Сhapter 22: Shе Is Мy Buddhа, Whoevеr Dаrеs Тоuсh Hеr Shаll Diе
A dim уellоw light hung on the dilарidatеd wall.
Fliсkеring stаrlike shаdоws faintlу sрillеd оvеr him.
Тhе half-light, hаlf-shadоw оutlined the man’s refinеd and еlegаnt hаndsоmе facе.
His hands wеrе саsuallу tuckеd into his trousеr росkеts, and his рhoenix еуеs bеhind thе lenses loоkеd dоwn at him with аn alоof gazе.
Just this оnе сalm, unruffled stаrе made Сhen Bin fееl thе сhill arоund him grоw even more piercing.
Нis eуеs widеnеd in tеrror, аnd his previouslу arrоgant tоngue instаntly stuttered, “I-Is… is that you!?”
“Click.”
The faint sound of a lighter opening and closing was especially clear in the quiet alley.
One of his subordinates respectfully bent forward, handing him a cigar lit with a spark. “Third Master Cen, please.”
Cen Zhou held the cigar, taking a slow, unhurried puff.
His gaze fell leisurely on the man’s right hand as pale blue smoke elegantly and lazily drifted from his lips.
His tone, tinged with tobacco, sounded gentle and low. “It was this hand that touched her, right?”
What…?
Before Chen Bin could react, he saw the seemingly gentle and refined man before him curve his lips into a faint smile.
Then, with elegant grace, he lifted his foot and stomped down with brutal, heavy force on the right hand that had just grabbed the girl’s wrist.
“Ah—!!!”
Excruciating pain shot through the crushed area. The man’s face twisted in agony as he let out a piercing scream.
Cen Zhou held the cigar between his fingers, his polished leather shoe grinding into Chen Bin’s right hand.
He lowered his gaze, watching with interest the pained expression of the man beneath his foot. His tone remained gentle, and even the corners of his eyes carried a harmless smile. “Comfortable?”
Chen Bin trembled all over.
His eyes stared at him with even greater terror.
The man before him still wore the clean, dignified black shirt, with refined gold-rimmed glasses perched on the bridge of his nose—just as proper and elegant as when he had seen him in the bar earlier.
No!
It wasn’t the same!
It was completely different now!
Back then, when he stood beside that girl, his gaze toward him had been cold but without killing intent.
But now, with that girl absent, it was as if he had shed that disguise, leaving behind nothing but a chilling, bloodthirsty brutality.
He resembled an Asura risen from hell.
The lives and deaths of others meant nothing to him.
“What the hell are you, you piece of shit? Let go of me right now, I—”
Wait…
Just now, he seemed to have heard someone call him Third Master Cen…
Could it be…!
Chen Bin’s eyes suddenly widened, the rest of his words stuck in his throat, his greasy face turning even paler.
Could it be that this man wasn’t some posturing pretty boy at all?
But rather Cen Zhou, the head of the Cen family, who commanded awe in the capital’s circles and wielded immense power!
His lips trembled, and his back was already drenched in cold sweat.
At his lowly level, he couldn’t even come close to touching someone like Cen Zhou—a financial magnate standing at the pinnacle of the pyramid, let alone have the chance to see his true face in person.
It felt as if invisible hands were tightening around his neck. Chen Bin felt waves of suffocating dread.
He finally realized he had offended a figure whom the entire Yun Capital feared.
Ignoring the intense pain in his hand, he struggled desperately, trying to crawl toward the exit in a pathetic state. “H-Help… help!”
Before he could crawl even a step, he was suddenly yanked up by the collar.
“Thud—”
His body was dragged helplessly across the cement ground, and the head held by the other man was slammed with brutal force against the solid wall behind him.”She is the treasure I have cherished for a long time, the one I have always held carefully in my heart and treasured dearly. Even I can’t bear to touch her with too much force. How dare someone like you…”
Cen Zhou grabbed his head, his profile shrouded in dim light, his eyes bursting with a terrifyingly intense and sinister ferocity. “A piece of trash not even worth garbage dares to lay a hand on her!”
“Bang—”
“Bang—”
“Bang—”
The entire alley echoed with one chilling collision after another, along with desperate, pleading cries for mercy.
“Please…”
Chen Bin’s vision was already blurred by blood, his throat emitting a hoarse groan of pain. “Spare me…”
Cen Zhou released his grip expressionlessly.
Sliding weakly down the wall, through the haze of blood, Chen Bin saw the impeccably dressed, dignified man step toward him.
Despair drained the color from his face even further.
Finally, his gaze fell on the string of Prayer Beads worn around the man’s wrist. Like clutching at a lifeline, he hurriedly cried out, “You… you believe in Buddhism! You cannot take a life!”
Hearing this, Cen Zhou raised an eyebrow, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips.
“My Buddha is her.”
He crouched down leisurely, elegantly pressing the cigar held between his fingers bit by bit into the wound on Chen Bin’s hand.
Behind the gold-rimmed glasses, his phoenix eyes gleamed with dangerous intensity, his aura erupting with overwhelming force. “Whoever dares to touch my Buddha, I will make sure they die!”
Another sharp cry of pain echoed through the alley.
Then, silence quickly fell.
Cen Zhou glanced at the man who had already fainted from the pain, disdainfully extinguishing the cigar butt in his hand and tossing it aside. “Clean this up.”
“Keep it quiet. Don’t startle her.” He stood up, taking the handkerchief handed to him by a subordinate nearby and meticulously wiping his hands clean.
The subordinate nodded respectfully. “Yes, Third Master Cen.”
Just as they were preparing to carry out their tasks with professional efficiency, a low, magnetic voice suddenly spoke up. “Wait.”
Cen Zhou adjusted his collar, glancing at them and asking unexpectedly, “Is my collar messy? Are my sleeves dirty? Does my expression look normal?”
The subordinates: ?
The three consecutive questions left the entire group of elites dumbfounded.
Wait…
The first two were fairly normal.
But what on earth was the last one???
They stared at the man meticulously inspecting his appearance.
For a moment, it was hard to believe that this was the same ruthless and merciless Third Master Cen from just moments ago.
But adhering to the principle that the boss is the sky and the earth,
even though they were filled with questions and silent complaints, they dared not voice them aloud. Instead, they nodded vigorously. “Not messy, not dirty, looks normal.”
Cen Zhou glanced at them again. “Are you sure?”
He had lost control of his emotions earlier and needed to calm down quickly. He couldn’t let his Little Lamb detect even the slightest hint of anything amiss.
So he had to be thorough to feel at ease.
The subordinates nodded vigorously once more, each giving a firm thumbs-up. “Sure.”
After checking several times, Cen Zhou finally felt reassured and turned to walk toward the exit.
They stared blankly at the man’s retreating figure, each with a red exclamation mark hovering over their heads.
Suddenly caring so much about his appearance…
It seemed Third Master Cen’s mating season had truly arrived.
Outside the bar.
Xu Kang stood guard in front of the car like a dutiful golden retriever watching over the home, his back straight.
Seeing Cen Zhou approach, he immediately reported in a low voice, “President Cen, Miss Qiao fell asleep waiting for you.””Mhm.” Cen Zhou gently opened the car door.
The sleeping girl rested quietly and softly against the seat inside the car.
Her beautiful, dewy eyes were peacefully closed, her chest rising and falling gently with each breath.
Her rosy lips were slightly parted, like a silent invitation, tempting one to plunder and ravage them fiercely.
Cen Zhou’s grip on the car handle tightened abruptly.
The composure he had just regained minutes earlier was instantly undone.
Xu Kang, standing behind him, had already tactfully turned away and walked to the side.
“Little fairy.”
Cen Zhou gently caressed her red lips, slowly leaning down, his gaze burning, his lowered voice husky and thick with desire. “Your brother has finished teaching the bad guys a lesson. Can I collect a little reward?”