Chapter 134: The Right to Pursue

Upon seeing that Dong Shien’s condition was remarkably stable, Xie Qingtang realized that Dong Weiyi’s request for her to provide medical treatment had merely been a pretext; he likely had other matters he wished to discuss with her.

True to her suspicion, as soon as she exited Dong Shien’s room, Xie Qingtang found Dong Weiyi waiting for her in the living room.

Hearing her footsteps descending the stairs, Dong Weiyi walked toward her and offered a polite invitation: "I have prepared some refreshments, Miss Xie. Please, have something before you go."

"That will not be necessary. Your daughter is recovering steadily with no complications, and I have much work waiting for me at Cunshan Hall. It is not convenient for me to linger here," Xie Qingtang replied, declining directly and preparing to leave.

A bitter smile touched the corners of Dong Weiyi’s mouth. "It seems Miss Xie is still angry about what happened last night. But if you think about it from another perspective, if I truly intended to deceive you, would I have told you the truth about the matter last night?"

"Therefore, why not grant me a chance to explain the ins and outs of this situation? I can assure you that I am not the kind of person you imagine. My desire to get to know you better is sincere, and I am not joking."

As his voice trailed off, a flicker of hesitation crossed Xie Qingtang’s face. She turned her head away, her expression settling into a calm mask as if that moment of hesitation had never existed. "When you reached an agreement with that man who is my father in name only, it became impossible for us to ever get to know each other with a peaceful mind."

"Miss Xie, you have misunderstood. In truth, I never once considered Shao Siming’s proposal from the very beginning. He is not a reliable business partner; why would I tie the interests of the Dong family to someone so untrustworthy just for the sake of a woman?"

"The reason I invited you to treat my daughter was partly because of Shao Siming’s recommendation, but also because I saw your videos online. I believe you are a person of genuine skill, and that is why I sought you out."

"Everything I have done was out of my own volition. If I did not wish to do something, no amount of promised profit could entice me."

Hearing these explanations, Xie Qingtang’s expression softened with a hint of surprise, and the look she directed at Dong Weiyi was no longer as guarded as before.

"Furthermore, please rest assured, Miss Xie. Since the banquet last night, I have fully understood the nature of the relationship between you and Shao Siming, which is all the more reason I will not cooperate with him." Dong Weiyi offered another guarantee.

With those words, Xie Qingtang lowered her defenses slightly and nodded. "If that is the case, then there is no longer any misunderstanding between you and me, Mr. Dong."

"That is excellent. However, there is one more thing I must clarify. Although it is true that Shao Siming was the reason for our introduction, after interacting with you, I have come to truly admire you. I am very eager to continue getting to know you, and I hope you will grant me the right to pursue you," Dong Weiyi said, taking her by surprise.

Xie Qingtang was frozen in place. She murmured, "Mr. Dong, is that what you mean by those words?"

"Seeing how stunned you are, Miss Xie, I believe it is exactly what you think I mean," Dong Weiyi replied with a graceful nod.

Xie Qingtang did not know how to respond. She could not even remember how she had returned to Cunshan Hall; she only knew that she had been driven back by Dong Weiyi’s chauffeur.

"Boss, what is wrong with you? Ever since you came back from the Dong residence, you’ve been completely absent-minded," Zhou Jinfan said, waving his hand in front of the dazed Xie Qingtang with a puzzled expression.

Xie Qingtang snapped back to reality. She frowned at him and waved a hand impatiently. "Stop waving in front of me; you’re an eyesore."

"You certainly are direct, Boss. If I’m an eyesore, I wonder if money is an eyesore too? The Dong family has already transferred the payment for the consultation—another two million," Zhou Jinfan said with a grin. Ever since Xie Qingtang had used all of Cunshan Hall’s liquid capital to purchase that Rock Lingzhi from Dong Weiyi, the hall had been operating on a very tight budget. With these two million arriving, Zhou Jinfan could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Money is merely an external possession. Why do you attach so much importance to it?" Xie Qingtang glanced at him with indifference.

Zhou Jinfan stood there stunned, the joyous expression on his face cracking and falling away like pieces of a turtle shell. He curled his lip and said, "Boss, you’re just pretending to be aloof."

After saying this, he walked away. Xie Qingtang ignored him, her mind still lingering on what Dong Weiyi had said to her earlier, finding it all quite surreal.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Dong Weiyi invited Shao Siming to his home for dinner, leaving Shao Siming overjoyed and convinced that his schemes had finally succeeded.

"I never imagined that Xie Qingtang’s vixen-like face would actually be of some use. She brought that widower from the Dong family to heel so quickly," Shao Bin remarked with glee upon hearing the news.

Standing nearby, Xiao Rou laid out a tailored suit and said gently to Shao Siming, "Husband, do you think Mr. Dong will finalize the cooperation agreement with you tonight? If so, the Shao family’s dream of breaking into the pharmaceutical market will finally be realized."

"I hope so, but I believe it is all but certain. At the banquet last time, I saw that Xie Qingtang and Dong Weiyi were getting along well. I imagine he must be quite satisfied with her; after all, it is hard for any man to resist a face like hers," Shao Siming said smugly. He felt incredibly clever—no matter how much Xie Qingtang resisted him, what good would it do? She would always be nothing more than a tool for him to exploit.

Night fell quickly. Dressed impeccably, Shao Siming arrived at the entrance of the Dong villa. The security guard opened the gate, and a servant led him inside.

Receiving such treatment only confirmed Shao Siming’s belief that Dong Weiyi now treated him like a future father-in-law.