22 – Very good, woman, you have successfully piqued my interest.
A few days later, Lu Xiao Ning went to the largest library in Manchester to gather information and rebuild her database.
As she walked out of the library with her bag slung over her shoulder, a Rolls-Royce Phantom came to a smooth stop right in front of the library entrance.
Several martial arts experts stood beside the car.
Inside the car, a man held a cigar between his fingers, puffing away.
Lu Xiao Ning recognized the man immediately—it was Zongzheng Ting.
She quickened her steps, pretending not to see him.
But just as she descended a few steps, two assassins blocked her path.
Without a word, one of them grabbed Lu Xiao Ning by the neck, pinning her against the luxury car.
“Your Highness, we have her,” the assassin said emotionlessly.
Zongzheng Ting narrowed his eyes, extinguishing his cigar in the ashtray. “Sister-in-law, won’t you greet your Second Brother?”
“Sorry, my eyesight isn’t great. I couldn’t see you,” Lu Xiao Ning rolled her eyes.
Zongzheng Ting instantly grew furious. He reached out the window and pinched her cheek. “Woman, how dare you speak to me like that?”
“I don’t want anything to do with you!” Lu Xiao Ning twisted her neck away and glared at him.
Zongzheng Ting, still seething, sneered, “Very well, woman. You’ve successfully caught my interest.”
Lu Xiao Ning almost gagged. The cheesy line coming from his mouth lacked any sense of dominance—it was downright nauseating.
“Second Imperial Highness, what exactly do you want from me? If you have nothing important, tell your men to let me go. I’m busy and have no time to bicker with you!”
“You’re asking for death!” Zongzheng Ting’s eyes turned sinister. He pushed the car door open and yanked her inside. “Woman, my patience is limited. Don’t try to provoke me again and again!”
Lu Xiao Ning: “…”
She was about to lose her mind.
Not only was Zongzheng Ting a scumbag, but he was also mentally unstable!
Hadn’t he been the one bothering her all along?
Lu Xiao Ning didn’t want to be near him, so she scooted closer to the car door, brushing off the spot he had touched with a look of disgust.
Seeing this, Zongzheng Ting’s composure shattered.
He gave a cold laugh but didn’t force her further. Instead, he ordered the driver, “Drive!”
“Where are you taking me?” Lu Xiao Ning snapped at him.
Zongzheng Ting smirked arrogantly. “Scared now?”
“Scared of you? I already said I’m in a hurry. Can you not waste my time with your nonsense?”
“Woman, are you playing hard to get? In all of T Country, no woman can escape my grasp—including you.”
“Please, I’m Zong Zheng Ye’s wife, your sister-in-law. Can we stop daydreaming? I know I’m irresistible, but you don’t have to be so desperate for me.”
“You wretched woman!” Zongzheng Ting was so enraged that he raised his hand to slap her.
But Lu Xiao Ning was quicker. She lifted her hand and slapped him first.
The crisp sound of the slap startled the driver, who slammed on the brakes, nearly sending himself flying.
Zongzheng Ting was stunned. “You bitch! How dare you hit me?”
“That was self-defense. Are you saying only you can hit women, but I can’t fight back?”
“You bitch, still talking back!” Zongzheng Ting was so angry his mouth twisted. Covering his cheek, he raised his hand again, putting all his strength into another attempt to slap Lu Xiao Ning.
But Lu Xiao Ning was agile. She stayed still at first, waiting for Zongzheng Ting’s hand to come down, then swiftly dodged.
His hand landed squarely and heavily on the car door.
Bang!
The door was nearly smashed to pieces.
Zongzheng Ting immediately paled in pain, his hand trembling from the agony.
“You damn woman, you actually dared to dodge…” He was so furious he could spit blood, his voice trembling.
Lu Xiao Ning genuinely didn’t want to stay in the same confined space with this scumbag, breathing the same air as him—it made her stomach churn with disgust.
She wasn’t a fool. If she didn’t dodge, was she supposed to just wait to be hit?
This guy, Zongzheng Ting, was practically insulting her intelligence!
“Driver, open the door. I want to get out!”
“Driver, drive. Don’t let her out!”
Both of them were fierce, their voices carrying a lethal edge.
But the driver was, after all, Zongzheng Ting’s man. Knowing this master was not to be trifled with, he obediently stepped on the gas and started the car.
Zongzheng Ting, like a pervert, was initially furious, but gradually, the corners of his mouth lifted into a smirk.
Rubbing his sore palm, he glanced at Lu Xiao Ning with disdain. “Taking you somewhere. As the wife of Third Brother, it wouldn’t be right if you didn’t show up.”
“Is that so?” Lu Xiao Ning had zero interest.
She understood Zongzheng Ting’s personality—he wouldn’t give up until he achieved his goal.
So now, she calmed down instead, crossing her arms and leaning back in the seat to close her eyes and rest.
Beside her, Zongzheng Ting stared fixedly at Lu Xiao Ning, feeling both furious and itching with desire.
Did this lowly woman really think that just because she married Zong Zheng Ye, she could rest easy?
Whatever Zongzheng Ting wanted, even if it originally belonged to Zong Zheng Ye, he would snatch it away!
At this moment, Zongzheng Ting stared at Lu Xiao Ning as if appraising a plaything.
…
After a long drive, the car finally arrived at its destination and came to a stop.
Lu Xiao Ning jumped out of the car at the first opportunity, patted her chest, and took a long breath of fresh air.
The scent of Zongzheng Ting’s cologne—something she had loved in her past life—now felt pungent and irritating in this life.
Only after expelling the stale air from her lungs did she lift her gaze.
Before her stood a towering skyscraper that seemed to pierce the clouds, gleaming as if coated in gold.
Lu Xiao Ning recognized this building. It was the Regal Hotel, part of the royal family’s business empire, and also a place where she had once worked.
Standing 101 stories tall, the entire hotel reached a height of 345 meters. Among its features, the 300-meter-high sky restaurant offered the best views in all of Mànchéng.
Lu Xiao Ning felt suspicious. Why had Zongzheng Ting brought her here?
Before she could unravel her doubts, Zongzheng Ting had already approached her, forcibly wrapping his arm around her waist.
“Take your filthy hands off me!”
But Zongzheng Ting only held her tighter, even giving her waist a painful pinch.
The sharp ache immediately made Lu Xiao Ning frown.
“Shut up and come with me quietly.”
Zongzheng Ting wore a half-smirk as he guided Lu Xiao Ning toward the hotel.
Today, the hotel was different from usual.
Outside, a hundred-meter-long red carpet had been laid out, flanked on both sides by countless flower baskets.
The red carpet was strewn with colorful ribbons.
The ground was littered with the remnants of exploded firecrackers.
The smell of gunpowder from the firecrackers was thick in the air.
As soon as they entered the hotel, they saw rows of royal guards dressed in red uniforms lining both sides. Each stood solemn and imposing, holding long spears, ready for duty.
With the guards present, the vast hotel lobby felt eerily quiet.
At the hotel entrance, there was a security gate requiring facial recognition and a full-body infrared scan.
Zongzheng Ting stepped through the security gate, pulled an admission ticket from his pocket, and gestured to the person beside him. “My companion.”
The senior officer in charge nodded and made a gesture of invitation.
After undergoing a strict body search, Lu Xiao Ning followed Zongzheng Ting into the hotel.
As she walked, she surveyed her surroundings and noticed the entire hotel was eerily empty. Apart from guards and hotel staff, there were no other guests in sight.
It wasn’t until they took the elevator and arrived at the floor of the sky restaurant that the mystery was solved.
The moment the elevator doors opened, Lu Xiao Ning’s mouth fell open in astonishment, finally understanding what was going on.