Xu Tingyu didn't reject the young assistant's request and followed Xie Yu to the coffee shop next door.
The two found an empty corner.
"I didn't expect you to come to me first. What, did you get restless after seeing yesterday's hot search?"
Xu Tingyu spoke first, with a hint of sarcasm.
It wasn't that she was being unfriendly. Since Xie Yu dared to come to her, wasn't she just asking for a scolding?
In that case, she didn't need to be polite.
"You left, so why did you come back? Did you do it on purpose?"
Xie Yu's face looked terrible, and her emotions got even more agitated upon hearing this.
Was she not even bothering to pretend this time?
Xu Tingyu seemed even more at ease. Her tone was no longer as sarcastic as before, but rather carried a touch of playfulness.
"Beijing is my hometown. Why can't I come back?"
"Are you afraid of my return? If so, what are you afraid of?"
As she spoke, she looked at Xie Yu again. Although there was a smile on her lips, her eyes were cold.
Xie Yu was so agitated that her voice trembled. "What should I be afraid of you for? How could I be afraid of you? I just think you were too cruel to Shi Feng."
"Back then, you let your crazy mother stab him. He almost died."
"I don't expect you to take care of him in bed, but you can't just take the money, abandon your child, and almost send him to prison. You're so heartless."
She was so agitated that her eyes turned red. People who didn't know better might think she was the one who had been wronged.
Xu Tingyu took a sip of coffee and couldn't help but clap her hands.
"I really have to praise you for being so virtuous. You haven't even entered the Qi family yet, but you're already thinking about him in every word."
"Tsk tsk. You've had four years, but you still haven't managed to secure your position. Xie Yu, you're really quite weak."
In the house where Qi Shifeng and Youyou were living, there were no traces of any other women.
Moreover, she had never heard Youyou mention any aunts or sisters.
This meant that there had been no women around Qi Shifeng in the past four years.
At least, he hadn't allowed any women into his life.
Moreover, judging from Xie Yu's current state, it wasn't hard to guess that her relationship with Qi Shifeng hadn't progressed any further.
Sure enough, being hit on the mark, Xie Yu looked embarrassed.
"It's all because of that burden you left behind. I'm a public figure after all. How could he bear to let me be a stepmother?"
She really knew how to say hurtful things.
But she had overlooked the changes in Xu Tingyu after four years.
So before her voice had even faded, she received a slap on the face.
"Dare you call my son a burden? You should weigh yourself first."
"I didn't cause you any trouble in the past few years, giving you a chance to catch your breath. Guess what would happen if I were to target you with my current capabilities. Do you think you could ever make a comeback?"
Xu Tingyu frowned as she looked at Xie Yu, feeling that she was regressing.
In the past, she at least knew how to put on an act. Even when she was being disgusting, she would play all kinds of tricks.
It was really rare for her to come so rashly to provoke her.
So Xu Tingyu had a guess in her mind.
She scrutinized Xie Yu's face for a long time. Just as the shock from the slap wore off and Xie Yu was about to fight back, Xu Tingyu spoke again.
"Xie Yu, if I'm not wrong, you're in quite a difficult situation now, aren't you?"
The entertainment industry was a deep and fast - changing world. Newcomers were emerging like tides. Without any real talent, one would soon be replaced.
And Xie Yu just didn't have the so - called abilities.
She used to have a good dancing foundation, but after entering the entertainment industry, she had long neglected her training.
Dancing required years of consistent practice to maintain basic skills. Otherwise, as one got older, their skills would only decline.
Xie Yu had given up dancing for the entertainment industry but hadn't received the corresponding rewards.
Her acting skills were also mediocre. If it weren't for the Qi family promoting her and creating hype for her in the early days, she would have disappeared from the entertainment industry long ago.
But now, the Qi family was no longer willing to allocate resources to her, and she was unwilling to take on small jobs. Naturally, she couldn't make it in the industry.
That's why she was in such a mess now.
"I'm really curious. What exactly happened between you and Qi Shifeng? Logically speaking, after I left, you should have had more opportunities to show yourself."
A myriad of thoughts flashed through her mind, but in the end, she cast a curious look at Xie Yu.
This was really strange.
If Qi Shifeng had forced the Xu family into a corner and promoted Cai Lan, a nobody, to a high position for Xie Yu back then, it meant he had deep feelings for her.
Since his feelings were so deep, why did he suddenly turn cold after she left?
After she left, they should have gotten together smoothly.
Even before she came back, she had thought that Xie Yu's reduced public appearances might be because she had finally married into a wealthy family and didn't need to work so hard anymore.
After all, there really weren't any other women around Qi Shifeng.
If she had just held on, the old man might have relented.
But now it seemed that their relationship was even worse than when she was around.
"You're very proud now, aren't you? I said, if it weren't for that child, we would have been together long ago."
Xie Yu emphasized again.
But her words clearly lacked confidence, and even Xu Tingyu could tell.
"Forget it. It seems you're not going to tell the truth. You came to me today just to get scolded."
"But I'm in a good mood today. I don't want to scold you. I even want to tell you that I'm not here to steal a man from you."
"I still stand by my old words. Don't waste your efforts on me. You should focus on winning him over."
"Since you think my son is standing in the way of your relationship, why don't you give birth to one for him and then return my son to me?"
As she was speaking, Xu Tingyu actually thought this idea was quite feasible.
But as soon as her voice fell, Xie Yu's face changed. She suddenly stood up, and her eyes turned red.
Xu Tingyu didn't need to turn around to know who had come.
She didn't move. She even took a sip of coffee, waiting for Qi Shifeng to defend Xie Yu.
But to her surprise, Qi Shifeng didn't defend Xie Yu. He just looked at her coldly.
"I think you're really free. You have time to meet everyone but don't have time to accompany your son."
He probably heard what she said at the end, so when he looked down at her, his eyes were full of coldness.
But Xu Tingyu didn't care.
"Whether I'm free or not depends on CEO Qi's permission. If CEO Qi allows it, there's no problem for our son to be with me all day."
Her gaze shifted from Xie Yu to Qi Shifeng and then quickly back to Xie Yu.
"Since Miss Xie thinks Youyou is affecting your relationship, why don't you just give me the custody of Youyou? Then you can pursue your second spring. What do you think?"
Wasn't Xie Yu being stubborn?
Then she would say it right in front of Qi Shifeng.
Sure enough, Xie Yu panicked. "You're talking nonsense. I didn't say that. Shifeng, don't believe her."