Xia Yu, accustomed to throwing his weight around with his family's influence, had never suffered a setback. He was utterly unprepared for such a situation! Ultimately, protected by his family, he was still just a child at heart. Facing the terrifying Wu Tian, his pride was shattered. He genuinely feared the terrible torment Wu Tian would inflict if he continued to resist.
He immediately became much more compliant, stammering, "Wait, wait a moment! I was wrong, I was wrong."
"Oh?" Wu Tian raised an eyebrow. "You know you were wrong? Then tell me, what exactly were you wrong about?"
Xia Yu trembled as he replied, "I... I shouldn't have done that. I won't dare to do it again. I'll never dare again."
"Please... please spare me!"
Wu Tian smiled. "Yes, that's the right attitude when admitting fault. Why force things to escalate? It doesn't do you any good, does it?"
"However, there's an issue with who you're apologizing to. It's fine with me, but do you realize the immense harm your words have already caused a woman?"
"So, you know what you need to do, right?"
Xia Yu understood Wu Tian's meaning. He quickly turned to Zhou Qian and said, "Qianqian... no, Miss Zhou, I'm truly sorry."
"It's all my fault, it's all my fault. Please forgive me, I beg you."
Zhou Qian was in a daze. She could never have imagined that the young master of the prestigious Xia family would apologize to her. It was simply unbelievable. At this moment, she felt both fear and relief. After all, Xia Yu's previous actions were truly excessive. Anyone in her position would react similarly. The fear stemmed from Xia Yu's prominent background; apologizing to someone like him undeniably put her under a certain pressure.
As a businesswoman, she typically valued balance. She would never choose a path of mutual destruction. Therefore, she had no intention of making things difficult for Xia Yu. After a moment of stunned silence, she looked at Wu Tian and said, "Wu Tian, I accept his apology. Since that's the case, please let him go. Let's just forget about this, okay?"
Wu Tian respected Zhou Qian's wishes, as his initial intention was to stand up for her. He nodded. "Since you say so, what more can I say? We'll do as you suggest."
He then smiled at Xia Yu. "Young Master Xia, you're lucky this time to have met someone as reasonable as Miss Zhou. Otherwise, I wouldn't have let you off so easily."
Xia Yu nodded repeatedly. "I know, I know. Thank you, Miss Zhou, thank you, Miss Zhou. I really won't dare to do it again. I swear!"
Wu Tian smiled and nodded. "Alright, the apology is settled. Now, let's talk about compensation."
"Look at this place, it's a mess. This table, this wall, and Miss Zhou's emotional distress. How much do you plan to compensate us?"
Xia Yu instinctively retorted, "Huh? That wall... didn't you break that wall? Why should I pay for it?"
Wu Tian raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to settle accounts with me? Then tell me, if your people hadn't caused trouble, would this wall have been broken?"
"Oh, and there were other people dining over there. We'll definitely have to apologize to them, so you should cover that cost too."
"I'm not an unreasonable person. How about this: a total of five million for everything. What do you say?"
"For a young master like you, five million should be pocket change, right?"
"F-five million?" Xia Yu was startled by Wu Tian's words. While his family was wealthy, he wasn't exactly flush with cash himself. Promising Zhou Qian a building earlier was just bluster. Five million was a significant expense for him. It wasn't that he couldn't afford it, but it was still a considerable burden.
Seeing his reaction, Wu Tian said coldly, "What do you mean by that? Are you unwilling to pay?"
"I'm sorry, but for me, an apology without compensation is no apology at all."
"Therefore, what you said earlier might not count anymore."
"And if that's the case, perhaps we should settle our accounts anew?"
Wu Tian's sudden change of tune made Xia Yu's already relieved expression turn ashen again. He quickly said, "No, no, I'll pay! I'll pay it all! Just let me down first!"
Wu Tian released Xia Yu, then extended his hand. "Fine, since you're paying, then hurry up and get the money."
"Don't dawdle. I don't like dawdlers."
Xia Yu's heart bled. He thought he had encountered a bandit. How could such a person exist in this world? Yet, as he thought this, he never considered his own past transgressions. But despite his inner turmoil, what choice did he have? He dared not flee. If anything went wrong, he might not make it out alive. So, even with a thousand unwilling thoughts, he had to accept his defeat.
With no other option, he reluctantly pulled out a black card from his pocket and handed it to Wu Tian. "Brother, there's five million in this card. The PIN is six sixes. Take it all!"
Wu Tian accepted the card without hesitation and smiled. "I hope you're not lying to me. Otherwise, you know the consequences."
Xia Yu nodded vigorously. "I know, I know. I've already learned my lesson. I wouldn't dare to make another mistake!"
Wu Tian waved his hand. "Alright, since that's settled, you can leave now. Don't let me see you again!"
Hearing this, Xia Yu felt as if he had been granted a great pardon. He quickly nodded and, with his bodyguards in tow, hurried away.
After they left, Wu Tian handed the black card to Zhou Qian and smiled. "Looks like we had a big score today."
"Spend this money as you see fit, save what you can. I don't need it."
Despite holding five million yuan, Zhou Qian showed no joy. Instead, she said with concern, "Wu Tian, don't you think you went too far?"
"Xia Yu is the young master of the Xia family. You treated him like that, and he won't let this go easily."
"What if... what if he brings more people back later?"