(7 Fresh Coins) Chapter 10 (Part 2): The Unchanging Distance

Si Qiang silently opened the door and walked out, gently closing it behind her. He stood in the doorway for a few seconds, his calm expression gradually crumbling, revealing raw, painful pain on his beautiful face.

When they woke up, the distance between them remained unchanged.

Separated only by a door, yet it felt like thousands of mountains and rivers, completely cutting them off.

He tormented himself with these thoughts over and over, his nails digging deep into his palms. Suddenly, his phone rang, interrupting his reverie. He instinctively moved away from the doorway and answered the call.

“Calvin, are you free right now?” Antonio’s voice asked.

Si Qiang frowned reflexively: "What are you doing?"

“I have something I’d like to discuss with you. Would you do me the honor?” Antonio’s voice was surprisingly polite, without a trace of his usual rascal-like clinginess.

Having already figured it out, Si Qiang snorted coldly, "I know. Where is it?"

"Golden Poppy, I'm waiting for you."

An hour later, Si Qiang appeared at the entrance of Golden Poppy. It was a restaurant, and it was 11 a.m., the busiest time of day. Choosing a place like this to talk—this guy certainly had peculiar tastes. As the only son of a high-ranking Sicilian godfather, Antonio seemed to have an unusual obsession with a "commoner's" lifestyle.

Without even looking, Si Qiang saw Antonio sitting by the window as soon as he entered. Of course, he also immediately sensed the tense atmosphere in the air. He smiled coldly; this young master's life was certainly not cheap. These security personnel must be really working hard.

Si Qiang slowly walked to the window and sat down gracefully. Since they were discussing business, she naturally needed to maintain a proper demeanor to provide amusement for the other party.

From the moment Antonio saw him, his eyes never left his face. He stared intently at Si Qiang, his expression complex. This beautiful rose before him had taken root in his heart, and whether or not he could ultimately pull it out, it would be the most unbearable pain of his life.

Si Qiang lowered her eyes, her gaze sweeping over the man opposite her almost imperceptibly, her expression calm and undisturbed.

Antonio finally couldn't hold back any longer and asked in a deep voice, "Where is Iris?"

"Get to the point?" Si Qiang looked up at him, a slight smile playing on her lips. "I think you've asked the wrong person. I'm the one who got stood up on my wedding night... Maybe I should be asking you that?"

Antonio scoffed, "Calvin's got a good plan. But have you considered that my father might not let this go?"

Si Qiang spread her hands innocently: "As the biggest victim, I completely agree with the old man's idea. Of course, whether or not we can find it, the Yao family has lost face big time this time."

“Calvin, I just want to tell you that no one who tries to gain an advantage over my father has ever had a good ending.” Antonio’s expression became serious. “You’d better make sure my father never suspects you.”

At this point, Antonio couldn't help but curse himself inwardly, thinking how utterly despicable he had been. Knowing he'd been tricked by Si Qiang, he still went out of his way to warn her. From the moment the bride disappeared, he understood Si Qiang's purpose, and while he was seething with hatred, he also began to worry about his father's attitude.

In her father's eyes, Iris was merely an appendage in a family marriage arrangement. Now that she had suddenly escaped his control and brought shame upon the Francesco family, he would certainly not let her go. Of course, he also had no feelings for this sister. What he worried about was that if it was discovered that Si Qiang was involved in this matter, then another bloody storm would inevitably ensue.

He thought it over and over, but still wasn't comfortable with the situation, so he arranged to meet Si Qiang here. Her attitude was impeccable; if he didn't know her background, he could easily have been fooled.

Si Qiang was silent for a few seconds, her face gradually turning gloomy: "I don't understand what you mean. I think our conversation has completely fallen off track, and it's unlikely to ever fall off track. If that's all you want to say, then I'm sorry, I can't continue."

This man is far too difficult to deal with; Leander was right. Si Qiang began to feel annoyed, and her words naturally became sarcastic and pointed.

“I think you understand what I mean. Of course, I’m not doing this just for you.” Antonio gave a sarcastic smile. “And I don’t expect you to be grateful to me for it. Thanks to you, I get along quite well with your sister.”

Si Qiang was taken aback, wondering why he suddenly brought up Yao Jinghan. However, this had nothing to do with him anyway, so he replied indifferently, "Congratulations."

Antonio sat up straight, casually pulled a rose from the vase, and his tone became more relaxed: "Perhaps we can reach an agreement soon."

"An agreement?" Si Qiang had a bad feeling. Yao Jinghan had gone to great lengths to marry Antonio; surely she wouldn't...

*

I have something to do today, so only one update (please don't be offended).