In the President’s office, Xiao Linye regarded Xiao Shuo, whose face was a patchwork of bruises, with icy eyes. The corner of his eye had apparently been slashed by a bag zipper; a thin, long gash oozed beads of blood.
Kang Xuan had duly reported everything that happened in the elevator to Xiao Linye.
Xiao Linye glared at Xiao Shuo, ice in his eyes, and a heavy, suppressive atmosphere filled the entire office.
"You may leave," Xiao Linye said in a low voice to Kang Xuan.
Kang Xuan instinctively glanced at Xiao Shuo, his expression clearly saying, ’You’re on your own now,’ and then nodded. "Okay."
The oppressive atmosphere had also jolted Xiao Shuo to full alertness.
Kang Xuan turned and left, carefully closing the door behind him.
When it was just him and Xiao Linye, Xiao Shuo called out in a low voice, "Uncle Seven."
That "Uncle Seven" was tinged with so much grievance! That shrew, Ye Yuning, had hit him again! Previously, in the restroom of a nightclub, although there was no evidence, he’d always had an intuition that it was Ye Yuning who had hit him. This demoness...! Now she was brazenly laying hands on him—was it because she had Uncle Seven backing her?
Xiao Linye picked up his coffee, took a sip, and spoke again, his tone even colder than before. "Did you go back to the old residence last night?"
The chill in his voice carried an even more intimidating undercurrent of danger.
Xiao Shuo tensed up. He subconsciously denied it, "No, I didn’t!"
"You didn’t?" Hearing Xiao Shuo’s denial, a cold smirk touched the corners of Xiao Linye’s lips.
And it was this very chill that made Xiao Shuo’s scalp tingle with dread.
Meeting Xiao Linye’s piercing gaze, he quickly looked down and admitted weakly, "I did go back."
He knew perfectly well that Uncle Seven never wasted words. To ask such a question now clearly meant he was certain—he must know I went back last night.
Seeing Xiao Shuo’s cowardly demeanor, Xiao Linye set down his coffee cup. "What did you go back there for?"
Xiao Shuo stammered, "To... to see Grandpa."
"Quite the filial son." Xiao Linye bit out the words "filial son." Everyone knew what a good-for-nothing Xiao Shuo was. He usually visited the old residence no more than a few times a year, yet now he claimed he went to see his grandpa. He didn’t even believe such a ridiculous lie himself.
Faced with Xiao Linye now, Xiao Shuo was utterly terrified.
Then, Xiao Linye asked again, "What did you talk about with the old man?"
Xiao Shuo remained silent.
Listening to that detached tone, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Uncle Seven already knew everything. And Grandpa had surely called him to the old residence last night for questioning. So now...!
This feeling of being judged was deeply uncomfortable for Xiao Shuo.
He bowed his head. "Uncle Seven, I was wrong!"
At that moment, he realized denial was pointless. Googlᴇ search 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭•𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦•𝘯𝘦𝘵
Calling it an interrogation was an understatement; it felt more like a threat. Xiao Shuo clearly perceived the threat in Xiao Linye’s words.
Xiao Linye snorted coldly. "Where were you wrong?"
His tone grew increasingly menacing. This menace seemed to suffocate the air in the room.
I’m done for! Xiao Shuo thought. The fear in his heart surged to its peak, and his limbs felt weak. If he weren’t desperately trying to hold himself together, his knees would have buckled.
He lowered his head, his voice trembling, "I... I was talking nonsense. I deserve to die!"
Xiao Linye echoed, "Deserve to die?"
"Yes, I deserve to die! Uncle Seven, I truly know I was wrong." Faced with Xiao Linye’s overwhelming intimidation, Xiao Shuo was so scared he was on the verge of tears.
This pathetic display only intensified Xiao Linye’s disgust.
"What?" When Xiao Linye suddenly told him to make a call, Xiao Shuo didn’t immediately understand, staring blankly at him.
Xiao Linye said, "Shouldn’t you be the one to clean up your own mess?"
Hearing this, Xiao Shuo understood what Xiao Linye meant. He wanted him to call Grandpa himself and confess that he had been talking nonsense the previous night.
If I make that call, won’t Grandpa be furious with me?
"Then... then how should I explain it to Grandpa?" Xiao Shuo asked, looking at Xiao Linye with trepidation.
He was being threatened! And he didn’t dare offer the slightest resistance.
Xiao Linye said, "Tell him you were blind."
Xiao Shuo was speechless.
His world crumbled in an instant! So, I have to tell Grandpa I was mistaken? That everything I said last night was a lie?
At this point, Xiao Shuo couldn’t believe there was *nothing* going on between Xiao Linye and Ye Yuning. Did this look like two people who had no connection? This was clearly how Uncle Seven behaved when he was very satisfied with that shrew after they’d slept together! But what on earth was so captivating about that shrew that she could bewitch Uncle Seven into such a muddled state?
Xiao Shuo seethed internally but dared not let any of it show.
Finally, under Xiao Linye’s death glare, he took out his phone and called Old Master Xiao.
The call connected, and Old Master Xiao’s grim voice came through. "What is it?"
Having chosen to believe his own son, Old Master Xiao’s displeasure with this grandson had only intensified.
Hearing this tone, a shiver ran down Xiao Shuo’s spine. He didn’t dare to imagine how disappointed Grandpa would be once I told him last night was all a misunderstanding.
He glanced instinctively at Xiao Linye, who returned a glacial stare.