Chapter 697: Searching for a person! Too late!
But how was he going to find Ling Qingcheng?
This grim question lay before Ren Zhacheng; if he couldn't find Ling Qingcheng, there was no way to prevent this from happening.
It was already midnight on the twenty-third, and things could happen at any moment. General Manager Ling's most precious possession could be taken by another man at any time.
Ren Zhacheng was burning with anxiety, yet he was helpless.
His knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel of his car, the engine idling uselessly on a dark street. His mind raced, replaying the system's prophecy, each word a spike of ice driving into his heart. 'General Manager Ling's most precious possession… taken by another man.' The thought was a physical blow, knocking the air from his lungs. He felt a desperate, clawing panic rise in his throat. He couldn't just sit here. He couldn't let it happen.
"Is General Manager Ling still in the Hilton Hotel? How do I get in?" he muttered, his voice ragged with desperation. The hotel was a fortress, its security impenetrable. He couldn't just walk in and demand to see the CEO of the Ling Group. They would throw him out like trash. He slammed his fist against the dashboard, the sharp pain a welcome distraction from the inferno of helplessness raging within him.
Then, a sudden spark of an idea cut through his panic. "Oh, right, I can draw a prize! Maybe I can get something good!"
It was a long shot, a gambler's last, desperate throw of the dice. A million per draw was an astronomical price, a sum that made his stomach clench. He was profoundly reluctant to burn through his resources like that, but what other choice did he have? Every second that ticked by felt like an eternity, bringing his worst nightmare closer to reality. He couldn't care about the cost now. The only thing that mattered was finding her.
Taking a deep, shuddering breath, he called upon his system interface, his eyes fixed on the lottery function. 'Please,' he silently prayed, 'give me something useful. Anything.' He confirmed the draw, and a million destiny value vanished from his reserves. The virtual wheel spun, a blur of golden light, before finally landing on an item.
The first treasure he obtained from the draw made Ren Zhacheng's heart leap into his throat, a wave of pure, unadulterated joy and excitement crashing over him.
Seeking Person Compass!
It was a special item. As long as you have an item belonging to the other party, you can find them through the corresponding aura!
Hope, fierce and brilliant, flooded his veins. And Ren Zhacheng just happened to have an item of Ling Qingcheng's: one of her business cards. It was a memory he replayed often—the humiliation of rummaging through a trash can outside a business conference just to retrieve it. He had always cherished it, a flimsy piece of cardstock he viewed as his only tangible connection to his goddess. He carefully retrieved the card from its protective sleeve in his wallet, his hands trembling slightly.
Immediately, Ren Zhacheng used Ling Qingcheng's business card to activate the Seeking Person Compass. The compass materialized in his hand, a disc of antique, tarnished brass, cold to the touch. He placed the business card flat against its surface. A faint golden light enveloped both objects, and the needle on the compass, previously inert, began to spin with dizzying speed. After a few seconds, it slowed, quivered, and then locked firmly onto a direction. A path. A chance. He didn't hesitate for a second. He threw the car into gear, tires squealing as he sped off into the night, following the unwavering needle.
'As expected of the Child of Destiny with ten million in destiny value, his luck is truly good. He immediately drew such a useful item as the Seeking Person Compass. He gets what he wishes for.'
Miles away, in a penthouse apartment overlooking the glittering city, Shen Anyu watched the scene unfold on a holographic projection. The image was fed directly from a nanometer monitoring robot latched onto Ren Zhacheng's collar. He raised an eyebrow, a lazy, amused smile playing on his lips.
The Seeking Person Compass was a good item indeed. With a tool like that, Shen Anyu realized he might finally be able to locate that slippery rat, Wu Ming—the Child of Destiny from the Rebirth of the Gou Dao who had been hiding so effectively. The thought was a pleasing one.
Since it belonged to Ren Zhacheng, it was as good as his own.
Watching the projection of Ren Zhacheng carefully holding Ling Qingcheng's business card, the one he'd fished out of the trash, Shen Anyu couldn't help but let out a low, wry chuckle. The man's pathetic devotion was almost pitiable. Almost.
"Unfortunately, you're too late."
Shen Anyu's expression was one of pure, joyful satisfaction as he leaned back into the plush sofa, crossing his legs leisurely. He brought a freshly lit cigar to his lips, inhaling deeply before exhaling a fragrant cloud of smoke. His gaze drifted idly toward the frosted glass door of the master bathroom.
Ling Qingcheng was inside, too shy to come out.
Even a woman as cold, capable, and commanding as the famed ice-queen CEO of the Ling Group would be timid after an experience like that.
As for He Yiyi, she was already fast asleep in another room, blissfully unaware.
Shen Anyu was in no hurry to urge Ling Qingcheng. Let her have her moment. Even if Ren Zhacheng's magical compass led him to this very building, he wouldn't be able to break through the layers of security Shen Anyu had already put in place. The guards were stationed, alert, and waiting for any disturbance.
What's more…
Shen Anyu's peripheral vision swept over the vivid red plum blossom stain on the pristine, snow-white silk quilt of the bed. His expression was utterly joyful.
He had already succeeded.
Just as Ren Zhacheng was pacing anxiously outside the Hilton, Shen Anyu had already been brought by a flushed and pliant Ling Qingcheng to this nearby luxury flat. And there, everything that was fated to happen, had been done.
With a soft creak, the bathroom door slowly opened.
Ling Qingcheng walked out.
She was a vision of beautiful disarray. Her usually perfect black hair was tousled, clinging in damp strands to her exquisite, beautiful face, as if matted with sweat. It covered her delicate earlobes and framed most of her pretty features. The exposed curves of her cheeks were rosy like a deep sunset, exquisitely, breathtakingly charming.
Her phoenix-like eyes, typically sharp enough to cut glass and filled with an unyielding authority, were now soft and bright, alluringly hazy as if veiled by a mist of confusion and unshed tears. She wore a simple silk robe, cinched loosely at the waist, its fabric doing little to hide the proud, graceful lines of her body.
"Qingcheng, are you alright?" Shen Anyu's voice was gentle, a stark contrast to the predatory confidence he usually projected.
Listening to the man's soft tone and meeting his deeply affectionate, timeless peach blossom eyes, Ling Qingcheng's delicate body trembled almost imperceptibly. A shiver traced its way down her spine, not from cold, but from a chaotic storm of emotions she couldn't begin to name.
Taking a soft, shaky breath, Ling Qingcheng closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again, her gaze trying, and failing, to be firm. She looked at Shen Anyu earnestly. "Shen Anyu, please forget what happened just now."
Her voice was low, but resolute. "After tonight, you and I have no further connection. You must treat Zhang Yaqian well in the future and not let her down!"
Her eyes flickered with a genuine, protective light. "Zhang Yaqian is a very good girl. If you let her down, I will never forgive you."
At this point, Ling Qingcheng looked at Shen Anyu with a complicated, unreadable gaze, then turned as if to leave. "I'll go rest in another room. When dawn breaks, you can leave."
A hint of a smile flashed in Shen Anyu's eyes. He watched her turn, the picture of a woman trying to rebuild her walls brick by painful brick. He suddenly said, "I don't plan to hide this from Zhang Yaqian."
Ling Qingcheng turned sharply, her entire body whipping around as if pulled by a string. Her phoenix eyes were wide with utter shock as she stared at him. "You're going to tell Zhang Yaqian?"
Shen Anyu got up from the sofa and walked over, his movements fluid and unhurried. He closed the distance between them, his peach blossom eyes shining brightly, capturing her gaze and holding it tight.
"Yes," he said, his voice a low, intimate murmur. "I'm going to tell Zhang Yaqian that I've fallen in love with Ling Qingcheng."
"Are you crazy?" Ling Qingcheng was shocked, her carefully constructed composure shattering completely. "How can this be? How can this be told to Zhang Yaqian?"
"What's done is done, so why can't it be said?" Shen Anyu smiled, his eyes holding hers with a look of such deep, unwavering sincerity that it stole her breath. "Qingcheng, I won't let you down. For the rest of your life, can you let me take care of you?"
Upon hearing this, Ling Qingcheng's heart hammered against her ribs. She looked up at Shen Anyu's impossibly handsome face, at his deeply affectionate expression, which showed no hint of pretense or deceit. Her heart was trembling, a confusing mix of fear and a wild, forbidden hope fluttering in her chest.
[Ding! Detected Destined Heroine Ling Qingcheng's favorability +3, plundering +9000 destiny value!]
However, she could not do anything to betray Zhang Yaqian. The thought of her friend's trusting face was a shard of ice in her heart.
Ling Qingcheng's heart ached with conflict. She resolutely turned around, presenting him with her back as she coldly said, "Shen Anyu, take good care of Zhang Yaqian. You and I are impossible!"
"Hey, Zhang Yaqian, I have something to tell you."
Just then, Shen Anyu's calm voice came from behind her.
Ling Qingcheng spun her head around and was scared out of her wits. She saw Shen Anyu holding his phone to his ear, seemingly talking to Zhang Yaqian. And then she heard it—Zhang Yaqian's voice, a voice she knew as well as her own, coming clearly from the phone's speaker.
"Brother Shen, what's up?"
Shen Anyu glanced at Ling Qingcheng, a silent challenge in his eyes, and was about to speak.
In that split second, Ling Qingcheng panicked. A primal wave of terror washed over her. Without thinking, she pounced, covering the distance between them in a single desperate leap. She slapped her hand over Shen Anyu's mouth, her fingers pressing against his lips as she desperately shook her head, her eyes wide and pleading.
"Brother Shen, what's wrong? Why aren't you talking?" On the other end of the phone, Zhang Yaqian sounded a bit confused.
Under Ling Qingcheng's almost pleading gaze, her wide, terrified eyes locked on his, Shen Anyu found the situation intensely amusing. He gave a slow, deliberate nod.
Only then did Ling Qingcheng release her jade-like hand from his mouth, snatching it back as if she'd been burned.
Shen Anyu spoke softly into the phone, his voice now laced with a gentle warmth. "Nothing, I just miss you very much. I won't be able to come back tonight, so I wanted to let you know."
"Mm-hmm, Yaqian misses Brother Shen very much too." Zhang Yaqian's sweet and charming voice clearly rose in pitch, evidently overjoyed to hear Shen Anyu say he missed her.
Then the two exchanged a few more sweet words before he hung up the phone.
"Shen Anyu, what exactly do you want?" Ling Qingcheng breathed a heavy sigh of relief, the tension draining from her body, only to be replaced by a hot flush of anger. She glared at him, her chest heaving.
"To take care of you for a lifetime." Shen Anyu tilted his head, that infuriatingly charming smile returning to his face.
[Ding! Detected Destined Heroine Ling Qingcheng's favorability +1, plundering +3000 destiny value!]
"No," she said, her voice shaking slightly. "Zhang Yaqian would be sad if she knew." Ling Qingcheng was a little tempted, the thought sending a forbidden thrill through her, but she still gritted her teeth and refused.
"Then we just won't let Zhang Yaqian know?" he suggested, his tone reasonable, as if offering the most logical solution in the world.
Hearing Shen Anyu's words, Ling Qingcheng gave him a fierce glare. Two words, laced with indignation, escaped her red lips: "Scumbag!"
So that was his plan? He wanted her to be his secret lover? Hidden away in the shadows? How could that be? She, the dignified, proud CEO of the Ling Group, reduced to being an illicit, secret lover? The idea was humiliating.
"Actually, even if Zhang Yaqian knew, it wouldn't matter. She would agree," Shen Anyu said with a smile, his tone candid and confident.
But Ling Qingcheng clearly didn't quite believe him. Her skepticism was written all over her face.
"My injuries haven't healed yet," Shen Anyu said, smoothly changing his approach, his gaze dropping meaningfully. "Do you want to continue treating them?"
Ling Qingcheng bit her red lip lightly, her eyes flickering away from his. She did not refuse.
Meanwhile, Ren Zhacheng had already arrived below Ling Qingcheng's large flat via the Seeking Person Compass.
...
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