16
In the restroom, two men faced off, the atmosphere tense.
"Mr. Xu, don't you think this is somewhat inappropriate?" Si Qiang said expressionlessly, his lower back pressed against the edge of the pool. Several minutes had passed since Xu Qi dragged him here, and the other man had simply leaned against the door, staring at him with a gloomy expression, without saying a word. He really didn't want to waste any more time like this, so he decided to break the silence.
Xu Qi almost gritted her teeth as she spoke: "Don't you think it's inappropriate for you to openly flirt with a man in this kind of setting?"
Si Qiang was stunned, his mind completely blank. After a few seconds of flirting with the man, he realized the other man had misunderstood something. He shrugged: "Mr. Xu, please forgive me for not understanding your meaning."
Xu Qi, convinced he was feigning ignorance, sneered, "Perhaps your father doesn't mind his son associating with men."
Si Qiang finally remembered that he had been thinking about Xu Qi. Antonio suddenly leaned close to him, and before he could react, the other man grabbed his neck. Just as he was about to lash out, Xu Qi dragged him here.
Could it be that Xu Qi misunderstood something? A normal person would never think that way just because two men are arm in arm. So, Xu Qi knows Antonio's thoughts. Moreover, he believes he and Antonio are dating. A surge of lust suddenly rose in Si Qiang's heart, and he desperately suppressed the urge to explode.
"Mr. Xu, I think you're being a bit too nosy. Whether I date men or not seems to be none of your business," he retorted angrily with a laugh.
Xu Qi's face paled, but he couldn't utter a rebuttal. He realized then that even if Qiangwei were still his subordinate, let alone now, he had no right to pry into her private affairs. Moreover, he had no reason to care who she was with in the first place. Back then, at the entrance of "MoonLight," watching Qiangwei walk in with that Italian man, he had been inexplicably enraged. At the time, he thought perhaps he was just struggling to accept the loss of a child he had watched grow up. He hadn't realized that from the moment Qiangwei left him, it felt like a piece of his heart was missing, and he simply couldn't accept this sense of loss.
Even today, he was stung by the other party's even more distant attitude than before, almost losing control and exploding on the spot. However, he had no reason to lash out, and could only use his remaining rationality to leave, diverting his attention by talking to Yao Yinxiang. When he finally succeeded in rejecting Yao Yinxiang's marriage proposal and decided to leave the Yao family, he was enraged by the intimate scene between Qiangwei and that man, and without thinking, dragged Qiangwei away from that man. He was truly abnormal. He could always remain calm, even when facing his brother's affairs, he would feel pain but would not lose his rationality. Only with Qiangwei, he always found it difficult to control himself, even losing his composure repeatedly. This time, he actually lost his composure in front of Qiangwei herself, and was mercilessly retaliated against, which made him angry and somewhat ashamed. But he couldn't find a way out—he shouldn't be in this predicament!
With his mind in complete disarray, Xu Qi was stunned, and the atmosphere became extremely awkward.
Fortunately, a knock came at the door, saving Xu Qi in time. He immediately came to his senses, quickly turned around, opened the door, and went out.
Antonio was nearly bumped into by Xu Qi, but thankfully he reacted quickly and sidestepped. He entered the restroom and saw Si Qiang leaning against the sink, staring blankly in his direction. His gaze sharpened, and he asked in a deep voice, "Are you alright?"
Si Qiang snapped out of her daze, and upon seeing him, her face immediately darkened: "What are you doing here?"
Antonio felt a pang in his heart at the coldness of her voice. He forced a smile and said, "I'm worried he'll treat you..." Si Qiang gave a sarcastic smile, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "What, worried I'll be eaten alive?" After their interactions, Antonio had learned that the more this beauty smiled, the worse her mood was. Not daring to provoke her further, he immediately raised his hands in surrender, backing away as he said, "OK, I apologize. I shouldn't have acted that way. Maybe you'll be willing to see me tomorrow. Bye."
He turned and fled the hall again, practically running away. He cursed inwardly, wondering what terrible luck he'd had today! First, he'd seized this rare opportunity to openly approach the beauty, only to be ambushed by Xu Qi. Just as he was feeling dejected, he was surrounded by a group of women and forced to flee. When he finally managed to find a chance to return, he ran right into a trap, and to avoid becoming cannon fodder for the beauty's wrath, he had to run away once more.
"Fine, I'll come back tomorrow!" He sighed and walked to the parking lot, only to unexpectedly see the culprit who had brought him so much trouble again. In the dim light, Xu Qi leaned against the car door, head down, smoking, the smoke obscuring his face.
Antonio paused for a few seconds, then a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He strode towards Xu Qi, raised his right hand, and waved: "Mr. Adam, we meet again."
Xu Qi looked up abruptly, and upon seeing him, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, but he calmly said, "Mr. Antonio, as a business partner, what can I do for you?" Although the Yao and Xu families wouldn't be linked by marriage, Yao Yinxiang stated that the previous cooperation agreement remained valid, meaning he had to continue working with Antonio—without Sicily, no drug deal was possible. Of course, personally, he absolutely didn't want to see Antonio again at this time. Therefore, despite knowing he shouldn't offend this godfather's son, he couldn't help but speak in such an almost sarcastic tone. He knew he was acting strangely again, but he couldn't suppress his disgust for this man.
"Oh, about that, I think we can talk about it another time, on a more formal occasion. I'm just here to thank you this time." Antonio smiled broadly, revealing a set of white teeth. "Thank you for taking care of Calvin all this time."
These words were impeccable, without a single problem, but to Xu Qi, they carried a different meaning. He shuddered, further confirming his suspicions. Was Qiangwei really dating this man? Otherwise, why would this person express her gratitude on her behalf? A sudden surge of bitterness made his voice hoarse: "I haven't done anything for him, but he has done many things for me. He's a very outstanding person."
Antonio's eyes gleamed. "Calvin is truly excellent—in every way. I have other matters to attend to, so goodbye, Mr. Adam. I'm confident we'll have a pleasant working relationship in the future." He waved again, turning to walk towards his parking space. With his back to Xu Qi, a victorious smile graced his face. This time, he had won. And he would again, definitely.
Xu Qi, remaining where he was, watched his tall figure, slowly clenching his fists. He stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette, its red glow burning his palms and emitting a pungent, acrid smell. Xu Qi almost enjoyed the intense pain, as it slightly numbed the nagging ache in his heart.
So they had already been excluded? No, that child had never considered himself family. Xu Qi almost burst out laughing. To fail as a person to this extent was quite remarkable. When his younger brother resented him, he thought he was already pathetic enough, but he never imagined he could be even more wretched.
He released his grip, the twisted cigarette butt falling to the ground. He stared intently at the fresh wound on his palm, a mocking smile playing on his lips. Then he opened the car door, got in, and a few seconds later stepped on the gas. The gray sports car slowly drove out of the cold, gloomy parking lot.
Si Qiang stayed in the restroom for a few minutes before emerging and quickly leaving the lobby, never to reappear before the numerous men and women who wanted to talk to him. This greatly disappointed everyone, who all inquired about it with the host, Yao Yinxiang, but he only gave vague answers and refused to elaborate, leading to various plausible and unreliable speculations. Yao Yinxiang maintained a calm facade, but inwardly he smiled bitterly: He should be thanking his lucky stars that this kid agreed to his request; how could he dare to interfere further!
Yao Jinghan searched everywhere for Antonio, but couldn't find him, exhausting herself in the process. She had no choice but to order her subordinates to look for him while she headed towards the backyard. As she turned past the unique Chinese-style veranda, she inadvertently turned her head and saw a scene that left her speechless with amazement.
Beneath a tree bursting with blossoms, a beautiful woman reclines. Her slender, shapely figure curves gracefully yet powerfully, her coat tossed aside. Though dressed formally, she exudes an air of utter languor, a strange sensuality blending coldness and allure. Half of her delicate, fair face is revealed, more beautiful than the surrounding roses—for the first time, she realizes that it's not just women who can outshine the moon and shame the flowers; there truly are beings who can merge the charm of both woman and man, drawing one unconsciously to a beauty that transcends gender.
When she learned that Antonio was infatuated with a man, she knew this opponent was no ordinary person. Upon seeing him in person, his beauty became the reason she was determined to destroy him. Later, Jiang Fan interfered, forcing her to give up. Now that man has become her younger brother and heir, her chances of defeating him are even slimmer. She gave Si Qiang a deep look and continued walking forward.
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