Urban Seduction: Housewives Club

Chapter 729: The Height of Shamelessness

True to his nature as someone who could abandon the orphanage that raised him, Li Jian quickly recovered from his brief moment of awkwardness. He forced a dry laugh and said, ”You know how hard it is to make it on your own these days. Iʼve been busy all these years, and only now have I managed to achieve something. Thatʼs why Iʼm here—I want to discuss investing in our orphanage, maybe help with some renovations or something.”

Li Ningxue pursed her lips, staying silent, but inwardly she was scoffing. The orphanage was now backed by the Autumn Wind Group. What did his so-called ”investment” matter?

Still, she didnʼt object outright. After all, he had been raised by the orphanage, and it was only fair for him to contribute something. She saw no reason to oppose it.

Seeing that his words hadnʼt impressed Li Ningxue, Li Jian gritted his teeth and made a more substantial offer.

”Alright, Iʼm prepared to invest one million to improve the orphanage. After all, itʼs the place that raised us. Now that Iʼve made it, I canʼt forget my roots, right?”

In his mind, Li Ningxue might be running the massive Autumn Wind Group, but it wasnʼt hers.

At best, she was the kept woman of some powerful figure behind the scenes. He knew the type—men who would spend lavishly on their mistresses but wouldnʼt spare a penny for anything else. He thought his offer of one million would surely sway her.

If Li Ningxue hadnʼt known his true character, she might have been moved by his words, or at least warmed up to him a little.

But she knew him all too well. He was one of the first from the orphanage to make it big, and back then, when the orphanage was on the brink of collapse, the old headmistress had gone to him for help.

He hadnʼt even bothered to meet her, sending his wife to shoo the woman—who had been like a mother to him—out the door with harsh words.

From that moment on, Li Ningxue, who wasnʼt naturally strong-willed, had lost all faith in ungrateful people. She and the headmistress had shouldered the burden of keeping the orphanage afloat together.

Seeing that his grand gesture still hadnʼt moved Li Ningxue, Li Jian grew anxious and pressed on, ”Of course, aside from this, thereʼs something else Iʼd like to discuss with you.”

Li Ningxueʼs disdain deepened.

This was the real reason he had come today, wasnʼt it?

But he made it sound like an afterthought, as if donating to the orphanage was his primary concern. The level of shamelessness was truly astounding.

Still, Li Ningxue was a sentimental person. Otherwise, she wouldnʼt have let him upstairs despite her disgust. But now that she was face-to-face with him, her revulsion only grew. To get rid of him quickly, she said, ”What is it?”

Seeing that she was finally engaging, Li Jian perked up and launched into his pitch.

”Well, I heard that the Autumn Wind Group is planning to build a residential area for employees.

Youʼll need a lot of construction teams, right? Coincidentally, Iʼm in that business. How about we collaborate? My construction company…” He went on and on, boasting about his companyʼs capabilities, advanced technology, and so on.

Li Ningxue didnʼt interrupt him, letting him ramble, but her mind wasnʼt on his spiel. He was right about one thing—the Autumn Wind Group did have plans for a massive residential project.

The land had already been acquired, and the scale of the project was enormous.

Once completed, it would essentially form a new city, potentially even linking Wanghai and Lin Hai City.

As for Li Jianʼs construction company, she knew all about it. It was essentially a shell company, with Li Jian using his connections to secure contracts and then subcontracting them to small, unreliable teams. The quality of their work was predictably poor.

At this point, itʼs worth mentioning Li Jianʼs backer. This unremarkable, even ugly man had somehow married the daughter of a provincial official.

While the woman wasnʼt much to look at and had a terrible personality, even the usually charitable Li Ningxue couldnʼt help but question her taste.

After about ten minutes of nonstop bragging, Li Jian finally paused and looked at Li Ningxue expectantly. ”So, what do you think?”

”Sorry, but I canʼt gamble with the safety of my companyʼs employees,” Li Ningxue replied coolly. If it werenʼt for the small shred of childhood connection, she would have had security throw him out by now.

Li Jianʼs face darkened, though he tried to suppress his anger. His tone lost its earlier politeness as he said bluntly, ”Youʼre just an employee yourself. If this deal goes through, youʼll get your share. If it doesnʼt, I wonʼt be able to explain it to Governor Zhang.”

His words were a mix of threats and bribes, and the way he looked at Li Ningxue was no longer respectful but filled with lecherous intent. He even felt a pang of regret.

Yes, regret. From the moment he laid eyes on Li Ningxue, he regretted not visiting the orphanage in recent years. When he left, she had been a snot-nosed kid of about ten. He never imagined she would grow into such a stunning beauty.

If he had visited earlier, he could have found a way to make her his. Now, she was rumored to belong to some powerful figure.

”Get out!” Li Ningxue said coldly, her face pale with anger. She wasnʼt intimidated by his threats.

Who was behind her?

Ye Fei!

A man even the top brass in the capital had to curry favor with. What did Li Jianʼs provincial backer matter?

”Enough with the act!” Li Jian finally snapped, his face red with rage.

”Whatʼs so great about you? Youʼre just some big shotʼs mistress! Once heʼs done with you, youʼll be nothing! Stop acting all high and mighty!”

”You…” Li Ningxue was so furious she couldnʼt even speak, her finger trembling as she pointed at the shameless man.

Outside, Ye Fei had finally had enough. He kicked open the office door, strode in, and before either of them could react, grabbed Li Jian by the throat and lifted him off the ground.

Seeing Ye Fei suddenly appear, Li Ningxue was both shocked and relieved. But when she saw what he was doing, she cried out, ”Stop!”