spring bite mark

Chapter 159 Confrontation
The next morning.

After a night of revelry, Xie Yunxi took Jiang Manman out for breakfast.

Both of them were dressed in comfortable matching loungewear. Xie Yunxi tied Jiang Manman's belt while whispering, "After breakfast, come back and take a nap. We'll go back to Yushui Bay in the afternoon."

Jiang Manman gave a vague "hmm".

She was still not fully recovered from the night of indulgence.

Xie Yunxi found it amusing and couldn't resist pinning her against the wall at the corner, kissing her passionately for a while longer, his tone ambiguous:
"Last night, when you couldn't control yourself, you called Yan Changye. How could you be so disobedient?"

Before Jiang Manman could speak, he asked with a wicked grin, "Am I better, or is your husband Yan Changye in the capital better?"

Jiang Manman said, slightly annoyed, "If you keep doing this, I'm not going to talk to you anymore."

"Just asking, and you're already angry?" Xie Yunxi clicked his tongue, let go of her, and pulled her clothes up a little to cover the dense marks before leading her to continue walking towards the hotel restaurant.

Just two steps from the corner, he came face to face with a large group of people on the other side of the corner.

The Xie family conglomerate, the Murong family conglomerate, the Li family conglomerate, the Huo family conglomerate...

Jiang Manman: "..."

Xie Yunxi: "..."

The heads and major shareholders of seven or eight of the port's top wealthy families stood at the corner, their expressions strange, and it was unclear how long they had been standing there.

Standing at the very front was Xie Yuheng. His clear, cold eyes seemed to be mixed with tiny specks of ice and snow, making him appear chilling at first glance.

Jiang Manman glanced around casually and noticed that besides the gossipy executives of the Xie Group, there was another person she recognized—

Murong Xin, the eldest daughter of the Murong conglomerate.

Unlike Xie Yuheng's indifference, Murong Xin's eyes were bright, and when she looked at Jiang Manman, she was filled with indescribable surprise and admiration.

Jiang Manman awkwardly avoided everyone's gaze.

She recalled what she and Xie Yunxi had done and said right under his nose, and felt both embarrassed and annoyed. She silently hid a little further behind Xie Yunxi.

Xie Yunxi remained calm, his peach blossom eyes sweeping coldly over everyone before he spoke in a sarcastic tone:
"They came but didn't say a word, just hid on the sidelines watching my wife and I have our fun. Is that interesting?"

"No, no, not at all." The major shareholders of the Xie Group had already been dealt with by Xie Yunxi some time ago and were now reflexively explaining, "We all came here for the bidding meeting. We didn't expect you to be here too, President. It's just a coincidence, purely coincidental."

Xie Yunxi sneered, said nothing, and simply pulled Jiang Manman closer to him.

Xie Yuheng's gaze lingered on Jiang Manman for a fleeting moment, then fell upon her untied belt and the bite marks on her neck. He looked away as if burned, and his gaze then landed on Xie Yunxi, who exuded a dashing air.

After a long while, he spoke calmly: "Why didn't you call anyone?"

Xie Yunxi met his gaze and smiled casually: "Oh, little uncle."

After saying that, he immediately patted Jiang Manman's shoulder and gently gestured, "Madam, aren't you going to call for help?"

Jiang Manman's almond-shaped eyes met Xie Yuheng's briefly before turning away, and after a moment of silence, she said, "Hello, Uncle."

Xie Yuheng: "..."

His heart was desolate and empty, but his expression remained unchanged: "Since you're in the port city, you should visit Jiangyue's residence when you have time. The daphne and roses we planted together back then have bloomed again and again, filling the garden long ago, and you've never seen them."

Daphne odora and roses, trees and flowers that symbolize love, whose uncle and niece-in-law grow these?

The atmosphere became even more awkward. Many of the Xie Group's executives glanced furtively at Xie Yuheng and Jiang Manman. "Damn, the chairman hasn't married in years. I heard he's devoted to his first love. Could that first love be the one Xie Yunxi is holding?"
This melon is so tempting, you want to eat it but can't just openly cut it open...

Even other conglomerates, seemingly enjoying the spectacle, ignored the fact that they were about to be late for the bidding meeting and quietly waited for the follow-up.

Xie Yunxi was not one to indulge his elders, especially since this elder was his former rival in love.

He retorted directly: "Xie Yuheng, those flowers of yours are for your future aunt to admire. My family is so busy that we can't even enjoy our own garden. We don't have the time to care about other men's homes."

She doesn't even call him her uncle anymore.

Xie Yuheng ignored Xie Yunxi, his gaze fixed solely on Jiang Manman, his tone gentler than ever before:
"We've known each other for a long time, so even if we don't look at the flowers and plants, we should still catch up. I'll be waiting for you."

Jiang Manman said softly, "That's fine. When Yunxi has time, I'll go to Jiangyue Mansion with him as a guest."

“Yunxi…” Xie Yuheng paused for a moment, “You call him that so affectionately.”

After speaking, he walked past the two men with an indifferent expression and headed towards the hotel's bidding hall. The others greeted Xie Yunxi and followed him away.

Only Murong Xin, as she passed Jiang Manman, gave a meaningful smile:
"Long time no see, Manman, how about we grab some afternoon tea?"

After the group had disappeared from sight, Xie Yunxi gently reminded Jiang Manman, "Don't get too close to Murong Xin."

"Why?" Jiang Manman pondered, recalling their last meeting in the capital. "I actually think she's a pretty good person."

"She's keeping several eighteen-year-old lovers," Xie Yunxi said sullenly. "Don't lead my wife astray."

Jiang Manman: "..."

That scoundrel of a man, he never forgets to gather gossip, no matter where he is.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, Jiang Manman and Murong Xin met at the coffee shop on the first floor of the Gangdu International Hotel.

"Have you finished with the bidding?" Jiang Manman greeted them.

"No, I'm not an important character, it's fine for me to leave early." Murong Xin's bright face was full of mockery. "But the one you were hanging out with at the hotel was called over at the last minute. When I left, I saw that he looked very perfunctory, which matched the legendary carefree and unruly personality."

Jiang Manman hummed in agreement, unsure of what to say.

Murong Xin looked her up and down for a while, then smiled and sighed, "Jiang Manman, I've never been convinced by any woman in my life, you're the first."

Jiang Manman was surprised: "How can I compare to Miss Murong? She has a stunning appearance, a top-notch family background, and her own abilities are renowned in the business world. I am at most a designer who runs a small studio."

"Work is nothing special, just a high-class beast of burden, nothing to compare with," Murong Xin sighed. "In matters of the heart, I've lost to you by far. The only person I've ever been attracted to in my life was Xie Yuheng, but he only offered himself to you."

Jiang Manman felt slightly embarrassed.

After sighing, Murong Xin couldn't help but scrutinize Jiang Manman again: "I knew you ate well, but I didn't know you could eat this well. With the two young masters from Beijing and Hong Kong, plus Xie Yuheng, Jiang Manman, how did you manage to do that?"

Jiang Manman: "..."

The usually aloof Miss Murong, having lost all her composure in public, continued gossiping: "The last time I saw you, you were only involved with Yan Changye and Xie Yuheng. How did you manage to get Xie Yunxi?"

How could she tell outsiders about the fact that her husband caught her playing a role-playing game with him?

Jiang Manman could only remain silent.

Murong Xin sighed deeply again: "Yan Changye is a womanizer, and I understand that you are so good-looking that you could win him over. As for Xie Yuheng, he's worthless if someone offers themselves to him, so I understand that you kept him hanging on. But Xie Yunxi, I really can't understand him."

(End of this chapter)