Chapter 155: Deep Affection Cannot Be Retained, But Routines Can Win People's Hearts!
Shen Anyu found it amusing.
He looked at Su Hongmian, whose cheeks were puffed out in stubborn refusal, and chuckled softly. His voice echoed slightly in the metal shaft.
"What kind of relationship do we have? We're an old married couple; why are you still so polite with me?"
"Who's being polite? Who's an old married couple with you? I haven't even agreed to marry you yet! I'm not polite at all!"
Su Hongmian became stubborn, her beautiful eyes glaring at Shen Anyu. But underneath the anger, there was a flicker of genuine fear—not for herself, but for him.
She pushed his hands away.
"You go out first! Then pull me out! If I go out, the weight distribution might shift, and you'll fall!"
She thought to herself, 'If I go out first, how will Shen Anyu get out? He is heavy. Who will pull him up? Liu Mi? That weak vixen can't lift a bag of rice!'
Above, Liu Mi's voice drifted down, laced with provocation.
"Su Hongmian~ Are you scared? Linlin and I aren't scared. Are you the only one who can't handle a little height? Or are you just trying to stay alone with Brother Shen?"
Jiang Linlin's gentle, timid voice also rang out, trying to be helpful but adding fuel to the fire. "Sister Su, it's okay, I won't laugh at you~ Just give me your hand!"
Su Hongmian stomped her foot (gently). "Liu Mi! Who's scared? I'm not scared at all! I am the Eldest Miss!"
At this point, Su Hongmian rolled her eyes at Shen Anyu, though it had no real impact in the dim light. Then she suddenly whispered, her voice dropping to a vulnerable softness that only he could hear:
"If I go out first... how will you get out? It's dangerous."
Shen Anyu was a little surprised. He raised an eyebrow.
'This Tsundere Young Miss... is actually worried about me?'
He chuckled softly, reaching out to stroke her cheek. "Don't worry, silly girl. I can get out; you don't need to worry about your man. I am invincible."
"I'm not worried about you! Don't be narcissistic!"
Su Hongmian huffed, turning her face away to hide the redness.
Shen Anyu smiled slightly. He didn't argue.
"Up you go."
He grabbed Su Hongmian's long, slender waist—feeling the warmth through the fabric—and lifted her up in one swift motion.
"Ah!"
Su Hongmian gasped as her feet left the floor. She was hoisted towards the opening of light.
"Sister Su! Quickly reach out! We'll pull you!"
Jiang Linlin, squatting on the sixth floor, reached out her small hand enthusiastically. Liu Mi did the same, though her expression was more calculating.
A hint of anticipation and joy flickered in Su Hongmian's eyes. She reached out towards the light. She was finally about to escape this dangerous, enclosed, dark elevator car.
However, she didn't notice the mischievous, devilish smile that flashed in Shen Anyu's eyes below her.
'Goodbye, safety.'
Boom!
Just as Su Hongmian's fingers were inches away from Jiang Linlin's...
Shen Anyu's eyes glowed silver in the dark.
[Skill Activated: God-level Telekinesis]
An invisible blade of psychic force slashed upwards.
SNAP!
It directly destroyed the elevator's emergency anti-fall safety device—the clamps that were holding them to the rails.
"No..."
The elevator shuddered violently.
"Ah!!!"
In the despairing gazes of Jiang Linlin and Liu Mi, they watched helplessly as the elevator car—and the man and woman inside it—plummeted downwards into the abyss.
One second, Su Hongmian was there. The next, she was swallowed by darkness.
"No! Brother Shen! Sister Su!"
"Don't let anything happen to you..."
At this moment, Jiang Linlin's eyes were filled with tears. Her world collapsed. Even in front of Liu Mi, she could no longer suppress the emotions in her heart.
"I have to save him!"
She frantically stood up and ran towards the emergency staircase, her footsteps thumping loudly on the concrete.
"No... no... nothing will happen... absolutely nothing will happen..."
Liu Mi watched this scene in a daze, her face pale as a sheet.
Seeing Jiang Linlin go downstairs, she also followed, her high heels clicking frantically. Her heart burned with anxiety so intense it felt like physical pain.
Although she had many little tricks, schemes, and ambitions to vie for his affection... her feelings for Shen Anyu were not feigned in the slightest.
He was her choice. Her investment. Her love. She had long regarded Shen Anyu as the one for her entire life.
"Brother Shen! Don't die! Please don't die!"
She ran down the stairs, ignoring the risk of tripping.
"As long as you can live... Mi Mi will agree to anything you ask! I won't fight with Su Hongmian anymore! I'll be good! You must live..."
Tears flowed like broken pearls down Liu Mi's cheeks, ruining her perfect makeup.
She naturally understood Shen Anyu's intentions in the past—the teasing, the harem games. She had wanted to play hard to get, not letting Shen Anyu succeed so quickly, at least until she confirmed her status as the Main Wife.
But now? Seeing Shen Anyu's fate unknown?
Liu Mi's mind was blank. All schemes vanished. Only one thought remained: I want him alive.
...
Meanwhile, inside the falling metal box.
"My sin, my sin... I scared them too much! I'll have to make it up to them later with extra gifts..."
Shen Anyu extended his [God-level Telekinesis], sensing the burning anxiety of Jiang Linlin and Liu Mi radiating from above. He felt a pang of guilt, but it was quickly overshadowed by the thrill of the plan.
At this very moment, the entire elevator car was in freefall.
It plummeted directly from the fifth floor to the first floor basement.
Whoosh!
The sensation of weightlessness was terrifying. The wind roared outside the shaft.
But inside?
Shen Anyu moved faster than gravity.
He pulled Su Hongmian—who was screaming in terror—tightly into his embrace. He wrapped his arms around her like iron bands, shielding her head and spine.
[Skill Activated: God-Level Telekinesis - Cushioning Field]
An invisible bubble of force surrounded them, negating the inertia.
CRASH!
The elevator hit the bottom springs. The impact was immense. The aluminum alloy elevator car twisted and groaned, metal screeching against metal. Dust exploded everywhere.
But Shen Anyu, of course, was not dead.
With his [God-Level Steel Body], he absorbed the shockwave through his legs, grounding it harmlessly.
And Su Hongmian? She was also perfectly fine. She was suspended in his arms, protected by his body and his mind. She didn't even feel the jolt.
The dust settled. The elevator was a wreck, tilted at an angle.
"Cough, cough..."
Shen Anyu quickly bit into a small packet of "special prop" he had prepared beforehand—a capsule of edible red dye mixed with tomato paste.
He crushed it in his mouth.
"Mianmian... are you... are you okay?"
Under the dim light of his phone, which had fallen to the floor but was still working, Shen Anyu looked up.
Red liquid trickled down his chin, dripping onto his white shirt, creating a shocking visual contrast. His face was deliberately pale (controlled by muscle relaxation).
He looked at Su Hongmian with concern, his voice weak and raspy.
Su Hongmian opened her eyes slowly. She was trembling uncontrollably.
She saw the wreckage around them. Then she saw him.
Shen Anyu's handsome face was pale and bloodless. Blood was at the corner of his mouth. Yet, he was still looking at her with anxious concern, checking her for injuries, as if she were the most precious treasure in the world and his own life didn't matter.
"Brother Shen!"
Su Hongmian's heart stopped.
"Mianmian is fine! Mianmian is fine! But you... you are bleeding!"
Her hands shook as she touched his face.
"How are you? Don't scare me! Brother Shen! Wake up! Mianmian can't lose you..."
Shen Anyu deliberately coughed again.
Cough!
He spat out a mouthful of "blood" onto the floor. He wiped it away casually with the back of his hand, forcing a weak smile.
He looked at Su Hongmian with tender, loving eyes and said softly:
"As long as you're okay... I'm fine. A little blood... is nothing."
"Wuwuwu..."
Su Hongmian broke down completely.
She immediately threw herself into Shen Anyu's arms, burying her face in his chest, sobbing uncontrollably. Tears streamed down her face, mixing with the dust.
She hadn't expected this.
She thought he was a playboy. She thought he was just teasing her.
But in the face of death... even while severely injured... Shen Anyu's first concern was her. His thoughts were entirely on her safety. He used his body as a shield!
"He loves me. He really loves me more than his life."
All the previous jealousy towards Liu Mi, all the grievances about his fickleness, all the tsundere pride... instantly vanished.
They were replaced by a heart full of overwhelming love, guilt, and concern. The Iceberg melted into a flood.
[Ding! Detected Destined Heroine Su Hongmian's favorability +1!]
[Ding! Detected Destined Heroine Su Hongmian's total favorability has reached 100 (Max)!]
[Ding! Plundering +300,000 Destiny Value!]
[Ding! Detected Destined Heroine Su Hongmian's favorability is full! Triggering Cashback Reward...]
...
Shen Anyu gently patted Su Hongmian's back, comforting her softly as she cried. A slight, victorious smile played on his lips, hidden in her hair.
'Done.'
This was within his expectations!
Su Hongmian was the first Destined Heroine Shen Anyu had targeted, but her favorability had long been stuck at 99. That last point was the hardest.
Such a woman—proud, rich, independent—could not be won with power or wealth. She had both.
Only true affection—or the illusion of a life-and-death sacrifice—could break her final defense.
'Since ancient times, deep affection doesn't last; only routines (tricks) win people's hearts. Even Liu Bei threw his son to win a general's loyalty. I just threw an elevator.'
This time, the trick indeed succeeded perfectly.
"Brother Shen... don't..."
Just then, Su Hongmian noticed something. She felt a change in Shen Anyu's breathing.
She looked up and saw Shen Anyu's fervent gaze burning into her. It wasn't the gaze of a dying man. It was the gaze of a hungry wolf.
Her small face flushed crimson.
"Brother Shen... you're spitting blood... you're seriously injured and need treatment as soon as possible! We need to call an ambulance!"
She tried to get up, but he held her tight.
"If... if you want..." she stammered, misinterpreting his intensity as a dying wish.
"After you recover... Mianmian will agree to anything. No more fighting. No more jealousy. Mianmian's whole being is yours."
Shen Anyu raised an eyebrow. The "blood" on his lips made him look like a vampire prince.
"Really? You'll agree to anything I ask? Even if it's unreasonable?"
Su Hongmian was worried about Shen Anyu's body and wasn't thinking about any tricks. She nodded vigorously, tears flying.
"Yes! Anything! Just live!"
She agreed wholeheartedly.
But how could Shen Anyu let go of such a great opportunity? Especially since he wasn't injured at all?
The phone's flashlight illuminated the damaged, tilted elevator car, casting long shadows. It created a strange, enclosed, intimate world just for the two of them.
Shen Anyu helped Su Hongmian sit up. He leaned back against the crumpled metal wall.
He lowered his head, bringing his face inches from hers. He looked tenderly at Su Hongmian's dodging beautiful eyes.
"Mianmian... you are truly beautiful when you cry for me."
Inside the dim, damaged elevator car, Shen Anyu's eyes were so bright, shining like stars in the abyss.
Su Hongmian felt flustered by his gaze. Her heart raced, not from fear anymore, but from something else.
"Brother Shen..."
"I don't need a doctor, Mianmian. I need you."
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