C6 Does It Hurt?

The meeting room was so silent that the proverbial pin drop could be heard.

Mrs. Han's piercing gaze swept past Chen Xiuling, who was prostrate on the floor, and settled intently on Su Mingyue's face.

A face so stunning that Xue Chaoqing, the magnate of Unhindered Entertainment, had shelled out a hundred million in cash to secure Su Mingyue's ten-year contract, despite her lack of acting experience.

"So, you're the vixen?" Mrs. Han stepped forward, her tone confrontational. "Think you're beautiful, so you're untouchable?"

Before Su Mingyue could respond, Mrs. Han was already bearing down on her. "Do you have any idea what you are in my eyes?"

With a look of disdain, Mrs. Han scrutinized Su Mingyue from head to toe, her voice dripping with sarcasm: "A third-rate actress who survives on peddling smiles."

Her arrogance was palpable, reminiscent of a female Han Jin, her hubris boundless.

"My son taking a fancy to you is like a stroke of luck from your ancestors," Mrs. Han's tone shifted, her gaze turning malevolent. "Did I overestimate you? How dare you harm my son!?"

This was a one-sided trial by Mrs. Han, whose dominance and the might of the Han Group behind her brooked no dissent. To even speak was to court punishment.

Chen Xiuling was a stark warning.

Yet Su Mingyue, at the eye of the storm, remained composed.

She had known since the night before that this confrontation was inevitable.

But with her mental fortitude, she could face it with equanimity.

Her dignity and poise would not allow her to stoop to Mrs. Han's level of vulgarity.

After a brief silence, Su Mingyue parted her lips and spoke with a cool detachment, "Like mother, like son. I see the resemblance."

Her words sent a chill through the room, eliciting an involuntary intake of breath from those present.

Her statement was akin to dousing an inferno with gasoline, sending Mrs. Han into a frenzy.

"Insolent tongue!" Mrs. Han, seething with fury, her face livid, raised her hand to strike. "I'll ruin that smart mouth of yours!"

With a swift motion, her attempted slap was thwarted, firmly caught by a quick hand.

The one who intervened was none other than Chu Yun.

He had been standing idly behind, appearing as a peer from Unhindered Entertainment, there to mingle and learn. He had casually admired each poster on the wall, seemingly at ease.

But now, he was at Su Mingyue's side, preventing Mrs. Han from publicly assaulting her.

The onlookers were clueless about his identity, but those from the industry who had attended last night's dinner shuddered, fearing a repeat of past horrors.

"Scoundrel! Release me!" Mrs. Han, red with fury and embarrassment, lashed out at Chu Yun.

She was indifferent to Chu Yun's identity; her sole focus was to harshly discipline Su Mingyue, who had provoked her ire.

To smash her mouth, to ruin that beautiful, enchanting face!

Chu Yun gave Mrs. Han a glance devoid of emotion, then turned away.

His eyes settled on Su Mingyue's delicate features, and with a slight purse of his lips, he instructed, "Wife, slap her."

Crack!

Without any forewarning, without a moment's hesitation—

Su Mingyue struck.

The blow might not have been particularly forceful, but it was resolute and unmistakable, landing squarely on Mrs. Han's meticulously made-up face.

And it left behind several distinct red marks from her fingers.

Instantly, the scene descended into pandemonium.

Noise erupted, a mix of terror and frantic commotion.

Mrs. Han's bodyguard, who had accompanied her, charged forward, his eyes glinting with menace. The executives of Unhindered Entertainment were sweating bullets, their hearts skipping beats.

Even Chen Xiuling, propped up by others, nearly fainted, on the verge of collapsing once more.

Had Su Mingyue lost her mind?

Who did Mrs. Han think she was? Was she someone Su Mingyue could strike?

Chen Xiuling's spirit was shattered.

She realized that the Su family was now on a path of no return.

"That was too gentle."

As the chaos reached its peak, Chu Yun's brow furrowed slightly, and he shook his head.

Then, for the first time, he took Su Mingyue's hand in his. He guided her on how to deliver a more forceful blow.

With a sharp snap, the sound echoed!

Mrs. Han, still bewildered, received another stinging slap!

The force was significant enough that Mrs. Han staggered and nearly took a tumble.

The once bustling meeting room was suddenly enveloped in silence.

Everyone was dumbfounded, as if caught in the calm before a storm.

"You dare to hit me!?"

Pain flared in Mrs. Han's eyes, turning them a fiery red, while a trickle of blood stained the corner of her mouth.

Two resounding slaps had utterly demolished her towering arrogance and pride.

Overcome with emotion, she glared at Chu Yun and his wife, spitting out a curse, "I wish you both a miserable end!"

Chu Yun ignored her outburst and instead turned to Su Mingyue with a tender glance. He caressed the palm she had used to slap Mrs. Han and asked softly, "Does it hurt?"

Su Mingyue replied candidly, "A little."

It was the first time in her twenty-six years that she had struck someone.

And she had struck someone she should not have.

She could have refrained from hitting Mrs. Han after Chu Yun intervened.

But she had hit her anyway.

Because she refused to be looked down upon by Chu Yun, who was disdained by the Su family.

Last night, he had defended her honor by hitting Han Jin.

Today, she had no reason to back down.

"Chee Jun!"

Mrs. Han's voice was tinged with madness as she bellowed, "What are you good for? Are you just waiting to collect my dead body!?"

Mrs. Han yearned to tear Chu Yun and his wife limb from limb, to reduce them to ashes.

Yet, a sliver of sanity reminded her that while she could strike Chen Xiuling, and even Su Mingyue, she had to maintain some semblance of restraint.

The Han Group was a prominent family in Pearl City. Behind closed doors, she could act with impunity, but in public, she couldn't afford to maim or kill. Such actions would bring disgrace upon her family.

Even if she ordered her bodyguard to give them a beating, it wouldn't quench the burning rage within her, nor would it restore her shattered dignity.

She was determined to use her power to ruin their lives!

She planned to leverage her connections to ensure the Su family's downfall for generations!

She had the means to do so, and most of the onlookers believed it without a doubt.

Thus, the gazes that fell upon Chu Yun and his wife were as cold and lifeless as if they were staring at two corpses.

Chee Jun, singled out by an irate Mrs. Han, responded in a way that was baffling, his demeanor ambiguous.

Could it really be him?

Initially, Chee Jun hadn't noticed Chu Yun standing at the back of the crowd.

But when he intervened and stopped Mrs. Han,

He was almost certain of his suspicions.

Taking a deep breath, Chee Jun's gaze darted around, avoiding both Chu Yun and Mrs. Han.

With a clenched jaw, he declared in a stern voice, "Withdraw!"

His command sent the meeting room into turmoil once more.

Withdraw?

Hadn't the Han family summoned Captain Chee to resolve the issue?

The severe injury of Han Jin the previous night had already drawn significant attention.

And now, Mrs. Han herself had been publicly assaulted. Surely, this was an escalation of events?

Instead of cracking down on the crime, he was ordering a retreat?

The complexities of Mrs. Han's life, when combined, paled in comparison to the events of this single day. She couldn't fathom why Chee Jun was pulling out. With a venomous glare, she demanded, "Have you lost your mind!? Expecting to be disciplined!"

Shaking with anger, she pulled out her phone to call Chee Jun's direct superior.

Moments later, Chee Jun stepped aside to take the call from his leader.

"I want a reasonable explanation!"

The phone carried the leader's furious demand.

Massaging his forehead, Chee Jun replied with a bitter taste in his mouth, "Leader, we cannot touch this individual."