chapter 16 please get out of the way

The person arriving was Esme, who urgently scolded, "Terry Su, what do you think you're doing?"
Standing to the side, Theodore Zhao heard the surname 'Su' and, seeing the man's face resembling Esme's, instantly understood the situation.
People of the Su family, regardless of their relation to Esme, had a terrible impression.
Arrogant, willful, and unreasonable!
Had Esme been just half a minute later, Theodore would have certainly broken this young man's arm and then thrown him out.
Now that Esme had appeared, he had to give her some respect.
He stepped back, forcibly restraining his impulse to act.
Unexpectedly, Terry Su, with a resentful face, kicked towards him.
Unprepared, Theodore was hit, leaving a footprint on his clothes.
Esme was startled and hurriedly intervened between the two.
She knew all too well Terry's strength; if Theodore retaliated, the boy would be lucky to walk out on his own!
She quickly advised, "Theodore, let it go, don't stoop to a child's level."
Theodore felt uneasy; this guy was already in his twenties, still considered a child?
What unsettled him even more was Esme's obvious partiality.
Right and wrong were clear, yet she didn't scold Terry at all, instead asking Theodore to be magnanimous?
Hmph.
A fake husband indeed. His identity was fake enough, let alone any emotional investment.
In front of the Su family, she always sided with them.
If she didn't appreciate it, why should he play the bad guy for nothing?
With a self-mocking smile, Theodore no longer bothered with Terry Su's provocation.
Esme, seeing Theodore's expression, knew he had misunderstood.
It wasn't about taking sides; the Su family's relationships were complex, and she was not on good terms with those relatives.
Her desire to keep Theodore out of it was purely to avoid trouble for him. If it really came down to it, she would certainly side with Theodore.
Whether genuine or not, they were legally recognized as husband and wife. Even if he was just a shield to placate her family or a tool to resist the Wei family's arranged marriage, she wouldn't let him be bullied.
But with Terry Su present, these explanations were neither easy nor necessary.
Unaccustomed to bowing down, if Theodore wanted to misunderstand, then so be it.
Terry Su, blind to the situation, arrogantly cursed, "You coward, come out if you dare, think you can fight with me? I'll beat you to death today!"
Esme, with a cold face, scolded, "Enough!"
Her previously good mood was completely ruined. She couldn't understand why this cousin, whom she barely contacted, suddenly showed up.
Terry Su persisted, "You piece of shit, why are you hiding? Get over here!"
Esme warned, "Terry, if you keep this up, I'll call your father!"
Terry Su, as if his lifeline was pinched, cursed and said, "Lucky for you, or I'd have killed you today!"
Seeing Esme's increasingly displeased face, he asked in surprise, "Cousin, who is this jerk? Why did he come out of your house?"
Esme retorted, "All you do is swear, where's your manners?"
She didn't want to lecture, but being an only daughter in a family where uncles and aunts had many children.
She saw how spoiled and undisciplined her cousins were.
The Su family's recent scandals were closely related to these wayward young relatives.
Take Terry Su, for example, the favorite of his family, still not graduated from university, always flaunting his wealth and causing trouble!
Terry Su, annoyed, said, "Cousin, why do you always lecture people? I came here today for something important. Hurry up and send this little guard away, otherwise, when my cousin-in-law comes, he'll misunderstand!"
Cousin-in-law?
For some reason, hearing this term irked Theodore Zhao!
Esme also paused, then quickly responded, "What nonsense are you talking about? Where did this cousin-in-law come from?"
As she spoke, she glanced at Theodore with a hint of uncertainty.
Technically speaking, Theodore was his cousin-in-law.
But to put him in the spotlight now?
Esme knew she wasn't ready for that.
Terry Su, surprised, said, "Of course, it's Brother Charlie. Cousin, did you two have a fight? This morning, my brother-in-law called me to help mediate."
Esme didn't have time to correct his address, "He's coming here?"
Terry Su flicked his shoe and said, "Yes, Brother Charlie said all the mistakes yesterday were his. He's coming here today to apologize!"
"But cousin, what's going on? Why did you let this little guard into your house late at night? You're just asking for my cousin-in-law to get the wrong idea!"
Esme frowned, "My business is none of your concern!"
Terry Su chuckled, "Cousin, I get it, Brother Charlie must have made you angry, and you're trying to make him jealous!"
As he spoke, he glanced contemptuously at Theodore Zhao, "If you really want to make him jealous, at least find someone decent. What's the deal with this guy?"
Theodore Zhao leisurely lit a cigarette and pointedly reminded, "Esme, if no one in your Su family teaches him manners, I can discipline him for you!"
He wasn't made of clay; his patience was only due to Esme's face.
But this brat was relentless, provoking him time and time again. Was he expected to keep his temper?
Before Esme could speak, Terry Su shouted first, "You're so arrogant, who do you think you are? Get out of my way!"
Esme inwardly cursed, sensing trouble, but it was too late to intervene.
Theodore flicked his cigarette butt away.
Terry Su screamed in pain, clutching his throat and spitting.
Without waiting, Theodore stepped forward and grabbed Terry Su by the collar.
Esme only managed to cry out, "Don't!"
But it was too late. Theodore slapped him.
Snap!
Theodore shook his wrist and let go, "Terry Su, no job is beneath dignity. No one deserves to be hit without fighting back or insulted without response!"
"This slap is to teach you manners. Dare to disrespect me again, and you'll learn what rules are!"
He restrained himself for Esme's sake; otherwise, he would have knocked out a few of Suhao's teeth!
Terry Su was stunned for a moment.
His heart was intimidated by Theodore, but being unaccustomed to losing.
He glared venomously and said bitterly, "You piece of shit, how dare you hit me? Just wait, I won't let you get away with it!"
Theodore clenched his fist, about to step forward.
This time, Esme reacted quickly, stepping in between, "Don't!"
Terry Su, feeling supported, spewed vile words incessantly.
Theodore pushed her aside, but Esme tightly grabbed his wrist from behind, "Theodore, don't bother with him, go to work. I'll handle it here."
Suddenly, Terry Su stepped forward, throwing a punch.
Esme saw his move but, for some reason, froze on the spot.
She was too late to warn or push Theodore away.
She watched as the punch hit Theodore's cheek!
Terry Su, successful in his strike, was about to gloat, but then he caught a chilling look.
He stepped back in fear, "What are you doing? I warn you, don't mess with me, my cousin-in-law will be here soon!"
Theodore licked his aching gums, tasting a mix of sour and salty.
It wasn't painful, but his heart was in turmoil!
In ordinary fights, even with his hands tied, he would never suffer such a disadvantage.
But unexpectedly, his first setback was because of Esme.
Blood is thicker than water; when a dispute arose, she indeed sided with her own family.
What did I mean to her?
A tool to force the Su family to back down, a means to resist the Wei family's arranged marriage, discarded without a second thought once the purpose was achieved?
Theodore didn't want to think this way, but the reality was right in front of him.
Esme finally reacted, releasing Theodore, but seeing his expression was like something blocking her chest.
The feeling of suffocation had no outlet, and she couldn't bring herself to apologize.
Rarely showing weakness, she said softly to Theodore, "Don't misunderstand, I'll explain this to you later!"
Theodore didn't want to be deceived by her acting, his voice cold, "Miss Su, I'm sorry, please step aside!"
Esme was unaccustomed to this change, "What did you say?"
Theodore's reply was more straightforward this time, "Get lost!"
Stunned, Esme stood still. Before she could think further, Theodore had already turned and left.
She bit her lip, never having been spoken to like that before.
She couldn't describe the feeling – a mix of grievance, frustration, anger, and various emotions, leaving her feeling soulless.
Theodore's thoughts were equally heavy. Just a few steps away, a silver Rolls Royce elegantly slid into view.
A burly man, looking like a bodyguard, stepped out of the passenger seat, shielding his head while respectfully opening the door, exuding an air of grandeur.
Terry Su rushed forward, all obsequious and fawning, groveling like a servile slave, "Cousin-in-law, Mrs. Wei, watch your step!"
Theodore felt nauseated, turned his head to leave, but was stopped by Esme.
He frowned, "What do you mean?"
Esme bit her lip, her tone more intense, "What do you mean?"
Theodore sarcastically said, "Wei family's young master has personally come to apologize, you've achieved your goal. Why would I stay and be an eyesore? Rest assured, Miss Su, I do have that much self-awareness!"
Esme questioned, "Is that what you think of me?"
Theodore couldn't think of another answer, "What else?"
Esme laughed mockingly, "Thanks for your hard work. I'll transfer your labor fee to your account in a few days!"
Theodore's steps felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.
Suddenly, someone called from behind, "Stop!"
Theodore turned back to see two people getting out of the car.
The woman, around forty, looked haughty and stunning, with an air of invincibility.
Her wavy hair, her plump figure, and the shining sapphire necklace around her neck screamed of a noblewoman.
The one who had called him was Charlie Wer, his scholarly demeanor instantly vanishing, his gaze towards Theodore filled with ferocity and resentment, as if he wanted to devour him on the spot.
If it weren't for this damned bastard causing a scene at the engagement party, he wouldn't have become the laughingstock of the entire Tianzhou!
Theodore asked mockingly, "Young Master Wei, did you need me for something?"
Charlie Wei almost lost it on the spot, "Zhao, don't think I won't dare to do anything to you!"
The woman next to him grabbed him, her tone as cold as a knife, "Was it you who caused a scene at my son's engagement party yesterday?"
Theodore paused, realizing she was Charlie Wei's mother!