Sheng Xia stared at Gu Cheng’an in astonishment, completely caught off guard by his move.
The flowers had already been sold, and the money was already in her account. Asking her to get them back would mean losing twenty million, and she wasn’t about to do something so foolish.
Sheng Xia tried to persuade Gu Cheng’an: “I’ve already sold the flowers. You don’t like them, and you don’t have time to take care of them anyway. Why not just let it go?”
“Those were my personal belongings. You had no right to sell them without my permission. I’ll only say this once—get those flowers back for me immediately!”
“Isn’t this going back on your word? What kind of person would that make me?” Sheng Xia muttered under her breath.
Gu Cheng’an’s icy glare made Sheng Xia swallow the rest of her complaints. Twenty million—she had no intention of going into debt just to give such an expensive gift to this heartless, ruthless man.
Frowning in thought, Sheng Xia finally came up with an idea: “How about this? You’ve given me plenty of birthday gifts too. As a gesture of reciprocity, I’ll return all those gifts to you. That way, we’ll be even, and you won’t need the flowers back.”
Gu Cheng’an raised his voice: “Li Shengxia!”
“Seriously, I’ll give all your gifts back! They’re worth several times more than that pot of flowers anyway. It’s not like you’re losing out, right?”
Gu Cheng’an was fuming: “Do you even know what you’re saying? Who asks for gifts back after giving them? I won’t take back the gifts I gave you, but you must return the one you gave me.”
“Hah! Stop pretending! Isn’t it written clearly in the marriage agreement? If I initiate a divorce, I have to return all the gifts, including the betrothal gifts. So what do those gifts have to do with me? Why should I go twenty million into debt just to give you a gift for free?”
“So, you want a divorce?” Gu Cheng’an asked with a smile, though the expression on his face was terrifying.
Sheng Xia shook her head: “Of course I don’t dare to divorce. I was just responding to what you said earlier. You claimed that once a gift is given, it belongs to the other person. If that’s the case, why would you take back the gifts, living expenses, and betrothal gifts you gave me? Those gifts and money were from you. What right do you have to take them back?”
“Have you forgotten the condition? I only take them back if you initiate a divorce. As long as you don’t bring up divorce or stir up trouble, those things will always be yours!”
“What kind of gift comes with conditions? I was foolish back then and signed that ridiculous contract without knowing any better. Now, I’m not willing anymore!”
Ignoring Gu Cheng’an’s murderous glare, Sheng Xia bravely finished her piece: “Take back the gifts you gave me, and I’ll take back the one I gave you. That way, we’ll be even, and I won’t be in debt if we ever divorce.”
Gu Cheng’an stared at Sheng Xia without blinking. She grew uneasy under his gaze and lowered her eyes to stare at her toes.
Gu Cheng’an felt like his chest was about to explode. In just a few minutes, Sheng Xia had mentioned divorce multiple times.
She wasn’t playing hard to get—she genuinely had the idea in mind. That was why she had started selling the flowers and was being so calculating.
The more Gu Cheng’an thought about it, the angrier he became. He forced himself to stay calm: “Li Shengxia, I don’t care what you’re trying to pull now. I’ll pretend I never heard what you just said. Right now, I have only one demand: get those flowers back for me immediately. Let me remind you—according to the marriage agreement, Party A can demand anything from Party B unconditionally. If you don’t comply, don’t blame me for what happens next.”Sheng Xia understood the subtext of Gu Cheng’an’s words—if she didn’t do as he demanded, she would have to return the over two billion yuan. Even if she sold herself, she couldn’t come up with that much money.
Fury surged through Sheng Xia, and she kicked the small side table beside her. The vase on it fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.
Gu Cheng’an hadn’t expected the usually obedient and compliant Sheng Xia to suddenly lose her temper. She glared at him fiercely, as if he were her enemy.
He hadn’t anticipated this expression from Sheng Xia. The gentle, soft-spoken woman who always listened to him without ever contradicting him seemed to have vanished.
Gu Cheng’an could see that Sheng Xia was furious, and a person in such a rage was capable of anything.
For the first time, Gu Cheng’an, who had never known fear, felt a flicker of it. He didn’t dwell on the reason, but he knew that letting the situation drag on wasn’t an option. So, he stood up and strode out of the room.
The heavy slam of the door echoed, and Sheng Xia collapsed weakly to the floor.
Her outburst had been driven by extreme anger, but the moment the vase shattered, she immediately regretted it.
That vase had been bought by Gu Cheng’an at an auction for several million yuan. Was she out of her mind?
Why had she even thought of kicking that vase? Sheng Xia had expected Gu Cheng’an to retaliate, but instead, he had left without a word.
Although Gu Cheng’an hadn’t punished her immediately, it didn’t mean the matter was over.
That despicable, shameless Gu had no affection for her whatsoever. How could she possibly dare to defy him?
The orchid had to be retrieved, and the twenty million yuan had to be returned.
Sheng Xia felt a pang of regret, but what stung the most was the humiliation.
Sitting on the living room sofa, she typed and deleted, deleted and typed, until she finally sent the message:
“Um, sorry, Mr. Shen! I’m really, really sorry, but I’m not selling the orchid anymore. I’ll return the money to you.”
A few seconds after sending the message, her phone rang. It was Shen Jingze. As soon as she answered, she said, “I’m sorry! Mr. Shen, I’m truly sorry! I know it’s wrong to go back on my word, but I really have my reasons!”
“I understand, it’s fine. I’ll return the orchid to you,” Shen Jingze replied, very accommodating.
Shen Jingze quickly returned the orchid, and Sheng Xia reluctantly handed back the twenty million yuan that she hadn’t even had time to warm in her hands.
Shen Jingze looked at Sheng Xia’s dejected expression and said, “If you’re short on money, you don’t have to return it right away. You can keep it for now and pay it back whenever you can.”
“No, thank you. Mr. Shen, this was my mistake. I’m truly sorry,” Sheng Xia apologized sincerely once more.
Shen Jingze told her not to worry about it, but how could Sheng Xia not dwell on it?
After seeing Shen Jingze off, she stared at the orchid, feeling utterly frustrated. Gritting her teeth, she sent a message to Gu Cheng’an: “I’ve already gotten the orchid back. Where should I put it?”
Gu Cheng’an hadn’t expected her to retrieve the flower so quickly. His previously irritable mood instantly improved, and he instructed Jing Ci:
“Doesn’t the young lady like that limited-edition bag? Order it immediately and have it delivered to her. Also, make a reservation for tonight. I’ll take her out for dinner.”
Jing Ci promptly went to handle the tasks, while Gu Cheng’an replied to Sheng Xia’s message: “Put it wherever you like.”
Sheng Xia read the message and felt her anger rising again. “This is your thing. Decide where to put it quickly. Let me make it clear—I won’t be taking care of this orchid for you anymore. Find someone else if you want.”Gu Cheng’an knew Sheng Xia was still upset and didn’t reply to the message. Based on his understanding of her, she would quickly calm down once she received the handbag she desired.
Since Gu Cheng’an didn’t respond, Sheng Xia had no choice but to move the flowers back to the new apartment first. She had urgent matters to attend to now.