Chapter 676: Fooling! Keep Fooling!
Ling Qingcheng's pretty face was frosted, her phoenix eyes like lightning, surging with intimidating cold light as she stared intently at Shen Anyu.
Whether Shen Anyu had genuinely misremembered and mistaken her for an ex-girlfriend, or if he had done it on purpose, she could not tolerate it.
Even in front of Yu Guanxiong, the notoriously profligate Second Young Master of Yanxia's Yu Clan, she had never been put at a disadvantage. Yet now, in the hands of Shen Anyu, she had suffered a humiliation of this magnitude. The warmth of his lips still ghosted over her own, a phantom touch that sent waves of ice through Ling Qingcheng's veins, making her phoenix eyes terrifyingly cold. A killing intent, sharp and refined, began to coalesce in their depths.
She had never kissed anyone before. Not once. This monumental first, a moment she had reserved for the man she would one day love, had just been stolen. Plundered. And by whom? By her best friend Zhang Yaqian's man—a philandering, two-timing scumbag. The sheer audacity of it, the flagrant disrespect, was an inferno in her chest. How could she possibly tolerate this?
President Ling, a woman long accustomed to a position of absolute authority, a titan of industry who could make markets tremble with a single command, was now a vessel of pure, unadulterated rage. Her Aura, usually a tightly controlled mantle of power, erupted from her. It was not a physical force, but a pressure that warped the very air in the boutique. The temperature plummeted. The luxurious lighting seemed to dim under the weight of her fury.
He Yiyi, standing nearby, began to tremble uncontrollably, her face paling as if she were facing a vengeful goddess. The surrounding sales assistants froze in place, their professional smiles plastered on their faces like death masks. They held their breath, not daring to make a sound, feeling as if their lungs were being squeezed by an invisible hand. The entire store was locked in a suffocating silence, frozen to an absolute zero.
Yet, Shen Anyu remained utterly unfazed. A lazy, confident smile played on his lips as he continued to hold the rigid, seething Ling Qingcheng in his arms. He seemed to be in his own private world, untouched by the storm of her wrath.
Just as a torrent of scathing curses and a violent struggle were about to erupt from Ling Qingcheng, Shen Anyu moved. He leaned in, his head dipping until his lips were just beside the delicate shell of her ear. The warmth of his breath was a shocking intimacy against her skin as he whispered, his voice a low, magnetic murmur that cut through her anger like a hot knife through ice.
"Miss Ling, I was forced to offend you just now. Yu Guanxiong has sworn to get you at all costs, and he plans to make his move at tonight's banquet. He has already sent people to watch you."
The words struck Ling Qingcheng with the force of a physical blow. Her gaze, which had been burning with murderous intent, narrowed into sharp, analytical points. The instinct to scream, to tear herself away, was instantly suppressed by a lifetime of discipline. Instead of reacting like a common woman wronged, she went perfectly still, her brilliant mind immediately dissecting Shen Anyu's warning.
That Yu Guanxiong wanted her was no secret. She had been aware of his predatory gaze for months and had rebuffed his advances with icy professionalism. She could also guess that the banquet at the Hilton tonight, hosted by his family, was a gilded trap. It was precisely for this reason that she had spent a small fortune hiring several elite female bodyguards, all formidable Innate Realm martial artists, to ensure her safety. She knew her limits; a Martial Arts Grandmaster was beyond what her money or influence could casually procure.
The fact that Yu Guanxiong had her under surveillance wasn't surprising either. It was the predictable move of a spoiled predator.
However, the host of tonight's banquet wasn't the degenerate Yu Guanxiong. It was the true heir of Yanxia's Yu Clan, Yu Guanying.
That was a man who could not be offended.
Yu Guanxiong was a parasite, a useless good-for-nothing who coasted on his family's name and could only mobilize a fraction of their true power. Ling Qingcheng, with her intelligence and resources, could maneuver around a buffoon like him. But Yu Guanying was different. He was the future patriarch. Offending him would bring the full, crushing weight of a super-family down upon the Ling Group. It was a disaster she could not afford.
Therefore, she had no choice but to attend. Even knowing Yu Guanxiong coveted her, even knowing it was a lion's den, she had to walk into it. This was the crushing helplessness of the less powerful, a bitter pill she was often forced to swallow.
But what truly baffled Ling Qingcheng, what sent her mind into a spiral of suspicion, was Shen Anyu. How did he know all of this? How did he know the specific details of Yu Guanxiong's plans? And what was the true intention behind his words, delivered at this exact moment? Was this all part of some elaborate scheme?
Clever people are cursed to overthink. Shen Anyu's sudden, whispered revelation plunged Ling Qingcheng into deep contemplation. Her sharp gaze sized him up, analyzing every minute detail of his expression. For the moment, breaking free from his embrace and pursuing the matter of the stolen kiss were secondary concerns.
"What exactly is your purpose?" Ling Qingcheng asked, her voice a low, dangerous hiss that only he could hear.
A delicate, intoxicating scent of violet perfume wafted from her hair, filling Shen Anyu's senses. It was an incredibly pleasant fragrance.
At this moment, to any outsider, the scene was one of shocking intimacy. Ling Qingcheng, the famously aloof and powerful President Ling of the Ling Group, was wrapped in a man's arms, their heads close together as if sharing the most private of secrets.
'So, President Ling and Mr. Shen really are a couple,' He Yiyi thought, a pang of sourness twisting in her gut. She pursed her lips, their rosy color fading to a pale white. 'It makes sense, I suppose. They both have such prominent backgrounds, they're both breathtakingly good-looking... a perfect match.'
Meanwhile, tucked away in the shadows across the street, one of Yu Guanxiong's men watched the scene unfold. His eyes widened in utter disbelief. He fumbled for his phone, his fingers shaking slightly as he snapped several pictures, quickly sending them off with a notification for his boss.
His heart hammered against his ribs. Ling Qingcheng—the ice queen his Second Young Master was obsessed with—actually had a man? And they were here, kissing and embracing so intimately in public? The Second Young Master was going to explode.
Shen Anyu's Divine Sense had long since swept over the hidden observer, noting his every action without a flicker of concern. A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips. He didn't answer Ling Qingcheng's question directly. Instead, he whispered again, his voice laced with amusement.
"The person secretly following you has already taken photos. I presume he's notifying Yu Guanxiong right now."
"You know about Yu Guanxiong? Aren't you afraid of offending him?" Ling Qingcheng's eyes widened slightly, a sliver of genuine surprise cutting through her calculated calm.
Since he knew the name, it was impossible he didn't know the reputation. Yu Guanxiong was a chaotic Devil King, a wicked young master from a top-tier family who acted with near-total impunity, shielded by the colossal power of Yanxia's Yu Clan.
Even she, Ling Qingcheng, had to tread carefully around such a profligate beast, employing all her wit and connections to protect herself without openly offending him.
And now, this man, Shen Anyu, knowing full well that Yu Guanxiong coveted her, dared to be so flagrantly intimate with her in public. Was he not afraid of being beaten to death and tossed into a river?
"Forget Yu Guanxiong. I don't even care about his elder brother, Yu Guanying," Shen Anyu chuckled softly, the sound a low vibration against her ear. A flicker of profound disdain flashed in his dark eyes, so potent it was almost tangible.
"Who exactly are you?" Ling Qingcheng frowned, her confusion deepening. The man's arrogance was boundless.
Not caring about Yu Guanying? How was that even possible?
He was the designated heir to a super-family, a veritable princeling in the southern territories of Yanxia. He was the undisputed leader of the younger generation in high society, a man whose influence was immense. This so-called Hero Assembly was being held at the Hilton specifically for him, and nearly every prominent figure and business magnate in Hangzhou had scrambled to accept the invitation.
Such an existence was a rising sun, a force of nature.
How could one simply not care?
But even if his words were an exaggeration, Shen Anyu's ability to name both Yu Guanying and Yu Guanxiong proved he wasn't ignorant. He had to have some real power, some hidden backing. Furthermore, Ling Qingcheng knew he lived in the number one villa at Jinxiu Mountain Villa. He was definitely no ordinary person.
"Zhang Yaqian's boyfriend," Shen Anyu replied with a placid smile, meeting her intensely curious gaze without flinching.
The answer was like a splash of cold water. Ling Qingcheng's phoenix eyes instantly turned glacial. She lowered her voice until it was a chilling whisper, sharp enough to cut glass. "You know who I am, and you should also know that Yaqian and I have been best friends for twenty years. How dare you treat me like that just now?"
"Because I fell in love with you at first sight," Shen Anyu stated, his smile widening, as if this were the most reasonable explanation in the world.
Ling Qingcheng's phoenix eyes flew wide open. For all her legendary composure, Shen Anyu's barefaced audacity left her completely stunned. A moment passed before the shock wore off, replaced by a wave of incredulous fury. She laughed, a short, sharp sound devoid of any humor. Leaning closer to Shen Anyu's ear, she ground her teeth, her voice a venomous promise.
"You scumbag. Are you planning to abandon Yaqian?"
"Of course not," Shen Anyu said, his tone perfectly matter-of-fact. "I've said it before, I will not let down any good girl. You are all my wings."
"I have never in my entire life seen someone as shameless as you," Ling Qingcheng said, her voice a mixture of exasperation and morbid amusement.
"Well, today you have. Oh, I forgot to tell you," Shen Anyu said, his tone shifting to one of profound revelation. "I was the Heavenly Emperor in my previous life. You and Zhang Yaqian were both my imperial concubines. You two share an eternal destiny with me, one that ensures you can never escape my grasp."
Ling Qingcheng rolled her eyes with such force it was a wonder they stayed in her head. She wasn't some naive little girl. She was a corporate magnate who commanded the Ling Group in the cutthroat world of business. Did he really think such a ridiculous line could fool her? It was less believable than those spam messages claiming some ancient emperor needed fifty bucks to unfreeze his assets.
"You don't believe me? I have proof."
Just as Ling Qingcheng gathered her strength to finally break free from his ludicrous embrace, Shen Anyu's words stopped her cold. She stared at him, a cold, mocking smile on her lips, not believing a single word.
"On the inner side of your right thigh, there is a birthmark, like a plum blossom. This is the imprint from your previous life," Shen Anyu said with a casual glance, suppressing a smile.
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