Chapter 342: Chapter 342

Before answering Li Juezhou’s call, Sang Ning swallowed hard to suppress the shock she’d felt upon learning the news.

Once the call connected, and the familiar deep male voice came through the line, Sang Ning finally regained her composure. She cut straight to the chase: "I heard Duan Wenhu is your aunt?"

There was a momentary silence on the other end. "Who told you that?"

Sang Ning: "I heard it from Duan Wenhu herself."

Sang Ning’s breath caught for a second. "So, it’s true?"

Li Juezhou’s silence said it all. Sang Ning was speechless. "Why didn’t you ever tell me this?"

"You never asked." Li Juezhou answered matter-of-factly.

Sang Ning tilted her head back to stare at the ceiling and gave her forehead a few light smacks. "So, the rumor that you’re the CEO of Hai Chuan Group—is that true too?"

"Sangsang, didn’t I already come clean with you? But you didn’t believe me," Li Juezhou replied, feigning an innocent tone.

"Alright, stop talking." Sang Ning raised a hand mid-air, motioning for him to shut it. "Let me ask you this: how’s your relationship with Duan Wenhu?"

"Not great," Li Juezhou responded conservatively, careful not to outright say "awful."

"Is it bad enough for you to sever family ties for the greater good?" Sang Ning probed.

Duan Wenhu was, after all, Li Juezhou’s aunt, and Li Juezhou was her boyfriend. Before making a move against her boyfriend’s family, it was only polite to run it by him first.

If Li Juezhou had no objections, great. If he was against it, then their relationship was as good as over. Sang Ning wasn’t the type to suppress herself or tolerate grievances for the sake of a man.

"Sangsang, Duan Wenhu is an adult. She should have a basic sense of morality by now and the ability to face the consequences of her actions. Don’t worry—I value principles over family ties," Li Juezhou said sincerely.

Judging from how Li Juezhou referred to Duan Wenhu, Sang Ning could tell their aunt-nephew relationship wasn’t anything special. Li Juezhou couldn’t even bring himself to call her "Aunt."

Still, given that Duan Wenhu was Li Juezhou’s aunt, Sang Ning was willing to show her some respect and not go overboard—as long as Duan Wenhu knew her place.

After returning to the dining table, Sang Ning collected herself. Her expression betrayed no emotion as she faced Duan Wenhu and the others.

Chu Tian rang the service bell in the room, signaling for the staff to start serving the dishes. But Sang Ning suddenly raised her hand. "Wait."

All eyes turned to Sang Ning, momentarily caught off guard.

"Xiao Ning, is something wrong? Is there an issue?" Chu Tian asked with a flattering smile.

Sang Ning shifted her gaze to Duan Wenhu and curled her lips into a faint, sarcastic smile. "President Duan, you’re not planning on repeating old tricks, are you?"

"Ha... ha... how could I?" Duan Wenhu’s face showed a hint of embarrassment, though she forced a polite smile. "Xiao Ning, don’t worry about the past. Isn’t there a saying, ’No friendship without a fight’? Soon enough, we’ll all be one family. We should always present a united front to the outside."

Sang Ning snorted disdainfully without saying a word. That simple scoff, however, left Duan Wenhu visibly awkward. Chu Tian quickly stepped in to mediate. "Everyone must be hungry, right? Let’s eat first. After dinner, I’ll arrange for you all to relax at the rooftop clubhouse."

Throughout the meal, Sang Ning refrained from bringing up recent events, and Chu Tian, Duan Wenhu, and the others also avoided the topic. Instead, they engaged in small talk, clearly trying to build rapport with Sang Ning.

Sang Ning found it incredibly dull. These people lacked straightforwardness and had an endless patience for beating around the bush before addressing the real issue. Thıs text ıs hosted at 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩·𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢·𝔫𝔢𝔱

As they chatted, Sang Ning quietly focused on her food, occasionally replying with a perfunctory "Mm-hmm."

In her mind, Sang Ning reasoned that it’d be a waste not to enjoy the free meal. After satisfying her appetite, she raised her head and interrupted Chu Tian mid-sentence. "Mr. Chu, I doubt you called me here today just to chit-chat. Let’s cut to the chase. I’ve got a few things I’d like to say to you all as well."

Chu Tian’s smile faltered, and his demeanor turned serious in an instant. "Xiao Ning, why don’t we move to another place—the upstairs clubhouse? I’ll arrange for someone to give you a massage and help you relax. You’ve probably been really tired lately."

"Sure," Sang Ning agreed. Since she was already there, why not take advantage and enjoy a full session?

The private room was connected to the rooftop clubhouse via an exclusive VIP passageway. After leaving the private room, Duan Wenhu walked at the front alongside Sang Ning, while the Chu Family of three trailed in the back.

Chu Xi also wanted to tag along and check out the clubhouse, but before she made it a few steps out of the private room, Chu Tian stopped her. "That’s enough, Xiao Xi. Your job here is done. This doesn’t concern you. You can go home now."

"But..." Chu Xi barely began to speak before Chu Tian cut her off.

"No buts. Didn’t you say you’ve got heavy coursework? You even took a day off to come here today. As a student, your priority should be studying. Stop worrying about things that aren’t your business," Chu Tian said firmly.

Left with no choice, Chu Xi grudgingly gave in.

Chu Tian knew well that her academic load was heavy. So why insist on her taking a day off from school to play the role of an apologetic pawn for Sang Ning?

Chu Xi’s sulky mood was evident to Chu Tian, but he brushed it off. It didn’t matter to him.

At the moment, Sang Ning was annoyed with everyone. Whatever past disputes they’d had, forcing Chu Xi to apologize face-to-face to Sang Ning was already a substantial display of the Chu Family’s sincerity.

Unlike the bright and well-lit private dining room downstairs, the upstairs clubhouse was dimmer but offered significantly more privacy.

Chu Tian escorted Sang Ning, Li Sulan, and Duan Wenhu into the VIP room before stopping at the door himself. "Xiao Ning, this is a ladies-only room, so I won’t intrude. Your mother and President Duan will keep you company while you relax."

After the door was shut from the outside, Li Sulan tugged on Sang Ning’s sleeve, urging her further inside. "Come on, Xiao Ning. The practitioners here are excellent. I guarantee that after a full-body massage, you’ll feel like your bones have been revitalized."

"Thank you, Mrs. Chu, for your hospitality," Sang Ning said, her tone distant, underscoring her desire to maintain boundaries.

Li Sulan didn’t take it to heart. Compared to when Sang Ning ignored her calls and casually blocked her contact, the current Sang Ning was much easier to deal with.

"If you really want to show gratitude, thank your Aunt Duan. She arranged for the practitioners," Li Sulan said with a smile.

"Thank you, President Duan." Sang Ning nodded toward Duan Wenhu, still refusing to acknowledge the familial title of "Aunt."

The room contained three lounge chairs, and both Li Sulan and Duan Wenhu deferentially left the center spot for Sang Ning.

By giving Sang Ning this level of respect, they hoped she’d appreciate the gesture and behave considerately in return.

Sang Ning didn’t bother with false modesty and reclined directly on the center chair.

Typically, a spa session required changing into specific attire. However, Sang Ning, only wanting a simple shoulder and neck massage, declined when Li Sulan and Duan Wenhu made the suggestion.