Chapter 679: Master Shen? Ling Qingcheng panicked!
Under Ren Zhacheng's disbelieving gaze, Shen Anyu strode towards Ling Qingcheng and directly took her small hand. Ling Qingcheng seemed to whisper something, but she did not resist.
At this very moment, on Shen Anyu's left side, He Yiyi was still holding his arm. The picture was one of audacious intimacy, a man flanked by two peerless beauties, a sight that burned itself into Ren Zhacheng's retinas and sent a spike of pure acid through his heart. He Yiyi, innocent and vibrant; Ling Qingcheng, cool and untouchable. And Shen Anyu, the nexus of it all, impossibly calm, impossibly in control.
"How is this possible? How is this possible??" The words were a strangled whisper, the last gasp of a drowning man. Ren Zhacheng's world, once so clearly defined by the pages of his `Goddess Future Diary`, had just been ripped to shreds. The ink on those pages might as well have been blood for how much of his hope was now bleeding out. His vision swam, the opulent ballroom blurring into a vortex of mocking lights and distorted faces.
[Ding! The Son of Destiny Ren Zhacheng's vision went dark, plundering +9999 destiny value!]
[Ding! The Son of Destiny Ren Zhacheng's mentality exploded, plundering +9999 destiny value!]
[Ding! The Son of Destiny Ren Zhacheng doubted life, plundering +9999 destiny value!]
The System's robotic chimes were like nails being hammered into his coffin. Ren Zhacheng felt as if he'd been struck by lightning, his limbs locked, his jaw hanging slack. He couldn't process the scene. He wouldn't process it. He Yiyi and Ling Qingcheng, the twin goddesses he worshipped from afar, the celestial beings whose futures he believed he held in the palm of his hand... both of them were connected to Shen Anyu? And not just connected—they were touching him, allowing his touch, standing by his side as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
How could this be? It wasn't written in the Goddess Future Diary! The diary was his cheat code, his golden ticket, his absolute truth. It had never been wrong. But it had said nothing of this! Nothing about Shen Anyu being intertwined with Ling Qingcheng. More horrifyingly, it had never predicted that the aloof CEO Ling, a woman colder than glacial ice, wouldn't mind Shen Anyu being so intimately entangled with another woman right in front of her? The contradiction was so stark it felt like a physical blow, knocking the air from his lungs. Ren Zhacheng was utterly dumbfounded, a profound, soul-crushing doubt seeping into the very foundation of his being.
At that same moment, Ling Qingcheng's sharp gaze was fixed on Shen Anyu, her delicate brows knitting into a tight line of disapproval. She felt the warmth of his palm, a firm, unyielding grip that sent a strange current up her arm. She lowered her voice, her tone a blade of frosted steel. "Shen Anyu, since you were so kind as to remind me of the dangers here, allow me to return the favor. Yu Guanxiong is not a man to be trifled with. He's narrow-minded, vindictive, and he uses his family's power to crush anyone who displeases him. If you insist on being seen with me like this, he will see you as a thorn in his side. He won't let you off."
Her voice dropped even lower, a venomous whisper meant only for him. "If you're so determined to die, you might as well break up with Zhang Yaqian first. At least then she won't be heartbroken when your mangled corpse turns up in a ditch."
With that, she tried to wrench her hand free, a sudden, sharp tug. But Shen Anyu's grip was like a steel vise. He didn't even seem to notice her struggle. His fingers simply tightened, not painfully, but with an absolute authority that made her resistance feel childish.
Meeting Ling Qingcheng's cold, furious glare, Shen Anyu merely smiled, a faint, almost lazy curve of his lips. The expression was infuriatingly calm. "How about we make a bet?"
"Bet on what?" Ling Qingcheng's phoenix eyes narrowed, the look in them sharp enough to cut glass.
"Let's bet on whether I'll be the one humiliated in front of your dear Second Young Master Yu," Shen Anyu's smile deepened, a glint of predatory amusement dancing in his dark eyes.
"Heh," she let out a short, contemptuous laugh. "No bet. There's nothing in it for me." Her beautiful face was a mask of frost. But then, a sudden thought shifted her expression. She turned her eyes back to him, her gaze piercing. "Actually, I'll change my mind on one condition. If you lose the bet, you willingly break up with Zhang Yaqian. You disappear from her life and promise not to harm her. If you agree to that, I'll take your bet."
"Are you so certain that I'm the one harming her?" Shen Anyu chuckled, genuinely amused by her white-knight conviction. "And so sure that she isn't a willing participant in all of this?"
"Does Yaqian know you're such a philanderer?" Ling Qingcheng was on the verge of scoffing, the very idea absurd.
"She knows," Shen Anyu replied without a flicker of hesitation.
"She knows?" Ling Qingcheng's phoenix eyes widened, a crack appearing in her icy composure. She stared at him, searching for any sign of a lie, any twitch or tell that would expose his bluff.
"Zhang Yaqian has already met several of my women," Shen Anyu stated, his tone as sincere and matter-of-fact as if he were discussing the weather. "They're all living together in Villa No. 1 at Jinxiu Mountain Villa. In fact, Yaqian is there right now."
"I don't believe you." Ling Qingcheng scrutinized his face, her sharp eyes trying to peel back the layers of his calm facade. After a moment, she shook her head, her disbelief resolute. Her best friend, Zhang Yaqian, might be a bit simple and naive when it came to matters of the heart, but she was intelligent, not a fool. The idea that she would knowingly accept being one of many women in a man's harem was preposterous. She would never stand for it; she'd break up with him in a heartbeat. In Ling Qingcheng's mind, there was only one explanation: Shen Anyu was a master manipulator, a silver-tongued devil who had deceived her best friend with sweet nothings and empty vows.
"After the banquet is over, you can come with me to Villa No. 1 and see for yourself," Shen Anyu offered with a knowing smile that grated on her nerves. "You can ask her all the questions you want then."
"Alright. I'll take a look," Ling Qingcheng snorted, her decision made. "This business between you and Yaqian needs a resolution, one way or another." Even if he hadn't invited her, she would have found a way. She had to expose Shen Anyu's true colors to her friend. Still, she knew she had to tread carefully, to find a way to break the news without shattering Zhang Yaqian's heart.
"Esteemed niece, you've also arrived?"
A familiar, hearty voice cut through the tension. It was Zhang Yaqian's father, Zhang Yunhai, the chairman of the Yunhai Group. As one of the top ten wealthiest men in Hangzhou, his presence at a banquet of this caliber was expected. Because of the close friendship between his daughter and Ling Qingcheng, their families were on excellent terms, and he had always treated Ling Qingcheng with paternal warmth.
But as he approached, his jovial expression faltered, replaced by one of surprise and uncertainty. His eyes took in the scene before him, and his brows furrowed in confusion. He saw Ling Qingcheng, his daughter's best friend, holding hands with a young man. That same young man's other arm was being held by another, equally stunning young woman.
What in the world was going on here? Were the relationships of young people these days really this... complicated?
A flicker of pure panic flashed in Ling Qingcheng's phoenix eyes. The moment she saw Zhang Yunhai, her instincts screamed. She tried again to pull her hand from Shen Anyu's grasp, her movements more frantic this time, but his grip was unyielding. This was her best friend's father. Being seen like this, entangled with a man who was supposedly her best friend's boyfriend... even though nothing was actually happening, a hot wave of guilt washed over her. It felt as if she had been caught red-handed, betraying the person closest to her.
"Let go, quickly!" Ling Qingcheng urged in a panicked, forceful whisper.
"Master Shen!" At that exact moment, Zhang Yunhai got a clear look at the young man's face. The confusion on his features instantly vanished, replaced by an expression of pure, unadulterated delight. He quickened his pace and greeted Shen Anyu proactively, his tone laced with a deep and unmistakable respect.
"Master Shen?" The title stunned Ling Qingcheng into stillness. She looked from the beaming tycoon to the calm young man whose hand was still locked with hers, her mind reeling.
"Master Shen?" He Yiyi also looked at Shen Anyu, her large, innocent eyes wide with surprise. 'Master' was not a title thrown around lightly, especially not by a man of Zhang Yunhai's stature.
"Yes, Master Shen! Master Shen is an expert with true, incredible abilities!" Zhang Yunhai's face was aglow with reverence as he looked at Shen Anyu, his admiration completely genuine. He began to recount the story with the zeal of a devout follower.
"Earlier today, Master Shen stopped Yaqian and me. He took one look at us and predicted that we would face a bloody disaster. He then casually tore a piece of tissue, wrote a safety talisman on it, and gave it to us. That very talisman saved our lives! We were in a horrific car accident, but thanks to his protection, we survived the ordeal!"
He gestured emphatically, his voice rising with emotion. "Especially Yaqian! If it weren't for the protection of that talisman, she'd probably still be in the hospital right now, if not worse. The door of our bulletproof car was completely crushed, caved in like tin foil, yet Yaqian was completely unharmed! Not a single scratch!"
"I, Zhang Yunhai, have only one precious daughter," he finished, his voice thick with emotion as he looked at Shen Anyu. "Master Shen's kindness... it's truly beyond words!" He bowed his head slightly, a gesture of profound gratitude.
"General Manager Zhang, there's no need to be so polite," Shen Anyu said with a faint, easy smile, his tone calm. "Your daughter, Zhang Yaqian, has already repaid me."
Ling Qingcheng, standing right beside him, felt her face heat up and discretely rolled her eyes at the blatant double meaning. She didn't expose him in front of Zhang Yunhai, but the man's audacity was staggering.
However, a new, complex emotion was swirling within her. Her gaze on Shen Anyu held a clear trace of astonishment. So, this man actually possessed such profound and genuine skill. The ability to predict a disaster with a glance, and to casually draw a talisman on a piece of tissue paper powerful enough to negate a deadly car crash... it was the stuff of legends. Such true, tangible ability—if she hadn't heard it directly from a man as credible as Zhang Yunhai, Ling Qingcheng would have dismissed it as an elaborate fantasy.
In her circles, she had met her fair share of so-called experts, mystics, and even a renowned Artificer True Person. None of them, for all their posturing and ceremony, possessed such an incredible, practical power. To divine fortune and misfortune, to turn mortal danger into a safe passage—this was the mark of a true Master.
This revelation forced a tectonic shift in her perception of Shen Anyu. He wasn't just a scumbag. He was a capable scumbag.
[Ding! Detected Destined Heroine Ling Qingcheng's favorability +10, plundering +30000 destiny value!]
'Mr. Shen is truly amazing; he actually possesses such abilities!'
He Yiyi gazed at Shen Anyu, her eyes sparkling with unadulterated adoration. She never imagined that the man she had rear-ended was someone even a top Hangzhou tycoon like Zhang Yunhai would hold in such high esteem. Predicting fortunes, a simple napkin saving someone from a fatal crash—it was all too incredible, like something from a movie.
Wait a second. A thought suddenly sparked in her mind. If Mr. Shen was so powerful, with the ability to foresee disaster... then how could she have possibly rear-ended him? He would have known it was coming.
Did he not notice? Or... was it intentional?
'It couldn't be that he didn't notice,' she reasoned, her heart starting to beat a little faster. 'It must have been intentional.'
But why would he intentionally let her crash into his car? The question hung in the air for a split second before the answer bloomed in her mind, sending a blush creeping up her neck and onto her cheeks.
Could it be... that he had taken a liking to her from the very beginning?
He Yiyi's beautiful eyes lit up. She stole a surreptitious glance at Shen Anyu's handsome profile, her gaze soft and shy. Her mind raced, replaying their entire encounter in this dazzling new light.
'Oh, Mr. Shen, you're a little naughty,' she thought, a giddy, secret smile playing on her lips. 'You should have just said something. You scared me half to death! I almost thought I would have to sell myself to repay the debt.'
[Ding! Detected Destined Heroine He Yiyi's favorability +5, plundering +15000 destiny value!]
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