Fatal Desire

Chapter 11 Girlfriend Becomes Sister-in-Law
Song Xi turned on the speakerphone, placed the phone on the table, and asked while looking at the computer screen, "Who is it?"

“Jiang Shangxue,” Qin Fanghao said, “is getting married, in a marriage alliance with the Meng family.”

Jiang Shangxue and Song Xi were deskmates for half a semester in high school. They were polite to each other and got along well. Song Xi vaguely remembered that she was dating the second young master of the Meng family.

"Meng Weixian?"

“No,” Qin Fanghao said. “The marriage proposal is with the eldest son of the Meng family, Meng Weixian’s brother.”

Upon hearing this, Song Xi narrowed his eyes: "Girlfriend turned into sister-in-law?"

"You guessed right!" Qin Fanghao took out her lipstick from her bag and touched up her makeup lightly. "Meng Weixian's girlfriend has become his sister-in-law. He can't accept this fact right now, so he came over to drink with me and complain. What are you doing now? Want to come over for a drink?"

"I'm handling company matters," Song Xi said. "You guys have fun, I'll treat you another day."

Qin Fanghao hung up the phone, flicked her slightly wavy dark brown hair, and turned to look at the lively and noisy scene on the other side of the private room.

Meng Weixian held a glass of whiskey in his hand and drank several glasses in a row. He looked at Shang Shixu with a hint of hesitation.

With a cigarette dangling from his lips, Shang Shixu's mind was filled with the memory of encountering Qiao Yifan at the Sino-Swiss headquarters, and he felt extremely agitated.

"Speak up if you have something to say, stop acting up, it's annoying."

Meng Weixian was upset that his girlfriend was going to marry his own brother, so he decided to drag his brother down with him.

Do you like Song Xi?

"I don't like it," Shang Shixu said.

Meng Weixian: "You're being way too nice to Song Xi. If it's not because you like her, I can't think of any other reason."

"Are you a twisted rope? Why are you interpreting things so convolutedly?" Shang Shixu glanced at him sideways, as if looking at an idiot. "Song Xi is a partner in the company. Without her, there would be no Morningstar today, and there would be no me, Shang Shixu. We're in the same boat, is it so hard to understand that we benefit each other?"

Meng Weixian was having a rough time in love, so he downed his entire glass of wine in one gulp and then refilled it.

"Getting drunk in broad daylight, you guys are something else," Qin Fanghao said sarcastically as she walked over in her high heels and sat down opposite them.

Meng Weixian looked at her with hazy, drunken eyes: "Isn't Song Xi coming?"

"I'm not coming." Qin Fanghao's features were stunning, and every gesture she made exuded charm. "President Xi is busy, unlike you idle young masters."

"Fine, don't come then." Meng Weixian raised his glass and clinked it with theirs. "We're not leaving until we're drunk!"

Shang Shixu noticed Meng Weixian's expression and realized that the other party's expression did not change much, as if he already knew Song Xi's identity.

Even in the heart of Beijing, a city teeming with the elite, the Zhao family held a position at the very top of the social hierarchy, their status and power beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.

If Song Xi really had such a powerful background, why was she so destitute when she went abroad?
Shang Shixu was completely baffled by this.

*
After changing the nickname to 'Brother', Song Xi clicked into Zhao Yansen's WeChat Moments.

There wasn't a single update, it was like a desolate wilderness ravaged by wildfire, even more like a zombie account than her alternate account.

Nothing fancy.

She put down her phone and threw herself into her work.

As winter night gradually enveloped the city's edge, the sky turned an inky black. The courtyard houses, like solemn jewel boxes, appeared serenely, their ancient and elegant buildings tightly connected. Pale red lights in the corridors reflected the shimmering light of the fountains. After finishing dinner, Song Xi returned to her room. The housekeeper had already prepared a bath in the bathroom and lit a gentle, refreshing orange blossom incense.

Having not adjusted to the time difference for the past few days, Song Xi had difficulty falling asleep and had not rested for a long time. After taking a shower and coming out of the bathroom, she was so sleepy that she forgot about Zhao Yansen and fell into a deep sleep after lying down on the bed for a while.

Saturday was a sunny day with clear blue skies, perfect for heading to the golf club.

Song Xi hasn't participated in outdoor sports for a long time.

The first thing she did upon waking up was to refresh herself. She drank a cup of coffee, which helped her regain her composure, and she walked into the dressing room looking radiant.

The walk-in closet was filled with a delicate cappuccino rose scent, and a French crystal chandelier on the ceiling illuminated its layout. The two floors were combined, creating a spacious and well-organized area, neatly displaying a wide variety of items.

Song Xi casually chose golf attire, changed into it, stood in front of a full-length mirror, a black rubber band between her lips, and gathered her thick, long hair into a simple high ponytail.

Before leaving, I passed by the garden and saw Butler Qin directing the gardeners to prune the garden's precious flowers. Butler Qin's ability and loyalty in standing out from the crowd of talented people and serving as the Zhao family's butler for over ten years are beyond question.

The moment Butler Qin saw Song Xi's attire, he knew she was about to go out, and he bent down at just the right moment: "Miss, would you like a driver arranged for you?"

"Need not."

Song Xi, holding a brown paper document bag in her left hand and a golf cap hooked around her right, walked steadily towards the door. Suddenly remembering something, she stopped, tilted her head, and asked, "Didn't my brother come back yesterday?"

"No," said Butler Qin. "He's usually busy with official duties and rarely comes home."

Zhao Yansen has many residences in Beijing, including but not limited to detached villas and luxury apartments. No one knows which cave he stayed in last night.

Song Xi understood: "I understand."

The golf course Zhou Ji'an went to is said to be the best lawn in the suburbs of Beijing. Money doesn't guarantee entry; you need an invitation from a member to join, with membership fees starting at one million yuan and an annual management fee.

Song Yunyu was a member of this golf club, and Song Xi used her information to get through layers of gates to the entrance of the course.

She looked up at the warm winter sun, its dazzling light causing her to squint slightly. Looking down, she saw a low, antique white stone wall with a set of gold-embossed English letters bearing the name of the golf club.

Stepping into the private golf course, a vast and undulating expanse of lush greenery unfolds before your eyes. The winter snow has been cleared away, revealing the expansive green space of the course, surrounded by trees and lakes.

The waiter led Song Xi inside and asked her if she knew how to play ball.

“No,” Song Xi instructed. “Please ask me to invite a coach over.”

The caddie agreed and informed him of today's wind speed and green speed, saying, "You can go to the tee box to practice your chipping and putting first."

The phone lit up with a new message popping up, and Song Xi looked down to check it.

Shang Shixu: "Contact me anytime if anything comes up."

Zhou Ji'an is already in a wheelchair due to mobility issues, yet he still wants to play golf in the dead of winter. It's not something a normal business partner would do.

Moreover, last time they went to the Sino-Swiss headquarters, Zhou Ji'an deliberately left them waiting for three hours.

Shang Shixu reasonably suspected that Zhou Ji'an was playing a prank on them at Chenxing.

Song Xi replied with an OK emoji, and just as she finished sending it, she suddenly heard a loud laugh behind her.

(End of this chapter)