Shadow Heir II: Dark Glory - Chapter 39

Jiang Wanxing genuinely hadn’t expected Bai Xuyang to actually smash up Empress Bar.

At this moment, all the elite forces of Empress Bar were out, and there wasn’t even a single man left inside. Bai Xuyang, taking advantage of their absence, was truly despicable!

Jiang Wanxing knew that in the Capital’s circles, if you were slapped in the face, you had to hit back immediately, or you would become the laughingstock of the circle. Those children who grew up in the compounds, including herself, had been fighting since they were young.

But… Su Wuji had just led his men out to eradicate a trafficking syndicate. Morally, legally, and nationally, Bai Xuyang’s actions were indefensible!

Seeing Jiang Wanxing’s expression suddenly become grave, Su Wuji chuckled. “What, did you dirty my car again?”

Jiang Wanxing: “…”

However, this time she didn’t fly into a rage. Instead, she sat up straight, looked seriously into Su Wuji’s eyes, and said, “I’m sorry.”

“Hey,” Su Wuji waved it off carelessly. “It’s just a smashed door, no big deal. It’s not that serious.”

Jiang Wanxing was stunned. “You already knew?”

Su Wuji grinned. “If I didn’t know by now, I’d be a pretty incompetent boss.”

This attitude surprised Jiang Wanxing even more. “Aren’t you angry? That bar is your life’s work.”

“What’s there to be angry about? I can’t be the only one allowed to smash other people’s places without others smashing mine.” Su Wuji’s smile was bright. “I’ve been in this game for so many years. I’ve seen plenty of back and forth like this.”

Looking at that smile, Jiang Wanxing was certain that Su Wuji truly didn’t care at this moment! But this guy… he made her pay for a dirty sofa! He was definitely not a magnanimous person! Could it be that he’s afraid of making things difficult for me, caught between two sides, and that’s why he’s acting so tolerant?

A strange feeling arose in Jiang Wanxing’s heart at the thought.

“Compared to the smashed door, I care more about your apology just now.” Su Wuji looked directly into Jiang Wanxing’s eyes, his tone very sincere. “It makes me feel like I might have gained a good friend.”

In truth, this incident was not Jiang Wanxing’s place to apologize. Yet, her apology was sincere. Whether it was an illusion or not, Jiang Wanxing felt that Su Wuji’s smile was somewhat warm right now.

After pausing for a few seconds, Major Jiang composed herself, averted her gaze, and said, “Boss Su really knows how to sweet-talk girls. Someone who didn’t know better would think you were trying to flirt with me over this.”

“You?” Su Wuji shifted his rear end sideways. “I wouldn’t dare flirt.”

Jiang Wanxing suddenly became competitive. “Why not? Am I an ugly freak? A terrifying female tyrannosaur?”

“No, mainly because…” Su Wuji said earnestly, “I faint at the sight of blood.”

“You jerk…”

The previous atmosphere was utterly destroyed, and Jiang Wanxing again wanted to choke Su Wuji.

The motorcade had just entered the Linzhou urban area, but before reaching Empress Bar, Su Wuji spoke up. “Let’s disband here. Give everyone a day off, and they can rest again tomorrow.”

Closing for three consecutive days was unprecedented for Empress Bar. Xiao Yinlei smiled faintly. “I guess our difficult-to-talk-to financial manager is going to cry again.”

This clearly surprised Jiang Wanxing. After all, the bar had been smashed. If Su Wuji took a hundred men back, he could at least save face in front of Bai Xuyang. Yet, he was giving everyone immediate leave? This young bar owner seemed too lazy to even confront Bai Xuyang!

“I’m genuinely happy about catching Sister Fen,” Su Wuji stretched. “Nobody’s going to ruin the boss’s good mood.”

Jiang Wanxing nodded, deep in thought. After a minute of silence, she sincerely said, “Impressive.”

At the entrance of the Empress Bar, several black cars were parked, including Jiang Haobing’s Mercedes G-Wagon. A man in a casual shirt was leaning against the hood, smoking. He was about six feet tall, very muscular, especially his pectoral muscles, which stretched his shirt taut. His inverted triangle physique exuded a strong sense of masculinity.

He was Bai Xuyang.

Empress Bar’s revolving door had been completely smashed, the adjacent floor-to-ceiling windows were shattered, and the huge neon sign had been torn down. The damage looked substantial, but the bar’s interior was intact, and no staff had been beaten. Bai Xuyang had clearly intended to vent, but held back his full force.

The cars stopped, and Jiang Wanxing was the first to jump out. Her beautiful, heroic face was clouded with anger.

Seeing the goddess’s expression, Bai Xuyang’s heart sank. He immediately threw the cigarette butt to the ground and walked toward her.

“Wanxing, you’re here.” Bai Xuyang had seen Jiang Wanxing like this before. Once, when a girl from the compound was bullied by thugs wielding knives, she had worn this same dark expression before going out with a cleaver to settle the score. In the compound back then, Jiang Wanxing truly earned her reputation as the “big sister.”

Jiang Wanxing pointed at the main entrance, staring at Bai Xuyang. “You smashed this?”

“Yeah.” Bai Xuyang looked away.

Jiang Wanxing took a step forward, emphasizing her tone. “But I told you not to do this on the phone! Why didn’t you listen?”

Bai Xuyang took a step back, clearly feeling a little weak. He explained, “Wanxing, you know, Oriental Beauty was the first investment my friends and I made in Linzhou. In the end, this Empress Bar boss stole it from us using underhanded methods… If I didn’t stand up, my brothers and I would lose all face…” It was only in front of Jiang Wanxing that Bai Xuyang would offer such a lengthy explanation.

It was unclear what methods Su Wuji had used, but all the shares of Oriental Beauty Club had been transferred to Xiao Yinlei and were currently undergoing major restructuring, not yet reopened.

Jiang Wanxing said angrily, “Brothers? Those fair-weather friends who exploit you, and now that there’s trouble, they need you to stand up? Bai Xuyang, how old are you? You’re still so naive and stupid?”

Bai Xuyang was scolded but didn’t lose his temper. He was momentarily confused about why Jiang Wanxing was so opposed to his actions. After all, although he and Jiang Wanxing were childhood friends and of similar age, their statuses were never equal, strictly speaking, he had been the big sister’s sidekick since childhood.

“But I had to face that bastard, to let him know my stance,” Bai Xuyang said. “He needs to understand that Linzhou people have to bow their heads to people from the Capital!”

Men cared about saving face, especially since he had always liked Jiang Wanxing and courted her openly and secretly for years without her ever responding.

“I’m right here.” Su Wuji opened the car door and stepped out, grinning. “Young Master Bai is really something. Bringing regional discrimination into it.”

Seeing him, Jiang Haobing immediately yelled excitedly, “Sis, Brother Xuyang, this is the guy who hit me!”

Bai Xuyang’s eyes immediately became hostile, and his entire aura turned aggressive, a stark contrast to his meekness in front of Jiang Wanxing earlier. “So it’s you!” Bai Xuyang rolled up his sleeves. The dozen or so men he brought also stepped forward.

“Everyone, stop right there.” Jiang Wanxing shoved Bai Xuyang hard, then grabbed Jiang Haobing’s collar, pointed at Su Wuji, and said coldly, “Both of you, apologize to him.”

Bai Xuyang was completely dumbfounded. Seeing the girl he liked defending another man, he didn’t immediately turn to blame her. Instead, he began to doubt himself. Did I smash the wrong place? Bai Xuyang looked at the sign lying on the ground. It was definitely the Empress Bar.

Jiang Wanxing’s voice grew colder. “Bai Xuyang, you can choose not to apologize, but you must pay double the damages to Empress Bar, then return to the Capital, and never come to Linzhou again!”

Bai Xuyang stared at Su Wuji, his eyes filled with complex emotions. Jiang Wanxing had always protected him; she had never been this fierce with him over another man!

In reality, Bai Xuyang didn’t realize that Jiang Wanxing’s instruction of “double compensation” was already giving him a way out. In Jiang Wanxing’s view, Su Wuji had courteously taken a step back, so she had to step forward and force Bai Xuyang to take a major step back as well!

Su Wuji pulled Jiang Wanxing back a step. “What kind of situation is it when a woman stands in front of a man?”

When addressing Su Wuji, Jiang Wanxing’s voice softened considerably. “I can’t stand to see you suffer this kind of injustice.”

Actually, her original intention was that she didn’t want a person like Su Wuji to bleed and weep, but the moment the words left her mouth, they sounded overly intimate!

Bai Xuyang was even more incredulous. “Wanxing… you, you care about him that much?”

Jiang Haobing also stood frozen, suspiciously looking at Su Wuji, wondering if the man might be his future brother-in-law.

Jiang Wanxing reached out and shielded Su Wuji behind her. She said plainly, “That’s right. Today, I’m protecting him.”

NOTES

Dà yuàn zǐ dì: Literally “compound children.” This term refers to the children of high-ranking military or government officials who grew up in specialized residential compounds in the Capital. It implies privilege, a tight-knit network, and often a degree of arrogance.