Li Qiqi intentionally avoided Qi Xiaoye and didn’t go to work at the clubhouse. Coco at the front desk would send her messages every night.
A cute emoji, along with a photo of blue roses.
“Qiqi, it’s blue roses again tonight. I asked for you, Master Qi has ordered blue roses for you for half a year. If you don’t come again, my house will turn into a flower shop.”
Li Qiqi typed a reply, “Has he been to the clubhouse these days?”
“No, what kind of person is Master Qi? He’s usually mysterious and elusive. Sitting in his position, how would he have time to hang around a little girl like you every day?”
“Got it.”
Li Qiqi turned off her phone, took out the butterfly brooch from her dressing case, and looked at it carefully under the light.
The transparency and luster of the gemstone were top-notch, and there were some tiny light spots and reflections inside.
It was a pure natural sapphire.
Three hundred thousand US dollars, with this money, she was one step closer to five million. Li Qiqi was overjoyed, and quickly walked out with the brooch, planning to exchange the brooch directly for money.
As she stepped into the living room, she happened to see Xu Nantian coming home.
The man took off his suit jacket and threw it casually on the sofa. Annie, who had been waiting for a long time, came forward with a basin of water.
Xu Nantian washed his hands unhurriedly, his peripheral vision lightly glancing at Li Qiqi at the entrance of the corridor.
“Where are you going, hopping and skipping?”
Li Qiqi stopped and said, “Going to work.”
Xu Nantian snorted, “You haven’t gone for a few days, and you want to go as soon as I come back, are you avoiding me?”
That was really a misunderstanding… Li Qiqi pouted in dissatisfaction, took a few steps to Xu Nantian, tilted her head and playfully shrugged her nose at him.
“Uncle’s whereabouts are uncertain. You said you were going out, but you’ve been gone for three days. I don’t know where you went or what you did these three days, and I don’t know when you’ll be back. Who’s avoiding who?”
Xu Nantian wiped the water stains on his hands with a white towel, turned his face to signal Annie to go down, and raised his right hand slightly, pinching Li Qiqi’s cheek not too hard.
“Are you jealous?”
Li Qiqi’s cheeks burned, and she pushed away Xu Nantian’s arm uncomfortably, stammering in response.
“I, why would I be jealous? Uncle and Miss Qiao are so close, I’m blessing you!”
“Insincere…” Xu Nantian chuckled.
Li Qiqi didn’t hear clearly and leaned forward, “Uncle, what did you say just now?”
“I said…”
Xu Nantian was in a good mood, deliberately slowing down his tone, bending over to approach Li Qiqi, his dark eyes twinkling slightly under the golden frame.
For some reason, the closer his relationship with Qiao Lina became, the stronger his sense of capture of Li Qiqi became.
Every time that woman lay under him, coquettishly acting cute with him, he would involuntarily substitute Li Qiqi’s face, imagining the girl’s appearance when her emotions were high.
Her eyes would be flowing, her cheeks would be flushed, the corners of her eyes would be stained with water, and her slightly open mouth would call his name again and again.
Maybe she would… cry.
Li Qiqi was beautiful when she cried, even more beautiful than when she smiled. Tears would stain the tips of her long eyelashes, falling rustlingly, like delicate water lilies, like broken mutton fat jade.
Her eyes were sparkling and moving.
Xu Nantian liked it, liked it so much that he couldn’t wait to hold her in his arms and crush her, but he rarely made her cry, he would feel sorry for her.
The two got closer and closer, and Xu Nantian’s voice became deep and hoarse.
“Don’t go to work tonight, stay with me.”
Li Qiqi refused without thinking, “I’ve already made an appointment with Coco, we’re going to go shopping on Xiyou Street after work. Uncle, tomorrow is Fourth Master Qiao’s birthday, you should rest early.”
Li Qiqi was about to leave after speaking, but Xu Nantian quickly raised his hand and grabbed her.
“Hiss—”
The man held her hand with too much force, and the brooch pierced Li Qiqi’s tender flesh in her palm, causing her to frown and groan.
“What is this?”
Xu Nantian opened Li Qiqi’s tightly clenched fingers one by one, saw the sapphire brooch lying in her hand, his eyes flickered slightly, and the corners of his mouth also drooped down.
“Where did this brooch come from?”
He held Li Qiqi’s cold hand, his fingers wanting to touch the brilliant light but not touching it, his tone carrying an imperceptible dangerous hostility.
“It was, a guest gave it to me…”
Before Li Qiqi could finish speaking, Xu Nantian’s face was already as dark as ink.
He gently stroked the brooch, and the coolness under his fingertips seemed to be able to penetrate the skin and reach the bottom of his heart.
“A guest gave it to you? You usually have difficulty selling wine, what kind of guest is so generous that they are willing to give you even a pure natural sapphire?”
The man’s voice was low, with an undeniable sense of oppression, causing Li Qiqi to involuntarily take half a step back. She didn’t know how to respond for a moment, and only tremblingly called out “Uncle”.
Xu Nantian sneered, pressing closer step by step, until he forced Li Qiqi to the corner, raised his right hand, and tore off the fabric on her left shoulder with a “tear”.
Then he pinched her small hand and compared the brooch in her hand with the butterfly tattoo on her collarbone.
Exactly the same!
Xu Nantian had difficulty breathing, and countless possibilities flashed through his mind. The man who sent the brooch not only saw her tattoo, but even… had touched her.
So she had to go to work no matter what, was it to go on a date with that wild man?
“Li Qiqi!”
Xu Nantian would call Li Qiqi’s full name when he was angry, scaring Li Qiqi to tremble reflexively.
She raised her eyes in fear, watching Xu Nantian’s clear and self-possessed eyes turn red little by little.
The man leaned over and approached her ear, his hot breath carrying a dangerous and possessive desire.
“Tell me, who is he?”
Li Qiqi didn’t dare to hide it and answered in a low voice.
“It’s… Qi Xiaoye.”
Xu Nantian laughed in anger.
“Li Qiqi, I’ve taught you so many times, you have to use your brain when you lie. I would believe you if you told me it was Qiao Xiao. But you said it was Qi Xiaoye! He’s famous for not being interested in women, how could he take a fancy to you?”
What not interested in women? That man was obviously horny! Li Qiqi pursed her lips, she had never seen such a horny man, kissing and smelling her…
Noticing that Li Qiqi was distracted, Xu Nantian’s face became even more ugly, and he used force with his right hand, the sharp end of the brooch directly piercing the tender flesh of Li Qiqi’s palm.
“Ah!” A scream cut through the eardrums.
But this time Xu Nantian didn’t let go, but instead increased the force, and fresh blood slowly overflowed from Li Qiqi’s palm, staining the brooch red.
With a “drip” sound, it fell on the floor.
Xu Nantian stared indifferently, without the slightest bit of softheartedness, but instead became more and more resentful.
Disobedient children should be punished, so that she can’t run out to seduce others while wearing a mask.
“It hurts, it hurts, Uncle… it hurts!!”
Li Qiqi only felt that her bones were about to be pierced, and she cried out directly in pain, not daring to hide anything, and told Xu Nantian everything.
“I didn’t lie, it’s Qi Xiaoye! He sent the brooch, he wants me to be his woman, but I didn’t agree, I didn’t agree to him, Uncle… I just wanted to exchange the brooch for money, a total of three hundred thousand US dollars, I will give it all to you, don’t be angry…”
Li Qiqi cried with a trembling voice, every word was sincere, and Xu Nantian slightly loosened his hand.
The brooch stained with blood left Li Qiqi’s palm and fell to the ground with a “ding” sound.
Xu Nantian was silent for a long time with a heavy gaze.
The air was stagnant and terribly dull. Xu Nantian didn’t speak, and Li Qiqi didn’t dare to speak either.
She felt that she had probably underestimated Xu Nantian’s ruthlessness and violence, and it was at this moment that she truly realized Xu Nantian’s terror.
None of the men who could gain a foothold in Kenakin were vegetarians, but in recent years, she had been lost in Xu Nantian’s gentle appearance and refused to admit it.
“I’m sorry, Uncle.”
Li Qiqi didn’t know why she was apologizing, but letting Xu Nantian be angry would only be to her disadvantage.
Sure enough, the man’s angry eyebrows finally eased a little. He took Li Qiqi’s hand, held her bloody palm, and led her to the room on the second floor.
“With Qi Xiaoye’s arrogant and arrogant nature, he will collapse sooner or later if he stays in Kenakin, you stay away from him.”
Li Qiqi nodded obediently, and Xu Nantian continued:
“Since it was the brooch he gave you, you can’t exchange it for money. Whoever dares to cash it for you will lose their head. You keep it well, this brooch…”
Xu Nantian paused for a moment.
His fingertips gently slid across the girl’s palm, touching the warm and smooth blood on it, and a subtle flash of cunning flashed in his eyes, his smile sinister.
“Later, it will be of great use.”
“Okay.”