Rarely did Xu Qin put in a situation where he does not know what to say back.
Yet, at this moment, he was completely shut down by his ex-wife.
After staying silent for several seconds to make sure that Xu Qin did not mishear her question, he gave her a smile that was not a smile.
"I should have let you drop by to see a psychiatrist before coming back here."
Indirectly being called a mentally ill patient, Xu Ming was not provoked. He slightly arched an eyebrow as he unhurriedly returned the greeting.
"You should have gone back to school to learn some manners before coming here."
Xu Qin's temples jumped at her daring words. Other than his family, no one dared to speak back to him just like this.
It was even more so coming from this woman before him which was unbelievable.
She was reckless in the past but not to the point of being courageous like at this moment.
At this point, Xu Qin realized that speaking with this person he always appeared to be the one on the losing end.
No matter how many times he tried to get a hold of the conversation the other side would always find a way to take back control.
Xu Qin still did not back down. He coldly responded, "Deadly as she can be, a tigress will never eat her own cubs. What you just did to your 4-year-old daughter deserves no respect from others."
[A/N: Those parents who hurt their children are worse than beasts of prey.]
Hearing this unexpected news, Xu Ming momentarily paused. He slowly put his right hand down to link with his left hand as he crossed his slender legs.
No wonder his face looks as if he owes him a huge debt.
Figuring that Xu Qin misunderstood him, Xu Ming's expression remained impassive and devoid of any anxiety.
He faintly said, "Don't falsely accuse me."
Xu Qin snickered, "It's not convincing when you had bad records in the past."
Toward his accusations, Xu Ming shamelessly said, "I lost my memories, remember?"
Not willing to let her wiggle her way out of this situation due to this memory loss excuse, Xu Qin further pressed, "The nanny said that she saw you raise your hand against Mei-er."
After his words were put down, he seemed to hear a hint of mockery in her next words.
"Does giving a light pat on the head consider a crime?"
Did not expect this kind of rebuttal, Xu Qin was momentarily stunned. Shortly after, he began to frown, doubts were written all over his face, "You want me to believe this nonsense?"
Xu Ming replied with a sense of triumph in his voice, "Isn't this more believable than the nonsense that I am not Xu Ming?"
With these words alone, Xu Qin knew that he couldn't get anything useful so he no longer wanted to remain in the same space as her.
Whether she was speaking nonsense or not he would know once he asked his daughter later on.
"It doesn't matter whether you indeed lost your memories or not. Just remember this one point."
Giving a small pause, Xu Qin gave the person before him a look that did not contain a single shred of reluctance in parting their way soon.
His voice was full of indifference, "Don't interfere with my life or Mei-er from henceforth. Am I clear?"
Regarding this matter, Xu Qin's intention was in line with Xu Ming's. Therefore, he effortlessly answered with no hard feelings, "Okay."
Hearing the answer that he wanted, Xu Qin walked away intending to go out. Just as he twisted the doorknob, her voice suddenly sounded from behind causing his action to pause.
"Wait."
"What?" Impatiently replied Xu Qin with his back still facing her.
"Call the butler for me on your way out."
Xu Qin speechlessly turned around to look at her.
He asked through grit teeth, "You dare to boss me around?"
Xu Ming unswervingly met his cold gaze head-on. He responded in a matter-of-fact tone, "You can do this much for me after barging into my room unannounced."
Did not know whether Xu Qin heed his words or not. The man said no more and immediately walked out as he closed the door on his way out with appropriate force indicating that he was completely lost in this verbal competition.
It was not long before the Old Butler knocked on Xu Ming's door after Xu Qin's departure, "Mrs. Xu, I have arrived with your meal."
Xu Ming unhurriedly went to grab a decent coat to put on his body as he faintly said, "Come in."
The Old Butler did meet Xu Ming back when she was going through the divorce agreement so he was not as surprised as when he first saw her.
The Old Butler worked efficiently and the table was set in no time. He then stood with a straight back to the side as he gave a light bow, "Mrs. Xu, do you need anything else?"
Xu Ming liked to work with smart people so he went straight to the point, "Tell me everything you know about me."
The Old Butler slightly raised his head to give him a look after hearing this command.
Knowing what the old man was worrying about, Xu Ming nonchalantly added, "As precise as possible."
Having been given permission, the Old Butler no longer held back his words and spoke objectively without adding anything unnecessary.
After the Old Butler was done, he secretly snuck a glance at the person before him.
From the beginning to the end, her expression did not change. She calmly finished her food as if listening to a report about someone else.
Xu Ming did not eat much. By the time, the other side finished his lengthy explanation, he was already drinking his tea.
Resting the teacup back on the table, Xu Ming gave a light nod before asking for another favor, "Help me clean up the dressing room. All the clothes and jewelry, you can donate all of them to the orphanage under the Xu family's name. Lastly, buy me several sets of men's casual wear."
The Old Butler thought that he was hearing things.
Turning to look in the direction of the dressing room, he reconfirmed, "All of them?"
Xu Ming nodded his head in return.
Still, the Old Butler confusingly blinked his eyes before asking another question, "Donate not selling?"
The old man did not mean anything bad with this question.
Su Ming would be leaving the Xu family soon. That's why it was better for her to save up money as much as possible since she was unlikely to return to her Su family.
Her divorce settlements might be huge but if she were to continue with her spendthrift habits, the old man was afraid that she would have financial problems later on.
On the other hand, Xu Ming merely gave him a look as if indirectly saying that he did not hear wrongly and he should stop making him repeat himself.
The Old Butler embarrassingly swallowed his next question of wanting to ask whether she was seriously going to donate under the Xu family's name and not hers.
Despite knowing that he should stop, he still brought up the most confusing matter.
"You want men's casual wear?"
Wanting this matter to end as quickly as possible, Xu Ming gave a detailed answer, "Buy what Xu Qin normally wears but in a smaller size for me to wear. Clear?"
The Old Butler dazedly nodded his head and before he knew it he was already out in the corridor with unclean dishes in his hands.
In the end, he walked back to the kitchen while having a question mark on top of his head.
Am I too old not to understand youngsters' thoughts?
All the while when Xu Ming was eating his meal, Xu Qin, on the other hand, entered his daughter's playroom after his emotions were back in place.
Unlike his cold face that was shown previously to Xu Ming, Xu Qin at this moment looked extremely gentle.
"Daddy!"
Xu Mei happily ran to her Daddy the moment he appeared in the room.
Xu Qin knelt on one knee to catch the small ball that was rushing into his arms with a smile.
"Stop running around. You might trip and fall."
Hearing his warning, Xu Mei widened her big round eyes in excitement, "Mom just said something similar to me!"
Xu Qin's smile was stagnant the moment he heard this. However, Xu Mei was unable to detect the strangeness on her Daddy's face as she happily continued, "There is more, there is more!"
Xu Mei hurriedly grabbed her Daddy's right hand with both of her small hands to put it on her head. With shining eyes, she exclaimed, "She did this to me! She was patting me! Right? Right?"
Xu Qin's smile slowly became awkward as he stiffly responded, "... You're right."
Xu Mei was over the moon with her Daddy's answer. She expectantly blurted out her real thoughts, "Is Mom no longer angry with me?"
As a father being asked this question by his daughter, Xu Qin felt a pang of pain in his left chest.
Giving her small head a light rub, his eyes softened as they were filled with a tinge of sorrow.
"Your Mom has never been angry with you."
Gently tucking her hair behind her left ear, Xu Qin continued, "She was previously sick."
Hearing this, Xu Mei anxiously asked, "Was Mom sick? Is she okay now?"
With this question, Xu Qin couldn't help but recall that feisty attitude of hers that caused a light sigh to involuntarily escape from his lips.
Noticing her Daddy's somewhat troubled look, the little girl nervously called out to him, "Daddy?"
Maintaining his light smile, Xu Qin finally gave his daughter a response.
Even if the words seemed to be chewed properly before being able to spit out from his mouth...
"She is getting better."
To the point that even your father is no match for her.