Chapter 100: Wang Shun’s Scheme
Gu Chen’s face went deathly pale. Like a startled chick, he instantly shrank back, hiding in the deepest corner of the heated alcove, terrified of being discovered by Cheng Yuan.
Wang Shun asked with a look of confusion, "Brother Chen, what’s wrong?"
"Shh! Keep your voice down! Are you trying to get me killed?!"
Wang Shun didn’t dare make another sound.
Gu Chen hid behind a friend, cautiously peeking his head out to look around.
The others looked over curiously. Then, the eyes of several of the young playboys lit up.
"Huh? Is that Shen Manwen?"
"That must be her. I haven’t seen her in ages. Shen Manwen always dresses so conservatively; I never knew she was so stacked!"
"Who’s the guy with Shen Manwen? He doesn’t look like he’s from our circle."
Seeing Cheng Yuan and Shen Manwen enter the enclosed stone steam room, Gu Chen finally breathed a small sigh of relief.
"Let’s go! We need to get out of here, now!"
Gu Chen didn’t want to stay here for another second. If he accidentally ran into Cheng Yuan, he was a dead man!
"Brother Chen, what in the world is going on?"
"Cheng Yuan’s here! That kid with Shen Manwen—he just went into the stone steam room!"
The hearts of the young playboys skipped a beat. ’Cheng Yuan must be here to cause trouble. With a heavy hitter like Hu Yidao backing him, he’s someone we definitely can’t afford to provoke.’
None of the playboys wanted to get dragged into this mess, and they all started making their excuses.
"Brother Chen, my girlfriend’s getting to the Provincial City soon. I’ve gotta go pick her up, so I’ll take my leave."
"Brother Chen, something suddenly came up at home. I’ve got to head out!"
"Brother Chen, I just remembered, it’s my old man’s birthday today! Let’s hang out next time!"
...
In an instant, the small heated alcove was empty. Only Wang Shun remained.
Gu Chen’s expression was grim. ’This bunch of fair-weather friends,’ he thought, ’completely unreliable. The moment there’s a hint of danger, they all scatter faster than rabbits!’
"Wang Shun, you don’t have somewhere to be?"
Wang Shun smiled. "Your business is my business, Brother Chen! Wherever you are, I am."
Gu Chen’s gaze softened slightly. He’d always looked down on Wang Shun a bit, but the man was an excellent suck-up, which was why Gu Chen kept him around.
RING... RING...
Gu Chen’s phone rang. It was Zhu Yuncang. Gu Chen’s eyes lit up. "Yuncang, where are you?"
"I’m on the third floor of Da Han Zhiya. Why the urgent call, Ah Chen?"
’What a coincidence!’
’Zhu Yuncang is here at Da Han Zhiya too?’
If Cheng Yuan weren’t in the steam room next door, Gu Chen would have definitely taken his time to carefully orchestrate a confrontation between Zhu Yuncang and Cheng Yuan.
But now, there was no time for scheming. Cheng Yuan was right next door, and all he wanted was to get away fast. "I’m heading abroad soon and wanted to get together with the guys," he said. "But since you’re busy living it up, we’ll do it next time!"
With that, Gu Chen hung up on Zhu Yuncang and turned to look at Wang Shun.
"Wang Shun, you should get going too. You’re only at the Earth Realm; you’d be no help against Cheng Yuan. I just hope he didn’t come here specifically for me. Hopefully, I can get out of this in one piece today."
Wang Shun smiled slyly. "No need to be so nervous, Brother Chen. Even if Cheng Yuan has something planned, we can easily turn the tables. In fact, we could be the ones to have the last laugh."
"Oh? And how’s that?"
"Didn’t Zhu Yuncang just say he’s on the third floor?"
Gu Chen gave a bitter smile. "Yes, but Zhu Yuncang is only at the Celestial Realm Late Stage. He’s no match for Cheng Yuan. If he picks a fight with him, he’ll get his ass handed to him."
"Exactly! And didn’t you mention it earlier? Fifth Master Zhu is extremely protective of his own. If Zhu Yuncang gets killed or crippled, that Cheng fellow is finished!"
"I know that, but if I’m the one who brings Zhu Yuncang to Cheng Yuan, I’ll get beaten badly, too! There’s no time to orchestrate a ’chance encounter’ between them that leads to a fight."
The corners of Wang Shun’s mouth curled upward. "We don’t need to orchestrate anything. I can go on your behalf, Brother Chen. You won’t be implicated at all."
Gu Chen eyed Wang Shun suspiciously. "I’ve never heard of you being so close to Zhu Yuncang. You think he’d stick his neck out for you?"
"I definitely don’t have that kind of pull. But, Brother Chen, you might not know this: Zhu Yuncang has a thing for Shen Manwen. If he sees her on a date with Cheng Yuan, he’ll go ballistic."
"What did you say? Zhu Yuncang likes Shen Manwen? Who told you that? No way. The Shen Family is close with the Hu Family; their relationship with the Zhu Family is mediocre at best."
"That’s why he’s never confessed his feelings. He’s just been admiring Shen Manwen from afar."
Gu Chen’s eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh forcefully.
"The heavens are on my side! To think that Zhu Yuncang likes Shen Manwen! He certainly kept that well hidden! Go find him right now!"
"Yes, sir!"
=======
「Third Floor, Private Room」
Zhu Yuncang lay quietly on a waterbed, enjoying the services of two beautiful attendants.
After the full-service treatment, Zhu Yuncang felt completely relaxed. He lit a cigarette and settled into a state of post-coital clarity.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
A knock came at the door.
"Is Young Master Zhu here?"
Zhu Yuncang narrowed his eyes. The voice sounded a bit familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it.
’Anyway, I’m in that post-bliss haze and not interested in women right now,’ he thought. ’Might as well see who it is.’
"Come in."
Wang Shun carefully pushed the door open and walked up to Zhu Yuncang, bowing obsequiously. "Young Master Zhu, am I interrupting?"
’Oh, it’s Wang Shun.’
Zhu Yuncang shot him an indifferent glance. "Spit it out. I’m busy."
"Yes, yes. Young Master Zhu, I was hoping you could do me a small favor."
Zhu Yuncang raised an eyebrow. "I don’t think we’re that close, are we? Why don’t you go ask Gu Chen for help?"
"Young Master Gu can’t even fend for himself right now."
"Oh? What’s wrong with Gu Chen?"
"Sigh, it’s really humiliating to even talk about it! Young Master Gu had his fiancée, Lin Ruoxi, stolen from him! And the guy even forced him to the point where he has to leave the country! Just now, I saw that same punk with Shen Manwen. I went up to say a couple of words and he completely humiliated me. He said the entire younger generation of the Provincial City is nothing but trash in his eyes and that he plans to ’collect’ all the beautiful women here for himself!"
At first, Zhu Yuncang listened as if it were all a joke. But the moment he heard Shen Manwen’s name, his expression instantly darkened.
"The punk you’re talking about is here at Da Han Zhiya? And he’s with Manwen?"
"Yes, in the stone steam room on the second floor!"
In a flash, Zhu Yuncang was on his feet. With a cold expression, he stormed out of the private room and strode quickly toward the stairs.
...
「Second Floor, Stone Steam Room」
Cheng Yuan and Shen Manwen were lying on the steaming hot pebbles, feeling utterly relaxed. A faint, sweet fragrance wafted from beside him, putting Cheng Yuan in a state of blissful tranquility.
"So, Brother Yuan, what do you think? I picked a good spot, didn’t I?"
"Not bad at all."
Cheng Yuan turned his head with a smile, and then he froze.
Shen Manwen was lying on her side, and her collar had shifted, gaping open.
Revealing an astonishing expanse of snowy-white skin.
The high temperature of the steam room had also flushed her face a lovely red. Combined with her foxy, almond-shaped eyes, she looked like the peerless consort Su Daji reborn, exuding an irresistible allure.
Even with his resolute state of mind, Cheng Yuan felt a visceral jolt.
In this state, Shen Manwen’s charm was off the charts. Even if Lin Ruoxi and Hu Shishi were standing before her, she wouldn’t be outshone in the slightest.
Cheng Yuan praised her from the bottom of his heart. "Manwen, I never realized how beautiful you are. You truly live up to that line of poetry—’A beauty without peer in all the world’!"