C15 What Kind of Sin Have You Committed?

Liu Zhen had been severely beaten, and he wasn't much to look at in the first place. Now, with his face swollen like a pig's, he was downright hideous. Nevertheless, he had to leave the house to meet Su Xue because Liu Changhe had demanded the return of the 10 million yuan.

"Daring to encroach on Chen Qingchuan's territory, have you lost your mind? Do you realize that even as just a branch president, he controls assets worth hundreds of billions? It would be easier for him to crush us than it would be to squash an ant!"

"Get moving and reclaim that 10 million from Su Xue, and don't you dare contact her again after this. Go, now!"

Liu Zhen had no qualms about retrieving the money; his family was in dire straits and desperately needed it back. However, he harbored concerns. "Dad, if I force Su Xue to return the money now, what if it provokes Chen Qingchuan again?"

"Are you brainless? Forcing Su Xue to return the money isn't just about the money itself; it's about showing Chen Qingchuan that you've completely let go of any feelings for Su Xue. That way, he won't target us anymore. Can't you see that? You're useless!"

The term 'useless' was not unfamiliar to Liu Zhen; he had frequently used it to describe Chen Qingchuan. But today, the word was being hurled at him, and it was his own father who had bestowed the title, leaving him with no room to argue.

...

After freshening up, Su Xue lay in bed, restless and unable to sleep. Unlike Zhu Yuhong and Su Jun, who were distressed about driving away their wealthy son-in-law, she was simply struggling to come to terms with the sudden change in Chen Qingchuan's status.

She harbored no regrets about the divorce. With her pride, she was indifferent to wealth and luxury, convinced that a bright future could only be earned through her own hard work.

So she made up her mind not to benefit from Chen Qingchuan's wealth. She resolved to return the 10 million yuan to him. Now that they were divorced, she wanted to start afresh with a clean slate.

As she resolved to take action, Liu Zhen arrived.

At Zhu Yuhong's urging, Su Xue dressed and joined Liu Zhen in the living room.

"Enough talk, just give me back the 10 million. I'm revoking the loan."

Su Xue was taken aback, not expecting Liu Zhen to demand the 10 million she had borrowed less than two days ago.

"Liu Zhen, I've already invested the money in a project. How can I possibly come up with 10 million so quickly?"

"We had an agreement for a six-month term, and now, barely two days have passed, and you're already..."

Before Su Xue could finish, Liu Zhen brusquely cut her off, "I don't care. If you're short on cash, go ask your ex-husband. He's loaded!"

Furious, Su Xue retorted, "You're being completely unreasonable!"

But Liu Zhen wasn't there to be reasonable; he was there to coerce Su Xue into repaying the debt.

Zhu Yuhong attempted to mediate, "Liu, we should indeed pay you back, especially given your family's predicament. But you know how tough Little Xue's business is. You can't just show up out of the blue demanding money..."

"Out of my way, old woman! I'm sick of your nagging. And while you're at it, give me back that necklace!" Liu Zhen snapped.

Zhu Yuhong was stunned by the insult. This wasn't the Liu Zhen she knew, the one she had pegged as the ideal son-in-law.

Now, he had changed, not only demanding money but also insisting on reclaiming the diamond necklace he had given her.

Regaining her composure, Zhu Yuhong lashed out, "Liu, what gives you the right?"

"Had it not been for your necklace bribe, would I have pressured Snowy into divorcing Chen Qingchuan on the spot? No, I wouldn't have. If Snowy hadn't divorced Chen Qingchuan, she would be attending tonight's banquet as the president's wife, and I would be the president's mother-in-law!"

"Because of you, we chased away such a good son-in-law. I haven't even settled the score with you yet, and now you have the nerve to scold me? Let me tell you, if you dare to spout any more nonsense, we won't pay back the 10 million. Go ahead, sue us if you think you can. At most, I'll go to Chen Qingchuan myself, kowtow, and apologize. But even then, I won't give you a single penny. I'll make you so mad!"

Zhu Yuhong was on a rampage, and Liu Zhen was at a loss. If Chen Qingchuan decided to get involved, he'd be out of options.

But just as he was agonizing over how to handle this thorny issue, Su Xue spoke up.

"Enough. I'll pay you back, right now. I'd rather owe Chen Qingchuan a favor than owe you this disgraceful debt!"

Her face grim, she called the finance department and instructed them to transfer the money to Liu Zhen that very night.

"Liu Zhen, the money has been transferred. Now please leave my house immediately and never contact me again!"

"No contact? Fine by me. But where's my diamond necklace? Tell that old woman to give it back to me, pronto!"

Zhu Yuhong was nearly beside herself with rage. What a disaster! She had driven away a wealthy son-in-law and now the one she deemed the best was demanding money from her daughter and insulting her, all while reclaiming the necklace he had given.

If only... if only she hadn't forced Chen Qingchuan to divorce her daughter, how wonderful things would be...

The next morning, Chen Qingchuan was in his office, effortlessly processing documents.

Despite a three-year hiatus, such tasks were a breeze for him.

Zhao Hongwu watched him, shaking her head in resignation.

She had no ulterior motive; she simply believed that some people were naturally cut out for this line of work.

"Over these three years, I've been the acting CEO, with the same responsibilities as you. Every time I deal with business matters, it's a headache. I rack my brain and still might not come up with a good plan. But you? You make it look easy. I feel like a complete failure. Your casual plans are a hundred times better than my most painstaking efforts. Comparing oneself to others can be so disheartening."

Chen Qingchuan chuckled. "Feeling a bit defeated, are we?"

"Defeated?" Zhao Hongwu stood tall, her chest thrust out. "In this department, I'm still ahead of you. You'll never outdo me in your lifetime!"

Chen Qingchuan sighed and pressed a hand to his forehead. Competing with her in that area was a lost cause; he'd never overcome such a natural advantage.

After collecting the documents she had finished reviewing, Zhao Hongwu strutted out of Chen Qingchuan's office with a sense of pride.

However, she returned shortly after, "Your ex-wife is here. She wants to see you. Will you meet with her?"

Su Xue was here? What for? Chen Qingchuan recalled that she wasn't one to bow down for wealth or power.

Before he could decide, Zhao Hongwu pressed on, "I'll bet a bowl of spicy Mala Soup that you'll agree to see her."

Chen Qingchuan was at a loss for words. "Ms. Hongwu, you've been an acting CEO. Is this really all the ambition you have?"

Without a word, Zhao Hongwu simply fixed her gaze on Chen Qingchuan, who had no choice but to concede, "I owe you a bowl of Mala Soup."

"Oh yeah! A free bowl of Mala Soup for me!"

With a triumphant gesture, Zhao Hongwu left, clearly pleased with herself.

Watching her saunter away, Chen Qingchuan couldn't help but smile. It was this familial atmosphere that felt the warmest.

Shortly thereafter, Su Xue walked in and stood across the desk from Chen Qingchuan. Despite his gesture for her to sit, she remained standing.

"Chen Qingchuan, I'm sorry..."