Chapter 267: Chapter 268: Men, Oh Men
Li Sijie was a clever person, and she was also a very mature woman. Even though she had feelings for Song Xiaodong, she understood more clearly that their relationship must not be allowed to develop any further. She got the hint from Song Xiaodong and had made her stance clear to him. By the time she got out of the car, she had already returned to her normal self.
"President Li, some people from the fire department came earlier with a closure notice, planning to seal our clubhouse."
As soon as Li Sijie got out of the car, a staff member at the door came up to report the situation to her.
Li Sijie smiled slightly and said, "Itâs okay, I already know about the situation. Just focus on your work, there wonât be any problems."
"Oh..." The staff member was somewhat puzzled. Such a big issue, yet Li Sijie didnât pursue any further questions. But seeing her confident smile, he didnât say anything more.
Miao Xuanxuan also parked the car by then, and the three of them went to Li Sijieâs office together.
Miao Xuanxuan with furrowed brows said, "Dongzi, just letting that guy off the hook like that? Heâs getting off too easy."
Song Xiaodong chuckled lightly, leaned close to Miao Xuanxuanâs ear, and whispered, "Iâve crippled that guy, heâll never be a man again."
Miao Xuanxuan was stunned for a moment, then her face turned red. She spat at Song Xiaodong, but felt deeply satisfied, saying, "Exactly, he had it coming for having those thoughts about President Li. He deserves it!"
Li Sijie didnât hear what Song Xiaodong had said, and she couldnât help feeling a bit dejected, with a faint sense of being left out.
Miao Xuanxuan didnât realize this at all and immediately said to Li Sijie with a grin, "President Li, that guy will never be able to be a man again. Even if he wanted to bully women, he wouldnât be able to. Weâve really got our revenge."
As someone who had been through it all, Li Sijie immediately understood the implication of Miao Xuanxuanâs words and why Song Xiaodong didnât say it outright. Her sense of loss disappeared, and she looked at Song Xiaodong with surprise, saying, "How... how did you manage that?"
Miao Xuanxuan said proudly, "President Li, you donât know, but Dongzi has great abilities. For people like that scum, in front of Dongzi, theyâre nothing. Taking him down was a piece of cake."
Li Sijie looked at Song Xiaodong again, deeply. She indeed knew that Song Xiaodong was very capable, even Chen Zixu showed him great respect. But from Miao Xuanxuanâs words, she felt there was still a lot she didnât know.
In the afternoon, Miao Xuanxuan had classes, while Song Xiaodong was free. After a quick chat, Miao Xuanxuan got up and said, "Dongzi, you stay here and chat with President Li for a while. After my class, we can leave together." Saying this, she left the office with light and brisk steps.
Watching Miao Xuanxuanâs lively steps and the unmistakable joy radiating from her, Li Sijie couldnât help feeling envious as she said, "Xuanxuan seems livelier and happier than before. The power of love really is extraordinary."
Song Xiaodong took out a cigarette, lit it, and said with a smile, "Sijie, why do your words sound so old-fashioned? Youâre not that old."
"I may not be old in age," Li Sijie touched her face and said, "but after all, I am a woman who has been divorced. I canât compare with a young girl like Xuanxuan."
Song Xiaodong laughed and said, "Why do I hear a hint of sourness in your words?"
"Canât I be a little jealous?" Li Sijie eyed Song Xiaodongâs relaxed demeanor, which allowed her to return to normalcy as well. She rolled her eyes at him and said, "After all, weâve slept together, arenât I allowed to feel jealous?"
Song Xiaodong hadnât expected Li Sijie to suddenly be so bold, and it embarrassed him somewhat.
Seeing Song Xiaodongâs embarrassed expression, Li Sijie couldnât help but laugh and said, "Alright, donât worry about it. Iâm not that ungrateful. I would never spill our secrets or do anything to disrupt your relationship."
Song Xiaodong gave a wry smile and said, "You make me sound like quite the scoundrel."
Li Sijie glared at Song Xiaodong and said in a low voice, "What did you expect? You, this little rascal, already have a girlfriend and yet you still entangled with me, causing me to think about you day and night. I, Li Sijie, am not someone to be taken lightly. Chen Qiusheng wanted me to be his mistressâI felt utterly humiliated back then. But with you, well, look at me now, practically throwing myself at you."
Song Xiaodong looked at Li Sijie somewhat taken aback. In their previous encounters, he had made it clear to Li Sijie, and he believed she was a sensible person. Yet now, Li Sijie was acting like a jealous little girl, which troubled him quite a bit.
Li Sijie looked at Song Xiaodong, suddenly shook inside, touched her face, and said with a bitter smile, "Iâm sorry. I must have been scared today, and the alcohol Iâve had made me really hope for a man to protect me, thatâs why Iâm talking nonsense like this."
Li Sijieâs mood swings were unpredictable, not at all in line with her usual character. Song Xiaodong extinguished his cigarette, stood up, walked behind Li Sijie, and said, "Let me give you a massage to relax. Youâll feel better soon."
Li Sijie wanted to refuse, but in the end, she lightly nodded her head. After Song Xiaodong massaged her for a while, her mind cleared up a lot, and she began to think more lucidly. She whispered, "Dongzi, I really was talking nonsense just now. Donât take it to heart."
Song Xiaodong smiled faintly and said, "I know."
Li Sijie then asked, "Thatâs good. By the way, seeing how close you and Xuanxuan are now, is it time for us to expect wedding candies soon?"
"That... might not happen just yet."
"Need more time to get to know each other?" Li Sijie asked.
"Something like that," Song Xiaodong didnât feel like explaining his difficulties to others.
Li Sijie teased, "You men are all the same. Once you get a woman, you start dragging your feet. If you hadnât gotten together yet, youâd be dying to marry her right away."
"Heh... thatâs not quite it, but falling in love and getting married are definitely different, arenât they? Deciding whether two people truly suit each other for life isnât a decision to be made in the heat of the moment during courtship."
"Thatâs true, marriage isnât childâs play. Like me, I got married on a whim and ended up in this mess. Itâs better to be careful. When you put it like that, you seem like a responsible man," she said.
Song Xiaodong didnât pick up on that thread. Was he a responsible man? If it came to Song Xiaoru, he was definitely a qualified brother, but when it came to matters of the heart, he feared he really couldnât take on that responsibility now. Being with Miao Xuanxuan didnât seem like a wise choice at the moment. Had he been swept up by Miao Xuanxuanâs passion too?