A Twisted Love Affair
Chapter 137 - 136 I can wait for the day you want to get married_1

Chapter 137: 136 I can wait for the day you want to get married_1

Zhou Luchen had been working nonstop for several days, but that didn’t hinder his spending sprees for entertainment. Without Zhuang Ming by his side to supervise, he could be even more reckless. Even when Zhuang Ming was around, it wasn’t like he could really control him.

In the afternoon, Zhou Luchen personally visited the West District Courtyard. As his black sedan passed the courtyard’s guard post, Chen Yao’s calls had come through three times. Zhou Luchen couldn’t be bothered to answer. The guard, eyeing the unassuming black domestic car with its highly uncommon Beijing license plate, knew which family it belonged to.

"You’ve finally come to visit Professor Peng. He’s been looking for your car every time he’s gone downstairs these past few days."

Zhou Luchen remained silent. He opened the car door, tossed the keys to the guard at the post, and then slid his finger across his phone to answer the call.

On the other end, Chen Yao began with a jest, "Decided to pick up? I’ve been messaging you on WeChat, and you don’t even reply." Then, playing with a green apple in his hand, he continued, "Is my second young master locked up in Beijing memorizing family rules or something?"

Zhou Luchen spoke lazily, "What do you want?"

"Can’t I just miss you?" Chen Yao said, his enthusiasm soaring. "Aren’t you coming back? Your little darling Wanwan is out gallivanting and not coming home. So innocent. You should be careful someone doesn’t lure her away with just a lollipop."

As Chen Yao spoke, his gaze fell upon Shen Jing, who was coming out of the bathroom, and he chuckled with even more mirth.

Zhou Luchen, fingers long and slim around his phone, simply said, "Busy now."

Regardless of what else Chen Yao said, Zhou Luchen couldn’t care less and ended the call abruptly.

Always meddling with this and that.

Today, he came to the West District Courtyard at the invitation of his old teacher. Professor Peng from the military academy’s combat teaching department was a close friend of the Zhou Family’s patriarch. After spending a year at the military academy, Zhou Luchen had gone abroad to study at London Business School. His most promising student had ultimately chosen business.

Zhou Luchen entered, took his seat at the tea table, and greeted, "Teacher."

"Professor Peng." A woman’s voice followed suit from behind, greeting him as well. As she spoke, she personally handed the gift she brought to Professor Peng. "It’s been a while."

Zhou Luchen listened to the voice, glancing indifferently at its owner. She, too, looked at him, their gazes meeting.

Old Peng took off his reading glasses. "Did you two come together today?"

Wenxin smiled and took the seat next to Zhou Luchen. "No, I came by myself."

Old Peng pondered for a moment before scrutinizing Zhou Luchen. "You two aren’t together anymore?"

Zhou Luchen remained as calm as ever, without any ripple of emotion. Seeing that he remained tight-lipped, Old Peng, of course, didn’t concern himself with his love life and changed the subject. "Every time you come to Beijing, you never come over to see me."

Zhou Luchen changed his sitting position, casually savoring his tea. "Well, I’ve made time to come now, haven’t I?"

"And your grandfather? Has he gone off to some alley to play chess again?" Old Peng asked leisurely.

Zhou Luchen’s voice was quiet. "Haven’t been there these days."

Visiting meant an inevitable scolding.

He could have had the best political career, but his methods were too ruthless, so the Zhou Family decided to respect his choices, letting him go into business.

"Your teacher’s wife has cooked dinner; eat before you leave," said Old Peng, lowering his head to sip his tea. "Wenxin, you too."

This meal felt like a casual family gathering. Wenxin occasionally glanced at Zhou Luchen, who didn’t seem to eat much, apparently itching for a smoke. Wenxin hurried through her meal and pulled Zhou Luchen out the door to say goodbye to Old Peng and his wife.

The sky was growing dim, and the stairwell lights seemed dull. Wenxin stepped on Zhou Luchen’s elongated shadow and looked at him. "You want to smoke, don’t you? You can’t last even a few hours."

Zhou Luchen looked down and just smiled faintly.

How could she not understand him? Initially, Wenxin had approached Zhou Luchen with an agenda, mustering all her will to learn all of his likes and dislikes. Yet, in the end, as she used his power to achieve her goals, her heart also ended up lost to him.

"Waiting for me specifically in Beijing." Wenxin stood before him, reaching out to adjust his suit. "Are you worried she’ll find out in Shanghai?"

Zhou Luchen pulled out his cigarette pack. He tapped a cigarette out, placed it leisurely between his lips, and then spoke, the cigarette still there, lending him an air of roguishness, "You gonna sweet-talk her for me?"

Wenxin reached out, took his cigarette away, and grabbed his lighter as well. "Just smelling it is enough. Smoking too much is harmful to your body, and it’s the same for her. Don’t think about going overboard with your fun. You know the Zhou Family doesn’t like her. Can your statuses even allow you to be together? Is her gentle and weak nature a match for you?"

Zhou Luchen’s eyes followed that cigarette as he restrained his temper, opened the car door, and got in.

"I didn’t drive here. Give me a lift," she said, expertly settling into the passenger seat.

Zhou Luchen didn’t stop her, which was akin to indulging her. His leather shoe pressed on the accelerator as he drove off.

The entire trip was silent. Beijing’s nightscape dazzled, with neon lights casting a golden glow, and the colorful banners on both sides of the streets were eye-catching and dignified. He would occasionally floor the accelerator to overtake other cars, never speaking a word, and Wenxin didn’t speak either. She let him drive, as if she were at his mercy, to be taken wherever he pleased and dealt with as he saw fit.

Not knowing how much time had passed, Wenxin couldn’t resist propping her face up to look at him. Young Master Zhou was particularly seductive when he drove, his fingers slightly curved as they rested on the leather steering wheel, exuding an air of nonchalance.

Wenxin spoke, "Regarding Prosecutor Shang’s case, thank you for your help."

After a long pause, Zhou Luchen suddenly hit the brakes. "You don’t seem to understand my temper."

It was too easy to set off this young master’s temper.

Wenxin clenched the safety belt, this time not daring to speak loudly. "I know you hate trouble. Could you really just stand by and do nothing?"

Zhou Luchen remained silent. He stuck a cigarette between his fingers, flicked the steel wheel of his kerosene lighter, and lit it. The smoke billowed thickly, making his cold, handsome face seem even more desolate and enigmatic than the mist.

"Why don’t you say anything? Don’t want to see me?" she asked.

"Do I need you?" Zhou Luchen’s voice was particularly indifferent.

Looking at him again, he lounged back in his seat, smoking languidly, the Adam’s apple on his throat sliding up and down noticeably—a profoundly sensual sight.

Even though Wenxin was mesmerized by the sight of him smoking, she wouldn’t marry anyone but a man from the Zhou Family.

"It doesn’t matter," she said. "I can wait until you’re done playing with her and you’re ready to get married."

Zhou Luchen’s lips curled into a smirk. "You don’t mind if I keep replacing the woman by my side?"

"I do mind," Wenxin said with a hint of self-mockery, "but I know you don’t love them. It’s just a matter of mutual convenience."

Zhou Luchen just narrowed his eyes, looking at her through the smoke.

But he was thinking about another question: did one have to be outstanding to stand by his side? Indeed, Zhou Luchen had too much in his life; beautiful things or people were merely something he admired at a glance. Being beautiful is different from being outstanding. Beauty is a shell. Excellence is all-encompassing.

Wenxin spoke up, "After all that, do you think my heart is big enough?"

How big? Wenxin couldn’t even calculate anymore. She’d seen her share of Zhou Luchen’s past dalliances. Had he ever loved anyone? No. Miss Xie of the Xie Family was an artist, and Zhou Luchen was famously fond of buying and collecting famous paintings, liking all sorts of artwork. Miss Xie’s art exhibition hit his soft spot, and Zhou Luchen loved to patronize it. With his patronage, Miss Xie’s paintings appreciated in price and became popular overseas, making her a renowned painter. He was good to everyone, and he hadn’t actually done anything untoward with Miss Xie; she was the one who misunderstood. Then he’d turn around, engage in flirtatious games with others, and forget everything. Who didn’t know his character? Anyone who willingly fell for him knew it was unrequited.

Looking at Zhou Luchen again, there was laughter in his eyes. "What can you give me?"

His inherent selfishness ultimately boiled down to weighing your usefulness.

"Whatever you want, when have I ever not been able to give it to you?" Wenxin leaned over the center console, getting closer to him. Today, she wore a diagonally buttoned magenta blouse, the buttons strained over her full chest, looking as if they might pop open.

Wenxin believed that Second Young Master Zhou could see and understand what she was hinting at. She was twenty-five this year, at that cusp between the aloofness of youth and the allure of a woman in her prime.

The car eventually drove to the hotel where Zhou Luchen usually stayed.