Chapter 7: The Male Lead with X-Ray Vision VS Five Female Leads (7)
“Moonlit Night” was a place for pleasure-seeking, with a dance floor, private rooms, and everything in between. But with excellent service and high membership requirements, it was a high-end entertainment venue.
Huo Xian sat on the sofa in a booth, listening to the heart-thumping music and the cheers of men and women, without dancing. There was alcohol on the table, but he only held a glass idly, without drinking.
After a while, Liu Chengpei returned with two beautiful women, his pleasure unconcealed. Seeing Huo Xian’s relaxed posture, he paused, teasing, “Why the change of heart today? Are the women I found for you not beautiful enough?”
Huo Xian lazily said, “I’m a little weak lately; the doctor told me to abstain for a while.”
If it weren’t for his unchanged tone, expression, and appearance, Liu Chengpei would have suspected that Huo Xian had been replaced. In fact, he had been, but Liu Chengpei wouldn’t believe such an unscientific thing.
“The two Miss Qiao’s will be here later. Perform well,” Liu Chengpei patted the women’s behinds, dismissing them, then said meaningfully.
Huo Xian asked without much interest, “How? I’m good at eating, drinking, and playing. Will I have common ground with those young ladies?”
“You should have common ground with Miss Qiao the second daughter. She’s also a playful and open-minded woman, and she prefers handsome men. Your face, more handsome than a star, should suit her.” Liu Chengpei smiled lecherously, then changed the subject, “But Miss Qiao the elder daughter is the opposite of her sister; quiet and well-behaved, she rarely goes to entertainment venues and dislikes playboys. The sisters have different personalities but are close. When you’re trying to please the second daughter, don’t overdo it, and don’t try anything too difficult, understand?”
About twenty minutes later, the two Miss Qiao’s, indeed, Qiao Yixuan and Qiao Yirong, the sisters from the system’s mission, arrived under the protection of bodyguards.
Compared to the other three “female leads,” the sisters were slightly shorter, still under 1.7 meters tall even in heels.
The elder sister, Qiao Yixuan, wore a light blue dress with chestnut-colored curly hair cascading over her shoulders. She wore light makeup, clearly revealing her delicate and cute baby face. She looked like a delicate doll, instantly endearing. Her younger sister, Qiao Yirong, had a stylish and androgynous look, heavier makeup, and blue and white highlights in her hair. She was very individualistic but still had similar features to her sister, though the makeup made her baby face less cute and added a touch of sexiness and maturity.
Liu Chengpei enthusiastically greeted them, but his attempt to shake their hands was blocked by the bodyguards. Although the Liu family held a high position in City A, so did the Qiao family. The Qiao sisters genuinely looked down on Liu Chengpei, and even if they didn’t give him face, Liu Chengxiang wouldn’t fall out with the Qiao family.
“You’re that spoiled brat from the Huo family?” Qiao Yirong not only disregarded Liu Chengpei but was also impolite to Huo Xian.
“Rongrong,” Qiao Yixuan frowned slightly, issuing a warning, then looked at Huo Xian, who remained unfazed by the insult. “I’m sorry, Mr. Huo. My sister was rude; I apologize on her behalf.”
Huo Xian curled his lips, crossed his legs, and said casually, “No need. She’s right.”
“It seems you’re quite self-aware,” Qiao Yirong raised an eyebrow.
“I appreciate that,” Huo Xian didn’t seem to notice the sarcasm in her tone.
Qiao Yirong was speechless, rolling her eyes at him.
Huo Xian placed his glass on the table, leaning forward, his gaze meeting Qiao Yixuan’s. He got straight to the point, “My brother-in-law said the Qiao family is interested in my family’s Happy Garden community. What’s your offer?”
Both sisters were taken aback by his directness but quickly recovered. Qiao Yixuan tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, asking, “Mr. Huo, can you make the decision on the transaction?”
“My Huo family isn’t ruled by my brother and sister. Since I’ve spoken, I can decide,” Huo Xian’s tone was arrogant.
A dark gleam flashed in Liu Chengpei’s eyes, a subtle curve forming on his lips.
Qiao Yixuan and Qiao Yirong looked at each other and exchanged a glance. Qiao Yirong didn’t waste words, raising her chin, stating a number, “300 million.”
“Add a zero,” Huo Xian said.
Liu Chengpei immediately spat out his drink, coughing repeatedly. After a while, he stared at Huo Xian with a shocked expression, only one thought in his mind: Is this spoiled brat crazy for money?
“Mr. Huo, are you crazy for money?” Qiao Yirong and Liu Chengpei had the same thought.
Huo Xian didn’t respond. An awkward silence spread. After a moment, Liu Chengpei forced a smile, his tone stiff, “Axian, the two Miss Qiao’s are serious about wanting Happy Garden.”
The implication being that he should stop joking around.
But Huo Xian didn’t think he was asking for too much. He dipped his hand into his drink, as if discovering a new toy, swirling the glass on the table, slowly saying, “I won’t consider selling it for less.”
Another awkward silence.
“To my knowledge, Mr. Huo’s initial investment in Happy Garden was only 250 million,” Qiao Yixuan said slowly.
“Probably,” Huo Xian finally put down the glass, shrugging, lazily leaning back on the sofa, crossing his legs.
“You bought it for 250 million and are asking for 3 billion? Even bandits wouldn’t be so bold,” Qiao Yirong sarcastically remarked.
Huo Xian lazily glanced at her, unfazed. He slowly said, “This is a fair transaction; I’m not forcing a sale. If the price doesn’t work, consider it a fart, and don’t take it to heart.”
Qiao Yirong laughed angrily, arms crossed, feet on the table, “So Mr. Huo knows he just let out an incredibly loud fart.”
“This is getting boring, Miss Qiao the second daughter,” Huo Xian lifted his eyelids to look at her. His eyes held no emotion, yet Qiao Yirong felt a jolt. “Business is business, there’s no need for this kind of argument.”
Qiao Yirong seemed interested, curving her lips and leaning forward, her tone teasing, “Then tell me, what’s interesting?”
This posture, this look, this tone—Liu Chengpei instantly understood and kicked Huo Xian’s leg, winking at him.
Huo Xian ignored him, his hands resting on the back of the sofa, looking at Qiao Yirong with arrogant eyes, smiling faintly, “For example, Miss Qiao adds another 1 billion to my offer?”
Qiao Yirong’s expression froze. She got up, sat next to Huo Xian, placing a hand on his abdomen, circling her fingers, winking at him, her tone ambiguous, “In Mr. Huo’s eyes, am I worth less than a rundown community?”
Huo Xian allowed her to tease him, his breath steady, his expression unchanged, but his words were hurtful, “To be frank, you are.”
Qiao Yirong’s eyes widened in disbelief. Qiao Yixuan frowned slightly, subtly glancing at Liu Chengpei. The spoiled brat Huo Xian seemed not so easy to fool.
Just as Qiao Yirong stared at Huo Xian, expecting him to soften, Huo Xian lifted her sleeve with two fingers, moving her arm back to her lap, calmly saying, “I believe that with the Qiao family’s status in City A, you wouldn’t resort to selling yourself for profit.”
As soon as he spoke, Qiao Yirong’s expression turned cold. She grabbed a drink from the table and threw it at Huo Xian. He didn’t dodge, letting the liquid splash onto his face.
Qiao Yirong stood up, looking down at him coldly, “There’s a saying, ‘Disaster comes from the mouth.’ Perhaps today I should teach Mr. Huo a lesson. Speaking carelessly will have consequences.”
Huo Xian’s eyes narrowed. Despite being in a superior position, Qiao Yirong felt a chill down her spine when she met his gaze. When he stood up, his height pressed down on her, causing her to unconsciously step back. Realizing her retreat, she felt annoyed and wanted to regain control.
At the same time, the two bodyguards brought by the Qiao sisters stepped forward, ready to help Miss Qiao the second daughter subdue Huo Xian.
Qiao Yixuan raised her hand to stop the bodyguards, quietly staring at the man taller than her sister.
“So, you want to offend me? Do you know that offending me is offending the Qiao family? Huo En is focused on rebuilding her company. Whether her company can be rebuilt is something I can decide. Think carefully before you act,” Qiao Yirong threatened, but her tone lacked confidence.
Huo Xian’s expression didn’t change. He looked at Qiao Yirong coldly, then shifted his gaze to Qiao Yixuan, his tone indifferent, “Since the two Miss Qiao’s are not interested in doing business, let’s not waste each other’s time. I have something to do, so I’ll leave first. Goodbye.” Without giving them a chance to react, he left without hesitation.
His sudden departure stunned the Qiao sisters and Liu Chengpei. Qiao Yirong reacted immediately, shouting, “Stop!”
However, Huo Xian left only an unfeeling retreating back.
After Huo Xian disappeared, Qiao Yirong angrily kicked the table and, before Liu Chengpei could speak and go check on Huo Xian, she turned to him, her expression ugly, “This is the easy-to-handle spoiled brat you mentioned?”
Liu Chengpei was devastated, dryly saying, “Perhaps… perhaps the Huo family’s downfall made him crave money excessively…” His voice trailed off under Qiao Yirong’s increasingly ominous gaze.
Qiao Yirong pushed Liu Chengpei aside, sat down, picked up her drink and drank it, the burning sensation calming her slightly. She looked at Qiao Yixuan, “Sister, what do you think of that spoiled brat?”
Qiao Yixuan pondered for a long time before shaking her head, “I can’t tell yet.” Her gaze swept over Liu Chengpei, a suspicion in her heart. She suspected it was a setup by Liu Chengpei and Huo Xian, after all, Huo En was Liu Chengpei’s wife. Although their relationship was strained, Liu Chengpei and Huo Xian were birds of a feather. Since Liu Chengxiang took over, Liu Chengpei’s life had become increasingly difficult, so it was possible that he colluded with Huo Xian to make a profit from the Qiao family.
The air outside the club seemed cleaner. Huo Xian stood in the cold night, breathing the chilly air, feeling refreshed, except for the lingering smell of alcohol.
[Host, are you crazy? Do you know that Qiao Yirong’s favorability towards you has dropped… ] The system appeared, accusing him, its mechanical voice sounding flustered, but it stopped halfway.
[Huh?] Huo Xian mentally interacted with it, catching a keyword, [Favorability?]
The system didn’t respond, coldly saying: [The host’s conflict with the female leads will increase the difficulty of the main quest. Please be cautious.]
[System, you may not know one thing.] Huo Xian put his hands in his pockets, strolling slowly down the street.
The system couldn’t help but ask: [What?]
Huo Xian curled his lips, slowly saying: [My ideal lover is pure, cute, reserved, and dedicated; being unrestrained, arrogant, and unfaithful is something I despise. Unfortunately, Fang Manyun has half of those qualities, and Qiao Yirong has all of them.]
System: [……]