*Clang!*
Hearing the sound, Shen Liangping cried out in fright, completely losing composure and almost wetting himself.
After a while.
Shen Liangping realized he was still alive and hesitantly opened his eyes.
Unbeknownst to him, Chen Jinzhao had already removed the magazine, merely intending to scare him. Shen Liangping looked at Chen Jinzhao with complex emotions.
Chen Jinzhao shook his head, finding it utterly uninteresting, and tossed the handgun in front of Shen Liangping.
"No backbone at all, you've disappointed me greatly," Chen Jinzhao shook his head and turned to leave.
Everyone dared not move, their only action being to watch Chen Jinzhao's retreating figure.
Not until Chen Jinzhao's silhouette completely vanished into the night did Shen Liangping and the others snap back to reality, exhaling in unison and gulping down fresh air.
They had just walked through the gates of hell and were now celebrating their narrow escape.
Shen Liangping picked up the handgun. As the fear dissipated, it was replaced by intense shame and anger. He furiously kicked his subordinates, "Useless, good-for-nothing trash! What good are you to the Yu family?"
The dozen or so men in black remained as quiet as cicadas in winter, daring not to make a sound.
That night.
Shen Liangping knelt before Yu Lingxiao, offering his apologies for the failure and bearing the burden of his mistakes.
Yu Lingxiao's expression had not been this somber in a long time, making Shen Liangping afraid to meet his gaze. He could only kneel on the ground, trembling.
Clearly.
Shen Liangping had lost all conviction, now seeing himself as merely a dog of the Yu family.
After a long while, his knees ached and his body trembled.
Yu Lingxiao still showed no intention of letting him rise and instead said in a deep voice, "So, you mean to say Chen Jinzhao is quite skilled and defeated all thirteen of you?"
"Yes..." Shen Liangping was overcome with shame.
*Clang!*
Yu Lingxiao grabbed an ashtray and threw it, hitting Shen Liangping squarely on the head.
Instantly.
Blood streamed from Shen Liangping's head.
Yu Lingxiao's angry roar echoed in his ears, "What the hell! You can't even handle a mere security guard? What good are you? Shen Liangping, you've disappointed me this much for the first time."
"Master, I was wrong. I am willing to accept punishment." Shen Liangping gritted his teeth.
Yu Lingxiao took a deep breath, and his anger finally subsided.
He then stood up, walked to Shen Liangping, and patted his shoulder heavily, "You can get up. I was wrong just now. You've always served the Yu family with all your heart. This failure wasn't your fault; we underestimated Chen Jinzhao."
"Sigh..."
"Did that blow hurt?"
"If you think it hurt, then strike this old man on the head. This is what I owe you."
Instead of feeling anger, Shen Liangping was so moved that tears streamed down his face. He believed the master was truly treating him well. To be a dog of the Yu family for a lifetime would be a heavenly blessing.
What did Chen Jinzhao know?!
"Master, you speak too highly. I deserved the punishment, and accepting it is only natural," Shen Liangping choked out.
Yu Lingxiao grunted and sat back down.
If Shen Liangping had dared to retaliate just now, the two men by the door would have immediately rushed in and killed him. Yu Lingxiao was not as magnanimous as he appeared.
Shen Liangping clenched his fists and said through gritted teeth, "Master, I've thought of a way to deal with Chen Jinzhao. Since brute force won't work, we'll switch to a more cunning approach. I'm fully confident."
Yu Lingxiao looked up at Shen Liangping, who then shared his plan.
"Mmm..."
"Your idea is excellent. It's very likely to succeed."
"Let's proceed with it."
Shen Liangping felt a weight lifted off his shoulders and then withdrew, clutching his head.
The study door closed.
Yu Lingxiao took out Chen Jinzhao's files again and studied them, always feeling that an ordinary security guard shouldn't possess such capabilities.
So where was the problem?
His gaze fell upon Chen Jinzhao's military service records. He suddenly remembered Chen Jinzhao's figure seemed vaguely familiar. Could he be the one who stood beside Xu Hanchen that day?
No!
Such an existence, how could they be willing to be a security guard of low social standing?
This defied objective laws.
"I must be overthinking it. Sigh, getting old means thinking too much, suspecting this and that," Yu Lingxiao muttered to himself, finding his behavior somewhat laughable.
Shen Liangping's plan was good; it should be able to eliminate Chen Jinzhao.
Since he could not be used by him, he could only be destroyed. Otherwise, Chen Jinzhao would become an obstacle to the marriage alliance between the Qin and Yu families.
Meanwhile.
Chen Jinzhao returned home, washed up, and lay down on the bed.
Today, he felt a bit strange. His mind wasn't occupied with Yu Mengzhi, but with his first love, Xu Nianqing.
He tried calling Xu Nianqing's number, but he was still met with the "invalid number" prompt, leaving Chen Jinzhao with a faint sense of disappointment. He wondered if Xu Nianqing was already married.
Previously, Chen Jinzhao had forced himself not to think about it, but hearing others talk about weddings, he couldn't help himself.
After a bout of melancholy, Chen Jinzhao finally drifted off to sleep.
The next morning.
Chen Jinzhao, dressed neatly, waited at the entrance of the residential complex.
Yu Mengzhi's car appeared on time before Chen Jinzhao. The moment she saw him, Yu Mengzhi exclaimed, "My judgment is indeed good; this outfit really suits your temperament."
Who would have thought—
That this gentle and refined young man before her was actually a security guard?
If Yu Mengzhi hadn't mentioned it, no one would have known.
Chen Jinzhao saw his reflection in the car window and agreed, "President Yu is right. I look quite presentable, don't I?"
Yu Mengzhi: "..."
To Chen Jinzhao's surprise, Yu Mengzhi proactively suggested they have breakfast at a nearby street stall before heading out. The dignified daughter of the Yu family would actually patronize a humble, cheap eatery that offered unlimited food for ten yuan.
Actually.
Chen Jinzhao hadn't expected it either, but Yu Mengzhi was actively entering his world.
After breakfast.
Yu Mengzhi and Chen Jinzhao strolled through the shopping district near the hotel, not entering until close to noon.
Ning Fei's wedding was a grand affair. The entire five-star hotel was closed for the day to host this magnificent ceremony.
The guests attending were all prominent figures from the Jiangnan region.
"Just a banquet, and they've got so many flourishes," Chen Jinzhao muttered in amazement.
As they entered, Chen Jinzhao suddenly spotted two familiar figures in the crowd—Wu Tingyan and Miao Yu. Upon seeing Chen Jinzhao, they both froze for a moment, then quickened their pace as if avoiding a plague.
Why were these two here?
Chen Jinzhao shook his head, thinking that perhaps the Miao family had some business dealings with the Ning family.
Continuing further inside, Chen Jinzhao's brow furrowed deeper.
After encountering Wu Tingyan and Miao Yu, he saw several more familiar faces from his university days. This brought a strong sense of unease to his heart. He clearly remembered that these people were all Xu Nianqing's classmates.
Could it be...
Chen Jinzhao vaguely understood something, and his steps grew heavy.
Yu Mengzhi noticed Chen Jinzhao's abnormality and turned to him in confusion, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"President Yu, can I not attend this wedding?" Chen Jinzhao suddenly gave a bitter smile.
Yu Mengzhi assumed Chen Jinzhao was still harboring resentment towards Ning Fei. She instinctively put her arm around Chen Jinzhao's and pulled him forward, "No, you promised me last night. Are you going back on your word? Are you even a man?"
As they walked.
Chen Jinzhao's steps came to a complete halt. Yu Mengzhi couldn't pull him along.
His gaze was fixed on a large promotional banner to the right of the wedding hall entrance, bearing the words:
"Welcome friends from all walks of life to the wedding of Mr. Ning Fei and Miss Xu Nianqing."