Chen Mengyao’s gaze dropped slightly. Through the misty droplets clinging to her long lashes, she clearly saw what Lu Chen was holding. It was the contract she had desperately searched for in the trash bin! She had clearly thrown it away—so how was it in his hands?
As if her secret had been laid bare, Chen Mengyao’s pale face flushed with embarrassment. She shook her head, pressing her pink lips together, and glanced aside guiltily. Trying to sound calm, she said, “You’ve misunderstood. I was looking for something else, not this.”
Indeed, the thought had crossed her mind. But since she had not yet made that phone call, everything remained hidden within her heart, unknown to anyone. Now that the person involved had witnessed it with his own eyes, how could she admit it? Especially when she looked so disheveled—there was no way she could acknowledge it.
“Oh?” Lu Chen raised an eyebrow, studying the stubborn girl with interest. The corner of his lips curved as he asked faintly, “Then what were you looking for?”
Chen Mengyao’s face grew redder, but she still refused to yield. “I… I…” After stammering for a long while, she finally snapped, “What I was looking for has nothing to do with you.”
“Oh? So I really misunderstood you.” Lu Chen chuckled softly, his expression feigning sudden realization. Then, without hesitation, he tore the contract in his hand into two pieces. “Since you weren’t looking for this, then it doesn’t need to exist anymore.”
Chen Mengyao stiffened. Her lips parted as if to speak, but when her eyes met his pitch-black gaze, her words caught in her throat. Even her breath seemed to stop. His expression was far too calm—so calm it carried faint pity and mockery. Those dark, deep eyes held nothing but indifference, as if her embarrassment and panic weren’t worth a single glance. In his eyes, she was like a lowly ant, utterly insignificant.
“Thank you for holding the umbrella for me.”
Her heart in chaos, Chen Mengyao hastily wiped the water from her face. Taking a deep breath, she stood up slowly. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll leave now.” She turned around, picked up her umbrella, and without looking back, rushed into the curtain of rain toward the bus stop. Her mother had just finished surgery, and Xiao Ning hadn’t eaten yet—she couldn’t be away for too long.
But before she could take more than two steps, a slender hand suddenly grabbed her arm. A familiar yet foreign masculine aura enveloped her, and Chen Mengyao froze. She instinctively struggled, “Let go of me!”
Lu Chen smiled faintly, his eyes sweeping over her before leaning closer and murmuring, “You look far too disheveled like this. You’ll need to tidy yourself up before going to the hospital, don’t you think?”
Chen Mengyao’s face went rigid. “How do you know?” She widened her beautiful eyes in panic, instinctively stepping back, desperate to put distance between them.
Lu Chen did not forcefully restrain her. Instead, he let go. Yet, in her haste to pull away, Chen Mengyao lost her balance and fell onto the wet grass with a thud. Pain shot through her body, and she gasped sharply, her delicate brows furrowing as she looked pitiful and vulnerable. Find the original chapter at novelping . com.
“You… you’re bullying me!” she cried, holding her sore hip. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she glared at Lu Chen, full of grievance and anger.
Lu Chen chuckled and crouched slightly, looking down at her. His voice carried a trace of teasing mockery. “When your mother wakes up and sees you in this miserable state, she’ll feel heartbroken, won’t she?”
Chen Mengyao ignored the pain in her body and his bullying, instead blurting nervously, “Who… who told you?” If Lu Chen had a grasp on her every move, that would be terrifying.
Lu Chen shrugged casually. “I have shares in the hospital you went to.”
Chen Mengyao was left speechless.
“It’s possible that the operating room your mother is in was even built with my investment,” he added nonchalantly, the faintest smile on his lips.
Her heart jolted violently. Every word he spoke felt like it was probing her most fragile nerves.
“You mustn’t… don’t do anything bad… I beg you…” Her voice trembled with a hint of pleading. Though she tried to stay calm, her delicate body quivered, betraying her fear.
Lu Chen’s gaze lingered on her pale face and tense posture. A faint darkness flashed in his eyes as his smile gradually faded. His voice turned cold. “Do you think I would do such a thing?”
“I… I don’t know…” Chen Mengyao’s voice was barely audible.
Lu Chen said indifferently, “I may not be a gentleman, but I also disdain petty acts like scheming in the dark or stabbing people in the back. Rest assured, your mother will be fine.”
“In fact, there was no need for all this. That contract—you probably haven’t even read it yet. I assure you, there’s nothing filthy in it like you imagine.” With a faint sigh, Lu Chen bent down, picked up the umbrella from the ground, and handed it to her. His tone softened slightly, carrying a trace of concern. “Come. I’ll take you to clean up first, then I’ll send you to the hospital.”
Chen Mengyao bit her lip, mustering her courage to meet his eyes. Determination and stubbornness shone in her gaze. “Thank you, but there’s no need to trouble you.”
Without giving her a choice, Lu Chen grabbed her slender wrist and pulled her up from the grass. His sudden, rough action hurt her wrist, but she clenched her teeth and endured without a sound.
“Let’s go,” Lu Chen said flatly, walking straight toward a luxurious business car parked nearby. This time he was traveling discreetly. He hadn’t brought his sports car or a group of bodyguards—just his Steward as the driver.
Chen Mengyao was dragged along helplessly, her lashes lowered to conceal the complicated emotions in her eyes. When Lu Chen opened the car door and gestured for her to get in, she stubbornly shook her head and stood her ground.
Lu Chen narrowed his eyes. “Do you want me to carry you in?”
Chen Mengyao pressed her lips together and lowered her head, whispering, “I’m too dirty.” She had just rummaged through the trash bin and sat on the muddy grass. Her clothes were filthy, even she felt disgusted.
Lu Chen, however, didn’t mind at all. He smiled faintly. “It doesn’t matter. Get in.”
She hesitated for a moment, but to avoid the embarrassment of being carried, she finally moved her long legs and stepped inside.
The moment she sat down, Lu Chen followed and closed the door, taking the seat beside her.
Chen Mengyao’s body stiffened instantly. Although the car was spacious enough that they could sit apart without crossing into each other’s space, she still felt unsafe. Her heart raced nervously, and she instinctively shifted to the side, putting a little distance between them.
At that moment, the Steward started the engine, and the car sped quickly away.