“You did exactly what I had in mind, didn’t you?”

“Lin Huaiyu. You bastard!”

Fu Wenbo roared in fury, his anger boiling over. Without hesitation, he swung his fist, aiming straight for the man in front of him.

However, Lin Huaiyu caught his wrist with a steel-like grip before his punch could land.

—BAM!

A fist connected with Fu Wenbo’s face, sending a sharp jolt of pain through his cheekbone.

Lin Huaiyu had been wanting to hit this man for a long time. Fu Wenbo had provoked him over and over again—did he really think he had no temper?

All of a sudden, a brutal fight erupted.

They lunged at each other, fists flying, each aiming for the most ruthless, most unforgiving blows. Neither man held back, their movements fueled by raw aggression.

The sound of fists colliding with flesh echoed through the hallway.

The staff nearby stood frozen, paralyzed by the sheer brutality of the scene before them. The intensity in their eyes, the sheer force behind each strike—it wasn’t a simple scuffle. It was a battle between two men who wanted nothing more than to tear each other apart.

It took a long moment before someone snapped out of their shock and ran off to find someone who could put an end to the chaos.

By the time Su Weichu received the urgent message, she was already sprinting down the corridor, her heart pounding.

Shattered glass littered the floor, reflecting the harsh corridor lights in jagged, broken shards. Decorations that once adorned the walls now lay in ruins, scattered amidst the wreckage of an all-out brawl.

Lin Huaiyu and Fu Wenbo were locked in a brutal struggle, trading blows like sworn enemies on a battlefield. Their faces bore the fresh marks of violence—bruises blooming, lips split, eyes darkened with the imprint of each other’s fury. Neither showed any intention of stopping.

Until—

“Go. Get me a bucket of cold water.” Su Weichu’s voice was calm, yet frigid enough to send a chill down spines.

Yi Qingyun hesitated for a brief moment, instinctively glancing at her boss’s stormy gaze. But seeing the barely restrained fire in Su Mochu’s eyes, she dared not question the order. Without another word, she turned on her heels and hurried away.

Moments later—

Splash!

A rush of ice-cold water came crashing down over the two men, drenching them from head to toe. The shock of it was instant, the chill biting through their rage, forcing them to a standstill.

Heavy breaths filled the now-silent corridor.

Momentarily came the low, steady voice of a woman—one that cut through the tension like a blade.

“Have you calmed down?”

Fu Wenbo turned to her, water dripping from his disheveled hair, desperation flickering in his eyes. “Chu Chu, I—”

“Enough.”

Su Weichu’s words were sharp, her patience long gone. She didn’t need to hear excuses.

Her gaze swept over the two men, impassive and detached. “Since you’re both calm now, Yi Qingyun will take you to the finance office. You can settle the damages with the financial manager.”

Not sparing them another glance, she turned on her heel and walked away, her heels clicking against the wet floor.

She didn’t look back.

She didn’t need to.

“Chu Chu, wait!”

Fu Wenbo could see the storm brewing in Su Weichu’s eyes. Panic flickered across his face as he moved to chase after her, intent on coaxing her anger away.

Except before he could take a step—

A figure blocked his path.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Lin Huaiyu’s voice was cool, edged with quiet dominance.

“Move.”

Fu Wenbo’s eyes darkened, hostility flashing like lightning in a summer storm.

Lin Huaiyu didn’t flinch. He met the other man’s glare with an unwavering gaze, his posture unyielding, his message unmistakable—

If Fu Wenbo wanted to chase after Su Weichu, he would have to go through him.

A sharp, mocking laugh escaped Fu Wenbo’s lips, dripping with bitterness.

“Lin Huaiyu, you really are shameless. When Chu Chu cared about you, you treated her like she was nothing. Now that she wants nothing to do with you, suddenly you can’t let her go? What is this—some grand gesture of a prodigal son finally coming to his senses?”

His words were laced with venom, each syllable meant to pierce deep.

Lin Huaiyu’s expression barely shifted. He simply studied the man before him, his gaze steady, unreadable and when he finally spoke up, his voice was as cold as steel.

“This is between Chu Chu and I.”

His meaning was crystal clear—

Fu Wenbo had no place in this conversation.

Fu Wenbo was momentarily speechless, his frustration only deepening. His fists clenched at his sides as tension crackled between him and Lin Huaiyu, a silent battle of wills playing out in the charged air.

Just as it seemed the confrontation would ignite once more, Yi Qingyun swiftly seized the moment.

“President Lin, President Fu,” she interjected smoothly, stepping between them with practiced ease. “Please, both of you—let’s head to the finance office.”

Her presence, calm yet authoritative, managed to momentarily break the standoff. With one last glare at each other, the two men begrudgingly followed her lead.

—

Lin Family Estate

Meanwhile, in the opulent halls of the Lin family’s villa, Qiao Shan had just received news of Lin Huaiyu’s fight at the Su Corporation. A flicker of worry passed through her as she quickly made up her mind—she had to go see him.

Descending the grand staircase, her heels barely made a sound against the polished marble floor. But just as she reached the entrance, a stern voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Bai Xueping stood at the foot of the stairs, arms crossed, sharp eyes narrowing as she took in Qiao Shan’s attire—clearly dressed for an outing.

Qiao Shan hesitated for the briefest moment, until she answered truthfully, her voice gentle yet firm.

“I heard that Huaiyu got into a fight at the Su Corporation and was injured. I wanted to ask if you’d like to come with me to check up on him.”

A flicker of something unreadable passed through Bai Xueping’s expression before it was replaced by concern.

“Huaiyu was injured?” Her voice tightened with worry. “How badly?”

“I don’t know the specifics yet,” Qiao Shan admitted, her gaze flickering slightly. “That’s why I thought I’d go and see for myself.”

“You don’t know? Then why didn’t you ask? Never mind. You stay home—I’ll go find Huaiyu myself!”

With that sharp remark, Bai Xueping turned on her heel, barking orders to the butler to prepare the car. Within minutes, she was on her way, her expression dark with urgency.

As soon as she stormed into Lin Huaiyu’s office, her voice rang through the room before the door had even fully swung shut.

“Huaiyu! Let me see—where are you hurt?”

She strode forward, stopping just inches away from him. But the moment her eyes landed on his bruised face, her breath hitched. The purplish swell on his cheekbone, the faint trace of dried blood at the corner of his lip—and heavens—was that a bite mark?

Her expression shifted instantly from concern to fury.

“Who was the bastard that did this to you?! And your mouth—look at this! Someone actually bit you?”

Bai Xueping’s voice rose, echoing through the office as she cursed the unknown culprit with colorful expletives.

Lin Huaiyu, already nursing both a throbbing face and a pounding headache, rubbed his temples. His patience was fraying.

“Mother, why are you here?” His voice carried a trace of exasperation, though he tried to keep it even.

Bai Xueping huffed, her arms crossing tightly.

“Why am I here? You were beaten up, Huaiyu! You tell me—who did this? Who dared to lay a hand on you? And your lips—” She slammed her palm against the desk, her fury uncontained. “This won’t stand! I’m calling the police!”

Lin Huaiyu let out a long sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Mom, please. Don’t make a scene.”

His tone held a quiet authority, his sharp gaze locking onto hers. But Bai Xueping was undeterred—her son had been injured, and someone had to pay.

Bai Xueping had always held a certain fear of her son’s stern demeanor. The moment Lin Huaiyu’s gaze darkened, her initial fury waned, and she instinctively fell silent.

Seeing her finally quiet down, Lin Huaiyu’s furrowed brows eased slightly. But a thought suddenly struck him, and his voice turned cold.

“Who told you I was injured?” Bai Xueping blinked, hesitating for a beat before answering.

“It was Qiao Shan. She said she heard from someone that you got into a fight…who were you even fighting with? And—” her eyes flickered toward the faint bite mark at the corner of his lip, her expression growing odd. “How on earth did you end up getting bitten?”

As she spoke, an unsettling realization crept into her mind. That mark—placed so dangerously close to his lips—wasn’t that…?

A shiver ran down her spine as a ridiculous thought took root. Could it be that her son had… with a man…?

Bai Xueping’s face twitched, and her expression grew even more complex.

Lin Huaiyu had always been sharp—too sharp not to catch the flicker of suspicion in his mother’s eyes. His face darkened instantly.

He had never realized just how absurdly wild her imagination could be.

A muscle in his jaw tensed as he stated flatly, “The bite mark—Chu Chu left it.”

Bai Xueping froze. It took her a moment to register his words. Then, realization dawned.

He was explaining.

He was actually explaining himself to her.

“You’re telling me that the bite mark is from Chu Chu? That she was the one who laid hands on you?” Bai Xueping’s breath hitched for a moment, relieved that the injury hadn’t come from some unknown source. But the moment she processed the rest of Lin Huaiyu’s words, her relief turned into fury.

“That woman! How dare she raise a hand against you? Does she not realize that you’re her husband?!”

Her voice sharpened with indignation, her expression twisting in outrage.

Lin Huaiyu pinched the bridge of his nose, already feeling the beginnings of a headache once again. His mother had misunderstood—once more.

“It wasn’t Chu Chu who hit me,” he corrected, his tone laced with patience he didn’t truly possess. “In any case, this has nothing to do with her.”

Before Bai Xueping could fire back, a crisp knock echoed from the office door, followed by the voice of Lin Huaiyu’s assistant, Qin Chuan.

“President Lin, Miss Qiao is downstairs. She says she wants to see you.”

Bai Xueping’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Didn’t I tell that girl to stay put at home? What is she doing here?” Her displeasure was evident in the sharp furrow of her brows.

Lin Huaiyu’s expression was unreadable. A flicker of something dark passing through his gaze as he stared at the closed door, his fingers drumming idly against the desk. After a beat, he gave a single command.

“Bring her up.”

Qin Chuan responded without hesitation. “Understood sir.”

With that, the assistant swiftly departed, leaving behind a room thick with unspoken tension.

Within minutes, Qiao Shan appeared in the office, clad in an off-the-shoulder white dress that clung to her physique, accentuating every curve with deliberate elegance. The fabric, smooth and fitted, left just enough to the imagination while highlighting her natural allure.

Bai Xueping’s already furrowed brows tightened even further at the sight. Her sharp gaze swept over Qiao Shan from head to toe, filled with undisguised criticism.

“Didn’t I tell you to stay put? What are you doing here?” Her voice was laced with impatience, but it was her next words that truly cut like a knife.

“Dressed like this—bare shoulders, exposed legs—what exactly are you trying to prove? Do you think the Lin family is starving you, depriving you of clothing, that you have to make do with such a pitiful scrap of fabric?”

She let out a disdainful scoff, her expression growing more severe. “Anyone who knows the situation might recognize you as a guest in our home, and for those who don’t? They might mistake you for something far less respectable.”

A glint of something unreadable flickered through Lin Huaiyu’s eyes as he listened, his lips curling slightly in a knowing smirk.

As expected, keeping Qiao Shan at home would have been the wiser choice. At the very least, with his mother present, she had saved him the trouble of dealing with this mess himself.