Gu Huaijin was immensely strong, and a piercing pain shot through Xia Xing’s wrist.
Bearing the agony, she lifted her head to look at the man and uttered coldly: “I heard you.
So what?”
Zhuang Yi failed to catch the underlying meaning in Xia Xing’s words and shouted loudly, “So what?
Of course you need to apologize to Susu!”
Lu Xingzhou sighed silently.
If Xia Xing intended to apologize to Lin Susu, she would not have asked “so what”.
What she really meant was that she had heard Gu Huaijin’s words, yet she refused to apologize.
Gu Huaijin’s cool gaze settled on Xia Xing’s face.
“I’ll say this one last time.
Apologize to Susu.”
Xia Xing raised her eyes to meet his delicate features.
“Gu Huaijin, do you know the phrase you’ve said to me more than anything else?
It’s ‘apologize to Susu’.
You may not get tired of saying it, but I’m sick of hearing it.”
“You and Lin Susu love hearing apologies so much.
Should I hire people to keep apologizing to you two nonstop?”
Zhuang Yi flew into a rage after hearing this.
“Xia Xing, you’ve done something wrong yet refuse to apologize.
Have you no shame?!”
Xia Xing replied calmly, “If you believe I’m in the wrong, feel free to call the police and arrest me.”
Zhuang Yi pointed at her, too furious to speak.
“You…”
Suddenly, the pain in Xia Xing’s wrist intensified, as if her bones were about to be crushed.
She winced, her face paling noticeably.
Yet Gu Huaijin acted as if he noticed nothing, his intimidating eyes fixed steadily on her.
“Mr.
Gu.” Xia Xing knew better than to fight him in this situation, for she would only suffer.
“You’re going to break my wrist.”
Gu Huaijin did not loosen his grip.
“So you still refuse to apologize?”
Zhuang Yi fanned the flames beside them.
“Good job, Ajin!
She needs to be taught a lesson, so she knows her place!”
Cold sweat beaded on Xia Xing’s forehead, her complexion as pale as paper.
Pain made her eyelashes tremble faintly.
“If you fracture my wrist, I will call the police and sue you for intentional bodily harm.
A faint mocking smile tugged at her lips.
“What you’re doing to me may not qualify as intentional assault.
It could be classified as domestic violence…”
“Just imagine the headlines: the CEO of the Gu Group is an abuser.
The media and public would eat that story up…”
The pressure on her wrist vanished abruptly.
Xia Xing lifted her hand to inspect it.
A clear bruise had bloomed across her fair, delicate skin.
A flicker of emotion crossed Gu Huaijin’s eyes.
Seeing this, Zhuang Yi was not satisfied.
“Ajin, listen to what she’s saying!
She’s threatening you!
We can’t let this woman get away with it.
This is probably another trick to grab your attention…”
Zhuang Yi was about to say more when Lu Xingzhou clamped a hand over his mouth.
“Ayi, this is a matter between husband and wife.
We outsiders ought not meddle.”
Lu Xingzhou glanced at Lin Susu.
“Miss Lin, let us step out for a moment.”
Lin Susu shot Gu Huaijin a worried look and spoke softly, “Ajin, perhaps Miss Xia has been cooped up at home lately and is just in a bad mood… Let us disregard her words; she just needs some relaxation.”
Zhuang Yi let out a scornful snort.
“A housewife living in luxury all day long?
What relaxation does she need?
Does she feel better seeking out another man?”
Lu Xingzhou pulled Zhuang Yi back.
“Enough, Ayi.
Let’s head back to the private room and wait for Ajin.”
Zhuang Yi glared fiercely at Xia Xing.
“Hurt Susu and you’re finished!
Wait and see how Ajin deals with you!”
Xia Xing finally lifted her gaze to him and asked earnestly, “Zhuang Yi, has being a lapdog no longer satisfied your peculiar tastes, so you’ve upgraded to being a yes-man?”
Zhuang Yi erupted in fury the instant he heard that.
He pointed at Xia Xing angrily.
“Ajin, Xingzhou, did you hear that?!
She called me a yes-man!
Earlier outside, she called me a lapdog too!”
Lu Xingzhou coughed lightly.
“Ayi, leave this to Ajin.”
“No!” Zhuang Yi was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, roaring, “I’m not leaving until Ajin gives me justice today!”
I have things to do, so I’m leaving.”
Rubbing her swollen wrist, Xia Xing stepped around them to leave.
Gu Huaijin’s expression darkened, and he seized her wrist once more.
This time he lightened his hold.
It did not hurt badly, yet she could not pull free.
Zhuang Yi had more to say, but upon seeing Gu Huaijin’s stormy face, he swallowed his words.
Lin Susu fell silent as well, watching the scene.
Gu Huaijin roughly pushed Xia Xing into an empty private room, his tone dripping with mockery.
“Xia Xing, is this a new game of yours to play hard to get?”
Xia Xing frowned.
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
Gu Huaijin’s eyes were filled with sneer.
“Last time you pretended to be in danger to lure me over, yet nothing happened… Xia Xing, when did you learn to resort to such despicable tactics?”
Xia Xing’s heart constricted sharply.
It felt as though sharp blades were slicing her flesh little by little, robbing her of breath.
She clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug painfully into her palms.
Despicable.
He called her despicable?
That day, she had been kidnapped while out buying groceries.
That morning, Gu Ziting had complained the vegetables were not fresh and thrown a fit after a few bites.
Xia Xing suspected Lin Susu had told Gu Ziting that the groceries were normally handled by Aunt Lin, just to stir trouble.
So she went out to buy ingredients herself.
Her kidnapper was a wretched man.
Scammed out of millions, he had lost everything, his family destroyed.
Desperate and bitter toward the world, he grabbed a random hostage.
And she, busy picking vegetables, became his unlucky victim.
He pressed a knife to her neck, yelling threats at the police.
In his frenzy, he sliced a shallow cut across her throat.
To calm him down, Xia Xing told him her husband was wealthy and could pay off all his debts.
The kidnapper had never met anyone offering to settle his debts, and he was skeptical.
She told him if he let her make one phone call, she could help him pay everything back and let him live a normal life.
The kidnapper wavered and allowed her to call.
The call connected.
Xia Xing barely managed to say “I’ve been kidnapped”, before she heard the voice on the other end say Lin Susu needed emergency care and someone had to sign the surgery form immediately.
Gu Huaijin tossed out one line — “Susu is critically ill.
I’ll call you later.” — and hung up.
She might have been his only hope, and the kidnapper refused to give up.
They waited, the two of them, for two full hours.