Chapter 335: Chapter 335: Being a Bodyguard Is Just a Hobby
Li Juezhou came to the banquet dressed very casually, wearing the exact same set of leisurewear he had on when meeting Sang Ning. No matter how one looked at it, he didn’t resemble a corporate professional in the slightest.
Chu Tian and Li Sulan were fooled for only a second before quickly realizing—how could someone dressed so casually possibly be the spokesperson for an enormous enterprise like Hai Chuan?
"You’re Mr. Li’s bodyguard, right?" Li Sulan raised her eyebrows slightly, her tone carrying a hint of disdain. But when she considered that he might be Mr. Li’s personal bodyguard, her attitude remained relatively polite.
Li Juezhou glanced at Li Sulan indifferently, his gaze lingering on her for only a single second before shifting away. Without a word in response to her question, he walked into the private room, acting as if no one were watching him.
Li Sulan felt humiliated and turned to look at Chu Tian, exchanging a dissatisfied look with him.
Chu Tian’s expression darkened; he wasn’t pleased either. "Even if he’s Mr. Li’s personal bodyguard, how could he dress so casually? Doesn’t he worry about embarrassing Mr. Li and getting fired?"
Chu Tian seemed to be grumbling in private to Li Sulan, but he deliberately raised his voice so that Li Juezhou could hear him, with the clear intention of making him uncomfortable. However, the man already seated in the private room didn’t even turn his head, showing no intention of paying Chu Tian any mind.
Li Sulan angrily shook her sleeves and grumbled, "It’s just a lousy bodyguard, borrowing his boss’s glory. Does he really think he belongs among the elite?"
Despite her words being similarly loud, they were nothing more than futile complaints to Li Juezhou, and he couldn’t even be bothered to spare her a glance.
"Where’s President Duan? Didn’t she promise to attend in person? Without her here at this event, how are we supposed to set the mood? Even a bodyguard is giving us the cold shoulder—what if Mr. Li himself turns out to be even harder to deal with?" Li Sulan leaned toward Chu Tian’s ear, speaking this time at a more reserved volume, audible only to the two of them.
Chu Tian furrowed his brows and checked his watch. "She should be here soon. Let me call and check."
Under pressure from Chu Tian’s call, Duan Wenhu was displeased. She had deliberately planned to arrive late.
After all, Li Juezhou was her junior—what was wrong with making him wait for her, his elder?
Besides, Li Juezhou’s recent actions had been so unprincipled that she’d lost face within the group. Making him wait a bit longer could be considered a minor punishment for him.
Duan Wenhu replied to Chu Tian that she had encountered an unexpected matter and would need approximately another half hour to arrive.
Chu Tian felt cold sweat drip down his back. Duan Wenhu was proving difficult to handle—if Mr. Li arrived later and then had to wait half an hour for her, the impression they’d make would plummet. How would they manage the follow-up negotiations?
But since Duan Wenhu was the one facilitating this meeting, Chu Tian had no choice but to swallow his frustration and politely ask her to arrive as early as possible.
Not knowing when Li Juezhou might arrive, Chu Tian decided to inquire about it from the "bodyguard."
But as soon as he and Li Sulan stepped into the private room, they saw Li Juezhou reclining casually with his legs crossed, boldly seated at the head of the table.
Chu Tian’s pupils contracted as he quickly strode forward, his tone filled with disapproval. "That seat is reserved for Mr. Li. How could a bodyguard sit here?"
Li Juezhou’s eyes lifted slightly, his voice calm. "I’m used to sitting here."
Even at this point, Chu Tian still hadn’t realized that the man in front of him was the star of the banquet today. Hearing Li Juezhou’s comment, he even conjured up a scenario in his mind—this bodyguard must hold considerable influence! Could it be that this wasn’t the first time he casually took the head seat and that Mr. Li valued him to such a degree?
With this thought, Chu Tian dared not underestimate the man any longer, believing he could be the key to forming a connection with Hai Chuan.
But despite all of Chu Tian’s fawning, Li Juezhou remained entirely indifferent.
Seeing he couldn’t glean any information from Li Juezhou, Chu Tian eventually gave up and sat down with Li Sulan.
The private room grew eerily quiet during this time. Chu Tian prided himself on years of navigating the ups and downs of the business world, certain he’d encountered every type of person.
But among all those he’d met, no one emitted such an overwhelming aura of pressure as the man before him. Chu Tian even entertained a chilling thought for a moment—could this man actually be Mr. Li himself?
But the idea vanished as quickly as it came. Impossible!
Meanwhile, Li Sulan wouldn’t stop running her mouth. "People need to know their place—stick to roles suited for their status. A toad shouldn’t fantasize about eating swan meat."
Chu Tian kept shooting warning glances at Li Sulan, urging her to stay quiet, but Li Sulan insisted on doing the opposite.
She simply wanted to see a flustered and humiliated Li Juezhou, which would bring her some satisfaction. Yet things didn’t go as she wished—Li Juezhou treated her and Chu Tian as though they didn’t exist, ignoring her snide remarks entirely.
Half an hour later, Duan Wenhu finally arrived, fashionably late.
"President Duan, you’re finally here."
Chu Tian and Li Sulan immediately stood to greet her, but Duan Wenhu brushed past them and went straight to Li Juezhou.
"Azhou, you’re such a busy man. Your aunt can only catch you in a business setting like this," she said warmly.
Although Duan Wenhu was annoyed with Li Juezhou, she maintained a facade of cordiality, her greetings seeming genuinely heartfelt, like those exchanged among family members.
Duan Wenhu sat down beside Li Juezhou naturally, but Chu Tian and Li Sulan were visibly unsettled.
"Aunt?" Did they hear wrong? That word was unmistakable!
"President Duan, are you... his aunt?" Chu Tian hesitantly gestured toward Li Juezhou with his chin while addressing Duan Wenhu.
Duan Wenhu casually placed her handbag on an empty chair beside her, then looked up and responded matter-of-factly, "The head of Hai Chuan Group, Li Juezhou—he’s my nephew. What? Chu Tian, you’ve been sitting here with him for so long, and you still need me to spell it out for you?"
Chu Tian’s eyes widened, and he nervously swallowed. The effort to do so made him choke, triggering a fit of coughing.
Li Sulan also gulped nervously and found herself uncontrollably hiccuping.
"Li... Li..." Chu Tian and Li Sulan stammered in unison, unable to utter a coherent sentence.
Duan Wenhu shot them an unimpressed look, filled with disdain, before teasing them with a half-joking remark. "Azhou is my nephew. Is that really so shocking for you two?"
Li Juezhou crossed his arms, his gaze icy, holding a faint smirk. "Maybe they’re surprised I enjoy working as a bodyguard. But it’s not that astonishing, really. Being a bodyguard is one of my hobbies. I even recently became Sang Ning’s full-time bodyguard."
Duan Wenhu had just taken a sip of water but was so thunderstruck by Li Juezhou’s words that she spat it out, turning to him in utter disbelief. "Who did you say?"