Rong Junheng wore a dark brown suede bomber jacket, navy blue casual pants, and brown Dr. Martens boots, which made his legs look long, straight, and muscular, and his stride was agile and powerful.
The tall figure, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, exuded an aura of authority without even raising a voice; the intense sense of intimidation radiating from him enveloped the few people behind him, who fell silent as if struck by fear, each with a different expression on their face.
With Rong Che and Xie Dongdong in front, Ruan Zhi and Song Ran followed behind.
“Who is that guy? He’s both handsome and scary.”
Song Ran leaned closer to Ruan Zhi and asked in a low voice.
Ruan Zhi glanced at the man’s stern back and said softly, “Rong Che’s father.”
“No way!”
Song Ran was speechless. “Has this guy been preserved in a jar or something? He looks so well-preserved. He doesn’t look anything like Dad—at most, he looks like that jerk’s older brother.”
Ruan Zhiwei curled the corners of her lips. “That’s a bit of an exaggeration. He still has some wrinkles on his face; you can tell he’s getting on in years.”
They weren’t very far apart, and the bar’s lobby was eerily quiet at that moment.
Almost the moment Ruan Zhi finished speaking, Rong Junheng stopped in his tracks.
The two women exchanged a glance.
Song Ran raised an eyebrow: “I hope he didn’t hear that.”
Ruan Zhi hesitated, feeling uneasy: “I don’t think so.”
The next moment, just as Rong Junheng turned around, his deep, piercing gaze swept over the two of them.
Ruan Zhi instinctively held her breath as her gaze met the man’s deep, dark eyes for a brief moment.
For some reason, her heart was racing, and she didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until the man’s gaze swept past her and settled on Rong Che and Xie Dongdong.
“Xie Dongdong, right? Thanks to you tonight, Xiao Che didn’t end up making a huge mistake.”
Rong Junheng stood with his back to the light; his chiseled features were cold and imposing.
“It’s only right, Uncle Rong.”
Xie Dongdong was terrified; he feared Ah-Che’s father more than anything,
“Ah-Che and I have known each other since we were kids, so it’s my responsibility to stop him.”
He was so scared his legs went weak.
If, in full view of everyone, Ah-Che were to actually stab someone with that broken glass bottle and cause a fatality, even the Rong family—no matter how immense their power—might not be able to smooth things over.
And as an accomplice, he certainly can’t escape responsibility.
“You did a great job.”
Rong Junheng nodded slightly. “I’ve arranged for a car. You should go home and get some rest.”
Xie Dongdong breathed a huge sigh of relief. Before leaving, he patted Rong Che on the shoulder, signaling him to take care of himself.
Rong Che kept his eyes downcast and said nothing.
One moment he was wondering how his father would deal with his, and the next, the strange feeling he’d had when Ruan Zhi was held in his father’s arms came flooding back, leaving his mind in a complete jumble.
Suddenly, just as a woman’s scream rang out behind him, he felt a searing pain in his abdomen, and a powerful force sent him flying.
There was a buzzing sound in my ears, and the pain made cold sweat break out on my forehead.
Through his blurred vision, a pair of Dr. Martens came to a stop right in front of him.
“Idiot.”
Rong Junheng stood high above, his eyes sharp as he glared down at Rong Che, who was bracing himself on the ground with one hand, trying to get up,
“Before you started, did you think about how you’d wrap things up?”
“Or do you have what it takes to handle everyone who witnessed the murder?”
It had been many years since anyone had angered him enough to make him take matters into his own hands.
Rong Che clutched his stomach, which was throbbing with unbearable pain. His face was deathly pale as he looked at Rong Junheng with a complex expression and gave a wry smile:
“Dad, I often wonder—am I really your biological child?”
In all his life, this was the first time Rong Junheng had ever laid a hand on him.
Rong Junheng’s eyes, as deep as a still pond, remained completely still:
“If you weren’t my son, I wouldn’t have stopped at just that one kick.”
He used only 50 percent of his strength on that kick.
“Is that so…”
Rong Che lowered his gaze and then looked up again. “Since I’m your son, why have you never kept me by your side to raise and teach me yourself?”
He could never figure out why they had left him all alone in Rongcheng—supposedly to keep his great-grandmother company and fulfill his filial duties toward her and his grandfather.
But what about in reality?
He was like a pawn they had cast aside.
“Since I’m your son, why haven’t you ever held me, not even once, from the time I was a child until now? You even treat your subordinates better than you treat me, your own flesh and blood!”
“You can keep them close and nurture them with care, yet you left me in Rongcheng to fend for myself.”
“I’m your real son—if you don’t teach me, how am I ever going to learn???”
His voice, growing increasingly hoarse and agitated, was tinged with a deep sense of resentment and obsession.
I acted on impulse just now; I didn’t keep my emotions in check and almost killed that scumbag.
But there was a reason for that.
Yet Rong Junheng didn’t even ask; he simply dealt such a heavy blow to him, showing absolutely no mercy.
Emotions that had built up over the years caused him to lose all restraint, and he let it all out at once.
His angry roar echoed throughout the entire hall.
Ruan Zhi and Song Ran stood side by side, forced to witness the father and son turn against each other; both felt quite uncomfortable.
Only Rong Junheng remained impassive throughout, aloof and detached, unmoved by Rong Che’s complaints and resentment.
“Ah-Xing.”
He called out softly, and Ah Xing, like a shadow, appeared from outside the door and stood behind him—no one knew when he’d come in.
“Rong Sheng[1]Means Mr- so Mr Rong jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3409070_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3409070_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });.”
“Take Xiao Che back to the old house—don’t let the old lady know.”
“Yes.”
To Ruan Zhi, Ah-Xing seemed like a completely different person—unusually cold and ruthless. He moved swiftly forward, grabbed the head-down, expressionless Rong Che by the shoulders, and led him out the door.
Just as he was about to walk out the door, Rong Che suddenly turned around and gazed deeply at Ruan Zhi.
Before Ruan Zhi could make out the emotion in his eyes, he had already stepped into the night.
“Miss Ruan, could I have a word with you in private?”
Those long legs that had kicked Rong Che away suddenly took a step forward, and a crisp voice rang out.
Ruan Zhi was on edge: “……”
Can she say no?
*
Under the cover of night, a Rolls-Royce was parked in a secluded spot outside the bar.
The car was nice and warm inside—it felt like a completely different world from the bitterly cold wind blowing outside.
“…Mr. Rong, whatever you wanted to tell me—you can say it now.”
Ruan Zhi sat with her back pressed against the car door, turning her body to look at Rong Junheng, whose presence made her feel increasingly uneasy.
The faint glow of the streetlights outside shone into the car, making the man’s finely chiseled, three-dimensional features appear even more striking; his dark eyes, fixed intently on her face, were so black they seemed to gleam.
As soon as he got in the car, he stared at her for more than ten seconds, making her feel uneasy.
Rong Junheng looked away, reached over to turn on the rear seat light, and said, as if making small talk:
“You weren’t scared tonight, were you?”
The car suddenly brightened, and as her vision cleared, Ruan Zhi began to feel a little uncomfortable.
Although the back seat was spacious, it was just the two of them alone, and the air was warm and stuffy. Wearing a white cashmere coat, she felt an inexplicable wave of heat wash over her.
In particular, the hint of ambiguity in his detached tone made her instinctively sense danger.
“No.”
She quickly shook her head, trying to change the subject, but then suddenly thought of something and spoke slowly:
“The man Rong Che beat up tonight was the one who drugged me that night. He… must have done it for my sake.”
Rong Junheng’s eyes darkened: “Are you pleading on Xiao Che’s behalf?”
“No.”
Ruan Zhi clutched the skirt around her legs. “I’m just saying what I know.”
If she hadn’t told Rong Che, he wouldn’t have looked into it, and perhaps the whole bar incident never would have happened.
If Xie Dongdong had been even a split second slower at that moment, tonight’s situation would have been completely different.
If Rong Che really did something wrong, she… would feel guilty.
“This was his own decision; he can’t blame anyone else.”
Rong Junheng pressed his lips tightly together. “It’s all his own fault for not being able to control his emotions and for not thinking things through. There are many ways to teach someone a lesson, but he chose the stupidest one.”
“We got lucky this time, but next time…”
He spoke in a low voice, but didn’t finish his sentence.
Ruan Zhi, however, understood what he meant and found herself lost in thought for some reason.
This man always seems to be in complete control, calm and composed, never letting his emotions show.
It’s hard to imagine him losing his temper.
Before she knew it, silence fell inside the car. With her eyes cast down, she didn’t notice that the man had shifted his position, moving a little closer to her, a strange gleam dancing in his eyes.
“Ruanruan, do you think I look old?”
The sudden, intimate call and question made Ruan Zhixin’s heart skip a beat; she abruptly looked up and met the man’s handsome, refined, and dignified face.
Her red lips parted slightly, and she was at a loss for words.
“Why don’t you take a closer look?”
Suddenly, the man’s slightly warm fingers lifted her chin; her heart pounded wildly. With her back pressed against the car door and no way to escape, she could only stare wide-eyed as his face drew closer and closer.
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