Chapter 382 - Only Human
Zhao Lifei leisurely sat in the garden, sipping a cup of tea while marveling at how well the flowers had grown. On the table in front of her was her work laptop and a pile of paperwork that she had to do.
She decided to work from home today and personally read over the profiles of a few outstanding interviewees that caught Huo Qiudong's eyes. Sadly, she was never the type to be impressed by a simple resume and demanded he faxed all of the folders to her so that there were no biased judgments.
A breeze waltzed past her, bringing with it the floral scent of the blooming flowers. A loose, white cardigan was resting on her shoulders, thanks to Yang Feng's nagging. She knew a few meters away from her, a maid was watching over her to ensure nothing went awry.
Close to her and hidden somewhere else, were her bodyguards. She wondered what happened to the prior ones… she hadn't seen them ever since she was kidnapped.
Her eyes dropped to the rosey-brown tea, praying they didn't suffer any major consequences. She remembered asking Yang Feng what happened to them and he responded that they were given extra training lessons. Chen Gaonan was with him at that time and even he stiffened, his face turning pale. By extra training lessons, she didn't know the extent of their strenuous exercise routine that only accepted perfection and nothing else.
Sighing to herself, she lifted her gaze from the teacup and looked around the garden before deciding to make a mental note to ask Yang Feng to lessen any consequences upon the bodyguards.
Supposedly, their transmission was hacked, therefore, none of her usual people showed up. It wasn't the bodyguards' fault that their phone received the wrong message. She texted her thoughts to Yang Feng.
[Hubby ♥: If you miss them, you'll see them tomorrow.]
Zhao Lifei's lips tilted upwards, only to drop a second later when a maid ran into the garden with a disarrayed expression. She slowly turned her head towards the advancing woman that slowed down just before she reached the tall-bushes that separated this place from the house.
Zhao Lifei was impressed by how well the maid composed herself. Not a single detail was out of place in her appearance.
The maid rested one hand on top of the other, placing it on her stomach, dipping into a bow. "I deeply apologize for the intrusion, Madam. A guest is demanding to see you."
"Who is it?" Zhao Lifei raised a brow.
"The private secretary of President Zhao Moyao." Li Xuan.
Zhao Lifei placed her teacup down. Her grandfather couldn't come here himself and speak to her? She frowned at this idea, slightly offended by his actions. "Send him away."
"Understood, Madam." The maid bowed and excused herself while Zhao Lifei turned to her computer. She opened it and attempted to begin her work, but a loud commotion could be heard. Her lips thinned like her patience. Slamming the laptop shut, she ordered the maid to bring everything back to her private study room.
"Sir, Madam does not want to see you. You can't trespass on the jurisdiction that you were sent by her grandfather." The maid calmly explained to Li Xuan who was adamant on seeing Zhao Lifei one way or another.
Wu Yuntai impatiently tapped his foot, glancing at his watch. He had been working as a Vice President for Zhao Moyao for as long as he could remember, he had never witnessed Zhao Lifei denying an invitation to see her grandfather. He figured a fight might have occurred between them for a rift this big to happen in their relationship. Today's matter was urgent and her presence was direly needed.
Li Xuan didn't come unprepared. He had a group of menacing men behind him, ready to attack on his orders.
"What is going on here?" Zhao Lifei demanded, storming to the front entrance where two businessmen behaved and stood like local thugs. She had never witnessed Li Xuan's angered, stormy face. It was vicious, as a loyal lapdog like him should be. His eyes were filled with indignation as if he was triggered by her actions.
Li Xuan wanted to ask why he was denied entrance into her home, but that was a personal question and he didn't have the time for that. "Something dire has happened to the President, please get into the car."
Zhao Lifei crossed her arms, "I know this is just another tactic to make me see him. For the last time, I'm not going to forgive him until—"
"I don't care what you want!" Li Xuan's calm composure snapped. The usually quiet, cold, yet tranquil and silent secretary had never once reprimanded her or dared to raise his voice towards her. He heavily respected her, not because she was Zhao Moyao's granddaughter, but because he too, had witnessed the great things she could do.
"President Zhao, YOUR grandfather is in the hospital in critical condition! It's not about what you want at this point, it's about what needs to happen."
Zhao Lifei was stunned at his action and behavior. She always knew her grandfather had some sort of health condition, but she was never exposed to the extent of it. As far as she knew, it was only a minor issue affecting his aching body.
"The president has already been under a lot of stress and has been suffering from restless nights. Your stunt the other day only worsened his illness and he has spent the previous couple of days putting a mental strain on himself." Li Xuan scowled, "Take some responsibility, Miss Lifei."
"Take some responsibility?!" She repeated in a shrill voice, "After what he has done to me, you expect me to accept all of the blame? I'm not the one—" She stopped herself before she let loose her temper in front of unnecessary eyes. Breathing in deeply, she closed her eyes, counted to three and opened them again.
"Take me to the hospital." Zhao Lifei bit out, walking towards the car. Wu Yuntai exchanged glances with Li Xuan before he opened the door for the spoiled heiress, waited for her to get in, and then closed the door behind her.
Li Xuan's blood was still boiling with her temper, but at the least, was glad that she was able to restrain her anger for now. A life was at risk. Engaging in a pointless argument was only going to waste more time. He got into the driver's seat and started the car while Wu Yuntai also entered his vehicle. The men that they brought also dispersed into three separate cars.
Zhao Lifei's gaze was lost out the window as she stared into space. She didn't want to admit it, but when the news of Zhao Moyao's hospitalization traveled through her ears and into her heart, it shook and trembled.
She was terrified that something might've happened to him and that it might be her fault. She couldn't help but replay the moment she stormed out of his house and heard the clatter of a cane and chair tumbling over. He must've struggled to stand to his feet, much less, attempt to grab her.
Zhao Lifei's heart was prickled with guilt, but even so, she refused to forgive him for what he had done to her. She knew she would never forgive him. Things like this can't be brushed under the rug.
Li Xuan glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "You can't blame him for wanting to keep you safe." He spoke up with a neutral-toned voice. He was neither happy nor calm. "I understand his method of doing so was cruel and inhumane, but in the end, he had your best interest in mind. No one can predict the future. No one expected Zheng Tianyi to rashly behave like that."
"You speak as if you know what my grandfather is thinking about." Zhao Lifei coldly said, "How long have you known this? Does everyone else know but me?"
Li Xuan could see the hospital approaching in the distance. "The President has recently informed me of this. I don't know how many others he has told this too."
"If you discovered the information so recent, then keep your mouth shut and continue driving. I don't need unnecessary opinions to weigh in." Zhao Lifei chillingly responded with a displeased look on her face.
"Indeed, my lack of knowledge should've sealed my mouth, however, you must realize that you also lack knowledge of his decisions. I am constantly by the President's side, patiently listening to his grumbling and rants."
"I have personally witnessed his struggles and the turmoil he faces. I was there to see how much he tortures himself for what has happened in the past. He heavily regrets his decisions, but you need to know, that he did it with your best interests in his heart. He would never intentionally hurt you, and you know that fact better than anyone else."
Zhao Lifei didn't respond. She behaved like she didn't hear his words, that it was just wind passing by her ears. In reality, she heard him loud and clear but still chose not to comment.
Li Xuan continued, "The least you can do is hear him out. It's fine to feel hatred towards what he has done. It can be counted as betrayal, but in the end, no one could predict the future." Li Xuan's grip on the steering wheel tightened.
"When you came to him, asking for help, he offered it to you without a second thought. You wanted to escape Shenbei, fine. He pulled strings and got you enlisted without any complications and even had people look out for you in the military."
He sighed, "I know you weren't aware of it, but he has worked very hard to get the officers off his back. A lot of them have constantly attempted to reach out to you, but Zhao Moyao kept them in check and even strained his relationships with them to keep you from going back there."
He continued his rant, "Madam Ge Yafan was supposed to be the President's trump card. He originally planned to use her as a means of obtaining shares from Yang Mujian, and once the Elder was dealt with, he planned on taking the shares that Ge Yafan possessed. This would immensely benefit him and the Zhao family in the long run. However, he abandoned the plan just because your life was at stake."
Li Xuan felt like he was rambling too much, thus, decided to conclude with a short and simple, "The President has always looked over you, one way or the other. Yes, he has flaws, but you must remind yourself that in the end, we are only human."