Chapter 252

It's you…

Two words, heavy as a stone, slammed heavily into Xia Xi's heart‑lake; the formerly frozen surface cracked, sending out ripples, circle after circle.

Coincidentally, not far off, a natural lake had a bird skim past, touching the center; the calm surface broke, ripples spread, reflections shattered—just like Xia Xi's heart now.

Besides herself, no one would know how chaotic her heartbeat was.

She had a one‑second doubt, wondering if she had hallucinated.

Staring unblinkingly at the man before her, the usually sharp Xia Xi appeared dull, and then she heard Xu Yanfeng say: "The matter from back then… don't you feel you owe me? You never seemed to think of making amends—isn't this an opportunity?"

Xia Xi came to her senses; it turned out he had this idea in mind.

What he said wasn't wrong; she had indeed been upright with everyone back then, except she owed him. He had been so good to her, yet she hurt him. Since their reunion, she had only thought of avoiding him, never of making amends.

Xu Yanfeng didn't want to bring up the past at all; he'd rather let it rot away with time, buried forever. But if he didn't mention it, he couldn't persuade Xia Xi.

"For these hundred days, I won't let you have an easy time. We can use this chance to settle our scores." Xu Yanfeng's eyes flashed with ruthlessness, though he spoke insincerely: "Isn't it just that you want to draw a line with me and become strangers? Then agree to my demand, and after a hundred days you'll get exactly what you wish."

Xia Xi's expression stalled.

Xu Yanfeng fell silent for a few seconds, then coaxed gently: "When the time comes, custody of the child will be yours; I won't take it, but I want regular visitation, and we'll raise him together. This is the best outcome."

Xia Xi's gaze lost focus, her expression a little dazed; his words sounded tempting, because not being entangled with him was what she hoped for.

But why couldn't she feel happy?

She was even extremely unhappy.

Xia Xi found a perfect excuse for her emotions: it must be because her period was coming, her hormones were out of balance.

Seeing that she seemed to be pondering, Xu Yanfeng thought that her thinking meant she was weighing options, which meant there was hope; he lowered his lashes slightly, stopped speaking to disturb her, and waited silently.

Three minutes passed; Xia Xi looked at him, her gaze landing on his jaw, then slowly moving up to his thin red lips, high nose bridge, and finally his deep eyes.

Xu Yanfeng guessed she had thought it through, feigning nonchalance while actually nervous: "How is it?" The fist he clenched in his pocket revealed his true feelings.

Xia Xi was indeed persuaded, but she didn't give him a definite answer: "I need to talk to my family."

Xu Yanfeng suppressed the joy welling up inside him, nodded politely, and said: "I'll wait for you."

Their conversation ended there; returning to the crowd, Ge Zong happened to be resting, and Xia Xi seized the moment to bring up the cooperation.

Xu Yanfeng was right there on the spot; Ge Zong couldn't keep beating around the bush, so he laid it out plainly: he was very eager to secure this cooperation, but could the price be raised a bit? Broad and Elegant's quote was a little low.

Hearing this, Xia Xi finally understood the crux: initially being given the cold shoulder was just to push for a higher price.

Xia Xi lowered her lashes, hiding the speechless smile welling up in her eyes, then lifted her gaze, having regained her earlier composure.

She no longer lowered her stance, her words grew much sharper: "Director Ge, you can't just see our Broad and Elegant as a small outfit and try to make a killing; business requires a long‑term view. The Xu Clan still holds sway behind the scenes, the Jingyu Yuan project is progressing like wildfire, with countless custom manufacturers eyeing it—you ought to know that. Broad and Elegant decided to cooperate with you after thorough consideration. Think about it: once Jingyu Yuan opens, it will draw countless customers, all potential clients—you surely understand. Why quibble over petty gains? Put nicely, we're seeking a chance to cooperate with you; put bluntly, who's the party A and who's party B isn't set yet. You'd agree, right?"

Ge Zong's face darkened instantly; earlier he had thought her pretty and eager manner meant she'd be easy to talk to, and he could push the price up—after all, the Xu Clan would foot the bill, and they weren't short of money, so there was no need to save them money.

Who would have thought this young lady would change her face in the blink of an eye?

"If Director Ge lacks sincerity, we won't force it. In business, harmony matters most." Xia Xi twirled her cue, speaking offhandedly: "We've received plenty of business cards from custom firms wanting Broad and Elegant to take their orders. I'll go back and pick carefully—I might just find one that fits our needs."

Seeing Ge Zong's expression worsen, Xia Xi hardened her heart and went all‑in: "Today wasn't a wasted trip; it's been fun playing ball with Director Ge, and we can cooperate again if the chance arises."

The muscles around Ge Zong's lips twitched—was he signalling he didn't want to discuss price further and was just giving up?

Ge Zong felt a bit panicked; he had underestimated the woman before him—she was a tough player.

"I can tell, Miss Xia, you're quick‑tempered; I like dealing with straightforward people, so let's just be friends." The implication: the cooperation is settled, we'll sign the contract when we get back.

Xia Xi went along with the suggestion, her tone instantly lightening: "I also think Director Ge is kind; our business will surely thrive and grow ever larger."

This sort of thing should really be left to Lu Mingji; she truly dislikes dealing with people, it's like walking on stilts—she's constantly on edge, can't say too much, can't say too little, it's exhausting. Who let Lu Mingji have something else to do today?

Xu Yanfeng's mind wasn't on the game; he occasionally glanced toward Xia Xi, the venue was open, and he faintly caught a few sentences of her conversation with Ge Zong, the corners of his mouth curving upward.

"Don't laugh, the ball's about to hit your face and you don't even dodge." Tang Yizhou muttered, utterly convinced of Xu Yanfeng—first he'd insisted Xia Xi's child was his, and now he'd pursued her all the way here.

Eating leftovers isn't shameful, but ending up like him is truly embarrassing.

He didn't even want to admit he was his brother.

The task done, Xia Xi felt a little thirsty; she walked over to Huang Shiyu, who hadn't drunk the venue's water, pulled out a thermos from her bag, unscrewed the lid, and took a few sips of hot water, soothing her throat and making her feel much better.

"Did Director Ge agree?" Huang Shiyu asked.

"Mm." Xia Xi finished her water, threw on her coat; the sun hung over the western peak, the air carrying a chill.

"Should we leave now?"

"Wait a moment." Xia Xi instructed her, "Leaving right after talking business would look a bit rude; we need to see the formalities through. Let's wait until they finish this round, then we'll find an excuse to slip away."

Huang Shiyu took the lesson to heart. Putting herself in Xia Xi's shoes, it was indeed as Xia Xi said: if someone came to her for cooperation and she agreed, only for the other party to withdraw immediately, it would seem rather lacking in courtesy.

At some point, Xu Yanfeng's silhouette swayed over again; Xia Xi caught him in her peripheral vision standing less than a meter away, she glanced sideways, and her gaze lingered on his face for a while.

Huang Shiyu tactfully withdrew.

Xu Yanfeng turned his head to look at Xia Xi: "Director Ge's price demand isn't especially excessive; it's within a reasonable range, so there's no need to travel this far just to haggle over it."

Although she won in the end, in his view it wasn't worthwhile; if she ever ran into someone greedy and lustful, she'd be at a disadvantage.

Those who come here are either rich or noble, but a person's character isn't tied to their wealth or status.

He remembered that when he'd chased her here years ago, he'd run into a creep bothering her…

Xia Xi withdrew her gaze, not quite grasping why he'd come over to say this; she calmly said: "His demanded price is reasonable, but it's not my ideal price; saving the client's budget is our duty."

Xu Yanfeng: "The Xu Clan isn't short of money."

Xia Xi nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly: "The Xu Clan indeed isn't short of money, but its CEO lacks common sense."

Xu Yanfeng froze for a moment—she… was scolding him?