Chapter 136: Far More Than Him

Chu Dong wore the same easy smile throughout. Even when he saw Wang Dongliang charging toward him, his expression did not change. He released Xiao Rou, waited until Wang Dongliang reached him, and, before the other man could begin his accusations, raised his hand and slapped him hard across the face.

The tremendous force sent Wang Dongliang spinning half a turn. His feet staggered, stars burst before his eyes, and his cheek burned fiercely.

“Damn it.”

Wang Dongliang had never imagined that Chu Dong would strike without warning. He turned back, staring at Chu Dong with wide eyes, then pointed at him incredulously.

“You—you hit me?”

Chu Dong lifted his foot and kicked him squarely in the chest. The force was not great, but it was enough to send Wang Dongliang rolling several times across the floor.

“I hit exactly who I intended to hit. Not satisfied?”

Could Wang Dongliang have come alone? Of course not. Several bodyguards were behind him, and they hurried forward to catch their staggering employer.

“Beat him up!” Wang Dongliang shrieked, pointing at Chu Dong and ordering his bodyguards to avenge him.

The bodyguards had been hired and paid to serve Wang Dongliang, so they should have obeyed. Yet, strangely enough, they did not move. The two exchanged a glance, communicating briefly with their eyes.

“Should we go for it, brother?”

“Are you trying to get yourself killed? Whatever happens between them is their business. They both have personal lawyers. Even if someone gets beaten half to death, it won’t be our problem.”

“True. If we join in and something goes wrong, we’ll be the ones who suffer. Let’s just drag him away.”

“Agreed. That’s what we’ll do.”

The two bodyguards each seized one of Wang Dongliang’s arms and began dragging him backward.

“You bastards! Why are you pulling me away? Beat him!”

Wang Dongliang was so furious that words failed him.

The reporters and guests were dumbfounded as well. The auction had been proceeding perfectly—so how had it suddenly turned into a brawl?

Chaos spread throughout the venue. Many people retreated in panic, knocking over tables holding wineglasses. Shattered glass covered the floor, and several people were cut in the confusion. Some cried out, others screamed, and the peaceful banquet from moments earlier had become more disorderly than a crowded marketplace.

The host onstage had no idea what to do. He could only hurry through his closing remarks toward the still-recording camera.

“Today’s charity banquet has achieved tremendous success amid an extraordinary atmosphere. We have raised tens of billions in charitable donations. This is an unprecedented event, one without equal in history—”

He ducked beneath a flying high heel before continuing.

“I hereby announce that the fifteenth Dalian Charity Donation and Auction Banquet has officially come to an end…”

Under the “protection” of his bodyguards, Wang Dongliang managed to escape. The other guests also fled the venue one after another.

Chu Dong and Xiao Rou did not move. Once only a few people remained, he called out to the organizers and the auctioneer, who was still standing foolishly on the main platform.

“Pack up my friend’s jewelry and give it to me. I’m still waiting to go home.”

Xiao Rou held a small box in one hand and linked her arm through Chu Dong’s. She carefully stepped over the broken glass scattered across the floor. That night had been the most memorable of her life. First, she had met so many people from high society. Second, she had experienced an unforgettable evening.

Just as they reached the entrance, Wang Dongliang charged over again. This time, he had learned his lesson and stopped before getting too close to Chu Dong. Instead of addressing him, he shouted at Xiao Rou.

“Don’t think you’ll end up well just because you’re following him. Don’t you know he already has a wife? His wife is the eldest daughter of the Silver Dragon Group, a pampered heiress who grew up with a golden key in her mouth!”

Wang Dongliang was extremely agitated.

“What kind of person do you think he is? He’s nothing but a parasite who relies on women to make money…”

The corner of Chu Dong’s mouth lifted slightly. He was in no hurry to respond to Wang Dongliang’s accusations. He simply watched him quietly.

“Do you know what he does now? He works for the Silver Dragon Group—that’s his future wife’s family business. Don’t be fooled by his polished appearance. He’s actually a piece of human trash…”

The more Wang Dongliang spoke, the more agitated he became. His slicked-back hair had come loose at the temples. He smoothed it back with one hand, then prepared to continue.

“I think you’ve misunderstood,” Xiao Rou said calmly. She had never released Chu Dong’s arm. “Big Brother Chu and I are only friends. I’ve never thought about what might happen between us in the future, and Big Brother Chu has never had the kind of intentions you’re talking about. You’re worrying about this far more than necessary.”

Wang Dongliang felt another wave of suffocating frustration. He had stayed behind specifically to expose Chu Dong’s shameless habit of two-timing, hoping to drive this charming young woman away from him and take a little revenge. He had never expected Xiao Rou to answer him so calmly.

After speaking, Xiao Rou gently tugged at Chu Dong’s arm.

“Big Brother Chu, let’s go.”

“All right.”

Chu Dong led Xiao Rou past Wang Dongliang.

“This is all you’re capable of. Stop struggling. The underworld will come for you.”

“Damn it! I—I…”

Wang Dongliang kicked the revolving door, then clutched his foot and hopped several times before finally regaining his balance.

The attendant had already brought the car around, with the heater running and the interior warmed. The moment the door opened, a wave of heat rushed out.

“Big Brother Chu, I want to sit in the back…” Xiao Rou hurriedly spoke when she saw him open the front passenger door.

“Oh, all right.”

Chu Dong closed the front door, opened the rear door, and waited for Xiao Rou to climb inside before shutting it.

He drove straight toward Xiao Yuer’s school.

Sitting in the back seat, Xiao Rou watched Chu Dong driving in front of her, while tumultuous emotions surged through her heart.

It was true that Chu Dong had never told her he liked her. Nor had he ever demanded anything from her in exchange for paying for her younger brother’s medical treatment. Yet she did not know why hearing Wang Dongliang speak those words about him had hurt her so deeply, as though her heart had been pierced.

That night, she had seen a world beyond her imagination: luxurious decorations, elegantly dressed crowds, fine wine beneath the glow of crystal cups, people spending fortunes with a wave of their hands, and sums reaching into the billions. The entire scene had flashed before her like images on a screen.

The envy and jealousy in the eyes of those people watching her had made her feel like Cinderella in a glass slipper, like an ugly duckling suddenly transformed into a swan.

But once the dream ended, none of it had anything to do with her. It was as distant from her as the radiant moon in the night sky—beautiful, but unreachable.

She had never wanted that kind of life. A simple existence was enough for her. If she could have someone who loved her by her side, even the plainest meals would taste sweet.

But why, then, did her heart ache so badly?

Chu Dong’s back looked so real, and yet so unreal.

Tears slid down her cheeks and fell onto her evening gown, slowly fading into the fabric and dampening a patch across her legs. The wetness felt cold—terribly cold.

“Xiao Rou, thank you for today. I’ll get out here first. Change your clothes before you go home.”

Chu Dong stopped the car at the school entrance and turned to speak to her.

“Oh, all right.”

Xiao Rou pulled herself back from her thoughts and quietly wiped the tears from her face. After hearing Chu Dong close the car door, she took out the small bag beside her containing her clothes.

She quickly changed, folded the gown she had taken off, removed the jewelry, and packed everything away before opening the car door.

“Big Brother Chu, I’m going home. Thank you for taking me out to see the world.”

She still wore her gentle smile as she raised a small hand to bid him farewell.

“Wait.”

Seeing that her hands were empty, Chu Dong quickly opened the car door again. He took out the small box containing the things she had changed out of, along with the piece of jewelry Wang Dongliang had purchased, and placed them in her hands.

“Consider these your reward for today. Don’t refuse. This jewelry was custom-made for you. Please don’t make me lose face in front of my little sister.”

“It’s far too valuable. I can’t accept it.”

Xiao Rou had never felt that any of this truly belonged to her. She had not even wanted the jewelry Wang Dongliang had bought.

“Do you have some objection to Big Brother Chu? If not, then take them. Aren’t we friends? Being overly polite would seem rather insincere.”

Chu Dong trapped her with his words.

“But I…”

Xiao Rou was genuinely troubled.

“These things are simply too impractical for someone like me. I may only ever have the chance to use them once in my entire life, so…”

She took out the evening gown and handed the two boxes back to Chu Dong.

“I’ll keep the dress as a memento. As for the rest, you should take care of it yourself.”

With that, she waved her small hand goodbye and turned to leave.

Chu Dong was somewhat helpless. There was something strange about the girl, but he could not quite determine what it was.

He shook his head, placed the two items—each worth tens of millions—on the back seat, and drove home.

To his surprise, Xiao Yuer was asleep on the living-room sofa. Leftovers were still spread across the dining table. It seemed the little girl had been waiting for him to return.

He carried her upstairs, placed her in her room, tucked her in, and quietly left.

In his own room, he found a note from Xiao Yuer. Her sister had called and said she would be back in a few days.

After taking a shower, Chu Dong found himself wide awake despite the late hour. He turned on the computer, and the Tianjian website greeted him with a flood of news. Almost every report concerned that evening’s charity banquet. Photographs of Chu Dong and Wang Dongliang occupied the most prominent positions.

“The Young Master of Haifeng Group Spends Lavishly.”

“Down-and-Out Heir Donates Tens of Billions to Give Back to Society.”

“Two Wealthy Heirs Come to Blows: For Love or Money?”

“An Unprecedented Charity Auction, an Unprecedented Farce.”

Countless headlines appeared like pop-up advertisements, accompanied by every kind of comment.

“Well done. Two dogs fighting, both ending up covered in fur…”

“Learning to care for others—who says those born in the eighties have no sense of responsibility?”

“Rich people really are something else. If I had money, I’d donate some too. But who’s going to help me right now?”

There was also the official vote tally for Dalian’s Outstanding Young People of the Year. Chu Dong clicked on it casually and saw that the two leading candidates were himself and Wang Dongliang.

When he looked at the numbers, he was startled. Somehow, he had already pulled nearly ten thousand votes ahead of Wang Dongliang.

Taking a closer look, he found that his own vote count had barely increased. Wang Dongliang’s, however, had actually gone down.

At that moment, his phone rang. It was Tan Xue.

“Brother Dong, did you see the voting results for that Outstanding Young People thing?”

“I saw them. What’s up?”

He had expected her to ask about Xiao Rou, who had appeared beside him in the photographs. He had not expected her to begin with that ridiculous election.

“Haha! I got into Tianjian’s back end. Most of Wang Dongliang’s votes were cast by himself, so I used some software to delete all the votes from the same IP address. Haha! How about that? Now you’re way ahead of him.” Tan Xue laughed smugly, delighted with her own success.