Chapter 334: Chapter 334

The man’s complexion was very grim, his entire demeanor radiated coldness as if he was ready to lash out at any moment, making people fear to approach.

Zuo Yuqing’s wrist was grasped so tightly it hurt, even giving her the illusion that her hand was about to be crushed by the man, the pain causing her complexion to grow even paler, almost making her cry out.

The man’s long legs, clad in suit pants, moved briskly, making it hard for Zuo Yuqing to keep up. A few times, it seemed like she nearly fell, but fortunately, she reacted quickly enough to catch up.

Lu Jingchen didn’t respond to Zuo Yuqing’s words. With his lips tightly pressed together, he directly opened the private room’s door, ready to leave, almost bumping into a waiter who was just about to bring in some dishes. He acted as if he didn’t see the waiter and continued, pulling Zuo Yuqing past and walking away.

"Sir, your ordered... food..." The waiter tried speaking but her gaze fell onto the man’s chilling face, almost making her heart stop beating out of fright, prompting her to step back hurriedly.

Lu Jingchen took swift steps, so swift that Zuo Yuqing couldn’t react in time. By the time she regained her senses, the man had already pulled her out of the restaurant, heading straight for the parking lot.

"Lu... Lu Jingchen..." Zuo Yuqing bit her lip, as if finally making up her mind, and forcefully tried to pry his hand off hers, "Let me go first, you’re hurting me."

But at this moment, Lu Jingchen was utterly indifferent. Deep inside, he was worried about Chu Munan possibly doing something to Song Qiao, considering that Song Qiao was a fragile woman and Chu Munan was a man who struck terror in the underworld, beyond comparison in stature.

Song Qiao had an injury on her back and her personality was sometimes as soft as a bun, and other times, she was impulsive. He feared if she said the wrong thing and upset Munan, what would happen if Munan decided to lay hands on Song Qiao?

Opening the passenger door, Lu Jingchen swiftly stuffed Zuo Yuqing inside the car without any regard, quickly walking to the driver’s side and getting in.

Zuo Yuqing rubbed the back of her head, which she had accidentally bumped when Lu Jingchen thrust her into the car, the pain almost brought tears to her eyes, but she forced herself to hold them back. When the man sat down in the driver’s seat, she immediately looked at Lu Jingchen and asked again, biting her teeth, the question she had in the restaurant, "Lu Jingchen, is it Chu Munan who has come?"

Her voice quivered unmistakably, clearly betraying her deep fear of the man. She had barely escaped from his side and returned to this city; she could not possibly go back with that man, back to that cage that offered her no freedom.

The man’s expression was cold as he inserted the key into the ignition, ready to start the car, but still grunted an affirmation.

Hearing Lu Jingchen’s admission, Zuo Yuqing’s face turned even paler, her voice trembling uncontrollably, "So... are you going to hand me over to him?"

This realization hit her hard, nearly making it clear that perhaps Song Qiao had been captured by that man, Chu Munan, and Lu Jingchen was planning to use her for a trade...

"Lu Jingchen, you can’t do this," Zuo Yuqing’s body, borne of a deep-seated fear, turned to open the passenger door, attempting to get out of the car.

She couldn’t go to Chu Munan with Lu Jingchen; that man would never let her off so easily. Moreover, her departure from his side had been silent; it could be said nicely as leaving, or more harshly as escaping...

Given this, should that man catch her and take her back, she could hardly imagine the tortures he might inflict upon her.

Right now, all Zuo Yuqing wanted to do was leave... leave Lu Jingchen’s car, leave this place... she had even considered leaving the city itself.

The impression Chu Muchen had left on her was simply too terrifying...

The driver, Lu Jingchen, remained unfazed, watching Zuo Yuqing’s actions but quickly and deftly locked the car doors, indifferent to her struggles to open them.

"Yuqing... if you trust me, come with me. Song Qiao is still in Chu Munan’s hands," Lu Jingchen said indifferently, emotionless as if discussing an everyday affair, his gaze steadily on Zuo Yuqing.

Zuo Yuqing looked at Lu Jingchen and displayed a cold smile, sarcastically saying, "So, you’re taking me as a trade for Song Qiao, is that it?"

She should have guessed it; after all, Song Qiao was his wife, and she was just his ex-girlfriend.

How could she possibly compare to Song Qiao?

Clearly not of the same status, in the end, Lu Jingchen would choose to give her up to Chu Munan and bring back Song Qiao.

A chill of unknown origin crept into her heart, as if she stood within an ice cave formed by millennia of frozen ice, Zuo Yuqing felt an uncontrollable tremble, the coldness emanating from her heart to her body.

Lu Jingchen slightly furrowed his brows as he watched Zuo Yuqing, guessing the hurt Chu Munan had caused her. He didn’t start the car immediately; instead, he reached out his hand, "Yuqing, calm down. Like I said, if you trust me, come with me. I will do everything in my power to protect you, to prevent you from being taken away by Chu Munan..."

Hearing Lu Jingchen’s words, Zuo Yuqing slowly calmed down inside, yet when she lifted her head, it seemed she hadn’t completely shaken off the fear, her teeth still biting her own lips, almost to the point of drawing blood, "What if... what if Chu Munan demands that you hand me over to get Song Qiao back? Would you do it?"

Right now... she seemed to only want to know this answer, the one that would allow her not to be afraid any longer, the one that would give her peace of mind.

She dared not think of the worst, she could only hope for the best. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on novel⦿fire.net

She couldn’t possibly willingly go back to Chu Munan’s side, to continue to be tormented by him. She was a person, not a pet, not a substitute...

Lu Jingchen’s lips were tightly pressed together, his jaw clenched into a straight line, but he did not answer Zuo Yuqing’s question.

Witnessing Lu Jingchen’s reaction, Zuo Yuqing immediately understood, but she bowed her head without speaking again. She wanted to laugh but couldn’t, wanted to cry but couldn’t either, as if her soul had been completely drained.

In truth, to Lu Jingchen, Zuo Yuqing’s importance naturally couldn’t compare to Song Qiao’s, but Zuo Yuqing had, after all, spent some time with him, and now everyone was still friends. If he traded Zuo Yuqing to get Song Qiao back, he didn’t know what his choice would be...

In reality, this was a dilemma, yet it wasn’t...

One wrong step in life and there was no turning back. He didn’t know what Zuo Yuqing had endured over the years, what had made her so fearful of Chu Muchen...

"Just drive," after a good while of silence in the car, the previously head-bowed Zuo Yuqing looked up at Lu Jingchen and spoke faintly, "Just drive, after all, Song Qiao is your wife. That question earlier, I shouldn’t have asked you like that..."

Status and position could drive everything, and the one thing she shouldn’t do was compare herself to Song Qiao.

Hearing Zuo Yuqing’s words, Lu Jingchen unconsciously gripped the steering wheel harder, after a moment of silence, his low, slightly hoarse voice fixed on Zuo Yuqing’s face, as if making her a promise, "Yuqing, if you trust me, rest assured, I will keep you within my sight and ensure your safety."

At his words, Zuo Yuqing’s expression flickered, but then she smiled, the smile on her face in that second radiant like the stars, "With your words, it’s enough. Drive."

The black Maybach started and slid into the lane, slowly disappearing amongst the flow of traffic.

Inside the villa, Yu Xia was looking at the gauze in her hands, wrapping it around the man a few times before tying a knot with the gauze she used to dress his wounds - the surgery deemed a resounding success.

Unable to help but breathe a sigh of relief, she looked up to see the man who had just hung up the phone, looking at her with an ambiguous smile that made her heart skip a beat, almost instinctively wanting to step back but accidentally kicking the surgical tools behind her on the floor, immediately causing a piercing noise in the room that made her shiver.

"Why... why are you looking at me like that?" Perhaps it was the discomfort from the man’s gaze; Yu Xia’s voice stumbled out, the fear inexplicably rising from within.

The fear... of this man.

Chu Munan watched Zuo Yuqing, his mobile phone’s screen long dark, his smile faint, looking like laughter yet not quite, "How much did you hear just now?"

Yu Xia, "..." Heard how much?

This time, the man repeated the crucial words, speaking indifferently, "How much of my phone conversation did you overhear?"

Yu Xia instinctively shook her head, "I... I didn’t hear much, I’ve been dealing with your wound the whole time... When I’m working on something, I don’t pay attention to what’s going on around me. I didn’t hear what you said... What... What are you doing? You wouldn’t be thinking of silencing me, would you?"

Damn, does it have to be this way, she thought to herself innocently?

Just now, she had been trying hard to concentrate on her work, so her awareness of her surroundings was minimal.