The room fell into a dead silence.
Everyone watched in horror as the girl, suspended outside the window by her hair, let out shrill, agonizing screams. Their faces turned deathly pale. They were not part of Lu Erya’s inner circle; they lacked the family backing that gave one the capital to act with total impunity. Consequently, their methods of bullying Lu Wensheng had leaned toward psychological torment—pranks, cold violence, collective isolation, insults, and suppression. These were ways to inflict pain and misery without leaving any tangible evidence.
They were accustomed to finding joy in Lu Wensheng’s suffering.
So, when they suddenly saw the girl they had always trampled underfoot stop playing the obedient fool and actually fight back, their first reaction was not fear, but a visceral surge of rage.
Following the rage came a torrent of sharp, accusatory shouts.
"Lu Wensheng, do you have a death wish?!"
"It seems we've been too good to you, and now your wings have grown strong enough that you dare to ignore us? Today, I’m going to teach you a lesson you’ll never forget!"
"Lu Erya isn't at school today—let’s see who’s going to protect you now!"
Watching their ugly, twisted faces and hearing their chilling, malicious threats, Lu Qingtang curled her lips into a smile. Confident that this was a script where everyone was a villain and no innocent party would be harmed, she felt a thrill of excitement. She pulled a crowbar from her schoolbag with one hand and slowly shut the door with the other.
*Bang.*
The soft sound of the door clicking shut cut the noisy clamor short.
Those who had been busy hurling insults at "Lu Wensheng" abruptly went silent. They stared at the girl walking toward them—holding a crowbar, a smile on her face, moving with a leisurely, unhurried pace. For some reason, a bone-deep sense of dread began to rise in their hearts.
Yet, a thought occurred to them instantly: there were so many of them; were they really going to be afraid of one "Lu Wensheng"? If things got out of hand, "Lu Wensheng" would be the one who started it!
Xu Jiaying, standing at the very front of the crowd, felt utterly emboldened. She sneered loftily, "Lu Wensheng, get on your knees, apologize to me for what happened last night, and give me Young Master Ning’s contact information. If you do that, I might just be merciful enough to let you off the hook!"
Lu Qingtang’s gaze locked onto her face. She smiled. "The last person who spoke to me like that is already reporting to God. It looks like you want to be the next one..."
Xu Jiaying met Lu Qingtang’s clear, chilling eyes and shivered involuntarily. She tried to reassure herself that she was the daughter of the Xu family—Lu Wensheng wouldn't dare do anything to her!
But soon, none of them could afford to laugh.
Lu Qingtang offered a gentle smile. The next second, she darted into the crowd.
What followed was a nightmarish, one-sided beating. They couldn't even see her movements, let alone fight back; they could only feel the sudden, intense waves of pain in their bodies and hear the incessant screaming around them.
In less than two minutes, the group that had been so arrogant and high-handed a moment ago was lying on the floor, weeping and wailing in pain.
Lu Qingtang had "greeted" everyone in Lu Wensheng’s class, making sure there were no survivors. She then turned her cold, piercing gaze toward the only person still standing: Xu Jiaying.
The arrogance and triumph had long since vanished from Xu Jiaying’s face. She looked at Lu Qingtang as if she were a monster. Meeting those heavy, oppressive black eyes, she could no longer suppress the terror in her heart. She covered her head and screamed, "Lu Wensheng, if you dare touch me, I’ll have my brother kill you!"
Looking at this vile, shameless bully, Lu Qingtang let out a cold laugh. She raised the crowbar in her hand, aiming it squarely at Xu Jiaying’s head, and was just about to swing down—
When the door she had just closed was suddenly pushed open from the outside.A deep voice cut through the air: "What are you doing?!"
The group that had just been pummeled by Lu Qingtang froze.
Xu Jiaying, who had almost had her skull cracked open by Lu Qingtang, felt her expression of terror instantly dissolve. She scrambled over to the newcomer, clutching his sleeve, and wept bitterly: "Brother! Lu Wensheng has gone mad! She actually picked up a weapon and tried to murder me in cold blood..."
Lu Qingtang turned her head, her expression icy.
Standing at the doorway was "Young Master Xu," the man who had nearly caused Lu Wensheng's ruin, his face dark as he looked at her.
Lu Qingtang narrowed her large, clear eyes dangerously.
Last night, in her rush to find her little husband, she had forgotten to bury this wretched piece of trash, and now he was here to ruin her day.
As Xu Jiayu met the gaze of those black-and-white eyes, that same strange, chilling sensation crept up his spine again.
He steadied himself, forcing that cold, eerie feeling down.
How could Lu Wensheng, a mere eighteen-year-old girl, harbor such an absurd thought as murder?
Besides, strictly speaking, she was his fiancée; it was even more impossible that she would want to kill him.
Listening to Xu Jiaying's accusations against Lu Wensheng, Xu Jiayu did not fly into a rage as expected, nor did he cast a cold, disgusted glance at "Lu Wensheng" before walking away, as he usually did.
He glared warningly at Xu Jiaying, then walked up to Lu Qingtang. Staring into her eyes, he asked in a cold voice, "What is your relationship with that young master of the Ning family?"
While others might not know, Xu Jiayu was well aware that the Rose Empire Hotel was the private property of the Ning family, open only to the direct line of the Ning clan.
Moreover, the hotel manager had clearly stated last night that "Lu Wensheng" was a guest of the young master of the Ning family.
Xu Jiayu was not a naive, jealous girl like Xu Jiaying, who would stubbornly insist it was all a coincidence.
In the territory of that Ning family young master, there was no such thing as an "accident."
Xu Jiayu was certain that the "Lu Wensheng" standing before him... definitely had some kind of connection to that young master.
Lu Qingtang had originally intended to say "What does that have to do with you?", but meeting the scrutiny in Xu Jiayu’s eyes and recalling how he had treated Lu Wensheng, she suddenly changed her mind.
Curving her red lips, she gave a sweet, charming smile. "Why, a very intimate relationship, of course..."
Although they had jumped the gun and were skipping the formalities, she and her little husband had indeed engaged in a very thorough and deep exchange.
There could be no relationship in this world more intimate than theirs.
Xu Jiayu’s expression shifted slightly.
The tone "Lu Wensheng" used made it clear that her relationship with the young master of the Ning family was not only complicated but likely very intimate indeed...
But how could that be?!
How noble and prestigious was that young master of the Ning family? How could he possibly take a fancy to "Lu Wensheng," a girl who could do nothing and possessed such a low and vile character?!
Xu Jiaying’s entire face was twisted with jealousy. She glared at Lu Qingtang and spat viciously, "Lu Wensheng, who do you think you are?"
"Don't think that just because you got lucky and managed to step inside that young master's hotel once, you've actually become his woman!"
"Look at yourself! A cheap, vile bitch with such a lowly background—why would that young master ever look at you?!"
"You're nothing but a daydreamer!"
Hearing Xu Jiaying’s voice, now crazed with envy, and seeing the scrutiny and disgust in Xu Jiayu’s eyes, Lu Qingtang slowly began to smile.
She touched her chin, looking at the two siblings from the Xu family. Her pretty little face was stunningly beautiful, yet chillingly indifferent. "Just for those few words from the two of you, in the future, I will make sure to whisper in my future husband's ear often, just to make sure he destroys you both..."