“The factory director has given an ultimatum. Wen Ming Yue must return the funds within the legal time limit, or they’ll call the police directly.”

“I’m begging you, please save her. She can’t go to prison. If she goes to prison, how will Jing Jing and I survive?”

Xie Cen cried and shouted. Fan Xia listened coldly. When Xie Cen had finished crying and his voice had gone hoarse, she said calmly, “Are you done crying? Let Wen Lan Sheng take the phone.”

Wen Lan Sheng was pinned to the ground by Wen Jing, his face pressed against the cold floor. Watching Xie Cen hold the phone to his ear, his heart twisted in pain as he cried, “Xia Xia, I didn’t call you. They stole my phone. The ring – I hid the ring well. I didn’t give it to them. Xia Xia, you have to believe me. Please give me one more chance, okay?”

Fan Xia smiled, her fingers running through the soft hair of the person beneath her. Rong Xiu looked up, his face as red as sunset clouds pressed against the cool screen. His beauty mark shimmered like a rippling flower, his mouth and tongue still carrying moist heat. He blinked his long, seductive eyes filled with moisture: “Wen Lan Sheng, you have no more chances.”