The question came out of the blue, but Bai Wenxi didn't care. She was no longer willing to keep dealing with these vermin. Just seeing Yao Chunmei hopping around in front of her made her sick. Wu Qishan didn't expect this young lady to be so straightforward. However, he was an old fox who had been around the block for a long time.
Still wearing a proper smile, he tried to smooth things over casually.
"I've known Ms. Yao for many years. We've had business dealings with each other. Of course, we're not just poker friends." His eyes were squeezed into narrow slits by the fleshy cheeks on his face. Even so, one could still detect a shrewd look in them.
"Miss Bai, as the saying goes, even brothers should settle accounts clearly." Wu Qishan pushed the so - called debt documents in front of Bai Wenxi. "She borrowed the money from me of her own will. I didn't force her."
Bai Wenxi didn't respond to this. Instead, she brought up a new topic. "You're business partners. How come I've never heard that my stepmother has ever been in any business? What line of business are you in?"
Yao Chunmei was sweating nervously on the side. She knew that Wu Qishan was a straightforward and impatient man.
She never expected Bai Wenxi to dig so deep. The lies were built on a friendship based on shared interests.
But this fragile friendship was on the verge of collapse. She was so afraid that Wu Qishan would turn against her on the spot.
Seeing that Bai Wenxi showed no sign of fear, Wu Qishan took a sip of the strong tea.
The faint smile disappeared. His two sparse eyebrows were knitted together, not looking funny at all but rather menacing.
He said impatiently, "Miss Bai, it's already strange that you asked to meet me. I'm not a criminal. Why are you interrogating me like this?"
Bai Wenxi ignored his excuse. Whether Yao Chunmei owed him money or not didn't matter at all. The opportunity of this meeting was the most precious thing, and she couldn't afford to waste it.
"You can take a good look. They're all her own signatures. I haven't done anything illegal." Wu Qishan took the Jiang Group, Bai Wenxi's husband's family, into consideration. He didn't want to have any disputes with the wealthy family.
"I've been very sincere. If you keep being so aggressive, it won't look good for any of us."
Bai Wenxi didn't even glance at the debt documents. Instead, she poured two glasses of wine and handed one to Wu Qishan. "Mr. Wu, please understand. My stepmother is addicted to gambling. I really don't want any more trouble."
Wu Qishan didn't know what she was up to, but he still reached out and took the glass. He clinked it gently with hers. "Don't worry. No matter who it is, for the sake of you being Mrs. Jiang, who would dare to do anything to Yao Chunmei?"
The speaker might have meant it casually, but the listener took it to heart.
Bai Wenxi let out a long "oh" as if suddenly enlightened. "I'm relieved then. She's my father's widow. I don't want her to disgrace our family."
Thinking of the money she was about to swindle, Yao Chunmei couldn't hide her excitement. She would soon get back the secretly recorded tape and save her reputation and dignity. She really let her guard down.
When the red wine was almost finished, Bai Wenxi pointed at the empty bottle. Yao Chunmei immediately understood. "The wine is gone. I'll go get another bottle from the car."
On the way to the garage, Yao Chunmei couldn't help but feel pained.
This Bai Wenxi was so generous. Why would a hooligan like Wu Qishan deserve her precious fine red wine! But she insisted on bringing it, saying that they should be polite when meeting the creditor. She had originally planned to save it to share with her lover.
Wu Qishan thought the matter would end there, but Bai Wenxi took a different approach. "As far as I know, there has been no financial transaction between your company's public account and private account for a long time. Why are you helping her cover up the lie?"
She didn't think her hint was that astonishing at all. Her sharp eyes scanned the man's troubled face, not missing any reaction from Wu Qishan. "Can I reasonably assume that you and she are in cahoots to defraud the Jiang family of money?"
Wu Qishan resisted the urge to run away. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "Mrs. Jiang, there might be some misunderstanding between us..."
Bai Wenxi put a note with her phone number on the table. "If you have something to say, you can contact me."
"What could I possibly have to say to you?" Wu Qishan didn't want to show his fear. "Once the money is in my account, we're even!"
He didn't even notice that the way he addressed her had changed. A fleeting look of triumph flashed in Bai Wenxi's eyes. She continued to intimidate him by pulling rank.
"You're currently expanding overseas business for Yaodong Group..."
Bai Wenxi said it in a flat tone, as if it were an extremely ordinary thing. "I'll let some things slide, but some people have gone too far!"
Just as Wu Qishan opened his mouth to speak, she changed the subject and cut him off. "I'll be very grateful if Mr. Wu can cooperate with me to solve this matter. But in the future, don't lend any more money to Ms. Yao..."
Yao Chunmei pushed the door open and happened to hear Bai Wenxi's words. She snickered to herself. Once I get the video tape back, I'll find someone to get rid of the guy who secretly filmed me! How could I ever ask you for money again and ruin my own dignity?
Bai Wenxi didn't give Wu Qishan and Yao Chunmei a chance to talk. She got up and said goodbye. "Let's finish today's business today. I don't want to hear about this from any other source."
Just before she walked out of the door, she turned her head and glanced at Wu Qishan, who was sitting there in a daze. "It's not easy to meet you. I hope we can have a good relationship. After all, neither the Bai family nor the Jiang family can afford to lose face."
Yao Chunmei followed Bai Wenxi and complained angrily. "I should have known better than to go get the red wine. I made a useless trip."
"Do you know that Bai Yunxi is having a really hard time now?" Bai Wenxi suddenly stopped, her voice as sharp as a blade and her eyes filled with complex emotions.
Yao Chunmei was caught off guard and almost bumped into her stepdaughter's back.
"Why don't you say something when you stop?" She only protected the red wine in her hand. "If you break my famous wine, you'll have to pay me double!"
Bai Wenxi felt extremely frustrated. She was able to intimidate Wu Qishan only because of the influence of the Jiang family. She didn't want to cause trouble for Bei Huai, but she always relied on his protection to achieve things.
"Go and talk to Zhang Fuwen." Bai Wenxi's order was as cold as ice, each word gritted out. "You're her real mother. Aren't you going to do something?"
Yao Chunmei really thought her stepdaughter was meddling in other people's business. She always believed that if you married into a wealthy and prestigious family, you had to pay the corresponding price.
She herself had carried the stigma of being a mistress for many years. And her daughter was already a proper wife, starting at a much higher level than herself. So what if she got beaten a few times? Zhang Fuwen wouldn't dare to kill her, would he?
Although she didn't say these words out loud, the self - righteous look on her face said it all.
Bai Wenxi was so angry that she could hardly breathe. But as a woman, she couldn't bear it. "Don't think you've done such a great job. Don't you love your own daughter?"
These words hit a nerve. Yao Chunmei strongly protested. "Stay out of her business. Axi has married into the Zhang family. It's not our place to comment."
"Besides, which couple doesn't have arguments in their daily life? I think Axi just doesn't have the ability to hold on to her man!"
Not wanting to argue with this muddled - headed mother any longer, Bai Wenxi was about to go home. Just then, she received a call from the housekeeper.
"Madam, the old lady is not doing well. Please come back to the Jiang family mansion quickly!"