Chapter 11: Found an Even Greater Patron?

Bo Jinhan took a step back, a look of amusement flickering in his eyes, maintaining a detached air as though he were merely a bystander. Shen Ling instantly understood—he intended to watch from the sidelines, enjoying the spectacle.

She curved her lips in a faint smile and forcefully shook off Zhou Bin’s hand. “There’s nothing left to explain, is there? Isn’t everything perfectly clear already?”

Since she had accepted the money, her stance naturally had to satisfy her benefactor. The past and all that came with it—better to sever it cleanly.

A flash of surprise crossed Zhou Bin’s face; he hadn’t expected her to be so forthright. His eyes reddened with anger. “What do you mean by that?”

“I mean we’re done,” Shen Ling replied, her expression unusually calm. Her tone was distant, as if discussing something trivial, her attitude creating an impenetrable barrier.

Her relationship with Zhou Bin had always been a straightforward arrangement—she showed up when he needed her, serving as his shield and nothing more.

As she finished speaking, she failed to notice the faint mockery that veiled Bo Jinhan’s eyes.

How familiar this scene was.

“It’s because of this man, isn’t it? Shen Ling, have you already forgotten what I told you before?” Zhou Bin’s face contorted with rage, his voice hoarse and low, like a beast on the verge of losing control.

Bo Jinhan, meanwhile, continued to watch, the same air of detached amusement on his face.

Shen Ling was unbothered—Zhou Bin was lashing out only because his pride had been wounded. She didn’t hesitate to deliver the final blow: “The world is bustling, all for profit; when the benefit fades, so does the bond. Zhou Bin, our relationship has indeed come to its end.”

“So, you’ve found yourself a bigger patron?” Zhou Bin’s expression was twisted, his pent-up fury reaching a breaking point, his self-esteem savagely bruised.

A trace of mockery flickered in Shen Ling’s eyes. She fully understood that Zhou Bin’s reaction was all because she’d embarrassed him so openly, leaving him no room to save face.

She said nothing more, and her silence, in Zhou Bin’s eyes, amounted to tacit admission.

Zhou Bin could no longer contain his rage. Raising his hand high, he cursed, “You wretch!”

Shen Ling didn’t flinch, nor did she show the slightest hint of fear.

In the blink of an eye, Zhou Bin’s slap came down—but the expected sting never landed.

Before the blow could fall, Bo Jinhan stepped forward, seizing Zhou Bin’s wrist. His body leaned forward ever so slightly, shielding her behind him.

Shen Ling was not the least bit surprised by Bo Jinhan’s intervention. Striking his companion wasn’t merely an insult to her—it would be an even greater humiliation for Bo Jinhan.

If that slap had landed, she would have to walk around with the mark on her face, and the one truly disgraced would be Bo Jinhan.

Zhou Bin, his anger finding nowhere to go, roared, “Then I’ll hit you too!”

He mustered all his strength to wrench his hand free for another blow, but found he couldn’t move it an inch.

Bo Jinhan stood firm, completely at ease. He glanced up with cold indifference, his tone mocking. “If that’s all you’re capable of, you’d best not embarrass yourself further.”

Zhou Bin was used to being flattered wherever he went. This was an unprecedented provocation, and his temper flared uncontrollably. “You dare offend the Zhou family? Don’t expect to survive in A City!”

Bo Jinhan flung his hand aside, letting out a cold, disdainful laugh. “You mean the Zhou family that takes on projects beyond their means, causes a funding crisis during partnerships, and expects others to clean up the mess?”

His casual attitude only pushed Zhou Bin further toward the edge. In his fury, he spoke recklessly. “What’s your name? If you’re still able to do business in A City three days from now, I’ll stop calling myself Zhou!”

Bo Jinhan wiped his palm with an expression of disgust, but his words carried weight. “If you keep making a scene, I have plenty of ways to delay your funding and ruin the Zhou family’s project.”

Zhou Bin froze at those words. His arrogance faded. While he didn’t know every detail of the family business, he’d heard enough about the troubles at home.

If this deal fell apart, he’d have no way to return home—the old master Zhou would chase him out with his cane.

Reason returning, Zhou Bin’s bravado diminished as he examined the man before him. “Who exactly are you?”