He turned his head, his gaze accurately finding her amidst the crowd. His white shirt stood out, strikingly clean. "You, come here." Qi Longbing uttered just three simple words, devoid of any superfluous chatter.
Hua Xiaomo quickly followed Qi Longbing to his office.
The moment Hua Xiaomo stepped into this grand and splendid office, she was instantly captivated. Of course, it wasn't just the opulence that captivated her, but also the daffodils placed everywhere...
He liked daffodils too?
Suddenly, a fresh and pleasant fragrance wafted to her nostrils, making Hua Xiaomo's mind even clearer.
"What will you have? Coffee or tea?" A pleasant baritone voice rang out in front of her.
"...No need, I'm just here to pay back the money and leave," Hua Xiaomo said quickly.
Qi Longbing, perched on the edge of his large desk, pressed the intercom. "Ms. Zhang, one coffee, one tea!"
"Coffee... do you want it bitter or sweet?" Qi Longbing continued to ask.
"I said no need, why make it so complicated?" Hua Xiaomo said impatiently, sliding her backpack off her shoulder and emptying a bag full of cash onto his desk.
Instantly, red banknotes fluttered down, scattering all over his office.
"You count it. It's exactly 200,000, enough to compensate for your glass," Hua Xiaomo said coldly, her eyes glinting with a cold, cunning glint. If he wanted the money, he could count it himself!
Qi Longbing watched the scene, which seemed a replay of that moment on the roadside. Looking at her unadorned yet exquisitely delicate face, he suddenly felt an urge to pinch her chin. This little minx certainly had her clever tricks.
"I don't have to count it myself, didn't you know?" Qi Longbing smiled elegantly. Soon after, he reconnected the intercom. "Ms. Lin, come in."
A long-haired, glasses-wearing beauty with a graceful figure pushed the door open. "President Qi, you called for me?"
"Count this money, see if it's 200,000," Qi Longbing said nonchalantly and then looked at Hua Xiaomo. "Let's talk in the next room."
"No need, I'm fine right here," Hua Xiaomo said. Who knew if this secretary would conveniently short a few bills? She'd be the one to take the blame then.
"Heh..." Qi Longbing laughed, having easily seen through her thoughts. "Since you're here, I'm not worried you'll shortchange me."
"Oh, if that's the case, then that's great. The money is all here; you guys take your time counting. I won't keep you from your work," Hua Xiaomo said. Just as she was about to pick up her backpack, a large hand beat her to it and snatched the bag away.
"Hey, what are you doing? Give me back my bag!" Hua Xiaomo snapped, annoyed.
Qi Longbing laughed carelessly. He played with the backpack's straps, winding them around his slender fingers again and again. He found himself unexpectedly growing fond of this inconspicuous, goose-yellow "clown duck" backpack.
"Haha, Hua Xiaomo, I really didn't expect you could come up with the money. But, you might save yourself, but not the Hua Clan!" Qi Longbing said indifferently, his deep blue eyes, like the sea itself, held an unfathomable, enigmatic gentleness.
"What do you mean?" Hua Xiaomo asked, momentarily stunned, a shadow passing over her face.
Qi Longbing smiled elegantly, then took a folder from the bookshelf and tossed it in front of her. "Look for yourself."
Hua Xiaomo looked at the document in front of her with suspicion. Her grip tightened, but she still opened the folder.
On the first page, the three large, glaring characters "Acquisition Letter" immediately stung her eyes.
An ominous premonition filled her mind. Hua Xiaomo quickly scanned through the thick stack of documents. By the time she finished, she didn't know how many signatures of Hua Renda she had seen.
Even a fool would know what this meant. From now on... there would be no more Hua Clan; it had changed hands within just one short week...
God... why? Why did this happen?
Why had no one informed her of such a major event?
Suddenly, Hua Xiaomo remembered something and pulled her phone out from her jeans pocket. Ah, she'd forgotten—it was still off! Previously, to raise money, she had lied to her family, saying she was outside sketching, so her phone had remained switched off.
Hua Xiaomo immediately turned on the phone, and a string of messages popped up—all from her mother and Hua Renda. Moreover, her message box exploded with notifications and numerous texts.
Hua Xiaomo opened the messages and was shocked by what she read.
Xiao Mo, your mother is critically ill in the hospital. Please come back quickly! I'll be waiting for you at Xie He Hospital. Father: Hua Renda
Hua Xiaomo's face turned pale as paper, and her heart raced. Without caring to look at the "Acquisition Letter" any longer, she rapidly put it down, turned without a word, and attempted to leave.
However, as she turned, a large hand grasped her elbow. "What's wrong with you?" From her expression, it seemed like a severe blow. Qi Longbing watched her, a flicker of speculation in his eyes. He had only meant to provoke her a little; surely, it hadn't actually driven this woman mad?
No way... Even Hua Renda hadn't gone mad over it, so why would she?
"Let go of me!" Hua Xiaomo cried irritably, trying to pull her hand back, but she couldn't break free immediately; he was using strength too.
"Who sent the message?" Qi Longbing asked, his handsome face showing a subtle shift in expression, an unpredictable, dark glint gradually surfacing in his eyes.
"You're so annoying!! What business is it of yours?" Hua Xiaomo bit her lip, looking at him, her eyes, brimming with a mixture of hatred and bitterness, suddenly reddened, and she felt an overwhelming urge to cry but couldn't shed a tear. Her mother's health had always been poor, but she never expected…
Critically ill…
Hua Xiaomo was extremely frightened inside, not daring to think any further. She exerted all her strength to break free from his grip, didn't even bother to grab her "clown duck" backpack, and bolted from the office.
"Hua Xiaomo! Your bag…" Qi Longbing called out, but she was already far away.
"Damn it! What kind of madness has overtaken this woman?" Qi Longbing muttered, not pausing to think further. He quickly picked up the "clown duck" backpack and chased after her.
...
Qi Longbing followed Hua Xiaomo out of the Qi Imperial Court building, but a glance around revealed no sight of the "white shirt" figure.
"Damn it… How could she disappear in the blink of an eye?" His hands clenched. Suddenly, he remembered something—her cellphone number.
Qi Longbing immediately took out his luxurious Vertu phone, found the number already saved in it, and swiftly dialed it.
"Hello…" A husky yet familiar female voice came through the phone.
"Hua Xiaomo, this is Qi Longbing. You're at…" Before Qi Longbing could finish, the call was disconnected, leaving only a dial tone.
Angered, Qi Longbing almost hurled his Vertu like a brick. "Damn! That damn woman, she dares to hang up on me?"
This was probably the first time someone had ever hung up on him.
Qi Longbing held the goose-yellow "clown duck" backpack in his hand, squeezing it tightly.
A man in black quickly followed him out of the Qi Imperial Court building. He observed his boss's shadowed, handsome features, his heart pounding. It was the first time he'd ever seen the President in such an uncharacteristically rushed state.
With this in mind, Yu Bao said cautiously, "President Qi, we've secured the plot in Chaohu Alley as you ordered."
Qi Longbing's eyes remained unmoved, his icy expression softening slightly as he turned his face to look at the man, an almost imperceptible dark glint in his eyes. "So, it's secured…"
"Yes, President Qi. Once the other party learned it was land desired by Qi Imperial Court, they dared not contend with us and quickly surrendered the rights willingly," Yu Bao reported, his handsome, square-jawed face showing a hint of shrewdness and competence.
Qi Longbing's sensual lips curved faintly. A mysterious, unpredictable light twinkled in his deep blue eyes as he turned away. "Find that person's location for me," he tossed out.
That person? Hua Xiaomo?
Yu Bao, quickly understanding, said, "But, President Qi, Miss Pan's flight from New York arrives in City A at ten o'clock. Didn't you instruct me to pick her up?" He really needed to leave now! How could he possibly find time to look for this Hua Xiaomo person?
"Arrange someone else to pick her up. I want results within ten minutes," Qi Longbing commanded, his voice tight with pressure. He then strode purposefully into the Qi Imperial Court building.
"Yes, President Qi." Yu Bao's eyes darkened slightly. This Hua Xiaomo must be quite someone, then!
「Xie He Hospital.」
Hua Xiaomo, in a white blouse, rushed in breathlessly. After asking the nurse for the ward number, she promptly headed up to the third floor.
Unexpectedly, at a corner, she slammed head-on into what felt like a wall of muscle. The man quickly grasped her shoulders, preventing her from falling.
"Ouch…" Hua Xiaomo instinctively touched her forehead.
"Sorry, did I hurt you?" came a voice as gentle as sunshine from above her.
When Hua Xiaomo looked up at the man, she froze at the sight of such a strikingly handsome face.
Him… Wasn't this… him? The senior from two years above her at the Florence Academy of Fine Arts?
Long Shangxuan! He had been such a prominent figure at the academy! Every piece of his artwork was a masterpiece imbued with soul. He was an artistic genius, the Prince Charming for all the female students back then!
His fair face, as delicate as a crescent moon, featured a pair of beautiful phoenix eyes; his smiling eyes held a liquid tenderness that seemed to captivate hearts in an instant. Yet, they also held an elusive, almost dismissive coolness and indifference.
A dark navy blue casual suit further accentuated his composed, elegant demeanor. She also noticed a crescent moon-shaped black earring hanging from his left ear.
"You are…" Long Shangxuan looked at her, finding her somewhat familiar but unable to recall where he had seen her before.