Free Web NovelChapter 338: Chapter 337: Slowly Developing Killing Intent Towards You and Your Father
"I apologize again. I’ll punish myself with three cups."
When Chu He remained unmoved, Yu Qiming refilled the cup before him and drained it in a single gulp.
He then repeated the action twice more, finally turning the cup upside down.
Not a single drop of liquor dripped out.
Then, Yu Qiming sat back down.
Yu Qiming felt a wave of relief. At the very least, it seemed Chu He had no intention of pursuing the matter further.
’It makes sense, though,’ he thought. ’A man of Chu He’s stature...’
’...why would he bother getting bogged down with a nobody like me?’
Although Yu Qiming was typically proud and arrogant, he wasn’t so prideful that he’d lost all sense of reason.
He knew perfectly well that someone like Chu He was on a level he could never reach, even with a lifetime of effort.
After sitting down, Yu Qiming nodded at Kong Qing.
Kong Qing immediately picked up her phone and sent a message.
The door to the private room opened silently, swinging slowly outward.
The young, beautiful waitresses from before entered one by one, their steps light and graceful, like butterflies flitting among the flowers in spring.
Each carried a small, exquisite tray.
The trays were covered with white silk cloths, beneath which lay an array of mouth-watering delicacies.
Each dish was not merely a feast for the palate, but also the ultimate visual delight.
They were meticulously crafted—colorful, varied in form, and exuding an alluring luster and fragrance.
There was the translucent Jade Shrimp, each piece as succulent as a green leaf glistening with rain, served with a golden pumpkin puree.
There was Mandarin Ducks Playing in Water, where red and white fish fillets resembling twin lotuses floated lightly upon a base of purple cabbage.
And the intricately carved Splendid Rivers and Mountains, which used delicate tofu and assorted vegetables to depict a magnificent landscape.
Sun Canxing sat on a plush chair in the private room, her eyes wide with shock and wonder.
She had never imagined that food could be so exquisitely blended with art.
Her gaze swept across the table. It was like being at a fantastical banquet, and the awe in her heart was beyond words.
As the waitresses moved with gentle grace, the final delicacy was placed softly on the table.
It was a deceptively simple clear broth, as clear as a mirror, with a few scallion shreds floating languidly on the surface, giving off a light, fresh aroma.
Growing up, Sun Canxing had spent most of her life around food stalls.
The food she saw every day was cheap and served fast.
The people who ate there were mostly ordinary folks who only cared that the food was tasty and that they could get it quickly.
Compared to the dishes now laid out on the table, it was a world of difference.
Sun Canxing almost couldn’t bear to pick up her chopsticks, feeling it would be a pity to destroy dishes that were like works of art.
Chu He barely spoke during the meal.
Sun Canxing, even more so, didn’t dare to speak.
Yu Qiming tried to start a conversation a few times during the dinner but ultimately failed, so he just sat there and ate slowly.
Even though the crisis was essentially over, Yu Qiming remained incredibly tense throughout the entire meal.
The meal had cost him at least several hundred thousand, but money was of little concern to him.
It was just that Yu Qiming felt the matter had been resolved a little too smoothly.
So smoothly, in fact, that it felt somewhat unreal.
"Since you’ve both finished your meal, why not stay and have some fun with us tonight?
Mr. Chu, you do so much for the safety of our Great Xia Empire.
I imagine you don’t usually have many opportunities for entertainment.
Sometimes, you could try some of our more... frivolous pastimes.
They’re actually quite good for relieving stress when you’re under a lot of pressure.
Besides, I myself am a Martial Arts Practitioner, and I’ve always looked up to you as my idol, Mr. Chu. Though I know I’ll never reach your level in this lifetime, hahaha."
Yu Qiming chuckled a couple of times, but when he saw Chu He’s face was still devoid of expression...
...the smile on his face slowly froze, and his expression turned glum.
Kong Qing, who was sitting nearby, couldn’t help but stifle a laugh.
She found the scene strangely comical.
Yu Qiming was so tyrannical in Haitong City, his behavior bordered on depraved.
When had anyone ever seen him repeatedly humbled like this, too afraid to even react?
"I appreciate the offer.
I will personally handle the matter of Sun Canxing’s Martial Arts Teacher."
Chu He stood up and looked at Sun Canxing, who had already wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Are you finished eating?"
"I’m finished."
Sun Canxing quickly stood up as well.
"If you’re finished, then let’s go,"
Chu He said.
Yu Qiming had been harboring some wishful thoughts.
He had planned to use the evening’s activities to get closer to Chu He.
As the pressure on him eased, his mind began to race with possibilities. Perhaps he could even turn this disaster into a blessing.
’If I can really forge a connection with Chu He this time,’ he thought,
’...then our family might just ascend into the top ranks of the Great Xia Empire’s elite.’
It was a shame. Yu Qiming had carefully arranged for several stunningly beautiful women, each with a unique style, to be present.
He hadn’t even dared to touch these women himself; they were reserved exclusively as offerings for powerful figures.
"Kong Qing, you take charge of tonight’s gathering," Yu Qiming said.
"What? You’re not staying?"
Kong Qing asked, her face a picture of surprise.
The luxury car club regularly held gatherings like tonight’s.
Their purpose was to foster solidarity within the circle of Haitong City’s wealthy heirs.
And everyone in that circle looked up to Yu Qiming.
For that very reason, Yu Qiming was always present at every gathering, without fail.
If he were absent tonight, it would be the first time he’d ever missed one of the club’s events.
"So much has happened tonight. It’s hard to say if the gathering can even go on,"
Yu Qiming said, fraught with worry.
"Hasn’t Mr. Chu already forgiven you? And from the sound of it, he’s not going to pursue the matter any further.
What’s there to worry about?"
Kong Qing said.
"I’m not worried about Chu He. When a man like him gives his word, it carries the weight of the Nine Ding. I don’t doubt that.
The problem is Sun Canxing.
Anyone in her shoes would hate my guts,"
Yu Qiming said.
"You mean you’re worried she’ll become his lover, whisper in his ear, and slowly turn him against you and your father?"
Kong Qing instantly understood what he meant. "You have a point, but I don’t think that’s likely.
Like you said, a man like Chu He probably doesn’t get caught up in romantic entanglements.
We could see that when we were all eating together in the private room.
Even if they are lovers, she would be one of many, at best.
Otherwise, with his power, he wouldn’t even need to bother dealing with people like us."
"You have a point. Let’s hope so." The tight furrow in Yu Qiming’s brow relaxed slightly.
...
On the way back, Sun Canxing fastened her seatbelt and sat quietly in the passenger seat.
She unconsciously fiddled with her clothes, her eyes gazing out the window, lost in thought.
The car’s soundproofing was excellent, especially on a night like this.
As they drove along a remote suburban road flanked by lush trees, the atmosphere inside the car grew exceptionally quiet.
"You don’t understand, do you?
Why, after all the monstrous things Yu Qiming and his father have done—
after they’ve harmed so many people and nearly drove your family of three to their deaths—
I just casually let it all go and let him off the hook."
Chu He asked, one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting on the open window frame,
enjoying the fresh, cool evening breeze.
Sun Canxing’s lips parted as if to deny it, but in the end, she answered honestly. "I really don’t understand.
If Yu Qiming, his father Yu Hongtao,
and their entire family and followers are allowed to remain in Haitong City,
then there will be thousands and thousands of other victims, just like my family."
