Chapter 38: You Certainly Have Quite a Few Peculiarities

Mother Xu’s hair was a tangled mess, and the five-fingered prints on both sides of her cheeks were perfectly symmetrical.

"Xu Sian, I am your mother."

"You are not."

Song Jia hurried over and handed a file to Xu Sian. Xu Sian tossed it at Mother Xu’s feet. "As you wish, your only son is Xu Shiran."

"Fang Yiqiu, why did my father have a sudden cerebral hemorrhage?"

Mother Xu, Fang Yiqiu, twisted her face. "It’s only because he was still obsessed with that mistress, your mother."

Qiao Xu broke free from Xu Sian’s embrace, rushed forward, and slapped her across the mouth.

Xu Sian was startled. "Qiaoqiao, it’s dirty."

"Do you think you’re any cleaner? Didn't you also marry Uncle Xu while pregnant with someone else's child?"

"You used Uncle Xu as a pawn to clean up your mess; what right do you have to judge others?"

"You—" Fang Yiqiu’s chest heaved with rage.

Qiao Xu pointed at her. "What 'you'? Can't you own up to what you've done?"

"Then again, your skin is so thick that it made my hand hurt."

Mother Xu’s face turned the color of a liver in her fury. "Xu Sian, you beast. Watching this bitch humiliate your mother—I raised you for over twenty years!"

Xu Sian held down Qiao Xu, who was about to lunge again. "You raised me? That is simply not true; I was raised by a nanny. Now that I think about it, I finally understand why you always looked at me with such disgust and contempt whenever I tried to get close to you."

"Song Jia, call the police. And while you're at it, call the President of the Xu Corporation and tell him to go to the station to bail his mother out."

The security guards in the building pinned Mother Xu down. Once the police arrived, Song Jia and a lawyer headed to the station. He felt like he was becoming close enough with the officers there to call them brothers.

In the CEO’s office, Xu Sian washed Qiao Xu’s hands several times. Qiao Xu looked helpless. "If you keep scrubbing, my skin is going to peel off."

"It's dirty."

"No, I’ll have you bring me some disinfectant."

Xu Sian currently wished he could take Qiao Xu to get a skin graft.

"That’s enough. Smell it—it’s clean now."

Qiao Xu sat on the sofa while Xu Sian applied an ice pack to her face. "Why didn't you dodge?"

"I couldn't. That mutt was too fast."

The man chuckled softly, affectionately pinching the tip of her nose. "You."

"Qiaoqiao."

"Hmm?"

"I’m all alone now."

Qiao Xu ruffled his hair. "I know."

"Don't you still have Cherry?"

"The daughter you snatched away from me."

Xu Sian nuzzled her neck. "But I want you."

Even the ice pack on her face couldn't stop him from wanting to kiss her. The desk phone rang, and only then did Xu Sian reluctantly release her lips.

"I’ll kiss you more later."

Qiao Xu: "..."

"It’s office hours."

"I’m the boss."

Qiao Xu tried to leave while he was on the call, but Xu Sian’s playful voice rang out: "If you dare to leave, I’ll go to your office and f*ck you later."

Qiao Xu: "..."

*Not listening, la-la-la, just ignoring the babbling turtle.*

Just as Qiao Xu’s hand touched the doorknob, she heard him say, "Open the door and f*ck."

"Xu Sian, you are a psychopath."

"A beast."

"An animal."

"Scum."

The man chuckled and picked up the phone. "Four times."

Qiao Xu: "..."

"Go to hell."

Qiao Xu sat back down on the sofa, fuming. Xu Sian’s smile faded, and he said calmly, "Let him come up."

"Assistant Qiao, do you want to hide?"

Xu Sian pointed toward the space under his desk, and Qiao Xu threw the file in her hand directly at his face.

"You really do have many strange habits."

Qiao Xu pushed open the door to the lounge and went inside, but she didn't close it. She could guess why Xu Sian wanted her to stay.

Ye Yurou brought Xu Shiran in. The marks from the fight he had with Xu Sian at the airport were still visible on his face.

"President Xu, the President of the Xu Corporation is here."

Xu Sian gave a soft hum. "You can go."

Ye Yurou hesitated. "Understood. Would you like me to prepare tea or coffee?"

Xu Sian let out a cold laugh. "Not just anyone is qualified to drink the tea in my office."

Ye Yurou understood and headed out. Passing Qiao Xu’s office, she tried to catch a glimpse of her face, only to find the office empty.

"Xiao An."

"Don't. We aren't that close."

Xu Shiran pulled out a chair and sat down. "Weiwei has already been punished. Mother is elderly."

Xu Sian laughed out loud. "Elderly? She didn't look like an elderly woman when she was hitting my wife."

Xu Shiran’s eyes darkened. "I apologize to Miss Qiao on her behalf."

The security footage showed that it was Mother Xu, Fang Yiqiu, who started it, and it was only because of her verbal abuse that Qiao Xu had slapped her. Furthermore, since Mother Xu had initiated the confrontation, he had no chance of winning if this went to legal proceedings.

"That won't be necessary. My Qiaoqiao wouldn't care for it."

To Xu Shiran, hearing him say "my Qiaoqiao" sounded like nothing but arrogance.

"Sian, we were brothers for over twenty years, after all. Before Dad passed away..."

"You f*cking dare bring up my father?"

"My father treated you better than he treated his own biological son, yet look at how your mother treated me and my girlfriend."

"Cut the f*cking emotional act."

Xu Shiran didn't have time to waste. "Then tell me, what will it take for you to let my mother go?"

Xu Sian tapped his fingers on the desk. "It’s simple. Apologize to my wife and return all the projects you snatched from Xuxing."

"The projects can be yours, but Mother will not apologize. Qiao Xu hit her too, didn't she?"

Xu Sian let out an 'oh'. "Then there’s nothing to talk about."

"I can give you a few more projects."

Xu Sian spun a fountain pen in his hand. "Do you think I’m lacking those projects of yours?"

"Anything you manage to steal is just garbage I didn't want anyway. You’re the only one who takes it seriously."

"Xu Sian, don't go too far."

Xu Shiran stood up abruptly, his chair toppling backward with a loud 'bang' that startled Qiao Xu, who was playing a game in the lounge.

"Too far?"

"It’s not enough yet."

"Xu Shiran, you have no guts. You want a woman, yet you use me as a stepping stone."

"Now that your wife’s dirty laundry has been aired, you come here to disgust me."

"Getting tangled up with you two is the worst luck I’ve ever had in eight lifetimes."

Xu Sian lit a cigarette. "No apology? Then let your mother spend a few days with your wife in the cells."

Qiao Xu: "..."

She truly admired Xu Sian’s mouth. It was like a poison-tipped blade, stabbing exactly where it hurt the most.

After Xu Shiran left, Qiao Xu emerged from the lounge.

"You didn't have to do that. I don't need her apology."

Xu Sian pulled her onto his lap, pinching her chin. "She will apologize. She loves Xu Shiran more than she loves herself. To protect Xu Shiran’s reputation, she would even kneel to apologize if that’s what it took."

Qiao Xu stared at his 'dog paws'. *Where are you putting those?*

"Don't do that. If she kneels to me, I’m afraid I’ll get struck by lightning."

Qiao Xu watched as her blouse buttons were undone. "Xu Sian, watch your paws."

"Wife, want to try?"

"Get lost."

Qiao Xu rewarded him with a slap.

Xu Sian gave an indulgent smile. "Baby, did you practice that hand with the Iron Fan Princess?"

"I’ll have a custom tool made for you another day. Don't use your hand to slap people in the future; it’s dirty."

Qiao Xu buttoned her shirt. "You’re dirty too."