The next second, a display screen projected into the air.
The screen thoughtfully split into left and right panels.
Left panel: Ji Yanli led a large team searching for her in the pouring rain, practically turning the capital upside down.
Right panel: In the rain, Lu Junyue elegantly held a black umbrella while waiting for Han Ming to lead the search centered around the hotel.
Then.
Their vehicles confronted each other head-on.
Under the torrential rain, blinding headlights illuminated both sides.
Lu Junyue and Ji Yanli stood facing each other, black umbrellas in hand.
Their gazes collided in the rain, sparking invisible tension.
Ji Yanli: “Lu Junyue, if anything happens to Shen Zhiyi, I will personally kill you.”
Lu Junyue curled his lips sarcastically: “Ji Yanli, have you ever heard the saying—delayed affection is cheaper than grass?”
The crowds of suit bodyguards behind them simultaneously lowered their heads.
As tensions escalated, Han Ming and Jiang Cheng received phone calls at the same time.
Immediately, they returned to Lu Junyue and Ji Yanli’s sides, reporting in hushed tones.
“President Ji, we’ve found Miss Shen.”
“President Lu, we’ve found your wife.”
…
Shen Zhiyi removed her facial mask and rose from the bathtub.
Lu Junyue had been searching for her in the rain for nearly two hours—that should be enough.
Calculating the time for Lu Junyue’s arrival, she took the elevator downstairs.
Just as she stepped out of the hotel, suddenly, an unlicensed van stopped in front of her.
Then, everything went black before Shen Zhiyi’s eyes as she was forcibly dragged into the vehicle.
The moment she opened her eyes, a sharp knife was pressed against her neck.
The system marveled: 【Host darling, the actors you hired are so professional! Later, according to our plan, Lu Junyue will heroically rescue you, then we’ll weakly collapse into his arms—the Heartbeat Value will skyrocket!】
Shen Zhiyi shattered the system’s fantasy: 【They’re not actors I hired. They’re real enemies】
The next second, the system’s scream echoed in her mind: 【What?! Were we set up? The Heartbeat Value for conquering Lu Junyue is only 9! And we’re already encountering real enemies! Will he come to save you?】
【He will.】
That lunatic Lu Junyue possessed absolute possessiveness over his people and belongings.
And she was nominally his wife, privately his bed partner.
He would never allow others to lay a finger on her, even if she was kidnapped.
…
In the rainy night.
On the opposite lane, a Rolls-Royce and a Maybach simultaneously passed by the unlicensed black vehicle.
Ji Yanli’s Maybach drove straight past, heading directly for the seven-star hotel.
Inside the Rolls-Royce, Lu Junyue seemed to sense something. He looked up just in time to see an unlicensed black vehicle speeding by.
“Turn around. Follow that car.”
Han Ming immediately swung the steering wheel, pursuing the unlicensed black vehicle.
Lu Junyue’s car and license plate were both extremely conspicuous—impossible to miss.
The unlicensed black vehicle also noticed Lu Junyue chasing them.
“Heh, he’s following? Perfect opportunity to take him out then.”
The unlicensed black vehicle and the Rolls-Royce came to a stop one after another in a dead end.
Han Ming got out of the car, holding an umbrella beside the car door.
The Rolls-Royce door slowly opened.
Lu Junyue stepped out, brushed his sleeves, and looked up to see five well-trained assassins emerging from the unlicensed black vehicle.
The leader held a knife to Shen Zhiyi’s throat.
“Lu Junyue, if you want your woman safe, trade your own life for hers! Otherwise, we’ll kill her!”
“…”
Lu Junyue narrowed his eyes, his gaze colder than the rain falling on the assassin’s knife-wielding hand.
That hand resting on Shen Zhiyi’s snow-white neck looked utterly offensive.
How I’d love… to chop that hand off myself.
“Perfect timing—I’ve been wanting to get rid of this troublesome wife too. If you’re going to act, do it quickly.”
“?”
The assassins exchanged bewildered glances. What kind of response was this?
Seizing their momentary confusion, Shen Zhiyi abruptly threw a sharp elbow strike backward.
Crack—the sound of snapping ribs echoed through the air.
Breaking free from the restraint, Shen Zhiyi dashed through the rain toward Lu Junyue ahead.
Through the rain-blurred vision, she saw Lu Junyue standing beneath an umbrella raise his pistol, aiming directly at her!
Bang—
The moment the bullet was fired, Shen Zhiyi felt as if even her own heartbeat had vanished.
Until—
The bullet grazed past her hair, striking the assassin who had drawn his gun behind her.
Only when she threw herself into Lu Junyue’s embrace did Shen Zhiyi hear her heartbeat again.
Gritting her teeth, she cursed inwardly: [Madman!]
Lu Junyue held her close, hearing her silent curse. Instead of anger, his lips curved slightly as he offered rare praise.
“Not entirely foolish. You live up to the title of Mrs. Lu.”
She could read his intentions and had the courage to elbow the assassin in such circumstances—she had indeed impressed him.
Shen Zhiyi: “…”
Why did she sense a hint of smugness in his tone?
Lu Junyue: “Han Ming, dispose of them.”
Han Ming handed the umbrella to Lu Junyue and drew twin pistols from his waist: “Yes, President Lu.”
Minutes later.
The previously arrogant assassins lay fallen in the bloodied rain.
Only one remained barely breathing.
It was the very man who had held Shen Zhiyi at knifepoint earlier.
Lu Junyue took the knife and crouched beside the man, his peripheral gaze fixed on the man’s right hand.
This hand had touched Shen Zhiyi’s skin.
He despised anyone laying hands on what belonged to him—even a mere touch was unacceptable!
A silver flash sliced through the air, blood splattered, and the man’s agonized screams grew increasingly piercing.
“Scared?” Lu Junyue stood up. “You can still run now.”
His interest and possessiveness toward her remained minimal; if she chose to flee now, he wouldn’t stop her.
But once he grew truly interested, escape would become impossible.
Lu Junyue expected to see fear and terror in her eyes.
Unexpectedly, Shen Zhiyi’s eyes curved into sweet crescents as she smiled.
“My husband is so dashing.”
“…”
Lu Junyue tried to see through her, but found her utterly inscrutable.
Humans naturally develop intense curiosity toward the unknown.
He had to admit—Shen Zhiyi was becoming increasingly fascinating to him.
Neither noticed the assassin behind them, missing one hand but clinging to life, trembling as he raised a gun with his other hand, aiming at Lu Junyue.
Bang—
A gunshot rang out.
Everything seemed to still in that moment.
A ringing tore through Lu Junyue’s ears.
In his arms, a petite figure clung tightly to him, shielding him from the bullet meant for his heart.
Shen Zhiyi, holding him, seemed to lose strength and began sliding downward.
Lu Junyue instinctively tightened his embrace, his palm sticky and warm with blood.
His mother’s gentle voice echoed in his mind:
‘Junyue, love is the most fickle thing in this world. But if you ever meet someone who values you more than life itself, you must—absolutely must—cherish them.’
He looked down at Shen Zhiyi in his arms, emotions swirling as turbulent and restless as the stormy night around them.
“Lu Junyue…”
Shen Zhiyi whispered weakly.
“I’m here…”
Lu Junyue hadn’t finished speaking when, the next second, a feeble slap landed on his face.
It felt like a kitten’s scratch.
“Spit it out,” Lu Junyue urged impatiently.
In moments like these, those who took bullets for love would usually whisper vows of sharing life and death or sweet nothings to their beloved.
He used to find such things nauseating.
But today, for some reason, he really wanted to hear them.
Shen Zhiyi, weak but gritting her teeth, said: “Lu Junyue, you bastard… Next time, could you finish off the enemy before showing off?!”
Lu Junyue: “?”