C11 Why Are You so Cheap!

Chu Yun couldn't exactly head back home at mealtime after boasting so grandly. He made do with lunch at a roadside stall, then purchased a movie ticket online and indulged in a nap at the cinema, amidst the cozy couples. After aimlessly wandering the mall for the afternoon, he decided it was time to head home.

Ding, ding.

While hailing a cab, Chu Yun received a text from his sister-in-law: "Where are you?"

"Just hanging out with some buddies. Need something from your brother-in-law?"

"Is the situation with the Han family taken care of?"

Settling into the taxi, Chu Yun replied with inflated pride, "When brother-in-law takes charge, the Han family is hardly a concern."

"Oh."

Su Xiaoxiao's response was terse.

A short while later, another text arrived: "Can you make time tonight? Dinner's on me."

Chu Yun chuckled to himself. Just two days back and Xiaoxiao was already warming up to her new brother-in-law. He couldn't help but beam with joy.

"What are you talking about, Xiaoxiao? Dining with you is a top priority for your brother-in-law. I'm ditching my friends' plans to come right over." After sending the message, he quickly added, "This one's on me. If you even think about paying, we're going to have a problem!"

By the time he reached Pearl University, dusk had settled in.

Chu Yun rendezvoused with Su Xiaoxiao at the nearby KFC. She had changed into a white T-shirt and denim shorts, her tall, slender figure exuding youthful vibrancy, and her long, pale legs drawing attention.

"Kept you waiting, huh?" Chu Yun approached her, his spirits a stark contrast to the previous night's dejection. "Come on, brother-in-law's treating you to a feast. What'll it be, French or Japanese cuisine?"

"Let's just eat here," Su Xiaoxiao said, her mood subdued as she led Chu Yun into KFC.

They grabbed fries, drinks, and a couple of burgers before settling into a window seat.

Sipping his Coke, Chu Yun sensed something was off with Su Xiaoxiao. With genuine concern, he inquired, "Xiaoxiao, what's the matter? Has someone been giving you trouble?"

"No," Su Xiaoxiao said as she popped a fry into her mouth, her usually crisp voice sounding a bit subdued. She glanced at Chu Yun, uncertainty in her eyes. "Be honest with me, is everything really okay with the Han family?"

"Of course," Chu Yun replied with a shrug. "You're doubting your brother-in-law now?"

You disappear the day after your wedding; who could trust you?

If it weren't for his actions last night, which had slightly altered her perception, Su Xiaoxiao wouldn't have bothered meeting him.

"The brother-in-law I envisioned was a man of responsibility, someone who could protect my sister and shield her from life's storms," Su Xiaoxiao said, her gaze on Chu Yun filled with complexity. "Are you that person?"

"I'll try my best," Chu Yun admitted, feeling somewhat sheepish. His actions over the past six months had been far from the ideal Su Xiaoxiao had in mind. In fact, they were the complete opposite.

"Try your best to become someone I despise?" Disappointment etched across Su Xiaoxiao's face.

"Ah?" Chu Yun was taken aback.

What was this all about?

That morning at Unhindered Entertainment, he had successfully neutralized Mrs. Han's malicious onslaught. He might not have been exemplary, but he had certainly dealt with the immediate crisis.

What was his sister-in-law on about now?

"I called my sister at noon," Su Xiaoxiao said, her elegant brows furrowed as she fixed her gaze on Chu Yun.

"And?" Chu Yun, a man of the world, wasn't about to be fooled by a sister-in-law who hadn't even made her societal debut.

"My sister lost her job and now has to pay a hefty penalty for breaking her contract. Is that true?" Su Xiaoxiao's voice trembled, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Where did you hear that?" Chu Yun denied the claim.

"Chu Yun! You've let me down!" Su Xiaoxiao's voice rose, her pretty face turning ashen. "Auntie was right. Why did you even come back? What does the Su family owe you from a past life? Are you trying to drive us to ruin?"

Chu Yun remained silent, biting his straw in response to Su Xiaoxiao's accusations.

It looked like Chen Xiuling had been stirring the pot, painting him as the villain. Xiaoxiao wasn't there to see the truth for herself, so she naturally assumed the worst—that Chu Yun had not only dragged the Su family down but also ruined Su Mingyue's burgeoning career, leaving them with a massive debt to settle.

In Su Xiaoxiao's heart, the termination fee was the final blow that brought the Su family to its knees.

"You don't deserve to be my brother-in-law, let alone my sister's husband!" Su Xiaoxiao's heart was ashen, her beautiful face etched with resolve.

There is no greater sorrow than a heart turned to ash. Su Xiaoxiao once felt nothing but pure loathing for Chu Yun, who had accomplished nothing. Now, she had completely lost faith in him and abandoned any illusions she once held.

"Xiaoxiao, I've told you before, this loser isn't good enough for your sister."

A grating voice cut through the air.

Chu Yun looked up to see Lin Shuang, Su Xiaoxiao's classmate and best friend, who had hurled insults at him the night before.

Beside her stood an elite-looking man in his thirties, dressed in a sharp suit and sporting gold-rimmed glasses, exuding an air of high society.

"This loser has caused trouble, costing your sister her job, and he still has the nerve to go out and live it up," Lin Shuang said with a sneer. "And now he's here, spouting nonsense and hiding the truth. Xiaoxiao, your brother-in-law is the most despicable man I've ever met, completely devoid of any moral fiber."

As they spoke, the pair sat down and began to gently console Su Xiaoxiao.

During the conversation, Chu Yun figured out the elite man's identity. It turned out he was Lin Shuang's uncle, a well-to-do figure in the entertainment industry.

"Xiaoxiao, don't worry. Is it just about terminating a contract? On the way here, my uncle mentioned that if your sister agrees, he's ready to offer her a contract that's just as good, if not better, than Unhindered Entertainment. You know, my uncle's company is even larger than Unhindered Entertainment," Lin Shuang said, feigning concern, but Chu Yun sensed an ulterior motive.

Are all college students these days so calculating?

Or is it a case of being tainted by association?

Su Xiaoxiao's spirits were low, her beautiful face clouded with distress. She evoked genuine pity, captivating the elite man with her vulnerability.

"Where are you looking with those dog eyes?"

Chu Yun, who had endured a barrage of insults and humiliation, suddenly spoke up, casting a detached glance at the elite man.

His outburst, both volatile and crude, took Su Xiaoxiao by surprise, leaving her momentarily stunned. This quickly gave way to a deeper sense of despair.

Caught with his intentions laid bare, the elite man's face twisted in anger as he glared at Chu Yun. "Young man, watch your language. If you're really capable, go solve the problem instead of throwing a tantrum in front of a woman."

Chu Yun drained his glass of Coke and raised his eyes to meet the weary gaze of Su Xiaoxiao.

"Xiaoxiao, from the moment I decided not to divorce, I made a promise to myself. No matter who he is or how influential his background, if he dares to target you or your sister with ill intentions, I'll make him pay a price." Chu Yun's gaze was icy. "A price he can't afford."

With those words, he slowly rose to his feet.

Then, with a single kick, he snapped the leg of a chair that was bolted to the floor. Picking it up, he pointed it at the elite man, whose name he didn't even care to know. "Stand up."

"What are you going to do?" The elite man's pupils shrank, his forehead beading with cold sweat.

He just broke a chair leg with one kick? Is this guy a monster?

"I came back this time wanting to live just a few days as a normal person," Chu Yun said, his eyes glinting with a frosty light, his lips barely parting. "Why must there always be people who act so contemptibly?"