Forced to Marry a Female Billionaire CEO-Chapter 589 Frightened and Fearful

In the small garden on the balcony, Xu Ke and Wong Qifu sat at a simple, pure-white dining table laden with several steaming, freshly prepared dishes. Lin Qinghua had just come upstairs to tell them dinner was ready, but her arrival had instead plunged Xu Ke into an unprecedentedly awkward situation.

Seeing Xu Ke's dejected expression, Wong Qifu struggled to stifle a laugh. "Stop being shy," she said. "I saw everything as clear as day. Aunt Lin didn't hear a thing."

She had noticed Xu Ke the moment he arrived, as she was out on the balcony getting some fresh air. I was about to call him over, but then I witnessed a whole drama of incredibly complex mental gymnastics… It got to the point where I had no idea how to interrupt.

"Enough, enough," Xu Ke waved his hand dismissively.

"I was wondering what on earth you were saying to the door," Wong Qifu said, shaking her head in amusement. "And here you thought I was angry this whole time? When have I ever been so petty?"

"It was my mistake. I was too impulsive." Xu Ke looked up at the sky, at a complete loss for words.

This time, I've stumbled again. Wong Qifu knew I was just trying to mess with her, so she wasn't the one who lost face in front of an outsider. I, on the other hand…

"Come on, let's eat. Stop pondering the meaning of life. We won't bring this up again," Wong Qifu said, suppressing a smile at the sight of Xu Ke's forlorn face.

"Mmm..." Xu Ke sighed, gathered his emotions, and picked up his chopsticks.

Just then, Wong Qifu picked up some vegetables and said teasingly, "Those cheesy things you were saying... weren't you embarrassed?"

"Didn't you say we weren't going to mention it anymore?" Xu Ke asked in despair.

Wong Qifu just laughed again.

…

Once the matter was behind them, the two settled down to eat.

"Do you eat here often?" Xu Ke asked, looking around curiously.

They were on the rooftop, which offered a panoramic view of the bustling city of Tianhai. Unfortunately, a reinforced, frameless glass barrier surrounded the area for safety, making it impossible to lean out and see what was happening on the streets below.

"Rarely," Wong Qifu said softly. "I'm usually either at the company or just downstairs."

"What about the villa?" Xu Ke asked.

"You know full well I've barely been there, aside from when I went to get your engagement ring."

"Right..." Xu Ke nodded slightly.

Just then, Wong Qifu put down her chopsticks and wiped her mouth. "Alright, tell me. What happened on the road this time?"

Xu Ke's hand, which was holding his bowl, trembled slightly. "What... what happened?"

"Are you planning to hide it from me?" Wong Qifu reached out and gently flicked something off his collar. The sight of her delicate, pale hand made Xu Ke panic.

He managed a wry smile. "I wasn't, but how did you know something happened?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Wong Qifu rolled her eyes at him. "Do you think I'm stupid? Does it really take a whole morning to drive from Sui City to Tianhai?"

"Don't tell me the car the Xie Family prepared for you broke down."

"Sigh..." Xu Ke let out a long breath.

"Go on," she said.

"I wasn't actually planning to hide it from you," Xu Ke said, clearing his throat a couple of times. He decided to just come clean, setting down his chopsticks and sitting up straight.

I never wanted to hide this from her anyway. Besides, with her abilities and how well she knows me, she'd spot any lies immediately. And I have to admit, a small part of me is proud… I successfully outmaneuvered so many of them!

Wong Qifu sensed something, and her hand paused. "What outrageous thing did you do this time?"

Xu Ke took a deep breath and recounted the entire story in detail. He explained that his initial plan to target the Assassin's Alliance was for the safety of the Ghost-Poison Duo and himself, described the extreme dangers of the battle, and mentioned his breakthrough at the very last moment.

He knew Wong Qifu would be angry after he finished, but he hadn't expected it to be this bad. When he was done, she was completely silent.

The only sounds were the whisper of the wind and the rustling of leaves. The air grew heavy with an oppressive stillness.

"Qi Fu..." Xu Ke began hesitantly.

Wong Qifu suddenly looked up, her gaze icy. "Why would you take such a risk?"

"I know it was risky, but it was a rare opportunity..." Xu Ke replied with a wry smile. This one plan accomplished so many things. I intimidated Shi Hongda and the Yin-Yang Elders, killed Cultivator Qi, took control of Han Wang and Ye Lang, smoothly broke through to the Innate Initial Stage, and subdued the Ghost-Poison Duo. Their losses were my gains. My incredibly risky move narrowed the gap between my enemies and me by more than tenfold... I couldn't let an opportunity like that pass.

BANG—

The sudden loud noise made Xu Ke jump.

Wong Qifu slammed her hand on the table, her beautiful face flushed with anger. "A rare opportunity is no excuse for acting like that!

"I understand taking action—people like us have to seize every chance we get.

"But I want to know why you didn't have Uncle Wu go?

"You made the decision last night. If he had driven through the night, it wouldn't have taken him long to get there today, did you know that?!

"Even if he hadn't driven overnight, he could have left at dawn and lain in wait for them on the highway, couldn't he?"

This time, she was truly furious.

"Qi Fu, listen to me..." Xu Ke began, his wry smile deepening.

"I know what you're going to say," Wong Qifu interrupted, standing up. "Are you going to say that I would have been in danger if Uncle Wu had left?"

"No..." Xu Ke objected instinctively, but the guilty look on his face betrayed him.

That was exactly what I was thinking.

"Let me tell you," Wong Qifu's face was ashen. "Not only did you take an unnecessary risk, but you also underestimated me.

"I'm quite sure the core of your plan was to use yourself as bait.

"But if you had just made one more phone call to me last night, not only would you have avoided the danger, but you also wouldn't have lost your Jade Mountain Lotus and bronze jue. Do you understand?

"You lost your valuables and nearly lost your life. Do you honestly think that plan was good enough?"

Xu Ke fell silent. She was right. It was true that time had been short, but it was also true that his plan hadn't been detailed enough.

Wong Qifu took a deep breath. "You did succeed," she conceded. "You managed to win a huge victory against overwhelming odds…

"If you were someone who had started from nothing, I'd have to say I'm impressed. Even my father never pulled off something like that.

"But you're not starting from nothing! You're not destitute! You have me...

"No one sits down at a gambling table and, instead of using the chips right in front of them, immediately decides to bet their life against the house. Do you get that?

"Other people might only see how amazing you are, but all I feel is terror and worry. Do you know that?

"You don't have to fight so desperately every single time. I don't want to see you in a hospital bed again. Do you understand?"

Though she tried to sound stern and matter-of-fact, her voice was starting to tremble.

Xu Ke looked up.

At some point, Wong Qifu's eyes had turned red.