"Tingyun, are you still smoking these days? The doctor said last time that you'd just recovered from a serious illness and shouldn't smoke or drink. You're smoking so heavily, be careful, it's bad for your health."
"I know. Let Lin Te send you back first. I still have things to handle."
The man's voice was hoarse, and even his low, hoarse tone carried a hint of tobacco.
"Wait, Tingyun, I want to have dinner with you tomorrow. I don't know if you have time. Lunch!"
Li Caiyi had her own little plan.
If she asked directly, the man would surely refuse.
But if she used the excuse of having a meal, the man would definitely not refuse.
"I'll see my schedule tomorrow. If I have time, I'll have Lin Te pick you up."
After speaking, the man lit a cigarette and walked towards the parking lot.
Li Caiyi stood in place, watching the man's retreating back, her mood suddenly complex.
The next day, Li Caiyi sent Su Qi an address, asking Su Qi to wait in the private room of the restaurant at noon. Huo Tingyun might be there, but he might not be able to make it due to his busy work schedule.
It would be a lie to say she didn't like him, and it would be a lie to say she wasn't sad. But Huo Tingyun was happy to see Su Qi. She had deceived Huo Tingyun, so doing something to compensate might be a way to alleviate her guilt.
Su Qi arrived at the restaurant at ten o'clock. She hadn't eaten breakfast, so she ordered some breakfast and ate while waiting. After leisurely enjoying her morning tea, she saw that it was almost time. Su Qi asked the waiter to clear away the breakfast plates. Then, glancing at the time, she figured it was about time.
As the appointed time drew nearer, her mood inexplicably began to become nervous.
She hadn't seen Huo Tingyun in a long time, and she felt a bit flustered.
Why would she feel this way? It was so strange.
What was there to be nervous about?
In all these years, she hadn't done anything to wrong Huo Tingyun, nor had she failed him. The one who should be nervous should be Huo Tingyun, not her.
Su Qi took a few deep breaths to calm her emotions.
Just as she was about to pick up her phone to check the time, the door to the private room was pushed open.
Su Qi, who had just managed to compose herself, found her emotions completely in disarray at the sound of the man's familiar footsteps.
The man paused, his brows furrowed as he stared at her, as if he thought he had entered the wrong room. After confirming it wasn't, he coldly fixed his gaze on Su Qi and said in a cold, detached tone, "This seat is not for you."
"Whether it is or isn't, there's no rule against it. Besides, I am a guest of Miss Li today, and also a guest of Mr. Huo. Doesn't Mr. Huo welcome me?"
After a long moment, Su Qi finally found her voice, smiling as she looked at the man before her.
Huo Tingyun met her gaze for a while before looking away. Then, he said in a deep voice, "What do you want?"
"Aren't you hungry, Mr. Huo? We can sit down and talk slowly."
Su Qi's smile never wavered.
Given the man's usual personality, he should have stormed off. But today, to her slight surprise, he sat down. Su Qi raised an eyebrow, took the menu, ordered a few dishes she liked, and then handed the menu to Huo Tingyun.
The man's expression remained unchanged. After taking the menu, he ordered a few dishes. Before the food arrived, neither of them spoke. Once the dishes were served, Su Qi finally spoke, "I have something to ask of you."
The man paused his hand, which was lifting chopsticks, "Ask me? Su Qi, do you think you have the right or the standing to ask me? A woman who uses her ex-husband for hype and to gain sympathy?"
Su Qi couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
With such a handsome face, why did his words have to be so unpleasant?
Why didn't he learn from Qin Yusheng? Not only was he good-looking, but his words were also pleasant to hear.
Su Qi propped her chin on her hand, picked up a chopstickful of food, and put it into her bowl, "Mr. Huo, whether I'm seeking sympathy or stating facts, you should know better than anyone..."
She only said half of it before feeling a wave of coldness emanating from the man.
Su Qi immediately changed her tone, feigning a wronged expression, "When I divorced you, I didn't ask for a single cent. I even returned the marital home to you without taking anything. I'm not asking for anything now, I just hope you can help me this once."
"Tch... Su Qi, you look like a clown when you act. It makes me want to applaud. You've gone to such lengths, using Caiyi's innocence and kindness, and now you're trying to get something from me. Su Qi, your calculations are truly impressive!"
Su Qi bit her lip, her face almost falling, but she still forced herself to maintain it, managing a faint smile, "Mr. Huo, what are you saying? It's harder than reaching the heavens to see you, let alone ask for your help."
"Speak."
Su Qi was taken aback for a moment, then continued, "I need thirty million. Mr. Huo, lend it to me for a year, and I'll repay you with principal and interest."
"Principal and interest?" Huo Tingyun's eyes were lowered, his gaze fixed on her with a heavy intensity, "If you had the capability, you wouldn't need to borrow money from me?"
"I don't have the capability now, but that doesn't mean I won't have it a year from now. The company has only been open for a few months. If I don't get these thirty million to overcome this difficult period, I truly won't have the capability..."
"What about your young boyfriend?"
Huo Tingyun leaned back against the chair, crossed his legs, folded his arms across his chest, and narrowed his long, phoenix-like eyes, staring at Su Qi with amusement, a faint curve subtly appearing at the corner of his lips.
This man was definitely doing it on purpose.
He had clearly gone to the capital, coerced Qin Ruhui into imprisoning Qin Yusheng, and then instigated Qin Ruhui to withdraw this funding. Could the influence that allowed him to directly retrieve thirty million from the film crew in Shencheng be Qin Ruhui's power in the capital?
Playing the fool to hide his cunning, this man had eight hundred schemes in his mind.
Su Qi was so angry she almost laughed, "Young boyfriend? Since when do I have a young boyfriend? That was just slander from entertainment gossip, it's already been clarified."
As soon as she finished speaking, the man at the table suddenly stood up. With three quick steps, he was in front of her. He cupped her chin with one hand and leaned down, his warm breath spraying onto her cheek.
"Su Qi, I really overestimated your morals. You were so close to Qin Yusheng, and after Qin Yusheng was confined by the Qin family, you treated him like this. From fiancé to a mere passerby, would you say anything for money, even if I asked you to insult your half-brother?"
The man's words, spoken in a seemingly normal tone, were incredibly ironic and mocking to Su Qi.
In Huo Tingyun's eyes, she was such a woman.
Su Qi's eyes were clouded with a thin mist. The distance between them was so close, the air felt thin, and her speech became a little unclear.