Chapter Thirty-Five: Sophistry

I took a deep breath. "Is there something you need from me, Mr. Zhu?"

He wiped the smile from his face, looked at me intently for a moment, and turned to walk away. I couldn't fathom the meaning behind that look; after a moment's hesitation, I followed him.

He led me all the way to a Bentley parked by the tall wall at the back of the school’s sports field. Zhu Bang opened the car door and gestured for me to get in.

A sudden anxiety took hold of me—I had a vague sense of who might be inside. Sure enough, Luo Ange was sitting in the back seat, reading a file. When I got in, he glanced up at me, then returned to his reading.

Outside, Zhu Bang had already closed the door. Inside the car, it was so quiet that even our breathing could be heard. I sat as close to the window as possible, hands folded on my lap, trying to steady my breath as I wondered if Luo Ange had come to take his revenge.

After a long silence, he checked his watch, closed the file, set it aside, and finally turned to look at me.

I looked back at him. He said nothing; neither did I, not wanting to give him any ammunition.

His eyes were dark and bright, but I noticed a flicker of anger and hatred within them. It was as if I were his prey—not to be killed, but to be tormented for his pleasure.

After another long moment, he asked, "Did you see the news?"

Suddenly, I realized he was referring to the reports about Rong Luozheng. I nodded. "I saw it."

His fingers tapped lightly on his knee, the rhythm quickening—an unmistakable sign of impatience. I hurriedly asked, "How is Mu Ying?"

He fixed his gaze on me. "What do you think?"

His thoughts leapt so quickly I couldn't keep up. It took me several seconds to realize he was asking what I thought of the news.

I straightened my back. "I don't know much about business, but I do know you're venting Mu Ying's anger for her. And next… it’s me. I’m ready."

He let out a cold laugh. "You're quite perceptive."

I met his gaze and spoke plainly. "Go on, tell me how you plan to take your revenge."

He stopped tapping his knee and turned his face to me. His stare was so sharp I had to turn away, reaching for the door to leave.

His icy voice rang out. "If you leave now, can you bear the consequences? Not just your sister—even your best friend, your childhood confidant, Uncle Xia…"

I suddenly turned to look at him. He was watching me with a mocking smile, observing as I drew my foot back, closed the door, and realized I had no way out.

"What do you want from me?"

He leaned in, gripping my chin. "What do you think?"

I shook my head honestly. "I don’t know."

His face drew closer and closer. I shrank back in fright, but he held me fast.

His breath brushed my neck like tiny insects crawling over my skin. I began to tremble, my voice unsteady. "Luo Ange… what are you trying to do?"

He buried his face in the hollow of my neck, inhaled deeply, then suddenly bit down.

I cried out, but his grip only tightened, the pain sharp and relentless. When I tried to push him away, he pinned me against the door.

He twined a strand of my hair around his finger, his other hand resting across my throat, and spoke in a lazy drawl, "Yi Lanshan, at Lan Mirror Lake, I saved you. That makes me your savior. But you—you hurt me first, not once, but three times, and then you hurt Mu Ying."

I protested, "Luo Ange, don’t twist the truth. You harassed me first—that’s why I kicked you. At Lan Mirror Lake, if you hadn’t scared me, would I have fallen in? You bit me, and I haven’t even held you accountable for that."

I tried to shift the blame, but seeing the dangerous glint in his smile, I suddenly realized I might be in even greater danger.

Sure enough, he leaned in closer. "By your logic, since I bit you, you can bite me back. So if you kicked me, shouldn’t I get to kick you? And since you ruined Mu Ying’s face, shouldn’t I ruin yours too?"

His words left me speechless. After a long pause, I managed to choke out, "Quibbling."

He released my hair, reached behind the seat, and pulled out a knife, pressing its cold blade to my cheek.