A moment later, Wang Wu was the first to break the silence.
He stared at Lou Tingxue and said with firm resolve, “Young Master Lou, if we are to cooperate, it must be a 70-30 split!”
Lou Tingxue paid him no mind. Instead, he turned to look at Zhang San and Li Si, asking, “What about you two? Are you willing to go with a 50-50 split?”
Zhang San and Li Si exchanged a glance. They detested Wang Wu’s arrogance, but they were even more terrified of losing this business deal entirely.
Yesterday’s argument was still fresh in their minds. Wang Wu acted arbitrarily, pursued nothing but profit, and had always claimed the lion’s share. All the resentment and hatred they had harbored over the years surged to their hearts at this very moment.
Li Si bit his lip and was the first to speak: “I’m willing!”
Zhang San followed with a nod, his tone resolute: “I’m willing too!”
Lou Tingxue nodded slightly and smiled, saying, “Alright then, it’ll be you two.”
The moment these words were spoken, Wang Wu, standing off to the side, was dumbfounded.
Before he could say anything, however, Lou Tingxue turned to Zhu Dongfeng and said, “Boss Zhu, you can sign the contract with Boss Zhang and Boss Li today.”
Zhu Dongfeng smiled faintly. He pulled out the prepared contract from his robe and handed it to Zhang San and Li Si in front of everyone.
Standing to the side and watching this unfold, Wang Wu felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
He looked at Zhang San and Li Si in disbelief, then turned his gaze to Lou Tingxue and Zhu Dongfeng. His face flushed alternately between pale and green as he said, “You dare to kick me out?!”
Lou Tingxue turned to look at him, his tone indifferent: “Boss Wang, this was your own choice. You weren’t willing, but others were—so the deal is done.”
Wang Wu’s face turned ash-gray. He looked utterly disgraced, yet there was nothing he could do.
This time, he had truly lost!
After exiting Fan Building and boarding the carriage:
Zhu Dongfeng looked at Lou Tingxue with a faint, knowing smile and said, “Young Master Lou, yesterday I spoke of three people, but now there are only two. When do you plan to give me the third?”
Lou Tingxue glanced at the contract in his hands and said, “What’s the rush? As I said yesterday, it certainly won’t happen this year. Come back next year. Once Wang Wu sees how insanely lucrative this business is, he’ll agree to whatever terms you set next year, no matter what.”
Zhu Dongfeng let out a chuckle and replied, “I had no idea Young Master Lou possessed such deep scheming. It almost makes me feel ashamed of my own shortcomings.”
Lou Tingxue looked at him and said, “You are the wealthiest merchant under the heavens, while I am penniless and rely on you to support me. So the one who should feel ashamed certainly isn’t you.”
Zhu Dongfeng laughed aloud, his voice clear and hearty.
He leaned slightly closer to Lou Tingxue. When he spoke again, his voice had turned low and raspy: “If you are willing, I wouldn’t mind supporting you for the rest of your life.”
Such heavily suggestive words caused Lou Tingxue to freeze on the spot.
His brow furrowed tightly. It took a long time before he stiffly turned his head to look at Zhu Dongfeng. This man was indeed exceptionally handsome—the most handsome person he had ever seen. But no matter how handsome Zhu Dongfeng was, it wouldn’t do!
Lou Tingxue hastily shifted a large distance away and said, “I’m straight. I’m not marrying a man!”
The smile at the corner of Zhu Dongfeng’s lips faded slightly as he asked, “Speaking of which, what exactly does the term ‘straight’ in Young Master Lou’s vocabulary mean? I’ve pondered it for days, yet I still haven’t been able to figure it out. Perhaps it’s just my own ignorance.”
Lou Tingxue replied, “A straight man is a man who only likes women. So Boss Zhu, stop eyeing me. There is absolutely no possibility between us!”
At these words, the two fell into a brief standoff.
Zhu Dongfeng broke the tension with a smile and said, “If Young Master Lou insists, there’s nothing I can do. Thank you for your intervention today; otherwise, I wouldn’t know how long it would have taken to settle this business deal.”
Having been startled by Zhu Dongfeng’s earlier gesture, Lou Tingxue blurted out what was truly on his mind without reservation: “If Boss Zhu wants to thank me, why not set sail on the Wanshi Vessel a bit earlier and send me back to Great Liang?”
Zhu Dongfeng remained silent for a moment before replying, “Very well. Whatever Young Master Lou requests, I shall fulfill your wish.”
Only then did Lou Tingxue breathe a sigh of relief.
Fifteen days later, the Wanshi Vessel docked.
Lou Tingxue stood on the deck, holding his packed bundle containing merely a few changes of clothes and some dry rations.
Yet the moment he turned around, he caught sight of Zhu Dongfeng.
Clad in a moon-white embroidered robe and fanning himself with a folding fan, the man had his usual smile resting in his eyes and brows. It was impossible to tell how long he had been standing there watching him.
Having interacted with him for so long, Lou Tingxue naturally knew his true nature.
On ordinary days, this man smiled with gentle elegance, yet deep in his eyes hid an indescribable cunning. He was a deeply calculating person—someone with whom one should never become deeply involved!
Lou Tingxue got straight to the point: “Boss Zhu, thank you for taking care of me these past days. I will surely repay you in the future. The Wanshi Vessel has docked, and I shall be taking my leave now.”
Yet Zhu Dongfeng acted as if he hadn’t understood.
He slowly folded his fan, tilted his head in feigned confusion, and said, “What is Young Master Lou talking about? Where are you setting off to?”
“You promised me before that you would let me leave! Why are you going back on your word now?!” Lou Tingxue felt as if struck by lightning, staring at Zhu Dongfeng in utter disbelief, appalled by the man’s shamelessness!
“Did I say that? How come I don’t remember?” Zhu Dongfeng took two steps forward, lightly tapping the fan against his palm, his smile deepening slightly.
His tone was light, laced with deliberate play-acting: “Young Master Lou heard wrong. I only said you could travel along with the Wanshi Vessel, but I never said I would let you leave.”
Lou Tingxue’s expression darkened instantly.
He glared at Zhu Dongfeng’s smiling face, his heart pounding wildly with rage!
It was happening again! Zhu Dongfeng had lied to him again! What a shameless bastard!
“I don’t care! I’m leaving!” Driven mad by anger, Lou Tingxue clutched his bundle and walked away briskly.
However, just as he brushed past Zhu Dongfeng, a sharp pain shot through his wrist, as if it were about to be snapped, and his entire body was yanked back.
Lou Tingxue looked up at Zhu Dongfeng in sheer disbelief.
He saw Zhu Dongfeng’s face shrouded in shadow, looking cold and somber, his narrow eyes cast down, staring at him almost condescendingly.
Previously, they had always talked while seated, so Lou Tingxue assumed they were of similar height. He hadn’t expected that up close, Zhu Dongfeng was so much taller than him! His shadow completely enveloped him, instilling a faint sense of dread…
“Be good and don’t wander off, otherwise…” Zhu Dongfeng trailed off, leaving the threat unspoken.
“Otherwise what?” Lou Tingxue thought he was threatening him.
Yet Zhu Dongfeng released his grip and even gently rubbed Lou Tingxue’s red and swollen wrist, seemingly with a trace of heartache.
“Young Master Lou, please stay. Great Liang is currently in turmoil. If you stay here, the Master can protect you,” Yu Wei said, hurrying over from nowhere.
Lou Tingxue turned his head and saw that the deck was filled with people.
They completely blocked the exit—it seemed he wouldn’t be able to leave no matter what!
Curse you, Zhu Dongfeng!
Lou Tingxue gritted his teeth in fury, yet for the moment, he dared not voice his anger.
The brief clash just now made him realize that if he went head-to-head with Zhu Dongfeng right now, he wouldn’t gain the slightest advantage. It was better to swallow this bitter pill for now and make plans later.
Satisfied with his current expression, Zhu Dongfeng couldn’t help but chuckle. Changing the subject, he said, “Young Master Lou, you really are too naive.”
Lou Tingxue glared at him coldly, his fingertips clutching the bundle turning pale from anger.
Zhu Dongfeng stepped forward, took the bundle from his hands, and added, “Don’t look at me like that, as if I’m some villain of monstrous proportions.”
Aren’t you?
Lou Tingxue’s eyes looked as if they were about to spout fire.
Zhu Dongfeng smiled faintly and said, “Young Master Lou, when I said ‘naive’ just now, to put it plainly, I meant foolish. With you being so sincere and trusting others so easily, how can you ever do business? The human heart in this world has never been simple.”
Lou Tingxue was born into a merchant family, so he naturally understood that human hearts were complex. Yet he still believed that maintaining sincerity was of paramount importance.
Along this journey, although he had his own selfish motives, he had mostly treated Zhu Dongfeng with a sincere heart. Yet Zhu Dongfeng had never reciprocated in kind and had even mocked his sincerity without restraint.
How truly despicable.
However, Lou Tingxue understood clearly that he had no room to resist, and he had finally seen Zhu Dongfeng’s true colors.
Zhu Dongfeng was no gentle and elegant noble gentleman, nor was he a loyal and righteous friend. He was a cold, selfish merchant obsessed with calculation, whose eyes saw only profit, possessing neither sincerity nor a shred of credibility.
He might appear kind and approachable on the surface, but those were merely tactics he used to manipulate people. The world was full of fools he toyed with in the palm of his hand.
And Lou Tingxue was no exception.
Watching him tremble with rage yet rendered entirely helpless, Zhu Dongfeng laughed even more merrily.
He tossed the bundle to Yu Wei, then snapped his folding fan open with a flick of his wrist. Turning to leave, he said, “Young Master Lou, stop thinking about leaving. Stay obediently by my side and learn a thing or two about how to do business.”
Lou Tingxue was furious, yet a bone-deep clarity washed over him: in the future, he must never believe a single word out of Zhu Dongfeng’s mouth!
After that day, Lou Tingxue was confined.
Zhu Dongfeng owned a Fan Building in Great Liang—also known as the Prosperous Building—whose layout and furnishings were identical to the Fan Building in Great Zhou. Their entire party took up residence inside this building in Great Liang.
No matter what Lou Tingxue did, someone was always watching him, making it impossible for him to step outside.
Half a month passed like this. Lou Tingxue witnessed the constant hustle and bustle of the Prosperous Building, as well as its boundless grandeur. During this period, he acted obediently, doing whatever Zhu Dongfeng asked of him, to the point that others assumed he had accepted his fate.
But Lou Tingxue was not someone resigned to fate.
It so happened that one day, the Prosperous Building suddenly erupted with noise and commotion.
Lou Tingxue heard people coming and going outside early in the morning. He pushed open the door, wanting to see what was happening, but was stopped the very next moment by Yu Wei, who was guarding the door.
“Young Master, an influential merchant is visiting today. The Master wants you to stay in your room and refrain from wandering around,” Yu Wei advised.
Lou Tingxue’s mind raced, realizing that this was a golden opportunity to escape.
Framing his brow into a slight frown, he put on a pained expression and said pitifully, “But it’s so noisy outside. I can’t even get a bit of sleep.”