Chapter Twenty

This was Su Xiaobai's first time hitting someone, and after doing so, she didn't feel any regret. Instead, she found herself irritated by the public setting. If this had happened back in the private room, she likely would have charged at him, slapping and hitting him until the fat pig was knocked out.

What nonsense about patience, what about saving face and pretending to be broad-minded? Su Xiaobai had no interest in pretending to be indifferent when someone took advantage of her. She couldn't tolerate being mistreated in the slightest.

Her fiery temper was the complete opposite of Su Bai's calm demeanor. Su Xiaobai was rebellious to her core. She couldn't stand being bullied and couldn't bear the slightest injustice. Underneath her boldness, there was also a bit of righteousness, a sense of loyalty to those who shared her values. In short, she was a difficult person to deal with and a tough one to serve. It didn't matter if a deal failed, as long as her bottom line wasn't crossed. She was strange that way—whether it was a good or bad person, whether the matter was right or wrong, it didn't matter to her as long as things were done according to the rules. But this Mr. Chen from Jincheng was neither a criminal nor a villain. He wasn't involved in any shady dealings or trafficking, but he had a fattened ego when it came to his lecherous behavior. In Su Xiaobai's eyes, such a person was nothing but a "scumbag" from start to finish, whose actions were utterly intolerable.

"Su… Director Su, don't you think that was a bit too impulsive?" One of the managers from the factory looked worried, glancing at the scene. He was afraid that Mr. Chen might seek revenge in a petty manner. He didn't think they could explain this to the higher-ups if things went wrong, so he started to worry for Su Xiaobai.

But the one responsible for the slap—Su Xiaobai—raised her head high, looking down at Mr. Chen, who was clutching his face with a look of disbelief and rage, his eyes full of hatred. She coldly said, "Yes, maybe I was a bit impulsive, but he really deserved it. Look at that face, I should've reported him to the headquarters earlier. A person like this, with such poor character, makes me doubt the company's credibility. We'll definitely cut all business ties with them in the future."

One of the financial department supervisors from Jincheng, surnamed Zhang, was so angry that he almost couldn't control himself. At first, when Su Xiaobai spoke, he thought she was about to apologize. He was about to retort when he heard the rest of her words, which only made things worse. The Jincheng company, which many local organizations were fighting to partner with, was suddenly reduced to a company with no integrity and value in her words. Zhang supervisor looked at Mr. Chen, whose face was now as red as a liver after being slapped, and snickered inwardly. This woman really didn't know how to appreciate kindness.

"Fine, if your factory is so capable, you can go find another company to cooperate with. Our Jincheng company is too small to accommodate a big boss like you. But Miss Su, hitting someone is a clear fact. I, Chen De, won't stand here getting slapped and then keep smiling like a fool. The surveillance footage is available, so let's not waste time. Let's call the police," he said, glaring fiercely at another supervisor, who immediately took out his phone and dialed a number.

Su Xiaobai wasn't intimidated by this. She didn't believe for a second that they could do anything to her. She knew Mr. Chen was capable of causing trouble, being a local big shot in Huai Jiang. But right now, she had completely thrown off her mask of civility. Her true nature had been triggered by this incident. She hadn't even realized it herself, but in front of people like Fang Cheng and Su Miao, who were experts at reading people, she had been quite adept at hiding her true self. But a fat, old boss from a broken company was enough to bring it all out. It all came down to her bottom line.

The factory manager, initially intending to say something apologetic, was now so furious at the attitude of Jincheng's people that his neck was turning red. "This isn't really Su Xiaobai's fault. It was Mr. Chen who started it by grabbing her earlier. During dinner, he kept touching Su Xiaobai's legs under the table. She didn't say anything then. We were just here to talk business, not to be treated like local guides. We drank, we smiled, and now they're stopping us from leaving. This is too much. Honestly, we don't even need to be here!"

The young manager, now quite worked up, turned back to Su Xiaobai and said, "Director Su, let's go back and report to the factory director and Mr. Li. The three of us together can make a stronger case. We don't have to be afraid of escalating things with Jincheng. They're the ones who started bullying us."

Su Xiaobai glanced at the three people in front of her with the same contempt she'd reserve for ants. Compared to her earlier attitude, she now treated them as if they were beneath her. With a nod to her two colleagues, the three of them turned to leave.

However, Su Xiaobai didn't expect that as she turned around, she would accidentally make eye contact with someone who had been watching this whole spectacle.

To her surprise, her current husband, Fang Cheng, was standing right across from her. He was accompanied by a small group of about ten people. The lineup was quite distinct, with familiar faces like Chen Xingran and Ziyu standing with him, as well as others she didn't recognize, like Gong Zheng and Zhang Bo. On the far right, there was a small group of people too. But at that moment, Su Xiaobai's mind was focused entirely on Fang Cheng, so she barely paid attention to anyone else. It wasn't that she was afraid of what Fang Cheng might do, but rather she was frustrated at the possibility that the image of the perfect wife she had been working so hard to build over the past months might have been ruined.

It felt like a flood had washed away the Dragon King Temple, and family members no longer recognized one another. Su Xiaobai's expression remained unchanged, and there wasn't even a hint of embarrassment in her eyes. She turned with utmost nonchalance and walked away briskly, not even noticing that two of Jincheng's supervisors were on the phone behind her, making arrangements for something. Had she overheard that conversation, she might not have been so eager to leave the scene so quickly.

Once Su Xiaobai left, the onlookers dispersed as well. As for the impression she left on them or the impact she caused, she had no idea. Only the people involved truly knew what had happened.

"Is this Su Bai? She sure has a sharp tongue, huh? Since when did she start using curse words all the time?" Ziyu said with excitement. It seemed that Su Bai had made quite an impression on him. He had even found himself reminiscing about that fleeting moment at the office, the vivid red that had come rushing in like a flame.

Chen Xingran shook his head with a smile and asked Fang Cheng, "Did something happen between you and Su Bai? Why is she here in Huai Jiang? Is it a coincidence that she's eating at the same restaurant as us?"

Although he phrased it as a question, it was clear from his tone that he was implying Su Bai must have followed Fang Cheng to Huai Jiang. What a coincidence that they ended up in the same restaurant!

Fang Cheng only glanced at Mr. Chen, who was standing there, his face twisted with a mix of anger and vindictive pleasure. Fang Cheng scoffed indifferently, "I'm not the kind of thing that's always tagging along with someone wherever they go."

Ziyu slipped his hands into his pockets and glanced over as Qiao Nan entered the elevator before turning to smile at Fang Cheng. "Just because you're not tagging along doesn't mean people don't know what's hidden in your pants, huh? But it seems like Su Bai really is persistent, following you all the way here. It looks like she's quite determined. She didn't even break up with you right there, and she sure knows how to play it cool."

The others seemed to think Su Xiaobai had come to Huai Jiang on a business trip just to follow Fang Cheng. What had been a perfectly innocent situation was now twisted into a mess. If Su Xiaobai ever found out that this is how they viewed her, she'd probably be furious.

Gong Zheng and Zhang Bo exchanged glances and observed Fang Cheng with a hint of amusement. They had always heard that Su Bai was a cold beauty, a flower on a high mountain that shouldn't be touched, and their few encounters with her had reinforced that impression. But seeing her today, stepping out of a supercar and walking with such confidence, Gong Zheng found himself reassessing Fang Cheng's wife.

Could it be that Su Bai had already found out about Zhang Tingting and was planning to confront Fang Cheng? Otherwise, why would she walk off with a cold face after seeing Fang Cheng earlier without even greeting him? Gong Zheng increasingly believed that Su Xiaobai must have known about her husband's affair.

In the midst of the commotion, the protagonist, Su Xiaobai, who had stirred up everyone's emotions, was walking out of the hotel with her two colleagues. They had just descended the stairs when a group of seven or eight people, all wearing T-shirts and jeans, rushed toward them. Without saying a word, one of them swung a baton and hit one of the male employees from the branch on the head, splitting it open.

 The male colleague fell to the ground, clutching his head with his hands, blood pouring through his fingers and staining his palm.

The others immediately surrounded the three of them.

One of the other male colleagues turned pale, staring at the attackers. His lips trembled with fear, but also with anger. "Who are you people? What are you doing?!"

"F*** you, old man! Which one of you is Su Bai? Tell her to come out and come with us, or we'll keep hitting until even your parents won't recognize you!" The leader of the group sneered at the three of them, his gaze landing on Su Xiaobai. His eyes narrowed and a smile curled at the corner of his lips. As it was mentioned over the phone, she was a beautiful woman, and it was clear from her looks. He pointed at her immediately, "This one, take her with us."

Su Xiaobai bit her lip. With her intelligence, she knew for sure that this must have been orchestrated by that fat fool from Jincheng. She glanced at the iron rod in the man's hand, sighed, and softly spoke to her other colleague, "Xiao Chen, you take the injured to the hospital. I'll go with them. Make sure to call the police." Then, turning to the leader of the group, she said, "I'll go with you, but don't make things hard for them."

"F***, don't talk so much, just take her!" The leader yelled, and two men immediately grabbed Su Xiaobai and shoved her into a van.

They acted quickly, without hesitation, clearly used to such situations. The van roared to life, leaving behind only the smell of exhaust fumes on the ground.

By the time Fang Cheng and the others came out, they saw a large crowd gathered at the entrance of the restaurant. An ambulance was there, with paramedics carrying someone on a stretcher to the vehicle. Ziyu, who had sharp eyes, recognized one of the people being carried was one of Su Xiaobai's colleagues. He immediately informed Chen Xingran and Fang Cheng, and the three of them rushed over to ask what happened.

The colleague who wasn't injured was on the phone with the company.

"Yes, Mr. Li, Director Su was indeed taken away in a van. It was an unmarked Wuling van. I've already reported it to the police. Li Mi is being sent to the hospital for emergency treatment, Fifth Hospital. Don't worry, we'll take care of ourselves."

The three of them were shocked at how quickly things had escalated in such a short time. Fang Cheng's face darkened, and Chen Xingran and Ziyu remained silent. They knew that whoever had dared to cause trouble would soon realize who they were messing with. These spoiled, arrogant people had no idea who they were dealing with.