Chapter 43 "If you dare touch him, I'll kill you..."

The package for Zhu Luan was sent back to Lincheng from the flower shop.

Zhu Xu did not hesitate and told He Yanzhou about it the next day.

He Yanzhou concealed the coldness in his eyes, paused for a moment, then reached out and pulled Zhu Xu into his arms: "Xiao Xu, do you believe me?"

I believe you.

He Yanzhou said, "No one can touch you anymore."

"I know."

From then on, the two were inseparable.

Before going to the hotel in the morning, He Yanzhou would take a detour to drop Zhu Xu off at the company first. After get off work, he would also ask her to stay in the office until he arrived before coming out.

He would occasionally have social engagements and would ask Zheng Zhi to pick him up. Even when he needed to return to Lincheng for important business, he would leave Zheng Zhi with her.

He Yanzhou specifically instructed that no one should go out after dark, and that no one should walk on the path in front of the door. He also instructed that no one should open the door when anyone knocked, and that no one should go out to check if the power or water was cut off.

Avoid going to the flower shop for now, and if you must go, don't go at night. That's his territory, with heavy foot traffic and surveillance cameras everywhere. There's also a police station diagonally opposite the connecting corridor. Even if he had the guts, he wouldn't dare to do anything reckless.

Two months passed just like that, peaceful and uneventful, with no change in life compared to before.

Then, the hotel experienced its summer peak season, and overnight, there were very few rooms left.

The northern coast is a popular vacation destination in July and August. It is cool in the morning and evening, and sunny at noon but not so hot that it is suffocating.

At this time of year, the sea is teeming with people, and the shore is filled with children in beach shorts and bikinis, playing happily.

With the Jidao project in the planning stages, He Yanzhou is even busier.

Zhu Xu also received the first batch of funds, and the company gradually got back on track, with orders coming in continuously.

One day, He Yanzhou was returning to Lincheng, and Zheng Zhi drove him to the airport. This was a short trip, and he would be able to return in about a week.

Outside the window, the heat was intense, and tourists thronged the streets.

Under the bright sun, the sea appears as a deep and pure blue.

The car was quiet.

He Yanzhou looked outside, and after a while, he suddenly spoke: "How many years have you been with me?"

Zheng Zhi's expression shifted, and he looked behind him through the endoscope: "It's been almost four years since you took over the company."

He Yanzhou didn't say anything for a moment, but glanced ahead and noticed that he had suddenly become thinner and his cheeks were sunken, and his spirits were much more dejected than before.

“Xiao Xi…” He paused after saying those two words, seemingly unsure of what to say.

“Xiao Xi is going to Japan next month.” Zheng Zhi took over the conversation, still looking at him in the mirror, and chuckled twice, mimicking his old self: “Xiao Xi and I have made things clear, it won’t happen again… Mr. He, you can rest assured.”

He Yanzhou's expression shifted slightly, and he opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

On the way, Zhu Xu called, saying she wanted to go to the flower shop later. She hadn't been there for almost two months, and there were inventory, purchasing, and a bunch of other things to discuss, so she needed to at least see her.

He Yanzhou agreed and told her to wait for Zheng Zhi to pick her up.

Fifteen minutes later, the car stopped at the entrance of the airport terminal. It was a quick stop and a quick departure, with Zheng Zhi getting out of the car first to collect his luggage.

He Yanzhou also got out of the car and walked to the back. He was wearing a black polo shirt and casual pants, with an upright posture and broad shoulders, making him an excellent clothes hanger.

He took the carry-on suitcase, glanced at Zheng Zhi, and said, "I'll leave Zhu Xu's suitcase to you."

"Don't worry, I'll be right there. As long as Miss Zhu doesn't mind, I'll follow her wherever she goes."

He Yanzhou nodded and turned to head towards the terminal building.

It was just past noon when Zheng Zhi drove back to pick up Zhu Xu. When he arrived, only Xiao Zhou was at the shop; Lin Yuan was off work that day.

The door to the sea was open, a gentle breeze blew, and the wind chimes tinkled on the door frame.

The two of them managed the flower shop very well; the cleanliness of the environment, the organization and arrangement of items, and the condition of the bouquets were all impeccable.

After chatting with Xiao Zhou for a while, Zhu Xu checked the transaction details. Before he could turn two pages, he caught a glimpse of a black shadow darting in through the door.

Even before confirming the other person's identity, she already had a premonition. She wasn't surprised at all; it seemed he had been monitoring the area all along, and he would appear no matter when she arrived.

Zhu Xu turned his head quickly, and his heart still sank.

Liang Haiyang was dressed in all black, wearing a baseball cap. He seemed shorter and looked emaciated, making his large eyes appear particularly striking and terrifying.

Zhu Xu stood still. Aside from the fear he felt upon seeing him for the first second, he calmed down afterward, because his heart, which had been hanging in suspense for nearly two months, finally returned to its place.

Unaware of the situation, Xiao Zhou greeted him with a smile: "Sir, what kind of flowers would you like to buy?"

Liang Haiyang did not answer, but only smiled at Zhu Xu.

Zhu Xu spoke calmly and softly, "Xiao Zhou, come here."

Xiao Zhou was confused, but still turned and walked towards Zhu Xu. Halfway there, Zhu Xu quickly pulled her behind him. Zheng Zhi, who was playing games on the recliner, noticed this and quickly got up and rushed in front of Zhu Xu.

Liang Haiyang immediately raised his hands and slowly backed to the wall: "I didn't touch you, I didn't touch you, my hands are right here." He waved his arms at the surveillance camera in the corner of the room, while staring at Zhu Xu, "Don't even think about hurting me again."

Zhu Xu asked coldly, "What do you want?"

"What can I do? We were husband and wife after all. I'll come see you as soon as I get out of prison." His eyes darted around the flower shop, then he turned his head and saw a stack of business cards on the display shelf next to him. He pulled one out and looked at it. It read "Green Tree Floral Arrangement Rental Company," along with a job title and address: "General Manager Zhu?"

Liang Haiyang waved the business card, then put it back in his hand: "I've been waiting around here for a long time, who knew you'd be so hard to wait for. You're different now, you've hooked up with a rich man, you've opened a flower shop, opened a company, and even got a dog for yourself."

Zheng Zhi belatedly realized that the dog was referring to him.

He gritted his teeth and pointed at his nose: "Say that again!"

"Okay, okay." He raised his hands in surrender again: "I apologize, I'm the dog."

Just then, someone entered the store. Xiao Zhou slipped to the side and went to the door, quietly greeting the person.

Liang Haiyang fell silent, hunched over, sitting on a stool in the corner watching people buy flowers.

Soon after, the guest left with two sunflowers.

Zhu Xu began, “I don’t know what you’re trying to achieve by coming to Beidao. I’m guessing you feel the court’s verdict was unfair to you. But don’t forget, I was the victim. Compared to you, the punishment you received was entirely justified. We live in a society governed by law now. I advise you not to act recklessly. I think you’d rather not go back to prison.”

Liang Haiyang chuckled, then stared at him with a sinister gaze: "I used to love you, which is why I impulsively fell into your trap. But now I only hate you. You ruined me, and the hatred is hard to dispel. You want me to pretend nothing happened?"

These words made Zhu Xu feel nauseous, and his hands trembled involuntarily. He suppressed his intense physical discomfort and said, "I don't owe you anything. Go away. If you keep bothering me, I will call the police immediately."

Liang Haiyang stood up: "He, Yan, Zhou?" He said, emphasizing each word: "Isn't that right?"

The moment Zhu Xu heard his name, his heart clenched: "What are you going to do?" He opened his mouth and realized his voice was trembling.

As a woman, she was physically weaker, but even now, she had someone she wanted to protect. Everything started because of her, and revenge should be directed at her; how could she bear to let him be in danger?

"This hotel is really nice. I forgot to tell you, I brought them a big gift this time, you..."

"How dare you!" Zhu Xu shouted shrilly.

Zheng Zhi, who was standing next to her, couldn't help but glance at her, raised his hand, and slowly rolled up his short-sleeved shirt to his shoulder.

"You're already this angry without even hearing what kind of big gift it is. I should be the one who's angry! You and he's been having an affair for ages, haven't you? You're capable of such a despicable thing as cheating on your spouse, and now you can still act so self-righteous?" He stared at her, his smiling lips twitching involuntarily. "Whether I dare or not, we'll see. I have nothing to lose, I'll see how I ruin him..."

Before he could finish speaking...

Zhu Xu turned around, quickly grabbed the scissors from the workbench, took two big strides toward him, and with all his might stab into the flower clay slabs stacked together next to him.

Xiao Zhou exclaimed in surprise, and Zheng Zhi quickly followed.

Zhu Xu pulled out the scissors, his voice fierce: "If you dare touch him, I'll kill you. I was stupid before, but next time I'll definitely shove the scissors into your neck."

Liang Haiyang then realized that his instinctive raising of his arm to cover his head had actually made him take two steps back in fright. Suddenly, he had a new understanding of this usually gentle woman, and his resentment and indignation grew even stronger.

He was about to say something when Zheng Zhi stepped forward, pressed down on the scissors in Zhu Xu's hand, and pushed him behind his back.

"Let me give you a piece of advice on behalf of President He: bring on whatever tricks you have up your sleeve, but I'm afraid you don't have the ability." With that, Zheng Zhi raised his hand, grabbed Liang Haiyang by the collar, and easily tossed him out the door: "Now, get out!"

Not forgetting to add a kick to his body.

Liang Haiyang tumbled and fell to the ground, startling the people around him who scattered and turned back to cast strange glances at him.

Liang Haiyang took a while to stand up, brushed the dust off his clothes, and looked into the room.

When he found Zhu Xu, he smiled.

The outdoor sunlight was intense, but even the ample light couldn't dispel the gloom on his face.

His appearance had completely changed; his features were no longer as regular as when we first met, and the gentle expression that he had even managed to feign was nowhere to be found.

After the person left, Zhu Xu covered his face with his hands and sat there blankly for a long time.

Zheng Zhi didn't know how to comfort him, so he could only stay quietly by his side.

Xiao Zhou asked softly, "Sister Xu?"

Zhu Xu stirred, raised his head, and summarized the entanglement between the two of them in a few sentences, saying to her, "If you're scared, I can give you and Lin Yuan a few days of paid leave."

Zhu Xu had always treated them well, and Xiao Zhou knew that backing down now would be ungrateful. "No need. If he comes again, I'll call the police. The police station is right across the street. I don't believe we can't deal with him."

Ultimately, it has nothing to do with them. Liang Haiyang's purpose is clear, so he shouldn't do anything reckless.

Zhu Xu said, "Then close the door early tonight and leave with Lin Yuan."

Xiao Zhou: "Okay."

/

After returning, Zheng Zhi reported everything to He Yanzhou.

Upon hearing that the target was him, He Yanzhou felt relieved and even somewhat expectant. He was looking forward to meeting that scumbag and, incidentally, making sure to kill him half to death.

He compressed what would normally take a week to handle in Lincheng into four days before returning home. He landed at 7 p.m. and, near his home, first called Zhu Xu to tell her he would be home in five minutes and to reassure her.

As I went upstairs to unlock the door, a figure rushed towards me.

He Yanzhou caught her and couldn't help but tilt his head to look down at her. She hugged his waist tightly and refused to let go. Realizing the gaze on her head, she immediately buried her face in his chest.

The room was quiet; she didn't speak, but you could hear the soft twitching of her nose.

He Yanzhou pulled her back and closed the door, then patted her back soothingly, his tone troubled: "Don't hug me so tightly, I can't give it to you right now, I need to rest."

In an instant, Zhu Xu burst into laughter through his tears, "You really are something."

"Look up," He Yanzhou commanded softly.

Zhu Xu rubbed his face against his shirt a few times before finally raising his chin to look at him. His eyes were still moist, and just looking at him seemed to bring tears to his eyes again.

He Yanzhou's eyes softened as he smiled and said, "You've rubbed it all over me? Aren't you dirty?"

"sorry."

He frowned: "Why are you always apologizing?"

“I’m so sorry to have dragged you into this disgusting mess. Liang Haiyang won’t let this go. I don’t know what he’ll do next, or if he’ll hurt you.” Her voice trembled. “But all of this… originally had nothing to do with you.”

He Yanzhou listened and, seeing that she wouldn't let go, simply bent down, picked her up horizontally, and carried her into the living room, where they sat down on the sofa together.

The air conditioning was on indoors, and the temperature was just right to dispel the summer heat outside.

He Yanzhou said in a low voice, "Weren't you quite fierce back then? Why are you secretly wiping away tears now?"

Zhu Xu paused, "Zheng Zhi talks a lot."

How could she not be afraid? But when she heard that he might be assaulted, she was seized by a moment of desperate courage. She had the urge to plunge that pair of scissors into his throat.

It wasn't until Zheng Zhi shielded her behind him that she realized her hand holding the scissors was trembling uncontrollably.

He Yanzhou's chin rested on the top of her head: "Unless you redefine our relationship, this matter cannot be unrelated to me." He lifted her chin with his fingers, staring into her eyes, his tone serious: "Listen, nothing is worthy of disturbing your current life and mood, much less worthy of putting you in danger. Leave the rest to me, understand?"

Zhu Xu nodded obediently: "Understood."

She nestled her head back against his chest: "But I'm afraid he'll hurt you."

He Yanzhou raised an eyebrow: "I'm not that weak, am I?"

The scumbag is lurking in the shadows; we can't guess what tricks he's up to yet. We'll just have to wait and see.

However, he disappeared again.

Two weeks later, He Yanzhou received a call from his secretary in Jidao, saying that someone in the hotel had been reported for prostitution, and the police had come and taken the person away. The woman insisted that the hotel had secretly instructed her to provide special services to the guests.

He Yanzhou lowered his gaze, hung up the phone, let out a cold laugh, and immediately returned.

On the way, he received another post from his secretary titled "Beidao XX Resort Hotel Suspected of Providing Prostitution Venue Under Investigation." He clicked on it and quickly browsed through it. The gist of the post was that, despite the hotel's glamorous appearance, it was actually filthy and involved in the gray industry to make huge profits. He hoped that tourists visiting Beidao would keep their eyes open and avoid this hotel. After all, when traveling, the most important thing is to stay in a comfortable and clean place. Who knows who slept in that bed before or what disgusting things they did?

The article ended with several photos of the hotel entrance and lobby; scrolling to the bottom revealed an astonishing number of clicks and shares.

Spreading rumors is easy; most people only believe what they see in front of them, and even if the above content cannot withstand scrutiny, they will not take the time to distinguish its rationality.

He Yanzhou scrolled down through the comments.

Someone said: I'm going to the North Island for a trip next month and happened to have booked this hotel. Thanks to the warning, I'm canceling it immediately.

Some people said: "I stayed there last time, and the environment and hygiene were quite good. If this is true, then it's a bit disgusting."

As He Yanzhou continued scrolling down, his hand paused.

One person replied: Here's something even more shocking. The owner of this hotel is a womanizer. Not only does he have a string of women around him, but he also interfered in other people's marriages, causing the woman's relationship with her husband to break down and lead to divorce. To this day, the two are still entangled in a complicated relationship.

The following related post mentions his relationship with Zhu Xu.

Thinking of Zhu Xu, he felt a pang of sadness in his chest.

Bei Dao is still quite young, and being in the same hotel industry, the fact that things escalated so quickly means she's probably already seen it. Those things he couldn't bear to mention in the past are now being exposed to the public in this way.

He Yanzhou turned off his phone screen, somewhat surprised that he had this line of thinking. His eyes flashed coldly; killing that scumbag a hundred times wouldn't quell the hatred in his heart.

The car sped along the road. He closed his eyes, leaned back in his seat, calmed himself, and thought about how to deal with the situation.

Upon arriving at the hotel, take the elevator to the eighth floor.

Zheng Zhi stepped forward and said, "Miss Zhu is in your office."

He Yanzhou paused, then strode across the corridor and pushed open the office door. Zhu Xu, sitting on the sofa, looked over and quickly stood up upon seeing him.

He Yanzhou put on a gentle expression: "Is Teacher Zhu here to check homework? I've been watering that tree on time."

Zhu Xu couldn't laugh: "I passed by here this morning and saw two police cars parked at the entrance. When I asked, I found out that someone was reported for doing that kind of business. I also saw the post; it must have been him."

He Yanzhou's lips slowly curved into a smile as he looked intently at her: "Are you alright?"

She nodded; none of that mattered anymore. "What about the hotel?"

He grasped her shoulders: "Don't worry, I'm already..."

Before he could finish speaking, a commotion erupted outside, followed by the office door being forcefully pushed open. He Sheng entered, one hand on his hip, the other holding a cigar and pointing: "Prostitution? This hotel is cleaner than my own face. I'd like to see who dares to mess with me, and I'll make sure they're dead."

He Yanzhou released Zhu Xu and took two steps forward.

He Sheng: "Yanzhou, do you know who's behind this?"

"I know, please have a seat." He Yanzhou made way, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zhu Xu silently walking towards the door, and called out, "Xiao Xu."

Zhu Xu stopped.

He Yanzhou: "Call him Third Uncle."

Zhu Xu felt a subtle stirring in his heart, turned around to face the man, and respectfully said, "Third Uncle."

"Eh," He Sheng answered instinctively.

He glanced at the girl next to him and couldn't help but think of the contents of the post that his subordinate had just relayed to him. He admired his nephew's good taste and was also curious: could the post be true? Did he really play around like that and have a penchant for being a mistress?

However, this was the first time someone had taken the initiative to introduce a girl to him.

He Sheng: "You guys..."

Seeing that he was about to speak, He Yanzhou quickly stopped him, saying, "What you saw is not true."

He Sheng didn't ask any further questions.

The two sat facing each other at the desk, while Zhu Xu quietly sat down on the sofa next to him.

He Yanzhou said, "That person came for me, which will probably damage the hotel's image."

"I had someone kill him."

"Don't worry, I have an idea." He pondered for a moment, "I wonder if Uncle San would mind playing the good cop, let me be the good guy."

"I don't care about those things, do whatever you want with them. I think it's pointless to bother, I'll find someone..."

“Third Uncle.” He Yanzhou frowned.

He Sheng stopped talking.

He left after sitting for a short while. He Yanzhou comforted Zhu Xu and then saw him out.

He poured himself a glass of water, stood by the window, and slowly drank it. Then he called Zheng Zhi over and gave him two instructions: "There will be many similar posts in the future. Find people to comment, forward, and bump the posts. Make the situation as big as possible."

Zheng Zhi was puzzled: "Shouldn't we give a positive response immediately? Otherwise, wouldn't our losses be even greater?"

"This is exactly the result we wanted."

Although Zheng Zhi did not understand, he immediately nodded.

He Yanzhou: "Make an effort to meet that woman and get her to tell the truth, revealing that the real culprit is all about money. I have plenty of money; whatever he offers, you double it."

Zheng Zhi: "Yes."

Three days later, things unfolded exactly as He Yanzhou had predicted: online abuse exploded, escalating the conflict to its peak. Some people checked out early demanding refunds, while others cancelled their bookings. In a short time, the rooms were almost empty, resulting in significant losses.

On a pleasant and comfortable summer evening, the beach is bustling with people, but the hotel is deserted.

The assistant brought over some data; the amount lost was sufficient.

The malicious rumors and slander have damaged the hotel's reputation and caused it huge economic losses. Go back to your jail cell.

Next, the hotel officially reported the incident to the police and actively cooperated with all parties in the investigation. He was completely honest and straightforward in his business dealings, and had no fear whatsoever.

There was absolutely no interaction between him and that woman, so how could he have secretly given instructions? And that woman, who initially refused to divulge anything, later inexplicably confessed that she was acting under someone else's orders.

At this time, the hotel's relevant departments also prepared to salvage the company's image by making all the review results from the health, tourism, and regulatory departments transparent.

Meanwhile, a video also circulated online—it was a dinner party, in which a young man in a white shirt sat at the head of the table and firmly refused when his companions suggested that he get involved in a sensitive industry.

He said: "The highest value of a resort hotel is to enhance happiness, so every corner must be clean enough."

Every word and phrase resonated deeply.

Although the video was not substantial evidence and seemed somewhat unreliable, He Yanzhou took advantage of the fact that the public was only willing to believe what they saw in front of them, thus building up a positive impression of the hotel layer by layer.

The official website has also issued a direct response, expressing deep regret for the inconvenience caused by malicious rumors. Therefore, starting immediately, all hotel bookings will enjoy a 5% discount. In addition, the hotel will host a fireworks display weekly, offering the best viewing spots, hoping everyone can fully enjoy each visual feast.

A series of positive posts were upvoted, and room bookings gradually increased. Although some losses were irreversible, He Yanzhou felt it was all worthwhile.

Zheng Zhi asked, "Should we also respond to those news reports about you and Ms. Zhu?"

"No need." He Yanzhou wasn't foolish enough to explain the whole story to netizens. "Just treat it as something to talk about and have fun with. Who will remember it afterward?"

"I heard the police are looking for Liang Haiyang."

He Yanzhou sneered and didn't reply.

The matter was handled fairly satisfactorily, but just as the police intervened to search for Liang Haiyang's whereabouts, this scumbag seemed to have vanished into thin air.