"There's nothing left to discuss!" Chu Yun cut Luo Yunshan off abruptly, his voice sharp and unyielding. He didn't mince words as he exposed Luo's facade. "Stop pretending to be the good guy here. Do you think I don’t know? Those demands were all your doing! You’re just too spineless to stand up for yourself, so you’re trying to drag me into your mess. Feeding your wife these ridiculous ideas every day—what a disgrace to manhood!"

Luo Yunshan’s face flushed crimson, his mouth hanging open as if he’d been struck dumb. He stood frozen, unable to muster a response.

Beside him, Zhou Lichun couldn’t hold back any longer. Her voice screeched like nails on a chalkboard as she lashed out, "You little brat! How dare you raise your voice like that? You’ve got some nerve! A loser like you deserves to stay poor for the rest of your life. Let me make this clear—even if you somehow scraped together 600,000 yuan, you’d still never marry my daughter! Go ahead and stay single forever!"

Chu Yun’s heart sank as he realized there was no turning back now. Years of pent-up frustration and humiliation surged to the surface, and he exploded, "Zhou Lichun, I’ve treated you with respect because I saw you as an elder. But since this marriage is off the table, you’re nothing to me now. That wrinkled face of yours makes me sick!"

Zhou Lichun’s jaw dropped, her face turning ashen. Her body trembled with rage as she pointed a shaking finger at Chu Yun. "You... you little punk! How dare you speak to me like that?"

"Not just you—I’ll curse your whole damn family!" Chu Yun shot back, his voice booming. He was done holding back. "Yeah, I’m broke right now, but at least I’m working hard to change that. Even if I don’t marry your daughter, I’ll find someone eventually. But your useless son? All he does is laze around, playing video games and clubbing. Any girl who ends up with him is in for a lifetime of misery!"

"Who the hell are you calling useless? I’ll wreck you!" Luo Tianning, who had been lounging on the sidelines, suddenly erupted. He slammed his phone onto the couch, leaped up, and charged at Chu Yun, fists clenched.

"You think you can take me on, you waste of space?" Chu Yun stepped forward, meeting Luo Tianning head-on. "I’ve had enough of your crap. Today, I’m going to teach you a lesson!"

With that, Chu Yun swung his arm in a wide arc, delivering a resounding slap across Luo Tianning’s face.

*CRASH!*

Luo Tianning let out a howl as he was sent flying, landing face-first on the floor. The force of the blow sent him crashing into the delicate screen that divided the private room, toppling it with a loud clatter.

It’s worth noting that Chu Yun had been an active athlete during his university days. Standing at an impressive 1.8 meters tall with a robust build, he was a stark contrast to Luo Tianning, who was only 1.7 meters tall, slender, and more accustomed to a life of leisure and indulgence. There was no way Luo could stand a chance against Chu Yun in a physical altercation.

The commotion was so loud that it drew the attention of everyone in the grand hall. Many turned their heads to see what was happening.

"Xiao Ning…" Zhou Lichun cried out in distress, rushing over to help Luo Tianning up.

Luo Qiuling, who had been standing there in shock, glared at Chu Yun and shouted, "Chu Yun, you’ve gone too far! Apologize to my brother right now, or we’re breaking up!"

"Fine, let’s break up! You’re nothing but a ‘brother’s keeper,’ and your whole family is a bunch of leeches. I’m done putting up with this!" Chu Yun shot back, his voice booming across the room. He then turned and strode toward the table, intent on retrieving the two boxes filled with cash gifts.

Luo Yunshan, who had been standing guard by the table, quickly scooped up the boxes and took a step back, clutching them tightly.

"Give me back the money!" Chu Yun roared, lunging forward to reclaim the boxes.

But Luo Yunshan suddenly raised his voice in a dramatic cry, "Help! Someone’s assaulting an old man!"

The scene instantly drew a larger crowd, with onlookers gathering around, curious and eager to see what would happen next.

The commotion also caught the attention of the hotel’s security team. Several guards rushed over and surrounded the group.

"What’s going on here? Who’s causing trouble in my hotel?" A man’s voice suddenly rang out, cutting through the chaos.

The crowd parted, and a young man stepped through. Chu Yun looked up and was immediately struck by the sight of someone around his own age, with a brooding expression, long hair, and a slender frame. He was dressed in a casual Saint Laurent outfit and wore a pair of designer Hermès shoes.

Trailing behind him were two burly men in black suits, their faces stern and hidden behind dark sunglasses, exuding an air of authority.

“Uh… Shi Tianxiang!”

Chu Yun was momentarily stunned but quickly recognized the young man as the infamous rich kid from his university, a notorious playboy named Shi Tianxiang.

Shi Tianxiang hailed from a powerful family in Jiangbei City. As the only son, he had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth. His parents, busy with their careers and having had him later in life, doted on him excessively, indulging his every whim. This had fostered in him a brash and domineering personality.

“Young Master Shi…”

Luo Qiuling blushed as soon as she saw Shi Tianxiang and greeted him with a shy smile.

“Brother-in-law… you’re finally here!”

Luo Tianning, who had just helped Zhou Lichun to her feet, suddenly called out to Shi Tianxiang with excitement, rushing over to him.

Hearing Luo Tianning refer to Shi Tianxiang as “brother-in-law,” Chu Yun was jolted. He turned to Luo Qiuling with a look of disbelief. “You… you’re with him now?”

“That’s right! Since we’ve already broken up, who I’m with is none of your business!”

Luo Qiuling retorted, then moved to stand beside Shi Tianxiang, though she kept her head down, avoiding Chu Yun’s gaze.

“Qiuling, is this the broke loser you were talking about?”

Shi Tianxiang gave Chu Yun a disdainful once-over before deliberately asking Luo Qiuling, his tone dripping with mockery.

Luo Qiu Ling nodded, her face flushed with embarrassment as she murmured, "He... he's my ex-boyfriend now..."

"Oh! Ex-boyfriend! That’s a real gut-puncher! Hahaha..." Shi Tianxiang shot a glance at Chu Yun, his eyes gleaming with a triumphant,挑衅的光芒, and a mocking smirk curled at the corner of his lips.

"Ah, Young Master Shi, you’re finally here! Now I can breathe easy!" Zhou Lichun immediately sidled up to Shi Tianxiang, her face plastered with an obsequious, nauseating smile.

"Brother-in-law, this guy’s been bullying me. You’ve got to stand up for me!" Luo Tianning seized the moment to chime in.

"Don’t worry, don’t worry! Qiu Ling’s matters are my matters. Of course, I’ll take care of it for you!" Shi Tianxiang replied with a smug grin. Then, he reached out and draped his arm around Luo Qiu Ling’s shoulders, pulling her close. "Qiu Ling, what do you think I should do?"

Luo Qiu Ling flinched, squirming slightly but not resisting. She glanced at Chu Yun but remained silent, allowing Shi Tianxiang to hold her.

Chu Yun felt as if he’d been struck by lightning, a bitter taste flooding his heart. It seemed Luo Qiu Ling had already been involved with Shi Tianxiang, and he’d been kept completely in the dark!

"Chu Yun, you... you should just leave," Luo Qiu Ling finally said after an awkward pause, handing him the jade pendant she was holding. "Take this back."

Chu Yun snatched the pendant from her hand, taking a deep breath to suppress the rising anger in his chest. He looked at Luo Qiu Ling and said, "I never thought you’d be this kind of woman. I must’ve been blind..."

Luo Qiu Ling’s face paled, and she hung her head in shame, too guilty to retort.

"Pfft, who even gives something so outdated as a gift anymore?" Shi Tianxiang sneered, his voice dripping with disdain.

Shi Tianxiang let out a cold chuckle and suddenly produced an exquisite jewelry box. From it, he retrieved a dazzling diamond necklace. "Qiu Ling, let me give you a little gift too! This necklace is made with diamonds from South Africa, worth 500,000 yuan. Not only is the quality exceptional, but each diamond is crystal clear. A beautiful girl like you deserves something like this to complement your elegance..."

"Thank you..." Luo Qiu Ling hesitated for a moment, her face flushing red as she reached out to accept it.

"Master Shi is so generous, gifting a 500,000 yuan diamond necklace just like that!" Zhou Lichun's face lit up with delight. She then turned to Chu Yun with a sneer, "Did you see that, you poor loser? This is what a real wealthy family looks like. Someone like you could never even dream of catching up to their level in your entire life..."

"Hah... So you're selling your daughter now? What’s there to be proud of?" Chu Yun shot back without hesitation.

Zhou Lichun exploded, "What’s wrong with that? Look at Master Shi—young, successful, already the CEO of this hotel in his twenties. The house he lives in, the car he drives—you’ll never earn enough in your lifetime to afford them. The money he spends on a single meal for Qiu Ling is more than what you make in a month!"

Chu Yun sneered, "So you deliberately set those ridiculous marriage conditions for me, hoping I’d back off on my own? Hah, your greed for money is downright shameless!"

Zhou Lichun screamed in rage, "What’s wrong with loving money these days? Every family wants their daughter to marry into wealth! I love money, and I’m proud of it! Money brings respect!"

Chu Yun shook his head with a sigh, "You’re truly shameless. There’s nothing wrong with loving money, as long as you earn it yourself. But now you’re using your daughter to sell herself for it. Doesn’t your conscience hurt?"

Luo Qiu Ling’s flushed face turned pale. Clenching her fists, she shouted at Chu Yun, "Who are you saying is selling herself?"

"Am I wrong? Don’t you know what kind of person he is?" Chu Yun pointed at Shi Tianxiang, his voice loud and accusing.

Luo Qiu Ling trembled at his words, covering her face as she burst into tears...

Shi Tianxiang's face darkened as he glared at Chu Yun. "Kid, you've got some nerve, huh? Daring to mess with me?"

Chu Yun, seething with anger, was about to retort when Luo Qiu Ling suddenly stepped forward. "Chu Yun, stop it! You can't win against Shi Tianxiang! Just leave, please..."

Hearing Luo Qiu Ling's words, Chu Yun realized that if he clashed with Shi Tianxiang, he would definitely be at a disadvantage. So, he turned to Luo Yunshan and said coldly, "Give me back the gift money, and I'll leave right now!"

"No way!" Luo Yunshan immediately refused, clutching the two gift boxes tightly in his hands. With shameless audacity, he added, "Our Qiu Ling has been with you for five years, and now you've injured Xiao Ning. Consider this money as compensation for the losses you've caused to her and her brother!"

"You shameless old bastard! Give me back my money now!" Chu Yun couldn't hold back any longer and charged towards Luo Yunshan. He was determined to get back the 350,000 yuan gift money, no matter what.

Luo Yunshan quickly hid behind Shi Tianxiang, shouting, "Young Master Shi, he's trying to bully an old man! Help me, please..."