The moment she was about to strike.
Fu Jingshu suddenly appeared, his voice cold, "What are you doing?"
Diao Kangcheng's eyes lit up when he saw him. He immediately called his bodyguards back, ignored Chen Xiang at his feet, and stepped forward to greet him, "Master Fu, what are you doing here?"
Fu Jingshu didn't acknowledge him. He walked directly to Shen Qingqing's side, his gaze quickly scanning her. Seeing that she was unharmed, he shifted his gaze.
Seeing him arrive, Shen Qingqing relaxed her grip and moved behind him. With him here, she knew she wouldn't be allowed to act.
She decided to leave it to him to handle.
This small interaction turned Diao Kangcheng pale. This woman was Master Fu's?
"Diao Kangcheng," Fu Jingshu said, unhurriedly. "If I recall correctly, your Huiyu Group recently signed a major project."
Cold sweat streamed down Diao Kangcheng's forehead. "Yes, we just signed it."
"Do you still want it?"
Fu Jingshu asked expressionlessly.
Diao Kangcheng's heart sank instantly. Although he had only met Fu Jingshu once or twice, his impression of him was as vivid as his face.
When he decided to act against someone, he never said much, and would even make people disappear from the business world without a trace.
"Yes, of course I want it." He dared not act tough anymore. He glanced at the woman behind Fu Jingshu, gritted his teeth, and grabbed Chen Xiang. "Master Fu, it was my fault for not controlling this woman. I hope you'll be magnanimous and don't hold it against us."
Fu Jingshu remained silent, but his cold expression clearly indicated that these two apologies were not enough.
Diao Kangcheng pushed Chen Xiang. "Apologize! Admit your mistake!"
Chen Xiang's abdomen hurt. She was the victim, yet she was being asked to apologize. How could she be reconciled? "Why should I apologize? The adult is her. I want to call the police, I want to find reporters, I want to see if there's any justice in this world. Why should the adult be so rampant, and the one who was beaten have to apologize..."
Fu Jingshu's face grew colder, and the aura around him pressed down invisibly.
"Shut up!"
Diao Kangcheng's heart was pounding in his throat. To avoid offending Fu Jingshu, he viciously slapped Chen Xiang, causing her to stagger and fall to the ground. Stars flashed before her eyes. She looked at the man in disbelief.
The man who once doted on her and played her like a fiddle, was treating her like this?
"How could you..."
Diao Kangcheng looked at her and felt a pang of sympathy. After all, she was a woman he had liked for many years. But this affection was insignificant compared to his company.
"Apologize to Master Fu now, or I won't let you off."
"I was the one who was beaten, why should I apologize? Why are you treating me like this?" Chen Xiang refused to repent. It was better to die than to apologize to Shen Qingqing in front of so many people. She had never bowed her head even to Xiao Qing back then!
Shen Qingqing glanced at her, not surprised at all.
This woman was just like her daughter, stubborn and unrepentant. She would only bow her head if pushed to the brink, perhaps for survival.
But it would never be out of sincerity.
She had originally planned not to bother with her and pretend she hadn't seen today's events. But now, looking at Chen Xiang's unrepentant face, she suddenly changed her mind.
The phone in her pocket was turned on. Without even looking, she found the recording function and started it.
Chen Xiang was still being stubborn. Fu Jingshu didn't want to waste any more time here. He simply said, "Since you're unwilling to admit your mistake, then forget it. I prefer to use actions to make people repent."
As for what kind of actions...
Chen Xiang understood. Diao Kangcheng understood even more. He glared fiercely at the clueless Chen Xiang and could only step up himself, kneeling with a thud.
"Master Fu, Master Fu, I know I was wrong. I promise to discipline her properly from now on and never let her cause trouble again."
"You discipline her?" Shen Qingqing poked her head out, her expression a mix of surprise and mockery. "On what grounds do you discipline her? What's your relationship?"
Diao Kangcheng subconsciously started to lie, but a cold glance from Fu Jingshu made him instantly fearful. "She... she is my mistress. Miss Shen, rest assured, I can definitely manage her and guarantee she won't act out again. Please give me one chance!"
Shen Qingqing satisfiedly pressed stop recording, and with a good mood, looked at Fu Jingshu. "Forget it, don't waste time on them. Let's go pick out a gift."
If she said no, Fu Jingshu naturally wouldn't continue.
Seeing that her words could change Master Fu's decision, Diao Kangcheng felt even more regretful. He found Chen Xiang extremely displeasing to the eye, ignored her, and with the help of his bodyguards, managed to get up and leave.
Chen Xiang sat alone and in a sorry state on the ground. She pounded the ground with hatred, and suddenly understood why her daughter couldn't remain calm when facing Shen Qingqing.
She took a deep breath, managed to get up, refused the help of kind passersby and shop assistants, and limped to the car.
Back home, she was about to go upstairs to tend to her wounds.
As soon as she entered the entrance, a cup was thrown at her feet. The broken pieces of the cup cut her ankle, and blood instantly flowed onto her instep.
She gasped, filled with terror. "Zhizhong, what are you doing?"
Shen Zhizhong sat on the sofa, his face full of anger. Hearing her question, he suddenly laughed, a laugh that made Chen Xiang's blood run cold. Then he got up and walked towards her.
Chen Xiang had never seen Shen Zhizhong like this and instinctively backed away.
"Zhizhong, what's wrong?"
"Shut your mouth!" The thought of the woman he had doted on for so many years having secretly met others and cuckolded him made him want to kill her on the spot. And he did just that, slapping her!
Chen Xiang was uncontrollably pushed against the shoe cabinet, then slowly slid to the floor. Dizziness swept over her, and her ears buzzed. In that moment, she almost thought she was going to die.
"You..."
Before she could finish her words, a torrent of punches and kicks rained down on her.
Shen Zhizhong showed no mercy. He had sent all the servants away, leaving only him and Chen Xiang. This brutal beating was a release for him.
Chen Xiang, on the other hand, was beaten black and blue, sobbing uncontrollably, begging for mercy.
"Stop hitting me, Zhizhong. Tell me what I did wrong, and I'll change. Don't treat me like this. We're husband and wife."
The more she spoke, the harder Shen Zhizhong hit. Of course, he didn't let Chen Xiang suffer her beating in vain. He played the recording he had received.
Chen Xiang's face turned ashen when she heard it. She didn't even know how to explain. Because Fu Jingshu was there, she could say Shen Qingqing framed her, but she couldn't frame Fu Jingshu.
Such blatant framing would be suicidal.
He only stopped when he was tired of beating her. He sat on the sofa, panting, and after a while, said, "I'm going to take Shen Yaoyao for a paternity test. Chen Xiang, I want a divorce."
Both pieces of news were like thunderbolts to Chen Xiang. "No, you can't. Zhizhong, doing this will hurt our daughter's heart!"
But the more she resisted, the more suspicious Shen Zhizhong became.