Chapter 50 - Who's Laughing Now?

It was nine in the morning when Qing Chen's public relations manager gathered the press in one of the hotel's function rooms to explain more about their statement last night. They were going to claim that Li Zongying was delusional and nothing had happened between her and her boss that was out of the professional field. Qing Chen decided that he would not make an appearance in the said press conference as that would be an entryway for more questions that if he would not entertain would only raise suspicion.

Feng Xuan still had not returned to school. It would be wiser to clear the air first before she goes back. She didn't want to be bombarded with question or worse, be sent to the dean's office yet again for something she was not really entirely responsible for.

She went to The Kingly with Qing Chen as she had no better thing to do in their home. Another thing, she would very much want to see the look on Li Zongying's as she would be ready to confess to everything.

Qing Chen was seated behind his huge desk, flipping through about more than a dozen folders and scribbling his signatures on them at times. Feng Xuan was seated on the couch, her laptop propped on her knees as her legs were stretched. She had been giving thought about the cake shop. Now that most of the renovations in the house were almost done, she had to find something else to turn her attention to.

Feng Xuan had not a concept in her mind. She was just scrolling through numerous potential designs. Her heart was being torn by two concepts: one, she wanted to stay with her favorite champagne color, make it minimal, modern, and elegant; and two, an interior with hard wood and soft earth colors, vintage, nostalgic, and sweet.

Now that this whole Li Zongying fiasco was coming to a close, Feng Xuan had something bright to look forward to after this dreary period of their lives.

Feng Xuan took a look at Qing Chen in an expensive navy blue suit and tie with his head bent towards the table. At nights when she couldn't fall asleep, she had wondered why Qing Chen got so drunk that night something had happened between him and Li Zongying. He said it involved another woman--an ex-girlfriend for sure. One that he loved enough he needed release from her entirely, in all fields.

One of the things that bothered her were her insecurities about the subject matter. Li Zongying was beautiful and slender with a face of an angel that fell down from the sky. As much as Feng Xuan wanted to ignore this fact, Li Zongying had a win over her. Li Zongying, after all, had gotten something from Qing Chen that Feng Xuan hadn't experienced in her life.

Feng Xuan felt the blood rushing to her face, an inappropriate image of Li Zongying and Qing Chen slowly building in her mind. She shook the image and her body shuddered with it.

"Are you okay?"

Feng Xuan raised her eyes and met Qing Chen's. "Yeah, it's just a little cold," she reasoned and rubbed her arms. It was pretty chilly in Qing Chen's office.

Qing Chen produced a remote from one of the drawers and turned the temperature up. "Better?"

"Yes," she nodded.

The door opened and strolled in was Qing Lok, the next one was Li Zongying dressed in white with a black belt, a huge pair of sunglasses that covered half of her face.

Feng Xuan stood from where she was seated and Qing Chen also raised from his chair. He gestured for Li Zongying to sit down as he and his wife took two individual seats in front of the woman who now did not dare look at them in the eyes.

"How was she?" Qing Chen asked Qing Lok.

"Like the doctor when we took her, struggling and shouting at the top of her lungs how much of a pain in the butt I am." Qing Lok grinned. "I'll be right outside."

Once Qing Lok exited the room, Qing Chen pushed a folder on the table in line of the vision of Li Zongying, "This is a contract. There is enough money that will be wired to your account parents' account to help them. As for you, you're going to a mental institution."

"Is this an NDA?"

"Not an NDA," Qing Chen confirmed. "Whatever is it that you're going to say, nobody is going to believe you. I already have a doc.u.ment proving that you're mentally unstable and would need to be admitted for further care."

"But I have never undergone a test."

"You didn't have to," Qing Chen smiled. "You worked with me for a long time. Surely, you know how we could manipulate these things. You even tried to do it yourself. Sign the doc.u.ment if you have a sliver of love for your parents."

Qing Chen himself did not like the idea of offering Li Zongying money after what she did. But his grandmother insisted on making the offer. She said, "If you are not going to put her in the ground, send her away--far away that it would yield the same effect." But as Qing Chen had already told his grandmother, he was not going to hurt a woman. But in the mental institution, they were really going to turn her crazy.

Li Zongying moved slowly as she took the glasses off her face. Feng Xuan sighed exasperatedly. She was just so tired of this show. Next!

"As expected of you, Mr. Qing. You're kind as always."

"Yes," he answered sounded more like a tired sigh. The almighty knew he had enough of this. He just wanted her out of his sight. "Now, if you're in your right mind, you're going to sign these papers before I change my mind."

"Of course, Mr. Qing."

Feng Xuan eyed Li Zongying. Was her voice getting sultry, or maybe it was just her imagination. But then, Li Zongying bent over as she posed to sign the papers, her cleavage in plain sight.

Li Zongying raised her eyes to Qing Chen with a smile, "But, admit it, for a second you really thought I was carrying your child. It could've been a possibility… right?"

Feng Xuan held tightly on the armrests of the seat until pain exploded on her fingertips. Oh, how she wanted to bash Li Zongying's pretty face on the glass table. Finally, she spoke, "Will you just sign the doc.u.ment and leave? It's for your own good," she whispered the last part.

"I will, Mrs. Qing," she said like she was mocking her but Feng Xuan only pushed a smile on her lips. Once Li Zongying capped the pen, she straightened up, puffing her chest out. "Thank you so much for everything, Mr. Qing. And also for the thing that happened after work."

Feng Xuan's blood boiled under her skin. She heard Qing Chen hissed under his breath. "Just leave, Li Zongying."

"Okay," the woman said, gathering her bag to her shoulder as she placed the glasses back on the bridge of her nose. "I'll be taking my leave now."

Li Zongying stood up and started walking but stopped near Feng Xuan. She bent down and whispered, "If you need advice about Qing Chen in the bedroom… know that you can always call me at the institution."

Feng Xuan's jaw clenched and her teeth gritted together. She held back enough. But she was not going to tolerate it anymore. Feng Xuan stood up and grabbed the girl's long hair and twisted it on her hand. Li Zongying immediately cried out in pain as she fell to the ground. Feng Xuan did not know if it would be possible to yank hair in clumps, but she did not really care that moment. She was just dragging this little bitch out the door.

When she had successfully swung her out of the doorway, some of Li Zongying's hair was tangled on her fingers. Li Zongying was on her butt and crying, snot was coming out of her nose. "Not so clever now, are you?" Feng Xuan pouted. "Oh wait, you weren't that clever in the first place."

The other girl had the audacity to glare at her.

Feng Xuan smiled with her lips closed and raised her hand and smacked Li Zongying's face that her head whipped to the side. It was the first time that Feng Xuan slapped someone. She didn't know it would sting her palms, but she wanted to do it again.

Li Zongying's face was of pure shock as she raised a palm to cradle her cheek. She had seen that coming, but she was asking for it. "You witch!"

"That's the best you can do?" Feng Xuan asked. She raised her hand again and delivered another blow. Her palm felt numb. Li Zongying's cheek was red as a beet, Feng Xuan's palm and fingers making a mark. "The first one was for the things you did. And that second one," she shrugged. "I just felt like it. Who would've thought you'd make a good slapping-bag?"

Li Zongying did not look like she was going say more and Feng Xuan straightened up and saw Qing Lok watching with his mouth open, his game left in his hands. She smiled sweetly at him, "Brother, would you please take this leech off the property and have her sent away? Thank you!"

Feng Xuan closed the door on Li Zongying's crying face. Ha, she sighed in her mind. Qing Chen was looking at her as he was perched on the edge of his desk, sipping quietly from a mug. Feng Xuan rubbed her hands together. "Any other women I should know about?"

Qing Chen raised his hands in the air. "No."

"Shame, I was getting the hang of slapping someone."

Qing Chen grinned at her over his cup. "You sure are." He heard the slaps. It sounded like a crack of a whip.

He took the folder and looked over at Li Zongying's signatures at the paper. It was just two letters. An X and a P, vertically placed to make a face.

XP

"Well, that goes her parents' financial help," he said and tore the contract in pieces, glad that Li Zongying did not sign it. His grandmother would be pleased.

Feng Xuan walked over the sunglasses that was casted aside when she dragged that woman by the hair. They looked like a fly's eyes. She raised her foot and slowly crunched it with her heel. "Who's laughing now?"