C18 I'm Sorry!!

Du Qing, taken by surprise, slammed his hand on the table and stood up, seething with anger and embarrassment. "How dare you hit me!? Xue Chaoqing, you ungrateful bastard!"

"Get out!" Xue Chaoqing delivered a fierce kick to his stomach.

Pain gripped Du Qing's abdomen, and he broke out in a cold sweat. Did this guy really have to kick so hard?

Despite his pain, Du Qing couldn't shake his fear of Xue Chaoqing. After all, it was thanks to his brother-in-law that the Du Family enjoyed prosperity, and that he himself held the director position. Without Xue Chaoqing's support, he'd never have been able to just walk away from his responsibilities.

But what had gotten into his brother-in-law lately? His temper had become explosive, a drastic change from his usual self. Even when Du Qing had been at his most reckless, Xue Chaoqing had only ever reprimanded him. What was causing this sudden outburst?

Du Qing was fuming and far from ready to back down. Yet, seeing Xue Chaoqing's unwavering stance, he knew that persisting would only make things worse. He was about to leave, nursing his grudge, when Chu Yun spoke up leisurely, "Director Xue, your brother-in-law still seems upset. Why rush off? Let's talk a little more."

His tone was nonchalant, his expression serene.

To Xue Chaoqing, however, Chu Yun's words struck like thunder, reverberating through his mind.

"You think you can disrespect me?!" Du Qing exploded, his anger palpable. "I swear, I won't rest until I've dealt with you today!"

Smack!

Before he could finish his threat, Xue Chaoqing's hand connected with his face. Du Qing's once handsome features swelled up, marked by the imprint of fingers.

"A dog can't spit out ivory!" Xue Chaoqing commanded with authority. "Apologize to Director Chu now!"

"Xue Chaoqing!" Du Qing erupted in expletives. "You son of a—"

Smack!

He was cut off by another slap from Xue Chaoqing. "Apologize!"

After a brief pause, Xue Chaoqing's face hardened. "I won't repeat myself a third time."

Du Qing was dazed.

And utterly terrified by Xue Chaoqing.

Sure, Xue Chaoqing was practically a son-in-law to the Du family, but for the past twenty years, it was Xue Chaoqing who had been their mainstay. Even the hefty monthly credit card bills that Du Qing racked up were settled by Xue Chaoqing.

Despite often being called useless, Du Qing knew better than to provoke Xue Chaoqing's wrath.

"Sorry," Du Qing said through clenched teeth.

Smack!

Xue Chaoqing delivered another slap. "Louder!"

"I'm sorry!" Du Qing's eyes reddened, tears nearly spilling over.

A tangle of hurt, rage, and defiance swirled within him.

"Get out!"

With another kick from Xue Chaoqing, Du Qing scurried away, like a dog that had lost its home.

Having sent his brother-in-law packing, Xue Chaoqing turned to address Director Chu with earnest sincerity, "He's just a little jerk. Please don't stoop to his level."

Chu Yun offered a sly grin. "Director Xue, you're quite adept at the art of deception."

Xue Chaoqing gave a sheepish smile. "You're magnanimous, Director Chu."

"You're the boss, I'm the employee. Why would I pick a fight with you?" Chu Yun drawled. "But my wife, she's got a bit of a temper. Let's not have a repeat of this, okay?"

"There won't be a next time," Xue Chaoqing assured, almost as if he were taking a solemn oath.

With that, he courteously said goodbye and gently closed the door behind him.

Turning away, Xue Chaoqing exhaled a heavy sigh and caught sight of Du Qing lurking around the corner.

"Brother-in-law, who is that guy really?" Du Qing mused after stepping outside, sensing that something was amiss. "Was it necessary to beat me like that?"

His face still smarted from the blows. The thought of showing up at a nightclub or even the office in the next few days was too mortifying to consider.

Xue Chaoqing gave Du Qing a withering look. "You don't know the half of it!"

He then proceeded to fill Du Qing in on the entire situation, leaving him utterly petrified.

"Chu Yun is too much, isn't he? He even put Young Master Han in the ICU?" Du Qing was dumbstruck.

He had only heard of Mrs. Han's clout but had never witnessed it firsthand.

Yet, Han Jin's influence in the circle was undeniable.

"If I don't give you a few lashes, you won't end up in the ICU," Xue Chaoqing said sternly. "From now on, if you see Su Mingyue, walk the other way. Don't look, and don't even think about her. Got it?"

Du Qing's throat went dry as he ushered Xue Chaoqing into the CEO's office. "Brother-in-law, from what you're saying, has Chu Yun completely burned bridges with the Han Group?"

"Yes," Xue Chaoqing confirmed, lighting a cigarette.

"Have you lost your mind? Why would you dare to hire someone like that?" Du Qing was blunt. "Aren't you worried that the Han family will take us down in one fell swoop?"

Unhindered Entertainment might have some clout in the industry, but it paled in comparison to the Han family.

"I've told you a million times, stop obsessing over chasing women," Xue Chaoqing reprimanded Du Qing, who was more than a decade his junior, in a fatherly tone. "Chee Jun dared to snub Mrs. Han to her face. Do you think Chu Yun's tactics are any less ruthless?"

"Do they know each other?" Du Qing inquired.

"Of course, they do," Xue Chaoqing snapped. "But is that the point? Is Chee Jun the only one bold enough to defy Mrs. Han?"

Du Qing slapped his thigh. "Director Fang has given his silent approval!"

When even the deputy chief of the city bureau wouldn't dare cross someone, that person's connections must be formidable.

"Think harder next time," Xue Chaoqing glared at Du Qing. "Aren't you tired of playing around with women?"

Du Qing scratched his head. "It's just a man's nature."

He paused before adding, "Even if Chu Yun has a mysterious background, there's no need to bring him into Unhindered. If we just let go of Su Mingyue, we'd be in the clear."

"That's what I initially thought," Xue Chaoqing admitted with a frown. "But he refused to leave and wouldn't agree to pay the severance fee."

"So arrogant?" Du Qing first raised an eyebrow, then let out a sigh. "This guy really does have the right to be arrogant."

"I've been thinking. The termination fee is substantial, but it's not enough to cripple Unhindered Entertainment," Xue Chaoqing mused. "Chu Yun is a mystery, yet he dared to attack Mrs. Han and her son. And with Chee Jun's ambiguous stance towards him, I figured why not bring him into Unhindered? He might just help the company weather this storm."

Du Qing, though not one for serious business, was aware that Unhindered was facing peril. But the thought of Chu Yun provoking the Han family made him shake his head. "Brother-in-law, you're playing with fire. One false move, and we could be wiped out."

"Wealth is sought in the midst of danger," Xue Chaoqing replied, his gaze intensifying. "If he doesn't prove helpful, we can always fire him later."

"What if the Han family retaliates against us?" Du Qing asked.

"I'm more worried about whether Unhindered can even survive than I am about the Han family's wrath," Xue Chaoqing said, taking a deep drag on his cigarette. "I've painstakingly built this company from a tiny shop selling pirated discs into a publicly traded enterprise over twenty years. I won't let it be devoured that easily."

Du Qing empathized deeply.

He remembered doing his homework in the disc shop after school as a kid, sometimes even helping customers with their purchases and change. He had lived through those days and knew firsthand the blood, sweat, and tears his brother-in-law had poured into reaching this point. Like Xue Chaoqing, he didn't want to see Unhindered swallowed whole.

But could this enigmatic Chu Yun truly help Unhindered avert disaster? Du Qing harbored doubts.

He even feared incurring the lasting enmity of the Han family, risking it all and ending up with nothing.

...

After Xue Chaoqing departed, the office was enveloped in silence.

The couple, who should have been inseparably close, felt estranged.

"You're not a competent wife," Chu Yun said, his brow furrowed in a mix of fatigue and disappointment.

"Hmm?" Su Mingyue looked up.

"I'm the son-in-law who married into the family. My married life was supposed to be one of pleasure and indulgence, not one fraught with trouble and danger," Chu Yun sighed softly. "I'm feeling incredibly exhausted."

"If you're feeling worn out," Su Mingyue said without emotion, "you can end this marriage whenever you want."

"I was just kidding. Don't take it to heart," Chu Yun quickly backtracked. "But as the head of the household, you really ought to take a moment to reflect. Why is it that our family is in such a difficult position that I need to go out and work?"

"I'm sorry for making you take on such a public role," Su Mingyue stood up, her gaze icy. "I will work hard to earn money and provide for the family, ensuring you have a worry-free life of comfort and happiness."

With that, she turned and walked away.