Volume 1, Chapter 26: What? You intend to lay a hand on my daughter right in front of me?

Uncle Li was relieved that he wasn't being blamed, but he just wanted to resolve the issue as quickly as possible so he could get Tang Zhenguo and Tang Ruan to work on time.

He quickly fastened his seatbelt and said, "President Tang, Miss, let me get out and take a look."

Tang Ruan’s gaze rested on the person blocking the car. "No need."

"I’ll go."

She unbuckled her seatbelt, pushed the car door open, and stepped out.

"Tang Ruan, how did you..." Huo Yanchuan looked on in surprise as Tang Ruan stepped out from the backseat.

Wasn't she driving herself?

He glanced at the driver's seat and understood immediately. So, she had a chauffeur.

"Something the matter?"

Huo Yanchuan nodded. He produced a bouquet of flowers from behind his back, walked over to Tang Ruan, and held them out to her.

Tang Ruan arched an eyebrow.

"For you." Huo Yanchuan’s voice was uncharacteristically gentle.

Tang Ruan remained expressionless.

Huo Yanchuan reached out to grab Tang Ruan, but she dodged him.

"Young Master Huo, please behave yourself."

Huo Yanchuan wasn't angry; in his eyes, Tang Ruan was simply acting petulant. He looked at her and said sincerely, "Tang Ruan, I know I was wrong."

"This Sunday is the seven-year anniversary. Why don't we get our families together and renegotiate our marriage, okay?"

Tang Ruan paused for a moment, then suddenly laughed. The corners of her lips curled upward, revealing shallow dimples on her cheeks.

Huo Yanchuan felt a bit dazed. He had never realized before that Tang Ruan looked quite beautiful when she smiled. It was a beauty entirely different from Lu Xiaorou’s.

Seeing her silent, Huo Yanchuan asked with a smile, "What? Stunned with joy?"

After all, Tang Ruan’s lifelong dream had always been to marry him. Now that he had taken the initiative to suggest they marry on the day of the seven-year anniversary, she should be overjoyed.

Tang Ruan didn't speak. She took a step back, putting distance between herself and Huo Yanchuan. She no longer hid her feelings, allowing the mockery beneath her smile to show completely.

"Huo Yanchuan, I’ve realized that you are sometimes truly naive."

Naive? That wasn't meant as a compliment. Huo Yanchuan was about to speak, but Tang Ruan cut him off.

"Naive to the point of stupidity!"

At a time like this, he actually had the gall to talk to her about marriage?

Huo Yanchuan’s smile faltered. "Tang Ruan, what do you mean by that?"

Tang Ruan: "What makes you think that just because you suggest marriage, I’ll agree to it?"

"But before—"

"You said it yourself, that was before!"

Tang Ruan’s voice turned cold. "Huo Yanchuan, at your age, do you still not understand the principle that no one will stay in the same place waiting for you forever?"

"And as for you now..." Tang Ruan swept her gaze up and down over him, mocking him lightly, "You’re notorious. Do you think you’re worthy of me?"

Although Huo Yanchuan had stopped caring about Lu Xiaorou’s affairs and had publicly distanced himself from her once he learned her true colors, the public still remembered how he had cheated with her while they were engaged, flaunted her around, and spoken out in her defense. On the internet, describing him as "notorious" was no exaggeration.

Beyond that, the Huo family’s stock had been continuously falling as a result. Conversely, the Tang family’s stock had been steadily rising, as the public felt great sympathy for her as the "victim."

Huo Yanchuan was stung by Tang Ruan’s words. His eyes turned bloodshot, and he suddenly raised his hand. "Tang Ruan, you—"

"Stop!" A majestic male voice rang out.

Tang Zhenguo pushed open the car door.

The moment he saw Tang Zhenguo, Huo Yanchuan was stunned. How could he be riding in Tang Ruan’s car?

Tang Zhenguo’s gaze landed on the hand Huo Yanchuan had raised in mid-air. "What is this? Planning to lay a hand on my daughter right in front of me?"

Having held power for many years, Tang Zhenguo’s aura was no match for Huo Qingjun’s. Huo Yanchuan jolted, quickly lowering his hand, a flicker of guilt flashing in his eyes. He opened his mouth to explain, "Uncle Tang, I—"

"Don't," Tang Zhenguo raised a hand. "Don't call me Uncle; I can't afford that honor."

If he hadn't spoken up, that slap would have landed on his daughter’s face? He and his wife had raised their only daughter with every ounce of love and care. Had Huo Yanchuan not humiliated her enough already? And now he wanted to strike her? Did he think Tang Zhenguo was dead?!

"Huo Yanchuan, go back and tell your father: from this day forward, there is no need for the Huo and Tang families to associate with each other. My friendship with him ends here as well!"

Huo Yanchuan’s already pale complexion turned even worse, taking on a gray, defeated hue.

"Uncle Tang, I didn't intend to hit Tang Ruan." He had just been so enraged by her words that he had instinctively raised his hand. That slap would never have actually landed.

"Excuses are useless; I only believe what I see." Having said this, he ignored Huo Yanchuan. "Ruan Ruan, get in the car."

Tang Ruan obediently climbed into the car. Huo Yanchuan tried to reach for the car door, but withered under a threatening look from Tang Zhenguo, sheepishly pulling his hand back.

"Old Li, drive."

The car pulled into the underground garage. Huo Yanchuan stumbled backward as if his strength had been drained, leaning against the wall, breaking into a cold sweat. He was finished.

***

Inside the car.

Tang Ruan felt somewhat helpless and couldn't help saying, "Dad, the one who was wrong was Huo Yanchuan, not Uncle Huo. You two have had a friendship for decades, after all..." There was no need to take things this far for her sake.

Tang Zhenguo snorted. "If a son is untaught, it is the father’s fault."

Given that the brat Huo Yanchuan had turned out this way, how could his father, Huo Qingjun, be entirely without responsibility? If he couldn't teach his child, Tang Zhenguo didn't mind helping.

"Alright, thank you, Dad."

Tang Zhenguo smiled and patted her head. "Why are you being so formal with your own father?"

"It’s not being formal, it’s politeness," Tang Ruan whispered in defense.

"Fine, fine, politeness it is."

Tang Zhenguo sent a text message to Huo Qingjun, informing him truthfully that he would be cutting off cooperation with the Huo family and ending their friendship.

A second later, Huo Qingjun’s call came through.

After it rang for a while, Tang Zhenguo answered calmly and turned on the speakerphone.

Huo Qingjun’s bewildered and distressed voice filled the office. "Old Tang, what, what is this message you sent me? Has your account been hacked?"

Tang Zhenguo snorted and didn't reply.

Given Tang Zhenguo’s reaction, Huo Qingjun felt even more uneasy. "Old Tang, let’s not play riddles, brothers. If you have something to say, just say it. Your silence is making my heart race."

"Heh."

Huo Qingjun reflected for a moment, and once he was certain he hadn't done anything recently to provoke Tang Zhenguo, he continued to ask, "Old Tang, I don't think I’ve offended you lately." Why, out of the blue, did he want to sever the cooperation between the families and break off their friendship?

This time, Tang Zhenguo spoke. "You’ll have to ask your precious son that."

Precious son? "Are you talking about Yanchuan?"

Tang Zhenguo retorted, "Do you have another son besides him?"

Huo Qingjun was speechless and didn't continue that line of questioning. "How did he offend you?"

"You want to know?"

"Of course." Even if he were to die, he wanted to be a well-informed ghost.

"He raised his hand to slap Ruan Ruan right in front of me."

Huo Qingjun gasped. After a long while, he finally found his voice. "This, is there some sort of misunderstanding..."

"I was right there in the car, I saw it clearly. What kind of misunderstanding do you think there could be?"

At this, Huo Qingjun fell silent. He had nothing left to say. He knew perfectly well the status Tang Ruan held in Tang Zhenguo’s heart. For Huo Yanchuan to try to hit her, and right in front of Tang Zhenguo, was nothing short of tweaking the tiger’s whiskers.