Chapter 338: Chapter 338

Chu Munan directly looked up at her, his face suddenly revealing a gentle and courteous smile, but the aura exuding from his bones made it impossible to ignore. He set down his chopsticks, and someone immediately handed a napkin to him. He took it and elegantly wiped the corners of his mouth before raising his eyes to look at Song Qiao across from him, his thin lips curling slightly, "I just want to borrow Mrs. Lu for a bit, to see Lu Jingchen, that’s all."

She gazed at the man’s refined and distinguished face for a long while before speaking, "Do you have a grudge against him?"

"No." The three grave and oppressive words were followed by Chu Munan’s lips curling again as he spoke deliberately, "It’s just that there’s something of mine currently in Mr. Lu’s possession. As long as I retrieve my item, naturally, Mrs. Lu will be released. Mrs. Lu can be assured of that."

Song Qiao was puzzled. How could Lu Jingchen possibly have that man’s belongings? And moreover, this man went to the trouble of entering the villa, holding her and Yu Xia captive here. Most importantly, this man had suffered a gunshot wound and did not go to the hospital; instead, he stayed here.

Her hand on the table involuntarily clenched into a fist. Song Qiao still looked at him, her voice now a few degrees colder, "I don’t know what the grudge between you and my husband is, but everyone in the villa is innocent. Do you need to go about it in this way?"

The man squinted his deep and narrow eyes at Song Qiao, still with a smile on his face, utterly composed and calm, "So, what Mrs. Lu is suggesting, is that I should take people and storm his company instead?"

Song Qiao, "...When did I imply that?"

Ultimately, the negotiation fell apart. Song Qiao felt that she and this man were simply not on the same wavelength. Whether he truly did not understand the implications of her words or he deliberately misconstrued them, she couldn’t tell.

Yu Xia sat there the whole time, eating when it was time to eat, drinking when it was time to drink, listening to the conversation between the two, feeling nothing but helplessness.

Outside the villa, Lu Jingchen sat in the black Maybach with its lights already turned off. Torrential rain poured down on the car, the sound of the beating rain was incessant, almost irritating to listen to.

Inside the car, it was so quiet that no one spoke; the silence was so profound that one could almost hear each other’s breathing, along with the sound of rain falling on the car.

Zuo Yuqing’s complexion was pale from the beginning to the end. She sat in the passenger seat motionless, her cell phone ringing incessantly from inside her bag, all from her agent calling, probably wanting her to go to the set immediately. But given the circumstances, it simply wasn’t her choice to make. In the end, she took out the phone, turned it off, and tossed it back into her bag without a care.

Compared to her initial fear of that man Chu Munan, Zuo Yuqing had now calmed down quite a bit, her face expressionless, sitting there like a doll without a soul, just staring at the villa washed by the heavy rain, dimly perceiving the light seeping through from inside the villa.

Lu Jingchen’s villa was situated in a very fancy location, and the decoration was also very exquisite. Behind the villa was a specifically designed garden, with many florists employed to plant a variety of flowers, blooming all year round without fail.

Looking at the villa in front of her, Zuo Yuqing suddenly felt a pang of complexity. She and Lu Jingchen had already bought this villa when they were still together. Back then, while both were young and impetuous, it wasn’t without love; she liked Lu Jingchen, and Lu Jingchen liked her too.

Perhaps it was youthful to have various aspirations. She had once dreamed of having a villa with the man she loved, living there with one or two servants and a florist, cultivating some plants and flowers in the garden, and building a pavilion to rest in during the cool weekends.

Zuo Yuqing returned to her country and had visited this villa once, finding it very familiar – after all, she had imagined it countless times in her mind and discussed it with the man beside her, envisioning their future home just . She never expected that over the years, he would actually build it.

It was precisely because she saw the villa, exactly as she had imagined, that she thought Lu Jingchen had been waiting for her all along, which gave her the idea to win him back.

Indeed, she had thought too much.

Seeing Lu Jingchen and Song Qiao together, those affectionate scenes, especially seeing him kiss Song Qiao so skillfully as if he had done it countless times, did she realize that she had truly lost.

In her life, Zuo Yuqing had never failed to get anything she wanted, except for suddenly encountering Chu Munan and not getting Lu Jingchen.

Actually, she felt a bit unwilling to accept it, but sometimes she was very clear that if she didn’t extinguish this feeling of reluctance, she might be beyond redemption in the end.

"Lu Jingchen." Zuo Yuqing turned her head to look at the man at the driver’s seat, who had been focusing on the villa inside, her voice gentle as ever, directly calling his name.

Lu Jingchen turned to look at her, giving a faint acknowledgment, "Yes? What is it?"

Zuo Yuqing tugged at the corners of her mouth and met the man’s gaze directly. Her face, usually gentle and elegant, was devoid of expression, but now she slowly revealed a faint smile. Looking at Lu Jingchen, she continued to speak, "Did you ever fall in love with me?"

Back then, they were still very young and found it easy to give their love. Zuo Yuqing was certain that she had been in love with Lu Jingchen, very deeply in love.

If she hadn’t failed to suppress her own craving for fame, she probably wouldn’t have left Lu Jingchen. She would have married him, had children, and grown old together with him.

But all of that had already happened and was irreparable. Lu Jingchen was married to another woman now, and he had his own happy family. It was impossible for her to return to his side.

Asking this question now was merely to satisfy the answer she had always wanted to know deep in her heart.

Lu Jingchen’s handsome face tensed briefly as he pulled out a cigarette and lighter from his pocket, lit up, and slightly lowered the car window. The cold, rainy air drifted in, and the bluish-grey smoke poured from his mouth. After a long pause, he finally exhaled two words faintly, "I did."

However, the passionate love of youth had ultimately collapsed completely due to her departure, never to reignite that feeling of love again.

During one’s youth, who hasn’t acted rashly and loved one or two people?

Hearing Lu Jingchen’s words, Zuo Yuqing finally showed a faint smile on her face, subtly nodding her head and murmuring, "With your words, I am reassured."

Then, she raised her head and showed Lu Jingchen a sweet smile, her expression radiant as she spoke, "Lu Jingchen, thank you."

There was not much change in Lu Jingchen’s expression. His stunning features showed not even a hint of a smile, yet he still addressed Zuo Yuqing, "Yuqing, trust me, I will protect you completely. I won’t let Chu Munan take you back overseas."

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Xi Mohan arrived here in about twenty minutes, the black Bentley Mulsanne stopping abruptly next to the black Maybach. As the rear door opened, a tall and imposing man stepped straight out of the car, opening his umbrella and approaching the Maybach’s driver’s side, knocking on the window.

Lu Jingchen immediately lowered the window only to see Xi Mohan’s impassive face. His thin lips parted slightly, and he uttered three words faintly, "You’re here."

Xi Mohan grunted in acknowledgment, just glancing at Zuo Yuqing in the passenger seat before withdrawing his gaze back to the villa in front of him. His thin lips involuntarily curved into a shallow smile as he spoke, "Is he inside?"

Lu Jingchen hummed in affirmation, "Song Qiao and Yu Xia are inside too. How many men did you bring with you?"

"Not many." The unexpected answer came calmly from Xi Mohan, but his expression remained unchanged, "Did you think it’s so easy to gather people? My guys are all out on missions. I brought everyone I could for you."

After a brief pause, he continued, "However, if it comes to a fight, we naturally can’t beat Chu Munan’s group if they have too many people. If you’re thinking of a gunfight, my side might still have a chance."

"Gunfight?" Zuo Yuqing immediately caught onto that word, her eyes containing disbelief and she was unable to fully comprehend the term for a moment.

Xi Mohan directed his gaze at Zuo Yuqing, one hand holding the umbrella and the other in his pocket, his figure looking firm and upright. With a bland expression, he looked at her and said, "Miss Zuo, having spent so much time with Chu Munan, you surely don’t think that they’ve come here without guns, do you?"

Zuo Yuqing’s face turned pale, but she didn’t know how to respond. Her lips moved, but in the end, she said nothing.

Xi Mohan didn’t speak further, only showing a shallow, slightly mocking smile as he turned his attention back to Lu Jingchen. His eyebrows lifted slightly as he asked, "What’s your plan now?"

"Don’t know." Three blunt words fell from Lu Jingchen as he tossed away the cigarette in his hand, struggling to suppress the looming fierce expression between his brows. The depth in his eyes seemed almost tangible, and he pressed his thin lips tightly before finally speaking, "Song Qiao and the others are still in his hands. Forcing our way in is impossible; what if Song Qiao gets hurt by accident? We need to think of another way."

"What exactly does Chu Munan want?"