The Billionaire's Mischievous Sweetheart-Chapter 24 - 21: Making People Uncomfortable

She didn’t want to hear any more explanations. Too many of them sounded fake—as fake and uncomfortable as that person’s smile.

Hua Xiaomo quickly hailed a taxi and left Caesar Bay Villa.

「...」

The fourth floor of Xie He Hospital was quiet.

When Hua Xiaomo arrived there anxiously, she happened to run into a nurse coming out. "Miss Hua, you’ve come at the right time. Your mother is already in surgery; you’ll have to wait a bit."

Hua Xiaomo was stunned. "Nurse, what’s going on? Wasn’t it said that surgery wouldn’t be performed unless the money was fully paid?"

"I don’t know about that. Our physicians here just follow orders from above. If you have any questions, you can ask the director’s secretary," the nurse replied kindly.

"Thank you," Hua Xiaomo responded, quickly making her way to the area outside the operating room. Seeing the red light already on, she waited anxiously.

As Hua Xiaomo waited, she pondered how the surgery had become possible. Could it have been that guy who called Director Zhang? But is that bastard really that kind-hearted?

Soon it was noon, and a figure in a navy blue casual suit appeared before her. "Xiao Mo... you haven’t eaten yet, right? I’ve brought you a lunch box."

Hua Xiaomo looked at the person, feeling awkward for some reason. However, she had also calmed down somewhat, and her aversion wasn’t as strong as when she had left the villa. "Senior... why is it you?"

Long Shangxuan looked at the painting next to her chair. A faint shadow passed through his phoenix-like eyes. "I’m sorry. I was just about to tell you that I had indeed gifted that painting to Chairman Mo Rutian a year ago. However, after meeting you, I was planning to get the painting back for you. But just when I was about to ask the Chairman for it... I ran into you..."

At this point, Long Shangxuan paused. His graceful face showed a hint of discomfort as he continued, "Xiao Mo... I didn’t know you were that close to the Chairman."

"Who said I was close to him?" Hua Xiaomo replied unhappily. She lifted her head to stare at the handsome face that had haunted her dreams. His eyes were clear, with a gentle yet distant look. They always engendered a sense of closeness but proved so hard to approach.

"Xiao Mo..." Long Shangxuan was about to say something more when he noticed her gaze turning slightly intense, and even more stirring.

Hua Xiaomo hesitated but still asked, "Senior, were you really planning to get it back for me?"

After all, it had been a year. By that time, he had already graduated, and they hadn’t had much contact. It might seem reasonable for him to give away her belongings to someone else, Hua Xiaomo tried to convince herself.

"Mhm," Long Shangxuan hesitated, then nodded, a crafty glint appearing in his narrow phoenix eyes.

Alright, even though he’d never really taken this matter to heart, this woman seemed quite easy to appease. In that case, why not just go along with her? It hadn’t been easy for him to climb to the position of Director at Mohai Zongheng International Company in just a few short years. He had put in a lot of effort to curry favor with Mo Rutian; what was one painting in comparison?

"Xiao Mo, the lunch box will get cold soon. Let’s eat together," Long Shangxuan said with a smile, then passed a box to her.

Hua Xiaomo looked at the lunch box. "It must be quite far from where you work, isn’t it?"

Long Shangxuan looked at her and suddenly smiled. "What are you trying to say?"

A faint smile crossed Hua Xiaomo’s face. "Thank you for the lunch box, but I can’t eat."

"Eat a little at least. Don’t worry about your mother; she’s going to be fine."

"Thank you."

From the building opposite, a gaze through the blinds had already taken in the whole scene.

The blue eyes gradually became deep and predatory.

In the director’s office, Qi Longbing watched the scene, his gaze seeming to freeze there. A faint, unsettled glimmer of dark light flickered across his face.

The two people sat side by side on the corridor bench, talking and laughing as they ate their boxed lunches together. The scene exuded a distinct warmth. Yet, for some reason, it was particularly irritating to his eyes.

Especially when he saw her smile. The distance between the two buildings wasn’t too great, allowing him to see more clearly. She was genuinely smiling, a smile completely different from yesterday’s.

"Yu Bao..." Qi Longbing’s azure eyes narrowed slightly. With a slender, jade-like finger, he abruptly pulled down the blinds. An even darker shadow now lurked in the depths of his eyes.

"President Qi, do you have any orders?" the man beside him responded cautiously. Qi Longbing’s expression was very gloomy; the gloomier it was, the more it hinted at an unpredictable danger.

"Call that girl over..." His words were cold and emotionless.

"Yes."

Just as Yu Bao was about to leave, Qi Longbing’s gaze lifted slightly. His words were icy, "And by the way... do what needs to be done."

"Understood." Yu Bao responded, naturally understanding what he meant.

「...」

A nurse quickly approached Hua Xiaomo. "Miss Hua, our director is looking for you. Please go to the director’s office."

"Oh, okay." Hua Xiaomo replied promptly, putting down her boxed lunch and standing up. She glanced apologetically at Long Shangxuan by her side, before she could speak.

He had already opened his mouth, "I’ll go with you."

"No need, Senior." Hua Xiaomo smiled. "I was just about to go thank Director Zhang in person."

"Alright then," Long Shangxuan said, his eyes revealing a gentle light. "Uncle Zhang knows you’re my friend; he will definitely do his best."

As Hua Xiaomo turned and was about to leave, Long Shangxuan called out from behind her, "Xiao Mo, in the future, please don’t call me Senior..."

"Uh..." Hua Xiaomo turned back, doubt in her eyes.

"Call me Brother Long." Long Shangxuan’s handsome face showed a hint of a smile. The corners of his eyes seemed to tighten almost imperceptibly, a flicker of some indecipherable thought deep within them, unnoticed by her.

Hua Xiaomo looked at him, paused for two seconds, then managed a slight smile, nodding her head. She quickly walked towards the director’s office.

When Hua Xiaomo arrived outside the director’s office, she found that the door was ajar before she could knock.

Hua Xiaomo pushed the door and entered. She saw someone sitting in a high-backed swivel chair with his back to her, only part of his head visible.

"Director Zhang, thank you for allowing my mother to have surgery," Hua Xiaomo cleared her throat and said. Whatever the case, she still had to thank him. Perhaps he was a good person who helped her, unswayed by power. People like that were truly rare.

"Hmph..." A cold snort echoed throughout the office space.

At the sound, Hua Xiaomo’s senses immediately tingled with alertness. Before she could say anything further, the person had already swiveled the chair around. He looked at her with a face that was smiling yet not smiling, exuding an extraordinarily charming and wicked aura.

"..." Hua Xiaomo stood frozen on the spot, staring at Qi Longbing. Although she had thought he wouldn’t let her off so easily, she hadn’t expected to see him again so soon.

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