Сhарter 17: Not Lovе аt First Sight, But a Lоng-Plannеd Sсhеmе
Тhе man wоrе аn alоof, dаrk shirt that eхudеd restrаined dеsirе, its сollаr slightlу oреn tо rеvеаl hаlf of аn eхquisitеly curved cоllarbоne.
А lеаthеr armband оf the samе соlоr cinсhed his аrm, its muscular linеs tаut аnd роwerful.
Тhe warm, hazу light оf thе рrivаte room fеll uроn the gоld-rimmed glаsses pеrсhеd оn his high nose bridgе, сasting an аura of аsсеtiсism mixеd with а roguish, irresistible charm.
He lеanеd bасk in his сhаir, long lеgs crossed, his wrist rеsting cаsuallу on thе armrest as he lightly swirled a wine glass in his fingers, his entire being radiating an unapproachable indifference.
“What’s gotten into you tonight?”
Pei Shu, holding a pool cue beside him, shot him a glance and raised an eyebrow. “Such low energy—are you feeling unsatisfied?”
“Want me to call a few girls up? Guaranteed to lift your mood right—”
Before he could finish, the other man’s cold eyes suddenly lifted, his gaze sharp and imposing as it bore down on him.
Pei Shu: !
He clicked his tongue lightly and raised his hands in a nonchalant gesture. “Alright, alright, you don’t like this topic. Let’s change it then.”
“Actually, there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you for a while.”
Pei Shu’s gaze shifted slightly, landing on the high-quality prayer beads adorning the man’s wrist, still feeling astonished. “I remember when I first met you, you didn’t wear stuff like this. When did you get into religion? No way—someone with zero conscience like you actually believes in Buddhism?”
Cen Zhou idly swirled the wine in his hand.
A faint smile touched his thin lips. “To curb desire.”
Pei Shu: ?
“Cut the act!”
He rolled his eyes in exasperation.
“I heard you played the hero not long ago and saved a young lady who came from Hong Kong.”
Leaning lazily against the pool table behind him, Pei Shu chuckled teasingly. “Bro, don’t keep it to yourself. Which young heiress finally managed to set your old house on fire?”
Cen Zhou’s hand, swirling the wine glass, stilled.
He lifted his eyelids slightly, his tone indifferent and unreadable. “Are you interested in her?”
The question was asked lightly, but the atmosphere instantly plummeted to freezing point.
As if, should he carelessly nod or crack a joke, even friendship would offer no leniency.
Pei Shu: ?
Wow!
He’s this protective already?
“No way, Cen Zhou.”
Pei Shu straightened up with a laugh, casually picking up some chalk to rub on the cue tip. “Don’t tell me you fell in love with that girl at first sight? Damn, bro, I never took you for a pure romance warrior.”
Just as his words fell, Cen Zhou let out a lazy, soft laugh. “No.”
Pei Shu raised an eyebrow, unsurprised.
Right.
He thought so too.
Someone like Cen Zhou, who fought his way out of the Cen Family—a battlefield akin to the struggle for the throne among nine princes—and secured his position as the head, was undoubtedly ruthless, cunning, and unfeeling.
How could something as cliché as love at first sight, only seen in TV dramas, happen to him?
If it really did, he’d write his name backward without hesitation!
Just as Pei Shu bent over, pool cue in hand, ready to strike the red ball ahead—
That deep, magnetic voice slowly sounded from behind him.
“Not love at first sight.”
“But a long-planned scheme.”
Whoosh—
The man standing bent over the pool table jolted violently, nearly flying forward along with the cue.
“Ouch! My precious waist!”Pei Shu clutched his waist, which had just been strained, wincing in pain as he turned around, his eyes wide with shock. “The wind was too loud just now, I didn’t hear clearly. Could you repeat what you just said?”
Cen Zhou raised the wine glass in his hand, elegantly bringing it to his lips. After taking a sip, he met the other’s stunned expression head-on, his tone utterly frank and unapologetic. “It means exactly what you think.”
Pei Shu: “………”
Clatter.
His cue stick fell to the ground.
Oh my god!
No way…
As if struck by lightning, he stood frozen in place, his face a mask of bewilderment, as if questioning his own existence and surroundings.
In a flash of realization, he suddenly thought of something and sharply drew in a breath.
“Holy… holy shit!”
Pei Shu looked up in disbelief, his lips trembling as he stared at him. “Don’t tell me… the unrequited love you’ve held for ten years is that young girl!?”
As the heir to the Pei Family, one of the top-tier wealthy families in the capital’s elite circles, his relationship with Cen Zhou wasn’t bad. He had heard before that Cen Zhou had always carried a torch for someone in his heart. But regarding this person, there had never been any information—no name, no appearance, no background—everything remained unknown. Over time, he lost interest in probing further, treating it as nothing more than a joke among friends and never taking it seriously.
But who would have thought… it was actually true!!!
Pei Shu rubbed his throbbing temples, looking as though his entire worldview had been shattered, his voice trembling slightly. “I heard that girl is only nineteen… holy shit, wait!”
Pei Shu clutched his chest, taking another deep breath. He pointed an accusing finger at the man sitting lazily before him, his voice nearly piercing through the ceiling. “No way!!! Don’t tell me you already had your eyes on her back then! You’re a beast, aren’t you?!”
The man being accused remained composed and aloof, his phoenix eyes, hidden behind gold-rimmed glasses, deep as the ocean. Meeting the other’s reproachful gaze, Cen Zhou curved his lips slightly, his expression calm and unflinching. “I am.”
From the moment he first laid eyes on her, he had wanted to be a beast.
Pei Shu: “……..”
Cen Zhou set down his wine glass, his deep voice resonating softly in the dimly lit surroundings. “Otherwise, what do you think I struggled so hard to climb to the top for?”
To rise from the status of an illegitimate child, hidden from the light, to become the head of the capital’s elite families in a treacherous place like the Cen Family—one could only imagine the unimaginable hardships and perseverance behind it. Everyone assumed he did it all for power. Little did they know that every step he took was solely to gain the confidence to one day claim the girl he had dreamed of day and night as his own.
Pei Shu stood there, mouth agape in shock. He wanted to say something, but in the end, he just raised a thumbs-up. “You’re something else. You’re absolutely incredible.”
He had thought that as a playboy who only sought physical pleasure without emotional attachment, he was already less than human. But he never expected that Cen Zhou, the man known as the “Ascetic Buddha” and revered as the Third Master of the Cen Family, would be even less human than him—coveting a child, no less!
Pei Shu stared at the prayer beads on his wrist, feeling even more speechless. He couldn’t help but scoff lightly. “I mean, why are you still wearing this thing? If you’re not even acting human anymore, what’s the point of abstaining from desire? You’re disrespecting Buddha like this—aren’t you afraid of divine retribution?”
Hearing this, Cen Zhou raised an eyebrow slightly.”I am indeed abstaining from desire.”
He leisurely twisted the prayer beads on his wrist, his handsome face composed and reserved, yet a turbulent tide surged in the depths of his dark eyes. “I fear that if my desire runs too wild, it might scare her away.”