He quickly released his hand, the final knot securely fastened.
He then turned and coldly instructed Cheng Yunying, who stood nearby.
“Keep an eye on her. Don’t let her play any tricks.”
Cheng Yunying gave a slight nod, watching him stride away.
Only after Lou Tingwen’s figure disappeared beyond the doorway did Cheng Yunying slowly withdraw her gaze and turn to quietly observe Lou Qiyun.
She sauntered forward, her heels clicking against the floor.
“In this state, you’re quite alluring,” she remarked.
She reached out, her fingertips lightly brushing over Lou Qiyun’s rope-bound collarbone.
“I just suggested to the master that you apologize to Young Master Wu like this,” she said, leaning closer and lowering her voice.
“It’s a good chance for the engaged couple to build some affection, don’t you think? Shouldn’t you thank me?”
Lou Tinglan immediately grinned and stepped forward, her face full of schadenfreude.
Clapping her hands excitedly like an audience member at a show, she eagerly chimed in.
“When Young Master Wu sees you like this, how could he stay angry? He’ll be too busy doting on you!”
She emphasized each of the last few words deliberately.
“Madly! In! Love!”
Everyone knew perfectly well that Wu Haifeng was no saint.
He was another twisted individual, following in the footsteps of Lou’s father.
With perverse tastes and ruthless methods.
Lou Qiyun merely curved her lips slightly, the smile almost imperceptible.
She lifted her eyes to Lou Tinglan, her gaze icy.
“Would you like to take my place in this ‘good fortune’?”
The smile froze on Lou Tinglan’s face.
Her lips trembled slightly, her eyes darting away, yet she dared not retaliate.
Lou Qiyun then slowly turned to Cheng Yunying, her eyes tinged with mockery.
She spoke softly.
“After all these years of my mother being tormented, you not only comply but even take the initiative to offer advice and summarize your experience?”
“Truly a role model for the younger generation.”
The smile on Cheng Yunying’s face stiffened.
Gritting her teeth, her eyes blazing with anger, she glared fiercely at the other woman. “You!”
Lou Tinglan flushed crimson with rage, her chest heaving violently. Without another word, she raised her hand to slap.
But Lou Qiyun merely lifted her eyelids slightly, giving her a calm glance.
“Go on, why hesitate?”
“When those two wretched men see it later, you might even seize the chance to climb higher?”
Lou Tinglan’s hand hung frozen mid-air, palm suspended.
Unable to strike or withdraw, her fingertips trembling with awkwardness.
Cheng Yunying suddenly snapped back to reality, quickly grabbing her daughter’s wrist and pulling it down.
She shot Lou Qiyun a disgusted look and sneered, “What kind of man is Young Master Wu? Do you think he’s some pushover who’ll let you off easily after being tricked?”
“I’ll be waiting to see the day you’re played until you’re covered in wounds and utterly humiliated! Let’s see if you can still act so proud then!”
No sooner had she finished speaking than her peripheral vision caught movement at the door.
Lou Tingwen was striding in, followed by a well-dressed middle-aged man.
Instantly alert, she sharply tugged her daughter’s arm, pulling her several steps back.
Simultaneously, Wu Haifeng ambled leisurely through the doorway, his posture relaxed.
His eyes swept across the room and suddenly lit up.
The sight before him made his heartbeat quicken abruptly.
Lou Qiyun knelt on the carpet, her hands bound behind her back with red ropes.
Her neck was held high, her jawline elegant and defiant.
A bead of sweat silently traced a path down her smooth temple.
The scene resembled a proud teardrop slipping from the corner of a beauty’s eye.
He jingled the car keys in his hand, the metallic sound crisp and clear.
“President Lou, what… what’s wrong with the second young lady?”
“My heart aches to see such beauty suffer~”
He murmured with a drawn-out sigh, his voice trailing off.
Had these words come from anyone else, they might have been dismissed as frivolous banter, unworthy of belief.
But from his lips, each syllable seemed to carry a hidden hook.
Lou Qiyun heard him but merely smiled faintly, lifting her gaze.
“President Wu… don’t you like it?”
Wu Haifeng’s breath hitched, his throat suddenly parched.
In the hall, the air seemed to freeze instantly.
A dead silence fell.
Only the sound of Lou Tinglan’s muffled cursing could be heard from behind.
“With a woman like this in the family, outsiders will think we’re running a brothel!”
Cheng Yunying suddenly tugged at her sleeve.
“Stop talking! Do you want to bring trouble upon yourself? At a time like this, even one extra word could lead to disaster!”
Lou Tinglan pressed her lips together in grievance and fell silent.
She bit her lip, her eyes slightly reddening.
Only then did she notice Cheng Yunying’s gaze fixed intently in a certain direction.
Lou Tingwen’s eyes were locked firmly on Lou Qiyun.
At that moment.
Nan Yi was solemnly handling his work, his brow furrowed as he flipped through documents.
Suddenly, his phone chimed—a subordinate had sent him a video.
He casually opened it, and his tense expression instantly shifted.
His pupils contracted sharply, his fingers trembling slightly, almost slipping off the screen.
He stared fixedly at the footage.
Nan Yi immediately picked up his laptop, moving quietly to the side.
Afraid that anyone might notice his unusual behavior.
He deliberately avoided everyone’s line of sight, his movements swift and decisive.
He approached a corner, lowered his voice, and whispered, “Ahem, boss… could you take a look at this first?”
Lu Lingchuan was frowning, ready to reprimand someone.
He had intended to scold his subordinate for incompetence.
But in that instant, a glance at the screen caught his attention.
Lou Qiyun, dressed in a white gown with red ropes accentuating her graceful figure, was being led toward a car.
A moment later, a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips.
“Lou Qiyun, you’ve got quite the nerve.”
Elsewhere.
Lou Qiyun lounged lazily in the passenger seat, gazing contentedly out the window.
Sunlight streamed through the glass, illuminating her face.
A slight smile played on her lips, as if everything was under her control.
Wu Haifeng was driving, his eyes repeatedly drifting toward her.
Each time his gaze swept over her, his heartbeat quickened involuntarily.
The white gown, the red ropes—utterly captivating.
Who could resist such a sight?
Wu Haifeng’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his fingers tightening unconsciously around the steering wheel.
A surge of heat rising within him, Wu Haifeng abruptly pulled the car over to the side of the road.
The tires screeched against the pavement, the vehicle jolting violently.
As the brakes slammed, Lou Qiyun’s body lurched forward.
Before she could react, Wu Haifeng had already unbuckled his seatbelt.
He leaned over, one hand gripping her chin, forcing her face upward.
“Today, you won’t be able to hide any tricks.”
As his words fell, his hand slid slowly down along the red ropes.
His fingertips trembled slightly, as if testing or waiting for her reaction.
A cold glint flashed in Lou Qiyun’s eyes.
She let out a cold laugh, her voice as frosty as ice.
“Young Master Wu, from the sound of it… you seem rather disappointed I didn’t bring any tools to dispose of that little thing of yours?”
Wu Haifeng’s eyes lit up, a sickening excitement kindling in the depths of his pupils.
Instead of retreating, he drew even closer.
“Your tongue is sharp enough, but do you have the skill to back it up?”
He whispered, his tone both provocative and dangerous.