Su Li couldnât help but looked at Xiao Luo when Leon asked that question. All the things that he had done for her slowly started to flash in her head. Hadnât he been the one protecting her all this while?
She turned around and replied, âLeon, thereâs no single specific instance that I can pinpoint, but rather, itâs a kind of an instinctive feeling. I think you will only understand what I mean when youâve finally met the person who is meant to share your life with you.â
âOh? If itâs a kind of feeling, then I think Iâve already met that person. Because the person who is meant to be in my lifeâis you!â Leon said. He then grabbed Su Liâs hand, lowering his head, and kissed the back of her hand.
Nobody could have imagined that he wouldâve done something this bold. Su Li was stunned, but she quickly regained her senses and pulled her hand away. Her pretty face was flushed. She looked troubled but kept her composure and said, âLeon, please be careful of your actions and the things that you say. I donât want my husband to have any sort of misunderstanding.â
âNo, no, no⦠there is no misunderstanding. Iâm merely speaking the truth. Sabrina, Iâve always liked you,â he said, âIf I were to use two Chinese phrases to explain this, then weâre like a perfect matchâyou and me, weâre like a match made in heaven.â
Leon completely ignored Xiao Luoâs existence and brashly confessed his feelings for Su Li in his presence. He pointed at Xiao Luo and said, âBefore stepping foot in your country, Iâve already done an investigation and checked out all the high-status individuals in Xiahai. There are a whole bunch of incredible people in Xiahai, but Mr. Xiao here isnât on that list. So, please do not tell me that this guy is just some ordinary Chinese man, because if thatâs the case, I will not be able to accept this truth. I simply cannot and will not be able to accept the fact that Iâve lost you to such a guy!â
He got increasingly agitated as he spoke, and by the end of his sentence, he was almost yelling his lungs out.
Xiao Luo furrowed his eyebrows and instantly developed an intense hostility toward his romantic rival. He did not have a good feeling about this guy from the point they met, and now that Leon had been so condescending as to deride him in his face and completely underestimated his abilities, the matter had now become very personal.
âLeon, it seems that my husband was right about you. Youâre not sincere about discussing business or being a shareholder. It seems like Iâve wasted my time here.â
Su Liâs response was cold and bitter. âLetâs go!â she said to Xiao Luo.
Leon was utterly shocked by Su Liâs hostile reaction. He quickly rushed over to stop her and promptly checked his poor behavior. With a smile on his face, he said, âSabrina, Iâm really sorry. I should not have said what I said. Allow me to apologize to you. Iâm really genuine and sincere about becoming a shareholder of âLiyue Media.â I would not have flown all the way from my country to China just for this meeting if I wasnât.â
Su Li didnât respond, and Xiao Luo didnât say anything, either.
Shen Qingyan intervened to ease the rising tensions, hoping to salvage the situation. âMr. Leon, if weâre discussing business then letâs stay focused on it. We can talk about our private lives some other time. Iâm pretty sure any good businessman would not be talking about their private life during a discussion about business. Besides, youâve already let your own emotions take control and affected the tone of our meeting. How can we have a proper discussion about our partnership after this?â she said.
Leon nodded his head in agreement, âYes, yes, I agree⦠Ms. Demi, you are correct. Itâs all my fault. I wasnât able to properly control my emotions at all.â
No matter how much he wanted to pull Su Li toward him, he knew that right now, he ought to contain his urge for the time being.
âLi, come back and have a seat. Mr. Leon is willing to be a shareholder, and this can only be a good thing for âLiyue Media.â We should just sit down and have an open discussion about the partnership,â Shen Qingyan said. She took on the mediatorâs role, for she knew the kind of temper her best friend had. And, she believed that it wasnât right to succumb to oneâs temper when discussing business.
Su Li gave it a thought and eventually decided to return to her seat.
âSabrina, your personality is still the same, youâve not changed at all,â Leon said, breathing a sigh of relief as he tried to reconcile the awkwardness between them.
âBut youâve changed,â Su Li said.
Leon laughed and said, âHow have I changed? Have I become a lot cooler?â
Su Li wasnât in the mood for jest or banter. âThe skin on your face is a lot thicker now,â she said.
âHahaâ¦hahaâ¦â
It was as if the atmosphere around them suddenly became stagnant, and as Leon attempted to laugh it off, it felt awkward.
Shen Qingyan pitched in to lighten the situation. âLi, youâre not going to be able to make any friends if youâre always going to be this straightforward with the things you say,â she said.
âNo, this is Sabrina. Sheâs real, kind, beautiful, and doesnât have the kind of hypocrisy that most Chinese people have.â
Leon immediately jumped to Su Liâs defense with the most outrageous remarks. Then, he switched the topic to Xiao Luo and asked, âRight, Iâve still yet to know what kind of job you do, Mr. Xiao?â
âIâm in sales. Ms. Demi here is my boss,â Xiao Luo replied.
F*ck, how was it possible that heâs just a salesman?
How was it possible that Sabrina actually married a salesman?
Leon was a little shocked when he heard that, but he merely smiled and said, âMr. Xiao, you must be really capable in sales; so what is your annual salary like?â
âI only receive a monthly salary, not an annual salary,â Xiao Luo replied. He was not very happy with these questions as Leon was evidently finding ways to make him look bad in front of Su Li.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âSo, you receive a monthly salary, and here I thought⦠ah, itâs nothing, nothing. So⦠just continue to work hard and Iâm sure things will get better for you in the future. Anyway, you canât be all that bad since youâre the guy that Sabrina has chosen,â Leon said.
Shen Qingyan couldnât bear to watch this anymore and spoke out for Xiao Luo. âMr. Leon, Mr. Xiao is already a really capable and impressive person. He just helped my company secure a huge order not too long ago. His commission alone was seventeen million,â she said.
âIs that so? Thatâs really not all that bad. Itâs about one-tenth of how much I usually invest in a movie. Considering how Mr. Xiao is just an ordinary guy without a large network, itâs really impressive to be able to secure such an order. Come, hereâs a toast to show my respect,â Leon said, smiling as he raised his glass of wine.
âI have to drive, so I canât drink,â Xiao Luo said.
His response was cold, for he had already formed a poor impression of Leon.
âThis is a 1988 Lafite, the alcohol content isnât that high. Youâll be fine,â Leon said.
âIt is illegal to drink and drive in our country, Leon. I think we should just cut all this small talk. Letâs just stick to our discussion about you becoming a shareholder,â Su Li said. She did not like the fact that Xiao Luo was being looked down upon by someone else.
âFine. Letâs eat as we discuss then!â
Leon put his wine glass down, called for the waitresses waiting outside the room, and had them bring in the food.
While the three of them were discussing business, Xiao Luo was focused solely on the food. It went without saying that the quality of food served in a luxurious place like this was nothing short of superb. Besides, the timing was perfect as he was famished then, and he wasnât going to hold back. He gobbled everything down and, in his indulgence, ate noisily.
Xiao Luoâs poor table manners made Leon, Su Li, and Shen Qingyan turn toward him and stare.
âDonât worry about me, you guys just continue!â
Xiao Luo shamelessly grabbed a scrumptious piece of braised wild boar meat and chomped on it like a peasant as the three of them stared at him, horrified. Xiao Luo was oblivious to their stares.
âSabrina, pray, tell me your husband wasnât just released from prison?â Leon exclaimed, deliberately teasing her.
Su Liâs cheeks started to turn red, and she glared at Xiao Luo with a murderous look in her eyes. She hoped that he would stop this kind of boorish behavior, but it was obviously not working at all, and she started feeling a little embarrassed. This was shameful, and there was simply no excuse for this. Regardless, one always had to show a little courtesy when having meals, yet she could feel that something wasnât right that day. Xiao Luo usually didnât eat that way, so why was he eating this way now? Could it be that he was perhaps⦠jealous?
Shen Qingyan was annoyed as well and coughed a little. âXiao Luo, have you gone mad? Youâre eating as if someoneâs going to steal your food,â she said.
Xiao Luo raised his head. âDonât worry about me. You guys just continue discussing your work,â he said.
He was indeed a little angry, especially after noticing that Leon and Su Li were actually quite close. It was as if a claw was lightly scratching his heart, and it made him feel troubled. The purpose of him gobbling down all the food could only be seen as a childish ploy to emotionally force Su Li to her distance from Leon.