Chapter 31: Almost Burst Out Laughing
AHHH...
Fan was leading his men through the dense forest, searching for the Assassination Squad's trail. Suddenly, he heard a blood-curdling scream from the direction of Lao San and Fifth Brother. His heart pounded in his chest—he knew they must have been ambushed!
Without a second thought, Fan and his team sprinted toward the source of the scream!
The two teams had only been a few hundred meters apart, but by the time Fan arrived, the scene before him made his eyes burn with rage.
Out of more than ten men, only four were still standing!
Lao San's left arm was broken, but he stood defiantly, a steel blade clutched in his right hand. Fifth Brother, however, lay in a pool of blood, a long, thin gash across his neck.
"Where are they?"
Fan suppressed his grief, forcing himself to stay rational as he approached Lao San.
"They heard you coming and took off!" Lao San's voice was filled with anguish. "Boss, Fifth Brother… he…"
Before he could finish, tears streamed down the face of this man of iron.
"You guys go back the way you came. Report this to the Nether King. And remember, don't let headquarters know!"
Fan instructed Lao San, then crouched low and took off in the direction his enemies had fled.
...
"Honey, this is for you. Go on, change into it."
After work, Zhou Fan had just arrived at Chu Yan's office when she handed him an expensive suit.
"What's wrong with the one I'm wearing? Why do I have to change?"
Zhou Fan was baffled. He was quite satisfied with the suit he was wearing, which he'd bought online for two hundred yuan.
"Come on, we have that reception to go to later, don't we? Besides, this is the first time I've ever bought you clothes!"
Helpless, Zhou Fan had no choice but to change his clothes right there in front of Chu Yan.
"Honey, you're kinda handsome!"
Gazing at Zhou Fan in the mirror—his posture straight and tall, a roguish hint at the corner of his lips—Chu Yan gave his chest a mischievous pat.
"Let's stop by my rental place. I'll get a gift for you."
'Since Chu Yan got him a gift,' Zhou Fan thought, 'he had to show his appreciation somehow.'
After so many years abroad, despite being betrayed by those closest to him, how could Zhou Fan not have a few secret stashes unknown to others?
As such, Zhou Fan was never short on treasures or money—the only things he lacked were remedies for his injuries.
Half an hour later, Zhou Fan returned to the car, a bracelet in his hand.
"Here, a little trinket. You can wear it every day. It's good for a workaholic like you."
Zhou Fan casually fastened the bracelet onto Chu Yan's wrist. He didn't know what it was made of; he'd received it years ago as a thank-you gift from someone he'd happened to save.
However, based on what Zhou Fan knew of that person, this bracelet was probably no ordinary item.
Chu Yan looked at the bracelet. It was made of small, individual stones that felt cool to the touch.
「Manyun Hotel.」
Tonight, Chu Yan wore a black evening gown and carried a limited-edition handbag. She walked arm-in-arm with Zhou Fan, following an attendant into the elevator and up to the hotel's top floor.
The top floor of the Manyun Hotel was a grand banquet hall, which was already bustling with people—all so-called high-society elites.
"The owner of Manyun Hotel is a very powerful person; they have a chain of hotels all over the country. Only platinum members and above are qualified to rent this banquet hall, so let's keep a low profile later."
Chu Yan smiled and greeted people she knew while whispering explanations to Zhou Fan. She was genuinely afraid he would cause trouble for her. Her Fenghua International couldn't afford to offend anyone here.
"Don't worry. As long as no one provokes me, I won't provoke them. I'm a very low-key person!"
Zhou Fan said nonchalantly. These so-called elites weren't even worthy of his attention; it would be beneath him to pick a fight.
"President Chu, long time no see! This banquet hosted by Eldest Young Master Wang has gathered half the business world of Nanjiang City!"
A slightly heavyset middle-aged man, holding a glass of wine, approached Chu Yan.
"Good evening, President Li. I didn't expect to be invited either. It's an honor!" Chu Yan smiled politely and raised her glass in a toast.
"And this is?"
President Li glanced casually at Zhou Fan.
"Oh, let me introduce you. This is my husband, Zhou Fan." Chu Yan then looked at Zhou Fan. "This is President Li of Nanjiang City's Li Real Estate."
"A pleasure, President Li."
Zhou Fan smiled faintly and extended his hand.
But President Li merely shot Zhou Fan a disdainful glance before turning to Chu Yan with an arrogant expression. "President Chu, I do apologize, but I don't shake hands with just anyone."
An insult!
Mockery!
The color drained from Chu Yan's face. Zhou Fan was her husband; disrespecting him was the same as disrespecting her. Moreover, she worried that Zhou Fan, in a fit of anger, might do something rash.
"President Li has a point. I was being too forward," Zhou Fan said with a small smile. He slid an arm around Chu Yan's waist, signaling for her not to be angry. His reaction made Chu Yan doubt what she was hearing. 'Was Zhou Fan really this agreeable?'
But in the next second, Zhou Fan's words almost made her burst out laughing.
"After all, President Li is used to looking down on people."