Chapter 531
The woman clutched her slapped cheek in disbelief, her newly done big eyes stared unblinkingly at Rou Qiu. The colleagues around who had witnessed how Rou Qiu usually pampered women were also caught off guard by this slap, and their gazes towards Xu Ke now carried a tinge of reverence.
As soon as Rou Qiu slapped her, regret welled up inside. Xu Ke’s identity had not yet been confirmed, and he had acted so rashly. If it turned out that Xu Ke’s identity was fabricated and fake, how embarrassing would that be?
Thinking of this, Rou Qiu’s eyes showed a hint of annoyance, regretting his reckless action just now.
“You actually hit me, you hit me for an outsider, are you still my brother-in-law? Are we even family anymore?” The woman pushed Rou Qiu harshly and shouted with teary eyes.
“Stop acting like a shrew here, open your eyes and see where you are. This isn’t home; this is a company. I am your boss, you do as I say or getting slapped is already a light punishment.” Rou Qiu raised his hand high again, posing as if to strike and threatening her with widened eyes.
The woman dared to make a scene with Rou Qiu because she knew she still held some weight in his heart; he wouldn’t do anything extreme with her. But once Rou Qiu showed his fierce side, she immediately held her tongue, perfectly embodying the phrase “reading the room.”
At this moment, seeing Rou Qiu’s fierce demeanor with eyes widened by anger, the woman swallowed back her words lodged in her throat, pursing her lips to appear pitiful. Yet unfortunately, Rou Qiu wasn’t in the mood to think of anything else, and for once, he didn’t pick up on her hints.
If it weren’t for all the people standing before him, he might have started biting his fingers by now.
Xu Ke stood silently watching the farce, finding it dull and feeling that this company was beyond saving. If everyone, from management to regular employees, behaved like this…
Xu Ke’s eyes darkened, and the pressure around him suddenly dropped, frighteningly low.
Xu Ke gave the quarreling couple one last look, uninterested in the spectacle, and turned to walk towards the elevator, but was noticed by the sharp-eyed woman.
“Where do you think you’re going? You can’t leave until your identity is confirmed!” The woman, ignoring her still numb face, reached out to grab Xu Ke, her eyes filled with resentment.
She was doomed to be humiliated today at the company. She didn’t dare to resent Rou Qiu, after all, he was still her brother-in-law and her support. But Xu Ke was different; if it weren’t for him, none of this would have happened today. Naturally, Xu Ke bore the full brunt of her anger and resentment, so she grabbed his wrist with no intention of letting go, even wishing she could break it then and there.
“Let go,” Xu Ke said with a frown and an unfriendly tone.
“I won’t let go! Who knows what you’re up to? You haven’t clarified your background, all your identities rely on your words alone, with no substantial evidence. I have every reason to suspect you’re a spy sent to steal our company’s information,” the woman said with eyes aflame with rage.
Since all dignity was already lost, she might as well drag someone down with her; this was the deepest thought in her heart. Therefore, she completely ignored Rou Qiu’s desperate hints, instead holding onto Xu Ke and continuously throwing baseless accusations at him.
Rou Qiu initially wanted to stop her, but hesitated upon hearing her words.
What the woman said was not without reason. From the beginning to now, he had only heard Xu Ke talk about his identity. Xu Ke’s attire and speech indeed gave Rou Qiu the impression that he was telling the truth, but upon closer thought, Xu Ke hadn’t presented any evidence to prove his identity from the start.
Rou Qiu refrained from speaking to stop her and instead scrutinized Xu Ke with a critical eye.
“I was wrong. I always thought you were just dumb and foolish, but I didn’t expect there was something wrong with your brain,” Xu Ke said, curling his lips into a cold smirk at her.
Using the hand that wasn’t seized by the woman, Xu Ke pressed her fingers mercilessly, compelling her through pain to release him. Ignoring her tearful reaction, he continued, “I think you are more suited to go to a hospital and have your brain checked than continuing to work in the company.”
The woman had no mood to listen to Xu Ke. She felt like her fingers were about to break from his grip. Initially, she managed to endure by biting her lips, but eventually, she couldn’t withstand the overwhelming pain and cried out. Tears mixed with sweat streaked down her face, ruining her makeup.
The atmosphere instantly tensed; those who were previously close to Xu Ke moved away, fearing they’d be affected too. Even Rou Qiu, seeing Xu Ke’s terrifying and oppressive gaze, couldn’t help but step back.
At this tense moment, a slightly aged female voice sounded from behind Xu Ke, “What are you all doing gathered here? Why aren’t you working during work hours, what’s all the commotion?” The voice belonged to a woman in her forties, with inevitable fine lines at the corners of her eyes and mouth, her gaze radiating authority.
Upon hearing the woman’s voice, Rou Qiu’s eyes immediately lit up. After the previous head of the family absconded with money, this woman was currently in charge of the company, and everything was now decided by her.
Upon seeing her, Rou Qiu immediately squeezed past those trying to talk to her, called out to Chairman Sun, and briefly explained the situation to her.
Meanwhile, Xu Ke released his grip as soon as he heard Chairman Sun’s voice and slowly turned around, savoring her sudden change of expression. Although Chairman Sun quickly composed her facial expression, Xu Ke detected her twitching eyes and the droop in her mouth in that first instant.
“I remember notifying the headquarters of my arrival long ago. I thought no one in the company would not recognize me, but apparently, Chairman Sun hasn’t informed the employees of my arrival. I hope Chairman Sun can provide a reasonable explanation for this,” Xu Ke asked with a faintly mocking smile upon seeing her recognize him.
Rou Qiu, hearing Xu Ke’s questioning, felt sweat drenching his shirt once more. Fortunately, he wore a dark suit today, so no one would notice his embarrassment, giving him a small sense of relief.
Reflecting on everything from start to finish, it seemed he hadn’t said anything excessively inappropriate or done anything over-the-top to Xu Ke. The weight upon his heart lightened somewhat.
He thought that as long as he humbly apologized to Xu Ke later, it should be fine. After all, he had worked at the company for many years; without merit, there was still hard work. Xu Ke, as a newly appointed leader, wouldn’t make things difficult over a few words, especially since the main responsibility didn’t lie with him.