Chapter 23 Rob the cradle
Xia Jingru repeatedly asked Xia Xiaoluo, deliberately pretending to be truly curious about her answer. But her eyes were full of sarcasm.
Biting it her lip, Xia Xiaoluo could not refute Xia Jingru’s words but remain in silence. It was because she really felt guilty about what had happened to her in these days. Although she did not take a cent from Ling Tianyi, she was truly shamed at what he did to her for more than once.
Sitting very close to them, Ling Tianyi heard what they were talking about. On hearing the whole conversation and finding his little monkey bullied by the two women, he clenched his fists and tended to protect her.
This little girl belonged to him, thus no one but he could ever bully her.
“What are you doing!”, however, a middle-aged man appeared and asked when Ling Tian was about doing that. Xia Jingru then immediately took the man’s arm. “Daddy, we met Xiaoluo. It’s so strange that she is able to afford to dine here. So, we are just asking her about her job in case she may possibly make you lose your face, Daddy.”
“Xia Xiaoluo, tell me, what is your job? How can you earn such money?” Xia Jingru kept asking her.
“You have already driven me away. Then, it is none of your business to know my job or the reason why I came here!” Xia Xiaoluo said when she was going to bypass Xia Jingru, but the latter stopped her again.
“Yuck, I even to have the right to know! Ridiculous!” said the middle-aged woman ironically. The man said at this moment, “Enough, Yufen. Xiaoluo has already left home. Besides, whatever you say, she is my daughter, Jingru’s little sister, and your stepdaughter as well. You should not make her more embarrassed.”
“Xiaoluo, how are you doing now?” The man asked with a guilty looked towards Xia Xiaoluo.
After hearing the man’s words, clever as he is, Ling Tianyi soon figured all things out. Meanwhile, he recognized the middle-aged man, the boss of You Feng Real Estate Group, who asked him for investment recently.
“It’s none of your business!” Xia Xiaoluo shouted and desperately choked back her tears, though her eyes were full of tears. If she were not driven out of their home, she would not have suffered so much. Therefore, no matter how good or bad she was now, she was unwilling to have any connections with them.
“Contact me if you meet any difficulty.” Just when the man finished his words, the middle-aged woman turned annoyed. “Xia Youfeng, are you mad? She is like a bottomless pit. You’ve already done your very best in raising her till she was 18 years old. I warned you. I won’t let you off if you dare to give any money once more.”
“And you, Xia Xiaoluo. Listen, do not imagine that you can benefit more from your surname! If I am informed that you go to your dad for some money or something any more, I will make you feel sorry for that.” Zhu Yufen said and acted like a shrewish woman.
“Mrs. Xia, please rest assured. My name is Ling Tianyi and I am Xiaoluo’s fiancé. I will give her all the best things. No matter what she wants, I will buy for her. So, she will not bother to ask her incompetent father for anything. Besides, I don’t believe that her incapable father will be able to afford anything that my fiancée likes.” As he said, Ling Tianyi put his hands on Xia Xiaoluo’s shoulders affectionately.
Just like a blockbuster, Ling’s words shocked the three people and they were in an instant stupefied at the news.
My Goodness! It’s Ling Tianyi, the president of Hua Sheng Group! Once he makes a decision, City A would change as if it experienced an earthquake.
However, how did Xia Xiaoluo succeed in seducing this rich man? And get married?
Looking at each other in surprise, the mother and the daughter could not believe it at all.
Xia Youfeng refresher suddenly, showing a flattering smile to Ling Tianyi, “President Ling, it’s so honored to meet with you here. How do you do!”
Ling Tianyi then perfunctorily shook hands with Xia Youfeng. He had never expected that Xia Xiaoluo should be Xia Youfeng’s daughter.
The scale of operation of Youfeng Real Estate Group was not large enough and its profits kept declining. Despite the fact, the company still profited. How could they make their daughter homeless to rent a room in the shantytown, who was lack of money to pay the rent?
“Xiao Luo, when did you get acquainted with President Ling… Hey, why don’t you tell us about your marriage? To get married is really a very import thing for a girl, and we, as your parents, would be very helpful for making preparations for your wedding.” Zhu Yufen also realized the seriousness of the problem. But immediately, she changed her face and acted like a loving mother, which was totally different from what she did a second ago.
Bowing her head, Xia Xiaoluo remained in silence. Then, Ling Tianyi raised his eyebrow and said, “Such a coincidence, I’m looking for you right now! I am so eager to take Xiaoluo to the United States for marriage registration. Now she was applying for a passport, she needs her permanent residence booklet and her ID card.”
“This is no problem! Xiaoluo’s still on our booklet, but the ID card must be taken with her. Then, President Ling, how about we send the booklet to your home in person? Or…” said Zhu Yufen with an exaggerated smile on her face, which was almost distorted.
“I will send a secretary to your house to take it.” Ling Tianyi said while looking at Xia Xiaoluo with affection.
“All right! Emm… then… But, President Ling, you are so busy with your business every day. I guess your secretary must be so as well. So, how about I send the booklet to you in person? At the same time, maybe we could possibly talk about the things we discussed last time.” Xia Youfeng said with a very humble look. He had supposed that he could not have the investment from Huasheng Group, but now he seemed to have a ray of hope thanks to his daughter, who had been driven away, though.
“No need. Taking the salaries offered by me, my secretary must do things for me. No matter she is busy and not, it is none of your business, Mr. Xia.” Ling Tianyi said coldly. In his opinion, there was no need to be polite towards the little girl’s family.
“Yes, yes, yes! We will definitely get the booklet prepared, waiting for your secretary at home.” Xia Youfeng wiped the sweat on his forehead, and he could not help controlling himself when facing such a powerful overlord of the business circle.
Not paying any attention to him, Ling Tianyi said gently and tenderly to the little woman next to him. “Babe, soon we are husband and wife. If someone makes troubles for you, just remember that I, as your husband, will always be behind you.” Actually, what Ling Tianyi said was tending to inform Xia Xiaoluo’s family.
“Now let’s go to the jewelry store. Let me buy a pigeon-egg-size diamond ring for you. We will soon fly to the U.S. for marriage registration, so we should buy the wedding ring as soon as possible…”
Bowing and scraping, Xia Youfeng and Zhu Yufen watched Ling Tianyi and Xia Xiaoluo leave. Their faces almost numbed as they kept smiling.
Looking at the flattering looks of her parents, Xia Jingru was totally fed up with their behaviors. She grinned her teeth with hatred for her stepsister, Xia Xiaoluo. What’s more, she even more hated to know that Xia Xiaoluo’s fiance was Ling Tianyi, the No.1 bachelor in City A.
Clenching her fists, Xia Jingru determined to destroy their marriage, for she would never let Xia Xiaoluo obtain her heart’s desire.
Keeping in silence all the way, Xia Xiaoluo remained expressionless even if she was compared to a stunning fairy given a complimented from a saleswoman in the jewelry store. Selecting meticulously, Ling Tianyi finally chose the most expensive pigeon-egg diamond ring. Handing it to the saleswoman, Ling Tianyi gave his credit card and sent her to pay the bill with his card.
“I have chosen the wedding ring. Then I will buy you some more jewelry later. But it seems that you don’t have any good clothes…” Ling Tianyi said with affection. Since he was willing to marry this little woman, he will surely buy her give the best of all.
“I don’t need anything!” Xia Xiaoluo replied finally, but her attitude made Ling Tianyi very dissatisfied.
While I was spending time in buying jewelry for you, Xia Xiaoluo, you little woman, dared to show me a poker face, as if I owed you money. No, it was you, instead of me, who owed me CNY 300 million. Who should show a cold and black face?
As Ling Tianyi has a colder look on his face, Shen Jiani, who was rejected by him, stepped into the store with a foreign man arm in arm who had blond hair and blue eyes.
Finding Ling Tianyi picking up a ring, Shen Jiani came over flirtatiously and spoken to Ling Tianyi ironically, “Who is it? It’s President Ling. But, Mr. Ling, you should rob the cradle! She is too young for you! You sure she has been in love with you?”
Ling Tianyi had already changed his mind on Shen Jiani due to her words when rejecting her the day before. But, now, he found his mind remained the same as before. He disliked her still.
“Shen Jiani, are you very disappointed because I am not willing to marry you? Didn’t you be quite generous last night? Why are you so jealous when you see me buying a ring for a woman younger than you?” Ling Tianyi made a mockery of her. His words irritated Shen Jiani soon.
Despite great anger, Shen Jiani controlled herself thanks to her social experience of the upper class for many years. She immediately showed a smile and tightened her arm, saying “This is William, a Dutch diplomat in China. He is handsome and performs very skillfully in bed. So, I won’t take any other little guy into considerations as long as I have William as my boyfriend.”
He? A little guy? He was the top 1 diamond bachelor in City A, okay?
But Ling Tianyi did not have a good temper and he was also very mean. “I am afraid that he will not truly like you, a sharp-tongued woman. You are too mean. For a man, he is clinging to falling in love women who are gentle and tender. So, don’t take it so seriously, for William must play with you. Or, you will definitely cry for that in the future when you are dumped by him.”
Shen Jiani showed a disdainful expression on her face. But noticing Xia Xiaoluo’s silence, she then smiled at Ling Tianyi, “I really can’t figure it out that who will be dumped in the future! You, the cradle snatcher, who may play tricks on a little girl! But, be careful in case you will be deceived by the little girl, who perhaps feels more satisfied with your money. When she uses your money to seduce a pretty face, then it’s your turn to cry for that.”
Ling Tianyi’s face turned cold as he heard Shen’s remarks, which touched his sore spot. He was eight to nine years older than Xia Xiaoluo, which means that the latter was a naïve primary school student when he slept together with his girlfriend at the age of 18. The gap in age was really big…
What’s more, Xia Xiaoluo was so bright and beautiful. Ling Tianyi wondered whether she ever make boyfriends before. A headache came to Ling Tianyi all of a sudden. Although he occupied her virginity, he had no idea whether there was some man in the bottom of Xia Xiaoluo’s heart, whom she really fell in love with.
Finding Ling Tianyi remaining in silence with a trace of anger, Shen Jiani showed a provocative smile and said, “Mr. Ling, take your time in picking up the ring. Hope that my prediction will come true. At that time, I will definitely mock at you.”
Xia Xiaoluo found that black look of the man next to her was even darker. Was it a sign of rage? She wondered. What the sharp-tongued woman said involved her as well. What should she do then? She couldn’t just turn a blind eye.