C23 My Woman Doesn't Need You to Care about Her

Du Chen entered the restaurant and took a seat across from Lau Yixiang, offering her a gentle smile. "Xiangxiang, were you looking for me?"

Lifting her head, Lau Yixiang's slightly inebriated state only enhanced her natural beauty, her cheeks tinged with a rosy flush. Her eyes, bright and shimmering with unshed tears, gave her a striking, captivating appearance.

"What's the matter?" Du Chen asked, his brow furrowed with concern. It was difficult to see such a beautiful woman in tears.

"Du Chen, how would you feel if your parents forced you to marry someone you didn't love?" Tears streamed down Lau Yixiang's face.

Raising an eyebrow, Du Chen casually picked up a glass of red wine and offered a wry smile. "Are you being pressured into marriage? Is there trouble at home?"

He hadn't paid much attention to Lau Yixiang's family business, considering it too minor.

"Yes, my father's business has been struggling. There's been a disruption in the company's goods and cash flow. After a month of trying to find a solution, his answer was to have me date the Lin family's heir and ask me to borrow money." Lau Yixiang's smile was tinged with sorrow. "Is this the fate of all women, to end up as pawns in a family's marriage dealings?"

Du Chen sighed. He was curious about the status of Lau Yixiang's family and the Lin family, wondering who could truly be considered a major clan worthy of such an alliance. But this wasn't the time to stir the pot.

He handed her a tissue, saying, "Dry your eyes. Tell me what's wrong, and I'll help you sort it out."

Instinctively, Du Chen ruffled Lau Yixiang's hair, much like he did back in their school days when she would cry over poor exam results.

Snap!

His hand was abruptly swatted away, followed by a chilly voice. "Take your hands off her!"

Startled, Du Chen looked up to find a stylishly dressed young man with slicked-back hair glaring at him, flanked by a posse of underlings.

The lackeys circled Du Chen, their smirks barely concealing their intent.

"Who are you?" Du Chen wondered silently. He couldn't recall ever crossing paths with these characters.

"Scram!" the slick-haired young man barked icily.

"You come to my place and tell me to scram?" Du Chen couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity, but noticing Lau Yixiang's mortified look, he quirked an eyebrow. "You know Xiangxiang?"

Lau Yixiang rose to her feet, her discomfort apparent. "Du Chen, I forgot to introduce you. This is my friend, Lin Yongjia, the son of the director of Wide Heart Medical Center, Mr. Lin."

Du Chen's realization dawned; this was the scion of the Lin family that Lau Yixiang's father had pressured her to meet.

"Bro, you've got it all wrong," Du Chen said with a calm patience. "Xiangxiang and I are just old classmates, and I'm already married."

Lin Yongjia's gaze was icy as he fixed it on Du Chen. "I don't care who you are. Leave now, or I'll make you regret ever being born!"

"And another thing—Xiangxiang is off-limits. Don't touch her or even think about getting close again!"

"I don't ever want to hear her name pass your lips outside of here!"

Lau Yixiang's embarrassment deepened.

Du Chen just chuckled, reclaiming his seat with a relaxed air. He casually crossed his legs and took a sip of his drink. "I'm actually quite curious to see how you plan to handle me."

"Court death then!" Lin Yongjia growled, summoning a waiter with a flick of his wrist and tossing a wad of cash at him. "Get rid of him."

The waiter, who hadn't been present before and didn't recognize Du Chen, accepted the money brazenly and addressed him with a chill, "Sir, please leave and don't disrupt our guests' dining experience."

Du Chen's frown deepened as he stood. "Is this how you represent the restaurant?"

The waiter scoffed. "I hardly need lessons from you on how to do my job. This establishment is under Golden Age Entertainment. If you're looking to make trouble, you'd better weigh whether you can handle the wrath of Golden Age!"

Onlookers sneered, and one even nudged Du Chen from behind, whispering, "Move it, pal. Quit the act. You think our sister-in-law would give you the time of day?"

Jostled slightly forward, Du Chen instinctively turned to see who was behind him.

Another shove came from the side. "What are you looking at? Looking for a fight?"

Someone slid their leg under the table and gave Du Chen's knee a sharp kick, trying to force him to kneel. "I'm talking to you, didn't you hear me?"

Du Chen was the target of sly jabs from those around him. Though he wasn't hurt, the teasing was enough to embarrass him and earn the disdain of the other patrons.

He shot Lin Yongjia a frosty look. "Is that the best you can do?"

Lin Yongjia looked down his nose at him. "You're not even worth my time. Waiter, are you incapable of doing what I asked? Should I call your manager?"

The waiter dropped his tray and fixed Du Chen with a venomous stare. "Do you have any idea who Mr. Lin is? He's the son of the Wide Heart Medical Center's director, with a net worth in the tens of millions. This beauty was meant for Mr. Lin from the start. Even if she were your girlfriend, you should step aside and let Mr. Lin and her be together—they're the perfect couple!"

Du Chen brushed off the waiter and turned to Lau Yixiang. "We're classmates. If you want to be with this guy, I won't interfere. But just say the word, and I'll help you."

Lin Yongjia's expression turned to ice as he snapped, "Fool, my woman doesn't need your pity!"

Lau Yixiang hesitated as she looked at Du Chen. She had looked into the Ferrari he claimed was his and discovered it wasn't registered in his name, suggesting it might belong to someone else.

Du Chen was probably nothing more than a spineless son-in-law, who had maybe managed to squeeze a little spending money from Lin Ying'er.

With the 'truth' in mind, Lau Yixiang had dismissed the idea of asking Du Chen for financial help for her family. She had only wanted to vent her troubles to him this time.

But she hadn't anticipated running into Lin Yongjia, nor the conflict that ensued.

Now, as Du Chen earnestly offered his help, Lau Yixiang's gaze flickered to Lin Yongjia's hand on her shoulder. Remembering her father's suffering and his last wishes, she found herself unable to take Du Chen's offer.

"I'm sorry, Du Chen," Lau Yixiang murmured, her head bowed in shame.

Lin Yongjia burst into mocking laughter. "Hear that, loser? Did you really think Xiangxiang would choose you over me? She wants a man with wealth—do you even grasp what that means?"

Lau Yixiang's shame deepened, and she felt a pang of guilt toward Du Chen. It was she who had invited him, only to inadvertently cause him embarrassment.

The onlookers snickered and jeered, hurling insults at Du Chen, who simply shrugged and addressed Lau Yixiang, "You've disappointed me, but I understand. Waiter, the check, please."

Despite being spurned, Du Chen, ever the gentleman, insisted on settling Lau Yixiang's bill.

Lin Yongjia, however, sneered with disdain. "Get lost! Who do you think you're fooling, pretending to be wealthy? Keep your pennies for the bus fare!"

The waiter shoved Du Chen, barking, "Didn't you get the message? Scram! This is a high-end establishment. We don't want to see you here again—you're bad for our image!"

Undeterred, Du Chen calmly placed two thousand yuan on the table, smoothly pocketed his wallet, and gestured to the waiter and his cohorts, "Step outside, please."

The group exchanged uncertain glances before bursting into laughter. "Sure, let's go. I'm curious to see what this fool has planned. Whether it's a one-on-one or a brawl, we're in."

The waiter boldly followed Du Chen outside the restaurant.

Witnessing Du Chen encircled by the crowd, Lau Yixiang immediately confronted Lin Yongjia. "How could you send them out to bully someone? He's my classmate. You need to stop this right now—"

With a swift motion, Lin Yongjia slapped her. "You should be grateful I'm even dating you. Don't give me that haughty attitude. Sit down and drink with me. We'll enjoy the show of him making a fool of himself for your sake!"

Lau Yixiang's face contorted with shock and regret. If only she had known, she would have left with Du Chen.

Now trapped in a dire predicament, she could only hope Du Chen wouldn't be harmed.

But as she glanced back, to her astonishment, she saw the restaurant patrons turning on Lin Yongjia and the waiter, delivering a well-deserved thrashing.

Lin Yongjia was stunned, but in the next moment, he slammed his hand on the table and stood up indignantly. "Restaurant manager, get over here now! I'm the young heir to Wide Heart Medical Center. Is this how you treat my friends?"

The restaurant manager gave Lin Yongan a scornful look and murmured something to the security guards at his side.

Without hesitation, the guards approached Lin Yongjia with menacing glares. "Sit down, or you'll get a beating too!"

Lin Yongjia, who was all bark and no bite, felt his knees buckle when he realized his status meant nothing to them. He promptly sat down, head bowed, too frightened to utter a sound.

The others didn't dare to challenge the authority of Golden Age Entertainment's turf, though they were curious why the restaurant seemed to be siding with Du Chen.

Du Chen shot Lau Yixiang a cold look, her disbelief palpable, and then commanded the restaurant manager, "Find out exactly which hand they used to touch me, and then render it useless!"

The manager replied with utmost deference, "Yes, sir. And what about the others? I noticed they were disrespectful to you as well."

"Leave them be. They're nothing but trash. Stooping to their level would only diminish my reputation. As for that woman, she's just a sorry creature, no need to trouble her," Du Chen said dismissively before walking away, the manager bowing deeply as he departed.

Du Chen had overheard Lau Yixiang pleading on his behalf, which led him to believe she wasn't beyond redemption. He intended to give Lin Yongjia a stern warning to keep in line, which might make life a little easier for Lau Yixiang.

After all, it was Lau Yixiang's choice to associate with Lin Yongjia, and Du Chen preferred not to meddle excessively.

Back in the restaurant, Lau Yixiang watched Du Chen stride out with an air of nonchalance, then turned to see Lin Yongjia shrinking back, utterly subdued. A realization dawned on her—something was amiss in her investigation. Du Chen was certainly no ordinary man.