Chapter 428: Two Scumbags

Chapter 428: Two Scumbags

The greeting had come from the restaurant entrance.

A man in his early twenties, in a black suit, was waving at Zhuang Xiaodie. Beside him stood a tall, handsome middle-aged man, also impeccably suited.

The young one had a somewhat flippant air.

The older one looked steady and serious.

There was a faint resemblance between them.

Wu Chen’s eyebrow went up. Relatively speaking, he didn’t “know” that many people in Modu. Most were powerful officials, wealthy elites, or people tied to particular events.

But he happened to know both the young man greeting Zhuang Xiaodie and the man beside him.

Neither was ordinary, naturally.

The older man least of all.

Qi Jun, forty-five. Shareholder in Modu’s Shuangqi Real Estate Group, chairman of Modu Yangfan Investment Group, chairman of Modu Singularity Technology Group… He had more than twenty companies under his name, with hundreds more affiliated enterprises tied to him.

His personal assets currently stood at roughly 2.5 to 3 billion yuan, rising and falling daily with the stock market.

The young man was Qi Chenghong.

Not Qi Jun’s son, but the son of Qi Jun’s older brother, Qi Min, chairman of Shuangqi Real Estate.

His own nephew.

Zhuang Xiaodie turned to look, and her face changed slightly. She went stiff and awkward, and her eyes slid away on instinct.

Her reaction didn’t surprise Wu Chen.

Qi Chenghong was a thoroughly obnoxious man.

He was Zhuang Xiaodie’s classmate at Modu University’s School of Film and Television, and a notorious playboy on campus: a prominent family, young, loaded, changing girlfriends the way other people changed clothes.

From her first year, Zhuang Xiaodie had been known as one of the film school’s campus beauties. She wasn’t the only girl given the title, but she was the most distinctive of them.

At a film school where cosmetic surgery was rampant, she not only had one of the loveliest natural faces around but a flawless figure too.

Naturally, a notorious playboy like Qi Chenghong had gone after her.

He hadn’t gotten anywhere.

He had once pestered her relentlessly. His attitude toward women had always been simple: when he got bored, he moved on, and the harder a woman was to get, the more determined he was to have her.

Then someone warned him off.

The man who warned him was the one standing beside him now: his uncle, Qi Jun.

Mao Rusong had had a word with Qi Jun. In Modu, Qi Jun’s standing wasn’t much different from Mao Rusong’s. They had made their fortunes in different industries, but they moved in the same stratum and the same circles, and they were forever running into each other.

Naturally, Qi Jun wasn’t about to make an enemy of Mao Rusong over some girl.

He had never worked out what an out-of-town girl with no real background could have to do with Mao Rusong.

But Fourth Master Mao had spoken, so face had to be given.

It had never crossed his mind that Mao Rusong was keeping her. That was out of the question. Mao Rusong’s taste in women was famously particular, known throughout Modu’s elite circles.

Perhaps because he was small, thin, and frail himself, he had always liked big women: taller than him, a little plump, and mature.

Zhuang Xiaodie fit none of it.

After his uncle’s warning, Qi Chenghong reined himself in. He went through who knew how many girlfriends after that. He no longer sought Zhuang Xiaodie out, but whenever they happened to cross paths, he always came over to talk.

And there was always a barb in what he said, with the occasional snide jab.

He had even spread gossip about her around school, trying to wreck her reputation, and once got classmates to freeze her out.

Sour grapes over what he couldn’t have.

Ruin what he couldn’t get.

Qi Chenghong had both in him.

She was a little afraid of him. He was so relentlessly obnoxious, and back then she had never had the power to fight back. Mao Rusong had always looked out for her, but he couldn’t take care of everything. Petty campus rumors were well beneath his notice.

Psychologically, Qi Chenghong had bullied her.

“Ignore him,” Wu Chen said, seeing her face.

She turned back, looked at him, and nodded. “Mm.”

Her mood had sunk sharply.

Seeing Qi Chenghong had plainly brought back some hard times at school. Some bad memories.

When Qi Chenghong saw her ignoring him, he didn’t take the hint and leave. Instead he came toward her, all smiles.

Qi Jun followed his nephew over.

“Why so cold, Miss Zhuang?” Qi Chenghong said shamelessly as he reached the window table, a mocking glint in his smile.

Zhuang Xiaodie held her knife and fork in both hands. She glanced out the window and pressed her lips together. Then she turned back to him.

“I’m eating.”

Not exactly a normal conversation.

Even an idiot could see she wanted nothing whatsoever to do with him.

“Uncle, let me introduce you. This is Zhuang Xiaodie, the famous Campus Beauty Zhuang!” Ignoring what she’d said, Qi Chenghong went ahead and introduced her to his uncle.

Qi Jun had only ever heard his nephew describe her looks. This was the first time he’d seen her in person.

After a brief once-over, his eyes lit up.

Uncle and nephew traded a look in perfect sync.

Qi Chenghong’s seemed to say, See? Top shelf, right?

Qi Jun’s seemed to answer, Good eye, nephew. Top shelf all right.

Revolting.

Brothers though they were, Qi Min and Qi Jun couldn’t have been more different.

Years ago, the two had started from nothing and founded Shuangqi Real Estate together. As the company grew step by step, Qi Min also hitched himself to Modu’s Xiang family.

After that, their paths began to diverge sharply.

Qi Min was more of a pure businessman. He could endure hardship and had connections on both sides of the law. In pursuit of greater business success and higher social standing, he would stop at practically nothing.

Qi Jun was far more restless. Once he’d made his fortune, he gradually stepped away from running Shuangqi Real Estate, kept only a small stake, cashed out part of his holdings, and turned to investing.

Qi Min had married young. He kept mistresses too, but the name on his marriage certificate had always been his first wife’s.

Qi Jun had never married at all.

Forty-five and still single, with countless mistresses and no fewer than five illegitimate children.

He had money, so he played.

He looked steady and serious, but it was all a front.

He was the real playboy, and had been right up to this day. Next to him, Qi Chenghong was a mere amateur.

As far as Wu Chen knew, uncle and nephew had even gone hunting for women together and passed them back and forth.

Disgusting to the core.

Two scumbags.

“Campus Beauty Zhuang, aren’t you going to introduce us? Who’s this gentleman?” Qi Chenghong turned to her again, eyeing Wu Chen.

The question stumped her.

She had never introduced Wu Chen to anyone before, so she didn’t know what to say.

She knew Qi Chenghong. The more she ignored him, the more obnoxious he got. He had a hide like leather, practically a thug, and he would say truly vile things.

“My boyfriend…” she answered, though her eyes were carefully watching Wu Chen’s face.

She didn’t know whether Mr. Wu would mind her saying so.

Wu Chen gave her a smile.

“Boyfriend? Oh, wow! Then I’ve got to get to know him!” Qi Chenghong’s voice went theatrical at once.

He was so loud that diners all around turned to frown at him.

“Hello, hello!” he said, actually holding out a hand to Wu Chen.

Wu Chen gave him a cool glance and ignored the hand entirely.

Qi Chenghong wasn’t the least embarrassed. He pulled his hand back smoothly and grinned at Zhuang Xiaodie again.

“Not bad, Campus Beauty Zhuang. All those men, and you finally landed one who’s young and rich.”

He had noticed Wu Chen’s watch.

“You—” Her face flamed red in an instant, humiliated and furious.

The restaurant was full of people.

She shot an anxious glance at Wu Chen, terrified he might get the wrong idea.

“You! Stop talking nonsense! Don’t… don’t bother us while we’re eating.” She was nervous, mortified, and angry all at once.

Her hand closed around her wineglass without her meaning it to.

She wanted to throw it, but didn’t quite dare.

“Throw it at him,” Wu Chen encouraged her.

She looked at Wu Chen, then at Qi Chenghong.

She raised her hand and flung the entire glassful of wine at him.

“What nonsense am I talk—” Qi Chenghong was still grinning as he started to speak.

He never finished.

The wine caught him square in the face.

Splash!

Red wine everywhere: his face, his suit, his shirt.

Qi Chenghong froze for a beat.

Then he flew into a rage.

Someone he had always toyed with had dared throw wine in his face! In twenty-odd years he had hardly ever been crossed, and the fury hit him all at once.

“Fuck! You bitch! You fucking—”

He lunged forward and swung his hand straight at Zhuang Xiaodie’s face.

Thud!

A dull impact.

“Aaah!”

A scream.