Although They're Mentally ill, They're Extremely Easy to Comfort - Chapter 40

Ling Xi finally got to eat the braised pork belly she had been craving. The soft, glutinous, and savory sauce-flavored texture made her eyes squint in satisfaction. Turning to look at Qiao Bo’er, who wasn’t moving her chopsticks much, Ling Xi naively thought she was intimidated.

After all, being more familiar with the “crazy woman” than Xiao Mo and Su Yunjin, Ling Xi picked up her chopsticks, intending to put some food in Qiao Bo’er’s bowl, to show her goodwill in the compensation and truce.

Su Yunjin, however, had no idea about Ling Xi’s subtle intention. Her eyes were like a tracking device; as soon as she saw Ling Xi, like a fawning servant, about to put food into Qiao Bo’er’s bowl, she quickly put the dish into Qiao Bo’er’s bowl first: “Ling Xi loves the braised pork I make the most. CEO Qiao, please try it too, and see if it suits your taste.”

“Thank you, I can manage myself,” Qiao Bo’er politely thanked her while holding her small bowl, inwardly chastising Su Yunjin for hindering Ling Xi’s rare gesture of goodwill towards her. This woman was interesting but truly lacked tact.

Ling Xi’s mind was filled with the thought of her own portion of the compensation not being a free pass, and she could only rely on playing nice to gain hope. The spotlight was stolen by Su Yunjin, this roadblock, so Ling Xi kept winking and making faces at her.

“You… are your eyes uncomfortable?” Qiao Bo’er seriously expressed concern for Ling Xi. Ling Xi shook her head repeatedly while clutching her bowl: “No, no… well, I’ll get you a bowl of soup. Drinking more medicinal soup can nourish your body.”

Immediately adjusting her plan of action, Ling Xi finally, with difficulty, presented Qiao Bo’er with her first wave of attentiveness tonight.

Truly, a table of four people with eight hundred schemes.

They couldn’t just keep their heads down and eat without getting to the main topic, could they? Su Yunjin smoothly began the second round of competition: “CEO Qiao, I heard from Ling Xi that you have a big business in Xuancheng. May I ask which industry you are a leader in?”

Qiao Bo’er slowly sipped the soup with her spoon, then pursed her lips and humbly replied, “Jia Tai Group has a very wide range of industries involved. I certainly can’t be called a leader.”

“Cough cough… cough cough…” Xiao Mo was drinking soup when he heard the four words “Jia Tai Group,” and he immediately choked, “Cough cough… cough cough cough…”

The big boss was speaking; why cough now and not earlier? Be careful, your portion of the compensation might be added in as well, Ling Xi glared at Xiao Mo in complaint.

Qiao Bo’er naturally understood Su Yunjin’s meaning—it was clearly an attempt to probe into her background—so she simply played along to satisfy her curiosity.

Su Yunjin mumbled “Jia Tai Group” in her heart. It sounded very familiar, but she couldn’t immediately recall the origin of this large enterprise.

Now, even Xiao Mo next to her started constantly winking and making faces.

Qiao Bo’er countered with a move, lifting her wine glass high with a curved little finger, naturally changing the subject and generously offering a toast: “This glass of wine is for CEO Xiao and CEO Su. I wish you a happy marriage and an early birth of a son. Please don’t forget to invite me to your wedding; I will certainly give a generous red envelope.”

Qiao Bo’er’s unexpected blessing stunned both Su Yunjin and Xiao Mo. They had known each other for over ten years and were like best friends who shared everything—where did this talk of marriage and having children suddenly come from?

The two looked at each other, their eyes locking onto the culprit simultaneously.

Ling Xi was happily sucking on the vermicelli and scallops when she heard Qiao Bo’er’s sudden words, and her heart sank. The little devil Ling Xi popped out and shouted—

“Damn it! Ling Xi, you big idiot! You didn’t even check if you could cover up the lie. Embarrassed, aren’t you! It’d be a miracle if Qiao Bo’er, that old vixen, believed your words. Go eat some walnuts to boost your brain!”

Ling Xi shrank her neck and didn’t dare to look up. Those two gazes, capable of throttling a person, instantly made her choke and speechless.

Setting aside Ling Xi’s nonsense, the complete lack of romantic interaction between Su Yunjin and Xiao Mo was easily discernible. Qiao Bo’er was deliberate; with just one sentence, she exposed Ling Xi’s clumsy lie and, incidentally, made Su Yunjin lose the dominant position in the conversation at the dinner table.

Qiao Bo’er still held up the glass, continuing to play dumb: “I heard from Ling Xi that the two of you are preparing for marriage and pregnancy, and she also said this house is your matrimonial home. It’s rare to find true love in this vast world, and I sincerely wish you well… I’ll drink this; you two are free to do as you please.”

Ling Xi turned her head to watch Qiao Bo’er calmly finish the red wine. The graceful curve of her swan neck, accompanied by the act of swallowing, made Ling Xi feel somewhat captivated.

Suddenly, Ling Xi reached out to stop Qiao Bo’er from drinking and began constantly putting food in her bowl: “Drink less wine, eat more food.”

Seeing her bowl almost piled up like a small mountain, Qiao Bo’er’s bright eyes curved into a smile. Ignoring Xiao Mo and Su Yunjin’s gazes, she tilted her head and gently asked, “Are you concerned about me?”

Ling Xi couldn’t find a reason for her sudden emotional outburst and randomly mumbled a lacklustre courtesy: “You’re a guest, of course, I should show more concern.”

Su Yunjin’s expression was extremely unpleasant. She was convinced that Qiao Bo’er’s series of actions were intentionally provoking her. It seemed today’s negotiation was destined not to be smooth.

“CEO Xiao, CEO Su, I know you are very concerned about the compensation. If I don’t clarify this tonight, the two of you won’t be able to eat in peace. Since I’ve come, I’ll put everyone’s mind at ease.

I won’t demand a monetary compensation. According to the agreement I showed Ling Xi initially, Xiao Yunxi Studio will provide appraisal and valuation services for antiques, cultural relics, and artworks for me personally or for a subsidiary auction company of the Jia Tai Group 20 times, as compensation.

Additionally, I require Ling Xi herself to repair the broken hand-held spectacles, and she must use matching raw materials. You will be responsible for the cost of the materials. These are all my requests. You may raise any objections.”

Who knew Qiao Bo’er wouldn’t play by the rules? It could be said she was taking a radical approach. Her unpredictable strategy managed to revitalize what Su Yunjin thought was a losing game.

Seeing Su Yunjin remain silent, and the atmosphere becoming increasingly strange, Xiao Mo was the first to reply: “I didn’t expect CEO Qiao to be so easy to talk to. In fact, this proposal is very good. I think it’s highly feasible. If the cooperation is smooth, we can even establish a longer-term partnership after the compensation is completed to achieve a win-win result.”

“Cooperation is always better than competition. CEO Xiao has a very long-term perspective.”

“I didn’t realize Jia Tai Group was also involved in the auction industry. May I ask if CEO Qiao could disclose the company’s name?”

“Jia Tai Rongzhi. It was only established recently. Cooperating with you is a rare and good opportunity for this company’s future development.”

“Rongzhi Company…” Xiao Mo muttered. The name was unfamiliar, yet it seemed vaguely familiar in his memory.

Ling Xi suddenly raised her hand and objected with dissatisfaction: “I object! With so many people in the studio, why must I be the one to repair your spectacles?”

“Because you’re usually so idle you’re practically growing mold. I’m giving you something to do… What’s more, you were the one who volunteered to repair it. If I don’t look for you to solve the problem, should I trouble CEO Xiao and CEO Su?” The reason Qiao Bo’er threw out was so logical it completely choked Ling Xi again.

Ling Xi looked at Xiao Mo and Su Yunjin mournfully, but the two were unmoved.

Sob sob sob, I dug my own grave, didn’t I? Ling Xi had no choice but to resignedly accept this demanding request: “Fine, fine…”

Having secured the agreement of the two partners, Qiao Bo’er looked directly at Su Yunjin: “What about you, CEO Su? Don’t you want to share your thoughts?”

Su Yunjin took a small sip of red wine, swirling it in her mouth for a moment.

After careful consideration, she genuinely couldn’t think of a more advantageous plan. Xiao Mo and Ling Xi were both waiting for her confirmation, so she reluctantly agreed: “CEO Qiao’s proposal sounds very appealing, almost like a gift prepared carefully for us, barely resembling proper compensation. Therefore, I approve of this matter with a certain degree of suspicion.”

“My concession should be obvious to everyone, so please rest assured, CEO Su, I am very friendly.” That deliberate emphasis on “friendly” from Qiao Bo’er made Su Yunjin develop a deeper prejudice against her.

Although she was apprehensive, Su Yunjin was still magnanimous and raised her glass again: “Then, I wish us a pleasant cooperation.”

“Pleasant cooperation.”

…

After dinner, Xiao Mo dragged Ling Xi into the kitchen like a prisoner under escort. To prevent the “lazy bum” from sneaking away, he not only locked the door but also stood by to supervise.

After all, Xiao Mo and Su Yunjin had been busy all day preparing this meal, so it was time for Ling Xi to do the dishes and clean up.

In the morning, Qiao Bo’er forced her to wash dishes, and in the evening, Xiao Mo also forced her to wash dishes. Ling Xi couldn’t stand forced labor; as she washed, she began to weep silently.

This child wasn’t overly emotional; it was just that she had some minor issues with her emotions. She would cry when she couldn’t take it, and once she started, she couldn’t stop.

Xiao Mo wouldn’t humor her and didn’t offer a helping hand. It seemed there were some personal grievances involved.

“What nonsense did you talk about with Qiao Bo’er? You’ve ruined my and Yunjin’s reputation!”

“Wuwu… I lied for your sake, too. I lied to her, saying you two were going to get married and have children after securing a better financial foundation, and she was so moved she agreed to waive your compensation parts… But the plan she proposed is completely different from what she told me… Liar, there’s not a single good person!”

Xiao Mo impatiently poked Ling Xi’s head and scolded: “Cry, cry, cry. All you do is cry all day. You’re almost 30 and still a little crybaby.”

“You all force me to wash dishes, and you still want me to repair the spectacles. I didn’t even break that useless thing. I’m the biggest scapegoat from beginning to end, getting no benefit at all. You’re all bullying me! Wuwuwu…”

Ling Xi cried more and more sadly. Xiao Mo truly couldn’t stand her stubborn fit. He pushed her aside and criticized with displeasure: “How old are you? Crying over washing dishes. Go clean up the countertop; I’ll wash the dishes!”

In the study, the confrontation between Qiao Bo’er and Su Yunjin was still brewing.

Su Yunjin hand-brewed a cup of coffee and placed it on the coffee table. To prevent Ling Xi and Xiao Mo from eavesdropping, she specifically closed the door.

Qiao Bo’er sat on the guest sofa, picked up the coffee, and sniffed it.

Su Yunjin’s careful selection of bean quality, her skillful roasting, and her brewing technique made this cup of coffee in Qiao Bo’er’s hand taste better than what Chu Xi made.

“The coffee is very good.”

“Thank you.”

The two women sat on opposite ends of the sofa. The conversation now was far more formal than at the dinner table.

Without waiting for Qiao Bo’er to speak, Su Yunjin immediately tore through the false courtesy and went straight to the root of the conflict: “Qiao Bo’er, I don’t want you to continue harassing Ling Xi.”

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