Chapter 241: The Clash

Xiang Ri quickly caught up with her in a few strides, reaching out to grab her hand. "Xinxin, please, let me explain..." 

"What excuse are you trying to come up with this time?" An Xin flung his hand away with a cold expression. "I'm annoyed enough already—don't add to it!" 

Xiang Ri let out a long sigh. "Xinxin, are you upset because I didn't tell you about owning a company?" 

"Oh? Is that what you think?" An Xin's face was etched with a frosty smile, her tone dripping with jealousy. "I wouldn't dare blame someone as important as you, a big boss. Who would even have the nerve to do that?" 

"Darling—" Xiang Ri softened his voice, attempting to win her over with sweet talk. 

But An Xin wasn't buying it this time. She scoffed coldly and retorted, "Let me ask you, does Chuchu and the others know about this?" 

"They know." Xiang Ri understood her question was a way to find emotional balance. Although he was tempted to lie, he knew the consequences of being caught in a lie would be far worse. So, he chose honesty. 

As expected, An Xin's face twisted into an expression of "I knew it," and her eyes instantly reddened. "I just knew it. In your heart, I'm nothing more than an extra. You don't feel the need to tell me anything—you just inform Chuchu and the others, don't you..." 

"You're overthinking this!" Xiang Ri was at his wit's end. This girl could truly overanalyze things. "It's not that I didn't want to tell you. We only finalized the matter last night, and I simply hadn't had the chance yet..." 

"I don't want to hear it, I don't want to hear it!" An Xin's temper flared, her voice rising. "Who said I have any sort of relationship with you? There's nothing between us!" 

Though her tone was as firm as before, it lacked the unyielding force from earlier. Xiang Ri sensed that his words were beginning to have an effect. Seizing the opportunity, he pressed on, "Darling, I swear, from now on, I'll tell you everything first. What do you say?" 

"No!" An Xin's reply took him completely by surprise. "Don't forget about Qingqing and Chuchu. If you only tell me, they'll get jealous!" 

Her words betrayed her satisfaction, the corners of her lips subtly curling upward despite her efforts to appear indifferent. 

"Alright, I will." Xiang Ri hastily agreed, his heart softening at An Xin's selflessness. Even at a time like this, she still considered others' feelings—it was truly remarkable. 

But her next words shattered his sentimentality. "However, you must tell me before them, even if it's just one minute earlier." 

"Yes, yes," Xiang Ri replied, breaking into a cold sweat. It seemed no one could entirely escape selfish instincts. 

An Xin wasn't finished. "Tell me, is there anything else Chuchu and the others know that I don't?" 

"I don't think so..." Xiang Ri hesitated, uncertain, and chose his words carefully. 

"What do you mean by 'think'? Yes or no?" An Xin shot him a sharp glare, clearly dissatisfied. 

Xiang Ri racked his brain. "They've met my mother. Does that count?" 

"What!" An Xin yelped, like a startled cat. "Where is your mother? You must take me to meet her too, or I won't let this go!" 

Xiang Ri couldn't help but chuckle bitterly. "That might be a bit difficult..." 

An Xin cut him off immediately. "What's difficult about it? You just don't want to take me, do you?" 

"Why do you always assume the worst?" Xiang Ri sighed even more heavily. "It's not that I don't want to. My mother is in the countryside right now. Even if you wanted to meet her, it's not possible." 

An Xin was unconvinced. "Then how did Qingqing and Chuchu meet her?" 

"That was during National Day. She came to visit me, so they happened to meet," Xiang Ri explained, spreading his hands helplessly. 

"Hmph, I don't care. One way or another, I must meet her this year!" An Xin declared, her eyes suddenly gleaming with a new idea. "Why don't you take me to your hometown during the winter holidays? I'll pay my respects to your parents for the New Year." 

Xiang Ri's expression turned odd. "Are you that eager to meet your future in-laws?" 

"Go to hell!" An Xin shot back, her cheeks flushing crimson as she reached out to pinch him. 

Xiang Ri dodged in a hurry, with An Xin chasing after him, their playful squabble leading them out of the airport. 

Suddenly, Xiang Ri stopped abruptly, and An Xin couldn't halt her momentum, colliding into him. Frustrated, she struck him with both fists. "What's wrong with you?"

Xiang Ri paid no heed to the delicate fists pounding against him and pointed toward the parking lot in the distance, where a man and a woman were quarreling. "Look." 

"What is it?" An Xin followed the direction of his finger, her gaze landing on the scene. "Is that..." 

Before she could finish, Xiang Ri was already striding toward the commotion. An Xin hurriedly grabbed his arm. "Don't go!" 

She had seen clearly by now: the man was a stranger, but the woman was unmistakably the secretary who had just left. Overwhelmed by jealousy, she couldn't allow Xiang Ri to play the hero for another woman. 

"Xinxin, you know I can't just ignore something like this." Xiang Ri met her gaze with firm resolve. 

"I'll go!" An Xin knew he wouldn't stand aside in such situations, but she'd rather intervene herself than let that vixen have a chance to lure him. 

Throwing out those words, she marched toward the arguing pair. 

Fearing trouble, Xiang Ri hurried after her. 

As they approached, the tall, burly man's voice thundered through the air: "Fang Yingying, who do you think I am? Twenty thousand? Are you trying to insult me like I'm some beggar?" 

"How much do you want, then?" The secretary's voice was faintly trembling. 

"Not much!" The man held up two fingers. "Two million." 

"In your dreams!" the secretary retorted, her voice now laced with anger. 

"Oh? Can't spare it?" The man sneered, his face full of disdain. "Is this how you treat an old boyfriend? Just look at yourself—all decked out in designer clothes. Don't tell me you can't even afford two million!" 

"Even if I could, I wouldn't give it to you!" she snapped. 

The man chuckled coldly. "Don't tell me you're not afraid that—" 

Before he could finish, a crisp voice cut through the air. "Trash. Do you only know how to bully women?" 

"Who are you?" The man turned, his face darkening. He had already noticed the couple approaching out of the corner of his eye, assuming they were just retrieving their car. He hadn't expected them to interfere, and it irritated him. 

However, his expression shifted when he took in the exquisitely dressed woman. Her clothes, though devoid of obvious logos, were unmistakably high fashion, crafted by a master designer. A gleam of interest flashed across his eyes before he quickly masked it with a bright smile. 

"And who might you be?" Xiang Ri stopped An Xin, who was about to speak, and studied the man—a well-dressed, seemingly polished individual in his late twenties. With his nearly six-foot-three frame and decent looks, he possessed an undeniable charm that could easily attract women. 

Yet something about him felt off. His demeanor exuded a cloying softness, a stark contrast to the assertiveness of a typical man. The term "pretty boy" seemed tailor-made for him, Xiang Ri concluded inwardly. 

The man, however, dismissed Xiang Ri with a sneer. "I don't waste my time talking to vegetable vendors." 

His disdainful glance at the plastic bag in Xiang Ri's hand made his intent clear: he only deemed An Xin worth addressing. 

But An Xin, who valued Xiang Ri above all else, flared with anger at this insult. Her voice was cold as ice. "Who are you calling a vegetable vendor?" 

"Miss, isn't it obvious?" The pretty boy cast a sidelong glance at Xiang Ri and was about to continue his taunts when the secretary interrupted. She bowed slightly toward Xiang Ri and said, "Boss." 

"Hm." Xiang Ri nodded, knowing she was establishing his authority. 

"B-Boss?" The pretty boy's face twisted in disbelief. He turned to the secretary, his voice tinged with derision. "You're saying he's your boss? Hahaha..." 

His laughter rang out, echoing through the parking lot. When he finally stopped, he shook his head. "Fang Yingying, oh, Fang Yingying. I thought you were doing well in some multinational corporation, but you've fallen so far as to work for a vegetable vendor? Truly disappointing." 

"Fine! Since you're in such dire straits, I'll cut you a deal. Forget the two million—give me one million and sleep with me once. After that, I'll disappear from your life. Isn't that fair? Such opportunities don't come around often, you know." 

Before he could finish, a resounding "thud" interrupted him. Xiang Ri's foot had sent him sprawling to the ground. 

In an instant, Xiang Ri stepped forward, pressing his foot down on the man's chest with cold fury. "What did you just say? I didn't quite catch that. Care to repeat yourself?" 

The pretty boy coughed violently, blood spilling from his mouth. The earlier kick had injured him badly, and now, with the weight on his chest like a mountain, he could hardly breathe, let alone speak. 

"Boss Xiang... please don't do this." Fang Yingying, who had been trembling with rage at the pretty boy's earlier words, suddenly stepped forward to plead for him. She had seen Xiang Ri's strength firsthand. Though she secretly wished the pretty boy would be taught a harsh lesson, for reasons she couldn't quite explain, she didn't want him seriously harmed. 

Meeting her imploring gaze, Xiang Ri hesitated briefly, his heart softening. He finally lifted his foot off the man but couldn't resist giving him another sharp kick. "Get lost! If I see you again, I'll beat you every time." 

The pretty boy, his face twisted with resentment, scrambled to his feet and was about to leave when a shrill, peculiar voice called out: "Jacks, what are you still doing there? We're about to leave!" 

"Honey, come here for a moment," Jacks replied, his face lighting up as he waved at the approaching figures. 

"What's the matter, Jacks? Don't you know I'm in a hurry?" The same peculiar voice snapped again, though its owner still made her way over with her entourage. 

As the figures drew closer, Xiang Ri and his companions finally got a good look at them. 

At the forefront was an elderly woman of indeterminate age—perhaps fifty, maybe sixty, though even that might be an understatement. 

Her face was caked with a heavy layer of makeup, obscuring any hint of her true age. Her lips were painted a garish blood-red, resembling two sausages glued to her face. She clutched a dainty handbag suited only for young girls and wore a silver cheongsam that revealed a pair of spindly legs, as dry and lifeless as twigs deprived of oxygen. Oblivious to how grotesque she appeared, the woman carried herself with pride, as if convinced of her allure. 

Trailing behind her were four towering bodyguards, two of whom were young, handsome Caucasian men. Despite their differing skin tones, they all shared an air of unspoken potential for living off wealthy benefactors. 

The elderly woman gasped when she noticed the blood on Jacks's lips. "Jacks, why are you bleeding?" 

"Oh, I just slipped, honey. My mistake for worrying you," Jacks replied smoothly without batting an eye. Lying came naturally to him—admitting he'd been knocked down by a disabled, short man was unthinkable. Such an admission would not only tarnish his reputation but might also jeopardize his livelihood, especially in front of this particular benefactor. 

Xiand Ri and his companions couldn't help but shudder at the exchange. Xiang Ri, in particular, as a fellow man, found the scene unbearably nauseating. He'd encountered shamelessness before but never witnessed someone revel in it as if it were an art form. This confirmed his earlier suspicions about Jacks's "profession." 

The elderly woman's tone softened with concern. "You know I worry about you, Jacks. Be more careful next time. If your face gets hurt, it would break my heart." 

Her gaze then shifted to Xiang Ri and his group. When her eyes fell on the secretary's chest, her voice instantly sharpened, rising several decibels. "Oh my, so big! Surely those aren't real?" 

"They aren't," Jacks chimed in obsequiously. "When we were together, they were much smaller. I heard she got enhancements to attract some big boss. What a shame." 

The elderly woman clicked her tongue in exaggerated pity before turning to Jacks. "Jacks, so she's your ex-girlfriend? Honestly, your taste back then wasn't great." 

Feigning indifference, she cast another glance at the secretary's chest, her eyes betraying a mix of envy and spite.