The sickly one in F4 was the group's darling.

Bai Jiheng was too lazy to look at Xu Yan's disheveled appearance anymore, and turned to Zhao Shuo by the door: "The Xu family has been discussing port trade cooperation recently, right?"

Zhao Shuo immediately stepped forward and replied, "Yes. Two versions of the plan were submitted, and the Xu family has been following up and coordinating with us. They've even scheduled a meeting next week. Old Master Xu personally gave his regards; he values ​​this project highly."

"Cancel."

The two words, "light and airy," without causing a ripple, directly crushed the Xu family's months of networking, resource investment, and painstaking preparations.

Xu Yan's face instantly turned deathly pale, all color drained from her, and she nearly collapsed, her steps faltering. Extreme panic overwhelmed her composure, and her voice broke out in a sob: "Third...Third Young Master! I overstepped my bounds! I shouldn't have acted in your dressing room, I shouldn't have acted as your presiding judge, I was so reckless! Please, for the sake of the two years I've served you, Third Young Master, please have mercy! I was blind, arrogant, and ignorant; I'll take full responsibility for all the mistakes. Please don't touch my family's partnership! My father has been working on this project for three months; he'll ruin me completely! Please!"

He leaned forward slightly, his knees buckling instinctively, almost collapsing to his knees. A last shred of reason held him back, preventing him from losing his composure. He knew Bai Jiheng's nature all too well; he despised people who begged for mercy, and kneeling would only lead to a more utter death.

He could only stand frozen in place, his whole body trembling violently, like a stranded fish waiting to die, struggling in vain, unable to even utter a complete sentence.

Zhou Xu, standing to the side, quickly reviewed the situation and weighed the pros and cons. Xu Yan's demise was a foregone conclusion, and his only thought at this moment was to completely clear himself of any wrongdoing and protect himself.

Bai Jiheng stared straight ahead, ignoring his pleas, as if he had already completely lost patience.

He casually took two steps forward, then suddenly stopped, turned back and glanced at Xu Yan indifferently, his impatience clearly showing in his tone: "Still not gone?"

"Zhao Shuo".

"exist."

"Cancel Xu Yan's access control license plate. From now on, he is not allowed to come to any venues in Qinglu Mountain."

Zhao Shuo replied in a deep voice, "Understood."

The moment those words were spoken, Xu Yan's pupils dilated suddenly, and his whole body went cold.

This wasn't just a simple expulsion; it was a permanent social death sentence. Being removed from Qinglushan's access control and blacklisted by the Bai family meant he was completely expelled from Yunliu City's top elite circle. After tonight, no one would care about his past favors, no one would invite him to parties or banquets; his years of painstakingly cultivated connections, status, and resources would be wiped out in an instant.

Endless regret and despair overwhelmed him. Xu Yan's eyes were red and swollen, his lips trembled uncontrollably, and a thousand words were stuck in his throat, leaving him no right to even beg for mercy.

Zhao Shuo stepped forward, his posture upright, his expression indifferent, and his tone polite yet leaving no room for negotiation: "Young Master Xu, this way please."

There was no mockery, no sympathy, only the coldness of businesslike formality.

Xu Yan staggered and turned around, his steps unsteady and weak. When he reached the door, he swayed and his knee hit the door frame with a dull thud. Zhao Shuo neither urged him nor helped him up, but quietly waited for him to regain his balance. His demeanor was dignified, but it completely crushed the last shred of dignity in Xu Yan, making his wretchedness all the more apparent.

After Xu Yan left in a disheveled state, the dressing room was finally left in complete silence.

The next instant, Bai Jiheng's gaze landed precisely on Zhou Xu, who had remained neutral and observing throughout.

"Zhou Xu"

Zhou Xu lowered his eyes and responded, his posture calm and composed, showing no sign of panic: "Third Young Master."

Bai Jiheng stared at him quietly for two seconds, his eyes conveying a faint emotion, yet every word he uttered was piercing, dissecting his thoughts: "You are smarter than him."

There were no insults, no rebukes, yet it was the most ruthless exposure. You could see the situation clearly, distinguish right from wrong, and know the nuances of the situation, but to protect yourself, you chose to stand by and watch the farce, tacitly allowing others to offend the Bai family's reputation.

Zhou Xu's Adam's apple bobbed slightly. He understood the situation perfectly well. Without arguing, shifting blame, or involving others, he frankly admitted his mistake: "It was my misjudgment and inappropriate behavior."

Bai Jiheng withdrew his gaze, his tone indifferent, and delivered the final decision: "From now on, you don't need to come to my events."

Unlike Xu Yan's public execution and severe financial damage, this is a top-tier, understated approach typical of intelligent people.

Without public humiliation or implicating his family, he was directly stripped of all his qualifications to join the core circle of the Bai family.

For Zhou Xu, who has always relied on connections, position, and discretion, this dignified punishment is far more devastating than a straightforward reprimand.

A faint hint of sadness flashed across Zhou Xu's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and gave a slight bow: "Yes."

He was upright and composed, first bowing to Bai Jiheng, and then nodding very slightly to Bai Ci.

Without any unnecessary struggle or futile pleas, he calmly accepted the outcome, turned around, and slowly walked away.

His back was straight, but he had completely lost his former composure and confidence.

Intelligent people know best that once Bai Jiheng's case is settled, there is no room for maneuver. Accepting defeat in silence is the only dignified option.

Inside the dressing room, only Bai Ci, Bai Jiheng, and Zhao Shuo, who was waiting at the door, remained.

Zhao Shuo stood by the door, his posture upright, his mind already subtly rewriting all his understanding of Bai Ci.

He had been by Bai Jiheng's side for many years, and no one had ever dared to confront the Third Young Master openly or speak frankly in front of him, let alone dare to question the Third Young Master like that.

This once-obscure young master of the Bai family has long since shed his timid exterior; his confidence and sharpness far exceed everyone's expectations.

Bai Jiheng withdrew all his cold aura and looked at Bai Ci again, his eyes still showing the usual indifference and aloofness.

For him, the swift accountability and reshuffling of social circles just now was nothing more than casually cleaning up the trivial matters of those who had offended his territory and overstepped their bounds.

"Bai Ci, you weren't like this before. You used to not even dare to look me in the eye. Now you dare to put on airs in front of me?"

Bai Ci said, "I wasn't putting on airs."

Bai Jiheng glanced at Bai Ci, his tone impatient and casual, carrying typical disdain: "Hurry up and come out after you've changed. Don't dawdle here. If you're late for the banquet, you'll have to explain it to your brother yourself."

He turned and walked towards the door, pausing briefly as he passed Bai Ci. He tossed something onto the locker shelf with a soft thud—a pair of cufflinks, silver with dark blue enamel inlay, more understated and with a deeper sheen than the ones Uncle Chen had given him.

"That shirt doesn't look good with your other cufflinks. Change to these."

After saying that, he didn't linger, turned around and walked away.

His back was cold and sharp, still defiant, and he never looked back from beginning to end.

Zhao Shuo's gaze lingered on Bai Ci for a moment, a new and serious scrutiny appearing in his eyes, before he followed Bai Jiheng away.

Bai Ci glanced at the pair of cufflinks, then at the pair Chen Shu had given him on his wrist—white falcon pattern, dark blue enamel.

Bai Ci tentatively called out in her mind, "Xiao Qi?"

Two seconds later, Xiao Qi's voice rang out, her tone noticeably lower than usual, as if she hadn't yet recovered from the oppressive feeling she'd just experienced: "...I'm here."

Why weren't you saying anything just now?

"He was interrogating you just now." Xiaoqi paused. "I was afraid that if I made a sound, you would be distracted."

Bai Ci didn't expose it. Xiao Qi's tone didn't sound like she was afraid of distracting him, but rather like she was also rooted to the spot by that gaze and dared not move.

"Bye-bye," Xiao Qi paused, "your third brother... is much more ruthless than your eldest brother."

It paused for a moment, as if considering its words.

"They're not easy to mess with either."