Chapter 26: The Punishment of Hammer

Gu Chacha shouted at Liang Ye to stop, but it was completely too late.

Xiao Rong had fully believed their words in his heart, a flicker of pain passing through his eyes. "I understand. I won't bother you anymore," he said, then turned and walked away resolutely.

He had always believed that he and Gu Chacha shared mutual feelings.

Later, when the Gu and Han families arranged a marriage alliance, Gu Chacha told him she had no choice.

He believed her.

Marriage alliances were far too common for people like them.

They depended on their families and were also constrained by them.

If the family ordered them to marry someone, how could they rebel?

He didn't blame Chacha; he knew she had no options.

After the whole "true vs. fake daughter" mess surfaced, he felt even more for Gu Chacha.

How precious she was—how could that girl from the countryside bully her?

So when Gu Chacha approached him, hoping he could make things difficult for He Huanhuan at Uncle Han's birthday banquet, he agreed without a second thought.

He didn't even know that Gu's father had gifted the "Han Mo" (jade) to He Huanhuan.

If he had known, he would have immediately begged his family to negotiate with Uncle Gu, to let him and Chacha be together.

He didn't care whether Chacha was the true daughter of the Gu family; he didn't want to inherit the family business either.

He only wanted to be with the one he loved.

But he never expected this love to be fake.

Chacha liked Han Mo—she actually liked Han Mo.

Then what was he?

A joke?

No, maybe she was right—he was nothing but a clueless, sycophantic boot-licker.

"Xiao Rong! Wait for me..."

Gu Chacha chased after Xiao Rong as he left, and the drama of the birthday banquet finally quieted down.

He Huanhuan glanced at Liang Ye next to her. A smug grin was plastered all over his face.

She frowned. "What are you smiling about?"

Liang Ye looked shy. "When you brought me up at that moment, I feel you still have some feelings for me. I've decided to give you another chance."

He Huanhuan: ...She really wanted to knock him out with a hammer!

The turbulent birthday banquet finally ended, but the judgment waiting for Han Mo was far from over.

Once all the guests had left, Han Changyong's face instantly darkened like the bottom of a pot.

"Han Mo!"

He demanded fiercely, "Do you even know what you're doing? Are you just going to throw everything away?"

He shouted hoarsely, but Han Mo stood quietly, bathed in the light as he looked at him.

His gaze was as icy as sleet, sending an involuntary shiver through Han Changyong's heart.

Hopeless—this child was hopeless.

He had long ceased to be his son; he shouldn't have held any expectations for him.

And he shouldn't give him any hope either.

He pulled out his phone and called the hospital. "How is Xiaoxuan?"

Hearing that Han Xuan's condition was not serious, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He put down the phone, his decision finally made. "You don't need to handle company matters anymore. Xiaoxuan is old enough to take over."

Han Mo's expression finally shifted. A mocking gleam gradually crept into his pitch-black pupils.

So this was his dear father.

As always, he never disappointed him.

With a faint, scornful smile, he nodded. "Fine."

Han Changyong was surprised. "Don't you have anything to say?"

He had worked so hard to get into the company back then.

And now he agreed so easily?

Han Mo let out a bitter laugh. "To be honest, I've been sick of it for a long time. Your hypocrisy. Han Xuan's stupidity. Everything about this family—I've had enough."

"Han Mo!"

Han Changyong's face turned black. "You're still a son of this family. You're still living off its money!"

Did he really think he wouldn’t cut off his allowance?

Han Mo smiled even wider. “You’re wrong. I’m my mother’s son. I spend my mother’s money. It has nothing to do with you.”

“Fine, fine, fine...”

Han Changyong’s face burned red with rage. He grabbed a vase from beside him and hurled it. “If you have any balls, get the hell out of this house! Never come back! Don’t spend a single cent of my money!”

None of these words intimidated Han Mo at all. Without hesitation, he turned and walked away.

“Get out!!!”

Outside the Han family estate, Chen Yu sat quietly in the driver’s seat, waiting.

As time ticked by, his heart began to rise with anxiety.

Finally, the back door was pulled open, and Han Mo slid into the car with a cold expression.

He couldn’t help but ask, “What’s this?”

Han Mo’s lips curled slightly upward. “Kicked out.”

“Yes!”

Chen Yu pounded the car seat in excitement. “I’ve had enough of them! My dad’s been waiting for this day for years! Let’s go! Homeward!”

But Han Mo’s face was indifferent as he refused. “This is just the beginning. Let’s wait until things settle before going back.”

No need to disappoint his uncle, or anyone else.

“What are you doing?”

Chen Yu wrinkled his nose. “Even if we’re not celebrating, you could at least come home and see your uncle.”

“Next time,” Han Mo said silently from the back seat, turning his face toward the window.

Hazy streetlights glowed against the window, casting a blurry halo of light. In that dim glow, he seemed to see a sharp and capable face.

That face was full of warm smiles. “Momo, look! Mom and Dad bought you this estate! Big, right? My son was born to live in a place like this, to have a good life forever!”

“You don’t have to work hard. Mom worked hard so you could take it easy!”

“When you grow up, do whatever you want. Mom will support you!”

“Momo, I hate him! How could he do this to us? I hate it!”

“I...”

That face eventually twisted into a shape of ferocious cursing, until it vanished from this world, turned into a pile of ashes.

How could he not hate?

The betrayal of those closest to him—how could he not hate?

He wouldn’t let them off easy. He absolutely wouldn’t.

Hatred quickly flickered in his eyes, then he returned to that calm demeanor.

He asked Chen Yu, “Are the contracts and accounts all checked?”

Chen Yu nodded confidently. “Of course! I was very careful!”

Now they were just waiting for Han Xuan to enter the company.

That useless fool—he would never notice a thing.

At the hospital, Han Xuan lay on the bed, whimpering nonstop. “It hurts, it really hurts. Doctor, I think it’s broken...”

The doctor patiently explained, “Second Young Master, rest assured. They’re perfectly fine. Not broken at all.”

Han Xuan didn’t believe it. “Impossible! If they’re not broken, why does it hurt so much?”

The doctor explained more gently, “It might be because you’re quite weak.”

“You! Oh, it hurts so much...”

Amid the moaning, the ward door opened, and Han Changyong walked in.

Seeing his father, Han Xuan let out a wail. “Dad! It hurts so much! Did you hit He Huanhuan? Make her pay! Compensate me! I’m in so much pain!”

Han Changyong snorted in annoyance. “You idiot! And you have the nerve to ask for compensation? Even getting a cheap trick on camera, you fool! What good are you?”

Han Xuan was dumbfounded. “What recording? What do you mean?”

His clueless expression made Han Changyong even angrier. “You moron! A fool who can’t even form a proper sentence!”

He angrily told the story of how He Huanhuan had recorded him, and Han Xuan immediately curled up in guilt, pretending to be hurt: “Ow, Dad, I’m in so much pain...”

How was he supposed to know that He Huanhuan would actually make a recording?

His cries were obviously fake, but after all, he was his son.

Han Changyong let out a long sigh, sat down by the bed, and tried to soothe him: “I’ve told your brother to take a break. When you’re discharged from the hospital, I’ll put you in charge of the company’s affairs. You need to be careful—don’t act impulsively...”

Before he could finish his warnings, Han Xuan suddenly sat up in bed, practically ecstatic.

“Really?! Dad! You’re the best dad ever! I swear I’ll do a great job!”

Hmph!

Han Mo!

Just wait! He would definitely take over all of his projects!