Chapter 65 From now on, just pretend you never had this daughter...
Shen Qinghuai chose a Western restaurant, wanting to broaden his daughter's horizons.
When ordering the steak, he turned around and asked, "Xiaoman, how would you like it cooked?"
Qiu Xiaoman had never eaten this before and was very curious: "What do you mean by how well-done?"
Shen Qinghuai quickly explained the differences: rare has more blood and retains the most original beef flavor; medium-rare has less blood and more grilled flavor compounds, balancing the original flavor of the beef with the aroma of grilling; medium-well focuses more on the latter, with almost no blood; and well-done may be a bit tough and have a slightly worse texture.
Qiu Xiaoman frowned; she didn't want to eat anything with blood in it. She replied, "Then let's make it fully cooked."
Shen Qinghuai quickly instructed the waiter to order pan-fried foie gras, venison, truffle pasta, and lobster bisque.
When the steak arrived, Qiu Xiaoman realized it was a single, thick piece of beef. She immediately asked the waiter to take it away, saying, "Please cut it into smaller pieces and bring it back to me, thank you."
The waiter had never heard such an outrageous request before. He subconsciously glanced at Shen Qinghuai, after all, Shen Qinghuai was a celebrity in Beidu, and many people knew him.
He also often brings friends or company executives here for meals.
Shen Qinghuai nodded: "Do as she says, cut it into smaller pieces."
The waiter was dumbfounded. Well, whoever pays is the boss.
Liu Kun watched silently from the side, offering no opinion. He himself ate his food medium-rare; in fact, he only learned Western dining etiquette after returning to the Liu family home. Initially, this caused quite a bit of a misunderstanding.
He spread out the napkin and placed it on the table. Shen Qinghuai, who was next to him, was about to teach Qiu Xiaoman how to use the napkin, but Qiu Xiaoman refused outright: "I'm not a child anymore, why would I need a bib?"
Shen Qinghuai had a terrible headache: "This isn't a bib, it's a napkin."
"I don't need it. I'm not a child, I won't make a mess. You just eat yours, don't worry about me." Qiu Xiaoman is Chinese. Should she follow foreign etiquette when eating on her own soil?
Why should she? No way, she'll do whatever makes her comfortable.
When the steak was cut and served again, she took a bite and commented bluntly, "It's awful. It's not as good as the sour beef soup at our school, nor is it as good as the dried beef my foster mother makes."
Although her family was poor, she only ate this once when she was admitted to the county high school, but she still remembers it to this day.
Shen Qinghuai was both amused and exasperated: "Then I'll find a chef from Yunnan to cook for you according to their tastes."
"No need, I can't afford to support a chef." Qiu Xiaoman pushed the steak away and said she'd pack it up and take it back for her dog.
She tasted the pan-fried foie gras and almost threw up: "It's so greasy, what is this? It feels like I'm eating fatty oil."
“…Foie gras, it’s very expensive.” Shen Qinghuai said, feeling wronged. “Dad just wanted to let you try Western food. If you don’t like it, shall we go to a Chinese restaurant?”
"No need, I'll try the noodles." There were two dishes in front of Qiu Xiaoman. She wasn't very interested in the lobster bisque, and the venison hadn't arrived yet, so she decided to try the noodles. One bite, and it was alright, but a little strange. "Why is it a bit sweet? Did they use sweet bean sauce?"
“…No, the sauce contains cream, butter, and Parmesan cheese, which gives it a natural sweetness,” Shen Qinghuai explained. “In addition, there are the aromas of cheese and nuts, which all contribute to its sweetness.”
Qiu Xiaoman still likes sweets, but the combination was a bit strange. After a few bites, she was fine. For once, she gave the first positive review of today's dishes: "Not bad. Maybe it's because it's my first time eating them, so I'm not used to it yet. I'll try again next time. Overall, it's alright."
Shen Qinghuai breathed a sigh of relief: "You like sweets?"
"I'm not that picky. As long as it tastes good, I'll try it whether it's sour, sweet, spicy, or salty. If it's too greasy or too dry, then forget it." She was complaining about today's steak and foie gras.
Shen Qinghuai remembered: "Let's go to a Chinese restaurant next time."
After Qiu Xiaoman finished eating, she got down to business: "Alright, do you two have anything to say about the car accident I was in today?"
Liu Kun immediately put down his fork, picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth, but he didn't speak. In front of Shen Qinghuai, he wanted to be a well-mannered junior, and he was waiting for Shen Qinghuai to speak.
Shen Qinghuai, however, held his wine glass and remained silent for a long time.
Qiu Xiaoman didn't urge him. She just leaned back in her seat, crossed her arms, and quietly watched Shen Qinghuai.
In the end, Shen Qinghuai still didn't have the courage to be honest. He changed the subject: "I don't know if your older brother told you, but I bought a boatload of coal. Your second uncle helped negotiate the price and asked me to transfer the difference to you. You can check your bank card when you have time to see if the money has arrived."
"Don't try to shut me up with money." Qiu Xiaoman said coldly, "President Chen, you've built such a big business, you must be a responsible and important person, right? You can't even tell me the truth about something this simple?"
"Xiaoman, Dad has handled this matter properly. Don't worry, it won't happen again." Shen Qinghuai refused to give a direct answer. He had no way to answer. What could he say? Your stepmother attempted murder, and you're a policeman. If you knew, wouldn't you have your stepmother arrested?
If Liang Yuting is arrested, where will Shen Qinghuai put his face? The company will also suffer a severe blow and never recover.
It was too difficult for him, so he could only remain silent.
Qiu Xiaoman sneered, "You want to protect her? President Shen, protecting someone is a crime that can land you in jail."
"No, no, absolutely not." Shen Qinghuai was really having a terrible headache, so he could only grit his teeth and say, "Your Aunt Liang has always had mental problems. She was given a sedative today and went to the mental hospital for treatment. Xiaoman, you are an adult now. I hope you can understand your father about some things."
Qiu Xiaoman smiled disappointedly: "Who is my father? You? I'm sorry, I have a father. He broke his leg to support me through high school and college. Of course I will understand him. I even sent him money. Maybe I will bring him over to Peking Union Medical College Hospital in a while. Don't worry, Mr. Shen, I will definitely be a filial daughter."
As she spoke, she looked at Liu Kun, and before she could speak, Liu Kun confessed everything: "It was Liu Yuandou's eldest grandson, Liu Yao. He received a phone call this morning, but I don't know who it was. Anyway, after hanging up, he paid the driver. Liu Yuandou told me about this. He doesn't want to see anything happen to you and asked me to do everything I can to protect you."
"Is there any way to find out who made that call?" Qiu Xiaoman guessed it was Liang Yuting, but she had no proof.
Liu Kun was not confident and frowned, saying, "I'm afraid it will be difficult to investigate. Liu Yuandou's bottom line is to sacrifice Liu Yao to protect the rest of the Liu family. If it involves more people, he will not let me get in touch with any further secrets."
Qiu Xiaoman tentatively asked, "Is it possible that it was a woman calling?"
"I was too far away to hear it," Liu Kun said truthfully, but he had guessed that Qiu Xiaoman's suspicions were also his suspicions.
Liu Yao needed the cooperation of others to do this; otherwise, it would have been impossible to accurately pinpoint Qiu Xiaoman's location.
However, he didn't want to bring trouble upon himself by revealing things he had no evidence for.
Qiu Xiaoman was fairly satisfied with his answer. Although he didn't provide any clues about the person who made the call, mentioning Liu Yao was enough to advance the case significantly.
She stood up and asked one last time, "Is there anything else you'd like to say to me, Mr. Shen?"
Shen Qinghuai took a deep breath and asked, "I heard you're going to Shanghai to take Qiao Deli to her adoptive parents' house? Do you have enough money? I'll wire you some more."
"No need." Qiu Xiaoman looked away in disappointment; their father-daughter relationship had come to an end.
No matter what he does from now on, he will never be able to win back her heart, not even in the slightest.
With her back to Shen Qinghuai, she hesitated for a long time before taking the step to leave. She was giving him a chance; if he was willing to tell her the truth, if he was willing to let Liang Yuting be punished by law, she could forgive him once.
He didn't want it himself.
He failed her expectations, and he personally destroyed the last possibility of reconciliation between father and daughter.
She would ignore him completely. As she took that step, she instructed him, "Don't let Shen Tenglong pick me up anymore. Please also stop the boiler donation to the base. I don't want to become a laughing stock. Please respect my dignity. I'm not a beggar; I don't need your charity."
After Qiu Xiaoman finished speaking, she turned around resolutely and left the Western restaurant. She didn't even pack up the tough steak; she didn't want it anymore, just like she didn't want Shen Qinghuai, her father.
Liu Kun sighed silently: "President Shen, why are you doing this? It's not your fault. Even if it affects the company, we can salvage the image through follow-up actions. But you... never mind, I can't say anything about your father-daughter relationship. I'll go see her off."
Liu Kun chased after her and grabbed Qiu Xiaoman's sleeve. When Qiu Xiaoman turned around, he realized she was crying.
Her watery eyes were full of stubbornness; she would never bow her head to anyone, and she would only cry when she was alone.
He stared blankly at the unruly policewoman, and suddenly it was as if he saw his own unwelcome self.
His heart suddenly tightened, as if an invisible hand was trying to wring out the blood inside.
The suffocating and heartbreaking feeling made his mind go blank, and he did something foolish.
He hugged Qiu Xiaoman in his arms, and sure enough, he got a big slap across the face.
Wow, this feels so good! What's going on?
He didn't know.
All he knew was that he liked this feeling. He gripped her wrist tightly, refusing to let go: "Even if you hit me, I still want to say that it's not worth crying for that kind of father!"
This time, Qiu Xiaoman didn't hit him. Instead, she calmly wiped away her tears and said, "Who said I cried? I was walking too fast just now, and a gust of wind blew a little bug into my eye."
"Okay, okay, you didn't cry. Here's a handkerchief, it's clean." Liu Kun quickly took out a handkerchief from his pocket.
Qiu Xiaoman took it, rolled it up, and stuffed it into his mouth.
Liu Kun stared at her with wide eyes, not resisting, but instead pressing his face against hers, whimpering, "Come on, give me a couple more times."
Qiu Xiaoman laughed in anger, pushed him away, and strode away without looking back.
Liu Kun laughed and chased after him, taking out a handkerchief. He started acting cheeky: "Why did you stop hitting me? Can't bear to?"
"Shut up, let me have some peace and quiet." Qiu Xiaoman turned around abruptly and gave him a warning look.
Liu Kun immediately stuffed the handkerchief back into his mouth and made a gesture as if he were zipping up a zipper.
Qiu Xiaoman laughed, "Idiot."
The two got into the car, and Liu Kun asked her in a hoarse voice, "Where are we going?"
"Let's go somewhere with water." Qiu Xiaoman leaned back in the back seat, looking utterly dejected and frustrated.
Liu Kun mentioned two places, and Qiu Xiaoman chose Beihai Park because Liu Kun said that the lake there was still frozen and you could go ice skating. She had never skated before and wanted to broaden her horizons.
In the Western restaurant, Shen Qinghuai stood up dejectedly and paid the bill.
After much hesitation, he finally called his second uncle, Shen Wanming.
After listening to his complaints, Shen Wanming sneered, "You're finished. Your daughter will never acknowledge you. But it doesn't matter, I will. Alright, after I finish clearing my gallstones, I'll go back to her. From now on, just pretend you don't have this daughter. She's my child, Shen Wanming's child."
What? Shen Qinghuai was dumbfounded. His second uncle had so much property under his name, could it be that...
Before he could even speak, the other end hung up the phone, not wanting to say another word to him.
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