Wu Tian knew that Zhong Lintian's words were merely his last bit of stubbornness.
He was angry, of course, but after all his anger and frustration, he was truly helpless. All he could do was resort to verbal sparring.
Wu Tian smiled and said, "Alright, I'll await your grand arrival."
"My life is cheap, I don't care, but you are of noble birth. If you want to exchange lives with me, you'd best think it through."
Zhong Lintian knew that Wu Tian had seen right through him.
No matter how furious he was, it was ultimately just impotent rage. He had no means of resistance.
What else could he do now? Things had come to this. Zhong Lintian had no choice but to flee in disgrace.
After he left, the bodyguards soon got back on their feet and scrambled away in a mass exodus.
In fact, they could have gotten up much earlier.
They all knew they were no match for Wu Tian, so they deliberately lay on the ground playing dead, fearing that Zhong Lintian might order them around again.
After all, work was work, but one shouldn't risk their life!
Once everyone had left, the surroundings immediately became deserted, as if the conflict had never happened.
Wang Damao couldn't help but say, "Wu Tian, did you go too far with this?"
"He's the richest man, after all. You've provoked him to this extent. Won't there be trouble later?"
Wu Tian smiled with a calm and unruffled demeanor. "Don't worry, Village Chief. That guy won't dare to come back, unless he truly has no shame."
"You don't need to worry about this. Why don't you go to the office, read the newspaper, and have some tea? Isn't that more comfortable!"
Wang Damao retorted, "You rascal, when have I ever just read newspapers and had tea? Haven't I been busy with the orchard all this time? You ungrateful boy, making it sound like I'm so idle."
Wu Tian laughed, "Oh, I was just making a little joke. Don't be angry."
"Everyone knows you're a good village chief. If anyone dares to say otherwise in the future, I, Wu Tian, will be the first to object!"
Wang Damao waved his hand. "Alright, alright. Stop flattering me, you kid. I have too much to do. I don't have time to chat nonsense with you here. I'm leaving."
With that, Wang Damao departed.
Despite what had happened, Wu Tian didn't really take it to heart.
Firstly, he didn't consider Zhong Lintian a threat at all. Secondly, now that he had leverage over Zhong Lintian, he believed Zhong Lintian wouldn't dare to act recklessly.
As expected, in the following days, Zhong Lintian didn't send anyone else.
Meanwhile, Wu Tian frequently received invitations from Bai Ruoqi and often visited Tianbao Group.
Since her identity was revealed, Bai Ruoqi had clearly become much more open. She no longer concealed herself as she used to, fearing that Wu Tian might discover her true identity.
As he visited more often, many people in the company came to recognize Wu Tian.
They all speculated about who Wu Tian really was and why he maintained such a close relationship with their young lady.
One day, Wu Tian received another invitation from Bai Ruoqi to have tea in her office.
Bai Ruoqi handed a cup of tea to Wu Tian and said with a smile, "Try it."
Wu Tian picked up the teacup, sniffed it gently, and then exclaimed, "What a fragrant tea! It truly lives up to being brewed by a beauty. It smells so pleasant, much better than the teas outside."
Bai Ruoqi's pretty face blushed slightly, and she then cast a shy glance at Wu Tian.
She whispered, "What are you talking about? You're so unrestrained."
"The reason this tea is so delicious isn't because of me, but because the tea leaves are excellent. This cup you're drinking should be worth about a million yuan on the market."
"A million yuan?" Wu Tian was stunned when he heard this.
He then looked at the teacup and marveled, "Incredible, truly incredible."
"Is this how you wealthy people live? If I take a sip, won't I be losing almost a hundred thousand?"
Bai Ruoqi smiled and said, "This tea isn't for just any guest; it's for those who are close. Although Tianbao Group is wealthy, we can't be so wasteful, can we?"
Wu Tian smiled and changed the subject. "By the way, how is your father doing now? Is he any better?"
Upon hearing this question, Bai Ruoqi's expression slowly turned serious.
She sighed and said, "I received news from home. After the rescue, he's out of danger now."
"I see," Wu Tian continued to ask, "During the treatment, did anything untoward happen?"
Bai Ruoqi replied, "To prevent such a situation, the doctors were thoroughly vetted before the surgery. So, the process went quite smoothly, and nothing else happened."
"That's good," Wu Tian said. "You all must be more careful in the future."
"Since they've already made their move, it's equivalent to a declaration of war. Their attacks will definitely become more intense."
"You absolutely cannot afford to have any accidents. If there's any trouble, call me. No matter where I am, I will come to help you."
Bai Ruoqi felt deeply touched, and a subtle emotion began to stir within her.
She pursed her lips, then looked at Wu Tian with anticipation and asked, "Do you care about me that much?"
Wu Tian was taken aback. Bai Ruoqi's beautiful eyes flickered, seeming to hold a different kind of feeling.
Wu Tian suddenly felt a bit shy and involuntarily turned his head away, saying, "What are you talking nonsense about? We're friends, aren't friends supposed to help each other?"
Since the conversation had reached this point, Bai Ruoqi became bolder.
She looked at Wu Tian and said meaningfully, "But even between friends, there are things that can be done and things that cannot, right?"
"If we are just friends, then why did we kiss?"
Wu Tian was thoroughly startled by her words.
He looked at Bai Ruoqi in astonishment, clearly not expecting her to say this.
That kiss they shared last time... it could only be considered a pure accident.
At that moment, it felt like if something wasn't done, it wouldn't fit the atmosphere...
His mind went blank, and he blurted out, "This... this... Right, wasn't it you who kissed me? Shouldn't I be asking you that question?"
Bai Ruoqi was also stunned, and then her pretty face turned completely red.
She turned her head away, saying with a hint of petulance, "You, you're so annoying. How could you say something like that?"
"Don't you... don't you understand my feelings..."
Bai Ruoqi, with a nervous heart, was about to finish her sentence.
But at that very moment, a knock suddenly sounded at the door.