Chapter 269: You Scared Me to Death
Cheng Yuan planned to give Lin Ruoxi a surprise, quietly hiding in the bedroom and waiting patiently.
At seven-thirty, there was finally a sound at the door.
Cheng Yuan eagerly activated his Double Pupil, only to see his parents-in-law.
Feeling impatient, Cheng Yuan hurried out of the room to greet them. "Mom, Dad, isn’t Ruoxi back with you?"
"Oh, Xiaoyuan, you’re back! Ruoxi went to a reception. She’ll probably be back late."
"A reception? What reception?"
"I heard it’s a reception hosted by a young master from Yingtian. Everyone who’s anyone is attending, so Ruoxi couldn’t very well refuse the invitation."
"Got it."
Cheng Yuan took out his phone, dialed Wu Fei’s number, and asked directly, "Xiaofei, I heard there’s a reception in Luocheng tonight? Can you get me an invitation?"
"Of course. My boss received an invitation, but he’s too busy to go and told me to handle it. Should I bring it over to you?"
"I’ll go get it."
Cheng Yuan changed into a tuxedo, hailed a cab, and headed to the location Wu Fei had given him. Once he had the invitation, he made a beeline for the Luocheng Grand Hotel.
He Tianci’s reception was being held in the penthouse ballroom of the Luocheng Grand Hotel.
The guests were all members of Luocheng’s high society; there were even some wealthy businessmen and influential figures from the Provincial City.
"Young Master He, look, that’s the Pearl of Luocheng!"
Lin Ruoxi was wearing a pure white evening gown, her beautiful collarbones faintly visible. The fabric was so white it seemed almost transparent, shimmering slightly like an angel’s wings, yet it wasn’t the least bit revealing.
The hem of the skirt followed a high-low arc, flaring out elegantly to reveal a pair of long, slender, jade-white legs.
It had to be said, Lin Ruoxi had an impeccable sense of style, perfectly highlighting her best features.
He Tianci was practically dumbstruck, on the verge of drooling.
He Tianci quickly straightened his clothes, excused himself from the tycoon he was making small talk with, and hurried over to greet her.
"My dear Pearl of Luocheng, hello. I am He Tianci, the host of this evening’s reception. It is an absolute honor to meet you."
As he spoke, He Tianci made a picture-perfect gesture, inviting her for a hand kiss.
One had to admit, He Tianci was an expert at putting on an act. On the surface, you couldn’t detect a hint of ill intent; he looked every bit the perfect gentleman.
Faced with such a gentlemanly request, Lin Ruoxi couldn’t refuse and reluctantly extended her hand.
"Hello, Mr. He."
’I’m about to hold the Pearl of Luocheng’s hand! It’s so beautiful—delicate, fair, and slender as a spring onion. She could definitely be a hand model!’
Suppressing his excitement, He Tianci reached for Lin Ruoxi’s hand in a most gentlemanly manner.
Ten centimeters, five centimeters... he was about to touch her!
Just as He Tianci was about to have his moment, the sound of hurried footsteps came from the side. A large hand shot out, intercepting his and grasping it firmly.
"Young Master He, a pleasure. I’m Cheng Yuan, Ruoxi’s husband."
After shaking He Tianci’s hand, Cheng Yuan put his arm around Lin Ruoxi’s slender waist, staking his claim!
An expression of pure, delighted surprise appeared on Lin Ruoxi’s face. She threw her arms around Cheng Yuan’s neck and gave him a deep kiss.
"Honey, when did you get back? I’m so happy!"
"Just got back."
PFFT...
He Tianci nearly choked, feeling like he was about to cough up blood!
’What the hell?’
’The Pearl of Luocheng is married?!’
’How is this possible?!’
He Tianci’s entire being twisted with jealousy!
"Mr. Cheng, you look unfamiliar. Where do you work?"
"It’s perfectly normal that you don’t recognize me, Young Master He. I just live off my wife."
’Lives off his wife??’
He Tianci had the urge to slap this shameless bastard dead!
"Mr. Cheng, a real man can’t possibly rely on a woman to support him. If you’re willing, you could come work for me! I could at least make you a vice president."
Lin Ruoxi, standing beside him, laughed. "Young Master He, Cheng Yuan is just joking with you. He’s the chairman of the Yuanxi Auction House."
’Just the owner of a small auction house?’
He Tianci shot Cheng Yuan a disdainful look. "What a coincidence. I have some knowledge of ancient culture myself, and I happen to have a batch of treasures I need to get rid of. If you’re interested, Mr. Cheng, you can have the Pearl of Luocheng contact me at any time to negotiate."
Cheng Yuan could tell at a glance this punk had designs on his wife, so he naturally wouldn’t agree. He replied coolly, "My apologies, but business at Yuanxi Auction House is quite good. We’re not short on Treasure Holders. If Young Master He wishes to cooperate with us, please contact our staff half a month in advance to make an appointment."
Having been politely but firmly shut down, He Tianci’s expression darkened. He barely managed to suppress his fury. "Mr. Cheng, could I have a word with you in private?"
Cheng Yuan wasn’t the least bit flustered. He smiled at Lin Ruoxi. "Ruoxi, why don’t you go on ahead? I’m just going to have a chat with Young Master He."
Lin Ruoxi, oblivious to the tension between the two men, nodded obediently and headed into the main hall.
The moment Lin Ruoxi was gone, He Tianci dropped the charade. He stared coldly at Cheng Yuan. "Mr. Cheng, a man should know his limits. The fact that you’ve been able to have the Pearl of Luocheng, even temporarily, is a stroke of incredible luck. I’m giving you one day. Divorce her immediately. Otherwise, I will make it impossible for you to survive in Luocheng, or even the entire Dongshan region!"
Cheng Yuan burst out laughing. "Young Master He, you’re scaring me to death! I’m so, so scared! Hahaha..."
Cheng Yuan turned and walked away, not even bothering with a spoiled brat like him. ’I’ll have to have a good talk with his elders later!’
He Tianci was about to go insane with rage. ’This bastard Cheng actually dared to laugh at me?’
Seeing that He Tianci had been rebuffed, Gu Miao hurried over. "Young Master He, don’t be angry. I have a way for you to save face and completely humiliate Cheng Yuan!"
"Oh? What’s your plan? Don’t tell me you expect me to just kidnap her in broad daylight?"
"Not at all. I’ve been doing some digging, and I found out that Cheng Yuan has an ex-girlfriend named Wang Shanshan. He used to be crazy about her, but she kicked him to the curb. I took the liberty of arranging for her to be a waitress at tonight’s reception."
PFFT.
He Tianci couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
"Get this Wang Shanshan over here at once! I’m very interested in her!"
Gu Miao quickly brought Wang Shanshan over and instructed her, "Wang Shanshan, this is Young Master He, the host of tonight’s reception. Make sure you take good care of him!"
Wang Shanshan was overjoyed. The whole reason she’d come to work as a waitress at this reception was to find a powerful backer, which would allow her to evade legal consequences.
To this end, Wang Shanshan had even taken a trip to South Korea. She had always been the prettiest girl in her class, but now, her looks had been significantly enhanced, easily reaching the level of campus queen.
Wang Shanshan said in a soft voice, "Hello, Young Master He."
’That Cheng fellow has some damn good luck. His ex-girlfriend is this beautiful, too?’
’She’s not that far off from the Pearl of Luocheng!’
’Imagine being able to play with both Cheng Yuan’s ex and his current woman at the same time... how amazing would that be?’