Chapter 37

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

She stared determinedly at the man before her. “Mo Hanchen, I can’t promise you anything.”

“I… I thank you for your kind consideration, but I must insist on propriety. I’m married. There has to be a line drawn between us.”

She said it! She said what he had told her he did not want to hear.

A slow, bubbling laughter grew manic as Mo Hanchen felt his insides wither.

“Ha… Haha! I understand. I shan’t bother you anymore.” He stepped out of the elevator, blood dripping from his hand.

Meng Yue stood paralysed, her eyes burning with unshed tears. She did not know if it was because she felt bad for him or herself. The wound she sustained still throbbed painfully…

Hardening her heart, she thought to herself that Mo Hanchen deserved it. They had hurt each other, and they were both in pain. If two people shared the same suffering, was that not poetic justice? One fate shared by the two of them.

Even though her heart yearned to be with him, her mind and soul could not. Not now. Not while she was still shackled in a loveless marriage. Meng Yue wanted to say she loved him with her head held high; she was too proud to do otherwise.

Mo Hanchen’s lonely silhouette flashed in her mind’s eyes every time she closed her eyes. It brought an unbearable ache that refused to go away.

–

Mo Hanchen had returned upstairs.

He sat in his chair, the curtains draping the dark study in shifting shadows. He would not give up. Not when he had set his sights on someone or something.

“Meng Yue, you’ll return, and when you do, you’ll beg me for help!”

He eyed the dried blood gone black on his hand and thought of how he had bitten her. He could almost taste the sweet fragrance tickling the tip of his tongue. Mo Hanchen licked his chapped lips and growled, “I’ll bite you to death, Meng Yue!”

Meng Yue would not be so arrogant if she felt a little more pain.

Mo Hanchen laughed.

So many people wanted to build a connection with him, but she was the only one he wanted. Yet, she refused his advances, stubbornly clinging to an invisible line she had drawn in imaginary sand.

The more she pushed him away, the more he wanted to get closer.

Not long after, Mo Hanchen made a call. “How’s Xiang Haoyu doing?”

Wang Ming could not hide his self-satisfaction. “He was utterly useless!”

“I want you to follow ‘her’ closely,” Mo Hanchen said.

Wang Ming naturally knew who Mo Hanchen was referring to. Still, his new assignment puzzled him. “Since Miss Meng and Xiang Haoyu didn’t get a divorce, does that mean that Xiang Haoyu will transfer three billion to Miss Meng? If not, Miss Meng will need to enforce the contract through the Meng Group…”

Mo Hanchen laughed coldly. “You’re overthinking things.”

“According to the terms of their agreement, the Xiang Group has one month to pay the penalty for not upholding his side of the bargain. If Xiang Haoyu is shameless enough, he’ll likely counter-sue the Meng Group, and with legal procedures as they are, it might be more than three years before a verdict is reached!”

Mo Hanchen’s expression darkened. “I don’t have the time to wait three years for her!”

Honestly, even a second longer was too much.

Wang Ming understood. “I see. Xiang Haoyu is a scumbag that hopes to drag Miss Meng through the mud! Master, this Xiang Haoyu is doing this to torment you.”

Mo Hanchen heaved a sigh of relief. “Not bad! Since he’s having fun messing with me, why should I play nice and let him have what he wants?”

He, Mo Hanchen, had never been a good person.

“Master, should I go beat him up again?” Wang Ming asked cheekily.

“There’s no need,” Mo Hanchen replied. “Since contractual means would take too long, we’ll take another route.”

Hesitantly, Wang Ming said, “Master means…” Pausing to collect his thoughts, Wang Ming asked, “Do you want me to catch him committing adultery?”

Mo Hanchen nodded in appreciation. “Exactly!”

“Investigate Cheng Qing and all the women Xiang Haoyu has had affairs with,” Mo Hanchen ordered.

“Yes, Master.” Wang Ming responded without hesitation. “If you need me to find someone, beat them up and get away without being discovered, then I’m the man for the job.”

Mo Hanchen chided softly, “Hmm, don’t go overboard.” As an add-on, he said, “If Meng Yue does anything, let me know immediately.”

“Yes!”

–

At the capital’s first hospital…

Xiang Haoyu awoke to the sound of his phone ringing.

He sat up with difficulty, pressing his swollen abdomen, which elicited a yelp. It was then that he realised he was in a hospital.

His mind cleared as he inspected his surroundings and remembered how he had been beaten up. “If I find out who did this to me, they’ll wish they were never born!”

The call was from his assistant, Guo Rui.

“What is it?”

“President Xiang, the finance department just received a call from the Meng Group. They want us to pay up what is due. They’ve said that if the money is not transferred by 10 am, they’ll file for a full accounting of the company’s assets,” Guo Rui said.

Xiang Haoyu’s face instantly turned ashen.

Meng Yue was beyond ruthless!

Panicking, Guo Rui urgently sought further instructions, “President Xiang, what do we do?”

“Wait!” Xiang Haoyu hurriedly said.

He tried calling Meng Yue, but the call did not go through.

“That woman!”

“Hah! So she wants to play ball with me? Fine!” Xiang Haoyu cursed. If he had to get nasty for her to fall in line, he would do it.

It was 9:40 am when he arrived at the Xiang Group. There were only twenty minutes left before the deadline.

Several cars embossed with Meng Group’s logo were parked outside the building. Entering the building as he was, Xiang Haoyu cut quite the sorry sight. He tried calling Meng Yue again. This time, the call connected.

“Meng Yue, where are you now?”

“Meng Yue laughed coldly. “Xiang Haoyu, the word ‘cheap’ suits you well!”

She did not want to waste her breath on him, so she said, “I’m on my way to the Civil Affairs Bureau now.”

Xiang Haoyu grew even angrier. “Meng Yue, don’t you feel an ounce of guilt forcing me into this position?”

Meng Yue burst into a bout of laughter that sputtered into small coughs. “Why would I? My heart is numb when it comes to you. I can’t feel any more pain!”

“Meet me in the Civil Affairs Bureau or prepare yourself for an accounting of the Xiang Group’s assets. It’s your choice.”

Xiang Haoyu trembled with anger. “I can’t do either of them right now. I’m in the hospital. I’ll sue you for assault and battery if I must!”

Meng Yue’s expression clouded over as she stared at her phone incredulously.

How did he end up in a hospital? Did someone beat him up?

If she did not do it, then…

She suddenly had a bad feeling.

Meng Yue headed for the hospital instead. When she arrived, she tried calling Xiang Haoyu. She did this four times, but he did not pick up the phone.

Just as Meng Yue was about to storm out of the hospital, believing she had been tricked, Xiang Haoyu appeared behind her.

Meng Yue was about to give him a dressing down when she noticed how bloodied and bruised he was.

Xiang Haoyu sneered. “Are you afraid I’ll sue you?”

Meng Liang snorted. “You’ll need evidence to sue me!

“Since you aren’t so hurt as to be stuck in bed, will you follow me to the Civil Affairs Bureau, or would you rather transfer the money you owe? We could always go through the Xiang Group’s assets together to see how much you’d need to liquidate to repay the sum owed.”

Xiang Haoyu rolled his eyes.

When he saw a doctor coming over, he collapsed on the ground, screaming, “Help! Help!”

Meng Yue stomped her feet as she witnessed Xiang Haoyu’s shameless behaviour.

“Xiang Haoyu, why don’t you just go and die?!”

Xiang Haoyu, who was lying on the ground, snorted coldly. “Why should I let you live the good life after I die?!”

He fixed a dead-eyed stare at Meng Yue. “The three billion yuan is off the table. If you think you can sue me and get what you want, think again! I have plenty of time to counter-sue and appeal against the decision if it is ruled in your favour. Besides, the agreement between the Xiang and Meng families was never ratified; it was a gentleman’s agreement between our two families. If you coerce me into getting this divorce, I’ll sue you for blackmail!”

Meng Yue’s eyebrows twitched involuntarily. “Xiang Haoyu, you despicable swine!”

Venting her frustration, she kicked him twice, saying, “I’ll have my revenge!”

Xiang Haoyu guffawed. As the doctor drew closer, he shouted at the top of his lungs, “Oh my God! It hurts! Help!”

“This is domestic violence!”

“My wife is going to kick me to death…!”

Meng Yue lashed out twice more as Xiang Haoyu shot her a challenging look.

How could there be a man so trashy in the whole wide world?!