Chapter 33 Steadfast

Xie Sheng arrived at the place Xiao Chengming had arranged as agreed.

This is a coffee shop with a rather old-fashioned decor and a simple sign hanging at the entrance; you might easily miss it if you're not paying attention. In contrast to the exterior, the interior is quite sophisticated, with wooden tables, chairs, and tall cabinets, a slow-moving mechanical grandfather clock, glass-patterned ceiling lights, and brown leather sofas covered with woven rugs, creating a natural sense of bygone era.

Xie Sheng had no idea that such a place existed in Bai County; it was secluded, inconspicuous, and quite suitable for conversation.

He turned around and immediately saw Xiao Chengming sitting by the window on the other side, drinking coffee and casually flipping through the menu, looking quite pleased with himself.

Xie Sheng sat down opposite him.

“Here I am,” he said.

Xie Sheng didn't want to beat around the bush and asked directly, "What do you want to talk about?"

Xiao Chengming smiled, thinking to himself that the brother and sister were exactly the same in this respect, always managing to disrupt each other's conversation plans with their directness.

Since that's the case, he didn't waste any more words. "Do you know much about Xiaxia? Do you know what she wants to do in the future?"

Xiao Chengming, as an outstanding lawyer, possesses keen observation skills and can always hit the nail on the head if he wants to. Actually, he could be more tactful; to him, Xie Sheng is just a child.

But he couldn't explain where the hostility and sense of threat welling up inside him came from, which made him very unhappy.

After all, there are very few people who can evoke these two feelings in him now, and Xie Sheng, what makes him evoke these feelings?

He was still smiling, but his posture had become somewhat aggressive. "Xiaxia likes art and design. If nothing unexpected happens, her life trajectory should be to return to S City after graduating from high school, go to university, and then prepare to study abroad. In her second year of university, she will go to Paris or Milan for further studies and continue to pursue her studies in her favorite field."

Therefore, she cannot stay here; it would be a complete waste for her.

Xie Sheng's expression was indifferent, his black eyes like deep pools, revealing no emotional fluctuations.

"But when I asked her which school she wanted to go to after she went back that day, she hesitated. She's always been a decisive child, and two months ago, she told me confidently that she would come back. I don't know what happened in between. You two siblings seem to be getting along very well now. I wonder if you can answer my question?"

When Xiao Chengming spoke, he leaned slightly forward, giving people a subtle sense of pressure through his body language.

But Xie Sheng didn't follow the script. He asked the question he wanted to know: "Why did you send her here in the first place?"

If it weren't for this matter, Xiao Chengming might have praised Xie Sheng's ability to grasp the key points.

He lowered his head and took a sip of coffee, pondering how much information would be most beneficial to release.

“Do you know how much property Pu Ming took when he divorced Xia Xia’s mother, and how much he left behind after he passed away?” He gave a cold laugh as he said this, “and in the end, how much of it ended up in your hands and your aunt’s hands… Xia Xia is here to take back what is rightfully hers.”

Xie Sheng remained silent for a long time. He knew that Pu Ming had left him something, but he was neither interested in nor concerned about what it was.

Did Puxia come for this reason?

“If she wants it, I can give her everything I have,” Xie Sheng said almost without hesitation. “Similarly, if she wants to stay, I won’t try to persuade her to leave. As for her wanting to study abroad in the future, I can send her there.”

......

The world is bustling with activity, all driven by profit;

The world is in turmoil, all driven by profit.

Xiao Chengming has fought countless lawsuits, and under the cold yet impartial law, human nature has been laid bare. This statement has been repeatedly verified in countless cases, almost becoming a kind of truth, etched into his understanding of everyone.

He felt that Pu Xia didn't want many things because she was still young and didn't understand much. But that was okay; he would consider everything carefully so that she wouldn't regret the decisions she made when she was young and naive.

What about Xie Sheng?

He was somewhat different from what he had imagined.

According to the information, he was nothing more than a petty hoodlum from a poor, remote area, with mediocre grades but a knack for fighting and causing trouble. Moreover, he was Pu Ming's son. The image of a local ruffian naturally fell upon Xie Sheng.

So how could he be indifferent to the property left by Pu Ming, or ignore the conditions he offered?

But when he told him about the properties, land, investments, corporate shares, and collections left behind by Pu Ming.

Xie Sheng simply smiled and asked, "Is Pu Ming willing to give up his humanity for these things?"

Things were spiraling out of control, and Xiao Chengming was extremely frustrated.

"You came out just to find a different place to smoke?" Pu Xia's voice pulled him back to reality. He paused, immediately extinguished his cigarette, and looked at Pu Xia.

Because of the mountain climb, the girl wore a white tracksuit, her silver-gray hair tied up high, revealing her exquisitely beautiful features that even the most skilled craftsman could not sculpt. Her usually quiet pupils shone brightly and vividly in the clear mountain sunlight.

The wind that swept through the mountains and valleys was both quiet and noisy, instantly dispelling Xiao Chengming's restlessness. For a moment, all Xiao Chengming could hear was his own heartbeat.

Perhaps it was the unease of impending loss that made him want to possess the girl before him more than ever before. The words he had originally intended to say, waiting until she graduated high school, were about to spill from his lips: "Xiaxia..."

“I have something to tell you,” Pu Xia suddenly said, interrupting him.

Then she gave a genuine, relieved smile. "I've thought it through. I'm afraid I'll disappoint my mother. I want to stay here and go to university in the provincial capital after graduation."

Things were spiraling out of control.

At that moment, Pu Xia and Xie Sheng's faces overlapped in Xiao Chengming's eyes.

He then realized that, more than their strikingly similar facial features, they shared a resolute expression, both pointing to a shared expectation.

Xiao Chengming tried hard to calm his turbulent emotions. "Your mother won't agree. Xiaxia, don't say things out of anger. I know you don't like this place, you don't belong here. I was wrong, I should have stopped this decision."

"Okay, let's go back to S City immediately. I'll handle everything from now on, so you don't need to worry about what anyone says."

He spoke quickly, and the composure on his face vanished. He took out his phone from his pocket, ready to contact his assistant to book tickets.

But then Pu Xia pressed down on his wrist.

"Xiao Chengming, I'm serious."

Looking at the girl's serious expression, Xiao Chengming felt unprecedented regret; he hadn't expected things to turn out this way.