Chapter 135: Deluded Longing

Page 1/3

Shao Siming, reflecting on the series of courtesies he had received, thought to himself that Dong Siming must regard him as a father-in-law. If that were the case, then their collaboration was as good as settled. The more he pondered this, the happier he felt, and a bright smile soon spread across his face, barely contained. When he entered the living room, Dong Weiyi was already waiting there. Rising to greet him, Dong extended his hand and said, “Mr. Shao, welcome to the Dong family.”

“Mr. Dong, you are far too courteous. As the young and capable head of the Dong family, you surpass me by far,” Shao replied. In fact, Dong Weiyi was just over thirty, a good decade younger than Shao Siming. Yet Shao did not dare underestimate him; aside from Gu Xiujin, Dong Weiyi was widely acknowledged as a business prodigy whose acumen was formidable.

After they both took their seats, Shao anticipated that Dong would diplomatically raise the topic of seeking to marry his daughter, Xie Qingtang. He waited patiently. However, as the dinner neared its end, Dong spoke only of business matters, not a word about Xie Qingtang. Moreover, Shao keenly sensed that Dong’s intention to cooperate was lukewarm at best, even tinged with subtle refusal.

This was not what he had expected, causing a sudden pang of unease and a flicker of irritation in his heart. After dinner, while they were drinking tea, he could no longer restrain himself and casually said, “I heard that recently it has been my daughter Qingtang who has been treating your daughter’s illness. How is your daughter’s recovery progressing?”

“Speaking of that, I owe Mr. Shao my thanks. Without your recommendation, I wouldn’t have found such an excellent traditional Chinese medicine practitioner in Miss Xie. Thanks to her care, my daughter’s condition has improved greatly,” Dong Weiyi said with a composed expression.

Shao exhaled slowly. The issue was not that Xie Qingtang had failed in treating Dong’s daughter. So where, then, lay the problem?

Page 2/3

As he mulled over this, Dong Weiyi cut straight to the point: “Mr. Shao, you must know I have a daughter as well. But when she grows up, I will never treat her as a mere pawn for marriage alliances. That is something I absolutely cannot do.”

Upon hearing this, Shao’s expression froze, darkened, and he said angrily, “Mr. Dong, what exactly do you mean by that?”

“I would imagine someone as well-educated as you understands my meaning perfectly. I do not accept your conditions. I will not let Miss Xie be used as a tool,” Dong said bluntly, no longer beating around the bush, outright rejecting Shao’s intention to use Xie Qingtang as a bargaining chip.

Enraged, Shao immediately stood up and said, “Mr. Dong, you invited me here for dinner only to tell me this? Then there’s nothing left for us to discuss.”

“Indeed, there is nothing left to discuss. Besides, I have no desire to cooperate with you. I still remember last year when your family collaborated with the Zhao family to purchase medicinal herbs, yet you knowingly bought inferior herbs at the lowest prices to deceive consumers. Such conduct is unacceptable to me,” Dong declared openly, exposing Shao’s fraudulent dealings in the medicinal herb business last year.

Shao’s face flushed and paled repeatedly. It was precisely due to that incident that his partnership with the Zhao family had collapsed and he was now seeking a new partner to re-enter the pharmaceutical business. He had even spent money to suppress news of the scandal, yet Dong Weiyi still uncovered it.

With matters having reached this point, Shao saw no reason to remain any longer and be further insulted. He stood up to leave.

“Mr. Shao, before you go, I advise you not to use Miss Xie as a tool for personal gain. I believe she will never be a puppet at your disposal,” Dong warned with a note of caution in his voice.

Shao sneered and turned away, “As the saying goes, even heroes falter for the sake of beauty. Today, I’ve witnessed just that. I suppose you’ve been utterly captivated by my eldest daughter; otherwise, you wouldn’t have issued me such a warning.”

Page 3/3

Hearing this, Dong’s brow furrowed slightly, his expression darkening, but he said no more and left the Dong family villa.

“Damn it! Just like her mother, a seductress, skilled at enticing men to serve her own ends,” Shao Siming fumed inside the car, pounding his fist against the seat before massaging his temples, a rising tide of uncontrollable vexation swelling within him.

Back at the Shao residence, Xiao Rou and Shao Bin came out immediately to greet him. Xiao Rou, adopting a gentle and submissive demeanor, linked her arm through his and cautiously asked, “Husband, how did it go? Has the Dong family agreed to cooperate with us?”

“Yes, Dad. Judging by the scene at the banquet that day, Dong Weiyi must be utterly enchanted by Xie Qingtang. This deal is as good as sealed,” Shao Bin said excitedly. After all, the Shao family had recently faced a string of business crises, and as a privileged heir, he was naturally very invested in this matter.

Already deeply irritated, Shao Siming snapped at them, raising his head in anger, “What cooperation? We were just deluding ourselves. The Dong family never intended to work with us. That widower Dong Weiyi has already sided with Xie Qingtang against us.”

The room fell silent instantly. Xiao Rou looked uncertain, while Shao Bin asked bluntly with a cold tone, “Dad, what do you mean? Are you saying Xie Qingtang has brought Dong Weiyi over to her side?”

“I never imagined Xie Qingtang had such power—to win over the shrewd Dong Weiyi. It’s clear she told him not to cooperate with us. Not only did I fail to secure a deal at the Dong residence, but Dong Weiyi even mocked me, humiliating me utterly,” Shao Siming said through clenched teeth, his hatred for Xie Qingtang deepening.

After he finished speaking, a flicker of suspicion and wariness appeared in Xiao Rou’s eyes.