324: I shouldn't have said that to you.

As he spoke, Wenchalong reached out and helped Atapong up.

"Atapong, I'll accept this drink!"

Wenchalong picked up a bottle of wine from the table, poured himself a glass, and said,

"But it's not you toasting me; it's me toasting you!" As he spoke, he held his glass lower than Atapong's and prepared to clink them together.

"Uncle, you mustn't! You mustn't!" Atapong said hurriedly. He tried to lower his glass, but Wenchalong stopped him.

"Atapong, don't argue with me." Wenchalong looked at Atapong with eyes full of sincerity.

"I'm toasting you. I wish you a boundless future and a business that grows more prosperous by the day! I also hope our two families can live in harmony from now on and never have conflicts again!"

With that, Wenchalong lowered his glass, clinked it against Atapong's, tilted his head back, and drained it in one gulp.

Watching Wenchalong drain the glass, Atapong could barely hold back his tears.

Guilt and regret surged in his heart like a tide, nearly overwhelming him.

He remembered his own attitude when he had toasted earlier and the biting words he had said.

Thinking about those words now, every one of them felt like a slap to his face, stinging with pain.

How could he have said such things?

His uncle before him might not have much status and his family might be struggling, but he truly cared about family ties. Even after being humiliated like that, he still wished Atapong a prosperous business and hoped for family harmony.

In comparison, he was nothing but a jerk.

"Uncle..." Atapong's voice choked up. He no longer cared about saving face and forced his glass down even lower than Wenchalong's had been, then raised it toward him.

"I should be the one toasting you. I was such a jerk before; please don't hold it against me."

After saying this, he also tilted his head back and drained the glass in one go.

The wine was strong, making him cough twice, and his tears finally fell.

In those tears, there was regret, guilt, and the warmth of being moved by Wenchalong's tolerance.

Lei Jun watched this scene quietly, filled with emotion.

She used to think that such family conflicts could only be resolved through force or stalemates, but she hadn't expected Wenchalong to break the deadlock in the simplest and most sincere way.

She couldn't help but remember what Su Qing had told her—that her father actually had a hard life, working for the family his whole life, but he was just too soft-hearted and didn't know how to express himself.

Looking at it now, Wenchalong's "softness" was actually a form of great wisdom and a deep cherishing of family bonds.

Wenchalong watched Atapong finish the wine, a look of relief appearing on his face. He patted Atapong's shoulder, his tone still gentle. "Atapong, you're a man of passion, and Su Cha has a blunt personality too!"

Atapong nodded, feeling even worse inside.

Although Su Cha was blunt and spoke sharply, he hadn't really made things difficult for him earlier. Instead, it was Atapong himself who had clung to past trivialities and taken out his anger on Wenchalong.

"As for the things he did wrong and the words he said in the past, I apologize to you!" Wenchalong's tone shifted, becoming exceptionally solemn.

Before Atapong could react, he saw Wenchalong take a step back and give him a deep bow, bending so low it was almost ninety degrees.

"Atapong, I'm sorry."

"Uncle!" Atapong was scared out of his wits. He quickly stepped forward and grabbed Wenchalong's arms, helping him up.

His hands were shaking, and he was filled with both moved emotion and guilt, stuttering and unable to form a complete sentence.

"Uncle, please don't say that. I... I'm the one who needs to apologize to you. I was wrong, I was immature, I shouldn't have spoken to you like that. Please don't apologize to me; I don't deserve it!"

He really didn't deserve it.

If word got out that an elder had bowed and apologized to a junior, how could Atapong show his face in public again?

Moreover, this whole mess was his fault to begin with. Not only did Wenchalong not blame him, but he also apologized on behalf of his son. This level of tolerance made Atapong feel utterly ashamed.

Lei Jun was also somewhat surprised when she saw Wenchalong bow.

She hadn't expected Wenchalong to go to such lengths; it seemed he truly wanted to completely resolve the conflict between the two families.

She glanced at Su Cha standing nearby and saw that his face was expressionless. He was neither surprised nor opposed, as if he had long expected his father to do this.

While Atapong and Wenchalong were still going back and forth with their apologies, Su Cha suddenly spoke up. "Alright, the wine has been drunk, and the apology has been made. The matter is settled. The card game between us ends here! Take your stakes back!"

These words were like a thunderclap exploding in the courtyard.

Atapong was stunned, his mouth hanging open, unable to react for a long time.

He doubted his own ears. What did Su Cha say?

Let them take their stakes back?

The stakes for his game with Su Cha were not small; he and Nala had put a lot of money into it.

But now, Su Cha was actually telling them to take it back? Was this for real?

Nala, standing nearby, was even more dazed.

She had been on edge, fearing Su Cha would make things difficult for them. After all, Atapong had humiliated Wenchalong so much; if Su Cha wanted revenge, he had plenty of ways to get it.

But she never expected that not only would Su Cha not retaliate, but he would also let them take their stakes back. How was this possible?

She pulled on Atapong's arm and whispered, "Hubby, is... is what he said true? We didn't hear him wrong, did we?"

The stakes were no small amount; if they could get them back, that would be wonderful.

Lei Jun was also a bit surprised. She thought that even if Su Cha didn't pursue the matter further, he wouldn't return the stakes so easily.

After all, the card game was voluntary, and one should accept the outcome of winning or losing.

But Su Cha's actions were clearly meant to stop holding a grudge against Atapong and to turn the page on the matter completely.

It took Atapong a while to find his voice. He looked at Su Cha with eyes full of doubt. "Cousin, are you serious? You're letting us take the stakes back?"

He truly couldn't believe that such a windfall would fall into his lap.

Su Cha said helplessly, "Otherwise? Or should we keep betting?"

"No more betting, no more betting!" Atapong waved his hands hurriedly, fearing Su Cha might change his mind.

After confirming Su Cha was serious, a surge of wild joy instantly filled his heart, washing away much of his previous guilt and shame.

He turned to look at Nala with excitement in his eyes, and Nala returned the look with equal thrill.

Atapong's father, Songphong, had been standing aside in silence. Hearing Su Cha's words, he also breathed a sigh of relief.

He had been worried that this matter would get out of hand and affect the relationship between the two families, but now it seemed he had worried for nothing.