Bie Donghao was truly wounded this time—deeply wounded. Not long after Nan Bing left, he collapsed into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.

Wang Zhuo remained silent, seeing clearly how much Bie Donghao loved Nan Bing. Despite her past as an underground model, where she had shamelessly paraded herself scantily clad before the lewd lenses of men, Bie Donghao had accepted that disgraceful history. He wanted nothing more than to marry her, start a family, and live a happy, stable life.

Yet, this woman failed to cherish the happiness she had been given, unaware of how hard-won such contentment truly was. She had the audacity to carry on an ambiguous affair with another man behind Bie Donghao’s back. Worse, after a potential pregnancy occurred, and even before the child’s paternity could be confirmed, she expected Bie Donghao to marry her while pregnant—this was utterly intolerable!

He sipped his tea without relish. Wang Zhuo sighed and tried to persuade him, “Enough crying. It’s not worth shedding tears over a woman like that.”

Wiping his eyes, Sun Donghao nodded tearfully and choked out, “Wang Zhuo, what… what should I do?”

“What to do?” Wang Zhuo clicked his tongue against his teeth and shook his head. “What else can you do? Break up with her. You two should go your separate ways from now on. You’re not lacking in options; finding another good woman won’t be difficult.”

Donghao nodded again in agreement. Just then, the private room door was nudged open a crack, and Fei Long peered hesitantly inside.

Seeing him, Wang Zhuo paused, suddenly remembering he’d left Fei Long waiting outside. He spoke with annoyance, “Didn’t I tell you to wait in position? Who let you in?”

“Uh…” Fei Long stepped into the room, closed the door behind him, then turned back, scratching his head sheepishly. “I saw Nan Bing storm out earlier, and recalling what you said, I didn’t greet her. I just came in to see what was happening.”

“Then go sit over there and don’t say another word,” Wang Zhuo waved him toward the lazy Susan filled with serving plates and spun the teapot his way.

Fei Long flopped down heavily nearby, poured himself some tea, and curiously sized up Bie Donghao. He couldn't help but ask, “What’s wrong with Haozi? Why is he crying?”

Wang Zhuo immediately shot him a glare. Bie Donghao said mournfully, “Nan Bing and I… we broke up.”

“Broke up?” Fei Long blinked in surprise, then quickly nodded repeatedly. “Good riddance! I always knew you two wouldn’t last. That woman never looked like quality stock.” After saying that, he caught Wang Zhuo’s sharp look and quickly laughed it off, lowering his head to drink his tea.

Bie Donghao offered a wry smile and nodded. “You both saw it; I was just a complete idiot, stubbornly insisting on being with her.”

Fei Long grunted in sympathy, thinking to himself, You really are an idiot. Everyone warned you not to get involved with her, but you wouldn’t listen. Now look at you, crying like your mother died. He looked visibly heartbroken.

“You deserve it!” Fei Long slammed his teacup onto the table, speaking bluntly. “Wang Zhuo, don’t stop me—I need to say this today. That damn Lu Yao and this Nan Bing are cut from the same cloth! What decent woman lets a crowd of men surround her while she spreads her legs and uses her fingers for the camera? That’s not art; that’s pure pornography! And I’ve told you before, women who do that kind of work are often worse than many prostitutes. Most hostesses at least know some shame and won't allow themselves to be photographed, still hoping to have a respectable life later. These women have thrown all pretense of modesty away!”

What he said was harsh, but Wang Zhuo merely pursed his lips without voicing a halt. A strong remedy was needed for a severe ailment. Sun Donghao had a somewhat soft disposition; if he wasn’t hit hard enough, if Nan Bing came back later begging for reconciliation, the two might very well get back together, which would be disastrous.

“That’s completely different from taking selfies, do you understand?” Fei Long continued, his mouth flying. “Selfies are for enhancing intimacy; it’s consensual, with no transactional element. A woman like her, even if she somehow reformed, can never control her own belt. She could probably put a neon-green hat on you any day for fun!”

“She already has,” Sun Donghao admitted with a bitter smile.

“Uh…” Fei Long froze, then gave a nervous, dry laugh and scratched his head. “I was just saying, how did I hit the nail on the head?”

“Save it,” Wang Zhuo waved him off, a mixture of frustration and amusement on his face. “Don’t make sweeping generalizations that condemn everyone with one brushstroke; people are diverse. And you, Haozi, you two weren’t even legally married yet. If she was with someone else, it doesn't count as you being 'cuckolded' yet.” Sun Donghao managed a wry smile and grabbed a tissue to dry his tears.

“What exactly happened? Tell us,” Fei Long said, brimming with curiosity.

“It’s nothing much,” Wang Zhuo explained. “Someone saw Nan Bing walking closely with another man and told me about it. Then I had someone run a quick check, and you saw the rest.”

“Damn it! That’s really…” Fei Long shouted, his voice filled with indignation. “What did that guy look like? I’ll get a few brothers, and we’ll beat him up to vent Haozi’s anger!”

Sun Donghao pushed his phone toward him. “The photos are here.”

Fei Long snatched the phone and yelled after looking at the picture, “Holy crap, that kid looks a bit like Jay Chou!”

“I don’t see it,” Wang Zhuo chuckled dryly, leaning over to look, still finding no resemblance. “Wait, he looks more like Tony Da Mu!” Fei Long suddenly frowned, then chuckled nervously. “You guys don’t know who Tony Da Mu is, do you? He’s that celebrity face from Japanese adult films, the one who resembles Brother Chou.”

...Wang Zhuo and Sun Donghao exchanged speechless glances. Didn't Nan Bing always call that man "Tony"? Was this a coincidence, or was it intentional?

After some more aimless chatter, Fei Long insisted vehemently on beating up that "Tony." While they agreed that in free romance, there was no absolute right or wrong, this man’s actions severely wounded Sun Donghao’s feelings, and he had acted with “willful intent” to maintain the relationship with Nan Bing. This was beyond the pale.

Bie Donghao actually agreed. While the young man had no violent tendencies, he wouldn't be able to swallow this insult silently. Seeing that the two had made up their minds, Wang Zhuo could only offer a helpless, wry smile. Finding that "Dongni" would likely fall to him.

“No need for a sledgehammer to crack a nut, Boss. Just help us find the guy, and we’ll handle the rest ourselves,” Fei Long thumped his chest. “I guarantee that kid won’t end up dead or crippled, but whether he gets disfigured or hospitalized for a while depends on how much anger Haozi needs to vent!”

“Alright then. I’ll find someone to cooperate with you,” Wang Zhuo grimaced, pulling up Yuan Ye’s number from his phone and dialing.

Upon hearing Wang Zhidao’s summons, Yuan Ye didn't ask any questions. After ascertaining the location, he immediately dropped his current work and rushed over hastily.

After hanging up, Wang Zhuo spread his hands. “He’s a police station chief. He can help us check the ID cards registered when Nan Bing checked into a hotel. Following the thread, we can find that ‘Dongni.’”

“Boss, you get things done efficiently!” Fei Long offered a quick compliment before eagerly adding, “Should I call Cheng Gang and the others to come over too?” Wang Zhuo immediately waved him off. “Let’s skip that. It’s not exactly something glorious; better not to publicize it.”

Bie Donghao thought for a moment. “Just call Cheng Gang. He won’t be able to keep this a secret from him anyway.”

After introducing Yuan Ye to Fei Long and Haozi, Wang Zhuo withdrew.

The rest they would handle as they saw fit. Just as Fei Long said, no need to use a big weapon for a small task; this minor issue didn't require his personal intervention.

When he returned home, Wang Zhuo felt a pang of sentimentality. Bie Donghao’s relationship had ended so abruptly; it was truly tragic. Fortunately, he possessed the X-ray vision that allowed him to spot the problem in time. Otherwise, Haozi might have been kept in the dark his entire life. If he had ended up raising someone else’s child for ten or twenty years only to find out the truth, his life would have turned into one giant tragedy!

It was all a terrible comedy! A tragedy of a cup, a tragedy of an object!

Following this incident, Wang Zhuo finally understood the suffering in Li Jieming’s life, and his desire for revenge slightly faded. However, avoiding capital punishment did not mean escaping all consequence. After deciding against physical harm to Li Jieming, he had no intention of ending his involvement with Yang Ru, because Li Jieming owed him that, and Yang Ru owed him as well.

Wang Zhuo’s life began to return to a semblance of normalcy, though this "normalcy" was narrow. He needed to keep a low profile for a while longer to let the dust settle from the leaked explicit photos scandal.

But when he lived a life of relative "sobriety," it was a huge relief for many people. Qi Fei, desperate to have a child, could spend those critical days of her cycle with him, and Gan Shuang no longer feared him chasing other women. Qin Xue, who frequently had headaches due to his actions, could finally enjoy a period of peace and quiet.

This relative stability greatly increased the time he dedicated to his research. When the charming widow Ruan Mingqing specifically traveled from Beijing to visit, she jokingly remarked that if he could maintain this level of work ethic, it wouldn't be long before another group of patients suffering from a stubborn illness would receive surprising good news.

Because Wang Zhuo kept silent, Ruan Mingqing did not know that he was actually researching "a boon for men." However, her arrival was certainly a boon for Wang Zhuo. Having such a mature, alluring, and exceptionally graceful confidante come from afar to offer herself up, allowing him to indulge and take whatever he desired, was truly one of life's supreme pleasures!

Time slipped by until the transition from late spring to early summer. The Royal Princess had been delivered to a shipbuilding company in Zhejiang for modifications, and Siyuan had traveled to France with Bailu to oversee the comprehensive renovation of Wang Zhuo’s first private jet.

On this day, Fei Long sent a message: "Tony Da Mu," after swiftly fleeing Jiangzhou the day his affair was exposed, had finally snuck back in quietly. He was caught by Fei Long, Bie Donghao, and Cheng Gang, along with two plainclothes police officers, and swiftly and severely beaten.

Wang Zhuo declined the invitation to the "victory celebration." Learning that Haozi had finally emerged from the shadow of heartbreak, Wang Zhuo felt happy for his friend.

However, the X-ray vision was not omnipotent. What Wang Zhuo didn't know was that on that very same night, the three recent university graduates and the two plainclothes officers, after eating and drinking their fill, went out for more revelry. Although they returned fully satisfied, and seemingly nothing happened, a terrifying seed had been planted.

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