Everyone present was shocked.

They never expected that those words would come from Xu Hui's mouth.

Ignoring everyone's surprise, Xu Hui looked up and smiled slightly at Chu Zhiye, who returned the smile.

And so, the family dinner ended in a rather ambiguous atmosphere.

After finishing their meal, Xu Mingcheng's eyes lit up, and he pulled Chu Zhiye along, wanting to go out and play.

"Go ahead, go ahead," Zhuo Danqin waved her hand. "You two are both boys, you have common ground, it's good for you to communicate more."

Out of respect for Xu Man, Chu Zhi agreed, and the two left home together.

... ...

At home, Xu Hui sat on the sofa, leisurely arranging the tea set, looking completely at ease.

Xu Man approached and spoke softly, "Father."

"Um."

"What do you think of Zhiye?" Xu Man asked her father, her voice trembling slightly.

Xu Hui's opinion of Chu Zhiye was related to whether he was qualified to compete for power in the company, and to his future. Moreover, there was a strange feeling mixed in with it.

"He's a good person," Xu Hui said softly. "If you really intend to stay with him, I support you."

“Father… ” Xu Man’s eyes widened.

She hadn't expected that Chu Zhiye would gain her father's approval so easily.

Xu Hui raised his hand and stroked Xu Man's hair with a smile on his face: "Do you know why I only allow you to participate in company affairs if you have a boyfriend? It's because women are fragile. No matter how strong they appear on the outside, they are still fragile and need a man to rely on."

"I did that so that when you are vulnerable, you would have a shoulder to lean on and someone to comfort you."

"You are my only bloodline, and I hope you can be happy."

Xu Man's eyes reddened, she lowered her head, her shoulders trembled, and she sobbed softly.

Xu Hui said softly, "Half of the company belongs to you, and no one can take it away."

Zhuo Danqin spoke: "Old Xu..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xu Hui interrupted his wife: "Xu Mingcheng is my son, that's true, but Xu Man is also my daughter. As a father, I must treat them both equally."

Xu Man got up and ran to her bedroom, tears streaming down her face.

... ...

The moonlight was bright and clear, casting a silvery glow.

Chu Zhiye and Xu Mingcheng left the residential area and walked along the street.

Xu Mingcheng walked backwards with his hands in his pockets, his eyes fixed on Chu Zhiye, his gaze flickering.

"You are not Xu Man's boyfriend."

"Oh, why?"

"You two don't act like a couple at all. You're awkward in many ways, as if you've only known each other for a few weeks."

Chu Zhi replied calmly, "But we are indeed boyfriend and girlfriend."

"No, you are Xu Man's 'boyfriend' whom she hired to deceive my dad."

Xu Mingcheng spoke clearly, as if he had already seen through the relationship between the two of them, "Now it's just the two of us here, you don't need to continue pretending to be someone else."

Chu Zhiye: "Turn off the recording function on your smartwatch and phone, and I'll tell you."

Xu Mingcheng was no pushover either. He deliberately sent the others away and privately discussed the matter with Chu Zhiye. He then recorded the conversation. With the recording as evidence, Xu Man, no matter how eloquent, was unable to defend herself.

Xu Mingcheng's face showed visible surprise, and then he turned off the recording function of his phone and smartwatch.

"I've turned it off. You can answer me now."

Chu Zhiye replied, "When a man goes to a woman's house to meet her parents, what kind of relationship do you think it could be?"

"Depend on!"

Xu Mingcheng couldn't help but swear, "I've been so sincere, and you're still the same."

Enraged, Xu Mingcheng kicked a nearby trash can, and was caught by sanitation workers and fined fifty yuan.

Faced with Chu Fang's calm demeanor, Xu Mingcheng was momentarily at a loss for what to do.

He took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and said, "Let's do business together."

"What kind of business?"

“Leave Xu Man, and I’ll give you money,” Xu Mingcheng said. “Your family is from Chengdu, your father is a farmer, and your mother is a seamstress. Your family isn’t well-off. As long as you two break up, I guarantee you financial freedom. I can pay Xu Man ten times, or even a hundred times, the price she pays to hire you.”

Whether Xu Man has a boyfriend or not is related to how much of Xu Hui's assets Xu Mingcheng can obtain.

This is important.

Chu Zhiye: "You can't afford it."

"Hmph." Xu Mingcheng snorted lightly, "Looks like you have a big appetite."

Chu Zhi shrugged and did not answer.

The two turned a corner and arrived at the Bund.

There's an old saying that goes, "All things in the world are predestined."

By sheer coincidence, we ran into Yao Chen, Peng Lingbo, Hou Rui, and their group when we arrived here.

"Hey, Mingcheng." Hou Rui patted Xu Mingcheng on the shoulder.

"You're here?"

"I'm bored, I'm going to go for a drink," Hou Rui replied.

Yao Chen's gaze fell on Chu Zhiye, and his smiling face suddenly turned gloomy, as if it could drip water.

Memories of that night flooded back.

Hou Rui raised an eyebrow, and Xu Mingcheng then told the three of them about what had happened that night.

Peng Lingbo said, "I never expected that this guy surnamed Chu was actually Xu Man's boyfriend. I had no idea."

"You guys need to think of a way to get rid of this guy surnamed Chu." Faced with the impenetrable Chu Zhiye, Xu Mingzhi didn't know where to start.

The group looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

suddenly--

Yao Chen's eyes darted around, and he patted Xu Mingcheng, speaking to him softly.

He had a plan to kill two birds with one stone.

Not only can it disrupt the relationship between Chu Zhiye and Xu Man, but it can also curb Chu Zhiye's arrogance and help him get revenge.

After a while.

Xu Mingcheng suggested, "It's really boring for us to just walk around like this. How about we go have some tea?"

Upon hearing this, Yao Chen and the other two nodded hastily.

"Okay, okay."

The group looked at Chu Zhiye, who refused, saying, "I'm not going."

"Why?" Yao Chen asked.

“You’re playing dirty tricks.” Chu Zhi also raised his eyelids.

He didn't need to guess to know that these four people were up to no good.

As for what kind of scheme it was, he couldn't guess.

A wise person does not stand under a dangerous wall.

I'm not going anyway.

The other four people tried everything to persuade him, but he refused.

The four looked at each other, utterly speechless.

How could such a person exist in the world?

Seeing that Chu Zhi was completely unmoved by reason, the four of them had no choice but to go for a walk with him.

A short while later, we arrived at a teahouse.

Yao Chen said, "It seems we are destined to meet. This is the place I was talking about. A short walk will take us to the teahouse. Since we are here, let's go up and have a cup of tea."

Chu Zhi still refused, but the four of them dragged him inside.

He was no match for four people on his own, and they dragged him in.

Upon entering the teahouse, the waiter bowed slightly and said, "Greetings, Second Young Master."

This teahouse belongs to the Yao Chen family and its purpose is to receive customers.

Yao Chen said, "Brew us a pot of fine tea, using the Imperial Fragrance Collection. I want to treat my friends well."

Yao Chen turned around and explained, "Yu Pin Tian Xiang Ji is the name of a tea set. Do you know how much that tea set costs? More than 20 million, and it's the kind that's priceless. For Xu Man's sake, I'll give you plenty of face, so don't refuse anymore."

The five people then took their seats.

Soon, the waiter brought out a tea set, the teapot of which was handmade from purple clay.

The teacup is made of high-purity white porcelain, with a thin and light body, and a warm and smooth feel like jade. The cup wall is decorated with delicate hand-painted designs, and the edge is plated with a thin layer of gold.

It is obvious that this so-called Imperial Fragrance Collection is indeed extraordinary.

The waiter squatted down and began brewing tea. After a short while, the tea was ready. He first handed the teacup to Yao Chen, who then gestured for Chu Zhiye to serve it.

Chu Zhi thought for three seconds before accepting the answer.

But as soon as he took it, the scalding tea overflowed from the teacup, burning him, and he immediately let go.

Click!

The white porcelain teacup fell to the ground with a crisp sound.