Although the fourth child of the Lu family, Lu Chenghan, had always been the one getting squeezed dry by his older brothers and sisters, especially those two black-hearted older brothers, there was finally one thing he could proudly hold his head high about.
He was going to marry Ren Shishi!
He liked Ren Shishi. He liked that kind of clean and elegant girl. He had seen plenty of pretty women before, but no matter how they masked their appearance, the greed in their eyes was always hard to hide. But with Ren Shishi, the flutter in his heart wasn’t fake. He genuinely felt especially at ease when he was with her. Given his family background, their future life could be completely untouched by the mundane concerns of food and daily necessities—it could be all romance. He could give Ren Shishi a princess-like life for the rest of her days. He could let her remain this pure and graceful forever. So he had no worries at all about one day growing tired of married life. Whether they married early or late made no difference to him. In fact, the earlier the better. Then they could have more children, and make those two childless older brothers of his green with envy.
As for Ren Shishi, she did genuinely like Lu Chenghan, too. She liked his elegance and wit, liked the respect he showed her. Although it might sound a bit practical, the truth was, if she missed out on Lu Chenghan, she didn’t know if she’d ever meet another man she both liked and who had such good conditions. In the end, everything must return to daily life. Just like her aunt had told her, opportunities have to be seized by oneself. So when Lu Chenghan proposed to her, Ren Shishi didn’t hesitate at all and nodded her agreement right away.
Maybe, compared to the relationships of the Lu family’s eldest and second sons, theirs had a bit less purity mixed in. But in society today, how many chances are there to encounter that kind of completely pure, flawless love? Just being able to meet someone who feels right is already no easy feat.
Even though they’d decided to get married, marriage wasn’t something you could just do right away. There were a ton of things to prepare. The Lu family hadn’t held a joyful event in quite some time. The last time, Lu Chenghe’s engagement was far too sudden. They hadn’t even had a chance to prepare or throw a proper celebration. Now that the fourth was getting married, they were naturally going to go all out and make it a grand affair.
Lu Chenghan[mfn]Fourth brother[/mfn] himself ran a luxury brand, so of course, things like the wedding dress and accessories couldn’t be treated carelessly. Looking at the photos one by one being posted in the family group chat, Zuo Ning scrolled through them, clicking his tongue and saying, “They’re actually getting married in a real castle? That’s way too extravagant. And look at this wedding dress—those diamonds on it must be real, right? You only get to wear something like this once. After wearing it, I bet it just gets hung up somewhere and never touched again. This is just too extravagant. I really don’t understand your rich people’s world.”
Looking at the constant stream of messages flooding the screen, all from various members of the Lu family offering their ideas—how the wedding dress could still be altered, which famous designer should be invited to handcraft the headdress and jewelry, where the diamonds and gemstones should be sourced from and of what grade—Zuo Ning, leaning back on the sofa, gave a live update to Lu Chenghe, who was currently working hard at his desk:
“Judging by your family’s WeChat group, it feels like I’m attending a luxury goods crash course. Mm, I can use this to show off in the future—hahahahahaha.”
After chattering on for quite a while and seeing that Lu Chenghe didn’t respond at all, Zuo Ning tossed his phone aside and rolled over on the sofa to stare directly at him.
Lu Chenghe could ignore his endless chatter, but he couldn’t ignore that intense gaze. It didn’t take long before Lu Chenghe gave in with a sigh: “Little Pudding.”
Zuo Ning grinned from ear to ear. “What, I just want to look at you. No matter how much I look, it never feels like enough.”
Lu Chenghe couldn’t help but clear his throat softly and shot him a glare. “If you’re bored, go play your games in the small room. Don’t get in the way of my work here.”
Zuo Ning let out a long sigh. “Back then, you used to call me your little sweetie, little cutie, always hugging me, kissing and touching all day long. And now? I’ve become a distraction from your work. Sigh… this is what men are like.”
Fortunately, before Zuo Ning could tease Lu Chenghe too much, Qi Wei and Bei Xiao came in together. Qi Wei gave a work report to Lu Chenghe, while Bei Xiao, carrying a stack of scripts, dragged Zuo Ning into the small room. At last, Lu Chenghe had some peace and quiet.
Zuo Ning looked at the stack of scripts, buried himself under the covers, and looked up at Bei Xiao: “What about my school schedule? Weren’t we only taking roles during winter and summer breaks?”
Bei Xiao replied, “If there’s no good script, of course, we wait until winter or summer break to consider taking a role. But good scripts won’t wait for you. Take a look. If you decide to take it, the school will make accommodations for your courses.”
At a glance at the title, Zuo Ning couldn’t help but say, “What the heck is this? Some patriotic anti-Japanese drama?”
Bei Xiao laughed. “I’ve read the script. It’s a really good one. You may not be the male lead, but with this kind of cast, even being the second male lead is a great opportunity. The lead actors are all major stars with huge followings. It’s not one of those anti-Japanese war dramas that gets filmed and then no one even knows it aired.”
Zuo Ning flipped through the confirmed cast list and, upon seeing that the lead actor was Chu Hang, exclaimed in surprise, “Isn’t Brother Chu Hang filming in New Zealand?”
“He’s almost done. His schedule has already been finalized—there’s no problem. This drama is still in the preparation stage. A few of the leads have been confirmed, but some important supporting roles still need to be auditioned. However, your second male lead role only needs your agreement to move straight to contract signing. Filming is planned to begin around the Lunar New Year, and it should be ready to air during next summer’s prime broadcast season.”
Bei Xiao wasn’t expecting him to decide on the spot. “Go through the script first and get back to me within three days. That side will only wait three days, no more. Also, stop posting random stuff on Weibo, will you? Weren’t we supposed to keep a low profile and just focus on filming?”
Zuo Ning let out an “Oh,” but the moment Bei Xiao left, he turned around, took a pitiful-looking selfie, and posted it online with the caption: Manager says no more random Weibo posts, I have to keep a low profile and just act. Manager is so fierce… Baby will be low-key now.
【2333333 that expression is so pitiful, I want to steal him and pet him bald!】
【Baby, don’t cry, bad manager! We’ll beat him up for you!】
【A manager who can actually keep the Little Prince under control is impressive… Don’t be afraid! At worst, we’ll just post in secret and not let him find out!】
【Nooooo! I rely on that face to get through my day! Evil manager, begone, begone!】
Very soon, “Zuo Ning’s Evil Manager” shot up to the trending topics.
Besides Zuo Ning’s naturally popular looks, his currently airing drama has exploded in popularity, dominating the screens. His character in it was a huge magnet for fans. Starting off as a naïve and innocent young lord, and later transforming into a cunning and strategic avenger, he came across as far more layered than the other male lead, who had a straightforward and righteous persona from the start.
What’s more, that post of his subtly revealing his background had been reposted by several major figures from the Lu family, effectively confirming his identity. That golden halo of a background had practically blinded the onlookers with shock.
As a result, any minor movement from Zuo Ning quickly attracted widespread attention.
Downstairs in the parking lot, Bei Xiao heard the alert for an important phone notification, took out his phone to check, and immediately gritted his teeth and growled, “Lu Xiao Ning, that little brat!”
In the end, Zuo Ning naturally took on this drama. Since Chu Hang had already accepted it, it proved that this script was indeed quite good, especially since the role he was playing was that of a young marshal. He decided to really dive into studying this character properly.
During this period, Lu Chenghe had been busy dealing with Tang Yifeng. Especially now that the Tang family had already been pushed into a dead end, he had to guard against Tang Yifeng doing something reckless and desperate. He wasn’t the kind of person who regretted things after they happened. If someone dared to lay a hand on him, then he would make sure that person watched their own destruction unfold—bit by bit, with their own eyes.
When he returned home, he didn’t see Little Pudding waiting in the living room. Only Feifei was dashing up and down in Little Pudding’s former luxurious kennel. When it heard him come back, it hurriedly wagged its tail and pounced over.
Lu Chenghe’s footsteps paused slightly. This scene, for some reason, gave him the feeling of having crossed through time. Back then, Little Pudding used to wait for him just like this every day, then pounce into his arms like this. In that moment, Lu Chenghe suddenly felt a bit sentimental. He squatted down and patted Feifei on the head. “Were you a good boy at home today?”
The butler, who had come to greet him at the door, felt his nose sting with emotion at the sight and sighed, “I wonder if Little Pudding is doing well in someone else’s home… Ai, young master, giving Little Pudding away just like that, did you really not mind?” That was, after all, a dog you personally raised from puphood… though the butler kept that last sentence to himself.
Lu Chenghe patted Feifei again before carrying it into the playpen and smiled. “He’s doing very well. He really likes the life he has now.”
The butler automatically filled in a whole heart-wrenching drama in his head about Little Pudding abandoning his young master, and became even more sorrowful.
Lu Chenghe handed the documents he brought back for processing to the butler. “Where’s Xiao Ning?”
The butler replied, “Young Master Ning is in his room.” Before, when he came home, he’d always ask about Little Pudding. Now he asked about Young Master Ning instead. So… in the end, was a dog still no match for a person?
Lu Chenghe glanced at the time. It was already almost nine o’clock. In the past, Little Pudding would always wait for him in the living room when he came home. But today, he was upstairs and hadn’t come down yet. Probably throwing a bit of a tantrum. Well, it was true that he had been coming back a bit late lately. After thinking it over, Lu Chenghe said to the butler, “Prepare some of the desserts Xiao Ning likes and bring them up later.” When coaxing is needed, one must coax.
The butler nodded and responded with a sound of acknowledgment. After personally delivering the official documents to the young master’s study, he turned around and immediately fixed his gaze on the kitchen, keeping watch over the preparation of the desserts.
Lu Chenghe went straight back to his room. The moment he opened the door and didn’t see Little Pudding, he stepped forward—and suddenly, something hard pressed against his waist. A person who had been hiding by the door leaned close against his back. “Don’t you move. Bullets don’t have eyes.”
As he spoke, the thing pressing into Lu Chenghe’s waist slowly moved upward, eventually resting against his head. The person who had been hiding behind him also slowly stepped into view, eyes cold as he stared at Lu Chenghe. At the same time, a faint, mocking smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “Your little cutie is in my hands. Be good and listen, and I won’t hurt him. But if you don’t… heh.”
Lu Chenghe looked at the person in front of him, dressed in a perfectly pressed military uniform from the Republic era, white gloves on his hands, a black leather belt around his waist, standing straight and tall. The posture made the whole person appear… especially cold, arrogant, and ascetic. The corners of Lu Chenghe’s mouth lifted slightly into a faint smile. “What do you want?”
Zuo Ning, dressed in a military uniform, held a gun in his hand. At those words, he slowly paced around Lu Chenghe in a semicircle, the sound of his soles hitting the tiled floor echoing like a knock against the heart. It was as if he were sizing him up or perhaps considering how to deal with the man who had finally fallen into his grasp. After a moment of thought, he raised the gun and tapped lightly at a button on Lu Chenghe’s chest. “Unbutton it. One by one, slowly.”
Lu Chenghe obediently followed his command, undoing each button one at a time. His cooperative demeanor pleased Zuo Ning. Watching this compliant man before him, Zuo Ning narrowed his eyes slightly and let out a cold laugh. “There’s never been a man this young marshal wants that he couldn’t have.”
Lu Chenghe arched a brow slightly. While his hands continued to move as instructed, he calmly said, “You may get my body, but you’ll never have my heart.”
Zuo Ning’s eyes turned cold in an instant. He stepped closer, raising the gun to press against the man’s chin. He was half a head shorter than Lu Chenghe, so when the latter looked up, his Adam’s apple was exposed right in front of his eyes. Zuo Ning extended his tongue and gave it a slow, deliberate lick. The man instinctively tried to recoil, unable to suppress the reaction. As if he had anticipated this response, Zuo Ning immediately grabbed the belt around Lu Chenghe’s waist, holding him in place while pressing the gun to his chest. “Don’t move. Hands up. Walk to the bed. Now!”
Lu Chenghe, helpless, raised his hands and walked toward the bed as ordered—only to be shoved down onto it the next second.
Zuo Ning climbed onto the bed, kneeling, the muzzle still aimed at the man’s chest. He licked his lips as he looked down at him. “Please me properly, and I’ll let your little cutie go. Otherwise, you can forget about ever seeing him again. If I can’t have your heart, then having your body will do.”
Lu Chenghe simply lay there, raising his hands to slowly unbutton the other man’s impeccably tailored military uniform. “Alright, my young marshal.”
