"Damn it! One of the villains!"
Chasing Chen Mengyun, he ends up drugging her during dinner, only to have Long Aotian kick him between the legs just as he’s about to succeed, and then...
Oh, no!
I’ve triggered this plotline ahead of schedule!
The critical point is that Long Aotian took the day off today—he’s not even at work, for crying out loud! If she goes to dinner with him now, isn't that just a little lamb walking right into the wolf's den?
Lu Chengwen immediately said, "Mengyun, you cannot associate with Hu Shuhui, and you certainly cannot go to dinner with him."
"Why? Who are you to me to be so controlling?"
"That’s not it. Hu Shuhui isn’t a good person; he’s up to no good!"
"Is there anyone in this world worse than you? Is there anyone more of a scumbag?"
Lu Chengwen was left speechless.
"In any case... even if you want to eat with him, can't you reschedule for tomorrow? I won't care what you do with him tomorrow."
"I'll eat whenever I want. Let me tell you, I've been waiting for you all these years. I've been waiting!" Chen Mengyun shouted. "I thought you would change, that you would settle down and remember the little things from when we were kids. But I never imagined that in your eyes, I was so frivolous, so cheap, so worthless!"
"You're not! You're worth everything. Mengyun, I was wrong, but you can't have dinner with Hu Shuhui. He really isn't a good person!"
Chen Mengyun turned to leave, but Lu Chengwen grabbed her. "Mengyun, I’m begging you. Everything is my fault. Please, give me another chance!"
Chen Mengyun looked at Lu Chengwen and sneered. "You said the same thing back then. It’s laughable that you think this one line can keep fooling me, that I’ll keep believing it. Lu Chengwen, I am no longer that little girl you could wrap around your finger with a few words. Why don't you go find your Leng Qingqiu and go back to being her lapdog?"
Chen Mengyun strode away, and Lu Chengwen chased after her, trying to explain. She didn't want to hear a single word and walked faster.
Lu Chengwen grew desperate and grabbed her again. "Chen Mengyun! I won't allow you to go!"
They had reached the living room by now. Chen's parents were sitting on the sofa with a plate of fruit, watching TV. Chen Moqun was there too, lying on the sofa, watching them nervously.
Lu Chengwen didn't notice the change in his surroundings and said loudly, "I don't care about anything else, but you cannot have dinner with this Hu Shuhui—not today, at the very least!"
"What right do you have to control me?"
"Because I... because I'm a piece of garbage! I'm just being unreasonable today! So what?"
Chen's father, still chewing, picked up the remote and muted the TV. The family of three sat on the sofa, silent, just watching.
Chen Mengyun sneered, "Lu Chengwen, get this straight! The Chen family isn't the kind of family that bows and scrapes to you just for the sake of corporate interests. You'd better use your brain before talking to me, Chen Mengyun!"
The two of them argued incessantly. Chen's father leaned toward Chen Moqun and whispered, "What's going on?"
Chen Moqun quickly made up a lie: "The couple is having a spat. He wants to pursue my sister, but she’s ignoring him, so she’s going to go eat with another man."
Chen's father nodded.
Chen's mother asked, "Who is Hu Shuhui?"
"The eldest son of the Hu family," Chen Moqun replied. "We got into fights back in school."
Chen's mother was confused. "Hasn't Chengwen been pursuing Leng Qingqiu? Aren't they getting engaged next month? Why is he coming to see our Mengyun now?"
Chen Moqun made up an excuse: "It's just that he’s reached the final hour and only now realized who his true love is! Just watch, it's more exciting than a soap opera."
Chen Mengyun declared, "I am going to dinner with Hu Shuhui today. If I have a good time, I’ll start dating him. As long as I, Chen Mengyun, am willing, we’ll get a hotel room tonight and get engaged next week! I’ll even have the wedding before you and Leng Qingqiu!"
Lu Chengwen finally exploded. "Fine! You'd better stick to your word. Just don't come crying to me after Hu Shuhui cheats you out of your money and virtue!"
"Even if I'm cheated, I won't come to you. I’d rather be fooled by Hu Shuhui than hear another word from you! The greatest regret of my life is ever knowing you!"
"Chen Mengyun, I'll say this one last time: what you do is your freedom. I don't care who you're with; I genuinely don't care!"
"Then why are you yelling at me?"
"Just not Hu Shuhui!"
"Well, I've taken a liking to him. What are you going to do about it?"
"Tomorrow! Tomorrow you can get a room, get engaged, or pick out a wedding dress—it’s all up to you. Can you just stay home today?"
"No! Ever since you dumped me back then, you lost the right to say things like that to me!"
"You were the one who dumped me!" Lu Chengwen roared.
"Why do you think I dumped you? Do you even have the nerve to ask?"
Lu Chengwen’s mouth moved for a long time. "It was my fault back then, but right now, I must be clear: you cannot go to Hu Shuhui’s dinner!"
Lu Chengwen turned and saw the three people on the sofa staring straight at him.
His mind instantly went cold. He bowed politely: "Hello, Uncle. Hello, Auntie."
Chen's father said, "Oh, Chengwen is here? Sit down and chat."
Chen's mother added, "Chengwen, you haven't visited in years! Sit, have some fruit."
"Ha, well, the past few years... I’ve been a bit embarrassed. I was immature back then and hurt my elders' feelings. I’ve felt guilty ever since. I was just in a bad mood today and wanted to chat with Moqun..."
Lu Chengwen felt his head spinning. He hadn't expected his future in-laws to be sitting right there while he argued with Chen Mengyun. He kept rambling, trying to ease the awkwardness.
Chen Moqun reminded him, "Brother, my sister is already gone!"
Lu Chengwen looked back and sure enough, Chen Mengyun was gone.
Lu Chengwen rushed out to chase her. "Goodbye, Uncle, Auntie."
Chen's mother stretched her neck and shouted, "Come visit when you have time!"
"I will!"
Chen's father looked confused. "What was that all about?"
"Oh, let the young people handle their own affairs. Boys and girls at this age just love to love and hate each other."
"But Lu Chengwen is about to get engaged!"
"I was about to get engaged back then, and didn't you steal me away?"
Chen's father muttered discontentedly, "He's about to be engaged and he's still coming after my daughter..."
Chen's mother urged, "The TV, the TV, turn the volume back up."
...
Lu Chengwen chased out the door, but Chen Mengyun had vanished.
He left Zhao Gang behind and drove around searching, but Snow City was so huge—how could he possibly find her? He had no choice but to call Leng Qingqiu in a panic.
Leng Qingqiu was sitting on the edge of her bed, hugging her knees, feeling sad and miserable. The situation had changed completely. Her father had issued an ultimatum, and he was a man of his word; she could be stripped of her position as president at any moment. And Lu Chengwen, once her loyal lapdog, had suddenly become heartless, looking at her as if she were a disaster, wanting nothing more than to stay ten feet away.
Has the world decided to abandon me?
Just then, Lu Chengwen's call came in. When she saw the name on the screen, a blazing fire of hope suddenly ignited in her heart. Even she was surprised by how quickly her mood had shifted. Just a moment ago, she had been so negative and sad. Seeing the call, she suddenly felt happy, holding onto a spark of hope. Over a hundred thoughts raced through her mind:
Why is he calling me? What does he want?
Did he change his mind? Is he going to pursue me again? Hmph, I won't pay him any mind!
What if he asks me out? Which outfit should I wear?
Wait, how... how should I talk to him?
Leng Qingqiu sat up, crossed her legs on the bed, adjusted her hair and clothes, cleared her throat, and took a deep breath. She patted her chest, telling herself to stay calm.
Only then did she carefully press the answer button. Despite her efforts to stay calm, her voice trembled: "Hello? What is it?"
"Qingqiu, are your people still waiting? Has Long Aotian gone home yet?"
Lu Chengwen seemed very urgent.
"They pulled back a long time ago."
"Send people immediately! You must find Long Aotian!"
"Why are you looking for him?" Leng Qingqiu's mood instantly plunged to the bottom of the abyss. So, he wasn't looking for her, nor was he pursuing her.
Lu Chengwen was frantic. "It’s an emergency, a huge emergency! I had a fight with Chen Mengyun. She got angry and went out to drink with Hu Shuhui. I’m so worried about her. I have to find Long Aotian—only he can find her and bring her back to me..."
Leng Qingqiu was instantly enraged. "Lu Chengwen! Go to hell! Just go to hell!"
She hung up the phone.
Chapter 22: Good guys, bad guys, it's hard to tell the difference.
Lu Chengwen told Zhao Gang to gather all his men and stay on standby. He dialed Leng Qingqiu's number again.
"What do you want now? Whether or not you get back together with Chen Mengyun is your business, stop harassing me!""I am not getting back together with him. I really have an emergency. Chen Mengyun is in danger, extremely dangerous. Right now, only Long Aotian can save her, so we must find Long Aotian."
"Her affairs have nothing to do with me. I am not close to her."
"Aren't you close to me, then? Even if we aren't friends, we... we've known each other for over three years, haven't we?"
Lu Chengwen was truly panicked. "Consider it a favor to me, please help me out, okay?"
Leng Qingqiu sighed. "The landlord of that residence has come back and said that Long Aotian has already checked out."
Lu Chengwen's mind went completely blank.
With Chen Mengyun running off like this, she was like a kite with a broken string, leaving not a single trace.
Leng Qingqiu asked, "What kind of danger is she in, anyway?"
Lu Chengwen said, "Anyway, if we don't find her tonight, this whole book is going to completely collapse."
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Lu Chengwen said, "I'm going to die."
"Long Aotian is just a bodyguard I fired. He shouldn't even know Chen Mengyun!"
Right!
Only then did Lu Chengwen remember that the plot hadn't reached that point yet. He was the one who had triggered this sequence of events, and even if they found Long Aotian, that kid would probably be completely clueless.
He shouldn't even know Chen Mengyun yet!
Leng Qingqiu could sense that Lu Chengwen was being entirely serious and extremely anxious.
She said earnestly, "I can help you check Hu Shuhui's itinerary."
"Great! Hurry, hurry, hurry, I'll wait for you!"
Leng Qingqiu acted with great efficiency and soon discovered that Hu Shuhui had booked a suite at the Tianhailan Grand Hotel an hour ago.
Lu Chengwen left her with a single sentence: "Your great kindness is beyond words."
Leng Qingqiu hastily asked, "What are you going to do?"
But Lu Chengwen had already hung up the phone.
...
Leading over thirty security guards, Lu Chengwen charged straight into the Tianhailan Grand Hotel.
Who could possibly stop them?
Moving like a ruthless syndicate boss determined to pull off a big job, Lu Chengwen walked at the very front as the massive group marched straight for the top floor.
The hotel security guards didn't dare to block their path, and the front desk hurriedly called the police.
When they reached the door of the suite, they had a hotel attendant knock, but the attendant couldn't get anyone to open it. Hu Shuhui inside was clearly panicked, shouting curses at the attendant through the door in an attempt to scare them away.
Lu Chengwen forced the attendant to swipe a master card to unlock the door, and then rushed inside. Before Hu Shuhui could even finish a single sentence, Lu Chengwen knocked him flat with a single punch.
Looking at the uneaten feast, candlelight, and red wine left on the dining table...
Lu Chengwen flew into a rage, pointing at Hu Shuhui and issuing orders: "Drag him out and beat him! Drag him out and beat him to death!"
Hu Shuhui lay on the floor, yelling, "Lu Chengwen, how dare you hit me? I am—"
Zhao Gang didn't care about any of that. His faith was simple and pure.
Lu Chengwen was his heaven; Lu Chengwen was his god; Lu Chengwen was the only person in this world worth following and worshipping.
Never mind Hu Shuhui—even if they were dragged down to the netherworld, at a single word from Lu Chengwen, Zhao Gang would happily chase down the King of Hell with a kitchen knife.
Zhao Gang dragged Hu Shuhui outside. With over thirty men crowded in the hallway, most couldn't even squeeze near, and Hu Shuhui's miserable screams grew grating to the ear.
One of the guys thoughtfully shut the door.
Lu Chengwen walked toward the inner suite, shouting as he went, "Mengyun! Mengyun!"
The suite was quite large, but finding Chen Mengyun was not difficult.
At that moment, Chen Mengyun was lying on the large bed, her clothes in disarray, her body writhing continuously like a snake.
Her flawless figure at that moment was practically nosebleed-inducing.
Her two full, rounded thighs were pressed tightly together, squeezing the quilt as she squirmed back and forth.
Her entire body was drenched in sweat, making her skin gleam with a slick, intensely seductive allure.
Chen Mengyun's face was frighteningly flushed, her breathing heavy. When she saw Lu Chengwen, a shred of clarity seemed to remain in her mind.
"Brother Chengwen... save... save me..."
Lu Chengwen felt a mix of fury and heartache.
He quickly stripped off his jacket, draped it over Chen Mengyun, and then scooped her up in his arms to head outside.
Chen Mengyun knew she was saved.
Though her mind was muddled, recognizing that it was Lu Chengwen gave her a sense of security.
Yet her biological instincts still drove her to emit soft, kitten-like whimpers. To Lu Chengwen, it sounded as though a little kitten were gently scratching at his heartstrings.
Chen Mengyun tightly wrapped her arms around Lu Chengwen's neck. But after all this frantic tossing and turning, Lu Chengwen was also drenched in sweat, and that masculine scent acted like some sort of stimulating signal, sending Chen Mengyun's mind spinning into a daze of infatuation.
The potent charm of male hormones pushed the stimulation index in Chen Mengyun's brain off the charts. Infatuated, she burrowed against Lu Chengwen's neck, finally wrapping her arms around him to kiss and caress him wildly...As Lu Chengwen walked to the door, all the security guards stepped aside. Hu Shuhui hurriedly begged for mercy, "Chengwen, we’ve known each other for years. Spare me this once, I..."
Lu Chengwen kicked him squarely in the face and headed straight for the elevator.
...
Inside his private villa.
No matter what he did, Lu Chengwen could not calm Chen Mengyun down. He had already forced three bottles of water down her throat, washed her face, and wiped her chest, but it had little effect. Chen Mengyun was completely delirious by now, continuously and proactively trying to seduce Lu Chengwen, whispering sweet enticements.
When Xu Xuejiao walked into the room, Chen Mengyun was still clinging to Lu Chengwen, fumbling over him, her mouth pressed against his ear. "Brother, I feel so awful. Come here! Save me, please. You're a good man, the best..."
Xu Xuejiao pulled a stern face. "Lu Chengwen, have you lost your mind? Even Sister Mengyun—how could you use such methods?"
Sweat beaded on Lu Chengwen’s forehead. "Use your brain! If I had that kind of intention, why would I have called you over?"
Xu Xuejiao frowned deeply and nodded. "What is actually going on?"
"Save her first. I'll explain later."
Lu Chengwen held Chen Mengyun steady while Xu Xuejiao administered a sedative. Though the effect wasn't instantaneous, Chen Mengyun quieted down significantly, even if she remained dazed and continued to cling to Lu Chengwen.
They spent the entire night struggling with the situation. Xu Xuejiao truly lived up to her reputation as a brilliant doctor; regardless of how eccentric she might be in her daily life, she became intensely focused and grave the moment it involved medicine and treatment.
When Chen Mengyun finally settled down, Xu Xuejiao and Lu Chengwen collapsed from exhaustion.
Then, the police came knocking.
Zhang Shen'er hauled Lu Chengwen away once again.
Sitting in the detention cell at the police station, Lu Chengwen’s mind raced. He couldn't go on like this. He was becoming far too deeply entangled with these major female leads.
He had kept Long Aotian locked in a dark room for a day, yet nothing had changed. Instead, he had ended up saving Jiang Shihhan’s mother, recovering over two billion in losses for Leng Qingqiu, and driving off Hu Shuhui to save Chen Mengyun from being violated. On top of that, he had spent the entire day constantly running into Xu Xuejiao.
And to top it all off, he’d been dragged into this cell twice in a single day.
Things weren't supposed to be this way! This wasn't how the plot was meant to go!
If I can't afford to provoke you people, can't I just hide? Tomorrow, I’ll buy a plane ticket and head straight to Southern Kingdom, Eastern Wu, Western Shu, or Western Liang... If all else fails, I’ll just charge out of Asia and go global! I’ll go to Ukraine, to the Donbas, to Kashmir... that should be enough, right?
I’ll stay away for three, five, ten, or even eight years—or perhaps I’ll just never come back. I’m rich; I can live a life of luxury and leisure anywhere. Why am I bickering with you people here in Snow City? If this continues, Long Aotian will kill me sooner or later.
Yes, that’s settled!
You want to consolidate the Four Major Families of Snow City? Here, take it, take it all! I’m not fighting you; it can all be yours.
...
As for who actually drugged whom, the matter between Lu Chengwen and Hu Shuhui became an unsolvable mystery.
Hu Shuhui would never admit to it, not even if he were beaten to death. The crime was too severe; he couldn't admit to it, nor did he dare to. The retaliation from the Chen family alone was something he couldn't handle. Thus, he insisted he had no knowledge of it, claiming Chen Mengyun had sought him out voluntarily, and that Lu Chengwen had simply shown up to assault him.
Lu Chengwen, of course, accused Hu Shuhui, but there was no evidence.
Chen Mengyun’s own statement pointed toward Hu Shuhui, mentioning that Lu Chengwen had warned her not to go. Ironically, instead of serving as testimony, this only fueled the suspicion that Lu Chengwen was the mastermind.
Right—does Lu Chengwen have the gift of prophecy, or is he possessed by a deity? They hadn't even eaten yet, and you already knew they would be drugged? What are you, some kind of mystic?
Yet, later on, Lu Chengwen hadn't done anything suspicious and had even found Xu Xuejiao to provide the antidote. Leng Qingqiu also provided testimony, stating that Lu Chengwen had frantically contacted her, tracked down the hotel where they were dining, and gone to save them.
In short, it was a mess.
Zhang Shen'er flatly refused to believe that Lu Chengwen had good intentions. *He* saved someone? Ha! Don't make me laugh; he definitely planted the drugs. Something must have gone wrong in his plan, forcing him to pivot from being the villain to the hero at the last minute.
However, the three women involved—Leng Qingqiu, Chen Mengyun, and Xu Xuejiao—all insisted in unison that Lu Chengwen was the one who saved her.
This made Zhang Shen'er want to cough up blood. What kind of trick did Lu Chengwen use? All these women from the three major families are desperately covering for him? These three women were all exceptionally accomplished in their respective fields.
Of course, coming from wealthy backgrounds and having received elite educations since childhood, their playing field was higher than most, so it was only natural for them to be successful.