As Lu Ping finished speaking, an eerie silence fell upon the occupants of the booth, and the atmosphere became tense.
Zhang Li calmly observed Ning Zhi, his gaze filled with hidden and presumptuous intentions that others couldn't decipher.
Wu Ming glared at Lu Ping with displeasure. If it weren't for his consideration that Ning Zhi didn't want him to interfere in these matters, he would have been rude to this hedonistic heir. While Li Yan could indeed make him wary, he didn't hold the same regard for little Lu Ping who was nothing to him.
After all, the Lu family was far inferior to the Wu family in the city.
Although Lu Ping's words did not directly point to anything, they still implied a contempt for Ning Zhi. In Lu Ping's eyes, she was never on equal footing with Li Yan, despite witnessing their entanglement all along the way.
Yet, Lu Ping himself was oblivious to this subconscious contempt.
Ning Zhi was not one to tolerate being mistreated. Her previous choice to be kind, gentle, and considerate was only to cooperate with Li Yan. Now that this 'performance' was about to end, she had no interest to continue acting.
"Huh! CEO Lu, you sure have a sense of humor. If we were to follow your logic in this conversation, can I say that I merely wanted to chop off one of your hands and not necessarily your life? Why do you have to be so petty?"
Ning Zhi sneered, her face devoid of makeup but exuding a striking charm, brimming with provocation.
Lu Ping was stunned by her words, struggling to grasp their meaning. But before he could process it, Ning Zhi's rapid-fire verbal assault hit him like a machine gun, causing a stifling pain in his chest.
He heard her say, "I didn't say anything wrong just now, did I? Why do you think I am being hostile towards you? We are not acquainted, and I have no intention of being friends with you. If you think my words hurt your delicate heart, then there's nothing I can do."
"As for the grudge between Li Yan and me, that's my private matter. It's none of your business, and you have no right to intervene. I address you as CEO Lu out of respect, simply to avoid hindering the efficiency of our work. It's best if you refrain from probing or provoking me. I'm not as easy to bully as you imagine. Do you understand?"
Lu Ping, left confused, only managed to stutter, "…"
He should be familiar with this beautiful face before him, but now he only felt a sense of strangeness and coldness.
Ning Zhi was truly not the same as before. This woman was not Su Heng's substitute. They were completely different!
Lu Ping thought to himself in a daze. He stood there motionless, as if frozen, until quite sometime later when he found his voice again. "I… What do you mean by that? I only wanted to persuade you on behalf of Li Yan. Why are you so agitated? I have no ill intentions towards you, but you, claiming that you have no hostility towards me? I don't understand what I did to offend you!"
Lu Ping's expression of 'you are unreasonable' was so comical that she laughed. She took a deep breath, feeling speechless, and replied, "You still don't get it? Then I'll make it simpler!"
Ning Zhi emphasized the words 'simpler', as if Lu Ping was a retard who couldn't understand human language. "It's true that Li Yan and I had a mutually beneficial relationship before. Although it wasn't morally upright, it was consensual!"
"He got what he wanted, and I got what I needed, in a straightforward transaction. We agreed from the beginning that we would separate once he got married. I may not be a morally righteous person, but I would never be someone's mistress."
"So…"Ning Zhi paused, and there was a slight hint of redness in the corners of her eyes, which would go unnoticed if one didn't pay close attention.
Just like the compassion she had for Li Yan in the depths of her heart.
Her gaze toward Lu Ping was stubbornly resolute. After a brief moment, she continued, "Therefore, I have no connection with him anymore, starting from when he announced his engagement with the Lin family. I believe you should understand what I mean now. After I'm done with the work here in He Ling, I will resign from Li Corporation. Li Yan will be a stranger to me, and as for you, even more so."
Her meaning was crystal clear in her words. If Lu Ping still pretended not to understand at this point, then he truly would be a retard!
Lu Ping, with an incredulous expression, looked at Ning Zhi as if he was truly getting to know her for the first time.