C16 Chapter 16

Lan Yu hated it when people called him a pretty boy.

Back at the orphanage, his good looks had made him a target—other kids shut him out and set him up. Later, he’d almost been lured and assaulted by a middle-aged caretaker the orphanage had hired. Somehow, he’d made it through, one step at a time.

He graduated with top grades, got to know some people with connections, and opened an upscale nightlife club. He’d even grown strong enough to go toe-to-toe with the Zhu family—undermining them in public and in the shadows, stealing their business right out from under them.

So why...

Why, in the Zhu family’s eyes, was he still that shameful, failed experiment they didn’t want anyone to see?

Something dark churned in Lan Yu’s gaze, a cold glint that felt like destruction waiting to happen.

Just then, Ling Xiao suddenly grabbed his hand.

What the hell is this woman trying to do?

Ling Xiao leaned in close. “Don’t be scared. Let me handle it.”

Tch. He was just pale—just good-looking!

That didn’t mean he was some weakling people could push around!

Lan Yu was about to shake off Ling Xiao’s hand when he saw her step forward with steady, graceful, catlike strides, walking straight up to Zhu Ling’er. “I can’t handle it? Yeah?”

Zhu Ling’er flinched on instinct. It was the first time she’d felt the full force of Ling Xiao’s presence... and she didn’t know how to react.

Bang!

Ling Xiao clenched her small fist and slammed it into Zhu Ling’er’s face with brutal force.

Zhu Ling’er’s nose snapped crooked, swelling and turning red almost instantly.

Lan Yu:...

What is happening right now?

He’d thought she was some cold, untouchable goddess—turns out she was a pint-sized powerhouse.

Ling Xiao slowly pulled her fist back. “Try messing with Lan Yu again, and every time I see you, I’ll hit you.”

Zhu Ling’er clutched her throbbing nose, so furious she nearly lost it right there in public.

“Wang—Ling—Xiao!” she spat, each word forced out through clenched teeth, sharp with hate.

Ling Xiao couldn’t be bothered to look at her. She reached out, tugged Lan Yu’s sleeve, and motioned for him to leave with her.

The discharge paperwork had already been handled—clean and done.

Lan Yu had originally planned to slip away quietly, but...

That awful woman actually stepped in to defend him?

The feeling was like biting into ice cream on a blazing summer day—pure relief all the way down.

Lan Yu instantly put on an innocent, sweet-faced look, acting obedient as he trailed behind Ling Xiao.

Zhu Ling’er, on the other hand, had a bleeding nose and a bruised, swollen face—an absolute mess.

Once she finally calmed down, she hurriedly pulled out her phone and called the CEO to complain.

Fifteen minutes later, the CEO screeched up in his car. He’d run more than a dozen red lights on the way, frantic with worry.

When he saw Zhu Ling’er’s battered face, his heart clenched... it hurt to look at her.

“Ling’er! Why did Wang Ling Xiao hit you?” The CEO forced down the fury burning in his eyes.

“...I don’t know. She was with Lan Yu. They looked really close.”

Seeing the man she loved, Zhu Ling’er’s eyes turned soft, her words catching as if she couldn’t quite bring herself to say more.

Earlier, the CEO had sent his assistant, Jin, to look into Ling Xiao’s every move—especially where her money was coming from.

But Jin couldn’t dig up a single lead about any other man.

Ling Xiao had always been well-behaved and quiet. She hadn’t been sneaking around behind the CEO’s back, cheating or fooling around with anyone else.

Until now... with Zhu Ling’er’s pointed hints, the CEO’s suspicion finally snapped into focus.

So the other man was Lan Yu.

So he really had been played for a fool by that two-faced saint.

“Yifeng, don’t be mad,” Zhu Ling’er said, putting on a caring tone while slipping in a little venom. “I think the only man Wang Ling Xiao truly loves is you. Everyone else is just a passing phase.”

The CEO took several deep breaths in a row. “Ling’er! All these years... I’ve wronged you.”

How could he ignore a childhood sweetheart like her, and instead dote on some nobody who didn’t deserve the spotlight?

Zhu Ling’er really was tough. She put on a look of quiet endurance.

“Yifeng, no matter what happens in the future, remember this—I’ll always be on your side.”

The CEO was deeply moved. He pulled Zhu Ling’er into his arms, leaning in, about to kiss her red lips.

But… Zhu Ling’er’s face was swollen from the hit—puffed up like a balloon. He didn’t think he could bring himself to kiss her.

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