Chapter 363 Don't be nervous, relax

Sheng Tingxiao gave Lin's mother a brief greeting, polite yet distant.

He made an excuse, saying he had something to do at the company, and left.

The man's tall figure disappeared at the end of the corridor before Lin's mother turned her gaze back to Lin Xiaoli.

The two sat in the garden pavilion. The afternoon breeze carried a hint of warmth, but it couldn't dispel the worry on Lin's mother's face.

"Why are you in the hospital again?"

Lin's mother's voice carried a hint of reproach, but even more so, it was filled with heartache.

"If I hadn't caught you, were you planning to keep it from me forever?"

Lin Xiaoli quickly grasped her hand; her palm was warm.

"Mom, don't worry, my arm just hurts a little, it's nothing."

She gave a bright smile, trying to lighten the mood.

"Look, I'm all better now, and I can move around freely."

As she spoke, she raised her injured arm.

"Ouch!" Startled, Lin's mother quickly grabbed her hand, her brows furrowing even more. "Alright, alright, stop shaking it, or it'll hurt again."

She gazed at her daughter's face, then suddenly changed the subject.

"Xiao Li, does that President Sheng like you?"

This question came too suddenly.

Lin Xiaoli's heart skipped a beat, her lips moved, but she couldn't utter a single word.

Looking at her like this, Lin's mother already understood seven or eight parts of the situation.

She sighed.

"President Sheng is a very good person. He has helped my daughter and me a lot during this time. Mom will remember it all."

"But you must keep your distance from him."

"Those wealthy and powerful families are beyond the reach of ordinary families like ours."

Every word that Lin's mother spoke was uttered with extraordinary weight.

"If you dive in headfirst now, you'll only suffer in the future."

Lin Xiaoli listened to her mother's earnest advice and remained silent for a long time.

She slowly raised her head and looked intently into her mother's eyes.

"Mom, don't families like ours deserve our own happiness?"

Lin's mother was taken aback by her question.

Seeing her daughter's reddened eyes and her unwillingness, she understood everything.

"You like him, don't you?"

Lin Xiaoli choked up.

She nodded heavily, her eyes instantly reddening.

Seeing her daughter like this, Lin's mother's heart ached.

She sighed again, her tone softening.

"Love that is not blessed by family members will not be happy."

“Silly child, think about it. If his family really valued you and didn’t look down on us, then the people standing here talking to me today should be his family members, not just him alone.”

Lin Xiaoli's heart sank.

She recalled Chairman Sheng's two weighty words.

The road ahead is indeed difficult.

Her eyes welled up with tears, and she blinked hard.

"I understand, Mom." She sniffed and forced a smile. "Don't worry."

Lin Xiaoli stood up and helped her mother slowly walk back to the ward.

My heart is filled with sorrow again.

The top-floor office of Shengshi Group.

Sheng Chengjun looked at the tall, straight figure in front of the floor-to-ceiling window and spoke.

"Miss Si will be coming over tonight. I've booked a private room. You can meet her there."

Sheng Tingxiao turned around, his handsome face expressionless.

"I won't see you." His voice was cold and his attitude resolute. "I will not marry anyone but Lin Xiaoli."

Sheng Chengjun snorted and took a step back.

"If you can convince her to give up on this marriage, I'll leave it to you."

A cold glint flashed in Sheng Tingxiao's eyes.

"Can."

"I will arrange to meet her privately."

After saying that, he strode away from the office.

Evening, at the entrance of Club No. 9.

As soon as Mu Jin parked the car, his gaze was drawn to a figure not far away.

A woman leaned against a maroon limited-edition Ferrari, a slender cigarette between her fingers, smoke swirling around her.

She was wearing a sexy black fitted mini-skirt, her legs were long and straight, and they were dazzlingly white in the night.

It was an extremely eye-catching sight.

Mu Jin had always been only interested in innocent female college students, but he never expected that a mature woman like this could also make his heart skip a beat.

He shook a cigarette out of the pack, put it between his lips, and walked over.

"Hey beautiful, can I borrow a light?"

Si Nuan raised her eyes and glanced at him lazily.

Well, her figure and appearance are both alright.

She parted her red lips slightly and exhaled a smoke ring. "I'm not interested in men younger than me."

Mu Jin chuckled softly.

That's interesting; we've met our match.

"How do you know I'm small when you haven't even checked the goods?"

He took a step closer and lowered his voice.

"Maybe there's a surprise."

Si Nuan's eyes deepened.

Judging from his tone, he seems to be a player.

Mu Jin took the opportunity to take out her phone and said, "Add me, let's be friends."

Si Nuan raised her chin slightly towards a spot not far away, glancing at a pretty girl who had just walked out of the clubhouse.

"Find out what color underwear that beautiful woman is wearing in one minute."

"I found out, I'll add you."

"It's a deal." Mu Jin smiled, turned around, and walked towards the girl.

Forty seconds later, he returned with his phone.

"red."

He proactively showed his QR code.

Si Nuan took out her phone and scanned the code.

She threw the cigarette in her hand on the ground and stubbed it out with the tip of her high heel.

Her eyes darkened as she stared at him, her words carrying a threat.

“If she wasn’t wearing red, you would be wearing red tomorrow.”

After saying that, she turned and walked into the club, the curve of her waist swaying alluringly.

Mu Jin stared at her retreating figure, his Adam's apple bobbing.

Oh shit.

Suddenly I felt it.

My heart was beating very fast.

Could it be that his destined love is finally about to arrive?

His phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket. He looked away and answered the call.

Si Nuan entered the 888 private room on time.

Sheng Tingxiao looked at this woman who was too flamboyantly beautiful and got straight to the point.

“Miss Si, I have someone I love, and I will not marry into the Si family.”

Si Nuan smiled, sat down, and poured herself a glass of wine.

Her tone was as indifferent as the wind.

"What can we do? I've also fallen for Young Master Sheng's deep affection."

"Marry me, and I can expand Sheng's business overseas to forty countries. You'll be able to do whatever you want in the business world."

Sheng Tingxiao also laughed, with a hint of mockery.

"What misconception did I give Miss Si? Did she think that I, Sheng Tingxiao, need to exchange my marriage for money?"

Si Nuan picked up her wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.

"I admire Mr. Sheng's confidence."

She put down the cup, and her eyes changed.

"But if I don't give in, do you think you can marry that Miss Lin? Your father is much more considerate of the bigger picture than you are."

"Threatening me?" Sheng Tingxiao's face darkened instantly.

Si Nuan leaned forward slightly.

“At the last press conference, you tricked me, and I’m very unhappy.”

"My grandmother's birthday banquet is in two weeks. I want Young Master Sheng to propose to me in public."

"Then, I will reject you on the spot."

"Now that I have the leverage, I will naturally grant your and Miss Lin your wish."

"Impossible." Sheng Tingxiao rejected her without even thinking.

Don't make a decision so quickly.

Si Nuan poured herself another glass of wine, clinked it against his glass, and drank it all in one gulp.

"You still have time to think it over."

After saying that, she got up and left, her back view crisp and clean, without any hesitation.

Mu Jin hung up the phone and was about to go inside when she saw that beautiful figure coming out again.

He instinctively chased after him.

She walked to the car, opened the door, and brought the girl he had questioned into the car.

She leaned over and personally helped the girl fasten her seatbelt.

The two stood very close together, their posture quite ambiguous.

Mu Jin paused in his steps.

Could she be...?

He suddenly felt the whole world go dark.

Three days later, Lin Xiaoli was finally able to be discharged from the hospital, and Sheng Tingxiao took her back to Golden Bay.

He settled her on the sofa in the living room and then went into the kitchen.

Lin Xiaoli watched the man's tall figure busy in the kitchen.

He was wearing a simple white shirt, with the sleeves casually rolled up to his elbows, revealing his muscular forearms.

He was actually making dinner for her.

He is really good.

It was so good that she felt it was all unreal.

Lin Xiaoli watched quietly as he skillfully chopped vegetables and turned on the stove, her eyes gradually welling up with tears.

A short while later, Sheng Tingxiao came out carrying a steaming bowl of meat porridge.

Two delicate side dishes followed behind.

He led her to the dining table, "Try it, see if it's good."

Lin Xiaoli tasted a couple of bites of the dish and thought it was really good.

Sheng Tingxiao gently stirred the porridge in the bowl with a spoon, blew on it, and fed it to her.

"Xiao Li, let's get our marriage certificate tomorrow."

His tone wasn't one of negotiation, but rather one of coaxing.

Lin Xiaoli's heart skipped a beat again; she thought he had forgotten about it.

"No matter what others say, I want to marry you."

He looked intently into her eyes.

“We have children, we have feelings for each other, I just want to give you a home, a home that belongs to us.”

She lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes concealing the emotions within them.

After a long while, she finally mustered the courage to ask a question.

"Sheng Tingxiao, do you still like Nian Nian?"

The air was quiet for a moment.

Sheng Tingxiao was taken aback for a moment, then explained.

"Before I met you, she was truly the only one in my heart. I thought she was an indispensable part of my life, the one I had chosen."

"It wasn't until I met you that I realized that the feeling was different."

His hand gently covered the back of her hand, and a warm touch came through.

"Your indomitable spirit and your little whims constantly affect my mood, making me want to keep you by my side."

"I get angry when I see you being bullied. I feel heartbroken when I see you cry."

He paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately.

"I discovered that this is love."

Lin Xiaoli's eyes turned completely red, and tears quickly welled up.

She sniffed, her voice thick with emotion, and asked him, "When did you... start liking me?"

"It was probably the first time I saw you being bullied."

"It was probably when you carelessly barged into my room."

"It could also be the moment you bring the soup to your mother."

"Or when you bite me in a fit of anger."

His thumb gently stroked the back of her hand, his eyes filled with a deep affection she couldn't understand.

"Every moment of you makes me swoon and I'm captivated by you."

Lin Xiaoli finally couldn't hold back anymore.

Tears streamed down her face, but she smiled.

Her eyes were glistening with tears, and the corners of her mouth couldn't hide the smile.

He watched her laughing and crying at the same time, his Adam's apple bobbing.

The next second, he suddenly bent down and scooped her up from the chair in his arms.

Lin Xiaoli exclaimed in surprise and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.

She was afraid of hurting the child, but he reassured her that he would be careful.

Finally, he had her again.

...

The next day, when she woke up, Sheng Tingxiao had already gone to the company.

The scene from yesterday flashed through her mind, and her face flushed again.

She put on comfortable loungewear and stepped out of her room, where she saw insulated containers in the dining room containing delicate breakfast items.

She picked up a pastry, took a bite, and found it incredibly sweet.

The doorbell suddenly rang.

She reached out to open the door, and the sight of an old, ferocious face before her made her pupils shrink in fright.

The snack in his hand fell directly to the ground...