Tired and restless, Li Qiqi didn’t sleep a wink all night.
When she came downstairs in the morning with dark circles under her eyes, Xu Nantian had already been waiting for her at the dining table for a long time.
The man was as upright as a pine tree, and his well-tailored dark suit outlined his slender figure perfectly.
His tie was a deep navy blue, complementing the color of his suit, and the collar was slightly open, revealing a casual elegance.
The sunlight fell on his shoulders, and the golden light imprinted on the frame of his glasses, adding to his inviolable noble temperament.
His left hand rested lightly on the edge of the table, his knuckles distinct, and his slender fingers occasionally caressed the texture of the tabletop.
Xu Nantian waited patiently for Li Qiqi to sit obediently and softly opposite him before speaking in a gentle tone.
“Still angry?”
Li Qiqi didn’t know which matter Xu Nantian was referring to, whether it was his engagement to Qiao Lina, going abroad without a word, or hitting her without explanation as soon as he came back.
In fact, she wasn’t angry about any of it. She just felt that Xu Nantian had changed, especially after what he had said to her last night after she fell asleep.
Every word revealed the man’s huge and vigorous ambition. He was not satisfied with a few simple nightclubs, nor would he be greedy for temporary romantic feelings.
Li Qiqi was born in Xia Country but grew up in Kenakin. She knew that if she wanted to survive here, she had to keep climbing up. Xu Nantian was not wrong.
He worked hard, striving for fame and profit, and asked her to wait for him. He never took Qiao Lina to heart. That woman was just a pawn in his palm.
Li Qiqi should be happy, but she couldn’t be.
Perhaps it was because, in her eyes, the world was dirty, but only love was pure and untainted, and should not be used as a bargaining chip for advancement and exploitation.
Thinking of the affectionate look in Xu Nantian’s eyes when he looked at Qiao Lina, the uncontrollable desire… all of which were deliberately disguised masks, Li Qiqi felt a chill.
This kind of Xu Nantian made her feel strange.
“I won’t be angry with Uncle.”
Li Qiqi shook her head and reached for a bowl of plain porridge. The emotion in her eyes was faint, not as lively and lovely as usual, which made Xu Nantian feel another burst of nameless fire.
At that moment, he would rather Li Qiqi overturn all the plates on the table, cry and make a fuss with him, and say that she didn’t like Qiao Lina and didn’t want to be engaged to Qiao Lina.
It’s a pity that the most worry-free and headache-inducing thing about Li Qiqi is that—
She is too good at pleasing and knows how to hide her emotions. She can quickly and accurately present herself as the other person likes in front of anyone, and say what the other person likes to hear.
This is Li Qiqi’s way of survival.
Xu Nantian took a napkin and carefully wiped his hands. He couldn’t rush. She would only be wronged for a few months. Now was not the time to coax her.
Di Di—
The phone on the table rang. Xu Nantian put down the napkin and looked down. It was Qiao Lina, asking him to go to the mall to choose a birthday gift for Fourth Master Qiao.
Xu Nantian looked at Li Qiqi.
“I have to go out. Don’t go to the club tonight. Stay at home obediently and don’t go anywhere.”
“I want to go to work,” Li Qiqi swallowed the porridge in her mouth and said seriously, “Uncle, the day after you went abroad, Miss Qiao came to me as the future hostess of Liyuan.”
Xu Nantian paused with his hand holding the phone, “So, she drove you away?”
“Yes.”
Li Qiqi nodded, waiting for the man to find out the truth. Xu Nantian didn’t disappoint her and frowned and questioned.
“Why are you only saying this now?”
Of course, it was because she didn’t want to ruin the relationship between Xu Nantian and Qiao Lina. Now that she knew Xu Nantian wasn’t serious, she had nothing to worry about.
Li Qiqi put down the spoon in her hand, raised her eyes to look at the man, her small face full of grievance.
“I just wanted to fulfill your happiness, but you were angry with me, fired Aunt Mei and the servants, hit me last night, and now you want to lock me up.”
Xu Nantian stared at Li Qiqi for three seconds and understood her true intention.
But if the servants were dismissed and rehired, it would inevitably lead to disloyalty. He couldn’t take the risk, so he didn’t let go.
“Aunt Mei is old and no longer suitable to stay in Liyuan. The compensation for her dismissal, plus the money she has earned over the years, is enough for her to live a carefree life. As for the others, they have their own places to go, so you don’t have to worry.”
Li Qiqi pouted and didn’t speak. Xu Nantian got up and sat next to her, using his right hand to scoop a spoonful of porridge and bring it to her lips, softening his voice.
“It was wrong of me to hit you. I apologize to you. Apart from this, you can have anything you want.”
Xu Nantian was suspicious and cautious. Aunt Mei couldn’t come back, Li Qiqi knew in her heart. She was waiting for Xu Nantian’s words, and she didn’t stand on ceremony with him, obediently enjoying the feeding while confirming with Xu Nantian.
“I can have anything I want?”
“Yes, anything.”
“Then you can’t lock me up. I want to go to the club to work and earn money to pay you back!”
Xu Nantian couldn’t help laughing, “Go to my club, earn my money, and then pay me back?”
“No,” Li Qiqi shamelessly helped Xu Nantian correct, “It’s to help you make money and be your cash cow. Miss Qiao is right, I can’t continue to rely on you after you get married.”
These words reminded Xu Nantian very well, and Xu Nantian also intended to find an excuse to appease Li Qiqi.
After feeding her half a bowl of porridge, Xu Nantian smiled lightly and followed Li Qiqi’s wishes.
“If you want to earn money to pay me back, you can, five million. If you earn this money for me, you can leave.”
“Five million?” Li Qiqi’s eyes lit up, and she lowered her head to calculate, “Five million Myanmar Kyats, can’t I earn it back in two months? Uncle…”
“I’m talking about US dollars.”
Xu Nantian looked down at Li Qiqi’s bright eyes and ruthlessly interrupted her fantasy.
“Five million US dollars, you can leave whenever you earn enough. But before that, you have to stay in Liyuan obediently!”
“Ah…”
Li Qiqi’s lips, which had just turned up for less than a second, suddenly drooped down. She lowered her eyebrows and pushed away Xu Nantian’s hand.
“I’m not eating! Five million US dollars, when will I earn it?”
“That’s your business, you figure it out yourself.”
Xu Nantian was in a good mood, put the spoon back in Li Qiqi’s hand, and motioned for her to eat by herself.
“I’m leaving first.”
“Uncle!” Li Qiqi raised her hand and grabbed the corner of Xu Nantian’s suit, “The people you locked in the prison yesterday, can you… let them go?”
Xu Nantian lowered his eyes and glanced back at her.
From the moment the girl entered the restaurant, she had made a total of three requests to him, one was rejected by him, one was set indefinitely, and this one was the simplest.
Xu Nantian looked at the bruise on Li Qiqi’s forehead, and her pitiful, aggrieved eyes that he would cry out immediately if he didn’t agree, narrowed his eyes and nodded.
“Okay, I’ll call Ba Tuo later. The key is in the study, first floor of Building A, go get it yourself.”
“Thank you, Uncle!”
With the goal achieved, the haze in Li Qiqi’s heart was swept away. She smiled so hard that her eyes curved into crescents, and her light brown pupils sparkled with crystal light, slowly spreading in Xu Nantian’s heart.
The man successfully captured the fleeting cunning in Li Qiqi’s eyes, but he didn’t expose it. His eyes followed the girl’s beautiful face down, scanning her beautiful and perfect figure.
Little fox… Xu Nantian’s throat was dry, and his lips began to heat up as if they were on fire.
He bit his back molars, resisted the urge to caress Li Qiqi’s cheek and be intimate with her, reached for the phone on the table, and sent a message to Qiao Lina.
“I’ll pick you up.”