Hearing Chen Lishu's words, Xu Teng nodded vigorously, "Okay, it won't happen again!"
Though he agreed readily, in his heart, he was already planning to ask Yang Lili to hire him two more bodyguards.
While Xu Teng was lost in thought, Chen Lishu stated the purpose of inviting him over: "You can leave now, but you have to leave Tiantian with me!"
Tiantian? Xu Teng instinctively turned to look at the girl beside him. He saw that Tiantian's eyes were red and she was staring intently in Chen Lishu's direction. Seeing her looking so pathetic, he frowned and said,
"She was my daughter the day before yesterday. You have no right to take her away. Of course, I don't want a burden around me either. If you truly intend to take her, you'll need to give me at least five hundred thousand!"
"Five hundred thousand?!" Su Nian let out a cold laugh filled with indignation upon hearing the figure, then gritted her teeth and said, "What dream are you having in broad daylight? Isn't this highway robbery?!"
Xu Teng shot Su Nian a fierce glare and said, "Is this your place to speak? You're just a lapdog following Chen Lishu. I'm speaking to your master now, so you'd better shut up!"
Lapdog? Hearing this demeaning title, Su Nian nodded, then clenched her fists and moved towards Xu Teng.
Soon, a heart-wrenching scream echoed from the hotel. Watching Xu Teng's miserable state, Chen Lishu merely propped up her head and watched quietly, showing no intention of stopping.
Only after Su Nian had beaten him to exhaustion did Chen Lishu slowly speak, "I can give you another hundred thousand yuan. Take this money and leave the capital, and don't disturb my and Tiantian's lives anymore.
Of course, if you insist on being so clueless, it's not impossible, but who knows how you'll end up dying in the capital later."
Xu Teng was beaten into submission, thinking that having money was better than having none. A burden not only ate and drank at his expense but also got him beaten. Xu Teng couldn't wait to get rid of this jinx, to have her as far away as possible!
With that thought, he endured the pain in his body and shakily got up from the ground, cautiously asking, "One hundred thousand yuan is too little. At least two hundred thousand yuan is needed. Only then can I find a wife to take care of Grandma!"
Chen Lishu raised an eyebrow and said coldly, "I advise you not to push your luck. Take the hundred thousand yuan if you want it, or leave it. Tiantian isn't my biological daughter, why should I care so much about her life or death?"
After speaking, she feigned a careless demeanor and began playing with her phone.
Xu Teng was genuinely worried about angering this wealthy benefactor. Seeing that there was no room for negotiation, he gritted his teeth, pushed Tiantian towards Chen Lishu, and said, "Fine, she's yours. Give me the money now."
"Xiao Nian." Chen Lishu called softly.
Su Nian took a deep breath and, albeit reluctantly, walked up to him and handed him a bank card again.
Xu Teng was overjoyed to receive the bank card. Just as he was about to turn and leave, he suddenly stopped as if remembering something, a fawning smile appearing on his face, and said,
"Miss Chen, although I don't like Tiantian much, she is my biological daughter after all. Can we father and daughter talk for a moment before parting?
Don't worry, it won't take much time. I'll just give her a few simple instructions and then I'll leave. I don't think Miss Chen is stingy, and this small wish should be granted, right?"
Chen Lishu didn't rush to answer Xu Teng's question. Instead, she took Tiantian's hand and asked gently, "Tiantian, tell Auntie, do you want to listen to him speak? If not, we don't have to talk to him much. Auntie will take you away!"
"Auntie..." Tiantian glanced at Chen Lishu, then at Xu Teng. She then subtly withdrew her hand, lowered her head, and said hesitantly, "I want to be alone with Daddy for a while."
Sensing Tiantian's distancing, a flicker of dark intent flashed in Chen Lishu's eyes. Perhaps the conversation just now had affected the child's heart. The moment they entered, she had clearly caught the smile on Tiantian's face.
She opened her mouth, wanting to explain the situation clearly, but upon seeing Xu Teng, that unsightly person, still present, the words she had on the tip of her tongue ultimately remained unspoken.
She forced a smile and said, "Alright, then I'll give you father and daughter half an hour to talk. When the time is up, I'll take you away."
With that, Chen Lishu, along with Su Nian, left the private room without looking back.
As soon as they left, Tiantian's eyes filled with tears, her mouth quivered, and she asked pitifully, "Daddy, you really don't want me anymore? I don't want Auntie, I want to go home. Please take me back! Don't worry, I won't eat much, I'll do more chores!"
Xu Teng looked at Tiantian's snot-nosed, tear-streaked face, and with a hint of disgust, he pushed her head back with his hand and said fiercely, "You'd better be good now. You're given good food and drinks, and you're still unhappy?
I'm warning you, you were born into our Xu family, and you'll die as a ghost of our Xu family. Stay by Chen Lishu's side these days and supervise her for me. I'll contact you if needed, and then, with our father and daughter working together, we'll take over all of Chen Lishu's businesses!"
Tiantian was young, but not foolish. Hearing Xu Teng's words, she immediately understood Xu Teng's intention in giving her away. She quickly refused,
"Daddy, we can't treat Auntie like this. Auntie gave us money to treat Grandma. She... she's a good person, and I don't want to hurt her."
Hearing Tiantian's soft voice, Xu Teng did not stop. Instead, he grabbed her hair, his eyes filled with disgust, and gritted his teeth, saying, "She's a good person? She just treats you like a dog, taking you in because she pitied you!
Five hundred thousand, for her, isn't that an amount she could get with a word? But she didn't give it to me, what does that mean? You simply don't catch her eye, she's just being compassionate and acting on impulse.
I'm telling you, just listen to what these outsiders say. No matter how poorly I treat you, I'm still your father. If I become rich, what's wrong with raising you? Do I lack this little bit of money?"
Tiantian, being young, didn't realize this was Xu Teng's scheme. She just thought about what Chen Lishu had said today about her not being her biological daughter. Even though she was in danger, Chen Lishu's attitude remained casual. She couldn't help but cover her heart with her hand.
"Daddy!"
Xu Teng coldly interrupted, "Listen to me, we are a family. Only I will love you unconditionally, understand?"
Tiantian nodded, tears welling up in her eyes, "I understand, I'll listen to Daddy. Daddy, don't leave me..."