I'll make sure he can never return to China for the rest of his life.

Guo Yutao was the first to react, "What a grand style, Young Master Chu."

Chu Sinian took out a wet wipe to wipe his hands, and replied without looking at him, "Yeah, so what?"

Ning Zicheng immediately stood up, "Xiao Yu, why did you provoke him!"

Xiao Yu's face turned green. He pointed at himself and then at him in disbelief, "Ning Zicheng, what did you say?"

Ning Zicheng glanced at Chu Sinian's face and found that he didn't seem offended at all. However, the corners of his eyes and lips curled up in a cold and indescribable way, which conveyed a sense of disgust.

Ning Zicheng glared fiercely at Xiao Yu, then walked over and grabbed Chu Sinian's wrist, saying to them, "Don't bring your bad habits onto us. We're here today out of consideration for our two families. If you offend Chu Sinian, you're offending me!" After he finished speaking, he pulled Chu Sinian away.

Xiao Yu stood up angrily, watching the two figures leave, and kicked over a chair, yelling, "They're both lunatics!"

Guo Yutao continued eating as if he hadn't seen anything, while Zhu Liangxuan laughed without giving him any face, "Xiao Yu, were you secretly harassing Chu Sinian behind our backs? He's not like you, all suave and respectable. He has a charming face but a stubborn and cold temper. Didn't you know you went out with him before? How come your lower half is controlling your brain again?"

"I didn't do anything." Xiao Yu sat down next to her, and Su Shu, who had been quiet just moments before, suddenly exploded, "What did Zhu Liangxuan say? You harassed Brother Si Nian!"

Xiao Yu's ears were practically deafened. "Can you keep your voice down? What do you mean by 'attack him'? I've been sitting here eating all night, and I don't even know what I did to offend him!"

Before Su Shu could say anything more, someone suddenly burst in through the door. It was Ning Zicheng, who had returned. He pulled Su Shu away with an angry face.

"What are you doing? Let go of me, I'm going back to curse him to death."

"Chu Sinian told me to take you away."

Su Shu was stunned for a moment, "Huh?"

"He just told me that Xiao Yu is a pervert who doesn't discriminate between men and women. Because of his high status, he has done a lot of things to bully men and women. He's afraid that if you anger Xiao Yu, Xiao Yu will take action against you."

Su Shu was led along by Ning Zicheng in a daze for a while.

The long, quiet cobblestone path was lined with lonely trees that seemed unwilling to leave, their leaves rustling in the wind as if they were lamenting their fate.

Su Shu said, "I never knew Xiao Yu was this kind of person."

Ning Zicheng scratched her hair in frustration. "I don't know either. When I play with him, there are often men and women around him. That's normal. It's also common for them to come and entertain us."

"Playing fancy games isn't a big deal in the industry, but Chu Sinian just told me that during that Matterhorn hike in Switzerland, he couldn't go because he was sick. Didn't Xiao Yu stay behind to take care of him? When Chu Sinian was delirious with fever, Xiao Yu almost stripped him naked. If he hadn't been sober at that time, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

Ning Zicheng grew angrier the more she thought about it. She cursed and walked forward in silence, unknowingly leaving the manor.

Chu Sinian was waiting for him ahead. "We've all been drinking. The designated driver will be here in ten minutes."

Ning Zicheng wilted as soon as she saw Chu Sinian. She plopped down in the passenger seat and said dejectedly, "Why didn't you tell me about that? If I had known why I brought you here today, I would never have had any contact with him again."

Chu Sinian stood by the car door looking at him, and said calmly, "Even if I had really fainted from the fever, he wouldn't have dared to touch me even if he had a hundred lives. He's a man, what's there to be afraid of?"

He chuckled. "Besides, I'm not one to suffer losses easily. After I woke up, Xiao Yu gave me inside information about the Hangzhou project as compensation. It just so happened that their funding and supply chain were in Hangzhou, so I took the opportunity to cripple their internal system and cut off Xiao's entire business in the south. That was a lesson learned, so we're even."

Ning Zicheng opened her mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again.

Su Shu wiped her eyes. "How can this be undone by taking revenge? You were barely an adult back then." She looked up, her eyes glistening with tears.

Chu Sinian was taken aback.

Ning Zicheng stomped her foot angrily and rushed out of the car, yelling, "Damn it, I'm going to kill him!"

Chu Sinian grabbed his collar, almost causing him to fall due to the inertia. "Calm down. This matter is over. How are you going to explain this to your parents if you have a conflict with him? Your two families are old friends."

"So what? It's all my fault, if I hadn't introduced you to this..."

Chu Sinian looked at the designated driver approaching from not far away and pressed Ning Zicheng back into her seat. "Alright, I'm fine. Don't put on a melodramatic act."

Once the designated driver got into the car, the three of them remained silent. Ning Zicheng and Su Shu silently shed tears, while Chu Sinian pressed his forehead, feeling both amused and exasperated.

After taking Su Shu home, Ning Zicheng didn't go back to the hotel or her own home. Instead, she went to Chu Sinian's house, staring with a resentful look in her eyes, tightly gripping her phone, and hesitating to speak several times.

Chu Sinian went to the bathroom to take a shower. He glanced towards the living room and dialed a number. "Help me find out about a girl named Yi Rou who is with Xiao Yu."

The other party responded quickly, "Yes, sir."

He left his phone on the sink and went into the shower.

When he came out after taking a shower, he saw Ning Zicheng still sitting there blankly. He walked to the bar and sat down while drying his hair. "Young Master Ning, if you don't go take a shower and go to bed soon, it will be dawn."

Ning Zicheng sat silently, ignoring him.

Chu Sinian had never seen him so withdrawn before, and found it quite novel. "What's wrong? Do I have to coax you to sleep? Do you want me to tell you a bedtime story? Or a lullaby?"

“I called my dad and told him to cancel the cooperation with the Xiao family.”

"He agreed."

Chu Sinian sat there, his slightly open mouth revealing a hint of surprise.

How did your parents agree to this?

Ning Zicheng pouted, "I told them about Xiao Yu's actions against you, and they were very angry, saying they would definitely teach them a lesson."

Chu Sinian closed his lips and remained silent for a long time.

There are no friends in business; all interactions are based on interests. The shady dealings are all covered by a veneer of glamorous facade—that veneer is called social etiquette.

Chu Sinian knew about these things long ago.

Those personal connections, like a spider web, link various forces together. Cutting off any one of them would result in significant losses, let alone family-based friendships.

He was taught from a young age to be shrewd and discreet, to be meticulous and not to make any mistakes. He was told that it didn't matter if he suffered a loss, as long as the price was right, those losses could even be used as bait.

Chu Sinian has adhered to these principles to this day.

For every amount Xiao Yu lost during those days, he made the same amount, truly managing to make every penny count. To this day, Xiao Yu still doesn't understand how the money went down the drain.

According to the principles his elders taught him, the Swiss affair could also be used as a hook.

Chu Sinian remained silent for a long time. Thinking of what Su Shu had said, he blinked and said, "Actually, there's no need. When I say the past is truly the past."

"But I can't get through!"

Ning Zicheng suddenly stood up and glared at him angrily.

Ning Zicheng gritted his teeth, squeezing his phone so hard it made a slight noise. "If I had found out about this in Switzerland, I would have made sure he could never come back to China for the rest of his life."

—

The midday sun in autumn wasn't hot; it felt pleasantly warm on the skin. As the sunlight swept across the living room, Ning Zicheng, shirtless and yawning, walked into the living room.

Standing opposite him was Chu Sinian, who was dressed neatly and sitting casually. He subconsciously covered himself, and then heard Chu Sinian say lazily, "I've been neglecting my fitness lately."

Ning Zicheng woke up with a start, looked down at herself, and touched her arm. "I've been busy with competitions lately, I haven't had time to work out. As for you, what right do you have to talk to me like that? If you're so capable, take off your clothes and have a go at me!"

Chu Sinian looked at his arm muscles, which were bigger than his own legs, and shrugged, "Then I guess I'm not capable."

Today is Liang Jingsi's engagement banquet. Ning Zicheng has no interest in the banquet. He is not familiar with Liang Jingsi, his fiancée Tang Yu, or Yu Shi. At most, he has only heard their stories from other people.

Love and romance are so boring.

Normally he would be happy to join in the fun, but after what happened yesterday, Ning Zicheng felt uneasy.

Chu Sinian first took Ning Zicheng to a restaurant downstairs for a meal, and then took him to his private studio, where his image management team gave Ning Zicheng a thorough makeover.

That face, worn down by computer use, was finally drastically transformed, and Ning Zicheng returned to her appearance when she first entered school.

Chu Sinian looked at his healthy yellow skin, his bright eyes smiling generously, his wide mouth and straight nose, and he had a cheerful and sunny appearance, which reminded people of a horse running on the grassland.

Chu Sinian nodded in satisfaction, "If you had done this earlier, your Xiaobai wouldn't have disliked you."

Ning Zicheng immediately became unhappy, "Xiaobai doesn't care about looks, okay? I'm beautiful inside and out!"

Chu Si laughed, "You might as well say she's beautiful, that would be more believable."

Ning Zicheng is angry.

Chu Sinian didn't pay attention and took out his phone to send a WeChat message to Su Shu.

From last night until now, Su Shu has sent him many messages, most of which expressed concern, anger, and even a desire for revenge.

Chu Sinian had already dragged Ning Zicheng into the mess, and really didn't want to involve a little girl as well. It was only after his repeated persuasion and requests that Su Shu finally changed her mind.

He texted: "This is all in the past, don't let it affect your mood."

Su Su: [I understand, Brother Sinian. I won't mention it again.]

Chu Sinian: [Study hard, attend classes diligently, and next year when you get into Dong'an, I'll treat you to a meal.]

SuSu: [Ahhh... Waaah, I will! I will definitely get into Dong'an University!]

Chu Sinian: [Waiting for you in Dong'an, wishing you a smooth landing.]

Chu Sinian smiled, closed his phone, and said to Ning Zicheng, "Let's go to the engagement banquet."

This banquet was the most grand one in recent times. After all, it was the Tang family, a well-known family in Beijing, so their engagement banquet was bound to be as large and extravagant as possible.

As soon as Chu Sinian and Ning Zicheng entered the venue, they were surrounded by people coming from all directions.

"Long time no see, Young Master Chu."

“The Chu family’s child, I heard he’s focused on academic research and neglects his father. That won’t do. Scientific research is not as profitable as business.”

"Oh, Mr. Qi, you underestimate him. Si Nian either doesn't take action at all, or he does it on a massive scale. Didn't he single-handedly take over the big project in the south before..."

"The Ning family's son is doing well too. He's on the right track now. He won an award in Beijing these past few days. His elders can rest assured!"

"These two children are both outstanding..."

Chu Sinian took the wine from the waiter beside him, raised his usual lazy smile, and moved among them with ease, quietly pushing through the crowd and leading Ning Zicheng out of the encirclement.

Ning Zicheng looked at the kind faces behind her and frowned slightly. "These guys are shameless, taking advantage of their age. They keep urging us to drink and keep digging into our relationship issues. If it were me, I would have quit long ago."

Chu Sinian raised an eyebrow at him, "This is an engagement banquet, so be careful what you say."

Ning Zicheng was unconvinced, "So what? A bunch of old lewd people. We might as well take Su Shu rock climbing with us."

Chu Sinian glanced at him sideways, "You really don't treat Su Shu like a little girl."

Ning Zicheng said, "Eighteen years old is the perfect age for a young girl to get some experience."

"Then ask her out now."

Ning Zicheng and Chu Sinian stared at each other for a few seconds, then Ning Zicheng resolutely took out her phone and walked out of the venue.

Chu Sinian did not follow. To avoid being disturbed by anyone, he went to a corner with a good view and sat down, quietly scanning the crowds.

The Tang family holds a high position in the capital. In the past, the heads of the group would only send relatives or secretaries to attend. Now, most of them come in person to offer their blessings. A few simply deliver a message and leave before the ceremony even begins.

Among the uniformly aged yet imposing faces of those in power, a few inconspicuous young people appeared. They were all overwhelmed by the aura of the older generation, like wet-behind tiger cubs following their elders on an inspection tour.

Chu Sinian looked around, intending to look away, but found a very proper person standing not far in front of him.

He put down the wine he had just brought to his lips and suddenly looked ahead.