Under everyone's gaze, he explained in a frail voice:
"Last night, I couldn't sleep, so I decided to take a walk by the sea. But I'd barely been walking for a little while when Xu Su showed up."
"When I saw him, I thought about how we hadn't been getting along very well lately, so I went over to apologize and make up with him. But... but..."
As he spoke, tears began spilling out again.
After a couple of sniffles, he held back his sobs and continued, "But Xu Su started hitting me without a word. I... sob..."
"I begged him to stop, but no matter what I said, he... he was like a madman. I'm not strong enough to stop him. I... sob..."
At this point, he was sobbing too hard to speak.
Xu Su immediately clapped. "Well said! That deserves a round of applause! Clap, clap, clap!"
Everyone shot him sidelong looks: ...He's talking about you, and you're praising him? Seriously?
Xu Su understood their looks but offered no explanation, continuing to praise Zhuang Luo:
"Well, I never. After that scheme failed last night, you actually came up with another one along the same lines right away. What a real eye-opener."
"Hey, if you're so smart, why not become a screenwriter? That pays a ton, too. Your stories would definitely be amazing."
His words dripped with sarcasm. Even an idiot could hear it.
Zhuang Luo pursed his lips innocently. "Mr. Huo told me to speak."
"Then may I ask if you're finished?" Huo Yuchen asked. "Anything else to add?"
That last question sounded a little strange.
A bad feeling suddenly rose in Zhuang Luo's heart.
But he had no time to think it over and could only nod. "...Y-yes, I'm finished."
"Good." Huo Yuchen lowered his eyes thoughtfully.