Chapter 392: Chapter 392

The private room was a luxurious suite.

She pushed open the bedroom door, and there was someone lying on the bed.

Lin Chuchu took a deep breath and walked forward cautiously.

The teenager lay there, his face turned up, illuminated by the dim light resembling moonlight, revealing his features.

Lin Chuchu covered her mouth in shock.

It was actually Liu Runxi.

Liu Runxi’s name had circulated widely among high school students in Qingzhou; he had grades comparable to Shen You’an yet also possessed an impressive family background, along with an irresistible, handsome charm.

The name Liu Runxi was like the bright moon against a pitch-black night sky.

Cool and aloof, towering above all, within sight yet unreachable.

She had caught brief glimpses of Liu Runxi during several provincial competitions.

He was probably every girl’s unattainable dream.

Because he was too perfect, even daring to imagine him felt like a sin.

Lin Chuchu had never thought there would come a day she’d be this close to Liu Runxi.

He lay silently, shedding his usual distant coldness, as if resigned to whatever fate might bring.

Lin Chuchu’s heart suddenly raced, and she almost instinctively rushed forward.

She wanted to reach out and touch his face, but it felt as though she’d been burned, and she quickly withdrew her hand.

A legend living in the words of others was now in front of her; her ingrained sense of inferiority held her back. Googlᴇ search NoveIꜰire.net

As if touching him would be some sort of blasphemy.

Lin Chuchu turned to glance around, the bedroom’s lighting was a dim blue, both hazy and tempting.

A faint fragrance lingered in the air, and Lin Chuchu shook her slightly dizzy head, realizing something stirring restlessly within her.

Thinking for a moment, Lin Chuchu reached out and gently pushed him: "Liu Runxi, wake up."

She leaned closer and sniffed—there was no scent of alcohol on him.

That meant Tian Wei had lied.

Given such an opportunity, Tian Wei didn’t take it herself but instead handed it off to her.

If Lin Chuchu still couldn’t realize something was wrong, she truly would be a fool.

Liu Runxi was indifferent and restrained, raised in a strict family environment, always principled—how could he possibly come out drinking?

She suddenly recalled the scandal surrounding Gao Dongting that had been causing quite a stir recently—could it be part of a trap targeting the Liu family?

Unable to be attacked professionally, it might start with those closest to him.

If rumors of a romance scandal about Mr. Liu spread, and if it escalated...

Lin Chuchu suddenly covered her mouth, a chilling sensation climbing up her spine.

The other party would definitely record a video; at that point, it would be the perfect evidence against the Liu family.

Lin Chuchu scanned the room warily—there must be hidden cameras here, and the other party was likely observing everything through them right now.

What to do? What should she do?

The boy’s eyelids twitched slightly, and a low murmur escaped his lips, as if he were calling someone’s name.

Lin Chuchu’s excitement surged, and she hurriedly leaned forward.

The hoarse voice seemed filled with endless worry and longing, emotions that could only be unabashedly expressed in the unconsciousness of sleep.

Was it the person she was thinking of?

No... impossible. Shen You’an—what right does she have...

A hand suddenly gripped Lin Chuchu’s neck, shattering all her feelings of resentment and jealousy before they had the chance to fully form.

Lin Chuchu’s eyes widened in terror as the teenager slowly sat upright. Though still somewhat dazed, the hand clutching her neck showed no hesitation or weakness.

Once the boy’s vision cleared, without the constraint of glasses, his piercingly cold gaze was like a sharpened blade, revealing its lethal edge.

Capable of killing without spilling blood.

Lin Chuchu was shocked by the boy’s chilling murderous aura. Yet, compared to his usual jade-like elegance and aloof demeanor, this version of him was maddeningly captivating.

So this is the real him?

The boy’s eyes were slightly narrow, the whites and blacks of his pupils distinct, his gaze round and vivid. The long lines of his eyes lent his look a coolness and depth, unforgettable at a glance.

But when his eyes turned toward her, they mirrored the softness of spring willows, gentle as water, pulling her in almost unconsciously.

It felt as though dying in his grasp would be willingly accepted.

Realizing she was a stranger, the boy immediately released her, flinging her to the floor.

Lin Chuchu landed hard, sitting stunned, her heart filled with an inexplicable emptiness.

The boy’s face remained expressionless, but Lin Chuchu instinctively knew—he despised her.

She subconsciously raised a hand to touch her neck where the boy’s fingers had just pressed, as though his warmth lingered there.

Liu Runxi shook his head slightly; he recalled exiting the library with Shen You’an and encountering two suspicious figures in the elevator. As soon as he sensed something wrong, a hand abruptly reached out, covering his mouth with a handkerchief. The handkerchief had been soaked in ether, rendering him unconscious almost instantly.

What happened had occurred swiftly; his only concern in that moment had been Shen You’an. In his panic, he’d reached out to grab her, but managed only to seize the pendant on her backpack...

It took mere seconds for him to piece everything together.

The attackers had been targeting him, and Shen You’an had been inadvertently drawn into the mess.

Liu Runxi raised his eyes and quietly observed Lin Chuchu on the floor.

Lin Chuchu sensed the boy’s gaze had once again filled with murderous intent and instinctively shrank back.

"Mr. Liu... please don’t misunderstand—I was forced into this..."

Liu Runxi’s lips curled faintly, silently mocking her.

As soon as he stood, his body unexpectedly swayed. Lin Chuchu immediately moved forward in concern: "Mr. Liu..."

Liu Runxi didn’t even glance at her; his cold gaze swept across the room and landed on the table by the window.

A small incense burner there emitted curling wisps of fragrant smoke.

Liu Runxi walked over and extinguished the incense with his fingers.

He wasn’t well-versed in the use of fragrances, but he knew this was likely something harmful.

From the restless surge in his body, he could already form a guess.

His gaze grew colder in an instant.

Using such a base method, they were likely attempting to replicate the scandal stirred up around Gao Dongting, aiming to discredit his father.

The people behind this didn’t even bother changing tactics—it seemed their minds were fixated solely on these petty schemes.

He could maneuver through their plots, but Shen You’an—she shouldn’t have to endure this.

Liu Runxi shifted his gaze to the corner of the room. Among the potted plants, under the faint blue light, a red dot flashed intermittently.

The boy strode over and retrieved a small black pinhole camera hidden there.

Lin Chuchu screamed: "There... there really is a camera!"

Liu Runxi swept his gaze across all corners of the room, pinpointing and extracting four hidden cameras.

He placed the cameras on the table with their lenses facing him, then calmly sat down, entirely unperturbed.

His deep, cold black eyes stared directly into the lens, and he declared word by word: "If Shen You’an so much as loses a single hair, I will hunt you to the ends of the earth, and I will kill you myself."

Concise, without unnecessary elaboration.

Though his tone remained composed as always, anyone could hear the deadly resolve in his voice.

A boy with an aloof and reserved demeanor, who excelled at suppressing emotions, had solemnly declared: I will kill you myself.

No one would think he was joking.

Hearing Shen You’an’s name spoken aloud by Liu Runxi, Lin Chuchu felt as though she’d been struck by lightning, shaking her head in disbelief.

Despite his perilous situation, he cared nothing for his own safety and instead prepared himself to spill blood for her sake.

He was Liu Runxi—an ethereal figure radiating unmatched elegance.

Shen You’an, how is it you deserve this...

No one responded to him, yet the boy added of his own accord: "My father, Liu Qingfeng, is from Jingzhou’s Liu family. My mother, Helian Yu, comes from the prestigious Helian family of lawyers. If you intend to use me to undermine my father, then your calculations are mistaken. Should you fail to kill me now, no matter which corner of this world you hide in, I will drag you out and expose your hideous face to all."

His words were calm, devoid of haste, as though carrying on a casual conversation with an old friend.

Lin Chuchu, however, was completely stunned.

In such an urgent situation, how could he remain entirely unflustered, taking the initiative to threaten the conspirators? Was he not afraid they might act rashly and kill him?

It was at that moment Lin Chuchu finally understood the magnitude of the difference between herself and Liu Runxi.

His upbringing and experiences ensured he was no ordinary person. Faced with a crisis, he wouldn’t panic like regular people; instead, he could maneuver deftly to negotiate with his adversaries.

Yes, he was negotiating.

Not as a prisoner, but as an equal, bartering with those behind the plot.

By naming his parents’ status, he was clearly warning them that should they kill him, they’d face unending retaliation from both families. And if they spared him, he’d hunt them down regardless of where they tried to hide.

Peace was the better option—but only if Shen You’an remained unharmed in every way.