Chapter 439 He Doesn't Owe You Anything
Miao Miao's face instantly drained of color, and she forgot to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes. "Miss Cui, what do you mean by that? I don't understand... I've never thought of you as a fool."
Cui Xiao walked slowly to the dressing table, picked up a gilded gold hairpin and played with it. The mirror reflected her cold profile. "Don't understand? Then tell me, how did you know me the day you came to find me? And how did you know where I work? With your current abilities, it's impossible for you to rely on others to investigate, but you managed to find me precisely through your own methods. This is not something a simple girl could do. And this banquet, dare you say you didn't deliberately come to bump into Zhou Mubin?"
Miao Miao's breath hitched, and she avoided looking at her. "It's just a coincidence."
"coincide?"
Cui Xiao put down her hairpin, turned around and looked directly at her, her gaze like a precise scalpel. "Just now downstairs, when you came over with the tray, your gaze fell on my and Zhou Mubin's clasped wrists three times, and the angle of your footsteps was just right so that the red wine would spill on the most conspicuous spot on my skirt. Was that also a coincidence?"
She paused, a hint of sarcasm in her voice, "Even the neckline of your uniform today, which is two centimeters lower than the other waiters', is that a coincidence?"
Every word struck Miao Miao's heart like a hammer blow. She finally couldn't hold back and took a half-step back, tears streaming down her cheeks, yet she still stubbornly insisted, "I didn't..."
Cui Xiao raised an eyebrow. "No? Or wasn't this outfit intentionally chosen to be worn for someone else?"
Cui Xiao stepped forward, looking down at her. "Do you think Zhou Mubin will treat you differently just because he sponsors you? Or do you think imitating me will distract him?"
Cui Xiao suddenly chuckled, "You overlooked one thing: Zhou Mubin hates being schemed against. He's helping you only because your face looks like mine."
“No.” Miao Miao suddenly raised her voice, her voice breaking with tears. “I admire Mr. Zhou, but I know I am not good enough for him. I came here just to ask him to continue supporting me. I really have never had any other presumptuous thoughts.”
Cui Xiao interrupted her, her tone turning colder, "Miss Miao, he doesn't owe you anything."
Having tasted the sweetness of getting something for nothing, they are no longer willing to suffer and endure hardship.
Cui Xiao picked up a tissue from the table and handed it to him, saying, "If you're really capable, then pursue him openly and honestly. Don't play these underhanded tricks."
Miao Miao took the tissue, her body trembling with sobs. But when she looked up, she caught a glimpse of a softening in Cui Xiao's eyes and quickly choked out, "Miss Cui, will you tell Mr. Zhou about our conversation today?"
Cui Xiao paused, looking at her like this, and said, "I won't tell Zhou Mubin about what happened today, but I don't want to see it happen again."
After that, Cui Xiao didn't linger and turned to leave the lounge.
Cui Xiao walked downstairs, and the guests in the banquet hall gradually gathered near the main stage. Cui Xiao's eyes swept across the crowd and saw Zhou Weicheng.
She planned to briefly meet Zhou Weicheng, then find an excuse to leave later.
Cui Xiao walked over. Zhou Weicheng was looking down at his phone. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and saw Cui Xiao. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He then stood up and gestured for her to sit down.
Zhou Weicheng instructed the waiter to refill a glass of lemonade. "Miss Cui is still so radiant and beautiful. No wonder my second son is so devoted to you."
Cui Xiao took the water glass, her fingertips touching the cool glass, and chuckled softly, "Mr. Zhou is joking. Attorney Zhou and I are just friends."
She controlled her expression. "President Zhou, President Hou sent me because he had something to ask you. He asked me to convey his regards to you."
Zhou Weicheng smiled and said, "President Hou is too kind. The cooperation with East Asia Group is far more perfect than I imagined."
"Just take those polite words in business with a grain of salt," Cui Xiao chimed in, "and it's all thanks to President Zhou for giving East Asia this opportunity."
Zhou Weicheng put down his phone, his gaze falling on her, and said sincerely, "Dongya Group is powerful, and Miss Cui is capable. Choosing you was the best decision I ever made. However, I would also like to talk to Miss Cui about our second child today."
Cui Xiao was slightly taken aback, and then heard Zhou Mubin continue, "That kid was spoiled by his family since he was a child, so he's a bit wild and doesn't know how to behave properly. He didn't do anything decent before. We all thought he was going to live a carefree life, but we didn't expect him to suddenly settle down."
"Miss Cui, I'm his brother. We grew up together, and I know him too well. I can see that his feelings for you are genuine, unlike his feelings for others. Every time we meet, the person he talks about most is you, not just recently, but ever since the day you came into his life."
Cui Xiao stirred the lemon slices in her glass, remaining noncommittal.
She knew Zhou Mubin's feelings, but eleven years of unrequited love made her never dare to try.
Zhou Weicheng saw through her thoughts and continued, "You used to be his assistant, so you should know that he has never cared about any woman like this before. A few days ago, when he was sick with a high fever, he kept calling your name. Knowing that you would be coming today, he specially learned to cook your favorite osmanthus sweet soup from the family chef and burned down the kitchen twice."
He paused, then added, "The osmanthus soup served at today's banquet was made by him at three in the morning."
Cui Xiao's fingers tightened slightly as she gripped the cup. No wonder Zhou Mubin was so insistent on letting her taste the sweet soup.
It turns out that Zhou Mubin made it by hand.
After a long pause, Cui Xiao raised her eyes, her gaze clear. "President Zhou, I understand what you mean. But what Zhou Mubin and I are ultimately a matter between the two of us."
Zhou Weicheng smiled upon hearing this, picked up his teacup and took a sip. "I know you're a girl with your own opinions, and there are some things I shouldn't say. I just don't want you to miss out on his true feelings because of what he did before. The law gives those who have made mistakes a chance to correct them, so it's somewhat unfair to sentence the second son to death like this."
——
Meanwhile, in the corridor on the other side of the banquet hall, Zhou Mubin was pacing back and forth anxiously.
He waited from the entrance of the upstairs lounge until the main stage lights came on, but Cui Xiao didn't come down. Just as he took out his phone to call her, he saw Miao Miao walk out of the stairwell with red eyes.
He strode forward, his gaze passing over Miaomiao and looking up the stairs, his voice filled with urgency, "Miaomiao? What are you doing here? Where's Cui Xiao?"
Miao Miao froze upon hearing the voice. When she looked up, her face still bore traces of tears. She sniffed and whispered, "I... I don't know where Miss Cui went... Miss Cui changed her clothes and went downstairs. I tidied up in the lounge before coming down."
She lowered her eyes, looking preoccupied.
Zhou Mubin frowned, took out his phone, and was about to dial a number.
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