Chapter 13 Equivalent Exchange
"It's been quite a while since we last met. I didn't expect you to take the initiative to ask me out. How have you been lately? Xia Li."
In the He family's living room, all the irrelevant people had been sent away, leaving only Xia Qingqing lounging lazily on the sofa, fiddling with the ornament in her hand.
From the moment Xia Li entered until now, he has never given her a glance, and his tone has been full of arrogance.
Xia Li had come prepared, and she had planned to meet Xia Qingqing outside to talk. However, Xia Qingqing refused and ended their conversation with a simple "Come or don't come, it's up to you."
The ground beneath their feet belonged to Xia Qingqing.
Xia Li had been frowning ever since she entered this area. She felt offended, but she had no choice but to deal with the immediate situation and had to bite the bullet and move forward.
She didn't respond to Xia Qingqing's polite greetings, but walked straight up to her, and they faced each other in a standoff.
Xia Qingqing pulled the wool shawl tighter around herself, then took a drag of her cigarette, let out a satisfied sigh, and exhaled a few smoke rings. She said to Xia Li, "I was just about to look for you these past few days, but I didn't expect you to come first. Everything has its order of arrival. So, what's up?"
Xia Li stood still, gazing at everything before her. She cut to the chase: "Did you create the online controversy? What was your purpose?"
Her hands hung down below the hem of her dress, clenched tightly, and if you looked closely, you could even see a slight tremor.
She was waiting for Xia Qingqing's reply.
Xia Qingqing, on the other hand, remained indifferent, exhaling smoke rings again, deliberately pointing in Xia Li's direction.
The strong smell of tobacco filled her nostrils and blurred Xia Li's vision. After the smoke dissipated, she saw a hint of surprise and curiosity on Xia Qingqing's face.
Xia Qingqing appeared completely unaware of the situation.
It was just a guess, but Xia Qingqing's words the next second confirmed her thoughts.
"Online opinions? Wait, don't tell me yet, let me guess what's going on?"
As she spoke, she noticed Xia Qingqing getting up, smoothed her frizzy hair, and adopted a spectator's attitude. "Is it a disagreement between you and Ji Ling? Or is there a problem with your pathetic photography job? After all, what else could have made you take the initiative to come to me besides these two?"
Xia Li was disgusted by Xia Qingqing's insincere manner, which was so nauseating that it made her feel sick. She had almost zero trust in Xia Qingqing, and this was no exception when it came to public opinion. She did not take Xia Qingqing's pretentious words to heart.
Seeing Xia Qingqing's casual attitude, he knew that today's conversation might drag on for a long time, so he didn't stand on ceremony and sat down on the sofa next to her, unwilling to admit defeat. "Did you do it? What do you want? We can talk about the terms."
Her words also revealed her nervousness, timidity, and anxiety.
Xia Qingqing had sharp eyes and was very good at reading people. She saw through it at a glance. She originally intended to tease Xia Li some more, but then she lowered her eyes, put away her disdainful thoughts, and snorted, "Didn't I tell you before? If you marry her, I won't touch you. Now you come here looking angry. What do you mean by that?"
Xia Li was somewhat angry: "Then who else could it be?"
Xia Li remained silent, slowly closing his eyes. He only opened them again after Xia Qingqing finished speaking, his eyes filled with a slight emptiness.
“You know the male celebrity in the video,” she said.
Xia Qingqing retorted, "Instead of suspecting me, you should be more discreet. The video on the trending topics is irrefutable evidence. Did you come to me today because you're afraid Ji Ling will find out? Are you asking me to smooth things over?"
Xia Li was stunned upon hearing this, her expression freezing. Would Ji Ling believe her if the video wasn't played in its entirety?
Then he recalled how Ji Ling had been inexplicably questioned by him that morning. He must have been bewildered, or more accurately, perhaps angry. Even at the breaking point, he didn't attack him.
Like millions of others, what is he thinking now when he sees the video trending on social media? How does he view himself? He must be utterly disappointed in himself.
The thought that his tender eyes could be as cold as ice made Xia Li feel helpless and at a loss.
She forced herself to regain her senses and didn't refute Xia Qingqing's words. Usually, if money can solve the problem, there's no need to use favors. Xia Li didn't explain, but directly stated her needs: "I want the whole thing recorded on video."
The male celebrity's agency definitely had a backup plan. Although he was a second-tier star, he was the only one they had successfully promoted, making him a pillar of the company. Perhaps they had already cleaned up the surveillance footage before the scandal broke, just in case.
But this is Xia Li's only possibility. If she doesn't get the full surveillance video, she will lose the chance to clarify things.
"Okay." Xia Qingqing twitched the corners of her mouth, unable to hide the smile in her eyes, but at the same time, it was also filled with contempt. She agreed so easily that Xia Li even wondered if he was too eager to get evidence and was starting to have wishful thinking.
“But,” Xia Qingqing spoke again.
"But what?" Xia Li's fingers were clenched so tightly that the tips turned white, and she looked impatient.
"When you first came in, I mentioned that there is a first-come, first-served principle. You made your request, and since I helped you, shouldn't you reciprocate in kind?"
Xia Li sensed the unspoken meaning in her words—that she was being too eager. She even forgot that Xia Qingqing had only casually agreed and hadn't actually done so.
She asked, "What do you need me to do?"
Xia Qingqing picked up the pendant in her hand and held it up to her eyes.
As soon as she entered, Xia Li noticed the object in her hand. She thought it was a keychain or something and didn't think much of it. But now that Xia Qingqing handed it to her, she realized that it was a black USB drive hanging on it.
"Go to Ji Ling's place and check his computer."
Xia Li's back tensed, her brows furrowed in resistance. Her tone was icy as she continued, "And then?"
"See the USB drive I gave you? Take it..."
Everything related to the He family was copied from the computer.
Xia Li's throat bobbed, unable to utter a word. After a long while, and after careful consideration, she put the USB drive holder back on the table and refused, saying, "Change it. I can't do this."
Xia Qingqing sneered: "I didn't give you a chance to bargain. It's an equal exchange. If you're going to do it, then do it. If you're not, then pretend we never met."
Xia Li unconsciously fiddled with the hem of her clothes, forcing a stiff smile: "I'm really sorry, Ms. Xia. I'm being unfilial. If you wish, you can pretend I've never been your daughter."
Xia Qingqing was quite surprised by her reply. She was good at understanding people's hearts and knew what Xia Li was thinking. She simply didn't want to do anything to betray Ji Ling, but at the same time, she was certain that Xia Li was also afraid.
"Wait," Xia Qingqing said, "This is your only chance. Are you really going to give it up, Xia Li?"
Xia Li hesitated after hearing this, pursed her lips, and said nothing more.
"Once you miss this chance, you'll never have another one. Besides me, there's probably no one else who can help you."
Xia Li remained silent, then recovered from her dazed expression, with a moment of confusion even in her eyes.
"What did the He family do? What information do you need to copy?" She took the USB drive Xia Qingqing handed her again and asked cautiously.
Xia Qingqing curled her lips into a sneer, glanced up and down with her peripheral vision, and said sharply, "Just do it, don't talk nonsense."
Xia Li returned to her studio, her mind heavy with worries.
Wang Shu typed away on the keyboard, repeatedly trying different search terms: "Oh my god, Sister Xia Li, I can't find a single word related to you on the entire internet."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xia Li was momentarily stunned, then realized that it was probably Xia Qingqing's doing.
She had originally asked Xia Qingqing to send her the entire surveillance video so she could clarify things, but she didn't expect Xia Qingqing to handle it so decisively, without any regard for the consequences.
Xia Li found it a bit strange; this kind of behavior was really unlike Xia Qingqing's. But she didn't care too much about it and was about to call Xia Qingqing back to thank her when, unexpectedly, the call was hung up.
At this moment, Wang Shu came over and asked, "Sister Xia Li, how did you do that? I tried it so many times, and it was like it never happened. It's amazing!"
Xia Li lowered her eyes slightly and nodded her chin. Then Wang Shu said, "It's such a pity that there was no chance to clarify. If there had been a full surveillance video, that would have been great. It was clearly that pervert's fault. If I hadn't been behind the softbox and witnessed the whole thing, I would have been speechless with bitterness."
"It's alright, it's all in the past now," Xia Li comforted her.
Wang Shu added, "But it's strange that Sheng Ge's name can still be found in searches."
Xia Li's face was filled with astonishment, and she froze in shock. Sheng Minyang's name was still on the trending topics list? She immediately checked the list and found that it was indeed true, but as Wang Shu had said, everything related to her had vanished from the internet.
Perhaps Xia Qingqing hadn't handled it? But it was still strange. She had her doubts. Why was Xia Qingqing helping her like this? Was it really just because of the files about the He family on Ji Ling's computer? Or was this information extremely important? Or was it that Xia Qingqing had helped her smooth things over?
She made up a random excuse to get rid of Wang Shu. She had dealt with too many things in one day, and her mind was in a mess. The promise she made to Xia Qingqing was still vivid in her mind, like a cat scratching at her heart. There were no scars, but it left a slight itch. It was really difficult to pretend that she didn't care.
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