Zhou Luming snapped back to reality, a cold laugh flashing across his face. Then he heard Luke cry out in pain, clutching his aching foot and hopping away in a sorry state.
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry, my dance moves are really terrible." Zhou Luming looked surprised, but there was a triumphant smile in his eyes.
"Let me help you to rest," Zhou Luming offered.
Driver Lao Wu also came over and, at Zhou Luming's gesture, helped Luke to a seat. Luke said, "I'm sorry for being rude, I need to change my shoes."
He looked at Zhou Luming's high heels and felt they were weapons, almost piercing his instep. He looked up at Zhou Luming's expression, so innocent and naive, yet with a hint of panic, it didn't seem fake; what he'd just done was purely a novice's mistake.
Sun Ren also came over and said, "My cousin was injured, so she can't stand for too long."
Luke realized that this was how it was. He had asked Sun Ren to come in order to verify whether this person was Zhou Luming or not. Even Sun Ren confirmed that this was his cousin, so he wouldn't mistake his fiancée for someone else.
“We have a separate lounge in the back. If Miss Zhou doesn’t mind, you can go there to rest,” Luke said. “I’ll go change my shoes first, see you later.”
Zhou Luming smiled and brushed a stray hair from his temple. "Okay."
Chapter 38
===================
"Don't go," Xu Yan said into the earpiece.
Zhou Luming ignored her and continued to follow Luke with a smile.
She had met all sorts of men—womanizers, innocent ones, handsome ones, greasy ones, upright ones, and sleazy ones—and no matter what type they were, she could handle them all with ease.
Luke is the womanizer and playboy type, but he's spoiled by his parents. Even if he does something outrageous, he'll probably cry and beg his parents to admit he was wrong, and his all-powerful parents will protect him and help him deal with these "troubles".
Luke opened the door from the lobby to the lounge, stepping aside to make way. Zhou Luming nodded in thanks, and Lao Wu tried to follow, but Luke moved him aside to block him from entering.
“The back rooms are all private and not convenient for outsiders to enter,” Luke said.
Old Wu was about to go around him to protect Zhou Luming, but Zhou Luming said, "Uncle Wu, I'll be out soon. Wait for me here."
Old Wu looked at Zhou Luming with surprise. Wang Anjing and Xu Yanqian had repeatedly told her that she must keep a close watch on her and not let her out of their sight, but this time it was Zhou Luming who took the initiative to do so. Perhaps she had other plans?
Just as Lao Wu was hesitating, Xu Yan's voice came through Zhou Luming's earpiece, "What are you doing?"
It was obvious that Luke was gradually distancing herself from Zhou Luming. He wouldn't be so arrogant as to act recklessly in front of everyone, but if she were taken to the back lounge, such a private place, everyone knew it would cause serious trouble. Yet Zhou Luming not only agreed, but only asked Lao Wu to participate. What was she trying to do? Was she playing with fire?
Sun Ren followed, glancing at Luke and Zhou Luming, and said, "How about I take my cousin to the hospital? Her foot injury hasn't healed yet?"
Sun Ren's actions were unexpected for Zhou Luming. Sun Ren was the one who hurt her, so why would he stand up for her at this moment?
"No need, cousin. I just need to rest a bit and massage my feet."
Sun Ren opened his mouth, but seeing Zhou Luming's resolute attitude, he stopped trying to persuade him. He had heard about Luke's exploits in the circle and felt that Luke clearly had ulterior motives towards Zhou Luming tonight, but if Zhou Luming was willing, he couldn't say anything more.
Zhou Luming had indeed considered playing with fire. Although Luke was a seasoned player in love, he was completely naive in front of her. They had already entered the lounge. Luke said he would pour her a glass of water, but as he turned around, he used his body to cover himself as he placed a pill down.
This is a luxuriously furnished lounge with chaise lounges, sofas, dressing tables, a bathroom, and even a large bed.
It's more like a guest room than a lounge.
Zhou Luming smiled as he looked at Luke, who was carrying water. All that glitters is not gold; he's rotten inside. Using such despicable methods to seduce girls and then slandering and defaming them online—this man has only a beautiful exterior; his insides are already decaying.
"Here, have some water." Luke handed over a glass.
Zhou Luming took the water but didn't drink it. He sat on the sofa, kicked off his shoes, crossed his long legs comfortably, and asked with his red lips slightly parted, "Rumors are circulating that you hurt Lu Qi, and that her father just committed suicide by jumping off your Lu's Building. Aren't you guilty?"
Luke stared at her instep, his eyes gleaming. He walked over and stood in front of her, saying, "What do I have to be guilty of? I did like Lu Qi back then, and we dated. But later, this woman accused me of assaulting her, and said she would expose everything and ruin my reputation if I didn't give her money and a house. I didn't meet you then, but we were already engaged. My father wouldn't allow me to cause trouble, so I gave her what she wanted, but at the same time, I broke up with her. She was too greedy, threatening me with all sorts of means. In the end, I couldn't satisfy her, so she spread rumors online. She wanted to destroy me."
Zhou Luming tilted his head and asked softly, "I heard you're a seasoned player in the dating game?"
Luke drew closer to her and chuckled, saying, "I may have had many relationships before, but since I met you, I feel like they were all just fleeting clouds."
"So, you're telling me your story of a prodigal son returning home?" Zhou Luming's lips curled into a slight smile. "You really just dated her and didn't do anything inappropriate? I've seen your news reports. Lu Qi was an excellent student and an important member of the student council. Besides, she was very cute and popular with her classmates. She's different from international students like you who paid their way in. Your social circle and hers are completely different. If you didn't take the initiative, how did you two meet and get together?"
Different circles lead to different intersections. Although people live in the same world, most of them will never meet because of their different social circles; this is what we call social class.
Perhaps the internet can temporarily break through these class barriers, which is why it has become popular. However, it is also deceptive, because you don't know whether what's behind the internet is a good person or a bad one.
Luke sat down next to Zhou Luming. "We have a school forum. I saw her articles and introduction on the forum and thought they were very interesting, so I contacted her and invited her to the dance. When we met, she took the initiative to flirt with me, making little moves at me from time to time. I didn't refuse, and since I quite liked her, so..."
Luke paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "You're not jealous, are you?"
Zhou Luming smiled and shook her head. "No." Sorry, I'm not interested in you at all, why would I be jealous?
Luke moved half an inch closer to her, his hand on his knee almost touching Zhou Luming's.
Zhou Luming stood up, played music in the room, and said, "Excuse me, I'm going to the restroom." He left Luke behind and went to the restroom in the room.
Turning on the tap and letting the water flow, Zhou Luming asked Xu Yan through her earpiece, "Did you get the recording?" She was disgusted by Luke's little tricks and felt repulsed, not wanting to stay with him any longer.
She also felt strange. In the past, when she accepted such tasks, she was unmoved and treated the other party as an animal without taking it to heart. But this time, she felt disgusted by everything. She felt nauseous and vomited whenever the other party touched her. It was simply unbearable.
While washing his hands, Zhou Luming looked at himself in the mirror and even felt that he had changed. A diffuser sat on the bathtub, emitting a faint fragrance.
"The person who invited me hasn't shown up yet, so I guess I'll have to wait a while." Xu Yan paused. "You—if you feel uncomfortable, you can leave as soon as possible."
"Is it really okay for me to leave now?" Zhou Luming curled her lips, because she felt the concern in Xu Yan's words. As long as she cared about her, it was enough to warm her heart. "Since I'm already here, I want to get something out of this." At least she had to get Luke to explain his relationship with Lu Qi.
“I feel something’s not right, you…” Xu Yan’s voice was intermittent, accompanied by hissing electronic interference.
"Hmm? Xu Yan?" Zhou Luming tilted his head and tapped his earphones lightly.
But there was no further sound from Xu Yan's side.
There was a knock on the bathroom door; it was Luke.
“Miss Zhou, Miss Zhou? Are you alright? You’ve been in there for a long time…” Luke called out, “Miss Zhou? If you don’t respond, I’ll come in…”
Zhou Luming gripped the edge of the sink, feeling cold and dizzy. Her vision blurred, and she shook her head violently, pinching her arm to stay awake.
She hadn't drunk the drugged glass, so why did she feel like she'd been drugged? Her gaze fell on the aromatherapy diffuser in the bathroom, and she shuddered.
So that's how it is; the aromatherapy was the drug.
Young noblemen like Luke have plenty of ways to get their hands on these dirty things. He knows that the invited ladies will use this restroom and will smell the fragrance.
The bathroom doorknob was turning. Zhou Luming turned around and saw it, knowing that Luke would be coming in any moment. Meanwhile, he had lost contact with Xu Yan.
She noticed a drain cleaning stick propping up the bathroom door.
Luke laughed outside and said, "You can't refuse me..."
Zhou Luming felt weak all over, her body burning with heat. She knew she had been tricked. She never imagined that after all these years of dominance, she would be caught off guard by such a lame trick. She was speechless.
"Is this the same method you used to make Lu Qi give up resisting back then?" Zhou Luming forced himself to stay calm and asked the other person through the door.
"Lu Qi, Lu Qi, why are you all so interested in her? Why are you so fixated on her?!"
“Us? Who else is there besides me?” Zhou Luming raised one eyebrow, picked up a toothbrush, and slowly rubbed it against the wall.
Luke sneered, "And that Xu Yan too." His tone was mocking, as if he were laughing at them. "You conspired with her to find evidence from me. You had a bug on your lower back, and you were wearing an earpiece. Don't think I don't know these things... I have highly skilled technicians on my side, as well as computer experts. Your biggest mistake was not letting that retired veteran come in to protect you, and Sun Ren... that guy is useless, but he also tried to interfere with my plans..."
Luke pushed the door open forcefully, peeked at Zhou Luming through the crack, and said with a wicked smile, "We have blocked your communication with Xu Yan, so you can't make a call for help... Therefore, you are helpless now."
Zhou Luming was slightly taken aback, and asked in a flustered manner, "Did you use the same method to deal with Lu Qi back then, making her lose her ability to resist?"
Luke, unfazed, said, "Lu Qi isn't as wary or cunning as you. She's clever, but also naive. At the ball, I helped her out, fending off several lecherous men who tried to grope her, and even fought them off. When she saw me protecting her like that, she lowered her guard and even came to wipe the blood off my face..."
Luke recalled that time with a smug look on his face, "She came to this private lounge just like you, and didn't drink the water I gave her, but went into a bathroom filled with aphrodisiac scents... But she couldn't hold on for long, so I opened the door and helped her to the bed. Her body was so soft and fragrant, warm and cozy. I've been with many women, but they were all promiscuous. Lu Qi, a top student, is the first..."
"She was drugged by you; she didn't want to."
"So what? There's no evidence. I control public opinion. If she dares to resist, she'll only end up as a gold digger..." Luke said with a wicked smile. "If she behaves, I can give her money and play with her for a few more days. But she doesn't behave. She announced this to the media. I had no choice but to ask my dad to clean up this mess for me."
Luke shrugged, and hearing no more sound from inside, he curiously pushed the door again. If necessary, he planned to kick the broken door open and catch his prey.
The panicked reaction of crouching down and peering through the crack in the door, as if trying to spy on his prey, can stimulate him and make him feel happy and excited.
However--
As he peered through the crack in the door, he saw a sharp object suddenly pierce his eyeball...
Chapter 39
===================
In Luke's life, there were few moments so critical and chilling. The sharp spike hurtled toward his eyeballs, and his legs gave way, causing him to collapse to the ground, his face pale and his chest heaving. In that instant, he almost wet himself.
More than the sudden stimulation, he feared the pair of eyes he saw through the crack in the door. Those beautiful eyes, which had been innocent and sparkling, were now filled with a threat, like a ferocious beast chasing its prey in the dark night, cold and sharp.
He had initially thought Zhou Luming was just an ordinary girl, an illegitimate daughter who had never been acknowledged by the Zhou family, only recently brought back to inherit their estate. He had met people like that before, exuding the air of nouveau riche; despite their immense wealth, they had no idea how to spend it or how to integrate into new social classes and environments.
Although he had previously disliked his fiancée, Luke was deeply attracted by her beauty after meeting Zhou Luming in person. He was rather superficial to begin with, so since his fiancée was so charming and beautiful, he decided to marry her and possess her until he got tired of her.
Tonight's banquet was specially arranged for Zhou Luming. Although his other prey, Xu Yan, didn't take the bait, it didn't stop Luke from making his move on Zhou Luming. Anyway, she would be his wife sooner or later, so what difference did it make? Even if he was a bit tough tonight, they wouldn't really do anything to him later, considering their engagement.
Luke, sweating profusely, stared anxiously at the door.
He had initially thought it was a seductive prey, but it turned out to be a ferocious beast with teeth. It seemed he had underestimated Zhou Luming. Calming himself, Luke stood up again, his expression gradually regaining its composure. He dusted off his legs, a cold smile playing on his lips.
Even if she had teeth, so what? He had already removed and destroyed the listening device she had hidden behind her waist. There was also a signal jammer in the lounge that blocked communication. He had even drugged Zhou Luming to make her unconscious and unable to resist.
Her helpers were all outside, and no one could save her.
"Miss Zhou, are you going to hurt your fiancé?" Luke sneered as he approached the door again, looking for an opportunity.
Zhou Luming struggled to stay conscious, holding a sharpened toothbrush handle in his hand. "I don't acknowledge you as my fiancé. If you lay a hand on me today, I will tell the whole world how ugly you are."
Luke laughed smugly, "Although your family is very powerful, unfortunately, they have already given you to me."
Zhou Luming's eyelids twitched. "Aren't you afraid of the Zhou family behind me?"
Why be afraid?
"You're not even afraid of the Zhou family, no wonder you were so fearless towards Lu Qi back then."
Luke sneered, "Don't tell me you're not a real princess. Even if you were, I'm confident I could walk away unscathed. As long as there's no solid evidence, as long as I don't admit it, I have ways to turn public opinion around. Someone like Lu Qi, who comes from a poor background, I can deliberately leave a few ambiguous text messages, invite her to balls and events I'm also involved in, and leave some clues on her social media so her friends can interpret her behavior... Once these messages are released, as long as one question is raised, people will fully unleash their imaginations. Lu Qi resisted, but she was powerless. Therefore, she can only be a crow trying to climb the social ladder, a clown trying to marry into the Lu family."
As Luke spoke, he sensed Zhou Luming's weakness in her voice and felt that the drug was about to take effect, so he mustered his courage and tried to push the door open again.
This time, the beast behind the door was no longer able to resist the threat.
Luke kicked open the flimsy door and stared at Zhou Luming, who was leaning against the sink. Surprisingly, Zhou Luming wasn't completely unconscious; she even had the strength to stand and look directly at Luke.
Zhou Luming's true condition wasn't as good as it seemed; she hadn't expected to fall for it. Recalling Q and Xu Yan's unanimous warning before they left—"Be careful of Luke"—she realized she was wrong, wrong for being too arrogant and naive about people like Luke.