Gao Zhisheng tried to remain calm. "Mr. Chu, my son was simply blinded by desire; he had no other intentions. I'm fully aware of the limitations of the Gao family and wouldn't dare to challenge you."
Chu Yuxuan responded nonchalantly, "So, are you saying this is just a pointless argument between two eunuchs? A complete waste of time?"
"Mr. Chu, you're joking..." Gao Zhisheng said, trying to maintain his composure.
"Heh, why does this suddenly feel so uninteresting?" Chu Yuxuan sneered and turned his gaze towards Gao Ning. "Hey, brat, what exactly are you trying to do? Your actions are quite puzzling."
As he spoke, he glanced at Mr. Jin intentionally. Gao Ning clenched his teeth, his eyes filled with moisture, and at this moment, it seemed he resented his father more than Chu Yuxuan.
After receiving no response for a while, Chu Yuxuan smirked and walked towards Gao Ning. On his way, he picked up the bottle of white liquor in front of Mr. Jin, gripping it by the neck, and looked at Gao Zhisheng mockingly. "Old Gao, I didn't give your family a chance for no reason, but your son has repeatedly made me unhappy. Now, tell me, what should I do?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the bottle smashed onto Gao Ning's head with a loud "bang." The bottle shattered instantly, and Gao Ning fell to the ground, bleeding profusely.
Gao Zhisheng instinctively clenched his fist, a flash of anger crossing his face. But he quickly forced a smile, saying, "Mr. Chu, you're right! My son deserved that beating!"
"Such righteous understanding, I like it!" Chu Yuxuan laughed and picked up another empty bottle. Zhao Yanan, terrified, quickly intervened, "Mr. Chu, stop it... you've had too much to drink."
Chu Yuxuan pressed his tongue against his molars, threw the bottle on the ground, and laughed. "Yeah, I guess I did drink too much, haha... Darling, let's go home and rest."
As they passed Mr. Jin, Chu Yuxuan gave him a heavy pat on the shoulder. "Mr. Jin, I'll treat you to a proper drink later, make sure you drink to your heart's content!"
"Sure, sure!" Mr. Jin laughed, completely ignoring the wailing and bleeding Gao Ning on the floor.
After the couple left, the Gao family's driver, who had been waiting outside, rushed in, helped Gao Ning up, and pressed a towel to his head. "Master, this Chu fellow is too much! Should I..."
The driver, seething with anger, was immediately cut off by Gao Zhisheng's scolding. "Shut up! Who do you think you are to talk nonsense here?"
After glaring at the driver, Gao Zhisheng turned to Mr. Jin, his eyes cold. "Mr. Jin, I'm curious. My son Ning hasn't been back in the country long. How did you two become acquainted?"
Mr. Jin, slightly tipsy, chuckled. "It hasn't been long... But your son is well-educated and charming; we hit it off quite well."
Gao Zhisheng snorted coldly, said nothing more, and left the room with the driver and Gao Ning.
In the car, he snapped at Gao Ning, "From now on, stay away from that Jin fellow! I don't care what he's planning against Chu Yuxuan, but you better not get involved!"
Gao Ning, with his head bowed and teeth clenched, retorted, "He's only acting as a mediator for my sake. Don't slander him."
"Hah... You don't think, do you? How do you think I found out you were here? Hmm? Let me tell you, the information I received came from that Jin fellow! He deliberately let me know you were here. Why? Just so I could watch Chu Yuxuan take you down! Don't you get his intentions?"
Gao Ning, in disbelief, thought hard and slowly realized that he might have been unwittingly used as a pawn... But still, could he just let this beating slide?
"Dad! Can you really tolerate him humiliating me like this? He didn't just hit my head; he slapped our family's face! Last time, he made our family a laughingstock, and now you're just going to let it go? Dad, it hurts so much..."
Gao Zhisheng's expression gradually grew colder, and after a long silence, he said, "Stay away from that Xia Zhu."
Meanwhile, in the back of the G-Class, Chu Yuxuan, having drunk nearly a liter of liquor, was feeling a bit tipsy. He leaned his head against the window, lightly rubbing his temple with one hand.
Zhao Yanan hesitated for a moment before finally speaking up, "Could you stop hitting people so casually? If word gets out, it won't be good for you."
Chu Yuxuan replied, "You have strict family rules."
Zhao Yanan rolled her eyes at him, paused, then smirked sarcastically. "Did you hit him to stand up for Xia Zhu?"
"You've got a vivid imagination. I don't have the time for that."
Zhao Yanan clearly didn't believe him. She stared at Chu Yuxuan for a while and suddenly remembered his offhand comment at the dinner, "I'm not that interested in the military." She thought to herself, even though this playboy is a flirt now, he used to be devoted to Xia Zhu. He must feel a bit of regret with how things turned out. She then asked seriously, "After loving her for two years, do you regret it?"
Chu Yuxuan lazily replied, "What do I have to regret? If you think about it, she lost more."
Zhao Yanan understood what he meant by "lost." He wasn't referring to his family background, but the genuine affection he had given her.
That kind of thing can't be bought, even with a fortune.
But in the end, it was all for nothing.
Now, Chu Yuxuan had no interest in Xia Zhu's feelings. After mulling over it for a while, he said to Zhao Yanan, "Be careful these days. I misjudged before; it's not the Gao family that's the problem, it's that Mr. Jin."
Zhao Yanan, noticing the rare seriousness in him, frowned and asked, "What's the problem?"
Chu Yuxuan shook his head. "If Gao Zhisheng hadn't shown up today, I wouldn't have been so sure. But his rushed appearance proves that he's unaware of what Gao Ning has been up to lately. So, I think it's this Mr. Jin who's up to no good, inciting Gao Ning. But as for why, I still don't know."
"Are you overthinking it?" Zhao Yanan pondered. "Mr. Jin has signed several deals with our company; it should be a mutually beneficial partnership. I think it's just that Gao Ning is too eager to get Xia Zhu out of her contract, so he keeps coming after you..."
"A weakling like him, who likes to rely on his father, suddenly grows a backbone knowing he can't beat me? Does that seem normal?" Chu Yuxuan said. "I looked into it on the way here. The Jin family doesn't have much of a connection with the Gao family, and Gao Ning just returned from abroad. How could they be so close? Besides, think about it, when did Mr. Jin first meet Gao Ning?"
Zhao Yanan recalled clearly, "The day Xia Zhu made a scene at the company... Gao Ning even knelt before you..."
At this, Zhao Yanan seemed to realize something. "He saw Gao Ning humiliated by you, so later, he found Gao Ning and encouraged him to oppose you? That makes sense, but... what's his motive?"
The ice queen pondered for a moment, her imagination running wild. "Chu Yuxuan, have you been messing around with women you shouldn't have?"
Chu Yuxuan: ...
Zhao Yanan seriously suggested, "Make a list, and I'll help you check."
Chu Yuxuan: ...
"What's wrong? Too many to remember?"
Chu Yuxuan shrugged. "If you've got the time, why not review the contracts we've signed with Mr. Jin and see if there are any traps?"
"Good idea..." Zhao Yanan said thoughtfully, then grew concerned again. "If the Gao family isn't the problem, then you shouldn't have hit Gao Ning. Now you've likely pushed them to become a problem."
"I hit him to gauge his father's reaction, and besides, Gao Ning is already involved. This fight with the Gao family is inevitable," Chu Yuxuan sighed. "Bring it on, let's see what Mr. Jin is really up to!"
Zhao Yanan's mind raced. Mr. Jin had been so eager to please Chu Yuxuan before; how did things take such a turn? Could it be that from the beginning, when he came to discuss cooperation, he already had ulterior motives?
"Maybe you should give Uncle Zhiqing a heads-up so we can be prepared," Zhao Yanan suggested.
Chu Yuxuan squinted and playfully said, "Worried about me?"
Zhao Yanan: ...
"Yanan, I've had too much to drink. Can I lean on your shoulder? This window is too cold."
"Chu Yuxuan..."
"Hmm?"
"You actually seem pretty decent when you're serious."
The driver, overhearing their conversation, chimed in, "Boss, I've turned on the heater, why is it still cold?"