Forty-Nine

 As Tang Rui visited more often, despite the lack of affection, there was now enough familiarity to hold a conversation. Cheng Ling’s attitude softened somewhat, allowing them to chat back and forth. Zhou Yang stood aside, listening to the conversation, then lowered his head, lightly licked his lip corner, and with his hands in his pockets, smiled as he interjected, “Aunt Cheng, it’s getting late. We should be leaving.”

Cheng Ling, who was in the middle of the conversation, paused and glanced at the clock on the table—it was almost 9:30 PM.

Since Su Hao was resting and there were two large men present, it seemed inappropriate to keep them any longer. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, she looked at Zhou Yang and said, “Zhou Yang, thank you for bringing her back.”

“Don’t mention it, Aunt Cheng. We’re all family,” Zhou Yang’s narrow eyes concealed his dissatisfaction, but he wore a smiling, cultured, and amiable demeanor.

“Ah, yes, yes,” Cheng Ling nodded, also feeling that the situation shouldn't be overly formal.

Zhou Yang put down his teacup, lightly tapped the table with his fingertips, and stood up. His gaze lightly brushed over Tang Rui, who looked calm. Zhou Yang noticed Cheng Ling’s softening attitude and saw it as a leverage he held. He also stood up, put down his teacup, and walked towards the door.

The two men were of similar height, but Zhou Yang’s imposing aura was much stronger. Even without speaking, his presence was far more overwhelming than Tang Rui’s. It wasn’t surprising that Cheng Ling chatted more with Tang Rui, as Zhou Yang’s presence made it difficult for ordinary people to find a point of entry to speak.

After leaving the house.

Cheng Ling intended to close the door.

However, Zhou Yang casually pulled the door, glanced at the master bedroom door, and said to Cheng Ling, “Aunt Cheng, you don’t need to see us out. I’ll close the door myself.”

“Oh, no need,” Cheng Ling began to say something else, but Zhou Yang, with a smile, lowered his eyebrows, his eyes full of charm, which caused her to be momentarily dazzled. The door closed behind him.

Cheng Ling was stunned.

She only stared at the closed door.

Once the door shut, the hallway was plunged into darkness. The two men stood there, and Zhou Yang gave Tang Rui a cursory glance, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it, as they made their way down the stairs.

Tang Rui gripped the railing tightly, then relaxed his hold.

There was no wind in the hallway, but the atmosphere was stifling, with an undercurrent of tension. The unspoken confrontation was palpable.

As they neared the first floor, Zhou Yang held the cigarette, its smoke curling around his lips. He bit down on the cigarette, his minty breath mixing with the smoke, and took the last few steps.

Just as he reached the bottom, he suddenly turned around. In the next second, his fist flew towards Tang Rui’s face with precision. Tang Rui couldn’t avoid it and grabbed Zhou Yang’s large hand. Zhou Yang sneered, his mouth skewed with the cigarette, and delivered a harsh kick to Tang Rui’s abdomen. Tang Rui staggered and retaliated with a punch to Zhou Yang’s shoulder.

Zhou Yang brushed off the blow with ease, grabbed Tang Rui by the neck, and slammed him against the railing.

Clang—

Zhou Yang leaned in, looking down at Tang Rui, “What? Do you really want to remarry her?”

Tang Rui’s forehead and neck were flushed with veins popping out. He sneered, “What’s wrong with remarrying? Can you marry her?”

“Oh?” Zhou Yang scoffed, his eyes cold and menacing.

He removed the cigarette and said in a low voice, “I can. My presence here today shows my determination.”

“Do you think you’re justified for trying to make a comeback?” His voice was cold, his fingertips pressing hard.

Tang Rui’s face was flushed red, but he still struggled against Zhou Yang. He remembered their past, while Zhou Yang remained imposing. Tang Rui coldly sneered, “She won’t marry you. You have a dark history.”

“Oh, really? As if you don’t?”

“At least I have three years of history with her.”

“Impressive,” Zhou Yang’s eyes were filled with hostility, looking at him like a dog he wanted to kill.

Three years.

Three years, so impressive!

Tang Rui was equally unyielding. Despite the pain, he didn't utter a word of surrender. Those who had been through hardship were different; his eyes displayed a strong determination.

He was incomparable to that foolish Shen He.

Zhou Yang increased the pressure. “Let’s see how long you can hold out.”

“Never let go.”

“Oh really?”

In the next second, Zhou Yang released his grip but immediately delivered a powerful kick. Tang Rui flipped and dodged. Tang Rui had trained in Muay Thai, while Zhou Yang was more into mixed martial arts. The two men began to fight in the narrow stairwell.

Outside, someone entered and screamed.

Zhang Xinhua received a call about a fight happening at his property. He rushed over in his car, biting down on a whistle. As he got out of the car and prepared to yell, he was so startled by the scene that the whistle fell to the ground.

“So it’s Brother Zhou Yang.”

So Brother Zhou Yang’s fighting skills are this impressive?

It must be because of Boss Nie’s training.

The two men were exchanging blows, and Tang Rui proved to be quite a challenge. Every move he made was precise and authentic. Even though he seemed so refined, his Muay Thai skills didn’t seem out of place.

Zhou Yang was dressed in a shirt and trousers, with his abs faintly visible. His physique was impressive.

Many onlookers, initially startled, became spectators.

Zhou Yang then slammed Tang Rui against the wall again, wiped his lips, and spat, “I underestimated you.”

Tang Rui gritted his teeth, struggling to breathe, and sneered, “Hmph.”

Zhang Xinhua took out his phone and filmed the fight between the two men. He then sent the video to Xu Dian.

Xu Dian was puzzled.

“Is the rival here in Huahui Community? When did they start fighting?”

Zhang Xinhua was stunned. “So it’s a rival. Has Brother Zhou Yang gone mad? He’s actually using all his skills to deal with a rival? This is surreal!”

In the group chat:

Xu Dian: “Look quickly, Zhou Yang’s fighting!”

Li Yi: “Impressive!”

Jiang Yu: “Is that Tang Rui? Su Hao’s ex-husband? Hahaha, so Zhou Yang has his day too. Is it a fight with mixed martial arts?”

Li Yi: “Mixed martial arts. Nie Kui must be feeling frustrated, teaching him only for him to use it on a rival. Such a waste.”

Wen Ze: “Hahaha, let him bully my little brother-in-law. Serves him right. That smirk? Still got hit? Damn.”

Wen Ze: “So embarrassing.”

Yan Xing: “Is life over there so exciting? It used to be women fighting over Zhou Yang. Now he’s fighting for a woman. Why don’t you promote it on social media? It’s so thrilling. Announce it to the world!”

By morning.

Zhou Yang’s fight with his rival for a woman, using his most reliable fighting skills, had spread throughout the elite circles of Licheng.

“You’re lying! How could Zhou Yang fight for a woman!”

“Exactly!”

“I don’t believe it. The video must be fake.”

Li Xiu: “Lies! Lies! Lies!”

Whether it's a lie or not, the video has already circulated widely.

As dawn broke, the night passed.

Su Hao had a hangover throughout the night. When she woke up in the morning, her head was pounding. She stumbled into the bathroom to freshen up. When she came out, Cheng Ling was also awake. She had prepared honey water for Su Hao, wearing pajamas and yawning, and stood by the table, saying, “You got really drunk last night. Luckily, Zhou Yang brought you back.”

“And Tang Rui,” Su Hao added after a moment of thought.

Cheng Ling yawned again and continued, “Zhou Yang carried you back. You were completely out of it. You should really drink less in the future.”

She set the cup down.

Su Hao looked at the patterns on the tablecloth and responded with a quiet “Oh.”

“What about Tang Rui? Why did he come?”

“He just wanted to say a few words to you.”

“What do you want for breakfast?” Cheng Ling asked as she walked into the kitchen.

“Anything is fine,” Su Hao replied.

She turned and went back to her room to change clothes. After changing, she rubbed her forehead, and the pain subsided somewhat. She returned to the living room and picked up her phone. There were many messages, far exceeding the usual number for just one night. Su Hao glanced at WeChat and saw a message from Tang Yu.

“Tang Yu: I’m sorry. I didn’t plan things well last night.”

Su Hao didn’t reply.

She scrolled down and saw a private group from the Feijie company.

Everyone was watching a video.

Su Hao clicked to view it.

The video was clear.

Zhou Yang and Tang Rui were facing off with their fists.

She was stunned.

The video was only about twenty seconds long, showing the two men fighting with skill. Zhou Yang even wiped his mouth during a retreat, revealing blood.

From the environment, it was clear that this was downstairs from her apartment.

Combining this with her mother’s words, the two had fought downstairs after leaving?

“Where’s Su Hao? Tag her. Is Zhou Yang doing this for you?”

“I’ve never heard of him fighting for a woman before.”

“Su Hao, you’re so lucky.”

“This video has spread throughout the entire朋友圈 (social circle). Damn.”

“Su Hao is so beautiful, truly deserving of Zhou Yang’s efforts. Didn’t you see her qipao video? My goodness, even as a woman, I was mesmerized.”

“She’s indeed beautiful. I heard Zhou Yang was also there that day. Did he fall in love at first sight?”

“It must have been love at first sight. Just look at Zhou Yang’s previous preferences. Su Hao’s beauty and gentle demeanor must have captivated him.”

“Pfft. You think he’s not captivated? Didn’t you see Zhou Yang fighting? Tsk tsk, even though Tang Rui’s moves were fierce, he couldn’t match Zhou Yang, who pushed him back step by step.”

“They’ve arrived.”

The people in the group were completely indifferent to whether Su Hao was present. They kept discussing, and Su Hao exited WeChat, grabbed her small bag, and left. After breakfast, Su Hao went out. The stairwell lights had been flickering lately, and with the skylight set high, there was only a bit of light. Soon, she reached the first floor. As Su Hao stepped outside, she paused for a moment and glanced to the side.

Zhou Yang, with a cigarette in his mouth and a smile, said, “Good morning.”

His shirt was tucked into his pants, and his sleeves were rolled up, revealing half of his arms with some bruises. There were also marks on his face and neck.

Su Hao frowned but didn’t respond. She then shifted her gaze to the other side.

Tang Rui, rubbing his mouth, asked, “Su Hao, have you sobered up?”

With both men surrounding her, everyone around them looked over. Su Hao pressed her lips together, took a large stride away, and Tang Rui tried to follow, but his phone rang. He answered it and could only go to hail a taxi. Zhou Yang, flicking his cigarette, put his hands in his pockets and lazily followed Su Hao.

“Su Hao,” he said in a deep voice, “The company you’re at is too small. Have you considered looking for another job?”

Su Hao ignored him.

Zhou Yang coughed and said, “Still ignoring me? Are you really indifferent?”

“I miss you so much it hurts.”

Su Hao suddenly stopped, lifted her eyes, and glared at him fiercely.

Zhou Yang also halted, his lips bleeding. He seemed a bit apprehensive. He rubbed his lips and lowered his voice, “I want to be in a relationship with you. Will you?”

“No.”

Zhou Yang clenched his teeth.

After a moment, he squeezed out through his teeth, “Well, I’ll ask again next time.”

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