Chapter 188
As the saying goes, “one doesn’t strike a smiling face.” The butler’s quick apology made it difficult for Lai Bingxuan to keep lashing out.
Yet for some reason, even though his apology seemed sincere, she still felt an indescribable sense of discomfort inside. But she also knew there was something more important right now.
“You can leave first. I want to talk to Liu Woxing.”
The butler, however, remained smiling without moving an inch.
Lai Bingxuan: “?”
“Why aren’t you leaving?”
Facing her questioning, the butler kept his polite smile.
“Whatever Miss Lai wants to say to Third Miss, just say it directly. Don’t mind me.”
“???”
Lai Bingxuan stared at him in disbelief.
“I want to talk to Liu Woxing alone. I told you to leave—don’t you understand?!”
“My mistake, please don’t be angry, Miss Lai.”
Another immediate apology—but still, he showed no sign of leaving.
“Our Third Miss has always been upright and proper. There is nothing she discusses that needs to be hidden from others. This is also the Liu family’s rule. I hope Miss Lai can understand.”
The implication was clear: whatever conversation happened today, he would have to hear it.
Lai Bingxuan’s temper shot up like a flame. She pointed at the butler’s nose and lashed out:
“What kind of ridiculous rule is this?! Isn’t Liu Woxing the master here? First, she doesn’t even have a lock on her room door and the panels are carved open so anyone can see inside—fine. But even you, a butler, can just push the door open after a knock? Fine. But now I want to say a few words to her and you insist on standing here listening? You call this a rule? This is surveillance! You’re just a butler, how dare you meddle in the master’s business?!”
Twin flames flickered in her eyes, her face flushed red with rage.
But the butler stayed unnervingly calm, wearing that lukewarm polite smile the whole time, like an emotionless smiling machine.
Liu Woxing, on the other hand, lowered her gaze with a bitter smile.
“Miss Lai, thank you for speaking on my behalf. But this really is my family’s rule. If you have something to say, just say it now.”
“You… I…”
Seeing Liu Woxing so spineless, Lai Bingxuan choked. She stammered “you, I” for half a day but couldn’t spit out a single coherent sentence.
What kind of bullsh*t house rule is this!!
And then—the butler’s words became the last straw that broke the camel’s back.
“Miss Lai, the time is up. The meeting is over.”
Not even a word exchanged, and the meeting was already over.
Lai Bingxuan, who had never suffered such indignity in her life, was suffocating with frustration.
But she was not the camel that broke.
That camel… was someone else.
Just as Lai Bingxuan was seething and nearly gasping for breath, the huge hem of her gown began to squirm.
Liu Woxing was the first to notice, her eyes widening as she was about to warn them.
An unidentified object shot out from under the skirt like a missile, and in the blink of an eye, it flung itself at the butler’s ankle with a thunderous grip.
The butler’s programmatic smile finally cracked, and that crack widened rapidly as his body toppled downward.
“Remember this—this is your first lesson from me!”
The unknown “object” started speaking.
“When you meet an idiot, there’s no need to reason with them. Just hit ‘em with a Tornado Destroy Parking Lot! I go straight in with a suplex!!”
Bang—!!
Her words fell along with the butler’s heavy crash to the ground.
“Ah—mmph!”
His cry of pain didn’t even last half a second before Xie Mi stuffed an apple into his mouth to shut him up.
The whole sequence—swift, seamless, frighteningly practiced. Highly suspicious.
Liu Woxing stared in utter shock.
“Teacher Xie?? How did you…”
Even Lai Bingxuan, who already knew, clutched her chest in fright.
“Are you insane?! You scared me to death!”
“Sorry, sorry—special circumstances call for special measures.”
After skillfully locking the butler inside the bathroom, Xie Mi came out and clasped her hands with a humble smile.
“Now no one will disturb us.”
“You… oh whatever, this works too.”
Lai Bingxuan accepted the situation in a second, hurried over to shut the door, then leaned her back against it to block anyone from entering.
Watching the two of them move so smoothly in sync, Liu Woxing was astonished.
“Teacher Xie, Miss Lai… what exactly are you here for?”
“Xie Mi came to settle accounts with you—she wants to know why you blocked her!” Lai Bingxuan, never one to keep things in, spilled everything in an instant.
But Liu Woxing’s eyes slowly filled with question marks.
“…Just for that?”
How could anyone break into someone else’s house—this way of all ways—just for something so trivial?
Hidden under a skirt.
The excuse sounded utterly unconvincing.
Yet Lai Bingxuan’s expression was as steadfast as if she were about to take an oath to the Party. She clearly believed this reason with all her heart.
Liu Woxing couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy. What kind of beautiful environment must she have grown up in to be so naïve?
“Teacher Xie, did you really come here just for this?”
Her eyes turned back to Xie Mi, her tone questioning.
Her feelings were complicated now.
The first instant she saw Xie Mi, she felt joy. But that joy was quickly replaced by reason, which told her Xie Mi should not be here.
Xie Mi stared at her for a moment, then suddenly crossed her arms and sat down on a chair, looking aggressive.
“Yes, just for this. I’m a fragile, sensitive little girl—I can’t stand being blocked. You’ve seriously hurt me, so now figure out how to fix it!”
At that, even Lai Bingxuan shot her a look that said, Sis, are you okay?
Liu Woxing took a deep breath. When she spoke again, her tone had become more serious.
“Teacher Xie, please don’t joke around like this. This isn’t a place you should be. I apologize for breaking my promise. I truly can’t continue with the program. But don’t worry, our family will help find a suitable replacement guest, so the show won’t be delayed.”
“As for today, I’ll explain to my mother—it’s just a misunderstanding. You should leave now. Don’t come again.”
She said everything in one breath, then immediately turned away, refusing to look at them.
She was good at putting on an act—whether gentle and obedient, or pretending to be angry.
Just like now.
She vaguely guessed what Xie Mi was trying to do.
She was happy, but even more so, she was sad.
Happy that finally someone understood her and reached out a hand.
But sad to the core, because she knew her own helplessness.
Some things weren’t hers to decide, no matter how much she wanted to.
So she could only pretend to be angry and drive Xie Mi away.
Because she knew very clearly:
If Xie Mi really asked to take her away, she would refuse. And in the countless days to come, she would regret that refusal again and again.
“…”
Xie Mi stared at Liu Woxing a moment longer.
Then sighed.
“Haah.”
“If that’s the case then…”
Hearing the disappointment in her voice, Liu Woxing gave a bitter smile.
She thought her goal was achieved—that Teacher Xie would…
“…then I’ll just have to kidnap you.”
?
Sadness paused. It seemed the goal wasn’t achieved after all.
