Chapter 323

For several days in a row, Xia Xi did not go to Li Tai's private estate.

That day, Li Tai herself said, her estate didn't need her to do the renovation, and she didn't need to keep wronging herself; she was rushing to find trouble for herself, just to keep this order.

Having explained the whole situation, Xia Xi truthfully reported it to Lu Mingji so he could be mentally prepared; for this order with Li Tai, the company would earn nothing except the deposit.

No, after subtracting the medical expenses paid to Li Tai, even the deposit is gone.

When discussing the matter, Gao Ge was also present, indignant and said: "I also ran into that scumbag Li Shiguang when I went to the estate that time; he hinted, both directly and indirectly, that I should sleep with him. If it weren't for the fact that he's a client, I really would have wanted to take off my high heels and slap him twice. And that Li Tai is no saint either—I haven't done anything, yet she guards against me as if I were a mistress. I've really had enough."

Xia Xi looked at Gao Ge and calmly said: "Thanks to your reminder, I kept my guard up, but even so I still felt disgusted."

Gao Ge tapped the desk in front of Lu Mingji and said: "Manager Lu, continuing this order is pointless; we can't just keep assigning another designer to Li Tai—who knows what trouble it will stir up."

Whether as boss or as Xia Xi's friend, Lu Mingji could not stand by and watch her suffer again: "Don't worry about this matter; I'll send someone to talk to Li Tai about terminating the contract."

Gao Ge felt relieved; it was about time this was done.

Just as they finished talking, someone knocked on the door; Lu Mingji turned his pen in his hand and said, "Come in."

The door was pushed open a crack, and Huang Shiyu poked his head in, asking, "Did I disturb you?"

Xia Xi blinked slightly, then waved her hand and said, "If you have something to say, come in."

Huang Shiyu steeled himself and went in: "Xi Jie, Li Tai has come to the company and specifically asked to see you." She looked worried: "I originally wanted to tell Li Tai you weren't at the company, but she seemed to guess what I was going to say, plopped herself down, and judging by her posture, she insists on seeing you."

She had no choice but to come over and give a heads-up.

Gao Ge furrowed his brow, recalling his own past experience of being made things difficult, and advised Xia Xi: "I think you'd better not go; just find someone to get rid of her. Last time she came to the company and caused a scene, you saw it—chickens flying, dogs jumping, she smashed whatever was at hand. I've never seen someone like her; she's practically a lunatic."

Lu Mingji stood up, smoothed his suit jacket, and agreed with Gao Ge's idea: "Stay here; I'll go see her myself."

Xia Xi hesitated for a few seconds, then shook her head: "I'll go instead. If she doesn't see me, she'll probably still come; I haven't done anything wrong, so I'm not afraid of her picking a fight."

Lu Mingji said: "Then I'll go with you."

The two left the office, and outside many staff were glancing around; Lu Mingji coughed, and those slacking off instinctively shrank their heads, stared at their computers, pretending to be busy—actually, their minds had already wandered.

Recently, everyone in the company has been gossiping about Li Tai, and she has become the center of the talk; it's said she slandered Xia Xi for seducing her husband. Of course, no one believes that. First, Li Tai had previously slandered Gao Ge; second, everyone knows who Xia Xi's boyfriend is, and although she hasn't made it public, everyone has more or less seen the person who picks her up and drops her off.

Xia Xi said she wasn't afraid of Li Tai and didn't want a direct confrontation, so she deliberately lagged half a step behind Lu Mingji; upon seeing Li Tai, she was surprised that Li Tai wasn't dressed up as before but wore only a simple dark blue shirt dress, no extra adornments, her hair loose and wavy, and sunglasses hid her expression.

The pale lips visible showed she wasn't wearing lipstick.

Li Tai took off her sunglasses, first glanced at Lu Mingji, and got straight to the point: "I want to have a few words with Miss Xia alone."

Xia Xi got a clear look at Li Tai's face; compared to before, she looked quite wan, her skin dry, the fine lines at her eyes and her eye bags especially pronounced—so much so it was like she was a different person.

"If it's about the renovation of your private estate, why don't you discuss it with me?" Lu Mingji did not back down.

Li Tai shook her head and said: "It's a private matter."

Lu Mingji glanced sideways at Xia Xi, but her reaction was flat, showing no other emotion.

Li Tai understood the exchange of glances between the two, gave a self‑deprecating laugh—her previous impression had been poor enough. She lowered her head then lifted it, speaking calmly: "Rest assured, I'm not here to cause trouble for Miss Xia, nor do I intend to breach the contract; I just want to apologize to her."

Lu Mingji asked for Xia Xi's opinion; she considered it for a few seconds and nodded.

Li Tai didn't want to talk at the office, and since it was almost lunchtime, she suggested treating Xia Xi to a meal as compensation. Xia Xi politely declined, saying her husband usually sends someone to bring her lunch.

As a fallback, Li Tai asked her for coffee. Xia Xi wanted to say she had given up coffee after her stomach trouble, but since refusing repeatedly seemed rude, she stayed silent.

They went to a coffee shop with Li Tai, and Xia Xi ordered a glass of pure juice.

Li Tai held her coffee cup, having removed the nail polish, her nails bare and clean. She said she wanted to apologize to Xia Xi, without beating around the bush; after sitting down, she gathered her thoughts for a moment and then said apologetically: "Last time, I wrongly accused you—sorry."

Xia Xi stared at her in disbelief, not knowing what she had gone through; in just a few days her attitude had changed so much. Xia Xi almost thought the person before her was a fake Li Tai, and she took a sip of orange juice to suppress her surprise.

"I know my previous performance was pretty poor." Li Tai said while smiling, though her smile was faint and tinged with bitterness: "You're right, my husband…… Li Shiguang's side indeed has a constant stream of women."

Xia Xi froze, not daring to respond.

Li Tai took another sip of coffee, gazing out at the traffic outside; no matter how much she smiled, she could not hide the sorrow in her voice: "Models, internet celebrities, college students, and any woman she met at a bar or nightclub. I remember the first time I discovered this, I flew into a rage, smashed everything in the house, and wanted to divorce Li Shiguang. He wept, begging for my forgiveness, saying that woman had gotten him drunk, that he hadn't meant to betray me, that he loved me and only me in his heart. I was anguished, but I couldn't bear to leave him, so we didn't divorce. Later, when similar incidents occurred, Li Shiguang kept deceiving me, claiming the women had seduced him and that he hadn't fallen for it."

Seeing Xia Xi unconsciously show a pitying look, Li Tai tugged at her lips and asked: "Do you think I'm pathetic?"

Xia Xi had no intention of commenting on others' feelings, and she casually shook her head.

Li Tai said: "I also think I'm pathetic. Over time, with so many incidents, I've become numb, and after numbness comes a backlash, making me sensitive and hysterical. Whenever Li Shiguang is around someone of the opposite sex, I feel like a startled bird, convinced that woman is trying to seduce him. I recently met a friend I hadn't seen in years, my best childhood playmate. This friend speaks harshly, but it's an undeniable fact: she says I've changed a lot and seem highly strung."

It was as if she had been hit with a stick; she suddenly became clear‑headed, realizing her psyche had become ill, turning morbid.

"I've already decided to divorce, but Li Shiguang disagrees; I have some evidence in hand and am preparing to sue for divorce." Li Tai put on her sunglasses, not wanting to expose her vulnerability in front of someone she wasn't close to.

Her willingness to confide these private matters to Xia Xi already showed her utmost sincerity.

"Miss Xia, I really like your design." Li Tai extended a hand, speaking sincerely: "After the divorce splits the property, that private estate will be mine, and I hope you can continue to handle its renovation. However, I need to change the style. I previously said I wanted a mix of marble and wood, considering Li Shiguang's taste. Now I just want pure wood, preferably suitable for elderly residents, since that place will be my home and my mother's. I know this will increase your workload, but I will pay you double the originally agreed design fee, and I hope you won't refuse me."

Xia Xi looked at the outstretched hand and hesitated a long time before taking it.

"Thank you." Li Tai nodded, picked up her bag, and left gracefully.

Before leaving, she added one more remark: "Next time we meet, don't call me Mrs. Li; my name is Song Wenqin."

Xia Xi sat there, sighing deeply. Sunlight streamed in, covering half her face; she held her cup, sipping orange juice intermittently, when her phone rang. She glanced at the screen—it was Xia Yue calling—and hurriedly put the cup down to answer.