Thinking this in her heart, Qin Ruojing glanced at Tong Yaqi, "Manager Tong, it's a bit hot in here, care to join me outside for some fresh air?"

Tong Yaqi understood, smiled somewhat slyly, and nodded, "Sure."

Xia Feifei became a bit anxious right away. If Qin Ruojing and Tong Yaqi went out and saw Chen Jiatong and Xu Jingyuan still holding Chu Ge's hand, that would be a disaster!

Just as Qin Ruojing and Tong Yaqi were about to get up and leave the table, while Xia Feifei was feeling tense and worried, the door opened, and Chen Jiatong and Xu Jingyuan walked in from outside.

Qin Ruojing glanced at Tong Yaqi, and neither of them moved, turning their gaze instead to the door.

What made Qin Ruojing both relieved and somewhat disappointed was that after Chen Jiatong and Xu Jingyuan entered, they closed the door, and Chu Ge did not follow them into her line of sight.

"Chairman, everyone, sorry, Jingyuan and I ran into an old friend and chatted for a bit outside."

Chen Jiatong returned to the table, greeted Qin Ruojing first, and then apologized.

Although she was still worried about Chu Ge in her heart, she understood clearly that what Chu Ge did was right. If she and Xu Jingyuan stayed by Chu Ge's side, they would only be a burden, not sharing in Chu Ge's challenges but rather causing him trouble.

Moreover, perhaps there were some situations with Chu Ge that were not suitable for them to witness.

Chen Jiatong and Xu Jingyuan truly lived up to their roles as actors. Despite being so frightened, in just a few minutes, they had already returned to lively conversation, and the quick makeup touch-up completely hid any signs of their earlier tears.

Of course, their acting skills were part of it, but more importantly, it was due to Chu Ge's warm, broad hand and that calm yet resolute statement, which brought them a profound sense of security.

"You guys go back first; I'll have a drink and chat with them." This is what Chu Ge said with a smile to them, gently patting their shoulders before they returned.

Though Chu Ge neither cast any deep loving gazes nor made any righteously passionate promises, nor gave any assertive remarks, how could they not know that Chu Ge was going to help them sort out any troubles that might arise in the future?

If it were in an idol drama, no, perhaps any man faced with that situation, going to do such a thing, he would definitely say some self-thought beautiful words, showing some self-thought handsome expressions, right?

And yet, it was precisely such a simple statement that deeply stirred their heartstrings, instantly drawing their hearts closer to Chu Ge.

In that moment, looking at Chu Ge's casual smile, they even felt a compelling urge and emotion to do anything for him.

As the saying goes, a knight dies for a confidant, a woman dresses for her admirer. What an honor it was for them to follow this man and persist for him!

Qin Ruojing looked at Chen Jiatong and Xu Jingyuan, who had returned to the table, but her mind was still on Chu Ge. Just when she was hesitating about whether to ask, Chen Jiatong mentioned Chu Ge's name.

"Oh, right, Jingyuan and I saw Manager Chu earlier. He asked me to pass on a message to everyone that he ran into a friend too and is having a few drinks with them."

Though the words were directed at everyone present, out of the corner of Chen Jiatong's eye, she discreetly glanced at Qin Ruojing, because no matter how many women had connections with Chu Ge, only Qin Ruojing was Chu Ge's choice in marriage.

Under Chen Jiatong's gaze, Qin Ruojing's hand, holding the glass, paused slightly for a moment before she picked it back up.

Compared to Qin Ruojing, Tong Yaqi's reaction was more pronounced. She shook her head helplessly and chuckled, "That guy, he's so lacking in organization and discipline. When he comes back, we must really punish him with a few drinks."

A few women laughed in agreement and moved on from the topic, but in the seemingly jovial atmosphere at the table, there seemed to be a slight hint of strangeness and reluctance.

The reason was simple: Chu Ge was not there. Almost every woman wanted to bring up Chu Ge but felt it wasn't quite appropriate, yet if they didn't mention him... it suddenly seemed they didn't know what to say.

Hao Jun, however, became lively. Being the only man left at the table, how could he miss such an opportunity to showcase himself among so many beautiful women?

Unfortunately, no matter how eloquently he spoke, everyone at the table mostly regarded him as if he were merely air.

On the other side, in Qiuyue Hall, Chen Yujie was drinking gloomily. Even though the woman Gao Wei brought was very attentive and trying hard to please him, after what had just happened, he really couldn't muster any interest and his cheeks were puffed up in anger, truly gritting his teeth.

Just like that, Chen Yujie was already quite displeased, and Gao Wei's reaction was like adding fuel to the fire for him.

Since Gao Wei had woken up, he was like a soft-footed shrimp, speaking much less, his smile more painful than crying, frequently glancing at his watch. It seemed like he had hemorrhoids as he squirmed in his seat, and even though he hadn't verbally expressed a desire to leave, his actions were already telling.

Finally, Gao Wei couldn't hold it anymore, raising his slightly trembling right hand, unbuttoning a button on his shirt, wiping the cold sweat on his forehead, and swallowing hard, "Um... Young Master Yujie, how about we go somewhere else to have fun? I know a nightclub..."

"Nightclub my ass!" Chen Yujie could no longer tolerate it, suddenly lifting his glass and splashing it on Gao Wei's face, interrupting his timid voice, "Look at you being a coward, can you have some guts? Tell me, are you still afraid of that Chu guy coming back?"

Cold sweat mixed with alcohol dripped down Gao Wei's face, but he didn't dare to wipe it, keeping his head low and barely daring to breathe.

Even though he wanted to show a flattering smile and say "Young Master Yujie, what are you thinking?" he couldn't make that expression, much less say those insincere words.

Without even looking at Gao Wei's cowardly demeanor, Chen Yujie already knew the answer, his face twitching deeply, wanting to smash a bottle on Gao Wei's head.

It felt like there was a pipe in his lung, and someone kept pumping air into it, air filled with anger. If Gao Wei hadn't been so obvious with his fear, Chen Jue would probably have persuaded him to leave by now.

But precisely because of Gao Wei's frightened face, he stayed until now; if he left, wouldn't that mean he was also a coward?

Chen Jue sat on one side, also letting out a long sigh in his heart. He had always prided himself on being brave and strategic, calm under pressure, but today he really miscalculated, severely miscalculated.

He thought Chen Jiatong and Xu Jingyuan were just two insignificant women to toy with, but unexpectedly, it caused such trouble. He thought Gao Wei could flatter Chen Yujie into joy, but instead, it only made him furious.

Now, Chen Jue only hoped he could miscalculate once more, like Chen Yujie said, that Chu Ge would be mindful of the situation and not come back, or that Chen Yujie would stop being stubborn and leave this wretched place before Chu Ge's return.

"Put away that mournful face of yours, damn it! Did your father die or did your damn mother? If that Chu boy were coming back, he would have been here by now, wouldn't he?"

Chen Yujie pointed at Gao Wei's nose and cursed, still not venting his anger, intending to grab the glass on the table and throw it. However, before his hand could grasp the glass, the door suddenly opened.

Chu Ge walked in with a teasing smile on his lips, "Oh? Seeing the situation, do you think I was too slow coming back?"

Seeing Chu Ge's smiling face, Chen Jue grew more frustrated, and Gao Wei shivered violently, wishing to faint again, but at this moment, he was incredibly conscious, feeling the immense fear spreading in his heart.

The two bodyguards' expressions turned serious, instinctively wanting to reach for the daggers at their waists, but their hands, just lifted, stopped short. Earlier, they had the advantage of terrain and numbers and still lost; now that Chu Ge was unburdened, whether they held weapons or not made no difference.

Chen Yujie's right hand gripped the glass tightly, as if wanting to crush it, his gaze as cold as a viper's locked on Chu Ge, "Chu, you're something, aren't you? You really dare to come back?"

Chu Ge shrugged, letting out a light smile, "What? Not welcoming me?"

Chen Yujie squinted his eyes, sneered heavily through his nose, "What do you think?"

Feeling the thick tension between Chu Ge and Chen Yujie, ready to explode at any moment, Chen Jue sighed inwardly, but he had no choice but to step forward.

Leaving the table, Chen Jue stood between Chu Ge and Chen Yujie, blocking the teasing and icy glares they exchanged.

"Mr. Chu, you're joking. As they say, 'no fight, no friendship.' What's past is past. Since you're here, let's have a drink and chat together."

"No fight, no friendship? Drinking and chatting?" Chu Ge scratched his head, the smile on his face growing, raising his eyebrows, "Those words only represent your opinion, right? Do you think he feels the same?"

Seeing Chu Ge's expression and hearing his tone, Chen Jue thought perhaps things weren't as bad as he imagined, that there was still some room for maneuver. He couldn't help but glance back at Chen Yujie, calling out, "Yujie?"

The bitter smile on Chen Jue's face seemed to say, "My dear ancestor, just hold it in for now, will you? If you keep provoking the situation now, aren't you just asking for trouble? That Chu Ge across from you is no kind soul; when he gets mad, he's a real wild donkey!"

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