After ninety-nine online romances, I finally met my ex in person when school started.

Zhu Xun Chuan listened to the open and covert attacks around him, feeling somewhat helpless. These women were all incredibly troublesome.

Just as he was about to reach out and pat Jiang Yao's head, his encrypted phone in his trouser pocket suddenly vibrated.

Zhu Xun Chuan pulled his hand away and took out his phone.

The screen lit up. A new message popped up on the covert communication software.

Sender: Gu Qinghan.

The content is only one sentence long.

"I see the three of you."

Zhu Xunchuan paused.

He raised his head, his deep gaze sweeping across the dark woods in the distance and the streetlights and surveillance cameras overhead. There were only swaying shadows of trees; no vehicles or people could be seen.

But that icy instructor, a powerful figure who controls the city bureau's technical investigation authority, has clearly laid a tight net in this desolate wilderness.

This method of checking up on someone by death is in line with her usual aloof style.

Zhu Xun Chuan stared at the brief text on the encrypted phone screen without looking up.

A night breeze swept by, swirling up the withered yellow ginkgo leaves on the ground.

From the shady side of the island in the lake in the wetland park, the sound of leather shoes pattering on fallen leaves came with a remarkably regular rhythm. The footsteps were unhurried, carrying a unique sense of certainty.

Gu Qinghan emerged from the shadows where the streetlights couldn't reach.

She was still wearing the same black silk halter-neck dress she had worn when she left, with a tailored black long trench coat draped over it. The belt was cinched at the waist, accentuating her slender figure. Her signature gold-rimmed glasses perched on her nose, concealing the turbulent emotions swirling in her eyes.

Her gaze passed over Jiang Yao's ostentatious black Mercedes G63 and landed steadily on the three people entangled together in front of the bench.

Jiang Yao's eyebrows immediately rose, and instead of loosening her grip on Zhu Xun Chuan's right arm, she tightened her hold even more.

"Teacher Gu, you really have a lot of free time." Jiang Yao raised her chin slightly, a hostile sneer curling her lips. "In the middle of the night, instead of grading assignments in Beijing, you're out here in the middle of nowhere, braving the cold wind? Is the location tracking access from the Municipal Bureau's Technical Investigation Department just for you to use to arrest men?"

Gu Qinghan stopped a meter away from the bench, his gaze sweeping over the butterfly knife handle peeking out from under Jiang Yao's leather jacket.

"I'm his advisor. It's my responsibility to verify his whereabouts if my student doesn't return home in the middle of the night." Gu Qinghan's voice was cold and his tone was so calm that it didn't have a single inflection. "In addition, Miss Jiang has been modifying her vehicle at will and possessing controlled knives. If we're really going to follow the rules, you'll be having a chat with the police tonight."

In short, the rampage of the Northern underworld was directly suppressed by the legal principles within the system.

Jiang Yao's eyes turned cold, clearly indicating that she was about to turn hostile and attack.

Pei Yanyu, who had been leaning on Zhu Xunchuan's left shoulder, moved slightly at this moment.

She sat up straight from Zhu Xun Chuan's embrace. Her dark gray trench coat slipped down half an inch with the movement, revealing her fair collarbone. Pei Yan Yu's captivating peach blossom eyes met Gu Qing Han's gaze behind his glasses.

One is a dazzling, fallen-to-earth Grand Slam Best Actress. The other is a cold, aloof, and powerful professor.

"Thank you for your trouble, Teacher Gu." Pei Yanyu's red lips parted slightly, her voice soft and sweet but not timid. "Xun Chuan is just here to pick me up and take me home. From now on, leave these errands and tiring tasks to me. I wouldn't dare trouble Teacher Gu."

These words were spoken with exceptional grace and humility, yet the repeated use of "Xun Chuan" and "Going Home" concealed a murderous intent no less than that of Jiang Yao's butterfly knife.

Gu Qinghan adjusted the frame of her gold-rimmed glasses.

"Miss Pei's return to the country is indeed big news." Gu Qinghan's gaze was clear as he looked directly at Pei Yanyu. "I'm afraid the Zhao family's messy debts have just been cleared, and the creditors of Guangying Media haven't completely left yet. Running around at this time could easily cause trouble for Xun Chuan."

A tripartite balance of power.

On the left is a glamorous actress, now retired from the entertainment industry, exuding a captivating aura of elegance and sophistication. On the right is a wild and untamed heiress, prone to drawing her sword at the drop of a hat. Directly in front is a cold and domineering professor, whose death-checking is perfectly justified.

The three women exchanged glances. The tension in the air quickly escalated, threatening to ignite the desolate wetland park. An ordinary man would have been sweating profusely and completely flustered by now.

Zhu Xun Chuan offered no explanation, nor did he even stand up.

He sat imposingly in the center of the bench. His left hand slid down naturally, his fingers entwining with Pei Yanyu's soft, slightly cool hand. His right hand reached out and wrapped around Jiang Yao's supple waist, pulling her into his embrace, pressing her against his ribs.

He gave the women on either side the most straightforward confidence with his actions, then raised his eyes and looked directly into Gu Qinghan's eyes, which were red from the cold wind.

"Now that everyone is here, it saves me the trouble of notifying each of you individually," Zhu Xun Chuan said in a deep voice, carrying an air of domineering authority.

He ignored the heated exchange between the three women.

"Tomorrow morning, I'm going to acquire all the remaining assets of Guangying Media." Zhu Xun Chuan stared into Gu Qing Han's eyes and declared, word by word, "I'm going to reorganize this whole mess and make it a success for Yan Yu and Mu Cheng."

These words instantly shattered the tense atmosphere.

Jiang Yao paused, her fingers gripping Zhu Xun Chuan's. Pei Yan Yu's breathing quickened, and she suddenly tightened her grip on Zhu Xun Chuan's left hand.

Gu Qinghan's pupils contracted sharply.

She initially thought this was just another of Zhu Xun Chuan's philandering escapades, but she never expected that his words would escalate the personal feud to a level that would shake the entire commercial landscape of Beijing.

Gu Qinghan's innate political acumen was instantly awakened. The jealousy in her eyes was quickly suppressed, replaced by extreme rationality and clarity.

"Xun Chuan, do you know what you're saying?" Gu Qinghan took a step forward, closing the distance. Her voice was low, revealing undisguised seriousness.

"With the Zhao family's downfall, Guangying Media is leaving behind more than just breach of contract fees and debts; it's the underground cash flow of Beijing's entertainment industry accumulated over decades," Gu Qinghan analyzed the situation. "Now, it's not just one or two companies eyeing this lucrative piece of meat."

She raised her eyes, her gaze sharp: "Meng Changjin's capital from the Shanghai Jiangnan Group has already entered the market, ready to buy at the bottom. As for Fu Yuan in Beijing, the municipal State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission went to the Guangying Building this afternoon to seal it off. For you to try and snatch food from the jaws of death at this critical juncture is tantamount to simultaneously declaring war on both the Meng and Fu families!"

This is the coldest reality of the power arena.

He had just finished being the knife in Fu Yuan's hand that killed the Zhao family, and now, before the blood on the blade had even dried, he was about to turn around and snatch the meat from his master's plate.

Upon hearing this analysis, Jiang Yao and Pei Yanyu's expressions changed. One was involved in the underworld, and the other had once been at the center of fame and fortune; they naturally understood the consequences of angering these two behemoths.

A deathly silence fell around the bench. The only sound was the lapping of the lake water against the shore in the distance.

Zhu Xun Chuan let out a soft laugh.

He released his arm from Jiang Yao's waist and stood up. His tall figure instantly cast a deep shadow in front of the three women.

"So what if we declare war?"

Zhu Xun Chuan put his hands in his trouser pockets, raised his chin slightly, and showed no restraint in his arrogant demeanor.

"I destroyed the Zhao family, not to make room for others." Zhu Xun Chuan's gaze swept over Gu Qing Han, his voice resounding, "What my woman wants, even if it's Fu Yuan and Meng Chang Jin, not even the Heavenly King himself can take away!"

But what Zhu Xun Chuan was thinking was, "Their daughters are all mine, so what's wrong with me taking some things from my father-in-law?"

My father-in-law shouldn't be that stingy, right? Even if he doesn't give it to me, I'll give their daughter a good beating! A really brutal one!

Hehe~ Make them beg for mercy! Call them daddy! Call them daddy to save them!