Chapter 159: Kneel Down and Apologize
The music in the bar died down, the lights brightened, and the room fell silent.
The beautiful women who had been dancing on stage all came down.
It wasn't just to watch the commotion; they also hoped to use this opportunity to snag a rich man.
They all hoped to use their young, beautiful bodies to have a romantic tryst with a wealthy young master.
The best-case scenario, of course, was marrying into a wealthy family, but the odds of that were minuscule.
A step down from that was a fleeting affair with one of the young masters. But setting all else aside, they could definitely get some money out of it, so it wouldn't be a loss.
If they really hit it off, they might even be kept as a mistress, and they'd no longer have to parade themselves around every day just for money.
Young Master Zhuo glared at Xiao Ye. The other man wasn't just unafraid; he was even sitting in the booth, playing a game.
This infuriated him. 'Why isn't this punk scared?'
'Does he actually have some powerful backing?'
'Impossible. It's just the Xiao Family. No matter what backing they have, it can't compare to the Zhuo Family!'
Amidst the crowd's varied thoughts, people from the Zhuo Family finally arrived.
"The Zhuo Family is here! That kid is done for!"
"My god, it's Zhuo Qinglin!"
"That's the designated heir of the Zhuo Family! He can speak for the entire family! I can't believe Young Master Zhuo has such powerful connections that even Zhuo Qinglin would come to back him up personally!"
In the eyes of the crowd, Young Master Zhuo's status rose another level.
A family's young master and its heir are two completely different things.
With the heir's support, no amount of arrogance would be out of line.
When Young Master Zhuo saw Zhuo Qinglin, he was startled. He had practically no relationship with him.
Although they were from the same family, Zhuo Qinglin had received a true elite education since childhood and had taken over the family business upon coming of age.
He rarely made public appearances outside of formal family functions.
Young Master Zhuo, on the other hand, was an idler who spent his days either eating and drinking or chasing amusement.
Young Master Zhuo felt a little uneasy, but he hurried forward to greet him. "Big Brother, what brings you here?"
Zhuo Qinglin's gaze was ice-cold as he looked toward Xiao Ye.
He had rushed over, hastily dropping his work, precisely because he'd heard that Young Master Zhuo had gotten into a conflict with someone named Xiao Ye.
Even if it meant ruining a ten-million-dollar contract, he had to be here.
Xiao Ye looked up, and their eyes met.
Zhuo Qinglin quickly averted his gaze, not daring to hold it, a clear sign of his respect and submission.
"Big Brother, you're definitely here to back me up!"
Seeing that Zhuo Qinglin didn't reprimand him, Young Master Zhuo's confidence swelled. He pointed at Xiao Ye. "It's this punk! He actually dared to lay a hand on me!"
"He's showing me no respect, and by extension, he's showing the Zhuo Family no respect."
Zhuo Qinglin looked at him, expressionless.
Young Master Zhuo's heart sank. A bad feeling washed over him. "Big Brother..."
SLAP!
A crisp slapping sound echoed through the bar.
Young Master Zhuo's head was knocked to the side, a fiery pain spreading across his cheek.
Zhuo Qinglin lowered his hand. "A piece of trash like you thinks you're fit to represent the Zhuo Family?"
"Big Brother, why did you hit me?"
Everyone in the bar was watching. They all saw him get hit.
Young Master Zhuo clenched his jaw, the taste of blood filling his mouth. "Big Brother, even if you can't stand me, now's the time to present a united front against an outsider!"
"You should be dealing with that bastard first!"
SLAP!
Zhuo Qinglin raised his hand and slapped him again.
"Watch your mouth. Is this how the Zhuo Family taught you to behave, cursing in public?"
"It's people like you who ruin the Zhuo Family's reputation! A power-tripping bully who doesn't even know how to repent!"
"Get on your knees and apologize! If you don't, you can forget about ever coming back to the Zhuo Family!"
Young Master Zhuo looked up, his eyes bloodshot. 'This world is all about the strong preying on the weak. So what if I use my power to bully others?'
"Big Brother, are you really going to side with an outsider over me?"
"What's your relationship with that Xiao Ye? I refuse to believe you'd hit me over some nobody!"
Even though Young Master Zhuo and Zhuo Qinglin weren't close.
But in a situation like this, Zhuo Qinglin had much better ways to handle it than by hitting him.
And certainly not by forcing him into the humiliating act of kneeling to apologize.
Zhuo Qinglin hadn't expected Young Master Zhuo to be this sharp.
He glanced at Xiao Ye, recalling what he had said in the study earlier.
'Xiao Ye doesn't want his identity revealed, so I'll have to find another excuse.'
Zhuo Qinglin's gaze finally landed on Shishi's face. An idea formed.
He dragged Young Master Zhuo in front of Shishi. "This is the woman I'm interested in. If you dare disrespect her, you're disrespecting me!"
"Kneel. And admit you were wrong!"
Young Master Zhuo stood there, stunned. He had been pursuing Shishi for a long time and had never once heard that his own Big Brother was also interested in her.
Shishi was also stunned, but she quickly realized what was happening. 'This isn't about me,' she thought. 'It's because of Xiao Ye.'
'This is the first time I've ever even seen Zhuo Qinglin. Love at first sight? That's impossible for the outstanding heir of a first-class family.'
Young Master Zhuo craned his neck. "Big Brother, she's just a dancer!"
"Don't forget, you're the heir to the Zhuo Family! You can't possibly be with a woman like her!"
"And you certainly can't humiliate a member of your own family for an outsider!"
Zhuo Qinglin wasn't having any of it. If Young Master Zhuo wouldn't admit his mistake, then he would be forced to.
THUD!
A sharp pain shot through the back of Young Master Zhuo's knees, and he collapsed to the ground.
He appeared to be kneeling before Shishi, but he was actually facing in Xiao Ye's direction.
Zhuo Qinglin showed no mercy, forcing his head down. "Apologize! Don't forget, I am the heir. I have every right to have you expelled from the family!"
Young Master Zhuo was filled with unwilling resentment, but he could only bow his head. "Shishi, I'm sorry!"
Zhuo Qinglin had no interest in hearing that. "Drop her name. Say it again!"
Young Master Zhuo knocked his head on the floor again. "I'm sorry!"
Xiao Ye watched the ridiculous scene unfold and gave a slight nod.
Zhuo Qinglin knew he had passed the test. He breathed a silent sigh of relief and, without another word, tossed Young Master Zhuo to his men.
"Take him home. He is not to take a single step out of his room without my command!"
"We're going back to the old family estate tonight. Have every member of the younger generation come. I want to see who else dares to throw their weight around!"
Zhuo Qinglin then looked at Shishi, remembering one last thing. "And prepare a gift as an apology for Miss Shishi."
"Miss Shishi, if anything like this happens again, please don't hesitate to contact me."
Although Zhuo Qinglin's actions would damage his reputation.
Publicly admitting to being interested in a dancer was hardly a good thing for him.
But to avoid offending Xiao Ye, it was the only option.
Shishi was extremely clever. A single look from Xiao Ye was all she needed to understand. She immediately smiled and said, "Mr. Zhuo, you are truly worthy of your title as the outstanding heir of the Zhuo Family."
"I know you only said that just now to save my dignity. I am deeply honored."
"However, I know I'm not worthy of Mr. Zhuo, so please, forget about the apology gift."
Zhuo Qinglin finally nodded at Xiao Ye, then turned and left with his men.
The onlookers also scattered, not daring to bother Xiao Ye or Shishi again.
Shishi pursed her cherry-red lips and moved closer. "Master Xiao, this was all my fault. I'm ready to accept my punishment!"