Chu Shangluo’s hands and feet were cold, the sudden blow leaving him unable to react quickly. He stood frozen in place, stunned for a long time.

Wen Yan thoroughly enjoyed seeing Chu Shangluo in this state. He wore a smug smile and said, “Now, do you understand, Chu Shangluo? From the very beginning, Ren Jiaoming was a member of the Wen family.”

Ren Jiaoming looked at Wen Yan coldly, remaining silent.

Originally, Chu Shangluo still held onto a shred of hope. He wanted to believe that this was all a misunderstanding, that everything was false. But looking at the silent Ren Jiaoming, who didn’t respond, that last bit of hope shattered. His heart felt as though it was being torn apart by Ren Jiaoming’s own hands.

Chu Shangluo remained stunned, still gripping Ren Jiaoming’s wrist. In that instant when he tried to pull Ren Jiaoming away, he had been thinking of finding a way to turn things around. He couldn’t lose everything; he couldn’t let Ren Jiaoming suffer with him. But clearly, he had overestimated the situation. Ren Jiaoming had a wealthier and more powerful master. A dog loyal to its true master always gets fed.

Lin Zhi, deeply pained, approached Chu Shangluo cautiously, gently tapping him on the shoulder.

At that moment, Chu Shangluo snapped back to reality, awakening from the beautiful dream he had woven for himself and Ren Jiaoming.

At this moment, Chu Shangluo understood just how foolish and pathetic he truly was. He endured the excruciating pain that nearly suffocated him and forcefully released Ren Jiaoming’s wrist. This time, he completely let go of Ren Jiaoming. From now on, he would never touch him again.

He was furious, but the pain in his heart surpassed his anger.

Chu Shangluo desperately blinked his eyes, holding back the burning sensation in them, trying hard to keep himself from falling apart. He endured until his face turned pale, his hands shaking violently behind his back.

Lin Zhi had never seen Chu Shangluo like this before. His eyes welled up as he couldn’t understand why his boss’s heartfelt efforts were always trampled on, why his sincerity was always thrown away as worthless. Isn’t true sincerity the hardest thing to come by between people? He wanted to take all of this embarrassment and pain away from Chu Shangluo.

Ren Jiaoming’s wrist, now released, had gone numb. Only he knew how tightly Chu Shangluo had held onto it in those few minutes, as if trying to crush his wrist.

Before this, the pressure with which Chu Shangluo had gripped his wrist had always been light, his palm hot, his thumb gently rubbing his skin. But this time, Chu Shangluo’s hand was icy cold, as if it were made of steel.

The office fell into an eerie silence. Chu Shangluo stared coldly at the two who had come to flaunt their power. He had so many questions he wanted to ask Ren Jiaoming, but when the words reached his throat, his voice tightened, and he couldn’t bring himself to speak. Ren Jiaoming, seeing Chu Shangluo’s bloodshot eyes, was about to speak, but Chu Shangluo immediately interrupted him, saying the harshest words, “Shut up, a dog doesn’t deserve to talk to me.”

Ren Jiaoming’s brow furrowed, a sharp pain stabbing at his heart.

Chu Shangluo tried to steady himself. Right now, he couldn’t bear to hear Ren Jiaoming’s voice; he was afraid he would lose control and show his vulnerability. Chu Shangluo forced a smile and turned to Wen Yan: “You think this is enough to take me down? You’re too naive. So what if the stock is plummeting? Aren’t the majority of the shares in your hands now? You’re not so clever either.”

Wen Yan hadn’t expected Chu Shangluo to fight back even now, and immediately said something even more painful: “Do you know, Chu Shangluo? You and your brother are equally detestable, wearing false masks that make me want to puke. But your brother’s become a fool. You better keep an eye on him, lest he gets grabbed and taken away to a little black room again.”

Those words hit Chu Shangluo’s breaking point. The Wen family had turned his brother into a fool, and now Wen Yan, acting like a victor, was speaking such malicious words. It felt like a dog that had bitten you was now wagging its tail in your face, taunting you. In an instant, all of his blood rushed to his head, and anger replaced the sorrow. Chu Shangluo was always quick to anger, and at this moment, he no longer cared about hiding his emotions in front of Wen Yan. Without a second thought, he strode toward Wen Yan.

Wen Yan frowned, “What are you doing?”

Chu Shangluo kicked Wen Yan, causing his chair to topple backward. Then, he bent down, grabbed Wen Yan by the hair, and threw him out the door, shouting, “You don’t deserve to sit in this position, and you definitely don’t deserve to speak about my brother!”

Wen Yan, enraged, tried to pounce on Chu Shangluo, but was knocked to the ground with a single punch. Chu Shangluo sneered, “You really have guts, coming here without even a bodyguard to provoke me. Didn’t you know I’m good at beating people? You pissed me off, and now I’m angry, Young Master Wen.”

“Chu Shangluo, I…” Wen Yan started, but before he could finish, Chu Shangluo mercilessly threw another punch, causing Wen Yan to see stars. He couldn’t say a complete sentence.

Chu Shangluo tried to stand up, thinking of making Ren Jiaoming leave, but was suddenly grabbed by the collar by the rising Wen Yan. The pain contorted his face. “Chu Shangluo, do you know? I should have been the one to be favored by Mr. Chen! It’s all because of your appearance! You stole my spotlight!!”

Chu Shangluo sneered. So Wen Yan hated him for something as trivial as stealing the spotlight? He never cared for such things. At this moment, he found Wen Yan pathetic—chasing after fleeting fame, losing his noble demeanor, like a mad dog, ugly and unrecognizable.

“You want the spotlight? I’ll give it to you.” Chu Shangluo threw another punch at Wen Yan. “Lin Zhi, record this. Tomorrow’s front-page news—the way you look now is more than enough for your spotlight!”

“Chu Shangluo!” Wen Yan struggled, trying to push the man holding him down. But Chu Shangluo had no intention of letting him go.

In terms of physical strength, Chu Shangluo clearly had the upper hand, but he wasn’t satisfied. It wasn’t because of Wen Yan, but because of Ren Jiaoming. Lin Zhi and Chu Zong watched nervously as Chu Shangluo nearly knocked Wen Yan unconscious, fearing that things might get out of hand. Just as they were about to intervene, Lu Wen stopped them.

Lu Wen shook his head at them. “Someone has already gone.”

Ren Jiaoming walked over, his expression complicated, and grabbed Chu Shangluo’s arm, pulling him up. With his other hand, he pulled up the bruised Wen Yan.

Chu Shangluo, still angry, threw a punch at Ren Jiaoming’s face. The punch landed solidly, leaving a red mark on Ren Jiaoming’s skin.

Ren Jiaoming was the best fighter, always winning, but this was the first time someone hit him. Usually, he would’ve fought back, but seeing the bloodshot eyes of Chu Shangluo, he only tightened his fist.

Chu Shangluo had never hated Ren Jiaoming’s face more than at that moment. He pointed to the door and said, “Get out.”

Ren Jiaoming’s chest rose and fell slightly, and his eyes no longer held the same calmness as before.

On his exposed collarbone was a clear bite mark, a proof of their tenderness from a few hours ago, before everything fell apart. At that time, Chu Shangluo had foolishly thought that Ren Jiaoming also had some affection for him. But now, seeing the mark, Chu Shangluo felt nothing but pain. All the love he had once felt had turned into a sword that pierced him, leaving him shattered. The love he had for Ren Jiaoming now doubled his pain.

Seeing that Ren Jiaoming remained motionless, Chu Shangluo threw another punch at him, but it was firmly caught by Ren Jiaoming. Ren Jiaoming shifted his gaze from Chu Shangluo’s face and spoke coldly, “I’m just taking back what belongs to me.”

“Belongs to you!? What the hell is yours!” Chu Shangluo struggled to free himself from Ren Jiaoming’s painful grip and paused for a moment. “Oh, right, there is something that’s yours. I’ll give it back to you today!” Chu Shangluo pulled a jade pendant from his pocket and threw it hard onto the floor. With a sharp “crack,” the pendant shattered into four pieces.

Ren Jiaoming froze for a moment as he looked at the shattered jade pendant, then walked over with a cold expression. But Chu Shangluo was quicker and stepped on one of the shards, crushing it into even smaller pieces under his foot. He was in so much pain that he couldn’t let Ren Jiaoming take the jade pendant comfortably.

“I’ve returned it to you. Now I don’t want to see either of you again. I’ll say it one last time—get out!” Chu Shangluo lifted his foot, leaving a trail of broken pieces on the floor. It was as shattered as his relationship with Ren Jiaoming—completely destroyed.

Ren Jiaoming’s breath hitched. The jade pendant he had searched for and cherished for more than ten years, his obsession for over a decade, was now crushed under Chu Shangluo’s foot. He carefully gathered all the shattered pieces and clenched his teeth. In a cold voice, he said, “Chu Shangluo, we owe each other nothing.”

“Owe each other nothing, my ass! Ren Jiaoming, you really are shameless!” Chu Shangluo was beyond furious. He grabbed a nearby broom and swung it toward Ren Jiaoming, but Ren Jiaoming dodged it.

Chu Shangluo desperately wanted to tear off Ren Jiaoming’s carefully crafted facade to see what lay beneath. He had been so good to Ren Jiaoming, and yet Ren Jiaoming betrayed him, owed him, and could still casually say they owed each other nothing!

“Lin Zhi, call security! Since they won’t leave, get them thrown out!” Lin Zhi quickly agreed. At that moment, a few men stepped off the elevator, with the leading man showing his credentials. “Chu Shangluo, I’m Cheng Jilin from the Bureau of Industry and Commerce. Please come with us.”

Everything was interrupted just like that. Ren Jiaoming glanced at Chu Shangluo and then helped the dazed Wen Yan out the door. Chu Shangluo stared at their retreating figures, wanting to say something sharp, but his throat had started to ache, and in that moment, he realized just how deeply one could hurt when knocked down to this extent—every part of him seemed to ache in pain.

Cheng Jilin said, “Alright, stop the show. Come with me now.” Lin Zhi anxiously stepped forward and, in a gentle tone, asked, “Comrade, can I accompany Mr. Chu?”

Cheng Jilin patted Chu Shangluo’s trembling shoulder, caused by grief and anger. “We’re familiar with each other, so don’t worry. We’re just asking a few questions to understand the situation.”

Lin Zhi looked at the despondent Chu Shangluo with concern, opening his mouth as if to comfort him, but he didn’t know what to say.

The walk to the parking lot was silent. Despite it still being late summer, Chu Shangluo was drenched in cold sweat. As soon as he sat in the car, the tension he had been holding on to dissipated, and his legs went soft. The car slowly started moving, and he stared blankly out the window, his eyes red. He buried his face in his hands, unwilling to let anyone see how miserable he looked.

Looking back on the past twenty-plus years, Chu Shangluo realized that he had always been tripping over the same thing. Lin Zhi had said he trusted people too easily. When he was a child, he believed his parents when they promised him a birthday party, but every time, they broke their promises for work, leaving him alone to celebrate. In middle school, he made his first friend, and they played basketball together and went home together. But one day, he overheard his friend saying, “Ah, Chu Shangluo, I hate his bad temper, but he’s rich. If I play basketball with him, I’ll get my weekly allowance.” That day, he stood outside with the basketball for a long time, then stormed inside, took all the money his friend had, and beat him up. After that, he hardly made any friends.

Although later he met some peers who enjoyed extreme sports, he knew in his heart that they weren’t people he could trust with his feelings. But he never learned his lesson—he forgot the pain once the wound healed, and again and again, he was deceived, giving his heart away to people. His first secretary ran off with the money, and now, this one was even scheming with outsiders against him. In that moment, Chu Shangluo felt as if he had returned to his middle school self—heartbroken, angry, confused, and helpless.

He closed his eyes and began to feel around in his pocket, only to pull out a handful of lollipops. At this moment, the sight of those lollipops felt bitterly ironic to him, mocking his stupidity, mocking how he had changed himself for others and lost himself in the process. Chu Shangluo rolled down the car window and threw all the lollipops out. The colorful lollipops flew with the wind, falling somewhere unknown, along with the self-deceptive love he had once freely given.

He turned to look at Cheng Jilin, who was driving, and with a hoarse voice asked, “Got any cigarettes?”

“In the drawer, help yourself,” Cheng Jilin replied.

Chu Shangluo took out a cigarette, awkwardly lit it, and took a deep drag. He immediately started coughing violently. Cheng Jilin asked, “What’s wrong with you?”

Chu Shangluo’s fingers trembled uncontrollably as he held the cigarette, and a spark burned a red mark on his skin. “Nothing. Haven’t smoked in a long time,” he muttered, looking out the window. He took another long drag, and the smoky satisfaction helped ease the heart-wrenching pain deep inside him.

The empty look in Chu Shangluo’s eyes gradually regained some light. He smiled faintly, “Smoking feels so fucking good.” From now on, he wouldn’t give his heart to anyone, nor would he change for anyone.

Cheng Jilin, seeing the bitter smile on Chu Shangluo’s face, thought for a moment and then said, “Love will only affect the speed at which you make money.”

This time, Chu Shangluo smiled genuinely, “I just hope I can still make money.”

When Chu Shangluo returned from the Bureau of Industry and Commerce, it was already night.

He had only slept for a few hours on the plane that morning and was now utterly exhausted. But instead of going back to the home filled with traces of Ren Jiaoming, he went to the boxing gym that he had once given to Ren Jiaoming, only for it to be rejected.

The gym was completely dark, with no one inside. Chu Shangluo opened the door and turned on the lights. Everything here had been prepared for Ren Jiaoming. The sweetness of those preparations seemed as nauseating now as it had once been joyful.

Chu Shangluo put on the boxing gloves and threw all his strength into punching the heavy bag, wishing he could tear it apart. Only by doing so could he release the rage and heartache that filled his chest and had no outlet. He punched without any strategy, but the images before him became more and more blurry. Tears streamed down his face without him realizing it. He wiped them away, cursing himself for being weak. What was there to cry about? He’d just been deceived, so why was he crying?

But the tears only grew stronger, soaking his clothes. He felt terrible, wanting to shout or scream to vent his frustration, but in the end, he gritted his teeth and made no sound. He vented all his grievances and anger into the heavy bag, punching it again and again, his palms aching with each hit. But what did this pain compare to? It was nothing compared to the pain in his heart.

When all his strength was gone, Chu Shangluo collapsed onto the floor. He wished he could stay there forever, not thinking about anything. The world in front of him seemed cold and blurry, making him shiver. He instinctively touched his swollen, painful eyes, but there were no tears left. Yet, he still felt as if he was crying. He reached for his chest, which felt like it had been pierced by countless needles, and realized that it was his heart that was weeping.

When Chu Shangluo mustered enough energy to sit up, it was already deep into the night. His mind was in a mess, foggy and heavy, as if he had fallen asleep but was still fully awake. He knew clearly that there were too many things waiting for him to handle. Even if he wanted to hide in this gym forever and avoid the mockery and scolding, the Chu family could not wait, and he couldn’t afford to stop. He absolutely could not fall.

With a groan, Chu Shangluo propped up his weak body and sat up. He looked at the boxing gloves on his left hand and paused for a moment, deep in thought. The gym had never been opened since it was renovated, and he had never prepared boxing gloves for the gym. He glanced at the marks left on the other heavy bags, furrowing his brow.

Taking a deep breath, Chu Shangluo picked up the boxing gloves that didn’t belong to him and threw them outside the door. He stood in the doorway, looking at the brightly lit street, where the nearby residents walked lazily and leisurely. It seemed like only he was alone.

The cold autumn wind tousled his hair, and he dialed Gu Yao’s number. His voice was hoarse. “Gu Yao, didn’t you want to turn this boxing gym into a restaurant? I’ve decided, and since I’m a bit tight on money right now, I’ll sell it to you cheaply. Come sign the contract with me tomorrow.”