Chapter 149: Zhang Xiluo Humiliated

Zhang Xiluo tried hard to calm herself, pondering for several dozen seconds to reorganize her words and speaking as sincerely as possible. "Li Mingye, I know you are extremely dissatisfied with me, and you likely harbor resentment toward my parents as well. However, I believe personal grievances and business competition can be kept separate. I hope you are capable of doing that—I truly hope so."

Her eyes locked straight onto Li Mingye, filled with sincerity and a silent plea.

Li Mingye’s brows twitched slightly as he let out a mockingly regretful sigh. "Zhang Xiluo, how could you expect an utterly shameless bastard to draw a clear line between public and private matters with you?"

His teasing and self-deprecating remark left Zhang Xiluo suddenly at a loss for how to respond.

"However, if you're willing to beg me, I might consider helping you out." With that, Li Mingye strode downstairs on his long legs, sat gracefully on the sofa, crossed his legs, and gently patted the empty space beside him.

Zhang Xiluo had followed right behind him. Seeing his gesture, she hesitated for a moment before walking over and sitting down.

"I'm begging you, stop targeting my family's company."

Li Mingye looked displeased. "Is that any way to beg someone?"

Zhang Xiluo opened her mouth to speak, but Li Mingye’s upper body had already leaned toward her, closing the distance rapidly. Their exhaled breaths intertwined, and her vision struggled to focus... She held her breath, her heartbeat accelerating out of control.

"Would you like to try changing your attitude?" he asked softly, the corners of his lips curling upward.

"Well... I just hope you won't target my family's company." Zhang Xiluo slowed her speech, her voice softening, panic surfacing deep within her eyes while she feigned composure on the surface.

At such a close proximity, her instinct was to pull away, but Li Mingye pressed the back of her head, forcing her to maintain eye contact with him.

The air between them grew thin, and Li Mingye was enveloped in the scent of tobacco. Zhang Xiluo found it difficult to breathe, her eyelashes fluttering up and down, her mind in complete turmoil.

She wanted to stand straight up and walk away right then and there!

Suddenly, Li Mingye lowered his head slightly and pressed his lips against Zhang Xiluo's red ones.

Zhang Xiluo was struck with absolute horror. Her body gave a violent jolt, her pupils contracting instantly. The panic and anger she had suppressed for so long erupted. She hammered her fists furiously against his chest and shoved him away with all her might.

This wretched man must have lost his mind!

After spending the entire night tangled up with Mu Peipei, how could he still have the audacity to force a kiss on her?!

Shoving Li Mingye away, her face darkened with rage, and she raised her hand to slap him across the face. "Li Mingye, you truly are a bastard! If you're sexually frustrated, go find the one upstairs!"

Li Mingye's expression turned equally gloomy. He glanced briefly toward the upper floor before shifting his gaze back to Zhang Xiluo. He said nothing, though an aura of fierce anger radiated from his entire body.

"I must be out of my mind to have ever come looking for you to talk!" Zhang Xiluo grabbed her bag and stormed straight out the door, not lingering for even a single second.

Driving away from the villa, she pulled over to the roadside, took out a tissue, and scrubbed fiercely at her lips until they were nearly rubbed raw.

She never should have rushed blindly to find Li Mingye, and she certainly shouldn't have harbored any illusions about this scoundrel.

Li Mingye was entirely right—how could she possibly expect a bastard to do anything decent?

To have suffered such humiliation early in the morning made Zhang Xiluo so angry she felt ready to burst.

She messaged Jiang Xueting to ask for help in checking Director Su's schedule; she wanted to do something to help her parents.

Afterward, she drove straight to the antique street. Seeing her newly decorated studio lifted her spirits slightly.

She resumed her scheduled interviews and selected two fresh university graduates—a young man and a young woman.

The girl was named Su Heyuan, and the guy was Zhao Zhixi. The two were roughly the same age and shared similar personalities.

Zhang Xiluo briefly outlined the job responsibilities, explaining that her vision was to create decorative art. The initial phase would focus purely on uninhibited creation, while later stages would involve connecting with platforms for sales.

Before she knew it, the day had passed. At six in the evening, Zhang Xiluo received a message from Jiang Xueting.

"Luoluo, Director Su is dining at Jinhan tonight. Do you want to come over?"

"I'll go," Zhang Xueting answered without hesitation. "Set up the connection for me, but don't mention my identity yet. I'll go check it out."

"Got it, leave it to me."

Receiving Jiang Xueting's confirmation, Zhang Xiluo hailed a taxi to Jinhan, worried that driving herself would take too long.

Director Su was hosting friends there, and it appeared the guests had not all arrived yet. She knocked lightly on the door before walking inside.

"Hello, Director Su. My name is Zhang, and I'm a friend of Mr. Zhao." Zhang Xiluo's current identity was that of Zhao Chengyi's friend, leveraging connections to seek Director Su's assistance.

Director Su was well past fifty, with a receding hairline in the shape of a Mediterranean island, a wide and fleshy face, and triangular eyes behind thick, rimless glasses. He looked every bit the cunning and shrewd businessman.

"Ms. Zhang is truly beautiful. Come, sit over here." Director Su looked Zhang Xiluo up and down with a lustful gaze, beckoning her to sit beside him.

Maintaining a polite smile, Zhang Xiluo walked over and took a seat next to Director Su.

At that moment, the private room door was pushed open once more, and Li Mingye and Mu Changjia walked in.

Mu Changjia was himself an exceptionally striking man of superior appearance and poise, but standing beside Li Mingye, his presence instantly waned, making him look very much like Li Mingye's bodyguard.

Seeing them, the smile froze on Zhang Xiluo's face. Longcheng was simply too small; no matter where she went, she kept running into people she wished to avoid.

With Li Mingye and Mu Changjia arriving here together, they were likely meeting Director Su for business. There was an eighty percent chance her trip today would end in failure.

"Director Li! Director Su!" Director Su quickly stood up, took the initiative to step forward and welcome them, bowing and scraping. "I didn't expect Director Li would actually come. Please, please, take the seat of honor."

Li Mingye was escorted to the principal seat. Zhang Xiluo saw clearly that Mu Changjia's expression turned quite unsightly, though he did not vent his displeasure.

Meanwhile, Director Su sat down on Zhang Xiluo's other side, forcing her to be sandwiched between the two men.

She wanted to leave, but it was evidently too late now.

"Director Su, you've got a beauty here," Mu Changjia said, casting a disdainful glance at Zhang Xiluo. "When did Director Su make her acquaintance?"

"Ah, you mean Ms. Zhang? She's a friend of a friend, here to ask me for a favor." Director Su's factory was not located in Longcheng, and although he had cooperated with the Zhang Corporation for many years, he had never laid eyes on Zhang Xiluo.

Having been divorced from Li Mingye for over four years, Zhang Xiluo had long since faded from public view, so it was entirely natural that Director Su did not recognize her. In his eyes, she was merely a nobody asking for a favor.

Placing a hand familiarly on Zhang Xiluo's shoulder, Director Su said to Mu Changjia with considerable complacency, "If Director Mu fancies her, I can introduce you two."

"Haha, I appreciate Director Su's kind intentions, but this is a woman I cannot afford to handle," Mu Changjia replied, observing Li Mingye's reaction out of the corner of his eye.

Overcome with revulsion, Zhang Xiluo brushed Director Su's arm away. "Director Su, perhaps we should reschedule for another time."

"Nonsense, now that you're here, have a drink first." Unwilling to let her go, Director Su picked up a wine glass and pushed it toward Zhang Xiluo, trying to force her to drink.

"She doesn't want to drink, yet you're forcing her, Director Su," Mu Changjia added fuel to the fire from the side, terrified that Director Su might let Zhang Xiluo off too easily.

Zhang Xiluo shot a fierce glare at Mu Changjia, who wore the smug look of a petty villain. Director Su's wandering hands began to roam across Zhang Xiluo's back, his tone carrying an implicit threat. "Ms. Zhang, if you're asking someone for a favor, you need to look like you're asking for a favor. Down this glass of wine, and everything can be easily discussed."

Li Mingye had maintained an attitude of supreme detachment throughout, his cold gaze lowered without casting even a single glance in Zhang Xiluo's direction.

"I'm sorry, Director Su, I don't drink. I'll be leaving now."

Zhang Xiluo shoved Director Su away and attempted to make her escape, but he grabbed her arm and hurled a full glass of wine directly into her face. "Did I say you could leave?"