Chapter 218: Feeding the Dog

No one noticed Zhang Yuqing’s demeanor, but since the hostess had spoken, the crowd could only murmur in agreement and leave the room.

Zhang Yuqing was still unwilling to give up. She lingered until the very end, yet found nothing out of the ordinary. Her gaze circled around Lu Jingyu before a sudden idea struck her, and she spoke up again.

“You must be Captain Lu, right? We’ve troubled you with the laboratory matters lately, and we’ll be relying on you for the safety of the 27th District from now on.”

The effects of the drug in Xu Qingsui’s system were on the verge of erupting. Having Zhang Yuqing linger around was by no means a good thing. However, since she was the hostess, Lu Jingyu could only suppress his burning anxiety and respond with a polite smile.

“You’re too kind, Mrs. Shen. It was just a small effort, and moving forward, this is our duty. We will certainly do what is expected of us.”

Zhang Yuqing smiled and nodded, her gaze sweeping over Xu Qingsui and Lu Jingyu in feigned nonchalance. “What is the relationship between Captain Lu and Guide Xu? It’s inappropriate for a man and a woman to be so close, how could you…”

“Mrs. Shen, Qing Sui and I are lovers. Although we aren’t married yet, it will be put on the agenda very soon!”

Even though most of the guests had left, there were always a few stragglers dawdling to eavesdrop. If Zhang Yuqing’s question wasn’t answered perfectly right now, it would be Xu Qingsui’s reputation that suffered the most. Since Lu Jingyu already harbored feelings for her, and faced with such a precarious scenario, he gave his answer without a moment’s hesitation.

Shen Yan, who knew the truth, felt his pupils contract in shock and immediately shot a look at Lu Jingyu. But he also understood the intention behind the response. Looking at Xu Qingsui on the bed, Shen Yan could only force down his intense displeasure for the sake of her reputation.

Zhang Yuqing, on the other hand, seemed quite satisfied with this answer. Her face instantly turned cold as she looked at her son. “Shen Yan, you… come with me. I have something to say to you.”

She hesitated to speak further, merely shooting Shen Yan a fierce glare before leaving the room.

Shen Yan had already guessed what Zhang Yuqing was going to say. He felt utterly frustrated but still didn’t dare to contradict Lu Jingyu’s claim.

Seeing Shen Yan’s deeply displeased yet entirely helpless expression, Lu Jingyu felt a secret thrill of satisfaction. However, reining in his smile, he walked over to Shen Yan with a dark expression and whispered in his ear, “Qing Sui was drugged and almost assaulted. I stuffed the guy in the closet. As for what exactly happened, it shouldn’t be hard for you to investigate.”

Hearing Lu Jingyu’s words, Shen Yan’s whole body jolted, and he instantly clenched his fists.

“Take her to the next room first. I’ll get to the bottom of the rest!”

Leaving behind that single command, Shen Yan stormed out of the room with a dark face, not forgetting to clear out the remaining onlookers as he left. Lu Jingyu then turned back, scooped Xu Qingsui up into his arms, and headed to the adjacent bedroom.

Right after the two of them left, a few figures slipped into the original room.

A burning heat continuously assaulted Xu Qingsui. Suddenly, a cool embrace wrapped around her, instantly extinguishing most of the scorching sensation. The soothing chill continued to radiate, igniting her greedy desire for more. She instinctively began to tug at the embrace, hoping to better immerse herself in the coolness.

Feeling Xu Qingsui’s hands moving over him, Lu Jingyu began to run hot as well. A jolt of arousal shot straight to his core, and he had to grit his teeth to barely suppress his inner urges.

He originally wanted to lay her on the bed to help ease her heat. But the moment he let go, Xu Qingsui clung to him directly like an octopus. Under her drastic movements, the front of her clothes had been pulled open. From Lu Jingyu’s vantage point, the alluring sight was fully exposed.

The impulse he had just suppressed surged up once more. In his brief moment of distraction, Xu Qingsui pounced on him again. The fire in his heart was becoming increasingly difficult to control, and Xu Qingsui’s condition was growing severe.

Steeling his resolve, Lu Jingyu carried her straight into the bathroom. Soon, the SPLASH of running water echoed from within.

***

After Shen Yan left the bedroom, Zhang Yuqing was already waiting for him in the hall. But before she could even open her mouth, he brushed straight past her. She called out after him several times, but Shen Yan acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing, leaving her to stomp her feet in anger.

Shen Yan’s mind was constantly echoing with the image of Xu Qingsui’s flushed cheeks and the words Lu Jingyu had whispered in his ear. Once he reached a secluded area, he ordered his men to drag the person out of the closet and use whatever means necessary to uncover the truth.

The perverted man was a repeat offender, but facing subordinates acting under strict, lethal orders, he quickly confessed everything. His men also handed over a phone containing recorded footage of the incident to Shen Yan.

Watching the man’s behavior in the video, Shen Yan’s expression darkened. He turned to his subordinates. “Keeping this kind of scum alive is just asking for trouble. Cut off his junk and feed it to the dogs.”

After his men dragged the culprit away, Shen Yan personally removed the memory card and completely destroyed its contents. Having dealt with the mess, he turned to his attendants with a pitch-black expression. “Invite Madam to the study!”

Shen Yan’s head throbbed. He had never imagined that his own mother could be the mastermind behind this incident.

When Zhang Yuqing heard that Shen Yan wanted her in the study, a terrible premonition arose in her heart. Sure enough, upon seeing her son’s gloomy expression, she knew the matter had been exposed.

“Shen Yan, you have to understand. I did all of this for you!”

“So that means you can arrange for someone to ruin a girl’s innocence? Mom, why do I feel like I don’t even know you anymore?”

That single sentence instantly left Zhang Yuqing speechless. She clearly felt that something had come between her and Shen Yan, isolating the mother and son from each other.

Panic began to set in, and she hastily explained, “I didn’t mean for that to happen. I just wanted to create a misunderstanding so you would completely let her go.

“Mom supports you. I actually went to look for her earlier. I wanted to support you two being together, but she disagreed.”

Shen Yan’s heart trembled fiercely.

“But I know you too well,” she continued. “You definitely wouldn’t be able to accept it. Mom just didn’t want you to get hurt, so I wanted to do something to make you give her up on your own. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

“Who knew that man would actually try to do it for real.”

Shen Yan felt a tangled mess of emotions. His anger was tightly bottled up in his chest, finding no outlet.

In the end, all he could say was, “Mom, in my heart, you were never someone capable of doing such a thing.

“As for the matter between me and Xu Qingsui, I will handle it myself. You don’t need to worry about it.”

Shen Yan was completely agitated. Now that everything was cleared up, he just wanted to go find Xu Qingsui. Given her current state, he didn’t feel comfortable leaving her alone with Lu Jingyu—lest their fake relationship turn real, leaving him with absolutely no chance.

“Shen Yan, can you really handle it well? Right now, your father still hopes you will be with Liang Xiaoxiao, and he intends for you two to marry as soon as possible.”

Shen Yan’s body stiffened. “I won’t marry her. However, Mom, your attitude toward Liang Xiaoxiao has changed a lot recently. What exactly happened?”