After a few days of calm, undisturbed peace, Shi Jun unexpectedly received a phone call from Shi Yue.
On the other end of the line, Shi Yue’s voice carried a rare touch of sincerity. “A-Yao wants to treat you to dinner to apologize for his past behavior. He hopes you can convince Baiye to show some mercy and let him off the hook.”
Shi Jun arched an eyebrow slightly. He knew all too well that the relationship between Yu Yao and Shi Yue was anything but ordinary; their motives could not possibly be this simple.
“Understood. I’ll be there,” Shi Jun replied casually.
Listening from the side, Sheng Baiye’s brow furrowed tightly. “I’ll go with you.”
Shi Jun offered a faint smile. “No need. Do you honestly think I’m the type to let them bully me?”
Recalling Shi Jun’s recent track record of handling conflicts, Sheng Baiye realized the young man truly never failed to deliver results. He nodded reluctantly; though anxiety lingered in his heart, he could only let him go.
Upon arriving at the reserved private dining room, Shi Jun sat down quietly in the center, his gaze drifting lazily between Shi Yue and Yu Yao.
Seeing him arrive, the two immediately launched into a barrage of sycophantic flattery.
As the tension in the room mounted, Yu Yao’s expression grew increasingly nervous. Looking at Shi Jun, he pleaded, “I know what I did in the past is irreplaceable, but I genuinely hope to earn your forgiveness. I am willing to bear any consequences for my mistakes.”
Seeing that the moment had arrived, Shi Yue chimed in, “A-Jun, look, A-Yao has already realized the error of his ways. Giving him a chance is giving all of us a chance, isn’t it?”
Shi Jun’s gaze turned razor-sharp, piercing straight through Shi Yue with an unmistakable flash of mockery in his eyes. “Shi Yue, do you honestly believe I would forgive him that easily? What kind of person do you take me for?”
Shi Yue scrambled to smooth things over. “A-Jun, don’t say that. We’re all family here. Let me toast you.”
With that, he raised his wine glass and drained it. His eyes flickered with a hidden spark of anticipation as he watched Shi Jun’s hand reach for his own glass.
[Host, do not drink that wine! It’s laced with drugs.]
The corners of Shi Jun’s mouth curved upward. He lightly shook his head. “Shi Yue, you know I absolutely loathe being threatened.”
With a swift flick of his wrist, Shi Jun lifted the glass and splashed the contents directly onto the floor. His voice dropped into a low, powerful register, completely saturated with disdain. “You people always love resorting to these underhanded, third-rate tricks. It’s truly pathetic.”
The atmosphere in the private room instantly froze solid. Shi Yue and Yu Yao exchanged a frantic look, their faces turning incredibly unsightly.
“Since you refuse to give me a chance, don’t blame me for getting rough!” Yu Yao snarled viciously.
Shi Jun let out a cold laugh. “What, flying into a rage out of shame? I wondered why you two were suddenly acting so kind-hearted turns out you were waiting for me here. A dog really can’t change its habit of eating crap.”
The moment the word crap left his lips, the expressions on Shi Yue and Yu Yao’s faces warped instantly. They would never be able to scrub the memory of being thoroughly showered in manure from their minds.
A flash of pure rage crossed Shi Yue’s face, but he forced himself to mask it quickly.
He realized that at this point, their entire plan had completely fallen apart. Taking a deep breath, he desperately tried to stabilize his emotions. “Shi Jun, perhaps the misunderstanding between us can be resolved through communication. Why must you be so unyielding?”
Shi Yue strained to keep his voice sounding level, hoping to defuse the volatile situation.
Shi Jun offered a faint smile, his eyes dripping with uncamouflaged contempt. “Shi Yue, do you honestly think I care about your opinion? Your actions have thoroughly crossed me. I must admit, you two possess quite the tolerance, but your acting skills are honestly pitiable.”
“And I don’t intend to sit here and watch your botched performance any longer.”
He stood up, preparing to depart.
Shi Yue and Yu Yao lunged forward, making a move to block his path.
However, right at that exact second, the heavy door of the private room was violently thrown open. A squad of bodyguards clad in sharp black suits poured into the room, marching directly toward Shi Yue and Yu Yao.
“Mr. Shi, Mr. Yu… do not mistake my Young Master for a pushover just because he acts decent, thinking you can bully him as you please.” A freezing voice echoed through the room, instantly causing Shi Yue and Yu Yao’s hearts to sink straight into an abyss.
They whirled around, only to see a man dressed in a dark, high-end suit stepping into the room. The menacing aura of the black-clad bodyguards trailing behind him was entirely suffocating.
“Who are you? What does this have to do with us?” Shi Yue demanded nervously, his chest tightening with sheer terror.
The gentleman offered a soft smile, though his eyes remained completely devoid of warmth. “Since you decided to target my Young Master, how could I possibly be remiss in hosting you personally?”
With a slight wave of his finger, the bodyguards behind him sprang into immediate action, ruthlessly pinning Shi Yue and Yu Yao by their arms.
“What do you think you’re doing?! Let us go!” Shi Yue and Yu Yao thrashed in terror, but they quickly realized these bodyguards were elite operatives; their frantic struggles were utterly futile.
The leading gentleman walked up to Shi Jun, inclining his head in a deeply respectful bow. “Young Master Shi, I have been commissioned by your grandfather to escort you back home.”
A flash of confusion flitted through Shi Jun’s eyes. He didn’t know the exact identity of the man before him, but he was evidently no ordinary individual.
Shi Jun’s brow arched slightly. He was naturally aware of his grandfather’s formidable existence, but he hadn’t anticipated the old man taking such a drastic, direct approach. He knew that although his grandfather was advanced in years, his absolute influence remained monumental.
After a brief moment of deliberation, Shi Jun nodded toward the gentleman. “Very well, I will return with you. It has been quite a while since I last saw Grandfather anyway.”