Chapter 328: Chapter 328

Yu Bao stood aside and said, "Aunt Wang, just accept it. This is Xiao Mo’s sincere gesture. Why feel embarrassed about accepting it? Hurry up and take it!"

"Yu Bao, you have the nerve to say that?"

"What’s there to be embarrassed about? Xiao Mo is not an outsider; we are all so familiar with each other. And I’ve already received a gift," replied Yu Bao, smiling at Aunt Wang.

"Xiao Mo is really thoughtful, even remembered to bring us gifts," she replied with a smile.

Just as a few of them were in the living room looking at their respective gifts, a voice, neither too high nor too low, floated down from the second floor.

"How come you all have gifts, yet I don’t have one?" the CEO protested, sounding rather unhappy.

From the second floor, he had seen them selecting gifts, and his teeth practically itched with envy. But it seemed those people hadn’t noticed his presence above them, preoccupied as they were with their own joy. This infuriated him, so he had to position himself at a better angle to ensure they noticed his presence. Indeed, his maneuver was quite effective; the sharp-eyed Yu Bao spotted him, and then Hua Xiaomo and the others also saw the CEO standing by the second-floor railing.

Qi Longbing’s words seemed aimed at Hua Xiaomo. Looking at him, she offered an awkward smile. "I’m sorry, President Qi, I didn’t buy you a gift."

Sure enough, Qi Longbing’s eyes darkened. He walked into the living room, hands in his pockets, and looked at Hua Xiaomo. "And you still have the nerve to come? I invited you for dinner, and you show up empty-handed?"

The question made Hua Xiaomo feel incredibly awkward. She looked at him. "President Qi, you’re so wealthy. What gift could you possibly want that you don’t already have? You can just go out and buy it yourself! I... I don’t have extra money to buy you a gift."

"No extra money to buy me a gift? Director Hua, you’re the entrepreneur of a large company. Does it make sense to say you have no spare money, may I ask?" Qi Longbing challenged, his handsome face falling.

He seemed to be looking for trouble, getting hung up on this particular issue.

Hua Xiaomo was equally annoyed as she stared back. A multi-billionaire CEO fussing with her over a gift? What did he mean by that? Was he short on gifts, or short on love?

"Fine, tell me what gift you want, and I’ll go buy it with you!" Hua Xiaomo finally capitulated and asked. Heaven knew how awkward she felt about buying him a gift; it seemed she had never bought him one before.

Why was she suddenly dwelling on this? Well, no matter what, he was still her daughter’s father!

But this was a secret, a secret that absolutely had to be kept!

"Forget it. Since you’re here, just remember to make it up to me next time. I’ll let it slide this once," Qi Longbing said, a strange feeling in his heart. Even Yu Bao had received a gift from Hua Xiaomo. Why should he be the only one without one?

"You’ve been gone so long, you haven’t eaten Aunt Wang’s cooking in a while. Have you missed her food?" Qi Longbing inquired.

"You would say that," Hua Xiaomo retorted, giving him a glare. He knew exactly how to tempt her appetite with Aunt Wang’s cooking. If it weren’t for Aunt Wang’s delicious food, she certainly wouldn’t have come to his house for a meal!

"What else do you expect me to say?" Qi Longbing asked with a smile, then quickly gestured for them all to take their seats.

This time, he had Yu Bao and Aunt Wang sit at the same table with them. It was the first time he had allowed his subordinates to dine with him and Xiao Mo.

It truly felt as if the four of them were a family, so close that any additional person would have seemed like an outsider.

"Don’t be shy, everyone, eat as much as you like. Aunt Wang’s cooking is something we can’t stop praising! Make sure to finish all the dishes—and oh, the Lafite!" Qi Longbing announced cheerfully, his handsome face lit with a broad smile. Whenever he looked at Hua Xiaomo, he found he couldn’t stop smiling.

For some reason, he felt it was better to have a meal alone with her , in his own home. Follow current novels on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡~𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢~𝙣𝙚𝙩

Hua Xiaomo looked at him and gave a strange smile, but she said nothing. Alright then, her appetite had been thoroughly whetted by Aunt Wang’s dishes. No more words needed; time to eat!

Soon, the four of them had devoured the entire spread. Without necessarily being ravenous, they all ate very, very happily.

It wasn’t until only scraps remained that they finally put down their chopsticks and bowls. Qi Longbing looked at Hua Xiaomo and smiled.

"It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you. Have you missed my tower’s rooftop? How about we go up and take a look?" Qi Longbing asked, looking at Hua Xiaomo, his heart brimming with an indescribable sense of happiness.

Thinking of the word ’happiness,’ a weight settled in his heart. Only when with her could he experience true happiness, a sentiment he had never found with anyone else.

It seemed no one else in this world could bring her happiness, except for Hua Xiaomo herself.

Hua Xiaomo looked at Qi Longbing, staring at him quirkily. Regarding his invitation, she felt unsure how best to respond. She remained silent for quite a while, her expression growing increasingly mysterious.

Seeing her lack of response, Qi Longbing crossed his arms and laughed. "You’re not afraid I’ll eat you, are you, Hua Xiaomo?"

"Ha, scared of you? That would be strange. What’s so great about you, Qi Longbing? If we’re going up, let’s go up—who’s afraid of whom?" Hua Xiaomo said, then swiftly walked towards the familiar place.

The side door opened, revealing the familiar cable car.

A sense of long-lost familiarity imprinted itself deep in Hua Xiaomo’s heart, stirring an unusual ripple within her.

"Let’s go up. Hurry and see if there’s anything different," Qi Longbing said with a smile, taking the lead. However, he didn’t take her hand; he was observing her expression, taking in every subtle nuance on her face.

"Could there be anything different? It should still be the same old place," Hua Xiaomo said slowly.

"Is that so? That might not be the case. You’ll see when you go up," Qi Longbing continued with a smile, his gaze fixed on Hua Xiaomo.

Facing Qi Longbing’s enthusiasm, Hua Xiaomo felt a bit uncomfortable. "Why do you keep staring at me? Is my face particularly beautiful to look at? Or are you saying I’ve gotten older?"

"Old? How could that be! You’re so young right now. Besides, I’m sure you have many admirers, don’t you?" Qi Longbing said, outwardly feigning indifference. But inwardly, he felt a strange twinge.