Lin Ting winced as Ji Yunzhen’s grip on her wrist dug into her skin. She let out a small, pained breath:
“Ow…”
Ji Yunzhen immediately loosened his hold. He had been too anxious just now, not paying attention to his strength.
The two of them sat in the car in silence.
Lin Ting had already stopped crying, her emotions returning to normal.
Ji Yunzhen recalled what Lu Hesheng had said earlier and asked at the right moment,
“Lin Ting, do you know President Lu?”
Lin Ting answered simply, “He’s a senior in my program. That suit jacket? He lent it to me when I got caught in the rain.”
Ji Yunzhen nodded, hiding the flicker of doubt in his eyes.
Rumor had it that Lu Hesheng was always aloof and distant, keeping boundaries with everyone. Lending someone a jacket out of kindness? It didn’t sound like him at all.
Still, Ji Yunzhen didn’t press the matter further.
Back in the dorm, Lin Ting saw a message from Ji Yunzhen:
Ji Yunzhen: I’ll be going on business trips to Europe from time to time in the second half of the year.
If you meet that Lu senior of yours next time, make sure to greet him and maintain a good relationship.
Mention my name as well.
Attached was a transfer note: “Eat something nice at school.”
Lin Ting only read the part about the business trips, and inexplicably, her mood lightened considerably.
She quickly replied: “Okay.”
Meanwhile, in the southern part of the city, a row of bars hummed with life.
Lu Hesheng’s orange Lamborghini roared into view, impossible to ignore.
Girls dressed scantily at the entrance batted their eyes at him, but he didn’t glance once. With his sharp side profile, he strode directly into a private booth on the second floor.
The booth was open, overlooking the stage on the first floor.
Shen Xiao noticed and teased,
“Well, look who decided to show up.”
He’d thought Lu Hesheng would have gone home after the gala. He hadn’t expected him to work the crowd here too—truly a model worker!
Lu Hesheng handed him an empty glass. “Pour me something strong.”
Shen Xiao obliged, glancing at the brooding expression on Lu Hesheng’s face.
Just moments ago, at the charity gala, he’d been generous and seemingly cheerful; now, he looked like the weight of the world rested on him.
No one knew what had triggered his mood.
Lu Hesheng downed several glasses of whiskey in a row.
Leaning against the booth, his white shirt unbuttoned at a few spots, his usually cold black eyes glimmered with liquid light.
Shen Xiao knew his drinking tolerance was high and casually went down to the dance floor.
Nearby, some people playing mahjong noticed him and, thinking he was drunk, tried to win some money off him. They invited him with great enthusiasm.
“Lu, want to play a few rounds?”
Lu Hesheng waved them off, uninterested.
He moved to the terrace, watching the show below with a bored expression, planning to clear his head with some fresh air.
The bass from the DJ on the first floor shook the building.
Yet, as always, a few particularly loud voices stood out like rat droppings falling from the sky.
Apparently, some girl had thought she was loved, only to realize the man had been playing around. She turned on him furiously, dragging her friends into the fray:
“Lin Zhaoye! Do you have any shame at all?! #*%÷&^:@.!!!?”
Lin Zhaoye shouted back, irritated,
“Shut up! All of you, get lost!”
“I don’t like your type anymore. Why keep pestering me?”
“Think you’re so refined? That bag you’re carrying—didn’t I buy it for you?”
Lu Hesheng didn’t like to meddle. He was about to walk past, expression blank.
But a few of the guy’s friends swarmed around, flattering him:
“Ye, ignore those girls! They’re boring. Try a ‘good girl’ next time.”
Lin Zhaoye raised an eyebrow. “Good girl? Like my sister?”
“Appears cold and untouchable, but behind the scenes, who knows—”
Lu Hesheng’s heart skipped a beat. Damn. He couldn’t stand hearing the term good girl, especially in this insulting context.
Suddenly, someone tapped Lin Zhaoye on the back.
He turned, but before he could finish, a fist smashed into his face.
Lin Zhaoye tried to dodge, but the punch was too fast, too fierce.
He cursed violently, “What the hell?! Who are you? Why are you hitting me?”
“Do you even know who I am? Break me, and can you afford it?”
He kept saying “I,” thinking he was intimidating—but he was just a small-time punk.
Lu Hesheng glared at him, unimpressed.
“I’m hitting you.”
He had been irritated all evening. Finally, he found an outlet.
Lin Zhaoye’s temper flared immediately.
Not someone to back down, he charged. But this fight was one-sided—Lu Hesheng had all the skill and took precise aim at sensitive spots, each strike carrying the weight of his suppressed anger.
The onlookers were stunned. None dared intervene:
“Stop! Stop! Come on, calm down!”
“This isn’t going to kill him, right?”
“What are you waiting for? Call his sister!!!”
“Yes! Yes! Call Lin Ting!”
Some in the crowd recognized Lu Hesheng and turned pale. They wanted to stop the fight but were held back by bodyguards.
Shen Xiao and Nan Jiyun received word from the bar manager and rushed over. They assessed the situation and exchanged a glance, choosing not to intervene.
It had been a long time since Lu Hesheng had been this furious.
The idiot on the floor had clearly crossed an unspoken line.
Lin Zhaoye lay on the ground, every part of him in pain, feeling as if his bones were about to crumble.
Hiding his arrogance, he tried to appease Lu Hesheng,
“Brother… handsome man… can we talk this out?”
“P-please… stop! You have family too, right?”
“I have elders and children! Hitting me won’t do you any good…”
Lu Hesheng crouched down, patting his swollen face, voice calm but warning:
“From now on, don’t ever insult a girl casually again. Understand?”
“This beating… is a lesson for your sister.”