The baby slapped me, and I said, "Sit on my lap and slap me."

Song Yunyan's smile froze for a moment, and a hint of offended malice flashed across his eyes.

But his years of shrewdness allowed him to quickly regain his impeccable composure, though the smile no longer penetrated his eyes.

Wen Yu didn't look at him again, as if the warning he had just given was nothing more than brushing away a speck of dust.

He straightened up, and the oppressive aura subsided slightly, transforming into the detachment and sense of control befitting a superior.

He seemed to suddenly recall some trivial business, his tone flat and unchanging, "I heard that Mr. Song has been frequently meeting with several vice presidents of the Wen Group for that project in the east of the city."

His gaze swept over Song Yunyan almost imperceptibly, his eyes showing no emotion whatsoever, yet the listener could clearly sense his condescending indifference.

"They're just following orders; I really don't have time to deal with these...trivialities."

He deliberately paused on the word "trivial," downplaying it as a trivial chore.

Wen Yu changed the subject abruptly, "I happen to have some time today, Mr. Song. Would you mind having a word with me in private? It's the coffee shop downstairs, my treat."

This is not an invitation, it's a notification.

After saying that, he turned around decisively.

When facing Su Qingyao, the intimidating aura that had once been enough to freeze the air instantly vanished.

He raised his hand, his fingertips stroking her hair, his movements so gentle they were completely different from before, and his eyes softened completely.

"Baby," he whispered, his voice reassuringly calm.

"Mr. Song and I are going to discuss some matters. You stay here and keep Auntie company. I'll be right back."

Su Qingyao looked into his eyes. She knew that the so-called business talk would never be peaceful, but her mother's ward needed tranquility.

She nodded obediently and replied softly, "Okay, go ahead."

She then turned to Song Yunyan, maintaining basic courtesy and politeness, "Brother Yunyan, thank you for coming to see my mother today."

Song Yunyan once again put on his impeccable gentle mask. "Qingyao, you're too kind. It's what I should do."

He smiled politely, his gaze sweeping over Wen Yu's cold, hard profile. "Young Master Wen, please."

Two men walked out of the ward one after the other, the door closing behind them, isolating them from the outside world.

The ward fell silent again. Su Qingyao walked back to her mother's bedside and sat down, taking her mother's hand again, feeling inexplicably uneasy.

The elevator descended smoothly and opened on the first floor.

Wen Yu took the lead, his steps steady. He did not head towards the coffee shop, but instead turned directly towards the deserted fire escape entrance.

The door hinges turned with a slight creak, and the sound of their footsteps echoed in the somewhat empty stairwell.

They stopped walking.

Wen Yu stood tall and looked down at Song Yunyan, who had followed behind.

"Song Yunyan".

He spoke directly, addressing him by his first name, stripping away all pretense and pleasantries; every word carried a naked warning and disgust.

"Stay away from her."

In the empty stairwell, the air seemed to have been completely sucked away by those four simple words.

Song Yunyan stopped on the two steps below, looking up at Wen Yu who was standing against the light.

A crack appeared in the gentle mask on his face, a hint of anger that was hard to suppress after being utterly disrespected and offended.

But he quickly adjusted his breathing and forced a not-so-sincere fake smile.

"Young Master Wen, I don't quite understand what you're saying?"

Song Yunyan shrugged, trying to regain some of the initiative.

"Qingyao and I have known each other for many years, and our families are also old friends. It's only natural for me to care about Aunt Su's condition and come to see her, isn't it? Isn't Mr. Wen... being too sensitive?"

"sensitive?"

Wen Yu scoffed, "Song Yunyan, we're all sensible people. There's no need to play such low-level tricks. You'd better put away your thoughts now."

He stepped down a step, closing the already short distance between them, which increased the sense of oppression.

"Concern? Family friendship?"

He spoke slowly, but every word was like a knife.

"Do you think I don't know who you're trying to impress with all that flattery and acting? I don't care about your dirty deeds abroad, but Su Qingyao is not someone you can covet."

Song Yunyan's eyes flickered. He hadn't expected Wen Yu to be so blunt and to tear off the mask so openly. He also hadn't expected that Wen Yu would see through his initial intentions in approaching Su Qingyao so clearly.

"Young Master Wen, you flatter me. I do have feelings for Qingyao..."

"Don't call her that so affectionately, you two aren't close," Wen Yu coldly interrupted him.

"Song Yunyan, this is my last warning to you: put away those despicable methods and thoughts of yours."

He leaned slightly forward, lowering his voice even further, yet it carried a chilling certainty.

"Your sentiments and memories are worthless to me. Su Qingyao belongs to me, Wen Yu, from head to toe, inside and out. Anyone who tries to hurt or scheme against her will not have a good end."

He paused, his cold gaze sweeping over Song Yunyan's slightly stiff face.

"Don't force me to make you understand this in a way you don't like. The Song family has expanded well in several key areas in recent years, but its foundation... doesn't seem that solid, does it? What if the Wen family accidentally gives you a hard time, or releases some unpleasant rumors..."

Song Yunyan's expression changed.

He didn't expect Wen Yu to use business tactics as a threat, and to accurately target Song's current weakness of being eager to expand but lacking confidence.

That facade of gentleness and refinement could barely hold up, and a clear sense of apprehension and anger surfaced deep within his eyes.

"Young Master Wen, what...does this mean? Are you willing to ruin the harmony between our two families and even affect our business for the sake of a woman?"

"Harmonious?"

Wen Yu seemed to have heard a joke. "Does the Wen family need to be polite to you?"

He straightened up, resuming his aloof and condescending demeanor, as if even a glance was too dirty.

"You can think of it as me cleaning up... the junk that might be affecting my baby's mood. She doesn't need someone with ulterior motives like you around."

"I'm not calling you today to discuss something, but to inform you."

Wen Yu glanced one last time at Song Yunyan, whose face was ashen, and spoke in a calm but unquestionable tone.

"Stay away from her, stay away from her mother, stay away from her life, otherwise..."

Wen Yu smiled dismissively, stopped looking at Song Yunyan, pushed open the fire door, and turned to leave.

Only Song Yunyan remained in the stairwell.

He stood there, his expression shifting between anger and rage, his chest heaving slightly with suppressed fury.

Wen Yu's final, blatant threat was like a thorn, piercing his pride and ambition.

He stared at the fire door that had closed again, his eyes filled with malice. After a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out a low, cold snort through gritted teeth.

"Wenyu...we'll see."