Chapter 7: What an Ill-Mannered Woman

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Each time Xu Tanxi glanced at the clock hanging on the wall, he rose from the sofa.

“Back.”

The two words were terse and to the point, and because the two were hardly acquainted, Xu Tanxi didn’t immediately realize that Shang Hejing was speaking to her.

Seeing her bewildered expression, Shang Hejing raised an eyebrow. “What, still want to play around?”

Xu Tanxi instantly caught on and turned to grab her bag. “Oh, no more playing, no more playing.”

Her craving for alcohol was flaring up; all she wanted now was to rush to the bar and drink. Staying another second here was pure torture.

Shang Yuqing grabbed Xu Tanxi’s wrist, pouting with some reluctance. “Brother, it’s the first time I’ve met sister-in-law and we got along well. Why can’t sister-in-law stay a bit longer?”

Shang Hejing shot a glance that first landed on Shang Yuqing’s face, then shifted to the hand clutching Xu Tanxi’s wrist.

For some inexplicable reason, Shang Yuqing felt a sudden burning sensation and instinctively loosened her grip.

Xu Tanxi was freed but inwardly felt a twinge of sympathy for Shang Yuqing; it was clear the young girl’s fear of her brother had reached an extreme.

Shang Yuqing turned to complain to Ge Huaiqiu, “Mom, brother intimidated me!”

Ge Huaiqiu gently patted her daughter’s head. “Today, he had every right to intimidate you.”

Shang Yuqing was speechless.

She didn’t understand why she couldn’t just chat a little longer with sister-in-law. She really liked her.

It was precisely for this reason that she had added Xu Tanxi on WeChat, finally feeling satisfied.

At the courtyard’s gate, as Xu Tanxi opened the car door to get in, a man’s voice sounded not far away.

“Going back to Tangyuan? Aren’t you coming with me?”

Xu Tanxi looked up to see Shang Hejing standing beside the door of the Phantom Wind God’s car, tall and statuesque. His face, with its heavy bone structure, hinted at a dangerous edge in the dim night.

His brows and eyes were partly obscured by shadows from the trees above, but Xu Tanxi knew he was watching her, indifferent—after all, she had been prepared.

“I just received news from the theater. I have to go handle something.”

“So?”

“So, unfortunately, I can’t go back to Tangyuan with you tonight.”

“Not unfortunate.”

Xu Tanxi: “What do you mean?”

Shang Hejing stepped out from the shadows a few paces, expression calm. “I’ll take you there. When you’re done, I’ll pick you up and we’ll go back to Tangyuan together.”

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“... Shang Hejing, may I ask if you’re as sticky as taffy?”

“What, are you trying to deceive me?”

Xu Tanxi immediately denied it. “Of course not. I really have to go to the theater, and it probably won’t be over anytime soon. My apartment is close to the dance troupe. After I’m done, I’ll just sleep there.”

Shang Hejing said nothing.

Xu Tanxi had a bad feeling—could it be that tonight she wouldn’t get to drink after all?

The more silent he was, the more she felt he was plotting to block her. Her thoughts raced: no matter what, she had to have that drink tonight!

At worst, she’d just jump in the car and speed away. She refused to believe that such an imposing CEO could really do something like chase his own wife on the highway in the middle of the night.

“All right.”

Huh? Xu Tanxi was caught off guard.

He agreed? So readily?

Well, this sly man was being sensible after all.

Not wanting to waste more words, Xu Tanxi got in the car, slammed the gas, and left—deliberately blowing the exhaust right in Shang Hejing’s face.

Shang Hejing: “... Such a rude woman.”

He hadn’t seen such a bad temper during their time in the desert.

* * *

Red Float Bar.

As the city’s neon dusk approached ten, the nightlife became enchantingly mysterious. Inside the bar, dazzling lights flashed, and the pulsing music surged like a waterfall, intoxicating.

Meng Qianyi had reserved a spot at the best booth on the second floor. When Xu Tanxi arrived, this woman was already embracing a young male model, radiant with excitement.

Seeing her, Meng Qianyi pulled the boy away. “Sister, over here!”

The young model, feeling neglected, sought some consolation, but Meng Qianyi just patted his face.

“This isn’t your place anymore. Go have fun.”

The poor boy left pitifully.

Xu Tanxi understood why Meng Qianyi had sent the boy away. Having just come from the Shang family’s old residence, she was like a walking gossip machine. Meng Qianyi didn’t want any unrelated ears overhearing her business with Shang Hejing.

Once the boy was gone, Meng Qianyi plopped down beside Xu Tanxi, voice bubbling with excitement. “Did you see that arranged marriage husband of yours? How is he? Tell me everything!”

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Just mentioning Shang Hejing gave Xu Tanxi a headache.

“Well... how to put it... he’s very handsome, has a great figure—truly a human marvel.”

The phrase “human marvel” seemed to trigger a buzzword in Meng Qianyi, whose eyes widened.

“Human marvel??? Isn’t that the same quality as that pretty boy you slept with in Paris? Congrats, sister!”

Xu Tanxi looked at the excited Meng Qianyi, pursing her lips, unsure what to say.

Meng Qianyi eyed her inquisitively. “What’s with that expression?”

“Is it possible that the two ‘human marvels’ are the same ‘human marvel’?”

That was a bit convoluted. Meng Qianyi didn’t catch on immediately. “What do you mean?”

Xu Tanxi just stared at her silently, waiting for her to piece it together.

One second, two seconds, three seconds—

“Holy shit?!” Meng Qianyi’s expression cracked. “... No way, wait, do you mean what I think you mean?”

Xu Tanxi lifted the glass before her and drank it down in one gulp.

“Too true to be anything but tragic.” Her voice carried a hint of sorrow.

Meng Qianyi’s expression shifted from shock to complexity. “Your husband is that pretty boy?! What? Me? You? This is really... tsk...”

Xu Tanxi downed another half glass.

“Well, since it’s come to this, there’s nothing to care about. This arranged marriage was originally to repay their favors. Over the past year, the Xu family’s business has completely stabilized, and no one will make demands on me anymore. Shang Hejing and I will just live like this—he’s busy, I’m busy, and we rarely see each other. We’ll just get along like strangers who once shared a night.”

Meng Qianyi looked worried. “That sounds easy enough, but you don’t really understand Shang Hejing’s personality. It’s great that you can let it go, but can you be sure he feels the same? Although that night was his own choice, who’s to say he won’t insist you cheated during the marriage and use that to control or bully you later?”

Mention of the Xu family darkened Xu Tanxi’s mood fleetingly, but hearing Meng Qianyi’s words warmed her heart a bit.

Anyone else would say she was lucky—marrying a rich man who was also a top-tier looker with an enviable figure.

Only Meng Qianyi tossed all that aside, genuinely concerned about whether Shang Hejing might act out of anger.

Xu Tanxi frowned thoughtfully. “To be honest, I don’t quite understand him either. He didn’t confront me at all during the family banquet tonight, just teased me a few times. I still can’t figure out what this matter means to him.”