Yara Lu was his fiancée, so of course he should go with her. But what about Celia—what status did she really hold?
Celia froze, unable to move.
Just then, Julian Fu's voice rang out urgently. "Cici, watch out!"
A furious man swung a beer bottle at her. Julian lunged forward to shield her, and the jagged glass sliced across his arm, leaving a deep, bloody gash.
"Julian Fu! Are you alright?" Celia rushed over, pressing her hand against the bleeding wound to staunch the flow.
Julian kicked the attacker to the ground. "Cici, I'm fine. This place is too dangerous. Let's get out of here."
"Okay." Celia gave one last glance at Nathaniel Fu before following Julian away.
Zane Song and his men arrived swiftly, taking control of the chaos. The spoiled heirs were soon subdued.
Yara Lu and Ning Xiner, who had hurried over when the fight broke out, were pale with shock. Ning Xiner gasped, her voice trembling. "Yaoyao, oh my God… President Fu fights so fiercely."
Yara stood frozen. It was her first time seeing Nathaniel Fu in such a state. The man who was usually so composed and refined now radiated a terrifying bloodlust, as though he didn't care for his own life.
"Nancheng, are you hurt?" Yara hurried over, her voice filled with concern.
Nathaniel's broad chest rose and fell heavily, his breathing wild like a predator fresh from battle. He let the shattered bottle slip from his fingers and glanced at the now-empty seat where Celia had been.
Lowering his gaze, he muttered coldly, "I'm fine."
That's when Yara noticed the wound on his arm—blood still dripping steadily. "Nancheng, you're bleeding!"
Nathaniel pushed her hand away. "Yaoyao, I'm leaving."
Without another glance, he strode off, his tall figure disappearing into the night. Yara stared after him, a strange sense of unfamiliarity tightening her chest. Why had he fought like that?
She turned back to the battered young men. "What on earth did you say to him?"
Tears streaked their faces as they stammered, "We—we didn't do much… just said a few bad things…"
"Bad things? About who?" Yara pressed.
"We said—"
Before they could finish, Zane Song stepped forward, his tone cutting. "They spoke badly about my second brother."
So that was it. Nathaniel had fought just because they insulted him? Yara found it believable enough, and she left it at that.
Outside the nightclub, Nathaniel spotted Celia again.
She stood with Julian Fu, crouched slightly as she carefully cleaned and dressed the wound on his arm with a small first aid kit. Her movements were gentle, her eyes filled with focus.
"Does it hurt?" she asked softly.
Julian nodded. "Yeah, it does."
"Then I'll be more careful."
Nathaniel clenched his car keys and slid into his sleek black car. His own arm throbbed from the cut he'd sustained, the pain burning like fire.
Through the rearview mirror, he caught a glimpse of Celia tending to Julian with quiet tenderness. His jaw tightened. He stepped hard on the accelerator and drove off into the night.
The Next Day, Tsinghua University
President Jiang had finally returned from abroad. The international academic seminar had ended successfully, and both Vice President Zhu and the faculty led a group of students to welcome him at the main gate.
A school bus pulled up, and President Jiang stepped out, dressed neatly in a tailored suit.
"President Jiang, welcome back. You've worked hard this trip," Vice President Zhu greeted warmly.
"Not at all," President Jiang replied with a hearty smile, still brimming with energy despite his travels. He rose slightly on his toes, scanning the gathered students. "Where's that brilliant young woman of Tsinghua? Why don't I see her here today?"