A Twisted Love Affair
Chapter 126: His lipstick mark_1

Chapter 126: His lipstick mark_1

"Zhou Luchen."

Calling his name directly again made it difficult for Wenxin to utter those two words. "Help me."

He moved his lips slightly. "Aren’t you quite proud?"

Wenxin still couldn’t help herself. She stood up, walked over to him, and clutched the hem of his clothes.

They faced each other in silence. Up close, her eyes were dark, bloodshot veins clearly visible from worrying over family matters and her father’s illness. In front of the man, she inadvertently presented a kind of shattered, tragically beautiful vulnerability.

"Liver transplantation is the only treatment for end-stage liver disease," Wenxin slowly explained. "An organ is needed for the transplant. Without it, he’ll die."

Zhou Luchen’s voice was low. "Then get one."

"There’s no suitable one from organ donations, none in all the hospitals," Wenxin said, almost whispering.

He said, "If the hospitals don’t have one, then so be it."

Wenxin blurted out, "What about overseas? The black market?"

Zhou Luchen looked down at her, a smile of noble amusement on his face. "Wei Wenxin, you’re bold."

Wenxin was certainly bold, her ambition far from slight. She had always possessed an underlying pride. Unintentional displays were tolerable, but her deliberate actions increasingly filled Zhou Luchen with disdain.

Yet, she couldn’t bear to hear Zhou Luchen’s heartless words; her heart sank, aching intensely.

"You don’t need to think of me like that. I know it’s wrong. I’m not asking you to do anything. I’m just scared out of my wits, terrified that my father will die just like that, and I’ll be powerless to do anything."

The assistant, sensing the delicate situation, stepped forward to remind her, "I’m sorry, Miss Wei, the Zhou Family cannot afford for the Second Young Master to make a mistake."

"Don’t bother me." Wenxin closed her eyes and took a breath. "That’s not what I meant."

She was in a terrible mood today. Her father was critically ill, and the board of directors disregarded her abilities because she was a woman. She felt frustrated and sad. Only when she saw Zhou Luchen did her mood find an invisible sanctuary. Now, standing so close, she couldn’t detect the scent of any ladies’ perfume on him. She sneered inwardly, wondering why she even cared, knowing full well that he and Shen Jing would eventually part ways.

Zhou Luchen started to walk away. Wenxin, forgetting her hand was still on the hem of his clothes, instinctively grabbed him tighter, almost embracing him.

Zhou Luchen made a slight move.

RIP!

Wenxin looked up, bewildered. The third button on the man’s black shirt had popped off.

It was probably due to the rigid lines of his muscles; the slightest strain could easily cause a button to break free.

"I’ll fix it for you," she said softly, reaching out. With a deft flick of her fingers, she skillfully began to fasten his button.

She hadn’t forgotten how she used to love doing this for him. And he, in the past, had seemed to delight in molding her cool demeanor into the version of her he preferred.

Wenxin looked up, her eyes meeting his through the lenses of her gold-rimmed glasses.

His eyes were as black as Huizhou ink, their depths unreadable.

He removed Wenxin’s hand.

Her fingertips brushed his chest for an instant.

Wenxin felt a vague stickiness on her fingertips.

Being meticulous by nature, she couldn’t escape the thoughts and images that instantly flooded her mind. It was lipstick, imprinted on the firm muscle of his overtly masculine chest. Was he playing such perverse games with the young woman at home?

Wenxin was stunned for a moment, then lowered her gaze. A hint of a smile touched her eyes, but her voice was calm, devoid of any impurity. "Why?"

Zhou Luchen walked past her. "She’s more obedient than you."

Wenxin pressed on, "And the twenty billion? Why was that?"

"For you," Zhou Luchen said, his voice slightly deeper, tinged with an unreadable smile. "Isn’t that the answer you wanted?"

The assistant picked up the laptop and followed his boss, giving Wenxin only a slight nod as he departed.

At the doorway, Wei Sulin leaned against the wall, arms crossed, and remarked cynically, "What do you think you’re doing?"

Wenxin glanced at him.

Wenxin didn’t spare him another look. "Why aren’t you at the hospital with Father?"

"I’ll go later," Wei Sulin smacked his lips. "I’m worried you’ll secretly call a meeting to change the will."

Wenxin was in no mood to joke with him. She put on her Bluetooth headset and began giving instructions to someone on the other end, then coldly walked past Wei Sulin.

She had to support the Wei Family, prove her capabilities, and earn her place by Zhou Luchen’s side. She had worked hard, studying business, forging her path step by step in Switzerland. All for the day she could stand at the top, the most suitable partner for him.

***

Zhuang Ming had recently been busy shuttling Shen Jing to and from Su City, so he hadn’t spent much time with his family’s Second Young Master.

The Zhou Family had assigned bodyguards to ensure Zhou Luchen’s safety.

Zhou Luchen was the sole heir to the true Zhou Family bloodline. He also loved to indulge himself and often stayed out all night.

The primary concern, however, stemmed from an old incident involving the Fan brothers, a wealthy family with frequent dealings with the Zhou Family.

Ten years ago, the youngest son of the Fan family was kidnapped. The criminals demanded a ransom of two hundred million, a sum the family could afford.

The criminals were audacious. In the end, the Fan family paid the two hundred million, but the youngest son’s legs were broken. The criminals successfully fled abroad and were only apprehended and imprisoned after an eight-year pursuit.

Regardless of whether that specific incident had occurred, individuals from prominent and wealthy backgrounds all employed bodyguards. This was especially true for the esteemed son of the powerful Zhou Family, whose life was exceedingly precious. In this world, there were always a few audacious and reckless villains who had no regard for their own lives.

But could the Zhou Family truly control Zhou Luchen?

This time, not even the bodyguards could manage him.

The family’s esteemed reputation for high moral standards had long been tarnished by his philandering ways. He even dismissed his bodyguards to look after performers, sometimes taking them out to sea, other times spending nights in hotels. What could be done? The Zhou Family had contingency plans to discreetly handle such matters. The Zhou Family simply couldn’t control him.

Zhuang Ming’s responsibilities included protecting Zhou Luchen and ensuring that his female companions didn’t cause too much trouble by revealing his affairs.

That day, Zhuang Ming returned to the Zhou Family estate to report.

Zhuang Ming bowed deeply. "Madam."

The elderly Mrs. Zhou, seated upright at her desk, showed little emotion as she perused ancient texts. "What is it?"

Zhuang Ming explained, "Shen Jing is the daughter of the Shen Family from Xihe Bay. Over a decade ago, after her father passed away, her mother suffered a mental breakdown. She returned to her hometown, reconnected with an old flame, and insisted on taking Shen Jing away from the Shen Family."

Mrs. Zhou remained impassive. "The Shen Family of Xihe Bay? What of them?"

Compared to the Zhou Family, they were insignificant. Still, they were a relatively wealthy and established family. Zhuang Ming had naturally investigated Shen Jing’s background; it wasn’t difficult information to obtain. He hadn’t reported it to Zhou Luchen because he hadn’t asked and clearly didn’t want to know. It wasn’t important to him.

Zhuang Ming respectfully continued, "The Second Young Master treats her quite well, cherishing her as if she were a delicate potted flower."

Those were the most appropriate words Zhuang Ming could find to describe the situation.

Mrs. Zhou merely flipped a page of her book and responded with a cold "Hmm," showing no concern whatsoever about any potential complications.

Such utter lack of worry. Zhuang Ming understood. The Zhou Family required a matriarch, the wife of the CEO of United Bank International. Every aspect of her status had to be impeccable. The elite adhered to their own well-defined set of values, which were not constrained by romantic love. Their world had no need for love; it was too easily obtained, rendering it cheap and unimportant. It wasn’t that the wealthy were incapable of deep love, but such instances were rare. Someone like Zhou Luchen, already immensely powerful, didn’t need love to adorn his inner world. It was better if his female companions didn’t love him; then he bore no emotional burden. Debts of affection were the hardest to repay, and he was ruthless enough to want to avoid them altogether.

Mrs. Zhou tired of reading.

Zhuang Ming stepped forward. "Let me help you take a walk outside."

Mrs. Zhou was still in fairly good health. She had maintained a regimen of health preservation for many years and was not yet at the stage where she needed a walking stick.

"Has there been trouble at the Wei Family again?" Mrs. Zhou asked.

Zhuang Ming nodded. "Chairman Wei is advancing in years and probably doesn’t have more than a few months left. The Wei Family has already begun to privately divide assets between the main and second branches."