The middle-aged man gasped for air, his face ashen.

Pang Wenxuan endured the sharp pain in his forehead and asked the trembling Lin Bao, "What in the world is going on? What just happened?"

"He... he said he's been made a Prince!" Lin Bao's lips chattered, his hands clutching his pant legs so hard his nails nearly dug into his flesh.

Pang Wenxuan, still reeling, raised his eyebrows. "What kind of Prince?"

"The Zhennan Prince!"

Those three words seemed to weigh a thousand pounds. The moment he uttered them, Lin Bao collapsed to the ground, shivering uncontrollably. "Young Master, we've provoked someone we can't afford to offend! Beg for mercy, quickly!"

Pang Wenxuan was completely dumbfounded, the pain in his head forgotten as his eyes bulged wide.

Is this a joke?

Chen Yang, his face a mask of indifference, walked up to Feng Kun and tilted his head. "What did you say just now? I didn't hear you clearly. Could you repeat it?"

"I... I was spouting nonsense! I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!" Feng Kun immediately dropped to his knees, begging desperately for mercy.

BANG!

Chen Yang threw a single punch, sending the burly Feng Kun flying into the air before he crashed to the ground.

Is he even human?

"I…" Pang Wenxuan tried to speak, but his throat seized up, making it difficult to even breathe. Then, he crumpled to the floor. After so many years of living a debauched and carefree life, he had never witnessed such a terrifying, hellish scene.

The others cowered in the corners, not daring to move an inch.

Could the always-domineering and audacious Pang Wenxuan truly face a day of reckoning?

The Zhennan Prince! Not long ago, his name had echoed across this land, wherever the mountains and rivers reached, wherever the sun and moon shone. Yet, he was so young, commanding the world like a sovereign who had descended to the mortal realm.

The middle-aged man wanted to run. At this moment, he cared for nothing else, but the instant he took a step, he felt as if a great mountain was crashing down upon him, threatening to pulverize every bone in his body. He violently spat out a mouthful of blood and slumped to the ground, listless, not daring to make another move.

So terrifying!

Things had come to this. Whether he lived or died now depended entirely on a single thought from this man.

Chen Yang pulled over a chair, sat down, and beckoned to Pang Wenxuan.

Though no words were spoken, Pang Wenxuan understood instantly. He scrambled on his knees until he was kneeling before Chen Yang.

Nearby, Lin Bao hurriedly tried to absolve himself. "My lord, I... I'm just an errand boy! This whole affair has nothing to do with me!"

BOOM!

With a wave of Chen Yang's right hand, Lin Bao was flung from his feet, slamming hard against a pillar.

Pang Wenxuan was so frightened his soul nearly fled his body. He collapsed onto his rear, his pupils dilated in terror.

Chen Yang spoke indifferently. "I want to know the details of what happened."

"I really did hear it from someone else! If I tell you, will you spare my life?" Pang Wenxuan knew exactly what Chen Yang was asking and frantically tried to seize the opportunity.

In response, Chen Yang stomped down fiercely on his leg.

"AGHHH!" Pang Wenxuan shrieked, his body curling into a ball as he convulsed in agony. When had the great young master of the Pang Family, who had always stood above the masses, ever suffered like this?

He was going to die!

Chen Yang said nonchalantly, "You think you're in any position to bargain with me?"

"I'll... I'll talk!" Pang Wenxuan shouted hysterically, on the verge of a breakdown. "It was Pan Xue, from your neighborhood! She came to me and offered to give me a great beauty."

"Every debt has its debtor! I'm only asking for a chance to live!"

Chen Yang frowned, his memory quickly conjuring the image of that willful, arrogant girl who looked down on everyone.

So it was her!

Chen Yang had suspected the plot was aimed at him, since Zhou Yufei had no friends or family in Tianque City. But he had never imagined it would be Pan Hong's granddaughter, Pan Xue.

"What proof do you have that it was her?" Chen Yang asked.

"My phone!" Pang Wenxuan said quickly. "I have our chat history and the transaction records on my phone."

Chen Yang found the phone and scrolled through it, quickly confirming the chat history with Pan Xue. After a cursory glance, he stood up.

"I don't want to die!" Pang Wenxuan cried out pitifully.

"No one in this world wants to die," Chen Yang said coolly. "But some people have to."

Pang Wenxuan was left speechless.

BANG!

Chen Yang kicked out, sending Pang Wenxuan skidding across the floor.

The sky had turned completely dark. As the coldest part of winter approached, the air grew even more frigid.

Chen Yang stood at the entrance of the clubhouse and lit a cigarette. He looked up at the cold moon in the sky, took a deep drag, and then started back the way he came.

Zhou Yufei's dinner should be ready soon, right?

But it seemed Chen Yang would be late.

He passed by his own house. Peeking through the ajar door, he saw that Ren Tong had sobered up and was chatting with Yang Hu on the sofa. The sound of sizzling food and its faint, delicious aroma wafted from the kitchen.

Chen Yang smiled and strode away.

「...」

Moonlight, pure white and cold, streamed through the window.

Dressed in a purple silk nightgown, Pan Xue was half-reclined on the bay window, gazing out at the night. A smile played on her lips. Tonight's sky seemed particularly beautiful. Or was it just because she was in such a good mood?

The thought of Chen Yang's imminent, soul-crushing grief made her giddy with happiness. The resentment that had festered in her heart for three long years was finally about to be released.

"Xue'er, come down for dinner," her mother called from downstairs.

Pan Xue stretched languidly before making her way down.

「At the dining table」

Pan Hong sat at the head of the table. Seeing Pan Xue's beaming face, he couldn't help but ask, "Did you find some money? Why are you so happy?"

"I did have an unexpected windfall today," Pan Xue said smugly as she sat down and began to eat without ceremony.

Pan Hong shook his head with a smile, then added a word of caution. "By the way, that adopted son of Ren Tong's… you are not to provoke him. He's no ordinary person, and he certainly isn't the 'trash' you claim he is."

"Hmph!" Pan Xue scoffed with disdain. "No matter how extraordinary he is, he's still trash in my eyes! Besides, compared to our Pan Family, what is he?"

"That's going too far!" Pan Hong frowned. Why did his granddaughter have to speak so cruelly?

Pan Xue was completely unconcerned. "It's the truth! Never mind the network Grandpa has built—just look at my second uncle and my older brother. Aren't they both powerful figures in their own right? Besides," she added with a smirk, "that good-for-nothing Chen Yang is probably so grief-stricken he's thinking of killing himself."

SLAP.

Pan Hong slammed his chopsticks down. Hearing the hidden meaning in her words, he demanded in a stern voice, "Pan Xue, what did you do to Chen Yang?"

"N-nothing! What could I possibly do to him?" Realizing she had said too much, Pan Xue quickly lowered her head and fell silent.

Pan Hong was about to press her further when a knock came from the front door. The housekeeper, who was waiting nearby, hurried to open it.

The members of the Pan Family all frowned. No one had made an appointment. Who would be visiting at dinnertime?

...

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