Before Qi Shifeng could say anything, Xu Tingyu spoke first.
"Mr. Qi, don't you think you should explain how this mall ended up in the Qi family's hands?"
"And how did you get the news and show up here so coincidentally?"
She leaned back slightly, putting some distance between them. All the previous docility and attachment had vanished.
Qi Shifeng seemed unaccustomed to this side of her. He frowned in the dim light. "What are you getting at now?"
Did she suspect he had meddled in the downfall of the Xu family?
And now she was suspecting the source of his assets was dubious?
"Isn't it obvious enough? Qi Shifeng, Cai Lan is Xie Yu's cousin. Do you really think I know nothing?"
She said coldly, her voice floating faintly, icy with frost.
"Some people saw my Xu family as a delicious big cake and were so calculating that they had to take a bite and swallow it whole."
"Now, they've succeeded. Qi Shifeng, tell me, are you in cahoots with them?"
On her way to find Zhang Qiu, she received a message from a private detective.
The name she had heard that day at No. 1 Repulse Bay appeared on her phone in a PPT.
Cai Lan, a young man under thirty.
He had started from scratch and, in just two years, had established a foothold in Kyoto.
If he were a genius or a hard - worker, the miracle of starting from scratch would be reasonable.
But he had attended a second - rate university, dropped out due to too many failed courses from being addicted to games, and had been a parasite living off his parents ever since.
Such a person suddenly received a large investment three years ago and registered a company in Kyoto.
After that, his business had been developing steadily and rising rapidly.
His wealth had also been increasing steadily. He had gradually gained status, got married, and had a child.
Even Xu Tingyu, who knew nothing about business, found it incredible when she saw Cai Lan's success timeline.
How could it be such a coincidence that he could take every step so precisely?
Moreover, except for the early stage, in the following two years, he was like a stray dog following the Xu family, specifically targeting them.
He first took the business that the Xu family had accidentally missed, then targeted the weak points of the Xu family and attacked precisely.
Finally, he bit hard at the throat of the Xu family, sucking blood and devouring flesh...
Xu Tingyu only glanced through the content briefly, but she felt a chill all over her body.
"Xu Tingyu, you just have to find a scapegoat for the downfall of your Xu family, don't you?"
Qi Shifeng stared at her in the darkness.
She didn't even notice that the suppressed fear had welled up to her eyebrows, tightly knitted into a knot.
She bit her lips hard and looked up at him. Her eyes were full of tears, wet like a young animal.
The tears dispersed the angry suspicion in her expression.
She looked pitiful and innocent. Anyone who saw her would feel a strong sense of pity.
Unfortunately, Qi Shifeng, who had dropped everything at the meeting and rushed here after hearing the news, felt as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water.
How could he have the leisure to feel pity for her?
He pinched her slender chin and grabbed her waist with one hand, pulling her into his arms.
Instead of kissing her as he usually did when he got close to her, he lowered his head and looked at her, his tone sarcastic and cold.
"Will pushing all the blame onto me ease your guilt?"
"Xu Tingyu, you were the last person your father turned to for help before he died."
Xu Tingyu was finally crushed by his words. Tears rolled down her face.
The sky outside finally darkened completely, and the light inside the car was even dimmer.
In this darkness, Xu Tingyu's vulnerability and softness were fully exposed.
Yes, after the Xu family's downfall, the person she resented the most was never Qi Shifeng, but herself.
Three years ago.
Before she agreed to the marriage contract with the Qi family, Xu Jianmin had called her into the study and asked for her opinion.
"The Qi family is not exactly a bed of roses. It's like a den of tigers. None of them are easy to deal with. Are you sure you want to get involved?"
"Although our Xu family is not as glorious as before, Dad is confident that he can protect you and Jiajia for a lifetime."
At that time, the Xu family was facing its third crisis. Xu Jianmin would stay in the company until very late every day.
Even when he came back, he would mostly stay in the study.
Zhang Qiu also reduced the frequency of her outings. She once complained in front of Xu Tingyu that the Xu family was having problems with capital turnover.
And the betrothal gift offered by Old Master Qi was a nine - digit figure, which could relieve the Xu family's urgent need.
Moreover, at that time, she liked Qi Shifeng very much.
It was a win - win situation, so she didn't hesitate when she decided to take the plunge.
After marriage, she had always shown the greatest sincerity and had been sincere to everyone in the Qi family.
However, in the end, she still failed.
If all these things were related to Qi Shifeng and he was taking revenge on her for forcing herself into the marriage,
then it was she who had dragged the Xu family into the mud and caused her father to die in a disgraceful way.
It was all her fault for being useless.
When Qi Shifeng saw her crying, he reached out and pushed aside her messy hair.
His hand slid along her jawline, through her soft hair, and grabbed the back of her neck.
He planted a kiss on her glistening red lips.
"You cry when I tell the truth. But when you're accusing me of being the culprit, you're so confident. Why?"
"Do you only know how to take your anger out on me? When those people humiliate and attack you, do you just sit there with a pale face and let it happen?"
When he entered the mediation room in the mall, he saw through her embarrassment at a glance.
His wife, Qi Shifeng's wife, had been forced into that cramped little room, frowning and breathing rapidly.
Couldn't she even delegate such a small thing to others?
Xu Tingyu couldn't hear what he was saying.
When she was pulled into his arms, she only resisted symbolically twice before being completely nestled into his chest.
He was cold and aloof towards her.
But the scorching temperature of his body still easily penetrated his shirt and reached hers.
It was the familiar scent of the man she had lived with for three years.
It was the warmth that, over time, could give her a sense of security.
Even if it was just an illusion, she allowed herself to sink at this moment.
Qi Shifeng didn't say anything else. He just held her, lowered the car window, and motioned for the driver standing outside to get in and drive.
They drove back to the villa in silence.
Xu Tingyu cried all the way.
This was the first time she had cried so freely since the accident in her family.
She couldn't control herself and cried until she was weak all over. Qi Shifeng had to carry her back.
When Aunt Zhang saw the two of them come in like this, she was very pleased and quickly tactfully avoided them.
Qi Shifeng carried her all the way back to the room and threw her into the bathroom. He glanced at her tear - streaked face.
Then he remembered how she had swayed her hips on that stupid show today, captivating a group of people.
He felt a bit annoyed.
"You're so dirty. Take a bath."
Even though he said that, he still ran the bathwater for her before leaving.
Xu Tingyu didn't say a word. Without even taking off her clothes, she sank into the water.
She needed to calm down to suppress the little bit of longing she had developed for him on the way back.
Just as Qi Shifeng, who had already reached the door, suddenly strode back, grabbed her out of the water, furious.
"Are you crazy? Do you want to die or scare someone to death?"