Chapter 340 No Need for Your Responsibility

Gu Xingnian looked up and saw Sheng Tingxiao.

Her eyes lit up with surprise.

"Brother, what are you doing here?"

"You live here?" Sheng Tingxiao asked back, his gaze fixed on her.

"Yes, this building, the top floor." Gu Xingnian nodded, then looked at him curiously, "You... live here too?"

He curled the corner of his lips into a smile. "This one."

He turned his gaze to Lin Xiaoli beside him and added, "The assistant has nowhere to stay, so he'll stay here for the time being."

Gu Xingnian turned to Lin Xiaoli and smiled, "Ms. Lin, hello."

"Hello, Miss Gu."

Lin Xiaoli felt like a super-powerful light bulb, blindingly bright. What to do? She wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Gu Xingnian walked closer to Sheng Tingxiao, stood on tiptoe, and asked playfully.

"Tell me honestly, do you like her?"

"That depends on who that person is referring to."

He looked down at her, his gaze so focused he couldn't look away.

Suddenly, a dog barked, and a large dog, about half a person's height, charged towards them like a madman.

Gu Xingnian's face turned deathly pale instantly.

Lin Xiaoli was also shocked and her eyes widened.

"Don't be afraid." Sheng Tingxiao stretched out his long arm and picked Gu Xingnian up in his arms.

She only feels safe when her feet don't touch the ground.

"It's alright, don't be afraid, it can't bite you." His voice was deep and reassuring.

When the big dog couldn't pounce on anyone, it turned and charged at Lin Xiaoli.

Lin Xiaoli was so frightened that she retreated repeatedly, tripped, and fell backward into the flower bed. The milk tea she had just bought was poured straight down her chest, leaving her in a sorry state.

She struggled for a while in the soft, wet mud before she could barely manage to get up.

The moment she looked up, she saw Sheng Tingxiao carefully holding Gu Xingnian in his arms, gently comforting her.

Her heart sank heavily.

Lin Xiaoli didn't care about anything else, she got up and ran.

Country S.

Fu Beichen saw the video immediately.

He was so angry that he threw his phone in front of Bai Yu.

"Look for yourself!"

Bai Yu picked up the phone and reassured him, "Calm down, calm down, there's a dog here. Big brother is just protecting Xixi, he definitely has no other intentions."

"Protect?"

Fu Beichen was so angry that his face turned white.

"Right now, have Sheng Weiwei go and keep her company! She must be terrified. I'm worried about her being home alone tonight!"

Bai Yu quickly nodded, "Okay, I'll call Weiwei right away."

Fu Beichen lit a cigarette in frustration, the smoke billowing around him.

Sheng Tingxiao, how dare you hug her?

I'll never forgive you.

Imperial View No. 1.

Lin Xiaoli came out of the shower, her hair still dripping wet.

When she recalled what had just happened, she felt a tightness in her chest, a feeling she couldn't quite describe.

It seems he still really likes N-God.

Knock knock.

The knock on the door made her heart leap.

"Lin Xiaoli, are you alright?"

His deep voice came from outside the door.

He walked back downstairs and only then noticed her overturned milk tea cup in the flowerbed. His heart skipped a beat as he realized there was someone else there and wondered if she had been startled.

Lin Xiaoli leaned against the door and quickly answered.

"Thank you for your concern, Mr. Sheng. I'm fine and have fallen asleep."

She didn't open the door.

The next day at noon, Lin Xiaoli went to deliver an urgent document to a business partner.

As we were leaving, a torrential downpour suddenly began.

A cold wave swept in, and she stood under the eaves of a building to avoid the rain, shivering with cold. She looked down at her phone, but the app kept spinning and she couldn't find her car.

Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared in the rain.

Her eyes widened as the man slowly walked towards her.

"What, don't you recognize me?"

The handsome Zhou Yu, holding a large black umbrella, walked up to her.

Lin Xiaoli looked at him, her throat tightening, unable to utter a single word.

How could she not recognize him?

We were deskmates for six years during our school years, and then fell in love for two years in college.

If it weren't for Zhou's mother's interference, she might have become Mrs. Zhou long ago.

Would the situation be completely different today?

She still remembered that rainy night four years ago when he hugged her tightly and said, "Xiao Li, let's elope. I can give up everything in the Zhou family, but I can't give up you."

She was so excited that she cried, and she agreed to his proposal.

As a result, she didn't go that night, and he didn't wait for her; he was taken away by Zhou's mother.

How could she just leave like that? Her sick mother was still waiting for her in the hospital.

Later, she wrote him a very long letter, but she didn't know if he ever received it.

Youth is so pale and so powerless.

"I'm frozen stiff."

Zhou Yu's voice rang out again as he shoved the umbrella into her hand.

"Take it."

Lin Xiaoli, still holding the umbrella, was somewhat dazed.

Zhou Yu quickly took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders, then considerately pulled her collar tighter.

A black Maybach was parked silently on the side of the road.

Inside the car window, Sheng Tingxiao witnessed everything.

"Is that Xiaoli's boyfriend? He's quite handsome." Shen Sheng asked from the driver's seat. "President Sheng, the rain is too heavy. Let me go and pick up Xiaoli."

"drive."

He coldly uttered two words and pressed the button to roll up the car window.

Despite seeing the torrential rain outside, he had deliberately taken a detour to give her a ride.

It seems he went to unnecessary lengths.

The pink lace and the glaring, ambiguous red marks on it resurfaced in his mind.

A surge of irritability rushed to my head.

Before starting work in the afternoon, Lin Xiaoli entered the president's office on time.

As Shen Sheng walked towards her, he nudged her lightly with his elbow and spoke with a wink.

"Xiao Li, your boyfriend is quite handsome."

"The secrecy work is done quite well."

Lin Xiaoli was taken aback, then laughed, "What nonsense are you talking about? Where did you get a boyfriend?"

“I saw it all. The guy even put his clothes on you. It was so sweet.”

"Just an ordinary friend." Lin Xiaoli smiled.

They never crossed the line into intimacy, which is why they can meet so calmly now.

No one held a grudge against anyone.

That's life, isn't it? Who doesn't have regrets in their life?

However, she was overjoyed to see him again, considering it a reunion with an old friend.

In the afternoon, President Sheng held four meetings in quick succession.

Their work efficiency was outrageously high, but Shen Sheng and Lin Xiaoli were almost bursting with excitement.

As it was nearing the end of the workday, Sheng Tingxiao came out of his office and tapped her desk with his long, slender fingers.

"You can only leave after you've compiled the meeting minutes and sent them to me."

His voice was clear and crisp, carrying an unquestionable command.

Then, he placed another list on the table.

"Send out invitations according to this list; these are specially invited guests to attend the anniversary celebration."

"Yes." Lin Xiaoli nodded resignedly.

Fine, what can we do? We're just working people, treated like cattle.

She and Shen Sheng buried themselves in their work and continued to work hard, while Sheng Tingxiao had gone out to socialize and didn't bring anyone with him.

As night deepened, only the crisp sound of keyboards clicking filled the office.

Around 10 o'clock, Lin Xiaoli finally finished sending the last email. She stretched and then turned off her computer.

I only ate a dry piece of bread last night, and now my stomach feels incredibly empty.

She's been getting hungry a lot lately, and her appetite has visibly increased. I wonder if it's because she's been working too hard during the day.

She walked out of the brightly lit building and stood by the roadside to hail a taxi.

"Xiao Li."

A Cayenne slowly pulled up in front of her. Zhou Yu rolled down the window, leaned out, and called out to her.

Lin Xiaoli jogged over, her face showing surprise, "What are you doing here?"

"Didn't I text you? Saying I have to work overtime tonight and won't be able to go out for dinner?"

Zhou Yu got out of the car with a gentle smile on his face. "I know you're busy, so I'll change dinner to a late-night snack."

He gestured with his chin toward her.

"Grilled skewers, wanna go?"

Lin Xiaoli nodded immediately, opened the car door, and got in.

This was the most relaxing night she had had since arriving in Haicheng.

Amidst the lively atmosphere of the night market, two old friends ate grilled skewers and reminisced about the past.

Zhou Yu told her that he had received that letter from back then. Later, he married a woman arranged by his family and had a lovely daughter.

He handed me the phone; the screen showed a little girl with pigtails.

Looking at the photo, Lin Xiaoli said sincerely, "She's really beautiful; her eyes and nose look just like yours."

Zhou Yu put his phone away and looked at her intently.

"Xiao Li, I also hope you can be happy. Really."

Lin Xiaoli smiled, but her eyes stung a little.

"Zhou Yu, thank you, I will."

She smiled calmly, but her eyes couldn't help but redden.

Only she knows the hardships she has endured over the years.

Fortunately, she didn't choose to marry into the Zhou family.

Otherwise, that vampire-like father would definitely drag the Zhou family into the abyss as well.

He wouldn't have the stable career he has now, nor the happy family and lovely children.

Around 1 a.m., the sound of entering a password came from the front door.

Lin Xiaoli is back.

The room was dark, with only a few dim spotlights in the corners, outlining the vast space in a blurry way.

She had just changed her shoes when a cold male voice rang out without warning.

"Lin Xiaoli, you're only getting back now? Did you think this place was a hotel?"

Lin Xiaoli was startled, her heart skipped a beat.

She looked toward the sofa in the living room, following the sound, and quickly asked, "Mr. Sheng, you haven't rested yet?"

The dark figure on the sofa stood up and walked towards her step by step.

Sheng Tingxiao's tall figure, exuding a sense of oppression, stopped in front of her. He could smell a faint scent of alcohol on her, the smell of beer.

"Is it appropriate for you to go on a date with a man so late?"

He suppressed his anger, his questioning tone sounding like that of a parent disciplining their daughter who came home late.

"Don't you know what danger is?"

Lin Xiaoli was completely dumbfounded. How did he know?

"Mr. Sheng, I just ran into an old friend and had a late-night snack with him."

She subconsciously offered an explanation, adopting a humble stance.

"I'm all grown up now, I know the way home. I'm sorry for making you worry."

Who is that man?

He suddenly pressed on, revealing that this was his true purpose.

"Just an ordinary friend," Lin Xiaoli replied calmly, avoiding his gaze.

Sheng Tingxiao, however, refused to give up, "Ordinary friends?"

He took a step closer, his breath spraying onto her head.

"Would a regular friend date you until 1 a.m.? Lin Xiaoli, when did you learn to lie?"

Lin Xiaoli looked at him, and the slight apology she felt was completely washed away by his aggressive attitude, and a nameless anger rose up.

"President Sheng, it's after get off work hours now. Who I go on a date with is my personal freedom."

"Still talking back!"

"Since you live here, I am responsible for your safety."

Sheng Tingxiao stared coldly at her, reaching out to turn on the entryway light.

Lin Xiaoli was faster than him, suddenly pressing all the switches on the wall with a loud "snap".

The lights in the entire room instantly shone brightly, the glaring light causing discomfort to the eyes.

She faced the light, looked at his handsome face filled with anger, and said, word by word.

"Mr. Sheng, I will be moving out tomorrow."

"My safety is none of your responsibility."

How could she dare to make Young Master Sheng take responsibility?

Does she deserve it?

Sheng Tingxiao was stunned; he never expected her to say such a thing.

Lin Xiaoli didn't look at him again, turned around and went into her room, slamming the door shut, and never came out again.

The man stood frozen in place in the living room.

After a long while, he turned around in frustration, went to the balcony, and lit a cigarette.

The night wind blew against him, but he felt no coolness at all; only a surge of evil fire raged wildly in his chest.

What's wrong with him?

Why did I inexplicably keep waiting for her here?

After she arrived, why did she suddenly lose her temper for no reason?

Damn it!

The next day, Sheng Tingxiao woke up to find 2,000 yuan on the coffee table, with a piece of paper on top of it that read: "[Thank you for your hospitality these past few days, Mr. Sheng. This is the rent; we're even.]"

Neither of them owes the other anything?

His eyes were icy cold, but a fire immediately ignited within him...