Chapter 126

Chapter 126: Tangtang, You Should Give Up After securing the big Teng Hua deal, the director had a few extra drinks at lunch and crashed as soon as they got back to the hotel. There was nothing scheduled for the afternoon, so Chu Tang was free to do as she pleased. Nancheng was a coastal city and one of the country's most famous tourist destinations. Chu Tang's hotel was right by the sea with a fantastic view—a stretch of azure ocean and pale golden sand as far as the eye could see. By mid-afternoon, the temperature had climbed to thirty degrees. Chu Tang spent the afternoon lounging in her hotel room, resting. As the sun began to set, she changed into a light camisole and shorts, slathered on sunscreen, put on her sunglasses, and headed to the beach. This stretch of beach belonged to the hotel and wasn't open to the public, so there weren't many people around. Chu Tang settled into a lounge chair under a large beach umbrella, took off her sunglasses, and gazed at the endless sea, letting her mind drift. A crimson sun hung at the point where water met sky, clouds dyed in shades of orange-red with edges brushed in gold. The sea shimmered with scattered light, like spilled orange soda dusted with crushed diamonds—sparkling, dreamlike, surreal. A sea breeze laced with a hint of salt swept over her, dispelling the lingering heat. Chu Tang leaned back in her chair, savoring the seaside sunset before her, feeling utterly at ease. She'd been running nonstop for days, buried in work, and it had been a long time since she'd felt this relaxed. "Hey, beautiful—here alone?" A man approached to hit on her shortly after she sat down. Chu Tang's expression stayed flat, not even sparing him a glance. "Married with two kids. My husband's watching them back at the hotel." The man didn't leave at her answer—if anything, he got more eager. He stepped closer, his gaze locked onto Chu Tang, raking over her from head to toe. With a lecherous grin, he said, "Ooh, a married woman, huh? Two kids and you still look this good." Chu Tang ignored him completely. The man took another step forward, now standing right next to her lounge chair. "Your husband's not around—how about we have some fun?" Chu Tang's gaze landed on him with undisguised disgust. "Scram." One word. Short and to the point. "Ooh, feisty, are we?" The man continued his sleazy advances with a grin. "I like 'em with a bit of attitude." Chu Tang was just about to get up and throw a punch when the man was suddenly kicked to the ground. "Where'd this piece of trash crawl out from?" Chu Tang turned to look and frowned. What was Gu Zechuan doing here? The man who'd been kicked scrambled up cursing, spat out a string of profanities, and lunged forward to throw a punch. But the scrawny creep, barely 170 centimeters, stood no chance against Gu Zechuan—who was around 185 and worked out regularly. Seeing he was outmatched, the creep turned tail and fled. Gu Zechuan brushed the dust off his clothes and looked at Chu Tang. "Tangtang, are you okay?" Chu Tang's face was cold. "What are you doing here?" Gu Zechuan sat down in the chair next to hers. Of course, he'd paid off a colleague at Chu Tang's law firm to find out where she was. But Gu Zechuan didn't tell the truth. "It's been too cold in Jiangcheng lately, so I came to Nancheng for a vacation. What a coincidence—we're staying at the same hotel. Are you here on vacation too?" Chu Tang didn't bother trying to figure out how much of his story was true. Whether he was really on vacation or had deliberately followed her, it had nothing to do with her. She said coldly, "None of your business." "Did you know Jiang Shixu is in Nancheng too? He came with that actress." Chu Tang curled her lips into a cold smile. "What are you trying to say?" "Tangtang, I told you—men are all the same. Don't think Jiang Shixu is any better than me. Do you believe me now?" "Oh." "I saw the news about your engagement being called off. You two have broken up, right? You're single now. Can I pursue you?" "No." Chu Tang stood up, not wanting to stay and listen to Gu Zechuan's nonsense any longer. Seeing her about to leave, Gu Zechuan hurriedly grabbed her hand—but before he could even speak, Chu Tang twisted his wrist back, and his joints cracked audibly. "Ah—" Gu Zechuan cried out in pain, unable to hold it in. Chu Tang shook off his hand, her eyes filled with unconcealed revulsion. "Gu Zechuan, I made myself perfectly clear last time. Stop pestering me. Can't you understand that?" Gu Zechuan looked wounded, his gaze fixed on Chu Tang with obsessive intensity. "Tangtang, I can't. I can't let you go." "Gu Zechuan, you make me sick." With that, Chu Tang turned and walked away without looking back. Gu Zechuan chased after her. "Jiang Shixu was definitely messing around with that actress while he was with you. The rumors about him and the actress broke right after you called off the engagement—did you call it off because you found out he betrayed you?" Chu Tang pressed her lips together, her expression cold and sharp, quickening her pace without answering his question. Gu Zechuan kept pace behind her. "Have you been following tonight's entertainment gala? Jiang Shixu and that actress walked the red carpet together—this is them going public, Tangtang. You should give up." At the words "going public," Chu Tang's steps faltered. Seeing that she'd finally stopped, Gu Zechuan curled his lips. "Tangtang, I—" "Scram!" "Tangtang, don't push me away. I know you're—" "I said scram!" There were security personnel in the hotel lobby. Chu Tang walked over quickly and said to them, "Hello, I'm a guest here. This man is harassing me. Could you please help me?" "Tangtang, Tangtang, listen to me." Gu Zechuan followed behind. A security guard reached out and held Gu Zechuan back. "Sir, please don't harass women here." Gu Zechuan's face turned red with anger. "Harassment? She's my girlfriend. We're just having a disagreement. Let go of me!" The security guard turned to look at Chu Tang, his eyes asking for confirmation. Chu Tang's expression was cold and stern. "He's not my boyfriend." With that, she turned and walked away. Gu Zechuan was still shouting, "Tangtang, don't go, Tangtang..." The security guard held Gu Zechuan firmly. "Sir, please don't harass women and disrupt our hotel's business..." "Let go of me! Damn it!" "Sir, if you keep this up, we'll have to call the police." "I'm not harassing her. I told you, we're boyfriend and girlfriend!" ... Chu Tang returned to her room, closed the door, and leaned her back against it, staring blankly at the floor with hollow eyes. After a long moment, she numbly took out her phone and opened the trending searches on Weibo. A photo of Jiang Shixu and Li Lanxi together came into view. "Thud—" The phone fell to the floor. The evening breeze swept through the window, sending the white sheer curtains fluttering. Chu Tang felt as if she'd been struck by lightning. In an instant, her blood ran cold, and she stood pale-faced under the light.