“Shutong, have you… have you recovered?” Xia Hongtao smiled awkwardly, showing no intention of getting up from the president’s seat.
“Yes,” Xia Shutong licked her lips. “During the time I was recuperating at home, I didn’t see Father coming to visit me.”
“Wasn’t Yuansi just at the hospital? I am getting older and my legs aren’t convenient. Can you understand that?” Xia Hongtao averted his gaze, no longer making eye contact with Xia Shutong.
Xia Hongtao had always been fearful of his daughter.
Xia Shutong resembled her mother too much.
She was exceptionally outstanding.
Moreover, both in appearance and personality, Xia Shutong is nothing like him.
When Xia Shutong first arrived home, she was just a cold, quiet little girl who didn’t like to talk much. However, after spending a year with Zhang Yirou, her temperament completely changed.
Later, after Zhang Yirou passed away, Xia Hongtao married his young lover and finally gained some dignity within the family.
However, Grandfather Xia had the intention of cultivating Xia Shutong. He took her to the ancestral home for a period of time, and when she returned, Xia Shutong’s character became even more terrifyingly wicked.
Even Xia Hongtao, as her father, couldn’t help but feel afraid.
Xia Shutong is like an emotionless monster, like a machine that only cares about work, like a crazy lunatic. She doesn’t feel fear, doesn’t care about familial ties, and doesn’t even care about her own well-being.
Even in this recent car accident, she only rested at home for less than a week before rushing back to the company.
That kind of smile… it’s like the perverse joy of a carnivorous animal enjoying the struggle of its prey before it dies, sending shivers down one’s spine.
Besides fear, Xia Hongtao has a strange and unclear sense of jealousy towards his own daughter.
Under the urging of Old Master Xia, Xia Hongtao worked hard for half his life and barely managed to control Tianjun. Unexpectedly, Xia Shutong effortlessly took the company from him and within three years, the development of Tianjun soared to new heights.
Xia Hongtao has always favored Xia Yuansi and wanted him to take control of the company, not because he values males over females, but because Xia Yuansi is too similar to him.
Equally incapable, equally weak, equally short-sighted. Of course, Xia Hongtao doesn’t think this way. In his mind, his son is just like him with “ambitions but nowhere to showcase talent.” He was once suppressed by Zhang Yirou, and now his son is being stepped on by Xia Shutong. Involuntarily, he hopes… it would be great if his son could replace Xia Shutong’s position.
Upon thinking about it, the fear in Xia Hongtao’s eyes subsided, replaced by a hint of anger.
Xia Shutong squinted her eyes and carefully observed Xia Hongtao’s expression.
Xia Hongtao looks very similar to Xia Yuansi, except for a few additional wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, which were clearly filled with anger at this moment.
However, Xia Shutong did not feel scared.
She recalled a day from her childhood when she accidentally witnessed two stray cats fighting.The weaker cat couldn’t defeat the other, so it had to retreat back into its owner’s yard, angrily meowing and provoking the other cat but not daring to step out of the yard.
The current Xia Hongtao was like that cat.
Helpless and furious.As a result, Xia Shutong’s expression became even more defiant. “Oh, father, it isn’t convenient for you to come to my house, but it is convenient to come to the company? And Father, haven’t you forgotten that I am now the CEO of Tianjun? Shouldn’t you step down from that position?”
“I’m not seriously ill, it’s alright,” Xia Shutong smiled lightly, neither heavy nor light. “On the other hand, Father, you have trouble with your legs and your mind isn’t as sharp due to old age. Don’t worry too much, it’s best for you to rest at home.”
After smoothly uttering these words, Xia Shutong calmly looked at Qian Lingling.
She was a little afraid that she might have overdone it, considering that insulting her biological father’s mental capacity was quite excessive, wasn’t it?
Qian Lingling blinked vacantly.
Just now, she almost thought that Xia Shutong’s memory had recovered.
Xia Shutong’s tone, movements, expressions, and even the words she spoke were no different from before. This couldn’t be achieved through “acting,” could it?
While Qian Lingling was in a daze, Xia Hongtao was trembling with anger, but he didn’t dare confront his daughter.
Xia Shutong instantly panicked. Could it be that she really said something wrong?
At this moment, a phone suddenly rang, breaking the sudden silence in the office.
Qian Lingling picked up the phone and said, “Hello?”
A few seconds later, she handed the phone to Xia Shutong with a strange expression and said, “President Xia, someone says they have an appointment with you today.”
“Who?” Xia Shutong looked up.
“…Yun Feiwu.”