"I feel like he's looking at you in a strange way."
"What's strange about it?" Li Haimei frowned and asked.
"Don't you think his gaze is a bit too intense? I think it's best if you keep your distance from him."
Actually, Xu Xiuwen wasn't entirely sure, just had a vague sense of unease.
He didn't expect Li Haimei to take his words too seriously, but her reaction surprised him.
She nodded and said, "Thank you for your concern. I understand, and I'll keep my distance."
Hearing her response, Xu Xiuwen felt both reassured and pleased.
Li Haimei was the last to arrive at the dinner party that night.
Once she arrived, the dinner could finally begin.
The dishes had been ordered in advance, and the restaurant started serving them according to the schedule.
At the table, Li Haimei naturally spoke some formal pleasantries.
Xu Xiuwen rested his chin on one hand, tilting his head as he watched her speak.
At the dinner party, Li Haimei exuded a commanding presence, glowing with an aura that drew attention.
It was Xu Xiuwen's first time experiencing the commanding presence of General Manager Li.
He found it hard to reconcile this version of her with the Li Haimei he had previously interacted with, as they seemed so different.
Once the dinner began, guests took turns toasting.
Most of them came over personally to offer their toasts.
This also gave Li Haimei the opportunity to introduce each person's identity to him.
Every middle-aged man at the table held a position of authority similar to Li Haimei's, though at different levels; the lowest among them was still a bureau chief.
Among them was even the Director of Su Province Television.
Li Haimei not only introduced him to these high-ranking leaders but also introduced him to the leaders.
Each leader was courteous, promising to look after the younger generation in the future.
At this point, Xu Xiuwen understood the purpose of the dinner.
Li Haimei was helping him expand his network.
Although some of these individuals might not immediately benefit his future development, knowing more people and having more connections was always advantageous.
Hence, Xu Xiuwen felt very grateful to Li Haimei.
After meeting everyone, Xu Xiuwen also toasted each person at Li Haimei's gesture.
His performance impressed Li Haimei.
He showed no sign of nervousness and handled himself with ease, speaking appropriately to each person.
After the toasts, each leader had a favorable impression of him.
Notably, the Director of the Provincial Television recognized him.
Xu Xiuwen initially thought it was because of the TV series, but during their conversation, the Director mentioned Cheng Lu and her father most often.
This made Xu Xiuwen curious about Cheng Lu's father's position, which seemed to make such an impression on the television station's Director.
They also discussed Xu Xiuwen's company's second drama.
The Director offered to premiere it on the provincial channel, but Xu Xiuwen politely declined, as he had other plans for the second drama.
Besides the Provincial Television Director, another person at the table recognized Xu Xiuwen.
That was Director Song from Education X.
At first, Director Song wasn't sure, but after some discussion, he confirmed that Xu Xiuwen was the student involved in the Xi'an incident.
His attitude became very warm and friendly.
They chatted extensively.
Director Song expressed high admiration for Xu Xiuwen's brave actions back then.
Perhaps their enthusiastic conversation caught Li Haimei's attention.
Subsequently, Director Song informed Li Haimei about the matter.
Li Haimei, upon hearing this, raised her eyebrows in surprise.
Her gaze towards Xu Xiuwen became more complex.
Having reincarnated, Xu Xiuwen's tolerance for alcohol was better than in his past life, but after drinking several glasses, his head began to spin.
In the second half of the dinner, Xu Xiuwen found an opportunity to go to the bathroom.
He ended up running into a group of "acquaintances" at the bathroom door.
Du Hao was chatting with his underlings, engrossed in their conversation and not paying attention to the path.
Xu Xiuwen wasn't paying attention either.
Thus, their shoulders accidentally bumped into each other.
Du Hao immediately recognized Xu Xiuwen as the person who slapped him a few days ago at the school's back alley.
He was momentarily stunned, but then his eyes sparkled with surprise.
Normally, Du Hao would avoid provoking Xu Xiuwen, knowing that with fewer people, he might not be able to win.
But he noticed that Xu Xiuwen seemed different from usual, and with the strong smell of alcohol, he realized Xu Xiuwen had drunk a lot and might even be drunk.
Du Hao saw this as a good opportunity for revenge.
Under Du Hao's orders, a group of boys surrounded Xu Xiuwen.
Xu Xiuwen finally recognized Du Hao as "Brother Hao."
"What do you want?" Xu Xiuwen asked warily.
Du Hao sneered, "We don't want much. We just want to teach you a lesson."
A waitress happened to see this scene.
The waitress, quick on her feet, immediately ran back to the private room.
Su Luoyi was the first to get the news.
She whispered the situation into Li Haimei's ear.
Li Haimei, who was drinking with her companions, furrowed her brow immediately and stood up from her seat.
Li Haimei, frowning, asked the waitress, "Where are they?!"
The cold and authoritative tone made the waitress shiver.
"They're at the bathroom door."
Upon hearing this, Li Haimei quickly headed toward the bathroom.
As the main guest of the evening, all eyes were on Li Haimei's actions.
"Ms. Li, what's happening?"
However, Li Haimei ignored everyone.
Realizing something was wrong, the others hurried to follow her.
When Li Haimei arrived, she immediately saw the commotion.
If Xu Xiuwen had been sober, he wouldn't have feared being surrounded by a few people.
However, his reflexes were slower due to the alcohol, so he was at a disadvantage.
He had been ambushed from behind and kicked.
The kick wasn't very hard and didn't cause significant trouble, but it left a clear footprint on his suit jacket.
When Li Haimei arrived, she immediately saw the footprint on Xu Xiuwen's back.
Her face instantly turned cold.
"What are you doing? Stop it immediately!"
Li Haimei's secretary, Su Luoyi, shouted.
The shout caused the fighting group to calm down.
Du Hao saw a group approaching, with two beautiful women at the front.
He rudely cursed, "Who the hell are you to interfere with my business!"
Li Haimei gave Du Hao a cold glance without acknowledging him, and instead walked over to Xu Xiuwen and asked with concern, "Xu Xiuwen, are you alright? Did you get hurt?"
Xu Xiuwen felt Li Haimei's concern.
He smiled faintly, "How did you get here?"
"I'm asking you a question. Are you hurt?"
Although Li Haimei's tone was serious, her words carried an undeniable warmth and concern.
Xu Xiuwen smiled and said, "I'm not injured, don't worry."
Li Haimei looked him up and down, not spotting any obvious injuries, and her anxiety eased slightly.
"What's going on? Why were you fighting with them?"
Xu Xiuwen explained, "It's not my fault. They started it."
"Why did they want to fight you?"
Xu Xiuwen didn't hide anything and briefly explained what happened a couple of days ago.
Upon hearing this, Li Haimei's face instantly darkened.
One of Du Hao's underlings, noticing the tense atmosphere, quietly suggested, "Brother Hao, these people don't seem ordinary. Maybe we should leave."
However, Du Hao dismissed his underling's advice.
He said, "My dad is Du Youwei. Who should I be afraid of? I have to teach this idiot a lesson today, or how will I ever be the boss?"
The underlings, recalling that Du Hao's father was a powerful figure, felt a bit more confident.
However, Du Hao was unaware that Li Haimei and Su Luoyi's eyes had lit up when he mentioned Du Youwei.
Li Haimei looked at Du Hao and calmly asked, "Your father is Du Youwei?"
Du Hao, having drunk quite a bit, responded, "Yes, what's it to you? If you're scared, have him kneel and apologize. If I'm in a good mood, maybe I'll forgive him."
Xu Xiuwen didn't know Du Youwei and had no idea who he was.
But from Du Hao's fearless attitude, he could guess that this person was probably not ordinary.
While most people might regret or fear, Xu Xiuwen found the situation more interesting.
Li Haimei's eyes flashed with anger, though she concealed it well.
At this moment, the rest of the guests arrived.
Li Haimei turned to them and said, "I'm sorry, Xu Xiuwen isn't feeling well. I'll take him home to rest. Let's end the dinner here."
Xu Xiuwen immediately pretended to be unwell, leaning lightly on Li Haimei.
The leaders, perceptive as they were, quickly understood the situation and began exchanging polite remarks.
Just then, Du Hao suddenly recognized a man behind Li Haimei.
"Uncle Wang? You're here too? What a coincidence."
The man Du Hao referred to as Uncle Wang was Wang Jingye.
With Du Hao's comment, everyone's attention turned to Wang Jingye.
Li Haimei also glanced at Wang Jingye but said nothing, instead helping Xu Xiuwen towards the exit.
Seeing this, Du Hao shouted, "Don't leave! You can't just walk away!"
Wang Jingye, recognizing Du Hao, was momentarily stunned.
He quickly reacted and scolded, "Xiao Hao, who taught you to speak to Ms. Li like that? Is this how your dad raised you?"
"It's not—"
"Xiao Hao, be quiet!" Wang Jingye yelled.
Du Hao finally realized something was wrong.
Li Haimei ignored Wang Jingye and Du Hao.
She helped Xu Xiuwen towards the door and happened to pass by Director Song.
Li Haimei calmly said, "Some students these days are just so thoughtless."
Her words seemed like a personal reflection but also felt directed at someone else.
Upon hearing this, Director Song's expression turned extremely grim.
Li Haimei and Xu Xiuwen then left together.
With Li Haimei gone, the dinner came to an abrupt end.
The leaders gradually departed as well.
Du Hao, after holding his frustration for a while, couldn't resist asking Wang Jingye who the people earlier were.
Upon hearing Wang Jingye's response, Du Hao's face turned pale.
Meanwhile, Xu Xiuwen followed Li Haimei out of the restaurant.
Once they were back in the car, Li Haimei couldn't help but exclaim, "To dare to gang up on someone in broad daylight, that's simply outrageous!"
Her anger was barely concealed.
Su Luoyi was also a bit bewildered.
She had been with Li Haimei for a long time but had never seen her show her emotions so openly.
She couldn't help but glance at Xu Xiuwen.
What exactly is Xu Xiuwen's relationship with Ms. Li? Why would she be so angry on his behalf?
And what about tonight's dinner?
Li Haimei quickly composed herself.
She suddenly said to Su Luoyi, "Xiao Luo, go to the hospital."
"Okay, Ms. Li. I'll call Old Zheng—"
"There's no need to go to the hospital," Xu Xiuwen interrupted Su Luoyi.
"I really am fine. There's no need for a hospital visit."
"Are you sure?" Li Haimei asked, somewhat skeptical.
"Yeah, would I lie to you?"
"Alright." Li Haimei sighed in relief.
"Don't worry, this matter won't end here. I'll make sure you get an explanation."
Li Haimei, accustomed to remaining composed even in the face of thunder, was visibly angry tonight and made such statements in front of her driver and secretary.
As Li Haimei's secretary, Su Luoyi was astonished.
She couldn't figure out Xu Xiuwen's relationship with Li Haimei.
She had a bold guess: Could Xu Xiuwen actually be Li Haimei's son?
Su Luoyi knew her guess was quite audacious, but she thought it was the most plausible explanation.
Otherwise, why would Li Haimei care so much about Xu Xiuwen? The closest relationships are either blood relations or marriage.
Xu Xiuwen and Li Haimei were about the same age, so they couldn't be married.
That left only the possibility of a blood relationship.
Could Xu Xiuwen really be Li Haimei's illegitimate child?
Li Haimei, unaware of Su Luoyi's absurd guess, had already calmed down.
"I'll take you home first. Xiao Luo, take him—"
"Wait a moment," Xu Xiuwen interrupted Li Haimei.
"What's wrong?"
Xu Xiuwen looked at Li Haimei's face.
She had a cold expression, but as her name suggested, she was charming and beautiful, exceedingly alluring.
Xu Xiuwen swallowed and asked, "About the matter I asked you before dinner, what do you think?"
Li Haimei was taken aback.
At first, she didn't understand Xu Xiuwen's meaning, but she quickly realized.
Remembering the question Xu Xiuwen had asked her in the car earlier, Li Haimei's face flushed red.
She widened her eyes, staring at Xu Xiuwen, as if to say, "What are you thinking about at a time like this?"
She shook her head slightly, intending to refuse him.
But Xu Xiuwen had already spoken to the driver, "Old Zheng, take Li Haimei home first. I also need to go to that side for something."
The fact that Xu Xiuwen could call Li Haimei by her name indicated their relationship was more than just ordinary.
Yet even so, Old Zheng wouldn't dare drive based on his words alone.
He was still very clear about whom he should listen to.
Until Li Haimei spoke, he wouldn't start the car.
Seeing Old Zheng's lack of reaction, the atmosphere in the car became awkward.