Early the next morning, Lu Xuan got out of bed feeling refreshed.
Chen Yubing was sprawled out, one long, pale leg draped ungracefully over Bai Yanxi, her rosy lips unconsciously mumbling in her sleep: “Hmph… Mine… is softer than yours…”
And Bai Yanxi, who was being used as a human pillow, had her delicate brows tightly furrowed even in her sleep.
Lu Xuan found it amusing, shook his head, casually covered them with a blanket, then unhurriedly tidied himself up and left the room.
After all, a distinguished aunt was waiting for him to "entertain" today.
...
Kunlun Hotel.
As one of Yanjing's top hotels, it exuded understated luxury everywhere.
Lu Xuan, dressed in casual clothes, hands in his pockets, leisurely strolled to the door of private room 808, completely devoid of the awkwardness a normal person would feel entering such a place for the first time.
He didn't even bother to knock, directly twisting the doorknob and pushing the door open.
Inside the private room, a scene of mother-daughter affection, with tears like pear blossoms after rain, was unfolding.
Zhang Yining was currently nestled in a woman's arms, sobbing and accusing, her shoulders heaving, looking utterly pitiful.
And the woman she was embracing instantly captured Lu Xuan's full attention.
She wore a well-tailored white cheongsam with a slit, devoid of any superfluous embellishments, extremely elegant, yet it perfectly outlined her graceful figure.
The cheongsam's slit was just right, and as she moved to comfort her daughter, a pair of long, beautiful legs, encased in sheer stockings, were subtly revealed, sparking imagination.
Even more captivating was her face.
Time seemed to have been exceptionally kind to her; at forty, her skin was still firm and fair, so delicate it seemed a touch would break it. That face, seven parts similar to Zhang Yining's yet imbued with countless more charms and allure, was maintained as well as her twenty-year-old daughter's.
The two didn't look like mother and daughter at all, but rather like sisters.
In her eyes, there was both the gentleness of a Jiangnan woman and the proud aloofness of someone long in a high position.
Ninety-eight points, truly living up to her reputation.
“Brother Xuan!” Zhang Yining spotted him first, her crying stopped abruptly, and she quickly released her mother, rushing to Lu Xuan with a face full of grievance and accusation, “The school… the school expelled me! How could you do this to me? What did I do wrong?”
Lu Xuan didn't even bother to look at her, casually waving her aside as if shooing away a buzzing fly. “How many more times do I have to tell you? If you can't figure it out, go look in a mirror and reflect properly!”
At this moment, the cheongsam-clad beauty slowly stood up and elegantly walked to Zhang Yining's side, shielding her daughter behind her.
Her gaze, like an ice-tempered blade, fell coldly on Lu Xuan.
“You are Lu Xuan?” Her voice was very pleasant, clear and with a hint of magnetism, precisely the voice that had captivated countless fans back then, “Since you're Ningning's boyfriend, there's a limit to throwing tantrums. Letting things escalate to this point benefits no one.”
As soon as she spoke, she tried to claim the moral and authoritative high ground, defining the conflict as an argument between immature young lovers.
“Auntie, you're mistaken.” Lu Xuan smiled faintly, but the smile didn't reach his eyes, “Who told you I'm her boyfriend?”
He paused, enjoying the fleeting look of surprise on Lin Zhiling's face, then slowly, enunciating each word, uttered the latter half of his sentence:
“I am her Master.”
“Your precious daughter is nothing more than a lapdog I keep.”
Boom!
Lin Zhiling's face instantly darkened, her elegant composure shattering in an instant, and flames of shame and anger shot from her eyes: “You child, what nonsense are you spouting! Apologize to Ningning immediately!”
Lu Xuan seemed not to hear her words, his cold gaze passing over her and landing on Zhang Yining, his tone flat, yet carrying an undeniable command: “Zhang Yining, have you forgotten your place?”
Zhang Yining's delicate body trembled violently, her face drained of color.
That flat voice, to her, was like the decree of a demon king; a fear originating from the depths of her soul gripped her, making her legs weak, and uncontrollably… with a “thud,” she knelt straight down in front of her own mother.
Throughout the private room, only the dull thud of her knees hitting the thick carpet could be heard.
“Brother Xuan… no, Master…” Zhang Yining trembled all over, tears of humiliation gushing forth, “I was wrong, Master… please forgive me…”
“Ningning!”
Lin Zhiling's face turned pale, as if struck by lightning. She shrieked, frantically grabbing her daughter's arm, trying to pull her up, “What are you doing! Get up! Get up now!”
However, no matter how hard she pulled, Zhang Yining, who was kneeling on the ground, remained rooted, unmoving, only trembling and crying incessantly.
At this moment, a monstrous wave surged in Lin Zhiling's heart.
Her daughter, who had been pampered like a little princess since childhood, was… was actually trained by this man into such a servile state?
“Beast!” Lin Zhiling suddenly turned her head, her eyes as cold as if she wanted to kill, “Lu Xuan, you beast! What exactly do you want? Wasn't destroying Old Zhang enough, now you want to destroy my Ningning?!”
“Heh heh, Auntie, you're mistaken.” Lu Xuan leisurely walked to the main seat and sat down, crossing his legs, his posture lazy yet dominant, “Your husband deserved what he got, and as for your daughter, she brought it upon herself.”
He glanced at Zhang Yining, who was still kneeling on the ground, and waved his hand in disgust: “Get up, go stand aside, you're an eyesore.”
“Yes… yes, Master.”
Zhang Yining, as if granted a great pardon, quickly wiped away her tears, stumbled to her feet, and then obediently walked behind Lu Xuan to stand, with downcast eyes, truly like a maid.
Watching this absurd yet real scene unfold before her, Lin Zhiling felt as if an invisible hand was tightly gripping her heart, the pain so intense she could barely breathe.
She took a deep breath, forcing down the turbulent emotions in her heart, her chest heaving violently.
“Lu Xuan! You just wait!” she said through gritted teeth, “I will make sure you wish you were dead!”
After speaking, she looked at her daughter, her voice tinged with deep weariness and determination.
“Ningning, you go out first and wait for me in the car.”
“I have some things I need to discuss with Lu Xuan alone.”