Chapter 24: A Brawl

Chapter 24: A Brawl

Gu Hansheng did not withdraw his investment, which thrilled Chen Li. However, the man still held the power to pull out at any moment, leaving her heart hanging.

She paid Guo Lin a hefty medical bill as promised, and also sent Zhao Yu a generous allowance. She had no idea what Zhao Yu had done to change Gu Hansheng's mind, and her concerned questions went completely unanswered. Any lingering worry was quickly swept away by her excitement.

That afternoon, she received a call from a hospital nurse saying that a visitor had come to Chen Xitong's room, registered under the name Gu Hansheng. Her heart lurched, and she dropped everything and rushed to the hospital.

In the ward, Gu Hansheng had opened the window, and a gentle breeze lifted the curtains. Sunlight and curtain shadows rippled across the hospital bed, the calm felt like another world entirely.

Chen Xitong had been well cared for. The scars from the accident had scabbed and faded, leaving barely a mark. Gu Hansheng leaned down to gently touch his cheek, his fingers brushing over his thick lashes, when Zhao Yu's eyes suddenly came to mind. Their faces merged, and for a moment, reality and illusion blurred.

But rationally, Gu Hansheng knew exactly who was who, and exactly who he loved.

When he had discovered the deception, Gu Hansheng had briefly taken his anger out on Chen Xitong. But Chen Xitong had done nothing—other people's filth had nothing to do with him. He stayed pure and clean—a pristine sanctuary in Gu Hansheng's heart.

The purer Chen Xitong was, the more hateful Zhao Yu and Chen Li's exploitation of him seemed.

That concert wasn't their first meeting. Gu Hansheng had seen Chen Xitong long before.

Not long after Gu Hong's affair, Gu Hansheng's mother killed herself. In the years that followed, Gu Hansheng never went home, but he never escaped the shadow of the Gu family for even one day.

Everyone wanted to be his friend because of his family, and when they found out he wanted to cut ties with the Gus, they immediately changed their tune. So-called friends were all like that.

That was the lowest point of his life, when all he could see was hypocrisy and self-interest. Love seemed like a luxury, hopelessly out of reach.

It was around then that he met Chen Xitong.

Back then, Chen Xitong still looked young, with a bright, open smile, like sunlight breaking through clouds and bursting into his world. It was just a chance encounter—this stranger didn't know who he was and asked nothing of him. They were friends for a brief moment, then went their separate ways.

Gu Hansheng figured he was just a passerby, only to run into him again years later.

Seeing Chen Xitong shine on stage, it felt like fate had brought them together. He decided to hold on to the person in front of him and never let go.

Watching Chen Xitong sleep, Gu Hansheng's gaze softened without him realizing it.

Chen Li rushed in, out of breath. Seeing Gu Hansheng, she said, "Mr. Gu, what brings you here to see Xitong all of a sudden?"

Seeing her flustered, terrified something might happen to her son, Gu Hansheng said mockingly, "Can't I come?"

"You're welcome anytime. It's just that Xitong hasn't woken up yet, so there's no one to talk to you." Chen Li stepped forward to tuck the blanket around Chen Xitong. "Xiao Yu went to see you, and I've been meaning to offer you a sincere apology but never had the chance. I'm sorry, Mr. Gu. I didn't think things through before. I hope we can keep working together amicably."

"Cooperate? You don't deserve it." Gu Hansheng sneered.

Chen Li's expression darkened slightly, but she didn't argue.

Gu Hansheng continued, "No need to be polite, President Chen. Shameless people are everywhere—one more of you doesn't make a difference. If you want an apology, I have my ways of making you bow your head."

"Then I'll thank Mr. Gu for not going after me."

"Don't thank me so fast. If I'm in a bad mood one day, I might just decide to ruin you again."

Chen Li was shut down again, finally getting a taste of how hard Gu Hansheng could be to deal with.

Gu Hansheng wasn't done with her yet. He sneered, "But President Chen has two sons. Sell another son next time, and your company will be saved again, right?"

"Mr. Gu must be kidding..."

"What do you think?"

Chen Li's face went through several expressions. She gripped Chen Xitong's hand and said quietly, "Xitong knows nothing. If you truly care for him, please at least don't hurt him."

Her voice was full of tenderness for Chen Xitong, her eyes brimming with affection.

Gu Hansheng had known Chen Li for a long time. He knew how selfish and money-hungry this woman was. What he hadn't expected was that she genuinely loved Chen Xitong, even showing real maternal devotion.

Chen Xitong deserved everything good in the world—and of course, such pure maternal love.

And Zhao Yu?

Gu Hansheng's mind suddenly flashed to Zhao Yu being humiliated that night, his dignity trampled into the mud, ground to dust, yet he hadn't uttered a word. Zhao Yu could take more than he had imagined—even biting through the bedsheet in pain, he hadn't shed a single tear.

Where did such resilience come from? Gu Hansheng had no interest in finding out.

Zhao Yu was nothing but a pawn for Chen Li to sacrifice. Yet when Gu Hansheng saw Chen Li's love for Chen Xitong, a crack split open in his heart, and some nameless emotion crept quietly through it.

...

Zhao Yu's stomach pain gradually subsided. Gu Hansheng hadn't contacted him during this period, but every time his phone rang, he tensed up.

Zhou Lan noticed his low spirits and asked if he wanted to go out for a late-night snack. Zhao Yu readily agreed.

They drove around in Zhou Lan's car, eventually arriving at a barbecue joint by the beach. The summer sea breeze blew gently as Zhou Lan said, "Whenever I'm in a bad mood, I come here. In a while, there'll even be a bonfire festival. The barbecue here is fantastic, and the draft beer is great too."

"Really? Then you order. I'll eat anything except mushrooms." Zhao Yu pulled out a chair and sat down, asking, "Are you drinking?"

"I'm driving, so no." Zhou Lan said in surprise, "I thought you didn't like drinking. Is your stomach better? Can you handle alcohol now?"

"It stopped hurting a while ago." Zhao Yu called out to the owner, "Boss, a pitcher of beer!"

Zhou Lan tried to dissuade him, "Just have one glass. Too much will hurt your stomach."

"Assistant Zhou, you're great in every way, but you're a nag," Zhao Yu teased.

"Am I a nag?"

"Yeah. When we first met, you were all businesslike and polished." Zhao Yu mimicked his tone and demeanor, saying, "Call me if anything comes up!"

"That was then, this is now." Zhou Lan shrugged. "Back then, I treated you as a job. Now I treat you as a friend. How can that be the same?"

Zhao Yu rested his chin on his hand and looked at him, smiling.

Zhou Lan looked at his smiling face and suddenly turned his head away awkwardly, clearing his throat, and asked, "Want some grilled eggplant?"

"If you're having it, I'll have it."

Zhao Yu was easygoing, so Zhou Lan had to guess his preferences when ordering. After placing the order, he looked up at Zhao Yu, who was staring at the dark expanse of the sea. He followed his gaze and saw a lighthouse glowing in the distance at the dock, its light answering the lamps on the boats.

Zhao Yu said, "As long as the lighthouse stays lit, the boats can find their way, right?"

Zhou Lan said, "These days, everyone has satellite navigation, so getting lost isn't usually a problem. But sailing is like life, and the lighthouse is like a goal ahead. From that perspective, what you said isn't wrong."

"You must have been a model student in school."

"Of course. From the village elementary school to the town middle school, then to the city high school, and finally into a top-tier university. My life goal was just to work a steady job and support myself..."

"And then the company almost went under," Zhao Yu said. "Why didn't you switch jobs?"

Zhou Lan laughed wryly. "I've been with President Chen since I graduated. She gave me my start—how could I jump ship when the company was in trouble? What about you?"

"I don't have those kinds of feelings for Chen Li. If she goes broke, I'll be the first to run."

"Not her. I mean, do you have any goals?"

"Does getting money off Chen Li count?"

"What do you need the money for?"

"To pay for Aunt Guo's treatment."

"Then she's your beacon."

"Is that how you'd put it?"

"Of course." Zhou Lan smiled. "You've given up so much to raise money for her—she must mean a lot to you. Like you said, a ship won't lose its way when it sees the lighthouse's light. Isn't that exactly what you are?"

Zhao Yu pondered for a moment, but felt it wasn't entirely true. When he'd decided to team up with Chen Li and set the trap, he'd been dead set, determined not to regret anything no matter what, even if it meant selling his body and his soul. Now that he was in too deep, he felt lost, slowly losing sight of what he wanted besides money.

The lighthouse still showed the way, but its beam was swallowed by the fog.

Zhao Yu drank hard, killing the whole pitcher of draft beer by himself before the buzz finally hit.

Just then, a rowdy group sat down at the next table. The guy behind Zhao Yu kept scraping his chair around, bumping into him over and over. Zhao Yu turned around irritably. "Watch it! You blind or something?"

The guy who bumped him turned around and shouted, "Damn! It's you!"

Zhao Yu took a closer look—small world, it was that pale-faced boy who'd been leaning against Gu Hansheng at the nightclub that night.

"Fuck, you really are a fucking ghost!" the boy cursed. "How the hell do I keep running into you?!"

"I was here first. That should be my line."

The boy looked him up and down, a hint of contempt on his face. "Didn't you latch onto Boss Gu? Got dumped that fast? Can't even score a decent fit? Figures—ugly as a toad, who the hell would want you?"

Zhao Yu returned the gesture, sizing him up. "Kid, how old are you to be working as a money boy... no, money girl—you got nothing down there, right?"

The boy's face flushed red. He turned for help, and the three companions at his table immediately stood up to back him. "Watch your mouth! Who the hell do you think you are? Looking to die?"

"Enough yapping—let's fuck him up!"

Zhou Lan immediately stood up to intervene. "What do you think you're doing? I'll call the police!"

"Call the cops, my ass! We'll get you too!"

Zhao Yu shoved Zhou Lan aside, and just as the guy grabbed his collar, a fist smashed into his face. He swung around, grabbed a beer bottle, and smashed it over the guy's head! The bottle shattered with a loud crack, and the guy doubled over clutching his head before Zhao Yu kicked him to the ground.

The other two charged at once. Zhao Yu swung a chair at them, and chaos erupted. Fighting two at once, he held his own—taking several hits but taking both men down in succession, spitting out bloody spittle and adding a kick to the one on the ground.

Zhou Lan never even got a chance to step in. The boy was frozen in fear and turned to run.

Zhao Yu grabbed him by the collar, sneering, "Start trouble and think you can just run?"

The boy turned pale, then suddenly bit down on Zhao Yu's arm. Zhao Yu winced in pain and pulled his arm back, now marked with a row of bloody teeth imprints.

The guy on the ground scrambled to his feet and lunged from behind, locking his arm around Zhao Yu's neck and dragging him down. The other two piled on, swinging fists. Zhao Yu's face turned red from the chokehold as he kicked out. Zhou Lan rushed in to help, and the fight descended into chaos again.

By the time the police arrived, all five were bloodied and had to be forcibly separated. As the most educated person on the scene, Zhou Lan tried to argue their case, but given how brutal the fight had been, his explanation was utterly useless, and he ended up shoved into the police car too.