Chapter 51: Growing Old Will Surely Turn You into a Paperclip

These painful memories were stirred once again. Qiao Xu felt that the dumbest thing she had ever done in her life was to go and throw herself away.

“Are you coming or not? If not, I’m going to sleep.” Everyone has their limits.

The man smiled broadly, “I’m coming, of course.”

“What’s the rush? You need to prepare first.”

“Do you think I’m some player?”

Qiao Xu: ……

Isn’t he?

He definitely is.

Xu Si’an pulled her tightly into his embrace. “Qiao Qiao, baby, control yourself. Mom is still next door; she can hear everything…”

“Mm—dog—”

Who cares about his mom?

……

Qiao Xu’s eyes were red at the corners, her tear stains still damp on her cheeks.

Xu Si’an’s shoulders were marked with the teeth impressions she had left.

He pinched her chin. “Learning skills from Yingtao for four years?”

“All you do is scratch or bite? Aren’t you afraid it’ll hurt your teeth?”

“Get up.”

“All right, I’m up.” Xu Si’an’s post-passion voice was tender and husky, utterly tempting. Qiao Xu was so angry she could barely breathe.

She wasn’t talking about getting up like that.

“Get off.”

“I can’t get off, honey. This isn’t good.”

Qiao Xu: ……

“Get off quickly! Hurry up!”

Before she drifted off, she glanced at the box on the bedside table, the strawberry printed on it stabbing at her eyes.

From now on, she would never like strawberries again.

This old man must be a paperclip.

Qiao Xu buried her head and fell asleep. The man, having had his fill, quietly tidied up, putting away the “tools” used in their escapade into the drawer.

He was afraid she would throw them out when she woke up.

They cost several yuan each.

Afterward, Xu Si’an pulled out another gift box from the drawer—a platinum bracelet.

Different from the previous one.

The first was a plain chain with a star pendant; this one had three interlinked six-pointed stars.

His hand itched to grab the square box in the drawer but restrained himself in the end.

Never mind, there’s always tomorrow.

Since Qiao’s mother was around, Xu Si’an assigned Qiao Xu’s work to Song Jia and two secretaries.

Qiao Xu felt she was now even more idle than her boss.

A month passed in the blink of an eye. Qiao Xu, along with Xu Si’an, accompanied Qiao’s mother to the hospital for a follow-up on her injured leg.

Xu Si’an arranged to meet the doctor. As soon as he entered the office, his phone rang.

“Qiao Qiao, you stay with Auntie. I need to take this call.”

“Wait for me here while I get the checkup and medicine. Don’t wander off.”

Qiao Xu nodded and helped her mother find a seat.

“Xu Xu, have you and Xiao An thought about getting married?”

After spending a month with Xu Si’an, Qiao’s mother increasingly felt her daughter had hit the jackpot.

Such a good boy, yet they had broken up.

Had her brain been clogged by something?

“Mom, are you in such a hurry to have grandchildren?”

Qiao’s mother gave her a light smack. “I’m just worried that a good boy like Xiao An might be taken away.”

“Xu Xu, though our family’s conditions are modest, I have pension savings. I won’t be a burden.”

Qiao Xu could hardly stand hearing that. “What are you talking about? Burden? Come on, the doctor’s called; let’s go.”

Xu Si’an took a call in the stairwell.

“What is it?”

“Mr. Xu, as you instructed, fifty-six percent of Shen Group’s shares have been transferred to Miss Qiao’s name.”

Xu Si’an toyed with a lighter. “Acquiring Shen Group under the name of An Qiao International Group.”

Xuxing was just his stepping stone, but Qiao Qiao’s dowry was Wall Street’s An Qiao International.

People looked down on Qiao Qiao’s background?

He, Xu Si’an, made sure no one could look down on her.

“Mr. Xu, the application for An Qiao’s domestic transfer has been approved. When can we return to China?”

“No rush.”

Passing by the gynecology outpatient clinic, Xu Si’an saw a familiar figure.

Shen Zhiwei?

He casually snapped a photo and sent it to Xu Shirang: “Congratulations.”

He played the game of psychological torment flawlessly.

When Xu Si’an returned to orthopedics, Qiao Xu was helping her mother out of the office.

“Did you see the doctor? What did he say?”

Xu Si’an wanted to ask but was held back by Qiao Xu.

“The doctor said just to walk less. Nothing serious.”

At the hospital lobby, fatefully, they ran into Shen Zhiwei.

“Zhiwei, this is the medicine the doctor prescribed. I’ve written how to take it inside. Don’t forget.”

Shen Zhao saw her stop and tried to take her hand, but she shook it off.

Shen Zhiwei looked at Xu Si’an. “I’m your sister-in-law, yet you don’t even greet me when we meet.”

Xu Si’an sneered, “You’ve got a lot of nerve.”

“I’m not even Xu Shirang’s real brother. His mother isn’t mine either. So what are you to me?”

Shen Zhiwei’s face flushed red; her chest heaved violently.

Shen Zhao hurriedly comforted her. “Zhiwei, don’t be angry.”

“Mr. Xu, Shen Zhiwei has paid the price for what she did to Miss Qiao. Shen Group is now at the brink of survival. Isn’t that enough?”

“If Uncle Xu were still alive…”

Xu Si’an cut him off. “Oh, too bad he’s not.”

“Dr. Shen, don’t try to morally blackmail me. I’m a ruthless person,” he added with a grim smile.

Qiao Xu’s mouth twitched.

This man even scolds himself when he’s angry.

Watching the retreating figure, Shen Zhiwei’s eyes darkened with hatred and scheming.

“Zhiwei, you’re pregnant now. You can’t keep getting angry; it’s not good for the baby.”

Shen Zhiwei said coldly, “I know. This child is Xu Shirang’s. Brother, do you know?”

Shen Zhao clenched his fist under his white coat.

His voice hoarse, “I know.”

In the car, Qiao’s mother asked Qiao Xu, “That doctor earlier, what did he mean when he said that lady did something to you?”

“Nothing.”

Xu Si’an answered for her, “Auntie, that woman is my stepbrother’s wife, jealous of my relationship with Qiao Qiao.”

“Envious of her, that’s all.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve already taught her a lesson.”

Qiao’s mother was stunned. “But, Xiao An, she’s a girl.”

He smiled slyly. “I know. That’s why I taught her man. Auntie, don’t worry. With me around, no one can bully Qiao Xu.”

“Not even me.”

Now Qiao’s mother was the typical mother-in-law who grew more and more satisfied with her son-in-law.

“Xiao An, when you and Xu Xu start dating, how about your family…”

Qiao Xu stopped her mother. “Mom.”

“I’m an only child.”

Realizing she had misspoken, Qiao’s mother quickly apologized.

“Sorry, Xiao An. Auntie didn’t know. This…”

“No problem, Auntie. If you don’t mind, I’d like to consider you family.”

Xu Si’an had a way with words that could make the dead speak. Qiao’s mother was overjoyed.

“How could I mind? As the old saying goes, a son-in-law is just like a son.”

Qiao Xu was utterly baffled.

She couldn’t stand listening to their conversation at all.

“Or, should I step aside, and you two just be family?”

This family didn’t need her anymore. If she didn’t leave soon, she was going to make a scene.