Fatal Desire

Chapter 70 Unexpected Enthusiasm

Song Xi casually raised her phone: "I'm going to the terrace to take this call."

Chi Wang: "Okay, okay, go pick them up quickly, don't delay important matters."

Zhou Ji'an glanced at Zhao Yansen, who was sitting in the main seat on the sofa, then frowned and looked at Song Xi's figure.

The bright and luxurious villa was bustling with activity on the first floor, even though there was no birthday celebrant present. People were drinking and laughing heartily. On the second floor, the atmosphere was more refined and quiet, with young men chatting and laughing leisurely.

Song Xi walked to the balcony railing, glanced at her phone screen, and saw that the call was still going on; Shang Shixu hadn't hung up.

She asked, "What exactly happened?"

Shang Shixu was still pondering the deep male voice he had just heard. After a three-second pause, realizing he had no right to interfere in Song Xi's private affairs, he turned back to business.

“Fu Wenxin produced the initial sample data of the specific antibody and threatened to sue us for stealing their research results.”

Song Xi frowned: "Did you receive the letter?"

“Just received it,” Shang Shixu said. “I scanned the code and sent you an electronic copy. Specific antibodies are our competitive advantage in our cooperation with Sino-Swiss. It seems that Fu Wenxin came back this time to take away the cooperation from Sino-Swiss and bring the Sino-Swiss project into Qiao’s.”

Song Xi opened the file and quickly skimmed through it. Although she didn't know how Fu Wenxin had obtained the original sample data, a lawsuit was definitely going to happen.

Competition for resources, vying for market share, and backstabbing from peers... business operations are never smooth sailing.

Song Xi and Shang Shixu had a brief and concise fifteen-minute conversation, which finally reassured him: "You should focus on the cooperation. I already have a lawyer in mind for the lawsuit."

Shang Shixu was working overtime at the company, and Song Xi was attending a birthday party. The two could not meet immediately. After finishing the important points, they ended the call and decided to discuss the rest at the company.

Song Xi rested her arms on the railing, holding her phone in her hand, and looked up at the distant horizon.

There is no moon tonight, only the deep darkness.

We can no longer sit idly by and let our competitors run rampant and cause us trouble.

Song Xi fell into deep thought for a long time, made a decision, turned around to go into the house, and suddenly found that Zhou Ji'an had come over at some point.

He was in a wheelchair, his gaze lower than hers. He wore a bespoke suit and gold-rimmed glasses, giving him a slightly suave yet roguish look.

Zhou Ji'an looked at her, his gaze indifferent: "Let's talk."

"What do you want to talk about?" Song Xi smiled gently, her slender back lightly resting against the white jade railing, elegant and casual.

There were only the two of them on the terrace, while seven or eight wealthy young men were scattered further in, and the faint sounds of their laughter and conversation drifted over.

Zhou Ji'an's smile vanished completely, his amber eyes staring directly at Song Xi: "Have you resolved your issues with your brother?"

Song Xi's smile froze for a moment, and she said coldly, "This is none of your business."

It's not resolved.

These scions of prominent families were shrewd and extremely perceptive, and Zhou Ji'an was no exception. He understood everything perfectly well, but instead of dwelling on her past falling out with Zhao Yansen, he changed the subject and stated the facts:

"Back when the lab exploded, Yansen spent six months in the intensive care unit trying to save you, and you didn't visit him even once."

On the day Song Xi left the country, Zhou Ji'an specially intercepted the plane to stop her, just to tell her that Zhao Yansen was critically ill and asked her to stay.

She refused and said she would never come back.

But now she's not only back, but she also seems to be entangled with Zhao Yansen again.

Although Zhou Ji'an didn't know the reason for their falling out, his friend's safety was at stake, so he had to be vigilant. Song Xi's fingers twitched twice as she gripped her phone. She heard a soft heartbeat, like a gentle struggle, followed by the harsh sound of shackles hinged.

She knew from the beginning that she had never truly escaped from prison.

After a moment of silence, Song Xi smiled faintly:
"You suspect I have ulterior motives for returning to China?"

Zhou Ji'an met her gaze, his voice clear yet extremely intimidating: "I'm warning you."

“My aunt is the wife of that man from the Zhao family, and I, too, am barely considered half a member of the Zhao family. Harming the Zhao family would bring me no benefit.” Song Xi gazed at the green plant, which was over a meter tall, in the corner of the terrace, and spoke slowly, “In this regard, Young Master Zhou is overthinking it. Besides, what can a weak woman like me do?”

Zhou Ji'an could easily see that Song Xi and Zhao Yansen didn't mention the past at all, focusing entirely on the present and the future. But if that thorn wasn't removed, it would always be a scourge.

“Young Master Zhou, I’m happy that you care about my brother as a friend, but…” Song Xi shifted her gaze, looking at Zhou Ji’an with a leisurely air, “You haven’t even sorted out your own family’s affairs, yet you’re so eager to stick your arms out to meddle in other people’s business. Isn’t that a bit overstepping your bounds?”

Zhou Ji'an looked at her coldly.

"You've been married to Guan Yue for three years, and what has she gotten in return?" Song Xi said slowly. "When you put your adopted sister in such an unjust and immoral way, did you ever consider that she was your lawfully wedded wife? Where were you when the Zhou family ganged up on her?"

If it were Chi Wanglai who were to reprimand her, Song Xi would accept it.

But Zhou Ji'an... Song Xi felt he had no right to lecture her.

Song Xi's words were like sharp, cold knives stabbing into Zhou Ji'an's chest, causing him excruciating pain.

Despite the excruciating pain, Zhou Ji'an asked, "Where is Fu Guanyue?"

"I don't know." Song Xi smiled sweetly, but her words were ruthless. "Even if I knew where Sister Guan Yue was, I wouldn't tell her ex-husband."

"Oh dear, did I talk too much?" Song Xi seemed to realize her mistake belatedly. "I hope President Zhou will be magnanimous and not hold my ramblings against me."

She put on a sweet and innocent smile: "Happy birthday, Brother Ji'an. If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

Song Xi took three steps forward, when Zhou Ji'an's heavy voice suddenly came from behind her: "Song Xi, karma. I am suffering my karma now, aren't you afraid?"

Song Xi glanced at his legs out of the corner of her eye, tilted her head back with a half-smile, and then said:

"You'll probably never see my retribution in this lifetime."

Song Xi and Zhou Ji'an peeled away each other's last layer of glamorous pretense, trying their best to expose each other's hidden rottenness, but inevitably ended up in a disheveled and obscure state.

Looking across the entire capital, only Song Xi dared to so openly expose Zhou Ji'an's secrets.

It could be because of meeting Zhou Yilin, or it could be because of the conversation with Zhou Ji'an.

A place in Song Xi's heart was burning wildly, burning until the surroundings were silent, burning with crackling sounds, burning away all the past, making her more and more calm and composed.

As the birthday banquet drew to a close, guests began to depart. In the dim light of night, the white-gloved chauffeur parked the Bentley at the villa.

The back door opened, and Song Xi bent down to get in. She couldn't help but hug Zhao Yansen's neck and chatter to him in circles.

"Why is it still so cold even though it's spring, brother..."

An unexpected surge of enthusiasm.

Zhao Yansen raised an eyebrow and patted her head: "Did Chi Wang's lame joke make you feel cold?"

(End of this chapter)