Chapter 245: Chapter 245

The office space, spanning over 500 square meters, occupied an entire floor and was decorated in a tasteful yet imposing style.

"May I ask..." The receptionist was about to repeat herself when Yu Bao said quickly, "This is our President Qi. You’d better hurry and call your Director Long out."

"Oh, of course. Please wait a moment," the receptionist replied before heading towards the director’s office.

Soon enough, Long Shangxuan emerged, following the receptionist.

Upon seeing Qi Longbing, Long Shangxuan approached, a wide smile spreading across his face. "I thought they had made some mistake! I never imagined the president of the esteemed Qi Imperial Court himself would honor us with his presence! Welcome, welcome!"

However, when Long Shangxuan extended his hand, Qi Longbing’s expression darkened considerably; he clearly had no intention of shaking it.

"Where is Hua Xiaomo?" Qi Longbing demanded.

"President Qi, did you come all this way just to find Hua Xiaomo?" Long Shangxuan retorted with a smile.

"Cut the crap. Hand her over, and I might let this slide," Qi Longbing said coolly. Yet only he knew the force packed into every single word.

When he heard from Yu Bao that this man had been visiting Hua Xiaomo late at night, trying to seduce his woman when the world was quiet and still, he felt as if he’d been stabbed in the back!

Long Shangxuan laughed again. "President Qi, while I neither know nor care to delve into your personal affairs with Hua Xiaomo, if she desires better opportunities and has grown tired of Qi Imperial Court, why would you try to force her hand?"

On the surface, his words seemed to only concern Hua Xiaomo’s employment, but the insinuation was clear: he was implying that Hua Xiaomo had grown weary of Qi Longbing and was unwilling to return to him.

Qi Longbing stared at the man, a sinister smile playing on his handsome features. "Very well... You dare speak to me like that, do you?"

"President Qi... is it really worth damaging our amicable relationship over a woman?" Long Shangxuan chuckled again. His demeanor was exceedingly humble, and his smile, like a warm spring breeze, seemed utterly devoid of malice.

Suddenly, Qi Longbing’s hand clenched into a tight fist. He lunged forward and—THUD!—sank that fist hard into Long Shangxuan’s stomach.

"Bastard! Who dares try to steal my woman?" Qi Longbing roared. All pretense of courtesy vanished as he rained a flurry of punches down on Long Shangxuan.

"Ah! He’s hitting him! There’s a fight!" The office erupted into chaos.

Just as onlookers prepared to intervene and pull Qi Longbing away, Yu Bao deftly stepped in front of them. "Don’t take it seriously, folks! Our President Qi and your Director Long are just roughhousing! It’s how they... uh... communicate affection!"

The crowd froze, momentarily silenced. Evidently, Yu Bao’s tactic had worked.

At this moment, Qi Longbing was seething, showing Long Shangxuan no mercy whatsoever.

Long Shangxuan, however, mostly refrained from fighting back. When he saw a figure in white emerge from an adjacent office, he became even less inclined to retaliate, instead allowing himself to be beaten to his knees, collapsing under the blows...

Yet, a faint, ominous glint flickered deep within his phoenix eyes.

"Stop! Stop hitting him!" The figure in white rushed out, decisively parting the crowd with slender hands. Upon seeing who was being beaten, her eyes widened in shock, her entire being aching with distress.

"Don’t hit him! Don’t hit him!" Hua Xiaomo cried, lunging forward to shield Long Shangxuan with her body.

Qi Longbing’s fist, poised in midair, tightened. He sneered, "Hua Xiaomo. So you finally decided to show yourself?"

"Come back with me!" Qi Longbing’s words, icy cold, cut through the air. Follow current novels on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⁂𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱

Hua Xiaomo’s gaze was entirely fixed on the man she was protecting. Seeing the blood trickling from the corner of his lips, her heart ached with renewed intensity. "Brother Long," she said, her voice laced with pain, "I’m so sorry. You ended up because you were protecting me."

Long Shangxuan shook his head, offering a faint smile. He slowly rose from the ground with her support. "I’m fine. Don’t worry."

"Brother Long, let me take you to the hospital," Hua Xiaomo said, completely ignoring Qi Longbing and his words, her entire attention fixed on Long Shangxuan.

"Okay," Long Shangxuan replied with a faint smile. His eyes casually swept over CEO Qi, a flicker of triumph dancing at their corners.

Just as they were about to brush past him, Qi Longbing angrily grabbed Hua Xiaomo’s elbow. "You’re not going anywhere!"

"I injured him. I’ll pay his medical bills and compensation for lost work. But you... you don’t need to feel sorry for anyone because of *my* mistake!" Qi Longbing bit out, each word sharp. Then, his expression hardening, he turned to Yu Bao. "Yu Bao, you will accompany Director Long to the hospital."

"Oh, okay," Yu Bao quickly responded.

But just as Yu Bao moved to support Long Shangxuan, Hua Xiaomo slapped his hand away. She then forcefully wrenched her own arm free from Qi Longbing’s grasp and spat fiercely, "President Qi, are you so poor that money is all you have left? Just because money is important to you, does that give you the right to use it to insult people everywhere?"

"Go away! Don’t come looking for me again. I have nothing to do with you!" Hua Xiaomo declared icily.

Qi Longbing’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"What did you say? Nothing to do with me? Then who was in my bed just a few days ago, Hua Xiaomo? You sure change your tune fast!" Qi Longbing sneered, a cold light glinting in his eyes, his handsome face contorted with dark fury.

"..." Hua Xiaomo’s heart clenched. Her arms began to tremble with rage. How could he say such things about her in front of Brother Long?

"You... you’re lying!" Hua Xiaomo’s face paled with fury.

"Lying? Ha!" Qi Longbing scoffed, his gaze shifting between her and Long Shangxuan. Damn it, they really looked like a pair of devoted lovers! Fury seethed within him. "Let me tell you, Hua Xiaomo, if you want to two-time someone, at least pick a worthy opponent!"

"...If you don’t come back tonight, don’t blame me for not giving you another chance!" With that, Qi Longbing shot her a cold glance and snapped, "Yu Bao, we’re leaving!"

Yu Bao glanced at Hua Xiaomo, his brow furrowed slightly. "Miss Hua, please don’t continue down this wrong path."

"I’ve done nothing wrong..." Hua Xiaomo shook her head resolutely. Her gaze, fixed on Qi Longbing’s retreating figure, burned with intense loathing.

She knew it. Even though she had moved, this man would continue to haunt her like an unyielding ghost!

If there was no other way, she would have to...

Soon, tranquility returned to the office. When Hua Xiaomo helped Long Shangxuan back to his office, she sank limply into a chair, utterly drained.

"Xiao Mo..." Long Shangxuan poured a glass of water and brought it to her. "Here," he said gently, "drink some water. Calm your nerves."