Read Novel Full Chapter 90 – You’re Giving Yourself Away
Chapter 90 – You’re Giving Yourself Away
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Ning Shaoyun froze under his gaze, her mouth opening slightly, but no words coming out. On the other side, Mrs. Ren pulled out her phone, dialing while shouting viciously at Zhou Xuewen and Ning Shaoyun, “You just wait! Dare to mess with the Ren family? If we don’t drive you out of Yan City, we’re not worthy of our surname!”
Before she could finish dialing, a poised and sharp-looking Miss Li appeared in the crowd of onlookers, calling out in surprise, “Aunt, Brother Ren? What’s going on here?”
Mrs. Ren’s eyes lit up as if she’d seen a savior. “Qiqi, look at your Brother Ren—this vixen seduced him…”
Ning Shaoyun hurled a bottle at her. “Dare you say one more word of nonsense!”
Zhou Xuewen grabbed Ren Xiude in one swift motion and shoved him hard into his mother. Unable to support the man’s heavy build, she staggered back several steps, both of them crashing to the ground.
“The Ren family? Very well,” Zhou Xuewen said coldly.
Miss Li let her gaze fall on him. She hesitated for a moment before speaking with uncertainty, “Are you Mr. Hu—Mr. Zhou?”
Zhou Xuewen turned to look at her, frowning slightly, clearly not recognizing her.
Li Meiqi quickly stepped forward, offering a handkerchief as she said, “It really is you. My father is Li Chengming from Chengming Construction Company.”
Zhou Xuewen waved off the handkerchief and turned instead toward Ning Shaoyun.
Chenchen quickly pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to his father.
Li Meiqi wasn’t the least bit embarrassed, only puzzled. “What’s going on here? Mr. Zhou, how is it that you…”
Her gaze fell on the disheveled Ren mother and son, who were already realizing something was wrong and didn’t dare speak further.
Zhou Xuewen gave them a cold glance. “Miss Li, are they your acquaintances?”
Li Meiqi smiled. “Not very well. Their family is just a small business partner of ours. What happened? Did they offend you?”
Zhou Xuewen’s expression grew even colder. “These two openly insulted my wife and son.”
“This… This is outrageous.” Li Meiqi’s eyes widened in disbelief. “How could something like this happen?”
“I’ll be sure to tell my father about this matter.”
Zhou Xuewen said nothing in response, and Li Meiqi turned toward Ning Shaoyun, her smile deepening. “So this is Mrs. Zhou. It’s an honor to finally meet you.”
“Everyone has always been curious about what kind of woman could turn our stern Mr. Zhou from steel to silk. Now I get to satisfy my curiosity first—what a privilege.”
She seemed not to notice Ning Shaoyun’s slight hesitation and went on with a smile, “Mrs. Zhou, you might not know this, but we all do—Mr. Zhou’s greatest priority in life may be work, but above that are you and your son. Whenever he gets a spare moment, he’s always thinking about what gift to buy for you or where to take your son to play.”
She tilted her head playfully. “I’ve even heard that when his assistants and secretaries can’t take any more overtime, they just chat casually about places kids like or what things are trending among young women, and Mr. Zhou will instantly put his work aside to get home, allowing them to rest.”
Xia Mian silently gave Miss Li a thumbs-up. With emotional intelligence like this, she was bound to go far!
Sure enough, Zhou Xuewen’s expression softened, and Ning Shaoyun’s cheeks flushed. Without denying the way she’d been addressed, she gave a gentle smile. “It’s my pleasure too, Miss Li.”
“Please, just call me Meiqi,” Li Meiqi said warmly.
“Alright, Meiqi,” Ning Shaoyun responded smoothly.
Li Meiqi’s smile brightened. With concern in her tone, she said, “I see Mr. Zhou is hurt—should I call an ambulance for you?”
“No need,” Zhou Xuewen replied. “It’ll be faster if we go ourselves. Thank you.”
With that, he bent down, lifting Chenchen into one arm while firmly taking Ning Shaoyun’s hand with the other. “We’ll take our leave, Miss Li.”
“Mr. Zhou, Mrs. Zhou, safe travels,” Li Meiqi said with a smile.
Holding a child in each hand, Xia Mian watched the family of three ahead and thought, This is the first time I’ve seen Zhou Xuewen’s domineering CEO aura—it’s actually pretty cool…
Meanwhile, the Ren mother and son watched them leave. “Qiqi, was that…” Mrs. Ren said in disbelief.
“Mrs. Ren, we’re not that close—let’s not use such familiar terms,” Li Meiqi said coldly. She gave Ren Xiude a pointed look. “You have some nerve, daring to harass Mr. Zhou’s wife.”
Mrs. Ren immediately protested, “No, no, my son absolutely didn’t bother her, it was she who…”
Li Meiqi seemed to know what she was about to say and interrupted with a chuckle. “Mrs. Ren, do you even know who that man just now was? That was Zhou Xuewen, founder of Xueyun Corporation!”
“Even my father has to stay on his good side to secure projects. As for your family…. well, let’s not even mention it. To put it bluntly, a big chunk of the cash flow keeping your son’s little gallery running is thanks to Xueyun Corporation’s profits.”
She shot Ren Xiude a look as if she were staring at a fly. “And then look at you—do you think you have anything over Mr. Zhou?”
“Mr. Ren, your confidence is truly something else.”
Ren Xiude’s face changed dramatically, unwilling to believe it. “Impossible! She doesn’t even have a husband. She lives alone in a tiny alley…”
Li Meiqi was speechless. “Mr. Ren, this is Yan City. Many of the long-established, prestigious families owned ancestral houses in so-called tiny alleys. Within a few years, you wouldn’t be able to buy yourself into such places, no matter how much money you have.”
“If your family wants to survive here, you’d better learn more.” She let out a cold laugh. “You think running a gallery makes you impressive? Even if you want to chase a girl, at least check the background of your target first.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Zhou may be divorced,” Li Meiqi continued, her tone tinged with envy, “but everyone knows it’s the Huo family’s fault. Mr. Zhou has never stopped loving her. They’re bound to get back together eventually. As for you? You’re not even fit to carry Mr. Zhou’s shoes.”
“Tsk tsk, ignorance and arrogance—what a dangerous mix!”
Seeing the pair go pale, Li Meiqi shook her head. “Forget it. Knowing all this now won’t do you any good. Mrs. Zhou may look gentle, but her background runs deep. You think Mr. Zhou is scary? Her younger brother, Young Master Ning, single-handedly took down key figures of both the Huo and Ning families in just six months. Dealing with your family would be easier than crushing an ant.”
“Consider this some friendly advice,” Li Meiqi said. “Leave Yan City of your own accord, before you get thrown out.”
The Ren mother and son turned ghostly pale.
…
When Ning Shaobai came home from work, he spotted Xia Mian peeking around the doorway. “What are you up to?” A smile tugged at his lips.
Xia Mian ran over excitedly, recounting what had happened that afternoon before leaning in conspiratorially. “Mr. Zhou was so cool today—he actually got into a fight.”
Xiao Feng added, “Auntie Ning fought too.”
Ning Shaobai looked slightly surprised, but when his gaze fell on Xia Mian, it didn’t seem entirely impossible. In the past two years, his sister’s once-gentle temperament had toughened considerably under this girl’s influence—though she still lacked any real fighting skill.
He was about to head toward Ning Shaoyun’s place when Xia Mian hurriedly grabbed his arm. “Sister Ning is tending to Mr. Zhou’s injuries right now. You should just stay out of it.”
Glancing at the hand on his arm, Ning Shaobai kept walking. “I’m a doctor. I can treat him better than my sister can—poor Mr. Zhou will recover faster.”
“What’s wrong with you, Dr. Ning?” Xia Mian grabbed him with both hands now, practically being dragged along. “You know they’re having a romantic moment right now. Are you doing this on purpose? Can’t stand to see them happy?”
Ning Shaobai gave a dry chuckle and said expressionlessly, “That’s right. I’m not happy—so why should he be?”
Xia Mian: “…”
She was starting to believe that, in his bitterness, Ning Shaobai really might sabotage the budding romance between Zhou Xuewen and Ning Shaoyun. With no choice, she threw all her strength into trying to drag him away.
The two of them tussled all the way to Ning Shaoyun’s gate. Just as Ning Shaobai was stepping over the threshold and his balance shifted, Xia Mian seized the moment and yanked hard.
However, she hadn’t expected him to suddenly let go of all resistance, causing her momentum to send her toppling backward.
“Careful!” Ning Shaobai quickly reached out and gave her a strong pull. Maybe it was the urgency, but his grip was so powerful that she collided straight into his chest, her nose stinging from the impact.
She cried out in pain before she could stop herself, and Ning Shaobai immediately tilted her chin up. “Let me see.”
By the time Xia Mian realized what was happening, his strikingly handsome face was already right in front of hers—so close that she could even feel the faint warmth of his breath.
She pushed against his chest to retreat, but his arm was still wrapped around her waist, holding her firmly in place. Ning Shaobai, seemingly oblivious, studied her nose with a serious expression.
And yet…
Beneath her palms was the firm, toned muscle she had secretly admired for a long time, along with the rapid thump-thump-thump beating against her hands.
Xia Mian: “???”
Author’s Note:
Ning Shaobai: “May as well take the chance to seduce her.”
Xia Mian: “Dr. Ning, you’re giving yourself away.”