Chapter 28: Let Me Treat You to Dinner

Shen Ling, however, remained unusually calm, her gaze utterly devoid of fear. Just as the fist was about to come down, before she could even make a move, Xu Shengye suddenly stepped in front of her, grabbing Zhou Bin’s wrist. His entire demeanor exuded a coldness that seemed to chill the air.

“Where did this lapdog adulterer come from? What’s the matter? Couldn’t get Bo Jinhan, so now you’re after someone else?” Zhou Bin was so furious he was practically hopping with rage, cursing with righteous indignation and clearly still itching for a fight.

Xu Shengye frowned, unwilling to waste time listening to his filthy tirade. With a deft block from his left hand, he swung a punch with his right, sending Zhou Bin’s face jerking to the side.

“You bastard, are you looking to die?” Zhou Bin exploded in anger, launching a flurry of kicks and punches, even resorting to dirty tricks in a desperate attempt to gain the upper hand.

Xu Shengye remained utterly unruffled, parrying each attack with steady composure. Seizing a moment when Zhou Bin was spent, he delivered a flying kick that landed squarely on Zhou Bin’s jaw.

A crisp, unmistakable crack resonated through the air.

Zhou Bin’s jaw was dislocated. Clutching it with his hand, he spat out a mouthful of blood. His eyes blazed red with fury, his curses now laced with venom.

“Idiot, you’re just one of the men she’s strung along, letting her play you for a fool!”

His mind clouded by rage, Zhou Bin didn’t even have time to think—he simply wanted to charge in for another blow.

But glancing up, he was met with Xu Shengye’s cold, faintly disdainful eyes. Zhou Bin suddenly realized he was outmatched; to throw himself forward again would be nothing short of suicide.

Xu Shengye found his impotent fury rather amusing and flexed his aching wrist, making as if he was ready for another round.

Zhou Bin’s face went pale, and he instinctively took several steps back, though his eyes remained fixed on Shen Ling. “Just you wait. If I don’t finish you, I’ll change my surname!”

His words were harsh and unforgiving, but his feet betrayed him—he quickly retreated down the steps, scrambled into his car, and sped off, stumbling so comically that it was almost impossible not to laugh.

Shen Ling looked up at Xu Shengye, never having imagined that this usually gentle, soft-spoken man could be so decisive and commanding when it came to blows.

“Impressive!” she praised him, giving a thumbs-up.

The hostility in Xu Shengye’s eyes gradually faded, and a gentle warmth returned to his gaze. “A few years of training, just for self-defense.”

Shen Ling smiled in admiration, and as her gaze swept the scene, she suddenly noticed Feng Qin standing on the steps. The woman seemed utterly petrified, trembling where she stood.

Catching Shen Ling’s gaze, Feng Qin snapped back to herself, stumbling backward before fleeing in abject embarrassment.

Shen Ling couldn’t be bothered with her. She smiled with satisfaction. “Come on, let me treat you to lunch.”

“All right,” Xu Shengye replied with a gentle smile.

The next day, just as Shen Ling arrived at the office, Feng Qin strode over and raised her voice. “Shen Ling, do you realize you’re two-timing and colluding with your lover to assault someone? The victim’s come forward demanding your dismissal—you’ve ruined the company’s reputation!”

Yesterday she’d been too frightened to utter a word, and today here she was, blustering with newfound bravado. The speed of her turnaround left Shen Ling almost in awe.

She set her bag down with a thud and smiled coolly. “That’s quite the accusation. I’ve damaged the company’s reputation? What about your improper dealings and taking bribes under the table—would you call that undermining the company’s foundation?”

Feng Qin knew full well she had done all those things, and her face went ashen, but she clung to the hope that Shen Ling had no proof.

“You think slandering me will cover up your own problems?”

Their colleagues, seeing another argument brewing, eagerly gathered to gossip.

Shen Ling let out a cold laugh, pulled out a stack of evidence she’d uncovered, and climbed onto a chair. “If you want to see, have a look. Don’t stifle your curiosity—come on, take a good look.”

With that, she tossed the backup files of her evidence into the air. Snow-like sheets fluttered down, blanketing desks and floor alike, scattering everywhere in a storm of paper.