Font Size:
A week quickly passed.
He Hansheng returned from Country M, and a car was already waiting for him at the airport.
Once in the car, he glanced at the time. It was just about dinner time.
He turned to his assistant and said, “Qin An, contact Xu Xingran and arrange for dinner at the Starlight Restaurant.”
Qin An stood respectfully at the side.
“Understood.”
Qin An took out his phone and dialed Xu Xingran’s number.
The phone rang for a full minute.
Qin An frowned and said to He Hansheng, “Sir, Miss Xu didn’t pick up.”
He Hansheng furrowed his brows. In his long, elegant hand, he held a beautifully crafted jewelry box, inside which was a diamond necklace he had seen at an auction in Country M.
It was shaped like the sun.
Shining brightly.
The first thing that came to his mind was Xu Xingran.
Xu Xingran was like a little sun.
The engagement banquet incident was indeed his fault, and he owed her an apology.
Now that Xu Xingran wasn’t answering his calls, he was displeased.
He didn’t like how she was overly spoiled and arrogant, nor did he like how she would act out so easily.
He was busy and didn’t have time to pamper her.
He expressionlessly closed the jewelry box.
“Go straight to the villa.”
Qin An replied, “Yes.”
The Maybach stopped in front of the villa.
He stepped out of the car with a cold expression.
There were plenty of staff in the villa, all busy with their tasks, but Aunt Chen was the only one inside.
He removed his coat and looked toward Aunt Chen, who was busy in the kitchen.
“Where’s Xu Xingran?”
Aunt Chen’s face showed a hint of worry.
“Miss Xu hasn’t come back since that day. I’ve tried calling her many times, but she hasn’t picked up. Sir, I’m really worried she might be struggling emotionally…”
In this villa, Aunt Chen genuinely cared for Xu Xingran.
She was anxious that Xu Xingran might have taken the engagement cancellation too hard and done something reckless.
He frowned slightly, but his voice was full of certainty.
“She wouldn’t.”
Xu Xingran was like a little sun, always optimistic and positive. Someone like her wouldn’t let herself fall into despair.
It was likely that she was truly upset this time over the canceled engagement banquet.
He sighed and took out his phone to message her.
“Come back. I’ll arrange an even bigger engagement banquet for you.”
But when he sent the message, the only response was a big red exclamation mark.
Xu Xingran actually blocked him!
He chuckled in disbelief.
In the past, she’d had her little tantrums, but she’d never gone so far as to block him. This time, she seemed genuinely upset.
However, He Hansheng didn’t feel any sense of urgency; he found it more amusing than anything. After all, it was obvious to anyone how much Xu Xingran liked him. Her actions were just a fit of pique.
He turned to Qin An, who was standing by the door.
“Look into Xu Xingran’s whereabouts.”
As the most powerful man in the capital, tracking someone down was an easy task for him.
After all, with real-name verification everywhere and cameras on every corner, finding someone wasn’t difficult.
Qin An quickly pulled up the information.
“Sir, Miss Xu returned to Xiangcheng. She’s staying at her family’s old home.”
Qin An showed him Xu Xingran’s flight records and footage from surveillance cameras in Xiangcheng, capturing her there.
He Hansheng’s handsome face showed a mix of exasperation and amusement.
“Was that really necessary?”
She went all the way back to her hometown?
He instructed Qin An, “Go and bring her back.”
This time, it seemed her temper had flared up a bit more than usual. Better to have Qin An personally retrieve her.
Qin An nodded. “Yes, sir.”
In Xiangcheng, Xu Xingran had spent an incredibly relaxing week.
Her family’s yard had long become barren from lack of care. She hired someone to renovate it, then planted her favorite camellias and even tilled a small plot to grow chili peppers.
She loved spicy peppers.
In just a week, the yard was transformed and full of life once more.
Recently, she had been searching around Xiangcheng for a suitable storefront, planning to open a flower shop.
Opening a flower shop had always been her dream.
Now, she was ready to make it come true.
As she was watering her plants in the yard, she heard a knock at the door.
She had ordered nutrient soil and assumed it was the delivery.
But when she opened the door, she saw Qin An standing there, impeccably dressed in a suit.
Her mouth twitched, and she immediately went to close the door.
Qin An reached out to stop her.
Qin An was tall and imposing, and as He Hansheng’s chief assistant, he was usually the one she had to go through to contact He Hansheng.
His attitude toward her was always indifferent.
And today was no different.
With a cold expression, he spoke without any hint of warmth.
“Miss Xu, Mr. He has instructed me to bring you back.”
Xu Xingran, realizing she couldn’t close the door, decided not to try, crossing her arms instead.
“Get on your knees and beg me, and I’ll consider going back,” she replied.
A crack of irritation appeared on Qin An’s otherwise stoic face, rare anger flashing in his eyes.
His voice grew colder, laced with contempt. “Miss Xu, you should understand there’s an imbalance here. The fact that Mr. He asked me to come in person is already a courtesy. The more you push, the more counterproductive it will be.”
“One should know their place.”
Xu Xingran raised an eyebrow, looking at Qin An with a calm, challenging gaze.
To be honest, Xu Xingran was surprised that Qin An had come to bring her back.
This represented He Hansheng’s willingness to compromise. For the first time in seven years.
But… did she need it?
Her tone towards Qin An had been sharp; telling him to kneel was indeed over the line. Xu Xingran’s sense of decency wouldn’t normally let her do something so undignified.
But a taste of his own medicine? That was different.
She still remembered a time when she had a high fever. Everyone in the villa was on leave, and she was too weak to get herself to the hospital.
So, she’d called Qin An for help.
He’d told her to contact the servants.
She explained they were all off-duty.
Qin An had acted cruelly, insisting she beg him for help. At a time like that!
Of course, she hadn’t stooped to pleading.
But Qin An, as He Hansheng’s top aide, had humiliated her.
In the end, she’d barely managed to call 911 herself. When she woke up, she was already in the hospital.
He Hansheng hadn’t come.
Instead, it was Qin An who showed up, offering her nothing but biting remarks as she lay in her hospital bed.
Later, she mentioned the incident to He Hansheng, hoping he’d understand. But he’d just cut her off coldly.
She had been ill, and it was Qin An who had taken care of everything for her, running around tirelessly, yet she never expressed any gratitude.
She was left speechless.
For the longest time, she couldn’t understand why Qin An was so hostile towards her.
After all, he was just He Hansheng’s assistant!
It wasn’t until much later that she learned the reason.
Qin An had come from a poor mountainous area. His rise to success hadn’t been easy.
And the person who had helped him escape the mountains and get to where he was today was none other than his benefactor—Xia Qingqing.
Xia Qingqing.
Xu Xingran looked at him coldly.
“I am well aware of my situation, which is why I left He Hansheng. Now, Mr. Qin, please have some self-awareness and leave my house. Otherwise, don’t blame me for letting my dogs loose on you!”
Qin An’s gaze was icy.
His expression carried a sense of superiority and disdain.
“Trying to play hard to get? Xu Xingran, you’re overdoing it. Do you think He Hansheng cares? If he truly cared about you, he wouldn’t have canceled the engagement Banquet. So, stop acting high and mighty, or you’ll really go too far.”