Ni Jingxi paused, then this time she didn't look away, raising her head to look directly at him: "Be careful what you say, just like you always protect me first, I want to protect you too. I don't want you to get involved with any rumors."
She didn't want Huo Shenyan to get involved in this kind of emotional entanglement; many media outlets are keen on the melodramatic gossip of prime-time dramas.
Perhaps it's because she's been a media professional for so long that she's always worried about unforeseen circumstances.
No one would care about the matter between Ni Pingsen and Liu Hui alone, but if it were Huo Shenyan's father-in-law's affair, it would probably cause gossip and speculation.
Ni Jingxi hoped that she was overthinking things.
Huo Shenyan sighed softly. He truly hadn't expected Ni Jingxi to think this way, just as he had assumed he could shield her from the wind and rain. But instead, this girl stood in front of him first and said without hesitation, "It's okay, I want to protect you too, just like you did for me."
He reached out and pulled Ni Jingxi into his arms. When he had almost enveloped her in his embrace, he whispered, "Can you feel it?"
Ni Jingxi was slightly taken aback, sensing something.
Was the way he held her just now, so gentle and careful, tenderness?
Ni Jingxi hesitated for a moment, then Huo Shenyan tilted his head slightly, his lips almost brushing against her ear as he whispered, "Aren't my shoulders much broader than yours?"
Ni Jingxi has a narrow frame and a slender figure, and at this moment she was being held in Huo Shenyan's arms.
Hearing Huo Shenyan's words, she almost laughed. Was that what he was talking about?
But the next second, Huo Shenyan breathed a sigh of relief and said in a deep voice, "Let the broad-shouldered ones block the way first."
There was a brief moment of silence in the air.
It was very quiet.
Then Ni Jingxi burst out laughing. She really didn't expect Huo Shenyan's sweet talk to be so unique. She rested her chin on his chest, looked up at Huo Shenyan and chuckled, "Teacher Huo, you're getting more and more witty with your words these days."
Teacher Huo?
Huo Shenyan chuckled at her way of addressing him, so he bent down and whispered in her ear, "Would you like Teacher Huo to teach you?"
Ni Jingxi's eyes widened.
How could she detect a sexual undertone in that sentence...?
*
After being subjected to a fierce and indescribable lecture by Teacher Huo, Ni Jingxi was too exhausted to think about those messy things and fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, when Huo Shenyan went to work, he watched her leave before getting into his car.
Huo Shenyan had barely sat down when he spoke, "Tang Mian."
Tang Mian, sitting in the passenger seat, immediately turned around.
Huo Shenyan: "Go and investigate someone for me now."
After Huo Shenyan finished saying her name, he continued, "Go and find out when she came to Shanghai."
Tang Mian nodded, indicating he would check immediately. However, he then said with concern, "President Huo, you need to meet with your legal team today. The EU should be filing a lawsuit against Hengya Group soon."
Huo Shenyan leaned back in the car. With the expansion of Hengya Group's business in Europe, they had already secured at least 20 major contracts, leaving their competitors far behind.
However, Hengya Group has not had a smooth journey. As Hengya Group expands its territory in Europe, the United States has thoroughly investigated Hengya's business in the United States at the beginning of the year and claimed that Hengya is suspected of endangering national security.
Six months ago, the EU launched a monopoly investigation into Hengya Group, thoroughly investigating whether Hengya Group used unfair competition methods in its business operations.
The investigation is still ongoing, and Hengya Group has a large legal team dealing with the situation.
Huo Shenyan: "I understand."
After arriving at the company, around ten o'clock, the legal team arrived and the secretary arranged a large office for them. Soon, Huo Shenyan appeared in the office.
As everyone stood up, he nodded slightly: "Please sit down, everyone."
Soon, the meeting officially began. The attendees included Huo Shenyan, the CEO of the European company, and several senior executive vice presidents from headquarters, most of whom had connections with the European business.
As the meeting progressed, everyone's expressions grew increasingly somber.
Clearly, the worst-case scenario is that the EU will likely require Huo Shenyan to attend a special hearing.
Huo Shenyan remained silent throughout.
At this time, Ni Jingxi was completely unaware of these things. After finishing her morning work, Song Yu dragged her out to eat. "Jingxi, the food in the cafeteria looks nice, but it gets boring if you eat it all the time. Let's go eat Chongqing noodles. Let me tell you, the noodles here are really delicious."
Ni Jingxi listened to her praising how delicious the Chongqing noodles were the whole way.
As the two reached the main gate and turned the corner, Ni Jingxi glanced to the side and suddenly saw someone hiding behind a tree not far away. Her expression darkened.
She then chuckled softly, "You go to the shop first, I'll run into an acquaintance and say hello."
Song Yu glanced around. There were many pedestrians on the road, and she couldn't tell who Ni Jingxi knew. However, she didn't ask any questions, smiled, waved, and left.
Ni Jingxi didn't move at first, but after she had walked quite a distance, she finally lifted her foot and walked to the other side.
When she got there, she looked at Liu Hui and dragged her to the side of the road.
"What exactly do you want? To follow me?" Ni Jingxi laughed. She didn't expect Liu Hui to be so unrepentant.
Liu Hui said softly, "I didn't."
"So what do you want to do? Are you planning to keep watching like this and find out where my father is?" Ni Jingxi sneered.
Liu Hui suddenly looked up at her and said, "Have you ever thought that your father only gave up on me because of you? You're actually preventing his happiness. He's already waited for so long, do you expect him to spend the rest of his life waiting for someone who died more than ten years ago?"
Ni Jingxi's Qi-->>
He laughed, tilted his head, and looked at her coldly: "So you're trying to tell me that you two are truly in love? And that I should give you my blessing?"
Liu Hui stared at her longingly.
Ni Jingxi said in a very calm voice, "What you gain through deception will eventually have to be returned."
Liu Hui looked at her mockingly and nodded: "Yes, I deceived him, but I love her too. Ni Jingxi, do you know how your father and I saved up money from places like the Middle East to go to Vietnam?"
Ni Jingxi gazed at her quietly.
“I survived that cannibalistic place, do you think I’m really afraid of you? If you weren’t Pingsen’s daughter, do you think I would be begging you like this?” Liu Hui closed her eyes. “So don’t push me too far. I have nothing now, but you are different. You have such a good job and such a happy family.”
Liu Hui seemed to have thought of something particularly funny: "The man you married is so rich, you have almost everything, why can't you give Pingsen back to me? Why can't you? Why are you so selfish, so selfish!"
As she finished speaking, Liu Hui's emotions seemed to spiral out of control, and her voice suddenly rose in pitch.
Liu Hui probably realized that she had lost control of her emotions too much at the end. She turned her face away and looked to the other side. After taking a deep breath, her heaving chest gradually calmed down.
Looking at her expression, Ni Jingxi no longer saw indifference, but rather pity.
When people are completely at their wits' end, they often think that their ruthlessness and ferocity will force the other party to submit, but they don't realize that this is completely exposing their own weaknesses.
She had no other options but to threaten herself.
Ni Pingsen decided to withdraw his love for her, and Liu Hui knew this clearly. She always felt that Ni Jingxi was interfering and trying to ruin them.
She subconsciously placed all the blame on Ni Jingxi.
Yes, Ni Jingxi is the bad guy, the one who broke them up.
They were simply torn apart.
Ni Jingxi took a deep breath. She felt she had wasted time again, because saying anything to Liu Hui was superfluous. She nodded: "If I see you around my newspaper office again next time, I will call the police immediately."
After saying that, she turned and left.
But after she took a few steps, Liu Hui seemed to murmur from behind, "You'll regret this."
Ni Jingxi ignored her and left.
However, when she arrived at the noodle shop, Song Yu had already ordered the food and placed it on the table, waiting for her. Seeing her come over, she waved and smiled, "Sister Jingxi, you've come at just the right time. The owner has just brought the noodles over."
Ni Jingxi smiled, but her mind was still on Liu Hui.
After experiencing so much, it's impossible for her not to be wary.
Others might not know, but someone like Ni Jingxi, who has been to the Middle East, understands the terror that exists there after enduring war and religious conflict. Just now, Liu Hui's words particularly alarmed her: she said she had taken Ni Pingsen away from the Middle East.
Regardless of how she left, this woman was extremely capable.
Perhaps she was softened by Ni Pingsen when she was by his side, and although she was still beautiful, she was no longer poisonous. However, after Ni Pingsen left, the poison hidden in her heart gradually resurfaced.
Ni Jingxi had to be wary of her.
After finishing her meal, Ni Jingxi took a moment to call Tang Mi.
As soon as Tang Mi answered the call, she asked, "Do you know anyone who works as a private investigator?"
Tang Mi was taken aback: "Private investigator? Who do you want to investigate?"
At this moment, a bad feeling arose in Tang Mi's heart. Could it be that Ni Jingxi was going to investigate...?
Ni Jingxi hadn't told Tang Mi about Liu Hui before, since it was her father's private matter and she didn't want to publicize it. However, Tang Mi was the only person she could trust and who had a wide network of connections.
She briefly explained Liu Hui's situation.
Tang Mi was practically cursing as she listened. When Ni Jingxi finally finished speaking, she could no longer contain her rage: "Is this woman out of her mind? She's really crazy. What right does she have to talk back to you like this? Now, your uncle has seen her true colors and is cutting ties with her. Doesn't she still think you're the one stirring up trouble?"
"You're so smart," Ni Jingxi praised sincerely.
Tang Mi was so angry that she swore.
She said, "It's okay, I'll take care of it. Anyway, we're not going to do anything to her. What we're most afraid of is her doing something to you."
Never mess with paranoid people, because normal people have no idea what they'll be like when they go crazy.
With so many examples before her, Ni Jingxi had no choice but to be wary of Tang Misheng.
But to her surprise, her worries turned out to be entirely correct.
In the afternoon café, all the seats around were empty except for two people at a corner table. Wen Tang smiled and pushed the sandwich in front of her across from them, saying softly, "You haven't eaten yet, have some first."
But the other side didn't move.
Wen Tang's lips curved slightly, revealing an even gentler smile: "I just showed you my credentials; I really am a reporter from Xinhua News Agency. If you have any difficulties, I will definitely help you."
"Really?" the person on the other end finally asked slowly.
If Ni Jingxi were here, she would be surprised as to why the two of them were together, because the person sitting opposite Wen Tang was Liu Hui.
At this moment, Liu Hui had completely lost her former beauty.
She looked somewhat haggard and pale, her face bare, giving the impression of someone who lacked worldly knowledge.
She looked at him cautiously and whispered, "You really think you can help me?"
"Of course, but only if you tell me what your relationship with Ni Jingxi is?" Wen Tang asked curiously, then coaxed, "I'm a reporter too, and I can do everything I can to help you."