Chapter 118: The Men of the Chu Family

Chapter 118: Men of the Chu Family

"Bastard, what an absolute bastard. All he knows is how to flirt with little vixens and never does a lick of honest work. He really is a total jerk..."

Ximen Lu muttered through gritted teeth while hammering away at her keyboard, looking as if she wanted to tear someone apart. Securing the loan should have been a cause for celebration—and it wasn't just eight million or twelve million, but a full fifteen million, a whole ten million more than her original estimate of five million.

The funds had arrived in the company account yesterday afternoon. Ximen Lu had been ecstatic, immediately rallying her staff for the next phase of recruitment, working overtime until the evening.

The only damper on her mood was that the bastard Chu Fei wasn't there to share the joy. Still, she wasn't truly angry; she knew full well that without him, the loan would never have been approved—let alone fifteen million, she wouldn't have gotten a single cent. Ximen Lu was sharp enough to recognize his contribution.

However, coming home to find Chu Fei missing had soured her mood. She had waited patiently until the small hours of the morning, only for him to drag himself home looking utterly exhausted, with the telltale signs of a man drained from excessive indulgence. It was a trigger for Ximen Lu. The image of him wrapped in the arms of some delicate girl in a hotel room, while she sat alone in a cold, quiet living room waiting for him, made her want to explode.

What made it worse was his reaction to her questioning. He hadn't bothered to explain, simply tossing out a "I'm tired, I'm going to sleep" before shutting himself in his room, leaving her sitting there in a daze for two minutes before the reality of it hit her.

It was infuriating. She had nearly kicked his door down, but restrained herself. *For the sake of the loan he helped me get, I'll let it slide,* she told herself, before heading to her own bedroom.

She barely slept a wink, and when she woke up groggy to make breakfast and try to rouse him, he didn't even budge, just calling out through the door, "I'm too tired, I'm not going in this morning," before falling silent again.

*I must have owed this jerk something in a past life,* she thought, her blood boiling. She resisted the urge to drag him out of bed, terrified of what she might find if she walked in on him half-naked and disheveled. She still had some self-respect, after all.

And so, after a sleepless, angry night, Ximen Lu arrived at the office, only to find herself unable to work, her mind unable to focus on the files on her screen. Finally, unable to take it anymore, she took her frustration out on the keyboard. If Chu Fei had been that keyboard, he would have been riddled with holes by now.

"My, who are you cursing? Such a grudge! Which employee offended you?" A dignified professional woman in business attire walked into the office and asked with a puzzled look as she witnessed Ximen Lu’s outburst.

"Who else? That bastard Chu Fei," Ximen Lu said, looking up to see her best friend and venting even more furiously.

"What did he do this time? Don't tell me he broke into your room last night and harassed you?" Xu Shiqi asked, closing the door and looking even more perplexed. She rarely saw Ximen Lu this worked up.

"He wouldn't dare! I'd castrate him," Ximen Lu hissed.

"Then what is it?" Xu Shiqi looked her over. "Did you try to climb into his bed and he rejected you?"

"Do you think I'm as shameless as you?" Ximen Lu glared at her. Climb into Chu Fei's bed? Was she that cheap?

Xu Shiqi’s expression flickered slightly, though it was subtle. She smiled and asked, "Then what is it? I rarely see you this angry."

"Hmph, what is it? That bastard ran off with some little vixen yesterday afternoon and didn't crawl back until the early hours. You didn't see his state—hollow eyes, pale as a ghost, looking like he was about to drop dead. It's infuriating!"

"Uh, how do you know he was out playing around with a little vixen?" Xu Shiqi asked, looking startled.

"I—" Ximen Lu huffed, "I saw that little vixen come looking for him with my own eyes, and he was driving my BMW."

"I see," Xu Shiqi said, stopping her questions and looking at Ximen Lu with a hint of pity.

"Tell me, isn't he a jerk? No moral compass, does nothing but chase women and play around. He never works a proper day in his life. He's absolutely useless," Ximen Lu continued to vent.

"He is quite the jerk, but his love life shouldn't have anything to do with you, should it? Aren't you overreacting?" Xu Shiqi observed her friend with a strange look.

"I—" Ximen Lu’s expression shifted as she met Xu Shiqi's gaze. "I'm just looking out for his future as an old classmate. I don't want to see him go down the wrong path."

"Mhm, that’s a very strong excuse," Xu Shiqi said with a smirk.

Ximen Lu felt uncomfortable under her gaze and quickly changed the subject. "What brings you here, anyway?"

"I came for you, of course. You said there were problems with the loan a few days ago, so I came to see if you needed help," Xu Shiqi replied with a mysterious smile, dropping the topic of Ximen Lu’s embarrassment.

"The loan issue is already resolved." A smile finally touched Ximen Lu’s face. "But thank you for coming by."

"Resolved?" Xu Shiqi looked surprised.

"Yes, it is. And honestly, I owe it all to that bastard Chu Fei," Ximen Lu admitted, recounting the events of the previous day.

"So, Chu Fei has been good to you, running around to secure that loan while you badmouth him behind his back? Aren't you being a bit ungrateful?" Xu Shiqi’s eyes gleamed with an odd light. Did Chu Fei really have that much power?

"Running around for the loan? I think he was running around to play with women," Ximen Lu grumbled. Still, hearing it put this way, her anger toward Chu Fei dissipated quite a bit. It was true; he might have poor character, but he had certainly been good to her.

"By the way, what did you mean earlier when you said you saw Li Dongze?" Xu Shiqi suddenly asked, looking surprised.

"I did. Why?" Ximen Lu teased her friend. "Can't go a day without thinking of your lover?"

"That's not it, don't talk nonsense." Xu Shiqi shook her head, though a frown creased her brow. She clearly remembered Li Dongze telling her on the phone yesterday that he was busy with business in Europe, yet he had actually returned to China. Why would he lie to her?

"Hey, what are you thinking about? Don't tell me you're really pining for your fiancé?" Ximen Lu teased, seeing Xu Shiqi lost in thought.

"I'm not." Xu Shiqi pulled herself together and asked casually, "By the way, where's Chu Fei? Didn't he come in today?"

"Didn't you come here specifically to see me? Why are you asking about that jerk?" Ximen Lu felt the irritation rise again, but she added, "That bastard said he was exhausted and is home sleeping. He didn't come to work."

"Is that so?" Xu Shiqi's eyes began to dart around.

Ximen Lu, who had been keeping a close watch on her best friend, felt her heart sink. She had a very bad feeling about this. Was Xu Shiqi actually planning something?

***

While Ximen Lu was busy badmouthing him, Chu Fei had already left his home. He hadn't been sleeping in; he had been woken up by a phone call.

In front of the old apartment building, an elegant car was parked quietly. Standing beside it was a stunningly beautiful and graceful woman in her late twenties, her arms crossed, leaning against the vehicle with poise. It was Xiao Jing, Fu Ziqing’s assistant.

Seeing Chu Fei come downstairs, Xiao Jing stood straight. "Good morning, Young Master Chu."

"Not good. I was sleeping until you woke me up," Chu Fei said, eyeing her with curiosity, trying to guess her purpose.

"Heh," Xiao Jing offered a faint, indifferent smile. Her gaze remained fixed on his eyes as she got straight to the point: "Young Master Chu, I am here on behalf of Miss Fu to ask if you will definitely attend the birthday banquet the day after tomorrow."

"Why didn't she come to ask herself?" Chu Fei countered.

"Miss would have liked to, but she has been far too busy these past few days," Xiao Jing explained, her tone flat and devoid of emotion. She was like this with everyone except Fu Ziqing; to most, she was a work machine without feelings.

Chu Fei nodded in understanding. Between Fu Ziqing's status and the preparations for Elder Fu’s birthday, she was surely swamped. As the guest of honor—the woman being betrothed—she would be even busier, and the Fu family certainly wouldn't allow her to run around freely.

"Your answer is..." Xiao Jing asked again, looking at him.

"If I said I wasn't sure, would you be disappointed?" Chu Fei looked at her with a strange glint in his eyes, still avoiding a direct answer.

"Disappointment is not the word, but Miss said you would definitely go," Xiao Jing replied quietly, watching him intently.

"She’s that sure?" Chu Fei curled his lip, feeling annoyed. Even though Fu Ziqing was his fiancée, being used like this didn't sit well with him.

"Miss said, 'The men of the Chu family are no cowards,'" Xiao Jing said, enunciating every word clearly.

"Damn it!"

Chu Fei cursed under his breath, feeling even more frustrated. Fu Ziqing had him cornered, and he couldn't refuse—even knowing he was being used, he had to go.

"Fine. Go tell her I'll be there."

Chu Fei looked at Xiao Jing, matching her tone. Because of that one sentence: *The men of the Chu family are no cowards.*

He was a man of the Chu family, and he was certainly no coward.

Seeing the resolute look on Chu Fei's face, Xiao Jing smiled, a genuine, relaxed expression that, under the morning sun, made her appear breathtakingly beautiful.

Chu Fei narrowed his eyes, noticing for the first time just how alluring Fu Ziqing's assistant could look when she smiled.