Chapter 617: Hunter Disguised as Prey! Zhang Zhiyun Is Almost Beaten to Death!
Did she agree after playing hard to get, or did she agree directly? After thinking for a moment, Zhang Yaqian opened her phone, turned it on, and found numerous missed calls, most of which were from Zhao Tao, and a few from her father, Zhang Yunhai.
The screen's cold light illuminated her face, painting her delicate features in shades of blue and white. The endless list of notifications scrolled past her thumb. Zhao Tao's name appeared again and again, a frantic series of calls concentrated in the early evening before abruptly stopping. She felt nothing, not even a flicker of pity. Her finger swiped past them with surgical indifference. Then she saw the calls from her father, Zhang Yunhai. One was from earlier, but another was timestamped just a few minutes ago. A familiar pang of familial duty, a stark contrast to the cold void she felt for her now-ex-fiancé, tightened her chest.
Zhang Yaqian paid no mind to Zhao Tao's desperate attempts to reach her. Since she had already decided to sever the engagement, she would not waver. There was no room for regret when a man like Master Shen existed. He was a world apart, a man whose worth was immeasurable, a man truly deserving of her affection. Theirs had been a union of convenience from the start, a cold transaction between two powerful families. She had never harbored any genuine feelings for Zhao Tao, and his recent actions—the cheating, the utter lack of character—had only crystallized her disappointment into solid contempt. Master Shen, however, was different. He was a man she could entrust her entire life to, a pillar of strength and mystery.
She could guess the reason for her father's calls. He wanted her home. Though she was a grown woman, the Zhang family's rules were ironclad, etched into the very foundation of her upbringing. Be home before nine in the evening. Never stay out overnight. It was a rule she had never broken.
Unless there was a special reason.
Zhang Yaqian's gaze drifted to the man beside her. An Yu's handsome profile was silhouetted against the passing city lights, his jawline sharp, his expression unreadable but calm. He was the most special reason she had ever had. A wave of guilt mixed with a thrilling, defiant excitement washed over her. Her fingers, feeling strangely clumsy, began to type a text message.
"Ling Qingcheng, if my Daddy calls you, can you tell him I'm staying with you?"
Miles away, in a penthouse that crowned one of Hangzhou's tallest skyscrapers, a woman read the message and smiled. She stood barefoot on a plush, cream-colored carpet, her flawless, crystal-clear feet a stark contrast to the deep, luxurious pile. A robe of alluring purple silk was draped loosely around her, revealing skin as smooth and pale as solidified snow.
Her smile was a rare, cataclysmic event, like a glacier melting in an instant to reveal a valley of a hundred blooming flowers. In terms of sheer beauty and bewitching charm, she was in no way inferior to Zhang Yaqian.
She was Zhang Yaqian's best friend, her closest confidante, Ling Qingcheng.
She was also the sole woman among Hangzhou's top ten wealthiest individuals. This wasn't merely due to the eighty-billion-dollar inheritance from her family. At only twenty-six, she had demonstrated an extraordinary, almost predatory business acumen, building a billion-dollar enterprise from scratch. Ling Qingcheng was known for her ice-cold demeanor, a woman who treated most men with dismissive disdain. The only exception was for Zhang Yaqian, this lively, pure-hearted "little sister" for whom she held a deep and protective affection. Their bond was unbreakable.
Her gaze shifted from the phone screen to the glittering tapestry of the city at night, spread out far below her window. She looked back down at the message, and her exquisite, crimson-painted lips, usually set in a severe line, curved into a mischievous smile.
"Zhang Yaqian, are you staying out overnight? Is it to comfort Zhao Tao?"
Ling Qingcheng's mind worked with lightning speed. The news had exploded across the financial world today. Chenguang Group was finished. Zhao Chenguang, its chairman and Zhao Tao's father, had been exposed for embezzling hundreds of billions in public funds. His investments had failed catastrophically, and he had ended his own life by leaping from his office building.
In the span of a single day, Zhao Tao had plummeted from a pampered young master of a corporate empire to a homeless debtor. He must be devastated, utterly shattered. 'Could it be that my kind, simple Zhang Yaqian is trying to comfort her fiancé in his darkest hour?' Ling Qingcheng mused. 'And she's willing to drag me into a lie for it?'
Zhang Yaqian practically sputtered. She had been so consumed with her time with An Yu, her phone switched off, that she was completely unaware of the cataclysm that had befallen the Chenguang Group and Zhao Tao. Reading her friend's message, she quickly typed back, her fingers flying across the screen. She couldn't let An Yu, sitting right beside her, get the wrong idea.
"Zhao Tao cheated on multiple people and is even more heartless and ungrateful. I'm utterly disappointed in him and have already decided to break off the engagement."
"That's good too."
Ling Qingcheng nodded calmly to herself in the empty room. From her pragmatic point of view, with the Chenguang Group bankrupt, the marriage alliance between the Zhang and Zhao families was now worthless. It had always been a loveless, commercial contract, and she had never thought much of Zhao Tao to begin with.
But this new information only deepened her curiosity. If Zhang Yaqian wasn't with her fiancé, who was she with? Why the sudden, unprecedented need for a secret overnight stay?
"Zhang Yaqian, do you have someone else?"
Ling Qingcheng's playful tone sharpened. A glint appeared in her eyes. Could it be that her pure, quiet little sister, her untouchable elf princess, had found another man while still engaged?
"Oh, Ling Qingcheng, don't ask so many questions! Just help your best friend out this one time. If Daddy calls, just say I'm with you. Please?"
Zhang Yaqian's face was burning hot, a flush creeping up her neck.
"Alright, alright, I'll help you with this little conspiracy. I'll help you trick your Daddy." Ling Qingcheng laughed, a low, helpless sound. But then her expression turned serious, and her typing became more deliberate. "Zhang Yaqian, you absolutely must not be deceived by men. You can know a person's face, but you can never know their heart. You're so beautiful, and you're the innocent young lady of a wealthy family. Who knows how many predators are out there, wanting to trick you out of your body and your property. You absolutely, absolutely must not be fooled. If you were, then me helping you lie would be the same as harming you!"
"Ling Qingcheng, you can rest assured. Zhang Yaqian is very smart." A hint of pride warmed Zhang Yaqian's voice as she typed. Her beautiful eyes sparkled. "And Daddy knows him too. He greatly admires his abilities."
My man, she thought, is incredible. He could read a person's fortune and misfortune with a single glance. A simple peace talisman from his hand could cheat death. He could even stand against a monstrous creature capable of churning up a hundred-meter waterspout, his presence as serene and powerful as an immortal descended to the mortal realm. He was a little naughty, yes, and he had tricked his way into her heart and her body, but she didn't dislike it. Not one bit.
"Oh? Even Uncle Zhang admires his abilities?" Ling Qingcheng was genuinely intrigued now. Zhang Yaqian's father, Zhang Yunhai, was a titan of Hangzhou's business world, a man with a keen eye for talent and a sharper eye for charlatans. If he admired this man, then he had to be someone extraordinary. "Zhang Yaqian, your man sounds quite capable. You have to bring him to meet me sometime."
"Since you have your own judgment, Zhang Yaqian, then Ling Qingcheng agrees to help you with this."
"Ling Qingcheng is the best!"
Reading her friend's reply, Zhang Yaqian's eyes curved into happy crescents. A wave of profound relief washed over her. With the Zhang family's strict rules, staying out overnight was a monumental task. But an overnight stay at Ling Qingcheng's place? Her father wouldn't just approve; he would be pleased. After all, Ling Qingcheng was a powerful ally, a business prodigy, and, most importantly, a woman. From Zhang Yunhai's perspective, his daughter fostering a close relationship with her was a strategic masterstroke.
With her alibi secured, Zhang Yaqian sent a quick message to her father, stating that she was staying with Ling Qingcheng and wouldn't be home tonight.
"Zhang Yaqian, who are you texting?" It wasn't until her screen went dark that An Yu finally spoke, his voice smooth as silk. He had known all along, of course. A dangerous glint flashed in his eyes. 'Zhang Yaqian's good friend, Ling Qingcheng. A high-cold female CEO... could she be a Destined Heroine?' He made a mental note to have someone investigate if any unusual men were circling her. If so, she almost certainly was. Or perhaps he would contact her himself and gauge the System's favorability prompts. But that was a matter for another time. Tonight was a beautiful night, and he was otherwise occupied.
Zhang Yaqian turned towards him, her body language shifting from that of a dutiful daughter to something far more intimate. She leaned closer, her voice a soft, clinging whisper. "I told Daddy I'm not coming home tonight."
"Eh? Why aren't you coming home?" An Yu asked, his tone deliberately innocent, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Zhang Yaqian looked up, meeting his gaze with a sidelong glance, her eyes shimmering with unspoken invitations. She lightly bit her full, pink lower lip. "I... I'm afraid Master Shen's injuries will act up again. I would be too uneasy to leave you alone. If something happens... with me by your side, I can help you heal."
An Yu's smile deepened, the sight of it making Zhang Yaqian's heart pound in her chest. At this moment, she was the perfect hunter disguised as prey. Her demeanor was gentle, her expression shy, but her intentions were fiercely aggressive. An Yu rarely encountered a Destined Heroine with such initiative. In the past, he had always been the one to conquer them, to break down their defenses. But now, here was a Heroine actively trying to conquer him.
An Yu could only happily accept.
'Good heavens, I need to go back quickly, otherwise Zhang Zhiyun is going to be beaten to death!'
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