Zhao Xingchen's miserable cry pulled Meng Hong from his daze. He looked up to see Zhao Xingchen gazing at him with a pitiful, pleading expression. He couldn't help but recall how this man had treated him with undisguised contempt and arrogance just days ago, and a complicated mix of emotions churned within him.
He knew Yang Kai was giving him the chance to take his revenge, and he shot him a grateful glance.
But it wasn't his own strength that had forced Zhao Xingchen to bow his head—and the bitter truth that his beloved woman had thrown herself into another man's arms was already an undeniable fact. Meng Hong had no desire to entangle himself further with this man. His expression remained flat, his interest waning.
Zhao Xingchen said in a panic, "Brother Meng, considering all the times I've helped you in the past, please spare me. I was wrong, and I'll never dare do it again."
Meng Hong still said nothing, simply regarding him with an indifferent gaze, as though watching a clown's farcical performance.
The two disciples from Great Moon Province were rather indignant. One of them stepped forward and cursed, "Shameless wretch! Our Senior Brother treated you like a brother, yet you plotted behind his back and seduced his woman. And now you have the nerve to beg for mercy?"
He turned and shouted in a low voice, "Senior Brother, let me kill him!"
Zhao Xingchen's face drained of color. Before coming here, Chen Tianfei had told him that whether he lived or died would depend on his own luck. That new Sixth Manager was someone he absolutely could not afford to offend—the man had single-handedly killed Poison Lady and Gan Hong inside the great hall. If he truly provoked him, Chen Tianfei himself would be like a clay idol crossing the river, barely able to save his own skin.
Without this understanding, how would Zhao Xingchen have followed Chen Tianfei here to apologize? If the other side decided to act now, his brother-in-law might not be able to help.
Knowing that his life and death rested entirely on a single thought from Meng Hong, Zhao Xingchen cast aside all pretense of dignity and hastily said, "Brother Meng, this is a misunderstanding! Miss Chen Yue and I are innocent—nothing happened between us. If you don't believe me, ask her."
He turned to look at Chen Yue, who simply kept her head bowed, her body trembling slightly.
Zhao Xingchen continued in a rush, "Brother Meng, I've brought Miss Chen Yue here today. I'm returning her to you. Let's just pretend nothing ever happened and go back to the way things were. What do you say?"
"Silence!" Meng Hong, who had remained silent until now, suddenly erupted with a shout, his eyes blazing with fury as he glared at Zhao Xingchen. Through gritted teeth he said, "Zhao Xingchen, what do you take Miss Chen for? She is a person, not some commodity to be passed around as you please. Does your behavior do justice to her genuine feelings?"
Zhao Xingchen's mouth fell open, at a loss for words. He thought to himself that Chen Yue was merely someone who clung to the powerful—what genuine feelings could she possibly have? But seeing how concerned Meng Hong was for her now, if he said such a thing, he would likely die right here on the spot.
After his outburst, Meng Hong suddenly waved his hand. "Leave. I never want to see you again."
In the end, he chose not to push things to the bitter end. First, Zhao Xingchen's submission hadn't been earned through his own ability—it had relied on Yang Kai's authority. Second, Yang Kai had only just become the Sixth Manager of Red Star. Killing Zhao Xingchen would undoubtedly bring him trouble. At the very least, it would mean making an enemy of Chen Tianfei. For all his pleasant words, if Yang Kai had killed Zhao Xingchen right in front of him, Chen Tianfei would certainly not have been happy about it.
Hearing this, Zhao Xingchen was overjoyed, and a smile broke across his bruised face. "Thank you, Brother Meng! Thank you!" He then turned to Yang Kai and said, "Thank you, Sixth Manager."
"Get the hell out!" Chen Tianfei delivered a kick to his body, sending him sprawling to the ground.
Zhao Xingchen didn't even bother to stand up. He scrambled out on all fours, his heart soaring with the relief of having survived.
Once he was gone, only Chen Yue remained standing there alone, conspicuously isolated. Her once-delicate face was now deathly pale, and her slender body trembled—whether from fear or shame, it was impossible to tell.
Meng Hong glanced at her, let out a soft sigh, and said nothing more. He simply cupped his fists toward Yang Kai, then turned and left.
Chen Tianfei chuckled softly at the scene and clasped his fists. "Sixth Manager, Seventh Manager, I have matters to attend to on my end, so I'll take my leave. I've left some people in this estate to serve at your disposal. If you have any needs, just let them know."
"Farewell—don't expect me to see you out," Yang Kai said with a gesture.
Chen Tianfei nodded, rose, and strode away.
"What do we do with her?" Once Chen Tianfei had gone, Yue He jerked her chin toward Chen Yue, who stood below with her head bowed, and asked Yang Kai.
Yang Kai rolled his eyes. How was he supposed to know? This should have been Meng Hong's call to make, but the man had left without a word, leaving this mess behind. How could Yang Kai interfere?
"You handle it," Yang Kai said, and turned to walk away.
In the inner courtyard, Meng Hong stood alone by the edge of the pond, gazing quietly at the fish swimming in the clear water below.
Not far away, the two disciples from Great Moon Province stood watching Meng Hong's back with worried expressions.
Hearing footsteps, they turned to see Yang Kai approaching. One of them asked in a low voice, "Brother Yang, will the Senior Brother be all right?"
The other Great Moon disciple said with deep concern, "I've heard that when someone is tormented by love, it can easily breed inner demons. Can our Senior Brother get past this?"
The first disciple who had spoken said indignantly, "We should have killed that wretched woman just now—put an end to it once and for all. What use is a woman like that, who only gravitates toward power? She's done nothing but disturb the Senior Brother's state of mind!"
The other disciple replied, "You know how much the Senior Brother cares for her. If you had really killed her, watch out—he might turn on you!"
"Then what do we do?"