Zhang Yining's body froze in place, like a soulless puppet, deaf to her mother's instructions.
Lu Xuan's lips curled into an almost imperceptible smile, and he spoke languidly, his voice not loud: "Can't you understand your mom? Or rather, now, without my permission, you can't even walk?"
His words were flippant, yet carried an undeniable command.
Zhang Yining trembled all over, as if activated by these words, and only then, as if waking from a dream, did she look at Lu Xuan, her eyes filled with fear and pleading.
"Alright, go wait in the car outside, don't be an eyesore here." Lu Xuan waved his hand casually, as if shooing away a fly.
"Yes... yes, Master."
Granted permission, Zhang Yining, as if receiving a great pardon, scrambled to her feet, not even daring to glance at her mother again, lowered her head, and frantically pulled open the door and ran out.
With a "bang," the heavy private room door closed, separating the mother and daughter, and transforming this small space into a gladiatorial arena for Lu Xuan and Lin Zhiling.
"Lu Xuan!" Lin Zhiling could no longer maintain her air of elegant superiority; her chest heaved violently, and her well-maintained beautiful eyes burned with anger at having her bottom line crossed.
"Are you even human?! You humiliate my daughter like this, right in front of me, her mother?!"
Lu Xuan seemed not to hear her roar. He slowly pulled a cigarette pack from his pocket, unhurriedly tapped it against the corner of the table, and popped a cigarette into his mouth.
"Click."
The crisp sound of a lighter echoed in the quiet private room, a small cluster of orange flames danced, lighting a cigarette.
He took a deep drag, exhaling slowly, and the bluish-white smoke swirled, blurring the expression on his face.
This extreme disregard was more damaging than any vicious words.
Lin Zhiling felt like her full-force punch had landed on cotton, and the unvented rage almost incinerated her sanity.
She took a deep breath, then another, her fingernails digging deep into her palms, using the pain to force herself to calm down.
She knew that losing control and anger were useless against this man, and would only make her seem more pathetic.
A few seconds later, the flames in her eyes gradually extinguished, replaced by a cold scrutiny and calculation.
"Lu Xuan," she spoke again, her voice devoid of its previous hysteria, leaving only a condescending chill.
"I admit, I underestimated you. Seeing Ningning's state today, I only hope you can let her go."
She paused, seemingly deliberating on the most 'benevolent' phrasing: "As long as you let Ningning go, I can let bygones be bygones for everything that has happened between you two. Not only that, I can also give you a compensation."
She extended five slender, pale fingers, her posture elegant, as if bestowing an insignificant item.
"Five million. I think that price is enough for you to live comfortably for the rest of your life."
Upon hearing this, Lu Xuan finally reacted. He first froze, then, as if he had heard the greatest joke, he couldn't help but let out a low chuckle.
"Heh heh... heh heh heh..."
His laughter grew louder, carrying undisguised mockery.
"Auntie, five million?" Lu Xuan flicked the ash from his cigarette, looked up at her, his gaze like he was looking at an idiot, "Are you trying to dismiss a beggar, or are you acting in an idol drama? These lines are too cliché."
He shook his head, his tone contemptuous: "To be honest, I really don't care for that little money. You might think I, a poor boy from the countryside, am spouting nonsense, but believe it or not, if I just open my mouth, I can spend the money of the Chen family and the Bai family as I please."
Lin Zhiling's pupils suddenly constricted.
The Chen family? The Bai family? Could their relationship already be that...
Before she could think further, Lu Xuan's gaze had changed.
It was an extremely aggressive look, as if appraising an item, brazenly roving over her graceful cheongsam, from the tight collar to the full bust line, and then to the long, beautiful legs subtly revealed by the slit.
This naked scrutiny made Lin Zhiling, who was always looked up to, feel utterly uncomfortable, giving rise to an unprecedented sense of humiliation.
"What's more," Lu Xuan's lips curved into a wicked, charming arc, and he said slowly, "Your daughter, even if I drove her away right now, she wouldn't budge, do you believe me?"
He deliberately paused, leaned in closer, lowered his voice, and in a volume only they could hear, he uttered, word by word, the sentence that would completely shatter her:
"Besides, your daughter... indeed, she's quite moist."
Boom!
Lin Zhiling's cheeks instantly flushed crimson, a color of extreme shame and indignation, which then turned to a livid green.
"You... you pervert! Shameless scoundrel!" She trembled with rage, almost biting her teeth to pieces.
However, after the extreme anger, a cold chill rose from her heart.
She forced herself to suppress the humiliation that shot straight to her head, her mind rapidly churning.
She had lost; from the moment her daughter knelt, she had lost completely.
Power, money, these weapons she prided herself on, all became a joke in front of this man.
Since that was the case...
Lin Zhiling looked at Lu Xuan's handsome but wicked face, and a crazy and bold idea quietly formed in her mind.
Since he was an incorrigible lecher, then... let him die by that word!
She had already prepared a backup plan, intending to use a honey trap against him, but she hadn't expected him to be more troublesome, and more... than she imagined.
As long as she could film a video and get a handle that he couldn't resist, she didn't believe this arrogant boy could escape her grasp!
Thinking of this, the anger in Lin Zhiling's eyes quietly receded, replaced by a cold and resolute gaze, like a viper locking onto its prey.
She didn't believe that a honey trap wouldn't work on Lu Xuan, especially coming from her, Lin Zhiling.
She believed no man could ignore her figure and appearance!
As long as Lu Xuan took the bait, the video she filmed would be enough to control him.
For her daughter, to gain her daughter's freedom and future.
She felt that everything she sacrificed was worth it.
But she didn't know she was walking into a tiger's den.