Chapter 29: Being Difficult

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The Xia family was reluctant to see their children suffer, especially not wanting Xia Yuan to endure hardships.

They worked hard to earn money, hoping to save enough for Xia Yuan to buy a house and a car. They didn’t aim for great wealth, but at least they wanted her to be free from financial worries.

Xia Yuan used the excuse of going to the library to write her thesis, but in reality, she was working at a French restaurant.

During the staff’s break from 3 to 7 PM, Manager Sun treated everyone to afternoon tea out of his own pocket.

Manager Sun said, “This week’s revenue is equivalent to what we usually make in half a month, all thanks to Xia Yuan.”

Caught off guard by the praise, Xia Yuan smiled and said, “I’m not in sales, so I can’t really influence the restaurant’s revenue.”

The barista chimed in, “But I’ve noticed a lot of return customers coming in for every meal just to catch your attention.”

Having worked various jobs and being around Qin Mohuai, Xia Yuan was used to handling such teasing with ease.

Holding her tea cup with her fair, delicate fingers, she took a sip and replied, “It’s a pity that foreigners are such a small portion of our customers, or I could have made a lot in tips.”

As locals don’t usually tip, she had only received a few tips from foreigners during her time there.

With her striking beauty and graceful demeanor, Xia Yuan handled the situation with confidence and poise, not letting the playful jabs faze her.

The staff of the French restaurant didn’t make things difficult for her, assuming she was a wealthy young lady experiencing life before returning to her privileged life, with no conflicts of interest with them.

At 7 PM, the restaurant reopened for business.

When Song Cien walked in and saw Xia Yuan carrying a tray, she was taken aback and nudged Ouyang Jing.

“Look, isn’t that Xia Yuan? Let’s go check it out. She’s working here as a waitress. She must have been dumped by Qin!”

Ouyang Jing, however, remained calm. “Xia Yuan has been with Qin Mohuai for a while now. I was the one who interfered with their relationship. Qin Mohuai must have some genuine feelings for Xia Yuan. If he would discard her so easily, what would he do with someone he has no feelings for, like me?”

“Don’t you think Qin Mohuai is a terrifying man? When he loves you, you’re like the moon in the sky. When he doesn’t, you’re like dirt beneath his feet.”

Feeling a bit disoriented, Song Cien gathered her thoughts and said, “You’re going to be the eldest daughter-in-law of the Qin family. How could he treat you carelessly? Xia Yuan is just a pretty distraction for Qin Mohuai. He can play with her and discard her as he pleases. You don’t feel sorry for Xia Yuan, do you? Jing, you’re so naive—she’s stealing your man!”

“Pitying her is just foolishness! A month ago, you were Qin Mohuai’s fiancée. Xia Yuan should have known her place and left him willingly. Her current plight is the result of her greed. If you don’t want to take revenge, I will do it for you!”

Ouyang Jing couldn’t stop Song Cien, and the two of them ended up sitting in Xia Yuan’s section.

Seeing Ouyang Jing, Xia Yuan maintained her smile and went to seat them and take their orders.

After ordering appetizers, main courses, and desserts, Song Cien also ordered a bottle of 1978 Romanée-Conti red wine, worth 250,000 yuan.

Song Cien had a sweet, innocent face with dimples that made her seem like a harmless, neighborly girl.

“I like to have red wine before the meal, so please bring it quickly.”

Xia Yuan replied, “Certainly, please wait a moment.”

Hearing Ouyang Jing call her Cien, Xia Yuan remembered who Song Cien was—an expendable character from the original book.

The Song family, like the Ouyang family, had fallen from grace. They had been close friends due to their similar situations, but after Ouyang Jing got together with Qin Mohuai, the Ouyang family had regained its status with the help of the Qin family, establishing themselves in high society.

In contrast, the Song family faced bankruptcy due to financial issues, and Song Cien sought help from Ouyang Jing. However, Ouyang Jing, who was proud and wouldn’t humble herself to Qin Mohuai, refused to help, leading to the Song family’s downfall and Song Cien’s return to her hometown in the northwest.

Unable to accept her fall from grace, Song Cien secretly went to Xiangzhou to borrow money from Ouyang Jing, hoping to start her own business. Ouyang Jing, having no spare funds and unwilling to ask Qin Mohuai for help, advised Song Cien to start from scratch and drove off in her luxury car.

As the saying goes, adversity reveals true feelings. Song Cien discovered that her so-called best friend was merely pretentious and indifferent. In a fit of spite, Song Cien kidnapped Ouyang Jing, resulting in Ouyang Jing being unharmed while Song Cien was shot by the police.

Xia Yuan brought the red wine to the table, and as she was about to use the decanter to help the wine breathe, she saw Song Cien move her hand and knock the Romanée-Conti off the table.

Xia Yuan asked, “What are you doing?”

The sound of the wine bottle shattering on the floor caught the attention of the people around them causing noise in the serene French restaurant, drawing Manager Sun’s attention.

Seeing the broken wine on the floor, Manager Sun winced inwardly but maintained his professional smile. “What happened?”

Song Cien snapped, “I ordered a bottle of 250,000 yuan Romanée-Conti red wine, and she spilled it on the floor and I didn’t even have a sip.”

Xia Yuan responded calmly, “I didn’t drop the wine. I placed it on the table, and she deliberately pushed it to the ground. The surveillance footage should confirm that.”

Manager Sun looked around, but unfortunately, this spot was in a blind spot for the cameras!

Song Cien sneered, “Breaking such expensive wine and then lying and slandering customers? This is supposed to be a high class restaurant, and you have such a waitress? Manager Sun, you probably don’t know Xia Yuan’s background—she’s just a cheap woman who seduces men!”

Manager Sun was at a loss for words and could only instruct Xia Yuan to clean up the mess.

At this moment, Qin Mohuai arrived at the French restaurant, following the location on his Patek Philippe watch.

As soon as he entered, he saw his wife on the floor picking up glass shards, while Song Cien stood nearby with a smug expression.

Qin Mohuai’s eyes turned cold and he strode over, grabbing Xia Yuan’s wrist.

“Don’t like enjoying life at home, so you came here to play with glass shards, hmm?” He was almost laughing in anger, his heart twisting with a mix of pain and rage.

Xia Yuan, though surprised to see Qin Mohuai under such circumstances, obediently followed him without resistance.

Two bodyguards in black entered the restaurant, one handing Manager Sun a check and the other stuffing glass shards into Song Cien’s mouth.

“Miss Song, if you swallow, you’ll die; if you spit it out, the Song family will be ruined. Consider your options.”

Song Cien’s face contorted in pain.

Ouyang Jing, pale-faced, asked, “Have you misunderstood something?”

The cold-faced bodyguard looked at her and said, “Miss Ouyang, your debt will be remembered by Mr. Qin and settled in the future.”

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The Maybach didn’t head to the Shenghai Mansion but stopped downstairs at Xia’s home.

Xia Yuan felt a sense of foreboding.

With Xia’s parents at work and Xia Yuze nowhere to be found, only Qin Mohuai and Xia Yuan were in the house.

He grasped her delicate wrist and led her into her room, locking the door behind them.

“Qin, Qin Mohuai, what are you going to do?” Her voice trembled uncontrollably.

“After being out for so many days, you don’t even call me your husband?”

His fingers, long and well-defined, fiddled with his tie. His gray-blue short hair couldn’t hide the dark, cold look in his eyes; he seemed on the verge of losing control.

Though Qin Mohuai was reluctant to hurt Xia Yuan, it didn’t mean he would be gentle in bed.

Xia Yuan’s waist was delicate and slim, and the black-and-white, restrained uniform accentuated her slender waist. Since being with Qin Mohuai, her waist had become less flexible—whether from overwork or from being coddled.

After a brief separation for eight days, her waist, worn from work, was struggling. Her body, softened by Qin Mohuai’s care, now seemed unable to handle any strain.

She needed to do something to rescue her waist.

Xia Yuan raised her hand and slapped Qin Mohuai, her beautiful eyes red with anger. “This is all your fault! How dare you get mad at me!”