“Remember this from now on—there is order between master and servant, and a clear line between superior and subordinate. As long as you eat the Cao family’s food, I will remain your young master.”
“If you dare bare your fangs at me again, I’ll have someone crush your dog paws!”
Cao Chuan barked coldly.
Hong Sanguai didn’t even dare to breathe loudly.
“Now get out of my way!”
Although Cao Chuan felt it was a pity that she hadn’t dared to argue further, he knew that venting his anger had reached its limit for now.
With another shout, he waited for Hong Sanguai to lower her head and step aside before turning his gaze back to Cao Hai on the sofa.
At this point, Cao Hai was clearly nervous.
He had already been thoroughly beaten up earlier, and now, seeing the housekeeper who tried to defend him getting completely crushed under Cao Chuan’s pressure, he remained seated on the sofa—but when he felt Cao Chuan’s gaze land on him, his legs started to tremble involuntarily, and cold sweat broke out across his forehead.
Naturally, none of this escaped Cao Chuan’s eyes.
Seeing his idiot brother sitting there like he was on pins and needles, his expression immediately darkened as he shouted, “Your older brother hasn’t even sat down yet, and you’re sitting there like a prince? If you don’t want me to teach you proper manners again, then stand up now!”
Sure enough, the moment the scolding left his mouth, Cao Hai jumped up like he’d been pricked by needles, frightened into immediately standing.
Seeing this, Cao Chuan smiled.
He then walked over and sat down in the seat meant for the eldest son. “That’s more like it.”
By now, Cao Hai naturally realized that Cao Chuan was deliberately humiliating him in front of Song Keran.
He quickly glanced at her, his face burning with shame, then sat back down.
But Song Keran, watching Cao Chuan once again assert absolute dominance and seize control of the room—where even a single word from him could make Cao Hai obedient—felt a strange glint flash across her eyes.
Because at this moment, she finally realized it wasn’t her imagination. Cao Chuan truly wasn’t the same person anymore. He had completely transformed, like he had been reborn.
Now, although he acted overbearing and ruthless, with no concern for consequences, every move struck directly at his opponents’ weak spots, crushing them all with ease.
It felt as if there was nothing in this world he couldn’t resolve.
Compared to the old Cao Chuan, or even the current Cao Hai, he was simply on a whole different level of attraction.
As those thoughts ran through her mind, Song Keran gazed at Cao Chuan’s back, momentarily entranced.
Meanwhile, the third person in the room, Hong Sanguai, kept her head down the entire time, pretending to be invisible.
She didn’t dare speak another word on Cao Hai’s behalf.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have performed a villainous act. Reward: 2,000 Villain Points.]
A system prompt rang out once again in Cao Chuan’s mind.
Hearing it, he chuckled inwardly.
Ding!
The elevator door at the side of the meeting room opened.
A dignified figure leaning on a cane stepped out, accompanied by Lin Wanrong.
That dignified figure was, of course, Cao Chuanzhi.
He was only in his early fifties but looked like a frail old man in his seventies or eighties. Not only did he rely on a huanghuali wood dragon-head cane, but his entire appearance was aged and weak.
Although he wore a luxurious traditional Tang-style robe, with jade rings of imperial-grade glassy emerald on his fingers and prayer beads blessed by a master hanging around his neck, he still lacked any true presence.
As he walked with the cane, he looked like an elderly man nearing the end of his days, who could collapse from a slightly stronger gust of wind.
“What’s with all this racket?”
“Even upstairs, I could hear you two brothers making a commotion.”
As he approached, Cao Chuanzhi looked just like a loving father, smiling gently and shaking his head.
“Father,” Cao Chuan and Cao Hai stood up almost at the same time, about to go support him.
“No need to help. My body isn’t that frail just yet,” Cao Chuanzhi waved them off and signaled them to sit. He then moved to the main seat and sat down as well.
“You two may have different mothers, but you’re still blood brothers. You must get along. Don’t let outsiders laugh at us because of family squabbles.”
After sitting, he spoke like a warm and reasonable father, then turned to look calmly at both sons. “Now tell me—what happened? Why was it so noisy?”
Cao Hai had originally intended to complain.
But just as the words reached his mouth, he realized that from beginning to end, Cao Chuan had stood firmly on the moral high ground.
Even if he tried to make himself sound pitiful now, it would gain him nothing.
Seeing their father looking at him with a kind expression, his lips moved for a moment, but in the end, he could only mumble, “It’s nothing, really. I just forgot some basic manners, and big brother reminded me.”
Cao Chuanzhi didn’t seem to think much of it. He smiled and shook his head with a bit of indulgence. “You’ve always been a bit reckless. If your brother says something, it’s only because he cares about you. Remember this in the future, and don’t repeat the same mistakes.”
Cao Hai could only nod silently, swallowing his bitterness.
Meanwhile, Cao Chuan’s lips curled ever so slightly.
He had expected that Cao Chuanzhi might ask questions, which was why he had calculated everything beforehand.
Every move he made had a justifiable reason, allowing him to maintain the high ground.
So now, when Cao Hai couldn’t even bring himself to complain, Cao Chuan wasn’t surprised in the slightest.
Seeing that Cao Hai was no longer a threat, he smiled, then casually turned his gaze to Lin Wanrong.
At this moment, Lin Wanrong stood beside Cao Chuanzhi’s seat, watching Cao Hai fail to speak up. Her face was filled with frustration and disappointment.
When she noticed Cao Chuan looking over, she clearly had nowhere to vent her anger. She glared at him furiously.
[Forgetting the pain after the beating.]
Cao Chuan sneered internally. Taking advantage of the fact that Cao Chuanzhi’s attention was still on Cao Hai, he met Lin Wanrong’s gaze and then deliberately raised his right hand—the same hand that had earlier rested on her beautiful leg.
He shifted his gaze meaningfully to where his hand had touched her before and made a subtle grasping motion.
As expected, just that slight motion made Lin Wanrong’s face go pale with panic. She quickly tugged at the hem of her qipao and looked away from Cao Chuan in a hurry.
“Hmph. Try opposing me again.”
Cao Chuan’s smile deepened, and after giving her alluring figure one more glance, he discreetly withdrew his hand and looked away as if nothing had happened.