Chapter 51. Stepping out of this door, hmm...
At nine o'clock in the evening, the Huasong Building was brightly lit.
The crowd dispersed from the conference room.
Chu Song led Fu Xiu out quickly, but Chu Yuan called out to them, "I didn't see you eat much at dinner. Your aunt has prepared a late-night snack. Want to have some together?"
"Uncle, I have an urgent matter..." Chu Song looked anxious.
Chu Yuan noticed his expression was off: "What's wrong?"
"I'm worried about A-Tang over there," Chu Song said regretfully, especially after receiving Chu Yi's call.
He shouldn't have agreed to Shen Jialang's request, allowing Xie Tang to venture into such a dangerous place.
Chu Yuan could tell that he was really concerned, so he nodded and said, "Then hurry up and bring them back."
"Alright!" Chu Song walked swiftly, with Fu Xiu following closely behind.
Xie Tang realized at this moment that excessive kindness can sometimes be a fatal flaw.
She thought she had a good eye for talent, but she has now suffered a major setback.
The woman, who had been weak and looked like she might collapse at any moment, now stood up straight, a mocking smile on her lips, calmly observing the woman who had fallen into the trap.
The theater was dimly lit, and Xie Tang couldn't quite make out her meticulously crafted face for a moment.
"Attorney Xie, how was my acting?"
The woman snapped on the headlights.
The blinding light instantly filled the entire space, revealing her features in every detail under the intense light—both familiar and strange, with a deliberate stiffness.
Meanwhile, Dou Xiao and Xiang Shaoyun appeared at either end of the corner sofa, both wearing identical playful smiles.
"That's right, otherwise you wouldn't have been able to fool me." Xie Tang's voice was calm, but inwardly he cursed himself for being foolish.
"You really don't remember me?" the woman asked smugly.
Xie Tang frowned and stared intently, his memory churning with blurry fragments, yet he couldn't grasp any clues.
"Heh, no wonder, I had some minor adjustments done." The woman touched her cheek with a self-deprecating smile. "Xu Ling, my name is Xu Ling."
"Oh, it's you." Xie Tang recognized him, showing no surprise.
Xu Ling, who gained overnight fame by playing the victim in a live broadcast, denouncing her parents and belittling her relatives, only to be brought back to square one by her aunt the very next day.
"Speaking of which, I should 'thank' you." Xu Ling's voice suddenly turned cold. "If you hadn't helped my aunt win the lawsuit, if you hadn't given her the idea to expose the family scandal online to everyone... how could I have become 'famous' so quickly?"
"I never asked your aunt to expose this online!" Xie Tang found it absurd; the accusations were completely baseless.
"Does it matter whose idea it is now?" Xu Ling shrugged indifferently, her eyes filled with venomous fire. "The result is that my grandparents sold the house, moved abroad, and completely severed ties with my dad! They don't acknowledge my dad, and they don't acknowledge me either! And my parents..."
She suddenly laughed menacingly, "They call me an ingrate every day, yet they eagerly hope I become a star and make a fortune so they can take care of me in my old age and see me off when I die..."
"Are you complaining to me?" Xie Tang interrupted impatiently.
"yes."
"Did I cause these misfortunes?"
"Of course not." Xu Ling shook his head, but his gaze lingered on Xie Tang's face like a venomous snake, greedily surveying that naturally beautiful face. "I just... envy you. Envy that you were born with such a beautiful face. But you don't know how to appreciate its value!"
Her tone grew increasingly sharp: "You used to be just a lawyer, living on a meager salary. But now, you've transformed into a wealthy socialite! I heard you're still a lawyer? What a waste! Xie Tang, you're so boring..."
Looking at the twisted and swollen desire in her eyes, Xie Tang suddenly remembered himself when he was 21.
At that time, she was doing her internship diligently and taking care of Xie Shuang at the hospital. She was overwhelmed with work every day, but she was full of passion and anticipation for life.
She gave a cold, sarcastic laugh: "You're not bad either. You figured out the secrets of online popularity at such a young age, and now you've even climbed the threshold of a wealthy family."
Seeing that she remained calm, Xu Ling became somewhat exasperated: "Aren't you going to ask me why I tricked you into coming here?"
Xie Tang ignored her and turned her gaze to Dou Xiao: "Why ask such a stupid question?"
She then turned to Xiang Shaoyun, "Young Master Xiang, it's just a matter of a word. Why all this fuss?"
"How else can I shake off your loyal dog and 'have a private chat' with you?"
Xiang Shaoyun spoke slowly, his fingers unconsciously tracing the cheek where Xie Tang had slapped him, his eyes filled with malice. "I haven't forgotten that slap. Everyone who knows me knows I'm... vengeful. I tolerated it that day for Song-ge's sake. But today..."
He drawled, “I have to get this out.”
Xie Tang's heart sank; she knew she had met her match.
Even if they believe they are not at fault, they have no choice but to bow their heads and show weakness at this moment.
She took a deep breath and tried to sound sincere: "Young Master Xiang, I acted impulsively that day. I apologize to you."
Xiang Shaoyun leaned back on the sofa, his gaze slowly sweeping over her face as if he were assessing an object, and said slowly and deliberately, "Is this how you apologize from such a condescending position?"
Xie Tang sat down on the sofa opposite as instructed.
Now that things have come to this, fear will only embolden the opponent.
"What good is an apology?" Xiang Shaoyun sneered, his voice icy. "In all my years, no one has dared to lay a finger on me. You're the first... You've really messed with me."
Xie Tang's heart leaped into her throat, and she lowered her stance once again: "What does Young Master Xiang want to do to appease this anger?"
Xiang Shaoyun stared at her silently, the air seemed to freeze, and every second felt like it was being stretched out.
Only when Xie Tang felt his heart pounding so hard it was about to burst his eardrums did he reveal a chilling smile and point to the coffee table.
On the table, two glasses of wine were prominently displayed.
The deep red wine looked like two pools of congealed blood under the light.
"See that?" Xiang Shaoyun's voice carried a cruel, cat-and-mouse satisfaction. "One is clean, the other is spiked. Drink one, and whatever the outcome, you can leave. Let's see if you... have that luck."
As the host, Dou Xiao leaned lazily against the other sofa throughout the entire event, tapping the leather armrest with his fingertips.
That monotonous sound struck Xie Tang's taut nerves precisely.
She recalled Chu Song's warning: Xiang Shaoyun is tainted with yellow/poison.
What exactly was put in the cup?
The fear of the unknown gripped my heart like a poisonous vine.
"What? Scared?" Xiang Shaoyun's cold laugh broke the silence. "When you slapped me, did you even consider whether I was someone you could afford to offend? The Chu family may be powerful, but there are people in this world they wouldn't dare to easily provoke! Do you really think they can protect you forever?"
"I'll drink it." Xie Tang suppressed the surging fear and reached out to pick up one of the glasses.
The cool glass touched her fingertips, and she forced herself to look directly at Xiang Shaoyun. "I hope Xiang Shaoyun keeps his word. After this drink, all grudges will be settled."
"Hmm," Xiang Shaoyun hummed through his nose.
Xie Tang turned his gaze to Dou Xiao: "I would like to ask Young Master Dou to be my witness."
“No problem.” Dou Xiao stopped tapping his fingers, nodded with interest, and watched as she tilted her head back and drank the wine in her glass without hesitation.
The smile on his lips deepened and spread silently with her swallowing.
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When Shen Jialang learned that Xie Tang was missing, he was furious and slapped the bodyguard next to him. "How could you not keep an eye on such an adult? Send people to search every room right now!"
After saying that, he suppressed his anger and said to Chu Yi, "Don't worry, I will definitely find the person."
"Second Brother wants her to be unharmed." Chu Yi raised his eyes, his gaze sharp. "Can you guarantee that?"
If Dou Xiao really did take the person away, Shen Jialang wouldn't dare to guarantee it.
When his brother goes crazy, he even dares to harass his wife. What else wouldn't he do?
Seeing Shen Jialang's troubled expression, Yu Ning quickly asked, "Where is Ah Xiao?"
"Young Master and Young Master Xiang have left, their whereabouts are unknown," the butler replied cautiously.
Yu Ning walked to the side and dialed Dou Xiao's number, but no one answered after half a minute.
"Let's split up, I'll go find him."
Chu Yi immediately followed.
"Don't worry, I know Ah Xiao. He's just a bit of a smart aleck, but he wouldn't go so far as to harm your sister-in-law." Yu Ning walked briskly in her high heels, her demeanor as energetic as her actions.
Chu Yi was puzzled, "Why did he insist on having his second sister-in-law come over?"
"This..." Yu Ning smiled helplessly, "To be honest, it was Grandpa's idea. Ah Xiao has been tired of being forced to go on blind dates lately, so he used Xie Tang as a shield, saying that he likes people like her. Grandpa was curious and made sure Jia Lang brought her here..."
Chu Yi frowned; the grandfather and grandson's "eccentric" ways were truly inherited from the same lineage.
"Even if we assume he doesn't do anything reckless, what about Xiang Shaoyun?"
Yu Ning abruptly stopped, looking at Zuo Meng in her cheongsam, her heart sinking: "This is exactly what I was worried about..."
Zuo Meng asked expressionlessly, "Are you looking for Attorney Xie?"
Yu Ning frowned: "You know?"
Zuo Meng raised her eyes and gestured to the closed door not far away: "She's inside, she hasn't come out."
"Why are you only saying this now?" Yu Ning coldly scrutinized Zuo Meng—Dou Xiao's ex-girlfriend, who had now climbed up to Xiang Shaoyun—and her tone was naturally unfriendly.
Zuo Meng didn't care about her disdain at all and said indifferently, "I have no obligation to tell you."
"Then why are you saying it now?"
Instead of questioning me, why don't you go and see what's going on inside? If it gets any later... something bad might happen.
Yu Ning's heart tightened. She glared at her, lifted her skirt, and rushed towards her own movie theater.
"Thanks." Chu Yi recognized her as one of Xiang Shaoyun's people.
He had noticed long ago that her eyes were filled with fear when she looked at Xiang Shaoyun.
Watching their hurried figures, Zuo Meng hesitated for a moment before following them.
This was the worst decision she ever made.
Almost simultaneously, Chu Song and Fu Xiu also arrived.
Shen Jialang was already waiting by the door. Seeing his cold expression, he quickly reassured him, "We've found the person. We'll take you there now."
Chu Song gave him a cold glance: "You'd better pray she's safe and sound!"
Shen Jialang was taken aback. He was used to never showing his emotions, so it was rare to see him so angry.
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The spicy liquor rolled down Xie Tang's throat, causing him to choke and tear up. His throat felt like it was on fire, burning and suffocating him.
She had never drunk such strong liquor before. Her brows furrowed, and she gripped the glass tightly with both hands, trying to suppress her discomfort.
The alcohol raged through my body like a raging fire, making me dizzy and feverish.
She struggled to stand firm and remain sober, but the intense intoxication overwhelmed her senses like a tidal wave.
Xiang Shaoyun stared silently at her flushed cheeks and trembling body. The drug should be taking effect soon; he wanted to see how long she could hold out.
Xie Tang put down her wine glass, a fleeting pain flashing in her eyes, before she forced herself to remain calm.
"Young Master Xiang, I've finished drinking... Can I leave now?" Her throat was burning, her cheeks were flushed, and her vision was blurry and swaying.
Xiang Shaoyun smiled smugly and waved his hand toward the door, "Alright, walk out of this door and all grudges will be wiped clean."
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