Volume 1, Chapter 10: Not Comforting You

Stepping outside the villa, Lin Xia glanced at her parents and said, “Mom, Dad, you should head back first. I need to go to the company for a while.”

Li Yuqin frowned, casting an irritated look at Xu Qing. “Is it really useful for you to go back to the company now? Do you actually believe some useless man can save the Lin family? If you want to prevent the Lin family’s bankruptcy, you’d better go find Tan Qiutong and beg her to forgive you—and the Lin family!”

Lin Zhengye nudged his wife and whispered softly, “It’s no use saying more now that things have come to this. Since our daughter has made up her mind and the old man has given his word, we should stay out of this matter.”

Li Yuqin snorted and said no more, storming off with Lin Zhengye in a huff.

After her parents left, Lin Xia looked at Xu Qing with a complicated expression. “Next, Tan Qiutong and Ding Changqing will likely come after us. Are you afraid? Even if you regret it now, there’s probably no chance to turn things around.”

Having known Tan Qiutong for many years, Lin Xia was well aware of her temper. Moreover, given how things escalated at the bar before, it was quite possible that even before the Lin Group went bankrupt, Ding Changqing might have already sent people to beat Xu Qing up.

Xu Qing shook his head, his tone calm. “There’s no such thing as ‘regret’ in my dictionary.”

Lin Xia’s face twisted bitterly. “You’re optimistic, at least. Hope is better than despair. I’m grateful you’re willing to help our family in times like this, but the Tan and Ding families aren’t easy to deal with. You should stay at my place for a while—at least you’ll have someone looking out for you.”

Xu Qing had always known this girl was kind-hearted. Unfortunately, his eyes had been blinded by the life-saving debt, and even though Lin Xia was far better than his ex-wife, he never once looked at her twice. Now, it seemed he had been deluded. A woman like Tan Qiutong could never have been someone who truly helped him.

Nonetheless, Xu Qing did not refuse Lin Xia’s offer and agreed readily.

Afterward, he accompanied Lin Xia to the Lin Group.

“The Tan Construction Company has officially terminated all business dealings with the Lin Group.”

Though Lin Xia had anticipated this turn of events on the way over, the definite confirmation still struck her like a thunderclap, leaving her face pale.

“Lin Xia, don’t be so anxious. The Deepwater Bay project hasn’t been awarded to the Tan family yet,” Xu Qing said coldly.

But to Lin Xia, this was just an empty consolation.

She sighed. “Xu Qing, don’t comfort me. I want to be alone for a while.”

***

Tan Qiutong had always been a loose-lipped woman. Even before Xu Qing fell out with her, he knew the Deepwater Bay project had been secured by Ding Changqing to help the Tan Group. Whether the Lin family had the capital to compete with the Tan Group was another matter, but being targeted by both the Tan and Ding families was already a severe predicament.

“I’m not trying to comfort you,” Xu Qing said with some helplessness. “It’s just a project. Tomorrow, I’ll pull in a big deal for you.”

“Thank you…” Lin Xia was speechless. Xu Qing had been a live-in son-in-law at the Tan family for three years without a job. How could he suddenly bring in a big deal?

Thinking that over, Lin Xia added, “Since you’ve left the Tan family, you need to find a job too. How about a position at the Lin Group? Maybe a sales clerk? I’ll pay you the highest salary.”

Xu Qing twitched the corner of his mouth. With his connections, rescuing the Tan family from bankruptcy and supporting the Lin family would be easy. He didn’t need Lin Xia to offer him a job. But since she cared so much, he accepted her kindness.

***

The next morning was bright and sunny.

Xu Qing was in good spirits and not gloomy over his divorce from Tan Qiutong. After all, the moment Tan Qiutong returned the half-carved jade Guanyin to Lin Xia at the bar last night, Xu Qing realized he had wasted three years on a woman unworthy of his love. Being able to cut his losses in time was a small blessing in misfortune.

What pleased him even more was that Lin Xia had not rejected him. Once the Lin family’s crisis was resolved, the old master would choose an auspicious day for their wedding.

Yet, although they lived under the same roof that morning, their moods were starkly different.

Lin Xia had already received several notices from the Lin Group’s original partners terminating their cooperation. She knew without guessing that Tan Qiutong and Ding Changqing were behind it.

Even knowing they were scheming behind the scenes, Lin Xia was utterly powerless to save the soon-to-be-closed building materials factory.

Xu Qing returned early that morning with breakfast and handed it to Lin Xia, smiling as he said, “I was blind before, but now I realize—even with a worried expression, you remain beautiful and lovable.”

Lin Xia was momentarily stunned, looking at Xu Qing with surprise. She had never expected him to say such words. But then she understood why he had changed. Had Xu Qing said that while still Tan Qiutong’s husband, she would have felt nothing but disgust for him.

“I’m planning to go check on the building materials factory. Do you want to come with me?” Lin Xia asked, avoiding his words, seeming a bit embarrassed.

Though she said she wanted to be with Xu Qing, their truly intimate relationship had only just begun yesterday, and she still felt somewhat uneasy.

“I won’t go. Today, I’ll bring you a big deal—just wait and see,” Xu Qing smiled and turned to leave.

Watching his retreating figure, Lin Xia stayed still for a long time, her feelings complicated.

Had Xu Qing always been this confident in her memory?

She had no time to dwell on it, though. She hurried to the building materials factory, needing to find a way to secure supplies.

Shortly after she arrived, a familiar luxury car pulled up at the factory gate.

Seeing the license plate, Lin Xia’s expression changed. She knew it was Tan Qiutong.

As the car door opened, just as expected, Tan Qiutong stepped out, her tone mocking. “Lin Xia, the Lin Group is in big trouble, and you still have the heart to linger here? Since we were once friends, I’m personally telling you that our company will no longer accept supplies from you. Hurry and repay the loan to us. Otherwise, you’ll not only have to mortgage the factory but might even go to jail.”

Lin Xia froze, a chill shooting from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.

The Lin Group only scraped a bit of profit from the Tan Group’s charity. There wasn’t much to gain.

And now, they wanted her to come up with money to repay the loan? Where could she possibly find it?