Chapter Seventy-Seven

"Xiao is at my house, so there's nothing you can do if you don't want to see me," Zhou said, gritting his teeth as he picked up Chu You's suitcase and strode toward his car. "I'll take you straight to Xiao. I promise I won't do anything to you before then."

"You..."

Throughout the ride, no matter what Zhou said, Chu You remained silent. He still couldn't bring himself to trust this man, and deep down he feared that, sooner or later, Zhou would revert to his old, beastly ways.

Before they reached the manor, Chu You demanded the car stop. Zhou, afraid Chu You might do something reckless, quickly asked the driver to pull over.

The moment Chu You got out, he hailed a taxi, determined to head directly to the airport. He would rather wait at the airport for Xiao for three hours than take another step closer to Zhou's home.

He had agreed to Xiao’s request because he knew Shen had revealed he was alive, and sooner or later Zhou would catch him. So Chu You decided to take a chance and trust Xiao this once. But his view of Zhou hadn't changed in the slightest. All he wanted was to stay as far away from that man as possible.

After Chu You got in the taxi, Zhou tried to follow, but Chu You shoved him out, and in the scuffle, inadvertently slapped him.

As soon as the slap landed, Chu You became scared. In the past, raising his hand had always cost him dearly: sometimes with pain, more often with humiliation, bound to the bed.

Chu You stared at Zhou in panic, but in his gaze, Zhou slapped himself hard across the face. The sharp sound echoed in the car.

"You were right to hit me," Zhou said. "I deserved it. If you hate me, just keep hitting my face until you feel better. I deserve it. If I retaliate or dodge, I swear I don't deserve to live!"

No sooner had Zhou finished speaking than Chu You struck him again, followed by a punch.

Clenching his teeth, Chu You rained blows on Zhou’s face, years of pent-up rage and resentment pouring out at last.

Tears glistened in his eyes as he sobbed and cursed, "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be so miserable! Without you, my life wouldn't be so exhausting, so painful!"

Blood dripped from Zhou's lips, his cheeks flushed and swollen beyond recognition, but he kept his gaze lowered, letting Chu You hit and scold him as he pleased.

Finally, Chu You kicked Zhou in the chest, sending him sprawling out of the car, defenseless.

"Driver, go," Chu You said, wiping away his tears.

As the car drove off, Zhou staggered to his feet. His driver rushed to steady him.

Zhou's face was so battered it was almost unrecognizable. He rubbed his aching eyes, fighting back tears, and murmured, "I always knew he hated me, but I never realized how deep it ran... Will he never forgive me?"

"Young master," the driver said, eyeing Zhou's swollen cheeks, "should I take you to the hospital first?"

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Xiao and You returned to V City.

According to his wife’s orders, Boss You arranged for Xiao You to intern at his company.

Xiao rented an apartment for Chu You on the same floor as his own, but only for a month. He wanted Chu You nearby to prevent Zhou from approaching with ill intent. Once the month was over, Chu You would move back to the school, and by then, whether Zhou and Chu You would part ways or reconcile would be decided.