Chapter 84

She went towards the kitchen as Meixiu prepared the ingredients, cutting them into pieces.

"Can you look at me?"

Meixiu glances at Xiaohui in confusion. She puts the cabbage in the pot and looks at her wife.

"Why? Something wrong with me?"

Xiaohui unfolded her arms and stepped closer; her hand lay gently on Meixiu's cheeks, and she went to check her face.

"Yup, it doesn't look beaten."

Meixiu's eyebrows furrow at what Xiaohui mumbles, her eyes looking behind her wife, seeing her mother-in-law glaring at them and mumbling something under her breath.

"Oh, was it about earlier? At the antique market?"

Xiaohui nodded before patting Meixiu's shoulder. She quickly pushed the taller woman and made her face the pot.

"Go on and cook; I'll be waiting."

Meixiu smiles widely and happily continues what she's doing. Xiaohui looks back, hearing the door closing shut before she sighs and crosses her arms.

"What happened earlier?"

"It's nothing."

"Mom says you almost got beaten."

Meixiu put down the wooden spoon she's using as she stirs the soup, looking at her wife. She quickly grabbed the spoon and scooped a little of the soup, blowing a little.

"Would you please taste this for me?"

Xiaohui opens her mouth as Meixiu puts the spoon inside her, careful not to burn her tongue. The smaller woman hummed in agreement.

"It tastes good."

Meixiu smiles at what Xiaohui said. She quickly put the spoon on the counter before wrapping her arms around it.

This causes Xiaohui to flinch in the process, not expecting the taller woman to hug her.

"What are you doing?"

Xiaohui couldn't help but whisper her question. It seems as though she needed to be quiet and let Meixiu do what she wanted.

Even though her mind tells her to push the woman away and walk towards the living room to pretend nothing happened.

Meixiu sighs in contentment. She puts her face on the woman's shoulder as she hums in delight.

"Let me do this for now."

-

"Ms. Song!"

Meixiu looks at her back as she closes the garbage, seeing a familiar woman that she has never seen since the last time she invited her.

"Qi?"

"Oh, you do remember me."

Qi went towards her with a wide smile, her hand extending as the woman gave her a small paper bag with something inside.

"What's this?"

"A small gift."

Meixiu examines the bag first before she grabs it. Her hand went inside and grabbed a small box that contained a wallet as soon as she opened it.

"For what reason?"

"Nothing; I just went back from a vacation, and when I saw that wallet, you happened to pass by my mind."

Qi spoke gently, her eyes scanning the reaction of the taller woman in front of her. Her eyes smiled as the woman nodded and put the box back inside the paper bag.

"I don't have any choice but to accept this."

"You caught up pretty well."

Meixiu smiles a little as she shakes her head, nodding in the process as Qi smiles widely.

"Would you mind if I invite you right now?"

"Where are we going?"

Meixiu went to start walking, causing Qi to follow the taller woman behind.

"Let me treat you to a brunch."

"Is there anything you need me to do?"

Meixiu stops walking and looks at Qi. Her eyebrows raised as she saw how the woman looked down on her feet and contemplated.

"I-well-"

Qi stops on her track as the door of Meixiu's house opens, revealing Xiaohui with her mother following her behind.

"Believe me, she might break free from them, but they'll probably look for us!"

Xiaohui looks at the taller woman in front, her eyebrows knitted together, seeing an unfamiliar woman in front.

"Hi! You must be Ms. Song's wife!"

"Xiaohui! That's probably one of their people!"

Xiaowen went back inside their house, scared that they'd ask for money so they wouldn't get hurt.

Xiaohui bows down a little, going towards where Meixiu stands, and nods.

"Yes, I am Zheng Xiaohui."

She quickly grabs her hand and presents it to the woman in front. Qi looks between Meixiu and Xiaohui before she smiles and accepts the handshake.

"I'm Fan Qi, Ms. Song's friend."

Xiaohui looks at Meixiu before she smiles and nods.

"Ah, considering you are here, can I ask for Ms. Song's attention? I wanted to invite her to brunch."

Qi said, her head a little low as she anticipated what Xiaohui's answer got to be.

The latter looked at Meixiu, her eyebrows raising in the process as the taller woman shrugged her shoulders.

Qi looks up a little, seeing how Xiaohui looks a bit upset with what she said. She quickly waves her hands around.

"Don't misunderstand, Ms. Song and I are just friends."

She quickly clarified, her mouth smiling awkwardly as Xiaohui gazed at her.

"Don't misunderstand as well; I know you two are just friends. She can go wherever she wants to; I don't have her feet."

Xiaohui smiles widely before walking away. She waves at them as she opens her car door and sits down before driving.

Meixiu chuckles at Qi's reaction to what Xiaohui just said, and she quickly pats the woman's shoulder.

"Let me change, ok? Then we'll go."

-

"Xiaohui, Grandpa's looking for you."

Qiang's sour face is shown as soon as he opens Xiaohui's office door. The woman looks up from the paper she's reading and sees him.

Xiaohui nodded.

"Let me finish this."

Qiang scoffs before he goes towards Xiaohui's table. He quickly slapped his hands on the glass table, causing a loud sound.

Xiaohui flinched at the sound. Her head looks up, seeing the hatred Qiang's eyes hold.

"I've been thinking, how did you manage to get a project at Sapphire Group?"

"I work hard for it."

Qiang sneered at her answer, his eyes burning with suspicion as he went and walked near Xiaohui.

"Work hard, my ass; I heard that Ms. Zhong specifically asked for you!"

Qiang pointed at her face. Xiaohui gets up from her chair, and she manages to push Qiang away from her as she glares.

"I DID work hard for it! Didn't you ask Grandpa to make you the director? But then what made him change his mind!?"

Xiaohui couldn't help but yell. Her outburst surprised Qiang.

Xiaohui is known as someone who is easy to bully, or if you do bully her, she won't yell or take revenge. Now, why did she do it now out of all time?

She has many opportunities to spit at their faces, but why now?

Her action completely caught Qiang, but it also triggered his anger.

His hands went up, acting as if slapping Xiaohui, and this caused the woman to close her eyes.

Yet she never felt the pain of Qiang's heavy hands.

"No one dares to hurt my wife."

A familiar voice said it in a cold tone. Xiaohui's eyes widen in realization, looking at the taller woman's back as her mind races.

Didn't she and Qi go out for brunch?

What is she doing here?

Qiang smirked and pulled his hand away, but Meixiu's grip was tight, and he couldn't seem to pull it.

He scoffs before forcefully grabbing his hand, and this time Meixiu completely lets him go.

He falls down on the ground, his butt aching at the impact it made on the cold, hard quart tiles.