Lu Chengwen hadn't expected a girl to take things this far.
Unbelievable!
Tears flowed from her eyes like a faucet on full blast; she called his father "Daddy" without hesitation, making Lu Guanghong beam with joy, practically trembling with excitement; and when talk of their engagement came up, she dropped to her knees and kowtowed without a hint of reluctance.
Her performance was so convincing that even Lu Chengwen started to wonder if he was the villain of some tragic drama.
Did I actually sleep with her and forget about it!?
Lu's mother, comforting the "heartbroken" Xu Xuejiao, took off her heirloom bracelet.
"Xuejiao, no matter what, I failed to raise Chengwen properly, and as his mother, I bear some responsibility."
"Mommy, please don't say that," Xu Xuejiao replied softly.
Lu's mother was instantly delighted. "Oh! Sweet child! Don't worry—from now on, I'll treat you like my own daughter. Honestly, your Uncle Lu and I always wanted a girl, but we ended up with two little devils instead."
"Mommy and Daddy are blessed people. Brother Lu is actually very ambitious."
"Hmph! Ambitious, sure, but what's the point when he treats you so poorly? It makes my blood boil! Here, take this bracelet—it was given to me by my mother-in-law. Now I'm passing it to you…"
"No, Mommy, I can't—it's too precious."
"Take it! It's from your mother." Lu's mother's eyes were practically sparkling with happiness.
Lu Chengwen panicked. "Mom, a red envelope would've been fine! That's the bracelet Grandma gave you!"
"I want to give it to her!" Lu's mother shot him a glare before turning back to Xu Xuejiao. "Keep it safe, dear. This is my heartfelt gift. The Lu family takes responsibility—we'll make sure you get the status you deserve."
"Thank you, Mommy!"
After a long, sappy exchange, Lu Chengwen was utterly defeated.
No way! I can't give up! I'll fight her to the end!
I refuse to believe I'll lose to this little schemer.
The two stepped out into the courtyard. Seeing no one around, Lu Chengwen noticed Xu Xuejiao admiring the bracelet with glee. He scowled and held out his hand. "Give it back."
"What!?"
"The bracelet! Stop playing dumb. You think you deserve it? How do you even have the nerve?"
"It's from Mommy—you have no right to take it."
"Stop calling her 'Mommy'! Who gave you permission to call her that? Hand over the bracelet!"
Lu Chengwen glared. "Are you giving it back or not?"
"You're bullying me again?"
"Cut the act!" Lu Chengwen snapped. "I've got you figured out—your heart's black as coal! How do you even say 'Daddy' and 'Mommy' without cringing? Don't you feel gross?"
"Nope! Daddy and Mommy are so good to me!"
"That's because you lied to them! I'm warning you, next time you see them, you'd better tell the truth, or I won't let you off! Give me the bracelet!"
"You're yelling at me again!?"
"I'm telling you, Xu Xuejiao, my patience has limits. Don't push me! You push me too far, and I'll slap you silly!"
Lu Chengwen raised his hand in a threatening gesture.
Xu Xuejiao wasn't fazed. She'd already sized him up—his tough talk was all bluster, a paper tiger. He'd never actually hit her.
But then her eyes caught Lu's parents approaching from behind him.
She quickly cried out, "Stop bullying me! I'm telling Daddy and Mommy!"
"Hey! 'Daddy and Mommy' again? That's my dad! You giving it back or not? I'll hit you!"
Lu's mother overheard. "Old Lu, is Chengwen bullying Xuejiao again?"
Lu Guanghong gritted his teeth. "That little punk!"
Xu Xuejiao saw them getting closer and suddenly clapped her hands together, making a loud slap. Then, with a pitiful expression, she covered her face as if she'd been struck.
"Brother Chengwen, don't hit me. Here's the bracelet. I didn't dare take it, but it's from an elder, and I didn't want to be rude by refusing…"
Lu Chengwen narrowed his eyes, snatching the bracelet with a smug smirk. "Smart move. Let me tell you, from now on—ow!"
From behind, Lu Guanghong grabbed his hair and started whacking him.
Xu Xuejiao nestled into Lu's mother's arms, sobbing again.
…
In the car, Lu Chengwen's hair was a mess, a bright red handprint stinging his face. He pouted, starting the engine with a look of utter grievance.
Xu Xuejiao lounged in the back seat, whistling and fiddling with her new bracelet. "Brother Chengwen, I think this bracelet looks great on me! See how it matches my skin tone?"
Lu Chengwen glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "Get lost!"
…
Long Aotian sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, channeling his energy to heal.
After a long while, he exhaled a turbid breath and slowly opened his eyes.
Hua Xuening asked nervously, "Young Master, how do you feel?"
Long Aotian's eyes burned with fury. "What do you think?"
Hua Xuening shook her head. "I don't know—that's why I'm asking."
Long Aotian grumbled, "That damn Tie Tuo Wang! Once I regain my full strength, I'll break every bone in his body and turn him into mush!"
Hua Xuening said, "Young Master, Lu Chengwen can't be spared either."
"Exactly."
Long Aotian continued, "That bastard dared to impersonate me, getting me beaten to a pulp!"
"Young Master, to be fair, it was Tie Tuo Wang who beat you, not Lu Chengwen. You swapped faces with him, which is why you got hit."
Long Aotian glared at her. "So you're blaming me now?"
"That's exactly what I think!"
He tried to sit up to argue but winced in pain, gasping.
"Young Master, don't move! I'll go kill Tie Tuo Wang to avenge you!"
"No." Long Aotian said, "The main issue is Lu Chengwen. This guy's somehow got Leng Qingqiu and Xu Xuejiao completely wrapped around his finger. He's a real threat!"
"So, Young Master, you mean…"
"Killing him is easy, but I need Leng Qingqiu and Xu Xuejiao's hearts."
Long Aotian added, "Has Shiyin arrived yet?"
"She'll be here today."
"Good! With Shiyin and that woman working together, I'll make Lu Chengwen's reputation collapse. I'll turn him into scum in Leng Qingqiu and Xu Xuejiao's eyes. Then I'll swoop in as the ultimate hero and win their hearts."
Sweating profusely, Long Aotian grinned menacingly. "Xuening, remember: conquering a city is inferior; conquering hearts is supreme. Taking a life is inferior; winning hearts is supreme. Once I've secured those two women, killing Lu Chengwen will be like squashing a dog!"
Hua Xuening said gravely, "Young Master, you've already complicated things. If you keep this up, I'm worried you'll get beaten to death next time."
"Who'd dare—ow, ow, ow, it hurts…"
…
Tie Tuo Wang answered a call from the strategist, a smile on his face.
"Strategist, it's all handled. The money's been transferred to the Young Master's company, and that guy opposing him? I beat him into next week!"
The strategist was silent for a long moment. "Get back here. Now. No stops."
"What's wrong? I can stay and protect the Young Master discreetly."
"No need. I'm not wasting words—come back. Immediately."
"Did something happen?"
The strategist took a deep breath. "The guy you beat—the one with over seventy broken bones—was the Young Master."
Tie Tuo Wang's brain short-circuited.
"No… no way! That was Lu Chengwen, not Young Master Long Aotian!"
"The Young Master and Lu Chengwen swapped faces, and you… Just shut up and get back here. One day late, and I'll kill you myself."
Tie Tuo Wang hung up, collapsing to the ground.
"How… how could this happen? I messed up again!?"
"Iron King, we'd better head back. This is big trouble."
Tie Tuo Wang stared at his subordinate. "Head back? After I beat the Young Master to a pulp? The strategist will skin me alive!"
The burly, iron-willed man shed tears of humiliation. "I… I really went all out beating him!"
"Yeah, you even jumped up to kick him."
"I was cursing him while I hit him!"
"You smashed four stools on him."
"I broke his bones, didn't I?"
"Oh, yeah. You knocked him out cold. Even if he's made of steel, it'll take a hundred days to recover."
"What do I do!? If this gets back to the sect, I'll be the ultimate, super-spiral idiot!"
"Don't worry about the gossip."
"Shut up!"
Tie Tuo Wang stood, grinding his teeth. "Lu Chengwen! I'll make you… no, wait, Long Aotian! I'll make you… no, that's not right either…"
He broke down. "Who am I supposed to curse!? This mess is frying my brain!"
…
Tang Yiyi, wearing a baseball cap, loose denim jacket, and short denim shorts that showed off her long, fair legs, glided on a skateboard. Her white-and-pink sneakers hit the ground as she executed a smooth stop, backpack slung over her shoulder. Spotting Lu Chengwen returning to his villa, talking to Zhao Gang, she smirked, grabbed her camera, and snapped a few shots.
Putting on sunglasses, she skated deeper into the villa complex. At a secluded spot, she tucked a recorder into her hair and tested the pinhole camera hidden in her jacket's button.
Then, pulling her denim hood up and checking that no one was around, she slipped into Lu Chengwen's villa courtyard.
After lurking for a bit, her phone vibrated. She pressed herself against a wall and whispered, "Hello?"
"Yiyi, got any evidence yet?"
"Working on it."
"Good! Lu Chengwen's a scumbag—that batch of drugs has to be connected to him. He's only out here playing the good guy because he can't cover it up anymore. We need to expose him, make him a pariah for the ages!"
"I know!" Tang Yiyi said, annoyed. "I'm working."
"Oh, and check why he's leading the shantytown project. There's got to be a scheme—maybe he's swindling the people's hard-earned money or skimming government funds. If we can uncover his dirty secrets, we'll bring this crooked businessman down and give Xuecheng a clear blue sky!"
"Yeah, yeah, anything else?"
"One more thing. Someone spotted him getting cozy with Xu Xuejiao, the Xu family's eldest daughter. He's engaged to Leng Qingqiu, so if he's messing around with Xu Xuejiao, that's another angle to hit him with!"
"Wait for my update."
Tang Yiyi suddenly saw Xu Xuejiao happily entering the villa courtyard.
"Got something. I'm on it."
Lowering her cap, Tang Yiyi muttered fiercely, "Lu Chengwen! I, Tang Yiyi, the righteous, brave, smart, and beautiful journalist, am your nemesis!"
"You've never left a trace, but I will expose your ugly, twisted, sinful, dark side!"
"I, Tang Yiyi, swear it!"
Inside his living room, Lu Chengwen sneezed. "Damn it, who's badmouthing me!?"
_
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