War Jing Rui's swift actions brought him to the branch bureau. Once seated, he claimed He Yao acted under his instructions, which escalated the problem significantly.
His phone was confiscated, and he was detained. They even tracked down his family through internal information, alarming Zhan Bei Jue and Jiang Nan Fang.
Upon hearing about their son's predicament, Zhan Bei Jue and Jiang Nan Fang immediately flew to Su City.
Not only did they arrive, but Chu Xi's parents and the Hu Jia Sheng couple also accompanied them.
After an investigation, the situation involving He Yao, Zhan Jing Rui, and Chu Xi became clear.
With the principle of "family shame should not be aired publicly," and aiming to resolve the matter with minimal fuss, the parents withdrew the case.
After the individuals were released, the entire family, along with He Yao, went to a high-end restaurant and booked a private room to discuss how to proceed.
Zhan Bei Jue and Jiang Nan Fang were not protective, thoroughly reprimanding Zhan Jing Rui.
They acknowledged their family's wrongdoing towards Chu Xi and asked what compensation she required, stating they would comply without question.
Before the Chu family could respond, Zhan Jing Rui stood up.
"This is a private matter between Chu Xi and me; it has nothing to do with you. You should proceed with your cooperation and not let me interrupt it. I have decided to withdraw from the Zhan family."
For He Yao, he was willing to disown his family?
Chu Xi's eyebrows lifted as she asked him what he meant.
Zhan Jing Rui said, "I am not worthy of being a Zhan family member; I have brought shame upon the Zhan family. From now on, Zhan Corporation is Zhan Corporation, and Zhan Jing Rui is Zhan Jing Rui. I will compensate you for your losses and ask that you do not escalate this to affect the relationship between our two families."
Chu Xi slammed the table and stood up, about to argue with him again, but Mr. Chu intervened.
"Enough, stop arguing. Sit down."
He then looked at Zhan Jing Rui gently.
"You sit down too."
"While this is a private matter between the two of you, and you are both adults, parents should not interfere. However, since it has reached this point and we are all aware, it would be remiss not to say a few words."
"Although you have your faults, Chu Xi also has hers. As our family's most cherished pearl, you have been with a man for seven years yet he hasn't truly entered your heart. Do you dare say you have no part in this?"
Chu Xi's eyes reddened, rendered speechless by her father's words.
Mr. Chu continued, "Jing Rui is right in one aspect: romantic entanglements should not affect the relationship between families. If we terminate our cooperation over such a small matter, turning the hard work of countless staff into nothing, then both families will only become a laughingstock to the world."
"'A gentleman helps others achieve their desires.' Since Jing Rui and He Yao are in love, we will gracefully step aside. You do not need to leave the Zhan family; continue as you were."
"Chu Xi is no longer young. The path you have chosen, even if it's wrong, you must crawl to the end on your own. People must take responsibility for their choices and not just blame others."
Zhan Bei Jue was extremely grateful for Mr. Chu's magnanimous words.
He toasted Mr. Chu and expressed his willingness to sign a ten-year contract with the Chu family, offering a 0.05% profit margin in all future projects as a token of their apology.
As for Zhan Jing Rui, the Zhan family's disciplinary code would not spare him.
And so, the farce came to an end.
The Chu family left, leaving only Zhan Jing Rui and He Yao.
Facing the Zhan family, He Yao felt ashamed of her wrongdoing. Coupled with causing such a major incident on her first meeting with them, she was overwhelmed with embarrassment.
With a "thump," she knelt before Zhan Bei Jue and Jiang Nan Fang.
Before the couple could react, Zhan Jing Rui knelt beside her.
"Daddy, Mommy, I'm sorry."
Jiang Nan Fang helped He Yao up and pulled her to sit beside her.
"Silly child, what are you doing? Jing Rui has caused you so much hardship for so many years, and our family has caused you so much hardship. While you may have fallen short in some areas, your actions are understandable. No one blames you, so please don't overthink it."
"You are still young and have the opportunity to reform. As long as you don't make similar mistakes in the future, you don't need to carry this burden."
"I made no fewer mistakes than you when I was young. No one is perfect, so don't feel inferior because of this."
"Our family is not the type to look down on the poor or fawn over the rich. The Zhan family is also not so weak that we need to rely on arranged marriages to improve our social standing. You should have confessed to us long ago."
"Zhan Jing Rui, speaking of this, I need to talk to you. From childhood to adulthood, was our example not enough for you, or do you truly not understand us?"
"If you had told us about He Yao earlier, would we have broken you up without rhyme or reason? You think too little of your parents!"
Zhan Jing Rui was also deeply ashamed and lowered his head, remaining silent.
Hu Jia Sheng stepped in to ease the situation, stating that he was the primary person responsible for this matter...
Everyone took responsibility, but no one blamed the children.
On the contrary, they urged the two to get married soon.
"You're not young anymore. Since so much time has already been wasted, don't waste any more. Pick a suitable date and get married."
"Our family hasn't had a wedding in many years; it's time to add some joy to the household."
He Yao and Zhan Jing Rui were overjoyed, tears welling up.
Under the guidance of Jiang Nan Fang, Zhan Bei Jue, and Hu Jia Sheng, a suitable date was chosen the next day.
The wedding was set for November 18th at the end of the year.
Naturally, the happy news of the wedding was conveyed to the Chu family.
It wasn't meant as a show-off, but to sincerely befriend the Chu family and invite Mr. Chu to attend.
For Chu Xi, there was no more heartbreaking news than her first love boyfriend breaking up with her under unclear circumstances, only to turn around and marry his first love girlfriend.
On the day she received the news, she felt an unbearable sadness. With no one to confide in, she couldn't help but think of Liang Bo again.
She drove to his factory.
However, as she approached the entrance, she hesitated.
The day she argued with Zhan Jing Rui, Liang Bo was caught in the crossfire, and she had spoken harshly. She wasn't sure if he was still willing to be friends.
Seeing her lingering at the entrance, the security guard took the initiative to call Liang Bo.
Liang Bo rushed to the entrance, saw the familiar Porsche, and opened the passenger door to get in.
He knew Chu Xi was having a difficult time and sat with her in silence.
After a long while, Chu Xi looked up from the steering wheel and faced him.
"I came to apologize."
Liang Bo shrugged, "You didn't do anything wrong to me, why apologize?"
"I spoke harshly that day..."
"Come on. If I were you, in that situation, I might have cursed a hundred times worse."
"So you don't think I'm despicable and shameless, or that I'm annoying?"
"No. That's what makes you seem like a normal person, with a bit of humanity. Always acting like a flawless robot is quite boring."
Chu Xi's nose stung, and the pent-up emotions in her heart finally began to dissipate.
"So, will you still be willing to be friends with me?"
Liang Bo suddenly seemed shy, covering his mouth with his hand to hide it.
"Of course. Actually, I sometimes think you're quite cute~"