Zhao Nige returned to the booth and offered Guan Chu a smile.
Guan Chu immediately apologized for his friend’s rudeness, offering an explanation.
“He’s always been stiff and awkward, and he’s spent so much time in the military that he rarely interacts with women. Please forgive any improper remarks he may have made. I apologize on his behalf.”
It was clear that Guan Chu and Lu Yanling were close; his words were laced with a protective tone.
“It’s fine,” Zhao Nige said with a graceful smile. “I didn’t take it to heart.”
“Good,” Guan Chu breathed, visibly relieved.
A moment later, Lu Yanling returned from the restroom.
His expression was impassive, his stride confident. As he walked past Zhao Nige, who was seated sideways, the hem of his military-style trench coat brushed against her calf. She glanced sideways, catching only a glimpse of his black combat boots and the long, powerful legs they encased.
After returning to his seat, Lu Yanling didn’t spare Zhao Nige another glance. He picked up his steak knife with a cool detachment and began to methodically slice the ribeye on his plate.
Seeing this, Guan Chu felt even more relieved. He had been worried his friend would say something else intimidating to Miss Nige. After all, this aloof, detached demeanor was Lu Yanling’s true nature.
Guan Chu paid Lu Yanling no more attention, turning his focus to chatting with Zhao Nige.
“When I was in Australia,” he said, “I saw a rare insectivorous plant found only in parts of Queensland. It’s uniquely shaped like a tree-kangaroo’s face, which is how it got its name. I even collected a specimen to preserve. I’ll have to show it to you sometime.”
Zhao Nige took a sip of her red wine. “You’ve been to Australia? Did you see the kangaroo paw? It’s a plant unique to Australia.”
Guan Chu’s interest was instantly piqued. He launched into an enthusiastic account of his time there, his eyes lighting up as he spoke about his favorite plants. Soon, the conversation drifted from Australia to the Americas. Zhao Nige listened without a hint of impatience, occasionally chiming in with a comment that spurred him on.
Waiters glided past the booth, their trays held steady, their footsteps silent. In the background, a Schubert piano piece played, filling the restaurant with an air of classical elegance.
The atmosphere at the table was relaxed and pleasant.
Lu Yanling methodically sliced his steak, listening to the conversation in silence. A trace of a sneer touched his lips.
Just two weeks ago, at this very restaurant, this woman’s target had been him. Now, in a mere dozen days, she had switched to his best friend.
The most ridiculous part was that he was still sitting here, watching her flirt with Guan Chu with a radiant smile.
Lu Yanling set down his steak knife and dabbed his lips with a napkin. He stood up. “I’m done. I’m leaving.”
“Hey, wait!” Guan Chu cut off his own story and grabbed Lu Yanling’s arm. “You drove here. Could you give Miss Nige a ride back to the Art Troupe?”
Lu Yanling stopped in his tracks.
He turned his head slightly and glanced at Zhao Nige. “I think Miss Zhao can manage without my help.”
Zhao Nige had also finished her meal. She hadn’t come here to eat in the first place.
She set down her wine glass with unhurried grace, picked up her clutch, and rose to her feet.
“I have a rehearsal at two,” she told Guan Chu. “I really do need to get back.”
Then she turned to Lu Yanling, her eyes shimmering. “I’ll have to trouble you for a ride, Mr. Lu.”
Lu Yanling stared at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable, before turning and walking toward the exit.
***
Guan Chu had gone to the front desk to settle the bill, and the signing process was taking a moment.
Zhao Nige didn’t wait for him. She walked straight out of the restaurant.
Lu Yanling strode ahead. Hearing the woman’s footsteps behind him, he stopped by his SUV.
“Eldest Young Master Lu, I just remembered something,” Zhao Nige said, feigning sudden realization.
“The last time I left your car, I noticed my lipstick was missing. Did I leave it in your car?”
“Is that so?” Lu Yanling’s tone was icy. “I didn’t notice.”
“Then you’ll have to help me find it.” Zhao Nige glanced at the SUV’s passenger seat, her gaze suggesting it might be tucked away in some corner of the vehicle.
She circled him halfway, a playful smile on her lips. “Once you find it, Eldest Young Master Lu can return it to me next time.”
Lu Yanling sneered. He took two sharp steps toward her, his piercing gaze and imposing stature exuding a menacing aura. “Even if I found it, I’d throw it away like trash.”
Zhao Nige met his gaze.
For some reason, she felt a surge of anger beneath his calm expression.
She raised an eyebrow, about to speak, when Guan Chu emerged after paying the bill.
Lu Yanling saw Guan Chu’s appearance. Suddenly, he grabbed Zhao Nige’s wrist and pulled her toward the curb.
What the hell is he doing? Zhao Nige wondered.
Did I go too far? Zhao Nige wondered. Lu Yanling’s expression was dark, and the look on his face was downright terrifying.
“What are you doing?”
“Let me go!”
She hammered her fists against his arm, her voice a mixture of complaint and feigned coquettishness. “Lu, who gave you permission to touch me? Are you trying to take advantage of me—”
The man stopped abruptly. Stumbling in her high heels, Zhao Nige crashed straight into his rock-hard chest.
“Ouch…” She clutched her smarting nose, her eyes misting as she glared up at him. “Did you do that on purpose?”
Lu Yanling looked down at her, his gaze devoid of warmth.
His eyes shifted from her glistening ones to her wrist. He’d only used a fraction of his strength, yet his fingers had left distinct red marks on her creamy skin. The thin layer of white flesh revealed fragile veins, making it seem as if he could snap her wrist with just a little more pressure.
He tightened his lips and coldly released her, clasping his hands behind his back.
He stopped by the curb and hailed a taxi. After sliding a bill from his wallet and handing it to the driver, he instructed him to take the woman behind him to the Art Troupe Theater.
Then he turned and gestured for Zhao Nige to enter the car.
“After you, Miss Zhao.”
***
If Zhao Nige’s glare could have materialized into blades, Lu Yanling would have been riddled with them.
Gritting her teeth, she forced a smile. “Thank you,” she said, the words dripping with insincerity.
Then, with a graceful bend of her waist, she slid into the taxi. Even now, she maintained her proud, elegant poise.
Once inside, she turned her head, her almond-shaped eyes sweeping up to meet the man’s gaze. “Eldest Young Master Lu, we will meet again.”
Lu Yanling remained impassive. With a swift motion, he slammed the car door shut in her face.
By the time Guan Chu caught up, the taxi was already pulling away.
“How could you let Miss Nige take a cab?” Guan Chu demanded, his voice laced with frustration.
Lu Yanling’s lips were a thin line as he checked his watch. He had only two hours, and an hour and a half had already been wasted. To make it back to the base by two o’clock, he would have to drive a hundred miles in the remaining thirty minutes.
Guan Chu continued to mutter his complaints. “If I’d known this would happen, I should have asked Shaoyu for help instead of you. At least he wouldn’t have pissed her off.”
Lu Yanling unfastened his cufflinks, trying to shake off the lingering sensation of her smooth skin against his palm. He turned to Guan Chu. “How long have you known her?”
“Three days.”
Three days?
Lu Yanling did the math. That meant Guan Chu had only met her the day he’d run into her in the hospital hallway while visiting Uncle Guan.
What a cunning woman, he thought. To have Guan Chu this infatuated after only three days…
Lu Yanling pinched the bridge of his nose. Seeing his friend’s disappointed expression, he tried to hold back but ultimately couldn’t resist. “She’s not right for you. Stay away from her.”
Guan Chu looked at him in astonishment. “How do you know?”
Lu Yanling pressed his lips into a thin line. How was he supposed to explain this? Was he really going to tell his friend that in just the last two weeks, he’d seen no fewer than three men fawning over her? And Guan Chu was simply the third.
While Lu Yanling remained silent, Guan Chu continued. “She’s the first girl who has ever shown admiration for my career choice. She didn’t look down on me just because I spend all my time with plants and flowers.”
In today’s society, whether in China or abroad, people only revered absolute power and wealth. Men, especially, were expected to have a respectable and prestigious profession. For someone like him—born into a military family yet choosing to study botany—even his own parents disapproved.
But he had found respect in Miss Nige.
Talking to her always felt like finding a kindred spirit. No matter what he said, she understood. Wasn’t this exactly what he’d been looking for in a partner?
Moreover, Miss Nige was so stunningly beautiful. His desire to pursue her was more than justified.
Lu Yanling’s brow furrowed as he listened. The irritation in his chest intensified. Finally, he shot his friend a deep, piercing look and said, “If you’re so sure you can win her over, then go right ahead.”
***
Zhao Nige sat in the car and rubbed her wrist.
She took several deep breaths before she could suppress the anger boiling in her chest.
That bastard Lu… how dare he treat me like that!
“Hiss… it hurts…”
She looked down. Her wrist, where he had squeezed it, was already red. Her skin was naturally pale and smooth as mutton-fat jade, without a single visible pore. The imprint of the man’s large hand was stark and obvious, looking like a bruise from abuse.
Cursing Lu under her breath, Zhao Nige used the car seat as cover to open her System Panel.
When she saw the points still stubbornly frozen at ninety, she leaned back and squeezed her eyes shut, screaming internally, You bastard!
You took advantage of me and didn’t even give me a single point?
How dare you ruin a plan I spent days meticulously preparing!
The car pulled up in front of the Art Troupe building, and Zhao Nige stormed out, her high heels clicking sharply on the pavement.
Just you wait. Next time I see you, I’ll tear you apart piece by piece.
Fuming with humiliation and rage, Zhao Nige now resembled the White Bone Demon, determined to devour Tang Sanzang’s flesh.
Benefactor Lu, you’d better just surrender to me.