Chapter 196: The Other Side

Chapter 196: Chapter 196: The Other Side

"Can you handle it, or not?" Luo Qingli’s tone was provocative.

Chen Xiao cut the chatter. There was only one way to shut a woman up.

With a soft moan, Luo Qingli trembled and slowly closed her eyes.

「The next morning...」

Luo Qingli awoke to a tingling numbness, feeling as if all the strength had been drained from her body. Spurred on by the alcohol, she had been unbelievably wild last night, enough to leave even Chen Xiao stunned.

The entire suite was in disarray.

Chen Xiao was already dressed, watching her with a teasing smirk. "You’re awake?"

Luo Qingli’s pretty face flushed. "Mhm."

"I’ve made breakfast. You should get ready and eat," Chen Xiao said.

Luo Qingli took a deep breath. "Chen Xiao, are you... planning to just use me and leave?"

"What kind of person do you take me for?"

Chen Xiao took a deep breath and said seriously, "I wasn’t planning on running off after we slept together. After all this time, you should understand my personality by now. I yearn for a life of freedom, one without constraints. I can’t give you the stability you want.

"But if you ever need my help with anything, I’ll be there. And as long as I’m around, no one will be able to bully you. This is my promise to you."

"So in your eyes, our relationship is just about you helping me solve problems I can’t handle on my own? Is that all it is?" Luo Qingli sneered. "Are you looking down on yourself, or are you looking down on me, Luo Qingli? Am I really that pragmatic? Do you think I just see you as a tool?"

Chen Xiao was speechless. "I..."

Tears welled in Luo Qingli’s eyes. "I just wanted you to have a proper breakfast with me. Is that too much to ask?"

She stared at him coldly. "Even a gigolo wouldn’t just up and leave at a time like this, especially since we were once husband and wife!"

The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she felt, until she finally burst into tears.

Chen Xiao, having never seen her like this, panicked. He rushed forward to comfort her, fumbling. "Don’t cry, please don’t cry. You’re the Ice Queen CEO. Won’t people laugh if they see you like this?"

"I’ll cry if I want to! I’ll cry just to make you mad!" Luo Qingli pounded on Chen Xiao’s chest in frustration.

Chen Xiao wasn’t without feelings for Luo Qingli. He had only made his decision back then because he knew about his physical condition. Furthermore, he had to admit he was a natural philanderer. There was no denying it.

"Eat," Chen Xiao said, taking a deep breath. "Stop crying."

With that, he carried her to the dining table.

Only then did Luo Qingli wipe away her tears.

"Do I have to feed you, too?" Chen Xiao asked, his face stern.

"Then feed me," Luo Qingli retorted, looking as if she expected to be spoon-fed.

Chen Xiao shook his head and patiently began to feed her. Truthfully, it was his first time ever feeding a woman, and it felt awkward. But he figured it didn’t matter.

He had made her cry, after all; the least he could do was console her. He wasn’t the kind of guy who could just walk away without a second thought.

Besides, seeing the usually cold and aloof Luo Qingli reveal such a vulnerable, girlish side to him was admittedly satisfying. Luo Qingli truly held a special place in his heart. With other women, Chen Xiao never overthought things; he just went with the flow. He had certainly wavered during his time with her, but unfortunately, with his personality and his physical condition, he was fated to be incapable of giving her a stable life.

Chen Xiao quietly finished breakfast with Luo Qingli.

"Can’t you stay?" Luo Qingli asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I want you to stay with me a little longer. I’m in an unfamiliar city... I’m a little scared."

"I have something to take care of," Chen Xiao replied.

After what he’d put Zhang Yaqing through yesterday, he’d disappeared for the whole night. If he didn’t go back today, he’d be a real animal. Just thinking about it made him feel like scum.

"You’re going back to that fox spirit, aren’t you?" Luo Qingli said suddenly, her voice turning cold.

Chen Xiao said nothing, which was a tacit admission.

"Even though we aren’t married anymore, it still hurts," Luo Qingli said, taking a deep breath as her tone grew icy. "Just get out."

With that, she turned and went back to her room alone.

Perhaps Qin Lan was right; the Chen Xiao of today was never short on women. In that case, what did she, Luo Qingli, even mean to him? But she couldn’t bring herself to share a man with other women. She just couldn’t. At the very least, her heart couldn’t overcome that hurdle.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

The moment Chen Xiao stepped out of the hotel, a young man hidden in the shadows slammed his hand against his steering wheel, his eyes blazing with hatred and rage.

This young man was none other than Bai Yutang.

He had been secretly tailing Luo Qingli ever since the bar last night, watching helplessly as Chen Xiao brought her back to the hotel. He had assumed Chen Xiao would leave shortly after, but to his dismay, he didn’t emerge until the next morning.

As an adult, it didn’t take a genius to figure out what must have happened last night...

The more he thought about it, the more his heart ached. His chest tightened until he could barely breathe.

A top-quality woman like Luo Qingli, completely drunk... How could any man possibly resist? And Chen Xiao had looked so refreshed. It was obvious that something... unspeakable... had occurred.

His mind flooded with images. The thought of another man spending the entire night with his goddess, likely exploring every imaginable position, was a blow his heart couldn’t take.

"Chen Xiao... Luo Qingli’s ex-husband... Rekindling an old flame?" Bai Yutang sneered. "I won’t let that happen! Luo Qingli, I swear I’ll make you mine!"

Luo Qingli had always been as cold and stunning as an iceberg, a quality that only fueled a man’s desire to conquer her. This was especially true for Bai Yutang. He wanted to see just how wanton the famously aloof Luo Qingli could be in bed. The mere thought of it was thrilling.

After some thought, he called Luo Qingli. He told her he’d gotten a lead on William Dodge’s whereabouts and wanted to meet up to discuss it.

To his surprise, Luo Qingli thanked him but then said she was a bit tired and didn’t feel like going out. She asked him to simply pass on the information, explaining that she would find William Dodge herself and didn’t want to trouble him.

Hearing this, Bai Yutang’s face turned livid.

Does she really just see me as a tool? How humiliating!

Furthermore, when Luo Qingli mentioned she was tired, he couldn’t stop his mind from imagining how savagely Chen Xiao must have ravaged his goddess all night. The more he dwelled on it, the more sullen he became.

「Meanwhile...」

After a night of rest, Zhang Yaqing had recovered some of her strength. She took a call informing her that William Dodge would be attending a banquet that evening.

"Good, I understand," Zhang Yaqing nodded. "Get me two tickets, no matter the cost."

Just then, Chen Xiao pushed the door open and walked in.

As soon as he entered, Zhang Yaqing gave him a knowing smirk. "Off to see your ex-wife last night?"