chapter 7 I think her eyes are dirty

The private room only had two people inside. Andrew Li's gaze swept across the private room, finally landing on his own daughter. The little girl, who had just felt wronged due to Ja Jiang's sudden departure, now, upon seeing her father, not only showed no fear but also pouted in annoyance, turning her head away from him. Andrew Li's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Miss, are you alright?" Both the father and daughter were not very talkative, so their assistant, Barry Lu, came in handy. The little girl glanced at him, huffed with annoyance, and turned her head away, ignoring him. Barry Lu carefully examined her, seeing that she was unharmed, and heaved a sigh of relief. He then reported to Andrew Li.

Andrew Li nodded, his gaze narrowing as he looked at the person sitting beside his daughter. Meeting his gaze, Ava Xi's heart tightened, and she forcefully pinched her palm to maintain her composure, not showing any signs of panic.

"Where is Ja Jiang?" Andrew Li's gaze scanned Ava Xi's face, and he could clearly identify her. Ava Xi felt a shiver of fear for her best friend, Ja Jiang, and was relieved that she had left in time. The imposing presence of this man was suffocating.

"If you don't mind me asking, who are you people? And why did you enter without knocking?" Ava Xi put on her best acting skills, protecting the little girl in her arms and warily watching the person in front of her.

Andrew Li furrowed his brows. "The girl in your arms is my daughter. You were the one who called me to come here, right?"

Ava Xi hesitated for a moment, then forced herself to say, "Yes."

Andrew Li continued to gaze at her without expression, and his eyes gradually swept over every detail in the private room. The tone of this woman's voice did resemble the one on the phone, but he couldn't be deceived. Moreover, the hastily arranged scene in the private room was too obvious. Although there were only two sets of tableware on the table, the three additional seats were skewed. The staff at Zui Xian Ju would not make such a mistake; it had clearly been arranged by someone.

Andrew Li's gaze circled the private room before returning to Ava Xi. Their eyes met, and Ava Xi felt a sinking feeling in her heart.

In the next moment, Andrew Li asked with a hint of suspicion in his voice, "Miss, you have quite the appetite. You ordered so much food for yourself and a little girl. You started eating even before your friends arrived?"

Ava Xi stuttered, "I... I have a big appetite. Please don't worry about it. I ordered so much because I made reservations for my friends, but they haven't arrived yet."

Andrew Li raised an eyebrow, "Your friends haven't arrived yet, and you've already started eating?"

As the conversation continued, Ava Xi struggled to maintain her composure. She finally said, "I found your daughter and called you. During this time, I even treated her to a meal. Shouldn't you be thanking me instead of treating me like a criminal? Have I offended you in any way?"

Her tone was filled with annoyance, but her heart was in turmoil. Can he please stop asking questions? If he continues, she might have to tell the truth.

In the parking lot, Ja Jiang held the hands of her two little ones, glancing at the time anxiously. She was worried about Andrew Li's temperament and knew that any slight hint of suspicion would be detected by him. She wondered how long Ava Xi could hold up. If she were to reveal the truth...

What would happen if she did?

Ja Jiang pondered for a long time but couldn't come up with an answer. Finally, she sighed self-mockingly and bit her lip. What was she so afraid of? Back then, the way she treated Andrew Li, that man probably never wanted to see her again in his lifetime. Even if they did meet, he might pretend not to recognize her, finding her beneath his notice. It was she herself who was scaring herself for no reason.