Chapter 30 Xiao Chengming
Pu Xia looked at Xiao Chengming. Although only about two months had passed since their last meeting, she felt as if a lifetime had passed.
The man was tall and handsome, dressed in a casual suit with sunglasses clipped to his collar, revealing his well-defined collarbone and the outline of his chest muscles honed through long-term exercise.
His hair was neatly combed back, revealing his superior facial features. He leaned comfortably against the Range Rover that had arrived, letting Pu Xia sized him up.
Pu Xia had known him since she was very young. He had always been like this: outstanding appearance, the natural confidence of a successful person. But she had never felt such a strong sense of incongruity.
"Why are you staring at me like that? You don't recognize me after just a few months?" Xiao Chengming asked with a smile.
"Didn't you say you didn't need to come?"
"I'm just worried about you. After all, you're our pampered little princess."
Pu Xia snorted, unconvinced by Xiao Chengming's words, "You don't need to use the same tactics you use on my mother on me."
"Still all prickly, little Puxia. Are you blaming me for not getting custody of you from your mother?" Xiao Chengming took another step closer to Puxia and reached out to rub her head. "Silly child, you don't understand now, but you'll thank me later."
Pu Xia took a step back, trying to dodge, but a figure moved even faster, blocking their way and swatting away the hand that was about to fall.
Even faster than recognizing his face was recognizing his aura.
That clean, unartificial, natural scent emanating from Xie Sheng's body.
Pu Xia felt relieved and unconsciously grabbed the back of his shirt. Xie Sheng reached back and patted her arm.
Seeing the interaction between the two, especially Pu Xia's subconscious dependence, Xiao Chengming narrowed his long phoenix eyes and looked unfriendly at the person who suddenly appeared and stood between them.
Upon seeing her face, I was somewhat surprised.
This place can produce people like this, and they even look somewhat familiar.
Upon closer inspection, he remembered. He had seen the photos before; it was Xie Sheng, Pu Ming's illegitimate son.
How could Pu Xia have such a good relationship with this person?
Xiao Chengming didn't quite understand, and was also somewhat displeased. He didn't like the changes happening around Pu Xia.
But he didn't show anything on his face, and asked with a smile, "You must be Xie Sheng? It seems that you and your sister get along well."
Xie Sheng looked at the man in front of him with a gentle smile, but Xie Sheng's almost beastly intuition saw through his disguise, and the hostility that surged up instinctively was released without any disguise. "Isn't this just as it should be? And who are you? Don't you know that it's improper to give and receive?"
"I watched Xiaxia grow up. According to what you're saying, we probably haven't been clear about things for a long time."
We're all men, who can't see through Xiao Chengming's intentions?
Xie Sheng sneered, thinking to himself, "What's with the act of pretending to be a big shot?"
One is sharp and outspoken, the other is a wolf in sheep's clothing.
The two, who were at odds from their very first meeting, had a terrible impression of each other.
Forget about Xie Sheng, Pu Xia was even more surprised by Xiao Chengming's attitude. He had never shown such obvious emotions when he encountered even the most difficult opponents in court. She took the initiative to introduce him to Xie Sheng.
"Brother, this is Xiao Chengming. He has a very good relationship with my mother and is also the boss of the firm that her company has been cooperating with for a long time, so our family has a lot of contact."
As astute as Xiao Chengming was, he immediately understood that Pu Xia was trying to distance himself from the relationship, and the smile on his lips faded considerably.
All he wanted to do now was get rid of the annoying Xie Sheng and have a good talk with the girl he hadn't seen for months who was about to fly away. "Xiaxia, I've been driving for quite a while and I'm a little hungry now. Are there any good places to eat around here? Can you show me the way?"
Xie Sheng scoffed after hearing this. Normally, if he wanted to follow, he could just do it, and no one could do anything about it.
But then he remembered what Haozi had said that afternoon; he couldn't keep thinking about himself.
"I'm going back now."
He took the initiative to speak, avoiding putting Pu Xia in a difficult position. Then he lowered his eyes, stretched out his slender fingers and pressed them on Pu Xia's brow, smoothing out the furrowed brow. He softened his voice and said, "Go eat, and go back to your dorm to rest early after you finish eating."
Pu Xia blinked, Xie Sheng's reaction was a little unexpected, "Then you..."
“I have plans with Haozi and the others,” Xie Sheng said, hanging the cake he had just bought on her wrist. “I’ll just come back to give you some snacks. Go on your way, and come back soon.”
After saying that, he turned and left decisively, his tall figure quickly disappearing into the darkness, his outline gradually fading away.
"Alright, stop looking. Your eyes are practically glued to me." Xiao Chengming was furious when he saw Pu Xia's obvious dependence and reluctance to part.
Aside from a few rare occasions when she was in elementary school, he had never seen her like this before.
For so many years, he believed that no one, except her mother, could be closer to her than himself. But after only two months apart, all the trust and reliance he had longed for over the years had been poured into another person.
How could I not be angry?
That's why he was able to maintain his composure and only ask one question: "What's going on between you and him?"
When Pu Xia turned around, all her excess emotions had been suppressed, and she said calmly and distantly, "Weren't you going to find a place to eat? Let's go."
Xiao Chengming finally couldn't help but frown, but he knew this wasn't the place to talk, so he suppressed his doubts and annoyance and drove to the restaurant.
...
Pu Xia directed Xiao Chengming to a mala tang (spicy hot pot) restaurant near the department store.
The shop was very busy at the time, so they had to sit at the extra small tables and chairs.
Looking at Xiao Chengming, who was tall and burly and dressed in a casual outfit that could buy the entire shop, he stared at the small stool, as if considering whether to sit down.
Pu Xia was inexplicably amused by his words.
Seeing the girl's smile, Xiao Chengming's previously tense facial features softened. He stopped worrying about anything, pulled up his cigarette pants, and sat down.
"Xiaxia, are you deliberately messing with me?"
"No, I just thought you wouldn't like eating at a Western restaurant that only serves well-done and over-done steaks."
"So you brought me here?" Xiao Chengming looked up at the plastic canopy supported by a few bamboo poles, somewhat worried that the white plastic sheet above his head might fall down at any moment.
“I didn’t expect you to be so uncomfortable,” Pu Xia said, his dark, bright cat eyes full of a teasing smile.
Xiao Chengming's gaze returned to Pu Xia, and he said meaningfully, "I didn't expect you to adapt so well."
Pu Xia's smile faded as she met his probing gaze. "What are you trying to say?"
Seeing Pu Xia quickly revert to a defensive stance, Xiao Chengming paused, then changed the subject, "Xiaxia, which school in S City do you want to apply to?"
He asked the question casually, but his gaze was fixed on Pu Xia.
Pu Xia paused, avoided his gaze, looked down at the plastic sheet spread on the table, and remained silent.
Seeing her reaction, Xiao Chengming's heart sank to the bottom.
The most unlikely, and the one he least wanted to see, happened—Pu Xia didn't want to go back.
He could no longer maintain his composure. He couldn't help but take out a cigarette case from inside his coat, light a cigarette, take a puff, and then said, "Your mother knows I came to see you this time. She asked me to tell you that she hopes you can go to the Department of Economics and Management at S University."
Pu Xia gripped the tablecloth tightly.
“Xiaxia, it’s not that your mother doesn’t care about you, she has her own difficulties,” Xiao Chengming’s deep voice reached her ears through the thin smoke, with a power that made people believe him involuntarily. “I heard her tell Professor Zheng that you make her proud.”
These words struck her like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, leaving her completely bewildered and momentarily unable to speak or think.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, your food is ready, please enjoy!" A steaming bowl of hot and spicy tang was placed between the two of them, emitting an enticing aroma.
But Puxia had no appetite at all.
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