Lu Jingyang, reprimanded harshly by the old man, harbored even deeper hatred for Su He. He felt that if it weren't for her, his situation wouldn't have become so passive.
Feeling unhappy, Lu Jingyang called a group of friends to go drinking.
In a private room of a high-end club, the lights flickered, stirring up emotions.
Sitting in a long row of booth seats, Lu Jingyang was already a little tipsy. "Whoever can help me out of this stifling marriage, I'll give him a sports car as a reward!"
"As expected of Young Master Lu, so generous with his gifts!"
"You're really going all out for a divorce!"
A group of people chimed in with encouragement.
"Stop your nonsense! I'm serious, I'm not joking!" Lu Jingyang hiccuped, his eyes hazy.
"Isn't that simple? Just find some fault, won't that do?" someone suggested with a laugh.
"It's not that easy!" Lu Jingyang mumbled. "I've tried many methods, but none of them worked. She has the old man backing her up, so ordinary minor mistakes can't do anything to her!"
"Then what if she commits an unforgivable major mistake?"
"For example?" Lu Jingyang took a gulp of wine, looking blankly at the other person.
That person gave a wicked smile. "What's most important to a woman?"
Lu Jingyang was dazed, unable to react immediately.
"Her purity, of course!" his friend winked at him. "Find someone to 'deal with' her, then take some photos and videos. She'll have to obey your every command!"
Lu Jingyang was somewhat moved by this idea.
Yes, she was unkind to me, so I will be ruthless.
He had warned her several times, but she had ignored his words, so he couldn't be blamed for being heartless.
He gulped down a mouthful of wine, a fierce glint appearing in Lu Jingyang's eyes.
Su He, you're forcing my hand!
"Young Master Lu, you're not going to back out, are you?"
"That's right... although Miss Su isn't exactly a celestial beauty, she's still quite good-looking..."
Lu Jingyang's friends were all idle scions with no real skills, and they certainly didn't wish him well. Seeing his silence, they thought he was chickening out. They all spoke wildly, adding fuel to the fire.
Unable to resist the provocation, Lu Jingyang gritted his teeth and said, "Don't look down on me! I'm just thinking about who to ask for help!"
"How about it, do you want me, your brother, to lend a hand?" a square-faced man with several earrings on his ears said with a smirk.
A burst of laughter erupted from the group.
"Then it's settled!" Lu Jingyang looked up at the other man, understanding unspoken, and raised his wine glass.
"Young Master Lu is indeed wise!"
"That's the spirit! Come on, another bottle! Tonight, we won't go home until we're drunk!"
The men laughed unrestrainedly, drawing frequent glances from passing guests.
***
Su He stumbled towards the restroom deep in the corridor, leaning against the wall. Her head was swimming, and her body felt feverish.
She had a bad feeling.
She had been set up.
Thinking of how Lu Jingyang had asked to discuss divorce and then stood her up, Su He was furious enough to want to commit murder.
But this was not the time to dwell on such things.
She had to stay conscious and get to the hospital as soon as possible. However, the drug was already taking effect, and it was her limit to have lasted this long. Her head grew increasingly muddled, and her reason was slipping away bit by bit.
"So hot..." Su He tugged at her collar, as if only this could make her feel a little better.
Su He walked forward, her breathing unsteady, unaware that danger had already descended. Not long after she moved, a man in a floral shirt followed her.
"Boss, I think I saw Miss Su." Cheng Jue, accompanying Lu Yanbei to a social event, caught a glimpse of a familiar figure with sharp eyes and stepped forward to report in a low voice.
Lu Yanbei paused, then looked in the direction his subordinate pointed, but only saw a fleeting glimpse of a pale yellow skirt.
"Are you sure?" He rubbed his temples, a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"Well, I'm not entirely sure... it just felt like the figure was very similar..." Cheng Jue replied, touching his nose.
Lu Yanbei withdrew his gaze and cast him a reproachful look. "Don't waste my time with things you're not sure about."
"Yes, I will be more careful in the future." Cheng Jue, knowing he was in the wrong, said respectfully.
Lu Yanbei had arranged to meet a client for business. Their seats were in a private room on the third floor of the restaurant. The company had been pursuing this project for over half a month but had not been able to close the deal, so he had to come in person.
After entering the private room and a round of polite pleasantries, they got down to business.
During the conversation, Lu Yanbei spoke very little; it was mostly the other party haggling.
"Does President Lu find this price satisfactory?" The other party maintained a somewhat arrogant posture, yet out of respect for this new tycoon in the business world, he still tried to secure the maximum benefit for himself.
Lu Yanbei looked up, a teasing smile playing on his lips. "President Xu, are you perhaps taking me for a fool? As far as I know, you weren't quoting this price when negotiating with other parties."
These words immediately changed the other party's expression.
"President Lu must have misheard. That's impossible." The man surnamed Xu stubbornly thumped his chest and guaranteed, "Business is about integrity. How could I possibly act so two-faced?"
"Is that so..." Lu Yanbei remained noncommittal.
The calmer he appeared, the more anxious the other party became. "Ahem... given President Lu's sincere desire to cooperate, I'll reduce it by another ten percent. What do you think? This is the lowest price I can offer..."
"Thirty percent." Lu Yanbei interrupted him directly.
"That's too little, could you add a bit more..."
"Actually, Lu Corporation doesn't necessarily have to cooperate with you. After all, your Xu family isn't the only one with this technology..." Lu Yanbei's words completely blocked the other party's retreat.
In the end, Lu Yanbei secured the project at an extremely low price.
As they exited the private room, Cheng Jue clearly sensed that his boss seemed somewhat distracted. "Boss, the contract is signed, why aren't you happy?"
Lu Yanbei suppressed the annoyance in his eyes and walked directly towards the end of the corridor.
After Lu Yanbei finished using the restroom and turned on the faucet to wash his hands, he heard ambiguous sounds coming from a stall, mixed with a muffled groan and a man's vulgar language.
"You'd better behave yourself, or don't blame me for not being gentle if I hurt you!"
"Let go... mmmph..."
"Hiss, you're quite the little wildcat... but this is more exciting to play with..."
"Help..."
"Don't scream, someone could walk in at any moment... You don't want anyone to see such a passionate scene, do you?"
"Mmmph..."
At first, Lu Yanbei thought it was a couple indulging their desires, seeking a thrill in there, and intended to leave. But the fragmented female voice sounded strangely familiar, triggering some memories.
Lu Yanbei's heart tightened. He strode to the stall door and kicked it open.
The lock was not very secure, and it couldn't withstand his kick. The man inside was reaching to unbutton the girl's clothes and was suddenly interrupted, which displeased him greatly.
"Who kicked it? How dare you ruin my good time, believe it or not, I..." Seeing the face of the person at the door, the man's unfinished words got stuck in his throat. "Young Master Yan..."
Lu Yanbei glanced at him, then his gaze fell on the disheveled girl behind him, her face flushed red. The girl clutched her chest, completely lacking strength, her legs trembling uncontrollably, relying on the door to support her.
A sliver of light shone in. She saw Lu Yanbei's terrifyingly cold face and, using the last of her strength, bit her tongue. "Help me..."
With that, the next second, she plunged into endless darkness.