Chapter 46

Luoxi with eyes as wary as if she were guarding against a thief; it seemed to evoke his melancholy, and when he looked at her, there was a mist in his eyes, as if casting a faint silver glow wherever...Chapter 46

Ni Xuanyi had no effective way to deal with Meng Meng, who was neither properly cooked nor steamed. He half-heartedly ordered a few dishes and thought that since the other said he came for dinner, they should just eat.

When Ni Xuanyi finished ordering, Meng Meng took over the menu and added braised preserved mustard pork ribs, jade shrimp dumplings, seafood rice rolls, two iced Cokes, and began to describe another dish: "There’s a crispy fried one..." Meng Meng clumsily described it to the waiter.

"Sir, are you referring to the golden fried lily buds"

Meng Meng shook his head after glancing at the menu again. Struggling to explain further: “It has clams and meat inside.”

“Oh, that’s the crispy honey bell peppers,” the waitress replied with a smile, "but sir, I need to remind you, there are only two of you here. You won’t be able to finish all these dishes!"

"If we can't finish them, we'll take them away," Meng Meng waved his hand carelessly and continued to order the crispy honey bell peppers and yellow croaker soup.

Meng Meng chattered for a while before finally handing the menu back to the waiter. The waiter looked at Ni Xuanyi with a smile; he knew that every time Meng Meng treated him to dinner, there would be an entire table full of dishes. He didn’t stop him from doing so.

The food arrived soon after and filled up the whole table, all dishes that used to be Ni Xuanyi’s favorites.

Ni Xuanyi bit her lip and did not speak.

In the past, she had loved eating ribs, preserved mustard greens braised pork belly, and all sorts of strange dishes with rich sauces. However, Li Yi was accustomed to eating vegetables and light, exquisite dishes. Thus, she quietly changed her preferences.

She used to enjoy drinking 7-Up, Fanta, and coffee—anything that had a slightly stimulating taste. But Li Yi drank clear tea and sake; he preferred clear and refreshing liquids. Hence, she no longer enjoyed carbonated drinks.

If there was something Li Yi did not like, Ni Xuanyi would stop doing it as well. She stopped listening to loud rock music, stopped eating junk food while watching Korean dramas, stopped staying up late... Even though her mind had never been sharp before, she learned to be smarter for Li Yi's sake.

Whether or not Li Yi noticed these changes was unknown, but Meng Mang, who seemed rough around the edges, did take notice.

Throughout dinner, Ni Xuanyi remained silent while Meng Mang chattered away. He told her about the changes in his hometown and updates on her former classmates—such as who dated whom, who got married, who joined the military...

Ni Xuanyi would occasionally ask questions when she heard something that interested her. At this point, Meng Mang became even more excited and chatted even more enthusiastically.

"Don't you do business at home How did you find out about all these gossip" Ni Xuanyi looked somewhat amused at Meng Mang.

Meng Mang's face turned slightly red as he scratched his head. "I... I know that you don't like to hear my stories, so I specially went back to the town before coming here to inquire."

Ni Xuanyi felt a tingling sensation in her nose and couldn't help but sigh softly. It seemed that the Matchmaker loved to play tricks; the person you love will never reciprocate, while those who love you are always overlooked by you. No matter how much effort anyone puts into it.

So all the hardships were for nothing.

"Meng Meng, I know you're a good guy, and you deserve someone better than me. Please don't waste your efforts on me anymore. I will never go back with you or be together with you," Ni Xuanyi reaffirmed her stance once more. She really didn’t want to say anything wrong that might mislead Meng Meng.

"Xuanxuan, I have no ulterior motives towards you at all," Meng Meng looked somewhat aggrieved as he spoke to Ni Xuanyi. "I know I'm not good enough for you. In this city, I only know you. We grew up together since we were little, and I've always treated you like a sister. That's why when I came here, it was just to see how you are doing, without any other intentions."

Seeing Meng Meng’s stubborn defense, Ni Xuanyi didn’t know what else to say anymore. She drank some iced drink irritably and said in a serious tone, "Meng Meng, I have made my decision clear to you already. There's no way I will be with you. So any time or money wasted on me is your own choice, don't blame me later!"

"How could I do such a thing" Meng Meng smiled joyfully. "Whatever I do for you is out of my own willingness. As long as I can see you now, I'm content."

Ni Xuanyi smiled and no longer paid attention to him; she would let him be.

The following days were very busy for Ni Xuanyi, and Li Yi was even busier. The company had an annual board meeting coming up at year-end. Presidents and managers from all over the world who were in charge of various projects had to fly back for this gathering.

Due to the upcoming board meeting, Ni Xuanyi had been working overtime for half a month straight already. Finally, on the day of the conference, she got up early again, dressing herself meticulously because today she was one of the assistant secretaries at the conference.

Ni Xuanyi was attending such an important meeting for the first time and also experiencing Li Yi's extraordinary charm as a man.

Li Yi attended the entire conference, and when directors raised different opinions, his decisions took into account critical tasks while being flexible and strategic, always considering long-term cooperative risks to prevent potential problems.

During reports from subordinates, each of his questions hit the core issues. The data he asked for was incredibly precise. For five days, everyone's nerves were on edge; no one dared to be careless or say anything wrong.

In the afternoon of the last day, it was a crucial time when major personnel changes would be announced. Li Yi did not give many concluding remarks but directly announced new regional directors in front of everyone’s expectant eyes.

"... The company highly acknowledges General Manager Tang Moli's previous work; all projects she managed had positive market feedback. Therefore, I announce that she will serve as the President of Huatai Asia Region and oversee a wind power project, one of the most significant actions in this region recently. We hope everyone can cooperate to achieve remarkable results..."

The announcement caused an uproar throughout the venue.

Standing in a corner responsible for serving tea and water, Ni Xuanyi noticed that after Li Yi finished speaking, the youngest and most beautiful woman among those seated stood up. Her face was adorned with sophisticated makeup comparable to that of a fashion cover model, and she wore an expensive Chanel suit set. With her slightly mixed-race features—high nose, deep-set eyes, and enchanting large eyes gazing at Li Yi's bright and spirited gaze—the young lady named Tang Moli looked striking.

After the three-day board meeting ended, the most memorable person for everyone was this capable, young, and beautiful mixed-race woman, Tang Moli. Not only did she receive Li Yi’s personal guidance, but after the board dispersed, he accompanied her—someone who rarely visited headquarters—to tour all important departments.

Was it really necessary for President Li to personally accompany a mere Asia Region General Managern. Her anger boiled over as she shouted, "You're a scoundrel! I must have lost my mind to be with you... You bastard... I'm completely deluded, calling this devil a good person..."Lian's expression im...