Zhong Mingzhou did not insist on forcing Ling Jue to drink; he did not need to be punished.
But at this moment, he still reached for a glass of strong liquor and downed it in one gulp.
Xu Chen was wrong.
To judge one person’s attitude toward another, you must not only listen to what they say but also observe what they do.
Zhong Mingzhou did not believe that Ling Jue would easily dismiss Qin Shuyi in the future.
She was destined to be a threat to Tao Wangxi.
But Xu Chen had already been ostracized from the circle due to his recklessness, and even the Xu family was in a precarious position. He could not afford to make the same mistake.
With a gloomy expression, Zhong Mingzhou quietly slipped away amidst the laughter on the beach.
Qin Shuyi watched the direction he left, frowned slightly, and removed the shawl from her shoulders. “I’m going to the restroom.”
Ling Jue watched her walk away.
Xie Muchen glanced at Ling Jue, who was swirling his glass with a pleased expression. “You say it’s not serious, yet you protect her like a treasure. Are you planning to elevate her to compete with the future Mrs. Ling?”
Ling Jue tapped his fingers on his knee, lifting his eyelids. “What future Mrs. Ling?”
Xie Muchen raised an eyebrow. “Rumors are circulating that the Ling Family intends to form an alliance with the Tao Family through marriage. The Tao family even specifically arranged to bring Tao Wangxi back from abroad, where she was receiving medical treatment. Isn’t that to prepare for an engagement with you?”
Ling Jue’s tone was casual. “When have any of you ever heard me talk about marriage?”
Xie Muchen was unconvinced. Given their relationship, he naturally knew the rumors were exaggerated, but…
“Your parents might not be joking.”
Ling Jue was strong-willed and unconstrained. Yet, in the years since he took control, the Ling Family had risen even higher from its already prosperous state, reaching its peak.
This silenced even those who had previously criticized his youth and sharp methods.
Ling Jue’s parents had long stated that someone like him did not need a wife who would clash with him head-on.
The Tao Family was familiar with the Ling Family. That Miss Tao was gentle in character, but as a member of a prominent family, she was not lacking in vision or tact—making her the most suitable candidate for Mrs. Ling.
The engagement might be false, but the Ling Family’s interest in Tao Wangxi might not be mere gossip.
Ling Jue did not answer directly. “Whether I marry her or not has nothing to do with Qin Shuyi.”
Xie Muchen laughed. “How could it not? With your attitude, anyone who marries you would be anxious.”
“Besides, Qin Shuyi herself doesn’t seem like the type to be a mistress.”
From their recent interactions, he could tell that while the girl appeared indifferent and easygoing, she had a fierce spirit deep down.
Ling Jue glanced at him calmly. “I won’t get married before we end things.”
Xie Muchen was somewhat surprised.
So he was genuinely having a proper, clean relationship.
If that were the case, Qin Shuyi and Tao Wangxi truly wouldn’t need to cross paths.
“Then when will you two end it?” Ji Xiuheng suddenly chimed in from the side.
He sat with his legs crossed casually, looking utterly relaxed. “It’s been almost a year now, my goodness,” he drawled, his expression exaggerated. “When has our Jue Ye ever had such a long relationship?”
“Oh, wait,” he quickly corrected himself. “I forgot, before this, you never had a proper relationship.”
After a life of dissipation, returning still to first love.
He couldn’t help but laugh at his own new discovery.
Thud—
Ling Jue kicked his chair away, sending Ji Xiuheng tumbling to the ground, cursing and grumbling.
"Hah, you're just being stubborn. You can drag your feet about marriage, but can the girl stay unmarried forever? A good girl like Qin Shuyi might just listen to her family and go on a blind date someday. You'll be crying then."
Ling Jue shot him a glare. "Shut your damn mouth."
He set down his glass contentedly, not without a hint of pride. "She loves me very much."
So the situation he described wouldn't happen.
Ji Xiuheng was skeptical. "Not getting married is fine too?"
Ling Jue replied, "Not getting married, not having children—she said it's all fine."
Whether it was Tao Wangxi or anyone else, he didn’t have a particularly strong desire to get married.
Tao Wangxi could only be considered the most suitable choice objectively.
As for children, he disliked the idea even more.
It was precisely because Qin Shuyi also lacked such an urgent desire that he felt even more certain their current state was perfect.
Xie Muchen and Ji Xiuheng: …
Something just didn’t feel right.
…
At the restroom entrance.
Tang Wei let out a long sigh of relief.
Great, another day where she could praise herself for her quick escape.
She flipped her hair and swayed her hips, ready to go inside and touch up her makeup.
But just as she took a step, a sharp pain shot through the back of her head.
Her wavy black hair was yanked from behind, and her head slammed hard against the wall.
"Bitch!" a man’s voice snarled through gritted teeth.
Tears welled up from the pain, and the sudden assault left her dizzy and disoriented. A shiver of death crept up from the depths of her heart.
Thinking she had encountered a crazed anti-fan, she struggled and caught a glimpse of her attacker. Her eyes widened in shock.
"Zhong Shao?"
Indeed, it was Zhong Mingzhou, whose plan to stir trouble had failed tonight.
He yanked Tang Wei’s hair again, his face twisted with rage and reeking of alcohol. "It’s you bitches seducing Jue Ye, making Wangxi heartbroken!"
"You all deserve to die!" He tightened his grip around her neck.
Zhong Mingzhou had a low tolerance for alcohol, and the strong liquor he’d casually picked up had only fueled the malice festering in his heart.
He adored Tao Wangxi but knew he couldn’t compare to Jue Ye, so he could only watch silently as she chased after Ling Jue’s shadow.
Women came and went around Ling Jue, and Xu Chen was like a cockroach in the gutter, secretly watching the woman he loved grow more despondent and heartbroken day by day.
He believed he could help her marry the man she loved, as if fulfilling his own grand love story.
At the very least, in the future, when Tao Wangxi looked back, his efforts would earn him a place in her heart.
But he didn’t dare confront Ling Jue, nor did he dare openly target Qin Shuyi, whom Ling Jue protected. Instead, he took his anger out on Tang Wei, who had the weakest background and was the easiest to bully.
"Wangxi, Wangxi, I’ll kill them for you, hahaha."
His cheeks were flushed, his eyes filled with madness.
Tang Wei cursed her bad luck.
But the natural disparity in strength between men and women left her helpless. She clawed at the wrist choking her, feeling her body’s warmth slowly fade away.
Damn it, even if he killed her today, with the power these elites wielded, he might not even have to serve time.
She had worked so hard to climb to the position of a rising film queen. Her glamorous life had only just begun.
How infuriating.
Just as Tang Wei’s vision blurred and she fell into complete despair, a beer bottle smashed against the man’s head with a loud crash.
The hand choking her neck loosened, and the violent Zhong Mingzhou clutched his head and collapsed to the floor.
Tang Wei slid down the wall, sitting on the ground and gasping for air.
"Huh, still not unconscious?"
She heard a clear, cold, and pleasant female voice.