“Qingyu.” Xifu’s voice sounded from behind Xia Qingyu. “My father would like to see you in his study.”
“I’m sorry, I’m supposed to meet my friends. I don’t have time to catch up with strangers.” Xia Qingyu had no intention of engaging with Xifu and made to walk past her.
“If you don’t go, your friends might not be so easy to find…” Xifu’s tone was casual, as if discussing a trivial matter.
Her steps halted. Xia Qingyu immediately reached for her phone to contact Xia Qingtian.
“If I were you, I wouldn’t try to stir up trouble.” Xifu said a sentence in Mandarin, a rare occurrence. “’Stirring up trouble,’ that’s how you use that idiom, isn’t it? Hmm?” After speaking, Xifu switched back to Finnish. “You wouldn’t want to involve more innocent people, would you? My dear sister Qingyu?”
Hearing this, Xia Qingyu cast a deep glance at Xifu, then looked back into the crowd. After taking a deep breath, she let out a soft hum, “Lead the way.”
Xifu’s lips curved downwards subtly before she gestured for Xia Qingyu to follow, leading her to the study on the third floor. After knocking a few times, and hearing Xiang Xueyuan’s voice from inside, Xifu opened the study door and gestured for her to enter.
Once inside, Xia Qingyu’s eyes scanned the room, finding its layout quite interesting.
A large floor-to-ceiling window stood on one side, flanked by imposing bookshelves. In the corners of the bookshelves, there were two guest sofas, a coffee table, and a small cabinet, creating a rather cozy ambiance.
Directly opposite the window was a sturdy square desk, laden with a computer, documents, and various office supplies.
“Sit down.” Xiang Xueyuan rose from behind the desk, gesturing for Xia Qingyu to take a seat on the sofa. “Would you like some tea? Herbal tea, fruit tea, or…”
“Just tell me what you want, directly,” Xia Qingyu said coldly. “If I’m back late, my sister will worry about me.”
“Does Xia Qingtian treat you well?” Xiang Xueyuan asked. “Perhaps you young people don’t care for tea, so let me get you what I offered Xia Qingtian last time.”
Upon hearing Xiang Xueyuan mention Xia Qingtian, Xia Qingyu’s gaze shifted slightly, as if she were trying to ascertain his motive for bringing her up now.
“I happen to have some chilled,” Xiang Xueyuan opened the small cabinet door, revealing a temperature-controlled refrigerator. “Xia Qingtian chose cola last time too.”
Pouring two glasses of cola, Xiang Xueyuan handed one to Xia Qingyu, the effervescent bubbles emitting a soft hiss.
Xia Qingyu hesitated for a moment before accepting the cola. “Grandpa Xiang, I don’t appreciate your approach. If you have nothing else, I’ll be going. My parents and sister will worry if they can’t find me.”
Xia Qingyu’s words were sharp and lacked any pretense of politeness.
“Does the Xia family treat you well?” Xiang Xueyuan’s hand tightened around his glass. “So well that you look upon me, your biological father, with such disdain? When you were little, I…”
“I don’t remember much from when I was little,” Xia Qingyu said, looking at Xiang Xueyuan. “To me, the Xia residence is my home. Xia Honglang is my father, and Xia Qingtian is my sister. They are my family.”
“Family? What kind of family?” Xiang Xueyuan chuckled. “Family that forced you to sign a waiver, voluntarily relinquishing all inheritance rights from Xia Honglang, and severing all ties to the Xia family’s fortune?”
“I signed that voluntarily!” Xia Qingyu immediately retorted.
It was Aunt Liu who had brought it up initially. Before Xia Honglang had even agreed, she had already consented.
Xia Qingtian knew nothing about this.
“Voluntarily? Heh.” Xiang Xueyuan let out a scoff. “Fine, let’s assume it was voluntary.”
Whether it was the Xia family’s skill in manipulation or Xia Qingyu’s prolonged loneliness and self-deception, Xiang Xueyuan disliked either possibility.
His daughter, the heir he wished to cultivate himself, should not be such an easily exploited fool.
Xia Qingyu did not like the tone of Xiang Xueyuan’s words either.
What right did he have to speculate about her family? What standing did he have to belittle the affection she cherished?
“Qingyu, Tarik told me about your talent in finance. I’m very pleased with your achievements and even happier about your exceptional abilities,” Xiang Xueyuan decided it was pointless to beat around the bush with Xia Qingyu. “Come back to me. I will spare no effort to train you, giving you the confidence and opportunities to reach the pinnacle of the world.”
“Come back to you? What am I to you?” Xia Qingyu was amused by Xiang Xueyuan’s presumptuous tone. “Am I a pawn on your chessboard, or a dog you’ve raised? You can discard me when you please, and expect me to wag my tail and beg when you decide to pick me up again?”
“Qingyu, I admit I owe your mother and you an apology for leaving, but it was due to circumstances at the time.” Xiang Xueyuan looked at Xia Qingyu, but his gaze seemed to be looking past her at someone else. “I’m sorry.”
“Your apology is cheap and worthless. I don’t need it.” Xia Qingyu did not believe that the damage caused by her father’s absence, the subservience and bullying she endured, could be compensated by a casual ‘sorry.’
“If it weren’t for my sister, I don’t know what I would have become…” Xia Qingyu’s gaze shifted as she looked at Xiang Xueyuan. “Let’s pretend we’ve never met, that we don’t know each other. You continue to be the top professor, boss, Mr. Xiang in the new energy industry, and I’ll continue to be part of the Xia family. Can’t we?”
“Qingyu, your innocent and lovely demeanor reminds me so much of your mother. Back then, she also had those big, bright eyes, as if as soon as I met her gaze, she would have a thousand questions for me.” Xiang Xueyuan smiled. “She wasn’t my most intelligent student, but she was the most eager to learn.
Sunlight, charming, romantic, and vibrant.”
Recalling his former lover, Xiang Xueyuan’s eyes softened considerably.
“I’m not here to listen to you reminisce,” Xia Qingyu said coldly. “I’m not coming back to you, and you should give up those thoughts. That’s all.”
With that, Xia Qingyu turned to leave.
“Heh, you will,” Xiang Xueyuan took a sip of the iced cola, placed the glass on the table, and walked directly towards his desk.
Xia Qingyu also reached the study door, only to find that it wouldn’t unlock no matter how hard she tried. She frowned, looking at Xiang Xueyuan. “Are you trying to imprison me?”
“Imprison you? How could that be? I don’t like to force people, let alone my own daughter.” Xiang Xueyuan smiled, his fingers lightly tapping on the computer keyboard. As he did, the heavy bookshelves on either side of the study wall made a clicking sound, and then began to move.