Lu Zhengting had left the hotel alone, and now he was leaving the Paradise Club alone. The night was deep and quiet, with fewer and fewer people on the sidewalk. He had drunk a little but wasn't drunk. As he strode toward his parked car, he suddenly felt someone following him. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he frowned. Just as he unlocked the car, he saw a group of people rushing toward him from behind.
His expression turned grim and murderous. One of them charged forward, gripping a very sharp knife, and swung it down at him. Lu Zhengting quickly leaped back to dodge the attack, but more people followed closely behind. His brow furrowed tightly, and his sharp gaze carried a killing intent as he stared down those approaching him.
With agile movements, Lu Zhengting broke free from the encirclement, dashed into his car, and started the engine. The car shot off with a whoosh. Watching through the rearview mirror as he shook off his pursuers, he drove back to the hotel. Ke Yaru, who had been waiting for his return, rushed out of her room the moment she heard the commotion.
Ke Yaru stared in shock at Lu Zhengting's blood-soaked back. She instinctively covered her mouth with her hand, unable to believe her eyes. "Zhengting, your back..."
Hearing this, Lu Zhengting frowned. He walked into the room and collapsed onto the sofa. Seeing this, Ke Yaru hurried over to him in a panic. Upon closer inspection, she noticed a wound on his arm as well. She gasped sharply and immediately called for a doctor, urging him to come at once.
When the doctor arrived, Ning Xi came along too. If anything happened to the only son of the Lu family in Beicheng, the old man would skin him alive. Seeing the two wounds on Lu Zhengting's body, his expression turned serious. The uneven depth of the wounds suggested they weren't the work of a professional killer.
The doctor nervously treated Lu Zhengting's injuries, gave a few instructions, and then left the hotel.
From the moment Lu Zhengting returned covered in wounds, Ke Yaru's heart had been hanging in the air, pounding erratically. Now, her worried gaze fell on his pale face. She found herself almost greedy for this version of him—at least he wasn't being cold and harsh.
Ning Nan received a call from Ning Xi and rushed to Lu Zhengting's room with Xu Su. As the three met, Ning Xi thoughtfully glanced at the two, whose atmosphere seemed odd. He eyed the wound at the corner of Ning Nan's mouth but said nothing, pondering for a few seconds.
It was Ning Nan who broke the silence first. "Lu Zhengting was ambushed?"
"Yeah, I've already sent people to investigate who arranged the ambush." Ning Xi replied expressionlessly.
"Third brother, not many people know Lu Zhengting is in Beicheng. He doesn't have many enemies here either. I think you should focus your investigation there. By the way, does the old man know about this?"
"I don't dare to tell him."
Ning Nan nodded and sat down nearby. "Don't tell the old man for now. Everything was normal when we left."
Xu Su also immediately sent people to investigate. Phone calls rang one after another. When Ning Xi and Xu Su hung up, both wore grave and serious expressions. Ning Nan grew anxious and quickly said, "Spill it, don't all go silent."
Ning Nan and Xu Su exchanged a glance. Xu Su spoke calmly, "The people who attacked Lu Zhengting weren't professional killers. They were criminals brought out of prison..."
Ning Nan thought for a moment. "They must have been watching Lu Zhengting since his first day in Beicheng. They struck today because they happened to catch him without bodyguards."
"So that means they're in the dark, and we're in the light? And it was a premeditated move?" Ning Nan frowned, then added, "Any suspects?"
"Not for now." Ning Nan and Xu Su answered in unison.
Seeing this, Ning Xi blinked and propped his chin on his hand. "I'll have this investigated as quickly as possible. Lu Zhengting's injuries are just superficial; he'll be fine after some rest. For now, why don't you two explain what's going on between you?"
"Nothing." Ning Nan said nonchalantly.
Ning Xi didn't believe it and snorted. "Second brother, then how did you get that wound on your mouth?"
"...Show some respect, call me Second Brother!"
Xu Su was always a man of few words. Ning Nan changed the subject, and Ning Xi didn't dwell on it—after all, he could guess, couldn't he?
In his view, the road ahead for these two was long, maybe even endless.
At a suburban villa in Beicheng.
Yang Jinkuan glared fiercely at the man standing before him and said coldly, "Did you do what I told you?"
"He's injured."
"Injured?" Yang Jinkuan rubbed the spot where Lu Zhengting had forced him to sever his finger. The wound had long healed, but he remembered the pain of losing that finger. He wasn't about to let this go easily, especially since Lu Zhengting had been secretly orchestrating the acquisition of his companies.
After a pause, Yang Jinkuan added, "Injured is fine. Clean this up."
"Mr. Yang, rest assured, this won't trace back to us."
Yang Jinkuan grunted in acknowledgment, then shifted the topic. "Tell them to jack up the price of Runyi Company."
"Runyi Company isn't in a good state right now. Raising the price might..."
"Barring any surprises, Runyi Company will be Lu Zhengting's next target for acquisition." Yang Jinkuan cut him off, casting a cold glance at the man who wanted to speak further. "Just do as I say."
******
Jiangcheng.
Xia Yan was still sound asleep when she got a call from the company telling her to go on a business trip immediately. After hanging up, she almost sighed to the heavens. So much for her vacation—it was all a lie!
She listlessly got up to pack. When she asked over the phone how long the trip would last, she only got a vague "it depends." Seriously, was this a joke?
Sitting alone in the airport lounge, she realized she wasn't dreaming. Just yesterday, she'd spent the whole day with Xiaohan at the amusement park, and now her entire body ached with exhaustion.
She was the only one sent on this sudden business trip. The destination was Beicheng, and the task was still unclear...
When it was time to board, Xia Yan slowly made her way to the gate. She fell asleep as soon as she got on the plane and didn't wake up until the flight attendant called her. In the blink of an eye, she had gone from Jiangcheng to Beicheng.
In the Beicheng arrival hall, Xia Yan appeared tired, dragging her luggage and yawning. As she looked for the person picking her up, she suddenly spotted Ning Nan in the crowd, wearing sunglasses. Confused, she walked over. "What's going on?"
Ning Nan smiled without answering, took her suitcase from her hand, and slung an arm over her shoulder, swaggering through the crowd. Xu Su, who was with them, let out a light cough. Xia Yan turned back to look at him, puzzled. "What's wrong with him?"
"He has a cold. He's not the point. Starting now, you have a very tough mission."
Hearing this, Xia Yan looked at Ning Nan seriously. "How tough?"
"Very tough!"
At that, Xia Yan pouted. Seeing Ning Nan's mischievous grin, she felt a bit uneasy. "Can I refuse?"
"No!"
"Maybe I should just go back to Jiangcheng now." As she spoke, she reached for her suitcase and turned to leave without a second thought.
Ning Nan laughed cheerfully, his eyes curving with a hint of slyness. He reached out and hooked a finger into her collar. "Too late. Just accept your fate."
"..." Xia Yan felt like she'd fallen into a trap!
Xu Su drove, and Ning Nan wanted to sit in the back with Xia Yan, but one sharp look from Xu Su made him obediently take the passenger seat. Xia Yan was anxious the whole way, her right eye twitching nonstop, making her heart race.
Beicheng International Hotel.
Ning Nan led Xia Yan straight to Lu Zhengting's room, familiar with the way. With a click, the door opened, and Xia Yan followed him inside. It was a presidential suite. She passed through the living room and entered the bedroom, where she vaguely heard a very familiar voice.
"Xia Yan, come in. It's not like you don't know him."
Hearing this, Xia Yan's face darkened. She walked in slowly and saw the man lying on the bed, staring at her expressionlessly. She felt like there was nowhere to hide. She smoothed her wind-tousled hair and pressed her lips together. "Mr. Lu."
Seeing this, Ning Nan sneaked up to Lu Zhengting and whispered, "Satisfied?"
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Even though Ning Nan's voice was low, Xia Yan could still make it out. She raised her voice, gritting her teeth. "Falsifying orders gets you beaten!"
Ning Nan raised an eyebrow at the fuming Xia Yan, then turned back to Lu Zhengting. "I'm asking you, are you satisfied with my arrangement?"
Just as Xia Yan thought Lu Zhengting would stay silent, he suddenly spoke. "Very satisfied."
Xia Yan was furious; Ning Nan was smug.
Ning Nan hummed a tune as he walked over to Xia Yan and said leisurely, "This is your turf now. I have a schedule to keep, so I'm off."
"Ning Nan, you... are really something." Xia Yan said through clenched teeth.
Xu Su left the hotel with Ning Nan, leaving only Xia Yan and the injured Lu Zhengting in the suite. The air grew awkward. Xia Yan stood by the bed, at a loss, staring at the man still lying there. "Why are you just sitting on the bed?"
Lu Zhengting didn't answer. Instead, he extended his uninjured hand and lightly patted the empty space beside him on the bed.
Under his clear, deep gaze that lingered on her for a long time, Xia Yan's face flushed slightly. Lu Zhengting's eyes seemed to hold some kind of magic—like an unfathomable ocean or a starry night sky. She was inexplicably drawn in and unconsciously walked over to sit on the edge of the bed where he had indicated.
Just then, the sound of high heels clicking echoed from the living room. Xia Yan was startled and jumped aside, inadvertently pulling at Lu Zhengting's wound.