DTTM 62

Chapter 62: No Matter How I Answer, I’ll Be Torn Apart

“What a pity, I thought I would be able to see a wonderful ‘performance’ tonight.” Bondor said regretfully, as if he had missed a top-notch opera.

As he spoke, he pulled a silver pocket watch from his pocket. A big turquoise stone was inlaid on the watch cover, its rich azure blue and deep emerald green intertwined. Its fire refracted layer by layer as it turned, as if with each change of light, a new path of light would be generated inside the stone.

Even in pictures, I had never seen such a perfect river pine stone.

Of course, it wasn’t as good as Zong Yanlei’s eyes.

“We’ll chat a little longer, but I should be heading back soon. Your Highness has your own romantic evening to enjoy,” he gave Chu Shengcheng a meaningful look, “and I have my own to enjoy as well.”

“I won’t disturb you any longer.” I stood up from the ground, bowed my head, and respectfully indicated that I would go to the bedroom to prepare.

As soon as I turned around, a servant came forward with a silver tray in his hand and politely asked me to hand over my phone and terminal for safekeeping.

They’re really cautious.

I took my phone out of my pocket, unfastened the terminal from my wrist, and gently placed it on the tray. Then I nodded slightly to the three people sitting there and walked towards the bedroom.

The bedroom was tidy and bright, and I couldn’t see any of Chu Shengcheng’s personal belongings. I quickly opened the wardrobe, and besides the clothes racks and a few heavy bathrobes, there were only two long red robes embroidered with intricate patterns, reflecting Chu Shengcheng’s taste.

I opened the desk drawer, my fingertips touched a heavy black fountain pen.

I unscrewed the pen cap, and the nib gleamed with a cold, silvery light under the lamp.

It was barely enough. I stroked the sharp nib and quietly slipped the pen into my sleeve.

The bathroom was filled with a faint scent of shower gel. There were only regular toiletries on the counter, and apart from a few heavy crystal glasses, there was nothing else that could be used to commit a crime.

I stared at myself in the mirror. Zong Yanlei had been traveling all night, and I hadn’t slept well either. Without the added makeup, my complexion looked a bit pale. I touched the eye patch inlaid with river pine stones that the stylists had specially made for the Wo Province leg of the competition, then took it off and carefully put it in my pocket.

Hopefully, seeing my misty white right eye will extinguish Chu Shengcheng’s overflowing interest.

Although it was a shame not to win the GTC championship, if I could finish off Chu Shengcheng here tonight and achieve the storyline of “the rising star of the Wo people who refuses to be humiliated,” it would be an excellent way to realize our political ambitions.

With Chu Shengcheng’s death, the fuse would be lit, and Penglai woyld inevitably descend into chaos. At that point, even without me, Ye Shuer would be able to quickly seize the opportunity and launch another offensive with Free Will. Then there was Yu Xuan…

This name abruptly interrupted my train of thought.

The notion of Plan B suddenly paused in my mind. Yu Xuan was also in Wo Province at the moment. If Chu Shengcheng died inexplicably tonight, Wo Province would definitely be under strict lockdown, and that old fox Bondor was still alive. This situation could put Yu Xuan in an extremely dangerous position.

I stared at my indifferent reflection in the mirror for two seconds, and finally managed to gradually remove Plan B from my mind.

The door blocked out the conversation, making the sounds from the living room sound muffled and distant. I stood by the door for a while, and intermittently heard the three of them mainly talking about GTC, the competition format, betting odds, and viewership ratings. Apart from that, they were also talking about the mines in Wo Province.

River pine stone, a major mineral resource in Wo Province, was not only used to create various jewelry pieces to satisfy human aesthetic needs, but also possessed extremely high industrial value. High-quality river pine stone was an irreplaceable core stabilizing material in a range of electronic chips, including the cervical neural chip.

“Wo Province is only so big,” Bondor’s voice came through the door. “These mines have been mined for twenty years, so it’s normal for them to be getting less and less. They’re not a treasure trove; there’s no reason for them to be inexhaustible.”

After listening for a while, I roughly understood why Chu Shengcheng had come to Wo Province this time.

River pine stone was a strategic resource of the Wo Province mining area, nominally belonging to Penglai. Bondor was the contractor and local tyrant, holding the rights to mine and deliver the ore.

Penglai had always procured and distributed supplies under the guise of military needs and scientific research. In the past two years, the annual output of river pine stone had declined year by year, and its quality had also been poor, gradually making it difficult to meet Penglai’s needs. This time, Chu Shengcheng’s actions, ostensibly for GTC, were actually aimed at negotiating with Bondor to increase production capacity.

“Give me a little more money, and I’ll upgrade the mining equipment. Maybe I can squeeze out a little more profit.”

“Bondor,” Wen Nan chimed in, “the price just went up last year, and you’re going to raise it again this year? Isn’t that inappropriate? His Highness has helped you a lot over the years.”

“Wen Nan-ge, what are you saying?” Bang Duo scoffed. “You’ve made a fortune in GTC, enjoying yourself in a place like Baiyujing. You naturally don’t understand the hardships I face here, struggling to mine. People are hard to manage these days. If you can’t give me money, some weapons will do. What do you say, Your Highness?”

I quietly opened the door a crack, and through the gap, I could see three people not far away.

Chu Shengcheng had his back to me, his head bowed, fiddling with the antique revolver in his hand. He didn’t join the argument, as if he were patiently waiting for something.

Just as the two were arguing more and more intensely, and Wen Nan’s face was turning red, he suddenly spoke up: “Do you know the Ailemon Group? The world’s largest jewelry and luxury goods company.”

The entire room fell silent, and even Bondor’s heavy breathing seemed to pause for two seconds.

“Mineral resources are dwindling, not enough to supply Penglai, yet you can continuously supply Ailemon so they can make beautiful jewelry?” Chu Shengcheng slowly took out a ring from his bathrobe pocket and held it above his head. “This is a ring that the Crown Princess ordered more than half a year ago. It’s made of the highest quality river pine stone, and one ring costs tens of millions.”

“That’s really expensive.” Chu Shengcheng looked at Bondor, his beautiful voice filled with laughter. “I’m tempted to sell them the stones myself.”

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; even the sound of breathing seemed to have disappeared.

Bondor stared at the ring, and like a video stuck due to a slow internet connection, no one moved for a long time.

“There must be some misunderstanding here.” He quickly stubbed out his cigar in the ashtray, his tone instantly became certain. “I understand, there’s definitely insider trading involved. Your Highness, please give me three days… no, one day! I’ll go back and investigate, and I’ll give you an explanation tomorrow!”

As he spoke, he stood up from the sofa, cursing and swearing: “Damn it, which bastard betrayed us? I’ll drag him out!”

“Are you leaving already?” Chu Shengcheng asked.

Bondor waved his hand dismissively, “I won’t disturb Your Highness any longer.” With that, he walked straight out.

“Take care.”

Chu Shengcheng’s voice was as soft as a feather. Then, he raised his arm, aimed the revolver at the back of Bondor’s head, and pulled the trigger.

“Bang–!”

This time, it wasn’t an empty shot.

A deafening sound ripped through the room, sparks flying from the gun barrel. The next instant, a crimson flower of blood bloomed on the back of Bondor’s head, and he crashed onto the carpet.

There were no screams, no struggles, and even the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground was completely swallowed up by the thick carpet.

I opened my eyes wide behind the door, taken aback by what had happened again tonight.

Chu Shengcheng actually… killed Bondor?

“Ah… Your Highness?” Wen Nan’s voice completely changed. He was so frightened that he collapsed onto the sofa, his teeth chattering so loudly that I could hear it.

“He’s old, and his mind has become dull.” Chu Shengcheng stood up, his wrist twirling slightly as he approached Wen Nan. “Wo Province belongs to Penglai. River pine stone is an important strategic resource, yet Bondor dared to sell it privately, which is tantamount to treason. What Penglai gave him, Penglai can also take back.”

He raised his gun toward Wen Nan.

“I…I have absolutely no disloyalty to Your Highness! Absolutely no disloyalty!” Wen Nan raised his hand, his face deathly pale.

Chu Shengcheng chuckled and moved the gun away: “Don’t worry, I was just joking.”

The servants in the room were completely oblivious to the bloody murder unfolding before them. Like robots, they moved quickly and began cleaning up the scene without Chu Shengcheng’s command, as skillfully as cleaning up a wine stain.

I quietly closed the door, and afterwards, I could hear faint rustling sounds from outside: the scraping of heavy furniture being moved, the dull thud of carpets being rolled up, and the rustling sound of some kind of liquid being sprayed and wiped.

After a while, the doorknob turned, and I stepped back, moving further away from the door.

Chu Shengcheng walked in. He was still wearing that white bathrobe, but the original red dye on it was now mixed with something thicker and darker. It was Bondor’s blood.

A few drops of blood splattered on his cheek and neck, slowly sliding down the contours of his skin like cracks on a marble statue.

He casually threw the gun onto the small table by the window like a discarded toy, then walked into the bathroom as if I were invisible.

The sound of water rang out. I picked up the gun from the table, opened the cylinder, and checked it. It was out of bullets. The only one left had already been given to Bondor.

Staring at the gun in my hand, I glanced towards the bathroom, then towards the living room, which was just across the door.

I found myself smiling. It seemed Lady Luck was on my side today.

With Bondor dead, Wo Province was in a power vacuum. If Chu Shengcheng also died here… as long as Yu Xuan wasn’t a useless person, this was definitely the perfect opportunity to reclaim sovereignty over Wo Province.

And if my assassination failed, there was always Plan C… Thinking of this, I glanced out the window.

As long as I die here, my death, my fate, will become nourishment for the revolution, used for the sake of Free Will.

I gently lowered the gun, the image of Zong Yanlei’s angry yet disappointed face suddenly flashed through my mind.

What a pity that the last memory I left him with was an argument.

Chu Shengcheng quickly finished his shower and came out wearing a clean bathrobe. His long hair dripped water, leaving pink stains on his pale shoulders.

“Come sit down, what are you standing there for?” He dried his hair, raised his chin, and gestured for me to sit on the edge of the bed.

“Coming right now.” I smiled, took off my coat, and walked towards him, holding the pen hidden in my sleeve.

Sitting on the bed, Chu Shengcheng looked me up and down with a longing gaze: “I really envy you.”

Conventional talk was completely ineffective when dealing with a madman; one must be extremely vigilant when dealing with him.

“What do you lack? What do you envy about me?” I asked cautiously.

“I envy your red eyes.” He bent one leg, half-kneeling on the bed, and reached out to pinch my chin, forcing me to look him in the eye. “If my eyes turned this red, do you think Yu Xuan would like it?”

I was stunned. I did not expect to hear Yu Xuan’s name at this moment.

“Yu Xuan hates Penglai people.” The smile in Chu Shengcheng’s eyes vanished, replaced by a blank, almost hollow look. “I really envy you; you’re not from Penglai. But, to say he hates me… he risked his life, even having his back blown to pieces to shield me; he remembers all my preferences, and even comforts me with his body when I have nightmares… Have you ever met someone like that?”

I shook my head, even more bewildered than him.

“No matter how much I provoke him, he remains distant and indifferent. Marriage didn’t work, the child didn’t work. What can I do to make him show even a shred of genuine emotion towards me?” He withdrew his hand and stepped back, a hint of sorrow appearing in his azure eyes, “Even hatred.”

Every time I thought I had figured out the role I needed to play, Chu Shengcheng would give me a new role card.

Now, I’ve become an “emotional counselor.”

Compared to Ye Shuer’s obliviousness, I had actually noticed the complex relationship between Yu Xuan and Chu Shengcheng long ago. But I assumed it stemmed from Chu Shengcheng treating Yu Xuan as a plaything to be vented on at will. Now, after hearing all this, it seemed Chu Shengcheng had developed genuine feelings?

“This… Your Highness, please allow me to consider.”

I slowly twirled the pen inside my sleeve, pressing my thumb against the end. Without making a sound, I raised my eyes, my gaze tracing the line of Chu Shengcheng’s neck, finally settling on the slight undulation of his carotid artery.

Whether it was genuine or feigned, it would end tonight.

“Only Lord Yu Xuan can go in, you cannot…”

My body tensed up. Just as I was about to raise my arm, a sudden burst of noise erupted outside.

“Get out of here!” The voice that followed was deep and cold, filled with anger.

My movements froze, and all the planned paths were completely disrupted at that moment.

“He’s here.” Chu Shengcheng tilted his head, and listened attentively with a manic smile of excitement on his face. “He came to beg me for your sake. You must hold some weight in his heart. If I touch you, he’ll definitely be angry.”

The next second, his gaze fell back on me, landing precisely on the top button of my shirt.

Without any warning or further communication, he reached out and ripped the fabric. The sound of tearing fabric was particularly jarring in the quiet room.

Before I could even react, my shirt was ripped, and my skin was instantly exposed to the cool air.

“Wait, you don’t need to do that…”

I was only halfway through my sentence when I felt pain on my neck and collarbone, as if I’d been seized by the claws of a wild beast. Chu Shengcheng’s fingernails mercilessly scratched three marks on my skin.

I grunted and frowned.

…Was it necessary to go this far?

Thinking this, my vision blurred, and Chu Shengcheng pinned me down. Almost at the same time, the door was kicked open from the outside, and Zong Yanlei barged in.

All his raging emotions vanished the moment he witnessed the scene on the bed. He stood there with an ashen face, but he did not take another step.

Yu Xuan followed closely behind and quickly entered. When he saw my and Chu Shengcheng’s posture, his expression was equally unpleasant.

“Why did you barge in without announcing yourselves?” Chu Shengcheng, that madman, sat up immediately and pretended to straighten his clothes.

I got up immediately, wanting to get dressed, but unfortunately there were no buttons, so I could only awkwardly clutch my collar with my hands.

Catching someone in the act couldn’t have been more awkward.

Zong Yanlei didn’t look at Chu Shengcheng; his gaze was fixed on me.

“Your Highness, what are you doing?” His voice was so calm it was almost eerie.

“What am I doing?” Chu Shengcheng smiled. “Can’t you tell? That’s not right, you’ve been married to my sister for so many years.”

Upon hearing this, Zong Yanlei shifted his gaze to Chu Shengcheng, his brows furrowing slightly: “But he is mine.”

Those eyes, once as bright and shimmering as river pine ore, seemed to have lost their ability to refract light, becoming dull and cold.

“He’s mine.” He emphasized, taking a step toward Chu Shengcheng and his hand reaching out.

That step was extremely short, yet I knew that he had already crossed the line between ruler and subject.

A group of fully armed royal guards surrounded the doorway. If Zong Yanlei dared to make a move here, they would kill him on the spot without hesitation.

I jumped off the bed as fast as I could, and grabbed Zong Yanlei’s wrist tightly, using all my strength to force his hand down.

“Your Highness is joking, I’m fine.”

Zong Yanlei looked down at me.

I had never seen him look like that before. There was no anger, no loss of control, not even any emotional fluctuation. All that remained was a bone-chilling cold, like a desolate wasteland devoid of life after a blizzard.

My throat tightened, and I couldn’t help but swallow dryly.

He didn’t respond to me, but instead grabbed my wrist with his other hand and turned to walk towards the door.

Yu Xuan made way for me. In the brief moment we walked past each other, our eyes met. His gaze moved down my face, to my neck, and a complex emotion flickered in his usually gloomy eyes.

The guards blocked the entrance and refused to let us pass.

“Let them go.” Chu Shengcheng’s voice rang out from behind, tinged with obvious satisfaction.

The guards then withdrew.

Zong Yanlei didn’t turn around, but pulled me away quickly.

As soon as I stepped out of the room, which still smelled faintly of disinfectant, I began to explain to Zong Yanlei, but he remained silent, whether in the brightly lit corridor or in the enclosed elevator. Even Bondor’s death couldn’t move him in the slightest.

Zong Yanlei pulled me into the bedroom.

“Shut up,” he whispered as he pushed me onto the bed.

My back slammed against the mattress, sending waves of pain through my head. I couldn’t understand why so many unexpected things happened this night.

“Young Master, this time it really isn’t my fault…” I was practically swearing to the heavens, “The Crown Prince used me to provoke Yu Xuan, I’m innocent too.”

Zong Yanlei ignored me. Without a word, he took off his coat and then roughly unbuttoned his shirt. Due to the excessive force, the buttons popped off and fell to the ground.

Finally, he pulled out his belt.

“Take off your clothes.” The command was brief and cold, leaving no room for negotiation.

…Was he going to whip me?

Staring at the black leather belt in his hand, I froze for a moment, then sighed inwardly. I resignedly took off my shirt, turned my back to him, and closed my eyes.

A long silence fell behind me.

I waited for a while, but the expected pain never came. Just as I couldn’t help but turn around, a hot body covered mine.

Flesh against flesh, the temperature was high, so hot that I shuddered and reflexively tried to escape, but was firmly pinned down.

A strong, powerful arm wrapped around my waist, giving me no room to break free. Zong Yanlei kissed my neck, lingering dangerously close: “So, only me, only me… was that also a lie?”

At that moment, I felt as if I had been thrown into a crack between ice and fire. I felt hot at the same time, but also bone-chillingly cold.

Alarm bells rang in my mind, and I even felt that no matter how I answered, I would be torn to pieces. Even if I didn’t die at Chu Shengcheng’s hands tonight, I might really die in Zong Yanlei’s arms.