When Xiao Yufan left Beijing for cultivation, he had thought more than once in his heart that one day he would make this woman, who had deeply hurt him, understand that he could live without the protection of the Situ family.
But now, facing her breathtaking beauty, his desire to compete and prove himself wasn’t as strong as he had imagined. Or perhaps, deep in his subconscious, he had never truly seen this woman as an enemy…
“Is someone else foolish enough to try being Lin’s handsome protector again?”
Before he even approached, that voice had already arrived as expected. Xiao Yufan’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, then relaxed. He didn’t need to think twice to know that the person must be one of Liu Hua’s admirers, and judging from the tone, he probably wasn’t someone insignificant.
“Is this jealousy? Not everyone can be a protector, after all. Besides, if I want to be my woman’s protector, I don’t see how that concerns any strangers,” Xiao Yufan replied with a mocking tone, showing no interest in the approaching figure. There were always people who thought they were saviors, but to others, they were just foolish.
“Your woman?” The man’s face twitched slightly, his eyes icy cold. Then he turned his gaze toward Liu Hua’s delicate face, as if seeking confirmation.
Surprisingly, Liu Hua remained unusually quiet, showing no reaction to Xiao Yufan’s words. She stood still, as silent as a sleeping angel at that moment…
“When did the Liu family become so capable that they could play me, Cheng Jingran, like a puppet? Three years ago, you were mine, and now you still won’t escape my grasp,” Cheng Jingran sneered coldly. In his mind, Liu Hua was already his woman, and he was extremely annoyed that someone had suddenly appeared to interfere.
“Cheng Jingran, you bastard! If you hadn’t used my company to force me back then, would I have ever given in to you? You see for yourself—this is my man. I think he wouldn’t like seeing other men harassing me, would he?” Liu Hua snapped back fiercely.
Such a domineering statement pierced her ears sharply. She was tired of this life—she refused to be a mindless doll or a pawn controlled by her family.
“Cheng Jingran? From the Cheng family in the south?”
Xiao Yufan’s lips curled into a faint smile. He couldn’t understand where this man had gotten the courage to act so arrogantly in the capital. Even if the Cheng family was a giant in the south, in the north, they were nothing.
Even a mighty dragon bows before the local snakes. And Xiao Yufan didn’t even consider this man a dragon crossing rivers—he was just a minor character, a background extra. But his presence had made the game much more interesting…
“I didn’t expect a newcomer in Beijing’s business world to even know about the Cheng family in the south…”
“Just a piece of trash—what’s there to be proud of? This is Beijing, not your playground in the southern business circles. If you’re a dragon, stay coiled; if you’re a tiger, lie low!”
Before Cheng Jingran could finish speaking, Xiao Yufan interrupted. One sentence turned the other man’s face deathly pale. As a young master in the southern business world, when had he ever been so disrespected?
“What are you to lecture me like this?”
Anger flared instantly. Cheng Jingran’s expression darkened. Being scolded by Liu Hua was one thing, but being mocked by Xiao Yufan was another. Proud by nature, how could he swallow such humiliation?
“I may be nothing, but I have the strength to drive you out of the north. You’d better believe it,” Xiao Yufan replied with a smile.
Shaking his head, he thought how pitifully arrogant this person was. This was the Wolong Villa, and in Beijing, no one was small. Did Cheng Jingran really think the identity of a Cheng family heir from the south was something to be proud of?
“You think you’re the president of the Capital Club or some noble official? There are people who could drive me out of Beijing, but unfortunately, you’re not one of them.”
Cheng Jingran didn’t believe Xiao Yufan had the real power to drive him out of the north. This time, he had come for the financial summit, and secondarily for Liu Hua. Under such circumstances, how could he possibly back down?
“A little pride is fine, but excessive arrogance can lead to great embarrassment.”
Xiao Yufan always believed in one principle: treat people according to their worth. Clearly, in his eyes, Cheng Jingran was nothing but a clown. If Xiao Yufan really wanted to keep him stuck in the north forever, it wouldn’t be impossible.
“That’s not your concern. I know what I’m doing. I just want to let you know—Liu Hua is my woman. That was the agreement between the Cheng and Liu families three years ago.”
“My marriage will be decided by me alone. No one has the right to claim me, not even you, Cheng Jingran!”
Her delicate brows furrowed, Liu Hua let out a cold laugh, her fair face tinged with sorrow. The Liu family had truly stooped to any means, tossing her around like a bargaining chip until she almost felt numb.
Xiao Yufan understood that Liu Hua’s words were also meant for him. This proud woman wasn’t unwilling to fight—she just knew that resistance was futile. But that didn’t mean she would accept everything calmly.
“Fine… I’ll remember that. I only hope you won’t regret it later.”
Rebuffed again, Cheng Jingran was nearly beside himself with rage. If it weren’t for the setting at Wolong Villa, he would have already exploded. After speaking those words, he shot Liu Hua and Xiao Yufan a fierce glare—these two had made him lose face completely.
He turned and quickly disappeared from their sight. Xiao Yufan couldn’t help but sneer. Compared to that man, he suddenly felt almost ‘kind.’
“So you finally admit I’m your man…”
“I just wanted him to give up. In my eyes, you’re no different from him. You’re just another man who wants my body. All men think with their lower halves!”
Glaring at him coldly, Liu Hua’s attitude toward Xiao Yufan hadn’t changed at all. It was as if they had been sworn enemies in a past life, destined to settle all their grudges in this one.
“Meeting someone like Miss Liu and not thinking with the lower half would be abnormal. I admit—I’m perfectly normal.”
Licking his lips, Xiao Yufan fixed his gaze on her shapely figure, his eyes gleaming with a greedy light. He couldn’t deny it—Liu Hua had become even more attractive than she had been a year ago…
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