Mr. Huo's voice was very calm, without a trace of accusation, as if he was simply stating facts.
But Shen Li felt as if her throat was clogged, and she was afraid to even speak. Although she couldn't see Mr. Huo in person, she felt through the phone line that Mr. Huo was probably displeased.
What to do, what to do...
"Why aren't you speaking?" Mr. Huo asked, his voice growing colder.
"I... Achoo~~" Shen Li sneezed. There was no central heating in the south, and even with the air conditioning on, the temperature was still low. She had just taken a bath and was about to dive into bed when Mr. Huo's call made her forget. Sitting wrapped in a towel for a while, she had indeed gotten cold.
Mr. Huo paused for a moment, then asked, "Do you have a cold?"
"It's not too bad," Shen Li responded, quickly slipping under the covers as she added, "I have a cold, so I'm a bit allergic to pollen."
"Is that so," Mr. Huo said indifferently. It was hard to tell if he believed her or not, but his tone had softened considerably. He then asked, "Have you taken any medicine?"
"Just did. About to sleep," Shen Li replied, implying, I'm going to sleep now, should you hang up the phone?
Suddenly, Mr. Huo said, "You're lying to me."
"Ah... Achoo~~" Shen Li sneezed again, pulling the covers tighter around her and said, "What would I lie to you about?"
If she really had a cold, it would be Mr. Huo's fault for calling her.
"I'll send a doctor over," Mr. Huo declared.
Shen Li's eyes widened in surprise, and she couldn't help but say, "There's no need for that."
Was there such a need to take this so seriously, sending a doctor to check up on her?
Mr. Huo hung up without another word, leaving Shen Li astounded. Thinking about the staff in the villa, it wasn't surprising that a family doctor would come. What to do, it was too late to pretend to be sick now.
Hurriedly getting dressed, before Shen Li could think of a solution, the butler, the maid, and the doctor all came in. They didn't even need Shen Li to open the door; the four of them entered as if it were their right.
The doctor was a woman in her forties, who, after a quick check-up, cheerfully declared, "Miss Shen is very healthy."
The butler immediately called Mr. Huo. Shen Li was almost on the verge of tears, but before she could cry, her mobile phone rang.
"Little liar, you're quite good at lying," Mr. Huo remarked, his tone noticeably more relaxed.
Shen Li's hand holding the phone nearly started shaking, her mind went blank, not knowing what to say, just silently holding the receiver.
"We'll see how I deal with you," Mr. Huo continued.
"Mr. Huo..." Shen Li blurted out, feeling the need to say something, or else she would feel terribly bullied. She said, "The gentleman who delivered the flowers mentioned the price, and I thought... thought they were too expensive. Yes, that's it, just too expensive. Spending so much money on fresh flowers that won't last long seemed impractical to me. I was considering if the flower shop would take them back at half price."
"Half price?" Mr. Huo was amused and chuckled, "Not a bad joke, but lying still merits punishment."
Shen Li unconsciously bit her lip, knowing all too well what that punishment would be. As she pondered what else to say, she looked up to see the butler filming her with a V8 camera and was shocked. She asked, "What's this for?"
The butler replied, "To send the footage to Mr. Huo."
"Ah?" Shen Li was dumbfounded.
Then she heard Huo Siyu say over the phone, "You're already dim enough, don't be any more foolish."
"I..." Shen Li suddenly felt her brain wasn't quite up to speed, was Huo Siyu planning to monitor her all around?
Why would he do that, was it necessary?
"Or maybe you want to take a look at me," Huo Siyu said, his finger traced across the screen, precisely on Shen Li's face. Her cute little face, eyes wide and round, still in daze.
"No, no need," Shen Li said repeatedly, what's there to see, she'd rather not see him for a lifetime.
"Alright then," Huo Siyu said, looking at Shen Li's rejecting face, his mood suddenly not so pleasant. "I'll be back soon, have you thought about what gift you want to give me?"
"Can you just outright ask for gifts like that?" Shen Li blurted out. Isn't giving gifts supposed to be a personal gesture? And for someone like Huo Siyu who spends millions on flowers, where would she get the money to buy him a gift?
Huo Siyu's eyes narrowed, if they had been face to face, Shen Li would probably be trembling. He said, "That's true, you are my gift. I'll be waiting for you when I get back."
After he hung up, Shen Li held her phone, her face somewhat red, and somewhat pale.
"Miss Shen, rest well, I have instructed them to stay to serve you," the butler pointed to the two maids and said.
Shen Li quickly waved her hands, "No need, no need, I'm only staying for one night, I won't be here the day after tomorrow."
"Then let them stay for one day..." the butler began.
"Not even for a day, please go back," Shen Li said. Having maids serve her, she was used to being a commoner and couldn't adapt. And just thinking of Huo Siyu made her shudder all over, let alone ordering around his people.
"Very well, if you need anything, please feel free to instruct us," the butler didn't insist and left with the others.
When the door closed again, Shen Li couldn't help but exhale a sigh of relief, collapsing onto the bed with a sense that her energy was completely drained. She thought going to work was tiring, but now she found dealing with Huo Siyu was even more exhausting.
What to do, what to do... Maybe she should pay back the one hundred million U.S. dollars first?
But how could she possibly earn one hundred million...
She felt like crying but had no tears.
The next afternoon, Lawyer Zhang came to see her, not sending someone but coming in person. When Shen Li saw him, she was momentarily stunned; she recognized this Lawyer Zhang, who often appeared on television and ran the city's largest law firm, one of N City's celebrities.
"It's an honor to serve you, and please contact me for any needs in the future, I will surely do my utmost to assist you," Lawyer Zhang said, his tone very respectful as he bowed his head.
Shen Li felt quite overwhelmed, a celebrity from the TV talking to her in the tone of a servant. She quickly said, "You are too kind, this matter has already trouble you a lot."
"Please don't say that, it's all part of my job," Lawyer Zhang said, looking even more apprehensive than Shen Li.
Amidst their mutual apprehension, Shen Li took the property deed, saw the name on it, and felt a sudden pang of heartache. Husband and wife, father and daughter, in the end, everything was settled with money.
"I have already spoken to the authorities, after Shen Yueh's detention ends, they won't dare to trouble you," Lawyer Zhang said.
Shen Li, hearing the name Shen Yueh, felt very estranged, but considering Shen Yueh's uncle, the arrangement seemed good. She said, "Thank you for your trouble, I really appreciate it."