《Revenge Sevenfold》


 Chapter 1 You’re Trash, Hui Yin

    The nails that bit deep into the palm of the girl drew blood.


    "Let me see him."


    The girl who spoke stood trembling in front of arge mansion, her eyes red.


    There were tear stains on her cheeks, and she was biting her lower lip with force. Gaunt and thin, she looked like the softest gust of wind could topple her.


    Across from her was another girl, but their appearance were heavens and earth apart.


    Where Hui Yin''s haircked luster, Nian Zhen''s hair was thick and shiny. Where Hui Yin''s cheeks were almost caved, Nian Zhen''s cheeks were soft and rosy. Where Hui Yin''s body was frail and sick-looking, Nian Zhen''s body was healthy and elegant-looking.


    Anyone looking at the two of them will definitely not believe that Hui Yin had once captured every man that looked at her due to her breathtaking beauty.


    Because of Lu Shen, Hui Yin gave up everything in exchange for his love.


    She made herself submissive to be a good housewife, and suppressed her dreams to gain the approval of his family. Because of Nian Zhen''s advice that were vinegaryered with honey, she believed that taking care of herself was too excessive, that Lu Shen and his family would think of her as superficial if she bought anything for herself other than the basic necessities.


    Slowly, Hui Yin let herself go.


    Her clothes became more matronly, her beauty disappearing with rough care. She stayedte each night to cook for Lu Shen while he was busy, and woke up early each morning to cook him breakfast. Less than a wife, she was more like a ve in their years of marriage.


    And all of this effort only earned her a frosty nce from him.


    He didn''t acknowledge her as his wife. He could barely even look at her, sometimes.


    And all along, Nian Zhen was there, reassuring Hui Yin that she would take care of it, since she and Hui Yin were best friends, and because Nian Zhen and Lu Shen were childhood friends. Hui Yin thought that Nian Zhen was telling Lu Shen of her good points, of how good of a wife she was, and slowly change his mind.


    Little did she know that Nian Zhen''s meaning of ''taking care of him'' was vastly different from hers.


    While she ved everyday like a housekeeper, they were enjoying exploring the sheets in the master bedroom where she slept at night. While she was being made fun of by her mother-inw for being too ugly, Nian Zhen was slowly bing the dignified daugher-inw that Mrs. Lu had always wanted.


    While she looked at Lu Shen with lovestruck eyes, he was already looking at someone else with love.


    Right now, as the two girls faced each other, their fates had been definitely reversed.


    Nian Zhen slowly curled her lip as she nced at the decrepit Hui Yin.


    "What are you doing here? Don''t you know that trash are not allowed in our home?"


    Hui Yin flinched. Thatrge mansion was once her home. Now, she couldn''t even enter the front gates.


    "I need to see him," she repeated, clenching her fists.


    "Where did you get that confidence?" Nian Zhen sneered at her with contempt. "He doesn''t want to see you. In fact, he told me that waking up next to you during all those years felt like he was trapped in an endless nightmare. Now, at least, he could wake up and see my beautiful face. You''re trash, Hui Yin."


    Although she was already used to his insults, Hui Yin could still feel her heart breaking.


    Just how many times had that man broke it, and broke it again after it scarred, and still she clung to him, begging for scraps of his love.

 Chapter 2 Lu Shen’s Child

    "I still need to see him," the girl said.


    Although Hui Yin already looked like a mangy mutt begging to see her ex-husband outside the gates, her eyes were wide and soulful,shes trembling with unshed tears.


    She had already lost her beauty, but those enchanting eyes of her were unchanging, making you want to drown in them.


    Nian Zhen felt hatred bubble up like acid in her stomach, and she looked down at the expensive ring in her finger. Slowly, her lips began to curve triumphantly.


    Ha! What was there to be jealous of? Hui Yin had already fallen this low. Poor, divorced, and ugly, how could she even dare topete with Nian Zhen? Plus, Lu Shen was already hers. Does a lion need to be mindful of a dog?


    "I have his child..."


    As the soft whisper reached her ears, Nian Zhen froze.


    She looked at Hui Yin outside the gates, and now she noticed that the girl was caressing her stomach tenderly. In that brief second, Nian Zhen was suddenly seized with rage.


    How could that slut have Lu Shen''s child?


    She, Nian Zhen, was supposed to be the one to give birth to the heir of the Lu family. She had meticulously nned her way to the top, but she had forgotten this one important thing.


    Nian Zhen ground her teeth. How dare this trash drive a wedge in her ns?


    Thinking quickly, the disdainful look in Nian Zhen''s face softened, and she opened up the gates. But she didn''t let Hui Yin enter.


    Instead, she was the one who went outside, and ced a gentle hand on Hui Yin''s shoulder.


    "You have Lu Shen''s child?" she asked, hiding her vindictive inner thoughts. "How sure are you that you''re pregnant? Did you go to the doctor? You know that Lu Shen will definitely not believe you if you don''t have hard evidence backing you up."


    Hui Yin felt uneasy when she saw how Nian Zhen quickly shifted her attitude, but the way she spoke to her reminded her of the old times they spent together, and her heart weakened.


    "Yes, I went to the doctor. It''s only three months old. But I didn''t bring any evidence..."


    Hui Yin realized that Nian Zhen was slowly steering her away from the front gates. "Where are we going?"


    "To see a doctor, silly. You need to have an ultrasound to show Lu Shen." Nian Zhen gave her a dazzling smile. "I was hurrying earlier, so I parked my car at the corner."


    "Oh." Hui Yin moved away from her, her hands hugging her stomach. There was a string of bracelet on her wrist, fiery red against her pale skin. It had been given to her and Lu Shen as a matrimonial gift. "It''s fine, I''m sure Lu Shen can call a doctor at ho...at the mansion."


    She was about to say ''home'', before painfully realizing that it wasn''t hers anymore.


    Nian Zhen''s eyes darkened as her eyes fell on the bracelet, and to the barely discernible bump on the girl''s stomach. They were both ugly reminders that Lu Shen didn''t truly belong to her.


    With anger coursing through her veins, she ignored Hui Yin''s attempts on getting away from her and dragged her forcefully towards the main streets.


    Hui Yin felt a sh of panic. "What are you¡ª"


    She tried to struggle, but malnutrition, apanied by her fatigue during pregnancy, made her efforts futile.


    With an abrupt shove from Nian Zhen, Hui Yin suddenly saw herself standing in the middle of the road, eyes wide. Like a deer caught in the headlights, she could only look at the car getting closer and closer¡ª


    Until all Hui Yin could see was darkness.

 Chapter 3 He Was Trying To Kill Her

    Hui Yin wed her way out of the suffocating darkness, desperately trying to breathe.


    There was something heavy on top of her, and as she struggled, it forcefully held her down. Kisses rained down on the soft skin of her neck, and Hui Yin made a soft sound of protest.


    "No...please stop. Stop!"


    She forced her eyes to open.


    A familiar pale blue ceiling greeted her, with blue curtains and celebrity posters on the walls.


    Hui Yin blinked.


    It looked simr to her apartment when she was still twenty-two.


    "Stop?" asked a dangerously low voice.


    Her eyes focused on the man above her, who looked so sinfully handsome that a woman could take one look at him and immediately fall under his spell. A pair of dark, fathomless eyes stared back at her, looking displeased.


    Hui Yin bolted upright.


    "Lu Shen!" she eximed, and tried to get out of the bed.


    But the man continued to grip her arms, imprisoning her under his body. Hui Yin struggled harder, but Lu Shen didn''t ease his hold. In fact, he just held her even tighter.


    "Let me go!"


    Hui Yin could feel panic wing its way out of her throat, fear tasting bitter in her tongue. There were no extremes Nian Zhen and Lu Shen would choose not to go, as long as they got rid of her.


    Nian Zhen would push her on the way of an iing car just to get rid of her baby, and Lu Shen was choking her to death so that Hui Yin would never be able to tell anyone about it.


    In desperation, Hui Yin bit the man''s arm with her teeth. As he loosened his hold on her in surprise, Hui Yin jumped out of the bed and grabbed themp on her bedside table. She raised it above her head, ready to swing it on Lu Shen in case he lunged at her.


    But the man on the bed didn''t move. He stared at Hui Yin, looking surprised.


    The girl stood in front of him with amp on her right hand, her chest heaving up and down. Despite the wild look in her eyes, Lu Shen could not help the desire that filled his body as he stared at her.


    Jet-ck hair framed her small face in soft waves, some strands sticking on her flushed cheeks. Her nightgown had hiked up, showing her creamy white legs.


    Against his will, a certain appendage on his lower body stood up and took notice.


    Hui Yin red at the man that was trying to kill her. She was both feeling fear and desire¡ªafter all, she had loved him for nearly a lifetime. Although she clearly knew better, it would be hard for her to forget her feelings for him so easily.


    "Get out," she demanded, trying to hide how much themp shook in her trembling hands.


    "Get out, or I''ll call the police."


    Lu Shen stared at her for a second longer, then shook his head. He grabbed his phone and coat, then walked over to the door.


    Before he went out, he gave her a frosty nce.


    "You''re a crazy girl, Hui Yin," he said, then mmed the door behind him.

 Chapter 4 She Was Reborn

    The instant Lu Shen had left, Hui Yin copsed like a stringless puppet on the floor.


    Her whole body was trembling, and sweat had molded the nightgown to her body. Themp fell onto the floor with a soft thud, and the girl stared at the messy bed where she found herself a few minutes before lying together with Lu Shen.


    Hui Yin was incredibly confused. Since the beginning of their marriage, she could easily count on one hand the number of times Lu Shen had shared her bed.


    A few of those times, he was really drunk, and Hui Yin had no idea if Lu Shen was really looking at her or a drunken illusion of Nian Zhen.


    But the man earlier had been sober.


    Maybe he felt guilty at what Nian Zhen had done to their baby?


    Hui Yin could clearly feel that her womb was empty, and all at once, tears fell like raindrops on her cheeks. Her baby was gone¡ªall because Nian Zhen couldn''t tolerate that Hui Yin had produced Lu Shen a legitimate heir first.


    But Hui Yin knew that what had happened was partly her fault too. If she hadn''t been so trusting and foolish, perhaps she could have given birth to a baby that would give her the love she clearlycked in this life.


    As she was putting themp back on the bedside table, Hui Yin caught sight of her reflection on the dressing table.


    All at once, extreme shock made her mouth drop open in surprise.


    It was because the girl on the mirror was astonishingly beautiful.


    Her hair looked silky and smooth, tumbling in loose waves across her shoulders. Her skin was clear and wless, just like a piece of jade. Her lips were full and shaped like a Cupid''s bow, and at that moment, it was parted enticingly in surprise.


    Hui Yin realized with a start that she recognized the girl on the mirror.


    The girl was a younger version of Hui Yin.


    She slowly reached up and touched her cheeks, but the roughness that she was getting used to feel was not there. There were no calluses on her hands because of hard work, and the dark shadows underneath her eyes because of too many sleepless nights had also vanished.


    Hui Yin was stunned.


    "I was...reborn?"


    She recognized the apartment she had woken up in. It was the apartment she had rented when she and Lu Shen had just gotten engaged in her past life.


    Although he was always busy with work, Hui Yin clearly remembered that she had begged him countless times to stay with her every night. What happened earlier was probably also because of this, her extreme reluctance to let Lu Shen go.


    Hui Yin watched as the eyes of the girl on the mirror slowly turned cold.


    Now that she was reborn, she would not make the same mistake again.

 Chapter 5 This Time Around

    The impatient knock on the door woke Hui Yin up.


    She found herself lying on the bed she had owned when she was still twenty-two, extremely happy because she had a good night''s sleep. Ever since her marriage to Lu Shen, Hui Yin had either gone to bedte because of helping Lu Shen with his several work documents, or because she was being gued with endless nightmares.


    So she opened the door with a smile, which instantly dissolved once she saw that it was Lu Shen.


    Lu Shen''s forehead creased. He found that this girl had been behaving oddly sincest night. Usually, she opened the door with a frown, but once she saw that it was him, it would quickly blossom into a smile.


    Maybe...she was expecting someone else?


    Hui Yin felt her waist being grabbed, but before she could protest, the words died in her mouth as Lu Shen''s mouth covered hers.


    She jerked her head away, but the arm around her waist tightened.


    A hand grabbed her chin to keep her steady, and Hui Yin was helpless as Lu Shen kissed her roughly...his tongue tangled with hers, and the resolve she had madest night began to crumble.


    Hui Yin was nearly out of breath when Lu Shen finally pulled away, and she looked at him with wide eyes. A secondter, she began to feel ufortable, as something warm and hard began to press against her stomach.


    Lu Shen pushed her away.


    "Go inside and change," he said, his voice cold. "We''re leaving in five minutes. Don''t bete again."


    Immediately after saying that, he walked away without looking back at her.


    Hui Yin felt like he had pped her.


    So he had only kissed her to punish her. After being treated by him like a ve in her previous lifetime, had she still not learned her lesson?


    Hui Yin bitterlyughed, hating herself for being so weak.


    If she couldn''t fight for herself in this lifetime, then what was the use of being reborn?


    ...


    After she got into his car, they immediately drove off. As sceneries passed her by, Hui Yin realized that the route was starting to look familiar.


    She looked at Lu Shen.


    "Are we going to the airport?"


    He didn''t even look at her. "Yes."


    Hui Yin remembered in a sh what had happened in her previous lifetime when Lu Shen decided to bring her with him to the airport.


    He had told her in terse words that the girl he was going to pick up was his childhood friend, and that Hui Yin should better be nice to her, because they were close to each other.


    The Hui Yin of that lifetime had felt excited that her fianc¨¦ was finally introducing his friends to her, so when they went to the airport, Lu Shen''s precious ''childhood friend'' instantly became Hui Yin''s best friend.


    She was even happy that the girl from abroad seemed so nice, always looking out for her...however, the Hui Yin of that previous lifetime did not notice the sh of intense jealousy on the girl''s face when she realized that Hui Yin was actually Lu Shen''s fianc¨¦e.


    Because of that, Hui Yin had beenpletely vulnerable to the girl''s devious tricks and ns...


    As they arrived at the airport, Hui Yin''s lips slowly curved into a sneer.


    Nian Zhen, let''s see who wins this time around!

 Chapter 6 Hated Him A Little Bit More

    The airport was veryrge, just as Hui Yin had remembered it. There were a lot of people as well, and she noticed that all of them were very well-dressed.


    The driver dropped off the two of them at the entrance, and Lu Shen briskly started walking without paying any attention to Hui Yin.


    Gritting her teeth, she quickly followed.


    As the people around them saw Lu Shen, they started getting extremely excited.


    "Isn''t that Lu Shen?"


    "Wow, he really looks like a god! How could someone be so handsome?"


    "I''m bing pregnant just by looking at him!"


    It was not only the girls who were eager to see him. There were old businessmen who greedily sought audience with Lu Shen as well, and they looked at him the way a pack of wolves might look at a raw b of meat.


    But still, they didn''t dare approach him. Lu Shen was infamously known for being cold and curt, and those who unluckily triggered that unpredictable temper of his instantly discovered what exactly happened to those who messed with the cr¨¨me de cr¨¨me of the society.


    Lu Shen had basically the best things in life: intelligence, talent, looks, status, and wealth. He had so much power he was often called as a king without a crown even in elite circles.


    Looking at the tall back of the man in front of her, Hui Yin could only feel contempt. This man had everything, and yet he had given his wife nothing.


    When she had worn her favorite dress to tatters because she had no other better clothes to pick, did he offer to buy for her?


    When she had been so lonely that she had cried herself to sleep at night, did his broad shoulders help her carry that overwhelming burden?


    When she had so many false usations thrown at her that even she who knew the truth began to doubt herself, did he step up and used his status to protect her?


    Lu Shen had done none of this. Instead, he had let her face all of this alone.


    Yet, when Nian Zhen who had so many branded clothes whined about getting a new one, he unhesitatingly gave her his exclusive ck card. When Nian Zhen got so much as a little scratch, he was the first one to get the first-aid kit to treat it.


    When Nian Zhen fanned the rumors about Hui Yin, none of which were actually true, he had actually indulged her.


    More than Nian Zhen, Hui Yin hated Lu Shen a little bit more.


    The crowded path cleared before Lu Shen, but it immediately closed after him, which left Hui Yin behind as she had to dodge around the crowd. Very quickly, she lost sight of his back.


    As she stood there, wondering what to do, someone bumped into her and made Hui Yin fall down.

 Chapter 7 Forced To Marry

    The person who bumped into Hui Yin was one of the middle-aged businessmen who flocked around Lu Shen, and in his haste, he did not notice Hui Yin at all.


    When he realized that he had knocked someone over, he only felt annoyance. He was about to look down and berate this insignificant person who dared to block his way, when a beautiful sight greeted him.


    Since Lu Shen had only given Hui Yin five minutes to change, she decided to wear a dress to save time.


    It was pale blue with little flowers on it, whichplimented her white skin and hugged her figure.


    Since she had fallen over, the dress slightly rose up, showing her slender legs and the strappy sandals she had worn over her feet.


    Her hair tumbled over her shoulders, and the eyes that red at the businessman from under long, thick eyshes just gave her a more seductive appeal.


    Oh, wow, he thought, openly leering. A rare beauty. Everyone will definitely be envious of me if I make her mine!


    He did not bother to mask his lust as he offered a hand to the fallen girl.


    "Miss, are you alright?"


    Hui Yin stared coldly at the old man in front of her, not willing to take his dirty hand. She was about to stand up on her own when a strong hand grabbed her elbow, jerking her upright.


    "No need."


    Lu Shen''s frigid aura made the middle-aged businessman sweat. His dark eyes were cold and frightening, and the middle-aged businessman quickly retracted his hand.


    "M¡ªMy apologies, Mr. Lu," he said nervously, wiping his sweaty forehead with a handkerchief. "I didn''t know that she was your friend."


    Lu Shen did not say anything, but the temperature around him dropped a couple more degrees. Thoroughly terrified, the middle-aged businessman could only mumble more profuse apologies and give them a deep bow, before immediately scurrying off.


    Hui Yin red at the hand that gripped her elbow. "Let go of me."


    Lu Shen ignored her, and dragged her arm as they resumed walking. Hui Yin became angry, and harshly pinched his hand. Lu Shen looked down at her with darkened eyes.


    "What?" His voice was a low growl.


    "Let go of me," said Hui Yin, yanking her hand away. "And don''t touch me ever again!"


    Lu Shen stared at the girl who was looking at him with hatred, unconsciously rubbing the area where he touched her, as if trying to wipe it away. He always had an erratic temper, but around this girl, he found that he could lose control of the beast inside him easily.


    He wanted to push her against the wall, and touch her until his mark was branded on her skin. He wanted to kiss her until her lips became swollen, so that she would never forget his taste. He wanted to do a lot of things with her, all of which involved a bed.


    Lu Shen pinched his nose in aggravation.


    "I will touch you when I want to."


    After saying those words, which sounded like an order, Lu Shen gave Hui Yin another cold look.


    "Stay close."


    And then he strode away again, and Hui Yin sulked as she obediently followed him.


    She realized that she had to break their engagement quickly, before she was forced to marry this man again.

 Chapter 8 Happy Reunion

    Thankfully, they didn''t have to wait too long for Nian Zhen.


    Lu Shen had barely taken another step when a slender girl suddenly threw herself at him, squealing his name.


    Her hair was artfully styled, and she was wearing expensive clothing. Although a pair of sunsses hid her eyes, her red lips were curved in a smile.


    "Brother Shen, I missed you!"


    For the first time since she had met him, Hui Yin saw Lu Shen''s emotionless fa?ade crack as his lips quirked into what seemed to be a small smile.


    His arm patted the girl''s back, seeming as happy as she was.


    Although Hui Yin had already epted that Lu Shen''s heart would never be hers, her heart still twisted at seeing the happy reunion.


    She was also reminded by the fact that it was Nian Zhen who had caused her death in her former life, so she had to struggle to keep the smile fixed in her face.


    "You look as handsome as ever!" Nian Zhen teased.


    She finally noticed Hui Yin, who was standing behind him. "And who''s this? Your new assistant?"


    Hui Yin suppressed her emotions and took a step forward, greeting Nian Zhen with a humble smile.


    "Hello. I''m Hui Yin, Lu Shen''s fianc¨¦e."


    Hui Yin was observing Nian Zhen''s expression closely, so this time she didn''t miss the sh of hatred in the other girl''s eyes.


    "A fianc¨¦e?" Nian Zhen nced at Lu Shen. "What''s this? Your idea of a joke?"


    Lu Shen looked at Hui Yin, his eyes unreadable.


    "It''s not a joke. Hui Yin is indeed my fianc¨¦e."


    Nian Zhenughed, but it sounded fake to Hui Yin''s ears. Of course, it really was fake.


    "Wow. It seems you''re getting married before me. I see that your fianc¨¦ is really beautiful."


    Hui Yin knew what to do, andughed with her. "You''re ttering me. You''re more beautiful than I am, Miss Nian."


    The two girls smiled at each other, both with swords drawn and bows bent.


    After chatting a bit more and picking up Nian Zhen''s luggage, they went to the car where driver Cheng was waiting patiently for them.


    Hui Yin sat on the passenger seat, since in her previous life, she had chosen to sit with Lu Shen in the backseat and had to be subtly reminded by Nian Zhen that the two of them had a lot of catching up to do. Even Lu Shen had gazed at her in disapproval, and Hui Yin had to transfer herself to the passenger seat in embarrassment.


    So to avoid a blow to her dignity, Hui Yin immediately chose to let Nian Zhen have the backseat. This action hadn''t gone unnoticed by Lu Shen, who gazed at the girl in the passenger seat with an unreadable expression.


    Nian Zhen secretly sneered in her heart. At least this girl knew her position!


    Nian Zhen chatted with Lu Shen for the whole ride, but he seemed to be unresponsive and was gazing at the window with a stony look.


    He nced at the girl in the passenger seat from time to time, seeming to get more and more displeased each time he saw Hui Yin there with an unconcerned look in her face as she yed with her phone.


    She didn''t seem to be paying attention to the people in the back, only looking up once in a while to check if they had arrived yet.

 Chapter 9 How She Stomach Eating?

    Because they hadn''t had breakfast, Lu Shen had driver Cheng bring them to an upper ss restaurant, where you had to reserve ahead for three months just to get a table.


    But since Lu Shen was there, they were quickly seated with no problems.


    Hui Yin had no appetite for the food at all.


    With the two people who made her past life so miserable in front of her, how could she stomach eating?


    She gazed at the menu with a troubled look.


    "I''ll have the sirloin steak, crab crepes, and grilled vegetables," said Nian Zhen without batting an eye, and Hui Yin nearly puked blood when she saw that what she had ordered was almost worth 150 thousand yuan!


    Lu Shen ordered next, and since he had a big appetite, what he ordered was almost twice as expensive as Nian Zhen''s. Lu Shen expectantly looked at Hui Yin, who was getting a stomachache from the thought of spending so much money.


    Although Lu Shen had indeed spoiled her in the beginning of their rtionship, Hui Yin was used to being poor in their years of marriage. Her appetitepletely gone, she ced the menu back on the table.


    "I''m not hungry," she said to the man who was nearly turning her into an ice sculpture with his intense gaze.


    Lu Shen''s left eye twitched.


    Not hungry? How could she not be hungry? They hadn''t had the chance to eat breakfast yet since he woke her up early in the morning to pick up Nian Zhen.


    First this girl refused his touch, and now she couldn''t even stomach eating in front of him?


    "I''ll order for you," he said, his voice extremely cold.


    Lu Shen then picked up his menu again, and rattled off a lot of dishes that was more than his and Nian Zhen''sbined.


    Hui Yin''s mouth popped open in surprise. Was he trying to kill by her by making her eat too much? She couldn''t possibly finish all of those food!


    As soon as the waiter left, Nian Zhen hogged Lu Shen''s attention again by talking about her adventures abroad. Hui Yin felt bored, and decided to check her WeChat if there was anyone she could speak to.


    Her finger hovered on a name that was online.


    Jiang Xu...


    She remembered that their interaction had stopped after she graduated out of college, even in her past life.


    She had been infatuated with Lu Shen so much that she had forgotten there was another important person in her life.


    Hui Yin smiled, and sent him a short message.


    ''Hello,'' she typed. ''Dear brother Jiang, do you still remember me?''

 Chapter 10 Twist Of Fate

    After a short second, her phone buzzed.


    Tiger On The Prowl: En.


    As usual, he was really a fan of short replies.


    ck Ancient Kingdoms: Only a one-word reply when we haven''t seen each other for so long?


    Tiger On The Prowl: En.


    Hui Yin didn''t know whether tough or cry. As expected, Jiang Xu really wasn''t the type to draw legs on a snake!


    ck Ancient Kingdoms: I want to see you! How are you?


    Tiger On The Prowl: OK.


    ck Ancient Kingdoms: Can we meet? Maybe tomorrow at eight in the usual spot?


    Tiger On the Prowl: En.


    ck Ancient Kingdoms: I really missed you!


    Tiger On The Prowl: I missed you too.


    Hui Yin blinked. That Jiang Xu had actually typed a reply of more than one word? What a miracle!


    Feeling happy that she was going to have her own little reunion, she didn''t mind the intimate proximity of Lu Shen and Nian Zhen anymore.


    When they had seated themselves at the restaurant earlier, Nian Zhen upied the seat beside Lu Shen without hesitation, leaving Hui Yin no other choice but to sit opposite them like she was their lightbulb and not the other way around.


    But with the prospect of seeing an old friend tomorrow, nothing could dampen Hui Yin''s happiness at that moment.


    However, she waspletely unaware that someone had been staring at her since she smiled at her phone because of Jiang Xu, his dark eyes turning frigid.


    Lu Shen hadn''t heard a word of Nian Zhen''s endless chattering, because he was too busy pondering the girl across from him.


    For a while, she seemed to be only bored, but she suddenly looked at her phone and shed a radiant smile. Her fingers were rapidly typing, so Lu Shen knew that she was chatting with someone.


    His hands clenched into fists under the table.


    Lu Shen felt an indescribable urge to take away her phone, and it took all of his control to reign his temper back in. Nian Zhen had just arrived, so he didn''t want to ruin her first day after returning to the country.


    Nian Zhen finally realized that Lu Shen wasn''t paying any attention to her. She followed his gaze, and her eyes narrowed.


    "Tell me, how did you and Lu Shen meet?"


    Hui Yin looked up from her phone when she heard Nian Zhen''s voice talking to her.


    So they finally realized that the two of them weren''t alone?


    Hui Yin smiled. "Just by a twist of fate."


    A cruel twisted fate, that made herpletely hate the man she loved.


    "Just that?" Nian Zhen raised her eyebrows.


    "Don''t be so tight lipped, Yinyin. I know Brother Shen since we were children, and I know I wouldn''t be able to get the story from him since he''s so quiet. You''re the only one who can tell me."


    Yinyin?


    Hui Yin almost couldn''t resist pping at Nian Zhen''s outstanding performance.


    Not only did she ingratiate herself with Hui Yin by calling her with an intimate nickname, she also managed to insinuate that she knew Lu Shen better than she would ever do because the two of them had a past that didn''t involve her.


    "I''m not a good storyteller, so it''s better if you ask Lu Shen," lied Hui Yin, doing her best to look like a sweet, pampered fianc¨¦e. "I don''t know how he was in the past, but he always seems to like talking to me."


    Hui Yin peeked a nce at Lu Shen as she said that, but he didn''t seem to have any ns on contradicting her. He was only calmly sipping his water.


    "Oh, is that so?" Nian Zhen''s smile turned ugly.

 Chapter 11 Great Dragon King!

    Before the situation could take a turn for the worse, the food that they ordered finally arrived.


    Hui Yin''s appetite revived at seeing the delicious feast in front of her. They were even steaming a little bit, and looked very pleasing to the eye.


    Nian Zhen was busy taking photos of the food, so Hui Yin couldn''t immediately dig in.


    Nian Zhen even arranged them a bit and begged Lu Shen to take a selfie with her, but he absolutely refused.


    "Just eat," said Lu Shen, looking irritated.


    Hui Yin hid a smile.


    Childhood friends? Howe Nian Zhen didn''t seem to know that Lu Shen was easily annoyed by cameras?


    In her past life, whenever the paparazzi took a photo of Lu Shen without his consent, the newspaperpanies that they belonged to quickly became bankrupt.


    Nian Zhen pouted. "Brother Shen is so stingy."


    Hui Yin made a face, and quickly finished eating the food before she lost her appetite again.


    As expected of a Michelin 3-star restaurant!


    Hui Yin thoroughly enjoyed the meal if not thepany, and thought that even if Lu Shen was a bastard, it really wasn''t all that bad hugging the thickest thigh in the capital.


    Nian Zhen was still seething from Hui Yin''s jab earlier, so she doubled up her effort in cozying up with Lu Shen.


    "Brother Shen, do you want to taste my crab crepes? It''s good!"


    "Brother Shen, Wang Yong''s birthday ising up soon. We should go together, and choose some amazing gifts for him."


    "Look Brother Shen, you have a bit of sauce on your cheek!"


    "Excuse me, I''m going to the bathroom for a bit," said Hui Yin, and left.


    She didn''t want to be wasteful and throw up the delicious food she had just eaten.


    Seeing her going away, Lu Shen''s face turned ck.


    "Brother Shen, there''s a movie I¡ª"


    "Later," said Lu Shen coldly, and stood up.


    His dark eyes were icy, and the aura he emitted was so frightening that the other diners who were near to their table unconsciously shivered.


    Because it was an upper ss restaurant, most people there were wealthy businessmen as well. When they saw that it was Lu Shen, the youngest CEO and Chairman of thergest multinational corporation in the country, they quickly hunched down and nervously crossed their fingers, hoping that his bad temper wouldn''t reach them as well.


    If he decided to bankrupt them on a whim, it would simply be too easy for him to do so!


    Generally in almost allpanies, the role of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer was not assigned to the same person, since it could create an inherent conflict of interest.


    But the Lu Corporation specially contained a provision for appointment of the same person just for Lu Shen! Although he was still young, Lu Shen had singlehandedly made thepany rise up to unimaginable heights, and proved himself again and again to be a dragon among men.


    Because of this, he was then secretly dubbed as the Great Dragon King!

 Chapter 12 Damn You, Shu

    Unaware of themotion that she had left behind, Hui Yin was currently sitting on the t ceramic surface surrounding the sink of the women''s restroom, ying Onmyoji.


    Because the other diners were all busy eating, Hui Yin had the restroom all to herself.


    Since no one would hear her anyway, Hui Yin didn''t bother to be quiet.


    "Shit! Too many hitotsume!"


    "AHHHH!"


    "You stupid, confused Onikiri!"


    "No, I won''t let you win!"


    At the end, their team still lost. Looking at the word ''victory'' on the screen, Hui Yin felt wronged.


    As she went out of the restroom, she muttered in dissatisfaction, "Damn you, Shu..."


    Hui Yin was about to say ''Shuten Doji'', a Shikigami in the game, but the words dried up in her mouth as she stared at the man waiting for her outside the restroom.


    "Shu...?" Lu Shen''s voice was dangerously low. "Tell me, Xiao Yin, what was the name of the man you were texting in there? Shu-de? Shu-yen? What else are you not telling me, hmm?"


    With each male name he suggested, Lu Shen took a step closer towards Hui Yin, trapping her between the wall and his unyielding body.


    Like a predator that had caught its prey, he leaned one arm against the wall at her back and tilted his face close to hers.


    That close, Hui Yin could clearly see in his eyes that his control had finally snapped.


    "Why aren''t you saying anything? Feeling guilty already?"


    Lu Shen had an overpowering aura even when he was calm, but now that he was angry, Hui Yin slowly felt like she was suffocating. She could only keep her silence as she turned her head away, refusing to acknowledge him.


    "Answer me!"


    He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. Lu Shen stared at the girl''s eyes, which were like two wide pools of limpid autumn water. Her face was pale, and her lips were trembling slightly.


    Hui Yin wanted to cry.


    She did nothing wrong, alright?! Was it really wrong of her to call out the name of a game avatar?


    Now a real Shikigami had reallye to kill her!


    Lu Shen looked at her for a moment longer, before he leaned over and nted a kiss on those soft lips. As Hui Yin stood there unmoving, he opened her mouth and pushed deeper, twining their tongues together.


    Hui Yin''s legs had already been shaking from Lu Shen''s sudden attack earlier, and she would havepletely fallen from the shock of the kiss if Lu Shen had not reflexively held her waist to stabilize her.


    This pushed their two bodies closer together, and Lu Shen''s eyes darkened as his whole body was scorched with heat.

 Chapter 13 Her Dreams

    In truth, Lu Shen had notpletely lost all semnce of control.


    It was a thin thread, but it gave him enough awareness that they were in a public ce. Otherwise, he would have taken her then and there.


    When he finally broke the kiss, Hui Yin gasped for air.


    Her heart was racing inside her chest, and she took a minute to gather herself before saying angrily, "Lu Shen, have youpletely lost your mind?"


    She was not falling for his trick again!


    Lu Shen was instantly furious. "You are my lover. It is only my right to kiss you!"


    Hui Yinughed. She felt like she was going crazy.


    "Oh, I''m your lover, is it? Then is Nian Zhen your lover too?"


    Lu Shen was confused. "What about Nian Zhen?"


    Hui Yin curled her lip. "Forget it. We aren''t going to be engaged for long anyway. I wish you luck with your future bride!"


    She took a step forward, but Lu Shen grabbed her arm.


    His expression looked frigid, and the control he had just gotten back was already quickly disappearing.


    "Are you not my future wife? Or are you saying you''d rather be with another man?"


    Hui Yin could not make sense of what this man was saying, and she creased her forehead. Did he really just use her of cheating?


    Finally, her eyes could only focus on the hand that was wrapped around her arm like a vise.


    "Let me go!"


    "No."


    Lu Shen''s expression was stony, and Hui Yin could feel her panic rising as she realized that Lu Shen did not n on releasing her.


    Fortunately, an olddy decided to go to the women''s restroom at that exact moment, and her bewildered nce at the two of them made Lu Shen finally drop his hold.


    Hui Yin fled.


    ...


    Later in the day, after being driven back to her apartment, Hui Yin made sure to lock the door. She even tested the knob a few times before she finally rxed.


    What a rough morning!


    After they had gone back to their table, Nian Zhen was like a tiger that grew wings. She clung to Lu Shen''s arm even after they had finished eating and had gone back to the car, rubbing her body against him like a dog in heat.


    For the first time, Hui Yin was d that Nian Zhen was there.


    It made her able to return to her apartment safely, since Lu Shen was distracted by Nian Zhen''s endless public disy of affection.


    Maybe because of nerves, Hui Yin could almost feel his intense stare drilling a hole on her back before the car turned around the corner and vanished from view.


    She had already expected it, but her opponents were incredibly formidable to crack. She had to make sure she would be more prepared for the next time they meet!


    Hui Yin slipped out of her dress and went inside the bathroom, humming softly under her breath.


    As she studied the young girl with bright eyes that was reflected on the mirror, Hui Yin already knew what her next step should be now that she had been given a second chance in life.


    It was to recover what she had lost, what she had exchanged for the approval of the Lu family to allow her to marry Lu Shen¡ªher dreams!

 Chapter 14 Someone Else’s Wrath

    Ever since she could remember, Hui Yin had always wanted to be an actress.


    She loved the idea of donning several personalities at once, like a game of hide and seek.


    Before Hui Yin had married Lu Shen, she was a minor actress at CY Entertainment, but the only aplishment in her whole career had been acting out side characters and extras that the audience would easily forget.


    Because her sry from being a small-time actress was not enough considering her usual roles, Hui Yin also did menial chores around the agency, anything that would give her enough money to pay the rent and buy food.


    However, sometimes when she was truly down in her luck, Hui Yin had to resort eating steamed buns and dumplings for 7 yuan everyday, which made her constantly light-headed with hunger.


    It was not that Hui Yin didn''t have the ability to rise to the top and be a famous actress¡ªin fact, she could act better than most A-list celebrities. Even when she was only given a few lines to say, Hui Yin practiced hours just to make it perfect.


    Aside from her talent and hard effort, with Hui Yin''s peerless beauty, she was someone that you could simply not ignore.


    She hadnguished for all those years simply because she had the bad fortune to be the recipient of someone else''s wrath¡ªFei Hong, the actress holding the title of No. 1 Most Popr Female Artiste in the industry. Not only had Fei Hong been awarded with the Audience''s Choice for Best Actress, her fanbase was one of thergest in the country.


    Since they were training in the same agency, and considering how much control Fei Hong had in CY since she was their major source of profit, it could only be called as nothing short of miraculous that Hui Yin hadn''t been kicked out yet.


    Of course, this was only because Hui Yin''s manager was very capable. Otherwise Hui Yin would have been left in the streets after her contract had expired, although her situation right now wasn''t that much better.


    With the pay for her renting up next month, Hui Yin was already considering taking another part-time job to cover up the expenses.


    But this difficulty was nothing to Hui Yin. She was almost a ve in her past life after all. Working hard was not a problem!


    It could even give her an excuse to avoid Lu Shen.


    With that conviction in her mind, Hui Yin finished her bath and changed into a semi-formal attire. She quickly typed out a resum¨¨ and went out out of the apartment, locking the door behind her.


    A few blocks away, a ck Maybach Exelero quietly followed her.

 Chapter 15 Goddess!

    "It says here that you''re an actress? Will this affect your work?"


    Hui Yin firmly said "no" at the man sitting opposite from her, who was carefully looking at her resum¨¨.


    He was the owner of the coffee shop near to her apartment, and for convenience, she decided to try her luck here.


    It was already her fifth interview that afternoon; for some reason, all the hiring owners and managers of the shops where she had applied for a part-time job seemed to think that she was unsuitable for the task.


    Hui Yin was starting to get a headache from walking too much under the hot sun. Some tendrils of her hair had stered at the back of her neck, and sweat made her clothes clung to her body.


    Thankfully, this coffee shop had air conditioning andfortable sofas, so she could rest for a little bit.


    Zhang Wei was mesmerized by the beauty sitting in front of him. In truth, he was just asking her random questions only to make the interview seem more real. He had already epted her the instant she walked into his coffee shop.


    If this beauty worked under him, not only would his eyes be cleansed everyday, he would reap money as well. The society of today put looks above everything; this was the reason why he hired workers that were serving the customers'' orders directly based on their looks.


    It was not enough to call Hui Yin a beauty¡ªthat would be insulting. This girl before him, with her delicate face, wide starry eyes, silky hair, and perfect figure...Zhang Wei could only describe her with one word, and that word was goddess!


    She was a goddess that was beautiful beyondpare!


    Just as Zhang Wei was about to tell Hui Yin that she was hired, his phone suddenly rang inside his pocket.


    His annoyance changed into extreme shock when he read the caller''s name.


    "Please excuse me for a moment, Miss Hui," Zhang Wei said apologetically, and hurried out of his office to take the call.


    After closing the door behind him, Zhang Wei cleared his throat and answered his phone.


    "Manager Fa¡ª" He had barely gotten a word in when a cry nearly burst his eardrums.


    "Don''t hire her!!!"


    Zhang Wei held the phone far away from his ear, wincing. He looked at the caller ID. Was it really Manager Fang that was calling him?


    It was indeed his name on his phone screen, but what happened to his always cool, always calm image? Why was he shouting now? Did something happen to the main branch?


    One could say that it was normal for Zhang Wei to be this shocked. Manager Fang managed the main branch of their coffeehouse chain, and Zhang Wei had only briefly seen him during one of theirpany''s business-rted parties.


    He didn''t even manage to get to talk to the man. After all, he was just a small owner of one of their coffee shop. It has to be said that there were at least hundreds of this same coffee shop across the country.


    So why is Manager Fang calling him now, sounding so panicked?


    "Don''t hire who, Manager Fang?" said Zhang Wei respectfully.


    It didn''t enter his mind that Manager Fang might be referring to the beauty sitting inside his office right now, calmly waiting for him.


    Although a great beauty, she was only an ordinary girl looking for a part-time job. How could she be connected to Manager Fang?


    "Don''t hire that girl named Hui Yin!" Manager Fang sounded like he was on the verge of a heart attack. "She''s Lu Shen''s woman!"


    Zhang Wei''s mind went nk.

 Chapter 16 You’re Really Unsuitable

    Of course, Zhang Wei knew Lu Shen.


    Who didn''t? Only a deaf and blind person wouldn''t have heard of the Great Dragon King.


    Just at the age of twenty-six, he was already a big shot whosepany, the Lu Corporation, entirely dominated the stock market.


    His name was listed as one of the wealthiest men alive in the whole world; he had a face that made the girls who saw him instantly fall in love, and he belonged to a family whose status and power in politics made them thest people you want to cross with.


    With that kind of great fortune, one had to wonder if the Great Dragon King had saved several countries in his past life.


    "L¡ªLu Shen?" Zhang Wei stammered.


    Cold sweat started to form on his back, and he looked at the closed door of his office with fear.


    "Miss Hui is the Great Dragon King''s woman?"


    On the other side of the phone, Manager Fang was looking pale, his eyes still remembering the short text message he had only received a few minutes earlier. It only listed the location of a coffee shop that was under theirpany, a girl''s name, and a brief warning.


    But it was enough to scare him shitless.


    "Yes!" Manager Fang snapped at the phone, wondering if he was hard of hearing. "Don''t hire that girl! Treat her well, but immediately make her leave. Leave a good impression!"


    "Yes sir! Right away sir!" Zhang Wei straightened his back like a military soldier taking orders, but his face looked like he swallowed something sour.


    Don''t hire her, but leave a good impression? Treat her well, but immediately make her leave? How was he supposed to do all that?!


    Zhang Wei calmed himself a bit after Manager Fang hung up. He stared at the mahogany door that separated him from his office, remembering just how beautiful the girl on the other side was.


    No wonder she became Lu Shen''s woman. She was a goddess after all! What a failure on his part to not realize her importance. It was truly a case of having eyes, but failing to recognize Mount Tai!


    Hui Yin was getting impatient when the door finally opened, and Zhang Wei came in. She smiled at him, but his head was bowed, so he didn''t see it.


    Hui Yin frowned.


    He looked different than earlier, more...timid?


    What happened to him in such a short time?


    Zhang Wei avoided her eyes as he cleared his throat and fumbled with the stuff on his desk, giving his shaking hands something to do.


    "Um...a¡ªabout the job, Miss Hui..."


    At the sound of his deted voice, Hui Yin felt her heart sink. Didn''t she do well on the interview? Why was he looking at her like a doctor who had bad news to tell?


    "I think..." Cough, cough. "You''re really unsuitable for the job."


    Unsuitable! Hui Yin clenched her hands. That despicable word again!


    She forced the words out of her mouth. "Why?"


    Zhang Wei met her eyes, and quickly focused on the wall behind her.


    His heart was racing inside his chest, and he felt like he was at gunpoint as he slowly said, "For one, youck the experience. Although making coffee is easy, we...ah, we don''t have the time to train new employees."


    What bullshit! Zhang Wei looked at the girl''s reaction, wanting to see if she realized that he was lying. Of course they had time to train people! What kind of coffee shop would they be if they just hired people without teaching them the ropes first?


    Zhang Wei saw that Hui Yin was considering his words carefully.

 Chapter 17 Short On Money

    Hui Yin felt that his reason was understandable. She had never worked in a coffee shop before. Unlike her, who was aplete newbie, they should hire people with more experience instead.


    But why did he look so guilty?


    Suspicious, but knowing that she couldn''t do anything to change his mind, Hui Yin stood up and offered him a gentle smile.


    "Ipletely understand your concern, Mr. Zhang. Thank you for this opportunity."


    Zhang Wei felt himself shrinking under the girl''s benevolent gaze. Such elegance! She was truly a goddess, to even thank a lying man like him.


    "I''m really sorry for this, Miss Hui." His voice was weak. "How about I give you free coffee every time you find yourself in our shop? It will be on the house!"


    Free coffee? Why did he need to treat her to free coffee, and even offer that kind of ridiculous gesture?


    She was just someone whom he rejected to hire because of her inexperience, did he really need to give her such special treatment?


    Hui Yin stared at the man for a second longer. Then she opened her mouth and spoke two words.


    "Lu Shen."


    Zhang Wei jumped like a cat whose tail had gotten stepped on.


    "W¡ªw¡ªwhat did you say, Miss Hui?" he stuttered.


    Hui Yin''s expression darkened.


    As expected, it was that man!


    No wonder nobody hired her! Hui Yin had indeed suspected that something was wrong ever since her third interview.


    The first one, she thought that the phone call was nothing out of ordinary. When her second interviewer rejected her after a phone call made him look nervous, Hui Yin thought it was simply a coincidence. When that happened for the third time, then the fourth and the fifth, and now the sixth time...she could only draw her own conclusions.


    It was indeed because of Lu Shen, that bastard!


    "You don''t have to worry about it, Mr. Zhang," said Hui Yin, who noticed that the man had sweat beading over his forehead despite the working air conditioner. "And you don''t need to treat me to free coffee. But I appreciate the kind gesture."


    After she left the coffee shop, Hui Yin dialed the familiar phone number, her expression a direct contrast to the warm weather.


    After the second ring, it immediately clicked.


    "Yes?"


    His voice was melodious and husky, like an intimate whisper in her ear. Hui Yin could feel her body responding, but she gritted her teeth and made her voice turn cold.


    "Don''t y innocent. Why are you stopping me from taking a part-time job? Do you want me to starve?"


    There was a short pause. "Are you short on money?"


    Hearing his rxed tone, Hui Yin wanted to choke him.


    "Of course I''m short on money! Why would I look for a part-time job if I had a lot of money?" yelled Hui Yin.


    She knew this was the first time she had lost her temper with Lu Shen. Because of her background, she had tried hard to be a perfectdy in front of him, so that he would marry her.


    Now that she didn''t have the intention of being with Lu Shen, she didn''t need to pretend anymore.


    "If you marry me, you will never run out of money."


    Hearing the assured confidence in his tone, Hui Yin was speechless.


    When I married you, I became even poorer, alright?!

 Chapter 18 Daughter-In-Law

    "You could work at thepany and be my secretary."


    Although his voice was casual, as if what he was suggesting was only something he had thought of just now, it was an invitation that he had been thinking for over half an hour.


    If Hui Yin worked at thepany, she would always be somewhere on his line of sight.


    That way, she couldn''t run away from him anymore.


    "No!" Hui Yin didn''t hesitate to reject him.


    If she worked at hispany, Hui Yin would only find herself more bound to him than ever. Not only would she be under Lu Shen, if Nian Zhen became his wife again in this lifetime, there would be no telling what they would do to her.


    Hui Yin remembered the way that car had mmed into her body...


    She shuddered.


    At the sound of the girl''s quick snub of his offer, Lu Shen found himself gripping the phone hard with his hand. He took a deep breath before he could lose his temper, reciting the numbers of pi inside his head.


    The stubbornness of this woman could easily drive him mad!


    "Fine," he said coldly. "Just make sure you don''te begging to me for money."


    He hung up.


    The temperature of the car had turned frigid, making Cheng Manchu feel like he was on the bottom of a frozenke. He nced at the rearview mirror, shivering in fear.


    Why is the big boss so scary today? He seemed fine just a few seconds ago! What could have happened to make him look like he had personally yed the King of Hell? Did he and Miss Hui had a fight again?


    "Drive back to the old house," ordered Lu Shen, his eyes dark like the ckest ink.


    Cheng Manchu gulped, but gathered thest bits of his courage. "Uh, that...aren''t we following Miss Hui?"


    "Don''t make me repeat myself."


    Feeling like he was in a mountain of des and a sea of fire, Cheng Manchu immediately did as he was ordered.


    The Great Dragon King is scary! Too scary!


    He was just a driver, but why did he feel like the cannon fodder of a horror movie?


    ...


    Back at the old family house, Lu Shen strode in only to hear tinklingughtering from the kitchen.


    He could hear the two elders chatting very happily, so he decided to take a look.


    Nian Zhen was taking things out of her luggage, which she then presented to the elders with a humble look.


    "Auntie, Uncle, I bought things abroad that I thought you might like...I just saw them and I immediately thought of you!"


    It was easy to see at first nce that the items on the table were very expensive...


    "You dear girl, you shouldn''t have!" Mrs. Lu was greatly touched.


    "Such kindness, you should have been our daughter-inw!" Even the old master was full of praises for Nian Zhen. Indeed, the Nian and the Lu family had been great friends for a very long time.


    Not only that, the Nian family were only second to them in power. If Nian Zhen and Lu Shen had gotten married, it would truly be a pairing that could topple mountains and overturn seas!


    Lu Yongzheng''s eyes tightened. If only his own son hadn''t been so determined to keep his word to a lowly actress, this sort of cmity wouldn''t have happened.


    "Don''t say that, Uncle," said Nian Zhen, as she blushed like a shy girl in front of the two elders. "Yinyin is amazing too, she went to pick me up at the airport earlier with Lu Shen."


    Mrs. Lu was disgruntled. "What''s so great about that? She probably only went there to suck up to you. I heard actresses from the entertainment industry had to do dark and disgusting things just to get to the top! With a daughter-inw like that, how could I bear to show my face in public?"

 Chapter 19 As Expected

    After saying that, Mrs. Lu sank into despair.


    "It was all that girl''s fault. If she hadn''t pressured Lu Shen into keeping his promise, he wouldn''t have even given her a single nce! A poor girl like her from a lowly family¡ªhow could I let my son marry that kind of despicable woman?"


    Nian Zhen reached out with a gentle hand and slowly rubbed the olddy''s back.


    Seeing her kind gesture, Mrs. Lu rxed.


    "Nian Zhen, I really do think Lu Shen is in love with you. You''ve been friends for so long, how could he not realize what kind of a gem you are? If you tell him you don''t want him to marry that kind of girl, surely he will change his mind..."


    Lu Shen, who had been standing at the doorway listening quietly to their conversation, felt like it was time to interrupt.


    "I''m back."


    Lu Yongzheng had a smile on his face as soon as he saw his son. "Finally, you''re here! Just where did you go that was so important?"


    "Business." Lu Shen was notpletely lying, he had followed Hui Yin to make her his secretary.


    "You''re always working!" Mrs. Luined.


    However, she could not really get mad at this outstanding son of hers. She was always as proud as a lion whenever she talked about Lu Shen to her friends. Ha! Who couldpare to her son, who practically built an empire from nothing?


    "You''re still here?"


    This question was directed at Nian Zhen by Lu Shen, who had been staring at him since he came back. Caught by his gaze, she could only tuck her head in timidly and blush.


    "I wanted to see you more," she whispered.


    "Aiya!" Seeing the two youngsters flirting with each other, Mrs. Lu was overjoyed. She poked at her husband, subtly telling him that they should probably get out of their way.


    But Lu Yongzheng did not get it.


    "What?" he grumbled at his wife, annoyed.


    Mrs. Lu felt like her head was hurting. How could she marry someone with such a low EQ?


    Lu Shen did not pay attention to them and only picked up Nian Zhen''s luggage.


    "You should go home and sleep."


    Nian Zhen did not want to go. "I''m not tired..."


    "That''s right, that''s right!" Mrs. Lu was instantly worried. "You only came back this morning. You should sleep to get rid of the jetg."


    Nian Zhen pouted. "Brother Shen, I want to talk to you more. I''ve missed you so much. Didn''t you miss me too?"


    "Of course he missed you!" Mrs. Lu didn''t give his son a chance to reply. "Lu Shen is just worried about your health. I''ve already forgotten you just returned from abroad, but he didn''t because he''s concerned about you."


    Even though it did note straight from Lu Shen''s mouth, Mrs. Lu''s sugarcoated words made Nian Zhen extremely happy.


    "In that case, I''ll go home and rest then!"


    Lu Shen picked up Nian Zhen''s luggage and carried it outside, handing it to driver Cheng who put it inside the trunk.


    When she slid into the car and the expressionless man standing outside did not follow, Nian Zhen''s forehead creased.


    "You''re noting?"


    "Cheng will drive you home."


    After saying that, Lu Shen turned around and went back inside the old house.


    As the car left the driveway, Nian Zhen twisted around to look at Lu Shen''s retreating back. She could not understand why he was being cold to her.


    Suddenly, she recalled the face of the girl that he had called as his fianc¨¦e. Nian Zhen gnashed her teeth so hard in hatred that she almost broke them.


    Was Lu Shen being like this because of that girl?


    As expected, she had to remove that trash from his sight!

 Chapter 20 Killing Two Birds With One Stone!

    The next day, before her meeting with Jiang Xu, Hui Yin went to thepany first to check in with her manager.


    Because Hui Yin was only a lowly actress, the office of her manager was cramped and small. Hui Yin felt guilty every time she entered, since it was her fault that her manager had to suffer with her.


    Her manager, Su Jing, was already at the office when she entered, studiously looking at a spread of documents on the table.


    She looked up with a smile when she saw Hui Yin.


    "Great, you''re here. I have an audition I want you to attend if you''re avable tomorrow. It''s a PV for a new song. The artist is quite popr, so it might help you get a few more fans if you''re sessful. Since you''ve been low-key for so long, it''s getting difficult to find even small roles for you to act in. This might be a big help to us in the future."


    Hui Yin was surprised. "A promotional video? Who''s the artist?"


    "Liu Jun."


    Liu Jun?! Hiu Yin nearly puked blood. What did Sister Su mean by ''quite popr''? Liu Jun was the hottest male singer in the country right now!


    "Is this...alright? If Fei Hong hears about this, she would definitely stop me from going to the audition." Hui Yin voiced out her worries, feeling nervous.


    "Fei Hong is in abroad right now," said Su Jing, a smile ying across her lips. Her eyes were sharp and calctive, betraying her ck-bellied nature.


    "She''s shooting a movie there, and she won''te back for two more weeks. We have to take this chance to w you out from her grip!"


    Once again, Hui Yin was impressed by her manager. In such a short time, she had already considered everything.


    "Sister Su, I won''t disappoint you!"


    Hui Yin had already decided to pursue her dreams, and she would make this PV be her stepping stone in bing a great actress.


    Although she was jealous that Fei Hong had managed to snag a movie contract abroad, which was a very difficult thing to do, Hui Yin was determined to surpass even her.


    All of those who stepped on me, I will make sure to return it to you sevenfold! I will not be a victim in this lifetime again!


    Hui Yin remembered that back in her past life, Sister Su had called her about this matter too. She told Hui Yin that they should take advantage of this opportunity, since Fei Hong was out of the country and would not cause trouble for her.


    Hui Yin had also told Lu Shen about this, because she decided not to keep anything from him. But he didn''t allow her to go to the audition. He had even told it to Nian Zhen, who immediately told both Madam and Master Lu.


    Because the two Lu elders did not want an actress for a daughter-inw, they instantly made Hui Yin quit her job or else they would break her engagement with Lu Shen.


    Thinking about this, Hui Yin suddenly had an idea, and her eyes gleamed.


    It would be like killing two birds with one stone!

 Chapter 21 So Tasteless

    "If that''s all Sister Su, then I''ll be leaving first."


    "Alright. Make sure to be on time for your audition tomorrow."


    As Hui Yin came out of Su Jing''s office, she bumped into a couple of her fellow actresses along the way. When they turned to see that it was Hui Yin, their eyes immediately narrowed.


    "Look, it''s the trash impersonating as an actress in CY. Isn''t she embarrassed to show her face in here? Just by being here, she''s ruining CY''s great name. How shameless."


    Hui Yin''s eyes shed, and she turned to look at the girl who just spoke.


    Although the greatest tormenter in her past life had been Nian Zhen, there were others who hated her and loved to watch her suffer as well. Especially in the entertainment industry, Hui Yin had a lot of enemies. Even with Fei Hong out of the country, her life would still not be easy...


    "Wu Chuntao, didn''t you say you were looking for a personal maid? She''s been in the acting industry for three years and she''s still stuck at acting out background characters with only one or two lines. Even a dog would know how to act after a year, but trash really is trash. Why not just lend her a hand and make her be your personal maid? At least this way she would stop disgracing CY!"


    Wu Chuntao smiled as she gently shook her head. "Even bing my personal maid is too much of a promotion for someone like her. What do you think happens to a pretty girl with no talent or influence in the entertainment industry? Even when she offended Sister Fei, CY still hadn''t kicked her out. I''m afraid that if I took pity on her, my reputation would be dirtied too."


    Guo Liqin, the actress next to her, gasped.


    "You don''t mean..."


    Wu Chuntao nodded, her expression bing sad.


    Hui Yin, however, didn''t miss the sh of schadenfreude in her eyes.


    "When I think of how many directors she had to sleep with just to get those small roles...if she bes my personal maid, and she handles my stuff, won''t those get dirty as well?"


    "I don''t believe this. So disgusting! Why did CY ept a shameless fox like her? Did she sleep with the higher ups as well?"


    "Do you think the higher ups would look twice at a whore like her? She must have slept with a rich old man to bribe them!"


    "She has no shame, such a slut!"


    Even as insult after insult was thrown at her, Hui Yin still didn''t react.


    Her face looked calm and serene, as if the people in front of her were talking about apletely different person.


    "Excuse me, I need to pass."


    After saying those words, Hui Yin calmly walked away.


    Having already lived through this in her past life, Hui Yin realized that their insults hadn''t changed at all. It was like re-enacting scene in movie where she had long since memorized the script, so she was a little bit bored.


    Thinking about this, Hui Yin felt disappointed.


    Why are the viins in her life so tasteless?

 Chapter 22 Wifey?

    In a hotpot restaurant near a certain university, the waiter was gazing confusedly at the three heads lying on the table taking a nap.


    Looking at the two small heads and the one adult head between them, the waiter was at loss on what to do.


    They had been sleeping there for about ten minutes now; the manager had told him to wake them up and either ask them their order or make them leave the restaurant. After a brief hesitation, the waiter decided to wake up the adult head.


    The man had messy and unkempt hair with headphones ying and looked to be deeply asleep.


    As the waiter gently shook his shoulder, a pair of sleepy eyes blinked at him.


    "Wifey?"


    The waiter was dumbstruck. It was the first time he was ever called as ''wifey'' by a man.


    He awkwardly cleared his throat.


    "Uh...sir, I''m here to ask for your orders."


    Fortunately, the man blinked again and seemed to remember where he was. He looked at the menu that was lying untouched on their table.


    "Mmm...alright."


    His voice was low and hoarse, sounding dazed and confused. He picked up the menu and lowered his head, studying it for a bit. After three minutes of patiently waiting, the waiter looked at the man to ask for his order again.


    But he was struck speechless by what he saw.


    The man had fallen asleep again!


    His eyes closed and his head down, the man was mumbling something softly under his breath with the menu still gripped in one hand. His forehead was creased, as if he was deep in the middle of a dream.


    After a while, the waiter managed to hear what he was saying.


    "...not spicy...coriander...chicken wing..."


    The waiter almost puked blood.


    This man was ordering the hot pot ingredients in his sleep!


    Quickly, the waiter wrote down everything the man had mumbled and ran away like someone was chasing after him.


    Although it was clearly still in the middle of the day, the waiter was spooked. He had been serving in this hot pot restaurant for almost eight years, but it was the first time he saw someone ordering while he was still asleep.


    It was extremely spooky!


    As the waiter was running away on shaking legs, the door to the restaurant opened and a girl entered. Wearing a in white blouse and ck cks with her hair tumbling over her shoulders, she looked extremely elegant and sophisticated.


    Hui Yin had wanted to try her luck again in getting a part-time jobter in the afternoon, so she dressed formally before going to the agency early that morning.


    As she scanned the faces of the people eating inside the restaurant, her eyes spotted the three heads still deeply asleep on a table near the corner. Her face darkening, Hui Yin immediately walked towards them.


    Raising her slender hand, she decked the man sleeping in the middle.


    "Jiang Xu, you bastard, wake up!"

 Chapter 23 Perverted Cougar

    With that one savage move, the man blinked his eyes open once again.


    Upon seeing the ferocious-looking girl ring at him with her hands on her hips, Jiang Xu yawned before giving her a wide smile.


    "Wifey."


    Hui Yin resisted her desire to kill him.


    "Wifey, my ass! Are you my husband?"


    She was starting to regret her decision to meet up with Jiang Xu. How could she forget that this man had a screw loose? No wonder she hadn''t contacted him at all in her past life.


    He would seem normal enough...as long as you didn''t meet him in person.


    She nced in surprise at the two small heads on either side of him, both of them still sleeping.


    "You brought Little Wuji and Baby Shang with you?"


    Jiang Xu yawned again, his eyes already starting to droop. He slowly removed the headphones on his head.


    "Mmm."


    In truth, he wanted to meet her alone, but the two of them insisted on going when they both heard that he was meeting up with Hui Yin. When he tried rejecting them, the twins threw a violent tantrum that nearly destroyed every furniture in the house. After that, Jiang Xu had no choice but to bring them.


    Hui Yin was happy, and instantly sat next to the small head still sleeping on Jiang Xu''s left. She could smell the scent of milk wafting off him, and couldn''t resist cuddling the soft little bun.


    "Oooh, Baby Shang, you''re so cute..."


    Because of the slight movement Hui Yin made, his small face frowned, and he began to wake up, slowly rubbing his eyes.


    When he saw the face of the girl cuddling him, he immediately flushed.


    "Wifey..."


    Hearing the lover''s endearmenting from a four year-old child, Hui Yin''s face became ck like the bottom of a pot. If anyone were to hear them like this, they would have thought she was a perverted cougar who seduced an innocent kid!


    Hui Yin felt helpless. "Baby Shang, you can''t call me like that, alright?"


    Jiang Xu, who was observing them from the side, nodded seriously.


    "She''s right. I''m the only one who can call her like that..."


    Hui Yin red at him. "You''re not allowed to call me that either!"


    Baby Shang followed her re, and spoke one word mutinously to his older brother.


    "Mine."


    To emphasize that im, his little arms hugged Hui Yin tightly, like a small beast protecting his territory. His hands held on tightly to her clothes, unwilling to let go.


    Wifey is mine, no touching!


    Seeing this little bun''s possessive reaction, Hui Yin didn''t know whether tough or cry. I''m nobody''s wife, okay? Stop calling me wifey!


    Jiang Xu stared at his younger brother with a stern look. "Not old enough."


    Baby Shang pursed his lips, looking up at Hui Yin with a face that was about to cry.


    Wifey, you won''t cheat on me right? You''ll wait for me to grow up right?


    Looking at the little bun''s watery eyes, Hui Yin was about to cry herself. "Baby Shang, we can''t get married, you''re too young..."


    Baby Shang shook his head, staring at her with a determined expression. That expression seemed to be saying: if gods block, kill the gods; if Buddhas block, kill the Buddhas.


    Wifey, I will make you my wife no matter what obstaclees!

 Chapter 24 Little Devil

    Looking at Baby Shang''s determined expression, three ck lines appeared momentarily on Hui Yin''s forehead.


    She was totally speechless at this little bun''s public disy of affection.


    Baby Shang, we have an eighteen-year age gap, okay...


    Hui Yin nced fearfully at the small head still sleeping on Jiang Xu''s right, hoping that Little Wuji wouldn''t wake up as well. If that little troublemaker woke up, it would inevitably result into a disaster for her...


    The pot and the food they ordered finally arrived, but because Baby Shang''s small hand was holding onto Hui Yin''s hand tightly, Jiang Xu had to serve them the dishes. When everything was finally settled, the three of them looked at the only sleeping head on their table.


    "Should we wake him up?" Hui Yin finally asked.


    "We shouldn''t wake him."


    Jiang Xu wanted to eat peacefully, so he didn''t want to wake him up.


    Hui Yin looked troubled. "But he''s probably hungry..."


    Baby Shang shook his head vehemently, his small face looking apprehensive.


    No, no, no! Wuji must not wake up. Wuji will steal Wifey!


    Thinking of that, the little bun gripped her hand even more tightly.


    ncing at the two brothers who would willingly abandon their own flesh and blood, Hui Yin decided that this type of filial betrayal was against her morals. She reached out and gently shook the shoulders of the other little bun, sessfully waking him up.


    Little Wuji yawned and blinked his eyes open, looking up at the face smiling in front of him. His eyes immediately widened.


    Wifey!


    Staring up at Hui Yin, Little Wuji looked like a thunderbolt had struck him. He carefully raised his hand and poked his soft little finger on her left cheek.


    Not a dream!


    Wifey''s here!


    He instantly held out his small arms to her, his little face looking expectant.


    Wifey, hug! Hug me!


    Baby Shang shot his twin brother a re, and buried his face deeper into Hui Yin''s embrace.


    No, Wifey is mine!


    Little Wuji finally saw his own twin brother hugging Hui Yin like a ko, and his expression darkened. All of a sudden, his four year-old body emanated an aura of dangerous hostility...


    But the instant Hui Yin looked at him again, she was only met with a pair of pitiful eyes. Little Wuji stared sorrowfully at her like he was a pet being abandoned by a heartless owner.


    "Alright,e here then."


    Hui Yin gave up.


    Baby Shang froze, and Jiang Xu looked down at Little Wuji with an unreadable expression as well.


    There it was, the legendary one-second face change of this little devil!


    Only in front of Hui Yin would this little devil lookpletely harmless...


    With both two little buns on either side of her and Jiang Xu sitting far away like an outcast, the four of them started to eat. Since it had been a long time when theyst met, Hui Yin started reminiscing about their time in the university.


    "You''re engaged?" While passing Hui Yin a fishball, Jiang Xu suddenly asked her this question.


    Little Wuji and Baby Shang stiffened, looking up at Hui Yin suspiciously. Wifey, did you cheat?


    Hui Yin was a bit taken aback, but then slowly nodded. "Yes...but I think we''re going to break up soon."


    Jiang Xu paused while eating, and looked at her. "Why?"


    Hui Yin shrugged. "I don''t think we''re meant for each other."


    After a moment, she added, "Let''s stop talking about this, okay?"


    Jiang Xu looked down. Something shed in his eyes, so quickly that Hui Yin didn''t notice.


    "Mmm."


    Hui Yin felt relieved. As much as Lu Shen had hurt her in her past life, there was a small part of her that still didn''t want to let go of him. Although she knew that she was doing the right thing by breaking the engagement, and that Lu Shen loved Nian Zhen more than he would ever love her...


    Her hand involuntarily clenched, making Baby Shang nce up at her curiously.


    "Wifey?"


    Hui Yin sighed, forcing a smile. "I''m alright. Let''s just continue eating."


    Baby Shang nodded and looked relieved, but Little Wuji''s eyes narrowed.


    Somehow, he felt that someone was being mean to his Wifey...

 Chapter 25 Preserve His Energy

    Because he was greatly worried, Little Wuji let go of Hui Yin''s hand and picked up his chopsticks.


    He then tugged at her sleeve to get her attention.


    "Yes, what is it?" Then Hui Yin realized what the little bun was trying to do.


    "Open," Little Wuji said, his four year-old voicemanding.


    Hui Yin felt embarrassed, but opened her mouth obediently. Little Wuji carefully fed her a piece of beef with his chopsticks, his small face looking serious.


    Wifey, don''t be sad anymore okay?


    "Mm, delicious." Hui Yin smiled with a contented look on her face, and gently ruffled Little Wuji''s hair. "Thank you."


    Then she caught sight of Baby Shang''s displeased face, andughed a little.


    Hui Yin also ruffled his hair.


    "Alright, I''ll let you feed me too."


    After being fed alternatively by the two little buns, Hui Yin felt full so she stopped eating. Returning the favor, she began feeding the twins while she drank her tea.


    Although it was still in the middle of the day, there were already many people inside the restaurant. This particr hotpot ce had always been a popr hang out ce for students, because it was near to several universities.


    Jiang Xu and Hui Yin used toe here a lot back when they were still studying at the university, since the food was tasty and cheap.


    "I heard you''ve been dating Qin Bingqing?" Hui Yin teased Jiang Xu.


    It was no secret that ever since high school, Qin Bingqing had a big crush on Jiang Xu. It even caused her to hate Hui Yin for most of their time in the university, because the two of them were always together. It was only when Hui Yin announced to their school chat group a few months ago that she was engaged did Qin Bingqing finally changed her attitude towards her.


    Shortly after her announcement, she had received a personal message from Qin Bingqing that she was finally dating Jiang Xu.


    Because Hui Yin was too busy chasing Lu Shen in her past life, she never managed to ask Jiang Xu about it. It was only now that she had the chance to ask him.


    "Broke up," Jiang Xu said calmly.


    "Ah?" Hui Yin was surprised.


    With Qin Bingqing''s obvious devotion to Jiang Xu, she half-thought they would have been married by now. After all, that Jiang Xu was toozy to even think of something asplicated as breaking off a rtionship.


    Suspicious, she asked, "Did Qin Bingqing break up with you?"


    After all, it was the only solution she could think of. If Qin Bingqing got tired of Jiang Xu and broke up with him, Hui Yin could almost imagine his short one-word reply: "En."


    But Jiang Xu shook his head. "I broke up with her."


    Hui Yin: "..."


    How could this be?! This sleepy,zy andckadaisical Jiang Xu had actually found the energy to break up with a woman?


    It was too unbelievable!


    "Why?" What kind of unforgivable sin did Qin Bingqingmit to force Jiang Xu to do such an effortful act?


    As Hui Yin watched him, Jiang Xu''s face slowly darkened.


    Then, he spat out one word that shocked her to the core, "Sex."


    Hui Yin blinked.


    Sex?


    Maybe she heard him wrong?


    But it slowly began to dawn on Hui Yin that maybe she had heard him right after all. Although breaking up was an energy-consuming act, what was even more energy-consuming was...


    Hui Yin blushed.


    One had to be amazed at the lengths Jiang Xu would go to preserve his energy!

 Chapter 26 He Was Being Bullied

    "Cough, cough..."


    Hui Yin busied herself with feeding the twins, almost choking on her own saliva in embarrassment.


    "Let''s just talk about something else, Little Wuji and Baby Shang are still innocent after all."


    That dummy Jiang Xu! How could he just say the word ''sex'' all of a sudden?


    Jiang Xu shrugged. "Your fault."


    Hui Yin knew he meant that she was the one who brought up Qin Bingqing in the first ce, so it was her fault. Since she couldn''tpletely deny it, she quickly rummaged in her mind for another topic.


    "Uh...what about thepany? Is it doing well?"


    Although Jiang Xu had no intentions of inheriting his father''spany, Hui Yin knew that he would be left without a choice in the end. He was the Jiang''s only legitimate heir, since it would be a while before the twins would be of the right age to inherit.


    But with Jiang Xu''s tendency to avoid bothersome things, Hui Yin knew he would probably argue with his father till the bitter end.


    "Mmm." Finally finished with eating, he leaned back on his chair and watched as she fed the twins. "I agreed to be the CEO."


    Hui Yin spat out her tea. Eyes wide, she stared at him like he was an alien.


    "You actually agreed?!"


    For a man who had to break up with his girlfriend because he thought having sex with her was too tiring, this same man would actually be...willing to take over apany?


    Since Hui Yin still had her past memories intact, she knew how difficult it was to oversee apany when she helped Lu Shen with his work during their marriage. Even though the Lu Corporation was definitely bigger than the Jiang''s, Hui Yin knew that the same principles still applied.


    And yet, knowing all that, he still...agreed?


    Hui Yin couldn''t believe it.


    Jiang Xu shrugged; the gesture was slow andzy, simr with his every movement.


    "Not too bad."


    Hui Yin was speechless.


    Not too bad?


    The dozens of documents that needed to be signed, the major deals where you had to deal with the client''s countless objections, the sleepless nights...and Jiang Xu could actually say with a straight face that it was ''not too bad''?


    Hui Yin gave up. Maybe it was his way of showing that he was still a man, despite hisck of interest in sex.


    Hui Yin could see the dark circles underneath his eyes for herself, proving that he was just trying to hide how exhausted he must really be.


    "Well, congrattions."


    Hui Yin offered him a warm smile, feeling guilty that it took her this long to catch up with her closest friend.


    Just how obsessed had she been with Lu Shen to not contact Jiang Xu at all in her past life?


    "Thanks." Jiang Xu returned her smile.


    With his messy hair and sleepy eyes, it made Hui Yin want to pinch his cheeks.


    The warm moment was broken by Little Wuji''s small burp, making Hui Yin giggle. The instant she looked away, Little Wuji had a murderous expression on his face like a Shura from hell, making Jiang Xu shudder.


    If looks could kill...


    Then Hui Yin turned back to Little Wuji, offering him a sip of her tea.


    In a fraction of a second, the murderous aura dissipated, and Little Wuji had a sorrowful look, like he was being bullied...


    Jiang Xu and Baby Shang stared in shock at their brother, both dumbfounded at the speed of which he changed his expression.


    Fake, so fake!


    Jiang Xu wanted to cry.


    He was actually the one who was being bullied...


    After the delicious hot pot, there was amotion outside the restaurant as the two little buns refused to leave with their brother and hugged Hui Yin''s thighs like sticky rice.

 Chapter 27 Goodnight Kiss!

    "Jiang Wuji, Jiang Shang! Let go of her this instant!"


    Standing there for nearly five minutes, Jiang Xu had finally ran out of patience.


    The two little buns still didn''t move, as if they did not hear him at all.


    Hui Yin nced down at the two pairs of wide eyes staring pitifully at her, their identical faces wearing the same abandoned expression.


    Before she could even bid farewell to Jiang Xu, they hadtched themselves on her, clinging to both of her thighs with no intention of letting go.


    With thebination of their weight, Hui Yin couldn''t even take a step forward.


    "Little Wuji, Baby Shang..."


    Hui Yin looked at Jiang Xu for help, but he just gave her a shrug that meant he had ran out of ideas.


    The twins weren''t this affectionate to the members of their family, even to their own mother, so Jiang Xu was clueless on what to do when they were being clingy like this. Back at home, the twins would usually shut themselves on their own room, ignoring everyone else.


    They were cold and quiet; all the maidservants had to tiptoe when passing their room to avoid disturbing them. His father had even onceined that his wife must had an affair with a robot and gave birth to them...


    "I have an idea," said Hui Yin.


    She smiled at the two little buns, who nced up at her curiously.


    "Auntie still have to go to an interview this afternoon, so I can''t be with you. But if you let go of me right now, I''ll invite you to a sleepover at my ce. How about that?"


    Baby Shang''s eyes shone.


    Sleeping...with Wifey?


    Happiness!


    Little Wuji was more skeptical, his small face looking worried.


    "When?"


    "Hmm..." Hui Yin thought about it.


    It couldn''t be tonight, because she had an audition for Liu Jun''s PV tomorrow.


    "How about tomorrow night? I''ll be free then!"


    Baby Shang quickly nodded his head like a rattle-drum. He was already anticipating on hugging his Wifey like a teddy bear all night.


    Suddenly his eyes went wide, his little face flushing bright red.


    Goodnight kiss!


    With Wifey!


    Almost fainting from happiness, Baby Shang suddenly felt a malevolent aura pressing against him like a boulder...


    When he turned sideways, he saw Wuji ring daggers at him, his eyes like two pools of ice with no trace of humanity left...


    Swish¡ªa small figure suddenly ran like the wind and cowered behind Jiang Xu, shaking like a leaf.


    Wuji is too scary!


    Big brother, save me!


    "What happened?"


    Hui Yin was bewildered, wondering why Baby Shang looked so scared.


    She nced down at Little Wuji, but he looked just as confused as she did.


    "That''s enough." Jiang Xu, who knew exactly what happened, stared at Little Wuji.


    "You heard her. You''re going to have a sleepover tomorrow, so let go of her now."


    Little Wuji pursed his lips, and reluctantly released his hold on Hui Yin with a very dejected look on his face. He walked in tiny steps towards Jiang Xu as if he had chains dragging his feet.


    Hui Yin, who felt full with the two little buns'' love, leaned over and hugged them.


    "Baby Shang, Little Wuji, I''ll see you two soon, alright?"


    They both nodded, but their small bodies drooped as if they couldn''t bear to let her go for even just a second. Hui Yin, who didn''t know what to do, finally stood up with a heavy sigh.


    If Lu Shen''s child inside her womb had survived, would their child be this adorable too? Hui Yin felt a stab of pain at the thought.


    "I''ll drive them over to your ce tomorrow," Jiang Xu said, not missing the sh of sadness on the girl''s face. "If you want, you can also visit us at home."


    Hui Yin forced a smile.


    "Thanks, I''ll do that if it isn''t too much trouble..."


    Something tugged at her hand, and Hui Yin looked down at Little Wuji who had snatched her hand like a tiny wolf pup.


    "Come."


    Baby Shang nodded seriously, his small face resolute.


    My home is Wifey''s home!


    "Alright..." Pleased, Hui Yin finally waved them goodbye. "I''lle when I have the time. See you tomorrow!"


    As Jiang Xu watched the girl walk away, one could see a hint of tenderness in the depths of his eyes...


    Little Wuji, who noticed this, kicked him.

 Chapter 28 The Older Hui Yin

    That whole afternoon, Hui Yin scoured her whole neighborhood for a part-time job.


    But just likest time, she was still unsessful.


    Although no phone call came in the middle of her interview, it seemed that the hiring owners rejected her as soon as they saw her face.


    "Maybe I wore the wrong clothes..."


    Dejected, Hui Yin decided to return to her apartment. She had to practice for her audition tomorrow.


    Sister Su had texted her that the promotional video was about Liu Jun''s new song, and that the title was <Captive>. Since generally all of the recent trending songs had been love songs, Hui Yin was almost certain that <Captive> was a love song as well.


    Noticing that she was drenched with sweat from walking around, Hui Yin took another shower and dressed in a loose shirt and a pair of drawstring shorts.


    While drying her hair with a towel, she stared at her reflection on the mirror.


    She still couldn''t get used to this face, this healthy face with clear, innocent eyes and a youthful air.


    In her mind, her reflection ovepped with another woman, the older Hui Yin.


    The Hui Yin with hair whom she cut herself so the edges were ragged, whose skin was coarse and rough.


    The eyes were still the same, but the innocence was gone, and underneath it were dark shadows from too muchck of sleep.


    Hui Yin remembered clearly how Nian Zhen used to take a selfie with her, before posting it on Weibo. Then she would show it to Hui Yin, letting her see the hundreds of hurtfulments that insulted her looks...


    During their marriage, Lu Shen hadn''t changed at all. He was still the business genius, the wealthy owner of the Lu Corporation where even a small shareholder was worth several billions, and his face just became even more handsome as years passed by.


    She remembered him making dozens of girls go crazy with his looks everywhere he went, and his frigid personality just managed to attract many crazy online fans. Because of this, the media followed him wherever he went, and persistently investigated his personal life.


    Since Lu Shen had not permitted Hui Yin to leave the mansion, most of theizens didn''t even know who his wife was, not even her face.


    But when Nian Zhen posted her photos on Weibo andbeled it as a picture with the rumored ''Mrs. Lu'', the whole Weibo nearly exploded.


    A whirlwind of discussion and a storm ofments came, all of them like vultures that yed Hui Yin alive.


    For months afterwards, all the popr tabloids, magazines and newspapers had sshed Hui Yin''s face on the cover, using the selfie that Nian Zhen had taken.


    It showed Hui Yin with a straggly bun, not a speck of make-up on her thin face, and cracked dry lips.


    She was even wearing a matronly dress, with a coffee stain from when she made Lu Shen a cup earlier that morning...

 Chapter 29 Running Away?

    A knock on the door interrupted her reverie, and Hui Yin scrambled to open it, the towel wrapped around her shoulders.


    "Yes, who¡ª"


    The moment she pushed the door open, Hui Yin''s expression froze immediately.


    Standing outside the doorway was a tall and handsome man dressed in a slim-fitting charcoal suit, looking like an olden day emperor. The gaze he directed at her was darker than the night sky behind him, making Hui Yin instinctively shiver.


    "Lu...Shen..."


    Bang¡ª


    Hui Yin mmed the door hard on his face, her mind going nk with shock.


    I just thought of him...


    And he instantly appeared?!


    Her heart was beating hard, racing inside her ribcage like a Ferghana horse. Beads of sweat were trickling down Hui Yin''s forehead, her mind desperately flipping through Sun Tzu''s Thirty-Six Stratagems, wondering if there was a tactic she could use to survive after mming the door on the Great Dragon King.


    Wait at leisure while the enemybors?


    Won''t work, the enemy is already here!


    Sacrifice the plum tree to preserve the peach tree?


    But I don''t want to preserve the peach tree!


    Hui Yin bit her lip, and caught sight of her bedsidemp.


    Forget Sun Tzu, let''s go for ZaoZuo!


    Just as she was about to make a run for her chosen weapon, the door cracked open, and Lu Shen entered.


    Hui Yin nearly fainted.


    I¡ª


    I forgot to lock the door!


    With just one look at his face, Hui Yin was immediately scared out of her wits.


    Letting out a small whimper, she backed away slowly with her shaky legs.


    Help¡ª


    Without meaning to, Hui Yin had retreated to the corner where the bedsidemp was located.


    However, just as her fingers curled around themp base, Lu Shen pinned her with his icy-cold gaze. Her small apartment was suddenly submerged in a pool of ice, and Hui Yin could almost see the staircase to hell behind him.


    Buddha, Guanyin, Wangmu Niangniang, save me¡ªHui Yin howled deep in her heart.


    "Running away?"


    His low and deep voice was like a shackle of chains that imprisoned her soul, making Hui Yin unable to move. She could only watch with wide eyes as Lu Shen came closer and closer...


    Hui Yin took another step back.


    "What...what are you going to do?"


    Hearing how her voice trembled, Hui Yin bit her bottom lip.


    Lu Shen moved forward, putting his hand on her waist.


    His hoarse voice lingered in her ears like a caress, "What do you think I''m going to do?"


    Hui Yin stared up at him speechlessly.


    How would I know?


    That''s why I asked you!


    Lu Shen gazed at the clueless girl in his arms, her small face revealing an expression of being wronged. He had postponed all of his meetings toe to her apartment and ask her to be his secretary again.


    But who would have thought that before he could even open his mouth, this girl would m the door on his face.


    Thinking of this, his expression became unsightly. Lu Shen pulled Hui Yin close and pinned her against the wall.


    Hui Yin stared, her eyes wide.


    But her lips were sealed before she could say anything.

 Chapter 30 It Was A Punishmen

    It was not a kiss.


    It was a punishment.


    Lu Shen''s wide hand held her waist tightly and his other hand was wrapped on the back of her neck as Hui Yin''s senses were overwhelmed by fierce, almost violent, hungry kisses...


    He deepened the kiss, plunging his tongue into hers. Feeling sullen about being trapped by his body, Hui Yin bit his tongue.


    The taste of blood spread between them.


    Lu Shen drew back, until Hui Yin could feel his burning gaze.


    "Are you challenging me?"


    Uh...


    But Lu Shen began to kiss her again, this time even more intensely than before. His cool hands slid down to her hips, her thigh...Hui Yin put her hands on his chest to push him back, but Lu Shen did not budge at all.


    The more she struggled, the more his kiss became ferocious, as if he wanted to silence her protests with his mouth. The taste of blood quickly bloomed between their entwined mouths.


    When Lu Shen finally released her, Hui Yin felt a bit dizzy.


    She gasped for air, and the hand that was pushing Lu Shen away clutched him closer instead. If she didn''t hold onto something, Hui Yin was sure her knees would not be able to support her anymore.


    Lu Shen lowered his gaze, suppressing his groan.


    His body burned with lust. His whole life, he prided himself on the fact that he had never lost control, which gave him the ability to choose the best logical decisions for thepany. What other people thought, what his family thought, what his choices would make other people think of him...none of it mattered.


    Only with this girl...with her, the beast in his heart could easily leap out of its shackles, frightening him.


    He did not know what to do with her.


    Hui Yin yelped as Lu Shen scooped her in his arms and dropped her into the bed. Noticing that he quickly walked away, Hui Yin heaved a sigh of relief.


    Maybe he was going to go home now?


    However, Lu Shen did not seem to be walking towards the door...


    Confused, Hui Yin asked, "Where are you going?"


    ncing back at the girl on the bed, Lu Shen''s throat dried up. Her face was flushed, her eyes wide and doe-like. She wore arge, baggy shirt, and her slightly damp hair fell on her shoulders. Her lips were still swollen from the kiss, and her drawstring shorts showed off her slender, white legs.


    Feeling suffocated, he reached up to roughly loosen his tie.


    Lu Shen did not look back at her anymore as he said coldly, "Shower."


    Then he went inside the bathroom and closed the door with a hard thud.


    Hui Yin: "..."


    Great Dragon King, did you even bring any clothes with you?

 Chapter 31 Given Him ‘That’

    Feeling a dark foreboding, Hui Yin got up from the bed and dug out some of her brother''s stuff from her closet.


    She had brought them here to the apartment for sentimentality, since no sane person would want to wear anything of her brother''s because he had very peculiar tastes.


    After he abruptly left, most of his things had been taken care of by Hui Yin. It was only a few pieces of clothing that she kept; the rest, she had burned in a sacrificial pyre.


    She finally found his clothes on the bottom of her closet, where they hadin untouched. She had brought it in the first ce to hold onto something of her brother''s just in case she got lonely and missed him, but this sense of nostalgia never happened. Thus, Hui Yinpletely forgot about their existence until now.


    A Hawaiian shirt and a pair of spandex shorts...Hui Yin gulped and tried searching for something that Lu Shen might actually agree to wear, but what she found only became worse.


    Unicorn onesie pajamas...


    "Brother, why..." Hui Yin sobbed. Do you know how much your sister is suffering right now?


    As she looked over at the two different pieces of clothing in her hand, Hui Yin knew that Lu Shen would rather wear the Hawaiian shirt and the spandex. He would probably be in a bad mood and be upset, but he would still be able to tolerate it. The unicorn pajamas, on the other hand...


    Suddenly, a crafty look passed over Hui Yin''s expression.


    Curling her lip, she stuffed the Hawaiian shirt and the spandex back inside her closet.


    Lu Shen''s dignity?


    Why should she care for that?


    At the same time, the bathroom door cracked open, and Lu Shen walked out with steam around his body. His hair was still dripping, and water droplets fell on his chest. He had a towel wrapped around his waist, and the lighting from the bathroom outlined his slender stature and tapered waist.


    Hui Yin blushed. She spun around with her back facing the half-naked man.


    "Lu Shen, did you bring any clothes with you?"


    A bit pleased seeing girl''s reaction, Lu Shen was in a rather good mood.


    "No, I did not."


    He had already realized the problem after he went inside the bathroom. But with the way his body was burning, it was either a shower or doing something that was better left done after the wedding. He had already texted his assistant to bring him a change of clothes, but he wanted to tease this blushing fianc¨¦e of his a little.


    "If that''s the case..." Hui Yin pointed at the clothing she had tossed on the bed without looking. "You can wear those."


    Lu Shen followed the direction of where her finger was pointing, and his face quickly became stiff.


    Everyone who knew Lu Shen understood that he usually wore clothes in neutral colors, and preferred a low-key style over the gaudy and the oundish. He had never once tried unting his wealth, because he didn''t need too.


    Anyone else who were stupid enough to ''buy the case and return the pearl'' were not worthy of his attention.


    Lu Shen understood that this girl had also known this, but had deliberately given him ''that'' anyway.


    The unicorn onesie pajamas had white stars printed all over it, and was a mixture of pink and blue in color. A yellow horn protruded from the top of its hood, along with a pair of floppy ears.


    With an unreadable expression, Lu Shen picked it up from the bed.


    A rainbow-colored tail perkily swung from the back, taunting him.

 Chapter 32 Boss, Fighting!

    "What is this...thing?"


    Lu Shen''s eyebrows knitted closer and closer together, his expression severe.


    Any single one of his employees would have immediately recognized it as his ''extremely displeased'' face. It was a sign that a proposal was going to be rejected, someone was going to be fired, and the executive meeting was about to end into a bloodbath.


    "Isn''t it obvious?" Hui Yin raised an eyebrow. "It''s pj''s for you to wear."


    Lu Shen turned back his attention towards the so-called ''pj''s''. He looked at it disdainfully, before throwing it back on the bed.


    "Do you have anything normal for me to wear?"


    Hearing the obvious disgust in his tone, Hui Yin was slightly enjoying herself.


    "No. If you don''t want to strut naked all over the apartment, you can only wear that."


    Since she still had her back turned to Lu Shen, Hui Yin didn''t know that he had moved closer to her until he had hugged her from behind.


    He dropped his chin onto her shoulder, his breath heating the skin of her neck as he spoke.


    "I''m okay strutting naked."


    Hui Yin could feel the warmth of his chest on her back, and the wetness of his hair that he hadn''t yet dried. She cursed violently in her heart.


    Oh, why had she dared to challenge this god?


    Now her n had backfired!


    Just as Hui Yin was about to kneel down and beg for forgiveness from this cruel demon, there was a knock on her apartment door.


    Hui Yin breathed a sigh of relief.


    The corner of Lu Shen''s mouth tilted upwards. Without saying a word, he headed straight towards the door.


    Assistant Yan was about to knock again when it finally opened, showing his half-naked boss. The words died on his throat, and he could only hand over the folded clothes speechlessly.


    Only a few people knew of CEO Lu''s engagement to Miss Hui, and as his assistant, Yan was one of them.


    He knew that his boss had also visited Miss Hui in her apartment a couple of times, but this was his first time seeing the boss naked. Although a lot of girls lusted over him, Yan knew that the boss had never paid any attention to them, and that the only two girls in his life were Miss Hui and his childhood friend, Miss Nian.


    Those who did not know of the engagement had even spected if CEO Lu was gay, since he never seemed interested in women.


    But seeing the boss half-naked now, they could only be...doing that, right?


    Lu Shen did not care for his assistant''s dumbfounded expression, and simply took the clothes from him. Without a word of thanks, he closed the door on Yan''s face.


    Yan did not mind. He was bursting with curiosity, but he knew better than to spread gossip about his boss.


    Those who got on the bad side of his temper immediately died a dog''s death in the time it took an incense stick to burn.


    Shaking his head, he could only secretly wonder what was going on inside that small apartment.


    Yan cheered in his mind, Boss, fighting!

 Chapter 33 A Poisonous Tongue

    After Yan had left, Lu Shen changed into a gray fine-knit sweater and a pair of ck trousers.


    It should have made him look homely, but it was her ce that transformed into an international conference hall instead.


    Hui Yin silently mourned. This guy isn''t nning on staying over, right?


    After drying his hair with a towel on the bed, Lu Shen suddenly looked up at her.


    "Cook me dinner," he ordered.


    His voice wasmanding, brooking no argument. Hui Yin was sure it was the same tone he used when talking to his employees, but she was not under him.


    She didn''t have to obey.


    "Cook it yourself."


    Then she plopped herself into the sofa and turned on the television. Her favorite show was just about to start.


    Lu Shen stared at the girl deeply immersed in watching the television, his eyes deep with unknown thoughts.


    Ever since she had threatened him with hermp and kicked him out of her apartment, he realized that this originally timid fianc¨¦e of his had changed. Before, she would cling to him and follow him everywhere, like a faithful pet dog.


    But ever since that incident, he found out that he no longer understood her.


    Although she was persistent before and annoyed him, the moment she got close to him, his body would instantly want her.


    Which was why he avoided and ignored her, following strictly the principle of ''out of sight, out of mind''. He even thought of fucking her once just to get rid of whatever hold she had on his body, but every time they became more intimate, this girl would look frightened each time.


    She enjoyed his touch and kisses; of that, he was sure of.


    But the instant he expressed any desire to take it further, no matter how clingy she was, she would still quickly stop him.


    Although Lu Shen was frustrated by this, he did not force her. They had gotten engaged as he promised, but staying together after they were married was not part of the deal.


    When their wedding night was over and he had finally purged her out of his system, he nned to get a divorce and stay far away from her.


    Lu Shen did not like to be tied down by a woman, and thought that those who stayed in marriage were fools. He would never allow a woman to have control over him like that.


    Lu Shen broke his stare and looked away.


    "I don''t know how to cook."


    Hui Yin turned off the television and sighed.


    She really hated these rich, young masters.


    Since everything was handed to them on a silver tter, they only knew how to sneer at themon folk working hard below them.


    Jiang Xu was the only man she knew who could stay the same, regardless of whether he was rich or not. It did not matter what his status was in the society, he would still be azy bum.


    Hui Yin opened her fridge and frowned.


    It was empty.


    Right, she hadn''t gone grocery shopping yet because she didn''t have enough money.


    Sighing deeply, she took out two packets of instant noodles.


    Being poor was really difficult.


    After she was done cooking, she put a bowl of noodles on the table.


    Lu Shen, who had reced her position in front of the TV, heard the nking of utensils and came inside the kitchen.


    He immediately frowned.


    "What is that?"


    Irritated, Hui Yin grabbed her chopsticks and sat down in her seat.


    "My Lord, what do you want? The eight culinary ssics? Or the confinement diet?"


    Lu Shen shot her a re as he took his seat opposite hers on the table. He didn''t expect her to prepare the eight culinary ssics, but did she need to mention the confinement diet as well?


    Confinement diet were only for women who had given birth. Lu Shen had no idea that aside from her change in attitude, this girl would have developed a poisonous tongue as well.


    Not to mention his tongue was still stinging from her bite during their kiss.

 Chapter 34 Not Your Prisoner

    They ate their noodles in silence, the TV ring quietly in the background.


    Hui Yin was closely observing Lu Shen, wanting to know what this Great Dragon King would think of themoner''s instant noodles.


    To her surprise, after his initial expression of shock when he tasted it, Lu Shen finished eating his noodles at an astonishing speed.


    He even looked disappointed after he finished slurping the remaining bit of soup, peeking at her from time to time to check if she would magically reproduce another bowl of instant noodles from her hands.


    "That''s it," Hui Yin said helplessly, a bit surprised at seeing this familiar expression of Lu Shen. "I didn''t cook anything else."


    During their marriage, even though the mansion had specifically hired several executive chefs and sous chefs to prepare their meals, Lu Shen had requested that only Hui Yin could cook his meals.


    This gave a lot of pressure on Hui Yin, who did not know the kind of fine dining that Lu Shen would want. She studied a lot of recipes, and watched a lot of cooking videos on Youku-Todou just to satisfy his appetite.


    She thought it was because she finally mastered the art of cooking luxurious dishes that Lu Shen polished off every meal she had cooked and even asked for seconds.


    But these instant noodles...didn''t she just boil it?


    So how could this spoiled young master still think that it was delicious?


    Hui Yin shook her head and didn''t think anything more of it. There were more important things in her mind.


    "Lu Shen, I''m going to audition tomorrow for a PV."


    He was eyeing her unfinished bowl of noodles when she spoke, so he looked a bit disoriented.


    "Whose PV?"


    "Liu Jun''s."


    His answer was immediate. "No."


    "I''m going," Hui Yin said calmly.


    She had already expected his reply, so she wasn''t the least bit bothered by it.


    "No."


    Hui Yin finished eating her noodles and was putting both of their bowls on the sink.


    "Yes. I''m not asking you, I''m telling you. I''m going to that audition no matter what you say."


    So go on and tell Nian Zhen, Hui Yin thought silently in her mind. And she could go and tell the old master and madam who would ckmail me with our engagement.


    But this time, it wouldn''t work, because that''s exactly what I''m aiming for.


    "No." Lu Shen''s stare was sharp on her back, as if he knew the thoughts that were running inside her head.


    "If you go to that audition, I will personally target that male singer until he could never show his face in the entertainment circle ever again."


    Hui Yin dropped the bowls in her hands, which made a loud nging sound as it fell on the sink.


    Hui Yin was aghast, and turned towards Lu Shen with a pale face.


    "You wouldn''t!"


    His gaze was steady. "I would."


    Hui Yin felt her hands tremble, and quickly hid them behind her back. She knew he could do it. Although the Lu Corporation was a software conglomerate that heavily invested in emerging technologies, it had also purchased severalpanies under its name, including those that deal with the entertainment business. Against the CEO and Chairman of apany that had long ago joined the top ranks of global titans, what could a little singer like Liu Jun do?


    "Lu Shen," Hui Yin softened her voice, fighting against the panic that was slowly engulfing her, "I need to go to this audition. This is my dream, and my livelihood. Even if you don''t like it, you still need to respect my decision. I''m your fianc¨¦e, not your prisoner."


    "No."


    That firm one-word reply finally made Hui Yin lose her temper.


    "Shit, just what is it exactly that you want me to do?!"


    "Be my secretary."


    Lu Shen''s eyes were a bit cold, and he was sitting straight on his chair like a tyrant.


    His hair had already started to dry, and although it was ubed, it still looked soft and silky to the touch.


    "I can''t be an actress and a secretary at the same time!" Hui Yin felt the urge to throw the bowls at his head. "Choose something else!"


    His long and slender fingers slowly tapped on the table, and he looked as if he was seriously considering her request.


    After a long moment, he finally nced at her and spoke in a steady, leisure tone.


    "Alright."


    Before she could let out a sigh, Lu Shen added, "Xiao Yin, I''ll make you a deal."


    That made Hui Yin shiver deep in her heart.


    This didn''t happen before in her past life, so who knew what kind of shady deal this indifferent tycoon in front of her would cook up?


    Hui Yin took a deep breath.


    The problem was, she didn''t have a choice. With Fei Hong out of the country, this audition was her best chance.


    For her dream, she would do just about anything.

 Chapter 35 Something Difficult That I Can’t Do

    Hui Yin pulled up a chair and sat down, meeting Lu Shen''s eyes with determination.


    "What deal?"


    Lu Shen curled his lips up, and he slowly stood up from his seat to walk towards her.


    Apprehensive, she watched as he draped an arm along the back of her chair and leaned forward, so that their faces were only inches apart. An index finger tilted her chin upwards, so that their eyes were locked.


    Hui Yin looked at the wless face that was crafted by the gods themselves and gulped.


    Seeing him being mischievous like this, the deal couldn''t be anything good for her.


    "I won''t interfere with your auditions anymore. You''ll be free to make your own decisions, and I could even support you as an exclusive backer. I could make the A-list actress that was annoying you hand over her early resignation. You''ll never have to see her again."


    Hui Yin was shocked that he knew about Fei Hong. She was sorely tempted by his offer, but she knew that there was a price.


    Lu Shen was a master of incentives; it was what made him an excellent businessman.


    "In exchange for what?"


    She jumped out of her chair to create distance between them, because she suddenly remembered that he was good at practicing bodynguage as well.


    She needed a clear head if she was going to make a deal with him.


    Lu Shen raised an eyebrow, but didn''tment on her excessive reaction.


    He straightened up and slid one hand into his trouser pocket.


    "I want you to be my personal maid."


    His voice was indifferent, as if what he just said wasn''t something ridiculous.


    "..."


    I''m sorry, my lord, did I really just hear that you want me to be your personal maid?


    Do you know what century this is?


    Did a pure as a flower and elegant nobledy identally transmigrated into your body and now want a handmaiden to serve her?


    Although Hui Yin wanted to say all of that to Lu Shen, she knew better than to test this man''s temper.


    Instead, she asked, "Why?"


    "Because I want to."


    Her left eye twitched. "Why would you want to?"


    He simply looked at her. "Because I want to order you around."


    Hui Yin felt quite speechless. Is this why he wanted her to be his secretary?


    So that she would obey his orders?


    "No." If she agreed to his demands, wouldn''t she just be reverting herself to a ve like what she had been in her former life?


    His expression went cold. "Do you think you have a choice? Or maybe you don''t want to go to that audition anymore?"


    Hui Yin felt like clutching at her head. Why is this man so unreasonable? It was only an audition; does he really need to pull out the big guns?


    "Lu Shen, I don''t want to be your personal maid. Pick something else."


    Her voice came out strained.


    He crossed his arms. "That is my condition."


    Hui Yin attempted to negotiate. Lu Shen was better at making deals than she was, but she had to try.


    "How about this...just don''t interfere with my acting job anymore. You don''t have to make Fei Hong resign, and you don''t need to be my backer. Just let me act freely, and request something else in exchange than making me be your personal maid. I really can''t agree to that."


    Lu Shen looked displeased.


    "Why can''t you agree? You don''t have to do housework, I''ll have several maids under my employ. You only need to cook my meals, but I won''t insist if you''re busy. All you have to do is to live with me and stay beside me, and follow my orders. I won''t demand anything difficult that you can''t do."


    Hui Yin: "..."


    My lord, ordering me to live and stay beside you is already something difficult that I can''t do!

 Chapter 36 Misrepresentation

    Lu Shen stared at the girl who had an ''I''m slowly suffering from death by a thousand cuts'' expression on her face.


    Was his condition really that horrible?


    Didn''t this girl always persist to stay close to him? Even when he spoke harsh words to her, she never fluctuated in her love for him.


    Now that he was giving her what she wanted, why did she look like she was being tortured? Shouldn''t she be jumping up and down with happiness by now?


    Lu Shen thought that women were really hard to understand.


    Or is this simply what Zhang Yingyu meant by ''misrepresentation'' in his Book of Swindles?


    Lu Shen didn''t lower his guard, and treated the transaction like a 10 billion yuan deal.


    Who knew what kind of tricks this girl had up her sleeve?


    Hui Yin, who had no idea that she was being treated as a con artist by the other party, was having some problems of her own.


    Is being Lu Shen''s personal maid the only choice she had? Even if she didn''t go to the audition, she knew that the next time she had another project that he didn''t agree with, Lu Shen would have no qualms in shooting it down.


    With his status, there was no one beyond his power that he couldn''t squash like an insignificant ant. Against a formidable enemy like Lu Shen, they were all crushed dry weeds and smashed rotten wood.


    But Hui Yin still didn''t want to be his personal servant.


    "I can..." Hui Yin squeezed the rest of the words out. "I can live with you. But I can''t be your personal maid. That''s my bottom line."


    This was already her greatest concession towards him. With this, she only needed to sleep at his ce. Once the sun rose up, she would leave immediately, and only return back when it waste at night.


    She could just stay in her room and never see him; even if they did live together, with his busy schedule, he would surely have no time to stick around.


    Before she even finished speaking, Lu Shen''s face was enveloped with cold frost. He chuckled, but it was deep and dark.


    Hui Yin thought it sounded slightly menacing.


    "Do you really hate being with me that much?" he asked.


    Yes!


    "N¡ªNo," Hui Yin said out loud, because she didn''t want to die yet.


    "Really?" He didn''t move closer to her, but Hui Yin still took a step back.


    His eyes were so cold that her whole body became numb.


    "Alright, you don''t have to be my personal maid. But you need to fulfill your promise of living together with me. I''ll have mywyer write up a contract that we''ll both sign tomorrow. Any breach of the deal on your side and..."


    Lu Shen''s mouth curved up into a smile that wasn''t really one. It was terrifying.


    "...there''ll be punishment."

 Chapter 37 Really Like Biting

    Looking at Lu Shen''s cold eyes, Hui Yin was afraid that by ''punishment'', he meant killing her in secret and disposing her body in some river somewhere.


    Wasn''t that what the viins always did in the movies?


    Hui Yin didn''t show her inner turmoil and replied in a steady voice.


    "I won''t break it."


    Lu Shen looked like he didn''t care either way.


    "Alright."


    After washing the dishes and brushing her teeth, Hui Yin found Lu Shen lounging on her bed, flipping through some magazines that were ced on her bedside table.


    She knitted her eyebrows.


    "You''re still not going home? Don''t you have a lot of work to do?"


    Lu Shen tossed the magazines back on the table. "I''m staying for the night."


    Hui Yin was speechless.


    Wasn''t it enough that he had broken through her apartment like a burr and had eaten her precious food like a thief?


    Even a criminal wouldn''t be as shameless as this bastard!


    "I only have one bed."


    So quickly go home!


    "We''ll share." Lu Shen didn''t move from his original position. He even patted the space beside him, suggesting that she should quickly lie down next to him.


    The temperature had always been cooler at night, but for some reason, Hui Yin felt hot.


    She quickly backtracked.


    "I''ll sleep on the sofa then."


    Hui Yin wanted to cry. She didn''t want to sleep on the sofa! She had tried it once before, and woke up with her body hurting all over.


    Not to mention she had an important audition tomorrow...


    However, as a pure maiden, she knew that she shouldn''t sleep together with a man.


    Although Lu Shen was her fianc¨¦e right now, he wouldn''t be in the future. If her future husband discovered that she had slept with a man before their marriage, even if it was only in the literal sense, he might think that she was a really loose woman! Wouldn''t he divorce her then?


    For the sake of being pure, she must endure the sofa!


    But before she could take another step, a hand grabbed her wrist, and Hui Yin found herself in Lu Shen''s arms.


    A secondter, she was unceremoniously dumped on the bed. Lu Shen sat next to her, and when she tried to get up, he forcefully pushed her head down with his hand.


    "Sleep."


    Hui Yin gritted her teeth.


    This domineering, psychotic, shameless CEO!


    Hui Yin struggled to get up again. "It''s not right..."


    Looking impatient, heid down next to her and clicked off themp. In the sudden darkness, Hui Yin was about to rejoice as she had gotten halfway up when a trouser-d leg threw itself over her body like a deadweight.


    Thud!


    Hui Yin''s head fell back on the soft mattress.


    "Lu Shen!" she shouted angrily.


    She struggled with all her might, but his leg might as well have been a boulder. Her body felt crushed under the weight of his leg, and she couldn''t move at all.


    "Don''t move." His tone waszy.


    This infuriated Hui Yin, who had been harbouring deep resentment with nowhere to vent since Lu Shen hade into her apartment.


    So when she saw an opportunity to hurt this tyrant, she immediately took it, and bit his leg.


    Hui Yin did not expect the fabric of the trousers to be so thick.


    The bed suddenly trembled, and rmed, Hui Yin wondered if there was an earthquake. But no, it wasn''t an earthquake, it was because the man beside her was silentlyughing.


    "Lu Shen!" Hui Yin hit his leg with her fist.


    Before she could react, Lu Shen had yanked her upwards and single-handedly pulled her body underneath him.


    Illuminated by the shaft of moonlighting from the window, her silky ck hair spilled and fanned on the bed, looking obsidian against the white sheets.


    With one hand, Lu Shen pinned her wrists above her head. Hui Yin was now essentially trapped with no way out.


    When he next spoke, there wasn''t a trace ofughter in his voice.


    "Xiao Yin, it seems that you really like biting me."

 Chapter 38 Defensive Strike

    "You..."


    Hui Yin felt her cheeks heat up with embarrassment. That was a defensive strike, alright!


    Don''t make it sound so sexual!


    In the darkness, Hui Yin could only see the vague outline of Lu Shen''s face. She was deeply aware that they were too close, and that Lu Shen''s lips were just an inch away from hers.


    His warm breath caressed her face, and Hui Yin turned her head sideways to evade him.


    The light in Lu Shen''s eyes dimmed.


    So unwilling.


    "Sleep," he threatened her, his voice ice-cold.


    He moved away from her, and Hui Yin breathed a sigh of relief. Quickly, she rolled to the very far side of the bed, putting as much distance between them as possible.


    Since she had to wake up early for her audition tomorrow, Hui Yin immediately fell asleep.


    Looking at the face of the girl sleeping peacefully beside him, Lu Shen was in a bad mood.


    How could she sleep so easily!


    Isn''t she even a bit bothered that she''s sharing a bed with a man? Look how easy it was for her to ignore him.


    Lu Shen shifted his body, and stifled a groan.


    It was like a fire had been lit inside him.


    His skin felt heated, and he was so hard that it was painful. Inside his head, he started reciting the digits of pi. When that didn''t distract him, he tried addingplicated numbers inside his head. But it didn''t deter the mes that was slowly consuming him.


    He wanted to wake up Hui Yin and take care of the need that was slowly ripping his control into tatters, but he knew better than anyone what her answer would be. So he tried multiplying three-digit numbers, and when that didn''t work, division.


    Tossing and turning, Lu Shen was kept awake by lust until early morning.


    By the time Hui Yin woke up beside him, Lu Shen felt like a mathematical genius.


    ...


    After Lu Shen was picked up by driver Cheng, Hui Yin took a quick shower and called her manager about where the audition was going to be held.


    Truthfully, she felt a little nervous.


    For a popr male singer like Liu Jun, there would be certainly a lot of A-list stars that would try to take up the role. She even made a deal with Lu Shen just so that she could audition for this PV, so Hui Yin was determined to try her best.


    "Don''t worry so much about it," Sister Su assured her. "If you don''t get this role, I still have a lot of casting calls and auditions here that I think are perfect for you."


    Hui Yin felt touched. She knew how much Sister Su suffered by being with her, but she had never tried to pressure Hui Yin. This simple act of kindness nearly made her tear up.


    "Thank you, Sister Su."


    After she hung up, Hui Yin became even more motivated. She knew that not only would she be casted for the promotional video of <Captive> if she got the part, she would be included in the official music video as well.


    It would definitely amount to good publicity.


    Hui Yin didn''t manage to eat breakfast as she had to catch the long-distance bus to Guangzhou.


    By the time she reached the studio where the auditions were going to be held, her stomach was growling with hunger.

 Chapter 39 Background Actress?

    Hui Yin took the lift to the highest floor, and walked past several chattering actresses that were excitedly talking about the audition.


    Her heart sank.


    She had recognized some of their faces, and realized that they were all very popr and well-known actresses in the industry.


    As soon as she stepped inside the waiting room, Hui Yin''s suspicions were confirmed.


    There was a huge line-up of actresses inside, and all of them had popr aplishments under their belt.


    As she walked over to register, she heard a disdainful voice exim: "What? That background actress signed up too?!"


    Hui Yin turned around and saw Wu Chuntao and her faithful crony, Guo Liqin. Wu Chuntao''s voice had attracted a lot of attention from the other actresses, and they all turned their scornful gaze at Hui Yin.


    "A background actress? Why is an extra like her auditioning for Liu Jun''s new song? Isn''t she being too shameless?"


    "Does she really think that she has a chance? Did she think a popr idol like Liu Jun would be stupid enough to pick her?"


    "Pffft...maybe she just lost her way! Why don''t we point her to the right direction?"


    Wu Chuntao sneered. To have the audacity toe here, that slut must really want to lose face!


    "Ah, it''s because Sister Fei isn''t here, that''s why a certain bad dog is starting to misbehave," she said, clicking her tongue. "Maybe we should teach her a lesson?"


    "For a rookie like her toe here and ruin the image of Liu Jun, she certainly deserves it!" Guo Liqin chimed.


    Hui Yin took up her ce in the line, and waited patiently for the audition to begin.


    Why should she mind their insults? Such boring, repetitive remarks were not worthy of her reply.


    So Hui Yin simply took out a pair of earphones, and plugged it to her ears.


    There, problem solved.


    She listened to a couple of Liu Jun''s songs as she waited, to prepare her mind for the character that she was going to portray.


    There were no leaks as to what <Captive> was all about, which was very unusual. Usually for an audition of a song PV, they were given a bit of prior information about the song lyrics so that they could interpret it on their own.


    Hui Yin hadn''t listened to <Captive> in her past life, so she didn''t have an advantage in that area either. To ready herself for the audition, she began to listen to all of Liu Jun''s songs, even those that didn''t be famous.


    Little by little, she began to understand how he created his songs, and through it, she slowly pieced in her mind what kind of song <Captive> might be.


    Not too long after, the auditions began.


    A female staff walked over to them and announced that they should enter ording to their numbered sequence. After the first actress was called, the rest of them began to nervously fix their make-up, while their managers coached them on what to do.


    Sister Su had also offered toe to the audition with Hui Yin, but she politely declined. She knew how busy her manager was.


    As Hui Yin waited for her turn, her stomach grumbled in protest again.


    Her face paled.

 Chapter 40 True Captive

    When Wu Chuntao finished her audition, she didn''t hesitate to shoot Hui Yin a triumphant look.


    Although she wasn''t as famous as Sister Fei, her acting talent had far surpassed everyone that was auditioning today! Even the director shed a smile at her performance.


    They were probably just continuing the audition to give those other famous actresses some face.


    After all, how could theypare to her, Wu Chuntao?


    Today''s audition was really unusual. For one, the director didn''t reject anyone that came to audition, only giving them the promise that he would call them if they got the part.


    Two, the way the auditioning artistes were called in so quickly, it was obvious that the time given for them to perform was very short! How could the people inside judge them in only under a few minutes? Were they even taking this seriously?


    Soon, the number of the actress in front of Hui Yin was called. Hui Yin carefully tugged out her earphones and hoped that her hungry stomach could wait for a little bit more.


    I''ll feed you soon, okay!


    But when it was finally Hui Yin''s turn, she suddenly became dizzy and had to grab the doorway for support.


    The female staff looked at her in concern.


    "Are you alright?"


    Hui Yin forced a smile and nodded.


    She really shouldn''t have skipped breakfast!


    Thinking of this, a list of delicious dishes popped one after another inside Hui Yin''s mind.


    Tofu pudding, steamed buns, congee...


    As she went inside the audition room, the moment all of the interviewers saw Hui Yin, they were immediately shocked.


    In truth, the reason for the fast audition was because they based their judgement on the actress'' first impression. Performance? Why on earth would they need those for? This isn''t a film for them to show their amazing theatrical skills. A music video usually doesn''t have any dialogue, which means that they were mostly based on the character''s appearance.


    Just from the song title, it was actually very easy to understand what the song <Captive> was all about. Simply put, it was a song about a man who was so obsessed with the girl he loved that he had made her be his prisoner.


    All the female artistes that came in were full of make-up and excitement, that it made the director feel disgusted. Where was the hint of captivity in those faces? Some had even cried crocodile tears, and performed an excellent monologue of wanting to be freed. Such amateur acting, do they even understand the feelings of a long-time prisoner?


    But this girl in front of them had truly rendered them speechless.


    Without a hint of make-up on, one could see that her face was pale, and her whole body was trembling with fright. Although she didn''t cry, they could clearly see her cornered look, like she wanted to be anywhere but here...


    It was the perfect look of a forlorn and despairing beauty, a true captive.


    In her mind, Hui Yin thought, I want to go to a noodle restaurant...

 Chapter 41 Ulmer Scale

    "Who is this actress? Give me the file on her," Director Sun ordered, his eyes shining.


    Because of the years he had spent working in the industry, he was confident that he knew the faces of the promising actresses in all of the different agencies. But this girl was not familiar to him at all!


    Just where did this talented actresse from?


    "Yes, Director!"


    When her file was handed over to him, Director Sun was greatly surprised. No wonder he was not familiar with her face; it was because the girl who had greatly impressed him with her acting was actually a D-list actress!


    Everyone who entered the show business knew about the Ulmer scale¡ªdeveloped by the American journalist James Ulmer, it was a popr tool used to calcte the ''bankability'' of a given star. In short, it ranked them ording to how popr they were, and to what degree their names alone could trigger full financing for a movie.


    The Ulmer scale categorizes the lists into A+, A, B+, B, C, and D listings. For an actress to be under the infamous D-list, it would mean that her career had basically flopped!


    Director Sun''s expression changed. He generally hated D-listers based from his experience, because they were mostly talentless individuals who just couldn''t let go of the possibility that their big break would be right around the corner. They were all toads lusting after a swan''s flesh¡ªthey didn''t know an iota about acting, but they persisted on calling themselves as ''actors'' anyway.


    Had Director Sun managed to read Hui Yin''s file before the audition, he would have personally kicked her out without hesitation.


    His assistant crinkled her forehead.


    "Director?"


    Director Sun sighed.


    He liked her acting, but he could not take this audition lightly. For a D-list actress to star in Liu Jun''s new hit single <Captive>¡ªif this PV flopped, not only would it leave a permanent stain in his career, that wacky male singer would also probably me his judgement and drag his name into the mud.


    Hiring her would just bring him too much unnecessary trouble.


    Of course, Hui Yin detected the slight frown of dissatisfaction on the director''s face after he saw her file. Despite her hunger, she understood instantly that they were about to reject her without giving her a chance. It had happened too often during her auditions in the past that she was already long used to it.


    Hui Yin bowed her head.


    Her shoulders shook, and her body fell into a limp heap on the floor.


    Startled, both Director Sun and his assistant stood up.


    "Miss Hui!"


    Slowly, Hui Yin looked up.


    Her eyshes trembled with unshed tears, and the lips she had softly bitten was a glistening, pale red. A thinyer of sweat had stered some tendrils of jet-ck hair on her small face, and it seemed that she had no strength at all.


    Her eyes were beautiful, her dark irises like twin maic pools that drew them in. She was clearly frightened to death, but this kind of scene...she hadpletely bewitched all of them!


    Director Sun couldn''t tear his eyes off her, but it was not a malicious gaze.


    His eyes reflected a sharp glint that looked as if he had suddenly understood something.


    Before the audition, he remembered a conversation he had with Liu Jun about <Captive>. Director Sun had wondered why he had written a love song with such dark undertones, hinting of the man''s need to possess and lock up the woman he loved.


    Liu Jun had merelyughed at his question, and asked cryptically, "Do you really think the song title talks about the girl being held captive?"


    Director Sun was confused, and asked him what he meant by that. However, Liu Jun onlyughed again before walking away.


    Now, looking at Hui Yin, Director Sun felt that he finally understood what the young singer had meant.


    Although the man had physically imprisoned the girl and made her his captive, the true prisoner in the song was the man.


    Because the girl...had captivated him.

 Chapter 42 By Leaps And Bounds

    Hui Yin stood up, and all hints of her former expression hadpletely vanished.


    She gazed calmly at the judges, as if she hadn''t been lying on the ground only a few seconds ago.


    There wasn''t even a trace of tears on her eyes.


    "..."


    Everyone inside the audition room was stunned.


    Director Sun smiled.


    He had already found the actress that he was looking for. All of his previous reservations had gone, vanished in the blink of an eye.


    As a director, he had long since learned to adapt. Although this young actress had been given a D-list ranking, Director Sun fully trusted her acting skills. For someone topletely portray and immerse themselves on a role like that¡ªif that wasn''t pure talent, then what was?


    Director Sun shook his head and thought to himself that there must have been a reason for her low ranking. It was obvious that just by her looks and skills alone, she should have been advancing by leaps and bounds in the entertainment business.


    Hui Yin watched as Director Sun scribbled something, before he looked up at her and said with an expression that was hard to read, "That will be all. We''ll call you tomorrow about the results of the audition."


    Hui Yin smiled.


    "Thank you very much."


    As soon as she got out of the audition room, Hui Yin couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.


    That hadn''t been too bad, right?


    The fact that they didn''t immediately kick her out after they had seen her file was a miracle in and of itself.


    But maybe her hungry stomach had affected her performance...


    Thinking that worrying about it wouldn''t help her anyway, Hui Yin gged down a taxi and went into the nearest noodle restaurant that she could find.


    After filling her stomach, she did some grocery shopping first before going home. Since Little Wuji and Baby Shang were going to stay over for the night, she needed to prepare a lot of food for them.


    Hui Yin thought that the two of them were too thin. If she didn''t feed them right, the two little buns would be two little dumplings instead!


    As she was putting the Osmanthus flower jelly on the fridge, her phone by the kitchen counter rang.


    Not looking at the caller ID, Hui Yin said, "Hello?"


    "Come to the office to sign the contract. Be here at two."


    After saying those words, the call was immediately clicked off.


    Hui Yin looked at the beeping phone with a sour expression. This tyrant really liked to order her around!


    Because she was petty, she stayed for another hour at home, baking delicious mooncakes.


    It was already half past three when Hui Yin finally arrived in front of the building of the Lu Corporation.


    As she pushed open the ss doors, her low heels cked softly on the gleaming and spotless marble floor.


    Hui Yin was not nervous at all. Though this was her first visit in this life, in truth, it was already her third timeing here.


    She remembered how timid she had been back then when she told the receptionist at the front desk that she had an appointment with Lu Shen.


    The receptionist had only given her a disdainful look and made her wait at the lobby for nearly two hours.


    Yet when Nian Zhen came in five minutester, the employees had easily recognized her.

 Chapter 43 Devoted Slave

    Hui Yin didn''t bother to waste time talking to the receptionist.


    She directly dialled Lu Shen''s number and put it on speaker.


    "Where are you?" came his annoyed voice.


    "Eh, I forgot what you told me to do. Can you tell me again?"


    "Xiao Yin!"


    Hearing his furious voice only made Hui Yin''s smirk grow bigger.


    "If you don''t tell me what you want me to do, then how can I obey you?"


    At this point, the whole body of the receptionist was already shaking.


    Was that voice...CEO and Chairman Lu?


    Although she had worked in thepany for years, she didn''t manage to hear his voice because the boss barely stops by.


    Only by fanatically tuning in to the television during business events could she hear his low, sexy voice, which sent thrills in her body.


    It didn''t matter that he was talking about merger documents and obscureputer lingo; his voice still sounded darkly seductive in her ears.


    But for this girl to simply dial the boss'' phone number...


    Even major clients didn''t have ess to his private number!


    And not only that, for him to quickly reply...she heard from thepany grapevine that the boss'' mother, Madam Lu, had to wait for nearly half a day before her calls could get through.


    Even his childhood friend, Miss Nian, was ignored sometimes!


    So who was this girl that CEO and Chairman Lu deemed worthy enough of his time?


    Maybe she was a powerful figure that the boss didn''t dare to cross?


    But who could be more powerful than the boss?!


    The receptionist thanked fervently in her heart that she didn''t do anything wrong to this low-key important person! She was even about to sneer at her because her clothes were too cheap.


    To mistakenly think that she was just some ordinary,mon person...thank goodness she heard the boss'' voice in time!


    Of course, it didn''t cross the receptionist''s mind that Hui Yin had a close personal rtionship with Lu Shen. It was widely known that Lu Shen was an aloof person¡ªthe people who were close to him could be counted on one hand.


    And the women that were close to him was even rarer that it could be only counted by one finger...and that was Miss Nian Zhen!


    Hui Yin was still talking to Lu Shen on the phone,pletely oblivious to the fact that the receptionist had pegged her as thest boss that was even more terrifying than the Great Dragon King.


    "If you''re not going to tell me, I guess I''ll just go home then..." Hui Yin made herself sigh.


    The words sounded as if they were ground out through gritted teeth: "Contract. Sign. Office. Now."


    In particr, thatst word wasced with threat.


    Hui Yin shed a smile and hung up.


    Looking at the quivering receptionist, Hui Yin raised an eyebrow. "Did you hear that? The tyrant told me toe up to his office. So, can Ie up?"


    T¡ªtyrant...With her eyes nearly bulging out of her head, the receptionist nodded her head with so much intensity that it almost looked to Hui Yin like she was kowtowing.


    "Alright then." Hui Yin shed another smile before striding towards the elevator.


    But as she got there, the nervous receptionist suddenly whizzed by and pushed the elevator button for her.


    Hui Yin was shocked by her action, but nevertheless said a polite "Thank you."


    If she had known from the start that she''d have the receptionist be her devoted ve just by calling Lu Shen and confirming their appointment, Hui Yin would have died with less resentment in her previous life.


    Hui Yin nced at her watch.


    In her past life, her first visit to Lu Shen''s office was for a different reason.


    But coincidentally, her visit now and from before were on the same date.


    Hn, still plenty of time to set up the stage...

 Chapter 44 Hubby?

    As Hui Yin got out of the elevator on the top floor, several employees had spotted her and were whispering among themselves.


    "Who''s that?"


    "Is she a new employee?"


    "Maybe she knows someone here."


    They continued working and gave Hui Yin a curious nce from time to time. However, they were surprised when Assistant Yan suddenly burst out of the boss'' office and seemed to have recognized the unknown girl.


    He greeted her with a polite smile as he apanied her back towards the office.


    "She''s here to see the boss?!"


    "She didn''t look like an important client."


    "If she''s not an important client, why would Assistant Yan personally escort her?"


    "Maybe she knows Assistant Yan!"


    "Ah! That must be it."


    Satisfied with that exnation, all of the employees didn''t pay Hui Yin any more attention and focused on their work.


    "I''m sorry, Miss Hui. Did the receptionist at the front desk give you any trouble? I forgot to tell her about your visit¡ªplease don''t me her, it''spletely my fault. She must have given you a hard time...she''s used to handling pesky visitors. There''s just too many people who use different excuses just to see CEO Lu. They sometimes even camp outside the main doors for several days just to catch a glimpse of him. It''s really troublesome."


    Yan wiped his sweaty forehead with a handkerchief, feeling nervous.


    If Miss Hui got angry at him, there''s a huge possibility that the boss might fire him. Yan knew how much CEO Lu hated signs of ipetence in his employees, especially from those who were older and more experienced.


    Hui Yin smiled.


    "It''s alright. I settled it on my own."


    They entered Lu Shen''s office, and despite having already seen it once before, Hui Yin still couldn''t help widen her eyes in amazement.


    Following a minimalistic design, arge ss disy cab spanning an entire wall dominated her left, filled sparingly with D-ring binders. Furniture in white and gray tones made the office seem simple and sleek, while a ck ss-top desk was set against a series of tall, frameless ss windows that overlooked the city.


    And sitting on a swivel chair behind the desk was Lu Shen, his expression making the office seem more like the entrance to hell.


    "I''ll see youter, Miss Hui."


    Sensing the danger, Yan immediately bolted.


    Hui Yin dropped her purse on a nearby porcin table and sat on the sofa.


    "Stop ring at me. Where''s the contract?" she asked.


    "You''rete."


    He said it like a malediction.


    Hui Yin spotted a file on his desk and walked over to grab it, ignoring his ice-block of a face. "Is this it?"


    He snatched her wrist, his dark eyes staring at her face.


    "Why are youte?"


    "I was busy. Let go of my hand."


    He tugged at her wrist even harder, until her fingers released the contract. "Busy with what?"


    "None of your business!" snapped Hui Yin.


    She jerked her wrist out of his grip and massaged it. There were now faint pink and blue bruises on her fair skin.


    Seeing the bruise, the cold light in Lu Shen''s eyes softened.


    "I''m sorry."


    Hui Yin red at him.


    "If apologies could fix everything, then we wouldn''t need the fucking police!"


    Hearing her curse, Lu Shen knew that she was really mad. Sighing at his own inexplicable behavior, he picked up his phone and ordered Yan to bring an ice pack.


    "Let me see."


    Lu Shen moved closer to Hui Yin and tried to gently take her arm.


    "Don''t touch me." She stared at the expression of remorse on his face.


    It was her first time seeing that kind of look from him.


    As she took a step back, her eyes fell on her watch. It was almost time.


    "If you really feel guilty about it, then..."


    Without saying another word, Hui Yin pushed him down on the sofa.


    Ignoring his confused look, she ran her fingers through his hair, loosened his tie, and pinched his cheeks.


    Her movements were so quick that Lu Shen did not have the chance to stop her.


    "What are you..." His voice trailed off as she put a finger on his lips.


    In a low voice, she said, "I just wanted to mess you up."


    Hui Yin smiled, and said loudly, "Sorry for being so rough, hubby."


    Lu Shen froze. Hubby?


    Smash!


    The two of them simultaneously nced at the office doorway, where Nian Zhen had just dropped a souvenir jade figurine on the floor.

 Chapter 45 Such A Big Difference

    "Miss Nian!" Hui Yin pasted a surprised expression on her face. "Why didn''t you say anything? We didn''t know that you were here."


    As she jumped out to help her, Hui Yin emphasized the ''we'' in her sentence.


    It presented her and Lu Shen as a united front, while Nian Zhen was reduced to being a mere lightbulb.


    Since you like being a bitch so much, here''s some some dog food for you to eat, thought Hui Yin.


    Of course, how could Nian Zhen not understand her meaning? The stiff smile on her face nearly fell off.


    "I didn''t expect you to be here, Yinyin."


    Hui Yin shrugged. "Why not? This is my future husband''spany, after all."


    When Nian Zhen heard that, her hands involuntarily clenched. Future husband? You little slut, how dare you snatch Brother Shen while I was still abroad?


    Since I came back, do you think he''ll stay as your fianc¨¦ any longer?


    Brother Shen is mine!


    Hui Yin noticed the hatred in the other girl''s eyes and her lips curved upwards. Pretending ignorance, she bent down to pick up a shard, but a hand on her arm stopped her.


    The touch was gentle, barely grazing her skin before it was withdrawn.


    "Leave it. I''ll call someone to clean it upter."


    Lu Shen transferred his gaze to Nian Zhen. "What are you doing here?"


    Suppressing her extreme jealousy, Nian Zhen gave him a sad smile.


    "Didn''t I tell you before that I brought gifts from abroad? I was going to give yours today, but I was so surprised to see Yinyin that it identally slipped out of my hands."


    Hui Yin raised an eyebrow. You''re ming me for this?


    Lu Shen frowned. "You''re always so clumsy. Come inside and sit."


    Nian Zhen happily followed Lu Shen into his office, while Hui Yin heaved a sigh.


    This man had always been blind.


    She followed after them, but only picked up her purse from the table.


    She then walked towards the desk and picked up the contract again.


    "I''ll read it first in the apartment and sign itter. I''ll leave first," she told Lu Shen.


    She really didn''t want to spend any more time with them.


    "The bruise..." Lu Shen''s eyes dropped to her wrist, and that same sh of remorse flitted again across his usually cold eyes.


    "I''ll¡ª"


    But before Hui Yin could finish her sentence, Yan arrived into the office with an icepack and a towel.


    Because the smashed jade figurine was near the doorway, he immediately noticed it.


    "Eh, boss, this is..."


    "Miss Nian dropped it." Before that girl could twist the story any further, Hui Yin spoke up.


    "Wow, this looks very expensive!"


    Nian Zhen looked at Yan with regretful tears in her eyes. "It was supposed to be a gift for Brother Shen."


    Although Yan was already thirty, it could be said that he was stillpletely clueless how to act around girls. He had studied at an all boys school since he was a teenager, and there was apleteck of women in their family. Seeing Nian Zhen''s crying face, Yan flew into a panic.


    "Miss Nian, I''m so sorry, please don''t cry, it was just an ident! Boss wouldn''t want to see you cry either, I''m sure it''s fine, it''s the thought you put into it that matters...ahhh, please don''t cry!"


    Yan was about to start sobbing himself. This is why I don''t have a wife! Boo-hoo, a woman''s feelings are really too fragile...


    Lu Shen patted Nian Zhen''s head.


    "Don''t cry."


    Hui Yin watched the two of them with a grim twist to her mouth. There it was again, the affection that he could easily bestow on Nian Zhen...Hui Yin''s eyes were drawn to the faint bruises on her wrist, and her expression became amused.


    Such a big difference from how he treated her, his fianc¨¦e.


    She passed by Yan with a polite nod and a smile, intending to finish cooking the rest of the food she had prepared for the little buns.


    Imagining their small faces, her smile gradually softened...


    "Wait."


    A voice called out from behind her.

 Chapter 46 Dates Before Mates

    Hui Yin turned around.


    Lu Shen had grabbed the icepack from Yan''s hand, and was walking towards her.


    Hui Yin felt irritated. All she wanted to do was to leave, and this man wasn''t even letting her do that.


    "It''s okay," she said flippantly. "I''ll just put some ice on it when I get home."


    He ignored her, and took her arm. He wrapped the icepack in the towel, and lightly pressed it on the bruise.


    "Does it hurt?"


    "What kind of question is that?" Contrary from her sweet attitude earlier, the tone she used now had some traces of her annoyance.


    "Of course it hurts!"


    They were outside the office now, and all the employees nearly puked blood as they saw this scene. That woman from earlier...she was not Assistant Yan''s acquaintance but their boss''?!


    Furthermore, the boss was tenderly applying icepack on her wrist!


    He was taking care of her personally!


    Their cold boss, whose chilly expression could instantly solve global warming, was being so gentle to a woman!


    What had they just seen?


    What had just happened?


    All the female employees were nearly choking on vinegar, enviously eyeing the girl. They were jealous of Nian Zhen too, but all of them knew how powerful her background was. How could they even dare to think ofpeting with her for the boss'' affection? It was simply a lost cause.


    But this unknown woman, on the other hand...


    "Quick, p me! I think I''m dreaming."


    "Who is she? Who is she?!"


    "Ah, for the Great Dragon King to personally take care of her like that..."


    "So the boss isn''t gay!"


    "Of course he''s not gay! With that kind of godly looks, wouldn''t he simply fall in love with his reflection instead?"


    ...


    Unaware of the gossip spreading about them, the two people who were the main topic of the growing discussion was busy trying to win a tug-of-war.


    "I said I''m fine," said Hui Yin for the umpteenth time, trying to shake away his hold. "You''re just pressing an icepack anyway. I could do that at home."


    "I''m trying to take responsibility." Lu Shen was starting to lose his temper too. "Stay still."


    "My arm has nearly turned into an icicle, Lu Shen! Are you trying to cure me, or giving me hypothermia?"


    "How could you get hypothermia from an icepack?"


    Seeing that the bruises on her wrist weren''t getting any better, Lu Shen raised her arm.


    "Maybe we should elevate it."


    Hui Yin gnashed her teeth. "Fine, smell my armpit. I hope you die of toxic gas asphyxiation."


    Lu Shen''s face turned ck.


    Yan, who had been eavesdropping on them, felt rather odd. Why did he feel like...Miss Hui and Boss Lu were somehow behaving like kids?


    He sneaked a nce at Miss Nian who had been abandoned by the boss inside the office, and gulped. It was a ssic example of putting dates before mates...


    Not knowing how tofort the abandoned ''mate'', Yan started cleaning up the smashed jade figurine instead...


    Just as he thought, a woman''s feelings were really too fragile!

 Chapter 47 Keep Trash Away

    Left alone inside Lu Shen''s office, Nian Zhen clenched her fists in anger.


    That slut had made her ruin the expensive jade figurine she nned to give as a gift to Lu Shen. Not only that, Nian Zhen had caught her in the act of seducing Lu Shen.


    And for the sake of treating that slut''s stupid little wound, Lu Shen was even forced to abandon her...


    Nian Zhen''s eyes became red.


    Ever since she and Lu Shen were little, the two of them had always been together.


    Nothing could separate them, and anyone who did was immediately taken care of Nian Zhen. Those arrogant sluts who thought they were worthy of Lu Shen were ruthlessly removed; Nian Zhen had the power of her family, wealth, and beauty to make anyone who darede close to him tuck their tails between their legs and run off.


    Even their families had already decided that they were going to be married in the future.


    Though it wasn''t explicitly stated, the Lus and the Nians knew that it was only a matter of time.


    They all knew how distant and reserved Lu Shen was¡ªeven his parents had a hard time getting close to him.


    So Nian Zhen bing his childhood friend was already a huge achievement by itself.


    So she patiently waited, because she knew that they were destined to be together. After all, she was the best match for Lu Shen. And they had a history, which made her the closest woman by his side.


    How could anyone elsepare?


    When her father had sent her abroad to attend to some family business, Nian Zhen was unwilling to go.


    Lu Shen was a man who attracted both bees and butterflies, so if she wasn''t by his side, who would keep the trash away from him?


    However, she acquiesced to her father''s decision in the end. Maybe if she loosened the reins, Lu Shen woulde to realize how much he loved her as well.


    But to find out, on her return, that Lu Shen actually made a lowly actress his fianc¨¦e...


    Little by little, Nian Zhen calmed the rage in her heart. What was there to be upset about?


    She was the legitimate daughter of the Nians; even from a young age, she rubbed elbows with the most powerful people in the country.


    Growing up in that kind of environment, Nian Zhen learned how to smile while stabbing someone in the back at the same time.


    Taking care of a tiny trash like Lu Shen''s cheap fianc¨¦e, Nian Zhen was confident that she could do it in her sleep.


    ...


    In the office of a differentpany building.


    Assistant Ying Yue was about to cry tears of blood when she heard the phone ring for the fiftieth time that day.


    "Young master, please..."


    Her voice sounded like herst dying breath as she dragged her exhausted body towards the phone.


    Receiving the sympathetic nces of her fellow employees, Assistant Ying braced herself and knocked on the office door of the CEO.


    Hearing no answer from the other side, she turned the knob and pushed it open.


    As expected, CEO Jiang was fast asleep on his desk.


    Assistant Yang didn''t know whether tough or cry when she saw this. Ever since CEO Jiang took over, this desk had be his second bed.


    "CEO Jiang..." she called out softly.


    No answer.


    The phone rang insistently in her hand again.


    "Amitabha, save me," Assistant Ying moaned.


    She moved closer, and called the CEO''s name again. Her eyes suddenly fell on the desk, where there were dozens of scattered documents.


    In particr, her eyes focused on the horribly drawn illustration of a cat at the upper left side of every document, including an important partnership contract.


    Assistant Ying nearlymitted seppuku.


    Amidst her terrified disbelief, she cried out, "CEO Jiang!"


    The man with the messy hair finally woke up, blinking up at her sleepily. He only took one look at her and his eyelids began to droop again.


    Assistant Ying forgot about the cat and thrusted the ringing phone towards him, like it was a bomb that was about to explode.


    The cat drawing would force her to work overtime this week, but not answering this call would cause the entire Ying family line to disappear from the face of the earth. Even their ape ancestor would probably be assassinated.


    "CEO Jiang, it''s Young Master."


    Jiang Xu focused at the phone in her hand, and the bleariness in his eyes immediately disappeared.


    He had turned off all the phones in his office so that this little brat wouldn''t be able to disturb his sleep, but he found a way to annoy him anyway.


    Jiang Xu snatched the phone in her hand and answered it.


    "What?" he growled.


    Due to the constant disturbance, he could only fall asleep for five minutes before the phone rang again.


    "Sleepover."


    The voice sounded like an iceberg that learned to talk.

 Chapter 48 Sleeping Less

    "Not yet."


    Jiang Xu sighed. Just how many times should he repeat it for this little brat to get it through his head?


    It was still in the middle of the afternoon!


    "Sleepover." The babyish voice on the other side of the phone turned chilling.


    "Not yet."


    CEO Jiang must have meant that it''s still afternoon so Young Master can''t go to this ''sleepover'' yet, thought Assistant Ying, trying to interpret their exchange.


    She knew CEO Jiang didn''t speak much, but she didn''t expect that Young Master Wuji was a reserved person too.


    When she picked up thepany phone after CEO Jiang stopped responding to his private calls, the voice on the other side had nearly made her skin crawl. Assistant Ying couldn''t believe that Young Master Wuji was only four. His voice and aura had far surpassed most wanted criminals in the nation.


    There were even some rumors that when the two Young Masters were born, only Young Master Shang was crying.


    He immediately stopped when Young Master Wuji gave him the evil eye.


    There were only horror stories on how Young Master Wuji must have treated Young Master Shang inside their mother''s womb, which led to thetter''s terrible fright of his twin brother. Even while they were growing up, Young Master Wuji used various torture methods, like mixing mustard with baby food, topletely enve Young Master Shang.


    Assistant Ying secretly lit an incense stick in her heart for poor Young Master Shang.


    "Don''t you know that you''re only going to bother her if you go to the apartment now?"


    It was clear how frustrated Jiang Xu was by the fact that he spoke more than ten words at once. Ten words was his normal limit.


    "..." On the other side of the phone, Little Wuji had be quiet as he contemted what his brother said.


    Feeling a hint of victory, Jiang Xu pushed on.


    "Wifey will feel sad."


    After another quiet pause, to Jiang Xu''s relief, the phone finally clicked off.


    Whew.


    Sess!


    Azy smile spreading across his face, Jiang Xu tossed the phone back to Assistant Ying and made a shoo-ing motion for her to get out of his office.


    He could finally get back to sleep.


    Assistant Ying clutched the phone in her hand and quietly closed the door on her way out. Looking up at the que disying the word ''CEO'', she had a gloomy expression on her face.


    She knew CEO Jiang didn''t have a wife.


    So who was the girl he just called as ''Wifey''?


    ...


    Back inside the office, Jiang Xu didn''t immediately go back to sleep like he thought he would.


    Instead, after he closed his eyes, his mind conjured up the image of a girl with long ck hair and captivating eyes.


    From the first moment that he saw her, Jiang Xu had immediately thought that Hui Yin was interesting. He usually didn''t pay any attention to girls, except when they personally harassed him. This frequently happened during their years at the university, which irritated him to no end.


    When asked for his opinion, Jiang Xu would rather marry his pillow than a girl who would interrupt his sleep to confess her love to him.


    Hui Yin was Jiang Xu''s seatmate. Not only did she not disturb him, she had the same problem as he had.


    Numerous boys would usually hang around her seat, throwing subtle hints about wanting her to be their girlfriend.


    One day, while Jiang Xu was staring out of the window absently, he heard her say to a hopeful suitor that she could probably not date him because she was harboring an unrequited love with her seatmate.


    He turned around in surprise only to see her secretly wink at him.


    Jiang Xu was not even aware that he was paying attention to their conversation. He liked her voice: soft, feminine, and gentle. It sounded like a luby, and although Jiang Xu felt sleepy when he listened to her, he also didn''t want to sleep because he wanted to keep listening to her voice.


    Before he knew it, ever since she became his seatmate, Jiang Xu found himself sleeping less and less because he wanted to cherish the moments that she was sitting by his side.

 Chapter 49 The Man She Loved

    ...


    After Hui Yin left Lu Shen''s office, she went back to her apartment and finished cooking the rest of the food for the little buns.


    She then did a thorough cleaning of the apartment, and read over the contract as she waited for time to pass.


    The contract was surprisingly detailed, and Hui Yin frowned as she read over the punishments that she, as Party B, will have to receive if she ever broke her agreement with Lu Shen, who was Party A.


    "Ridiculous," she snorted, wanting to crumple the paper and stuff it inside that tyrant''s mouth.


    However, most of the statements were reasonable.


    The only thing that made her uneasy were the punishments listed over several pages, with some of them bordering on extortion.


    But as long as Hui Yin didn''t break the contract, Lu Shen couldn''t take advantage of her.


    It was stated in the contract that she was given one week to pack up her belongings before moving to Lu Shen''s ce, and that the contract was effective until the engagement was over.


    Hui Yin smiled at that.


    She didn''t know if Lu Shen made that condition because after the engagement, they were going to be married and will live on the same house anyway, thus making the contract useless, or whether he was hoping that the engagement will be broken off early as well. Knowing him, it was probably thetter.


    Hui Yin wondered if his reason for making her move in with him was to use it as an excuse to break off their engagement.


    Lu Shen was a man of his word, so he couldn''t directly tell her that he did not want her to be his fianc¨¦e.


    Maybe his n was to make her get tired of him?


    Hui Yin shook her head. It was a risky and lousy n, which did not seem at all like Lu Shen''s style.


    After rereading the contract again for the tenth time, Hui Yin grabbed a pen from a nearby drawer and signed it. Then, she put the contract back into its folder and wedged it between a pair of books on her mini-shelf.


    As she did, a photo fluttered down onto the floor, lying facedown.


    Hui Yin leaned down and flipped it over.


    There were two peopleughing happily on the photo, and Hui Yin recognized her own face. She couldn''t almost believe that it was her¡ªthe girl on the photo was brimming with so much happiness that it was nearly tangible.


    Her eyes moved sideways to the person standing next to her on the photo, and Hui Yin''s eyes blurred. So all of those memories weren''t a dream; they really happened.


    After being treated so coldly by him in her previous lifetime and the next, she thought that maybe all of it was simply her own delusion.


    The Lu Shen in the photo was smiling, his dark eyes full of contentment. The clothes he was wearing was cheap, but it couldn''t deter his handsome looks. In fact, it made him even look better, giving him a more approachable appearance.


    His arm was wrapped around the waist of the Hui Yin in the picture, and he looked so at peace that one simply couldn''t associate him with the same calctive businessman that owned a corporate empire.


    Of course, he wasn''t a wealthy businessman here, thought Hui Yin. He was simply the man who I loved with all of my heart.


    Blinking away her tears, Hui Yin put the photo where it belonged, amidst her stuff that was quickly collecting dust.


    What was the point of waxing nostalgia about it?


    They found him, took him away from her, and when he returned as her beloved ''fianc¨¦'', he wasn''t the same man that she knew. Hui Yin had persevered with that man in her past life because she thought he was still the same man as the one in the photo, but Hui Yin finally admitted to herself that the Lu Shen she knew was truly gone.


    There were things in life one ought to say goodbye to, and the past was one of them.

 Chapter 50 How Cool I Am!

    It was half past five when Hui Yin, who was watching television, heard a knock on her apartment door.


    "Coming!" she called, jumping off the sofa and opening the door.


    She stared at the three Jiang brothers waiting for her outside, the setting sun throwing flecks of gold on their hair.


    Jiang Xu, who was still wearing his suit, shrugged at her. "Sleepover."


    Spotting the two small expectant faces staring up at her from behind him, Hui Yin couldn''t resist giving the two little buns a big, squeezing hug.


    "Oooh, I miss the two of you so, so much!"


    Little Wuji and Baby Shang were both wearing a matching set of parkas, and Little Wuji had even wrapped a dark blue scarf around his neck.


    They looked casual-cool, and Hui Yin praised Little Wuji, "You look so handsome!"


    Baby Shang, so as not to be defeated, whipped up a pair of oversized eyesses and lifted his chin. When Hui Yin still didn''t nce over to him, he flicked his sleeve and sped his hands behind his back, staring off into the distance.


    Wifey, don''t I look handsome too? Quick, notice how cool I am!


    "Baby Shang, you look so mature. Aaaah!"


    Hui Yin was about to die from their excessive adorableness.


    Jiang Xu, who had been forgotten to the side, was speechless at this public disy of attention. Hello, more handsome older brother here! Wifey, you didn''t even notice my cute cat-patterned tie?


    "Eh? Why are you two carryingrge boxes?"


    Hui Yin frowned as she took them from the two little buns, afraid that their small bodies wouldn''t be able to carry it. "Jiang Xu, you''re such a useless bastard. Why didn''t you help your brothers carry these heavy boxes?"


    They wanted to carry it on their own! Jiang Xu cried out deep inside his heart. Not only did she not notice his cute cat-patterned tie, she even med him.


    Jiang Xu glowered at Hui Yin sullenly.


    Hui Yin opened Baby Shang''s box, and was surprised at the dozens of choctes inside.


    There were even pieces of toys that looked expensive, and aptop.


    Uh...


    Feeling uneasy, she opened Little Wuji''s box next. Instantly, her eyes were nearly blinded as she took off the lid. There were heaps of expensive jewelry inside, a thick stack of bills, and a Wenger 16999 Swiss Army Knife Giant that Hui Yin once saw advertised on TV for having a price tag of more than sixty thousand yuan.


    Jiang Xu frowned at one of the essories he saw inside the box.


    That looks suspiciously like our mother''s four-carat red diamond ring...


    "What is all these for?" Hui Yin was confused.


    Why did it seem like the two little buns were giving these boxes to her?


    Little Wuji smiled. "Dowry."


    Baby Shang, who was standing beside him, earnestly nodded.


    Both Hui Yin and Jiang Xu choked.


    Dowry?!

 Chapter 51 Not Invited

    "D¡ªDowry..."


    Hui Yin felt dazed at this sudden turn of events.


    Then she seemed to get hold of herself and said, somewhat helplessly, "Little buns, I can''t ept these, okay..."


    Hui Yin was especially suspicious about Little Wuji''s box. After all, how could a little kid like him have so much jewelry and money? She didn''t think that the gems on those pieces of essories were fake.


    Baby Shang teared up, his small body quivering. "Wifey, why?"


    Don''t you love me anymore?


    "..." Hui Yin felt like an adulterous husband being caught by his wife for having an affair.


    "Just ept his box," Jiang Xu said, sighing. All of those were his stuff anyway.


    He grabbed Little Wuji''s box and red at his younger brother''s innocent-looking face.


    "This box, on the other hand, is going back to the house."


    Little Wuji turned around to look towards Hui Yin, who was still busyforting Baby Shang, and then lifted his tender little arm straight out in front of Jiang Xu.


    "Give back." He was still smiling, but it failed to reach his eyes as a cold murderous glint lingered deep inside its depths.


    Jiang Xu huped in fear, but stood his ground. He couldn''t give this to her, what if she gets used of being a felon? Damn it, this little brat is such a bad influence!


    Seeing that his older brother wasn''t nning on giving it back to him, Little Wuji''s smile turned even colder. Maybe he should set several rm clocks under his bed again...


    "It''s getting cold out here. Come inside," Hui Yin invited, as she grabbed Baby Shang''s hand.


    At the sound of her voice, the smile that wasn''t a smile on Little Wuji''s face dissolved. Beaming up at Hui Yin with an angelic face that made him look like the type of person that couldn''t harm a fly, he reached out and grabbed her other hand.


    Jiang Xu heaved a sigh of relief. He felt like he just escaped with his life by the skin of his teeth.


    But when he tried to follow them inside, Hui Yin suddenly released the two little buns and blocked him.


    "Where are you going? You''re not invited to this sleepover."


    Baby Shang adjusted his sses and looked up at his older brother scornfully, as if saying, You want to take advantage of Wifey? Hmph, as if I''ll let you do that!


    Little Wuji didn''t even nce at him, as if Jiang Xu was merely a random pedestrian.


    Jiang Xu''s face turned extremely ugly.


    Betrayed by his own flesh and blood...good, very good!


    The next time he was going to meet up with Hui Yin, he was going to bring with him their embarrassing baby pictures!

 Chapter 52 Work Hard

    "Can''t I just stay here for a while?"


    Jiang Xu was a bit miffed that he was being excluded by this group of betrayers.


    Hui Yin was disdainful.


    "We''re here for the sleepover, so what are you going to be here for? Go back to thepany and make some money. Stop being such azy bum."


    Jiang Xu felt offended by this. Didn''t he be a CEO? Sure, he more often slept than not, but he made sure hepleted his duties before that!


    "Not true," he shot back.


    "What''s not true? That you''re azy bum? Or that you''re not part of this sleepover?" Hui Yin crossed her arms.


    Jiang Xu''s capability to only string a few words in a sentence had long since irritated her, so she always picked a fight with him. After all, how could he win an argument by saying only a few words?


    Hui Yin wanted to push how far he could go.


    "The first one," he instantly replied.


    "Oh, so you''re not azy bum? Why am I not aware of this? Aren''t you the guy who broke up with his girlfriend because he was toozy to¡ª" Hui Yin nced at the two little buns who were enjoying the sight of their Wifey bullying their older brother¡ª"perform?"


    The tips of Jiang Xu''s ears turned red. Sure enough, he shouldn''t have told her!


    While it was true that he thought having sex would be exhausting, he felt that the true reason he broke up with Qin Bingqing was simply because she didn''t arouse any sexual urges from him.


    For the majority of their dating life, Jiang Xu had more or less treated her like a pet he adopted than a girlfriend.


    "Notzy," Jiang Xu defended himself. "I''m a CEO."


    "CEO?" Hui Yin deliberately mocked him. "I bet you just sit in your office all day and order your assistant to do everything. You probably even sleep all the time."


    To be sure, her guesses were nearly a hundred percent urate. Jiang Xu was a bit impressed by how much his Wifey knew him.


    Wait! Jiang Xu suddenly became dumbstruck by an idea.


    Doesn''t this...doesn''t this feel like a wife scolding his husband for being tooidback?!


    He straightened his back. "I work hard for our family."


    Hui Yin didn''t think too much of this, and only thought that he was referring to the Jiang family.


    "Work hard? Isn''t that a job that was only given to you on a silver tter? If you weren''t born into a wealthy family, who knows how long you''d have survived in this world full of hard-working people. You''d probably starve on the streets."


    Jiang Xu reached out and patted her head.


    "Wifey, don''t worry too much. I''ll earn lots of money so that we won''t starve. I promise."


    Filled with determination, Jiang Xu puffed up his chest.


    "I''ll go back to thepany and work hard."


    Immediately after saying that, he got into his car and drove away.


    Hui Yin, who was still feeling triumphant for forcing Jiang Xu to speak more than ten words, felt that something was a bit amiss.


    But deciding that it was probably only her imagination, Hui Yin promptly entered into the apartment with the two little buns, blissfully aware that apany somewhere was having a heart attack because their boss had suddenly decided to work overtime...

 Chapter 53 Little Wuji’s Opinion

    "What do you want to watch? Boonie Bears? Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf? Or Moana?" Hui Yin asked the two little buns.


    The twins had just finished bathing, and she was drying Baby Shang''s hair with a towel. Hui Yin sniffed his head, and felt her heart melt at the mixed fragrance of baby shampoo and milk scent that all little kids seem to carry.


    She hugged his small and soft body.


    "How I wish I could kidnap the two of you!" she eximed.


    Little Wuji, who was surveying the room in his pajamas, looked at her solemnly.


    "Good idea."


    He gave her a thumbs up.


    Hui Yinughed.


    "Boonie Bears," Baby Shang dered, after pondering his choices.


    He trotted towards the sofa, and Hui Yin walked inside the kitchen to get the treats she had baked especially for them. She wanted to have Jiang Xu take back some treats for the Jiang family too, but he left before she could say anything.


    "Yummy," Little Wuji praised as he bit on some Osmanthus flower jelly.


    He sat next to Baby Shang on the sofa, and contrary to his twin brother, he looked like a mini-adult as he spread out a nket on hisp with a serious look.


    Hui Yin shook her head. The two little buns both had the same identical face, but it was easy to pinpoint who was who between the two of them.


    "Little Wuji, do you want to watch Boonie Bears too?"


    Just in case they didn''t agree, Hui Yin asked him for his opinion.


    "Don''t want," Little Wuji said decisively. "Childish."


    Baby Shang froze as he dealt with this huge blow. Childish? How could Wuji say that?


    Right in front of Wifey!


    "Then what do you want to watch?"


    Sneaking a nce at Baby Shang who looked like he was about to cry, Hui Yin decided to solve the matter by giving him a te of mooncakes.


    "Harold and Maude," Little Wuji replied.


    Hui Yin almost puked blood.


    Harold and Maude?


    Isn''t that the controversial American film about a young man who fell in love with a 79-year old woman?!


    Little Wuji, aren''t your tastes a bit too un-childish? Why couldn''t you just watch something like Boonie Bears too?


    Noticing Hui Yin''s difort, Little Wuji felt that maybe he was demanding too much from his Wifey.


    Changing his mind, he said, "Or Three...Extremes?"


    Little Wuji added the question mark at the end because he didn''t know if he managed to pick something that was normal enough.


    Three...Extremes?


    Hui Yin and Baby Shang visibly shuddered. That was the title of the horror movie directed by three of Asia''s top directors that contained scary stories from China, Japan, and Korea!


    Watching a scary movie from any Asian country was terrifying enough, but to actually mix it all together in one horror film...


    Hui Yin felt like sobbing. Little Wuji, aren''t your tastes a bit hard-core?


    Please spare this little Auntie, ah!


    "Let''s just watch Boonie Bears."


    Hui Yin, with a sh of wisdom, decided not to ask Little Wuji''s opinion again.

 Chapter 54 Simon Says

    After they watched Boonie Bears, the twins weren''t feeling sleepy yet, which greatly surprised Hui Yin.


    She knew that although Jiang Xu was the worst of them all, the two little buns weren''t that far behind him. She had apanied Jiang Xu before to pick them up from a kids'' birthday party, and receivedints from the host that aside from eating cake, all the two Jiang young masters did was to fall asleep.


    Hui Yin twisted around to face the two of them on the sofa. Little Wuji had yed around with a Rubik''s cube throughout the movie, giving his twin brother an unreadable nce once in a while as Baby Shang pped andughed at the adventures of the Bear Brothers.


    "Alright, what do the two young masters want to do before sleeping time?" Hui Yin cooed, since it was only a little after eight o''clock.


    Baby Shang''s eyes twinkled. "Duck duck goose!"


    Little Wuji tossed away the Rubik''s cube.


    "No."


    "Little Wuji, you...want to y something else?"


    Masking her nervousness, Hui Yin decided to ask for his opinion again. He''s only a four-year old, so he couldn''t have tastes that bad right?


    Wait, what if he suggests ying an Ouija board or something?


    Not only Hui Yin, Baby Shang was feeling uneasy too. He knew how terrifying his twin brother was. He still hadn''t gotten over that prank fromst week when he woke up only to see his twin brother staring at him from behind an exorcising mask [1].


    Baby Shang had nearly peed the bed.


    "Simon Says," said Little Wuji, much to Hui Yin''s relief. "I''m Simon."


    "Okay, that''s good. That''s a nice game to y. Baby Shang, are you ready?"


    Baby Shang nodded, anxiously wondering why there was an imperceptible smile on Wuji''s face. Somehow, it gave him the creeps.


    "Simon says...hug me!"


    Hui Yin giggled. "That''s easy!"


    She hugged him.


    Baby Shang moved forward to hug his brother too, and Hui Yin melted at the adorable sight. Of course, she didn''t know that Little Wuji''s hug nearly fractured Baby Shang''s spine.


    "Oooh, Baby Shang, you''re crying from happiness!" teased Hui Yin.


    "..."


    Baby Shang felt wronged.


    Wifey, these are not tears of happiness, okay!


    They''re tears of unbearable pain!


    Before Baby Shang could suggest to end the game, Little Wuji had issued anothermand.


    "Simon says be a butterfly princess!"


    Hui Yin became a beautiful butterfly princess.


    Baby Shang''s male ego was shattered.


    "Simon says make a funny face!"


    Little Wuji thought Hui Yin''s funny face was cute.


    Little Wuji gave Baby Shang''s funny face a ''look''. It was a look that said, ''You look like an idiot.''


    Baby Shang''s funny face crumbled. Wuji, you''re the idiot! Your whole family are idiots!


    Little Wuji gave moremands after that, and Baby Shang was the first to strike out when he obeyed an order without realizing that Little Wuji did not add ''Simon Says'' at the beginning.


    He was punished by Little Wuji, who flicked him on the forehead hard enough to rattle his brain. Because his flick looked gentle on the outside, Hui Yin did not scold him.


    "So, what game do we y next?"


    Having won once already, Hui Yin felt excited.


    Baby Shang actually wanted to stay upte with his Wifey, but fear of what Wuji might next do to him made him fake a yawn. Of course, Hui Yin immediately noticed this.


    "Baby Shang, are you tired? Alright, let''s just go to sleep then."


    They all brushed their teeth, and retired to Hui Yin''s bedroom. She was about to click off themp when Little Wuji noticed a small calendar on her desk with red circles on different dates.


    "Wifey, what''s that?" He pointed at it.


    [1] Originating in the central ins of China, an exorcising mask is used to drive away evil spirits during ancient times. These masks were also worn to celebrate births and to keep homes safe by scaring evil ghosts. Very popr in operas.

 Chapter 55 Schedule Of Her Life

    "Ah, that..." Hui Yin scratched her head.


    It was the calendar where she encircled important dates she remembered in her past life, in case she forgot them. Because it was her second chance to live a happy life, Hui Yin didn''t dare to be careless.


    Not only the calendar, she also had a secret nner where she jotted down notes about things that happened on her former life. She wanted to see if she could change some of them, and even use them to her advantage.


    It wasn''t the only reason though.


    Hui Yin was aware that because she changed some things in this life, it would cause a butterfly effect in the future. She wanted to know how big of a ripple it caused, and if the changes would have some unfixable consequences.


    Hui Yin even researched on the theory of being ''reborn'', and why it had happened to her. So far, she only had vague theories with little to no scientific evidence to support them. Hui Yin felt her head ache at the thought of it.


    "It''s just my schedule," said Hui Yin.


    She wasn''t really lying. It was the schedule of her life.


    "''Party?''" Little Wuji curiously read thebel on the nearest circle.


    Hui Yin nced at it, and the corner of her lips quirked. That''s right, that ''party'' was drawing near. She couldn''t wait to attend it.


    "Stop being so nosy." Hui Yin lightly poked the tip of Little Wuji''s nose. "Come on, let''s go sleep. Baby Shang looks tired."


    They got on the bed, with Hui Yin positioned between them. After giving the two little buns a gentle goodnight kiss on their forehead, Hui Yin turned off themp.


    In the darkness, Little Wuji wondered why he noticed a chilling coldness in his Wifey''s eyes.


    ...


    It was midnight when Lu Shen finally arrived home.


    As usual, the vi was shrouded in darkness, empty and deste. Lu Shen usually didn''t bother to call driver Cheng after work-hours, so he was the one who drove himself home.


    After parking the car inside the garage, he went inside the kitchen to brew himself some coffee. There were still some e-mails he needed to respond to, not to mention the unfinished work he had left inside his study.


    There were some dishes on the dining table left by the housekeeper, which Lu Shen did not even nce at. He had only temporarily hired one housemaid for privacy, since the vi did not need much upkeep. He was the only one living here, and Lu Shen was what you would call a neat freak.


    Truthfully, the housekeeper did not even have much to do, which was discrepant with herrge sry. She would have fought tooth and nail against anyone who dared to take away this sweet job from her hands, where you could reap without sowing.


    Mixing brown sugar into his coffee, Lu Shen grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the wine bar and poured it into his cup, before topping it with thick cream. Sipping his coffee, he slowly went up the arched staircase to the second floor, which only contained three rooms.


    Going through his normal routine, Lu Shen was about to enter his study when he abruptly paused. Turning around, he bypassed his bedroom and opened the door that was only a couple of feet away. Although the second floor of the vi was spacious enough to have six bedrooms, Lu Shen intentionally ced ''her'' room only a short distance away from his own bedroom.


    Flicking on the light switch and leaning against the doorway, Lu Shen inspected the room with slight approval. He had given specific instructions to the interior decorating team, and they had done their job extremely well.

 Chapter 56 During That Time

    Lu Shen walked into the room and opened the French doors that led to the balcony.


    He leaned on his elbows against the wrought-iron railing, admiring the miniature Eden below.


    He had bought the vi because of its impressiveyout, and its stately European design. From the view on her balcony, one could easily see the patio, the swimming pool, the tennis court, and the greenhouse¡ªall of which Lu Shen had not even visited once.


    He had so many estates inside and outside the country that he couldn''t be bothered to tour them all. He had mainly purchased them for future investment. It had the characteristics of an intion hedge, after all.


    "One week left," he murmured, a smile ying on his lips.


    He sipped his coffee, his gaze not anymore on the view below, but on somewhere distant that only he could see.


    Lu Shen remembered the ident clearly.


    The smell of burning metal, the airbags knocking him back, and what looked like a spreading spiderweb on the cracked windshield. The car had flipped several times into the central barrier before it came to an absolute stop, the seatbelt tugging on his skin with every lurch.


    He had lost consciousness, and when he next woke up, Lu Shen hadn''t been aware of where he was. He had dragged his body out of the wreck, stumbling into the pouring rain without a distinctive idea of where to go.


    Time flew by like a whirling praxinoscope. Lu Shen didn''t know how many days had passed, only that when he next woke up, he found himself sleeping behind a dumpster.


    His clothes had been reduced to tatters, his whole body covered in dirt and bruises. At first he had been hungry, ravenously eating scraps of food given by generous strangers.


    Then the hunger went away, and although he still wanted food, the hunger pangs had disappeared. He continued lying there, closing his eyes and staying motionless as if he had already be a corpse.


    And then a piercing shriek woke him up.


    It was the first time he had met her, when he was at the lowest point of his life.


    Hui Yin had been feeding some stray cats when she spotted his body behind the dumpster, and she had shrieked because she thought she discovered a dead body.


    When he opened his eyes and she realized that he was actually alive, Hui Yin had thrown a piece of sardine on his face.


    "Ah, don''t scare me like that!" were her first words to him.


    After feeding the cats, she had stayed around to talk to him.


    When she found out that he didn''t seem to remember anything about his identity, Hui Yin had looked rmed and suggested that they go to the police station and file a missing person report.


    But Lu Shen did not want to go. He remembered that he was easily terrified during those days¡ªalthough he couldn''t recall a single clue about who he was, Lu Shen was certain that there were some bad people after him.


    After much deliberate thinking, and some threats on Hui Yin''s part, she finally decided to bring him to the ce where she was currently staying.


    It was during that time that he had promised to be her fianc¨¦, to be her future husband, to give her everything that he had, including his life.


    As long as she stayed by his side, he would have happily sacrificed everything.


    Lu Shen swirled the coffee in his cup and slowly lowered his eyes.


    "Damn it," he said softly.


    He threw the rest of the coffee over the railing, sshing it on the trimmed grass below.


    Without looking back, he went out of her room.

 Chapter 57 I Did It?

    The familiar ringtone of her cellphone woke Hui Yin up.


    ''Following my heart''s direction,


    I''ll advance on the battlefield,


    To exceed my own limits¡ª''


    Hui Yin''s slender hand reached out from under the nket, blindly searching for her phone as the song continued to y.


    was one of the less popr songs of Liu Jun, but she liked it because of the lyrics.


    Pulling down the sheets, she slowly opened her eyes to the bright sunlight streaming into the room. Both the two little buns were still asleep, and Hui Yin smiled at the sight of Baby Shang sucking on his thumb.


    Trying not to disturb the two of them, she got out of the bed and into the kitchen to receive the phone call.


    "Hello?" Hui Yin stifled a yawn as she poured herself a ss of water.


    An excited voice answered her dismal greeting.


    "You got it! You got the PV!"


    Hui Yin snapped awake.


    "Sister Su? What do you mean?"


    "Liu Jun''s PV! The director called me just now and told me that you got it. You''ll be the one to star in Liu Jun''s PV!"


    Hui Yin nced at the bedroom where the two little buns were still sleeping before dashing into the bathroom and hurriedly closing the door. Covering her mouth with her hand, she released a happy squeal.


    "I did it? I got the PV? Sister Su, am I dreaming? I got the PV! OMG, I got the PV!"


    The two of them giggled stupidly, but they were both drunk on happiness. One had to consider the years Hui Yin had spent acting scenes fit for an extra, and that she sometimes couldn''t evennd a minor supporting role on the auditions she tried out for.


    "Director Sun told me that the shooting starts tomorrow, and that the location will be on somewhere far away from the city," Sister Su informed Hui Yin after they managed to calm down a bit. "It''ll be basically just you and Liu Jun in this PV, and while this will be a good stepping stone to get you more fame in the industry, this would also mean that they''ll be watching you closely during the shoot. Any little mistake will result in a retake, so you have to be careful."


    Hui Yin took a deep breath and nodded. "I understand."


    "I believe that you can do it." Sister Su''s voice was resolute. "I''ve always known that you were talented, and it was only Fei Hong''s influence that suppressed you so much as an actress. Director Sun has a reputation for being kind, so I believe that you''re in good hands. Just do your best, and who knows, Liu Jun''s next love song might be about you."


    "Sister Su!" Hui Yin knew that she was only teasing, so she didn''t mind it too much.


    Her managerughed.


    "Alright, alright, I''ll let you get back to sleep. I''ll call youter to fill you in about the other details for tomorrow."


    But when the call ended, Hui Yin was too filled with excitement to fall back asleep.


    She bustled around the kitchen to cook the two little buns some breakfast, humming softly under her breath.


    She couldn''t believe she was going to star in Liu Jun''s PV!

 Chapter 58 Cute Wifey

    After putting breakfast on the table, Hui Yin snuggled back to bed with the two little buns.


    She couldn''t help but poke both Baby Shang and Little Wuji''s soft cheeks, studying the way their eyshes fluttered like a butterfly''s wings as they soundly slept.


    Shepared her hand with Little Wuji''s, giggling as she realized how small his hand was.


    "Cute little fingers, cute little hand," she said in a sing-song voice, her giddiness from getting the PV making her act silly.


    "Cute little body, cute little bun. Nom-nom-nom!"


    She pretended to eat him.


    Without opening his eyes, Little Wuji said calmly, "Wifey is a cannibal."


    Hui Yin choked.


    Wasn''t he asleep just now?


    "How long had you been awake?" she demanded.


    Little Wuji slowly opened his eyes.


    "Ringtone."


    That long?! Hui Yin felt embarrassed.


    "Why didn''t you tell me that you were awake? Were you making fun of your Auntie?" Hui Yin pinched his cheeks.


    Little Wuji smiled, and he looked so sweet that Hui Yin nearly tried to eat him again.


    "Cute Wifey."


    "..."


    Hui Yin smiled helplessly. This little bun was only four-years old, so why did she feel like she was the one being teased instead? She knew from Jiang Xu that the twins had above normal IQ, and that they sometimes exhibited intelligence far above those who were older than them.


    Hui Yin was sure that by the time Baby Shang and Little Wuji grew up, they were both going to leave a lot of broken hearts in their wake.


    "Let''s wait for your brother to wake up first, then we''ll have breakfast," Hui Yin said,bing Little Wuji''s disheveled hair. "Do you want Auntie to make you some hot chocte?"


    "Nuh-uh." Little Wuji shook his head.


    He sat up and rubbed his eyes, carefully adjusting his pajamas. He looked so serious straightening his cor that Hui Yin looked away to stifle herughter.


    "You''reughing at me,"ined Little Wuji, and his voice had a hint of usation in it.


    But when Hui Yin hastily turned towards him with a solemn look, Little Wuji''s eyes were warm. He made a face at her, and Hui Yin''s soft and melodiousughter filled the room.


    "You were the one who teased me first."


    Tackling him with a sense of righteousness, Hui Yin began to tickle him. "Experience divine punishment!"


    Little Wuji chortled, trying to wiggle away from her. But Hui Yin grabbed his leg and made him fall t on his face.


    "Pretending to be asleep and teasing this old Auntie...look whose being teased now!"


    Hui Yin moved her fingers on his sides and on his stomach, cracking him up.


    Then she moved to his armpit, and Little Wuji began to wheeze.


    "Wifey...stop...ahahaha!"


    Little Wuji had tears on his eyes fromughing too much, struggling to escape from her grip.


    But Hui Yin was ruthless, tickling him until he was squealing like a pig. One of his feet kicked out and hit Baby Shang''s head, waking him up.


    "Mmm..." Blinking his eyes open, Baby Shang rolled over and tried to focus on the bizarre scenario happening in front of him.


    Wait, was he still dreaming? He pinched himself and rubbed his eyes, but the scene didn''t change. In fact, it became even worse.


    Baby Shang''s mouth dropped open in shock.


    Was that...Wuji?


    He looked on as a small pajama-d body half-shrieked withughter, crawling pitifully on the bed and trying to burrow himself under the nkets.


    But Wifey pounced on him like a predator, and the nket-covered bulge squirmed, Wuji''s gasps of ''stop'' being decisively ignored.


    Baby Shang felt like the heavens and the earth had turned upside down.


    Why did he suddenly feel like his twin brother was acting...a bitme?

 Chapter 59 Husbandly Duty

    "Baby Shang, you''re awake!"


    Hui Yin paused, and Little Wuji gasped as he tried to catch his breath.


    Ignoring theplex look his twin brother was giving him, Little Wuji took advantage of Hui Yin''s momentary distraction to scamper out of the bed and flee into the kitchen like a frightened rabbit.


    Hui Yin smiled as she saw this. The twins acted too much like mini-adults that she felt it was a bitmentable. Although they were too clever for their own age, young children like them should behave like how other young kids do. Growing up was something that should be left to the future.


    "Baby Shang, let''s eat breakfast."


    After saying that, Hui Yin lifted Baby Shang up and carried him in her arms.


    He weighed much lighter than she imagined, and Hui Yin started nning on stuffing the two of them with breakfast until the two little buns evaded the fate of bing two little dumplings.


    "Wifey, down." Baby Shang felt embarrassed deep inside his heart.


    Wifey, let me down. I''m not a baby, I can walk on my own!


    Hui Yin ignored him and walked into the kitchen. Little Wuji was sitting there, having already regained hisposure. He looked up as she entered, and his expression twitched a little as he saw Baby Shang being carried inside her arms.


    As his identical twin, Baby Shang was naturally very sensitive to his brother''s emotions. He immediately saw that twitch, and the wintry chill being exuded by his displeased frown...


    Although Baby Shang had seen his brother''s shameful act from earlier, he realized that Wuji was still as terrifying as ever. He was just being carried by his Wifey, and Wuji already wanted to kill him! Brother, aren''t you being a bit too jealous?


    Hui Yin, not noticing anything, ced Baby Shang on the seat opposite Little Wuji''s.


    She served them breakfast, heaping their tes with so much food that it looked like the twin peaks piercing the clouds of Hangzhou.


    Baby Shang was shocked.


    "Too much!" he protested.


    He looked at his Wifey with a disbelieving look, but Hui Yin only raised an eyebrow.


    "Both of you are too thin, so you need to eat a lot of food," was her reply.


    Little Wuji didn''t say anything, and only continued to eat his breakfast. As far as he was concerned, as long as it was cooked by his Wifey, he would eat it all to make her happy.


    While Hui Yin was in the middle of washing the dishes, a knock on the apartment door interrupted her. Rinsing off the suds from her hands, she hurriedly wiped them on a towel before opening the door.


    "Wifey." Jiang Xu, dressed in a business suit, smiled at her. He would have looked very professional if his hair wasn''t so messy.


    Hui Yin eyed the top of his head critically.


    She really hated his hair!


    "Come in."


    Going back to the kitchen, Hui Yin finished washing the dishes. Like a lost puppy, Jiang Xu followed her.


    "Where are they?" he asked.


    His mother had hounded him all night, asking him to repeatedly call Hui Yin if her ''two darling babies'' were alright. Although his mother had already met Hui Yin, she was still greatly worried about the twins. The most frequently asked question that was fired at Jiang Xu was ''what if the two of them wet the bed?''


    His mother knew that both the twins would rathermit suicide than to have this ''little ident'' in front of Hui Yin, so she was greatly concerned about the psychological status of her two darling babies.


    The two of them were much too young to have depression!


    Almost instantly, Jiang Xu got his answer.


    Baby Shang and Little Wuji were still inside the kitchen, with Baby Shang wiping the table and Little Wuji sweeping the floor.


    They looked solemn as they did their chores, with twin expressions of ''I''m only doing my husbandly duty.''


    Looking at this scene, Jiang Xu felt like an uninvited guest crashing into the typical sweet morning routine of a loving family!

 Chapter 60 Brother-In-Law

    When the twins saw Jiang Xu, their eyes immediately cooled down.


    Both of them didn''t want to go back yet.


    They wanted to stay more with their Wifey!


    Why is this lightbulb barging into their home?


    Baby Shang nced at his older brother with dissatisfaction. He felt that he should tell his older brother about the rtionship between a man and a woman, and how one should nevere between them!


    Although he was friends with his Wifey, barging into their home like this, isn''t his older brother being too shameless? I''m her husband, you''re just her measly brother-inw!


    Thankfully, Jiang Xu did not have the ability to read Baby Shang''s mind.


    If he had, he would have certainly puked blood. Just who had the right to use who of being the measly brother-inw?! He was her rightful husband, alright? You''re just a baby whose hair hasn''t even grown yet!


    Hui Yin, unaware of the domestic judicial proceedings happening inside her own kitchen, was still mulling over the problem of Jiang Xu''s horrible bedhead.


    She really could not stand his hair. It was like a sentient being all by itself; it stoutly denounced thews of gravity. Like it was injected by chicken blood, his hair pointed to different directions in an apparently random manner.


    After putting back the dishes, Hui Yin went into her bedroom and grabbed her hairstyling supplies. Putting them on the table, she then gestured at Jiang Xu.


    "Sit," she ordered.


    Feeling uneasy at the way she was ring at the top of his head, Jiang Xu obediently sat.


    Hui Yin grabbed a bottle of coconut oil on the table and put a small amount of it on her hands, rubbing them together.


    "What are you doing?"


    Jiang Xu could not sit still. He had caught sight of her face, and her expression looked murderous.


    Hui Yin didn''t answer him. She applied the coconut oil on his scalp, running her hands through his hair.


    Jiang Xu tensed. He had no idea why, but he felt nervous.


    He was acutely aware of how near their bodies were.


    Hui Yin then grabbed ab and brushed his hair, working her way in sections as she untangled the knots that made his hair so messy. She was a bit surprised that Jiang Xu''s hair was actually soft to the touch; by the way it looked, Hui Yin half-expected it to be a bit spiky.


    Hui Yin then next grabbed the blow dryer, putting it on the medium heat setting. As Jiang Xu felt the heat hit his skin, he involuntary shivered.


    He was clenching his hands on top of his thighs, his expression simr to that of a soldier gearing himself for battle.


    Why!!


    Was he so turned on right now?!


    Jiang Xu was like a mute eating goldthread. He suffered in silence, sitting there like a statue as Hui Yin gently applied smoothing serum to his hair.


    What was happening to his body? He didn''t understand. Clearly, Hui Yin was just trying to fix his hair. It was not even at the same level when Qin Bingqing stripped naked in front of him and he rejected her.


    So why is his body''s reaction so excessive?


    Plus, Little Wuji was staring at him suspiciously right now. Any wrong move, and that broomstick in his hand might end up being stabbed into his stomach!


    Jiang Xu shifted ufortably, and Hui Yin tugged sharply at a piece of his hair.


    Jiang Xu immediately uttered a word of protest.


    "Stop moving." Hui Yin frowned.


    Jiang Xu was about to cry. He felt like he was trapped between heaven and hell, with a little Yama inspecting his every move.


    He grabbed his messenger bag and ced it on hisp, before looking at Little Wuji with an innocent look on his face.


    Nothing to see here, so go back and sweep!

 Chapter 61 A Fresh Star

    Hui Yin felt frustrated.


    She just spent half an hour fixing Jiang Xu''s hair, so why did it still look every bit as messy as before?


    Hui Yin sighed, raising her palms in defeat.


    "I give up."


    Jiang Xu clutched the messenger bag tightly to hisp as he gave her a boyish grin.


    "Too bad."


    His eyes revealed mixed emotions as he watched Hui Yin gather up her hairstyling products before going back to the bedroom.


    If the timing hadn''t been so wrong, he would have already been floating in happiness by the fact that his Wifey had taken the initiative to stay close to him.


    However, the two little brats were here, and one of them seemed to be already thinking of a way to send him back to his ancestors.


    Jiang Xu could only cry silently at his bad luck.


    "Shouldn''t you be going now? You''re going to bete," Hui Yin said as she re-entered the kitchen, carrying Baby Shang''s ''dowry'' box.


    She ced it on the table, giving Baby Shang a regretful look.


    "I''m sorry Baby Shang, but I really can''t ept this. I took the choctes though," she added, shing a cheeky smile.


    Baby Shang was naturally disappointed by this, since it was his ''dowry'' to his Wifey. But thinking that she at least epted his choctes, and had not epted anything of Wuji''s, Baby Shang became slightly happy.


    Jiang Xu checked his watch, and abruptly stood up.


    He was still using the messenger bag as a shield, trying to look as casual as possible.


    "Let''s go."


    Both the two little buns ignored him.


    "Can''t we stay?"


    Taking a direct hit from Little Wuji''s puppy eyes that was being directed at her, Hui Yin showed some hint of hesitation.


    She had nothing important to do today after all, and she enjoyed spending time with the little buns. But Mrs. Jiang might not like the twins being far away from her for too long, and Hui Yin didn''t want to intrude too much on their family. While the Jiangs may not be as strict as the Lus in terms of their attitude to outsiders, all aristocratic families were essentially still the same.


    If Hui Yin hadn''t been close to Jiang Xu and the twins from the start, she would have avoided that kind of circle altogether. She had nned a long time ago to move into a different ce after breaking her engagement to Lu Shen, creating a fresh start.


    Hui Yin crouched in front of Little Wuji, pinching his cheek.


    "We''ll have another sleepover in the future, okay? I promise."


    Little Wuji pursed his lips, looking reluctant.


    He really didn''t want to leave his Wifey.


    Hui Yin kissed his forehead, and leaned over to give Baby Shang a kiss as well.


    "Be good little buns for me, it''ll make this Auntie very happy."


    She watched as Jiang Xu dragged them away, both Little Wuji and Baby Shang craning their necks to nce back at her with each step they took.


    Every time that they did, Hui Yin gave them a wave and a warm smile.


    Although she regretted the fact that she hadn''t tried to meet with Jiang Xu and the twins sooner, Hui Yin knew that it was for the best. The past her would have only embroiled them into her conflict. It was better that it was the current her that had contacted them, because at the very least, she knew the dangers that was waiting for her ahead.


    Hui Yin shook her head as she went inside her bedroom, taking out her secret nner.


    She couldn''t believe it had only been four days, including the night when she had been reborn.


    It hadn''t even been a week yet, and so much had already changed.

 Chapter 62 Simply Too Poor

    Hui Yin picked up her pen and wrote down her thoughts.


    First thing that had changed was Lu Shen''s attitude¡ªshe really didn''t know what had caused it.


    Secondly, Hui Yin had met up with Jiang Xu.


    There were bound to be some repercussions from that, so she had to stay alert.


    Thirdly, she participated in Liu Jun''s PV. She hadn''t been able to go to the audition in her past life, and more importantly, the current Lu Shen obviously hadn''t told it to Nian Zhen, since Lu Shen''s parents didn''t call her about it.


    Previously, they heard about the PV from Nian Zhen, and had ckmailed her to resign from her career as an actress or the engagement to Lu Shen will be broken. The past Hui Yin had acquiesced to their demands.


    Hui Yin told Lu Shen now about the PV for that very same reason, so if the two Lu elders should call her again, Hui Yin could tell them exactly where to put that farce of an engagement, killing two birds with one stone.


    Obviously, that n failed.


    Fourth thing that had changed was that Liu Jun''s PV had actually given birth to a contract between her and Lu Shen.


    But Hui Yin didn''t really think about it too much. As long as the engagement was dissolved, the contract was not a big problem for her.


    Hui Yin underlined the word tying most of them together¡ª''engagement''. However, she wasn''t really in a hurry to break it.


    She tapped the pen on her lips, her eyes alight with a mysterious glow. She nced at the calendar again, where the nearest date had been encircled and was simplybeled as ''party''.


    "A belief in truthfulness," Hui Yin murmured, and a cold smile curved her lips. "I guess we''ll see if your name does you justice."


    Hui Yin jotted down a few more notes, before going out of her apartment and entering into the nearest convenience store.


    Since the shooting of the PV was out of the city, Hui Yin had to make sure she was prepared for it. She bought an umbre, a spray bottle of mosquito repellent, some basic first aid kit supplies, and because she was broke, a couple of street-food sticky rice dumplings for lunch.


    While eating them, Hui Yin also nced at the windows of the shops nearby, hoping to see a sign announcing that they needed a part-timer to work for them.


    When her search ended up in nothing, Hui Yin walked into a small clothing store where everything was sold at a discount, hoping that she could buy some cheap clothes she could wear for tomorrow. In only a breath of time, Hui Yin strolled out again, her face ck.


    Hui Yin took a sad glimpse at her wallet.


    The crux of the matter was¡ªshe was simply too poor!


    Her wallet was basically a prop, the pockets in her jeans a waste of space. For poor people like her, even a skirt sold at half the original price was a luxury.


    Hui Yin went back to her apartment with a growing thundercloud hanging above her head, feeling depressed. She turned on the television, but all the foodmercials just made her stomach growl even louder.


    At that moment, someone knocked on her door.


    Hui Yin opened it, only to see Assistant Yan''s nervous face. He cleared his throat awkwardly.


    "Miss Hui, the boss¡ªahem, I mean CEO and Chairman Lu¡ªsent me here to take back the contract..."


    Hui Yin didn''t let him finish, and grabbed thepels of his pressed white shirt. Her eyes twinkled, and although Yan often thought that Miss Hui was really an unparalleled beauty, this look of hers suddenly made him feel terrified.


    Hui Yin licked her lips.


    "Assistant Yan, you want the contract? I''ll sell it to you at a fixed price."

 Chapter 63 Shamelessness

    Fixed price...


    Yan blinked. Wait, that wasn''t the point. The point was, why is Miss Hui selling it to him?


    He was only here to take it back!


    Hui Yin had released him from her grip, and now she was studying her nails with a ''mature'' aura.


    She looked like one of those women at the market that was best at haggling prices, with years of experience under their belt.


    "If you only want a picture of it, then that''s sixty yuan. But if you want the original, I''m afraid it''ll be a bit pricier than that." Hui Yin tsk-ed. "I guess I''ll give you a slight discount, since we know each other."


    Yan''s face had three ck lines running over it.


    Miss Hui, what do you mean discount, it''s supposed to be free in the first ce...


    However, Hui Yin had lost all reason at this moment. All she could see was money, and it shone like starlight in her eyes.


    Ka-cha! Ka-cha!


    The ''£¤'' symbol of Chinese yuan popped like a casino slot machine in her eyes, glowing with a resplendent light.


    Yan could only swallow his protest and ask nervously, "How much for the original?"


    Hui Yin smiled, and held two fingers in front of him. "Two hundred yuan."


    Two hundred yuan!


    Yan was dumbfounded. Two hundred yuan for a piece of paper? This was basically daylight robbery!


    "Miss Hui, I''m only here on CEO and Chairman Lu''s orders..." So could you please stop assaulting me like an experienced swindler? Yan wasining deep inside his heart.


    While two hundred yuan was nothing to him considering his sry, Yan felt that if he surely gave up two hundred yuan right now for a sheet of paper, he would be unworthy of being called the assistant of a wealthy businessman.


    Although it was precisely the fianc¨¦e of that wealthy businessman who was scamming him...


    Hui Yin shrugged. "Take it or leave it."


    She reached out as if to close the door, and Yan cried out, "Miss Hui, wait!"


    Hui Yin stared at him expectantly.


    Yan wanted to cry as he took out his wallet and handed over the two hundred yuan. Forget it! Since this was thedy boss anyway, two hundred yuan was nothing in order to gain her favor. Besides, Yan could just tell the boss about this matter and he would be immediatelypensated...but this encounter left Yan feeling confused as well.


    He knew how ridiculously wealthy his boss was. In fact, his boss might even be the richest man in the world. Yan was sure that if Miss Hui wanted some money, his boss would immediately give it to her.


    So why is Miss Hui choosing to live in poverty?


    Was it because of pride?


    But clearly, she couldn''t afford to stay like this any longer. Yan was sure that the boss wouldn''t think any less of Miss Hui if she asked him for help. Should he tell the boss about her situation?


    Hui Yin pocketed the two hundred yuan, looking happy. She quickly retrieved the contract, passing it to Assistant Yan.


    "Thank you for your business," Hui Yin said, and the smile that graced her lips was so radiant that it temporarily blinded Assistant Yan.


    Then she closed the door, shamelessly counting the spoils of war.


    Yan was left staring at the closed door, struck speechless. He suddenly had a terrifying thought: if Miss Hui entered business and finance, would the Great Dragon King still keep his throne?


    After all, the level of Miss Hui''s shamelessness could easily rival those ruthless sharks in Wall Street...


    ...


    Nestled on the banks of the Li River in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Yangshuo was a small county town that was famous for its breathtaking,ndscape scenery.


    Surrounded by dramatic karst mountains on each side, it somehow gave the aura of an ancient mystical painting, pure and untouchable.


    There was a popr saying that boasted, ''thendscape of Guilin is the most beautiful in the world, but thendscape of Yangshuo is the most beautiful in Guilin''. It has to be said that if one wanted to appreciate the craftsmanship of nature, then one would only need to visit Yangshuo.


    At this particr moment, Hui Yin was sitting inside a bus, along with the filming crew for the PV.


    Director Sun was chatting on the front with the production assistant, while the rest were either sleeping or taking in the view, snapping photographs to post on Weibo.


    Much to Hui Yin''s surprise, Liu Jun had joined them just as they were about to depart earlier.


    He was now seated at the very back of the bus, alone and sleeping peacefully. His silver hair rustled softly from the gentle breeze blowing through the rolled down windows, giving him a mysterious aura.


    Hui Yin smiled as she took in the serene beauty of Yangshuo. Her hair had been tied into a low and loose braid, and some strands had loosened from the tie to frame her face.


    Director Sun told them that a generous patron had offered to lend them his manor in Yangshuo for the PV, and since Yangshuo was perfect for <Captive>, he had quickly agreed.

 Chapter 64 Tianshang Renjian

    The manor where the PV was going to be filmed was located further into the depths of Yangshuo, inside a dense forest cut off from the rest of the town.


    As the bus swerved from a curve in the road, Hui Yin nced at the changing scenery with interest.


    They werepletely inside a forest now, with only trees shing outside their window.


    The rest of the filming crew had now stopped taking pictures, and were busying themselves with their phones, looking bored.


    Soon after, the bus stopped in front of a looming gate that was twelve feet tall, which soon slowly opened to reveal a grandiose manor that wouldn''t look too out of ce in the Western Zhou period.


    The whole ce was like a modern version of a siheyuan, with a vast courtyard, pagodas, and buildings with traditional concaved roofs.


    It wouldn''t be appropriate to call this as a simple ''manor''.


    The beauty and the luxury of this ce took Hui Yin''s breath away.


    Even Liu Jun, who had been stone-faced from the beginning of the journey up to the end, had a slightly impressed expression on his face.


    "As expected of the luxury home they call the ''Tianshang Renjian''," Director Sun couldn''t help but gasp.


    The reason he had agreed easily to the offer was because, among the famous luxury homes across the country, who had never heard of the estate that was dered as the ''heaven on earth''? It was rumored to have a price of a billion yuan, and when it hit the market a couple of years ago, it set a new price record in China.


    "Wow," one of the wardrobe supervisors clutched her phone to her chest as she stared wide-eyed at the manor before her. "Am I dreaming?"


    "So beautiful." Another one of the filming crew murmured in an awestruck voice. "If I could live for a night in this ce, I wouldn''t even mind if I died afterwards."


    "It''s the ''Tianshang Renjian''!" There was a man who had been searching in Baidu endlessly for days to buy a new home for him and his newly wedded wife. Although he knew he couldn''t afford it, he searched for famous luxury homes across China as well.


    Even if he could only dream about it, who among countless men didn''t want to give the best of everything to his wife? Thus, he was curious, and stumbled across an article about Tianshang Renjian. This was the reason why he immediately recognized it.


    "Tianshang Renjian?"


    Some had a look of realization dawning across their faces, while others were still confused. Hui Yin belonged to thetter category. She did not know about Tianshang Renjian.


    The bus slowly entered the estate, and the gate closed on its own. It was an automated driveway gate, and the one manning the wireless transmitter must have been informed of their arrival.


    "I can''t believe we''re filming here!"


    The girls were gushing with each other, looking lively. Although they were an experienced crew, Tianshang Renjian was still something that they could only aspire to visit.


    They didn''t expect that because of Liu Jun''s PV, they would be able to be temporary guests here!


    Even though all of them badly wanted to take a photo, the shadowy forms of guards at every corner made them cautious. There were also countless CCTVs monitoring their every movement. As expected of a billion yuan home, it was tightly guarded. They didn''t dare to take any actions that could be interpreted as discourtesy to the owner.


    At the center of a vast courtyard, the bus finally stopped and all of them disembarked.


    Each of them were turning their heads around, wanting to absorb as much of the magnificent view as possible.


    Hui Yin was shocked when she peered behind a moon gate and saw hints of what looked like ake.


    Just howrge was this manor?


    "We''ll stay for two days and a night here for the filming, and one of the guards had told me that the maids already prepared several guest rooms for each one of us. You can go and take a rest first, we''ll begin in the afternoon," Director Sun instructed.

 Chapter 65 Powerful Figure

    One of the maids led Hui Yin to her room, and she couldn''t help but exim when she saw it.


    Her windows overlooked theke, and the room was sorge that it was thrice the size of her apartment. A family of six could live here without being cramped.


    "A mere guest room is this big?"


    Hui Yin shook her head.


    Even excluding the size, the furniture and the furnishings of this room could only be described by one wordvish.


    She organized her things and went out of the room for some sightseeing. Hui Yin interacted with the women from the film crew as well, and they chatted as they asked a maid to tour them around.


    They hadn''t even reached half of the Tianshang Renjian when they were called for lunch, and they could only sigh in disappointment since the filming would soon began afterwards.


    They ate their meal on a garden gazebo beside theke, and the food that were prepared could have been from a five-star hotel. Hui Yin recognized most of the dishes, since she could cook them too.


    "Director Sun, just who is the patron that allowed us to borrow his property? Just letting random strangers enter Tianshang Renjian, he must be a powerful figure."


    The one who spoke was the Assistant Director, his tone brimming with curiosity.


    "Never you mind, just eat your lunch."


    Director Sun was very dismissive. Since the patron wanted to remain anonymous, Director Sun obviously wouldn''t be reckless and divulge his identity.


    This conversation left the rest of them feeling bewildered.


    Hui Yin creased her forehead, feeling that the patron must have been really powerful for Director Sun to speak in such a cold tone to the Assistant Director. The two of them were very close.


    But as quickly as it appeared, the frown on Hui Yin''s face disappeared and she rxed once more. She really did not care about the owner of Tianshang Renjian, all her focus was about the uing shooting of the PV.


    Now that she had managed to seize this opportunity, Hui Yin was determined to act to the best of her ability and make Director Sun not regret his decision to choose her for the role.


    The make-up artist and the costume designer quickly attended to Hui Yin after their lunch, dressing her in a ck frilly dress that had hints of goth. Thick make-up was applied to her face, but this only emphasized her beauty more, making Hui Yin''s face appear almost artificial. Her long, ck hair had been curled, and a red velvet ribbon served as a headband.


    "Your skin is so smooth," the make-up artist said enviously. "You obviously don''t need to be even photoshopped."


    "Aaaah, her beauty seems to be almost inhuman."


    "Sister Yin looks like a doll!"


    The costume designerughed, looking satisfied with herself as she inspected Hui Yin.


    "That''s the look that we''re aiming for."


    Liu Jun too was dressed in ck, which contrasted perfectly with his silver hair. His costume was that of a gentleman, wearing coattails tuxedo with a ck bow tied on his neck. It gave him a cold and tyrannical aura, which made all the women in the filming crew secretly blush.


    Liu Jun nodded to Hui Yin, and she smiled as she nodded back. She had almost no interactions with this male singer, but she understood that his attitude towards her was not too bad.


    They transferred to the main living room of the manor, where the glimmering chandelier and the French-designed furniture with its thick, heavy curtains and high-backed chairs made it the perfect setting to shoot the PV.


    There was arge ss-case at the center, its sizerge enough for a human.

 Chapter 66 Red Apricot Blossom

    "There are breathing holes everywhere in this ss-case, so you don''t need to worry," Director Sun reassured Hui Yin as they helped her position herself inside.


    Hui Yin was already in character even before they began shooting. Her beautiful eyes stared at them lifelessly, her face pale. As she stood there,pletely motionless, even the filming crew began to think that she was just a beautiful life-sized doll.


    Director Sun''s eyes gleamed. As he expected, the choice he made was correct. Only this D-list actress could make <Captive>e to life.


    The shoot immediately began, and it was already six in the evening when they decided to end it for the day. There were no bad takes, and only praises came from the mouth of Director Sun as he directed the two main leads. Hui Yin''s acting was wless, while Liu Jun, who made the song, understood <Captive> perfectly well.


    The only dy was that they needed to capture on camera several photographs of the two main leads at different angles, because these photos were very important for the promotion of the song.


    When Hui Yin finally returned to her room after dinner devoid of make-up and that heavy dress, she was exhausted but very happy.


    As the evening sky turned darker, Hui Yin got out of her room to take a stroll. Despite her tired body, she couldn''t fall asleep. As she passed by the living room, she heard the faint sound of musicing from one of the rooms in the manor.


    "Hm?" Curious, Hui Yin followed the music until she came in front of a door that stood ajar. Pushing it lightly with one hand, she came inside a music room.


    Moonlight filtered through arched casement windows as a man with silver hair elegantly yed the piano. His eyes were open, but he seemed to be lost in his own world.


    His nimble fingers danced across the keys, and music that slowed down, then went fast, and slowed down again filled the whole room. It seemed to be telling a story that was neither sad nor happy, but simplistic.


    Hui Yin felt her worries fly away as she immersed herself in it, feeling peaceful.


    "You like it?"


    Hui Yin started; she didn''t realize that he had already stopped ying. He was ncing in her direction, looking inquisitive.


    "Yes," she nodded. "What''s its name?"


    "''Remove theplexities.''"


    After he finished speaking, he had started ying another song. This time, Hui Yin couldn''t help but walk towards him, enthralled. She sat next to him in front of the piano as she closed her eyes and lost herself in the music. She almost fell asleep before thest note drifted in the air and dissipated.


    "What''s that called?"


    Her voice was soft, almost unintelligible. Hui Yin yawned, and forcibly opened her eyes.


    "ire de lune'' by Debussy."


    Liu Jun''s body was close enough for her to touch, but Hui Yin didn''t feel anything. She only thought that he was afortable person to be with, and had none of awkwardness that was usually present when she was in close proximity with a man. Hui Yin felt very tranquil.


    She mused to herself that maybe it was because Liu Jun''s eyes were very clear, and she could see that his emotions were in as day. Like Liu Jun''s earlier piano music, his personality was very simple. He liked ying the piano, and enjoyed sharing it with others. Right now, Hui Yin was that ''others.''


    "You y very elegantly."


    Hui Yin smiled.


    Liu Jun returned her smile. "Thank you."


    They stayed a while longer in serenepanionship, but Hui Yin yawned again.


    Her eyelids were getting heavy, so she bid goodbye to Liu Jun and went back to her room. She had left her phone on her bed, and she realized that the screen had lit up with a message alert.


    Hui Yin swiped it open, and her mouth opened in shock.


    It was a message from Lu Shen, and it contained only a single sentence.


    ''A red apricot blossom peeks over the yard fence.''[1]


    As she read the text, Hui Yin''s tranquil expression became ck like the bottom of a pot.


    [1] From the poet Ye Shaoweng of the Song dynasty in ''On Visiting a Garden, When Its Master Is Absent.''


    "[The] whole garden can no longer confine the lively energy of spring; a spray of red apricot blossom [already] peeks over the fence."


    This symbolizes a woman''s infidelity to her husband, where the ''red apricot blossom'' symbolizes a young and attractive woman, while ''peeking over the fence'' shows her sneaking out behind her husband''s back.

 Chapter 67 Old Granny

    Hui Yin ignored the text.


    Since when did shemit an adulterous affair?


    Wasn''t he the one who cheated on her in the future?


    However, Hui Yin was determined not to let that particr dismal futuree to pass. After the party, everything was finally going to end.


    Hui Yin woke up early the next morning and the shooting continued where they ended yesterday, using these two days to start finalizing the PV. The ss-case had now been shattered, and the life-sized doll that was Hui Yin had hints of life in her expression.


    Her dress was tattered, the red headband gone from her hair. She ran across the manor, with a fierce Liu Jun chasing her.


    And finally, in the middle of the afternoon, the shooting of <Captive> hade to an end.


    Hui Yin was on the corner drinking her water bottle when Liu Jun sat next to her. They interacted more since that night when Hui Yin had identally heard his music. This was also the reason why the filming of <Captive> seemed almost effortless.


    "You could be an actor," said Hui Yin, nudging him with her elbow. "An actor and a singer. Everybody will be screaming your name."


    Liu Junughed. "With your looks, Miss Hui could be an idol. As an actress and an idol, your fans will certainly exceed mine."


    "With my dancing skills? What I''ll get will be just even more haters."


    Hui Yin had already noticed that there were many females in the filming crew eyeing her and Liu Jun as they talked, with some of them having hints of malice in their gazes.


    Hui Yin wished that she could turn into an old granny. When an old granny talks to a young, handsome man, no one looks at her with contempt simply because they were chatting together.


    And even more annoying than those gazes were...


    Hui Yin''s phone buzzed beside her, and she stuffed it into her purse without even looking.


    Lu Shen had sent her nearly a dozen text messages that varied between her making him a cuckold, her being unfaithful, and basically staying away from other men. Hui Yin had no idea what was going on inside that tyrant''s head.


    Did he forget to take his medicine?


    "Something wrong?"


    Liu Jun gazed at her with concern.


    Hui Yin shook her head and smiled.


    "Do you want to take a look at theke? I''ve been wanting to go there for a while."


    Liu Jun quickly agreed. He had been having tons of inspiration from staying in Tianshang Renjian, and after he went home, all of these insights would certainly turn into songs enough for a new album.


    "Let''s go."


    As their silhouettes strolled together amidst the vast garden, both Hui Yin and Liu Jun had no idea that behind the CCTV cameras being trained on them was a CEO that was about to explode in anger, and an assistant feeling that the end times were near.


    It was fortunate that both of them were miles away, because aptop had long been smashed into the wall, and a brand new one was in danger of following its predecessor.

 Chapter 68 She’s Mine!

    Assistant Yan, who stood beside his boss, quaked.


    Miss Hui, stop being so intimate with another man, or both our lives will be forfeit...


    But Hui Yin on the other side of the screen didn''t hear his heartfelt plea. She continued conversing with Liu Jun, a smile on her face. Any outsider could easily see that both of them enjoyed being with each other''spany.


    Lu Shen stared at hisptop with a single-minded intensity. He watched as two people sat next to each other in front of a stillke, with the girlughing at something that the man said.


    It was a very affectionate and touching scene.


    He gripped his phone tightly on one hand as he sent another text. On the screen, the girl continued chatting and ignored the buzzing sound of the phone inside her purse.


    A smile tugged at the corner of Lu Shen''s mouth, but his eyes were freezing. Looks like this girl was enjoying being with another man so much that she couldn''t be bothered to even look at his text...


    Lu Shen turned to look at Assistant Yan, and the bloodthirsty expression on his face made Yan sweat bullets.


    "Call the guards. Tell them that she''s off limits to all the ces in the estate except for her room, and that man needs to be kicked out of there."


    After saying that, he continued watching the scene on hisptop as his hands itched to throw something again. Yan stood next to him, so he acutely felt the tremendous pressure that his boss was now emitting.


    He badly wanted to exim, Boss, isn''t it already toote? The shoot is over. And boo-hoo boss, you''re behaving like a stalker! You skipped your conference meeting just to check out the live CCTV footage of Miss Hui''s shooting? Isn''t it enough that you lent out an estate just to keep an eye on her?


    Although Yan would rather die than to say it out loud, seeing his boss behaving like this, Yan felt that the Great Dragon King was behaving too much like a little kid.


    Although his experience with women were more than limited, with enough TV dramas and steamy novels in his arsenal, even Yan knew that his boss'' actions were truly outside the norm. It felt like every action of the Great Dragon King right now was dering something towards Miss Hui.


    With the Tianshang Renjian being lent out to a couple of strangers just so that he could keep Miss Hui inside his territory: she''s mine!


    With each text message that was sent: she''s mine!


    And now, even trying to imprison Miss Hui inside her own room and kicking out Liu Jun, it was tantly obvious what CEO and Chairman Lu was trying to say.


    That Miss Hui was his, and his alone.


    Everybody else, scram!


    ...


    Hui Yin was still talking to Liu Jun, unaware that every guard in the manor was rushing towards their direction.


    Her ringtone suddenly red inside her bag, signalling an iing phone call. When Hui Yin saw the caller ID, she simply pressed end.


    "That''s


    , isn''t it?" Liu Jun asked when he recognized her ringtone. He didn''t ask her why she didn''t answer the call, and Hui Yin smiled in appreciation.


    "Yes, I really like that song. By the way, what inspired you to write that?"


    Hui Yin liked the lyrics of


    since the lyrics resounded deeply within her heart. She was curious how Liu Jun managed to gain such an emotional insight that created the song.


    He chuckled. "You know that old proverb ''a candle lights others and consumes itself''? Well, that''s basically how it is in the entertainment business. I wrote


    because that''s how I survived in this ruthless circle¡ªby showing a pretense of bravery."


    Hui Yin thought that Liu Jun was a really nice man, and winked at him.


    "It must be tough to be famous."


    Heughed, then stood up and offered her his hand.


    "Let''s go back. I think Director Sun might be nning to leave Yangshuo early."


    Hui Yin took his hand and they went back to the manor, missing the rushing guards by a hair.

 Chapter 69 He’s Here?

    The whole filming crew left Yangshuo early, because the shooting for <Captive> had been very smooth.


    Everyone was satisfied by both Hui Yin and Liu Jun''s performance, especially Director Sun.


    On the way back, Liu Jun sat next to Hui Yin in the bus.


    "I kind of wish we didn''t go back so early," Hui Yin admitted to him. "I really like living in Tianshang Renjian. It''s so peaceful there."


    "Then just marry the owner and you''ll be able to live there permanently," joked Liu Jun.


    Hui Yin rolled her eyes. "Didn''t you notice how Director Sun is so secretive about the patron? It must be a very powerful figure, someone involved in politics or in business. He''s probably a balding fat man in histe fifties."


    Liu Junughed.


    "When wee back, you need to add me as a friend in QQ, alright?"


    Hui Yin smiled.


    "It''s a promise."


    They soon arrived at the airport, and boarded their designated ne. Hui Yin chose the window seat, and as the ne took off, she nced down at the ground and watched it grow smaller and smaller.


    A woman sat next to her, and Hui Yin recognized her as Liu Jun''s hair stylist for the PV.


    She was smiling at Hui Yin, but it didn''t reach her eyes.


    "Can I sit here?"


    You already did, Hui Yin wanted to say, but she nodded instead.


    "Thank you."


    Turning her back on Hui Yin, the woman ignored her for the rest of the flight.


    Hui Yin put on the eye mask and the neck pillow given by the airline, adjusted the seat back, and ignored her seat mate. She knew why that woman had sat next to her. It must be because those girls were afraid that Liu Jun will sit next to her again, so they took the initiative and chose this hair stylist to upy the seat next to her to prevent that.


    The flight time took only three hours, and Hui Yin slept for most of it. After they stepped out of the arrival gate, Director Sun told her that they might contact her manager about the PV, and Hui Yin thanked him again and the rest of the filming crew.


    Hui Yin ignored the cold staresing from the female staff, and went to say goodbye to Liu Jun.


    "Keep in touch," Liu Jun reminded her.


    Hui Yin gave him a cheeky smile.


    "I should be the one saying that to you, Mr. Number One Most Popr Male Singer of the Year. Don''t forget your non-famous friends."


    He yfully flicked her on the forehead.


    "With your talent, you''ll be surpassing me in no time."


    Hui Yin lightly punched his shoulder, and walked off to g down a taxi. There were many people at the airport, and Hui Yin had to join a long line of waiting passengers. Both Director Sun and Liu Jun offered her a ride, but Hui Yin politely declined both of them.


    Unlike her, both of them were busy with their respective jobs. She didn''t want to trouble them.


    As she waited, a ck Mayback Exelero slowly cruised by her side. The car window rolled down, and Hui Yin saw driver Cheng.


    "Miss Hui, the boss asked me to drive you home," he said.


    Hui Yin frowned.


    How did that tyrant knew that they were going back to the city today?


    And how did he knew where to find her?


    "No need, I''ll just take a taxi." Hui Yin declined the offer.


    Even before she finished speaking, the door to the backseat opened, and a tall, extremely handsome man dressed in suit stepped out.


    Hui Yin choked.


    Lu Shen?


    He''s here?

 Chapter 70 Pervert In The Airpor

    The girl in front of Hui Yin gasped.


    "So handsome..."


    "Aaaah!" Another girl eximed. "Isn''t he...isn''t he the Great Dragon King?"


    "Lu Shen? The CEO and Chairman of the Lu Corporation?"


    "What is his majesty doing here? Quickly, take a pic! I have to make this into a poster and paste it on my bedroom!"


    "He''s even more handsome in person..."


    "My ovaries just exploded!"


    Hui Yin was speechless as she listened to the gushing of the girls around her. There were even old women who joined in their uninhibited admiration of Lu Shen, and the words ''pregnant'', ''panties'', and ''ovaries'' were interjected once in a while. It made her want to facepalm.


    Ladies, calm down your hormones, okay...


    Pretending not to see him, Hui Yin quickly walked away from the scene of the crime.


    When she noticed that his face had darkened and that he was following after her, Hui Yin gave up all pretenses and ran full-out.


    Ahhhh! What is he doing, frightening someone else''s child? Hui Yin thought that maybe, her greatest fear of being murdered by Lu Shen and being thrown into the river was finally going toe true...


    My career''s just starting to soar! I don''t want to die yet!


    Lu Shen was faster than Hui Yin by several paces, and the distance between them immediately shortened. If this continued, it wouldn''t take long before he caught up with her.


    Hui Yin thought quickly, spun around, and pointed an using finger at Lu Shen.


    She yelled out at the top of her lungs, "Pervert! Pervert in the airport!"


    As the people around them turned towards the sound of her voice, they followed her finger to stare at Lu Shen, who froze like a statue.


    "A pervert? That man is a pervert?"


    "Yeah, I saw him chasing her earlier..."


    "Are you blind?! How could that man be a pervert? He would only need to take one look at a woman and she''d be begging for his baby!"


    "You''re the one whose blind! Perverts nowadays take the form of a handsome man to prey on innocent girls."


    "Anyway, that girl looks really scared. If she said that he was a pervert, then he must be a pervert."


    Taking advantage of the mor, Hui Yin took off and made her escape.


    Fortunately, she managed to g down a taxi a couple of yards away from the airport. Hui Yin was scared that Lu Shen might ambush her in her apartment, so she went to thepany first and talked with Sister Su about her next project. They picked a couple of casting calls that Hui Yin liked, and settled the details about the renewal of her contract.


    It was already night when Hui Yin waved goodbye to her manager and went back to her apartment.


    Hui Yin didn''t see any cars loitering around the building, and when she opened the door after mumbling a quick prayer, her apartment was dark and empty.


    "Thank goodness."


    Hui Yin breathed a sigh of relief as she locked the door. She was half-afraid that Lu Shen might suddenly jump out and stab her.


    Hui Yin had bought take-out earlier for dinner, and as she ate, she opened the group chat of her old ssmates. The ones who were almost never online were Hui Yin, Jiang Xu, and Qin Bingqing.


    She searched for the name that she wanted to contact, and immediately found it. Clicking on Luo Lan''s profile, Hui Yin sent out a private text message.


    ''Luo Lan, I heard that you became a reporter? I might have something that you''ll be interested in.''


    The date of the party was next week.

 Chapter 71 Still Indecipherable

    Because Luo Lan was online, she quickly replied.


    ''Campus Beauty Hui Yin, what can this little servant do for you? Do you have something juicy for me to eat?''


    Hui Yin''s left eye twitched as she read her reply. In addition to Luo Lan using her old, hated nickname, the way she phrased ''something juicy'' made three ck lines appear over Hui Yin''s face. Luo Lan was a great gossip during their school years, and there had been more than enough incidents where Hui Yin was the target herself.


    But Hui Yin had to acknowledge Luo Lan''s capability to spread gossip in just a short time¡ªsomething she overheard only yesterday, for example, would spread all over the campus by early morning. Even their old and toothless janitor would not be spared.


    As a reporter, Luo Lan''s prowess would be undoubtedly even more so.


    ''Next week,'' typed Hui Yin. ''I''ll text you the when and the where. Will you be there?''


    ''Will it be worth my time?'' Luo Lan countered.


    Hui Yin smiled grimly.


    ''Definitely.''


    After hashing it over with Luo Lan, Hui Yin spent several days meeting with Director Sun and Sister Su. The finalized date of the PV''s release was next month, while Hui Yin, with Sister Su''s suggestion, finally picked out her next project to audition. It was a short teen drama series, and was not rtively popr.


    Hui Yin wanted to sign up for the role of the supporting female lead, a pretty girl named Gao Mei. It was the story of how a seven-member idol group shot to fame, with each of them trying their hardest on the road to stardom. Gao Mei was a shy, pretty girl who was the best friend of the female lead, Chen Lin.


    Hui Yin picked this particr series because she thought it was a bit ironic that shortly after Liu Jun made the joke that Hui Yin could be an idol, an idol-based storyline fell on herp. It must be fate.


    Aside from her continuing poverty, what Hui Yin worried about as the week came to an end was that Lu Shen seemed to have forgotten that little incident at the airport. He hadn''te knocking on her apartment door for revenge, and seemed to have temporarily forgotten her existence. Hui Yin was especially worried because before the date of the party this uing week, she had to fulfill her side of the contract and live at Lu Shen''s ce.


    Was he using the strategy of ''in order to capture, one must let loose''? Was Lu Shen deliberately loosening the reins to trick Hui Yin in believing that she had a chance for freedom, so that her will to fight would be dampened by her desire to escape?


    Even with her two lifetimes, Hui Yin felt that Lu Shen was still indecipherable.


    On herst day in the apartment, Hui Yin started to pack her things. She only had a couple of clothes in her luggage, because she did not n to stay long with Lu Shen.

 Chapter 72 Zero To Extreme

    On the day that Hui Yin was arranged to go to Lu Shen''s apartment, driver Cheng came early to her apartment and picked her up.


    "Is Lu Shen already at thepany?" Hui Yin asked in a hopeful voice.


    Driver Cheng''s eyes nced back at her on the rearview mirror, before focusing back on the road. "Miss Hui, the boss...took the day off."


    Hui Yin felt her lifespan decrease in half.


    For that workaholic to take a day off on the day that she was about to move into his ce was definitely not a good sign.


    "Why?" Was that tyrant nning on torturing me? Is there a nearby river on the vi where he could conveniently drop my corpse?


    Driver Cheng just shook his head, and gave her a wry smile. "Miss Hui, the boss doesn''t share his thoughts with anyone, especially with a lowly driver like me. The person with the highest probability ofmunicating with him would be Miss Hui."


    He nced at the obvious disbelief on her face in the rearview mirror, and lightly shook his head. Miss Hui might not know, but the boss regarded her highly. As his personal driver, Cheng Manchu had a better understanding of his boss than most people around him.


    Although his boss was a brilliant business man, he was definitelycking in terms of emotional attachment. He was like a robot, wherein the disparity between his high IQ and low EQ was huge. For anyone to cross the border and get his attention was miraculous enough, but the obsession of the boss towards Miss Hui exceeded the limits of his stunted emotional capacity.


    It was almost as if all the emotions that had been absent in the boss'' life gathered like a tsunami and concentrated towards Miss Hui, going from zero to the extreme. For someone to be the center of such attention would be terrifying, but with the boss'' wealth and background, if Miss Hui was willing, everything under the sun would be hers.


    Cheng Manchu knew that there were many women who would trade their life just to get one-tenth of the attention his boss gave to Miss Hui. The Great Dragon King''s wealth and background aside, even his looks would make any woman throw herself at him.


    Unaware of the driver''s thoughts, Hui Yin propped her chin with one hand, feeling gloomy.


    She searched the night before for a cheap apartment far away from her current ce, but the cost of even the shabbiest and cheapest one exceeded her limited budget. Her sry from the PV would arrive next week, and it was unusually high, but it would not support Hui Yin for long.


    Once she broke the engagement, she needed to run, and run fast.


    The Maybach slowly cruised in front of an opulent gate, which swung open without hesitation. They came into a wide circr courtyard, and driver Cheng stopped in front of a wide veranda. There were a bevy of maids that greeted Hui Yin as she stepped out, and driver Cheng pulled out her luggage from the trunk.


    Hui Yin looked around. This was not the mansion she lived in during their marriage, so she knew that it was the ce Lu Shen stayed during his bachelor days. Hui Yin had not been here before, and she was a bit curious.


    There were several bodyguards around the perimeter, and Lu Shen even hired a butler to manage the vi. Hui Yin counted the number of different workers and realized that she couldn''t find a chef in sight. This gave her a sense of dark foreboding.


    Maybe the housekeeper was the one who cooked the food.


    Hui Yin grabbed her luggage and went past the living room to trudge slowly towards the stairs. As she took the first step, she heard a door open on the second floor and nced up.


    Lu Shen was leaning on the banister, coolly watching her with his arms crossed over his chest.

 Chapter 73 Pervert’s Home

    Hui Yin looked at Lu Shen warily.


    He was watching her like a hunter watched his prey, making her feel uneasy.


    "What?" It was always better to be attack first when in a precarious situation.


    Lu Shen walked towards her in a leisurely manner, but his calm countenance only made her be more nervous. He looked like a jade-like gentleman as he closed the distance between them, but Hui Yin snorted deep inside her heart.


    What jade-like gentleman?


    Charred charcoal, maybe.


    Hui Yin stiffened as he came even closer.


    "What do you...mmm!"


    Stopping one step above her, he wrapped his hand on the back of her neck and pulled her body towards him. Before she could finish her sentence, his lips were already pressed against hers.


    Hui Yin began hitting his chest with her fists, but his other hand imprisoned them and kept them still. Hui Yin felt mortified. There were still maids inside the living room that followed her, although they scurried away like frightened mice when Lu Shen made his move.


    After a while, he broke the kiss and left her gasping. There was a trace of schadenfreude in his eyes.


    "You¡ª!" Her chest heaving, Hui Yin looked at him with fire in her eyes. "How could you do that so suddenly?"


    Lu Shen looked at her calmly.


    "Oh? Didn''t you say that I was a pervert? That was only a taste of my perversion, yet you''re acting so excessively. Moving into a pervert''s home, I''m sure you''re very well prepared."


    Hui Yin''s face quickly turned white.


    Just as she thought!


    He was mad!


    Extremely mad!


    "That..." Hui Yin didn''t regret her actions at the airport, but she wished she bought a taser before she came here. Maybe she should sleep with a kitchen knife underneath her pillow.


    "You came so suddenly, it was only right for me to run away. I was frightened." Hui Yin raised her chin. "But you chased me and scared me even more. It was only my right to take action."


    "And the blow to my dignity?" Lu Shen raised an eyebrow. "Should I have the right to take action too?"


    "No!"


    What blow to your dignity? Always kissing me without permission, isn''t that already a proof that you''re actually a pervert?


    Tugging at her luggage, Hui Yin tried to get past him.


    Lu Shen stepped sideways and blocked her.


    "Hand that over. It looks heavy."


    "It''s fine."


    Hui Yin stepped to the left.


    Lu Shen moved left. "Don''t be stubborn."


    Exasperated, Hui Yin loosened her hold.


    "Fine!"


    She stormed up the stairs and left her luggage and Lu Shen behind, but she stopped as she reached the second floor. She didn''t know where her room was located.


    Carrying her luggage, Lu Shen walked ahead of her and led her to her bedroom. Left without a choice, Hui Yin followed him.


    Hui Yin always held a deep admiration for interior design, and she couldn''t help but stare at the room in stunned delight.


    The room was light blue in color, and arge sleigh bed took most of the space in the room. There were whitemps on each side of the bed, and painted on the wall above the bed frame were soft, falling feathers. The chandelier on the ceiling was shaped like a dandelion puff, and the French doors to the balcony was open, letting a soft breeze in that rustled the curtains.


    It gave off a delicate and gentle feeling, making Hui Yin want to jump on the bed and fall asleep.

 Chapter 74 Took The Day Off?

    Lu Shen put her luggage on the side of the bed.


    "If you need anything, just tell the maids. Did you eat breakfast already?" he asked.


    Hui Yin nodded. She actually hadn''t eaten anything yet, but what if Lu Shen joined her during breakfast? She''d only lose her appetite.


    "You should eat more," he said critically. "You''re already so thin."


    "That''s none of your business."


    Hui Yin sat on the bed and looked at him, silently signalling that he should leave her alone.


    Lu Shen ignored her signal.


    "You should go downstairster. There''s a garden just east of the tennis court."


    Hui Yin stared at him.


    "There''s a puppy," he added.


    Hui Yin remained unmoved.


    Lu Shen frowned, irritated. Was she going to remain in her room for the rest of the day? When she was in Tianshang Renjian, this girl seemed to happily enjoy touring around like an excited bunny. Or was it because of that male singer that she was so enthusiastic?


    His mood plunged to the bottom of the ocean.


    "Go down for lunchter," he snapped, mming the door on his way out.


    Hui Yin rolled her eyes. That tyrant was worse than a woman on her menopausal.


    She stretched her legs and stood up, walking towards the balcony. The breeze lifted some strands of her hair, and Hui Yin lightly twirled them around with her hand. She gazed at the view below, quickly spotting the tennis court that Lu Shen told her about.


    Hui Yin squinted her eyes. On the green expanse, she saw a white and tiny fluff ball hopping about like a bouncing rubber ball. It seemed to be chasing something.


    Was that a...Samoyed puppy?


    ...


    "What do you mean? Brother Shen took the day off?"


    Nian Zhen stared at Assistant Yang in deep shock.


    She came to visit Lu Shen in his office, but she didn''t expect him to be absent. Ever since he started his ownpany, Nian Zhen couldn''t recall a time that he took a day off.


    Did he get sick?


    "Why?" she demanded.


    She was worried that he might have worked himself too hard and had fallen ill. Should she contact Auntie Lu and ask her? But thinking about it, Lu Shen would probably not even tell his parents about it.


    He was always alone and took care of himself, forming a thick barrier that separated him from the people around him.


    Assistant Yang was intimidated by Nian Zhen''s aggressiveness. How should he know why the boss took a day off? The Great Dragon King had simply told him the day before to manage the things at thepany and to not call him unless it was important.


    He even particrly stressed out that by ''important'', he meant either thepany was going to be bankrupt, there was a sudden apocalypse, or anyone he knew was in a critical condition and was holding on to thest breath of life.


    Unless it was any of the three, Assistant Yang was not to disturb him.


    "Miss Nian, the boss did not tell me. Maybe you shoulde back on another day. I''m sure the boss would meet you then and answer any questions that you might have."


    Nian Zhen was not satisfied by Assistant Yang''s tactical evasion. Was Lu Shen really sick then? Maybe he didn''t want anyone to know and was quietly recuperating in his vi. He was the type to endure alone and Nian Zhen was concerned that his sickness might only get worse.


    Should she go there?

 Chapter 75 Disappeared?

    When lunchtime came around, Hui Yin left her room and went down towards the kitchen.


    To herplete surprise, there was no one in the kitchen and the table was empty. There were only ingredients on the kitchen counter, arranged in a neat order.


    Hui Yin frowned. The maids hadn''t cooked the food yet?


    She went back to the living room and saw one of them dusting an ancient porcin sculpture. When the maid saw her, she immediately greeted Hui Yin with a respectful smile, her head bowed.


    "Uh...excuse me, is the lunch prepared yet?"


    Hui Yin felt awkward, because she didn''t want to sound like an entitled young miss. But she was starving.


    The maid blushed. "Madam...sir told us that you will be the one to cook for lunch."


    Hui Yin felt her eyebrows almost rise all the way to her hairline. She was the one who will cook for lunch? Says who?


    "I''m not cooking."


    It wasn''t really hard for Hui Yin to cook a simple meal, but she didn''t want to give in to that tyrant''s orders.


    The maid turned anxious after hearing her.


    "But madam, sir hasn''t eaten anything yet. He ordered us to call him only after you''ve cooked his lunch."


    Hui Yin didn''t care. "He could starve to death."


    "Madam..."


    "Please don''t call me that. I''m not the ''madam'' or anything."


    Hui Yin felt the heebie-jeebies hearing the term. It was what everyone called her when she was married to Lu Shen.


    Since she was hungry and was not willing to give in, Hui Yin decided to go out for a meal. She could have driver Cheng take her to a cheap restaurant.


    Hui Yin went outside to search for driver Cheng. But she couldn''t find the ck Maybach Exelero anywhere.


    "Driver Cheng?" she called out.


    The vi was spacious, and Hui Yin didn''t know where the garage was. She walked aimlessly, until she came to the tennis court that she saw from her balcony. The white puppy was already gone.


    Hui Yin felt her stomach grumble. Should she just go out without driver Cheng?


    But Hui Yin noticed on the way earlier that the private driveway leading to the vi was lengthy, and there was a guard station before it. She would probably faint from hunger before she could manage to get out.


    Forget it. She''ll just cook for herself and leave nothing for that tyrant.


    Hui Yin went back to the kitchen and quickly started cooking. Before long, there was small dish of gaifan on the table, with some basic fried rice. Hui Yin simmered several slices of meat on a soy broth for thirty minutes before adding bell peppers and tomatoes.


    Sprinkling a bit of cornstarch, some garlic, and baby corn, Hui Yin let it cook down into a gravy-like consistency. Vo!


    A delicious gaifan and some pepper steak stir-fry.


    Hui Yin looked at her creation with a happy face. They looked extremely delicious, but it perfectly described the phrase of ''too many monks, and too little congee''. The food was only enough for one person.


    Hui Yin sat down and took out a pair of chopsticks. The aroma of the food wafted up to her nose, and she sniffed like a greedy hamster. She picked up a piece of a pepper steak stir-fry, and brought it to her lips.


    Hui Yin closed her mouth and was excited to taste its sweet umami. But to herplete shock, she only swallowed empty air.


    Ah?! My delicious pepper steak stir-fry disappeared?

 Chapter 76 Plunge Into Chaos

    Hui Yin stared at her empty chopsticks in disbelief.


    Her sizzling, delicious pepper steak stir-fry just disappeared like that.


    Just disappeared like that...


    Disappeared like that...


    Like that...


    "Mmm. Delicious," said the culprit, who picked another pepper steak stir-fry after he swallowed the first one. "Why didn''t you make more? I don''t think these tiny dishes will be enough for me."


    Hui Yin''s left eye twitched as she watched Lu Shen gobble up her food with ease. She thought she was already shameless, but this man in front of her brought a whole new meaning to the word!


    "Ahh!" Like a mother hen, Hui Yin quickly pulled the the two small bowls towards her and hugged them. "What are you doing?!"


    Lu Shen looked at her protective posture, secretly amused. If one didn''t know any better, they would have thought that what she was guarding was treasure.


    He pulled up a chair and sat next to her.


    "Eating my food. Didn''t you cook it for me?"


    "Who would cook for you?" Hui Yin snapped.


    She already lost two of her pepper steak stir-fries!


    "I cooked this for myself, and I''m hungry. You have dozens of maids. Let them cook for you."


    Lu Shen leaned back on his chair. "But I''d rather eat the food you cooked."


    Hui Yin nearly puked blood from anger.


    "This is my own food!"


    "You used my ingredients," Lu Shen pointed out casually.


    "..."


    Hui Yin had nothing to say to that. He was right.


    She mmed her chopsticks on the table.


    "Fine, I''ll cook you something."


    Thirty minutester, two new bowls of gaifan and pepper steak stir-fries were ced in front of Lu Shen. Hui Yin wanted to subtract two pepper steak stir-fries from his portion because he ''stole'' from her, but Lu Shen was watching her intently like a hawk.


    She went back to her chair with a gloomy expression.


    They ate their lunch silently, each immersed on their own thoughts. Lu Shen''s phone rang just as they were about to finish, but he took one look at it and didn''t answer.


    "I heard you''re signing a major business deal with Mr. Zhong?" asked Hui Yin, breaking the silence.


    "Yes." After a small pause, he asked, "Why?"


    Hui Yin continued eating her food.


    "Nothing. I just think that he''s a kind man. It would be good to have a business deal with him."


    Lu Shen frowned, and slowly put down his chopsticks. "He already has a wife."


    Hui Yin rolled her eyes. Did I ask you? Why are you telling me unnecessary information?


    "I know, but they divorced," she said, not interested in continuing the conversation. She picked up her bowls and started washing them on the sink.


    "Let the maids do that."


    Lu Shen, who finished eating only a minutete after her, turned off the faucet and stopped her from rinsing the dishes. Hui Yin ignored him and turned on the faucet again. He behaved like such a dictator when he ordered her to cook, but now that she merely wanted to do some bit of dishwashing, he stopped her?


    She shook her head.


    Lu Shen''s phone that he left on the table rang again. He sighed, and picked it up. By this time, Hui Yin had finished washing the dishes, so she was about to return to her room.


    "You''reing here? Right now?" Lu Shen looked like he was in a bad mood. "There''s no need."


    Hui Yin, who heard that, abruptly stopped. The only people she knew that could possiblye to Lu Shen''s vi was his parents, maybe some of his close male friends, and Nian Zhen...


    Hui Yin didn''t leave anymore, and stood still just beside Lu Shen. Without shame, she tantly eavesdropped on their conversation. Lu Shen noticed her actions, but he didn''tment.


    There was a brief sh of satisfaction in his eyes before it disappeared. Hui Yin didn''t notice it.


    "I''m not sick. Don''te," Lu Shen made his tone a bit stern as he nced at the girl beside him.


    Hui Yin, who already heard the feminine voice on the other side, knew that he was talking to Nian Zhen. She nced up at him and made a gesture.


    Lu Shen''s forehead creased. Did he misread her?


    Seeing that he wasn''t taking any action, Hui Yin mouthed, "Let here."


    Lu Shen looked at the girl in front of him without a trace of jealousy in her expression and felt a bit displeased. His voice became cold as he snapped at the phone, "Fine,e here."


    He hung up.


    Hui Yin looked away as her lips curved into a wicked smile.


    It was an expression that looked as if she wanted the world to plunge into chaos...

 Chapter 77 Do You Hate Me?

    "So, Miss Nian ising here then?" Hui Yin asked nonchntly, blinking her eyes at him.


    Lu Shen, who was still in a bad mood, said coldly, "Weren''t you the one who asked her toe?"


    "Mmm." Hui Yin nodded, ignoring his tone. "Lu Shen, maybe I should tell you something. I don''t think you know."


    Lu Shen propped his hip against the edge of the kitchen table and looked at her.


    "You see, it''s a girl''s intuition. Miss Nian is your closest friend, and she really wants you to be happy."


    Hui Yin gave him her most serious look.


    "I think she knows that we''re fighting and that we really don''t like each other. Well...I don''t like it much either, but we should probably act like a loving couple in front of Miss Nian. I don''t want her to be sad."


    Hui Yin felt quite proud of herself. Under the pretense of making Nian Zhen ''happy'', she could make Lu Shen miserable by seeing his loved one watching him being lovey-dovey with another woman, while at the same time feeding Nian Zhen with dog food and a lovely drink of vinegar. It was ingenious.


    It was one of the reasons why Hui Yin wasn''t really on a hurry to break the engagement. Why should she allow these two people that hurt her the most to easily get their happily ever after? She should at least let them have a taste of their own medicine.


    Lu Shen''s face was like a carve of ice. A slow smile spread across his lips, but it was devoid of warmth. Hui Yin was too busy congratting herself that she didn''t notice the malevolent aura that was starting to condense around the man in front of her.


    Lu Shen watched her, his eyes nearly inky ck.


    "...we really don''t like each other..."


    "I don''t like it much either..."


    Her words echoed again and again inside his mind, until he felt like he was about to suffocate. Anger red up inside his chest, his control teetering as he wanted tosh out.


    She didn''t care about him at all. Her every word stabbed him like a knife. It hurt and it made him furious.


    Just what had he done to deserve this? Time and time again, every time he came close to her, she pushed him away. He fulfilled his promise to her and made her his fianc¨¦e. He introduced her to his family and his friends. He never entertained any other girl aside from her. In fact, even his own constant pursuit of this girl scared him.


    But always, each and every time he tried, she ran away from him.


    Hui Yin finally noticed that something was wrong. She knitted her eyebrows. "Are you alright?"


    She remembered that he told Nian Zhen earlier that he wasn''t sick. Why would he say that? Did he get sick before? Was he having a rpse?


    Lu Shen stared at her, his eyes barely concealing his emotions. Hui Yin stared back at him, wondering if she should brew some rice congee.


    It wouldn''t be good if he died under her watch.


    After a moment of silence, Lu Shen spoke.


    "Do you hate me?"

 Chapter 78 We Are A Couple

    "Do you hate me?"


    Hui Yin widened her eyes.


    She did not expect that at all.


    "What?" she asked, dumbfounded.


    Did he really ask her that?


    Cold and slender hands grabbed her wrist, and Hui Yin yelped as he pulled her close.


    Their faces only inches away, Lu Shen leaned down and stared at her.


    "I said," he enunciated very carefully, "Do you hate me?"


    Hui Yin didn''t know what to say.


    Of course she hated him!


    He cheated on her, divorced her, got engaged with another woman, and then that woman murdered her. How could she not hate him? But could she really say that to him? It would drive a wedge into her ns.


    "What are you talking about?"


    Hui Yin forced a smile as she tried to ease her wrist out of his grip. But Lu Shen only tightened his hold on her.


    Hui Yin looked up at him. There was something barely discernible hidden underneath his expressionless face, as if her answer was greatly important to him.


    She felt a bit frightened. The Lu Shen in front of her felt like a leashed tiger, where one wrong move could spell her doom. She didn''t know why he was behaving like this.


    "Lu Shen, I told you before that Miss Nian doesn''t like to see us fighting. I don''t know why you''re mad, but we should try to act like a couple for now and resolve thister. Okay?" Hui Yin said calmly.


    Lu Shen sneered and his other hand went to grab her waist. Hui Yin gasped as his hand slid under her shirt.


    "Why should we act like a couple?" he asked, his voice deep. "We are a couple. It would do you well to remember that."


    Hui Yin''s soft hand grabbed his wrist and stilled the hand that was wandering over her bare skin. Her eyes met his.


    "I don''t think I''m the one who should remember that."


    Lu Shen frowned. If his emotions was like a red-hotva inside him, he could see that this girl only had a biting coldness that seeped to the bone. He had a sudden impulse to hug her and thaw whatever it was that made her be so indifferent. Did something happen to her? He clearly knew that she wasn''t like this before.


    As he thought of this, Lu Shen felt a chill strike his heart. Was this why she changed so much? Did someone hurt her?


    Just as he was about to ask, a maid walked into the kitchen. Seeing their intimate position, the young maid flushed a deep shade of red.


    "S¡ªsir, Miss Nian is here," she stammered, darting another nce at them before scampering away.


    Wow, thought the maid, fanning her face. Madam Hui had only arrived in the vi early this morning, but sir had already attacked her twice! Who said that the Great Dragon King was cold and aloof? Cold and aloof, my ass. He''s obviously a man burning with passion!


    The little maid felt gleeful at this unexpected discovery. She knew working here was going to be a dream job!


    Inside the kitchen, Hui Yin had already disengaged herself with Lu Shen and was fixing her clothes.


    "Lovey-dovey," Hui Yin reminded him. "You don''t want Miss Nian to be sad, do you?"


    Lu Shen almost shook her. Who cares about that! Let''s finish this conversation!


    But he reigned in his temper, because he was afraid that she might show him those pair of cold eyes again. For some reason, he didn''t want her to show him that kind of expression.


    "We''ll talk about thister," he promised.


    Hui Yin shrugged.


    She didn''t care either way.


    Grabbing his arm and intertwining his hand with hers, Hui Yin dragged Lu Shen to the living room and prepared to perform a great show.

 Chapter 79 Ephemeral Flower Vase

    Hui Yin and Lu Shen walked into the room hand in hand, with Hui Yin even stering her body against him to the point of bing an iguana.


    Lu Shen felt his mouth twitch. This girl was indeed an actress...


    "Miss Nian!" Hui Yin feigned a look of delighted surprise.


    In her head, she scrutinized her ruthlessly. Did she get fat? Ha! That''s what you get for being a venomous snake, swallowing whatever prey you have without chewing.


    In her past life, Hui Yin was almost a saint. Her whole life could be yed with a guzheng, and people worldwide would shed tears,menting her terrible fate. They would beden with grief upon knowing that a cute cinnamon roll like her had passed away.


    In this new life, however, Hui Yin was prepared that the one who would ascend to heaven would not be her.


    "Yinyin."


    Nian Zhen''s smile froze as she saw their sped hands. Her shock turned into pain as she nced up at Lu Shen. "Brother Shen."


    Hui Yin did not feel any pity for her. It was not even a tenth of the pain she suffered from her hands.


    "Miss Nian, what are you doing here?" she asked, as she led Lu Shen to upy the sofa opposite of Nian Zhen. "I heard from the phone earlier that you thought¡ª" Hui Yin wanted to say hubby, but the word got stuck in her throat¡ª"Lu Shen was sick?"


    Nian Zhen was not to be underestimated either. She easily got her emotions under control and wore a mask of concern.


    "Yes, because Brother Shen never takes a day off. Yinyin, you visited Brother Shen too?"


    "''Visited''?" Hui Yinughed. She leaned her head on Lu Shen''s shoulder. "Miss Nian, he didn''t tell you? He''s so naughty. He missed me, so he forced me to live here."


    Technically, it was true.


    Lu Shen looked down at the girl sticking close to his side. Although he felt suspicious about her motives, the way she clung to him felt a bit...pleasant?


    "I was surprised too," continued Hui Yin. She adopted a loving expression as she stared at the stone-faced man beside her. "He even took a day off for us to spend time together."


    Of course, Hui Yin had no idea why this tyrant took a day off. As they say, use every means at your disposal. If Lu Shen had been truly sick, she would have told Nian Zhen that it was because he was suffering from ''lovesickness.'' If Lu Shen had constipation, she would have said that the pain in his heart transferred to his intestines. Adapting to a scenario was part of an actress''s skillset, after all.


    Nian Zhen nearly let out a snort. Brother Shen taking a day off to spend ''time'' with you? Keep dreaming. You''re only a temporary fianc¨¦e. Brother Shen would not waste any effort on a useless, ephemeral flower vase.


    "But Yinyin, you''re living here?"


    Regardless whether this slut''s words were true or not, Nian Zhen was shocked when she heard that, especially since Brother Shen didn''t refute it.


    Why would he let her live here? Isn''t the reason why he moved out of the old family house was because he wanted to be alone and away from people? Why would Brother Shen let this slut prance around in his vi?


    "Yes." Hui Yin''s lips curved upwards. "Miss Nian, can you believe it? He even personally decorated my room! Do you want to go and see?"


    Lu Shen was nning to y along with anything this girl said, but he felt ufortable with her saying that. Her room was so feminine. How could he ''personally'' decorate it?


    "I just hired an interior decorating team," he denied. "I didn''t personally decorate it."


    Hui Yin poked his nose. "Hubby, you''re so modest. That''s what I like most about you."


    Unwillingly, her words from before echoed in his mind again.


    "...we really don''t like each other..."


    Lu Shen did not know if he liked this girl beside him or not, but the way she implied that she didn''t like him either made him feel dissatisfied. It dawned on him that starting from the year he lost his memory, they had already spent three years together.

 Chapter 80 Want To Come?

    Lu Shen captured the finger that was poking his nose and asked, "What else do you like about me?"


    Hui Yin''s mouth hung open.


    Was he...cooperating with her?


    Recovering instantly, she giggled and made a yful nudge at his side.


    "Hubby, you joker. If I listed everything I like about you, then we would probably have to spend a year on this sofa."


    "List it." He stared at her in a domineering fashion.


    "..."


    My lord, if you''re cooperating, at least know your lines and be a little more sweet, okay? Your words sound more like an imperial decree.


    "Stop teasing me." She pinched his arm, and Hui Yin exerted a little force. "Hubby, you know I like everything about you."


    Lu Shen didn''t seem to notice her pinch.


    "Everything?"


    Hui Yin nodded. "Everything."


    She poked his nose again.


    "Yinyin!"


    Startled, both of them nced at Nian Zhen, who looked strained. "Yinyin, I want to see your room. Can you show me?"


    Her hands tightly gripped the purse on her side, feeling the jewels embellished on the front dig into her palms. Nian Zhen remembered the white stic she stuffed inside it, full of medicines she hurriedly bought from a nearby pharmacy. She felt bitter.


    "Sure." Hui Yin stood up gracefully. "Hubby, you stay down here okay? This is girl''s talk, so men are not allowed."


    Hui Yin led Nian Zhen up to her room, and Nian Zhen immediately noticed the close distance between her room and Brother Shen. Did Brother Shen deliberately arrange this? No, it must be a coincidence. But why is his study much farther away than this slut''s bedroom...


    "Miss Nian, I apologize if it''s a bit messy."


    Hui Yin had already put her clothes on the walk-in closet, and the luggage that hinted she had just recently moved here was already out of sight. Hui Yin felt a bit surprised that not only had Lu Shen hired someone to decorate her room, he was also thoughtful enough to buy her clothes.


    They were all top luxury brands, and there were still tags attached to some of them. The price on a single dress alone could not even be paid with the sum of Hui Yin''s sry in a year. The Great Dragon King was still the Great Dragon King. He practically gets his angpao money from Caishen himself.


    "Yinyin, your room is so beautiful." Nian Zhen nced at around in envy, but kept her dark thoughts to herself. Outside, there was still a smile stered across her face. "The interior decorating team did a good job."


    Hui Yin raised an eyebrow. She noticed Nian Zhen''s emphasis on the ''interior decorating team''. She knew that this snake was already jealous even if Lu Shen didn''t personally decorate it, but she still had the energy to jab at her.


    "Well, hubby was the one who hired them. They must be the best. I wish he didn''t spend so much effort on my behalf," Hui Yin said casually.


    Nian Zhen resolutely kept her smile. She told herself to keep herposure, that this trash was going to go away soon. This slut wouldn''t evenst a week in the vi. It was a momentary pain for a lifetime''s worth of gain. For one to reach the apex, there were always minor sacrifices.


    Nian Zhen took a deep breath.


    She would be the one who will be at Brother Shen''s side in the future. Who cares about short-lived flings? Brother Shen was a man. It was only natural.


    "Yinyin, there''s going to be an uing birthday party this week. You probably don''t know him, but Wang Yong is the second young master of the Wang family. His father is the renownedwyer, Wang Xiong. Brother Shen and I are invited, do you want toe?"


    The setting had changed, but the content and the delivery remained the same. Hui Yin had long since expected the invitation toe from her.


    Hui Yin smiled. "Miss Nian, I''d love to."

 Chapter 81 Hui Yin’s Skills

    When she heard Hui Yin''s reply, a cold light shed briefly in Nian Zhen''s eyes before her expression turned gentle once more.


    "That''s great, Yinyin! We''ll have so much fun together."


    Seeing the ignorant look in the other girl''s eyes, Nian Zhen inwardly sneered.


    She could admit that this lowly actress had looks, and in some other nouveau rich family, she might have a chance of bing a trophy wife. But the Lu family was different. Background, status, and capability were the main driving factors. Just ack on one of these already made you ineligible to be even thinking of joining the upper ss society.


    And those were just the basics. If the Lu family had given birth to a typical young heir that would inherit thepany, then those three qualities might be enough to garner the family''s approval. But the Lu family didn''t give birth to an average heir. They had Lu Shen.


    And Lu Shen was a mighty powerhouse all by himself.


    So how could he be permitted to marry a lowly actress without status or background? It was all just a quixotic dream of this trash from the very beginning. Meat pies do not fall freely from the sky, as much as you want it to. And if this actress was still deluding herself that she and Lu Shen belonged to the same world, then Nian Zhen was willing to be the one to wake her up with cold water.


    Nian Zhen and Hui Yin went back to the living room, where Lu Shen was still sitting by himself on the sofa. He had gotten hisptop out of his study and was typing something on it with nimble fingers.


    Nian Zhen shook her head as she saw this.


    He might have taken a day off, but there was no cking from work. The Lu Corporation had been built from Lu Shen''s hard effort, skills, and talent. She had watched him as he built his ownpany from scratch, and how he worked step by step to where he was now.


    Nian Zhen was certain that no one understood Lu Shen in this world as much as she did. If there was a woman that was qualified to stand by his side, it could only be her.


    "Brother Shen, I invited Yinyin to Wang Yong''s birthday party. It''s a great opportunity for you to introduce her as your fianc¨¦e. There''s not a lot of people who know her, after all."


    Nian Zhen sat next to Lu Shen in the sofa as she said this.


    Behind them, where she wouldn''t be seen, Hui Yin made a face. Such a snake. Every word that came out of her mouth was full of venom.


    Hu! Hu! Hu!


    Hui Yin exhaled quickly through her mouth in short bursts, like an MMA fighter right before a championship battle. Then she put on a big smile, swept theptop off Lu Shen''sp, and put it on the table with an elegant flourish.


    Before he could react, she jumped into his arms.


    "Hubby, don''t work~ Didn''t you say we''ll use your day off to spend time together? Don''t you like my face better than that digital screen?" Hui Yin blinked her limpid eyes as she cupped her chin with her hands.


    While she was studying in the university back in her younger years, Hui Yin used to make fun of the girls surrounding Jiang Xu by imitating their aegyo style. She had perfected it in such a manner that by the time she widened her eyes into a puppy-like look, Jiang Xu was already fleeing in the other direction.


    By the look on Lu Shen''s face, her ''skills'' hadn''t degenerated in the slightest.

 Chapter 82 Being Ignored

    Lu Shen''s expression that wouldn''t have changed even if Taishan toppled cracked.


    There was just no defensive skills against the might of Hui Yin''s aegyo technique. It decreased mana, lowered HP, and was basically a one-hit PK of anyone that was unfortunate enough to receive this attack.


    Even Nian Zhen''s mouth dropped to the floor.


    Hui Yin pushed out her lower lip in a sullen pout. "Hubby, are you ignoring me?"


    Lu Shen didn''t know whether to kiss this girl or strangle her. He knew she was doing this on purpose, and was pushing him to his limits. Looking at her ''‡å'' expression, he had the strong urge to do thetter.


    Hui Yin wasughing silently in her heart. These rich socialites, all they knew were proper decorum and etiquette. For someone to act out of their expectations and be an outlier¡ªwell, Hui Yin was sure there was no answer to this in their This Is How We Do Things Big Book: Rich People edition.


    Lu Shen was not unaware of the girl''s thoughts. He could practically see the mockery in her eyes. How could he not? When he knew what she really thought of him.


    Well, this is a chance.


    To catch the flighty rabbit in her own trap.


    Lu Shen caught her chin.


    "Do you think I''m ignoring you?"


    Hui Yin bobbed her head like a good student.


    The corner of his lips curled up, pleased with her answer.


    "Then I won''t ignore you."


    He turned to Nian Zhen.


    "Tell Wang Yong I''m going to the party. I''ll see you tomorrow."


    It was a subtle dismissal.


    Hui Yin frowned when she heard that. From Nian Zhen''s invitation, she thought that Lu Shen had already agreed. But judging by his words, he didn''t n oning to the party at all. In her previous life, Lu Shen wasn''t there when Nian Zhen had invited her because Hui Yin wasn''t living in his vi then.


    So she took it for granted that he wanted to go to the party as well. But Hui Yin realized that Nian Zhen hadn''t explicitly stated that Lu Shen wanted toe to the party.


    Was she the only one who interpreted it that way?


    Lu Shen nced back at her.


    "Get dressed. We''re going out."


    Hui Yin was still lost in her thoughts, so she was a bit dazed. "Huh?"


    He arched an eyebrow at her. "Didn''t you say I''m ignoring you? Then let''s go out and spend time together, so that I''d have to look at your face than a digital screen."


    "..."


    "I thought you wanted us to ''spend time together''? Aren''t you excited?"


    "..."


    Hui Yin felt that businessmen were really ruthless, using the tiniest negligence to squeeze you for what you''re worth. No wonder that when you open your door just to get a breath of fresh air, youe back home with a new set of encyclopedias instead.


    But there was one other person aside from Hui Yin who was having a hard time at that moment.


    Nian Zhen had frozen on the sofa, feeling as if her entire face had been pped. That trash had acted pitifully and asked Lu Shen if he was ignoring her, but the one whom he had been ignoring was her instead. He even asked her to leave.


    Nian Zhen gripped her purse tighter, trying to think through her humiliation. She couldn''t lose herposure here. No matter how that slut deceived Brother Shen, Nian Zhen couldn''t let her destroy the image she had in front of him. Not to mention that she was quickly running out of time.


    The Lus wanted the best for Lu Shen, but weren''t the Nians like that as well? They wanted the best for her too. And although her parents had been eyeing Lu Shen from the start, and they were good friends with the Lus, it could not be denied that Lu Shen had chosen a fianc¨¦e that was not Nian Zhen.


    Her parents were deeply angered that Lu Shen had ignored their good intentions and made such an important decision by himself, which made their precious daughter be a substitute even if Lu Shen''s engagement got canceled.


    Nian Zhen needed to quickly resolve this, and to do that, she needed to weed out the trash that was slowly corrupting her Brother Shen.

 Chapter 83 Practical Jokes

    Nian Zhen opened her mouth slowly and said, "I''ll be going then."


    She didn''t want to leave him with this lowly actress, but he had already dismissed her. Nian Zhen didn''t want to show him her selfish side, so she had to reluctantly agree. Anyway, it wouldn''t be long before that trash would disappear.


    She would make sure that Brother Shen would be the one to do it himself. Only in that way, she believed, would that trash bepletely rooted out of his heart.


    Hui Yin gave her a friendly smile.


    "Miss Nian, maybe I could apany you back? I''ll call driver Cheng."


    Hui Yin wanted to annoy her more, and at the same time escape the clutches of this predator that had trapped her within his embrace.


    But Lu Shen said ndly, "No need. Cheng is already waiting for her outside. You just need to get dressed."


    Then his arm scooped her from behind the knees and carried her like a child as he stood up. Realizing that he was not giving her a chance to weasel out of it, Hui Yin faked a great yawn.


    "Oof...hubby, I''m so tired. Can''t I just sleep instead? Let''s do our date next time."


    Hui Yin deliberately drooped her eyes.


    But at the next moment, she felt the arm supporting her give way, and she started to fall.


    "Ah?!" she yelled.


    She iled her limbs in desperation, bracing herself for the hard impact. But a familiar softness cushioned her body instead.


    Hui Yin slowly opened one eye, then the other.


    What! What is this?


    She had fallen into the sofa!


    As Hui Yin was about to let out a silent sigh of relief, she nced up and saw Lu Shen watching her with a grim expression.


    "Such a loud scream for someone about to fall asleep."


    His mouth was twisted into a cruel smirk.


    Hui Yin''s face drained of color.


    This...this shameless bastard! He duped her!


    But she could not say this out loud.


    Because she attempted to trick him first.


    As Hui Yin struggled to sit up and tried to keep the loving expression remain on her face, she shot an embarrassed look at Nian Zhen.


    "Haha...hubby sure likes to y practical jokes. I''m sorry you have to see this, Miss Nian. He likes to prank me, knowing that I get easily scared. So naughty."


    In her mind, she had already stabbed him 10,000 times. But she had to keep the fa?ade. She needed to hold for two days more. Today, and tomorrow.


    Hui Yin was not impatient. She had already lived for two lifetimes, and that gave her a sense of tolerance that did not match her current age of only being twenty two years old.


    Nian Zhen''s eyes were cold. She pinched the tender skin on her wrist to remind herself to hold her temper.


    "Yinyin, you and Brother Shen sure get along well. But I guess I''m intruding on your time together. I''ll be leaving first."


    Nian Zhen turned to Lu Shen to see if he would walk with her outside to the car, but he did not seem to have any inclination on moving away from his position. He merely gave her a nod.


    Hui Yin had a sullen expression since she knew what he was doing. He was guarding her in case she made a run for it. But Hui Yin had already abandoned that idea. Where could she go? He was faster than her, and stronger.


    Lock herself in her room? He had the master key to the whole vi. Even driver Cheng would not take her if Lu Shen would not permit it. Temporarily, whether she liked it or not, she was stuck here.


    She watched as Nian Zhen went out of the door, her straight ck hair slightly swinging behind her. On an objective level, Hui Yin knew that Nian Zhen was a beautiful woman. She had a perfect body with the right curves, and Hui Yin personally knew that she would still look the same twenty years into the future. It was indeed true that all that glitters were not gold.


    As soon as Nian Zhen left, Lu Shen told her to get dressed again.


    Hui Yin grumbled under her breath as his eyes followed her every move until she went into her room and changed. Where did he think she would go? She dillydallied, not hurrying at all.


    Hui Yin did not look at the expensive dresses Lu Shen had put inside her closet and dressed in her own clothes.

 Chapter 84 Totally Useless

    Since driver Cheng drove Nian Zhen home, Lu Shen picked another car from his spacious garage.


    It surprised Hui Yin to see many expensive cars packed nearly bumper to bumper, with some of them not even having used once after being bought. It was abhorrently exorbitant.


    Of course, whenpared to the mansion, this vi could be considered a trivial matter.


    Hui Yin had only managed to stay in her room for thirty minutes when four maids popped out of nowhere and escorted her downstairs.


    "Madam, sir instructed us to get you," one of them exined apologetically, as they herded Hui Yin like a sheep to ughter.


    She could only grit her teeth and follow them.


    Lu Shen had been waiting for her outside the garage, and Hui Yin nched when she saw him. Or more specifically, his clothes.


    He was wearing a long-sleeved ck shirt with white stripes.


    And she was wearing a long-sleeved white shirt with ck stripes.


    Only one thought came to Hui Yin''s mind at that instant:


    Matching couple t-shirts.


    "Don''t you have a jacket?" she blurted out.


    Lu Shen raised an eyebrow. "Why should I wear one?"


    "Because it''s cold!"


    He simply looked up, and Hui Yin followed his gaze to the brightly shining sun in the middle of the clear blue sky.


    "..."


    If only her mood matched the current weather. There would surely be a typhoon by now.


    Hui Yin got into the car full ofints, and Lu Shen drove them out of the vi. He was extremely focused on the road, maintaining the speed at fifty miles per hour. He had also nagged at her before they set off to put on her seatbelt, and even reached out to check if she did it properly himself.


    Lu Shen rarely drove a car on his own, and Hui Yin had a small inkling as to the reason why.


    She remembered the moment that they had first met. She had mistaken him as a corpse, and threw a piece of sardine on his face when she realized that he was actually alive. Because she took pity on him, Hui Yin decided to take him in. The vige where she found him was where they were currently filming for a few months, and she had a small apartment rented to her by the studio.


    Because she had a small role, she was located far away from the other actors who were the main leads of the show, and her apartment was a bit rundown. But it was because of her istion that she decided to take him in for a moment of pity. Otherwise, tongues would wag and her reputation would be dragged into the mud deeper than it already was.


    And if she left him there, since he did not want to go to the hospital or the police station, he would surely die. Hui Yin even entertained the idea that he was a wanted criminal, because he was so reclusive.


    But she quickly abandoned that idea.


    Because the bastard was totally useless.


    He did not know how to cook, how to wash the dishes, do theundry, or even help her with the smallest house chores. Even a local robber would know how to do such things.


    And after he took a shower and she saw his face that could easily earn him millions, Hui Yin realized that this man''s identity could not be that simple.


    She remembered the time she handed him a broomstick and a dust pan to sweep the floor. He had moved the broomstick and left the pan on the middle of the floor, so of course, every time he tried to sweep, the pan slid away. He had tried this a couple of times and looked at the moving dust pan like it was one of the seven wonders of the world.


    Not to mention the time he attempted to ''wash'' the rice with dishwashing liquid.


    Hui Yin looked at the man whose hands switched between the handling of the steering wheel and the clutch with controlled ease.


    After a moment, she asked thoughtfully, "Lu Shen, do you still know how to clean the toilet?"

 Chapter 85 Perfectionist Tyran

    Lu Shen really did not know how the mind of the girl beside him worked.


    They were going on a date, and she had the nerve to reminisce about his traumatic experience of cleaning her once decrepit bathroom?


    As a young heir to a wealthy family, his parents did not even let him touch a speck of dust. But this girl had made him scrub the floor, wash the toilet, and even separate the trash. She had told him that it was his way of ''earning the rent''. Lu Shen was a demanding boss, but even he paled inparison to her.


    The only thing that kept him going was her delicious home-cooked meals. Without that, Lu Shen would have probably perished long before his family had managed to find him.


    Lu Shen didn''t deign to answer her stupid question.


    Hui Yin expected that, and she fiddled with the car radio to break the silence since she didn''t want to talk to him either. A familiar song started to y, and Hui Yin realized that it was one of the more popr songs of Liu Jun. It was fast and upbeat, and his mellow voice filled the whole car.


    Lu Shen reached out with one hand and turned off the radio.


    Hui Yin quickly reacted, since she was enjoying the song.


    "Why did you turn it off?" she demanded, twisting in her seat with an using re.


    Lu Shen gave her a deep nce full of warning before returning his attention back on the road.


    "...it was annoying."


    Hui Yin crossed her arms. "So what do you want me to listen to then? The hum of the crickets and the cicadas?"


    Lu Shen sighed, and turned on the radio back again but to a different station. It was a live stock market news, and of course, the Lu Corporation was mentioned. They were the most expensive stock price this year, which didn''t surprise Hui Yin. The Lu Corporation had long held its position at the top of the market for several years, with a market capitalization exceeding $2 trillion, the highest record in the world so far.


    But the man beside her shook his head as he listened to the news.


    "The market shares aren''t catching up to the profits," he mumbled under his breath, as his slim fingers tapped restlessly on the steering wheel.


    Hui Yin nearly whacked him on the head when she heard this. Who cares about the market shares? Ask anypany out there which they would prefer more, market share or profits and the almost sure answer would be thetter. And it isn''t as if the market shares of the Lu Corporation were bad either. In fact, they were beyond excellent.


    It was only because this perfectionist tyrant wanted to keep everything to himself.


    Hui Yin remembered the time she helped him with his documents during their marriage. No matter howprehensive and concise the report or the proposal was, Lu Shen could always pinpoint a w or a mistake that he would be disgruntled with.


    The pitiful employees under him had to alter and redo their whole presentation again and again, until it met his standard requirements. It was truly a workce of hell.


    Hmm, maybe she should buy and sell stocks to increase the RMB in her bank ount. Bing a part-timer wasn''t the only way to raise money after all. She should at least use the knowledge she had gotten from bing Lu Shen''s free ''right-hand man'' during their marriage.


    Thinking about it, Hui Yin felt aggrieved. She should have demanded double pay and a pension from him before they divorced. Technically, she had been working for more than sixteen hours a day. She could have sued him for that.


    The car arrived at Beijing Capital International airport, and Hui Yin raised an eyebrow as they got out of the car and walked past the main airport, heading towards the FBO.


    "We''re taking your private jet?" she asked as they stopped by the reception staff at the desk to meet their captain. "Just where are we going?"


    Lu Shen''s only reply was to take her hand and drag her with him.

 Chapter 86 Withdraw From Society

    As the ne started dipping for their arrival, Hui Yin parted the plush curtains and looked at Lu Shen in shock.


    "We''re in Zhangjiajie?"


    Lu Shenid down his newspaper and got up from the leather couch to stand next to her. From the window, all that could be seen of the view below was a vast spread of green with white cracks in it, like expanding tree roots.


    Lu Shen paused, and tucked in a lock of wayward hair behind her ear.


    "You once said you wanted to climb the 999 steps of the stairway to heaven."


    Hui Yin wanted to say, "Well, I already ascended them," but thinking it would shock him too much, she kept quiet. Hn, she really did mention it to him once before. There was a door-like cave in Zhangjiajie that was created after a cliff copsed during ancient times, which they called as the ''Heaven''s Gate''. Hui Yin had fancied in her younger years to take a photo of her climbing it and caption it with the sentence, "I climbed the stairway to Heaven, and knocked on Heaven''s door."


    She thought it was funny.


    Now that she had already died once, Hui Yin felt that maybe her sense of humor needed some readjustment.


    The hired car waited for them at the airport, but Hui Yin excused herself for a brief moment and went into a nearby souvenir shop. Lu Shen trailed after her, looking suspicious.


    "Stop being so paranoid and wear this." She pped a nondescript ck cap on his head and handed him a pair of sunsses. "You stand out too much. If we''re going to tour around Zhangjiajie, I don''t want girls shrieking around and bursting my eardrums."


    Hui Yin had also bought a mask to cover the lower half of her face, because although she was sure that no one would recognize her, the man beside her was too eye-catching. She didn''t want anyone to associate her with him and create future problems.


    Their chauffeur was an old man who smiled a lot, and Hui Yin liked him instantly as she opened the door to the passenger seat...only be caught by Lu Shen''s arm as it wrapped around her stomach and forcefully dumped her body on the backseat.


    "Sit there." This tone of absolutemand that impeded any further arguments, who else could say it like this but the Great Dragon King?


    Would it kill him to add ''please'' at the end of his sentences?


    Tyrant, despot, dictator, autocrat...


    Hui Yin grumbled these insults in her mind as the car followed the curving road amid the tall trees that projected upwards to the sky. Most sections of the road were on the cliff edge, which gave Hui Yin a breathtaking view of freestanding obelisks and limestone mountains with their jagged peaks.


    "How beautiful," she mumbled to herself, her eyes taking in its rugged beauty. "One day I''m going to withdraw from society and live on a treehouse here."


    Lu Shen, who was leaning back on his seat with his eyes closed, twitched a little when he heard this.


    What nonsense is this girl saying now?


    Withdrawing from society...was she nning to be a Buddhist monk?


    "You''re both lucky you came to visit Tianmen at the right time," the driver chattered cheerfully. "The weather is just right¡ªit''s often chilly and rainy out here, so it''s good that you don''t have to tour around with an umbre. Well, the fog''s always there like a nket, it''s better if you both watch your steps. Stumbling and slipping down is prettymon, especially on the skywalk..."


    Lu Shen carefully took out his earbuds and inserted it into his ears.

 Chapter 87 Are They Even Human?

    On a viewing tform in Tianmen mountain, a young fei zhu liu [1] couple posed on the railing, while their group of friends took turns on taking their photo.


    The man had dyed blonde hair and wore a neon green bomber jacket, while the girl beside him had bubblegum pink hair tied up in pigtails. She was pouting at the camera, looking girly and cute.


    One of her female friendsmented enviously, "If only I could be as pretty as Jinjing, then I might have a cute boyfriend like that too."


    All of their friends nodded their heads in agreement.


    "Well, Jinjing is the goddess of our school after all. It''s only natural for her to be with someone at her own level."


    "I heard he broke so many hearts before he fell in love with our Jinjing. It''s so sweet!"


    "He''s a famous street dancer. Not only is he cute, he''s talented too. Jinjing''s so lucky to have him!"


    "Well, he''s lucky to have Jinjing too. If only I could be with goddess Jinjing, ah!"


    The bubblegum pink-haired girl, the one they called Jinjing, smugly listened to their conversation. It was only natural. Beautiful people attract attention whenever they go, because they were pleasing to the eye.


    In a basket full of blemished apples, who wouldn''t notice a glossy red apple? It was their role to stand out from the crowd.


    She looked up at the man standing beside her, giving him a flirty smile. She had constantly given him subtle hints for five months before he finally decided to pursue her, and Jingjing was proud to discover that they had indeed be the hottest couple in their school as she had expected. Thanks to that, she had gained many followers.


    Although her boyfriend had an expression that seemed like he didn''t care about what anyone thought, he too was attentively listening to their discussion. He flipped his hair a little, making sure to show them his best angle.


    An attractive female tourist passed by and gave him an appreciative nce. He felt gratified, raising his chin slightly and giving her his best smile.


    Then the tourist abruptly stopped, her eyes bing round as her mouth dropped open.


    "So...handsome..."


    He tried to mask his glee. It was the first time he had made anyone be stunned like this, as a blush suffused her cheeks like red wine. But...eh?


    Why did he feel like she wasn''t looking at him...but at someone behind him?


    He turned around.


    A young couple wearing matching couple shirts slowly ambled to the viewing tform, and the moment they appeared, they stole everyone''s attention.


    Jinjing''s boyfriend didn''t notice what caught the female tourist''s attention, because his eyes were immediately drawn to the woman beside the man. Although a mask covered the lower half of her face, her beautiful eyes, her silky hair, and her jade-like skin made anyone who saw her swallow their saliva.


    She was like an immortal fairy that descended to earth, making the men want to kneel down to the ground and worship her.


    "Oh...wow," he whispered, feeling his heart skip a beat.


    Beside him, if it was under any other circumstances, Jinjing would have furiously thrown a tantrum and demand to her boyfriend that he should only look at her. But Jinjing was distracted too, her eyes never leaving the man that was wearing a pair of dark sunsses. Her breath quickened, her legs bing weak. Jinjing nearly swooned.


    Those lips, that jaw, that body, that height...all of his features were that of her ideal man. She thought these kind of men would only show up in her dreams, but there was one standing in front of her right now!


    He looked like he did not notice the many eyes that were focused on him, as his indifferent expression didn''t even waver in the slightest. Perhaps he was too used to all of it, the sudden pause in a person''s natural expression when they looked his way followed by a forced nonchnt stare and a weak smile. Of course the blush that apanied it was a dead give-away.


    Jinjing struggled to nce away, but her eyes drifted back towards him like they were being maized.


    The noise in the viewing tform died as the crowd let out an unanimous sigh.


    "Ai, the best ulzzang couple..."


    "So handsome!"


    "They say that a lover''s eye sees the legendary beauty of Xi Shi in his in wife, but in this case, the girl might as well be her reincarnation in this lifetime..."


    All of them secretly thought, what the heck...why are those two so beautiful...


    Are they even human?


    [1] FZL/Fei Zhu Liu: group of Chinese youth that is a mix of of princess-y, ulzzang and non-mainstream.

 Chapter 88 Glass Skywalk

    Hui Yin was oblivious to the attention that she was getting, because she had long since thrown away her vanity.


    From her experience in her previous life, Hui Yin realized that beauty could fade away, and clinging to it would only bring you disappointment.


    It was a fleeting mask, one that you should stop depending on as you age.


    Now, Hui Yin didn''t even bother to put on make-up. The important thing was that she had a pair of eyes, a nose, a mouth, and her limbs were all intact.


    What ''beautiful, silky hair''?


    It was just the thing attached to her scalp that distinguished her as a female.


    "I thought the 999 steps were the most exhausting part, but this walkway path is not a piece of cake either."


    Hui Yin shook her head.


    They had juste from ''Heaven''s Gate'', and although there was an esctor for climbing down, going up via the 999 steps nearly depleted her stamina. It was only because Lu Shen didn''t seem to be bothered by it that Hui Yin persevered. No matter what, she could not let that bastard beat her on anything. Her pride could not let it.


    There were more tourists around the ''Heaven''s Gate'', so Hui Yin was more annoyed than impressed by the view. Even more so when she noticed that some cameras were starting to point on their direction, while their owners merely giggled and pretended to snap photos of the view again when they were caught.


    Lu Shen''s face was nearly hidden by the cap and the sunsses, and yet he could still attract so much attention.


    Hui Yin clicked her tongue. It would have been better to tour Zhangjiajie without him.


    Atst the two of them reached the ss skywalk, which was the highest section of the cliff-hanging walkway. All visitors were required to rent special textile slippers at the entrance, and Hui Yin wiggled her toes inside her new satiny shoes as she waited for their turn.


    "It''s very high up," Lu Shen said suddenly. "The driver said that it''s a 4,700 foot drop above sea level. You''re not scared of heights?"


    Hui Yin scoffed at this. What was she, a little kid? If it was made to be a tourist attraction, then it was rtively safe. What was there to be scared of?


    She finally realized the problem as she stepped on the ss skywalk. There was the word ''ss'' on its name, which should have informed her that this particr walkway was made of ss.


    And because it was made of ss, it kindly allowed a person to clearly see what would happen if someone ever did fall off the 4,700 foot drop.


    Hui Yin abruptly crouched down, taking in deep breaths.


    Lu Shen leaned casually in front of her, helpfully narrating what the driver had informed them before they arrived at Tianmen mountain.


    "All that''s separating us from a deadly plunge is two and a half inch ss, and he said that it takes about two hours to go around the walkway. If a person identally slips and goes over the railing, I wonder how long they''ll fall in mid-air. Thirty seconds? A minute? That seems interesting."


    Hui Yin deliberately closed her eyes, feeling nausea rise up in her stomach.


    Why did this bastard suddenly be so talkative?


    She heard him take a step closer to her, and with his deep voice just inches away from her ear, he said, "Look, there are clouds below us."


    Hui Yin daydreamed what it would feel like to snap his neck in half. She slowly opened her eyes with the intention of doing it, but the sight of her feet standing on what looked like empty air made her feel dizzy.


    "Ye Wenling, you idiot, if you ever post that video, I''m going to kill you in your sleep!"


    "Mommy!"


    "AHHH!"


    It didn''t help that she could hear the tourists screaming around her either. On that brief moment when she opened her eyes, she saw a man dragging his wife across the walkway by the armpits, while she simply covered her face with her hands. Another girl was crawling on her hands and knees, beingughed at by her friends who were filming her.


    "I''m not scared," Hui Yin said firmly, her eyes still closed. "I''m just resting."


    A low chuckle drifted over.


    "Try standing up. I''ll support you."


    "Why would I need your support? I''mpletely fine."


    She gripped the railing to her right, letting the solid feel of metalfort her.


    That''s right, it was only an illusion. Although she was standing on crystal clear ss, the builders would have made sure that the ss waspact. It wouldn''t have been able to support the weight of countless tourists otherwise.


    A warm hand gripped her arm and slowly helped her stand up.


    "Don''t be stubborn and ept my help. If you''re this scared of heights, you shouldn''t be thinking of building treehouses in the first ce."


    This man...can he not fish in troubled waters?

 Chapter 89 Zhangjiajie Tour

    Step by step, with Lu Shen''s help, Hui Yin managed to walk around the hundred meters long skywalk.


    After her knees stopped shaking for a bit, the scenery around them made Hui Yin''s eyes widen in amazement. The clouds that hugged the mountain range like coiling dragons, the endless watery blue sky, and the trees ofte spring that hovered above the walkway like an umbre.


    She took a step forward on her own, and leaned over the railing, looking down at the undting vast expanse of green.


    "Beautiful!"


    Sheughed.


    Her vertigo vanished, and she even took a couple of pictures to save as her phone wallpaper. Forgetting Lu Shen, she excitedly ran forward and tried to imprint the view in her memory. The breeze blew her hair back, and with the scenery around her, it made a beautiful picture.


    Lu Shen took out his phone, and while the girl was busy eximing at the sights, he discreetly took a photo.


    His lips curved, and he followed the girl in a leisurely manner as she enjoyed herself.


    After a while, they came across a narrow nk path where strips of red ribbons were tied on the trees. Each red ribbon symbolized a wish. Dozens of tourists were writing their wishes on the ribbons, hung it on the tree, and hoped that their wish wille true.


    Lu Shen and Hui Yin wrote their wishes as well, but kept it a secret from each other.


    They got on a cable car after the nk road, which the driver had told them was a ''must'' while visiting Zhangjiajie. It was often touted as the longest cable car in the world since it takes a total of thirty minutes to cover the entire distance. This would take them to downtown Zhangjiajie, because it directly goes down into the city.


    Hui Yin gazed down at the snake-like path that represented the 99 curves of the road going to ''Heaven''s Gate'', and was a bit saddened that she was finally going home.


    "The Zhangjiajie tour usuallysts two to four days."


    Hearing his voice, Hui Yin nced at Lu Shen.


    He was already staring at her with his dark eyes, his posture straight andposed. He had removed his sunsses and his cap, which identally tousled his hair. This gave him a seductive yet dangerous appearance, and with his casual clothes, it made him seem approachable.


    Of course, this was if one did not include the overbearing auraing off him in waves.


    Although they sat opposite each other, his sense of presence made Hui Yin feel as if the cable car was too small for the two of them.


    "What?" She was confused at the sudden topic.


    "The Zhangjiajie tour. There are still a lot of ces that we could visit."


    His voice was slow and deliberate, as if he was trying to make her understand. But Hui Yin still looked bewildered.


    What did he mean? He couldn''t have meant that he wanted to stay longer here, could he?


    "But...you only took a day off. You need to go back to work tomorrow."


    Lu Shen shrugged, and this slight movement emphasized the faint outline of the toned body beneath his shirt.


    "I could work anywhere. Meetings can be done through video conferences, calls could be made if they needed my input. Yan would handle everything else."


    Hui Yin was speechless. This perfectionist, workaholic man...was willing to spend another day just to tour around Zhangjiajie? Was the view really that beautiful?


    She could have sworn to both the heavens and the earth that this man would not let anyone else interfere with his job, and yet one look around Zhangjiajie and he was willing to miss another day of work!


    Maybe he was a fan of ''Avatar''? After all, this was where they based the location of the movie. Hui Yin imagined Lu Shen intently watching tall blue-skinned creatures connecting their tails on TV and couldn''t almost resist the urge to snicker.


    "We can''t," she replied, after she calmed herself down. "The party will be held tomorrow night."


    Lu Shen''s expression was gloomy as he looked at her.


    "Do you really want to go to that party?"

 Chapter 90 Perfect, Exploitable Flaw

    Hui Yin was taken aback, and unconsciously eximed, "Yes!"


    She realized that her reaction was a bit too excessive when surprise shed across his eyes.


    "I mean...Miss Nian invited us. And it''s your friend''s birthday party. We can''t miss it."


    Hui Yin''s brain was working in overdrive. Was he nning to not go to the party? But he can''t! He needed to go.


    Otherwise...


    Lu Shen snorted.


    "He''s not my friend."


    Of course he''s not your friend. Hui Yin rolled her eyes. It was not a secret that Wang Yong secretly liked Nian Zhen. He was basically Lu Shen''s rival in love. It would be more abnormal if the two of them had a close rtionship.


    "But Miss Nian specifically invited the two of us. She would be disappointed if we didn''te. And you were going to introduce me as your fianc¨¦e in that birthday party."


    Wait...Hui Yin slowly realized.


    Was that why he didn''t want to go?


    Because he didn''t want to introduce her as his fianc¨¦e?


    Hui Yin''s guess was right. Lu Shen did not want to announce to everyone that she was his fianc¨¦e. Their engagement had been a small, tight-knit affair, so only a few people knew about it.


    He had been a target of countless kidnappings in the past, because he was the Lu''s only heir. As he grew up, he thought he could finally defend himself. His fighting skills weren''t something to beughed at either, because he made sure to specialize in several types of martial arts. He mastered them, and practiced them everyday to the point of perfection.


    Excluding the bodyguards surrounding him around the clock, Lu Shen thought that there was no way he could be as helpless as he had been before.


    And then the ident happened.


    Lu Shen finally learned that as long as he was on the spotlight, he would have innumerable enemies hiding in the dark.


    A moment of weakness, and they would immediately attack, taking away the control he had so painstakingly built over his life. He had always been alone, so aside from his parents who almost did not leave the old family house, there was no one they could use against him.


    Except for this girl.


    In fact, it did not even matter if they liked each other or not. She was his fianc¨¦e¡ªshe had a connection to him, and therefore she was a chink in his armor. A perfect, exploitable w. His enemies would be tempted to use it.


    Although Lu Shen was nning to divorce her straight after the wedding, it was to her benefit as well. The brighter the light, the darker the shadow lurking behind it. Instead of dragging her to a dangerous situation, it would be better for her to live somewhere far, far away. And of course, he would make sure that she waspensated for it. Because she saved him, he would save her as well.


    But as the engagement dragged on, and the two of them spent more and more time together, it made Lu Shen be acutely aware of something that he had been decidedly trying to ignore.


    This girl...he did not want her to leave him.


    If she indeed left him...would he even be able to let her go?

 Chapter 91 Too Selfish To Let Go

    Hui Yin felt that the atmosphere had turned heavy, so she turned her gaze on the view below them.


    She didn''t want to entertain this kind of topic anymore.


    "Look, there''s a hole in that mountain there. Wait, that''s actually the ''Heaven''s Gate''? Why does it look like someone''s nostril from up here? Haha..."


    Hui Yin coughed. Lu Shen''s eyes had never left her, and she was beginning to feel ufortable. What was he looking at? Stare at the view instead! My lord, why must you scare people like this?


    She pretended to ignore his gaze, going ''oooh'' and ''aaaah'' at the sights outside the ss. But after a brief pause, Lu Shen spoke again.


    "Didn''t I say that we''ll talk about this? Then let''s talk now."


    "Talk?" Hui Yin purposely made a nk face. "What''s there to talk about?"


    "Xiao Yin."


    Her name on his lips sounded like a malediction.


    Hui Yin smiled wryly to herself.


    But hidden behind her mask, the smile she wore contained a tinge of sadness. This might be herst day to be together with him like this. Perhaps, she was only a fleeting fling for him.


    But for her...Hui Yin stared at Lu Shen.


    He was her lover, her fianc¨¦, and her husband for many years. She loved him, and then she hated him. All of her emotions were invested on this man in front of her, and she was finally going to end it. She should have been feeling happy right now, but...why?


    Why did it still feel so painful?


    Hui Yin thought of the ssical poem she read years ago, as the setting sun outside the window cast shadows across her face. Her eyshes fluttered down, nearly brushing her cheekbones.


    ''It was hard to meet you and harder to bid farewell.


    The east wind blew weak and all the flowers fell.''


    The human heart was not a rational organ, after all. If feelings could be easily controlled, would she have even dared to marry him in her previous life? The constant disdain of his parents, the disparity in their statuses, his cold heart¡ªwould she have chosen to say ''I do'' if it were not for love?


    So many obstacles, so many trials. If love had not turned her into a silly fool, wanting desperately to stay by his side, would she have persevered to surmount them one by one?


    Hui Yin shook her head, and said lightly, "I thought we''re on a date? We shouldn''t talk about heavy topics like these. It''s your precious day off today, so we should enjoy it as much as we can."


    Atst, Lu Shen looked out of the window.


    In a low voice, he said, "''Heavy topic?'' ''Enjoy it as much as we can?'' It means you''re thinking that if we talk about this, it''ll ruin this ''date''."


    Heughed, but there was no amusement in it, only despair. "I asked you before if you hated me. I guess I know the answer now."


    At her silence that might as well be an unspoken assent to his question, Lu Shen felt like all the blood in his veins had turned into acid. Unknowingly, he had clenched his hands into fists.


    "Then why didn''t you break off the engagement if you hated me?"


    His words were harsh, as if they were being forced out of his mouth.


    "If I break the engagement, will you let me?" Hui Yin gave her own question to him in return.


    When she had first found herself back in her twenty-two year old body, Hui Yin had wondered. If Lu Shen loved Nian Zhen, then why did he marry her? He was indeed a man of his word, but surely, he would have protested more for Nian Zhen''s sake?


    Hui Yin didn''t think anyone could force Lu Shen to do anything that was against his own will. If he had told her that he loved someone else, Hui Yin would have respected his decision despite her own heartache.


    Why did he even proceed with that farce of a marriage with her?


    Lu Shen''s expression turned cold, and in his eyes Hui Yin saw a ferocity that wasn''t there before. Without warning, his hand shot out and caught her wrist.


    "You''re my fianc¨¦e." His grip tightened on her wrist. "Don''t think that you can get away from me so easily, Xiao Yin. You''re mine."


    And in his response she found her answer. He was too selfish¡ªtoo selfish to let go of a woman he didn''t even love. He was like a kid that found an interesting toy, and even though he did not care for it, he still kept it to himself.


    In his eyes, she was exactly that toy. A toy to be yed with, but not to be kept. A toy that once it was used, would be abandoned without much thought.


    Hui Yin stared at her wrist was captured in his hand, before saying in a soft voice that was almost too low for him to hear, "You''re hurting me."

 Chapter 92 Solar Eclipse

    Rain pattered down on the roof of the cable car, and Hui Yin lost herself in the tracks of the raindrops as they slid down on the window.


    The two of them spent the rest of the cable ride in silence, and as they got out of Tianmen mountain and into their hired car, Lu Shen didn''t stop Hui Yin when she sat on the passenger seat. The chatter of the driver was now a wee sound.


    Both of them were lost in their own thoughts, and the flight back to Beijing was only interspersed by muffled sounds of thunder.


    Lu Shen closed himself off in his study as soon as they returned to the vi, tackling the stacked pile of work with a singleminded focus. When Hui Yin went down to eat dinner in the kitchen, she found a set of dishes on the table that had already grown cold. The maids informed her that ''sir'' hadn''t eaten anything yet, and only if ''madam'' would call him out to eat dinner, then ''sir'' would surely stop working and join her.


    Hui Yin ate her meal in silence and ignored their pleading faces. She then washed her te without paying heed to their protests, and went back to her room without looking once at the door on the end of the hall.


    When she woke up the next morning, Lu Shen had already gone to work.


    She paid a visit to Sister Su, and on that same afternoon, auditioned for her role as Gao Mei. There were only a few actresses that had signed up for it, and Hui Yin was chosen for the role on the spot.


    They would start filming in Shanghai next week, renting a tiny apartment building which would function as the primary residence of the ''trainees''. Of course, this was where the actresses would sleep as well.


    It had two dance studios, and Hui Yin gulped nervously when it was mentioned that she should at least start practicing a couple of dance moves to prepare herself for the role. She had no idea how to dance at all, and her body was like a cemented brick that could only perform square dancing [1].


    Hui Yin reminded herself to ask Liu Jun for some dance-rted advice.


    When she went back to the vi thatte afternoon, Lu Shen was still at thepany. Hui Yin took a bath and scrubbed every inch of her skin. She had decided to pamper herself and bought a facial mask, while meticulously polishing her nails.


    Hui Yin no longer gave any importance to superficial beauty, but she wanted to look stunning for the party tonight.


    When she had been married to Lu Shen, Hui Yin once read ament on the selfie that Nian Zhen took with her which was posted on Weibo. In it, the poster had described Nian Zhen as the dazzling sun and ''Mrs. Lu'' as the moon that had be a ''muted background'' to her brightness.


    "Muted background," Hui Yin mumbled, her eyes shing. "I''m the ''muted background''?"


    They said that she was the ''moon'' and Nian Zhen was the ''sun''?


    Well, she was going to show them a sr eclipse in the party tonight!


    [1] Square dancing or (¹ã³¡Îè, or gu¨£ngch¨£ngw¨³) is a dance exercise for groups of people (usually olderdies) who dance together in a block formation.

 Chapter 93 Graceful Yet Sexy

    At around 6 pm, the Wang''s family vi where the dinner banquet was going to be held officially opened its doors.


    Since Wang Yong was the heir apparent of the Wang family, the party was also a way of intermingling between the young second generation of Beijing''s upper circles.


    The guest list itself was extensive, since a slight omission in the invites might very well offend a powerful family. There were already many people gathered inside, from prominentwyer colleagues of Wang Xiong to important business partners of the Wang family.


    As the host, the Wang family itself spared no expense at hiring famous chefs across the country to cook the food, and their family vi had nearly been transformed into a high-end nightclub with its multitude of colorful LED lights and electronica music.


    Of course, this mostly catered to the tastes of the younger generation, since they were the sessors of the influential families backing them. The Wang family had deliberately done this to allow Wang Yong to form connections with them.


    Wang Xiong knew that his son had affections for the daughter of the Nian family, and if he were to seed, then it would be a big boost to their reputation and business.


    But Wang Xiong was a realist. It was what made him a goodwyer. He knew that the young miss of the Nians was closely affiliated with Lu Shen, and there might be a chance that his son''s hopes would end up being dashed in disappointment.


    It would be best if Wang Yong introduced himself to the young misses of other powerful families in the meantime.


    There were reporters eagerly waiting for the guests to arrive at the main entrance, since the party was semi-private. Several top businessmen that were known to appear in TV posed with their escorts, the women wearing long flowing gowns and shiny jewelry.


    Other important figures also had their photos taken, as the bright shes of several cameras exploded like miniature fireworks in the night.


    A sleek white car parked in front of the driveway, and a graceful yet sexy female stepped out wearing peep toe stilettos. She was dressed in a body hugging white dress that showed all of her curves, but the low chignon that neatly swept up her hair made her look ssy. All the reporters went crazy when they saw her.


    "Nian Zhen, look here!"


    "Miss Nian Zhen!"


    All of them mbered up to photograph her, and Nian Zhen did justice to her image by shing all of them a delicate smile. Wang Yong, who was greeting the guests, immediately saw her.


    Excusing himself, he called out to Nian Zhen and offered her his arm, while the paparazzi gobbled this up. Newspapers and magazines would have published by tomorrow lengthy articles how the birthday boy himself attended to the beautiful daughter of the Nian family, and whether there were any spections as to the young master''s feelings for Nian Zhen.


    "I heard that the Great Dragon King ising too!"


    After the two of them left, the reporters started chatting about the most awaited guests in the dinner banquet. At the top of the list was, of course, the CEO and Chairman of the Lu Corporation, Lu Shen.


    "I kind of wondered why he didn''te with Nian Zhen. Aren''t they close? That would have been a big scoop!"


    "Are you nuts? Did you forget the story of that unfortunate reporter who dared to take a photo of the Great Dragon King? Their whole agency had been reduced to bankruptcy!"


    "I wonder why he doesn''t like having his photograph taken? No matter what angle of shot you take of the Great Dragon King, his photo has the potential to be the magazine centerfold!"


    "Well, even if I can''t take a shot of him, just feasting my eyes on that wlessly handsome face would make this old woman think that standing outside in the cold has been worth it!"


    ...


    Eighteen miles away, at Lu Shen''s vi.


    Hui Yin frowned as she looked at herself in the floor length mirror, spinning her body here and there. She had borrowed a gown from Sister Su, but their sizes were a bit different.


    And although the yellow color was not particrly bad, it was not to Hui Yin''s taste.


    She darted a nce at the walk-in closet, where the dresses Lu Shen had bought for her hadin untouched. Should she wear one of them, just this once?


    Hui Yin bit her lip, stuck in a dilemma.

 Chapter 94 Black Baccara Rose

    Just as Hui Yin was deliberating her choices, a maid came inside her room carrying arge white box with a red velvet bow on top.


    She handled it like she was almost afraid to touch it, and gently put it down on Hui Yin''s bed.


    "Madam, sir told me to give this to you."


    Seeing her questioning look, the maid answered in a polite voice.


    Hui Yin shifted her gaze from the white box lying on the bed to the back of the departing maid that was now closing her bedroom door. So...Lu Shen had already arrived. Unable to resist her curiosity, Hui Yin pulled the end of the ribbon and slowly untied it.


    As Hui Yin lifted the dress, she gasped in surprise. Without thinking twice about it, she flung off Sister Su''s yellow dress and put on the one inside the box.


    There was no denying that it was a haute-couture level design. With a Sabrina neckline that showed off her slender neck and shoulders, the dress ended just before her knees, ring like a vintage A-line skirt. It was deep red in color, but the shade was so dark that it could almost be mistaken as ck.


    Somehow it reminded Hui Yin of a ck Bara rose, and against her milky white skin, the dress was like a blooming flower atop a snowy mountain peak.


    "Perfect," she breathed.


    Hui Yin had done her hair in a simple waterfall braid, leaving some tendrils to frame her face.


    With ast look at her reflection on the mirror, she grabbed her purse and went out of the room.


    She couldn''t find Lu Shen on the ground floor, so Hui Yin made her way into the wide courtyard. A ck Maybach Exelero waited there, while Lu Shen, dressed in a ck suit, leaned carelessly against the car, as if he were lounging in a doorway.


    His fingers idly lifted a cigarette towards his mouth.


    He took a deep breath, staring at her through the curl of smoke that slowly winded up into the cold air.


    Like a fire that had been doused by water, Hui Yin''s mood instantly turned sour.


    Since when did this bastard started smoking again? Hui Yin had finally seeded in curing him of this bad habit when he had suffered from amnesia, but it seemed that all of her work was rapidly going down into the drain!


    Lung cancer! Premature aging! Impotence!


    Did she have to go through the whole schematics again?


    But Hui Yin abruptly stopped. So what if Lu Shen had a rpse in smoking?


    What does it have to do with her?


    Let Nian Zhen take care of her impotent husband in the future. Serves her right if he couldn''t muster an erection for her.


    Lu Shen remained silent the entire time, his face as still as a coldke. His eyes scanned her over, and with a flicker in his nce that shed too quickly for Hui Yin to see, he turned around and got into the driver seat after putting out the cigarette in his hand.


    Hui Yin hesitated, then pulled open the door to the passenger seat. This time, Lu Shen did not help her fasten her seatbelt.


    Hui Yin was about to open her mouth to ask if he had already prepared a birthday gift to Wang Yong, when without warning her, he mmed onto the elerator and sped the car with no signs of slowing down.

 Chapter 95 She’s My Fiancée

    In what seemed like no time at all, they had already parked in front of Wang Yong''s vi.


    Hui Yin wisely kept her mouth shut about the speedometer needle that had kept to the right for most of the drive, and the red light that he had ran past without stopping. This was not the time to trigger a ticking time bomb.


    Hui Yin could see from afar the dozens of reporters camping on the yard, and turning to Lu Shen, she said in a calm voice, "We should probably take the back entrance."


    She thought that he wasn''t going to reply to her, but then¡ª


    "Mmm." Lu Shen nodded, without ncing at her.


    He got out of the car and Hui Yin followed suit, walking behind him. Lu Shen withdrew his phone and talked to someone in a low voice, which Hui Yin knew was Wang Yong''s father, Wang Xiong.


    They had simrly used the back entrance in her past life, and just like she expected, Lu Shen went towards the direction of the door partly hidden by a towering blue wisteria tree.


    However, before they could get there, a short-haired female wearing Ful-Vue eyesses blocked their path. There was a camera strapped to her neck, and her eyes were bright with excitement.


    "CEO Lu, CEO Lu! Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"


    Lu Shen stopped, and his expression turned unsightly. Knowing that this was a telltale sign that he was going to erupt, Hui Yin tugged at his arm and smiled.


    "Let''s just answer her questions quickly before going to the party. We''re alreadyte, what''s a few more minutes?"


    He looked down at her, and Hui Yin made sure to give him her most innocent look. He turned back to the reporter.


    "One."


    "Huh?" The reporter made a confused expression.


    Lu Shen said irritably, "You can ask me one question."


    Both Hui Yin and the reporter were struck speechless by this.


    So unreasonable...


    But the reporter quickly recovered, raising her camera to take a snap shot of the two.


    Her eyes flitted towards Hui Yin as she asked with a smile, "CEO Lu, may I ask about the identity of the lovelydy apanying you tonight?"


    Hui Yin nodded her head. It was an expected question. Lu Shen''s public image was forever that of a cold and aloof emperor, where the people surrounding him were neither friends nor colleagues, but loyal subjects. And since no media outlets dared to report about Lu Shen, the information regarding him became rtively scarce.


    Thus, seeing hime with woman to a party...if this piece of news were leaked out to the public, one could only imagine the sensation that it would bring.


    Lu Shen''s arm wrapped around Hui Yin''s waist, tugging her next to him.


    Very slowly, he said, "She''s my fianc¨¦e."


    He was speaking to the reporter, but his eyes were on hers, like he was giving her a warning...


    ¡ªYou''re my fianc¨¦e. Don''t think that you can get away from me so easily, Xiao Yin. You''re mine.


    His words from the other day rose up in her mind, causing her body to shiver. Hui Yin distanced herself from him, and in a bid to break the silence, she spoke up.


    "Miss Nian must be waiting for us inside. Let''s go."


    Meeting the reporter''s round eyes and giving her a quick smile, Hui Yin dragged Lu Shen into the back entrance.


    Behind them, the female reporter was fiddling with her camera, scrolling down to the image that she took. It was a medium shot of the couple, showing them from the waist up.


    The reporter shook her head, feeling like someone had hit her with a fifty-pound sledgehammer. Up until now, she was still a bit frozen from shock.


    "Campus Beauty Hui Yin, you sure have a lot of secrets huh..."


    She stared at the photo like it was a national treasure, before snapping out of her daze. Luo Lan was bit confused why Hui Yin had requested her to ask that particr question, but she didn''t really think much about it. Any reporter in her shoes would have asked him the same thing. So the Great Dragon King actually has a fianc¨¦e...


    It was really surprising!


    "He''s very handsome. Tsk, that girl sure lucked out. No wonder she asked me to wait for her near the wisteria tree. If I had a fianc¨¦ like that, I would have wanted to go public about it too. But she told me not to post it until her say-so, I really wonder what that girl is thinking..."


    Luo Lan muttered to herself as she walked away, but she didn''t go far. After all, Hui Yin had told her that there was still another photo that she needed to taketer.

 Chapter 96 Master Player

    Wang Xiong personally greeted the two of them as they came in.


    He gave a startled look when he saw Hui Yin, but it immediately melted into a polite smile.


    "Miss Hui, I hope you enjoy the party. No wonder CEO Lu wasn''t interested in dating any girls, it was because he already has a beauty in his arms!"


    A waiter came by to offer them red wine, but before Hui Yin could take a ss, Lu Shen had already grabbed her wrist.


    "You''re a bad drunk." He tipped the winess to his lips and drank it all without tasting the vor.


    Hui Yin was indignant. Since when did she get drunk? Uhh...wait, that''s right, she got drunk at her own engagement party...


    Since she couldn''t argue with him, Hui Yin pursed her lips and sulked.


    Wang Xiong slowly led them to where the rest of the party guests had gathered. Hui Yin spotted a row of flutes filled with grape juice on a nearby sideboard table and took one of them, nting a nce at Lu Shen to see if he would scold her again.


    But the man was busy drinking his third ss of wine, his fingers slipping under the crystal globe. The slight movement of his Adam''s apple as he swallowed made him look seductively masculine.


    Hui Yin wondered who between the two of them was the real drunkard¡ªher or him?


    Hmph!


    She slightly sipped her grape juice, not wanting to finish it all. Actually, it was better for it to remain full.


    As soon as they stepped into the drawing room, a figure in a white dress standing close to Wang Yong turned around and called them over.


    "Brother Shen!"


    Well, at least Lu Shen was called. Hui Yin ingratiated herself with him and walked over to Nian Zhen.


    Wang Yong was the only one among them who didn''t know about Hui Yin''s identity, so he nearly choked on his champagne when he spotted the beautiful girl clinging tightly to Lu Shen''s arm. As a ''hidden'' suitor of Nian Zhen, he knew that the girl he liked had an unrequited love with the man in front of him.


    Because of that, he had dug information about his ''enemy'', wanting to see how he was better than him.


    At the end, Wang Yong could only suck in his tears as he realized that ignorance was bliss. The enemy was too OP, practically using cheats to hack life. How could his stats be so high? The gods were practically punishing him for having a master yer as a love rival!


    That''s right, Wang Yong''s favorite hobby was to y games. In his mind, he had already tagged Lu Shen as an enemy that needed to be in.


    "Wang Yong, I''m sure you already know Brother Shen. Yinyin is his fianc¨¦e."


    Nian Zhen''s eyes narrowed as she said thest part, but anyone looking at her friendly smile would be hard pressed to find the animosity hidden beneath her words.


    Wang Yong was even awed at herposure, since he knew that Nian Zhen had feelings for Lu Shen. Such magnanimity...he felt a bit guilty at the joy that filled him to the brim when he heard that his love rival had gotten himself a fianc¨¦e.


    Yes, I don''t have to fight with a master yer anymore!


    This was perhaps the best birthday gift that anyone could have ever given him.


    Wang Yong looked at Hui Yin with gratitude, because she was the precious benefactor that made it all possible.


    Wishing to repay his debt, he said kindly to her, "Do you want me to introduce you around? Of course, if CEO Lu doesn''t mind."


    "He doesn''t mind, and I''d like to meet new people," Hui Yin quickly said, wanting to distance herself from Lu Shen.


    She could already feel the numerous set of eyes being trained on her, since several people had turned around when Nian Zhen called Lu Shen. A fervent discussion had already spread over the party, as they wondered about the identity of the beautiful woman beside the Great Dragon King.


    Some had spected that Hui Yin was a young miss from a wealthy family, because her outfit easily exceeded six digits. A few hopeful socialites that wanted to be the one to snag the Great Dragon King suggested that she might be a cousin or a family friend, and Lu Shen was only there to help her fit in.


    But all of them agreed on one thing: that the girl must be quite special to Lu Shen, for her to be allowed to apany him.


    Hui Yin, the target of their envy and jealousy, didn''t feel quite special at the moment.


    Lu Shen had a truculent set to his mouth when he heard Hui Yin''s response, drinking his¡ªfifth? sixth?¡ªss of red wine without pause. As he watched the girl beside him take a step forward towards Wang Yong, his hand tensed around the winess, so tightly that the fragile stem was about to snap.


    "You¡ª"


    But before he could finish, Nian Zhen butted in between him and Hui Yin, blocking the girl from his view.


    "Brother Shen, Senior Fang He was wondering where you were. Why don''t we go and greet him?"

 Chapter 97 The Perfect Chance

    Fang He was an important business partner of the Lu Corporation, someone even Lu Shen had to give face to.


    Although it was a limited partnership, offending Fang He might imbnce the risks and returns between the twopanies.


    Nian Zhen knew about this, which was why she had chosen to mention Fang He. He was the only person that could possibly make Lu Shen take a step back. She could not bear to see that actress hanging around him, mooching off his wealth and status. It didn''t escape her eyes that the dress she was wearing came from him.


    Can an actress even afford a designer dress that even her, Nian Zhen, would have some trouble to acquire?


    But Nian Zhen greatly overestimated Fang He''s importance. It was true that he was an important business partner, but so what?


    Would he dare antagonize the Lu Corporation just because Lu Shen didn''t want to greet him?


    Even if Lu Shen had insulted him directly to his face, Fang He could only hide his resentment and smile obsequiously. It was the power that came hand in hand with wealth and influence¡ªin regard to these two, Lu Shen had already pulled ahead of hispetitors in all of China.


    "Move." Lu Shen lowered his head, raking her with freezing contempt.


    Nian Zhen shrank back. "B¡ªBrother Shen?"


    But Lu Shen had already walked past her.


    He caught sight of his empty winess, and his hand gged down a waiter who had been waiting on standby ever since he saw that half of his tray had been emptied by this very same man.


    The waiter was a bit nervous that this drunkard might finish all the vintage red wine that his employer, Wang Xiong, had tightly guarded in their cer. But to the waiter''s surprise, Wang Xiong himself came over earlier and assured him that he should cater to all of the man''s needs. If their wine cer was emptied because of it, then by all means, let it be!


    This might give Lu Shen a favorable impression of them, and that itself was priceless beyondpare!


    After Lu Shen saw Hui Yin being led by Wang Yong around the party, his mood took a turn for the worse. He picked up his pace, intending to separate them.


    But he stopped when he saw that Hui Yin had detached from Wang Yong out of her own volition. In fact, she seemed to be going straight for Nian Zhen, whom he had left behind him.


    ...


    Hui Yin, contrary to Lu Shen''s misgivings, was not actually paying much attention to Wang Yong.


    She had her own purpose for approaching him, and when there was a suddenpse in the introduction of his friends, she said, "Mr. Wang, you like Miss Nian very much, don''t you?"


    Wang Yong flushed a deep shade of red.


    He didn''t expect that Hui Yin, who had just met him, would be able to discern his feelings so easily.


    "How...how did you know?"


    She winked at him. "It''s easy to look for the signs. Don''t underestimate a girl''s instinct."


    Wang Yong felt even more embarrassed. He hadn''t managed to confess to the object of his affections yet, but an outsider already knew about it. Was he even a man?


    "Don''t worry, I won''t tell her. Miss Nian and I are pretty close, do you want me to help you?"


    He was surprised, but after recalling that Nian Zhen had called the girl in front of ''Yinyin'', an endearing nickname only used by close friends, he felt that it was only natural.


    "Could you help me? Really?"


    Hui Yin nodded confidently. "Of course."


    She spotted Nian Zhen loitering by the buffet table with one of her friends, a nasty and spoiled girl named Dandan.


    Hui Yin pointed her out to Wang Yong.


    "Do you want me to do it now?"


    As though she felt Hui Yin''s stare, Nian Zhen turned around and saw her. Her arm rose up and waved, clearly indicating for Hui Yin toe over.


    "See? Miss Nian even wants me to join them. It''s the perfect chance for me to tell her of your good points."


    Hui Yin gave him a bright smile.


    Wang Yong swallowed nervously. "W¡ªWill it work?"


    "Of course. Mr. Wang, please watch me closely."

 Chapter 98 How’s The Party?

    Under the watchful stare of Wang Yong, and the man who was picking up thest ss of red wine on the waiter''s tray, Hui Yin approached Nian Zhen.


    Dandan, who was behind Hui Yin, pretended to be absorbed on picking a piece of dessert from the buffet table.


    Dandan was the youngest daughter of a family that stood on the lowest rung of Beijing''s upper ss, which was why she was d that she became friends with the affluent Nian Zhen. As of now, only Hui Yin and Nian Zhen knew of the friendship that existed between the two of them.


    If not for the memories of her previous life, Hui Yin would have also remained ignorant about this piece of information.


    "Miss Nian. You wanted to speak to me?"


    The two girls faced each other, one in white, the other dressed in a red so dark that it was almost ck. Although they were both beautiful in their own right, any pretty female standing next to Hui Yin tonight would simply lose their luster.


    Hui Yin''s bright gaze, her smile, and the confidence that seemed to radiate out of her like a halo made anyone around her feel entranced.


    Nian Zhen was still seething about what happened with Lu Shen, but she didn''t me him. Or rather, she couldn''t me him. So her anger found another outlet, and it was this girl standing in front of her¡ªthis girl that she believed hadpletely bewitched him.


    Brother Shen hadn''t been angry with her before, so this must be that slut''s fault!


    Everything waspletely ruined because of her!


    Nian Zhen smiled.


    "Yinyin, how''s the party? Did you like it?"


    Hui Yin matched her smile with an even more dazzling one.


    "Mmm. It was pretty great..."


    Wang Yong, who was surreptitiously watching them, suddenly noticed that something was wrong. He realized that the socialite behind Hui Yin had moved her hand, covertly using the darkness shrouding the entire buffet table to shove Hui Yin.


    Feeling uneasy, he instinctively yelled, "Watch out!"


    Lu Shen, who had also seen this, spilled half the ss of red wine that he was holding onto his ck suit. He drew in a breath of cold air, the heart inside his chest violently jerking in rm.


    But Hui Yin had expected all of this.


    She had been waiting for that hard push, and when it came, she pretended to lose her bnce. She avoided the table cloth that pooled like a Cindere skirt on the floor¡ªshe had experienced what would happen if her heel caught the edge of that¡ªand grabbed onto Nian Zhen''s arm for support.


    However, that momentary slip made her lose her hold on her ss of grape juice, and it sttered all over Nian Zhen''s face and on her pristine white dress.


    "AHHHH!" Nian Zhen screamed in horror.


    Hui Yin sneered in her heart as she observed the panicked Nian Zhen try to rub off the stain from her dress.


    In her previous life, what this girl had done was even worse. Using the discreet location of the buffet table as a cover, Nian Zhen had instructed Dandan¡ªa girl that no one would be able to connect to her even if the girl got discovered¡ªto push Hui Yin. This prompted Hui Yin to stumble, and snag her heel on the table cloth.


    This caused a chain reaction that no one could stop, as a constetion of trays, tes, dishes, utensils and cups came crashing down from the air, and paint a mural of food on the floor that even her lifetime''s worth of sry would not be able to pay.


    It was the most humiliating night in Hui Yin''s life. This was also why Nian Zhen was so eager for her to be introduced as Lu Shen''s fianc¨¦e, so that she could create such a shameful faux pas unbefitting of her title.


    Now, as Nian Zhen cowered from the scornful eyes that had focused on her, Hui Yin put on a shocked expression as sheid down her now empty ss on the table.


    "Miss Nian! Are you alright?"


    The concern in her voice, the tears welling up in her eyes...Hui Yin felt that if Director Sun should appear before her now, he would have certainly apuded her award-winning performance.


    Nian Zhen flinched, and her eyes burned with hatred as she looked at Hui Yin. Herposure hadpletely cracked, and her deranged appearance made her seem like a crazy woman.


    But Hui Yin''s sympathizing expression never wavered. Her emotions were calm like the still breeze, her eyes cold.


    You fake white lotus, did you think that you canpete with an actress?


    "YOU!"


    Wang Yong angrily yanked on Dandan''s arm, feeling pained as he watched the girl he loved bear such humiliation. Since he had seen her push Hui Yin, Wang Yong targeted Dandan as the culprit.


    "You! Why did you do that?!"


    Dandan, frightened because their n had gone awry, darted a helpless nce at Nian Zhen.

 Chapter 99 Precious Benefactor

    Because of Wang Yong''s shout, many of the party guests finally had an idea about what happened.


    "Wow, it seems she pushed that girl, causing her to spill her drink on Nian Zhen..."


    "Is she tired of living? That''s Nian Zhen! The daughter of the Nian family! And that girl she pushed was CEO Lu''spanion..."


    "Wait, I know that socialite. Her family was one of those who just recently became wealthyst year. Tsk, as expected, a bumpkin learning how the residents of Handan walked [1] would only stumble and embarrass herself. Look at her now, she''s being scolded by the birthday boy himself. She lost the face of her whole family."


    Dandan''s face paled as she listened to the conversation going around her. She casted a beseeching look at Nian Zhen.


    "Sister Nian..."


    But Nian Zhen immediately saw that the situation had turned dire, and so didn''t hesitate to sever their so-called ''friendship'' since Dandan was no longer useful. Her principle in life had always been to cut off your losses as soon as possible.


    "You! How dare you push Yinyin!" she shouted.


    "But you said..." Dandan''s forehead puckered, her face turning ashen. "Sister Nian, you were the one who told me..."


    Nian Zhen didn''t let her finish.


    "Why are you calling me so familiarly? Do we know each other? You should apologize to Yinyin first!"


    At this point, how could Dandan still misinterpret the actions of her ''friend''? She knew she was being abandoned.


    Ignoring the grape juice dripping on her face and her now ruined white dress, Nian Zhen feigned an expression of concern as she turned towards Hui Yin.


    "Yinyin, don''t worry about it. You couldn''t help but hold onto me to keep your bnce since that clumsy girl pushed you. I have so many dresses like this, it''s not a problem at all."


    Then why do you make it sound as if it''s still my fault? Hui Yin rolled her eyes. And mentioning her ''many'' dresses, that waspletely unnecessary. Of course, harrumphed Hui Yin in her mind, it was understandable since a snake needs to change its skin a lot of times.


    "Miss Nian, didn''t you ask me toe over here? Is there something you need to talk about with me?"


    Hui Yin''sment made a visible vein throb on Nian Zhen''s temple. It casually pointed out that if anyone was to me for that ''ident'', it was Nian Zhen. Who told her to call Hui Yin over to the buffet table? If anything, it was Nian Zhen who dragged her into this trouble in the first ce.


    "You!" Wang Yong was still jerking Dandan. "Quickly apologize to the two of them!"


    Hui Yin didn''t feel any sympathy for Dandan, since anybody could predict that if one often walks by the riverside, then one''s shoes would eventually get wet.


    She had been fooled by Nian Zhen in her past life, but this girl had known that Nian Zhen was nning to humiliate her, yet she still carried along with her n. Dandan could only me herself for falling into this kind of situation.


    Dandan stiffened, her bottom lip trembling as she tried not to cry. "S¡ªSorry...I''m sorry..."


    "Can your apology fix what you did to my fianc¨¦e?"


    A bone-chilling voice, filled with an underlying threat, made everyone inside the room break into cold sweat. His voice wasn''t loud, but it vibrated with power andmand that when he spoke, every head in the room turned.


    Lu Shen''s tall figure emerged from the crowd, his regal and imposing aura immediately fading those who were around him into obscurity. His ck suit drew the attention of some of his admirers, and they quickly realized that itplimented Hui Yin''s ck dress.


    Once again, the two of them had been misunderstood as wearing matching couple outfits.


    Fianc¨¦e...so she was his fianc¨¦e...


    Even the infuriated Wang Yong couldn''t help but think, Dandan, RIP...


    Hui Yin''s mouth twitched. He had almost copied word for word what she said to him before in his office. Although she held no sympathy for Dandan, this girl was just Nian Zhen''sckey.


    Hui Yin knew how ruthless Lu Shen was, and it seemed overkill for him to punish Dandan for a push that didn''t even harm anyone.


    Of course, Hui Yin thought that Lu Shen was just like Wang Yong, getting angry for Nian Zhen''s sake. He was probably just using her as an excuse.


    "Lu Shen, I''m fine. She already apologized."


    Hui Yin linked her arm with Nian Zhen as she spoke, bringing them forward to an area where there was a copious amount of light. It further highlighted their contrasting appearances, as one girl looked as cool as cucumber in her ck dress, while the other looked like a drowned cat doused in purple.


    "Wang Yong, give your jacket to Miss Nian. She must be feeling cold."


    Hui Yin''s words wrested the focus away from Lu Shen and back towards Nian Zhen, making the crowd realize again how dreadful she looked.


    Wang Yong shed a grateful smile at Hui Yin, as he dashed like a shining knight to save his damsel in distress.


    His impression of Hui Yin rose up once more, and Wang Yong decided that, after he and Nian Zhen got married, their first child would be named after her, his precious benefactor.


    [1] being pompous and pretentious. Trying too hard to impress.

 Chapter 100 So Disgusting

    Lu Shen found himself leaning against the blue wisteria tree outside of Wang Yong''s vi, nursing a bottle of whiskey.


    He had a high alcohol tolerance, so the red wine wasn''t capable of getting him drunk. He looked down at the bottle in his hand, feeling wry.


    "This was what...they would probably call...as drinking your sorrows."


    His low and soft chuckle drifted into the night, sounding lonely.


    In the end, where did that girl go?


    He had only sent a brief text to his assistant about the name of that girl, Dandan, for Yan to investigate her background. When he looked up once more, she was already gone.


    Lu Shen thought that she might be somewhere around the party, taking a breather. So he patiently waited outside, since sooner orter, that girl would still need to go home. She would have to walk past him, because the other entrance was blocked with reporters.


    He took another swig of whiskey, closing his eyes. He must have lost track of time, because more stars had appeared on the night sky than before. He straightened his posture and looked towards the back entrance, where a slender silhouette had appeared.


    "Brother Shen."


    Ah. Not her.


    Lu Shen closed his eyes again. Nian Zhen was the only close female friend he had, but at this moment, her face only brought him disappointment.


    Nian Zhen gazed at Lu Shen, her heart racing inside her chest.


    Right now, the man in front of her...looked vulnerable.


    His tie was loose, his cuffs were unbuttoned, and his suit jacket was slung over one arm, rejected. Contrary to his usual impable look, Lu Shen''s unrestrained appearance...was irresistibly seductive.


    He had always looked so regal to her, so lofty...that he appeared untouchable, like an existence that one could only see, but not touch.


    It was what made him so attractive to Nian Zhen. A man that could only be hers, causing envy and jealousy from the women who equally adored him...if she could have that, then she would have truly reached the pinnacle of life.


    Nian Zhen''s breath quickened.


    Without being aware of what she was doing, Nian Zhen had already leaned forward.


    She pressed her lips against his, feeling as if a wave of turbulent emotions had cascaded upon her at that moment...


    Her wrist was suddenly twisted backwards, and the pain caused Nian Zhen to cry out.


    "OW!"


    Lu Shen shoved her away, his intoxication from the whiskey disappearing as rity sshed down on him like cold water.


    "Nian Zhen, who do you think you are?"


    His voice was cold and hard, his face a mask of anger. He was still painfully gripping her wrist, and fear flooded Nian Zhen''s entire body.


    Her voice bing shrill, she pleaded, "Brother Shen...please..."


    Tears fell from her eyes, blurring her vision.


    She really didn''t know why he was acting like this. It was only a kiss! Despite the grape juice that had stained her dress, she was still a beautiful woman.


    Although Lu Shen acted indifferent with everyone, wasn''t she special to him?


    Shouldn''t he be happy that they kissed instead?


    Lu Shen flung her wrist away. In front of her red-rimmed eyes, he swallowed a gulp of whiskey, swished it inside his mouth, and spat it out like an antiseptic mouthwash.


    His lips curled into a sneer.


    "So disgusting."


    Nian Zhen recoiled, feeling as if her heart had been stabbed by a thousand needles. Her knees weakened, and her body copsed to the ground.


    She looked up at him, her eyes dull, not epting the reality that this heartless man was her Brother Shen.


    No, Brother Shen would never be that cruel to me...


    Her Brother Shen was always cordial to her, since they were close childhood friends that had grown up together. His family liked her, Brother Shen liked her, and they would always be together.


    She was the only one who understood him, who saw the hard work that he put in beneath his insouciant mask. He was important to her, so she must be important to him.


    This man was not her Brother Shen...


    As Nian Zhen deluded herself from this reality, Lu Shen had already walked past her.


    Not too far away, without the knowledge of these two people, a short-haired female wearing Fue-Vue eyesses lowered her camera, and quietly skulked away.

 Chapter 101 I Need You

    Lu Shen''s guess was wrong.


    Hui Yin had long since left the party, walking in her strappy heels along the road. She wasn''t worried about that drunkard, because she knew that he would call driver Cheng to pick him up.


    She was more worried about herself.


    "I was already resolved to waste money on a taxi cab, but why isn''t there a single one driving past here?"


    She put her hands on her waist, looked at the deserted road, and grumbled a little. Perhaps the Wang family had cleared the street so that their guests could park without hassle, but this kind of arrangement...wasn''t this a bit too biased against the poor who had no cars?


    Hui Yin crouched down and rubbed her ankle. Her feet was starting to hurt. She picked up her phone, a bit annoyed at herself for not knowing how to contact a taxi.


    There was a chat from Luo Lan, with only an emoji of a thumbs up. Hui Yin didn''t reply, since she had already instructed her on what to do with the two photos.


    Hui Yin stared nkly at that emoji for a moment, before slowly rousing herself. So what, so what if it was true? Since Luo Lan had given her a thumbs up, then that meant that everything went ording to n.


    It just meant that Nian Zhen was telling the truth in her past life, that''s all.


    They really kissed...


    Hui Yin shook her head, and took a deep breath. If she kept taking two steps back for each one step forward, then she would never really move on.


    She dialed a familiar number in her phone, inelegantly sitting down on the curb.


    "Hn, it''s me. I''m near Wang Yong''s vi. Can youe here within ten minutes? I need you."


    Hui Yin sighed, resting her chin on her palm.


    At least her much needed driver wasing...


    ...


    Jiang''s family home.


    Jiang Xu fell off his water bed with a sick thud, along with his pillows and a thick mass of cat-patterned nket.


    He gazed at the ceiling of his bedroom, seemingly numb to the pain.


    ¡ªI need you.


    I need you, I need you, I need you, I need you...


    The words echoed again and again inside his mind like a curse, making him feel dazed.


    Was he having an auditory hallucination?


    Did his Wifey really call him and said those words?


    It seemed too good to be true.


    He pinched his arm.


    It doesn''t seem like a dream.


    Did it really happen?


    ¡ªCan youe here within ten minutes?


    He abruptly jumped to his feet, feeling as if his whole body was being electrocuted. Not only ten minutes, he felt like he could go and fly there right now!


    He had decided to reject Wang Yong''s birthday invitation because he''d rather sleep than waste energy on a stupid party, but he hadn''t known that his Wifey was going to be there! If he had known, he would have certainly been the first to arrive.


    Consciously aware that he had only been given a grace period of ten minutes, Jiang Xu didn''t bother to change and charged straight out of his room wearing his cat pajamas.


    And so, for the first time in his life, Jiang Xu ran.


    All the household servants dropped their mouths in shock. Even the old master and madam who had been lounging in the living room watching ate night drama were rendered speechless.


    Was this Jiang Xu, their son who ordered a special electric wheelchair so that he wouldn''t have to walk? Was this really their son, who they thought couldn''t walk even until he reached the age of five because he was toozy to do so?


    They couldn''t believe it.


    And so they didn''t believe it.


    Everyone who saw him dismissed it as a dream or a mirage; it was too good to be true. Maybe it was just a trick of the eye. Only the old Madam was quick enough to take a snapshot of the momentous asion as Jiang Xu ran past, and immediately developed it into arge portrait.


    She hung it on the wall were various awards, medals, and certificates of their family were tacked on.


    Now, every time an honorable guest visited the Jiang family home, they would quickly be introduced to the proudest achievement of all the Jiangs, the erged picture of a running Jiang Xu.

 Chapter 102 There Was Dir

    Jiang Xu arrived before the ten minutes was up, which pleasantly surprised Hui Yin.


    She didn''t even expect him to arrive after ten minutes. Wang Yong''s vi was pretty far from the Jiang''s family home, so her request to him was only a bit of wishful thinking on her part.


    In addition to how slow Jiang Xu moved, like that of a geriatric old man, Hui Yin had estimated that he would probably arrive after half an hour at most.


    "That was fast," she praised, after Jiang Xu rolled down his car window and honked at her.


    He opened the car door for her, and Hui Yin caught a glimpse of his pajamas. She burst outughing.


    "I disturbed your sleep, didn''t I?"


    Jiang Xu flushed, until the tips of his ears turned red. His Wifey looked beautiful tonight, especially when sheughed...he couldn''t help but be grateful that the twins weren''t here.


    "En," he replied.


    Hui Yin unwinded her braid, handsbing through her hair. She opened the glovepartment, and held up a piece of hair tie triumphantly.


    "Aha! I knew you''d be toozy to clean this up. Has my poor hair tie beennguishing inside your glovepartment since our university days?"


    Jiang Xu didn''t know what to say. He might bezy, but he treated his car like his second bedroom. He cleaned it regrly, so he knew about the things his Wifey had left behind. But why should he remove her things?


    His car was his Wifey''s car!


    Feeling nostalgic, Hui Yin looked around. There was the usual excessive number of pillows on the backseat, which she used to tease Jiang Xu as his ploy to do ''merrymaking'' with girls.


    However, both of them knew the sad truth.


    During the asional periods where their sses were suspended, Jiang Xu could be found here, sound asleep under the pile of pillows.


    "Wifey..." Jiang Xu paused, then continued. "You went to Wang Yong''s birthday party?"


    He could only secretly guess, because she was near to Wang Yong''s vi. She was also wearing a formal dress and some light make-up, so he put two and two together. Jiang Xu knew that his Wifey wasn''t close to any of the Wangs, so the reason why she got invited was probably...


    "Mmm." Hui Yin stretched her legs. "I went there with my fianc¨¦."


    His chest tightened, making it hard for him to breathe. Jiang Xu tried his hardest to sound normal.


    "He...your fianc¨¦ didn''t give you a ride home?"


    Hui Yin shot him a mischievous smile, not noticing that Jiang Xu had nearly reached his limit of ten words.


    "Well, he was being stupid so I ran away."


    "Stupid?"


    "He was drinking too much. And..."


    I knew that he would kiss somebody else.


    "...we''re going to break up soon."


    The painful feeling inside Jiang Xu eased slightly. He frowned. This was what others would probably call...jealousy?


    If Qin Bingqing hadn''t described this feeling to him so that Jiang Xu would understand why she hated seeing him and Hui Yin together, he would have probably thought he was having a heart attack.


    Hui Yin leaned forward and pointed out a direction.


    "Turn here."


    Jiang Xu was shocked.


    "Not back to your apartment?"


    Feeling embarrassed, Hui Yin scratched her nose.


    "Erm...the two of us signed some sort of contract, and...well, I have to stay in his vi for now until our engagement gets annulled. But he''s going on a business trip tomorrow and our engagement will be over by the time that he gets back!"


    Thest part wasn''t something Lu Shen had told her, but a prediction Hui Yin based on her past life. One reason she waited patiently until the party to break their engagement was because Lu Shen wouldn''t be able to interfere during the execution her n. It was better for that man to stay out of the way first.


    "You...live together?"


    His shoulders tensed, not liking the thought of his Wifey living in the same house with a man.


    Her fianc¨¦ was so lucky...Jiang Xu coughed. No, her fianc¨¦ was being corrupt!


    Hui Yin poked his cheek. "Separate rooms, dummy. What were you thinking?"


    He pursed his lips, still feeling sullen. In his cat pajamas, he looked like the missing third clone of the twins.


    The car stopped in front of the vi, and Hui Yin clicked off her seatbelt. Pushing the door open, she turned to Jiang Xu with a smile.


    "Driver, many thanks for your kind service."


    She saluted him.


    Just as she was about to go out of the car, Jiang Xu captured her wrist. Surprised, Hui Yin looked back at him.


    "Hm?"


    "Ah!" Frightened at his own impulse, he took his hand back. "Dirt...there was dirt on your skin. I was wiping...I wiped it off."


    Jiang Xu wanted nothing more than to dig a big hole in the ground, crawl in, and bury himself.


    Why did he do that?


    What was he trying to do?


    Stop her from getting inside that ginormous vi?


    He had no right to do that! Although Jiang Xu''s heart was brimming with reluctance, he could only let his Wifey go back to her fianc¨¦.


    She said that they were going to break up soon...instead of being hasty and ruining their friendship, it was better to slow down and take his time. After all, he would have more chances in the future.


    Jiang Xu puffed up his cheeks.


    Her fianc¨¦, whoever that was, better not have his intestines turn green with regret when he finally loses his Wifey!

 Chapter 103 He Dared!

    After taking a warm bath, Hui Yin finally felt refreshed.


    She went into her balcony and watched the snowy white puppy chase its own tail across the tennis court for a while.


    "Did Lu Shen even give him a name? Or is this puppy even a ''he''?"


    She drew her cardigan closer to her body. The weather was starting to get colder, especially at night. Hui Yin cupped her hands and blew on them.


    After a while, she began to shiver, so she returned back to her room. She switched off the lights aside from hermp and retired to her bed with her script for Gao Mei.


    Gao Mei was a character that was easy to understand. She became a trainee at a young age because of her looks, so she was often bullied by jealous girls in her school. This made her personality be shy, which greatly limited her talent.


    Although she was ahead of most trainees in her agency in terms of seniority, Gao Mei still hadn''t debuted because she wasn''t willing to take risks.


    Finally, her best friend Chen Lin managed to sessfully convince Gao Mei. They were about to debut as an idol group along with other five girls. When an idol group debuts, each of them were given different personalities created by thepany to cater the entertainment market.


    Each member of an idol group has her own character to portray, and each of them has to sessfully woo over the public with that given personality.


    Unluckily for Gao Mei, she was the ''visual''.


    The visual member was the person considered to be the most attractive in the group. She would often be hired to endorse products and appear inmercials and ads.


    Considering Gao Mei''s trauma, using her looks to appeal to the public was something that she would find a hard time epting.


    "Poor girl," Hui Yin sighed, putting down the script on her bedside table. "We''re living in a lookism society. There will certainly be people hating you for the advantages that you get."


    Hui Yin reached up and clicked off themp. Just as she was about to drift off to sleep, a resounding crash from downstairs jolted her awake.


    Hui Yin immediately grabbed hermp.


    A thief? Did a thief get in?


    Although the maids had taken their day off, the guards still surrounded the perimeter of the vi. No ordinary thief could get past that.


    Then, did the heavy chandelier in the living room finally copse? Hui Yin was always wary of chandeliers. They were only hanging from the ceiling by a chain, and it seemed to her that the chain could break at any moment.


    But in the next second, Hui Yin finally got an answer.


    Her bedroom door opened, revealing a very disheveled, very graceless, and very...drunk Lu Shen.


    Hui Yin readied hermp and practiced swinging it a few times. Okay, she could do this. Aim either at the head or below, and fervently hope that she wouldn''t identally kill a CEO.


    If worsees to worst, she could just im to have done it under self-defense.


    But Hui Yin needn''t have worried. Lu Shen had barely opened the door when he tripped on his own feet and fell face first onto the floor.


    "Pffft!"


    Hui Yin pped a hand to her mouth, afraid that he might have heard her. But no, the man was still out cold. Just how much red wine did this tyrant drink?


    Cigarettes and now alcohol...he was going down into a very bad path.


    Hui Yin lowered hermp, since it seemed that Lu Shen could barely move, much less attack her.


    Contemting his prone form for a bit, she finally sighed and moved forward to help him get up.


    She couldn''t sleep with his body lying only a foot away from her bed anyway.


    Hui Yin prodded his body with her sock-covered foot, trying to wake him up. But Lu Shen remained unresponsive.


    "So burdensome!"


    Finally, she pulled on his arm and tried to drag him upwards. But although trim and athletic, his body was still heavy for her to bear. Hui Yin nearly lost her bnce before she found her footing.


    "Just get to the door..." she grunted, wishing she could just get this over with.


    His eyes suddenly opened, and he focused on her with great difficulty.


    "Xiao Yin..."


    Before Hui Yin could curse out loud, his arm wrapped around her slender waist and picked her up as if she weighed no more than a paperweight. Both of their bodies fell on the bed, their legs tangled together.


    Lu Shen''s body pressed against hers, and Hui Yin could smell the faint scent of tobo and alcohol on his body.


    "Xiao Yin..." he murmured her name yet again.


    He tried to kiss her, but Hui Yin pped her hand over his mouth.


    Kissing her after kissing Nian Zhen?


    He dared! He actually dared!


    Now, where was hermp?

 Chapter 104 What Is This?

    "Lu Shen, get off me!"


    Hui Yin squirmed, but Lu Shen was like a mountain on top of her, remaining unmovable. She might as well try striking an egg against a rock¡ªit would have ended with the same result.


    She was covering his mouth, but it didn''t stop the hands stroking on her skin.


    Angrily, she pushed one hand against his chest.


    "Lu Shen!"


    His hands forced her legs on either side of his hips. Before Hui Yin could even react, he pressed himself against her.


    She gasped, and Lu Shen let out a harsh breath. He looked down at her with darkened eyes.


    She could feel him through the clothes separating them...hot, hard, and throbbing with need. Hui Yin remembered in a sh that although she could indeed count on one hand the number of times Lu Shen had shared her bed during their marriage, the number of times that they did it while they were there...was quite astronomical.


    Sensing another type of danger altogether, Hui Yin tried to move away.


    But Lu Shen held her in ce as he did it again, grinding slowly against her. His chest rose and fell with rapid breaths, and Hui Yin bit her lip to stifle her moan.


    She was quickly losing her rationality, which wasn''t good. She needed to get away from him.


    His lips kissed the hand that was covering his mouth, before traveling to the tips of her fingers. He ran his tongue along her middle finger, and then put it inside his mouth. Hui Yin''s whole body trembled when he lightly sucked it, his eyes watching her.


    Always, always watching her.


    Hui Yin remembered that it was a quirk of Lu Shen during sex. He wanted her to be always looking into his eyes whenever they did it, which Hui Yin found weird.


    One of his hands moved from her waist and down to her bare leg, before encountering the slight hindrance of her sock. He paused, chuckling deeply, and resumed the exploration of her body.


    His hips moved yet again, and Hui Yin opened her mouth...to tell him to continue, to ask him for more?


    No! She shook her head wildly, and with that rough motion, she became slightly lucid.


    "Stop! Lu Shen, you love Nian Zhen, don''t you? You can''t do this!"


    "I love her?" He pushed hard against her as he spoke. "Xiao Yin, you certainly love to dictate my emotions. I love Nian Zhen?"


    He began to pull her cardigan off her, his hands trembling. After tearing that piece of clothing off, he lowered his head until Hui Yin had to meet his fevered stare.


    "Then tell me Xiao Yin, what is this?"


    He dug his hips even more forcefully into her, and he made a noise that made Hui Yin arch reflexively in desire.


    His voice deepened when he spoke, filled with frustration and anger. "Tell me, what the fuck is this?"


    He had never felt this way with Nian Zhen, nor any other girl. If this was lust, then this pain should have only stayed within his body. Physical pain was something that he could endure.


    But when he learned that she hated him, what does lust have to do with it? He didn''t need her to like him to fuck her. And yet...and yet her silent assent of his question had driven him mad, to the point of rpsing on his old habits.


    Really, what is this?


    Their bodies melded together, and his hands caught the sides of her slender waist, steadying her against him. He had reached his limit a long time ago¡ªonly the thought that he didn''t want this to end yet made him forcibly stop his own release. A tremor ran down his spine, his head felt dizzy, and he breathed heavily while barely holding on.


    "Lu...Shen..."


    His name on her lips made him press himself against her even harder. He just about came from the intensity of the movement, his breathing ragged. He knew she was going to end those words with ''stop'', even though he could see that she was as tormented as he was.


    Why did she hate him so much?


    What did he do?


    He really couldn''t remember.


    If he had done something to incur her hatred, he would have surely known. But he drew a nk, and at most, he could only tell that it started when he stayed at her apartment and she threatened him with hermp.


    Lu Shen even had Yan investigate if there was something that happened to her while he wasn''t around, but nothing came up aside from her usual itinerary. It was a puzzle that he just couldn''t seem to solve.


    Her soft body squirmed underneath him, and he lost his train of thought. Her hand against his lips was a long since gone barrier, and he nted his head, kissing her breathlessly. His tongue slid inside her mouth, tasting her.


    The grinding motion of his hips turned faster and harder, and Hui Yin''s toes curled inside her socks. She was going to...no, she couldn''t...


    She turned her head away, stopping the kiss. Her hand rose up and clutched his sleeve, trying to form the words to tell him to stop, but to her horror, she clutched him closer instead.


    That brief show of surrender was nearly enough to make Lu Shene, and his mind went nk as his hips trembled with the intensity of resisting his release.


    Hui Yin''s body became limp, her lips parted, and just as she almost lost herself in the moment...


    Another sudden crash echoed throughout the whole vi.

 Chapter 105 An Awful Noise

    That brief reminder was enough for Hui Yin to spring apart from him.


    What...just now, what was she doing?


    She would gain her freedom by tomorrow, and tonight should be the end of everything between them. If that crash hadn''t happened, although they wouldn''t have sex, it would stille pretty close to it.


    Her body shook, and she pressed her fingers on her lips.


    Weak. She was still so, so weak.


    Lu Shen groaned and buried his face on one of her pillows, pounding his fists against the mattress. So close...he gritted his teeth, his whole body soaked with sweat.


    Who made that noise? He was going to kill them.


    "I think...it came from your study."


    Hui Yin''s voice was soft. She felt feeble, but she couldn''t copse here. That noise was loud, louder than the sound Lu Shen had made before.


    Lu Shen gathered himself, and moving like his whole body was foreign to him, he slowly got up from the bed. He could only pray to his ancestors that prolonged...anyway, this setback probably wouldn''t have any fatal consequences to his body.


    At least, that was what he was hoping for.


    "Stay here," he told her gruffly, his voice hoarse.


    Hui Yin didn''t listen. She waited until he closed her bedroom door and the sound of his footsteps became faint before she curiously followed.


    His study was only at the end of the hall. Hui Yin was certain that there wasn''t any chandelier inside it. What could have made that awful noise?


    She could see Lu Shen''s figure stop at the doorway of his study, his shoulders bing tense.


    Then he darted inside, and Hui Yin ran after him, her heart skipping a beat.


    When she finally saw the state of his study, a gasp escaped her lips.


    Everything was a mess.


    His table was overturned, and his papers were scattered all over the floor. Hisptop had been smashed beyond recognition, and all the drawers of the cabs were pulled out, like they were sticking their tongues out at the two of them. His printer had not been left untouched, the ink cartridges spilling onto the floor.


    The chiffon-colored blinds that covered the ss window pane were wrenched apart, and even the carpet had creases on it. A nearbympshade had been broken in two, and its stand slowly rolled towards Hui Yin until it rested just before her feet.


    Lu Shen was picking up a business card at the center of this maelstrom, and when he heard her gasp, he abruptly turned towards her with wild eyes.


    "Go back to your room!"


    Hui Yin just looked at him. She could see that someone had deliberately did this, all of it.


    Whoever this was...he bypassed the guards, he trespassed inside Lu Shen''s home, and left a calling card.


    The capacity of this person made her blood run cold. He could have done...anything. While they were still here. While they were both distracted.


    If Lu Shen hadn''t been in her room, and he was inside his study where he should be at this hour, then it could only mean...


    Hui Yin took a deep breath.


    "Was this the same person who caused your ident?" she asked.

 Chapter 106 Last Three Days

    On her flight from Beijing to Shanghai, Hui Yin opened her phone and scrolled through the news that was constantly popping up on the screen.


    Three days ago, a respectable newspaper had released millions of copies with the headline ''CEO Lu''s Mysterious Fianc¨¦e?'' across the country.


    It featured a picture of the couple, with the easily recognizable handsome face of Lu Shen and a girl by his side wearing a ck dress, his hand wrapped possessively around her waist.


    The face of the girl was blurred, which greatly frustrated the public. There were numerousments on the website owned by the newspaper agency, all of them demanding one thing:


    "Show us her face!"


    The newspaper agency had curiously stayed silent about her identity, not willing to reveal her face, or even her name. This was due to Luo Lan, who approached the head of her agency with a picture and a statement that shook him to the core: "CEO Lu approved it."


    And it was indeed so. They immediately contacted the Lu Corporation, and it was revealed to them that the big boss had really given this reporter his consent.


    The head could only wonder at Luo Lan''s luck. Did she know CEO Lu? Maybe they could get an exclusive interview?


    But Luo Lan was firm on her request. She told him that it was because the fianc¨¦e had persuaded CEO Lu, which was why she had managed to get his picture.


    The fianc¨¦e''s only request was not to reveal her identity to the public. After all, CEO Lu''s face on their newspaper garnered enough publicity and profit. Who else could boast that they had managed to post a picture of CEO Lu and had not faced bankruptcy? Their subscriptions would surely soar!


    This headline alone would have raised their reputation, and maybe even help their newspaper agency on bing the sole number one across China.


    But only a day had passed after the newspaper had been circted into the public when another picture shook the whole inte and nearly shut down the whole tform.


    It came from an anonymous source, and the picture quickly became viral.


    It was another shot of CEO Lu, and he was kissing a girl. This time, none of the faces were blurred, so they could easily identify her.


    She was also a public figure, so how could they not recognize her face?


    It was Nian Zhen!


    Nian Zhen, the rumored ''female friend'' that CEO Lu was close to!


    Was she actually the fianc¨¦e?


    But wait, why is her dress white? The one on the headlines had worn ck?


    Nian Zhen was not the fianc¨¦e!


    Knowledgeable people who knew about Wang Yong''s birthday party revealed the pictures taken before the party began, showing Nian Zhen in different poses wearing the same familiar white dress.


    Netizensmented one after another, each of them arriving on the same conclusion. Hard as it might be to believe, it was the only exnation.


    Could it be?


    That CEO Lu and Nian Zhen were both cheating behind the back of the mysterious fianc¨¦e?


    A battalion of fans that supported CEO Lu vehemently denied the ims, saying that the picture might have been edited. Another surge of fansing from Nian Zhen''s side announced that their goddess wasn''t like that, and although she and CEO Lu looked like a good couple, she would never try to steal another girl''s fianc¨¦.


    Their goddess was pure after all!


    She couldn''t have stolen another girl''s man!


    But as the wise proverb goes, the more one covers up the truth, the more it''ll be exposed.


    Because the scandal this time was about the Great Dragon King who everyone secretly admired, a lot of professionals shared their thoughts about this photo.


    Onementator who used a fake online ount posted, "As a digital image forensics expert, I can guarantee that this photo is a hundred percent real. The clothing and thendmarks match the image, and it would be difficult even for an expert to truly imitate the dress Nian Zhen is wearing. Also, you can check the file and the metadata. Any digital photo contains it."


    When several people had liked this statement, another fellow expert replied to him.


    "I agree with the poster above. There are no repetition of pixels, no halos of image enhancements, no nothing. There are no problems with the shadows, reflections, and perspective lines. This is clearly a genuine photo! I admire both Miss Nian and CEO Lu too, but cheating can''t be condoned."


    After these two experts spoke up, all of those who were keeping quiet to avoid the bacsh finally voiced their own thoughts.


    The way they delivered their opinions varied, with some of them retaining their calm while others responded with angry capital letters, but each of them decided that after looking at the hard evidence, the truth had to be known to all.


    That while it was hard to believe, CEO Lu had indeed cheated on his fianc¨¦e!


    And with the esteemed daughter of the Nians, no less!


    Hui Yin thought of the whirlwind that swept up her life for thest three days, which began after Lu Shen had gone to his business trip.


    He hadn''t answered her question and only ordered her to go back to her room. He then fired every guard that was on the vi that night, and reced them with new ones. Their numbers had nearly tripled, and each area in the vi had been mounted by a CCTV.


    He had told her not to leave the vi under any circumstances, which of course Hui Yin ignored.


    The moment the second photo had been leaked, Hui Yin paid a visit to her ''dear'' parents-inw.


    Hui Yin smiled when she recalled the reaction of the two Lu elders.

 Chapter 107 Zhong Jun Qi

    "I want to break the engagement."


    After Hui Yin had said that to the two Lu elders, both of their teacups had fallen to the floor.


    Of course, Lu Yongzheng and Madam Lu wanted nothing more than for this lowly actress to stay far away from their son.


    nning to have a slice of Lu Shen''s enormous fortune?


    Hmph! Let''s see if you can even get a single yuan!


    But they didn''t expect that this lowly actress would be the one to suggest breaking the engagement first.


    Both of them had seen the news and the scandal that apanied it. They were happy that Lu Shen felt something more for Nian Zhen, but they were also afraid what this scandal might do to their reputation.


    Lu Yongzheng had already cooperated with the Nians and sent their people to take down the scandalous photo from the inte.


    "Are you breaking it because Lu Shen had cheated on you?" Lu Yongzheng was full of contempt as he looked at Hui Yin.


    "Well, what did you expect? That he would settle for pig swill? Take a look at yourself and where you belong. Each kettle has its own lid, and it''s obvious that the two of you belong in two different worlds."


    Hui Yin smiled, unperturbed by the insult.


    "I''m happy to hear that. Since we belong to two different worlds, I''m sure you''ll have no problem epting my request."


    Madam Luughed, but herughter had an edge to it, like a sharp de.


    "Who do you think you are? ''ept your request''? We were nning to break the engagement even without your ''request.'' Did you really think that Lu Shen was going to marry you?"


    He did marry me, Hui Yin thought, sighing. You two should have tried harder.


    "Then I guess the engagement is officially over," she said calmly.


    Hui Yin leaned over and put her engagement ring at the center of the table. Ity there, sparkling and abandoned. Judging by the glint of greed on the eyes of the two elders, the ring was probably more expensive than she thought.


    Hui Yin hadn''t asked Lu Shen, and he didn''t bother to advertise its worth to her either. Hui Yin had never thought of Lu Shen as a price tag, regardless what his parents thought of her intentions.


    She had fallen in love with him when he was a penniless beggar on the side of the road, and in her past life she had loved him still even when she didn''t gain any benefits from it.


    Hui Yin watched with disdain when Madam Lu quickly took the ring, as if she was afraid that Hui Yin would change her mind.


    Having a son like Lu Shen was truly tragic for the two Lu elders. His wealth would only drive their greed to be bigger and bigger, until it ultimately swallows them whole.


    Hui Yin didn''t say anything more and stood up. They hadn''t offered her tea, and simrly, Hui Yin didn''t bring a gift with her visit. Since they openly disliked each other, it was better to get rid of the unnecessary pleasantries.


    Hui Yin smiled charmingly.


    "I suppose we won''t be seeing each other then."


    Madam Lu red at her, but Lu Yongzheng didn''t even put her in his eyes as his attention returned back to his tea.


    "We won''t," Madam Lu said coldly. "And you better make sure not to approach our son again."


    Hui Yin shrugged, then left.


    There was no chance of that.


    On that very same afternoon, Zhong Jun Qi, the affluent business man who was supposed to sign a major business deal with the Lu Corporation, unexpectedly repudiated on their contract. The deal was called off, causing a small blow to the twopanies. It was supposed to be an important partnership that could benefit both of them, but Zhong Jun Qi remained steadfast in his decision.


    Later, it was found out that Zhong Jun Qi greatly abhorred adultery.


    He was a loyal and kind man, which was rare for a businessman with his prestige. He loved his wife and their children, and never kept a mistress despite the many temptations surrounding him.


    Unfortunately, his wife did not share the same principles.


    Zhong Jun Qi caught his wife sneaking around with her lover, which became his worst trauma. He never recovered from her betrayal, and all of his close friends knew better than to mention her name in his hearing.


    Although Lu Shen hadn''t married his fianc¨¦e yet, the sin was still there. It was best to call a spade a spade, and duly acknowledge that if CEO Lu had dared to cheat on his fianc¨¦e while they were engaged, there were no doubts that he would have done it still even after the two of them were married.


    Greatmunication and respect were the cornerstone of any good business rtionship. Sharing simr values was paramount to the long term sess of a deal, especially since creating an open and honest dialogue will y a big part in continuously improving a product or service over time.


    Thus, Zhong Jun Qi was not only acting on impulse and prejudice. It was a perfectly valid reason to refuse the previous agreement of the twopanies.


    When this piece of information spread over the inte, the corners of Hui Yin''s lips hooked up. She had mentioned Zhong Jun Qi before to Lu Shen while they were having lunch, but that man had not paid attention.


    "Mr. Zhong, you truly are a great man," she murmured, sighing softly. Her phone rang in her bag, and Hui Yin pulled it out.


    Without looking at it, she pressed the end call button. It was the thirteenth call she had received that day.


    And all of it had gone straight to voicemail.

 Chapter 108 A Mouse’s Vision

    Hui Yin woke up when she heard the flight attendant announcing their arrival.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, wee to Shanghai Pudong International Airport. The local time is 1 PM and the temperature is sixteen degrees centigrade..."


    She yawned, pulling down her eye mask.


    Hui Yin was exhausted from reading her script, and trying to immerse herself in Gao Mei. There were only two days left before the filming, and Hui Yin wanted to be well prepared before then.


    It was midday, the worst time to arrive. As they came out of the ne, the air was heavy and smelled thickly of diesel.


    Wide sma screens of arrival and departure times hung on the wall of the airport. The tiles gleamed silvery white, and people were milling around, lining up at the check-in desk with suitcases while soft ssical music yed in the background.


    After Hui Yin picked up her luggage from the baggage im, she raised herself on her tiptoes to look at the hoard of people waiting behind the railing in the arrival gate.


    There was guy wearing an oversized pale pink sweater who stood apart from the crowd, his face hidden underneath a white fedora hat and dark sunsses. He held up arge grainy picture on one hand, waving at her.


    Hui Yinughed when she saw it. It was a portrait of Lin Huiyin, the outstanding poet and the first female architect of modern China.


    Hui Yin approached the guy and clicked her tongue in mock disapproval.


    "If you''re trying to be inconspicuous, you failed."


    Liu Junughed.


    "Was it the pink sweater?" he asked. "Or the portrait?"


    "I think it was the fedora."


    They chatted with each other as Liu Jun led her to his car. The reason why Hui Yin hastened her flight to Shanghai was because when she sent a message to Liu Jun asking him if he could teach her how to dance, he had told her that he was currently in Shanghai for a concert.


    Since the filming location was set in Shanghai anyway, Hui Yin decided thating early shouldn''t be a problem for her.


    She had watched several online tutorial videos on how to dance, but Hui Yin still couldn''t understand it.


    She needed a tutor.


    "The concert''s already over, so I''m just resting here prior to our flight to Mysia. Before anything else though, Miss Hui..."


    He stopped, and gave her an exaggerated bow.


    "Congrattions on bing an idol."


    Hui Yin pinched the bridge of her nose.


    "Do your fans know that you''re crazy? And just call me Hui Yin."


    "No, I''m going to call you Mou Ye [1]."


    "..."


    Hui Yin was speechless. What the heck is with that nickname? She was a fragile and delicate girl, ah! Just what does this male singer see her as? Empress Wu? [2]


    Liu Jun''s manager drove the car, and he engaged Hui Yin with meaningless small talk as they braved the rush hour traffic on the highway. It seemed that his manager was already resigned on his artist delivering strangers to his door, since Liu Jun was a very friendly person.


    "Mao Ye, if you don''t have a ce to stay..." Liu Jun prompted, twisting his body in the passenger seat to look at her.


    Although he was leaving Shanghai soon, he could let her borrow his ce.


    Liu Jun had a penthouse in the city, with a small dance studio where he practiced his choreography whenever he had reason to visit Shanghai.


    The manager rolled his eyes when he heard him, thinking that a mouse''s vision is indeed only an inch long. Not only was his artist a fool for letting a new friend he just met enter his home, he was also unaware that a single man and a single woman living in the same ce could be considered improper.


    Was he trying to ruin this girl''s future?


    Hui Yin''s thoughts were running along the same line as Liu Jun''s manager.


    This guy...he was exactly the type of person that fuels the rampant scamming industry in the country.


    If Hui Yin was a Mao Ye, then Liu Jun was definitely a Lao Hao Ren [3]!


    [1] ijү (Mou Ye) ¨C For a manly girl, where "Ò¯" means "lord" in Chinese.


    [2] The only female emperor in the history of China.


    [3] Chinese girls usually say "You are a good guy" when rejecting a guy''s proposal. The guy who always gets rejected is called "ÀϺÃÈË"/LaoHaoRen. Also known as ''man with no enemies'' or a ''good old boy.''

 Chapter 109 Becoming Gao Mei

    Over the next two days, aside from sleeping in a nearby hotel and eating out, Hui Yin spent almost all of her waking moments practicing how to dance with Liu Jun.


    It was a good thing that her sry from the PV had finally arrived, because the little money Hui Yin had saved was starting to run out. The living expenses on Shanghai was much more expensive than that of Beijing, since it was thergest city in China.


    "Come on! Roll your hips¡ªno, not like that...what the heck is that? Why do you look like a beheaded chicken?"


    "Stomp your feet...not like a soldier, more like...a light tap of your toes. Ahhh, Mao Ye, you''re killing me."


    "Kneel to the floor, then abruptly stand up. Flip your hair like a sexy goddess...you call that sexy? You ate a strand of your hair! Spit it out!"


    Hui Yin copsed and rolled to the floor, groaning in exhaustion.


    "Liu Jun, tell me the truth. You actually hate me, don''t you?" she grumbled.


    Liu Jun crouched next to her and lightly bumped her head with a water bottle.


    "I''m the one who''s supposed to ask you that question. You''re killing me, Mao Ye. Do you really not know how to dance? Or are you just pretending? No one can be that bad."


    Hui Yin raised her head and looked at the expansive mirror lining the walls of the dance studio.


    It showed a girl wearing a crop top hoodie and high-waist leggings lying on the floor, with a man above her offering a water bottle. Liu Jun had practiced the same dance moves with her, but unlike Hui Yin, he didn''t even look the least bit tired.


    He was wiping what little sweat he had with a tiny towel, looking for all the world like what he had just done were some simple warm-up exercises.


    "I am that bad," Hui Yin replied with a gloomy expression. "Do I really dance like a beheaded chicken?"


    Liu Junughed.


    "Even a chicken can be a phoenix if you put in the right amount of effort. Come on, let''s practice again. I''m sure you''ll do it right this time."


    Hui Yin knew that he was only encouraging her, but she nevertheless picked herself up from the ground. Since Gao Mei was the trainee that stayed the longest in her agency, it would only mean that she was better than the other girls at dancing.


    If Hui Yin couldn''t master this, then she might as well give up the role.


    She sighed.


    "Okay, let''s do it all over again."


    ...


    "Spread your legs apart, put your hands on your knees...Mao Ye, are the Huns invading China again? Are you holding up thest line of defense? Why is your expression so scary?"


    "Twirl! Twirl like a ballerina! One, two, three...I knew you were going to trip, but I didn''t expect it to be so soon."


    As Hui Yin dragged herself out of Liu Jun''s penthouse that day, she really couldn''t help but think that this popr male singer had sadomasochistic tendencies.


    Immersing herself to be Gao Mei was turning out to be much harder than she thought. Since Liu Jun was leaving tomorrow, she could only depend on herself to improve.

 Chapter 110 Slightly Evil Liu Jun

    As soon as she went back to her hotel, Hui Yin took a quick shower and threw herself on the small bed.


    She had picked the cheapest hotel near Liu Jun''s penthouse, so the amodations were basic at the most.


    Tired from the dance lessons, Hui Yin quickly fell asleep.


    When she opened her eyes around six o''clock in the evening, Hui Yin had to blink a few times to remember where she was.


    So, it was a dream?


    Hui Yin buried her face into a pillow.


    "I must be more tired than I thought."


    In her dream, the red headband she wore when they were shooting <Captive> twisted and lengthened like a snake, wrapping around her ankle. No matter how fast she ran, it caught up with her, almost as if it was a string holding down a kite. Hui Yin could not make sense of it.


    They say dreamse from the subconscious, so maybe it was born out of the worries that had been guing her for the past few weeks?


    Hui Yin shook her head and went into the bathroom to take a second shower. She had promised Liu Jun a free dinner tonight, to thank him for teaching her how to dance. The male singer had truly been a great friend to her, despite the fact that they had only known each other briefly.


    But this warm thought of Hui Yin didn''tst long.


    When Hui Yin met up with Liu Junter inside the lobby of the building that housed his penthouse, she was surprised to see him wearing a mask and very ''hip-hop'' looking clothes.


    "Mao Ye, I prepared a surprise for you tonight. You''re going to treat me to dinner right? Well, I want to eat dinner in a nightclub! And then we can go dancing afterwards!"


    What...what...for a full minute, Hui Yin thought that her ears must have deceived her.


    What ''I want to eat dinner in a nightclub''?


    What ''then we can go dancing afterwards''?


    Clearly, this wacky male singer was only trying to find ways to torture her further!


    What could you even order inside a nightclub that could pass for food? Vodka and tequ? Her limbs were still feeling sore, her joints aching. To be safe, Hui Yin pretended not to hear anything.


    "There''s a restaurant near here," she began, but Liu Jun did not let her finish.


    "Mao Ye, how can you be so ungrateful! I poured sweat, tears, and blood to help you, but you won''t even listen to my preferences. Mao Ye, why are you so heartless? I want to eat dinner in a nightclub, so you need to respect my opinion. I thought we were friends? Mao Ye, I feel so disappointed..."


    Mao Ye this, Mao Ye that, it was better back when he was calling her Miss Hui! Hui Yin felt that ever since Liu Jun attached this nickname to her, he had be slightly evil.


    "Fine, go to the nightclub by yourself and send me the billter. I''m going back to the hotel."


    "Mao Ye, how can you bear to make me go by myself? Don''t you know that when I''m alone, I get a heart attack every time I see people staring at me? I start thinking, ah, that girl looks like a fan of mine. If she sees me like this, alone and vulnerable, then she can''t help but fall in love with me. Except I can''t, because I signed a contract of non-dating..."


    Hui Yin rubbed her temples. She had really misjudged this singer. Liu Jun was only pretending to be simple and easygoing, when in fact he was anything but. Hui Yin med the circumstances of their first meeting for her misconception.


    The moonlight streaming from the windows of the music room had given Liu Jun a saintly glow, so that she did not notice the forked tail wagging behind him.


    It was truly the ''halo'' effect at work. [1]


    Hui Yin and Liu Jun got into a taxi cab, which took them to the Xuhui district. Liu Jun led her to a dark tunnel full of people wearing the same kind of clothes, and after paying a small cover charge, the two of them went in.


    Hui Yin spotted graffiti on the walls and couldn''t help but ask, "Is this a former bomb shelter?"


    Liu Jun nodded. His eyes were shining.


    "Mao Ye, you''re going to love this ce! They y the best music, and if you look closely at the dance floor..." He pointed it out to her.


    There were already a lot of gyrating bodies in front of them. The pulsing bright lights briefly revealed girls tossing their long hair, guys bouncing on their heels, and couples revelling under the shroud of darkness to show their affection to one another.


    Hui Yin looked away.


    "Both foreigners and the localse here, so you can watch new cutting-edge dance acts from all over the world," Liu Jun continued, unaware of Hui Yin''s unease. "It''ll be good practice for you."


    "I''m not really dressed for this..."


    Liu Junughed. "Mao Ye, I doubt they pay much attention to the dress code. It''s a casual nightclub, so there are no restrictions to a customer''s outfit. Come on, I''ll buy the first round of drinks."


    Hui Yin let herself get dragged to the bar, where Liu Jun paid 30 RMB each for their drinks.


    "Mao Ye, the first step on bing a great dancer is for you to stop being so self-conscious. Don''t worry, I won''t drink much. Just freely enjoy tonight, and lose all your inhibitions. I''ll protect you if anything happens."


    [1] The tendency for an impression created in one area to influence opinion in another area. Basically, first impressionsst forever.

 Chapter 111 Given The Death Flag

    Eastern District, Hong Kong.


    In a towering skyscraper overlooking Causeway Bay, a thin man wearing thick eyesses stepped out of the elevator and into the highest floor.


    On either side of him were tall ss windowpanes that overlooked the city, and above him was a set of trailing recessed lights that subtly guided him to the only door at the end of the hall. Just as his hand reached for the doorknob, he paused.


    Looking nervous, he pushed his eyesses on the tip of his nose and straightened out his cor.


    "You''re Error, the greatest ckie hacker that turned the cyber underworld upside down," he mumbled to himself, patting his chest. "You shouldn''t be afraid of anything."


    Error, finally done with his pep talk, opened the door.


    The room on the other side was arranged just like a conference room, with a long mahogany table ced on the center. The leather seats that lined up on each side of the table were already upied, and Error quickly plopped his ass into the only empty chair.


    Swallowing his saliva, he followed what everyone around him was doing and looked silently at the man on the other end of the table. Only the soft taps of his fingers hitting the keyboard could be heard, making Error''s anxiety shoot up to rming levels.


    The boss was in a bad mood. That usually didn''t end well for them. Error wanted to breathe into a paper-bag.


    Behind the man was arge screen, projecting a recorded video feed of a CCTV camera. It was currently on pause, and they could only barely see the blurred silhouette of a figure in ck, dashing into what looked like a study room.


    Finally, the boss spoke.


    "They''ve cracked the security settings and the password of all the CCTVs, deliberately left this 0.001 timeframe that was an evidence of their trespassing as a taunt, and dared to actually threaten me."


    His voice was soft and maic, his words hanging in the air like an anvil. All of the people inside the room shuddered.


    "I''ve given you years to give me substantial results about the culprit behind my ident, but you''ve given me none."


    Because he was sitting against the light, they could not see the boss'' expression. Only the curve of his jaw was visible, and those thin lips that showed a hint of a smile.


    But that half-smile made Error''s blood run cold.


    "Tell me, what am I supposed to do with all of you?"


    The question was like a dagger that pressed against their throats, and all of the people inside the room¡ªsome of them the best experts of their fields, others associated with transnational crime syndicates¡ªpaled with fear.


    Average people might know Lu Shen as the CEO and Chairman of the mighty Lu Corporation, the Great Dragon King of the business world. But the people inside this room knew of the dark side behind this fa?ade, of the man ruthless enough to pull out his enemies by the roots.


    And there was no greater enemy Lu Shen loathed more than the one who had nearly killed him in a car ident years ago.


    Error wanted to cower in his seat and continue on pretending to be invisible, but he was the only one that could possibly offer everyone inside this room a hint of salvation.


    He finally plucked up the courage and stood up, his chair sliding back against the marble floor.


    His knees knocked together, and he was raising his hand in the air like a student being called by the teacher.


    "B¡ªBoss!"


    Lu Shen transferred his gaze to him. The rest of the people in the room breathed a sigh of relief, thanking Error fervently in their minds.


    "Du Peng."


    Error cringed. Boss, how many times do you have to call me by my real name? Use my alias, my alias!


    But Error could only hide hisints deep inside his heart. He still wanted to live a long, happy life together with his waifu Kurisu-chan and Hinata-chan. He didn''t want to be given the death g.


    "Boss, I don''t know if you''ve heard...but there''s news about you circting around the country right now. It''s about you and your fianc¨¦e."


    Lu Shen inclined his head, and the cold aura surrounding him slightly dissipated.


    "I know that," he replied. He resumed typing on hisptop, appearing to be disinterested in this piece of information. "I''ve given my permission to that female reporter."


    Error felt his heart sink. So the boss really doesn''t care about his fianc¨¦e...I guess the data I got from those bodyguards that followed Miss Hui will be useless....


    Just as Error was about to sit back down into his chair in disappointment, he noticed that the boss'' head seemed to be inclined a little bit towards his direction.


    "..."


    Error was speechless at this tsundere-like behavior. What the heck, this man was just pretending not to care?! Boss, are you the reincarnation of a male lead in a shoujo manga? Why can''t you just tell me that you actually want to know?


    Error patted his heart again, persuading it to calm down. No good wille from getting angry at the boss...just bear with it since you''re only a cannon fodder...


    "It''s not about what that female reporter had published, boss...it''s about what came after that. Apparently, there was a photo that spread on the of you," Error blushed, a bit jealous of the boss'' harem, "kissing Miss Nian Zhen."


    The hands that were typing on theptop stopped.


    Error, too absorbed imagining his boss with two beauties on each arm, was oblivious to this sudden change. How nice for the boss to have a harem...all I have are 2-D girls and some downloaded panty shots...


    He continued, "And boss...I followed your orders that if Miss Hui gets out of the vi, I''ll assign the best guards to protect her. Not only did I do that, I gave them some of my portable dictaphones and GSM bugs."


    Error gave Lu Shen a proud smile, sticking out his scrawny chest.


    "Boss, I''ve managed to overheard Miss Hui and your parents agreeing to break the engagement!"

 Chapter 112 ‘Hidden’ Assistants

    As Error''s words echoed inside the conference room, a thick and heavy silence paralyzed all of them.


    Then:


    "Is this true?"


    Lu Shen''s voice was very, very soft.


    "Boss, of course! Who do you think I am? I already sent you the recorded file. I''ve also included the things that happened to Miss Hui after she flew to Shanghai. Boss, did you know that your ex-fianc¨¦e was acquainted with Liu Jun, that famous singer? They''ve been spending their days on Shanghai together!"


    After saying his piece, Error looked at Lu Shen eagerly. Wasn''t he clever? If he hadn''t eavesdropped on Miss Hui, who knows when the boss will learn of this.


    Those two old farts would certainly try to make this broken engagement all go hush-hush...ahh, maybe the boss will raise my sry! I''ve worked so hard these past few days that I missed watching thetest episode of my favorite anime...uwu, at least I got some good gossip out of it. Kurisu-chan, wait for me!


    Error and the rest of the people inside the room were what one would call as Lu Shen''s ''hidden'' assistants. They did the odd jobs that couldn''t exactly be considered as legal...things that would make the faint-hearted Assistant Yan sweat bullets just by imagining it.


    Lu Shen''s ''business trip'' to Hong Kong wasn''t actually rted to the Lu Corporation, but a conference meeting with the spies he had scattered all over the country to find the identity of the culprit.


    As Error and the rest of them waited for Lu Shen''s response, the man leaned back on his chair and closed his eyes.


    "Leave," he said simply.


    Error opened his mouth to ask...but realized that all the people inside the room were very quiet on getting out of their chairs. A man had even flinched when he put down his pen on the table and it made a nearly inaudible ''ck'' sound.


    Uhhh...what''s going on...


    One of the women Error knew, alias Silver, gestured for him to follow her. Still confused, Error obediently did as she instructed and went out of the door. As soon as the door closed, all the people that had gotten out sank to their knees, their whole body shaking.


    Only Error stood there, unable to understand why these people were acting like they had just nearly escaped death by the skin of their teeth.


    "Don''t ask," Silver whispered on his ear, tugging at his hand. "Not yet."


    They piled up on the elevator, and only when they reached Silver''s Rolls-Royce on the underground parking garage did Silver finally turn towards Error.


    "You stupid otaku! Why did you spout so much useless crap?! That man could have ordered for all of us to be assassinated without blinking an eye!"


    Error was offended by this usation.


    "What did I do? I saved all of your asses, okay! If I hadn''t interrupted him at the right time..."


    "Yes, we did owe you for that." Silver sighed.


    It was not out of theck of effort that they hadn''t been able to grasp the culprit. It was because he was slimy like an eel, almost never leaving any traces behind.


    They were all prodigies with each having their own unique skill, but they weren''t omnipotent. They couldn''t possibly conclude anything without hard evidence.


    And if all the evidence were erased, then what the hell were they supposed to do? Give him hypotheses that they conjured out of thin air?


    But Silver knew that the boss was also right for using them of their ipetence. They were being paid by the hour, and they were supposed to ''earn'' them. Silver had endless offers from toppanies all over the world, but the sry given to them by this businessman was something that even Silver had to wipe off her drool when thinking about.


    "So why did you use me?" Error said unhappily. "Since you admit that you owe me one."


    Silver shook her head. "You might not have sensed it. You always cage yourself in with yourputer, so you don''t have my instincts. I''ve been an undercover informant for many years, and I''ve developed a keen sense for danger. I''m sure the others felt it too."


    That the situation just now had been very dangerous.


    But this left Silver feeling confused. The boss'' attitude only changed right after he heard Error saying that the engagement had been broken. Silver had never seen the boss so agitated. It felt surreal.


    Could it be...because of his fianc¨¦e?

 Chapter 113 Orchestrated?

    Left alone inside therge conference room, Lu Shen tilted his head back and steadily breathed in and out.


    He wasn''t thinking about anything in particr.


    He wasn''t thinking about the wedding rings he had already bought, or the mansion they were supposed to live in after they got married.


    He wasn''t thinking of the fact that he had already forgotten his previous decision of divorcing this girl right after their honeymoon, and the tentative idea forming in his mind that maybe being married to her wouldn''t be so bad.


    He wasn''t thinking that she was no longer his fianc¨¦e, and that she could run away from him anytime.


    Or that she could choose to be with that crappy singer, and he could kiss her, and maybe even...


    No, he would break that singer''s neck before they could do any of that.


    Lu Shen turned his attention back to hisptop, where he had already clicked on the folder Du Peng sent him. There were dozens of recorded files inside, including a few videos.


    A detailed transcript of a flight to Shanghai, a snapshot of her together with a man wearing a pink-sweater. Above that, a photo of Nian Zhen kissing him. The angle of the camera cleverly made it look like they were kissing passionately, and the hand on Nian Zhen''s wrist was trying to pull her closer to him...no wonder that girl hadn''t answered any of his calls.


    Could it be orchestrated? No, that was impossible. No one could have expected this kind of scenario to happen. But who would shoot this photo? Wang Xiong would only let the most elites of Beijing enter the back entrance of his vi.


    Lu Shen frowned.


    A socialite having a grudge on the two of them?


    A businesspetitor?


    The one who shot this was clearly an expert, and the camera that was used was certainly first-rate...then, that female reporter?


    Lu Shen couldn''t think of anyone else that could have done it. But Du Peng had already traced the source of this picture, and it pointed to a hacker in Beijing...why would that female reporter go so far as to post this? She didn''t have anything to gain since it was done anonymously.


    But if that female reporter were to be rewarded after doing this...


    Then this could only mean that there was someone behind all of this, someone who would benefit from the scandal.


    But who could it be?


    Suddenly, Lu Shen stiffened. He knew exactly one person that could benefit from all of this.


    Someone who didn''t deny that she hated him, someone who agreed to break the engagement with his parents as soon as that scandalous photo was leaked.


    Lu Shen''s fingers twitched, and he felt as if his heart was being twisted, tightened, and squeezed inside his chest.


    She hated him to this extent? This was even more painful than the jealousy that suffocated him, more terrifying than the enemy threatening him in the dark.


    That person in his memories, the one who threw a sardine at his face, the girl who taught him how to sweep, were they all a lie?


    No, he mustn''t jump to conclusions.


    Lu Shen strangled the fierce tide of feelings that welled up within him.


    Maybe there were no connections between them. She was a very private person, and as far as he knew, her only friends were her old ssmates...


    Lu Shen didn''t want to know, but he had to know. He had to prove this seed of doubt inside his head to be wrong. His fingers flew over the keyboard, and soon he was looking at the ss yearbook of a certain university...


    Hui Yin...Luo Lan.


    They knew each other.


    Lu Shen stared at the smiling photos of the two women, his features hard and rigid. The light in his eyes dimmed.


    She...


    Theptop was mmed closed, the screen cracking from the force. Therge projection behind him turned ck, engulfing the room in thick, oppressive darkness. Lu Shen gripped the edges of the table, his face pale, his breathing shallow.


    A faint tremor shook his body, as various spections flooded his mind.


    He felt that he was back to that time when he didn''t know where he was, and who he was. A stifling sense of helplessness, his life spiralling out his control. That girl had held him steady at the center of that vortex, and helped him get back to his feet.


    No, she couldn''t have deliberately done this. There must be another reason.


    Perhaps that Luo Lan had only took the photo and didn''t mean to post it. Maybe she shared it with Xiao Yin to warn her that her fianc¨¦ was cheating, and in a fit of anger, that girl had decided to post it online to get back at him.


    Lu Shen gave a sigh of relief.


    Yes...that must be it. Any girl seeing her betrothed cheating on her would do as she did. Maybe she disliked him, but she didn''t hate him to the point that she would n such an insidious attack...he still had a chance.


    Lu Shen was always a calm and logical person. Although his emotions gripped him like a vise, making him want to drag her back to his side regardless of what she felt or thought, he knew that it wasn''t a long-term solution. That girl was too stubborn, and she would find a way to escape him sooner orter. No, he needed to think about this more carefully.


    He needed to ensure that she could never run away...and leave him again.

 Chapter 114 Mao Ye, You Traitor

    Colorful lights pulsating with the beat of the music, packed bodies with sweat beading like glitter over their skin.


    At three in the morning, the people enjoying the nightclubs of Shanghai were still brimming with energy.


    Liu Jun hid a smile as he looked at the drunk girl dancing in the middle of the dance floor, her ck hair stered across her forehead.


    Her eyes shone with exhration, her body moving in a sinuous harmony with the music.


    Liu Junughed when she did a dance off with a female foreigner, unabashedly waving her arms as the music switched to a more amorous song. She swung her head aggressively, and nearly whipped the face of the person next to her.


    "Go, Mao Ye!" shouted Liu Jun, clutching his stomach as he dissolved into a fit ofughter.


    Then he abruptly became sober when a man moved subtly behind her, his hands already reaching for her hips.


    "Hey!" Abandoning his bottle of beer that he had yet to drink, Liu Jun hopped off the bar stool and went forward to block him.


    But before he could, the man had already disappeared.


    Liu Jun frowned. He searched the crowd, and saw a glimpse of the man that was about to take advantage of Mao Ye. He was being escorted by two burly men, his elbows locked on each side to prevent him from escaping.


    This scene had already happened for the fifth time, enough to make Liu Jun feel ufortable. He found that every time someone of the opposite gender got close to Mao Ye, a pair of burly men would immediately remove him.


    If he didn''t know any better, he would have thought that these men were Mao Ye''s bodyguards.


    But Liu Jun quickly returned his attention back to Mao Ye. She was a beautiful girl, especially with her being so vulnerable like this. Most of the men eyeing her on this nightclub had known beforehand that the two of them came together, but five men still had the guts to ignore this unspoken rule and aim for Mao Ye.


    Liu Jun picked up the beer that he left on the bar and gazed contemtively at Mao Ye.


    Silky and long ck hair, sparkling eyes, red lips, and skin as smooth as jade. She even had the ideal height and weight most Asian women in the 21st century dreamed of, which Liu Jun found out only after he helped her shop for some appropriate dance wear. There were a lot of women who could acquire that kind of beauty through stic surgery, but Mao Ye had obtained it so easily.


    Liu Junughed again.


    Which was why it was such a pity that this kind of ideal Oriental beauty was currently dancing like a lunatic.


    "Mao Ye, like this!"


    He walked in front of her and tried to grab her arms, but she shook him off and continued her version of imitating a traffic enforcer. As the music changed, she did some robotic dance moves, yet only seeded on appearing like she was having a seizure instead.


    Liu Jun gave up.


    Just as he was about to return from his position of observing her from the bar, Hui Yin suddenly grabbed his clothes and shouted loudly, "LIU JUN!"


    Like a pebble being dropped into a stillke, the name spread like wildfire inside the nightclub.


    "Did she say...Liu Jun?"


    "Is that guy Liu Jun?"


    "OMG, it is! Look at the silver hair!"


    "LIU JUN!"


    "LIU JUN''S HERE!"


    "LIU JUN, SING US A SONG!"


    And as the fans that were present in the nightclub congregated around them, their chants began to get louder and louder, drowning out the music.


    "SING!"


    "SING!"


    "LIU JUN, SING US A SONG!"


    Liu Jun gulped as his fans drove him into a corner. He shot Hui Yin a re, but she only responded to him with a drunken smile. At any other time he would have found it cute, but right now it just added to his annoyance.


    "Mao Ye, you..."


    Before he could finish his sentence, he heard his name being called out. Liu Jun nced at the DJ booth, and the man there waved at him to cover over.


    "Shit." Liu Jun took off his mask, and the screams grew louder. The crowd paved a path for him, and the DJ gave him a microphone. Left with no choice, he began to sing one of his more popr pop songs.


    Mao Ye, you traitor. I''ll get back at you for this.


    Unaware that her friend, the former Lao Hao Ren, had gone over to the dark side, the giggling Hui Yin continued dancing like a beheaded chicken.

 Chapter 115 Why Does It Look So Familiar?

    While Hui Yin was enjoying her time in Shanghai, the shocking scandal she had intentionally left behind her was still being discussed at a frenzied pace in Beijing.


    Nian Zhen had temporarily went into hiding in her family''s vacation house, as the words ''slut'', ''mistress'', and ''green tea bitch'' [1] bombarded her Weibo.


    Although the photo had already been taken down, and her family had hired an expert PR to do some damage control, there was no stopping the mes being fanned by the public.


    If this scandal had been about a normal famous actress, perhaps the gossip would have died down after a week or two. But this was about the Great Dragon King! The CEO and Chairman of the Lu Corporation, who was so low-key he had been hiding out of the public''s eye for several years. And the other star of this little tryst was Nian Zhen, the beautiful and upstanding daughter of the Nians!


    How could they not be excited?


    This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to discuss these two people ''blessed by the heavens''!


    Netizens especially took delight in the fact that they could alsomit human-like mistakes. There was even an expression that became recently popr in China, such as the phrase used by men who had been caught cheating with other women: "Forgive me, my wife, but the Great Dragon King did it too!"


    While females who were found out to be coveting idols or males that were out of their league could be insulted by the epithet, "Who do you think you are, Nian Zhen?"


    It was certainly a new age for inte ngs in China.


    ...


    Jiang''s family home.


    Jiang Xu, who had been peacefully eating breakfast with his family at the dining table, abruptly spat out his drink. He looked wide-eyed at the front cover of the newspaper that his father was reading.


    That ck dress...why does it look so familiar? Isn''t that the one Wifey wore when I picked her up at Wang Yong''s?


    Little Wuji looked down at the bowl of soup that now contained a trace of his older brother''s saliva and gingerly pushed it towards Baby Shang.


    Jiang Xu grabbed the newspaper.


    "Oy!"


    Jiang Heng looked at his son, who was now poring over the newspaper as if his life depended on it. Where did this newfound energye from? Just minutes ago, he had almost been nodding off to sleep while eating breakfast!


    But Jiang Xu had long since stopped paying attention to his father. It was indeed Wifey! Wifey''s corrupt fianc¨¦...was the Great Dragon King?


    Was this why she told him that they were going to break up soon? Did she saw him kissing that...Jiang Xu scratched his head, but he really couldn''t remember the name of the other party. Anyway, Wifey must have been hurt badly by her fianc¨¦''s betrayal!


    Jiang Xu remembered his Wifey sitting alone by the sidewalk, looking lonely as she waited for him. His heart ached for her.


    He had to call his Wifey!


    Leaving his breakfast half-finished, Jiang Xu jumped up and ran to his room. Madam Jiang nearly bolted from her seat to try and take a photo of this momentous asion again, but she looked at the huge portrait that was visible from the living room and patted her heart reassuringly.


    It''s fine, it''s fine, you already have a memento. You can''t be too greedy.


    Little Wuji frowned as he observed the odd behavior of his older brother. He knew that the only one who could make him move like that was his Wifey.


    He picked up the newspaper that Jiang Xu had abandoned, smoothing out the creases. Although Little Wuji hadn''t seen the dress his Wifey was wearing, and the face of the woman on the picture was blurred, how could that little trick deceive Little Wuji''s discerning eyes?


    He only took one nce at the pixted features and recognized her immediately.


    Wifey?


    Then he noticed that there was a man standing by his Wifey''s side. His arm was around her waist, and he was holding her possessively.


    Little Wuji stared at the man''s face. In a split-second, his cute baby-like face vanished, transformed into a ckhole that could even devour an entire civilization. Light vanished, swallowed into a vortex of killing intent.


    In his four-year old childish voice, he said coldly, "Who is this lump of feces?"


    Baby Shang, in the middle of happily slurping the free soup his twin brother gave him, choked.


    Brother, do you have to use that particr word choice?


    I''m still eating!


    [1] Green tea bitch: ambitious woman who pretends to be innocent.

 Chapter 116 You Evil Capitalists!

    The sky was still dark when two people stumbled out of a nightclub, the man supporting the girl as she drunkenly sang the lyrics of his song into the quiet streets.


    "Waking up, it''s time to go, I wonder why, I don''t close the door. Walk out, you know you can do better, when you don''t have her anymore..."


    Hui Yin giggled, and in another loud voice she yelled, "LIU JUN!"


    He pped a hand on her mouth, cursing her violently inside his head. He had barely managed to escape from his fans, and yet this girl was putting him in danger again.


    "Shhh! Mao Ye, shhh!


    "...owie, that hurts my feelings."


    "Owie, your ass! You''ve hurt my feelings several times already!"


    The two of them walked along the sidewalk as Liu Jun waited for his manager to pick them up. Hui Yin was practically walking horizontally, and he had to grab her arm to hold her up.


    "Why are you such a lightweight? You only drank one ss."


    Hui Yin grabbed his hair, and Liu Jun yelled in pain.


    "Ow, ow, ow! Mao Ye, let go!"


    "Liu Jun, I have something to tell you. A secret."


    Liu Jun finally removed her ws from his head and red at her. He was the most popr singer in the industry! And yet he was being bullied by a girl that was half his weight. If his fans learned of this, Liu Jun would have nowhere to save his face.


    "What?" he groused.


    "I..." Hui Yin giggled. "I came from the future."


    He rolled his eyes. "I''m sure you do. Did the robots finally invade us?"


    "No, not...not that far. Liu Jun, you''re really funny!"


    "Mao Ye, believe me, you''re much funnier."


    Hui Yin abruptly stopped and red at a nearby trash can.


    It''s mouth was open wide, leering at her.


    How dare he!


    Such a pervert!


    Hui Yin kicked it.


    "Mao Ye, what are you doing? Stop that!"


    "It was leering at me with its mouth! It wanted to eat my tofu!"


    "No one wants to eat your tofu! That ''mouth'' you''re describing is only the opening where people put in the trash. Ahhhh....I''m regretting this stupid decision so much."


    Liu Jun covered his face, peering through the gap between his syed fingers at Hui Yin, who was standing in front of the trash can with crossed arms.


    Hui Yin didn''t believe Liu Jun. Men! They certainly know how to cover up for each other. Well, she knew the truth. Oh yes.


    She was not letting this trashcan get away with it!


    "Mao Ye..."


    A car stopped beside them, and Liu Jun nearly prostrated himself with overwhelming gratitude as the car window rolled down and he saw the face of his manager.


    Such a beautiful face! Such beautiful muscles! How could he have taken for granted this manager of his? Look at that wonderful beard! It put all other beards to shame.


    "Ma...na...ger~"


    Liu Jun wrapped his arms around the car and sobbed quietly.


    He was saved! He was going to a different country tomorrow!


    Liu Jun''s manager was speechless at this disturbing sight. Since when did his artiste be so weing like this? And behind him...wasn''t that his friend? Why was she looking so severely at a trashcan?


    "Get in."


    Liu Jun''s manager decided that he didn''t want to ask.


    Hui Yinid down on the back, while Liu Jun sat on the passenger seat. He was having a conversation with his manager about the sudden change in the schedule of his concert.


    "6 AM? My flight was changed to 6 AM? Wasn''t it supposed to be just after lunchtime?"


    "Yes, I have no idea why thepany changed your flight schedule all of a sudden. Maybe something came up. Also, Liu Jun, about your concert..."


    "What?" Liu Jun said sharply. "What about my concert?"


    "I know you said that yourst stop was Mysia and you were going to take a vacation after that, but the higher ups decided to expand your concert tour a little bit since you were so well-received at Shanghai."


    "What!"


    Liu Jun cried tears of blood.


    His dreams of soaking himself in a hot spring, sleeping all day, and doing a movie marathon were all shattered, their jagged edges piercing his heart. My long awaited vacation...Liu Jun bit his little handkerchief and wept bitterly.


    "Where will my next concert be then?"


    His manager hesitated, not wanting to deliver thest killing blow to his artiste. After thinking for a while, he said carefully, "After Mysia, you were assigned to go to Madagascar, Egypt, Hawaii, the Hindu Kush region, and then the Himyas..."


    "Do I even have fans in the Himyas?!"


    Liu Jun threw away his handkerchief and gaped at his manager in shock.


    Concert tour? Was this even a concert tour?


    Why did he feel like they were simply banishing him?


    Oh, you evil capitalists! What did I even do to you!


    Liu Jun dropped his head to his arms and grieved mournfully. Hui Yin, who finally realized that her friend was having some problems, sat up on the backseat and patted him on the head.


    "There, there. Don''t be so guilty because you sided with that trashcan. I fully understand."


    "..."


    Liu Jun abruptly stopped sobbing. He felt that things weren''t as bad as he imagined it to be.


    Looking on the bright side of things, at least there was no ''Mao Ye'' in the Himyas!

 Chapter 117 Teachings Of Confucius

    After Hui Yin got back to her hotel, she immediately fell into a deep slumber.


    She had nned to apany Liu Jun at the airport, but it was already past seven in the morning when she woke up. Her phone was ringing on her bedside table, and Hui Yin sleepily pressed it against her ear.


    "Hello?"


    "Wifey!" Jiang Xu''s voice was full of worry. "You OK?"


    Since he didn''t bother to exin, Hui Yin thought that he was referring to her raspy voice.


    "Ahhh, I''m fine. I''m not sick. I just got drunkst night..."


    Jiang Xu actually wanted to ask her if she was still feeling hurt from her fianc¨¦''s betrayal, but her words took away everything that was on his mind.


    "Wifey! You got...drunk?"


    He was aghast. She was in Shanghai, a different city where she didn''t know anyone. What if someone wanted to take advantage of her? He couldn''t protect her there!


    "Mmm." Hui Yin was already sinking back to dreand. "Don''t worry, I had someone with me."


    "Someone? Who?"


    "Liu..." Hui Yin yawned, grabbing a pillow close to her and covering her head. "Liu Jun."


    "Liu Jun?"


    On the other end of the line, Jiang Xu frowned. Why did that name sound so familiar? He knew he heard it somewhere before...


    "Ah, I''m going back to sleep. I''ll call youter."


    Hui Yin hung up. Her head was aching, and she felt like there was someone using her head as a drum. The filming wasn''t going to start until tomorrow, so she could sleep the whole day.


    Ah, what bliss...


    The phone rang again.


    This time, Hui Yin''s patience broke. Doesn''t Jiang Xu know the proverb ''silence is the true friend that never betrays''? Right now, I need that friend okay!


    Before he could even speak a word, Hui Yin barked at the phone, "Jiang Xu, remember the teachings of Confucius!"


    "..."


    Hui Yin harrumphed. Finally, that useless bum shut up. She could finally go back to sleep.


    But the next words that came out of the phone chilled her to the bone.


    "Then, Xiao Yin, shall I teach you a teaching of Confucius? ''Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles''. We''ve only just broken up, and yet you''ve already found yourself two men."


    Hui Yin bolted upright, and looked disbelievingly at the caller ID. Why didn''t she check the name of the caller before she carelessly answered her phone?!


    But since she had already answered it, then fine. She lifted her chin. I''m feeling foul, you''re feeling foul, we''ll just be foul with each other then.


    "Faithfulness? Lu Shen, don''t you feel any shame by saying those words?"


    "Xiao Yin, I didn''t kiss her. She kissed me."


    Hui Yin snorted.


    "So what? I bet you still enjoyed it."


    She heard his sharp intake of breath, and when he next spoke again, his voice was frigid.


    "Can''t you even give me an iota of your trust?"


    Hui Yin leaned against the headboard, massaging her temples. Her head was aching, and she really didn''t want to fight with him right now. She simply wanted to go back to sleep.


    "No. You don''t deserve it."


    She had given it to him long ago. And she only ended up getting stabbed on the back.


    The silence stretched thinner and thinner between them, until it was broken by his faintugh.


    "Xiao Yin, you''re really cruel to me."


    On another city, Lu Shen stared unseeingly at the city below him, his phone tightly gripped on one hand. He had not slept a winkst night, fully immersed on the video Du Peng sent him. That singer''s hands on hers, those men that dared to make a move on her, the happiness that lit up her expression now that they weren''t together...


    He had seen everything.


    And how badly...how badly he wanted to kill them all, break her wings, and chain her by his side. Leave his mark all over her body, so that no one could doubt that she was his. Bury himself so deep inside her that she would no longer be able to think of any man except for him.


    His thoughts, dark and explosive, made him falter. How bad was it to have this desire? He knew it was wrong. Her smile on the video when she wasn''t with him made him feel a stifling sense of helplessness and pain, but it was also beautiful.


    Did he have to break that to have her?


    Lu Shen didn''t want to. As long as she came back to him of her own free will, then they could be happy together. He''d already taken measures to bring her to his side, but what if...what if she still wanted to leave him? This lingering sense of doubt made his agitation increase.


    Thinking of this, his brow grew knit and gloomy. Lu Shen turned back to the phone in his hand as Hui Yin replied to him.


    "Lu Shen, you said I''m being cruel...but believe me, I can never be as cruel as you. Please just leave me alone."


    The phone clicked, signalling that she had hung up.


    Lu Shen lowered the phone, gazing at the raindrops that was now leaving its wet tracks on the ss windowpane. Thunder rumbled from above, and the darkening sky threw dim shadows over his lone figure.


    He stood there, clutching the phone, with everything within his reach except for the girl at the other end of the line.

 Chapter 118 Enemies Do Mee

    The next day, Hui Yin got up feeling healthy and energetic. She had purged all of the alcohol from her system, and decided that she didn''t want to drink anymore in the future.


    She got a call from Sister Su just after she woke up, telling her of the contract she needed to sign.


    "The director sent me a copy of it, and I already validated that it only requires you tomit to a number of years of employment if this TV show was picked up for multiple seasons. There''ll be ten hours of filming per day, and there are no exclusivity provisions that can prevent you from appearing in other productions during the shooting. It''s safe to sign."


    The image of her manager rose even taller in Hui Yin''s mind. As expected of Sister Su, she''s so capable!


    She even sent Hui Yin a precise timetable schedule, so that she could take a break once in a while during the filming process and even take time to practice her script and dancing.


    Hui Yin felt that Sister Su was not only her manager, but her life coach as well.


    Hui Yin followed the directions in her phone as she searched for the apartment the director told her about. The crew and the other actresses were already in Shanghai as well, and the director sent the address to Hui Yin early that morning.


    When she finally arrived at the location, Hui Yin was more than a bit surprised. She even checked a few times with the locals to ask if she was indeed at the right ce. When they confirmed that it was indeed the one she had been searching for, Hui Yin felt like she had been duped.


    What ''tiny apartment building''? Were they trying to be humble when they described it to her? Or were they blind?


    This apartment was obviously huge!


    There was a bush of puzzlegrass standing trimly on each side of the polished wooden gate, and the apartment itself was designed like a bachelor''s pad with its incorporated rustic elements, geometric ents, and edgy design.


    When Hui Yin lightly pushed open the door, she saw that they were already gathered at the living room, sitting in separate lounge chairs. Hui Yin spotted the director, and the six actresses surrounding him. She hadn''t met any of them yet, including her ''bestfriend'' on the show, Chen Lin.


    "Ah, there''s our Gao Mei!"


    Director Peng smiled when he saw Hui Yin making her way towards him. His warm demeanor slightly surprised her, but she realized that he was just as warm to the rest of the other actresses when he introduced them to her one by one.


    "That''s Yu Qiang, she''s the one who''s going to y ''Chen Lin''."


    A petite girl with brown shoulder-length hair and a wispy fringe smiled and nodded slightly at her. Hui Yin returned the gesture. It was unexpected that the bossy ''Chen Lin'' was such a cute girl.


    "That''s An Chu Hua, she''s ''Yoon Peizhi''."


    "Geng Niu, acting as ''Dai Wan''."


    "Bao Bai, ying the role of ''Cheung Annchi''."


    "Tan Na, she''s going to be ''Tang Xia''."


    "And..."


    Hui Yin met the eyes of thest girl, and her eyebrows raised when she realized that it was someone she knew. Ha, what were the odds? It was true that enemies do meet in a narrow road.


    "That''s Guo Liqin, she''s ''Shi Xiaoli''." [1]


    Hui Yin''s lips curved as the actress jerkily nodded to her. She nodded back as well, not bothered in the least with the notion that she was going to work together with an enemy. If she was being honest with herself, Hui Yin felt that everything became rather fun after she saw Guo Liqin.


    Wasn''t she always making fun of Hui Yin for being a D-list actress and the ''trash'' of CY?


    Well, let the two of thempete using their acting skills. Hui Yin was determined to overshadow Guo Liqin for the entirety of the show, and see if this little pompous actress have the ability to corroborate her words. If not, then it would really be a pity, because this would mean that Guo Liqin was even lower than the ''trash'' she had insulted.


    Director Peng was pleased at seeing the actresses interact well with each other. They were going to be housemates and co-actors from now on, so it was better to foster good camaraderie between them.


    "Hui Yin, you haven''t signed the contract yet, right? Here."


    Hui Yin''s jaw dropped when she saw the thick sheaf of papers Director Peng handed over. What the heck, Sister Su read all of this?!


    Hui Yin casually flipped through it, and saw that the page number reached up to three hundred. Was that even possible for a mere actor employment contract? Do they need to be so detailed?


    Since she couldn''t read it all, Hui Yin decided to read the first few pages, the ones in the middle, and thest ten pages. Everything seemed to be as Sister Su had said. The usual offer and eptance, mutual obligation and consent, sry fee, so on and so forth.


    Hui Yin epted the pen Director Peng had offered and signed her name.


    "Since everything''s settled, you girls can go now and pick your room. Their sizes are all uniform, so you don''t have to fight with each other. After you''re done arranging your things, you can just use the rest of today to get to know each other and rx. We moved the filming for tomorrow."


    The seven of them nodded.


    [1] Guo Liqin''s first appearance was at Chapter 21.

 Chapter 119 Meaning In Romance

    Hui Yin ended up with the room being closest to ''Chen Lin'', so the two of them chatted with each other after they finished decorating their rooms.


    Hui Yin was surprised when she saw that Yu Qiang''s room was adorned with one dominant theme: roses.


    Her bedsheets and pillows were embroidered with roses, her desk had a vase of roses, and Yu Qiang even had a wreath of roses hung up on her bedroom wall. Hui Yin chuckled when she realized that her shoes also had a rose glued on each of their toe caps.


    "Is this because of your name?" she asked, since ''Qiang'' meant ''rose''.


    Yu Qiangughed, waving her arm in embarrassment.


    "No, that''s a coincidence. I just love the look of roses, and their scent. I used to nt them everywhere at home. Do you want to have a potpourri? I have dozens of rose petal sachets with me."


    Hui Yin didn''t stand on ceremony and epted one from her with a sincere ''thank you''. She was d that Yu Qiang was easy to be with. As much as she delighted in the fact that Guo Liqin was here for her to torment, ''Chen Lin'' and ''Gao Mei'' were best friends after all.


    No matter how good their acting skills, if they weren''t cordial to one another behind the scenes, then it could really affect their performance.


    Hui Yin spotted an open notebook by her desk, and a cut out of what looked like a picture from a newspaper. She was stunned to see that it was the couple photo of her and Lu Shen.


    "This..."


    Yu Qiang blushed, hastily closing the notebook. Her cute face was beet red, the same color as the red roses that filled every inch of her room.


    "D¡ªDon''t misunderstand!" she stammered, pping her hands at Hui Yin. "I was just interested in the ''ck Rose'' dress that CEO Lu''s fianc¨¦e was wearing. I don''t...I don''t have a crush on him or anything like that."


    Hui Yin giggled, thinking that Yu Qiang''s personality was as far from ''Chen Lin'' as it could be. Well, she herself was not a timid ''Gao Mei'' anyway. It made her feel pleased that the two of them were so alike.


    And as for Yu Qiang''s little crush towards Lu Shen? She felt that it was none of her business. Hui Yin knew the lethal effect of Lu Shen''s looks on girls, and their screams of adtion was practically the background music of his day-to-day life.


    "''ck Rose'' dress?" she asked. "Is that the name of the dress his fianc¨¦e was wearing?"


    Hui Yin couldn''t say ''ex-fianc¨¦e'' because as for now, the fact that the engagement was broken had not yet been publicized.


    Yu Qiang nodded vigorously. "I saw it being broadcasted at a runway show on TV. Did you know that it was so expensive they didn''t even name a price? I don''t know who CEO Lu''s fianc¨¦e is, but I''m betting she can''t be that rich. It''s obvious that ''ck Rose'' was given to her by CEO Lu!"


    You''re right, Hui Yin thought, rubbing her nose. His fianc¨¦e wasn''t rich. In fact, she''s terribly poor. She''s standing right in front of you wearing a pair of fifty percent discount jeans.


    "What does it matter if that dress was given to her by CEO Lu?"


    "Don''t..." Yu Qiang looked confused. "Don''t you find it romantic?"


    "What''s so romantic about it?"


    If Lu Shen had given her some pension, then Hui Yin would have found it romantic. It could feed her stomach long after they stopped seeing each other. That ck dress, on the other hand, wasn''t worth squat. Hui Yin returned it back to the closet in the vi, together with the other untouched clothes Lu Shen had given her.


    Yu Qiang frowned, looking at Hui Yin with disapproval.


    "Don''t you know what ck roses symbolize in romance?"


    Hui Yin thought for a moment. "Death?"


    Surprised, Yu Qiangughed.


    "Well, I guess the ck color does remind you a little bit of death. They say ck roses signify hatred, or the ending of a rtionship, but that''s not what the designer had in mind when he introduced ''ck Rose'' on the runway. He said that it had another meaning in romance, one that was not as well-known."


    Yu Qiang grinned impishly at Hui Yin.


    "He said his ''ck Rose'' means obsession!"


    Hui Yin choked.


    And you call that ''romantic''?!

 Chapter 120 Sow Discord

    Yu Qiang led Hui Yin to the dance studio, where the other girls had already gathered.


    Although Director Peng told them to rest, they came to Shanghai for work and so would not waste this temporary respite granted to them.


    "Gao Mei and Chen Lin, right?" One of the girls paused their warm up when the two of them entered. Hui Yin recognized her as the actress ying the role of Cheung Annchi, Bao Bai.


    Bao Bai was a tall girl with a slim and athletic figure. Her long hair was tied up in a high ponytail, and Hui Yin had already pegged her as one of the most talented dancers in the group. She was gulping from her water bottle as she shook hands with her and Yu Qiang.


    "It''s good that you two have be friends." Bao Bai nodded her head in approval. "Your friendship will support the whole show since most of the story would revolve around you both. It''s better if you two interact more from now on."


    After Bao Bai had left, Yu Qiang leaned over and whispered on Hui Yin''s ear: "Tell me, is she Chen Lin or am I?"


    "You''re having an identity crisis already?"


    Yu Qiang wrinkled her nose as Hui Yinughed. They took up their ces among the girls, and Guo Liqin shot Hui Yin a dirty look when they passed her by.


    "Ah, no wonder the dance studio stank all of a sudden," she said loudly, making the other girls turn towards her. "It''s because there''s trash in here."


    Guo Liqin sneered, looking with ridicule at Hui Yin. She had been feeling annoyed that she took up a project along with this D-list actress. She was not supposed to be a part of the cast, but her manager had found out that there was a wealthy sponsor behind the show.


    Guo Liqin reced the girl who was going to be Shi Xiaoli at thest minute, thus she had not known that the trash of CY was going to be her co-star.


    "Trash?" The girl next to Guo Liqin, An Chu Hua, looked nk. "There''s trash in the dance studio?"


    "Can''t you smell it?" Guo Liqin made an expression of mock surprise. "It''s standing just a few feet behind you."


    Hui Yin rolled her eyes. It didn''t surprise her that Guo Liqin was stupid. Being a crony of Wu Chuntao, what could she expect? She didn''t even have to say anything as Guo Liqin was digging her own grave.


    Yu Qiang stiffened. "Are you talking about Hui Yin?"


    Guo Liqin shrugged. "I''m amazed that you can stand next to her and not cover your nose."


    Yu Qiang''s face contorted, and her hands balled into fists. "You!"


    "That''s not very nice." This time, it was Bao Bai who spoke up. "Why are you trying to sow discord when we need to be united as a group? Do you think you''re acting alone?"


    "It''s because I know I''m not acting alone that''s why I pointed it out," Guo Liqin said, adopting an earnest expression. "Don''t you know that this ''Gao Mei'' flouncing in front of you is the bottom-feeder in our agency? She''ll only ruin the show."


    Suddenly, Hui Yin gasped. She stared wide-eyed at the back of Guo Liqin''s cut-off denim shorts in shock. Her cheeks were flushed as she turned her head away, looking embarrassed.


    "You...there''s a huge red stain..."


    Guo Liqin paled. She quickly turned around to look at her rear end on the floor-to-ceiling mirror of the dance studio, but her shorts were spotless, with no hint of the red stain Hui Yin had pointed out.


    Guo Liqin raised her gaze and locked eyes with Hui Yin''s reflection. The other girl was smiling, a teasing look in her eyes.


    "Bottom-feeder? Then why did an experienced actress such as yourself got fooled by the trashy acting skills of an amateur one?" Hui Yin paused. "Oh, and the red stain I was talking about was this."


    Hui Yin walked forward and yfully poked Guo Liqin''s cheek. "You''re blushing too much, Shi Xiaoli. I never once mentioned your shorts, did I?"


    Yu Qiangughed.


    The other girls also cracked a smile, even Bao Bai. Done with dissolving the doubts the girls might have about her acting ability, Hui Yin went back to her position and stretched.


    She was here topete with Guo Liqin on acting, not on sharpening her tongue.

 Chapter 121 Steps And Stairs

    "1, 2, 3, 4..."


    At the first beat of the music, Hui Yin raised her head and slid sideways as the other girls did the same, going to their designated spot in the formation.


    Yu Qiang took up the center position with Hui Yin standing on her right, and Bao Bai to her left. They each struck their poses, Hui Yin shyly blowing a kiss at the camera.


    As the intro of the song ended, all of them turned around and stood in a line, with Yu Qiang at the very back.


    ''We both fell in love


    And then we fell apart


    Failing to let go


    And not moving on¡ª''


    Each of them alternatively stepped on either the left or right, creating a V-formation with Yu Qiang at the very center. She was lip-syncing to the lyrics, while the seven of them danced in unison.


    Hui Yin heaved a secret sigh of relief when she saw that she was following the pace of Bao Bai just fine. Because the two of them were on either side of Yu Qiang, they could easily be spotted among the crowd of girls.


    The seven of them were all wearing pink tennis skirts, and matching white shoes. Only their sweaters differed, as Yu Qiang wore a pink one while the rest of them were in white.


    ''Going back and forth


    I try to walk slowly


    So if you want to


    You could run after me''


    The song they were dancing to was called ''Stairs and Steps'', written exclusively for the show. It wasposed by a songwriter Director Peng knew, and would serve as the ''debut song'' of their C-pop girl group. Hui Yin knew nothing of music, but she thought that despite the sad lyrics, the tune was upbeat and catchy.


    Yu Qiang switched ces with Bao Bai, since it was her turn to sing the song. Their voices were already pre-recorded and edited, so all they had to do was to move their lips silently in synchronisation with the words.


    ''Climbing these stairs


    Walking these steps


    Ey, I''m stumbling


    But I''m slowly moving on¡ª''


    After Bao Bai finished singing her piece, Hui Yin moved in front of her. She swished her hips, letting her skirt re around her legs. Hui Yin did a dance shuffle in ce, sliding back and forth as her white shoes glided smoothly on the wooden floor.


    When she reached thest word of the chorus that she needed to sing, Hui Yin tilted her head and winked at the camera.


    The poor cameraman fell in love with her right then and there.


    Although Hui Yin appeared calm, she was inwardly panicking. Liu Jun''s voice echoed again and again in her mind, repeatedly saying, "You dance like a beheaded chicken."


    In reality, Hui Yin''s worries were in vain. In addition to Liu Jun''s training and her determination to improve, her dancing skills hadpletely risen up to a whole new level. It could even be said that aside from Bao Bai, she was the best dancer in the group.


    ...


    "Cut! Perfect! Take a break first, and then we''ll continue with the next scene."


    When they heard Director Peng''s shout, all of the seven girls rxed as they picked up their water bottles. Yu Qiang sat next to Hui Yin,ying her head on her shoulder.


    Hui Yin pushed her away. "You''re sweaty."


    Yu Qiang pouted, her bangs sticking to her forehead. She grabbed Hui Yin''s arm and wrung it.


    "Ah! I hate being Chen Lin. Not only do I have to exercise day and night while dieting, these nonstop dance practices are killing me. I also smell like a pig!"


    "Wipe your sweat first." Hui Yin handed her a tissue. "Well, we''re living like idols after all. It''s natural that we have to follow their average routine. And we''ve already been doing this for two weeks, so why are you onlyining just now?"


    "It''s because I couldn''t take it anymore today!"


    Hui Yin chuckled. With Yu Qiang frequently behaving like a child, she had to take on a sister-like role to bnce her.


    Bao Bai must have heard Yu Qiangining, because she walked over to them.


    "Aren''t you the group leader? You should be the one to motivate us to work harder."


    Yu Qiang crossed her arms. "Baobao, I think you''re immersing yourself in character too much. I''m not Chen Lin!"


    Bao Bai flicked her on the forehead.


    "Stop calling me Baobao. In what way do I resemble a baby? I should be the one calling you that."


    Yu Qiang crossed her arms and puffed up her chest, ready to retaliate.


    "Why don''t we eat out tonight?" Hui Yin interrupted, not wanting to see the two girls fight. They were opposite of each other''s personalities, so shes here and there couldn''t be avoided.


    "I like that idea!" An Chu Hua joined their conversation. She gestured at the girl behind her. "Guo Liqin, let''s eat dinner with them!"


    Ever since their fight two weeks ago, Guo Liqin had stopped bothering Hui Yin. This was mostly because she realized how good the other girl was at acting after watching a couple of her scenes.


    In the show, Gao Mei was frequently bullied in her school by a couple of mean girls that hated her for her looks. There were a lot ofplex emotions that needed to be depicted on those scenes, but Hui Yin pulled it off perfectly. Even Guo Liqin couldn''t say for certain if she could do the same.


    Since she was unable to prove her acting skills to be superior, she decided to stop hassling Hui Yin in the meantime.

 Chapter 122 Being Still Alive

    Guo Liqin looked away when she heard An Chu Hua''s invitation.


    "You guys go. I''m just going to order take-out."


    Hui Yin watched her walk away. Somehow she could feel that Guo Liqin became a little bit civil towards her these past two weeks, but she couldn''t be sure. Who knows what was going on inside that girl''s head? She might only be pretending to back off so that she could gain more momentum for her next attack.


    An Chu Hua deted. "I guess I won''t go too. I''ll join you guys next time. I can''t leave Guo Liqin here alone."


    Bao Bai also invited the other two girls, Geng Niu and Tan Na, but both of them had also politely declined. Geng Niu was going on a date with her boyfriend who was living in Shanghai, while Tan Na had to visit a family member who got sick in the hospital. Bao Bai didn''t want to sound nosy, so she didn''t ask Tan Na for more details.


    "I guess it''s just the three of us then," Yu Qiang said happily. She didn''t mind eating with others, but she enjoyed Hui Yin''spany more. And Bao Bai was tolerable enough, as long as she didn''t get too bossy.


    When Director Peng finally let them off for the day, the three girls grabbed their wallets and walked out of the apartment for the first time in thest two weeks. Director Peng had kept them busy, sometimes shooting evente into the night. Of course, since he could only keep them for ten hours, it meant that they could start outte the next day.


    Hui Yin didn''t bother to change out for her outfit, and the only addition to her apparel was the small sling bag thrown over her shoulder. Yu Qiangughed when she saw her.


    "You look like a student," she teased, nudging her with her elbow. "Should we try to pick up some high school boys tonight?"


    Bao Bai, whose expression never wavered from looking serious, stared at Yu Qiang severely. "Do you want to be used of enticing a minor?"


    "Baobao!" Yu Qiangined. "I''m just joking! Lighten up, won''t you?"


    At night, the streets of Shanghai swarmed with people, and music from different stores blended together, creating a cacophony along with the chatter of the crowd. The three of them squeezed their way into the first restaurant that they saw, but even before they could look at the menu and order, they realized that the ce was already packed.


    "Look at that!" Yu Qiang pointed her finger at a table near to them. "Gah, why are they upying a table meant for five people when there are only two of them? Do they need personal space that much?"


    Bao Bai pped her hand. "Don''t point your fingers at people. It''s rude."


    "Why are you scolding me? Scold them! They''re more rude than I am!"


    Hui Yin sighed and dragged Yu Qiang out of the restaurant before she could kick up a fuss. In the end, they found a roadside stall that sold barbecue and bean curd. The only other customer was an old man guzzling several bottles of beer.


    "This sucks!" Predictably, Yu Qiangined as soon as they sat down. "If I knew we were just going to end up eating bean curd, I would have stayed in the apartment and cooked us a sumptuous meal instead."


    "Do you even know how to cook?" Bao Bai gged down the stall owner and asked for a ss of water. "You''re probably just going to ask Gao Mei to cook for you again."


    Since it was the truth, Yu Qiang could only grimace in chagrin.


    "Baobao, can you not make me lose face every time you open your mouth?"


    Hui Yin grabbed a barbecue stick and put it in her hand.


    "Alright, alright, stop talking. Bao Bai was only telling the truth."


    Despite Yu Qiang''s endlessints, they had a good time enjoying each other''spany. After they finished eating dinner, Hui Yin gave her share of the payment to Bao Bai to give to the stall owner. Yu Qiang began another fight with Bao Bai about who had to pay for thest barbecue stick, so Hui Yin waited for them at the side of the road.


    She spotted the old man she had seen drinking beer earlier stagger out of the stall and into the road, his steps aimless and unsteady. Hui Yin noticed with rm that a city sightseeing bus was quickly heading towards him, but the old man didn''t seem to see it and was still lurching drunkenly on the road.


    Her heart jumping into her throat, Hui Yin began to run.


    "Senior!" she shouted. "Stop!"


    The old man didn''t seem to have heard her, continuing on walking towards the centralne. Hui Yin hastened her pace, imagining what would happen if the front bumper of that bus hit her body.


    "Senior!"


    She managed to grab the elder''s elbow and jerk him towards the sidewalk, barely missing the rushing bus by a hairbreadth. The memories of how she died in her past life shed in her mind, and Hui Yin''s knees weakened.


    I...nearly almost died again...


    It seemed that both Yu Qiang and Bao Bai hadn''t heard her shout, because they were still busy arguing in front of the impatient stall owner. Hui Yin pressed a hand to her forehead and giggled softly, feeling an overwhelming relief for being still alive. She copsed into a graceless heap on the ground.


    The old man looked oblivious to their near death experience, maybe because he was still drunk. He merely sat next to Hui Yin and stared at her, his rheumy eyes looking deep and unfathomable.


    After a small pause, he said, "Thank you for saving my life."

 Chapter 123 Give You A Reward

    "Senior, are you alright?"


    Recovering slightly from her shock, Hui Yin looked towards the old man. The moonlight made his head full of white hair look silver, and Hui Yin stifled the impulse to touch it. His left hand was still clutching a bottle of beer.


    He waved her concerns away. "I''m fine, I''m fine. You should worry more about yourself. You copsed so suddenly."


    Hui Yin''s knees had already stopped shaking and she wanted to stand up, but she didn''t want to leave the old man sitting by himself on the sidewalk.


    "I''m okay," she said, slightly blushing at her brief show of weakness. "I was in shock, I guess. Senior, you should really stop drinking. It''s not good for your health."


    "Don''t worry about this old man. I''ve lived enough, and if it''s my time to die, then it''s my time to die." He scrutinized her. "Girl, do you want a reward?"


    Hui Yin blinked. "Reward?"


    Then her mind caught his meaning, and Hui Yin fervently shook her head. Although she was poor, she could still afford to help an old man and not ask forpensation!


    "No, no, it''s alright, Senior doesn''t need to reward me."


    "No need to be so embarrassed, I''m just going to give you a small token of appreciation. But...ah?"


    His eyes suddenly focused on her left hand, his expression turning into one of deep shock. Hui Yin frowned and looked at her hand as well, but she could see nothing there, only her own bare skin.


    "Uh...Senior?"


    Surprising her, the old man began tough uproariously, pping his thigh and sshing the contents of his beer into the ground.


    Hui Yin looked at him weirdly. Perhaps this man had already turned senile?


    "Girl...hahaha! I was going to give you a gift, but it seems you have already received it, eh? Hahaha, what a coincidence!"


    Hui Yin inched away. She respected her elders, but she feared the crazy ones. What if he abruptly attacked her? And he was still holding a bottle of beer.


    Hui Yin had seen on the news how drunkards sometimes fight with each other by smashing beer bottles on their bodies, and the jagged pieces of ss that stabbed deep into their skin as they were rushed into the emergency room.


    What a humiliating obituary it would be, for her to have survived nearly being hit by a bus only to end up being killed by the senile drunk old man whom she had saved.


    The old man finally stoppedughing and took another swig from his bottle. The creases on his face became deeper as he nced at her with a contemtive look.


    "Hmm...but I still think that I need to give you a reward, girl. It seems that you have forgotten me, though you would remember it after a while. No helping it, I suppose. We''ll have to see each other again."


    "Senior, there''s really no need..." began Hui Yin, but he cut her off.


    "Do you think I''m ignorant? I already gave you a gift, but you''re still having some problems. Tsk, tsk. If I gave it to you, you should have been certain about that person for sure. Now, if you want a new one, you have to break the old one."


    Hui Yin stood up. She was starting to feel scared of this old man, since he looked so serious while talking nonsense.


    "You''ll recall me soon. And you''ll seek for my help. But before that, there''s no harm in a re-introduction. When we next meet, you have to call me by my name."


    Hui Yin had already backed a few steps away. "Your name, Senior?"


    She had no ns in telling him her name, but there shouldn''t be any harm in hearing his.


    The old man saluted her with his bottle.


    "Girl, just call this old man of yours Yue Lao."

 Chapter 124 That Should Be Enough

    When the three of them came back to the apartment, Director Peng was waiting for them inside the living room with a dark expression.


    "Good evening, director," Hui Yin greeted, her heart thumping in nervousness when she saw that he didn''t give her his usual customary smile.


    "Good evening, director."


    Both Bao Bai and Yu Qiang echoed her, their voices sounding just as apprehensive as hers.


    Hui Yin couldn''t pinpoint why the director was in a bad mood. Didn''t they create a perfect take earlier? So why did Director Peng look like he wanted to strangle the three of them?


    She also noticed that the rest of the actresses weren''t there, which meant that only the three of them were at fault.


    As far as Hui Yin knew, the only thing that they did different than anybody else was that they had dinner outside. But didn''t Geng Niu and Tan Na go outside as well? Why was he singling them out?


    "You girls went outside to eat dinner?"


    He didn''t wait for them to answer his question. His mouth a straight line, he continued, "Did you ask for my permission to go out?"


    Hui Yin was speechless. What was this? They need his permission to go out?


    "As long as you are under my employ, you are not to go outside without permission, regardless of whether you want to or not. I trusted you girls not to do any foolishness, and look at where it got me! For the next two weeks, you are grounded inside the apartment and are not to take a single step outside. Understood?"


    "But director..." Yu Qiang couldn''t take it anymore and spoke out.


    "It''s a simple request." His tone was harsh, and he looked at Yu Qiang with a flinty expression. "I want to finish filming the show as soon as possible, and you have already agreed to the contract of being mutually responsible for the production. Is touring Shanghai your first priority, Miss Yu?"


    "That''s not what she means." Hui Yin regarded Director Peng with frosty calm. "Director, we always do our best in acting out your instructions, and we have pushed ourselves these past two weeks to make sure we give our best to this show. Is a simple dinner outside really worth your chastisement? We are under your employ, yes, but you are not our custodian. We have the right to act freely as we see fit."


    "Miss Hui." Director Peng raised a silencing hand. "Naturally, I understand that all of you don''t like to be constrained. And as you say, I''m not your custodian. But if this project falls, will you be willing to pay for the costs, Miss Hui? And if I sued you for a breach in the contract, will you be willing to face me in court? I advise you to think carefully before you reply, Miss Hui."


    Her face stiffened, and Hui Yin opened her mouth...only to be stopped by Bao Bai, who squeezed her arm in warning.


    "Leave it be," she said softly to her. "We can afford to stay inside the apartment for two more weeks. I know it''s not fair, but are you sure you want to test his temper just because your dignity was pricked?"


    Hui Yin knew that she was right, but she still couldn''t help but feel angry at the Director Peng''s high-handedness. Did he think they were his ves to order about? If this got out to the media, who did he think will receive the worst bacsh? It was certainly not them.


    But in the end she kept her silence, not because she was afraid of Director Peng''s threat, but because she knew that if she exploded, Yu Qiang would surely follow after her. She didn''t want to drag her into this mess.


    "Director Peng, we understand," Bao Bai was saying. "We will never do it again."


    Director Peng dismissed them with an unsmiling expression, and Bao Bai dragged the two reluctant girls into their rooms.


    She had barely managed to close the door when Yu Qiang exploded, her mouth letting out a stream of creative curses that even made the angry Hui Yinugh.


    ...


    After the three girls disappeared from his sight, Director Peng''s face fell abruptly into stern lines, his conscience making his lips quiver in regret. He nced at the girl standing in the shadows, his voice heavy.


    "Tan Na, that should be enough for you, right?"


    Augh full of jovial mirth answered him, and a girl with wavy brown hair stepped into the light. There was a kind of insidious air surrounding her, making him feel an inexplicable sense of difort.


    "It was so-so, Director Peng. I''m surprised they didn''t see how many times you''ve wiped your sweaty palms on the hem of your shirt."


    Director Peng swallowed. Nothing truly escaped this girl''s eyes. He was afraid that even the number of times he blinked for the past hour had been counted.


    Tan Naughed again. She lingered for a few leisurely seconds, enjoying the sight of the director being ill at ease in her presence.


    During the day he could pretend to boss her around, but it was Tan Na who truly dictated their rtionship. After all, Director Peng had been entrusted to her. She had the final say on everything rted to him and this little TV series.


    Finally, Tan Na left. She opened the front door and walked towards the yard where a nondescript ck car waited for her on the sidewalk. Once she slid in into the car, it pulled away and sped into the highway.

 Chapter 125 Tan Na

    Tan Na pulled off her wig and her contacts, making a face at the thin man sitting beside her on the backseat.


    "Why are you looking at me as if your favorite anime show has been suspended?"


    Error red at her through the lenses of his thick eyesses. He spun hisptop around, making her face the disy screen.


    "You know exactly why."


    There was a video ying on hisptop, showing a girl rushing towards an old man about to be hit by a two-decker bus. Fortunately, she managed to pull him to safety in time, and both her and the old man were still alive.


    "The guards were too far away to stop her, and it was only due to luck that Miss Hui isn''t lying on a morgue right now. If she managed to die under our watch, do you think even a thousand of our lives would be enough to appease the boss? Silver, I thought I told you not to let her out of that apartment!"


    "What do you want me to do?" Silver, who was Tan Na in disguise, retorted at Error. "Do you think I could offer her a reasonable exnation that would stop her from having a simple dinner outside? Should I say to her ''Excuse me, Miss Hui, but can you not step outside the apartment because if you even get so much as a tiny scrape on your knee, our heads will roll''?"


    "You should have followed her then! You''re an informant, yet you couldn''t even stay close to the target?"


    "I already have a capable junior who''s close to her! Do you think I''m dumb enough not to put one of my trusted aides by her side?"


    Silver crossed her legs and huffed. It was not only Error, she too was feeling stressed out. Infiltrating a drug cartel was less nerve-racking than this.


    "Oh?" Finally, Error''s panicky look calmed down. "You did? Tell me her username, I''ll give her a video call. I want to know exactly why she didn''t stop Miss Hui from nearlymitting suicide at a point nk range."


    Silver''s expression darkened at his words, but she didn''t argue. She was also curious as to why this junior of hers hadn''t stopped Miss Hui. If she wasn''t afraid of arousing any suspicion, she would have immediately confronted her after that useless director had scolded them.


    Soon, the face of her junior appeared on the screen of Error''sptop. She looked like she was inside a bathroom, and they could hear the loud sound of running water in the background. Silver nodded her head in approval. It seemed that this junior of hers had remembered her lessons well.


    "Teacher?" The girl nced first at Silver, and then at Error. "You called for me?"


    "Why didn''t you stop Miss Hui?" Error didn''t wait for Silver to exin and dived right into the crux of the problem. He had no patience for stupid formalities. "Didn''t Silver tell you to protect Miss Hui at all costs? Are you just there for decoration?"


    Error didn''t mince his words. He was usually aid-back guy, but this was a mission that put his life on the line. Any mistakes on a colleague''s part could very well spell his doom. He didn''t want to waste niceties on a girl who didn''t even do her job right.


    Silver''s mouth twitched, but she didn''t interfere. It was Error''s right to be mad at her junior''s mistake.


    "That..." The girl looked down, hiding her expression. "I got distracted. I didn''t realize what had happened in time. Teacher, please forgive me for my negligence. I didn''t mean to do it."


    "Besides..." She hesitated for a split-second before quickly adding, "Aren''t you overestimating her importance to CEO Lu too much? She''s just an ex-fianc¨¦e!"


    Both Silver and Error looked at her like she was an idiot.


    "So this is your trusted and ''capable junior''," Errormented sarcastically to Silver. "Someone who didn''t even know what''s at stake."


    Silver blushed. She knew that he was right, and she was starting to feel irritated at the girl as well. But she couldn''t help feeling defensive at Error''s remark, since the girl was still her junior.


    "It''s because she didn''t have the necessary information. If she had, she wouldn''t have been so careless."


    Error snorted. "So give her the necessary information then. I don''t want a blind mouse running carelessly around my mission, making problems left and right. Silver, you know how important this is to our boss. If you weren''t my friend, I would have kicked you out for this blunder without hesitation. I''ve already given you enough face as it is."


    Silver bowed her head in shame, her shoulders slumping. "Thank you, Error."


    "Teacher..."


    The girl on the video finally lifted her face, her expression a mixture of reticence and regret. But Silver merely red at her with narrowed eyes.


    "Shut up. You''ve done plenty enough. If you don''t want the situation to get any more worse than it already is, then regard Miss Hui as someone more important than your life. Do you understand what I''m saying to you right now?"


    "But..."


    Silver''s voice sharpened. "The only reason I''m not pulling you out is because you''ve got in too deep with Miss Hui. Otherwise...you know what''ll happen to you when my temper gets foul. You might be my junior, but I value my life more. And you''ve nearly jeopardized that."


    Error curled his lip at the ignorant girl on hisptop screen. It didn''t escape his attention that although the girl looked like she was giving in, there remained an unyielding resolve in her eyes.


    "You say that Miss Hui is only an ex-fianc¨¦e?" He twisted his lips, giving her a contemptuous look. "Do you know how stupid you sound, saying that without knowing what kind of strings the boss is pulling behind the scenes just to keep her by his side?"

 Chapter 126 Error And Silver’s Fate

    At Error''s words, the face of the girl paled.


    "CEO Lu...still wants her to be by his side?"


    Silver gave her a disdainful side-eye.


    "Why do you think we''ll waste our time here, doing everything to keep an eye on her? He even made us temporarily stop searching for the culprit, which should be his top priority right now."


    Silver sighed.


    "This isn''t like him at all..."


    Error adjusted his sses and said solemnly, "When a man ignores the danger to his life in order to pursue a woman...that is what we call: ai!" [1]


    Silver rolled her eyes, pretending to edge away from him. "Otaku, don''t drag us normal people down with you."


    "Didn''t CEO Lu get a death threat?" The voice of the girl faltered, her gaze clouding. "Should he really be focusing on other people right now?"


    Error lifted his hand with a half-hearted shrug, his palm up in a ''So?'' gesture.


    "Why do you have to care about that? Just do your job. We''re his employees, not his friends. If he wants to use his money to make us guard Miss Hui, then we guard her. Don''t ask so many questions."


    "Make sure that what happenedst night wouldn''t be repeated," reminded Silver. "If you slip up and do something that could harm Miss Hui again..."


    For a brief moment, all that could be heard from theptop was the sound of running water. Then the girl on screen lowered her eyes, and in a soft voice said, "Teacher, I promise not to do it again."


    Silver regarded her with a pinched face. After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, her expression turned back to normal.


    "It''s good that you''vee back to your senses. I''ll deal with youter."


    Her voice was still cold.


    The girl nodded, and Error ended the video call. The two people inside the car became silent, the tension between them palpable.


    Finally, Silver opened her mouth to say, "Error, do we tell the boss..."


    She trailed off, but her voice, with a tentative question in it, rested in the air.


    Error ran a hand over his face.


    "What do you want me to say? If we tell the boss now that Miss Hui had nearly died on our watch, we''ll die. If we don''t tell the boss and he finds out...we''ll die. We fucked up big time, Silver."


    Silver bit her lip. "It was my fault. I should have personally guarded Miss Hui and had not left it in my junior''s hands."


    Error didn''t reply. In any case, both of them were entrusted in keeping an eye on Miss Hui. Even if the mistake hadin with Silver, they would still both be med.


    "Let''s not tell him." Silver gave a slow shake of her head. "Aside from the two of us, those two guards, my junior, and Miss Hui are the only ones who know about this incident. We could keep the rest of their mouths shut, but if Miss Hui decides to tell the boss, then there''s nothing that we can do."


    "I don''t think she''ll tell him." Error''s tone was certain. "I''ve been spying on Miss Hui since Beijing, and she doesn''t get along well with the boss. Why do you think she broke off the engagement? They''re having a lover''s spat, so we''re safe for now. Once they kiss and make-up, then it''ll be the day of our funeral."


    "I hope they don''t make up," Silver said fervently. "Error, do you think she and the boss will get back together?"


    "Who knows. With boss being so persistent and Miss Hui determined to run away from him? Only time will tell."


    Silver sighed and didn''t continue on asking questions. Error was right. Starting from the time that her junior had made a mistake, their fate were out of their hands.


    All they could do now was to wait.


    [1] Ai/Koi: Japanese term for ''love''.

 Chapter 127 Become Her Favorite Person

    In the blink of an eye, five days had passed.


    Hui Yin panted as she got off the treadmill and wiped her sweaty forehead with a towel.


    She realized how much her stamina wascking after her daily dance practices. Hui Yin didn''t like to exercise, and thought that it was useless since it would just make her go hungry and eat food again.


    But this time, Hui Yin was determined. To be a sessful actress, she needed to maintain her figure. She had to incorporate exercises in her regimen and make it into a habit so that she wouldn''t quit halfway.


    Since she was still under house arrest, Hui Yin decided to exercise on the treadmill nobody ever used in the third floor of the apartment. There was a mini-gym here, with enough equipment for seven girls to use in unison.


    She thought once again that it seemed like this apartment was especially built to cater to their needs. But that couldn''t be right. Hui Yin knew that the budget for this TV series was low, which was why aside from Guo Liqin, not a single popr actress had auditioned for this. Did Director Peng manage to find a financial backer?


    Hui Yin went back to her room and took a hot shower. After dressing in afortablerge shirt and a pair of shorts, she picked up her phone from the bed and saw that she had about three missed calls from Jiang Xu.


    Her lips curved. Thatzy bum, was he cking off from work again? He actually had time to waste and disturb her?


    "Hey," she said to him after the phone clicked. "What are you calling me for? Don''t tell me you''re being irresponsible at work again."


    "Wifey, I missed you." His voice sounded sullen.


    A feeling of warmth bubbled from the depths of her heart. "Why are you missing me for? I don''t miss you."


    "..."


    Hui Yinughed. It felt good to tease him. Jiang Xu had always been a smooth-talker. If she took everything he said at face value, it would only create misunderstandings between them.


    "You don''t miss me...at all?"


    She could almost picture him pouting, his hair like an electrocuted starfish sitting on the top of his head.


    "No," Hui Yin said seriously. At the sound of his nearly inaudible grumbling, she couldn''t stifle the giggle that bubbled out of her throat. "I miss the twins more. Are they there? Can I talk to them?"


    Jiang Xu was currently crouching under the desk in his office, trying to hide from the eyes of a certain brat. He didn''t know what got into Wuji, but he starteding more into thepany all of a sudden. He even demanded for Jiang Xu to teach him the basics of his job as a CEO, his cold expression looking extremely distressed.


    Jiang Xu gulped. There''s no way he would let that brat talk to his Wifey! He and Shang even had a sleepover with her. Now that Wifey had broken off her engagement, he needed to be her favorite person first! He couldn''t let those brats take over and steal her again.


    "They''re...not here..."


    The lie tumbled out of his lips awkwardly, as Jiang Xu had never lied to her before out of his own volition.


    It was Hui Yin''s turn to pout. "They''re not there? Aww, I wanted to talk to them..."


    BAM!


    She jumped up from the bed in shock, startled at the loud noise that came from the phone.


    "Jiang Xu, you bastard, what was that?You nearly gave me a heart attack!"


    But Hui Yin didn''t even finish yelling at her phone when a series of beeps informed her that Jiang Xu had already hung up. She stared at the screen, struck speechless. When she dialled his number again, all she got was his voicemail. Her expression soured. Just wait until they see each other again...she was going to wring his stupid neck!


    But there was no need for that.


    On the other end, Jiang Xu was clutching his head that had bumped the bottom surface of the table, his face ashen. His eyes were round as he stared at the four-year old boy that was ring at him, and at the phone that had fallen to the floor, which he hastily covered with his right hand.


    Jiang Xu felt like a spy who invaded an enemy territory and was about to be beheaded for capital punishment.


    Little Wuji looked at him.


    Jiang Xu looked back at Little Wuji.


    And without the slightest change in his expression, Little Wuji lifted up his foot and stomped on Jiang Xu''s hand.

 Chapter 128 Slight Omission

    Inside the Nian''s family home, two couples sat opposite each other in the spacious living room.


    One of them was Lu Yongzheng and his wife, while the other was Nian Zhen''s parents, Nian Hsin and her mother, Nian Rong. They were sipping tea while they discussed, their faces grave and somber.


    "How''s Ah Zhen?" Madam Lu asked, her voice brimming with concern. "Is she alright?"


    A cold light shed briefly on Nian Rong''s eyes before she murmured softly, "How could our daughter be alright? Being dragged into this terrible scandal."


    In her heart, Niang Rong med Lu Shen for this stain on her daughter''s reputation. Nian Zhen had only shut herself in her room for the past few days since her return from their vacation home, refusing to talk to any of them, which was why no one knew who exactly instigated the kiss between the two. Niang Rong thought it highly likely that it was Lu Shen who took the initiative to kiss Nian Zhen.


    She believed that it was impossible for her pure and virtuous daughter to kiss an engaged man. Besides, this whole ''scandal'' only happened because Lu Shen had excess baggage. If there was no ''fianc¨¦e'' hanging on his arm, this kiss would have only been treated by the media as a mark of blooming feelings between a pair of childhood sweethearts.


    But Nian Rong couldn''t speak her suspicions out loud. The Lus were still the number one family in Beijing, and their son Lu Shen was even more formidable than his family background¡ªit would be unwise to provoke him. She was also hoping that they could settle all this in the past and create a new bridge for their two families to unite. That was the best oue for all of them.


    "Don''t worry, Lu Shen''s engagement has already been broken," Madam Lu hastened to reassure Nian Rong. "We''ll make sure that our son will take responsibility for what he has done to Ah Zhen."


    Nian Hsin''s face broke into a smile when he heard this. Unlike his wife, he didn''t concern himself so much about what the public thought of his daughter. She shared a kiss with an engaged man, so what? In this day and age, was still there a man who could only be loyal to one woman? Forgetting the average joe, he didn''t find any fault with Lu Shen''s behavior at all.


    He was a powerful man, and he could afford to have several women. Nian Hsin knew how almost all wealthy businessmen kept a mistress by the side, and some wives even knew about their shameful secret but kept quiet. They were the ones who earn the money, so it was their right to judge how many women their money could support.


    Even Nian Hsin himself had a mistress hidden in a penthouse in Beijing, and he knew Lu Yongzheng had one too.


    Of course, Nian Hsin felt a bit displeased in his heart that his daughter had been reduced to be a mere ''mistress''. If it was any other man aside from Lu Shen, he would have disapproved of this behavior quite heavily. But now, Lu Shen''s engagement was broken! His daughter would be the next official Madam Lu, and the futuredy boss of the Lu Corporation. How could he not smile?


    "Auntie, what did you say?" A soft and feminine voice drifted over to them from upstairs. "Brother Shen broke the engagement?"


    The four people nced up. Nian Zhen was leaning over the mezzanine that overlooked the living room, her straight ck hair falling like a waterfall over her shoulder. She looked thinner than before, but her eyes were shining, her expression beaming with happiness.


    Nian Rong sighed helplessly. This child...ever since she was little, she only had eyes for Lu Shen. Nian Rong thought it would be another case of a waterside flower pining for love and shedding petals, while the heartless brook babbles on [1]. That boy was so cold and indifferent, how could her daughter''s sensitive heart endure it?


    "Ah Zhen!" Madam Lu''s heart ached when she saw her. It was obvious that the scandal had terribly affected her. "You dear girl, look at how thin you are. If Lu Shen sees you like this, he would surely be worried sick for you. Have you not been eating well?"


    Nian Zhen quickly went down the stairs and sat next to Madam Lu, grabbing her arm and leaning forward. "Auntie, Brother Shen broke the engagement?"


    Lu Yongzheng chuckled and patted the girl''s arm. "Yes, yes, the engagement''s already been broken. I''m sure you haven''t even heard your Auntie''s concern for your health. Tsk, our son is certainly lucky to have a girl like you by his side."


    Madam Lu smiled and didn''t correct her husband''s slight omission. Nian Zhen didn''t have to know that it was actually that lowly actress who dared to break the engagement first. After all, what does it matter? They were nning to break the engagement anyway!


    And Lu Shen kissing Nian Zhen could be interpreted as a silent agreement to their decision. In this way, Lu Yongzheng wasn''t really lying.


    Madam Lu''s smile transformed into a frown as she thought about Lu Shen. That boy, exactly where did he go for his business trip? They had called him a hundred times to talk about forming a new engagement with Nian Zhen, but this unfilial son of hers didn''t even bother to answer his phone. How busy did he have to be to not even the have time to talk to his mother?


    When she heard Lu Yongzheng''s reply, Nian Zhen was beside herself in an ecstasy of pleasure. These past few weeks had pushed her into an abyss of despair, as even her friends talked behind her back when they thought she couldn''t hear them. Anger and humiliation warred within her, along with heartsickness as Lu Shen continued to ignore her calls.


    But now, Nian Zhen thought that everything was worth it. Brother Shen had broken his engagement with that slut, Brother Shen was wholly hers again! Who would dare to talk behind her back with Brother Shen by her side?


    Nian Zhen lifted her chin, enthralled by daydreams of introducing Brother Shen to her friends. Their jealous looks, their gazes filled with envy...she couldn''t wait to see it all! You dared to mock me before?


    Well, I dare you to mock me now!


    [1] Chinese idiom for a situation where a girl loves a boy, but the boy doesn''t care. The flower is a girl, of course, and the water is the boy she loves. The image is a blooming peach tree above a rushing stream. A blossom falls in love with the water below, and drops from the branch, offering herself to her beloved. But the water doesn''t even notice; it just flows on as before, taking the hapless little flower along with it.

 Chapter 129 Isn’t That You?

    Hui Yin''s house arrest finally stopped when the filming of the TV series had ended. To celebrate their freedom after being cramped inside the apartment for so long, Ye Qiang, Bao Bai, and Hui Yin decided to go shopping.


    Hui Yin had enough money now to buy herself some dresses, and the three girls had fun as they took turns showing off their chosen outfits inside the fitting room.


    Ye Qiang had always been a cute girl, and Bao Bai emanated an elegant aura that made anyone who met her gaze feel small. Along with Hui Yin''s striking beauty, the three girls caught quite a lot of attention wherever they went. There were even some brave men who stepped forward and asked them for their contact information, but neither of them eded.


    When a teenage girl approached them and asked for Hui Yin''s autograph, Ye Qiang couldn''t help butugh out loud.


    "Look at you being so famous! You even have a fan asking for your autograph."


    Hui Yin didn''t know whether tough or cry at her teasing. She knew that she didn''t have any fans. Maybe this girl mistook her for someone else?


    Just as she was about to ask, the teenager suddenly bounced on her heels and excitedly pointed at arge screen ced on the side of a building.


    "Sister, isn''t that you? That''s you, isn''t it? You look so pretty together with Brother Liu!"


    Hui Yin followed the direction of her pointing finger. There was a video being yed in a continuous loop on the screen, showing a lifeless girl inside a human-sized ss box. The melody was haunting, almost eerie, as Liu Jun''s soulful voice began to sing the lyrics.


    ''You turn your back on me


    But I want you to stay by my side


    I look at you and I don''t want to let go


    Sealed heart, locked mind, baby won''t you give me the key?''


    The ss box opened, and a man gently embraced the girl into his arms. Scenes shed by of the man feeding her inside an opulent kitchen, of brushing her long ck hair, of talking to her about his day. And as he did this, the girl remained unresponsive, her eyes ssy.


    ''I''m down on my knees


    Slipping underneath


    By the skin of my teeth


    Begging you please¡ª''


    A calendar flipped quickly as the days passed by, until it showed the man looking anguished as he stared at the girl on the other side of the ss, his fist pounding against it. He opened the box with fumbling fingers and roughly shook the girl, as if he was trying to wake her up. But her stare remained nk.


    ''All my temptations


    I''ve been addicted


    You''re my fixation


    I''ve held you captive''


    The man continued to do his routine, dedicatedly taking the lifeless girl out of the ss box and talking to her. As he brushed her hair, he didn''t notice that the girl''s red headband had loosened and had fallen off to the floor. When night fell, the fingers of the girl twitched.


    And the lifeless doll started to blink.


    ''Some people don''t know what they have until it''s gone


    But I know what I have so I try my hardest to hold on


    Baby, I love you before I sleep and right after I''m awake


    I''ll love you still even after you stole my soul and made my heart break¡ª''


    Pieces of ss littered the floor, and the girl started to run out of the mansion, her expression frightened and desperate. The man heard the sound of the ss box being shattered and panickedly chased after her.


    ''All my temptations


    I''ve been addicted


    You''re my fixation


    I''ve held you captive''


    The man caught her, but the girl struggled in his arms like a trapped animal, and under the moonlight, something glinted in her hands.


    A single piece of ss.


    She didn''t try to harm the man.


    The girl tried to stab herself, so that she could be given the freedom of death. But the man quickly stopped her, and in the end, the ss shard pierced into his chest instead.


    ''All my temptations


    I''ve been addicted


    You''re my fixation


    I''ve held you captive


    My body, my soul, my heart¡ª


    Baby, you''ve held me captive''


    ck out.


    The song finally ended.


    The shopping bags in Hui Yin''s hands dropped to the floor, her lips parted in shock as she stared at the huge LED screen.


    It was Liu Jun''s song <Captive>!


    The promotional video had finally been released?

 Chapter 130 Congratulations, Hui Yin

    Ye Qiang covered her mouth with her hand as she gasped.


    "Hui Yin, it''s really you. Your face is all over the city!"


    <Captive> was not only disyed on the side of that particr building. It was also being streamed on various social media sites, on the television, and various city towers in Shanghai. Although a few parts were clipped in some disy screens and others only featured a thirty second teaser of the PV, it was enough for people not to miss it. Liu Jun''s PR agent had truly not skimped on the promotional budget.


    When the video first focused on the lonely ss box that stood alone in the center of a dim living room, it drew gasps from the walking crowd as they didn''t expect for a girl to be caged inside it. Her skin was white as snow, her lips the color of ripe cherries. Since her eyes were closed, the thick eyshes that curved like half-moons along her cheeks made her seem delicate, almost like a porcin doll.


    Several men stopped on their tracks as they gawked dumbly at the disy screen, only recovering when their wives or girlfriends pinched and whacked them in anger.


    "Her name is Hui...Yin? She''s an actress? I thought she was a model! Howe I''ve never heard of her?"


    A group of male students had seen the PV and immediately pulled out their phones to search for the identity of the girl online. Hui Yin''s manager, Su Jing, had already prepared her public social ount beforehand and showed only minimal private info. The rest were posted photos of Hui Yin, revealing her being casual in front of the camera.


    There was a picture of her goofing around while eating ice cream, tendrils of hair framing her face. Another shot showed Hui Yin in a cream-colored trench coat with the city lights of Beijing on the background, her body yfully tilted to the side and her hair tied into a high ponytail. It made the viewer feel as if they were seeing her hidden side, the normal person who could actually rte to them.


    While making Hui Yin seem approachable, these photos also highlighted Hui Yin''s beauty and perfect figure, creating a both ''near yet distant'' effect that all public figures aspire to have. In just a short time, the likes on her photos skyrocketed, her personal inbox pinging with constant messages. Su Jing had also subtly emphasized the fact that Hui Yin hadn''t gone under the knife by posting a few childhood photos along with her yearbook picture.


    Such effortless and natural beauty drove people crazy¡ªgirls wanted to be as beautiful as her, and boys wanted to win the beauty''s heart. Since time immemorial, people have always been drawn to aesthetics. The entertainment industry had fully utilized this concept by using powerful visuals to entice the audience, and simrly, Su Jing had applied this idea to build Hui Yin''s public image.


    Needless to say, it created splendid results.


    Bao Bai silently handed the dumbstruck Hui Yin a face mask she bought from a nearby stall, as more people began to spot Hui Yin like the teenager did.


    Hui Yin quickly signed an autograph before the three of them hastily went back to the apartment. Immediately after they arrived, Hui Yin got a call from her manager.


    "Don''t go out in public too much," Su Jing instructed. "The video has gone viral, and more people are wondering about you, which is what I had intended this PV to do in the first ce. It would be good for your career in the long term, but for now you need to keep a low profile. Because you''re in the spotlight, it''s easy for just a small mistake done in public to turn this free advertising into something that could potentially destroy your career. Water can float a boat, but it can sink it as well. I''m looking over your ount, so you don''t need to worry about false negativementsing from the jealous fans of Liu Jun."


    "I know, Sister Su," Hui Yin said calmly.


    She had also gone through this in her previous life, only in a muchrger scale. Right now, Hui Yin was just a small-time actress that had starred in the same PV as Liu Jun¡ªhis fans'' reaction shouldn''t be too bad. It couldn''t evenpare to the hell she had gone through after the whole country discovered her identity as ''Mrs. Lu'', the girl who stole the perfect bachelor every female in the country dreamed to marry.


    "It''s good that you''re keeping a clear head about this." Her manager breathed a sigh of relief. "Most actors and actresses get high on their poprity and use this chance to expand their poprity in social media, only for their ns to end up backfiring. Especially for those who have skeletons inside their closet, the curiosity of theizens can be deadly to them. Be careful of stalkers and haters¡ªreport the former, ignore thetter. Also..."


    Hui Yin could hear the smile in her voice.


    "Congrattions, Hui Yin."

 Chapter 131 Bottom Line

    After Su Jing''s call, Hui Yin retired to her bedroom and thought about the teenager asking for her autograph with a smile.


    Satisfaction made her eyes curve at the sense of aplishment this small gesture brought her, and Hui Yin rolled to her stomach on the bed as her legs swung up and down in excitement. She picked up her phone, intending to see the public ount her manager had created. But Hui Yin had barely typed her own username when an iing call shed across the screen.


    She blinked in confusion, not expecting a call toe from her.


    "Luo Lan?"


    "Campus Beauty Hui Yin." Luo Lan''s voice made Hui Yin frown in concern. It was choked and raspy, as if she had been severely crying only a few moments before. "I need your help."


    "Of course. What can I do?" Hui Yin didn''t hesitate. Luo Lan had been a great help in breaking her engagement with Lu Shen, so she naturally would spare no effort in helping her.


    "I...they managed to trace the source of the second photo to me. They want to sue me and make me be a persona non grata on all the mediapanies across the country." Luo Lan sobbed. "I''ll essentially lose my job forever, Hui Yin."


    Hui Yin stiffened. She had instructed Luo Lan to give the second photo to an anonymous hacker so that this type of problem won''t ur, but Hui Yin had apparently underestimated the extent of what wealth and power could do. They had even managed to trace the photo back to Luo Lan! Hui Yin felt her heart sink.


    "''They''? Luo Lan, who found out that it was you? Was it Lu Shen?"


    "No, it wasn''t him. Or maybe it was him. I don''t know. But the Nians and the Lus are suing me for misdemeanor, vition of privacy, and ckmail. Hui Yin, what do I do? I don''t want to go to jail!"


    Luo Lan''s voice rose in pitch as she spoke, until thest word became a shrill cry.


    Hui Yin squeezed her eyes shut, her shoulders bowed. All of her previous happiness had disappeared like smoke in the air, as an undercurrent of restrained fury filled her whole body.


    The Lus! The Nians!


    She had merely pursued her own freedom, and along the way made them have a taste of their own medicine. Although Luo Lan had posted a libellous photo because of her instructions, was it not her prerogative to do so? Nian Zhen had shared a kiss with her fianc¨¦; by all rights Hui Yin should have been the victim in that situation. By posting the photo, she only exposed the truth.


    And yet they dared to move against Luo Lan? Their faces were even thick enough to use Luo Lan of misdemeanor, forgetting whose daughter and whose son made an unpardonable criminal offense that caused the whole nation to despise their affair. Vition of privacy? ckmail?


    "I let them off easily, but it seems to have been a mistake on my part." An iciness covered Hui Yin''s heart, making it be as hard as crystal. "Nian Zhen, Lu Shen, you should have just offended me. Whether intentionally or otherwise, you two have stepped on my bottom line..."


    So please don''t me me for what will happen next.


    "Luo Lan, leave it to me. I''ll take care of this."


    Afterforting Luo Lan and cheering her up, Hui Yin dialled a new number. The digits were pressed one after another on the screen without pause, since it was long memorized by her brain.


    After the first ring, it quickly connected.


    Hui Yin took a deep breath, her fingers tightening around the phone.


    "Lu Shen? We need to talk."

 Chapter 132 Let’s Mee

    "Lu Shen? We need to talk."


    When the soft voice of the girl reached his ears, Lu Shen reflexively shut his eyes.


    He had missed her.


    It was like an ache that dug into his soul with each day that she wasn''t by his side, and he had already waited for over several weeks. Ever since he had lost his memory, she had always been there for him. He would only need to turn around and there she would be, with her quick smile and lively eyes.


    He couldn''t believe he evensted this long.


    He hungered for the reports Silver and Error disclosed about her, imagining in his mind what she would be doing at this hour. Eating the delicious food she cooked? Practicing her script? Whatever it was, she must have done it in the same way she tackled life, with vivacity and enthusiasm that made everything around her seem full of bursting colors.


    Lu Shen had spent the hours of the past month taking over everything that could tie her to him. Like a mad man, he had bought over her agency, the rights of the television show she acted in, the filming crew, the apartment, and had even put Error and Silver, his two top agents, to watch over her. Not to mention the contract he had deceived her into signing...


    Lu Shen felt like he had gone crazy. He knew he was a rational person, not to be dictated by emotions and sentimental feelings. And yet here he was, gued night after night with nightmares of that girl turning her back on him and walking away, not even responding to his yells of telling her toe back...


    He even had a dream where he went back to the night of his ident, but this time the girl didn''te to find him. He hadin there on the cold ground, waiting and waiting for a sign of her until hisst dying breath. But she didn''t show up. She had...abandoned him.


    When Lu Shen finally woke up from those repeating nightmares, he made himself stay awake until dawn painted a bright hue across the horizon. His fingers would tremble as he held his cigarette, his chest heaving violently. He felt as if he was close to careening over the rails, of simply sumbing to the fierce temptation of dragging her to his side by force.


    If her body was caged inside his arms, wouldn''t he be able to sleep well then?


    Lu Shen had been staying in Shanghai ever since Error reported the broken engagement to him. He repeatedly resisted his wild impulse to see her, because he knew that it was only too easy to beat the grass and scare the snake [1]. If he needed to capture her before she could run away, he could not make any drastic moves that would startle her. Slow and patient had always been his style, except when in regards to her, being slow meant enduring beyond the limits of what he could endure, while as for being patient...Lu Shen''s lips twisted into a wry smile.


    Maybe he had never been a patient man in the first ce.


    Why else would a month feel like a year?


    "We need to talk," Hui Yin repeated. Her voice was icy cold and filled with loathing, but Lu Shen didn''t seem to hear it.


    "Then let''s meet." He was already walking into the bathroom as he spoke, his other hand unbuttoning his shirt. A fleeting glimpse of the man on the mirror showed that the corner of his lips had lifted up, but Lu Shen was unaware of this.


    Hui Yin was momentarily taken aback. "You''re in Shanghai?"


    "Yes."


    She carefully thought it over. Fine, it was better like this. She could state whatever she needed to say directly to his face.


    "Okay then," Hui Yin agreed. "Let''s meet tomorrow."


    But Lu Shen was dissatisfied. He had already waited for so long. He needed to see her.


    "Today."


    "...?"


    "We''ll meet today."


    After telling her the time and the ce, Lu Shen lingered without saying anything. He was not willing to hang up first.


    "Xiao Yin..."


    But Hui Yin had already pressed the end call button. Only a series of beeps answered Lu Shen, and he stood for a long while inside the bathroom, his bare feet numb against the cool tiles.


    Exhaustion showed in the tense lines around his face, and in the dark shadows underneath his eyes. He had been too busy this past month, as there were a lot of documents needed for the takeover of a privatepany. In addition to being unable to sleep, he had spent the majority of his nights smoking in the veranda, pensive and distracted.


    Although his eyes were focusing on the view, who knew where his thoughts had flown off to?


    Shaking himself out of his stupor, Lu Shen casually threw the phone into the sink and stepped into the shower.


    He had an appointment he couldn''t miss.


    [1] Chinese idiom that meant to to inadvertently alert someone.

 Chapter 133 Staring Contes

    Hui Yin gazed up at the swanky restaurant in front of her and nearly turned around to go back.


    She should have known!


    Hui Yin had already expected for Lu Shen to pick one of the most expensive restaurants in Shanghai, so she brought a lot of cash with her. She had resolved herself not to let that man pay for her share, as she wanted to talk to him as an equal. If she allowed him to pay for lunch, then where would her dignity go?


    But she still hadn''t expected this!


    Reserving the most expensive restaurant in Shanghai just so that the two of them could be alone...isn''t this too overbearing? Oh...wait, that''s right. This was a tyrant she had an appointment with, so this kind of high-handed gesture was only to be expected from him.


    Her shoulders sagged, and Hui Yin dragged herself to the door of the restaurant. Fine, whatever. Let him pay for lunch then. He picked the restaurant, so he should be the one treating her to a free meal. Who told him to be insanely rich?


    Lu Shen was already waiting for her inside. He had picked a table that was rather secluded, so Hui Yin didn''t see him at first nce. He took the chance to study her.


    Hui Yin was wearing a yellow shirt, denim jeans rolled up to her ankles, and a pair of worn out sneakers. She didn''t n on impressing Lu Shen, so she deliberately dressed in a casual style.


    But he didn''t mind. He knew she didn''t like to wear formal clothing, so it was best if she dressed like herself. He liked seeing her in her natural element.


    When she finally saw him, Hui Yin felt a bit ufortable at the hungry look in his eyes. My lord, I''m not your lunch. Look at the menu, not me!


    She stopped in front of him. "Lu Shen."


    He tilted his head to the side, and gave her a brief nod. "Xiao Yin."


    Hui Yin took the seat opposite his.


    His eyes followed her, and Hui Yin let her hair fall like a curtain between them as she pretended to look at the menu.


    "Have you already ordered?"


    "Mmm. I told them to cook your favorite dishes."


    His voice was low and deep, and he was still staring at her. Hui Yin felt her face twitch. She came here for a confrontation, but she was already showing her weakness in front of the enemy.


    Hui Yin clenched her fists and resolutely lifted her chin. You want to look? Fine, look at me! I''ll look at you too!


    And so she engaged into a staring contest with him.


    Hui Yin realized after observing him for a while that he looked a bit gaunt. He was still unbelievably handsome, but Hui Yin had been immune to his looks a long time ago. Most people who looked at him would probably be distracted with his beauty, not noticing the exhaustion behind it. But Hui Yin was not most people. She had been looking at him for years¡ªhe could not hide from her.


    But she didn''t want to ask for the reason why.


    Maybe he had been working too hard, or maybe that scandal had stressed him out. Either way, it was none of her business.


    Lu Shen looked at the girl he had been thinking non-stop about for the past month. From the moment she came into the restaurant, he had already seen her. How could he not? When he had been craving for a glimpse of her for so long. He wanted to pull her into his arms and burrow his face into her neck. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to do more than just kiss her.


    But for now...even a simple hug would be enough.


    Hui Yin didn''t know what Lu Shen was thinking. But it had already been ten minutes, and he was still not tired from looking at her. She sighed and silently admitted defeat. Maybe a pimple had formed in the middle of her forehead. That would exin things.


    The waiter finally came with the food and put it on the table between them. All of her favorite dishes were ced in front of her, steaming with a mouth-watering aroma.


    Lu Shen had even ordered abalone and sea cucumbers, which Hui Yin knew Lu Shen didn''t like. He held no fondness for seafood delicacies. Conversely, Hui Yin adored them.


    Lu Shen lifted his chopsticks and put arge piece of abalone on her te. Hui Yin was weirded out. Why was he being so considerate?


    "What do you want to talk about?" he asked after a while, and Hui Yin paused while eating.


    Lu Shen found the silence intolerable. They had not seen each other for a while. Didn''t she want to ask him how he''d been? He wanted her to show that she at least cared for him, even it it was only the slightest bit.


    Hui Yin put down her chopsticks and patted her lips with a table napkin. She met his eyes.


    "I want to talk to you about Luo Lan."

 Chapter 134 Stay Away From Me

    Lu Shen wasn''t surprised. He knew what had happened to that female reporter. Although he had no hand in the usations his family and the Nians had thrown at her, he didn''t exactly prevent it either.


    Why should he? If that reporter hadn''t made it seem as if he and Nian Zhen were having a midnight tryst like an illicit couple, Xiao Yin wouldn''t have broken the engagement with him.


    Hui Yin expected Lu Shen''sck of reaction. Such a big scandal had happened that ruined his reputation¡ªof course he would have done all he could to investigate it.


    "Luo Lan is my friend, and your family is trying to pin down the me on her. Did you know about this?"


    "Yes." Lu Shen''s voice was calm, his eyes steady on hers. "I know about it."


    Hui Yin felt anger rise up in her chest. As expected! He and Nian Zhen must have been humiliated at the hatefulments the public had thrown at them, so they decided to redirect their rage at Luo Lan!


    She slowly dug her nails into her palm.


    "Lu Shen, I''m going to say something, and I want you to listen."


    A faint bitterness crept into Hui Yin''s face, but she held her voice steady.


    "When I saved you, you promised to marry me during the time you lost your memories, do you remember?"


    "But I want you to retract that promise. You don''t have to marry me. And I won''t marry you. In return, I want you to promise me something else."


    "I want you and your family to take back the crimes that you had used Luo Lan of. I want you to stop the Nian family from suing her. And I want you..."


    This time, Hui Yin couldn''t help it. Her voice cracked. A great pang gripped her heart, but she forced herself to say it.


    "I want you to stay away from me."


    Lu Shen''s expression sank.


    With each word she said, she had steadily pushed him further and further away until a great divide separated them. She won''t marry him? She wanted him to retract his promise? She wanted him to stay away from her?


    Lu Shen''s eyes darkened and his hands tightly gripped the armrests of the chair he was sitting on. He didn''t know his voice had gotten hoarse until he asked her, "What did you say?"


    Startled, Hui Yin raised her eyes. Unknowingly, she had bowed her head to avoid looking at him. Her mouth was already open to answer him, but when she saw his expression, words suddenly failed toe out of her lips.


    Why was he looking at her like that? If she didn''t know any better, she would have mistaken the look in his eyes as pain.


    "I..." Hui Yin hesitated, then plunged on, "I want you to stay away from me."


    All hope of a peaceful reconciliation was ripped to shreds in his heart. She did not want toe back to him, she did not want to marry him. Xiao Yin...had truly hated him.


    Why, why, why!


    He did not understand. Where did this extreme loathing of herse from? What did he do!


    His hand reached out and captured her chin, forcing her to look at him. Hui Yin wanted to retreat, but his arm was strong as steel, not budging an inch.


    "Xiao Yin, I dare you to say that again!"


    His words were ferocious, the intensity in his eyes burning with vehemence. Hui Yin felt slightly scared by his outburst. But she hardened her heart and repeated once again, "I want you to stay¡ª"


    He did not let her finish. He could not bear to hear those harsh words again.


    Lu Shen leaned over the table and kissed her.

 Chapter 135 Ordinary Housewife

    Lu Shen was like a wolf that had been starving for a long time. After sealing her words with his mouth, he forcefully parted her lips with his tongue and kissed her deeply.


    His hand moved from her chin to cup the back of her head, making Hui Yin unable to lean back and stop him. His eyes were shut, but hers were wide open.


    What''s happening? This was not in the memorandum, ah!


    The waiter came back again to deliver the rest of the dishes, but he had barely taken two steps forward into their direction when he abruptly stopped in his tracks. Stunned, he looked at the two people kissing passionately in front of him.


    The man''s tall and powerful body was bent over the slim and delicate girl, his hand domineeringly pulling her face towards him. It was simr to a scene of a lion bullying a weak bunny; the girl had no room to resist. It was almost as if he was devouring her.


    The waiter tactfully left with the tray, knowing that the delicious food in his hands would be considered stale by the man inparison to the exquisite delicacy he was currently sampling.


    After a long time, Lu Shen finally straightened his body and released Hui Yin. Her lips were red and swollen, having signs of being thoroughly kissed. But Lu Shen felt that the kiss wasn''t close enough to satisfy him. He wanted her too much, and waited for so long. Now that he knew she wanted to run away from him and nevere back, how could he bear to let her go?


    "You..."


    Hui Yin was speechless. Did he think she was a free tofu sample in the grocery store that he could eat whenever he wanted to? And she had just clearly told him to stay away from her! Did her words pass through one ear and came out of the other?


    Lu Shen''s eyes deepened. Through Du Peng, he learned that there was a man in Beijing constantly calling her. Was this because she wanted to be with another man? When they picked up Nian Zhen from the airport, she was always texting someone else on her phone. It was probably that very same man.


    The idea that another man could take his ce and be able to do the things he wanted to do with Xiao Yin filled him with anger...and fear. He did not want to see her with another man. The mere thought of it made an air of irredeemable gloom and hostile intent hang over him, prating deep into his bones.


    Hui Yin was still feeling weak behind the knees, so she didn''t stand up. Her hand badly wanted to p his face, but she wasn''t even sure if she had the strength left to do it. So she didn''t try.


    Dully, she continued her speech as if the kiss didn''t happen, "The Nian family are aiming for the Lu Corporation, that''s why they sent Nian Zhen abroad a few years ago. They''re slowly buying yourpany shares. I also have a copy of all the illegal activities Nian Hsin was doing behind the scenes, so even if you''re not angry about their greed, I would still be able to give thepany of the Nians a big blow if I made this information go public. If you don''t force them to stop pursuing Luo Lan, that''s exactly what I intend to do."


    Although Nian Zhen was only being ''fake friends'' with Hui Yin in her past life, it was inevitable that Hui Yin would eventually learn a few things about her family. Nian Hsin''s backdoor dealings were only the tip of the iceberg.


    Hui Yin raised her eyes. "Lu Shen, I want you to fulfill this new promise to me. I may not be able to harm yourpany the way I can harm the Nians, but I know some of your secrets as well."


    She knew that Lu Shen didn''t have any corrupt dealings like Nian Hsin. But the workers under him did, and it was enough to damage the reputation of the Lu Corporation.


    Lu Shen stared at her for a long time. He heavily fell back to his chair, the corner of his lips hooked up into a mirthless smile. But beneath his icy expression was a sense of destion, like he was extremely disappointed about something.


    "Xiao Yin, you don''t need to threaten me. If you had asked me to help Luo Lan, I would have helped her. You don''t trust me at all, do you?"


    Hui Yin smiled. Her eyes were focusing inwardly, as if she was remembering some memories that had happened in the past.


    "Lu Shen, if I did marry you, will you still want me after my looks have disappeared and all that''s left of me was an ordinary housewife? Will you still cherish me even if I''m constantly by your side day after day, night after night? Or will you rece me with somebody else?"

 Chapter 136 Headline News

    "I won''t."


    Lu Shen''s answer came quick and decisive, with no hint of hesitation in his dark eyes. Hui Yin gaped at him. Was he pretending? If he was, then he was definitely a better actor than her!


    "You won''t?" she echoed, incredulous.


    "I won''t." His voice was firm.


    Lu Shen knew himself. He wouldn''t cheat on her. Or rather, he couldn''t. There were no other girl that could make him feel such tumultuous emotions like she did. She was the only one in this world who could make him lose control, who could make him feel as if she was holding him in the palm of her hands. How could he cheat on her when he couldn''t even find a girl as interesting and as vibrant as her during the past twenty-six years of his life?


    Hui Yin didn''t believe him.


    Since her question was already answered in her past life, she didn''t even know why she bothered to ask him. She picked up her purse and stood up. She said everything she needed to say, so now it was time for her to leave.


    "Xiao Yin."


    Hui Yin didn''t pause and continued on walking towards the door. Lu Shen continued sitting in his chair and didn''t stop her, but his eyes were pitch-ck as he gazed at her distant back.


    "I won''t ever let you go."


    His voice was a soundless breeze that was little more than a whisper. Hui Yin grabbed the door handle, but stopped. In the end she turned back to gaze at his direction.


    Lu Shen didn''t know it, but today was supposed to be their wedding day. In her past life he had treated her well too, up until after their honeymoon. The next morning he suddenly behaved indifferently towards her, almost like a different person.


    Would the same thing happen in this life as well?


    Hui Yin shook her head and exited the restaurant.


    ...


    "Boss."


    A stato cough informed Lu Shen that there was someone else beside him.


    But he didn''t say a word. He continued sitting there in a state of abject despondence, as if he was in a bubble wherein the rest of the word had faded away. After Hui Yin had left, Lu Shen spent the entire afternoon by himself inside the restaurant. Since he booked it for the whole day, the restaurant staff didn''t disturb him.


    Unknowingly, night had already fallen.


    Error shifted from foot to foot as he waited for the boss to notice him. He had seen everything that had happened between the boss and Miss Hui that afternoon, so he knew that this wasn''t the right time to bother him.


    But he had important news to tell!


    Lu Shen lowered his eyes and stared at the unfinished dishes on the table in front of him. She didn''t even eat the abalone. Was this it then? Her decision left him with no choice but to use unscrupulous means to force her to be with him. Lu Shen didn''t want to do it at first, but if it was the only way she could be by his side...


    Lu Shen bitterly smiled.


    Since she already hated him, why not make her hate him more?


    "Boss!"


    Lu Shen slightly raised his eyes and looked at Error. His somber countenance made Error take a step back, but he had no choice except to deliver the news. He had lost to a rock, paper and scissors game with Silver, so he could only swallow his regret and continue.


    "Boss...this arrived in your office by mail a short while ago."


    In Error''s hand was a white business card.


    Lu Shen stiffened. He knew who the sender was. It could only be another death threat to his life, but at the moment Lu Shen couldn''t find it in himself to care. He would discover who the culprit was sooner orter.


    Lu Shen took the card from Error and read it.


    In a short span of time, like an eraser swooped in and wiped everything nk, all expression on Lu Shen''s face disappeared. There was a terrifying auraing off him that made Error tremble and retreat several steps back. Lu Shen crumpled the business card, his knuckles cracking from the force. On the surface he still appeared calm, but his body was shaking and his arms were taut as if he was desperately trying to hold back his rage.


    Error didn''t utter a single pip throughout this. He was even afraid to breathe lest the boss realize that he still existed. He had read what was written on the business card, of course. Both he and Silver did.


    It was only a single question.


    ''CEO Lu, since you don''t seem fazed at all by my threats to your life, why don''t I target the people who are important to you?''


    Lu Shen leaned back on the chair and raised his arm to cover his eyes. He didn''t want anyone to see his expression right now.


    Just as Error''s legs were beginning to feel numb from standing, Lu Shen spoke in a hoarse voice.


    "Du Peng, arrange a flight for me to go back to Beijing. Tell Silver to abandon her present mission for now and prioritize discovering the identity of this bastard. She''s too conspicuous of a bodyguard to be around Xiao Yin. Rece her with people unrted to me."


    Error was too stupefied to process his words properly. Just a few hours ago, they were trying to make Miss Hui go back to the boss'' side at all costs. Suddenly, all of them were retreating? Could it be...


    "Boss, are you trying to make it seem as if Miss Hui isn''t important to you so she won''t be targeted?"


    Lu Shen didn''t agree, but he didn''t disagree either. Finally, Error realized that it was exactly what the boss was trying to do. In the current situation where the enemy could easily trespass into his vi and repeatedly threaten the boss while they were still in the dark about his identity, it was the one solution left avable to him.


    He could only pretend that Miss Hui was not an important person to him at all.


    Two dayster after Lu Shen arrived at Beijing, Hui Yin read in the newspaper that another piece of headline news had shocked the whole China.


    The CEO and Chairman of the Lu Corporation, Lu Shen, became engaged to the treasured daughter of the powerful Nian family, Nian Zhen.

 Chapter 137 Red Promise Bracelets

    After the filming of the TV series had ended, Hui Yin stayed in Shanghai for another week.


    She spent her mornings jogging along the less traveled sidewalks, and used the rest of the day touring around the city. But no matter where she went, and no matter what she did, Hui Yin could see the two of them everywhere.


    Lu Shen and Nian Zhen.


    Their faces were on the newspaper stands, on the television screens stered against the disy ss of the appliance stores, and on various social media sites no matter how much she tried to avoid them. Even when she couldn''t see their faces, the two of them were being talked about by almost everyone.


    Even <Captive> had been overshadowed by their engagement.


    Su Jing was enraged by all this when she called Hui Yin once again.


    "Those arrogant second generation heirs! Can''t they choose to get engaged on another day? Why do they have to pick a week that coincided with the release of the PV? Damn it!"


    Hui Yin was amused by this. "Calm down, Sister Su. After this fuss about the engagement has settled, <Captive> will get popr once again. They''re both in two different categories after all. They won''t cancel each other out."


    Su Jing was slightly consoled by this. "Fine, fine. It''s not as if I can do anything about it anyway. When are youing back to Beijing? We need to decide your next project."


    "I''ll be back tomorrow. I''m just taking a break for now."


    "Alright then." Su Jing exhaled a sigh of relief. "Be safe."


    "You too, Sister Su."


    After Su Jing hung up, Hui Yin stared nkly around her surroundings for a moment. She was resting in a park bench, trying to recover her breath from jogging. After drinking from her water bottle, Hui Yin stood up and stretched her legs.


    She was exiting the park when she took notice of a beggar sleeping underneath arge dawn redwood tree. Hui Yin slowed down. The beggar looked familiar to her.


    Recognition shed in her eyes, and Hui Yin approached the beggar. Crouching down, she poked his arm with a finger.


    "Senior?"


    He still didn''t wake up.


    "Senior Yue Lao?"


    There was not even a twitch in his prone form. He looked to be deeply asleep.


    Hui Yin sighed. "He probably drank a lot of beer again..."


    The old man bolted awake, startling Hui Yin. His hand grabbed her wrist, his eyes looking alert as he asked, "Beer? You said there''s beer? Where''s the beer?"


    Hui Yin was speechless.


    He didn''t respond when she called him, but only one mention of beer and he looked like he was given a new lease on life! What kind of depraved elder was this?


    It seemed that the old man had realized there was no beer as he sullenly loosened his hold on her. "What the heck, you were lying to me..."


    His rheumy eyes focused on her face, and he yelped. "Eh? It''s you! What are you doing here?"


    What do you mean what am I doing here...Hui Yin scratched her nose.


    "Senior this is a park, and I was jogging here when I saw you. Senior, you don''t have a home? Why are you sleeping on the ground?"


    The old man ignored her question. "Are you here for the reward? Well, I suppose it''s around that time now. So? Have you finally remembered me?"


    Hui Yin greatly disliked being called ''girl''. She had a name! But she kept quiet, because she had long since figured out that the identity of this senior could not be simple.


    "Senior, you were the one who gave me and Lu Shen those red promise bracelets as a wedding gift, right?" [1]


    The old man uproariouslyughed. "Right, that''s right! You had truly remembered me. I''m d that I still left asting mark in your heart. Of course, you saved me back then too."


    Hui Yin knew what he was talking about. In her past life, this senior had nearly been beaten to death by a couple of gangsters on the side of the road. Fortunately, Hui Yin saw them and reported their misbehavior to the police. Later, Hui Yin took the old man to the hospital and paid for his medical fees. He then offered her a reward. Hui Yin didn''t want him to feel indebted, so she randomly told him to give her a gift.


    On the day of her wedding, he presented her and Lu Shen a pair of red string bracelets.


    It was easy for Hui Yin to connect the red bracelet to her rebirth. This senior knew of her past life, and he seemed annoyingly cryptic too, as if he knew more than what he let on. If his strange name was added into the equation, Hui Yin could only draw one conclusion from all this.


    Her breathing quickened, and Hui Yin''s mouth turned dry like cotton. It seemed improbable, but being reborn was an improbable event too.


    Softly, she asked, "Senior, are you the god of marriage and love, the matchmaker deity Yue Lao?"


    [1]: Refer to Chapter 2.

 Chapter 138 Blessing Into A Curse!

    Hui Yin waited with bated breath for the old man''s answer.


    But he simply shook the beer bottle next to him and peered inside it with one eye, trying to see if there was a drop left.


    "Hmph, what took you so long? Are you stupid? You should have realized who I was after I gave you my name."


    Hui Yin''s mouth dropped. She was stupid? What kind of person would immediately connect his name to the god of marriage?! It was already supreme intelligence on her part to be able to guess his identity only after their second meeting!


    But the old man took no notice of Hui Yin''s sensitive feelings. He continued without paying heed to her facial expression, "I gave you the red cord because I saw that you were in love with that boy. I even blessed your marriage. But tsk, I didn''t expect you to be another one of those fickle people who could turn my blessing into a curse! If you hadn''t saved me again, I would certainly not interfere in your business."


    He gave her a very disapproving look.


    A chill ran down Hui Yin''s spine. She turned a blessing into a curse? What did this senior mean?


    Yue Lao urately guessed the girl''s thoughts. He sighed. Humans, in the end, were creatures of change. Just as the moon waxes and wanes, no one could possibly predict the human heart. That old boy Shaoyou had indeed written the truth in his poem:


    Clouds float like works of art,


    Stars shoot with grief at heart,


    Across the Milky Way the Cowherd meets the Maid.


    When Autumn''s Golden Wind embraces Dew of Jade,


    All the love scenes on earth, however many, fade. [1]


    He could glimpse in her heart that the girl who wanted to be with the boy she loved deeply desired nothing more than to run away from him now. She still loved him...but that love had been tainted by hate and fear.


    "If you want to run away from him, then it''s toote now. The two of you are bound. The red thread of fate has already fettered your soul to his!"


    His statement came like a thunderbolt from the sky that struck down Hui Yin. Her lips parted, but no sound came out.


    At the beginning, she had her suspicions after guessing the old man''s identity. Yue Lao was famous as the ancient Chinese god who was said to be in charge of all marriages with his magic red strings. There was even a saying that goes ''marriage of a thousand miles bonded by a string''. How could Hui Yin not connect it to the promise bracelets he had given her and Lu Shen, whose color was the same as the blood running through her veins?


    But she had not wanted to entertain this terrifying thought. Who hadn''t heard of the ancient myth about Yue Lao? It was said that back in the Tang Dynasty, a young man named Wei Gu encountered an old man reading a book after passing by the city of Songcheng.


    He was reading it under the moonlight, which caught Wei Gu''s interest. At the end Yue Lao had pointed to an old woman carrying a three-year old child and told Wei Gu that the young child was going to be his wife in the future. Wei Gu had his servant stab the girl with a knife, and fourteen yearster, the governor of Xiangzhou gave his daughter to him in marriage.


    Wei Guter found out that she had arge scar on her back, where she had been randomly stabbed fourteen years ago!


    Once Yue Lao had ordained it, it wouldn''t matter if the soulmate in question was a friend or an enemy. They might be beautiful or hideously ugly, wealthy or poor with only a single penny to their name. Once your fate was tied to theirs with an invisible red string, you are destined to marry that person!


    Yue Lao didn''t mind pushing a drowning man into deep waters.


    "You could try to run away from him, but since you''re tied together, how far do you think you could go? You may spend a thousand lifetimes trying to escape your fate, but you will ultimately end up running straight into his arms. Why do you think that when you were reborn, you woke up beside him? His soul is your anchor. No matter where he is, the string cannot be broken. It will get jumbled and tangled up, but eventually the two of you will cross paths."


    It was a dark and relentless fate. If you love the person you were bound with, then it was a blessing. But if you want to gain your freedom and run away from that love...the red string bes a curse.


    Like a candle being put out, the hope in Hui Yin''s heart was extinguished. Even the air surrounding her felt colder as if the iciness of winter had followed her around, obliterating the warmth of the sun.


    What was the point?


    Everything that she did and was nning to do, what was the point of it all? When all was said and done, it was she who tied herself to Lu Shen. Who told her to fall head over heels for that man, to the point of making the deity of love and marriage shackle their souls together?


    Hui Yin could only me herself for all that had happened.


    Yue Lao saw the bleakness in the girl''s gaze and nodded inwardly. She had to learn that not everything could be changed so easily. It was the same for her heart.


    Loving a person so deeply and then hating him the next, what kind of person could do it in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea? If she really wants to let that boy go and move on with her life, then she needs to be freed of her hatred first.


    "Girl, don''t look so depressed. Didn''t I, your grandfather, promise you a reward? I can break the old thread tying the two of you together. Furthermore, I could rece it with a new one. But it wille at a high price."


    [1] In this, he was talking about the poem ''Immortals at the Magpie Bridge'' by Qin Guan from the Song Dynasty. Qin Guan''s courtesy name is Shaoyou.

 Chapter 139 The Price

    At Yue Lao''s words, Hui Yin''s expression brightened.


    Seeds of hope wormed its way into her heart, and as a gusty breeze blew her hair, the smile that curved her lips became so radiant that it flooded the world with a soft golden light. Doves flew out of ivory towers, angels descended from the heavens with their trumpets, and Yue Lao fell backwards as he shielded his eyes with his hands.


    "Girl, stop! Your radiance is blinding me!"


    But Hui Yin did not hear him. She seized his hands, and after sping them in prayer, she said excitedly, "Senior, you could help me? How?"


    Yue Lao''s white beard twitched, and his face turned solemn. "You really want to know?"


    "I want to know!"


    "I don''t think you want to know."


    "Senior, I want to know, I want to know!"


    ncing at the excited bunny wiggling her fluffy tail in front of him, Yue Lao could finally not resist her and said, "Like I told you, to forge a new one, you need to break the old one."


    Hui Yin blinked at him owlishly. It was obvious that she didn''t understand what he meant by that.


    Yue Lao pinched the bridge of his nose. Slowly, he exined, "You and that boy are bound by a red thread that I casted on you in your previous life. That is your ''old'' gift. To rece it with a new thread binding you to another, you need to break the old one first."


    "Senior, I don''t need a new one, just break the old one!"


    Hui Yin gave a hard shake of her head. Red strings were too scary, she didn''t want to entangle herself with another one in this lifetime, ah!


    "Regardless of whether you want a new one or not, you need to break the old thread first, correct? I could help you, but there will be a high price."


    "A high price?"


    Somehow, Hui Yin didn''t think Yue Lao was talking about money.


    "You need to catch the culprit."


    He said it ndly, like he was talking about an insignificant thing, but a shiver of apprehension crisped Hui Yin''s skin. He couldn''t possibly mean...


    "You need to find the culprit threatening that boy."


    Like a balloon being poked by a sharp pin, Hui Yin''s whole body deted. How could she, with her meager resources and connections, find a person that Lu Shen himself was having some trouble to find? It was definitely mission impossible!


    "Senior..."


    Yue Lao shot her a look of disapproval, and Hui Yin swallowed back the rest of her words.


    "It''s that person who brought you and that boy together, and he was also the one who brought the two of you apart. It is imperative that you find him. Either in this lifetime or the previous one, that boy will never seed on capturing him..."


    Yue Lao felt deep pity in his heart. That boy in the future must have been still grieving. He thought he would be able to catch the culprit quick enough to go back to her, but that boy had truly overestimated himself. In the end, everything he did had came for naught...


    "Lu Shen will never catch him?" Hui Yin was surprised. He was the Great Dragon King! Only a few people could escape him, and even fewer could threaten his life and get away with it. "Why?"


    "What do you mean, why? It''s because I said so! Girl, you''re the only one who can find him. After all, you know the culprit well. But you won''t be able to find him at this point in time..."


    Hui Yin interrupted his rambling and said in an incredulous tone, "I know the culprit?"


    Yue Lao poked her forehead with his finger. "I don''t have the leisure to exin everything to you! Find the answer yourself. I''m already helping you enough as it is, so don''t ask for more."


    Hui Yin quieted down. That''s right, she was talking to a deity. It was already a fortuitous encounter that he was helping her.


    "As I was saying, you won''t be able to find the culprit at this point in time. He''s a turtle that only pokes his head out when the time is ripe. For you to even catch a glimpse of him, you need to go back to the two major incidents when the turtle walked out of his shell and exposed himself."


    "Two major incidents? What do you mean, senior?"


    "What do you think I meant? Girl, use your brain! Ah, I talked so much that I''m getting thirsty. It would be good to have a bottle of beer...ah, what was I saying again? Right, the two major incidents. That boy''s ident, and your ident."


    "Lu Shen''s ident and my ident?" Hui Yin froze, her mind shifting through her memories.


    She was both familiar with these two ''incidents''. The first one was when Lu Shen lost his memories, and the second one was when she...lost her life. Could the culprit have a hand in her death? But how could that be? It was Nian Zhen who clearly pushed her into that highway...


    But Hui Yin suddenly grasped a w in the old man''s thinking process.


    "But senior, how could I go back to those two major incidents? One''s in the past, another is in the future...and I already changed that."


    "That''s why I will give you a reward. I will let you travel back in time, and go back to the scene of that boy''s ident. Since his soul is your anchor, it would be terribly easy for you to find him. As for the future, well, everything will be clear to you after I tell you of the price you needed to pay."


    Hui Yin furrowed her eyebrows and stared at him. "A price...I needed to pay?"


    "Yes. Time-traveling is not an easy matter to do, girl. Even your rebirth has already strained the limits of time and space. Even if you and I hadn''t met again, you would still have gradually forgotten the memories of your previous life, and all the evidence hinting to it would slowly disappear. And then everything will align to make you follow your original fate..."


    She would have once again married Lu Shen.


    Hui Yin knew that if her memories of her past life disappeared, she would happily go back to his arms and fall in love with him all over again. Everything will be as it had been, with her daily life as an abandoned legal wife, Nian Zhen humiliating her in Weibo, her baby being killed by that car and her blood soaking the pavement like a red chrysanthemum...along with that terrible scream.


    Hui Yin blinked. Huh? What terrible scream?


    "For you to time-travel, a price is needed to be paid. Furthermore, if you can''t capture the culprit in that boy''s ident, then you need to time-travel back to the future. Not many people has been granted this chance."


    Hui Yin shook off her daze and asked quickly, "Senior, what price do I need to pay?"


    "The price...is for you to kill yourself and reset everything in the present!"


    Hui Yin nearly bowled over, the shock robbing her of speech.


    The price...isn''t it a bit too high?!

 Chapter 140 Erase All The Traces

    Hui Yin knew there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.


    But still, no sane person would not be taken aback by Yue Lao''s request, even if he followed that earth-shattering statement by reassuring her, "Of course, you won''t really die. Your death is just needed to get everything back on track. It''s to erase all the traces that you have left here, so that it won''t cause great changes to the future."


    Hui Yin thought of the events that had happened to her in the past few months. Her time with the twins, her revenge on Nian Zhen and Lu Shen, her sessful audition that got her to star in Liu Jun''s PV, meeting Liu Jun and starring in a teen idol group drama...did she have to go back to square one all over again?


    "A person won''t be able to aplish anything without great sacrifices," Yue Lao quietly rebuked her. "Are you willing to give this chance up just so that you could enjoy the fleeting joys in life?"


    Hui Yin knew that he was right. He was right, but that didn''t mean she couldn''t feel any reluctance at leaving all of this behind.


    "But Senior, if I die, how will I be able to go back to the past without my body?"


    Yue Laoughed. "Why would you need your body? Didn''t you die when you were reborn? All you need is your soul. But you''re right, we need this body of yours to remain intact so the future won''t be affected. That''s why I''ll give you a little gift."


    From seemingly out of nowhere, Yue Lao pulled out a simple long hairpin with a pink cherry blossom on its other end. When he handed it to her, Hui Yin immediately saw that it was rather sharp.


    "Stab it in your jugr and your soul will be freed from the constraints of your body, but your body will not be harmed."


    Hui Yin: "..."


    She was feeling deeply regretful that she thought the hairpin was pretty for a brief second.


    "If I die," Hui Yin hesitated, "Everything will be reset?"


    Yue Lao nodded in confirmation.


    "Everything will be as it had happened in your previous life. After you catch the culprit and severe the bond between you two...only then will you be able to control your fate."


    Hui Yin looked at the hairpin in her hands. She really didn''t have a choice. Even if she stayed, she would gradually lose her memories...other than going back to the past and finding the culprit, everything was a dead end that would lead her back to Lu Shen.


    "But Senior, if I don''t find the culprit at the time of Lu Shen''s ident and I''ll have to go back to my previous life, won''t I have already died there? How will I catch the culprit without a body?"


    Yue Lao flung off his beer bottle and staggered to his feet. He steadied himself against the tree as his rheumy eyes squinted at Hui Yin.


    "You silly girl, let me worry about that. If you don''t mind, this old man needs to find another bottle of beer to drink. Care to join me?"


    The alcohol wafting off him made Hui Yin pucker her forehead in distaste. She didn''t really like the smell of alcoholics and smokers, which was why she had tried so hard to make Lu Shen quit these bad habits. But she knew that despite his seemingly drunkard appearance, this senior of hers truly had a kind heart. Because he was a deity, he really didn''t need her to save his life. He would be alright even if he was hit by that car, or beaten up by those gangsters.


    But Yue Lao still gave her a reward for these small acts of unnecessary kindness.


    "I''ll have to politely decline, senior. I have a flight tomorrow."


    He gave her a casual wave of his hand. "Fine, fine, be a wet nket. This old man won''t force you. Just be sure to make a decision as soon as possible, because I don''t want to have too much entanglements with mortals."


    Hui Yin gave him a deep bow. "Many thanks for senior''s wise advice. If in the future senior needs my help, this junior is willing to do her best to repay you."


    "Why would I need your help?" Yue Lao gave her a disdainful side-eye. "I gave you a reward because I thought that you were a good child. Won''t the heavens think I''m abusing my power if I make a female who is still wet behind the ears pay me back for a small favor? But..."


    A sudden crafty look emerged on his geriatric face. "If you give me a case of beer, then this old man won''t dare to refuse it."


    "..."


    What ''won''t the heavens think I''m abusing my power''? You''re already abusing your power to feed your drunkard tendencies! Hui Yin secretly felt aggrieved in her heart, but didn''t dare to say this out loud. Who knows how many of those red string bracelets this senior was keeping inside his pockets?


    Hue Yin quickly said her goodbyes to Yue Lao since he might he find something suspicious in her expression. She twisted her ponytail into a bun and inserted the hairpin. Although it had a bit of a ''Shang Dynasty'' hairstyle going on, it was at least less conspicuous than the sprout hairpin craze that took off in Chengdu a few years ago. [1]


    The next morning, Hui Yin took a flight back to Beijing with Ye Qiang and Bao Bai. Because Ye Qiang was originally from Beijing and Bao Bai wanted to tour around the Summer Pce, the three of them decided to book the tickets together and had fun chatting on the ne.


    It was only when theynded on the airport that Hui Yin realized nearly all of the magazines and newspapers on the ne featured Lu Shen and Nian Zhen.


    For a man ruthless enough to bankrupt mediapanies featuring his photo because he wanted to stay low-key, why was he doing everything he can to attract attention now?


    [1] Sprout hairpin craze: hairpins wherein there are small nts in it, so it kind of looks like there are nts growing on the top of your head.

 Chapter 141 Come With Me

    In the lounge area of the airport, there was a man with disheveled hair lying by himself on the settee, looking to be deeply asleep. His legs were crossed at the ankles, his hands sped on the top of his stomach.


    If it wasn''t for the business suit that he was wearing, one would have mistaken him for a corpse.


    All of the arriving and departing passengers that walked by gave him curious looks, wondering who the man could be waiting for. That person must be so inconsiderate for the man to have fallen asleep while waiting.


    In truth, he had just arrived there five minutes ago.


    Hui Yin looked at this scene, and her hand unknowingly clenched on the handle of her luggage bag. Without expression, she strode towards the man and whacked him upside the head.


    "Jiang Xu, you bastard, wake up!"


    When he opened his eyes and saw the girl ring at him with eyes looking like it could shoot fire, Jiang Xu slowly smiled.


    "Wifey."


    Behind Hui Yin, both Ye Qiang and Bao Bai had dumbstruck faces. Wifey? Did he just call her Wifey?


    "Hui Yin..." Ye Qiang looked at the close familiarity between them and took a guess. "Is he your boyfriend?"


    Hui Yin''s head turned around so fast that she nearly cricked her neck.


    "No!"


    The smile that was beginning to take over Jiang Xu''s face and curved his eyes like crescent moons dissolved and turned into a pout.


    Ye Qiang was surprised. "He''s not? Then is he your...husband?"


    One could not me Ye Qiang for thinking this. After all, the endearment ''wifey'' was a term only used between lovers. So if he wasn''t her boyfriend, then wouldn''t it mean that he was her husband?


    Now, not only had Jiang Xu''s eyes turned into crescent moons, there were sparkling stars glittering inside them as well.


    Hui Yin felt like she was getting a headache.


    "No!"


    Bao Bai was also confused. "Then..."


    "He''s just a friend who calls me by a weird nickname. How could he be my husband? I hate his hair!"


    That seemingly randomment made the three of them look at Hui Yin weirdly.


    But she couldn''t really put what she felt into words. Ever since the two of them had first met, Hui Yin had a deep-seated animosity towards Jiang Xu''s hair. Maybe it was a reincarnation of her nemesis in a past life?


    Hui Yin lifted her hand and tried patting it down. But it didn''t seem to want to obey hermand and continued sticking up with great dignity. Her face soured.


    "Wifey, I came to pick you up."


    Jiang Xu had received Hui Yin''s text of arriving at Beijing today so he came to drive her back to her apartment. The fact that he had done it under Wuji''s nose made him feel a sense of aplishment.


    I didn''t die today! Hooray!


    Jiang Xu really didn''t know what that little brat was so worried about. Lately he had been dropping hints to Jiang Xu that he was ''not doing enough'' and the pany needs to be number one''. Thepany was doing well so why did he suddenly became thispetitive?


    Ye Qiang and Bao Bai hitched a ride with them, and Jiang Xu decided to drop them off first. Left alone inside the car as they drove back to Hui Yin''s apartment, Jiang Xu sneaked a nce at Hui Yin and swallowed nervously.


    "Wifey...are you free tomorrow?"


    "Hm?" Hui Yin was fiddling with the radio. When Liu Jun''s song came on, she leaned back on her seat. "Yes, I''m free."


    If Hui Yin hadn''t met Yue Lao and learned of her ''cursed'' fate, she would have started packing the things in her apartment as she was nning to move out. But now that everything was going to be reset anyway...


    Jiang Xu''s hands gripped the steering wheel tightly.


    "Do...do you want toe with me somewhere?" His voice cracked at the end, and Jiang Xu coughed loudly to cover up his embarrassment.


    Jiang Xu knew that his usual selling point to the girls was hisziness and extreme indifference to their flirting. But now that he was asking his Wifey out for a date, he was so nervous that his palms started sweating, and the redness that creeped up from his neck to his ears made him feel like a shy maiden encountering a gentleman for the first time.


    Hui Yin was oblivious to all of this.


    "Sure," she answered easily without thinking too much.


    "R¡ªReally?" Jiang Xu was so full of excitement that his head swung sideways to look at her. Hui Yin casually batted his cheek with her left hand and forced him to look back at the road.


    "Are you deaf? I said yes." Then a warm glow shed through Hui Yin''s eyes, and she leaned forward, her voice gushing, "Bring the twins too!"


    "..."


    Jiang Xu was speechless.


    Wifey...why...


    If those two were there, how could it be a date? He would only be reduced to be a mere third wheel!


    For the first time in his life, Jiang Xu wished he was an only child.

 Chapter 142 We’re Going Ou

    While Jiang Xu was having trouble asking Hui Yin out on a date, the Nian''s family home were busy with the uing engagement.


    Nian Zhen looked at the bustling activity inside her home with great satisfaction.


    Her rtives from all over China hade to pay a visit and offer their congrattions, bringing li shi money and gifts. Both Lu Shen''s parents had already showered her with jewelry, and there wasn''t a second that Nian Zhen''s eyes strayed off from her engagement ring. She knew that it wasn''t the same as that trash, but who would want to wear her leftovers anyway?


    Both male and female cousins had begged toe with her aunts and uncles, the boys wanting to be acquainted with Lu Shen to brag about to their friends and the girls dreaming about catching his attention. Of course he was engaged to their cousin, but as long as they were married, wasn''t there still a chance to ''snatch'' him?


    But when they arrived and saw their cousin, this dream of theirs abruptly popped like a bubble.


    As if her body was mirroring her delight, Nian Zhen''s hair had gotten silkier, shining like ck onyx against her fair skin. The smile that was constantly flitting around her lips made her even look more seductive and charming¡ªwhen the depressed Wang Yong saw this after being dragged by his parents to offer their blessings to the couple, he nearly broke down and begged her not to marry the master yer.


    Wang Yong felt saddened for both himself and his precious benefactor. They thought they had managed to grasp the love of their lives, only for this stupid clich¨¨ ending to happen. Of course the phoenix and the dragon were going to end up together. How could they even try to prevent it? He was too foolish to expect such a beautiful gift for his birthday. Not long after he celebrated, the scandal had broken out and flooded the.


    His whole birthday party became a joke to his eyes.


    Wang Yong''s father, Wang Xiong, looked at the pitiful expression of his son with aplicated gaze. He was feeling grateful that he had the foresight to introduce Wang Yong to some of the other aristocratic youngdies and did not solely focus on Nian Zhen. He had been greatly disturbed when he saw how protective and possessive Lu Shen was of his fianc¨¦e, but s...status indeed dictated everything. No matter what family that youngdy had came from, it could not beat the Nians.


    A greatmotion by the doorway drew all of their attention, and the guests turned their heads around to look.


    A tall and handsome man walked in, his face cold and indifferent. Even when his inws rushed over to greet him, and all the various people that were connected to the Nians either through blood or water weed him with extravagant praises, not a single ripple showed in his expression. One would have thought that this man could withstand the difficult trials of life showing neither joy nor sorrow, coolly surveying everything around him with detached apathy.


    But the people around him didn''t take it to heart and continued smiling. This was the Great Dragon King! One could not bear to be snubbed by others, but he was the only exception. There was always an exception for Lu Shen.


    "Tang mei [1], that''s your fianc¨¦ right? He''s so good-looking!"


    Nian Zhen and some of her female cousins were standing in the opposite end of the living room, since she was tasked to receive the gifts brought over by her rtives. Even without the girl''s prodding, Nian Zhen''s eyes had already been looking at Lu Shen. His presence nketed everyone inside the room, drawing their attention to each of his slightest movement.


    But Nian Zhen pretended to bow her head and blush like a timid flower.


    "Don''t look at him, it''s embarrassing..."


    Some of her cousins exchanged disdainful nces. Now that envy had filled their hearts for Nian Zhen''s great fortune to marry such an outstanding man, they couldn''t help but criticize her in their hearts. Why was this girl even pretending to be a white lotus, when everyone in China already knew that she stole someone else''s fianc¨¦?


    However, some of Nian Zhen''s cousins were enthusiastic about this sinful fact. If a man can be stolen away once, then he can be stolen again. They checked their reflection on theirpact mirrors and aimed a coquettish nce at Lu Shen''s direction. Nian Zhen caught their actions and silently gritted her teeth.


    You want to steal Brother Shen away from me? Let''s see if you have the ability first!


    Erasing the contempt from her face, Nian Zhen tucked a lock of her hair behind one ear and elegantly stood up. Lu Shen was already halfway into the living room, still surrounded by a chattering crowd of people ttering him. There was not a single trace of a smile that could be found in his expression, and it seemed as if the one they were talking to was not him.


    Several uncles of Nian Zhen tried to hide their disappointment. Although they shared the same family surname, most of them were not rich as Nian Hsin and were trying to make ends meet. They had gone to visit the Nian family home in hopes of forming a connection with the youngest founder of thergest business empire in China, but it seemed that this was only their own wishful thinking.


    "Brother Shen."


    Lu Shen looked at the girl standing in front of him.


    Her ck hair fell in straight waves down her back, and the dress that hugged every curve of her body showed how perfect her figure was. Oval-shaped face,rge eyes, and full lips. Nian Zhen fulfilled the conditions of a typical b¨¢i f¨´ m¨§i, making her irresistible to men.


    But Lu Shen''s cold dark eyes didn''t even fluctuate. She might as well be another indoor decorative nt in the wide living room.


    Nian Zhen fluttered her eyshes and linked her arm around his, creating the perfect image of a loving couple. "Brother Shen, why didn''t you tell me that you were going to visit? I wasn''t prepared at all."


    Lu Shen ignored her words and steered her towards the door.


    "We''re going out."


    Nian Zhen dampened her glee, but her cheeks were pink as she asked tremulously, "Brother Shen, we''re going out?"


    Lu Shen gave her a curt nod.


    Since the bait was already set, the next step was to hook the line and let the trap catch its prey.


    Nian Zhen permitted herself a small smile, but was unaware that the man she was holding on to had finally thrown away his mask of indifference.


    His lips curled into a cruel sneer, and a vicious ruthlessness lurked from the depths of his eyes. The calmer he looked, the more endless winds and waves bred beneath the surface, like a surging tsunami.


    Once he caught the culprit, he was going to kill him with his bare hands.


    Lu Shen had his own bottom line too, and that man had crossed it.


    [1] To address a younger female cousin from the paternal side of the family.

 Chapter 143 Compromising Position

    The weather was sunny, with fluffy clouds floating in the sky and people wearing flip-flops strolling around the park, which was located at the east of Beijing.


    The shouts and screamsing from the carnival drifted with the breeze, which gently swayed the drooping leaves of the willow trees lining the walkway path. Two people riding their bicycles scattered the birds pecking on the pavement as their wheels rushed by, creating a lovely atmosphere.


    The girl on the leading bicycle was wearing a white shirt and denim jumper shorts, her hair tied into a half up messy bun. A cherry blossom hairpin dangled from the side, giving her a charming appearance.


    The man following behind her wore a simple id shirt and cotton shorts, strenuously pedaling to catch up.


    Sweat trickled down from his temples as he cried out pitifully, "Wifey..."


    Hui Yin ignored him.


    She had been so excited to spend the whole day with the two little buns, only for this man to arrive and say that he had forgotten to bring them along.


    So who was going to eat her basket full of desserts then? Him? Thinking of the two little buns that had been robbed of their food, Hui Yin pursed her lips and her bike went faster.


    Jiang Xu looked at the angry female in front of him and sighed helplessly. Of course, he had not ''forgotten''. But he wanted this day to be only about the two of them, and those two brats would definitely try to hog all of her attention.


    He watched her hair flutter behind her, showing the soft white skin of her nape and the sunlight that made her seem as if she was shimmering. Jiang Xu was so absorbed staring at her that he didn''t realize his bike had swerved sideways and hit the curb until he tumbled across the grass. There was a searing pain on his knees, and Jiang Xu let out a groan.


    "Jiang Xu! Are you alright?


    Hui Yin had heard a small thump behind her and abruptly braked, only to see Jiang Xu with scraped knees lying like a dying man on the grass. Three ck lines momentarily appeared on Hui Yin''s forehead.


    His two four year-old brothers didn''te, but here was a bigger baby than the two of thembined...


    She jumped off her bike and walked towards him.


    "It''s just a scrape. Don''t cry." Her voice had no sympathy in it all, even as she leaned over him and studied his bleeding knees with a stern expression.


    "Wifey..."


    Jiang Xu eyes became round and his lower lip quivered. Hui Yin thought that he looked a bit like a kitten that had been abandoned in the pouring rain. Her heart softened.


    "Fine, I''ll buy band-aids and apply some ointment. Can you stand?"


    She offered him her hand, and Jiang Xu grabbed it. But Hui Yin didn''t expect for his body to be so heavy and lost her bnce, falling on top of him.


    "Oof!"


    The two of them cried out in surprise at the same time, and Jiang Xu tensed when he felt the soft and fragrant body inside his arms. Hey on the ground, not wanting to move.


    Hui Yin opened her eyes. They were both trapped in apromising position, so she raised herself on her elbows and nced up. Coincidentally, Jiang Xu also lowered his gaze and their eyes met.


    Hui Yin had never seen him up close before. Their lips were only inches apart, and their breaths mingled in the air between them. Her heart skipped a beat.


    Jiang Xu''s eyes darkened.


    "Wifey..."

 Chapter 144 Blushing

    Jiang Xu''s voice made Hui Yin return back to her senses.


    They were in a public space! Being so close like this, it would be very easy for people to misunderstand them.


    Blushing, Hui Yin rolled away from him and sat up. They had been friends for years, but Hui Yin had never felt ufortable with Jiang Xu until now.


    "I''ll go to the nearest convenience store and buy a pack of band-aids. Will you be okay waiting for me here?"


    Hui Yin didn''t look at him as she spoke, and there was an air of awkwardness between them that wasn''t there before.


    "Wifey, I''ll go with you."


    Jiang Xu didn''t really mind his scraped knees anymore. As a matter of fact, he was even a bit happy about them. If he hadn''t fallen, would that kind of springtime scenery happen with his Wifey? It was a blessing in disguise.


    He stood up and winced a little at the pain. Hui Yin saw his reaction and said, "Just stay here, I''ll be back soon."


    "No." Jiang Xu raised his chin with a stubborn look. "I''ll go with you."


    The park wasrge and crowded, so he didn''t want her to get lost. It was too dangerous for a girl to be alone out here.


    There were plenty of convenience stores nearby, so Hui Yin easily got a small pack of band-aids and a bottle of iodine. Hui Yin''s heart was big, but she was stingy with money. She made Jiang Xu pay for it, as it was his own fault that he got wounded.


    The northwestern section of the park included ake, flowerbeds, and wide grassy expanses. After buying what she needed, Hui Yin pulled out a checkered nket and put down her basket of desserts. She made Jiang Xu sit down and carefully tended to his knees.


    She was applying some iodine to a piece of cotton when a shadow fell over them. Hui Yin looked up and saw two boys who were wearing their middle school uniform hold out a notebook flipped open to a nk page towards her.


    Their faces were flushed a deep red. One of them nudged hispanion, and the boy stuttered, "B¡ªBeautiful older sister, can we get an autograph?"


    Hui Yin blinked in surprise. She didn''t expect for anyone to recognize her. Because Sister Su had been managing her ount, she only checked it once in a while and didn''t trouble herself over it.


    Hui Yin made Jiang Xu press the cotton on his wound and epted the pen they handed her. As she was writing her signature, the other boy fidgeted with his phone before blurting out, "Can we take a picture with you too?"


    "No!" Jiang Xu was the one who answered. He folded his arms across his chest. What if they do something illegal with her picture? He didn''t want anyone to take advantage of his Wifey, especially since the inte could be so scary nowadays and it would be only too easy for anyone to download his Wifey''s picture and share it online...


    While Jiang Xu was deeply thinking about this, Hui Yin had already posed for the camera with the two boys. The shutter clicked, and they thanked her profusely before walking away.


    The ignored Jiang Xu was left floundering like a fish out of water as he realized what had happened.


    "Wifey, you shouldn''t have!"


    "I shouldn''t have what?" Hui Yin raised an eyebrow as she returned tending to his wound. Because the abrasion wasn''t that bad, it would probably scab over after a few weeks.


    "You shouldn''t have let them!"


    "Shouldn''t have left them what?"


    She was deliberately ying her usual trick on Jiang Xu to make him speak more. Hui Yin knew a few quiet people, but none of them were as mute as Jiang Xu. Was he trying to make an investment with his saliva?


    "Shouldn''t," Jiang Xu swallowed, "Shouldn''t let them take pictures!"


    "Why shouldn''t I? I''m an actress, I should be d when a person bes my fan."


    The band aids Hui Yin had picked were cute, with little hearts all over it. She gazed at Jiang Xu''s feminized knees with a satisfied expression.


    "But what if they post it online?" Jiang Xu still felt nervous.


    Hui Yin counted. Seven words. Hmph, still uneptable.


    She opened her basket and took out the desserts she baked the night before. "So what if they post it? So what if they don''t? What''s it got to do with you?"


    Jiang Xu had a momentary impulse to grab her hand, but just as he reached for it, Hui Yin picked another stic container of dessert from the basket. Jiang Xu pretended to scratch the back of his neck instead.


    "But Wifey, your privacy..." He was blushing at his failure just now, so he avoided her eyes while talking.


    "My agency has its own data protection policy, so you don''t need to worry about that."


    Hui Yin pointed at the spread of delicacies in front of him. "What do you want to eat first?"


    He was still not looking at her. "Anything."


    "Why aren''t you looking at me?" Hui Yin found out that he was acting strange so she tilted her head to make him meet her eyes.


    Embarrassed, Jiang Xu leaned to his left, to the point of pivoting his bodypletely.


    "Jiang Xu!" Hui Yin was exasperated. What was wrong with him today? At her wit''s end, she grasped his chin and made him face her.


    Looking at the face in close proximity to his, the blush that he wanted to hide spread over his cheekspletely. Hui Yin wasn''t a dense girl. When she realized the reason for his blush, as if she was being infected, her cheeks flushed a deep red too.

 Chapter 145 Feeling Unsettled

    Hui Yin and Jiang Xu were not the only ones out by thekeside. There were big and small families, couples, and friends that came to enjoy the fantastic view of the cityscape just beyond its walls.


    In particr, one couple had attracted much attention when they passed by theke. The man was startlingly handsome, the girl elegant and delicate in her bearing. There were a few guards walking behind them, looking alert and vignt.


    The entourage was Nian Zhen''s; Lu Shen had a few guards with him too, but they hid in the shadows. It didn''t really affect his n by much. If the culprit could trespass inside a well-guarded vi, three or more guards should be child''s y to him.


    They were on their way to the carnival, where a lot of people could see them. Nian Zhen felt slightly uneasy that a man like her Brother Shen who hated noisy ces would want to go to a carnival, but her happiness overruled her gut feeling. The more people who could see them, the better. She wanted to let the whole world know that Brother Shen was hers!


    Nian Zhen felt even more gleeful when she imagined what that slut must be feeling. Seeing her together with Brother Shen must have broken her heart; she should be crying pitifully right now, soaking her pillow with her tears. Hmph, that''s what you get for unting your rtionship with Brother Shen right in front of me. Did you really think that your rtionship with him wouldst long?


    "Brother Shen, can you get me that cone of ice cream? I suddenly want to eat it!"


    Nian Zhen gazed at him through lowered eyshes. There was an expression of wanting to be spoilt on her face as she tugged at his hand and pointed at an ice cream vendor.


    Lu Shen was feeling impatient, but he had to put on an act. He obediently walked towards the vendor when he suddenly stopped in his tracks.


    "Brother Shen?"


    Confused, Nian Zhen looked at him.


    Lu Shen''s gaze swept his surroundings, taking in the boats on theke and the groups of people having a pic on the grassy clearing. There was an itchy feeling in his heart, but he didn''t find anything suspicious. There were too many people out there, and any one of them looked just like an average person enjoying their day out on the park.


    So where did this dark sense of foreboding came from?


    Feeling unsettled, Lu Shen knitted his eyebrows into a frown.


    "Brother Shen, what''s wrong?" Nian Zhen followed his stare, but she didn''t see anything out of the ordinary. She tugged at his hand again, sessfully pulling his attention back to her.


    Lu Shen shook off his inexplicable mood, and bought her the ice cream. The two of them continued their way to the carnival, leaving thekeside behind them.


    Hidden behind the silhouette of several families, Hui Yin and Jiang Xu faced each other. Her hand was still holding his chin, and they were both leaning forward. She could count the flecks in his irises; her warm and sweet breath caressed his face.


    For a brief second, neither of them moved.


    Hui Yin could almost see the boundary line of friendship between them, and the unspoken question that hung in the air. Should we cross it? Or should we not?


    Initially she had tried to pretend that nothing had happened when she fell on top of him earlier, because she was deeply aware that this man was her best friend. Her seat mate for several years, the goofy sleepyhead who was toozy to properly brush his hair.


    But then Jiang Xu answered the question for her as he covered the remaining distance between them and pressed his lips against hers.

 Chapter 146 Take Responsibility

    Hui Yin''s seat mate had always weirded her out.


    During their first ss in the morning, he was asleep.


    On theirst ss in the afternoon, he was asleep.


    If he was that fond of sleeping, why did he even bother to get out of his mother''s womb?


    Hui Yin felt like this was one of her life''s most pressing questions.


    She never had many friends at school. She couldn''t rte to any of the ''normal'' girl talks because aside from going to school, Hui Yin spent most of her time working part-time jobs to be able to afford the tuition fee. Her father had died in an ident at work, and her mother followed soon after because of sickness.


    Her brother used to be the closest person to her and the one who supported her during financial troubles, but when Hui Yin enrolled for her freshman year at college, he fell in with a bad crowd and abruptly left her. Even now, Hui Yin had no idea what happened to him. Maybe he had already died.


    And as for male friends...male friends were no good at all. They would start by being overly nice to her, but would suddenly be jealous when she gets close to another man. By the time she became a sophomore, Hui Yin had long realized that it wasn''t ''friendship'' they wanted. So she stopped befriending them, and the jealousy of the other girls also slightly lessened.


    Hui Yin only had a few close friends at school. Luo Lan, a few female colleagues...and Jiang Xu.


    She never really knew when they started bing friends.


    Maybe it was when she joked to an annoying suitor that she had an ''unrequited love'' for him.


    Or maybe it was because he lent her a pencil when she forgot to bring one during an exam.


    Or when she told him that she didn''t like his hair...or the time he started calling her ''Wifey'' as a joke...or when she got the trust of his twin brothers during their first meeting. Hui Yin couldn''t really pinpoint the time they became close enough to treat each other as a ''best friend''.


    Maybe Hui Yin should get mad at Jiang Xu for kissing her. But she couldn''t.


    Because she knew in her heart that Jiang Xu wasn''t like those boys, who at the moment she turns them down, would never speak to her again despite being ''friends''.


    So when they both pulled away at the same time and Jiang Xu was looking at her like he had just done a crime punishable by death, Hui Yin simplyughed.


    "Are you going to take responsibility for that?"


    Jiang Xu''s eyes widened. "What?"


    Hui Yin cuffed him under the chin. Her mouth turned up slightly at the corners as she taunted, "Oh? You''re not going to take responsibility? How insolent for a man like you to take advantage of a maiden and not properly care for her."


    Jiang Xu grabbed her hand. "Wifey, do you really mean that?"


    Hui Yin folded her arms. "Do I mean what? I was asking you if you were going to take responsibility..."


    She didn''t manage to finish speaking when Jiang Xu jumped up and hugged her. Surprised, Hui Yin fell back on the checkered nket.


    "Jiang Xu!"


    She wrinkled her nose in distaste, feeling flustered. She had already noticed that some people were looking at them when they kissed earlier, and Jiang Xu had the nerve to do another dramatic public disy of affection.


    But Jiang Xu was too happy to care. He looked at the girl with a disapproving expression beneath him, and his heart couldn''t help but thrum with delight. How many times had he imagined this? Every time he did, it was always cold rejection that met his attempts in his mind. He had seen his Wifey reject without hesitation the countless boys that confessed to her, and Jiang Xu believed it would be the same ending for him.


    So he patiently waited, because more than his desire of wanting her to be his real Wifey, was the desire of wanting to be always with her.


    But she actually said that she wanted him to ''take responsibility''! Wasn''t it the same as telling him that she was willing to date him?


    Hui Yin stared at the face that resembled a lotus seed paste above her and pushed him away.


    She had mixed feelings about this sudden development. She felt surprised that Jiang Xu actually felt this way about her, happy that he did, and sad because everything was soon going to be reset.


    Hui Yin knew Jiang Xu. He was definitely going to treat her well, and in her heart, something subtle had also changed. As to whether this feeling was love or not...she sighed. Only time would tell.


    And Hui Yin didn''t have much time.


    When they finally fixed themselves and sat up, Jiang Xu earnestly looked at her.


    "Wifey, are you going to be my girlfriend now?"


    Hui Yin: "..."


    Well, that was fast.

 Chapter 147 Let’s Just Date

    "That..." Hui Yin rubbed her nose.


    What was she supposed to say? If she became Jiang Xu''s girlfriend now, it would be unfair to him because she was going away soon. But if she didn''t, wouldn''t he say that she was the one not taking responsibility for him?


    "Let''s just date for now."


    Left without a choice, Hui Yin decided to pick the limbo of courtship. Not saying yes, not saying no, it was the perfect solution to her current dilemma.


    But Jiang Xu didn''t seem disheartened about her choice.


    How could he? It was still a step towards finally marrying his Wifey! If only he could hear her call him ''hubby'' too, Jiang Xu wouldn''t mind dying the next day. Ah wait, that would make his Wifey be a widow. He couldn''t die, not yet.


    Not until he and his Wifey had a dozen kids!


    If Hui Yin had heard his thoughts, she would definitely run in the other direction. Forget about being too fast, his thoughts were racing at the speed of light! And did he forget about the strict one-child policy? What were they going to do with the excess eleven? Pretend they were his imaginary friends?


    Thankfully, Hui Yin didn''t have a superpower like ''mind-reading''.


    The two of them didn''t take long to finish all of the food Hui Yin had cooked. It was Jiang Xu''s first time tasting it, and he was surprised that it was so delicious. It was almostparable to the food made by a famous chef! It had the warmth of home-made food, but the exquisite taste of an expensive dish.


    Hui Yin''s lips curved as she watched him put one red tortoise cake after another into his mouth. Naturally, she felt happy that someone enjoyed eating her food.


    "What are we going to do next?"


    After they finished eating all the food inside the basket until not one crumb was left, Hui Yin turned to Jiang Xu to ask him what his ns were for the rest of the day.


    She actually wanted to go home early, but since Jiang Xu was the one who asked her out, and they were finally ''dating'', it would be rude to leave him halfway.


    Jiang Xu turned slightly red. His ns for the day...he had racked his brains all night to think of what his Wifey would enjoy the most. He even nearly constructed an itinerary, but tore it to pieces after thinking that she might find itme. He knew his Wifey liked fun and noisy ces. Jiang Xu picked this particr park among other parks in Beijing because it has one thing most of them didn''t have...


    A carnival.


    "Wifey, why don''t we go to the carnival? I''ll win you a stuff toy from the w machine."


    Hui Yin squinted at him. It was not their first time to go to a carnival. Jiang Xu might be useless at many things, but he had good luck with pinball machines and anything that included gambling. It was fortunate that he was toozy to develop any bad habits and his main motivation in life was to sleep.


    Hui Yin suddenly smiled. "Alright."


    They packed up their things and went.


    Jiang Xu bought her cotton candy and a tub of popcorn, which they ate as they looked at the different carnival rides. He bought wristband tickets so that they could enjoy the whole day without having to pay the admission fee for each ride.


    Like he promised, Jiang Xu won her a stuffed toy at the w machine. Hui Yin hugged her giant panda tightly, wishing she could bring it with her when she travels back to the past. Thinking that this panda was going to disappear along with today''s memories when everything resets made Hui Yin feel a pang of sadness.


    Did she have to go?


    Trying to hide the waves in her heart shaking her resolve, Hui Yin tugged at the sleeve of Jiang Xu''s shirt and pointed to a nearby booth doing a game of bottle ring toss.


    "Can we y that?"


    But her voice was drowned by a girl''s loud squeal.


    "Ey! Don''t you feel that the couple there kind of looks familiar?"


    "Ah, you''re right! Especially the man. Now where did I see him before..."


    Reflexively, Hui Yin looked at the owners of those voices before following their gaze. There was a couple a few paces ahead of them, and she thought that their backs kind of looked familiar...


    Then the girl turned her head to speak to the man, and an electric current passed through Hui Yin''s body, locking her in ce. Like a video that had been paused and stopped at a specific time frame, Hui Yin saw that the girl''s eyes were bright with hope and happiness, inpetition to the sunshine surrounding her like a halo.


    As a female, Hui Yin was acutely sensitive of the charms of another woman. Although Nian Zhen''s face was seductive, which was not the cup of tea of most Chinese men, her posture and every action were so graceful and elegant that it was as if she could serve as both the wife and the mistress, capable of satisfying a man''s desirepletely.


    There was no need to think about the identity of the man beside her.


    Jiang Xu was still looking at the booth Hui Yin had pointed at. "Wifey, you want to y a bottle ring toss?"


    Hui Yin''s limbs moved and she pushed Jiang Xu behind the tarp of a makeshift stall. She pped a hand on his mouth when he began to speak, hissing a fierce "Shhh!"


    She peeked behind the tarp to see if Lu Shen and Nian Zhen had moved away yet. She needed to quickly get out of the carnival with Jiang Xu, and avoid the path the two of them were taking...


    Suddenly, the absurdity of her actions hit her.


    Why was she hiding?

 Chapter 148 I’m Not Afraid To Die

    Jiang Xu looked at Hui Yin who seemed to be struggling with herself and gently removed the hand covering his mouth.


    "Wifey?"


    Hui Yin looked at him. In a serious tone, she asked, "Jiang Xu, are you afraid to die?"


    He was bewildered at the question. Why was his Wifey behaving so strangely?


    She didn''t wait for him to answer.


    "I''m not afraid to die either. Come on, let''s go."


    She grabbed his hand pulled them out from behind the tarpaulin sheet.


    Hui Yin didn''t know where her nervousness had came from. Even if they saw her, Nian Zhen would probably gloat and Lu Shen wouldn''t care. Why did she have to be mindful of them? Is the carnival theirs? Are they the only ones allowed to be here?


    Hmph, we''re paying visitors too!


    Just as she was thinking that, Lu Shen shifted his head slightly and Hui Yin raised the huge panda in the air to hide both her and Jiang Xu. But no, Lu Shen had just nced at the mboyant-looking unicorn in the carousel with a peculiar expression.


    Hui Yin nearly pped herself in self-reproach. He wasn''t even looking at you, and your knees are shaking in fright! Where is your dignity as a woman, using a cute panda as your shield?


    Hui Yin lifted her chin. Alright, she could admit it, she was scared that Lu Shen might hack her into mincemeat when he sees her together with Jiang Xu. She knew that he didn''t love her, but he was still possessive of his ''toys''. Inparison to him, even those dedicated toy collectors would probably be so ashamed that they could not face their fathers and forefathers.


    Jiang Xu looked down at their intertwined hands and was so happy that he felt he like he was floating. Swinging their hands lightly, he dragged Hui Yin to the direction of the ferris wheel.


    There was a myth that says the height of the ferris wheel was equal to a person''s happiness, so if a pair of lovers ride it and they kiss each other when the ferris wheel rises to its highest point, they will be together for the rest of their lives.


    Jiang Xu wanted to be together forever with his Wifey.


    Naturally, Hui Yin was not thinking of these things. Her own thoughts were simple as she followed Jiang Xu to the queue of people lining up at the entrance. Lu Shen and Nian Zhen were going the opposite way, so if they could hide inside the ferris wheel until the two of them left, wouldn''t it be a happy ending for all of them?


    They got into one of the passenger cars and Hui Yin finally breathed a sigh of relief. They were thest people on the line, so she thought they would have to wait a while for their turn.


    The ferris wheel moved, and Jiang Xu opened his mouth to tell the myth to his Wifey. If she was embarrassed, then he would propose to kiss her forehead only. That should be okay, right?


    But their passenger car only shifted once before the ferris wheel stopped again. Hui Yin looked down.


    The students from the car next to them got off, and Jiang Xu said, "Wifey..."


    Hui Yin never got to hear what he wanted to say. With a high-pitched squeak, she pressed her face against the ss, her hands leaving palm-sized imprints. She stared at the couple stepping into the passenger car the students had just vacated, the same passenger car that was only next to theirs.


    Jiang Xu saw that Hui Yin''s face was drained of color, so he asked in concern, "Wifey?"


    But Hui Yin was raising her panda stuffed toy again, using it as a cardboard box to hide them. If anyone looks into their passenger car, they would only see a huge panda staring back at them.


    Hui Yin''s tears overflowed.


    Fuck their ancestors to the eighteenth generation!


    Why are these two following them like cursed ghosts that she could not shake off?


    She just wanted to spend a peaceful day at the park, ah!


    Hui Yin stared at Jiang Xu looking puzzled beside her and assumed the rxed expression of Buddha. No matter what, she could not tell him of their imminent death.


    My child, you are about to get your wish of being able to sleep forever, don''t you know?

 Chapter 149 Those Simple Words

    The ferris wheel moved again, and Hui Yin continued stering the panda against the window. She noticed that Jiang Xu seemed to be fidgeting beside her.


    "Oh that''s right, you were about to tell me something," she remembered. "What is it?"


    Jiang Xu gathered all of his courage and said, "Wifey, can I kiss you when the ferris wheel reaches its highest point?"


    One, two, three, four, five...Hui Yin was dumbstruck. Thirteen words!


    Was she dreaming?


    "Sure," she replied easily, still dazed. For Jiang Xu to say thirteen words, a kiss was nothing! "Wait...where are you going to kiss me?"


    Jiang Xu blushed. He wanted to kiss her on the lips again, but they had only started dating. He could not be greedy.


    "The...forehead?"


    "The forehead? Okay."


    Hui Yin rxed. First kisses always made her anxious. The kiss earlier didn''t count because it was unexpected. But if Jiang Xu kissed her again...Hui Yin pressed a hand over her racing heart. Since when did thiszy bum had the power to make her feel nervous?


    Hui Yin nced down. Lu Shen and Nian Zhen didn''t seem to be talking to each other. Both of them were looking outside the window, while Nian Zhen kept sneaking nces at Lu Shen. Even if they looked up, they probably wouldn''t be able to see them.


    Hui Yin let out a breath she didn''t know she was holding and stared at Jiang Xu. She raised her hand and triedbing his hair.


    "Why are they always sticking up?" she grumbled.


    Jiang Xu smiled. His Wifey looked distracted before, but she was looking at him now. He liked his messy hair, since it always grabbed her attention. He could have made his hair look neat with gel and other hair products, but he didn''t.


    "You don''t like my hair?" he asked.


    "No!"


    "Then do you like me?"


    Her hand froze whilebing his hair, and Jiang Xu gently captured her wrist. He lowered her hand and pressed it against his chest, directly over his heart. Hui Yin could feel his rapid heartbeat.


    "Wifey, I like you."


    Her mouth was almost too dry to speak. Hui Yin could only nod like an idiot.


    They stared at each other for what seemed like hours. Jiang Xu''s stomach was knotted up, and cold sweat glistened on his furrowed brow.


    That was too fast, wasn''t it? Did he scare her? Was he not supposed to say that? Jiang Xu''s thoughts jumbled and each one of them scolded him for impulsively blurting out his feelings. If they weren''t high up in the air, he would have made ame excuse and ran away.


    Hui Yin finally dropped her gaze and said softly, "We''re here."


    Her voice was almost too quiet, less sure. She looked back up at him, and there was a flush on her cheeks that made her look vulnerable. Jiang Xu held his breath as Hui Yin''s hair slid over her shoulder, and her eyes that could capture a person''s soul dominated his vision.


    Her face came closer and closer, until she tentatively touched her lips against his.


    Jiang Xu''s mind went nk.


    A long while after Hui Yin had leaned back and burrowed her face into the panda, Jiang Xu said haltingly, "Wifey...forehead?"


    Hui Yin didn''t lift up her face. "Just consider it a bonus."


    ¡ªWifey, I like you.


    How long had she been waiting for those simple words to be said to her?


    That was all she ever wanted. For the person she loved to love her back, and for the two of them to live happily together. She tried her hardest to be a good housewife to Lu Shen so that he could say those three words to her, but either in her past life or in this life, he had never said it.


    Hui Yin thought that maybe she wasn''t worthy of it.


    But Jiang Xu had said it to her!


    "I really wish I didn''t have to go back."


    Because her voice was muffled, Jiang Xu didn''t understand her. He wanted to bury his face into the panda too, as he was sure that he looked like a red tomato from thinking about the kiss. But Wifey''s embarrassed appearance...was too cute!


    Peeking through the strands of her long hair, Jiang Xu could see that the tips of her ears were red. He really wanted to kiss her again!


    After regaining a bit of her dignity, Hui Yin finally had the courage to meet his eyes. Her voice was small.


    "I''m going to take responsibility for that kiss too."


    Jiang Xuughed and pinched her cheeks.


    "Wifey, you are so cute."


    Hui Yin used the panda''s arm to p his hand away.


    She nced at the window, and a tingle across her skin made Hui Yin instinctively raise her head.


    Her gaze collided with his.


    Hui Yin''s breathing stopped.


    Lu Shen was already looking at them.

 Chapter 150 You’re Crazy!

    Due to the way that it was built, people would normally not be able to see the passengers of the other cars while riding the ferris wheel because of its design.


    But there was an exception for this.


    On the top of the ferris wheel, where the passenger cars are lined up on a shallow curve, their field of vision would not be hindered by the roof of the passenger car. If one should wish to, they could observe the other passengers without constraint.


    Unfortunately for Hui Yin, she had realized this fact a bit toote.


    She quickly averted her gaze, her hands embracing her stuffed toy tightly. What right did he have to look at her like that?


    She hadn''t done anything wrong! Hui Yin was furious with Lu Shen for making her feel guilty. He was with another girl, so why did he have to look at her like that?


    Jiang Xu had seen Lu Shen too. He studied the different expressions flitting across his Wifey''s face, and couldn''t help but feel jealous. He had finally understood why Wuji wanted theirpany to rise up and be number one. That brat wanted topete with the Great Dragon King!


    Hui Yin grabbed his hand. "Jiang Xu, let''s go straight home after this, okay?"


    He didn''t want his Wifey to have any interactions with that man either. He nodded.


    "En."


    When they finally reached the bottom, Hui Yin couldn''t exit the ride fast enough. She pumped her legs, dragging Jiang Xu with her. She wanted to go as far as possible before Lu Shen caught up to them.


    But she had barely taken two steps forward when a hand abruptly seized her wrist.


    Hui Yin stopped and looked at Lu Shen. She tried to pull her wrist away, but she didn''t seed.


    "Lu Shen, what are you doing? Let me go," she said calmly.


    Hui Yin was d that her voice didn''t betray her inner turmoil. She could see Nian Zhen standing behind him, a very ugly look on her face. Jiang Xu''s hand had also tightened on hers.


    "Xiao Yin, who do you think I am?"


    His voice was low, almost choked. It was also filled with fury.


    Hui Yin nced up at him, befuddled. Jiang Xu saw that his Wifey was in danger and stepped in front of her, blocking her from view.


    But Lu Shen was still holding onto her wrist.


    "Let Wifey go," Jiang Xu warned.


    Lu Shen''s eyes flickered. His gaze never left Hui Yin, as if he couldn''t even be bothered to look at Jiang Xu. There was disdain and contempt in his tone as he slowly asked, "The eldest son of the Jiang family?"


    His question startled Hui Yin. A bad premonition rose up in her chest.


    "Xiao Yin, I asked you who I was. Did you forget? A smallpany like the Jiang''s...how many days do you think it would take me topletely destroy them?"


    Jiang Xu stumbled a few steps backward.


    Hui Yin twisted her hand, but she was still unable to escape from his grip. Feeling suffocated, she shouted at him, "You actually dare to ckmail me? Lu Shen, don''t be so low!"


    The corners of his mouth curled up into a strange smile. "Mmm, maybe I''m acting a bit low. But Xiao Yin, do you know who pushed me down there?"


    "Let go of Wifey!" Jiang Xu recovered from his shock and attempted to shove Lu Shen away.


    But Lu Shen only jerked his head slightly and two men wearing ck suits came out of nowhere and restrained him. Jiang Xu struggled, but their body and weight were at least twice more than his.


    Hui Yin was terrified. She whipped her head towards Lu Shen and cried, "Let him go!"


    Now that there wasn''t anything between them, Lu Shen grabbed her around the waist and pulled her closely towards him. Hui Yin used her other free hand to p him.


    But before her palm could strike his face, his other hand stopped her. His expression looked gloomy, but he was chuckling when he said, "What? You want to p me?"


    He moved her hand down from his cheek to his neck. "Hitting me like that won''t satisfy you. It''s better if you put your hand...here."


    As he said that, he ced her fingers around his throat.


    Hui Yin shrank back and flung off his hand. "You''re crazy!"


    She caught a glimpse of Jiang Xu at the corner of her eye, and fiery hatred bubbled up inside her. Without thinking, she spat out, "I wish I hadn''t saved you back then!"


    Lu Shen flinched.


    But it onlysted for a brief second before his expression cleared and he repeated, "I''m crazy?"


    He lowered his head and buried it between her shoulder and neck. His body shook withughter, but he didn''t say anything to refute her im.


    Lu Shen also thought that maybe he had gone crazy too.

 Chapter 151 Upper-Class Families

    Hui Yin shoved Lu Shen away. What did he mean by putting her hand around his throat?


    "Release Jiang Xu!" she demanded. "Did you forget your promise? I told you to stay away from me!"


    Behind Lu Shen, Nian Zhen''s body trembled. She thought that this trash would be extremely heartbroken after Brother Shen broke their engagement, but she was actually flirting around with another man. What''s even more unbelievable was that contrary to what Nian Zhen had thought, this scene before her seemed to be as if it was Brother Shen who didn''t want to let go of this actress!


    Lu Shen let Hui Yin push him away. But his hand was still persistently gripping her wrist.


    "Promise? When did I promise?"


    Hui Yin red at him and ignored his words. "Don''t you dare target theirpany!"


    She had thought that Lu Shen considered her words from before because the Nians and the Lus stopped targeting Luo Lan, and Lu Shen had gotten engaged to Nian Zhen. But from Lu Shen''s attitude and his words, it seemed that it wasn''t the case at all. If she couldn''t threaten him with Nian Hsin''s illegal dealings and damaging the reputation of the Lu Corporation, what else could she do? In the end, she was only an average girl trying to go against someone most people wouldn''t dare to offend.


    Hui Yin wasn''t particrly smart, and she came from amon background. Even if she had the memories from her past life, the future was constantly changing and she couldn''t predict everything that would happen.


    She nced down at the panda that had fallen to the ground from her struggle earlier. Its white coat had been stained by dirt, and it looked extremely pitiful. Yue Lao was right. If she stayed here, even if she and Jiang Xu dated, once her memories from her past life disappeared, Hui Yin wasn''t confident that she wouldn''t return back to Lu Shen.


    And even if Hui Yin didn''t actively chase after Lu Shen, will he even let her be free? Hui Yin didn''t think so. He could simply threaten those around her¡ªJiang Xu, Luo Lan, the twins, Bao Bai and Ye Qiang, maybe even Sister Su¡ªand her resistance would crumble, leading her into a path of no return.


    Seeing Hui Yin being put in a difficult situation made Jiang Xu feel helpless as well. He thought that as long as his Wifey reciprocated his feelings, everything would end up happily. But if the Great Dragon King still wanted her...he hated himself for being powerless, for being the reason his Wifey was being threatened. He suddenly understood why Wuji became sopetitive. He wanted to have the power to protect his Wifey too.


    "Leave with me," Lu Shen said, and his grip tightened. "Leave with me now and I''ll leave the Jiangs alone."


    Hui Yin saw Nian Zhen clenching her fists tightly. For her fianc¨¦ to be telling another girl to leave with him...wasn''t it simply pping her in the face? Although Hui Yin inwardly felt satisfied about this, her anger at Lu Shen overcame this slight sense of satisfaction.


    Nian Zhen couldn''t bear to simply watch anymore. "Brother Shen, let''s just go back to the carnival..."


    "If you refuse," continued Lu Shen, as if Nian Zhen didn''t speak, "I will immediately contact Yan to start the hostile takeover."


    Hui Yin gritted her teeth. She shot a worried nce at Jiang Xu, but Lu Shen caught her chin and forced her to look at him.


    "Don''t stare at other men, only look at me!" he said angrily.


    Lu Shen was just using Nian Zhen as a bait in the first ce. Now that his own emotions destroyed his ns, it was better if Xiao Yin stayed close to him so that he could protect her better. He didn''t want to experience the same overwhelming jealousy he felt when he saw her being close to another man. Lu Shen hadn''t seen the kiss, but even the close interaction between the two of them had smashed his rationality into pieces.


    Hui Yin''s body nearly exploded with anger. So unreasonable! Lu Shen was indeed the Great Dragon King, but in terms of childishness, he was even more majestic!


    "Wifey, you don''t have to listen to him!" Jiang Xu struggled more fiercely against his captors.


    Hui Yin heard the sound of Jiang Xu struggling and wanted to look, but Lu Shen was preventing her from doing that.


    "I told you to let him go!"


    "I''ll let him go once youe with me."


    Lu Shen hated seeing her being so concerned with another man. He decided that after Xiao Yin came with him, he would give the Jiang elders a little reminder that their oldest son was now in the right age to marry. Lu Shen understood the characters of the upper-ss families in Beijing. He was fortunate because he could fight against his parents and make his own decisions, but other heirs didn''t have that opportunity.


    Even if Xiao Yin dated Jiang Xu, she would still face alienation against his parents. The old madam of the Jiangs might be easygoing on the surface, but she was a fierce tigress when it came to her sons. As Jiang Xu was the eldest, she would seriously consider his future prospects. If Lu Shen introduced some promising youngdies to Mrs. Jiang, she would certainly not refuse.


    It would actually be easier for Lu Shen if he simply told her that her son was interested in Xiao Yin, but he didn''t want to her to go through that hell again. He had learned from Du Peng what his parents had said to Xiao Yin when they broke off the engagement, and this was already when his parents were aware that it might anger Lu Shen and reduce theirpany shares.


    If Mrs. Jiang were to learn of her son''s rtionship with an actress, who knows what her reaction might be. In the end, all upper-ss families were the same.


    The contempt Lu Shen held for Jiang Xu became even more disdainful. He couldn''t even fight against him, so what merits did he have to make a move on Xiao Yin?

 Chapter 152 My First Priority

    "Come with me, and I won''t hurt him."


    Lu Shen repeated his words. They had to move quickly. The more time they spent out in the open, the more information the culprit might gather about Xiao Yin.


    Seeing that resistance was futile, Hui Yin forced herself to say, "Let him go, and I''lle with you."


    His temper was so vtile, it was like poking a raging lion. He might make the situation difficult for them, so it was better to act with caution. She pushed down her anger and obediently followed him to his car, resisting the urge to give a backward nce at Jiang Xu.


    No matter what Lu Shen does to her, she could reset it all anyway. And maybe she could ask him about the culprit, as he definitely had a stack of information about the person he had been chasing for years. The sooner she caught him, the sooner she could get away...


    With these kind of thoughts running in her mind, the two people got into the car, both ignoring the abandoned fianc¨¦e standing frozen on the park. And as soon as they drove away, the guards released Jiang Xu, whose eyes were overcast.


    If only he had been stronger and more powerful, his Wifey wouldn''t have to sacrifice herself for him. His lips pressed together, he left the park and headed back towards thepany. He would definitely not let this same incident happen again!


    ...


    Hui Yin tried to mask her surprise when she opened the car door and stepped out into the driveway.


    They didn''te back to the vi Lu Shen lived before. Hui Yin nced at the familiar colossal structure in front of her, with its iron gates, delicate marble fountain, and tall projecting porticoes.


    It was the mansion she lived in when she married him in her past life.


    Like it was only yesterday, Hui Yin could still remember Nian Zhen''s sneer, and her cutting remarks as she barred her from entering the gates.


    ¡ªDon''t you know that trash are not allowed in our home?


    "Xiao Yin."


    Lu Shen''s voice shattered the memories in her mind. Hui Yin blinked, and she saw that the mansion was newly built. It was not the same ce that filled her with endless nightmares.


    But she still didn''t want to enter it.


    "Let''s talk in the conservatory."


    Not waiting for his answer, Hui Yin led the way to the right side of the mansion. In her haste, she didn''t notice Lu Shen''s shocked expression. The sun room was where she spent most of her time in the mansion, and there were no bad memories there. Only moments of peace and silence, while she sat cross-legged on the sofa and embroidered her clothes to make it prettier.


    There was an L-shaped sofa there, without the various potted nts Hui Yin had nurtured throughout the years. Right now, the sunroom was still bare and lifeless.


    "How did you know there was a conservatory?" Lu Shen asked her, leaning against the doorway as if he was blocking her only escape route.


    Hui Yin''s heart jumped. How could she be so careless with her words?


    "Don''t mansions always have conservatories?" Not waiting for a reply, she hastily asked, "Why did you want me toe with you?"


    Without changing his expression, he said bluntly, "I''m going to break my engagement with Nian Zhen."


    Hui Yin stared at him.


    "So?"


    Breaking your engagement or not, what does it have to do with me?


    "So..." There was a hint of tension in his voice as Lu Shen slowly said, "I want you to be my fianc¨¦e again."


    What...


    Hui Yin thought she must have misheard him. What is this man saying? A scene suddenly emerged in her mind, of a womanining to a saledy that the cabbage she bought had bruises. So she wanted to exchange it for a new cabbage. The saledy nodded and said with a smile, "Don''t worry, ma''am. If you''re not happy with one of our products, we''ll rece it or provide a merchandise credit for the full amount of your purchase price. All our vegetables have a 10-day guarantee!"


    Hui Yin fully sympathized with that cabbage. Apparently, she had a 10-day guarantee too...


    "I can give you everything you want, and make sure you''ll be living in luxury for the rest of your life. As long as you agree to be my wife, I promise to do my best to make you happy. I''ll take care of you, and put you as my first priority above all else. Xiao Yin, I want you to marry me. Please marry me."


    These words tumbled out of his mouth as if he was afraid he would hesitate and not say it, and in the end Lu Shen had walked forward until he knelt in front of her from where she was sitting on the sofa. His voice was even somewhat hoarse when he said thest sentence. Especially the word ''please''...had he ever said that word to anyone before?


    Hui Yin looked down at him and only felt the desire tough. The irony of it all! Luxury? He wanted to give her luxury? He didn''t even give her a single penny in her past life! And he said she will be his first priority? What a joke!


    Did he force her toe with him only to say these useless things?


    His pair of dark eyes looked at her with nervousness. Lu Shen didn''t know why, but at this moment a touch of fear had burrowed into his heart, and he took her hands to reassure himself that she was still beside him. But Hui Yin flung his hands away and stood up.


    She regarded him with cold eyes, a faint smile on her lips.


    "Lu Shen, I won''t marry you in this life or the next. I won''t be your wife, your fianc¨¦e, or the toy you can y with anytime you want. Didn''t I tell you this before? Stay away from me."


    She bit out each word slowly and carefully, watching as his face dimmed. She finally looked away when she couldn''t bear to watch the swirling emotions in his eyes anymore.


    "Whatever you think you''re ying at, I don''t want to be a part of it..."


    "Stop it!"


    Hands gripped Hui Yin''s shoulders before his body tightly engulfed her into his embrace, almost to the point of crushing her skeleton. The words died in her throat, and Hui Yin panicked. But Lu Shen spoke before she could, and in his voice, she detected a slight tremor.


    "Stop it, don''t say anything anymore..."

 Chapter 153 Aren’t You A Fool?

    These words were spoken in a whisper.


    It was too unlike him that it frightened Hui Yin even more. She struggled, but he didn''t budge. Lu Shen gently rested his chin on her head, and didn''t speak another word.


    He remembered her getting drunk on their engagement party, and as he was carrying her in his arms to put her into the backseat of his car, he heard her murmur, "I like him much better..."


    There was sorrow in her face, and Lu Shen had asked despite himself, "Who do you like better?"


    Her eyshes fluttered, her eyes opening to stare at him blearily. But before she could fall asleep again, she had answered, "Fai..."


    Fai was the name she bestowed on him when he lost his memories.


    That was when Lu Shen had learned Xiao Yin didn''t like his present self. The one she loved was Fai, the man who was simple and wasn''t him. He had fooled himself into thinking that she would fall in love with him sooner orter as he and Fai were the same person...but she didn''t.


    Lu Shen could only hold her when he embraces her forcefully like this, so that she won''t flee. Hisughter earlier was for himself, for his obsession with her, for his tantrums, for not letting go of someone who desperately didn''t want him. Truthfully, he thought to himself, aren''t you a fool? He had seen her PV, he had seen his own actions mirrored by that singer, he had seen the ending where the girl he captured would eventually cause his own demise.


    And still, you want to keep her?


    He didn''t refute her words because he was crazy, crazy for still wanting to keep her despite all the warning signs.


    "Lu Shen, let me go!"


    With a sigh, Lu Shen released her.


    Hui Yin abruptly stopped struggling.


    Eh? He actually obeyed?


    Before she could look up, the tender and heart-wrenching expression on his face was already wiped away, masked by his usual indifferent look.


    "Even if you don''t want to marry me," he said, with none of the weakness in his tone before, "You will still marry me in the end, Xiao Yin."


    She knew he was saying the truth.


    Hui Yin didn''t know what he was nning, but she could feel the red thread chaining them together, pushing them into the same path as her previous life. So she stopped arguing with him, because she knew what she had to do now.


    "Lu Shen, do you have any information about the culprit?"


    She said it calmly, as if they were discussing the weather, outrightly ignoring his threat and proposal.


    His expression became closed-off.


    "Don''t trouble yourself with unnecessary problems."


    "But you still haven''t managed to catch him right? I know that it was him who trespassed in your vi that night. What does he want? Do you have any idea about his identity?"


    He brushed off her questions and turned around to leave. "It''s not safe for you to go back to your apartment, so you''ll have to stay here. Have the maids escort you to your room."


    "Lu Shen, I have the right to know! If he was the one who caused your ident, then he must have known that I saved you. I''m probably also in danger..."


    Hui Yin was grasping at straws to make him tell her more, but she didn''t expect for his entire body to be still, almost like a statue.


    That''s right, she was the one who saved him...then, from the start, he didn''t need to go through all this charade because the culprit must have already known...


    He had stayed away in the hope that the culprit wouldn''t target her, but in the end that only gave him the opportunity to hurt Xiao Yin more!


    "Idiot!" The curse came in a hot uprush of loathing, and Lu Shen mmed his fist against the brick wall.


    Hui Yin winced. Was he cursing her?


    After he calmed himself down, Lu Shen instructed, "Meet me in my study."


    He then left.


    Hui Yin looked at his retreating back with a shake of her head. That proposal was so out of the blue it made her feel befuddled. Such a severe bipr disorder should be diagnosed by a therapist as soon as possible...


    "Tsk." Hui Yin clicked her tongue. "He really is worse than a girl..."

 Chapter 154 Not Even A Fly Can Get In

    Hui Yin didn''t need a maid to escort her to his study. She knew the mansion like the back of her hand, and she took the shortest route to get there.


    She didn''t look at the familiar beautiful furnishings, at the living room that could fit a whole house, at the 40,000 gallon aquarium where Hui Yin''s beloved fish had died, and definitely not at the kitchen where Lu Shen had attacked her once without rhyme or reason before continuing it into their bedroom...


    Hui Yin increased her pace and finally reached his study.


    Lu Shen was already waiting for her there, and when she sat on the chair in front of his desk, he spun hisptop around to face her.


    There was no sign of the overbearing and tense man who proposed to her in the sunroom. His face had been restored to its usual calm, as if nothing happened.


    "I don''t have much information," he said, watching her face as she took in the numerous data disyed on the screen. "No DNA traces, no physical evidence left behind. I don''t know what he looks like either, so I could only depend on his electronic trail. He had left some information on the settings of the CCTV cameras he hacked before, but it can only track the IP address that showed his location."


    Hui Yin clicked on a miniature map at the corner of the screen, and it widened to show a straggling red line jumping from city to city across the country.


    "I know he''s Chinese, as the file metadata has no indication that the text embedded in the software code was tranted from onenguage to another. His attacks are also getting more advanced and more coordinated across multiple media tforms, so there''s likely a group behind him."


    Lu Shen reached over and covered Hui Yin''s hand that was over the mouse, startling her. But he merely pressed her finger to click the right button.


    A series of digits and letters filled the whole screen, which Hui Yin knew to be some sort ofputer code. She wrinkled her nose and pushed theptop away. All those indecipherable information was making her feel dizzy.


    "If you look at the attack vectors and the timing of the consecutive breaches, you''ll see that he dives in quick before leaving. My team tried setting a few honeypots¡ªthat''s awork-attached system set up as a decoy to trap cyberattackers¡ªbut he''s cautious and seems to find the too many open ports in the nmap result and the extremely obsolete operating system suspicious..."


    "Okay, that''s enough." Hui Yin rubbed her temples. "Just tell me the summary without the various abstract words that I don''t understand and don''t care about."


    Her lips moved in what was nearly a pout.


    A small smile flitted across Lu Shen''s lips, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. Hui Yin, who was too busy scowling at theptop, didn''t notice it.


    "Alright, Xiao Yin. Aside from the facts I mentioned earlier, we also have some guesses that he''s a man in histe twenties...twenty-nine at the most. The IP address we got from his subpoena records in the ISP used an anonymous proxy, but his constant MO is to create a lot of back doors for future use. From this, we can infer that he''s nning to use the same server again." The corners of his mouth curled up into a freezing arc. "I''m truly hoping that he would."


    Hui Yin shivered. "Aren''t you worried that he might steal sensitive data from yourpany?"


    He gave her a nd look. "Do you think it''s that easy? He could send me cards and trespass my home because my location has always been made public and has only average security, but when I put my guard up, not even a fly can get in without being searched in the state database."


    Hui Yin rolled her eyes. O-o-okay, Mr. I''m Still Number One. No one else can be the alpha male in your natural habitat. Got it.


    "His height is 1.82 meters, weight unknown but estimated to be around 71 kilograms, and his active hours correspond to the working hours of a typical office worker. There''s also strong hints that the Hong Kong triad branch might be behind him, with a recent membership to their ck society. They have illegal control over local markets and are receiving police protection, which is why it''s difficult to capture him through the government."


    "The triad is the one targeting you?" Hui Yin asked in horror. Never mind a hundred rebirths, even if she was turned into an immortal, Hui Yin could not see herself going against one of thergest organized crime groups in the world!


    Lu Shen looked at her like he was getting a headache. "Why would the triad target me? He might be a member of the triad, but he''s working alone. Based on my informants, none of them are nning to target the Lu Corporation. This culprit merely has a private grudge and isn''t targeting me for profits."


    He closed hisptop.


    "As of now, that''s all the information that I have."


    Hui Yin stood up and headed towards the door. She didn''t want to stay with him any longer in case he got bipr again. Her mind digested all the information she learned, but when her hand touched the doorknob, Lu Shen''s cold voice sounded behind her.


    "If you''re worried that what happened in the vi might repeat again, it won''t. I personally enhanced the security system, so no one can enter without my permission."


    Hui Yin didn''t turn back. "And no one can leave."


    He didn''t pretend to misunderstand what she meant. "Yes, and no one can leave either."


    Hui Yin snorted and went out.


    She had her own ways of leaving him.

 Chapter 155 Wait For Me To Come Back

    Hui Yin touched the delicate petals of the cherry blossom hairpin with her fingers, tracing its edges.


    She returned back to the sunroom after a maid brought her a handheld mirror as per her instructions. With a sigh, she put down the hairpin and took out her phone instead. There were already three missed calls from Jiang Xu, so she simply pressed redial.


    It only rang once before Jiang Xu picked up.


    "Wifey, are you alright? Did he hurt you?"


    "I''m fine," Hui Yin quickly reassured him, hearing the note of anxiety in his tone. "I should be the one asking you that. Did those guards really let you go?"


    "En..." An emotion she couldn''t put her finger on hung heavily in his sigh. "Wifey, you''re inside his home now right? I''m sorry that your boyfriend is so useless..."


    Hui Yin''s mouth twitched. Did he add the word ''boyfriend'' to remind her not to be unfaithful? If he hadn''t said sixteen words just then, she would have berated him!


    "I''ll be leaving soon, so I hope my ''boyfriend'' won''t entertain such ridiculous thoughts. Where are you now?"


    "Back at thepany. Wifey, I''ll work hard so that he won''t bully us again. I''ll learn basic martial arts too!"


    "Twenty-one...hmm, make sure to work hard. And stop being mean to your brothers."


    Jiang Xu: "..."


    "Are the twins there in thepany?"


    "...no."


    "Alright." Hui Yin pursed her lips in disappointment. "Take care and wait for me toe back. I''m going to hang up first."


    "Wifey, wait!"


    Hui Yin paused, her finger hovering over the end call button.


    "Are you leaving his home now? I''lle and pick you up!"


    "No need, I''lle back on my own. Goodbye..."


    "Wifey, wait!"


    "...?"


    "I''ll buy you another panda so let''s have another date next week, okay?"


    "I''m not avable next week. Maybe some other time...Jiang Xu, I''ll hang up now."


    "Wifey, wait!"


    "What?" roared Hui Yin.


    This was supposed to be a romantic goodbye where she suppressed her feelings of sadness and tried to casually say her farewells, but thiszy bum was ruining it!


    Jiang Xu sounded aggrieved. "Wifey, don''t let that bully seduce you! He might be more handsome than me, but his heart is uglier. He even abandoned his new fianc¨¦e!"


    A lifetime-breaking record of twenty-five words or not, Hui Yin had finally reached the end of her patience.


    "I. Won''t. Let. Him. Seduce. Me." She said through gritted teeth. "Happy?"


    "...En."


    "Good for you."


    Hui Yin directly hung up.


    She picked up her hairpin and was finally in the mood of stabbing a jugr vein. Only it wasn''t her neck that she wanted to stab, but Jiang Xu''s.


    If he had time to be jealous, then he waspletely fine. Her worries were for nothing.


    Hui Yin watched her reflection in the handheld mirror. In her opinion, it would have been better if Yue Lao gave her a knife. It was much easier and less gruesome to stab herself in the heart than in the neck. Hui Yin positioned the hairpin awkwardly, its sharp tip pointed at her racing pulse.


    A drop of blood trickled slowly from her neck and down to her corbones, staining her white shirt red. Hui Yin''s heart gave a hard thump. What if Yue Lao was ying a prank on her and she actually died? Could she really trust that deity?


    Or maybe he wasn''t a deity at all, but a crazy old beggar whom she stupidly believed to be Yue Lao...


    Hui Yin squeezed her eyelids shut and in one quick move, she stabbed the hairpin into her throat.


    She abruptly cried out, her eyes flying open.


    "Ouch!"


    How could a tiny stab be so painful?


    Her body fell back on the sofa, her fingers uncurling to let the hairpin drop to the floor with a tter. Blood spilled on the sofa, and Hui Yin dazedly thought with inward pride that Lu Shen would probably have to rece it...


    Her vision swam, spikes of light piercing through her skull. Her surroundings blurred, disappeared, and was swallowed by darkness.


    Hui Yin felt like she was falling.


    As time passed, she felt a distinctive tug at her wrist. Hui Yin didn''t know how long she had been falling. She looked around and saw a bright red line, which seemed to be moving in different directions. It undted like ink underwater, and it tugged at Hui Yin''s wrist once again as if it wanted her to follow.


    Somewhere in the distance, a garbled sound gradually became louder. It turned into a muffled voice that was shouting something, and as if a pair of earplugs were removed, Hui Yin finally understood his words.


    He was shouting for her to wake up.


    So Hui Yin opened her eyes.

 Chapter 156 I’m Hungry

    Hui Yin had barely peeled her eyelids open when she saw a pair of round eyes hovering two inches above her, making a person feel very surprised.


    "Ah!"


    Inplete reflex, she swung up her hand and hit the face that nearly gave her a heart attack.


    The man she hit was pushed off the bed and into the ground, where he covered his cheek with his left hand. The red imprint of her palm was visible, and the eyes that stared at her were filled with grievances.


    This wasn''t what caught Hui Yin''s eyes though. The man she pped was wearing tight-fitting sweats, revealing his sculpture-like body. It was obvious at first nce that they were several sizes too small for him. The cloth clung to his skin, highlighting his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and...uh...Hui Yin''s gaze went down and abruptly looked away.


    She quickly recognized that those were her clothes! That kind of bright pink color that was very offending to the eyes...what else could it be but the sweats outfit she managed to buy with a sixty-percent discount in the supermarket?


    Seeing that, Hui Yin understood what moment in the past did she go back to.


    Ignoring his wounded look, she jumped out of the bed and grabbed a coat hanging from her closet. Putting it on, she opened the door.


    She needed to quickly go to the police station and report a missing person!


    "Where are you going?"


    Lu Shen scrambled from the floor in a panic and grabbed onto her arm. "You said you wouldn''t leave me!"


    Hui Yin looked at the lost little boy look in his eyes and said, "I need to report you as a missing person to the police."


    At her words, he looked absolutely terrified. He shook his head hard.


    "No police! I don''t want the police!"


    Hui Yin didn''t budge. Judging by his clothes, she had only picked him up from the streets a few hours ago. Due to his insistence in her past life, she didn''t pursue the matter and didn''t report this incident to the police. Now that she knew his identity, the police wouldn''t certainly hurt him!


    "Of course we need to report you to the police. If I don''t, wouldn''t I get sued in the civil court for harboring a runaway?"


    He shook his head again.


    "No police!" he insisted.


    Under the shaft of sunlighting from the open door, Lu Shen looked truly pitiful. He was taller than her, but his back was hunched as if he was trying to make himself look small. There were bruises and unhealed cuts all over his face.


    "The police won''t hurt you, I promise. They''re very good people."


    Hui Yin turned slightly impatient. This was the initial moment when her life started intersecting with his. If she cuts off their rtionship to each other at this point, she had a chance to be free. Not to mention, she still needed to find the culprit!


    Yue Lao said that only at the time of the ident will the culprit appear. As Lu Shen''s soul was her anchor, she went back to the time when they were already living together. Who knows how many days had already passed after his ident? She didn''t have any time to waste.


    Hui Yin stepped out of the door and Lu Shen scuttled after her. She pushed him back into the dingy apartment.


    "No, you stay here! Your clothes..." Hui Yin''s eyes involuntary targeted his crotch again and her cheeks flushed, "...are too inappropriate!"


    Lu Shen pulled on her clothes. "I want toe, I don''t want to be alone!"


    Ptui!


    Hui Yin nearly puked out blood. If she hadn''t experienced this in her previous life, she would have never believed that this person was the same man she knew from the present time. The difference before and after he got his memories was too big!


    Hui Yin wigged out from his hold and said sternly, "You can''te!"


    As he opened his mouth to protest again, she held up a hand and barked, "That''s final!"


    Tears leaked out of his eyes, making Hui Yin freeze from stupefaction.


    He was...crying?


    He was actually crying!


    What kind of alternate universe was this?


    "Don''t...leave...me..."


    His shoulders shook, his eyes rimmed with red. He tugged at her clothes again, but Hui Yin was too shocked to pull his hands away. Why did she feel like a mother who had to leave her child in pre-school?


    Even if she didn''t want to, her heart melted a bit. Hui Yin wiped his tears with her thumb and said, "You''re a grown man! You shouldn''t easily cry like this."


    "But you said you were going to leave me..."


    "I''lle back after a while! Be a good boy and guard the house for me, okay?"


    "Don''t want...I want toe with you..."


    Hui Yin sighed in helplessness. Her trying to coax Lu Shen...if that tyrant in the present time knew, he would have certainly silenced her for eternity. [1]


    "No, you can''t. Aren''t you tired? You should sleep for a while. When you wake up, I''ll be here!"


    When you wake up, you''ll be taken in by the Lus and I''ll be free. Hui Yin tried to mask her thoughts and shed him a gentle smile.


    "No! I want toe with you!"


    Hui Yin scowled and Lu Shen shrank back a bit. It was a funny scene. She barely reached his chest, but he was the one acting afraid of her. Did he really think she could hurt him? Hui Yin was aware he knew several advanced fighting skills. If the two of them fought, the one in danger would certainly be her.


    "Fine!" she growled. She marched back into the house and he tentatively followed. Flinging her closet doors open, she picked an oversized ck shirt that had been identally bleached off so there were now patches of white all over the chest area. "Change your shirt into that!"


    Lu Shen meekly obeyed. He started stripping in front of her without the confidence and the familiar teasing look in his eyes. Realizing that the door was still open, Hui Yin closed it.


    The shirt barely covered the unmentionable, but it would have to do. It wasn''t her fault that her sweatpants were too tight on him.


    Hui Yin nodded in approval and went out, Lu Shen sticking like a baby chick next to her.


    Although the vige their producer had chosen to go for the filming of the movie was secluded, the people living there enjoyed working and interacting with each other. There were men carrying baskets full of vegetables over their backs on the road, kids ringing their bicycle bells, and women chatting merrily in a nearby diner as the smell of noodles wafted over to them.


    Lu Shen had been in this vige for a while, but he was hiding behind a pair of dumpsters that were located at one of the most remote corners of the vige. Naturally, no one knew his existence. If Hui Yin hadn''t followed the stray cats, he would have probably died there.


    As Hui Yin had just recently ''adopted'' him, Lu Shen didn''t get a chance to eat. When they passed by the diner on their way to the police station, Lu Shen''s stomach grumbled.


    He rubbed his tummy. "I''m hungry..."


    "No."


    He took that badly. "But I''m hungry..."


    "We can eat lunch after I finish writing the missing person report at the police station."


    Hui Yin was aware of the eyes that followed them. This man was indeed too much trouble! She should have brought a cap to hide his face before they left the apartment. Can he not stand out for once and give her a moment of peace?


    Hui Yin was about to continue walking past the diner when her own stomach grumbled. Lu Shen might be more hungry than her, but she hadn''t eaten lunch too.


    "You''re also hungry," Lu Shen wisely pointed out.


    "Be quiet."


    "Don''t be angry." His eyes turned watery again. "I don''t like you being angry at me."


    Hui Yin tried not to look at his eyes, so she wouldn''t be tempted. They say tears are a woman''s greatest weapon, but why is this happening to her in reverse?


    "I''m not angry at you. Come on, let''s go to the police station..."


    Both of their stomachs grumbled again. They were even louder than before, as if they were in agreement to Lu Shen''s words.


    Hui Yin sighed in defeat.


    "Okay, let''s eat first."


    Maybe after they ate their lunch, she would have more energy to drag his juvenile ass to the police station.


    [1] In other words, he would kill her.

 Chapter 157 You Know Me?

    The specialty noodles of the diner were homemade, and the kitchen was in direct view of the customers so that they could see how their food was being prepared.


    Lu Shen was in rapt attention as he watched the owner knead and twirl the dough, before stretching it out like a rope. He did this over and over again until it reached the right consistency. Flour sprayed in the air as the dough was pounded back to the table, making anyone who saw it feel amazed.


    For most of the people living here, they had seen this disy a thousand times. So they were more content to divert their attention to the handsome young man studying the process of how the noodles were cooked.


    "Aiyo, look at that face. He''s even more good-looking than my Andy Lau! [1]


    "Old woman, aren''t you ashamed? He''s young enough to be your grandson!"


    "Bah! Can I not appreciate younger men now because I''m old? That He Shang [2] has been seducing young mistresses left and right, but I can''t even admire a single man? Should I be a virtuous wife even at the end of my life, ah?"


    "He must be one of the actors who went here to shoot a movie. I don''t recognize his face."


    "Isn''t your Xiao Tang Yuan a shengnu? [3] Why don''t you introduce her to him?"


    "Do you think my Xiao Tang Yuan even has a chance? Look at the girl sitting beside him!"


    Hui Yin didn''t bother about the whispers going around her and calmly ate her noodles. Lu Shen was also ravenously eating beside her, the movement of his chopsticks a blur to the eyes. But his other hand was still holding the sleeve of her coat, as if he was afraid she would make a run for it and leave him.


    After they finished eating, Lu Shen returned back to being wary of his surroundings. As Hui Yin was paying, he asked her, "Do you know these people?"


    "No."


    "Do you think I lived here?"


    "No."


    His head drooped. "And you don''t know me either."


    Hui Yin hesitated before cautiously saying, "No...I know you."


    His head went up in a sh. His expression looked startled.


    "You know me?"


    Hui Yin pulled him out of the diner and away from the prying eyes of the vigers. "Yes, I do."


    "You do? Really? Do you know my name?"


    She looked at him. It was on the tip of her tongue, the name she had bestowed him. But in the end, she answered, "Your name is Lu Shen."


    "Lu...Shen?" His forehead wrinkled. "Then what''s your name?"


    "Hui Yin."


    "Hui Yin." He seemed more interested in hearing about her name than his own. "Your name suits you."


    Hui Yin didn''t know how to make sense of that. "Thank you."


    The police station was located at the center of the vige, and it was a bit far. While they were walking, Hui Yin asked him if he knew the location where he crashed his car. But Lu Shen said that he didn''t remember. Everything that had happened after his ident and before she found him was a void to him.


    "Why aren''t you asking me about who you are? Don''t you want to know?"


    Hui Yin was a bit surprised that he didn''t ask her for more information after she told him his name. Shouldn''t he be eager to learn about his identity?


    Lu Shen looked a bit nk before thoughtfully asking, "You said you know me?"


    She nodded.


    The way he looked at her slightly changed, and this made Hui Yin take a step back.


    "Are you my wife?"


    His almost-pleased tone made her choke. Wife, your ass! I''m trying everything because I don''t want to end up bing your wife!


    "No!"


    He looked crestfallen. "You''re not?"


    "Why would I bring you to the police station if I''m your wife?!"


    Lu Shen seemed to be pondering her words.


    "Hm-mmm, you''re right," he said, and he gave her an inexplicable nce. This nce of his made all the hair in Hui Yin''s body stand up. She had a very bad feeling about this.


    Fortunately, they already arrived at the police station. Hui Yin dragged the reluctant Lu Shen towards the entrance and confronted the police officer behind the front desk.


    "Don''t want, I don''t want to..."


    Lu Shen tried digging his heels on the ground to pull her away, but Hui Yin grabbed the edges of the table and managed to stand her ground. The police officer gave them a bewildered nce.


    "Officer, I want to report a missing person that I found," Hui Yin said without preamble.


    "Missing person?" The police officer picked up the telephone beside him. "Do you their name? Or their location?"


    "His name is Lu Shen, and he''s right here..."


    But when Hui Yin turned around, there was no one else behind her. She looked down.


    Lu Shen was squatting on the ground, his arms tightly hugging her legs. It was obvious at first nce that he was trying to hide from the police officer. He was giving her a look that showed white all around his dark irises, while his head shook back and forth.


    She sighed in exasperation and pulled on his hands. "Stand up."


    But the arms around her legs just squeezed tighter, and his wide eyes were now brimming with suppressed tears. Hui Yin was at her wit''s end.


    Why is this man making her feel like a viin? This was for their own good! If he returned back to his former glory, he wouldn''t have to wear cheap clothes like this. And she didn''t have to worry about him threatening Jiang Xu...


    "Miss?" The police officer coughed, and he signalled to her that the other person on the other end of the line of the telephone was waiting. "The location of the missing person?"


    Lu Shen shook his head again, looking absolutely terrified. Hui Yin hesitated.


    [1] A famous Hong Kong actor who was one of the mostmercially sessful film actors since the mid-1980s.


    [2] A man with bald hair.


    [3] Directly trantes to ''leftover women.'' This refers to women who hadn''t married yet and were already in theirte twenties or thirties. It''s a social stigma in China, where most families harass their daughters who are still single to marry early or they''ll risk being called a ''shengnu''.

 Chapter 158 The Second Time

    In the end, Hui Yin told the police officer about Lu Shen. They were then instructed to wait on a sofa in the lobby, with Lu Shen looking tense and anxious. His whole body was pressing close to hers, not even leaving enough space for a needle to insert itself between them.


    Hui Yin pushed him away. "Don''t stick so close to me."


    There was a truculent set to his mouth as he moved away...for about two centimeters. His hand was still clutching the sleeve of her coat.


    His total dependency on her made Hui Yin unable to ept that this man beside her was Lu Shen. When she first met him before knowing his identity, Hui Yin had thought that Fai was a total softie. But after knowing the true personality of that tyrant...it really made a person wonder. Who was the real him? This insecure man, or the domineering CEO who always wants to get his own way?


    "They''re not going to hurt you," she exined to him again. "They''re just going to find your family, that''s all."


    But he didn''t seem to hear her reassurance. He was frowning as he gazed at the police officer sitting behind the desk. He was originally staring at them, but looked down when he met Lu Shen''s gaze.


    "I don''t like him." He really didn''t like him. Anyone who separated him from her was a bad person.


    "Don''t be childish."


    After saying that, Hui Yin didn''t pay attention to him anymore. She had recently discovered that the cherry blossom hairpin was pinned on her hair, and when she took it out, there were no traces of blood on its pointed end. She really couldn''t believe that it worked, and even followed her back to the past. Being an actress who acted out several roles, Hui Yin felt that no script in the world could make her feel as magical as this hairpin.


    "Miss Hui?" A police officer had called them.


    Hui Yin stood up, and Lu Shen warily followed after her. There was a group of police officers approaching them, and the one on the front had a shoulder insignia of one pip with two silver bars. He must be the chief police officer.


    His sharp stare lingered a bit on Lu Shen before it was directed on her.


    "Miss Hui, we have already notified Mr. Lu''s family about this matter. However, we still need to conduct a medical and psychological exam to know if Mr. Lu has been physically hurt or had suffered through any emotional trauma. We will also have to trouble you to stay inside the station for a brief interrogation. I''m certain that you know how highly sensitive this matter is, since any slight mistake on our part would reflect badly on our reputation in the future. I ask Miss Hui and Mr. Lu to give us a moment of your time."


    Hui Yin''s eyebrows squeezed together. "How long will this take?"


    "Around three to four days."


    Three to four days! Hui Yin almost snapped the hairpin she was holding into two. It was eptable if they wanted to hold Lu Shen for that long, but she didn''t have the time! And what kind of interrogation wouldst that long? Did they think she was his abductor? Clean your eyes and notice her small and delicate figure, ah!


    Lu Shen and Hui Yin said it both at the same time.


    "No."


    Hui Yin objected as she didn''t want to waste time, while Lu Shen objected because he didn''t want to be parted from her. He didn''t even want her to leave him for a second, not to mention three or four days.


    It was easy to understand why Lu Shen was treating Hui Yin as his security nket.


    Without memories of his wealth and properties, without knowing who he was and his family, how could he bear to let go of the person who knew him?


    She was the only one in the world he could call as ''his''. Other than her, he waspletely alone.


    He shuffled his feet to swallow the remaining ''two centimeters'' distance between them.


    The deputy officer standing behind him opened his mouth and said, "This is a necessary procedure..."


    Hui Yin didn''t let him finish. "Officers, with all due respect, I still have something important that I need to do. How about I leave my contact information with you? Would that be okay?"


    Lu Shen tugged at her coat and shook his head again. His face was drained of color, mere millimeters away from having a panic attack.


    Hui Yin did her best to ignore him. Fortunately, the chief police officer seemed to consider her words and didn''t make it too difficult for her. He gestured at the police officer behind the front desk and he brought out with him a couple of forms that she needed to fill up.


    "Then, Miss Hui, I''ll be leaving with Mr. Lu."


    The chief officer slightly tilted his head towards her. With a brief wave of his hand, he instructed the other officers to escort Lu Shen out of the lobby. There was a side door meters away from the entrance that led to the police station''s parking lot.


    But Lu Shen didn''t want to leave her. Hui Yin had barely taken the pen and the forms when they were snatched away from her hands. Lifted and hugged, Hui Yin found herself pressed against Lu Shen. His arm was supporting her butt, and to avoid falling down, she had to put her arms around his neck. To herplete embarrassment, he was cradling her like a child.


    "No," he repeated.


    Hui Yin stilled when she heard him speak. Although a bit uncertain, she could hear the trace of authority in his tone. He sounded like the Lu Shen that she knew.


    No, she must not let their fates intersect again!


    This gave Hui Yin the resolve to wiggle down before doing a violent head-butt against his chin. His hold on herpletely loosened, and the police officers took this opportunity to restrain him.


    He still looked a bit dazed, but there was no mistaking the pain in his eyes. Hui Yin didn''t know whether it was the pain from her assault or her betrayal.


    "I''m sorry." She could only sincerely apologize. She mustn''t waste the opportunity Yue Lao had given her.


    Lu Shen struggled. He was a hard opponent when he was determined to escape. About five police officers had to avoid his punches and kicks to keep him controlled.


    When they were nearly out of the side door, he shot her an extremely desperate look.


    "Hui Yin, please don''t leave..."


    It was the second time he said ''please'' to her.


    It was also the second time she refused him.


    Hui Yin picked up the pen and the forms she dropped, before going to the front desk to write her contact information. It was only when she saw how squiggly the second character of her name looked that she realized her hands were slightly trembling.


    His desperate look kepting to the forefront of her mind...


    Was she wrong to let them take him away?


    Hui Yin was in the middle of writing down her address when the unmistakable sound of a gunshot rang out.

 Chapter 159 Thank You, Hui Yin

    Hui Yin jumped when she heard that. The officer behind the desk also abruptly stood up.


    Without thinking, Hui Yin rushed towards the side door. The police officer behind the desk shouted for her to stop, but how could she still heed his warning? If anything happened to him, it would be her fault!


    Mid-step, something hard mmed against her nose and the ground beneath her feet disappeared. In the space of a blink, they were already out of the police station.


    Hui Yin sucked in a breath of cold air. Her hands were coated with red. It came from the shoulder of the man who was carrying her, steadily increasing with each steady heave of his chest.


    "Let me down!" Hui Yin cried out to Lu Shen. "You''re bleeding!"


    Lu Shen gave her a deep nce and icily said, "The police are bad people."


    She didn''t argue. She took him to them because Lu Shen said that the triad wasn''t backing the culprit. Even if Lu Shen had struggled against them or tried to escape, no matter what, they shouldn''t have tried to shoot him. Could the Lu Shen in the present time be mistaken? Was the triad protecting the culprit? If this was true, then her mission was doomed to fail from the start.


    "First, we need to go back to the apartment to get my money and my phone." Hui Yin tried to think clearly despite her panic. "I don''t have much, but it''ll have to do. We need to run away first, so that we can contact your parents..."


    The police would surely give chase, and Hui Yin was certain that they didn''t contact the Lus. They were her only hope. In her previous life, they were the ones who found Lu Shen and discovered the treatment for his temporary amnesia.


    Lu Shen didn''t continue running on a straight line but instead zigzagged over backyards and alleys, trees and parked cars. Hui Yin was amazed at his sense of direction. He only went to her apartment once, yet he already memorized it?


    But this amazement didn''tst long. His blood had nearly soaked his entire shirt. Hui Yin had hoped it was merely a graze and not a bullet wound, but a graze wouldn''t make him bleed this much. It was definitely thetter!


    "Lu Shen, let me down! I can run on my own!"


    Shouldn''t she be the one supporting him? Why was he carrying her?


    But Lu Shen didn''t listen to her demand.


    He continued to crush her to his chest, his arms so tight around her that she could barely breathe. Lu Shen was a quick learner. Letting her leave him once was fine, but letting her leave him again for the second time...hmph, fat chance! His trust for this little bunny had been totally eradicated. They looked cute and innocent, but they would flee the second you looked away. To stamp out all traces of misbehavior, he needed to chomp on her fur and not let go!


    Because he was carrying Hui Yin, her body covered his bloody shirt. Luckily, no one stopped them.


    Lu Shen''s breathing became heavier with each step, and by the time they got to her apartment, he copsed on the doorway and looked like he was about to pass out.


    Hui Yin had no time to take care of him. Opening her backpack, she stuffed several clothes inside, including her wallet, some canned food, a water bottle, and her phone. Biting her lip, she also included a box of sanitary napkins.


    Hui Yin crouched down beside Lu Shen and threw his arm over her shoulders.


    "We need to leave, the police can easily ask the people around here where I stay. They also have a record for the addresses of the actors and the filming crew." At his grim look, she added, "But don''t worry, I have an idea of where we could go."


    Lu Shen gritted his teeth from the pain and nodded. His lips were bloodless.


    Hui Yin didn''t take the main road either. There were always plenty of space behind the houses in a rural vige, and Hui Yin had known some of the shortcuts in her brief stay here.


    Soon, the two of them arrived in front of a dpidated cottage in a remote area. It was hidden inside a small forest, and there were some furnitures made of bamboo inside. There were also plenty of stray kittens.


    It was dirty and small, but there was an iron water pump on the back.


    Hui Yin put Lu Shen down on the bamboo bed and took out her water bottle. She could clean his wound now, but they would be out of water afterwards.


    So Hui Yin poured it down the iron water pump. There was a rhythmic ''glug glug glug'' sound before Hui Yin tried moving the handle. A stream of brown water came out, but it slowly cleared and clean water gushed towards the tall weeds on the ground.


    Hui Yin hurriedly filled her empty water bottle. It was fortunate that Lu Shen was still awake when she came back.


    "We need to remove your shirt or it''ll stick to your skin," she said, and he nodded obediently. Lu Shen hissed in a low voice when he tried lifting his arm and agitated his wounded shoulder, but Hui Yin decisively continued to help him remove his shirt.


    Once his upper body was exposed, Hui Yin was aghast.


    There was only a small deep hole where the bullet had gone in, but it looked awful. She quickly dampened one of her clothes with water and wiped him clean.


    "Doesn''t hurt," heforted her when he saw her expression. But then he immediately took back his words and said, "It hurts so much. You shouldn''t have left me."


    Hui Yin red at him. I already feel guilty, okay! Do you have to push the sword deeper?


    She dressed his wound using a sanitary napkin. Hui Yin saw from a television show that this was a good bandage for excessive hemorrhages. Ignoring Lu Shen''s difort, she made him elevate his left arm to reduce the swelling.


    "Keep applying pressure." Hui Yin made his other hand press gently on his bullet wound. "If only you didn''t lose your memories, those small fries wouldn''t have dared to do this..."


    Lu Shen''s response to her words was a nk look. Hui Yin sighed. Indeed, if a king lost his crown, all he would encounter were endless assassination attemptsing from those who envied his power. It was better to be a peasantmoner. What''s eating a lifetime''s worth of gruel when you can keep your head?


    Hui Yin gave him another shirt and helped him put it on. After she sat back on the bamboo bed, Lu Shen beamed at her.


    "Thank you, Hui Yin."


    Hui Yin was nearly blinded by his genuine smile. It was not a small quirk of his lips that barely qualified, but a full, real smile that showed his white teeth. He looked adorable.


    "You''re wee," Hui Yin replied after a small pause.


    She took out her phone and started dialling his parents'' number. It would probably take a while before they could rescue them. Hui Yin didn''t want to waste time, which prompted her decision to go directly to the police so that they could take custody of Lu Shen. If only she''d known that they were viins, she would have contacted his parents first.


    While the phone was ringing, Hui Yin peeked at Lu Shen. His eyes were closed, but his left hand had stopped hanging in the air for elevation and was clutching her clothes instead.


    Despite the pain, his expression looked content.


    Hui Yin was a bit sad about this. If only he hadn''t changed, she wouldn''t have changed too.


    Why couldn''t he remain as Fai?

 Chapter 160 With All Of Your Hear

    At the crack of dawn, Lu Shen painfully got up from the bed only to see that he waspletely alone inside the cottage. His heart sinking, he hurriedly searched for Hui Yin.


    He found her crouching nearby, facing a dead log. Her hair was loose, and it fell like a jet-ck curtain over her back, rippling with her every movement. He didn''t realize how long it was until she took out the hairpin that was always keeping it into a neat bun.


    Surrounded by vibrant green moss and lush trees, she seemed more like an ethereal fairy who lived in the forest. An itchy feeling rose in Lu Shen''s heart.


    When he approached, he saw that she was actually using her hairpin to poke a wild mushroom growing on the dead log. Her expression was somber.


    He patted her head and crouched beside her.


    "Why are you sad?" He tilted his head and gave her an inquiring look.


    Hui Yin was startled. She didn''t even notice that she wasn''t alone. When she realized that it was only him, she returned back on poking the poor mushroom.


    Lu Shen didn''t break the silence as he waited for Hui Yin''s reply. The birds were twittering loudly. A fresh but slightly damp breeze with a hint of minty smell wafted over to them, creating a tranquil scene.


    "Your parents..." Hui Yin''s voice was soft. It somehow didn''t break the tranquility, but only enhanced it. "I don''t know your parents'' number."


    She had tried calling them yesterday for nearly fifty times, but no one answered. Hui Yin should have expected it. The phone number she knew was the one Lu Shen gave her shortly after their engagement. If either of them had changed their numbers before, then her unanswered calls had an obvious answer: their phone numbers were different in the past.


    Contrary to her expectation, this news didn''t seem to have any effect on Lu Shen.


    "Their numbers were changed?" he asked carelessly.


    "Mmm."


    He patted her head again. "It''s alright. We''ll find a solution together."


    Before he even finished saying his sentence, a sh of bright light made him blink. Hui Yin took back her phone and started typing.


    "I already have a solution," she said smugly. "Who said I didn''t? I don''t need help from a crybaby."


    Lu Shen pursed his lips and gave her an upset look. "I''m not a crybaby."


    Hui Yin''s lips twitched but didn''t argue. She didn''t want him to cry again.


    Lu Shen moved closer to Hui Yin and nudged her shoulder. "What are you going to do with my picture?"


    "I''m going to post it. I''ll put in the name of the vige too. I''m sure your parents will see it ande here."


    The reason she was looking somber earlier was because Hui Yin had a guilty conscience. She knew that it wasn''t only the Lus who will be able to see the picture. His enemy will see it too. She was basically treating Lu Shen as ''bait'' to hook the culprit and catch him. Although Hui Yin didn''t want to do such an unscrupulous method and just depend on the Lus to solve their problem, distant water couldn''t quench an immediate thirst [1]. This was their only alternative.


    "Are you going to treat me as bait?"


    At first, Hui Yin thought she misheard. But when she saw that the question indeed came from the man beside her, she was speechless. When she spread the scandal before, Lu Shen had identified Luo Lan before the tea has time to cool down. Now she was merely thinking about using him, and he already guessed?


    Scary, too scary.


    Since she couldn''t pretend, she decided to be honest.


    "How did you know?"


    Lu Shen pointed at the picture. "You took my picture and made my injured shoulder visible on purpose. You even made it seem as if my arm was wounded too. This will do two things. First, it will make my parentse faster, if they care for me; and second, it''ll lure whoever it was that nned my car ident and bribed the police."


    He looked at her. "Someone is targeting me."


    It wasn''t a question, but Hui Yin nodded.


    "Are you trying to lull him into rxing his guard?"


    Hui Yin nodded again.


    "If he''sing here, then you should stay away from me."


    But his words didn''t match his actions. His body moved even closer to her, until she was almost inside his arms. Hui Yin stood up and moved away.


    "I can''t. I have to know who he is too."


    He silently looked at her. His eyes were wide, his irises two pools of obsidian. His hair was all over the ce, without the immacteness Hui Yin hade to expect from him.


    This different side of Lu Shen made Hui Yin give in to a sudden impulse.


    "Lu Shen, do you think you can really, with all of your heart, truly love someone?" she asked. "Tell me the honestly."


    Hui Yin asked this because she was curious. Curious as to why he could treat Nian Zhen so callously, the girl he was supposed to love. Could it be that she was mistaken? That she wasn''t the only one Lu Shen treated as a toy, but Nian Zhen too? Maybe this man''s heart was colder than she thought.


    "Of course." But when she continued to look at him suspiciously, he furrowed his eyebrows and atst sighed, "I don''t know."


    "What do you mean you don''t know?"


    "I don''t care about other people." He seemed surprised at his own admission. "I don''t know what my personality was before I lost my memories, but I find it bothersome to talk to them. I don''t care if my parentse or not. I''m not curious about them. I wish I killed all those police officers who hurt me."


    Hui Yin stifled her shudder. She had expected it, but for her to hear him say it with total honesty...she couldn''t help but feel cold.


    "So you don''t think you can fall in love with someone?"


    "I''m not saying that." He paused, and drew the characters ''²»Éá'' [2] on the ground. To Hui Yin, the characters appeared like a person seeking shelter. "Why are you asking me this?"


    "It''s fine if you don''t answer."


    Hui Yin was only curious. She also wanted to divert his attention, in case he continued with all that ''stay away from me'' nonsense. How could she let go of this rare chance to catch the culprit?


    Besides, the man was injured. What else could he do?


    Lu Shen also stood up. He felt that the question she asked him wasn''t so simple, but since Hui Yin didn''t seem interested in pursuing the subject, he didn''t think much of it either.


    Together, they went back to the cottage.


    [1] Chinese idiom that means the aid is too slow and too far to be of any help.


    [2] b¨´sh¨¨: reluctant to part with; unwilling to let go of

 Chapter 161 Talk About Cao Cao

    Hui Yin and Lu Shen made their preparations.


    After dressing his wound, the two of them ate canned food for breakfast and left the cottage. While they were walking, Hui Yin checked her post.


    Unsurprisingly, it was at the top of the most searched list online. Not only the Lus, most media agencies would probably swamp this vige by tomorrow. There was no way the culprit could act by then. Hui Yin made sure that if he wanted to act, he could only act today. That way, she would know that he wasing rather than tire herself out by worrying when he would attack.


    Lu Shen''s arm was thrown over her shoulders as Hui Yin supported him.


    "Remember, pretend to be heavily wounded. Put more of your weight on me, or it wouldn''t be believable."


    "We''re not even out of the forest yet. I''ll pretendter."


    Lu Shen didn''t want her to support him at all, but why let go of this excellent opportunity? He snuggled even closer.


    In her mind, Hui Yin silently reviewed her n. First step, seek shelter. But she must draw as much attention towards Lu Shen as possible.


    When the two of them got out of the forest, Hui Yin used the route nearest to the vige''s wet market. It was a crowded ce as usual, with loud voices shouting out product prices and women busy haggling over the vendors.


    She and Lu Shen didn''t change out of their old clothes deliberately. Hui Yin even told Lu Shen to wear the shirt that was heavily stained with blood. With their haggled appearance and Lu Shen''s wound, they easily attracted the gossipy olddies buying in the market.


    "Ah!" Sure enough, two women in their mid-thirties hurried over to them. "Poor children, what happened to the two of you?"


    Hui Yin''s eyes leaked tears. "Aunt, someone attacked us. Wu~wu~"


    Since he wasn''t an actor, Lu Shen tried to look sufficiently victimized. He also widened his eyes and followed Hui Yin''s lead, his eyes bing watery.


    Hui Yin was stumped when she saw this. Why the heck are you also crying for? Are you a maiden in distress? You should be trying your best to look weak, but acting as if you wanted to be strong!


    Despite Hui Yin''s inner criticism, the olddies were charmed by Lu Shen''s wilting flower boy appearance.


    More and more people flocked towards them, Hui Yin narrating their harrowing escape with a trembling voice.


    "...at first, I didn''t know why the police were chasing us. It wasn''t as we''ve done anything wrong. I only wanted to report a missing person. But when I posted a photo earlier this morning, I didn''t realize his identity was this great! That was when I realized the police must have been bribed."


    Hui Yin gave them her phone, and each of the women took turns to look at her post and swallow their saliva. Although some of them haven''t heard of the Lu Corporation and its big boss, oneizen had posted Lu Shen''s worth in thements.


    The people who lived in the vige were simple folks. They saved their money and lived frugally, so when they saw the staggering figure of 140 billion US dors, they have to struggle toprehend that kind of dizzying amount of wealth.


    The whole crowd stared at Lu Shen with heightened interest¡ªsome of them even licked their lips. Lu Shen looked lost.


    "I''m worth that much?"


    Hui Yin patted his chest.


    "Don''t worry, I still think you''re worthless."


    She was only half-joking when she said that.


    "Well, that''s enough motivation." A sturdy man carrying a butcher knife nodded his head. "Don''t know which of them would take the bribe though. Probably Biming, he''s always patting a horse''s ass."


    "Someone should report this to the vige council."


    "Ai, what''s going on through their heads nowadays. Actually shooting a gun at someone..."


    Hui Yin watched the chattering people and felt relieved. She knew most people in a tight-knitmunity like this have a closer tie with each other than with strangers. Fortunately, they sided with them.


    "Why don''t youe into my tea shop?" A kind elder asked them. "You could wait there until this whole matter blows over. Probably won''t take more than half a day. The rest of you cane too."


    She waved over the other people surrounding them.


    They rarely see strangers enter their vige, especially a good-looking pair like this. Hui Yin and Lu Shen''s appearance, especially their story that could breed thousands of gossip, was a source of endless fascination to them.


    Lu Shen reluctantly epted help from the sturdy butcher and staggered towards the olddy''s tea shop. Hui Yin, on the other hand, were bombarded with questions about Lu Shen. When she told them that they weren''t in a rtionship, the eyes of the mothers there practically shone.


    "Aiyo, that daughter of mine, sneaking over to watch the filming set again when there''s a pot of gold here..." One of the women clicked her tongue and hastily rushed out.


    Who knew how the information quickly spread, but the filming cast found out about Lu Shen too. Unlike the vigers, these actors and actresses came from big cities. Naturally, they knew about the Great Dragon King.


    "Hui Yin, why didn''t you tell us?" An actress that used to ignore Hui Yin before was now tugging at her arm, her expression sour. But she was still forcing a smile and acting close to her. "Are you trying to monopolize CEO Lu on purpose?"


    Monopolize, your sister. Hui Yin''s eyeballs rolled back. If he wasn''t shot, I would have already left!


    As they say, talk about caocao and caocao wille. Hui Yin''s eyeballs barelypleted a 360 degrees rotation when Lu Shen made his way over to her. He looked upset and panicky.


    "You left me," he said usingly. "Where did you go? We were supposed to stay together. Why didn''t you stay by my side?"


    The tea house was now packed with people, and because many of them wanted to get close to Lu Shen, Hui Yin was gradually pushed out of the circle. Not wanting to make a fuss and liking the peace and quiet, she sat on an empty corner and leisurely drank her tea.


    "I didn''t go anywhere," Hui Yin exined. "I just wanted to drink a cup of tea peacefully. Look, I could watch you from over here."


    He sat next to her and tugged at her clothes. "Don''t leave me again. Please."


    His voice had a hint of terror in it.


    Hui Yin sighed. He was really like a baby chick.


    Beside her, the mouth of the actress had dropped to the floor. This was CEO Lu? Why did he seem...almost cute?


    Where was the famous iceberg aura that could act as a temporary AC in hot weather?

 Chapter 162 Party Secretary Lee

    There were loudspeaker systems mounted on telephone poles in the vige. Theye to life in the morning and just before sunset, with vige announcements, national news and Communist slogans.


    At this moment, the chatter in the tea shop was interrupted by a loud burst of static.


    "Calling a certain Miss Hui and Mr. Lu, pleasee over to themunity center. Calling a certain Miss Hui and Mr. Lu, pleasee over to themunity center..."


    The message repeated over and over again until another burst of static ended the announcement. Hui Yin and Lu Shen exchanged skeptical nces.


    The olddy who invited them to the tea shop approached their table.


    "See, I told you it wouldn''t take half a day for them to settle the matter. Why don''t Ie with you and guide you there?"


    "I''lle with you too!"


    "En, I want toe!"


    Hui Yin knew where themunity center was located, but she was suspicious about the directive. It wouldn''t hurt to bring several meat shields. Surely they wouldn''t hurt their own people?


    Once again, the sturdy butler supported Lu Shen. Thetter''s face turned dark like burnt wood, tears mentally rolling down his cheeks. Originally it was a beauty carrying him, how did it turn into a muscr brute?


    The long procession finally arrived at themunity center. Just as their group of olddies, gossipy mothers, vendors, and actors marched towards the doorway, a guard stopped them.


    "Only Miss Hui and Mr. Lu are allowed toe in."


    How could Hui Yin ept him taking away her meat shields? She opened her mouth and said disdainly, "Earlier before when we sought help from the police, mypanion got shot. If wee inside unapanied, will we being out with our ashes packed inside cremation urns?"


    The guard''s expression turned ugly. But Hui Yin wasn''t finished yet.


    "We don''t have anything to hide. Most people already know Lu Shen''s identity and that he''s temporarily living here. I don''t mind if a few peoplee with us."


    A broad hand pped the guard''s shoulder, preventing him from retorting against her words.


    "This youngdy speaks well."


    A man shorter than the guard with a stocky build stepped forward, a smile on his face. He was almost bald, his scalp shining under the sunlight.


    "Party Secretary Lee!"


    "That''s the Party Secretary!"


    Some people eximed from behind Hui Yin. She scrutinized the short man from head to toe. She was aware that while the vige chief seems to be the head honcho, real power lies with the Party Secretary, who is selected every three years during a closed-door session by local Communist Party members.


    If the township official gives a speech praising every thing the existing party secretary has done, the local members echo these sentiments in their speeches and the Party Secretary is re-elected. If it turns out that this man was also on the culprit''s side, it would make things very difficult for both Hui Yin and Lu Shen.


    "Party Secretary, this junior didn''t mean to cause offense with her words," Hui Yin said in a neutral tone. "Mypanion and I just didn''t want to suffer any injuries again. He still hasn''t been treated in a hospital and he''s very weak right now. Please forgive my rudeness. I''m only concerned for his health."


    Just to be safe, Hui Yin particrly emphasized how harmless Lu Shen was.


    "Miss Hui is too polite." The man gestured with his hand. "Of course all of you cane in. Come,e! We''ll be discussing the matter of debt in the utility bills as well."


    Most of the vigers following them groaned.


    "I shouldn''t havee, I still haven''t paid the 35 yuan I owe for the electricity..."


    "Can we leave? Hehe, this olddy still needs to cook lunch for her family."


    "My son working in Chengdu hadn''t sent me any money...how am I supposed to pay my utility bill?"


    Hui Yin gave the Party Secretary another once-over. How eloquent. On one hand seemingly inviting the vigers inside, on the other driving them away.


    She wasn''t the only one who noticed this. Lu Shen''s eyes had also dimmed. He nced over at Hui Yin, whose hair had been re-tied into a neat bun. She looked determined and confident.


    Hesitatingly, he reached over and gave her hand a quick squeeze. Afraid that she''ll pull away, he immediately retracted his hand.


    But Hui Yin merely nced at him, an inquiry in her gaze. She didn''t seem the least bit affected by his touch.


    Lu Shen smiled at her to hide his disappointment. Was she not aware of him at all?


    "It''ll be alright," he reassured her.


    "Mmm."


    The Party Secretary led them inside themunity center. The building was small and shabby, but also clean and organized. There was a door to their left that opened to a small room with a wide rectangr table and wooden chairs.


    "I''m afraid we can''t all fit in here," Party Secretary Lee told them, regret in his voice. "Some have to wait outside."


    Those who were anxious about their utility bills quickly left in a whirlwind of dust, leaving only eight of them inside the small room. There was the butcher, the elder who owned the tea shop, another woman in her forties, and three actresses shooting flirty looks at Lu Shen. The room that had been packed to bursting before became destely spacious.


    Party Secretary Lee chuckled.


    "I knew that would get rid of most of them."


    He pulled up a chair and sat, motioning for the rest of them to do the same.


    Lu Shen sat next to Hui Yin, traces of his trademark frigidity surfacing in the depths of his eyes. Party Secretary Lee seemed to sense his cold stare and the back of his neck prickled.


    "No need to be so tense, Mr. Lu. I only wanted to talk to the two of you."

 Chapter 163 Get The Melon

    "Talk? Then why did all those people have to leave?"


    Hui Yin was feeling annoyed. Talk if you want to talk, just don''t shamelessly tell lies and appear like a kindly old man. Such fake pretenses were jarring to the eyes.


    "I didn''t tell them to leave, Miss Hui. They left on their own."


    Hui Yin pursed her lips and kept silent. She didn''t have the energy to deal with him any longer.


    Seeing Hui Yin''s impatience, Party Secretary Lee continued, "I heard Miss Hui posted a picture of Mr. Lu online? What a clever idea, to let the whole world know that Mr. Lu is in our vige and letting us take up the responsibility if anything untoward happens to him."


    Hui Yin returned his fake smile with another one of her own. "You''re thinking too much, Party Secretary Lee. This junior only wanted to know Mr. Lu''s identity, and is certainly not as calctive as you say."


    Hui Yin quickly forgot that only seconds ago, she hated people with ''fake pretenses''.


    Lu Shen lowered his head, an imperceptible smile tugging on his lips. But when he raised his head again, he was back to his customary icy expression.


    "I deeply apologize for what our police has done to the two of you. Be rest assured, I will seek justice for Mr. Lu''s injury. He Fenfang, why don''t you brew a cup of tea for all of us? There are tea leaves in the cab of the second room to your right when you go out."


    The tea shop owner stood up and after nodding slightly to Hui Yin and Lu Shen, she then left the room.


    "You say you deeply apologize for causing my injury, and yet you''re not frantic to rush me into an emergency room. Why is that?"


    Hui Yin didn''t expect Lu Shen to speak out, but his words had a ring of truth in it. If this Party Secretary was really afraid of letting this incident badly affect the reputation of their vige and their police, he should be trying to treat Lu Shen''s wound as soon as possible. But having a rxed discussion like this, he was definitely acting opposite to his words.


    "Oh, I''m sure Mr. Lu is unfamiliar with viges as small as ours. We don''t have a lot of vehicles, and only a tbed truckes once a week loaded with food and simple household goods for sale. It would take a long time for us to borrow one and go to the nearest hospital."


    Hui Yin yawned loudly. What was the point of talking with this man? He was not going to say directly whatever it was that he wanted from them.


    "Party Secretary Lee, if your intention for calling us over here is to only apologize, then Lu Shen and I will leave now."


    Hui Yin stood up, pulling Lu Shen along with her. She was feeling very suspicious about this man. They needed to go outside, back to where a lot of people could prevent their enemies in the dark from acting directly against them. She knew that no matter how ruthless they were, they wouldn''t create a senseless massacre.


    "Miss Hui, don''t be too hasty. I still have something else I need to talk about with you and Mr. Lu...ah, He Fenfang, you''re back with the tea. Why don''t we all rx and sit down? I still haven''t mentioned Mr. Lu''s car ident, have I?"


    Hui Yin stiffened. Lu Shen looked at her, waiting for her decision. If he had not lost his memories, he would have certainly done as he liked without asking for her opinion.


    After a brief pause, Hui Yin nodded.


    The two of them sat back down.


    The kind elder gave them their cups of tea, and Hui Yin nodded her thanks as she took a sip. It was the same vor as the one in the tea shop. Because it was personally brewed, it had a better aroma and taste than manufactured tea bags.


    "How did you know about Lu Shen''s car ident?" Hui Yin immediately asked.


    Party Secretary Lee shook his head with augh. "Miss Hui is indeed too impatient. One would have thought you''re more interested in this car ident than the victim himself."


    Hui Yin severely wanted to wring this old fart''s neck. Why don''t I give you a little ''ident'' too, huh?


    "Whatever Hui Yin asks, take it as if I''m the one asking you."


    Lu Shen was quick to defend her. He didn''t know a thing about his identity, but from the reaction of the people around him, he seemed to be quite...intimidating?


    Like he expected, the Party Secretary shrank a bit when he heard him speak. Lu Shen wasn''t aware that every time he was feeling angry, his voice would also sound cold, making a person feel like they were submerged in ice. Amnesiac or not, he would still be carrying characteristics of his former self. It was quick toe out when his emotions were riled up.


    Party Secretary Lee cleared his throat and inwardly shifted his chair so that he was slightly farther away from Lu Shen.


    "Like I said before, there are only a few vehicles in our vige. So if wordes out that an expensive car was found overturned on the side of the road without a driver, and the missing Mr. Lu turned up in our vige, it would be easy for people to discover the connection between the two. It is as simple as that, Miss Hui. I mean nothing else with my words."


    Then why did you stop us from leaving?


    Hui Yin stood up once again, and this time, three other people also stood up with her. The butcher, the forty-something year old woman, and the kind tea shop owner.


    Hui Yin''s expression changed.


    Party Secretary Lee waved his hand. "Knock them out."


    In unison, these three people struck the necks of the confused actresses, and their heads fell limply with a thud on the table. Lu Shen stood in front of Hui Yin, his expression unsightly.


    "It''s useless," she said, her eyes finding Party Secretary Lee. He was still sitting down, but he gave her a smile when his eyes met hers. "They drugged the tea."


    Lu Shen grabbed her hand tightly.


    "I''m still feeling okay. I''ll distract them, you run out of the door."


    "No."


    How could she let him ruin her ns when everything was going smoothly? Isn''t this the perfect chance to follow the vine and get the melon? [1] Ever since they went out of the forest, Hui Yin hadn''t let down her guard. It was just as she predicted. They did decide to act today.


    "You run, I''ll distract them. Meet with your parents when they arrive and search for me. You''re the one they want dead. If I end up getting captured, they''ll use me as a hostage and not kill me because they know we''re close," she whispered.


    One way or another, she had expected to get caught. Lu Shen was useless right now without his memories, and Hui Yin was even more so. How could they fight with the culprit in their situation? She could only n a risky mission like this.


    [1] track down somebody by following clues

 Chapter 164 Sounds Good Too

    Hui Yin knew he wouldn''t agree, so she didn''t wait for his response. She picked up her tea cup and aimed it at the approaching butcher. He dodged, but she expected that too.


    Hui Yin ran towards the door. When the butcher tried to stop her, Lu Shen hit the butcher''s leg with a swift kick and thrown him over to the floor. It was done in less than a second.


    Hui Yin blinked. This man''s judo skills were too impressive. But she knew that for the Party Secretary to sit like that without a care in the world, he must have been hiding a weapon.


    "Go!" Hui Yin turned the knob, but it was locked. "Lu Shen!"


    As they switched positions, Hui Yin saw in the corner of her eye that the Party Secretary was starting to stand up. Knowing that they didn''t have enough time, she picked up her wooden chair and threw it at him.


    You bald bastard, take this!


    Lu Shen seeded in kicking the door open. It was made of flimsy material, and he aimed near the keyhole, the weakest part of the door.


    Just as Hui Yin had thrown the chair, she saw that the woman and the teady were taking out their guns. Her heart thudded to a stop. It wasn''t only the Party Secretary who had a weapon. In addition to the drugged tea, these people came well-prepared for any unforeseen situation that could arise.


    Lu Shen pushed her down. "Duck!"


    The bullets whizzed past the two of them and created holes into the wall. Each loud sound of the gun firing was amplified inside the small room.


    Lu Shen crawled towards the unconscious butcher and used it to cover their bodies as he pulled Hui Yin towards the open doorway.


    Her lips twitched. This was the true definition of being a meat-shield.


    "Stop them!" shouted Party Secretary Lee.


    He was sweating profusely as he had not expected for the situation toe this far. Wasn''t that man seriously injured? How did he manage to move so quickly? He Fenfang and the other woman were only amateurs who had been given a gun. As for him, all he knew was how to ept bribes and entice the vigers. He did own a gun, but he hadn''t fired one for several years.


    Hui Yin quickly changed ns when she saw the look on the Party Secretary''s face. Could they win? Compared to being captured, it would be far better to interrogate her would-be capturers for information instead.


    Lu Shen knew what the girl beside him was thinking. He flipped the table on its side and stashed her behind it.


    "Lie down on your stomach, they won''t aim that low," he whispered to her. "I''ll fight them."


    "But your shoulder is injured!"


    His eyes lit up. "Are you worried for me?"


    "It''s not a question of whether I''m worried or not, I just don''t want to be responsible for a person''s death!"


    He gently patted her head. "Thinking about me because of guilt for the rest of your life sounds good too."


    "..."


    This man was crazy.


    Using the butcher to receive the stray bullets, Lu Shen dashed out from behind the table. As for Hui Yin, she obedientlyid down and covered her head.


    There were grunts and screams, shouts and gunshots. The sound of a scuffle soon entered her ears, and Hui Yin wanted to take a look. But she didn''t dare to.


    Not long afterwards, Lu Shen''s exhausted voice called her over.


    "It''s alright, you cane out now."


    Hui Yin timidly crawled out from behind the table. She saw the two women immediately, and they were lying down side by side, with the butcher between them. Both females were sporting twin ck eyes and a busted nose. Studying their banged up appearance, Hui Yin couldn''t help but rub her nose.


    This man truly...didn''t have any tender feelings towards the fairer sex. He even punched their faces.


    But what is with this strange position?


    "The butcher had an affair with the two women, and the two of them decided to fight it out." Lu Shen''s low voice interrupted her reverie. "The butcher tried to stop them, but he was the one who got shot instead. Afterwards, I took their guns and they punched each other, so having no choice, I knocked them out."


    Hui Yin''s eyes nced towards him. He was sitting with his back on the wall, and his shoulder injury had started bleeding again. The Party Secretary was beside him, both of his arms broken. He looked miserable.


    "The Party Secretary wanted to scold the butcher for his affair, and the man got angry. He broke two of his arms. As for us, since I''m injured and you were scared, we hid in the corner and didn''t intervene."


    Lu Shen was truly efficient. He already had a cover up story for what happened.


    Hui Yin sat beside him. "What about the actresses?"


    "Fainted due to fright. One of them is dead. Hit by a stray bullet. The butcher too."


    Hui Yin was already feeling woozy due to the tea, and this piece of news nearly made her pass out. She had stayed strong before because adrenaline took over her body, but now that the fight was over...no.


    She still couldn''t faint here. There was still Party Secretary Lee, whom she needed to question about the culprit.


    While Hui Yin was on her mental journey, she felt a sudden weight on her shoulder. When she looked over, she saw that Lu Shen had fallen asleep and his head was using her shoulder as his pillow. He breathed deeply and evenly, his fluttering eyshes casting shadows along the crest of his cheekbones.


    Well, no wonder. Hui Yin only took a sip of her tea. He drank nearly half of it. It was already surprising that he hadn''t passed out earlier.


    Hui Yin looked silently at Party Secretary Lee.


    "I know what you want to ask." There were no pretenses in his voice now, only resignation. Party Secretary Lee heaved a deep sigh.


    "I''ve only met him once, and I didn''t get to see his face. He said he wanted to kill Mr. Lu here, and if I could do that, he''ll be able to raise my position and transfer me to the city. If we could spare you, then we should. But if we couldn''t...he told us to kill you along with Mr. Lu."

 Chapter 165 Pink Hair?!

    "Why did you agree to his demands?" Hui Yin asked, trying to sound calm. The words ''kill you along with Mr. Lu'' had greatly shaken her. "Lu Shen could also do what he promised you. And if you kill Lu Shen, you''ll be a suspect by the time the media agencies get here. The Lus will never let you go."


    He chuckled dryly at her question. This girl was too naive.


    "He said he has a contingency n for that. He''ll make it look as if I was protecting Mr. Lu from an assassination attempt instead. And he has..." Party Secretary Lee closed his eyes, looking as if he had suddenly aged a couple of years in that one second, "He has my six-year old daughter."


    Hui Yin didn''t know what to say. This culprit was too evil. How could she know somebody like that? She tried to remember an acquaintance or someone she knew who could be evil enough to use a child as a hostage, but drew a solid nk.


    Even Nian Zhen, whom she hated more than anyone, would not be daring enough to do those things. In fact, aside from pushing her into an iing car in her previous life and killing her unborn child, the rest that Nian Zhen did to Hui Yin could be considered as trivial.


    "You really didn''t see his face?" Hui Yin asked after a while. "Any hints would do. Please."


    Party Secretary Lee shook his head.


    "That man was too cautious. He spoke to me through a video call and made me watch my daughter cry her eyes out to coerce me. He even modified his voice. I did think..." He hesitated, but at Hui Yin''s encouraging nod, he continued, "Just that...when the light slightly shifted, I thought...it looked like he had pink hair."


    Hui Yin choked.


    "P¡ªPink hair?!"


    What kind of evil man had pink hair, ah? Maybe this culprit was bent? In her heart, Hui Yin became even more wary of Lu Shen''s enemy.


    This culprit was too unpredictable. Even if Hui Yin had met him on the street, due to his pink hair, she would probably never imagine that kind of man would be capable of kidnapping a six-year old child. He was used to hiding himself in the dark, but his hair...isn''t his hair a bit too morous? How could he scare his enemies when the top of his head looked like cotton candy?


    Except for the culprit''s suspected ''pink hair'', Hui Yin didn''t get any more useful information from the Party Secretary. After that, she didn''t get any more chances to talk to him because the vigers who heard the gunshots immediately rushed into the room. The gravity of the situation forced the vige chief to call an ambnce from a nearby hospital, which arrived after two and a half hours.


    Because Lu Shen also had a bullet wound in his shoulder, Hui Yin came with him as his ''closest rtive''. Too many people were injured, thus only one person could apany them.


    Hui Yin was chosen because once the paramedics had learned that the other injured patient was Lu Shen, they didn''t dare to kick his friend out in case they receive the man''s anger after waking up. They even called their hospital in advance to prepare their best surgeon and their best medical ward.


    The ambnce drove over the speed limit, but the vige was far too isted that they still have to drive for more than two hours to arrive at the nearest hospital. Two paramedics stripped off Lu Shen''s shirt and hooked him to an IV, while the other two took care of the other patients.


    Hui Yin watched them move around while she sat on the bench, her eyes heavy. One of the paramedics saw that she had a cut on her forehead and was considerate enough to bandage it for her. She even gave Hui Yin a nket.


    Hui Yin smiled at her. "Thank you."


    She knew that part of the paramedic''s kindness was because she was Lu Shen''s friend, but that didn''t matter to her as the nket felt warm. She cocooned herself inside it and not long after, between the bumps on the road and the steady chatter of the paramedics, Hui Yin finally fell asleep.

 Chapter 166 Watch The Sunse

    When Hui Yin woke up, it was alreadyte in the afternoon.


    She was lying on a soft bed, an arm draped around her waist. She felt warmth on her back and immediately stiffened. When she tried to get up, the arm around her tightened.


    "Don''t move. Not yet," Lu Shen murmured sleepily into her hair.


    Her whole body was nestled against his, and using the slightest movement, he leaned forward and rested his chin on her shoulder. Hui Yin had not even gotten over her shock when he started rubbing his cheek against hers like a kitten.


    "You always smell nice," he told her, sounding quite pleased.


    Hui Yin felt her mind re with red rms as she struggled to get out of his embrace. But his arm did not even move an inch. She was like an ant trying to shake a tree [1].


    While Hui Yin struggled, her body inadvertently brushed against the no man''snd area that shouldn''t be brushed. Instantly, Lu Shen''s eyes darkened as scorching desire surged towards his lower body. When Hui Yin wiggled again to get away from him, he said hoarsely, "Stop moving."


    Hui Yin froze. How could she not realize that the man behind her was aroused? Her cheeks med with embarrassment as she shouted, "Let go!"


    Lu Shen raised himself on one arm and loosened his hold on her. Seizing her freedom, Hui Yin jumped out of the bed like a cat whose tail had gotten stepped on and red at the man''s suffering expression.


    If it was the Lu Shen who hadn''t lost his memories, she would have been quickly devoured. Fortunately, it was this baby chick.


    Left alone on the bed and feeling empty, Lu Shen tried to suppress the lust that made the hardness between his legs swell unbearably. He adjusted his posture and felt that men shouldn''t really sleep together with women if they didn''t want to be tormented afterwards.


    Under Lu Shen''s burning gaze, Hui Yin coughed and tried to change the subject. She was feeling gratified that he did not do anything else and was restraining himself. Knowing his personality, doing this was really against his nature.


    "Your surgery is already over?"


    Lu Shen nodded, trying his best not to look at her. He felt a mixture of shyness, lust, and embarrassment whenever his eyes met hers. He didn''t know why he had such a big reaction when he only hugged her body and did nothing else.


    Towards this girl who rescued him and continued to stay by his side even though he had a powerful enemy that wanted his life, Lu Shen felt that even if he used his life to repay her, it would still not be enough.


    He should be d that his parents wereing tomorrow, but he dreaded it instead. If they came and took him away, would shee with him? An idea gradually formed in his mind of how to make her stay, only he didn''t know if she would be d to hear it.


    Hui Yin''s stomach grumbled and Lu Shen remembered the lunch tray he had ordered one of the hospital staff to deliver in case she woke up. He gestured at the sideboard.


    "I ordered lunch, but it''s probably cold now. I could order a new one if you want."


    Lu Shen had been eating soft rice [2] during his stay at Hui Yin''s, but the hospital reassured him that his hospital bill would be directly sent to the Lu Corporation. Delighted because he could now spoil her, Lu Shen was even hoping that she would want another lunch tray so that he could demonstrate his capability.


    Hui Yin wasn''t the type to waste food. To Lu Shen''s disappointment, she wolfed down all of the dishes without any scruples, uncaring if it wasn''t warm anymore.


    When Hui Yin finally finished eating, she looked up only to see Lu Shen''s pained expression. She noticed the way his Adam''s apple frantically bobbed and the bulge in his pants.


    Uh...did he forget how to ''take care'' of himself as well?


    In the end, she didn''t ask. She merely told him that she wanted to take a look outside and left his hospital room. She felt regretful that she didn''t remind him not to take a cold shower. He was still injured, after all.


    There was a garden balcony on the eighth floor of the hospital, where Hui Yin could watch the sunset quietly. Looking at the distance where threads of orange merged with the billowing clouds and slowly turned its hue to dye the sky a lovely pomegranate pink, Hui Yin felt slightly nostalgic for her present life.


    How were the twins? Jiang Xu? Liu Jun? Were Bao Bai and Yu Qiang still hanging out together in Beijing? How about her manager Su Jing? She couldn''t help but ask these questions.


    Hui Yin took out the cherry blossom hairpin and sighed. She really hated the fact that she had to reset everything. Couldn''t she at least preserve the happiness that she had nurtured with her own hands?


    [1] to overrate one''s own strength


    [2] a man who is supported financially by a woman

 Chapter 167 Nervous Expectations

    Night had fallen when Hui Yin went back to Lu Shen''s hospital room. They watched TV together and took turns taking a bath, as the hospital had given Hui Yin a set of cotton pajamas.


    Several nurses enthusiastically volunteered to help Lu Shen wash himself because his upper body was still bandaged, but Lu Shen refused them all. In the end, he went into the bathroom by himself and came out looking like he had personally battled a fearsome monster. Hui Yin couldn''t help butugh when she saw him.


    "I told you to ept their help," she pointed out. "What''s with the bruise on your forehead? Did you slip?"


    He nodded with watery eyes.


    Hui Yinughed again. When he acted childish like this, he appeared even more younger than his current age. She raised herself on her tiptoes and absently patted his head.


    "When you grow up, you can''t sumb to face paralysis, okay? I wouldn''t like you if you do."


    He lowered his head and grabbed her wrist.


    "I wouldn''t do anything that would you make you not like me," he said somberly. He slightly flushed at their close proximity and took a step back, releasing her wrist.


    Hui Yin smiled but didn''t reply. It was already toote for promises like that.


    Lu Shen started to arrange the pillows on the bed and gestured at her.


    "You should sleep on the bed. I''ll sleep on the sofa."


    "What are you talking about? You''re injured. You should be the one to sleep on the bed."


    Lu Shen plopped himself on the sofa andy down, crossing his arms.


    "I''m not going to move from here. So you should go and sleep on the bed."


    Hui Yin raised her eyebrows. "Oh, so you''re not going to move from there? I''ll just eat dinner by myself in the cafeteria then."


    She was still speaking when she pivoted on her heel and ran out.


    Lu Shen bolted from the sofa and chased after her. "Ah, don''t leave me here!"


    Hui Yin closed the door on her way out and he mmed face-first into it. Lu Shen crumpled to the floor with a muffled squeak of pain before struggling to his feet.


    Hui Yin, who heard the loud ''thud'' and felt guilty, was waiting for him outside the door. Lu Shen looked at her with an aggrieved expression when he went out. He was covering his nose with his hand.


    "Bad."


    Hui Yin hastily nodded. "Yes, yes, I''m bad. Is your nose okay?"


    "It hurts."


    "Did it bleed? Let me see."


    Lu Shen avoided her and continued covering his nose.


    Hui Yin blew out her cheeks. "I''m sorry for ying a prank on you, okay? Let me see. It''ll be bad if it''s broken."


    When she went towards him and gently removed his hand, to her utter surprise, he swooped in and nted a kiss on her forehead.


    His nose wasn''t bleeding at all. It only looked a little red.


    "You...!" Dumbfounded, Hui Yin was a step toote to stop him. This baby chick was actually a white-eyed wolf! [1]


    "Fight poison with poison [2]." He grinned at her like an idiot.


    Unable to get angry at him when he looked at her like that, Hui Yin threw her hands up and just thought of it as a debt owed and paid. The two of them went into the cafeteria together and ate their dinner.


    Because Lu Shen beat her to the bathroom and brushed his teeth first, Hui Yin could only stare at his smug position on the sofa and reluctantly trudge towards the bed. She could imagine the look on the nurses'' face tomorrow when they find out that their ''most precious patient'' was sleeping on the sofa.


    Hui Yin switched off the lights and tried to find afortable position to sleep. Just as her eyes were about to close, she heard Lu Shen tentatively say, "Goodnight, Hui Yin."


    She rubbed her eyes and replied drowsily, "Goodnight, Lu Shen."


    He seemed to be saying something else to her, but Hui Yin had already drifted off to sleep.


    As the girl''s soft breathing filled the whole room, Lu Shen opened his eyes and nced over towards the direction of the bed. In the dark, his eyes were deep, his eyebrows creased. His nose was aquiline, and he had the habit of stroking it with his forefinger when he contemted thoughts that were graver than the usual. It was an indifferent face, a stern face, and yet a trace of sadness could also be seen in his features.


    If he told her he wanted to marry her, would she agree?


    If by chance she rejected him...suddenly, his heart became d that she did not hear his question. It was better to stay by her side a little longer, before asking her if she could stay beside him for a lifetime. Important things like this...they should not be rushed.


    Lu Shen fell asleep an hourter, his dreams troubled with worries and nervous expectations.


    ...


    Hui Yin opened her eyes to see that the room was still dark. She turned her body to the other side, her back on the sofa, only for her eyes to fall on the closed door.


    Or what should be a closed door.


    It was open now, but the light on the hallway was dim. She could only see the silhouette of a man standing there, unmoving.


    Hui Yin''s heart became paralyzed, and she wanted to scream, but she couldn''t make a sound. In the next second, the man turned around and ran away.


    Feeling her senses return, Hui Yin jumped out of the bed, her feet bare. Her mind was too muddled to wake Lu Shen, she simply did not think of any other thoughts than to chase that man.


    That man, why is he so familiar...


    As Hui Yin hurried after the man''s fleeing figure down the hallway, the dim lights were enough for her to see his back.


    It was also enough for her to see his hair.


    His hair...was pink.


    [1] an ungrateful person; someone who repays kindness with evil intentions


    [2] to meet aggression with aggression

 Chapter 168 Wen Family

    The floor felt cold under Hui Yin''s bare feet, and her toes curled as she continued chasing him.


    They passed several nurses'' stations along the way, but it must have been in the early hours of the morning because most nurses were asleep, and they didn''t meet any other people along the corridors. The cold and the unexpected exercise have long since woken up Hui Yin from her stupor, and she realized the danger of the situation she was in, chasing a culprit who could even threaten Lu Shen and give him headaches.


    Hui Yin grabbed the hairpin from her hair and clutched it like a weapon while running. The culprit was always ahead of her, letting Hui Yin only catch a glimpse of his back turning into another corridor before disappearing. Was he deliberately trying to make her chase him?


    He opened the door of the emergency exit and went in. Hui Yin followed after him.


    His footsteps were loud in the enclosed space, while Hui Yin''s footsteps were barely audible because of her bare feet. She could only thank the janitors for keeping the floor clean. She didn''t even step on any wayward litter.


    When Hui Yin heard the sound of a door opening and closing, she hurriedly quickened her pace to catch the door handle. Surprisingly, she discovered that they were in the parking lot. The lights were even dimmer here, and Hui Yin couldn''t see his figure anymore. She stered herself on the side of the car and tried to calm down her breathing.


    Hui Yin felt that if she would be given a role in a horror movie as a frightened female character in the future, she would be able to act it out perfectly.


    She knelt and pressed her palms on the ground as she looked under the car to find out if there were any pairs of shoes ahead of her. They were the only ones in the parking lot, and it was extremely quiet.


    Inwardly, Hui Yin cursed herself for her impulsiveness. It was just...that man had evoked feelings of familiarity inside her, something she couldn''t simply ignore. In her mind, his back ovepped with someone else''s, someone whom she hadn''t seen for very long time...


    A sh of light suddenly blinded Hui Yin.


    It was her only warning before a car sped towards her, its headlights trained on her small and pitiful figure.


    Ever since her death in her previous life, Hui Yin had a trauma with car idents. She widened her eyes, her legs unable to move. She didn''t even take a step back as the car raced towards her, driving past the speed limit. Behind the windshield, she could see his bright pink hair, and the hands that clenched on the steering wheel...


    Her mind became nk.


    Just as she thought she would experience that same overwhelming pain again, the car abruptly braked. The front bumper stopped only an inch away from her shaking body, before the headlights were turned off and she heard the sound of a car door opening.


    Hui Yin wasn''t aware that tears were steadily trickling down her cheeks.


    Before she could ask herself why the culprit didn''t kill her, arms suddenly engulfed Hui Yin and pulled him towards his chest. She could hear his elerated heartbeat, and his chin rested on the top of her head, preventing her from looking up and seeing his face.


    Feeling the coldness of metal in her palms, Hui Yin struck down with the hairpin and stabbed it into his stomach.


    There was a hiss of pain, but the man didn''t let go of her. He only yanked the hairpin out of her hand and flung it away. On her back, he suddenly traced three characters with his forefinger.


    It sloped upwards and had horizontal lines, before curving down and finishing with a nted arc.


    It was ''I love you''.


    He pressed his lips close to her ear and murmured, "But if you stay any longer beside that man, m¨¨imei, I won''t hesitate to kill you too. I''ll let go of him today on your behalf."


    Hui Yin shivered.


    He let go of her and stood up, but before he could get into the car, Hui Yin regained her senses and shouted, "Why are you doing this? What has he done to you?!"


    These were the words that came out of her mouth, but what Hui Yin truly wanted to ask was: What did Lu Shen do to make you be like this?


    Hui Jinhai paused and let out a dry chuckle. "Ask him what he did to the Wen family."


    Wen family?


    What did he have to do with the Wen family? Why is he targeting Lu Shen for them?


    Hui Yin didn''t manage to get answers for these questions because he already went inside the car and sped out of the parking lot. She stared at the pavement under her feet, feeling shell-shocked.


    Her kind and weird brother who used to wear unicorn pajamas and tease her yfully...how did he turn into someone who could utter the words ''kill'' so easily? He used to dote on her so much that she found him annoying, but she didn''t ignore the faint killing intent in his words when he warned her to stay away from Lu Shen.


    Her brother, that doting brother in her memories, would really kill her without hesitation...


    No wonder his hair was pink. It was just like him to be a viin with cotton candy hair. He would probably even disappear in a cloud of glitter if he could get away with it.


    When Lu Shen finally found Hui Yin after a frantic search of each floor in the hospital, she was still kneeling on the parking lot, giggling and crying. He felt his heart ache as he wiped her tears away and embraced her.


    He wanted to ask her what happened, but refrained himself after seeing her expression. Hui Yin gripped his shirt and didn''t know how to exin herplicated situation.


    To get away from this man, she needed to catch the culprit.


    But the culprit was her brother.


    What was she supposed to do now?

 Chapter 169 Confront That Man

    Like this, three days passed in a blur for Hui Yin.


    Lu Shen''s parents came along with the media in the hospital that afternoon, and Madam Lu cried great big tears when she was interviewed about what she felt in the time Lu Shen had gone missing and his amnesia that made him temporarily forget them. They tried to subtly give Hui Yin a nk cheque and implied that her rtionship with Lu Shen ended there, but the man himself didn''t leave her side and was adamant that he would go wherever Hui Yin went.


    This gave the two Lu elders a severe headache as they couldn''t ept that this clingy child was the same indifferent man in their memories. Where was the slight aversion to women, the need for personal space, the workaholic iceberg who only thought of thepany and nothing else? Where was their son, ah?!


    But their resentment andints fell into deaf ears. Since Hui Yin didn''t seem to be herself and was in no hurry to leave the hospital, Lu Shen also stayed there.


    Both Lu Yongzheng and Madam Lu wanted to find the best hospital in the country to treat their son''s amnesia, but they could only reluctantly give up as Lu Shen''s firm decision was as steady as Mount Tai. They could only stay in this backwater hospital and apany their son while he was recuperating.


    They hoped Lu Shen would quickly recover his memories so that he would stop clinging to that girl and go back to Beijing with them. Every day after his psychotherapy, he would go into Hui Yin''s room that had been refurbished to look like a five-star hotel and sit beside her as she pondered her thoughts.


    Hui Yin wasn''t actually as spaced-out as Lu Shen imagined her to be. In fact, she was thinking about her next move. Yue Lao didn''t specifically say that she couldn''t free the culprit after she ''caught'' him. So with that in mind, her problems had all cleared up.


    The problem was about the Wen family. In her previous life, it took Lu Shen five months before hepletely recovered. Would she have to wait that long before asking him what he had done to this ''Wen family''? Hui Yin didn''t even find anything about them after searching the, which was odd.


    Considering the misdeeds this man had done using the Lu Corporation, it was probably another upper-ss family that he bankrupted and thrown over to the wolves. She couldn''t tell him about the culprit being her brother too. Hui Jinhai might have severed all family rtions and wouldn''t hesitate to kill her, but he was still her brother. As much as she could, she wanted to protect him.


    The problem was, how could she ask this amnesiac Lu Shen about the Wen family?


    Today was the same as the past two days.


    After impatiently responding to the psychotherapist''s questions and running out of there, Lu Shen happily sat beside Hui Yin and yed with her hands. He drew circles on her palm and pulled on her slim and dainty fingers. He even took delight that his hands were too big whenpared to hers, easily swallowing them. Like this, he felt like a man who could protect her.


    "Lu Shen?"


    Being asked a question after days of being ignored, his eyes were bright when he looked at her.


    Hui Yin hesitated and asked, "Could you contact Assistant Yan and ask him...no, never mind. You probably don''t tell him anything."


    She felt utterly helpless. Lu Shen was truly good at managing his affairs without letting one drop leak out. Was she left with no choice but to stab herself in the neck again and confront that man?


    Towards the Lu Shen she had left behind and the Lu Shen beside her now, Hui Yin could tolerate them because she knew that to some degree, these two hadn''t done anything to her. The one she truly hated was her ex-husband who wore the other red string bracelet Yue Lao had given them on his wrist.


    Did she have to...go back there?

 Chapter 170 Idiot! Idiot!

    Hui Yin listened to thepping sound of the sea waves. It was peaceful and quiet, only broken by the intermittent squawking of birds.


    "Do you like it?"


    Lu Shen leaned against the railing and smilingly asked the girl beside him. She was wearing a in sky-blue summer dress, her hair tied up into a half-bun with a cherry blossom hairpin inserted at an angle. She never seemed to take off that particr hair essory.


    Hui Yin opened her eyes and gently lifted the corners of her mouth.


    "Mmm, I like it."


    She looked towards the far-off shore, where she couldn''t see the tall outline of the hospital building anymore. Even the two figures of Lu Shen''s parents became dots on the horizon, but Hui Yin could still hear their scathing remarks.


    "Lu Shen, will you really let that girl go on a yacht trip with you? She must be harboring some sinister purposes!"


    Mrs. Lu was more direct than Lu Yongzheng and said without qualms, "Lu Shen, that vige girl is probably going to seduce you! I''m telling you, these kind of girls with low backgrounds are fond of drugging rich heirs and then having sex with them so that they can carry their babies. If you don''t throw her away now, she will only bring misfortune!"


    But the two of them, including Hui Yin, choked at this baby chick''s honest answer to their usations.


    "Good." Then he turned to Hui Yin with eyes full of anticipation, "Are you going to seduce me?"


    Hui Yin didn''t know whether tough or cry at this kind of development. She was indeed harboring sinister purposes for going into this yacht, but it was not seduction, ah!


    The sticky feeling that something was being applied to her skin broke Hui Yin''s thoughts. She looked sideways and saw that Lu Shen had grabbed her left arm and was diligently applying sunscreen. He made sure not to miss even the skin between her fingers, and Hui Yinughed at his serious appearance.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Taking care of you." He then went to her right side and began applying sunscreen on her other arm. "There''s an extra pair of sunsses in the master suite. You shouldn''t stare at the sun directly."


    After he finished her arm, he hesitated before pointing towards her exposed shoulders and her back. "You should apply some sunscreen there too."


    He handed the bottle to her.


    Hui Yin pushed it back to him. "I''m fine. The sun is going to set in a couple of hours anyway."


    "But..."


    "Tut. Let''s just enjoy the moment, okay?"


    Seeing that she didn''t want to continue the conversation, Lu Shen could only swallow his protests and stare at the sea with her. But after a second, her hand lightly patted his cheek.


    When he looked at her, Hui Yin was smiling at him. "Thank you for this."


    Lu Shen''s mood quickly lifted, and he nodded. He knew that something heavy was upying her thoughts, but he didn''t want to force her to tell him what it was. He could only stay quietly by her side and hope that he would slowly gain her trust.


    They ate their dinner in the open-air deck, with exquisite sea food dishes and a bottle of expensive wine. This yacht was rented by Lu Shen from one of the wealthy locals, and Assistant Yan personally handpicked the crew and staff.


    They were brought over from Beijing via a helicopter this morning, along with Yan''s teary get-well card that contained an epic saga of how d he was that the boss was finally found safe and sound. Of course, this was mainly due to the fact that ever since Lu Shen had been absent, it was Yan who had to handle all the excess work in thepany. He even called Lu Shen''s psychotherapist and asked him for daily updates.


    If Lu Shen doesn''t recover quickly enough, it was certain that the next tragedy to strike would be the burial of the dedicated Assistant Yan.


    ...


    Lu Shen swallowed nervously as he waited on the bed for Hui Yin to finish her bath. His back was straight, his palms t on hisp. He didn''t know why, but it was Hui Yin herself who suggested that they stay in the same room.


    Was she really going to seduce him?


    Unable to bear the anxiety and excitement this thought brought him, Lu Shen stood up and paced back and forth as he waited for his heartbeat to calm down. He abruptly stopped in front of the floor-length mirror on the corner of the master suite and looked at himself.


    in gray shirt and ck shorts. This was too unappealing, wasn''t it? He took off his shirt and saw that his upper body wasn''t too bad. There wasn''t any fat, and he seemed to be a man who properly exercised. But why didn''t he feel...sexy? Should there be a little sweat?


    When Hui Yin got out of the bathroom wearing a bathrobe while drying her hair with a fluffy towel, she was dumbfounded to see Lu Shen doing push ups on the bedroom floor.


    What was this, ah?! Why is this man training his pectorals at night? And what''s more, he was doing it half-naked!


    "275...276...277..."


    Hui Yin cleared her throat. "Lu Shen, you can go into the bathroom now."


    Lu Shen nearly strained his muscle when he heard her voice. Pretending to be casual, he picked himself up from the floor in a lithe manner and grabbed his shirt. Puffing out his chest a little, he walked towards her while running a hand through his hair.


    But Hui Yin merely furrowed her eyebrows and jabbed at the direction of the bathroom with her index finger. "That''s where the bathroom is, Lu Shen."


    Lu Shen did a ny-degree spin and marched towards the bathroom. "Of course I know where it is."


    When the door finally closed behind his back, he grabbed the edges of the sink and cursed, "Idiot! Idiot!"


    Hui Yin, who was sitting outside, raised an eyebrow.


    Is this man not aware that the bathroom isn''t soundproofed?

 Chapter 171 The Same Voice

    In the middle of the night, a dark figure could be seen mbering up the yacht from a small boat. His movements were quick and agile, and the lone guard that was patrolling the deck was instantly knocked out without even being aware that there was an intruder.


    As if he had been in this yacht countless of times, the figure didn''t hesitate but immediately made his way towards the master suite.


    But just as he was about to enter, he froze.


    He saw a girl sitting calmly on the bed while leaning back on the headboard, gazing at him. The man beside her was deeply asleep, and it seemed that she had been waiting for him toe for a long time. Without the slightest shift in her expression, she soundlessly got up from the bed and approached him.


    "Brother, we''re in the middle of the sea and you can''t escape. I already told someone to destroy your boat beforehand. Why don''t we chat like siblings? I haven''t seen you for a long time."


    "You..." He slowly raised the gun in his hand and steadily pointed it at her. "Didn''t I warn you before? I told you I''ll kill you if you''re still beside him."


    Sheughed under her breath while she twirled the hairpin around her fingers.


    "You think the gunshot won''t wake him up? He has a gun too, you know. You''ve survived this long because you haven''t directly confronted him, but you probably know as well as I do that this man practiced a lot in the firing range. Between you and him, who do you think will win?"


    There wasn''t even a trace of fear in her eyes as she calmly stared at the barrel of his gun. She was scared of car idents, but that didn''t mean she was scared of death itself. She had already died two times, and even stabbed herself in the neck. Besides, she had the cherry blossom hairpin.


    So what was there to be afraid about?


    She could just kill herself before he did.


    Hui Yin reached out and pushed down his gun. "Brother, let''s talk outside. I have a lot of things I need to ask you."


    A cold light shed briefly across his eyes before he nodded, and he turned around without another word. Hui Yin''s eyes dimmed as she knew what he was thinking. She slowly closed the bedroom door.


    The two of them were unaware that the man who was supposed to be ''deeply asleep'' had sat up and quietly followed them.


    ...


    Hui Jinhai walked until they were far away from the master suite before facing Hui Yin.


    "Talk."


    But Hui Yin simply smiled and lifted herself to sit on the railing. The night wind gently blew her hair and her nightgown, but she seemed insensitive to the biting cold and just continued staring at the horizon. Her eyes weren''t looking at him, but she asked, "You lured me away to quickly kill me right? Since the master suite itself is soundproofed, he wouldn''t wake up."


    The hands holding the gun briefly shook. "If you knew, then why did you follow me?"


    "There is something I want to know..." Hui Yin''s hand clenched on the hairpin. "You told me you love me, but what kind of love could make a brother kill his younger sister so easily?"


    She smiled, but it was a cold smile, with no hint of warmth. "I''ve already died once because of that kind of ''love''. Hui Jinhai, are you going to make me suffer through that same kind of pain again?"


    Hui Jinhai didn''t know what she was talking about. But his index finger steadily pulled on the trigger.


    "I already warned you once. Once was enough."


    In the blink of an eye, too many things happened at once.


    First was that Hui Jinhai fell on the ground, and the arm that was holding his gun was bleeding. The second was that a familiar figure rushed towards Hui Yin, and in that kind of close range where even a blind person wouldn''t be able to miss, Hui Jinhai simply picked up the gun with his left hand and fired.


    The momentum of the bullet pushed Lu Shen and Hui Yin off the yacht and into the sea.


    Just as their bodies sshed into the water, she heard him say, "Your brother...I didn''t kill."


    In the darkness, the blood that dyed the sea was colored ck.


    Hui Yin stared at the man embracing her, his chest spilling more blood into the water. She could only smile and hug him back.


    This baby chick...is really an idiot.


    Her neck felt a twinge of pain, and Hui Yin''s blood mixed with his. Lu Shen''s eyes widened, and bubbles came out of his mouth as he tried to ask her what the hell did she think she was doing. Why did she stab a hairpin into her own skin?


    Hui Yin started kicking her legs as she tried to swim back up. Lu Shen helped her sluggishly, both of their bodies screaming for oxygen. Hui Yin tugged at his arms and dragged half of his weight, as he seemed to be drifting in and out of consciousness.


    But when her head broke the water''s surface, she was all alone.


    The zing sunlight nearly blinded her eyes, and Hui Yin raised a hand to shield her face. There was a woman crouching before her, seemingly asking her something.


    "I can''t believe you fell on the pool! Are you alright?"


    When her eyesight cleared, Hui Yin nearly drowned again.


    That...isn''t that her face looking back at her?!


    On closer inspection, it was actually just a face that looked seventy percent like Hui Yin''s. A man''s shoes stopped next to the crouching woman, and his deep voice asked her, "Why are you so concerned about a maid? You could clearly see that she''s alright."


    But the Hui Yin look-alike creased her forehead. "You''re always so rude like this, that''s why you''re all alone. Can''t you be a bit nicer?"


    Hui Yin didn''t want to look at the man. She clearly knew who that voice belonged to. But why is the voice of this woman familiar to her as well?


    "Come on," the woman said, holding a hand for her to grab. "Don''t mind him. You''ll get a cold if you stay there any longer."


    Slowly, the pieces clicked on Hui Yin''s mind and she didn''t ept the offered hand. She finally realized why the voice sounded so familiar.


    This doppelg?nger of hers had the same voice as Bao Bai.

 Chapter 172 Practically Strangers

    But what is Bao Bai doing here?


    Hui Yin thought about the girl who used to call her by her role name ''Gao Mei'', and her strict personality. She even used to scold Yu Quang for the most trivial things, which led the two of them to constantly fight with each other.


    Staring at her appearance that had obviously changed due to stic surgery, Hui Yin was confused why Bao Bai would choose to look like her. In this lifetime, Hui Yin hadn''t continued her acting career so she didn''t meet Bao Bai in Shanghai. They were practically strangers.


    Why would Bao Bai appear inside Lu Shen''s mansion?


    "Leave her there if she doesn''t want to get out."


    Hearing the cold and indifferent voice targeting her, Hui Yin finally came to her senses and epted Bao Bai''s hand. But even before Bao Bai could pull her up, several maids rushed forward to stop her.


    "Miss Bao, let me take care of this. It wouldn''t be good for your body to touch a stranger so casually!"


    Hui Yin, who was left soaking wet from top to bottom inside the pool, became speechless at this.


    What am I? Cow dung?


    But Bao Bai shook her head and insisted on holding out her hand.


    "Xinyu, you shouldn''t speak so rudely. She''s just a pitiful girl who fell into the pool, why do you have to insult her so badly?"


    "But Miss¡ª"


    "It''s alright," Hui Yin interrupted, who was receiving the res of the maids around Bao Bai. "I can get out on my own."


    Without waiting for the other girl to speak, Hui Yin swam into the end of the pool with an elegant butterfly stroke and grasped the railing of thedder. She had swam in here so many times, why would she need the help of others?


    Hui Yin shivered and walked into thewn. Her clothes were dripping wet and stuck close to her body. She immediately recognized the familiar maid uniform that she wore. Was this what Yue Lao meant when he said that she didn''t have to worry even if she died in her past life?


    But whose body was this?


    Wu Bolin, Lu Shen''s butler, walked towards the man who had gone back to sit on his lounge chair underneath a cantilever umbre. He leaned over and said with a polite smile, "Sir, don''t worry, I''ll fire this ipetent maid afterwards. It''s my fault for not overseeing my job as the housekeeping staff manager properly."


    He waved a hand, dismissing him. "Let her be."


    He was actually irritated deep in his heart after seeing this maid cause trouble inside his ce, but after seeing how skilled she was at swimming, his irritation somewhat lessened up a bit. He nced at Bao Bai. Seeing that she didn''t seem to be irritated by the disturbance, he didn''t pay any more attention to this small matter and simply closed his eyes.


    Bao Bai approached Hui Yin. With eyes filled with concern, she asked, "Are you okay? You should bathe first and change your clothes so that you wouldn''t catch a cold."


    Hui Yin gritted her teeth together to prevent then from chattering and gave her a single nod. "T¡ªThank you."


    Hui Yin hugged herself and was about to walk off on her own, but a strong arm jerked her to the side. When she looked up, she saw an old woman with a fierce expression staring at her.


    "Miss Bao, you don''t have to worry yourself over with this maid, after all, your health is more important. I''ll make sure to discipline her so that this type of thing won''t happen again and cause problems for Miss Bao."


    Ah? Isn''t this old woman the so-called ''f¨¹hrer'' of the kitchen, Meng Guang? Hui Yin couldn''t not remember her. Leaving aside the daily tasks that she didn''t do for Hui Yin while she was living here, Meng Guang, this old suck-up, was also a close ally of Nian Zhen back in those days. However, their rtionship was low-key as Meng Guang knew that Hui Yin still had the title of ''Mrs. Lu'' despite Lu Shen ignoring her. The two of them couldn''t go too overboard.


    Meng Guang dragged Hui Yin towards the servants quarters, a separate house located at the back of the mansion and separated by the gardens. While they were walking, she pinched Hui Yin''s waist, making her cry out from the pain.


    "You''re lucky the boss didn''t fire you, otherwise you would be kicked out of the mansion without this month''s sry! Where did you get the courage to jump into the pool and actually trouble Miss Bao? If the boss had gotten mad because of this, not only you, but all of us might have lost our jobs! Do you think you can escape from punishment because the boss took mercy on you? Hmph!"


    As she said thest word like a curse, the old woman shoved Hui Yin into a room and crossed her arms. "Change your clothes quickly and follow me!"


    Hui Yin looked around her. There were three separate bunk beds, each of them facing a squat closet. The problem was, Hui Yin didn''t know which one was hers. She didn''t have this body''s memories. Thinking quickly, she took on a guess and went towards the farthest closet.


    "What are you doing? Don''t tell me you''re going to steal Ninghong''s clothes?"


    Old Meng Guang''s appearance became even more gnarled, like a thousand-year old tree bark. She looked older than the middle-aged woman in Hui Yin''s memories. Her eyebrows shed like swords above her eyes, which had narrowed with suspicion.


    Hui Yin hastily walked towards the squat cab in the middle. She knew that the most taboo crime for a house helper was stealing. If a paranoid owner suspects a house helper of taking a piece of expensive furniture, even without evidence, they won''t stop until they persecute the house helper and prove them guilty of their crimes.


    Peeking a nce at Meng Guang and seeing that her expression didn''t change, Hui Yin breathed a sigh of relief and took out a folded maid uniform.


    "Hurry up!"


    The impatient tone in the old woman''s voice and the fact that she didn''t move but leaned casually against the doorway told Hui Yin that she wouldn''t get any privacy while undressing. This was just one of the many ways this nasty f¨¹hrer bullied the maids under her.


    Well, this isn''t her body anyway.


    Hui Yin quickly changed into the new uniform and followed Meng Guang obediently as they passed by the pool and went inside the mansion.

 Chapter 173 Twelve Years

    Hui Yin wondered how many years had passed since her death in this lifetime.


    Every time she pricked the hairpin into her neck, there was no passage of time at all, only a brief darkness that enveloped her whole being. She didn''t worry about the baby chick''s injury as Yue Lao had told her that everything resets every time she was reborn. In this case, Hui Yin had probably not reported Lu Shen to the police and everything proceeded ordingly for her to end up in this same future where she died under Nian Zhen''s hands.


    After Lu Shen recovered his memories in this lifetime, they got engaged, and Hui Yin married Lu Shen. She didn''t continue with her acting career and served Lu Shen like a ve, before finding out that he was cheating on her with Nian Zhen. He then divorced her, and became engaged to Nian Zhen. Hui Yin found out that she was pregnant with Lu Shen''s child and was pushed into the busy highway by Nian Zhen, therefore causing the death of Hui Yin and her unborn child via a car ident.


    But where did Hui Jinhai fit into all of this?


    Not only that, but Hui Yin had to ask Lu Shen what he did to the Wen family too. As a maid, how could she approach him...Hui Yin was so absorbed with her thoughts that she almost crashed into the old woman''s back. Thankfully, her feet braked in time or this maid wouldn''t have any good days under this f¨¹hrer''s tyranny in the future.


    "Get your bathroom cleaning supplies from there!" she barked, pointing at the tall janitor''s closet to their right.


    Hui Yin suddenly had a bad feeling. There were twenty-one bathrooms in the mansion, this old woman couldn''t mean for her to clean all of them by herself right?


    One has to deeply admire Hui Yin''s gut feelings. It was precisely what Old Meng Guang instructed her to do.


    ...


    Finally finished cleaning after seven-thirty in the evening, Hui Yin leaned against the wall, drained of energy.


    She was still wearing elbow-length yellow gloves and a scrub brush in her right hand. Her face was haggard, her skin wan. Hui Yin hadn''t eaten lunch, and her stomach was grumbling of hunger. Throwing everything into the pail beside her, she crouched into the floor and nearly copsed.


    The mansion had actually been renovated and two more bathrooms were added, which became thest straw that broke the camel''s back.


    Hui Yin wanted to furiously shout at the old woman: Cleaning a bathroom isn''t an easy job, okay! Why are you so evil?


    Hui Yin had to crouch to thoroughly scrub the tiles, empty the garbage bins, fill in the empty shampoos, hand wash, tissue rolls, rece the bar soaps, and sanitize the toilet! Admittedly the bathrooms weren''t dirty as all of them were cleaned in a regr basis and most were left unused, but it was still a physically demanding job.


    A physically demanding job that couldn''t be borne by a single person!


    Under her breath, Hui Yin cursed the old woman''s three huns and seven pos. Dragging the pail listlessly behind her, she made her way into the kitchen hoping for a sumptuous dinner. But when she came in, they were still preparing and cooking the food. Left with no choice, she put the bathroom cleaning supplies back into the janitor''s closet and went towards the servants'' quarters to shower and change.


    When she went into the room, she saw that a girl was sitting on the bed whose closet she had mistaken as hers earlier. Thinking that she still had no idea about her name or how many years had passed, Hui Yin cautiously called out the name old Meng Guang told her earlier.


    "...Ninghong?"


    The other girl was too busy typing on her phone to pay Hui Yin her full attention and only said a nomittal "Hmm?"


    Hui Yin didn''t know how to breach the subject without rming her, so she said casually, "Miss Bao is really nice, isn''t she?"


    "Hmm...yes."


    Ninghong was still not looking at her.


    "Doesn''t Miss Bao...look a bit like Miss Hui?"


    The fingers that were typing on the phone abruptly stopped, and Ninghong looked at Hui Yin with wide eyes. Noticing that the door was closed, she hissed, "Huian, what''s wrong with you today?! Casually saying the name of the boss''te wife!"


    Hui Yin blinked her eyes innocently. "I can''t say her name?"


    "Are you crazy? If the boss hears you, you''re going to be in deep trouble! Have you forgotten that he banned us from saying her name casually? Not that anyone would want to, with that look in his face every time the old Madam slips up..."


    So that bastard didn''t even want to remember that I once lived here? Was I so disgusting to him? Hui Yin''s lips held a faint sneer but she immediately restored her nk expression and asked, "I forgot how many years had passed since her death..."


    "It''s been twelve years." Ninghong finally put down her phone and sighed. "I can''t believe how much the boss loved his dead wife though. He visits her grave every day."


    Every day?! No wonder her soul hadn''t passed on to the next life and reincarnated, it was because this bastard was probably gloating in front of her grave! Hui Yin''s soul must have be restless and filled with vengeance, thus she was reborn.


    Thinking how Lu Shen wanted to torment her even though she was already dead, Hui Yin really wanted to join forces with Hui Jinhai and kill him.


    But that will probably lead to bad karma and she''ll be reincarnated as a cockroach...thinking of the drunk deity she had met, Yue Lao, it was a strong possibility.


    Twelve years...was a very long time. A sapling could grow into a tree, a ve could be freed [1], and it was enough time for a dead person to be forgotten in people''s memories.


    Was Bao Bai Lu Shen''s new wife? But that couldn''t be, she hadn''t heard the maids call her ''madam''. Was she his mistress then?


    Hui Yin then thought about Jiang Xu and wondered if he was married. Shaking her head to get rid of her unnecessary thoughts, Hui Yin asked Ninghong, "What do you think Miss Nian feels about it?"


    If they were engaged in her past life, the two of them must be married by now. Every time Lu Shen visited her grave, did Nian Zhen feel guilty about what she did to her?


    But Ninghong just gave Hui Yin a bewildered look.


    "Who''s that Nian Zhen you''re talking about?"


    [1] Reference to a movie ;)

 Chapter 174 Nian Zhen

    "..."


    Hui Yin didn''t know if Ninghong was joking or not. Judging by her expression, she didn''t seem to be.


    "Miss Nian?" repeated Hui Yin. "Nian Zhen of the Nian family?"


    Ninghong shook her head. "I don''t know a Nian Zhen, but I know a bit about the Nian family."


    Odd. It was weird enough that Lu Shen apparently didn''t marry Nian Zhen, but for the housemaids to not even know her...did Nian Zhen go back to abroad again?


    "Then what happened to the Nian family?" asked Hui Yin.


    "The Nians were pretty much what the whole country talked about several years ago. They were a very powerful family, only second to the boss'' in power. But in one stroke of bad luck, their wealth and power had been stripped away to nothing due to usations of fraud and embezzlement. They were also involved in shady dealings with the underworld, causing their consumers to boycott. As if that''s not enough, their old man was also filed with sexual harassment done to his secretary and had to pay several million to settle the shareholder ims."


    Ninghong then gestured for Hui Yin toe closer and whispered in a conspirational voice, "I heard his wifemitted suicide because she couldn''t handle the public humiliation."


    Hui Yin went cold. Such a fast copse of the Nians, she was afraid that there was someone pulling the strings from behind the scenes. And who else could do this but the only person above them in power? How did the Nians offend Lu Shen so badly that he was so ruthless in pulling them down to bankruptcy?


    "Do you know what happened to their daughter?"


    After all, Ninghong might not know Nian Zhen in name, but she must have heard about the only daughter of the Nian family.


    As expected, Ninghong nodded. "I heard she was abducted by an underworld gang because of her father''s illegal dealings. They found her body in the Chaobai river, chopped to pieces and put in separate containers. She was even cruelly tortured before they killed her."


    Such a miserable way to die...Hui Yin was sure that Lu Shen had a hand in it too. If he pushed her parents to such a desperate situation, he would naturally cut weeds and eliminate the roots. If Hui Yin''s corpse had undergone a post mortem exam, then it was likely that he knew she was pregnant. Even though she was not loved, but still, it was his child...not even Lu Shen, probably even Lu Yongzheng and Madam Lu became angry when they knew that their grandson had perished. As to how Lu Shen knew that Nian Zhen was the culprit...is there anything else this man could not know if he fully investigated it?


    Thinking how efficient and ruthless Lu Shen was in dealing with the people who angered him, Hui Yin couldn''t help but admire her brother. For him to go against such an opponent, it was indeed a smart move to peek out of his turtle shell only when the coast was clear.


    It was an admiration thatsted for only a brief second. Remembering how he didn''t hesitate in shooting her and Lu Shen, deep inside her heart, Hui Yin began resenting Hui Jinhai. Why is the Wen family so special to him, that he could prioritize them over his blood-rted sister?


    After a quick shower and another change into a new uniform, Hui Yin and Ninghong went to eat their dinner inside the mansion. There was a separate dining room for the house helpers, albeit smaller than the one Hui Yin was used to. Old Meng Guang began harping on Hui Yin again when she spotted her, and Hui Yin had to reassure this old woman several times that all the bathrooms she cleaned were spotless.


    "Huian, sit here!"


    As Hui Yin was looking for a ce to sit because Ninghong had left her to go beside the maid she recognized as someone called Xinyu by Bao Bai, a happy voice called her over.


    It came from a slightly chubby girl with rosy cheeks who looked to be only in her early twenties. She was chewing on a bun while she waved at Hui Yin. Hui Yin smiled as she walked over and sat down.


    "I heard Meng Guang punished you by making you clean all the bathrooms. You must be so hungry."


    "I am," Hui Yin readily admitted. She was starving.


    Without any shyness in her expression, Hui Yin helped herself to four servings of the chicken garlic soup and some cifantuan. Only when her belly was slightly bulging did she stop.


    The girl whose name Hui Yin still didn''t knowughed at her. "Look how much you ate! You must have drained a lot of energy. Do you want my small bread? I have an extra here."


    Feeling sleepy because of her full stomach, Hui Yin politely declined her offer. Her limbs were leaden, her eyelids heavy. After an exhausting day, including that confrontation with her brother, Hui Yin simply wanted to lie on a soft bed and rest.


    "Do we still have work to do after dinner?" she asked.


    The girl shook her head and gently nudged her shoulder. "You''re falling asleep on your feet. You should go back to the quarters. I don''t think we have anything else to do after dinner."


    Hui Yin rubbed her eyes and nodded, before blearily walking out of the kitchen. She took out the hairpin in her hair and let her hair fall into a loose wave over her shoulders. The hair ornament always seemed to find its way to her. Hui Yin was d that she couldn''t lose it.


    She passed by the pool and saw a solitary figure leaning over the balcony above it. She raised her head only to see the smoke swirling upwards from his cigarette.


    Hui Yin shook her head.


    "Bad habit."


    Afterwards, she went inside the quarters and fell onto the bed without even taking off her shoes. The moment her eyes closed, Hui Yin immediately sank intoforting darkness.

 Chapter 175 They Weren’t Hers

    Lu Shen inhaled deeply, watching the stars light up the night sky through the haze of cigarette smoke. Ash sprinkled across the floor when he flicked the filter, each floating piece a remnant of his former self.


    Thefort he ached for had finally returned.


    Stubbing out his cigarette into a nearby ashtray, he picked up his cognac ss of wine from the wrought iron table and strode into his bedroom.


    The curtains fluttered with the night breeze, but became still when he closed the French doors. Tipping the ss into his lips and draining the wine inside in one gulp, Lu Shen unbuttoned his cor and copsed on the bed. He raised his arm and covered his face. Only by doing these vices could he finally fall asleep.


    This time, his dream was one of the good ones.


    Shey beside him, peacefully sleeping. He touched the ragged edges of her hair and deeply sighed. Looking at the dark-blue bruises underneath her eyes, he could only show his weak side to her when she was unconscious. His fingers trailed over her skin, feeling as if she was as fragile as ss. Her eyshes fluttered like butterfly wings, her lips slightly parted.


    Lu Shen''s fingers traced her lips, feeling their softness against his skin.


    Hui Yin stirred. Her eyes gradually opened, revealing the brightness that could captivate a person''s soul. He stared at her side profile, feeling as if his throat was being choked by something.


    His hand coiled around her slender waist, while his other hand propped up her nape to give her a deep kiss. She gasped, surprised, but Lu Shen didn''t miss the chance to sweep his tongue past every corner of her mouth, indulging in her sweet taste.


    Her cheeks were stained with red, her eyes nervous. But she didn''t refuse his kisses, and soon his kiss that began as something sweet became rough and scalding.


    His entire body was scorched with heat, and he slowly shifted her weight so that she straddled him. Hui Yin pulled away and nced at him. His darkened eyes were burning with passion, his hands bing restless, roaming over her body. Although her hands suddenly grabbed his wrists and stopped them, there was no rejection in her eyes.


    Hui Yin slowly leaned over and kissed him. She nipped on his lips lightly, teasing him. Lu Shen groaned and flexed his hands that she captured. Feeling his hardened arousal underneath her, Hui Yinughed lightly against his lips before grinding teasingly against that bulge. She ignored his hungry gaze and continued to y hot and cold with him.


    Unable to suppress his surging desire, Lu Shen''s body trembled and his breathing became elerated. Some of his heat had also transferred to Hui Yin as her kisses slightly increased in fervor. Just as he felt his body became taut and he wanted to press her underneath him to satiate his lust, Hui Yin opened her mouth and moaned, "Lu Shen..."


    Lu Shen''s eyes flew open.


    Instantly broken out of his fantasy, he could not contain his anger as he pushed off the woman on top of him violently. He used enough force for her body to roll out of the bed and fall into the floor with a hard thump.


    Turning on themp, he saw the face that was simr to the girl in his dream look up at him with teary eyes. But those eyes...they weren''t hers.


    Rage made him clench his fists until his knuckles cracked. In a bone-chilling voice that could form frost, Lu Shen asked, "Why are you here?"


    Looking at her lips that were still swollen, it was obvious what she was doing before he woke up. Lu Shen wanted to kill her. It was so rare for him to have a good dream like this, and yet she had dirtied it. How long had he imagined that she was her?! Thinking of all those kisses in his dream that had now been muddled by suspicion, Lu Shen couldn''t help but walk over and forcefully grip the girl''s arm.


    "Get out!"


    Bao Bai bit her lips to avoid yelping from the pain. Lu Shen dragged her out of his room and without any gentleness, he threw her limp body into the hallway and mmed the door. She dared to actually trespass into his room and do that kind of shameless thing! If he hadn''t heard her voice and woke up, he couldn''t imagine what would have happened.


    If that girl wasn''t the one who could lead him towards the owner of that car, he would have ripped her face apart. Did she think that he would mistake that fake face for her?


    Lu Shen closed his eyes into a half-mast as he sat on the bed with a tense body. The illusion in his dream vanished without a trace, so he could only lean back against the headboard and try to imagine her again. Unable to stand his overwhelming desire, his hand moved down, and low pants slipped out from his lips.


    His movement sped up until a groan broke the silence of the room, and the man''s voice hoarsely whispered the name of the girl that he wanted to see for so long...

 Chapter 176 Try Slapping Me Again

    The next morning, Hui Yin borrowed Ninghong''s cellphone. The girl they called Huian actually had a cellphone too, but Hui Yin didn''t know her password.


    After searching the, Hui Yin read in past news articles that what Ninghong told her about what happened to the Nian family were all true. There were even pictures of the containers where pieces of Nian Zhen''s body had been stored, but the contents itself were blurred.


    Hui Yin then searched information about Jiang Xu.


    Jiang Xu had indeed gotten married, but it was a marriage that his parents had arranged for him. He didn''t even know the girl prior to their engagement. After eight years, the two of them lived separately. Their only son stayed with Jiang Xu.


    There were rted news about Little Wuji and Baby Shang too, although Hui Yin couldn''t call them by their nicknames anymore. Jiang Wuji and Jiang Shang were currently sixteen years old, studying at Beijing No. 4 High School, one of the most prestigious schools in China. Hui Yin felt proud when she thought of the two little buns that had finally grown up.


    As for Lu Shen, after he broke his engagement with Nian Zhen, he didn''t remarry. He devoted all of his time to the Lu Corporation and finding the driver of the car whomitted a hit and run after killing Hui Yin. When the police traced the te number that was caught by the hidden CCTV in the mansion, they found the car abandoned in Tianjin, about 114 kilometers away from Beijing.


    Yue Lao had told her that Hui Jinhai had a hand in her death, but Hui Yin didn''t think that the car had deliberately crashed into her. Wasn''t it Nian Zhen who pushed her into the road?


    Except there was one suspicious thing about this ''ident''. If it were truly idental, then why would the driver run? An interrogation from the police would have quickly settled the matter.


    Unless the driver had a guilty conscience. Or if the driver was Hui Jinhai, a person who didn''t want to confront Lu Shen.


    Hui Yin rubbed her temples as she walked back and forth across the thick carpet with a vacuum. Old Meng Guang had given her the task to clean the spacious living room along with three other maids, and Hui Yin had been up on her feet since six in the morning, dusting and sweeping. It truly made Hui Yin realize howrge this mansion was.


    "Good morning, Miss Bao."


    Hearing the greeting, Hui Yin looked up. Bao Bai had walked into the living room, carrying a thick folder held close by a rubber band with her. She didn''t look like she slept wellst night. Her eyes were rimmed with red, her face slightly haggard.


    "Good morning, Miss Bao," said Hui Yin politely.


    Towards Bao Bai, Hui Yin didn''t know how to feel about her. They were once close friends, and yet the other girl had done stic surgery to copy her features. No matter who the person was, they would also feel slightly uneasy.


    Unlike Bao Bai''s previous warm attitude towards Hui Yin when she fell into the pool yesterday, her response to Hui Yin''s greeting this morning was slightly cold.


    Bao Bai wordlessly sat on the couch and opened the folder she brought with her. Hui Yin was vacuuming the carpet that was directly under the table, so she was able to see what was inside it.


    Six photographs of different middle-aged men were spread out on the table, and Bao Bai was carefully looking at each of their faces. All of them had receding ck hair and a slightly prominent nose, which made Hui Yin suspect that this was a photo line-up. This was a method used byw enforcement to confirm the identity of a criminal, so why would Bao Bai be looking over these?


    Could it be that she knew something and that''s why Lu Shen had let her stay in the mansion?


    "Are you done being nosy?"


    The curt and hostile words made Hui Yin jump in surprise. She found Bao Bai ring at her, apparently catching Hui Yin in the act of snooping.


    "Uh...sorry, Miss Bao." Hui Yin smiled awkwardly and switched off the vacuum.


    She was only a maid, it was indeed inappropriate for her to poke her nose in Bao Bai''s business.


    Bao Bai was already feeling angry about what happened with Lu Shenst night and didn''t get a wink of sleep after she came back to her room. Now that there was a stupid maid offering herself so that she could vent out her anger, why wouldn''t she ept?


    Pah!


    Hui Yin''s head jerked to the side, the red imprint of a palm appearing on her cheek. She looked at Bao Bai, unable to believe that her old friend had pped her.


    "Just a maid, and you''re causing trouble all over the mansion! You''re lucky enough not to get fired for the stunt you did yesterday, and now you even dare to snoop in on my affairs?"


    Even the other three maids had stood frozen in shock by the p. Miss Bao was usually kind to them, so this rare disy of her temper had really frightened them.


    Hui Yin cupped her cheek. Even when she was the ''Mrs. Lu'' that everyone had made fun of, nobody had tried to p her like this. Nian Zhen also hadn''t dared, and although Hui Yin was only a maid right now, pping another person was still not right.


    Violence couldn''t be excused, no matter what reason the other person has.


    Slowly, Hui Yin smiled. Her eyes were bright, her smile deceptively warm.


    "Miss Bao, try pping me again."

 Chapter 177 Looked Like Her

    "Miss Bao, try pping me again."


    Hui Yin''s words shocked Bao Bai. Originally she thought the maid would burst into tears or at least yell at her in anger. If thetter happened, Bao Bai would only treat it as the maid talking back to her master and punish her even more severely for it. But Hui Yin did none of these things.


    Before Bao Bai could fullyprehend what this maid was nning, she saw Hui Yin bow her head and say, "Good morning sir."


    There was only one man who the maids call as ''sir''. It was the true master of the mansion, Lu Shen.


    Hui Yin lowered her eyes and didn''t look directly at him. She had already seen hime into the living room after Bao Bai pped her.


    Hui Yin deeply understood this man''s character. If there was one thing Lu Shen didn''t like, it was ipetent employees. But what he didn''t like even more was if someone disciplined his employees without his consent.


    Lu Shen looked at the swollen cheek of the maid. He recognized her as the one who fell into the pool yesterday. When he nced back at Bao Bai, the frost in his eyes could form icicles.


    Bao Bai wasn''t the only one who was angry about what happenedst night. This kind of woman, it made him loathe to share a house with her.


    "What are you doing?"


    At the man''s cold voice, the only person in the room who wasn''t scared stiff and could even roll her eyes was Hui Yin. He clearly saw what happened, but he had the gall to ask Bao Bai. My lord, get to the point. I still have to continue vacuuming the carpet under your feet!


    "Lu Shen, it was my fault." Bao Bai''s voice softened, her expression turning helpless. "I was looking over at the pictures that you sent me when I saw this maid snooping around and got angry. Since it was confidential, how could I let her be? I impulsively pped her because I didn''t want her to gossip around with the other maids. I''m already regretting doing it. If she wants to p me back, then I won''t stop her."


    Hui Yin was speechless at Bao Bai''s ability to turn ck into white. Was this really her friend? This seemed to be Nian Zhen 2.0 ah! Maybe Nian Zhen possessed her body?


    What ''regret''? There was no trace of that at all in her expression!


    What ''if she wants to p me back, then I won''t stop her''? This was clearly trying to make it seem as if Hui Yin wanted to p her back!


    Hui Yin didn''t wait for Lu Shen to make a judgement and said with a pitiful look, "Miss Bao, I wouldn''t dare to p you! Didn''t I just say that Miss Bao can p me again earlier? I was clearly at fault, so Miss Bao pped me. But Miss Bao, doing this isn''t right! I could sue you at court for a battery charge, don''t you know?"


    Lu Shen did a double take and nced at the maid again. Although her chin was tilted down, her eyes that were staring at Bao Bai did not have a hint of backing down.


    Bao Bai didn''t expect that this maid would have the courage to sue her at court. With that, her fake white lotus appearance crumbled and she eximed with great fury, "You!"


    The two of them simultaneously turned to look at Lu Shen. If he intended to side with Bao Bai, suing at court was useless. Ultimately, he was their judge, jury, and executioner.


    But Lu Shen only looked dazed.


    "Lu Shen?" asked Bao Bai tentatively, not knowing what happened for him to look so absent-minded.


    Her voice seeded in waking him up. Lu Shen shook his head. What was the matter with him? How could he think that this maid somehow looked like her? There wasn''t even a single feature that was simr to the girl in his memories.


    "Stop calling me so informally." His voice had returned to it''s usual wintry chill. "Miss Bao, if you ever dare to p anyone under my employ again, I''ll be the first person to put you in jail. Interrogating you in my home or in prison doesn''t matter much to me. Remember that you are a guest, and staying here is a temporary luxury. Don''t overstep your bounds."


    Then he turned to look at the maid. He should just dismiss her and have the butler take care of her wounds, but the words that came out of his mouth was, "Follow me into my study."


    While Lu Shen regretted it as soon as he said it, he could only turn his back from her and indifferently stride out of the room. If there was nothing else, he could order her to do random tasks.


    Hui Yin made a face at his retreating back. Unwilling to be left in the living room with the fuming Bao Bai, she quickly tailed Lu Shen into his study. Maybe she could sneakily peek at his documents and see if there were any information about the Wen family!


    Hui Yin was very familiar with Lu Shen''s study. Aside from the sunroom, this was where he tasked her to help him in handling all of his workload. It was a bigger version of his study in the vi, and Hui Yin bowed her head as soon as she entered.


    She felt a bit dizzy.


    It seemed that it was only yesterday when the two of them were here, discussing what Lu Shen had uncovered about the culprit''s identity. Hisputer lingo, theptop that was facing her, his implied threat that he wouldn''t let her leave...[1]


    Her eyes dropped on the red string that he wore around his wrist. She was a bit surprised that he still wore it. It didn''t suit him, and it was a reminder of the wife that he reluctantly married. He should have gotten rid of it.


    Thinking of the red thread that tied their fates together, Hui Yin''s expression became somber.


    [1] Chapter 154.

 Chapter 178 Deluding Himself

    "What''s your name?"


    Lu Shen leaned back in his swivel chair, appearing rxed but with tension showing in every line.


    In a soft and meek voice, Hui Yin answered, "Huian."


    She fervently hoped that he wouldn''t ask her family name. There was no way she was going to be able to answer.


    Lu Shen knitted his eyebrows. "Huian?"


    He stared at the girl standing in front of him with her head bowed. Her ck hair fell on both sides of her face, hiding her eyes. He wanted her to lift her head, but he was afraid of his own expectations. This was absurd. Just because he thought this maid''s eyes were kind of simr to hers...Lu Shen bitterly smiled.


    She was gone.


    Searching for her shadow everywhere, seeking her in his dreams, haunting the same ce she frequently went to...did he think he would find her? He had seen her corpse. He even brought her to the best hospital in the city and demanded for their most skilled doctors to cure her, despite knowing that her chest wasn''t moving. There was no life to her, no pulse, no breath.


    Ever since she died, he had been deluding himself.


    It''s been twelve years.


    Lu Shen was a man who could achieve sess on the first try. But having his hopes dashed and dashed again in the past twelve years¡ªeven an invincible man would crumble, what more for a poor person like him, who only had one person in the entire world who truly loved him and was now left with nothing.


    He wanted to say that he loved her too.


    He wanted to say that he wanted to be beside her, to grow old with her until their hair turned white. To be buried together with her, to call her with a tender nickname and make herugh. She had been his wife for years, but neither of them had indulged in their marriage. He had all the riches he could ever want, but he had not given it to the right person.


    Every time he thought of her gasping herst breath knowing that her husband didn''t love her and didn''t care for her, Lu Shen felt as if his own heart was being strangled. It was too painful to think about. This was why he did not entertain any thoughts of following after her. Suffering through this pain for a lifetime...this was his atonement.


    Living day by day waking up without her by his side¡ªit was the worst torture he could think of.


    Hui Yin studied the man who was now staring nkly at his desk, his eyes bleak. She cleared her throat lightly, reminding him of her existence.


    Lu Shen had lost interest in the maid and waved his hand. "Go back and have Bolin give you some coldpress and first-aid. Also, tell him to double your sry this month."


    Hui Yin let out a breath. "Thank you sir."


    She softly closed the door to his study.


    While the man had been lost in his thoughts, she was looking over at the documents spread over his desk. But she didn''t see anything rted to the Wen family. Hui Yin knew where Lu Shen was keeping his most confidential documents. She also knew hisptop password. Should she sneak in his study tonight?


    Hui Yin found the butler and told him Lu Shen''s instructions. He was a bit surprised, but quickly obeyed. Hui Yin didn''t know this new butler. When she had lived here, they had a different butler.


    Two hours before lunch, Old Meng Guang ordered Hui Yin to help inside the kitchen. The sous chef was absent due to illness, and this bossy f¨¹hrer had heard that Huian had good cooking skills. It was fortunate that Hui Yin also knew how to cook. After they finished preparing and cooking the food, even the head chef was full of praises about Hui Yin. He wanted to take her under him and be his new apprentice, but Hui Yin politely declined. She didn''t want to cause trouble for Huian, since she was only temporarily borrowing her body.


    When lunch came, both Lu Shen and Bao Bai sat on the dining table.


    Bao Bai and Lu Shen frequently ate together. Although Bao Bai felt that her face had hit rock bottom and she couldn''t meet Lu Shen''s eyes, she didn''t want to waste the opportunity to spend time with him.


    Looking at the man who was ignoring her, Bao Bai felt that there was really a person in this world who tipped the scale of favoritism from the heavens too much. Time had also passed by for Lu Shen, but it only made him look even more handsome. Compared to the people who tried their hardest to preserve their youthful looks, this kind of natural attractiveness that only enhanced with the passage of time...just like a bottle of wine, it was irresistibly seductive.


    Maids brought in several dishes of food before quietly retreating. Lu Shen picked up his chopsticks and didn''t bother to break the awkward silence. It was as if Bao Bai had be one with the chair she was sitting on.


    Lu Shen tried one of the spring rolls in front of him and brought it to his lips. Just as Bao Bai wanted to make conversation and ask him if it was delicious, she saw that the hand holding the chopsticks had stilled.

 Chapter 179 Hope Sir Likes I

    "CEO Lu?"


    Not wanting him to be angry again at her, Bao Bai politely called him by his title.


    Lu Shen ignored Bao Bai and put down his chopsticks. Wiping the corner of his lips with a table napkin, he said in a curt tone, "Bolin."


    The butler immediately appeared beside him and said in a respectful voice, "Sir?"


    "Give me the list of names who cooked all of these dishes and put a mark beside those who were recently appointed and not part of the usual kitchen staff."


    "Yes, sir."


    Wu Bolin quickly did as he was told. Inside his head, his thoughts were whirling around in rm. Maybe the boss didn''t like his lunch? Would he fire the head chef? Wu Bolin liked the head chef''s cooking. Or maybe the boss wouldn''t fire the usual staff, but only the newly appointed ones. He specifically asked him to mark them.


    Wu Bolin shuddered. CEO Lu was indeed a strict boss.


    When Wu Bolin came back, all the tes were wiped clean without a single crumb left. He rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was seeing things. Miss Bao usually didn''t eat much because she said she was on a diet, while the boss was a picky eater.


    But why were all the empty tes near to boss? When did the boss be this gluttonous?


    Lu Shen held out his hand, and Wu Bolin handed him the piece of paper with apprehension.


    Lu Shen scanned through the list of names, and saw that only one person was recently added. The rest had been with the kitchen staff for months and years. The sous chef was absent today, so they substituted her with one of the maids.


    Huian.


    Lu Shen stared at her name for a beat longer before pointing her out to the butler. "Give me her file, and instruct her to cook dinner for me this evening. Don''t allow anybody else help her, and don''t say that I was the one who ordered you. Tell her to deliver it directly to my study."


    Wu Bolin swallowed his saliva. Why did the boss wanted this maid to personally cook for him?


    "Sir, what about Miss Bao? Are the two of you going to eat separately?"


    "Do you even need to ask?" Lu Shen said irritatedly. "Don''t bother Huian with her dinner, just let the head chef cook for her."


    Without looking at Bao Bai who was biting her lower lip with enough force for it to bleed, Lu Shen left.


    Staring at his distant back, Bao Bai looked down at her distorted face reflected on the porcin te. She had her face, she copied her personality, she called him by the same name...but why won''t he love her the same way he loved his wife? Was that girl Hui Yin really irreceable in his heart?


    He was even paying more attention to an insignificant maid than her...


    Bao Bai was willing to be a substitute and take second ce in his heart, but except for Hui Yin, she won''t allow other women to steal Lu Shen away from her.


    With a cold look in her eyes, Bao Bai stood up and left the dining room.


    ...


    Hui Yin was busy working again the whole day. When the sun was about to set, the butler called her over.


    Kneading her shoulders, Hui Yin approached him with a deferential look.


    "You''re Huian?"


    Wu Bolin looked her over. Ever since she fell into the pool, this maid had been attracting attention again and again. There were so many maids in the household that he couldn''t familiarize with all of them. When he handed her file to the boss earlier, he found that she had been working in the mansion for nearly five years. It was already amazing that she had eluded his notice for so long. For a maid with an inconspicuous personality like her, why is it that she was behaving as if she became an entirely another person?


    "Yes."


    Hui Yin didn''t know why the butler called her over.


    "Cook a simple dinner and deliver it to the boss'' study. Don''t make it too spicy and make sure it''s something he can eat while working."


    Hui Yin frowned. "I don''t think I can cook food that will satisfy the boss, Butler Wu. I''m just a cleaning maid..."


    "I don''t have a choice. The head chef and the kitchen staff are busy with something else, so don''t disturb them."


    Wu Bolin''s voice was casual. He had been in this job for ten years, and he had learned to obey the boss'' instructions without asking too many questions. He didn''t know why the boss would prefer her cooking over the head chef either.


    Atst, Hui Yin nodded. If it was a trip to his study, then it would be worth it.


    The head chef and the kitchen staff were indeed busy. They were cooking desserts of every kind, from red bean paste to crystal cakes. Hui Yin wanted to ask what the special asion was, but Butler Wu told her not to disturb them. It would be bad if that nutty Old Meng Guang found out, so she resisted the impulse.


    The reason Hui Yin dared to help the head chef with lunch earlier was because the head chef was the final overseer of the dish. Even if she helped him a bit, her contribution would be negligible. Hui Yin didn''t think Lu Shen would still remember the taste of her cooking, but it was better to be safe than sorry.


    If Hui Yin had known that Lu Shen was already suspecting her after tasting a single spring roll, she would probably reject the butler''s orders despite her fear of being scolded by Old Meng Guang.


    Fortunately, Hui Yin was still cautious. She happily sat on the kitchen tasting various samples of different desserts. When the butler called her to deliver Lu Shen''s dinner, Hui Yin took out a cup of instant noodles from the kitchen cab. After pouring boiling water and weighing down the stic lid with a set of chopsticks, she went inside Lu Shen''s study room.


    Hui Yinid down the cup noodles on his desk with her eyes stuck on the floor, hiding her look of schadenfreude.


    "Butler Wu told me to cook a simple dinner, not too spicy, and something sir can eat while working. I hope sir likes it."


    And not to mention, it was also impersonal! Hui Yin mentally patted herself on the chest.


    Lu Shen: "..."


    Cooking?


    This was called cooking?

 Chapter 180 Drugged

    Hui Yin peeked at his gloomy face and said, "Then sir, I''ll be leaving first."


    All of his documents were organized and put away, leaving only hisptop in front of him. Hui Yin pursed her lips and wondered if she could pick the lock of the door of his studyter.


    "Wait."


    His terse voice stopped her midway from turning around. Hui Yin nced back and saw that he was pushing a nk piece of paper towards her.


    "Help me draft a personal vision and strategic direction for thepany."


    Hui Yin''s hand jerked on the pencil that she was holding. Why was he letting a maid help him with this?


    "Sir, I don''t know how to..."


    "Just write what I''m dictating. All you need to do is to listen."


    Slowly, Hui Yin''s tense shoulders rxed. So, it was like that. She thought she was already discovered. After all, during the entirety of their marriage life, she helped him with these simple tasks.


    For three hours, Hui Yin kept quiet and listed down everything Lu Shen had dictated. External and internalpetitivendscape, opportunities for expansion, customer base, markets, new industry developments and standards...it wasn''t long before both the front and back page were filled with notes. Lu Shen not only had to think like a CEO, he also needed to properly manage thepany as the Chairman of the board of directors.


    Hui Yin wrinkled her nose.


    This was the main problem with this man''s personality. He was too controlling. It would take a lot off his shoulders to give up one of his position as he was already the founder of the Lu Corporation, but he didn''t trust anyone else aside from himself. Drinking coffee like water, enduring sleepless nights and waking up early...along with his vices, it was no wonder his personality was so bad. He didn''t have any other emotions aside from fatigue.


    Hui Yin slightly understood that he didn''t have the time to take care of a wife at home, so in her past life she endured it. She thought it was because he was too busy. But wasn''t he too biased with his affections? No matter how much she tried to help him, what little time he had was spent on Nian Zhen.


    In the end, he even cheated on her.


    Above all else, this was what she couldn''t forgive.


    "Alright, you can go now. Tell the butler that you don''t have to attend to your morning duties."


    Hui Yin nodded. Before she left, she saw Lu Shen open the cup of noodles she brought him. It must have already gotten cold.


    Because she hadn''t eaten any dinner, Hui Yin went to the kitchen first. She noticed with some relief that they left her some dishes. After eating her fill and washing the tes, Hui Yin felt a bit nauseous. She touched her forehead and leaned on the sink, trying to calm down her breathing. Did she get a cold from when she fell into the pool before?


    Her surroundings whirled, and Hui Yin stumbled as the world suddenly became dark. Then her eyesight recovered and she realized that she was heavily panting. Her heart was racing inside her chest, as if it was about to burst. Hui Yin clutched her forehead and bit her cheek until she tasted blood.


    What was happening to her?


    Her eyesnded on the tes she just recently washed. They were still dripping, each trickle of water resonating with the pounding in her forehead. Her tongue felt thick inside her mouth as she mumbled, "Drugged...I was drugged..."


    Then her head hit the floor and Hui Yin cked out.


    ...


    When Hui Yin opened her eyes, she was lying at the bottom of the swimming pool.


    She stared at the patch of night sky that was rippled and bent, only illuminated by the fiber optic lights around the pool''s perimeter. Panic rose in her throat as a whiteout of bubbles spilled out of her mouth in a cry of surprise.


    Her limbs were as heavy as bs of cement. Hui Yin couldn''t move. She could only lie there, immobile, and wait for her death. She couldn''t even reach for the hairpin that was always in her hair. If she died a natural death, then she would truly die and not be reborn.


    ck spots covered her field of vision as Hui Yin tried hard not to breathe. She struggled to move even one of her fingers, but they didn''t even twitch. Who drugged her? Was it Bao Bai?


    It could only be her. She was the only one who had enmity with Hui Yin in her current body.


    Hui Yin felt bitter. She was not willing to die like this.


    She finally realized that she shouldn''t have hesitated. She should have told Lu Shen about the Wen family from the very beginning. Maybe not about Hui Jinhai, but some of the things she knew. He could help her.


    Her hatred for him had muddled her head.

 Chapter 181 A Connection

    The water chilled Hui Yin with its coldness. Her lungs were on fire, and she desperately needed to breathe. But Hui Yin refused to breathe. A tight, airless hammering began in her head.


    Grayness began to move in front of her eyes. Hui Yin strained, but she was unable to fight it. She gasped, and water filled her lungs. She choked. But the water kepting, filling her nostrils and her mouth. She was drowning. This was a horrible way to die. She didn''t want to die like this.


    She still had a lot of things to do!


    Hui Yin realized that she must have fainted, because when she woke up, someone was pinching her nose. Shey on the grass, and cold lips were pressed on hers. Blow. Breath. Blow. Breath.


    Hui Yin coughed and a strong hand rolled her body to the side. She vomited water into the grass and shuddered. Those same hands pushed her hair out of her face and picked her up. Hui Yin''s eyes drifted into a half-mast. She couldn''t see who saved her.


    Warm hands stripped her of her clothing, but Hui Yin didn''t have the energy to fight him. Her body felt limp. The drug was still not out of her system.


    Her hands were lifted and something was tugged down into her head. It was a thick sweater that reached down halfway to her thighs. Then cottony pajamas covered her legs, and a nket was being wrapped around her. Her little figure was wrapped like a dumpling, leaving only a pair of dazed eyes blinking at her surroundings.


    "I''m going to call a doctor."


    That gentle voice shook Hui Yin slightly out of her stupor. She stared at the tall man walking with long strides towards his cellphone that he left on the balcony. His hands were shaking, and when he went back to her side, he was holding a cigarette.


    Hui Yin''s eyes closed.


    "Bad habit," she mumbled.


    She fell asleep.


    ...


    Hui Yin slept for a day and a half. In that span of time, different doctors constantly woke her up and fed her pills. Her hand was stuck to an IV. Hui Yin was often drowsy, drifting in and out of consciousness.


    Nurses helped Hui Yin bathe. One time, she caught a glimpse of herself on the mirror. It was the first time Hui Yin saw what Huian looked like. There was really no resemnce to her original face. Huian was more petite than her, and her looks could only be described as average.


    That relieved Hui Yin. Lu Shen was only helping her because she was his employee. With this kind of face, even her brother would have a hard time finding out her real identity. Plus, it was impossible for rational people like them to believe in the supernatural.


    "Are you finally awake?"


    Hui Yin turned her head to the side and saw Lu Shen. He was sitting on a chair beside the bed, calmly solving a sudoku puzzle with a pencil. She struggled to sit up and tried not to flinch when he reached out and supported her back.


    Hui Yin bowed her head, letting her hair fall on each side of her face. "Sir, thank you very much for saving my life. I don''t know how I could repay your kindness."


    The pencil that was scribbling something paused, but his face remained expressionless. "Miss Bao has been sent to jail, so you have nothing more to worry about. It was also myck of prudence to let guests like that enter my home. How are you feeling?"


    Hui Yin didn''t expect him to find out that it was Bao Bai so quickly. After rearranging her thoughts, she said, "Much better thanks to sir Lu."


    She realized where she had been sleeping for the past few days and scrambled to her feet. "Thank you for letting me sleep in your bedroom, sir. I didn''t mean to sleep for so long and ck off on my job."


    Her words were awkwardly polite. An indecipherable light shed across his eyes for the tenth of a second before he rose up and grabbed her arm.


    "You''re sick, so you can stay here and recuperate. Don''t worry about your chores, I''ll still pay you the same amount after the month ends."


    Hui Yin stared at his chest. She wanted to take a step back and shrug off the hand that was grabbing her arm. She gritted her teeth and strengthened her resolve.


    Hui Yin nced up at him and met his dark eyes.


    Then she opened her mouth to say, "Wen family."


    Lu Shen was confused and asked, "What?"


    Hui Yin couldn''t meet his eyes any longer because she was afraid she would start avoiding him again. She really didn''t want to stay close to him. She didn''t want to have anything to do with him. She didn''t even want to see his face.


    But as long as her brother wasn''t captured and the red thread bound the two of them together, what she wanted would nevere true.


    "Someone who knows you told me about the car ident that wiped away your memories," she told his chest. He was wearing a long-sleeved navy blue sweater, and she could see the fine stitching that distinguished it from cheap clothing. "He also told me that it might be connected to the Wen family. I don''t know who he is, he just whispered it to me when I went out to buy groceries a few months ago. I thought he was lying, so I didn''t believe him. I also didn''t see his face."


    She could only tell him in this kind of indirect way to avoid suspicion.


    "Why are you telling me this now?" Lu Shen''s tone was t. Hui Yin couldn''t detect any emotions in his voice.


    "I didn''t know you were searching for the culprit. When I saw the folder you gave to Miss Bao...I realized you might be searching for the driver that hit Miss...Mrs. Lu with his car. And that person also told me something else when he whispered about your ident to me."


    Hui Yin nced up. "He said the Wen family that was connected to your ident also had a connection to the death of your wife."

 Chapter 182 Loveless Marriage

    Hui Yin and Lu Shen spent half an hour staring at the rows of cars inside his garage. Both of them were victims of car idents. It would be strange if they didn''t have any apprehensions.


    In the end, Lu Shen picked a small Kia Forte that was touted as one of the safest cars in the world. He made Hui Yin sit on the passenger seat and checked her seatbelt.


    "Sir, where are we going?" she asked.


    Right after she told him about the connection of the Wen family to her death, Lu Shen told her to change her clothes and that they were going somewhere. Hui Yin had no idea why he wanted a maid to go with him.


    Lu Shen put the basket of sweets that the kitchen prepared on the backseat. Hui Yin darted a nce at them longingly. She always had a sweet tooth.


    They drove on a more deserted highway and soon entered the gates of a cemetery. After parking the car and grabbing the basket, Hui Yin followed Lu Shen as he meandered along the sparse grave stones dotting the immactewn. Carefully nted trees and bushes provided shade and greenery that made everything seem peaceful.


    "It''s a private family cemetery," he said after a while.


    Hui Yin nodded but didn''t continue the conversation. She was starting to have an idea of who he wanted to visit.


    As she expected, they soon came in front of a grave stone with an inscription of her name. Hui Yin felt weird standing there as Lu Shen knelt and brushed his hand to remove the withered flower petals. It was easy to see that this grave had been properly cared for. A bouquet of flowers that had not wilted yet joined the other stacked bouquets on the side.


    Lu Shen lit candles and incense while Hui Yin, for theck of anything better to do, helped him clean the headstone. Lu Shen then put the basket of sweets among the flowers as he burned joss paper and prayer money.


    Hui Yin rubbed her nose while she watched him. Instead of offering that basket of sweets to a dead person, why not give it to her instead? At least it would be digested by her stomach. Hui Yin felt regretful that a basket of delicious desserts made by a head chef was wasted just like that.


    "When my wife and I were still engaged," Lu Shen said quietly, "The culprit responsible for my car ident trespassed into my vi. He left a business card in my study to taunt me that he coulde in any time he wanted."


    Hui Yin stopped fidgeting and listened to him.


    "I was d that my fianc¨¦e wasn''t there at that time, but I thought about the future after we got married. Would he still be able to trespass then? What if he used her life as a bargaining chip just to get back at me? I didn''t like the idea. I have been trailing his footsteps for nearly two years after I suspected that my car ident was done deliberately. And I still haven''t uncovered his identity."


    Lu Shen leaned forward and used his thumb to wipe a smudge of dirt on the grave stone.


    "It frustrated me, to be in the beck and call of a person to whom I nearly lost my life. And right after the night we got married, I received another business card. Behind it was a message, telling me that if I don''t care for my life, he''ll threaten the people that I love instead."


    Like a pebble thrown into a calmke, ripples of disbelief spread outwards in Hui Yin''s heart.


    "That scared me more than I would care to admit. I could protect myself, but if he threatens her safety...I didn''t want tomit a mistake and underestimate him." Lu Shen''s voice became hoarse. "But how could you announce to the world that you didn''t love the person you married? Maybe if it was something arranged by our parents, it would be believable. But this marriage...it was something I promised and had fought for despite my parents'' protests."


    Lu Shen let out a low chuckle, but it was mirthless.


    "To be honest, I intended to divorce her right after we got married. When I''m with her, I lose too much control. It''s my greatest taboo. I built the Lu Corporation and didn''t ept any of my parents'' help because I wanted to be independent, away from their control. I also didn''t believe in the sanctity of marriage. My father had a mistress outside the family, and my mother knows this. She should stay away from that kind of man and divorce him, but she didn''t because she didn''t love him either. She was there for his wealth."


    Hui Yin lowered her eyes. She had known this from the moment she first saw his parents. It wasn''t love that kept them together, but greed.


    "I fell in love with her when she helped me despite not knowing my identity. But after we went back to Beijing and I recovered my memories, her attitude towards me changed. She became too timid, too fearful of me. She begged me to stay with her as if she was afraid I would suddenly leave. I wondered...did her attitude towards me changed because of my position?"


    Hui Yin nearly choked when she heard this. It was true that she was too clingy in the time that they were still engaged, but it was because she was afraid he would realize that she wasn''t enough for him. A man with Lu Shen''s status that could overturn the skies if he wanted to, how could she not be afraid that he would leave her?


    But Hui Yin didn''t think he would interpret it as her greed towards his wealth!


    "I didn''t want to have a loveless marriage like my parents. Knowing that I loved her and she didn''t love me...maybe it would be even more painful than the one my parents had. In the end, I still couldn''t help myself. I married her, despite my doubts. And I didn''t divorce her, although I knew that the longer she stayed with me, the more her life would be in danger."

 Chapter 183 I Was Too Late

    The breeze gently rustled the leaves of the cedar tree, and under its shade were two people kneeling in front of a grave stone. Their shadows ovepped each other, secluded in their own world.


    "To prevent the culprit from targeting your wife, you decided to pretend not to care about her?" Hui Yin''s voice was too soft, too soft that it was almost a whisper. But the coldness in her tone could still be heard.


    "I was an idiot," Lu Shen admitted. "I should have told her about what was going on. I shouldn''t have...there were lots of things that I shouldn''t have done. I was too afraid that I might drag her into my personal problems, and that...she would leave me if she knew. Because she and Nian Zhen were close, I entrusted her to take care of her needs. I didn''t know that behind my back..." His fists clenched. "She had left my wife with nothing."


    Hui Yin froze. Huh? "What do you mean?"


    "I gave Nian Zhen everything she wanted because she reassured me that she would give half of it to my wife. When I asked her why all of my wife''s clothes were ragged and why she cut her own hair, Nian Zhen told me that my wife didn''t want to depend on my money. I thought she had done it of her own volition. She and Nian Zhen were best friends so I didn''t doubt her. But Xiao Yin...Xiao Yin had suffered because of my own stupidity. It wasn''t until Nian Zhen personally killed her and my unborn child that I stopped being blinded by her lies. But by then, it was toote."


    His features convulsed, his eyes resembling bottomless pits.


    "I treated her well because I wanted the culprit to think that Nian Zhen was the woman I loved. I did everything so that Xiao Yin wouldn''t be harmed. When the culprit started heightening his attacks, I divorced my wife because I wanted to send her to a safe ce. I didn''t know she was pregnant, and that she visited the mansion. I restrained myself so that I won''t visit her, so that she could be safe, but..."


    Lu Shen gazed bleakly at the grave stone.


    "In the end, it was my own hands who pushed her over the edge."


    Hui Yin''s throat was dry. If all he said was true, then...everything she had suffered through was only a result of a big misunderstanding. She thought Lu Shen was close to Nian Zhen because he loved her, while Lu Shen was close to Nian Zhen because he thought she was her best friend.


    All of a sudden, Hui Yin wanted tough. A giggle escaped her lips.


    Lu Shen chuckled. "You must find all of this funny."


    "I heard..." Hui Yin tried to speak through herughter, "I heard that you cheated on your wife with Nian Zhen. She heard Nian Zhen calling your name in the master bedroom."


    Lu Shen snorted. "She tried drugging me with an aphrodisiac. She waited in the master bedroom for half an hour without wearing any clothes, so how could I disappoint her? I fed it to one of her bodyguards and sent him there to satisfy her."


    "She didn''t discover that it wasn''t you?"


    "She turned off the lights so she could pretend that she was my wife."


    Hui Yin giggled again. "Such an idiot..."


    She was such an idiot. She wasughing because if she didn''tugh, she would not be able to resist crying. Inevitably, tears still rolled down her cheeks. Hui Yin covered her mouth with her hand to suppress the sound of her sobs.


    Lu Shen didn''t ask why a maid like her was crying. He didn''t try tofort her either. When she finally recovered her ability to speak, she choked out, "Toote."


    There was a beat of silence, and Lu Shen finally smiled. But his eyes were full of pain and devoid of any hope.


    "...yes, Xiao Yin, I was toote."

 Chapter 184 You’re Finally Here

    For a moment, it was as if time itself stood still.


    Xiao Yin.


    He called her Xiao Yin.


    But he couldn''t have possibly known that it was her, right? It was definitely impossible!


    Hui Yinughed, but it sounded strained even to her ears. "Sir, are you talking to Mrs. Lu''s grave?"


    He must be, it was the only believable exnation. How could he think that Huian was her? She was inside the body of another person. Lu Shen would definitely not be able to see through her disguise.


    "...your eyes."


    Hui Yin blinked. Ah? My eyes?


    "The taste of your cooking, and your handwriting. It''s definitely you."


    One''s an event, two''s a coincidence, and three''s a pattern. Lu Shen moved his eyes away from the gravestone and stood up. He looked down at the unfamiliar face staring upwards at him. He didn''t know how a soul could inhabit another body, but he did not doubt his instinct. This girl...was definitely Xiao Yin.


    And these eyes staring at him...were definitely hers.


    His heart pounded violently inside his chest. His blood roared in his ears. He had been suppressing his urge to hold her, to kiss her, to cherish her like what he wanted to do for a very long time. But he restrained himself because he noticed it.


    Her hatred.


    So he could only try to exin, to tell her that he didn''t mean to hurt her, for these things to turn out the way they did. Maybe if he exined...but when she said those two words, he knew. He had his chance, and he lost it. He was toote.


    Hui Yin looked up at him and saw the certainty in his expression. She stood up and wiped thest remnants of her tears. She could finally meet his eyes without evading, because the hatred that was chaining her had been dissolved.


    She smiled. "Hello, Lu Shen."


    The hands at his sides twitched, but the corners of his lips also hooked up. "Xiao Yin, you''re finally here."


    "En." She tilted her head and her eyshes lowered to cover her eyes.


    Lu Shen forced himself to fix the smile on his face. "I still have onest thing to tell you before we talk about the Wen family."


    Hui Yin bit her lip. "You don''t have to tell me..."


    "I love you."


    A gentle breeze wafted over towards them, ruffling the hem of their clothes. It brought a few stray petals from the bouquet with it, along with the fresh smell of grass and the sweet floral fragrance of the flowers.


    Hui Yin raised her eyes and their gazes met.


    "I loved you too."


    Lu Shen looked away, taking in a shuddering breath. As if it was too painful to hold onto, his smile dissolved, revealing his sadness.


    "I know," he said softly. "I''m sorry."


    Hui Yin hesitated, then wrapped her arms around him. She buried her face into his chest. Her voice muffled, she said, "I''m sorry too."


    His body shook with her touch, but he didn''t hug her back. He forced his hands to stay by his side.


    "You want me to let go of you, don''t you? You shouldn''t hug me like this," he said hoarsely.


    Hui Yin didn''t let go. For a long time, she didn''t speak.


    "If you want to cry," she said a whileter, "I promise I won''t call you a crybaby."


    His lowughter sounded a bit choked. "I won''t cry."


    "I can''t believe you tricked me into showing you my handwriting."


    "When you delivered the noodles, I already knew it was you. You''re the only one brave enough to do that."


    She shook her head. "And make you clean the toilet, right?"


    Hui Yin pulled away from him.


    Lu Shen lifted his hand to grab her wrist, but he slowly lowered it again. "Mmm."


    He turned away from her. "We should go back. I...still have a lot of work to do. I''ll try to collect all the information that I have about the Wen family."


    Hui Yin nodded. "Okay."


    She stayed one step behind him as they went to the parking lot. At the veryst moment, Hui Yin turned back. Her gravestone stood there, filled with flowers and a basket of desserts. She felt that it wasn''t only her corpse that was buried there anymore.


    Quietly, she followed Lu Shen back to his car.

 Chapter 185 Next Week

    While Hui Yin and Lu Shen were in the cemetery, a handsome youth was staring at therge mansion in front of him.


    He was tossing an egg on one hand, throwing it lightly in the air before catching it without looking. Behind him were ten more people, all of them looking uneasy. They were wearing dark blue zip-up sweaters with white stripes and dark blue trousers, their school uniform.


    "If he catches us here, he might bankrupt my father''spany..."


    One of them had barely finished speaking out his worries when a predatory gaze locked onto him, making him unable to finish the rest of his words. He felt as if a sleeping cobra had coiled itself around his body, its red eyes staring back at him.


    He broke out in cold sweat when a chilling voice entered his ears, "Quiet."


    The frightened student immediately shut up.


    Beside their leader was another student who looked identical to him. He was happily munching on a candy apple, but furrowed his eyebrows when he heard the other student''s concern.


    "Wuji, maybe you should stop doing this. Brother''spany will suffer if we get caught..."


    The sixteen-year old youth drew back his arm and threw the egg. With a perfect aim, the egg sttered against one of the mansion''s bay windows. But the ss didn''t break.


    "Wuji!" Jiang Shang nearly dropped his candy apple in shock.


    His twin brother only gave him a frosty nce. It onlysted for the tenth of a second, but the students behind Jiang Shang nearly ttened themselves into the ground from the heavy pressure he emitted. But Jiang Shang, who had lived with him for sixteen years, already developed an immunity against his twin brother''s frightening aura.


    He continued munching on his candy apple as he said, "Doing that isn''t very nice, Wuji. I''ll tell mother."


    Jiang Wuji remained impassive as he threw another egg.


    Breaking out in cold sweat, the other students began following his example. They didn''t want that chilling gaze to be fixed on them. Egg after egg began to stter on the walls and the windows of the mansion. Not long after, they heard the shouts of the guardsing towards them.


    "Aaaaaah! Run!"


    Although each one of them was panicking, they didn''t stop their actions and continued throwing the eggs. Even the student who yelled for them to run stayed rooted in his spot. As much as they feared the guards, they feared angering the handsome youth more.


    Jiang Wuji calmly pulled out a smoke bomb from his pocket and pulled the pin. It wasrger than average, and he threw it at the path of the iing guards.


    Seeing that their leader seemed to have stopped, the rest of them followed him in retreating. Jiang Shang was still munching on his candy apple as he said in dissatisfaction, "Wuji, Wifey won''t like you doing bad things to her ex-husband."


    Jiang Wuji paused mid-stride and lowered his eyes, hiding the emotions in them. In a t voice, he said, "It''s only a small prank. And...she''s gone."


    Then he lifted his head and ignored his twin brother for the rest of the day.


    Jiang Shang''s candy apple suddenly became tasteless. He wiped his lips and threw it away. Feeling that the tall back of his brother''s figure looked a bit lonely, he picked up his pace and walked beside him.


    ...


    When the Kia Forte finally arrived back in the mansion, Hui Yin pressed her face on the car window as she gaped at its ruined anterior. The maids were already starting to clean the stter of eggs from the windows and the walls, but there were so many of them that half of the mess still remained.


    "Who would dare to throw eggs at your house?" she asked in disbelief.


    Lu Shen was still lost in his thoughts and absentmindedly said, "Don''t worry, it happens twice a week."


    "Twice a week?! And you still haven''t done anything to the perpetrators?"


    Hui Yin couldn''t think of a person that could offend Lu Shen without paying for their lives.


    Lu Shen didn''t answer. Of course he knew who was behind this. But he didn''t make a move because he knew that Xiao Yin had great affection towards those two kids. And they were only doing this because they were angry. It was only a bit of dirt, so Lu Shen didn''t really mind.


    Of course, he would tolerate them since they were still young. Once they grew up and continued testing his patience, he would have no qualms disciplining them in behalf of Xiao Yin. An impulsive thought had even crossed his mind that since he didn''t have a sessor and one of them had great potential, maybe...


    He nced at the girl beside him. If Xiao Yin and their unborn child hadn''t died...Lu Shen shook his head. His hands clenched on the steering wheel. He already resolved himself to let her go, so why was he still thinking about these useless things?


    Hui Yin clicked off her seatbelt and didn''t notice his internal struggle. Rubbing her stomach, sheined, "I''m so hungry. Since you knew that Huian was me, why did still you give that basket of sweets to my grave stone? So wasteful! It''ll only get eaten by ants."


    Despite himself, his lips curved into a slight smile. "There are still desserts inside the kitchen. Just tell the kitchen staff to give it all to you. If you want, I can apany you to your favorite desserts shop next week..."


    He lowered his eyes as his voice trailed off. What he actually wanted to ask her was, how long are you going to stay? But he was too afraid that she would think he was trying to back out of his promise of letting her go. He only wanted her to stay with him longer.


    Will she stay with him in this mansion or will she move out?


    Will she continue to be Huian forever?


    Hui Yin was about to open the car door when she heard Lu Shen''s question. Next week? She didn''t know if she would still be here next week. And she felt that she was robbing Huian of her life. She couldn''t stay here any longer.


    So she smiled and said vaguely, "It''s fine. I think the head chef''s desserts areparable to their merchandise anyway."


    Lu Shen heard the implied meaning in her reply and felt that he should really stop asking questions if he didn''t want to know the answer. He let out a harsh breath before grabbing the car keys.


    "You can stay in the master bedroom and rest for a while. You''ve only just recovered, so don''t push yourself too hard. I''ll order Bolin to arrange everything, so don''t worry. I''ll be in my study."


    Before Hui Yin could react, he had stepped out of the car and strode away. She watched as his figure quickly disappeared in the distance. His shoulders were taut with tension, so she knew a bit of what he was feeling.


    But she still didn''t take a step forward to catch up to him.

 Chapter 186 Wen Zedong

    Hui Yin didn''t go back to the master bedroom.


    Although the household staff wouldn''t talk about it publicly, it wasn''t certain that there wouldn''t be any whispers behind her back. Lu Shen might not care, but after Hui Yin went back, the one who was going to bear the brunt of her careless actions would be Huian.


    The butler was swift in his actions after Lu Shen told him what to do. When Hui Yin insisted that she didn''t want to go back to the master bedroom, he could onlypromise and put her in one of the many guest rooms inside the mansion. Hui Yin actually wanted to go to the servants'' quarters, but conceded after seeing the butler''s steely eyes.


    Butler Wu made sure Hui Yin wasfortable before sending the kitchen an order to brew rice porridge and vegetable soup. He acted like her personal maidservant and treated her like a porcin doll.


    Hui Yin was aware of Butler Wu''s status. He had the highest rank in the entire household staff, so his behavior towards her could only be a result of Lu Shen''s orders. Frequently, Hui Yin would catch a curious expression on his face before he would quickly mask it with a stern appearance.


    When the sun was about to set and Hui Yin was bored out of her mind from sleeping and eating all day, Lu Shen finally called her into his study.


    "Did you find anything about the Wen family?" she eagerly asked as soon she sat on the chair in front of his desk.


    Hui Yin was too excited when she came in, so she didn''t take a proper look at Lu Shen. Now that they were in close proximity, she saw that his expression didn''t look to good. There was a gloomy and dark aura surrounding him. She swallowed her saliva in fright.


    Lu Shen forcibly restrained his rage and calmly nodded. He closed hisptop and looked at her as he said, "Are you close with your brother?"


    Hui Yin froze, stunned.


    Lu Shen took notice of her expression and his eyes dimmed.


    "You told me before that you lost touch with your brother during your freshman year in the university. He fell in with a bad crowd, and you never saw him again."


    He pushed a thin file towards her. There was a passport photograph clipped at the upper left of the first page, showing a pretty girl shing a gentle smile.


    "That''s Wen Qinyang, the only daughter of the Wen family. When she was neen, she became pregnant. The father of her child is your brother, Hui Jinhai."


    Hui Yin had barely processed this information when another file was ced beside Wen Qinyang''s. This time, the photo was that of a middle-aged man with receding ck hair and a slightly prominent nose.


    "That''s Wen Zedong, the Wen family''s patriarch. He''s the CEO of a subsidiarypany of the Lu Corporation. I own eighty percent of their voting shares, although both hispany and the Lu Corporation were separate and distinct legal entities. Six years ago, he was sued in court for creating millions of fraudulent customer ounts to increase profits and tax evasion. Since the holdingpany was the Lu Corporation, he begged me for help."


    Hui Yin winced. Wen Zedong had just jumped from the pan and into the fire.


    "Naturally, I refused. Although the Lu Corporation have no liability for the subsidiarypanies under them, the reputation they have is still linked to the holdingpany. That kind of tumor, if left alone, would certainly spread and affect the Lu Corporation. So¡ª"


    "¡ªyou pushed them into bankruptcy," Hui Yin finished.


    She couldn''t help but pinch her nose. This man, if apany annoys him or if he thinks its too tiresome to deal with, he would not hesitate to bankrupt it. She could not count the number of times Lu Shen had stomped his opponents with the might of the Lu Corporation and crushed them t.


    Lu Shen nodded. "The shares I owned were exchanged for liquidated assets of hispany, and Wen Zedong had to sell his estates and his properties to pay off his debt. His family was left destitute."


    "What happened to Wen Qinyang? Did she give birth to my brother''s child?"


    "Shemitted suicide five months after her family were sent to the streets. Her mother died of a heart attack soon afterwards because of despair."


    Hui Yin opened her mouth but abruptly closed it again. She could not say a single word. Indeed, a pampered young miss like Wen Qinyang, such a sudden flip of fortune would be too shocking. Especially since she was pregnant, her emotions would be too unstable. No wonder Hui Jinhai changed so much. If his loved one had died just like that...


    Hui Yin bowed her head and her eyes fell on Wen Zedong''s picture. Why did he feel so familiar...she suddenly realized that he looked simr to the men in the photos Bao Bai looked at before!


    Lu Shen noticed her gaze and there was a grim twist to his mouth when he looked at Wen Zedong''s picture. His dark eyes were rippling with violence and ruthlessness.


    But his voice did not have a single trace of emotion when he said, "He''s the driver of the car that killed you."

 Chapter 187 Incompetent Employees

    The reason Lu Shen had not found Wen Zedong earlier and did not present his photo to Bao Bai was that the Wen family had been wiped off the whole inte database.


    Only when Xiao Yin gave him the hint about the Wen family did he remember that he had stored a hard copy about their information. Not long after, he discovered the traces of a hacker that had deliberately taken the Wen family off the online grid. Following his trail, Lu Shen managed to recover some of the deleted files and loopholes that the hacker had missed. That was when Lu Shen connected Wen Zedong to the driver who killed Xiao Yin.


    The te number of the car Wen Zedong used had been traced twelve years ago to an old man who had long since reported to the police that his car was stolen. It was obvious at first nce that he wasn''t the suspect, but another victim. It also heightened the probability of the hit and run ''ident'' as a first-degree murder.


    Twelve years ago, the car was found abandoned in Tianjin. Lu Shen pored over various CCTV recordings in the area, including those in hotels and in the streets. The retention time for a CCTV footage could only be thirty-one days, but Lu Shen had made a copy for himself and stored it into his hard drive. When he scanned it again this morning, he finally caught a glimpse of Wen Zedong wearing a cap inside aputer shop. If he hadn''t fully focused on searching for Wen Zedong, he would have never found him.


    And ording to Bao Bai, Wen Zedong fit perfectly the appearance of the driver that she described. This evidence was enough to condemn Wen Zedong to prison.


    But Lu Shen didn''t want to simply put Wen Zedong in jail. That would be letting him off lightly.


    After he exined the important points to Hui Yin, she frowned.


    "What is Bao Bai doing in front of the mansion? Did you know her already during that time?" she asked.


    "Bao Bai is the junior apprentice to one of my subordinates. She was there to watch over Nian Zhen. Her senior was one of the two people I sent over to guard you."


    "You put secret bodyguards around me?!" eximed Hui Yin.


    Hui Yin remembered that Lu Shen gave her a house when they divorced. She was too depressed to go out, so she frequently stayed inside, watching sad movies and eating desserts like there was no tomorrow. She didn''t know she had an audience watching her!


    Lu Shen gave her a nd look. "There was a threat to your life, so did you really think I''d send you off without protection? I ordered them to stay far away and only interact with you when necessary."


    Hui Yin was dumbfounded. "So they were there when Nian Zhen pushed me off the road? And they didn''t stop her?"


    "They didn''t think that the daughter of a respectable family wouldmit murder in broad daylight. Du Peng and his colleague underestimated Nian Zhen. You have to realize, the guards I sent you were used to dealing with the underworld. To them, Nian Zhen was only bickering with you. They didn''t think she would actually push you off the road."


    He added lightly, "Ipetent employees...I have no need for them."


    Hui Yin felt her hair stand on end. She didn''t want to know what happened to those ipetent employees.


    "How did you know that Wen Zedong hitting me was intentional? He also didn''t know that Nian Zhen would push me..."


    But why would he steal a car? What was he doing there at that point in time? Why would he run away? Despite her words, Hui Yin also believed that Wen Zedong was guilty.


    "We''ll know the answers once I captured him. It wouldn''t be long now..." Lu Shen nced at his wristwatch. His mouth curled up in a freezing arc.


    Hui Yin wasn''t surprised that Lu Shen had already tracked him down. Once his identity was revealed, given Lu Shen''s connections and resources, it was an easy thing for him to capture Wen Zedong.


    "What...what are you going to do to him?"


    She wasn''t really asking for Wen Zedong''s sake. Since Lu Shen already knew that Hui Jinhai was connected to the Wen family, she was afraid that her brother would share the same fate. Fortunately, Lu Shen still didn''t know that Hui Jinhai was the culprit he was looking for.


    Lu Shen returned the files to his desk drawer and stood up. "These things can wait until tomorrow. He still hasn''t been captured, so get some rest for now. I''ll wake you if anything importantes up."


    They went out of his study together. Lu Shen paused, then raised a hand to gently stroke her hair. "I heard you didn''t go back to the master bedroom. I understand, as long as you rest well. Take care of yourself properly."


    Hui Yin nodded. She watched as Lu Shen went into the master bedroom before turning around and going back to her own room. She had questions she wanted to ask Wen Zedong as well.


    Late at night, while Hui Yin was still deeply asleep, a ck Maybach Exelero quietly exited the mansion.


    Lu Shen had just received a message that Wen Zedong had been finally captured.

 Chapter 188 That Kind Of Filth?

    In the basement of a secluded private vi outside of Beijing.


    "Aaaahhhhhh...stop!"


    A man''s screams echoed loudly inside the pristine chamber, where the walls were white and the floor was made of ck graphite. Different tools could be found hanging on the walls like a museum disy.


    There was a metal bed on the center, simr to where corpses wereid down in the morgue. But stainless steel chains trapped the wrists and the ankles of the man that was spread-eagled on the metal bed, preventing him from moving. He waspletely naked except for his underwear, and it could be clearly seen that the skin on his legs had been peeled off. A man dressed in aboratory gown calmly washed off the blood with salt water.


    "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"


    His back arched, his mouth opened, and hisrynx stretched to produce a piercing scream.


    "Don''t let him fall unconscious," Lu Shen said icily.


    The man in theboratory gown nodded. He took out a picana from the wall, a short rod with a bronze tip and an insted handle. He ced it inside the screaming man''s mouth. The electric shock made another scream burst out from the man again. The shocks from the picana had high voltage and low current. It wouldn''t kill the victim.


    Once Wen Zedong quieted down, Lu Shen approached the bed. He was dressed in an immacte suit, seemingly out of ce in the bloody torture chamber. But the eyes that examined the wounds inflicted on the man didn''t bat an eyelid, as if he was appreciating a work of art.


    "Still not talking?" he asked softly. "I don''t mind. I have more ways to make you talk."


    He turned to the man wearing aboratory gown. "Give me the mixture of milk and honey."


    As he was waiting, Lu Shen leisurely sat on the chair that was provided for him. Lighting a cigarette, he casually told Wen Zedong, "Around 500 B.C., the ancient Persians practiced an execution method called scaphism. They force the victim to ingest a mixture of milk and honey, until their bowels gave up. Their skin were then smeared with more milk and honey, until it attracted wasps and ants. They would crawl inside the orifices of the victim andy their eggs, eating them alive from inside out. With the ration of milk and honey, you would never die from thirst or hunger."


    Wen Zedong shuddered. Originally, Lu Shen told the story using pronouns that made it seem as if he wasn''t talking about him, but the ''you'' in hisst sentence extinguished all of Wen Zedong''s hope ining out of this alive.


    Lu Shen stubbed out his cigarette on the soft skin of Wen Zedong''s belly. Ignoring his scream, he turned towards the man who had finally returned with a pail filled with milk and honey.


    "You know what to do."


    The man nodded, and slowly approached Wen Zedong. Tipping the pail into his mouth, he forced Wen Zedong to ingest the mixture by pinching his jaw.


    Wen Zedong spluttered. He turned his head to the side and choked out, "I did it! I did it! I killed her!"


    Lu Shen held up a hand and the man stopped.


    Standing up, he asked, "What did you say?"


    Wen Zedong squeezed his eyes shut as his tears leaked out. He had long since sumbed to fear. "I killed your wife, Lu Shen! I deliberately ran her over!"


    Lu Shen didn''t react. "How did you know she was going to be pushed into the road?"


    "I didn''t! I was supposed to only keep an eye on you! But I saw your wife visit the mansion and I didn''t think it was fair that you could still live so happily after wrecking my life! So when that girl pushed her, I started the car and killed her! Hahahaha, that''s what you get for being a cold bastard! I don''t regret what I did!"


    Lu Shen was still expressionless, but the darkness in his eyes deepened. "Who told you to keep an eye on me?"


    When he heard Lu Shen''s question, Wen Zedongughed even louder. "Who else could it be?! Such an outstanding son-inw, I couldn''t be any prouder. When he knew what I did to his sister, he didn''t even me me! He loves the Wen family more than his sibling! You''ll never catch him, Lu Shen. He has the triad behind him! Hahahaha!"


    Lu Shen suddenly smiled. But it was a mirthless smile, filled with disdain and contempt. "He''s only a member of the triad, and you think he''s invincible? He doesn''t even know that the leader of 14K branch [1] owes me a favor because I helped him three years ago. I''m not sure if he could still survive after I give the kill on sight order."


    His words made Wen Zedong shrink back. His bloodshot eyes widened, his palms mmy.


    Wen Zedong stuttered, "Y¡ªYou wouldn''t! He''s the brother of your wife!"


    "That kind of filth?" Lu Shen snorted. "Xiao Yin is better off without him. He doesn''t even know how to distinguish between pigs and pearls. Instead of ming me for causing his girlfriend''s suicide, why didn''t he me you for being such a useless father-inw? He clearly doesn''t know right from wrong. And even daring to threaten Xiao Yin..."


    Lu Shen picked up a pair of gloves from a metal tray and pulled it on. Reaching for a scalpel, he studied the intact flesh of Wen Zedong, deciding on where to cut. The man in theboratory gown respectfully backed off.


    "Lu Shen, you bastard, I already told you everything I know! Let me go! Bastard, let me go!"


    Lu Shen approached the other end of the metal bed where Wen Zedongy, tapping the t surface of the scalpel on his forehead.


    He clicked his tongue. "Too noisy."


    The foul smell of ammonia permeated the air. Wen Zedong had lost control of his dder.


    Until the sun rose up in the sky, the screamsing from the basement never stopped.


    But Wen Zedong was still kept alive.


    [1] 14K: Triad group based on Hong Kong but internationally active. It''s the secondrgest Triad group in the world.

 Chapter 189 Wasn’t As Merciful

    Lu Shen arrived back in the mansion just in time to eat breakfast with Hui Yin. The immacte suit he wore was reced with a button-down white shirt and ck pants. His hair was slightly wet, indicating he just recently showered.


    Hui Yin yed with the straw in her ss of orange juice and asked, "So, did you manage to capture Wen Zedong?"


    Lu Shen reached with his chopsticks and ced a strip of bacon on her te. "Yes."


    Her eyes brightened. "Really? Where is he? Is he in prison? Can we go visit him?"


    His dark eyes softened as he pointed to her chin. "You have a bit of sauce on your skin."


    Startled, Hui Yin tried rubbing her mouth with the table napkin. "Is it gone?"


    He slightlyughed and used his thumb to wipe it off. Stunned, Hui Yin watched as he licked his thumb to taste the sauce residue. "Mmm. Romesco sauce?"


    Hui Yin tried not to show that his actions surprised her and pointed to a small saucer filled with a viscous orange liquid.


    "I used it to dip the steak and vegetables." Remembering her previous question, she asked, "What about Wen Zedong? Can we visit him today?"


    Lu Shen picked up his chopsticks. "We can''t. He''d been mobbed by gangsters when we captured him and sustained severe injuries. We have to wait until he recovers before we could get some answers from out of him."


    Hui Yin was disappointed by this. "So where is he then? In the hospital?"


    "Just know that he''s getting medical treatment. There''s a well-known doctor taking care of him, so it won''t be long before he wakes up."


    Hui Yin''s chin dipped down. Does it mean that she needs to stay here for a while longer? Using a nonchnt tone, she asked, "What about my brother? Do you have any news about him?"


    Did you know that he was the culprit you were looking for?


    "I don''t. Are you worried about him?"


    Hui Yin didn''t deny it. "Of course. We might be estranged, but he''s still my older brother."


    "Even if he might have a hand in your death?"


    Hui Yin jerked her head. But Lu Shen''s eyes were lowered, and she couldn''t see his expression.


    "That...wasn''t it Wen Zedong who drove the car that killed me? What does my brother have to do with my death?"


    "In one of the ten chances that your brother was the one who gave Wen Zedong the opportunity to kill you, would you condemn your brother?"


    Lu Shen leaned back on his chair and finally raised his pair of dark eyes to study her. A hurt expression quickly flitted past Hui Yin''s face, but she took a deep breath and smiled sadly.


    "I...won''t."


    Hui Jinhai was her only family left. She couldn''t lose him too.


    The corner of Lu Shen''s lips hooked up. As expected. His decision was correct.


    She might not condemn him, but he could. Because of Hui Jinhai, he had forsaken his wife to keep her safe. Because of Hui Jinhai, he lost his wife and their unborn child.


    Xiao Yin might forgive him for these sins, but he wasn''t as merciful. Hui Jinhai might be her only living family left, but Xiao Yin and their dead child were his family too.


    Hui Yin stared at Lu Shen''s smile that wasn''t a smile and felt a dark sense of foreboding. Maybe it was good that Wen Zedong hasn''t woken up, because he might reveal the truth about her brother.


    "I''m going to thepany today for a conference meeting. If you need anything, just tell Bolin. He''ll buy everything you want, so there''s no need for you to get out of the house."


    As if Lu Shen had silentlymanded him, the butler came forward and presented a white rectangr box to Hui Yin.


    "That''s a phone for you to use. I heard you can''t use your old one. I''ll give you a call after lunchtime."


    Hui Yin felt awkward receiving a gift from Lu Shen. Now that they didn''t have any entanglements with each other, what could his reason be for giving her a phone?


    Lu Shen saw her difort and said, "Just ept it. It''ll be hard for me to contact you if anything important happened. There''s no deeper meaning to it."


    Since he said it himself, Hui Yin didn''t continue rejecting his courtesy. She saw that it was thetest model that came out of the market and had a price of five digits.


    "Thank you," she said, opening the box and taking out her brand new phone.


    Lu Shen guided Hui Yin with some of its more difficult applications until it was time for him to leave. Hui Yin helped the maids clear the table, ignoring the protests of Butler Wu and the other maids. She had noticed their envious stares while they were eating. She didn''t want Huian to have trouble working with them in the future. It would probably be better if she told Lu Shen not to treat her so well.


    Even Butler Wu was getting suspicious of Lu Shen''s behavior towards his maid. If this got out, there was no telling what the reaction of the public might be. After twelve years, Lu Shen was now thirty-eight. And Huian looked to be around twenty-two. The age gap between the two of them was too wide. Huian might be used of seducing her boss, and Lu Shen would bebeled as a lolicon.


    Hui Yinughed at the thought of it. It was too funny! Although Lu Shen didn''t look thirty-eight and was even more handsome than he was at twenty-six, his real age was still an indisputable fact. He would definitely bebeled as a lolicon!


    Lu Shen, who was sitting at the backseat of his car, suddenly sneezed twice.


    The driver nced at the rear view mirror and tentatively asked, "Boss, should I lower down the AC?"


    Lu Shen waved his hand. "Don''t bother."


    Who was cursing him?

 Chapter 190 Capturing Hui Jinhai

    Shaanxi Province, Xi''an City.


    Hui Jinhai took off down the alley to his right, holding his bleeding arm. He wove through the city''s narrow back alleys and forgotten paths, desperately trying to be inconspicuous and lose their pursuit.


    He burst into daylight, pausing to check both directions before blending into the crowd and ducking into a subway entrance. Shouts and warnings echoed through the streets behind him as the sound of their footsteps drew closer.


    Hui Jinhai felt his heart racing and ran into the tform, bumping into people and causing them to be rmed. He staggered sideways and hid behind a pir, spotting the men''s room in the distance. Without hesitation, Hui Jinhai walked towards it.


    He shoved his coat into the garbage can and took off his bloodied shirt. He ripped off a strip from the hem and used it to bandage the wound on his right arm.


    "What¡ª?"


    A man came in, taking a step back as he saw the half-naked Hui Jinhai. But Hui Jinhai saw his chance and knocked him out with a fierce punch. He undressed the man quickly and wore his shirt before locking him inside an empty stall. Luckily, there was no one else in the bathroom aside from him.


    Hui Jinhai also stole the man''s briefcase and his cap. He opened the faucet and wet his hair, slicking it back behind his ears. After wearing the cap, he looked nearly unrecognizable from his previous appearance.


    He nced at himself in the mirror. His eyes were red, his expression ugly.


    "Lu Shen, just wait for me, you bastard."


    Hui Jinhai then walked out of the bathroom, maintaining a casual air. He spotted his pursuers mixing in the crowd and his heart skipped a beat. He couldn''t believe that the triad had booted him out without hesitation. His leader even mandated a kill on sight order for him. Was that bastard really that powerful?


    Hui Jinhai presented the train ticket he took out from the front pocket of that man''s pants to the ticket clerk. His pursuers were still searching for him in the tform when Hui Jinhai left Xi''an City and was on his way to Beijing.


    ...


    Hui Yin diligently watered the flowers she had nted when she was still alive in the sunroom.


    Chrysanthemums, daffodils, roses, and peonies...all of them brought spots of different colors that lifted up her somber mood. Hui Yin looked at the phone Lu Shen had given her and deeply sighed. She could only return back to the present once Hui Jinhai was captured.


    She already asked Butler Wu to buy her a pair of handcuffs in preparation for capturing him. But Hui Yin still had no idea how to tell Lu Shen to search for her brother. She didn''t have any connections and resources, so she could only rely on him. Since Wen Zedong was still unconscious, it was the best time to ask for Lu Shen''s help. Once Wen Zedong woke up, he might tell Lu Shen about Hui Jinhai''s identity. It would be toote by then. Hui Yin didn''t know if she could persuade Lu Shen not to kill Hui Jinhai once he knew the truth.


    A gentle knock broke Hui Yin''s reverie. She looked up and saw the slightly chubby girl who was friendly to her before.


    "Huian, Butler Wu ordered me to tell you that it''s time for lunch."


    "Ah." Hui Yin got up and put down the watering can. "I''ll go now."


    She picked up her phone and followed the maid as they went back to the dining room. She was abashed to see that she would be the only one eating on therge oak table that could easily seat twenty people.


    Looking up at Butler Wu who was pulling out her chair, Hui Yin took two steps back and vigorously shook her head.


    "Butler Wu, I''ll just eat together with the maids in the other dining room..."


    "That won''t do, Huian! The boss wouldn''t be happy if you do that!" The friendly maid dragged Hui Yin over to her seat and pushed her down. Hui Yin didn''t expect that the young maid would have so much strength.


    She wrinkled her eyebrows. "It''s my business where I eat, so why do you need to bring Lu Shen into the conversation..."


    "Aaaaah!" The friendly maid suddenly squealed, cupping her cheeks with her hands. "I can''t believe you''re calling boss by his name! Huian, is Meng Guang really telling the truth? It''s the truth, isn''t it? Please tell me it''s the truth!"


    "What truth?" Hui Yin was confused.


    What is this silly girl talking about?


    "That the boss is in love with you, of course!" The friendly maid eximed with great relish.


    "..." Hui Yin was struck speechless by her statement.


    Old Meng Guang was certainly scary. By spreading rumors like this, isn''t it just a roundabout way of calling Lu Shen a lolicon?


    "You''re silent! Silence means yes, doesn''t it? So Meng Guang was telling the truth!"


    "..."


    Alright, whatever. Hui Yin was too tired to argue with her.


    If they wanted to call Lu Shen a lolicon, it was none of her business. At least they didn''t spread rumors that she was in love with him too.

 Chapter 191 He Lied To Her

    Hui Yin was bored out of her mind for the past five days.


    There was still no news about her brother, and Wen Zedong had not woken up. She watered her nts every day in the sunroom, and ate breakfast with Lu Shen after she woke up. At lunch, he would give her a phone call. He told her that he gave her a cellphone so that he could update her if anything important happened. But every time he called, it was only ever about trivial things.


    "What are you eating for lunch?"


    "I heard the female employees talking about a good drama showing in TV. You should watch it."


    "Cook me dinnerter."


    "How was your day?"


    And every time Hui Yin tried to end the conversation by staying silent, he would use an using tone with her and ask, "Aren''t you going to ask me about my day?"


    Hui Yin felt really annoyed.


    It''s only lunchtime, ah! You''re going back to the mansionter on, so what was the point in asking? And she wasn''t interested in listening to the boring things that he did at thepany!


    Buttely, Lu Shen had stopped pestering her. She could hear him pacing back and forth in his study, talking to the phone. His voice was low, so she could not hear what he was saying. But each time he came out and apanied her in eating dinner, there was a trace of triumph in his eyes.


    "Why aren''t you eating?"


    The gentle voice made Hui Yin pause in the middle of picking her food with her chopsticks. Lu Shen was looking at her with soft eyes, and when she blinked, that tender expression didn''t disappear. Did he eat something bad?


    But Hui Yin felt that it was a good opportunity and seized it. "Are there any news about my brother?"


    The smile in his lips stiffened a little, but Hui Yin didn''t notice. Lu Shen continued smiling and said, "No, I still have no news about your brother."


    "Oh." Hui Yin lowered her head and continued eating her food.


    After their dinner, Lu Shen invited her to walk with him around the mansion. But Hui Yin refused. Lately, they had been spending more and more time together. She was not unaware of his struggle to let her go. Hui Yin firmly didn''t want to lead him on, because she wanted their tangled rtionship to end. While they had cleared all of the misunderstandings, it was still a fact that their rtionship wasplicated.


    Hui Yin stayed in her room and slept early. It was getting close to July, the hottest month in Beijing. There was AC in her room, but the heat was still unbearable. Hui Yin woke up an hour after midnight, her throat dry and thirsty.


    She was about to open the door when she heard the sound of brisk footsteps outside. Hui Yin paused, her hand resting on the doorknob.


    Who could be awake at this hour?


    Hui Yin waited for the footsteps to be inaudible before she slowly slipped off her shoes. Walking on bare feet, she went out of her room.


    The guest room that she was staying in was located on the second floor. Hui Yin saw Lu Shen''s figure reach the bottom of the staircase. Butler Wu was holding the doors of the main entrance wide open for him. After Lu Shen quietly walked out, Butler Wu closed the doors. Before it could fully shut, however, Hui Yin heard the low purr of a car engine.


    Her heart dropped.


    Hui Yin went back to her room with a pale face. She sat on the bed, thinking of Lu Shen''s bizarre behavior for the past few days. The look of triumph, the constant phone calls...she had long since suspected it.


    He lied to her.


    He already knew where her brother was.


    Yue Lao told her that she was the only one who could find the culprit because she knew him well. And it was proven true, because the culprit was her brother, Hui Jinhai. Although Yue Lao said that Lu Shen could never find him, that was only on the basis that Hui Yin hadn''t spilled the beans.


    But she already told Lu Shen about the Wen family!


    She had given him a hint. All he would have to do was to unravel the rest of the story. She was too naive to think that Lu Shen would not suspect her brother!


    Without bothering to change out of her clothes, Hui Yin put on her slippers and rushed out of the room. There was a separate exit used by the maids to get out of the mansion, and Hui Yin knew the password to the garage.


    She didn''t waste another second. Hui Yin jumped into one of Lu Shen''s expensive cars and flipped back the sun visor above the steering wheel. As expected, there was a spare key.


    Hui Yin took it and revved the engine. She came out of the garage just as the ck Maybach''s tail lights winked out of the driveway gate.


    Butler Wu was rmed when he saw another car driving out of the garage. The windows weren''t tinted. Butler Wu immediately saw Hui Yin''s side profile when he rushed over. His heart took a nosedive to the pit of his stomach.


    Ahhhh! What is this Huian doing?!


    "Stop!" he shouted in panic. One of his hands pounded against the driver-side window while his other hand tried pull open the door handle. But Hui Yin had already locked every door of the car and rolled up the windows.


    Ignoring Butler Wu''s shouts, Hui Yin released the clutch and pressed down on the elerator. The car shot forward and made the two guards who were guarding the gate jump upwards in shock.


    Hui Yin managed to narrowly slip by the closing entrance as she quickly followed the ck Maybach.

 Chapter 192 Guinea Pig

    Hui Yin kept a steady distance between their two cars. When he briefly stopped on the west side of the street, Hui Yin waited a few blocks away on the east side.


    It was fortunate that the car she chose appeared indistinguishable. There were many shy cars inside Lu Shen''s garage, something that would be a prized treasure in the eyes of car collectors. She was also grateful that Beijing was a busy city. It was in the early hours of the morning, but the road was teeming with cars honking and revving their engines. It gave Hui Yin a perfect cover.


    After a while of following them, Lu Shen''s car rounded off into an alley road. Hui Yin waited for fifteen beats before turning into the same direction.


    But his car was no longer there.


    "What?!" Hui Yin gaped, leaning forward to squint through the windshield.


    She slowly cruised inside, but it was a dead end. In front of her was a cement wall, and to each of her side were the side facade of two different buildings. There was no exit except for the street behind her.


    Hui Yin left the car engine running and opened the door. She walked around the alley, trying to find a garage door where Lu Shen''s car could have gone into. But it was all grilled windows and sturdy walls.


    She paused for a moment, then began pushing random bumps on the walls. After doing it for a while with no results, Hui Yin threw up her hands.


    "Alright, maybe I watched too many movies!"


    In a bad temper, Hui Yin stomped back towards the car. Along the way, she nearly tripped over a protuberance on the ground.


    After regaining her bnce, Hui Yin crouched down and studied it. It was a truncated pyramid made of silver metal that was engraved with the word ''PARK''. Hui Yin atst noticed that there was a wide rectangr cleft on the ground, fit for a regr-sized car. Her car was already halfway inside it.


    "Don''t tell me...?"


    She hurriedly went back inside the car and parked into the rectangr-shaped cleft. To her chagrin, the ground immediately sank down and delivered her to an underground parking lot.


    "Stupid tyrants and their fancy techpanies!" cursed Hui Yin.


    I''m still a bit behind the times, okay! This grandma is still struggling with the new software update in her phone!


    What Hui Yin didn''t know was that it was actually moreplicated than she realized. If she hadn''t used one of Lu Shen''s personal cars, she couldn''t have managed to get inside the underground parking lot.


    After parking her car, Hui Yin walked towards the elevator. She thought that those two nondescript buildings in the alley must only be a disguise for this building that she was in.


    Inside the elevator, there were no buttons to the floors you wanted to go. Instead, there was only a keypad made of single-digit numbers.


    "Hmph."


    Hui Yin smugly entered Lu Shen''s password. This was an area where she was confident in her abilities. As expected, there was a faint beep and the whole keypad lit up into a green color. The elevator started moving.


    In no time at all, Hui Yin arrived inside a pristine white hallway. The white walls and the detached feeling that it gave off made her feel as if she was inside a hospital.


    There were doors, but there were no windows. Hui Yin tried each one of them and thest door to her left opened. But it only led her to a metal staircase that went down.


    By the end of the staircase was another door. When the door whooshed open, she was surprised at what she saw.


    It was argeboratory room, and there were about a dozen people wearingboratory gowns. Some were sitting in front of a microscope, examining a slide. Others were experimenting with vtile-looking chemicals inside a sk. Thankfully, all of them were busy. Hui Yin found a rack ofboratory gowns and put one of them on. There were also boxes of gloves and masks, so Hui Yin tied up her hair and put on the mask.


    Hui Yin bowed her head and found herself something to do. As an actress, she knew how to quickly get into character. Hui Yin blended seamlessly with her surroundings that it was as if she had been working with these same people for decades. But no one noticed that when Hui Yin ced herself in front of the sink, she was only turning the faucet on and off.


    Two scientists that looked younger than the rest of them were talking in whispers while they were working. Hui Yin shamelessly strained her ears and listened to their conversation while pretending that she was only there to buy soy sauce. [1]


    "He''s been in there for five days and he''s still not speaking. Is he not afraid that the boss might lose his patience and really use ourtest batch of experiments on him?"


    "Ke! Are you dumb? Even if he doesn''t speak, I don''t think the boss will let him live. We need a guinea pig to execute a simtion run. We''ve only tried it on animals before. I think this is a good opportunity for us. We haven''t experimented yet how the chemical reacts once it''s injected in the human bloodstream."


    "But the way those animals died...isn''t it too cruel?"


    "Idiot! Isn''t this why the boss hired us for? If you don''t like this job, then quit. There''s more scientists queuing up to take your ce. Where else can you find a boss that helps us push science to its limit? I think CEO Lu is right to invest in this field." [2]


    Hui Yin frowned. She knew Lu Shen had his hands in different pies, but thisboratory looked secretive and confidential. It couldn''t be anything good.


    But what worried her more was their brief mention of a ''guinea pig''. Hui Yin had a bad feeling about this.


    Before Hui Yin could think any deeper of their conversation, a calm voice interrupted her thoughts. It came from a speaker mounted on a nearby wall.


    "Send another 30 mL bottle of sinylcholine for the subject."


    "Aww, again?" One of the scientistsined. "Can he just stop struggling? I thought they strapped him!"


    "Hey, I''m in the middle of something. Can any of you guys send it? A single error could mess my experiment up."


    "But I''m busy with something too!"


    "Shh, are you guys crazy? Don''t let the boss wait! I was the one who sent it earlier, so one of you needs to volunteer too!"


    "I don''t want to go in there, it smells too bloody!"


    Each one of them passed a red-capped bottle back and forth, unwilling to be the one to send it. Finding her chance, Hui Yin took it with a brief snap of her wrist and strode towards the direction of the wide door at the right corner side of theboratory. It was the only door in the room, so it could only be where the ''subject'' was held.


    "Uhh...thank you!"


    The scientists were people with a one-track mind. When they were doing a task, most of their attention would be focused on it. This is the main reason why that not one of them recognized that the person who grabbed the bottle was a stranger that they didn''t even know.


    When Hui Yin was far away, she called out casually, "What''s the password again?"


    Her voice was muffled by her mask.


    She didn''t immediately go towards the door earlier because she saw that there was a keypad beside it. Unlike the keypad from before, it wasn''t made of digits but letters.


    One of them called out distractingly, "Hui Yin."


    Hui Yin choked.


    What was her name doing there, ah?!


    For a man who could look so indifferent and outwardly cold, this kind of thing...


    Hui Yin was afraid that even a kid would feel embarrassed by him.


    [1] minding one''s own business/disinterested


    [2] Don''t worry, we''re not going into science fiction territory. I''m training in aboratory, so...hihi.

 Chapter 193 Fall Into The Trap

    Hui Yin put in the password and the door clicked open.


    There was a changing room just after she stepped inside, and Hui Yin put on the hai and the scrub suit. Right after that was a sink for her to wash her hands, but Hui Yin didn''t bother. The bottle of sinylcholine slightly trembled in her hands.


    This room waspletely built like an operating room. There was a ceiling-mounted exam light, a surgical table, and several digitalputer screens.


    But that was where the simrity ended.


    Instead of a team of capable surgeons trying to heal a wounded patient, there was only a man wearing aboratory gown standing in front of a surgical table. Not far from him was a handsome man in a suit, his eyes cold and indifferent as he nced at the situation in front of him.


    Lying on the surgical table was a man with ck hair. Interspersed with the ck strands were pink locks, which meant that his hair had just been hastily dyed. His face was twisted in severe pain, his skin drained of blood.


    He was stripped to only wearing his pants, and his chest was crisscrossed with fresh wounds. Leather straps were wrapped tightly around his lower abdomen, wrists and ankles. There was not an inch of his skin that was not bruised, burnt, or bleeding. When Hui Yin saw that the hand visible to her was missing three fingers, the bottle of sinylcholine slipped out of her numb hands and shattered on the floor. The clear liquid sshed away, most of it sttering on the hem of Hui Yin''s borrowedboratory gown.


    The piercing crash startled the three people inside the room. Both Hui Jinhai and the man didn''t recognize the girl standing frozen in front of them, but Lu Shen''s heart gave a little jump. The indifference in his eyes melted into a brief look of panic, and he unknowingly stood up.


    "Xiao..."


    Hui Yin rushed forward and shoved the man in theboratory gown away. But how could a man who Lu Shen picked be simple? He grabbed her wrist and was prepared to teach this intruding scientist a lesson, but Lu Shen himself stepped forward and hit his carotid artery with a swift strike. The man fell unconscious and slumped on the floor.


    As soon as the grip on her wrist loosened, Hui Yin rushed to her brother.


    She started untying the straps that bound Hui Jinhai, but her fingers were fumbling and couldn''t sessfully loosen it. She whipped her head around to face Lu Shen and shouted, "Untie him!"


    The man in theboratory gown managed to wake up just in time to hear Hui Yin speak. Hitting the pressure point on the neck would only make him pass out for six or ten seconds. When he heard Hui Yin''s tone of speaking and her rudemand to his boss, he nearly passed out again.


    What courage! Didn''t she know that many people had died under this man''s hands for less offense? And she dared to order him with that rude tone!


    But contrary to the man''s expectations, his boss only said calmly, "No, I''m still not done with him."


    Hui Yin''s re that was directed at Lu Shen became fiercer. "Not done with him? Look at his body! How could it get any more worse? Untie him!"


    Of course it could get worser than this, the man in theboratory gown thought. We haven''t even started yet.


    He silently picked himself up and stood in the corner as his boss didn''t seem to want him to interfere with their conversation.


    "Xiao Yin, I have a difficult time capturing this man. I won''t release him."


    Lu Shen felt helpless. If he had known that this would happen, he wouldn''t have toyed with Hui Jinhai and simply proceeded to the main event. But now it was toote. While he would like to give Xiao Yin everything she wanted, Hui Jinhai was the only exception. Lu Shen had to kill him.


    Hui Yin didn''t bother reasoning with him any longer and started struggling with the straps. Hui Jinhai looked at the desperate eyes of the girl and felt confusion. Did she know him?


    But he didn''t pursue this line of thought any longer because that bastard''s weakness seemed to be this girl. Once she freed him, he could take her as his hostage and push that bastard to his death!


    Thinking of the days that led to his capture, Hui Jinhai gritted his teeth. Who could have expected that Lu Shen would only use the forces of the triad pursuing him as a cover? Once he was cornered by them and Hui Jinhai saw that there was only one exit to his freedom, of course he would take it without hesitation.


    But that was exactly what Lu Shen expected him to do. Like a blind mouse being led inside a maze, Lu Shen blocked all his other exits except for one and waited for the blind mouse to fall into the trap he had prepared.

 Chapter 194 Between Now And Then

    Hui Yin sessfully untied the strap that was wrapped around Hui Jinhai''s wrist. But she didn''t have any time to breathe a sigh of relief because in the next second, a strong arm was hooked under her knees, her legs were swept off the ground, and she found herself being carried out by Lu Shen in a bridal carry.


    "What are you doing?!" she cried, struggling to get out of his arms.


    But Lu Shen just tightened his hold and said without looking at her, "We''re going home."


    The door clicked behind them and they were inside theboratory, shocking the scientists that were busy working on their experiments.


    One of them even dropped a test tube into the floor, but he didn''t seem to feel the strong acid that was starting to sizzle the sole of his shoes.


    All of them were aware of their boss'' temper. He was always cold and indifferent, and kept a barrier around him that repelled other people. He also didn''t tolerate women that kept pestering him, and would be ruthless in dealing with those who thought that they could ''snag'' him and be his next wife.


    One would have thought this iceberg wouldn''t have the patience to deal with any women other than his dead wife, especially a noisy woman who kept hitting his chest and yelling "Let me go!"


    But that was exactly what was happening now.


    "Lu Shen, you can''t do this! Punish the Wen family, but don''t drag my brother into this! Let me go!"


    Hui Yin didn''t know how Lu Shen did it, but she was unable to move her feet and the rest of her body. She could only punch his chest with her hands. Except, as the time went by, it was only her hands that ended up being in pain. It felt like she was punching a brick wall, her wrists aching with abuse.


    Lu Shen paused and lowered his eyes. "Don''t hurt your hands."


    Not long after, they arrived in the parking lot and Lu Shen strapped her into the passenger seat. Hui Yin doubled her struggle, but Lu Shen locked the doors and no matter how much she pulled on the car door, it wouldn''t budge.


    "Lu Shen, let me out! I won''t let you hurt my brother!"


    Hui Yin twisted her body and was about to reach over to press the unlock button on his side of the car door, but Lu Shen stepped on the elerator and her body mmed back against the seat.


    Hui Yin''s pupils kept getting bigger and bigger. He was driving too fast! The Maybach rushed out of parking lot, and there was a loud ''screech'' as the tires slid sharply out of another hidden exit and shot into the highway. Lu Shen seemed unaware of the speedometer needle, and his foot on the gas pedal kept going down, until it was t against the floor.


    "S...Slow down..."


    Hui Yin swallowed her fear. This man was not calm not at all! She knew he must have discovered that Hui Jinhai was the culprit, and she knew that he was angry. He was only her ex-husband, so she knew that he didn''t have to cater to her desires. But she kept demanding him to release her brother...any person would feel angry at her tantrum.


    Who was she?


    She was just a dead ex-wife who didn''t want to be with him.


    So he didn''t have to listen to her at all.


    Hui Yin was used to interacting with the baby chick version of Lu Shen, and this Lu Shen seemed to be gentle too...that she nearly forgot this man''s true character.


    More importantly...


    She was the blood rtive of the person who tried to kill him multiple times!


    Like this, shouldn''t she worry first about losing her own life than having a tantrum about Lu Shen''s mistreatment of her brother? After all, she might not even survive the day, not to mention having the leisure to persuade Lu Shen to spare her brother''s life!


    Hui Yin bit her lip and stayed silent, even as her hand tightly squeezed the seatbelt.


    It was only when they drove into the mansion that Lu Shen began to slow down. The speedometer needle started its slow backward fall. Hui Yin''s whole body rxed and her tension was released, but her hands and legs were numb and limp.


    She awkwardly got out of the car and fell to her knees. Lu Shen caught her just before she hit the ground and carried her again. Hui Yin didn''t struggle. Shey quietly in his arms as he strode towards the master bedroom.


    He put her on the bed and Lu Shen loosened his tie. He popped open the first two buttons of his cor and sat down on the chair opposite her.


    They stared at each other.


    "You''re not going to continue demanding that I spare your brother''s life?"


    His voice was surprisingly gentle. There was also a hint of curiosity in his tone.


    Hui Yin sat up but didn''t know what to say. She thought that he was mad at her, but that didn''t seem to be the case. He was also properly listening to her.


    She opened her mouth and cautiously said, "My brother...let him live..."


    Although Hui Jinhai tried to kill her, Hui Yin couldn''t erase the fond memories of her brother doting on her in her mind. Before he disappeared, he tried his best to be a good older brother to her. When they lost their parents, he was her only support. The helplessness that she felt when she was a child...although she had painful experiences when she became an adult as well, that was when she was already mature and could deal with the troubles that came her way. It was not like her childhood, where she could only solely depend on her brother.


    This was the main reason why, no matter what happened between now and then, Hui Yin still couldn''t bear for Hui Jinhai to die.

 Chapter 195 Sibling For A Sibling

    "I''m jealous..."


    Hui Yin blinked. While she was immersed in her memories, Lu Shen casually threw out a statement that didn''t make sense to her. What was he jealous of?


    "It surprises me that you can still love that filth despite what he had done. It''s obvious that you know he was the one who threatened me and ruined our marriage. You also know that he had a hand in your death and the death of our unborn child. But you can still love him and forgive him despite all of that."


    Lu Shen stood up in disgust. He was not disgusted with her, but he was disgusted with himself. In the car, he was angry that she still defended Hui Jinhai. He was feeling angry that she could forgive Hui Jinhai so easily for his misdeeds, but she couldn''t forgive him. Was their importance in her heart so disparately big? Why couldn''t she love him like this too?


    "You...what do you mean..."


    Hui Yin was suddenly tongue-tied. She said that, but she knew what he meant.


    Lu Shen walked towards her and stopped by the edge of the bed. He leaned over Hui Yin, bracing his hands on the mattress and putting his face close to hers.


    "By the end of the week, your brother will be dead."


    This was said in a low and calm voice, so calm that it was almost as if he was stating a fact. Lu Shen pulled away and ignored Hui Yin''s white face as he unsnapped his wrist watch and started getting ready for bed.


    "No! You can''t!"


    Hui Yin recovered from her shock and yelled loudly.


    Lu Shen didn''t turn around. "I can''t?"


    "Lu Shen, he''s my brother. He only did all those things because he had gone insane from grief..."


    "And you don''t think I''ve gone insane from grief as well?" His eyes were hard. "If that''s the only excuse that you can find, you won''t be able to persuade me, Xiao Yin."


    Hui Yin''s eyshes trembled. What should she do? If she could put the handcuffs she bought on Hui Jinhai and fulfill the promise of ''capturing'' him to Yue Lao, then this future would be reset and Lu Shen wouldn''t be able to kill her brother. Everything would be finally over.


    But Hui Jinhai was being guarded by Lu Shen. She managed to enter their hide out earlier due to luck, but she was certain that if she tried to go there right now and escape with Hui Jinhai, it would be a different story. Hui Yin wasn''t even sure if she could get out of the mansion for the second time.


    Lu Shen had already gone inside the bathroom to shower. Hui Yin stared nkly, picked herself up, and went out of the master bedroom. At the very least, since Lu Shen was here, Hui Yin could be reassured that her brother was still alive. Lu Shen was the kind of man that would want to see the death of his enemies with his own eyes.


    Hui Yin didn''t go back to sleep. She paced back and forth in her own room, wringing her hands in worry. After a brief hesitation, she rushed back to Lu Shen''s room.


    "Lu Shen, I agree to you putting my brother in jail for a lifetime, but don''t kill¡ª"


    She was already speaking as soon as she opened the door, but the words died in her throat as soon as her brain processed the sight that greeted her.


    Lu Shen was half-naked, with only a white towel wrapped around his waist. Another towel was used to dry his hair, and he slightly turned around when he heard her voice.


    Hui Yin turned around so fast that her figure was a blur.


    Water droplets sliding down a toned body that didn''t have an ounce of fat, and ck hair that was mussed to frame his dark eyes...Hui Yin thought to herself that if she managed to take a picture of that hot scene and sell it, she would not have to worry about money for a while.


    Although Hui Yin turned around, it was only to give Lu Shen a chance to protect his chastity. Towards his face and body that could make any woman drool, Hui Yin had long since been desensitized.


    "What is it?" His tone was nd.


    "Are you...proper?"


    His lips slightly quirked before he resumed his indifferent look.


    "Mmm. You can turn around."


    Hui Yin kept one eye closed as she turned around. To her relief, the fluffy towel was gone and was reced by a striped button down shirt with matching pajamas. He looked younger than he was wearing these kind of clothes.


    Hui Yin sat on the chair beside the bed and began, "You can imprison my brother for a lifetime in jail. But you can''t kill him."


    Lu Shen raised an eyebrow and adjusted his cuffs.


    "To negotiate with me, you must tell me the benefits that I''ll get from yourpromise first. If there''s nothing, then this deal is off."


    "...deal?" Hui Yin''s mouth stayed open.


    "Xiao Yin, you must know that I won''t simply obey you just because you said so, right? It''s true that I love you, but I''m a businessman."


    Lu Shen leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.


    "If there''s even the slightest chance of opportunity that I''ll be able to get what I want, I won''t agree to a deal that won''t benefit me and have zero profits. I don''t do pro bono work."


    Hui Yin''s left eye twitched. She directly ignored his mention of the L word. "Then what will make you not kill my brother?"


    Lu Shen tapped his nose with a slender finger. "Well...your brother is a bastard. I hate him, I want to gut him, and I have the overwhelming desire to eradicate all traces of his existence in the world. What you''re asking me...the cost would be too priceless."


    "Just get to the point." Hui Yin''s right eye joined her left eye in twitching.


    "You know how a deal works. Tit for tat. If we''re going to do an exchange, the amount of worth should be equal between two parties." Lu Shen smiled. "So...a sibling for a sibling."


    Hui Yin blinked, confused.


    "Stay beside me, Xiao Yin. If you do that, I''ll let your brother live."

 Chapter 196 Troublemaker Kids

    Without saying anything, Hui Yin abruptly looked down and ticked off the days with her fingers.


    One, two, three, four, five...six. Only six days. This bastard''s promisested only six days!


    Hui Yin looked up at him.


    "You suck."


    Lu Shen looked at the girl''s crestfallen expression and didn''t know whether tough or cry. He didn''t say he wanted to marry her, did he? He only wanted her to stay beside him! He was still letting her go.


    Of course, Lu Shen didn''t acknowledge the fact that if anyone of the opposite sex remotely tries to woo her, that man would find himself thrown out of the country without a single yuan to his name. In this way, he indeed sucked.


    He pretended to be a vegetarian, but was a starving wolf instead. At the end, he was only deluding himself that he could resist her.


    But Lu Shen locked all these thoughts in the darkest corners of his mind and thought to himself that he was satisfied just by having her beside him.


    It was indeed true that the most believable lies were the lies we tell ourselves.


    "Xiao Yin, you just need to stay beside me. I won''t restrict you, and you''re free to do anything you want. By agreeing, you''ll be able to let your brother live. I honestly think I''m getting the short end of the stick."


    Hui Yin looked at his earnest expression and shouted in her mind, scammer!


    He was scamming her!


    Short end of the stick? My ass! Then why are you persuading me so intensely? How many years do you think I''ve known you? You''re the type to insist for a yard after getting an inch!


    Hui Yin thought of the touching scene in the graveyard and felt that this man was better at acting than her. She should have known. When she was helping him quit alcohol and smoking before, how many times did he say that he would stop before secretly grabbing a drink or a smoke?


    She was definitely not going to agree!


    Hui Yin held up a finger. "Just give me one day with him. That''s all I''m going to ask if you can''t let him go."


    She was going to handcuff Hui Jinhai, find Yue Lao, and then reset all of this. She didn''t know if one day would be enough, but any longer and Lu Shen would definitely make it hard for her.


    He raised an eyebrow. "Going to say your goodbyes?"


    Hui Yin lowered her eyes and bit her lip, summoning her acting skills and pretending as if she was trying to restrain her grief.


    "You won''t even let me do that?"


    Lu Shen was suspicious but he didn''t know how she was going to save her brother in just one day, so he had to reluctantly agree. He didn''t want to look unreasonable. Despite this, he was disappointed that she didn''t take his offer. He hated Hui Jinhai to the bone, but if freeing him would make Xiao Yin stay beside him...he knew what he would choose.


    "I have to go with you."


    Hui Yin didn''t argue. "Of course."


    ...


    They didn''t immediately go that day. Lu Shen had something to take care of at thepany, and Hui Yin prepared her things.


    Handcuffs, two bottles of rice wine as bait for that drunkard deity, pepper spray...while Hui Yin was busy packing her things, she heard amotion from outside of her room.


    She stuck her head out and frowned as a maid rushed past. Grabbing her arm, she asked, "What''s going on?"


    The maid''s face was red, her expression ugly. "Miss, those troublemaker kids are at it again!"


    Ever since Lu Shen stopped Hui Yin from working and treated her like a special guest, all the maids had began calling her ''miss'' despite their equal status.


    "Troublemaker kids?"


    "Yes. They''re always throwing eggs at the mansion. Just because sir tolerates them doesn''t mean we would! Don''t they know how hard it is to clean up after their mess? Their parents really did a good job raising them! Really a good job!"


    The maid stormed off, leaving Hui Yin bemused. Was it the same kids from before? Lu Shen told her that theye to cause trouble at least twice a week. She wanted to see these kind of brave souls who would dare to attack the fortress of the Great Dragon King.


    Following after the maid, Hui Yin went out into the courtyard and nced up at therge bay window that was now stained with yolk and egg whites. There was quite a distance between the mansion and its walls. Whoever threw it must have a perfect aim. The mess looked especially ring under the sunlight, especially in contrast with the mansion''s beautiful and sleek architecture.


    Hui Yin once again marveled at Lu Shen''s tolerance. She knew this mansion better than anyone else, except for him. She knew the number of guards stationed outside and guarding the house 24/7, the advanced level of security, and the ferocious dogs that were kept on a tight leash in case of an intruder. For these ''troublemaker kids'' to escape harm every time, it could only be because of Lu Shen''s orders.


    These kids must be special to him, otherwise Lu Shen wouldn''t spare them.


    Hui Yin followed the maids to the entrance gate, where they were yelling at the kids to leave. Some were waving broomsticks and feather dusters, but they didn''t go outside. She rose herself on her tiptoes and tried to peek from between the spires of the gate.


    She could see a group of teenagers standing outside, their arms constantly flinging back to throw more eggs. Hui Yin''s attention was immediately caught by the youth standing at the center of the group, his expression aloof. She felt that he was somehow simr to Lu Shen.


    "Wicked youngsters! Don''t you have anything better to do than to disturb other peoples'' homes?!"


    Old Meng Guang was particrly aggressive. She nearly tried to climb the gate while waving her broomstick, and a stray egg almost hit her face.


    Hui Yin covered her mouth and pretended not to see anything. In her heart, she was cheering for those students.


    It took half an hour before the youths went away. Hui Yin didn''t do any research about Beijing No. 4 High School, so she didn''t recognize their school uniforms. If she had, she would have recalled that it was the school Little Wuji and Baby Shang both attended. Unfortunately, Hui Yin didn''t manage to meet her two grown up little buns.


    After the brief sh from the ''troublemaker kids'' and the housemaids, everything became peaceful again as they busied themselves by cleaning up the usual mess.


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