Chapter 1098: Because You Are Beautiful

"Wang Yan is truly shameless, huh; he can actually say something like that out loud."

After everyone finished dinner and helped clean up, they left Wang Yan's home and went down to the 22nd floor. Ye Zhenzhen couldn't help but sigh with emotion again, "He is really shamelessly thick-skinned."

Yu Chuhui laughed and said, "See, we've come full circle with our words. If he hadn't said it like that, we would have thought it anyway and called him hypocritical and pretentious; now that he lays it all out plainly, he still can't escape being called shameless. Actually, if you think about it, he has it pretty hard."

"Brother Yan seems to always speak the truth; when he talks to me, he says exactly what's on his mind without holding anything back," He Minhong said from the side. "Although I don't think Brother Yan is right, this is indeed the current state of society: there are people who want to reap without sowing. Brother Yan dares to act and dares to admit it; that point is very good."

"That's because your brain is a muddled mess; if he didn't say exactly what was on his mind, there would be no way to have a conversation with you at all," Yu Chuhui retorted directly.

"I've seen quite a lot of this kind of thing; some people, I can tell at a glance, are not our kind," Zhu Zhe said. "However, Wang Yan isn't bad; it was all consensual, he didn't force anyone, and he didn't harass anyone."

"Even so, I must severely condemn him; he is a thoroughgoing scumbag," Ye Zhenzhen said with a smile. "Of course, he does have shining points, namely that he has self-awareness and doesn't lead good Misses astray. Moreover, I feel he isn't an irresponsible person, which is truly contradictory. Oh, and also, his muscles are so developed, yet he still reads so many books instead of just posing to show off; that's quite contradictory too."

"People are the most complex creatures; one or two sentences can't explain it," Zhu Zhe said, stretching her waist. "Alright, alright, it's getting late; let's hurry back, wash up, and go to sleep. Having a little wine today was quite good; feeling slightly dizzy, we'll sleep until the sun is high in the sky."

With that, everyone parted ways, returning to their own places to wash and sleep, bringing an end to a wonderful day...

But for some people, this day was not so wonderful; it could even be said to be the gloomiest day of their lives so far.

Lihu Qixing lay on the hospital bed; the pain in his body had fully erupted, and moving even slightly caused pain throughout his entire body, making it difficult for him to sleep peacefully. He couldn't sleep anyway, because that man surnamed Wang was simply too detestable, yet he unfortunately had no way to deal with him.

He had indeed asked the doctor what level his injuries constituted, and they were indeed minor injuries; even if he called the police to pursue accountability, although Wang Yan was completely at fault, the outcome would merely be detention, a fine, and compensation. Moreover, with video footage, surveillance records, and witness testimony all complete, it was he who had actively sought a real fight with Wang Yan, and he who had launched a sneak attack first, so he was entirely in the wrong. Even though he was the one more severely injured, in the end, he would only receive some compensation for medical expenses; was money what he wanted?

In just this short while, he had already learned Wang Yan's identity, as it was all public information. Regarding what wasn't very public, he had a few friends in Shanghai who helped him investigate, and he basically clarified Wang Yan's identity and status; they were truly not on the same level. Furthermore, his family's connections were mainly over in Jingcheng, while in Shanghai, they were lacking by a significant margin.

He knew that this grudge probably couldn't be avenged, which made him feel even more miserable.

After such a tormenting night passed, the pain became even worse the next day, making him feel as if he were dying, and causing him to gnash his teeth in even greater hatred toward Wang Yan.

Of course, he wouldn't think that it was because he had consciously trained for a period, becoming intoxicated with the increase in strength brought by physical training, lost in the emotional value provided by his personal trainer's repeated cries of 'You really have talent, you just started training late'; naturally, he was also misled by his unrequited desire for Lucy, which led him to misjudge his own capabilities and lose his mind.

He had wanted to use the excuse of a practical sparring session to brutally beat up Wang Yan, whom he viewed as a competitor, and step on Wang Yan to show off in front of Lucy. It was he who provoked first, and he who did not uphold Wu De.

He refused to think about any of these things; he only wanted Wang Yan to die.

After all, he had been brutally beaten, and not only was he in pain everywhere, but he had also exposed his true nature in front of his beloved Lucy, greatly losing impression points. Originally, Lucy's alternating warmth and distance had kept him tossing and turning, making him believe there was a chance and that something was possible between them; now, it was likely that Lucy looked down on him as well.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but hatefully punch the hospital bed with his fist, which then triggered pain throughout his entire body, causing him to cry out, "Ouch, it hurts!"

Just at this moment, the ward door was pushed open; he looked over dismissively, but upon seeing who it was, his spirits soared: "Lucy?"

"What, surprised to see me?"

"I thought you held a grudge against me."

Why would she hold a grudge? He hadn't said a single word about it; if Ye Zhenzhen and the others were here, they would undoubtedly complain upon hearing this, proving that comparing people really makes one want to die.

But he still stammered, as if saying something extremely difficult to utter, "I'm sorry, Lucy, I didn't mean to..."

"Speaking of which, it started because of me, so emotionally and logically I should come to check on you," Lucy said as if she hadn't heard him. She fiddled with the small tray table on the hospital bed and placed the meal she was carrying onto it. "Here, it's noon; I brought you some food. I don't know what you like to eat, so I ordered bone broth, stir-fried pork, and stir-fried greens. I don't know if you have any dietary restrictions?"

"It's fine, it's fine; the doctor said it's all superficial injuries, plus some muscle strains, nothing that affects eating or drinking. Besides, even if I had dietary restrictions, I would definitely eat whatever you bought for me; anything you buy tastes delicious."

Lihu Qixing felt no pain anymore; he sat straight up, watching Lucy thoughtfully unwrap the packaging. Putting on an appearance of eating with great relish, he immediately asked, "Have you eaten?"

"I only came to see you after I finished eating. You're all alone here..."

"Oh, it doesn't matter; Xiao Huang found me a caregiver. The doctor said I can be discharged in three to five days, and after recuperating for another ten days or half a month, there won't be any problems."

Lucy nodded, then said hesitantly, "You're not planning to cause trouble for Wang Yan, are you?"

"No, Lucy, I know this time I may have disappointed you greatly, but I understand that the main reason is my own fault. Moreover, I did some investigating on that friend of yours; he is quite formidable. This time, I indeed offended first, and he showed mercy."

If one only listened to the first part of his words, Lucy might have thought Lihu Qixing truly had no intention of causing trouble. But after hearing the latter half, she knew that was the key point: it was because Wang Yan was quite formidable, and only then came Lihu Qixing's understanding of the situation.

Regarding what kind of character Lihu Qixing truly was from his fight with Wang Yan earlier, there was no need to elaborate further; Lucy was no fool, and she saw the situation even more clearly.

In the past, she might have felt somewhat embarrassed, and even in the original script, there was vaguely a hint of affection, but now there was absolutely none.

"If you can think this way, I feel relieved," she said without revealing her true feelings, smiling and nodding, before changing the subject to ask, "Is he really that formidable?"

"You don't know?"

"We've only known each other for two days; he lives upstairs from my place. We met by chance before, and I helped him with a trivial little favor; he invited me to dinner this Saturday to express his gratitude. This morning, when I made an appointment with you to practice boxing, I casually asked him if he wanted to come. Since he was idle and had nothing better to do, he came along with me, and then you know the rest. As for how formidable he is, I'm not clear; I only know he is quite wealthy, owning two cars worth two to three million each. I heard him say he works in private equity, but I don't know the specifics and didn't feel it appropriate to ask."

Lihu Qixing suddenly realized the truth, filled with regret, yet he also became happy; it turned out it was all his misunderstanding. Now that Lucy had come to see him, it seemed he still had a chance.

He couldn't help but smile and began explaining to Lucy: "Wang Yan indeed works in private equity; he is the boss, managing assets of over six billion, with an entry threshold of ten million. Moreover, his company's performance is excellent; established for five years, it has consistently outperformed the market. Furthermore, he participates both domestically and internationally, and also invests in some startup companies, earning him a considerable reputation."

"It is precisely because of these various reasons that the speed at which he absorbs funds is accelerating. I heard that this year his asset scale will break through seven billion; he has reached a stage of thick accumulation ready to burst forth, and managing ten billion in assets is only a matter of a few years."

"Moreover, his company organizes regular gatherings for clients to introduce contacts to one another, facilitating quite a few business deals. Although he does not charge intermediary fees, the unwritten rule is that when a deal is successfully closed and money is earned, a portion must be given to Wang Yan's company to maintain the operation of this gathering model and to prepare gifts for the clients. From time to time, they also organize visits for clients to inspect large corporations, inviting well-known executives from home and abroad to lecture on operations, management, and so on."

"It is basically equivalent to a large-scale club with the function of a chamber of commerce. Moreover, because he limits the entry capital amount to ten million, his clients are all powerful individuals from various industries across the country. Therefore, Wang Yan, as the boss, possesses significant energy. Even in this city, he is one of that select group at the very peak of the pyramid."

Naturally, Lucy could not have failed to investigate Wang Yan; however, she had only looked at public materials. What Lihu Qixing said belonged to semi-public information, which she had not uncovered. She knew Wang Yan was awesome, but she hadn't expected him to be this awesome.

She nodded and said, "Then let's all just remain on friendly terms; if additional complications arise, that would not be good."

"It's not that I'm afraid of him," Lihu Qixing said. "I just don't want to put you in a difficult position."

Lucy smiled and said, "Hurry up and eat."

And so, Lucy and Lihu Qixing chatted intermittently; after Lihu Qixing happily finished his lunch, Lucy helped clean up a bit before leaving, leaving people with the impression that she was very decent.

Lihu Qixing lay on the hospital bed with a lecherous expression on his face, contentedly recalling the scenes from earlier. He was truly a lecher, because he was truly a pig's head...

Just as he was blissfully reminiscing, the mobile phone by his bed rang.

Having his beautiful imagination interrupted, he felt somewhat dissatisfied; he picked up the phone and took a look—it was a video call from his mother. Separated by distance, they always had to call every few days.

In his current condition, it was not appropriate to answer, so he didn't even mute it, simply letting it hang up naturally.

Less than an hour later, another video call popped up, which he still didn't answer. Five minutes after that, a direct voice call came through. This time, Lihu Qixing had no choice but to answer.

Less than an hour later, another video call popped up; he still hadn't answered. Five minutes afterward, a direct phone call came through. This time, Lihu Qixing had no choice but to pick up.

"It's nothing; I just stayed out late with friends last night, drank too much, and haven't woken up yet."

"Let's skip the video, okay? There's nothing wrong; I'm doing very well."

In the end, Lihu Qixing could not hide the truth; his injuries wouldn't subside for at least half a month, and as a second-generation rich kid who only thought he was mature but hadn't actually left the family nest, he was incapable of handling this.

Therefore, the fact that he had been beaten beyond recognition fell directly under his own mother's gaze...

The spring breeze was gentle, birds sang and flowers fraganced; it was another beautiful morning.

The spring breeze was gentle, birds sang amidst the fragrance of flowers, another beautiful morning.

"Morning."

Lucy walked over doing arm-stretching exercises, happily greeting Wang Yan.

"A bit late today, aren't you?" Wang Yan said, his movements unceasing as he continued punching through form after form.

"Thinking about learning peerless martial arts today made me so excited I stayed up late."

"You seem much cheerier; even cracking jokes now."

"Could it be we weren't very familiar before? I told you, I'm a slow burner."

"So you mean we're very familiar now?"

Lucy smiled: "Aren't we?"

"Far too familiar."

It was a cold joke, pity Lucy still didn't understand exactly what kind of 'familiar' he meant.

Wang Yan laughed: "Warm up first, do some stretching; I've got a few more minutes of punching left."

"Okay."

Lucy agreed and began moving her limbs at the side, touching the ground to stretch her tendons. The stretching movements were large, and since Lucy wore tight clothing that outlined her curvy, attractive figure, the view was quite pleasant.

Of course, Wang Yan only glanced occasionally when his martial arts movements turned his body, appreciating the figure; as for any blood-boiling thoughts, he had none whatsoever—after all, this was nowhere near that stage...

Lucy naturally sensed it; indeed, she had exchanged glances with Wang Yan. She had endured the gazes and scrutinizing looks of many men, but never before seen an appreciative look like Wang Yan's; she was certain she hadn't misread it.

While warming up, she couldn't help recalling all the times she'd seen Wang Yan, and also what clothes she'd worn. It seemed Wang Yan's gaze had always been clear and upright, always appreciative...

After Wang Yan finished his punching forms, he began teaching Lucy a strengthening routine, a version enhanced with attack techniques. He knew many versions—those usable in combat, those not, those for nurturing the body, those for tempering the physique—each with different functions.

In fact, at his current level, he could devise a complete set just by letting his mind run through it once. The various versions he currently mastered were simply the result of countless such mental run-throughs, continuously iterated.

Actually, every morning when he practiced martial arts, this was what he was doing—finding something to occupy himself. Otherwise, with his constitution already so strong, further practice wouldn't improve it, nor would it easily decline, so what would he practice? It was merely a habit maintained for over a thousand years, which he continued to uphold...

During teaching, physical contact was inevitable. However, Wang Yan was very proper; he wasn't a lecherous man, nor did he have any peculiar fetishes. First he pointed; if she couldn't grasp it, then he would touch.

After about an hour, he finally finished teaching Lucy a strengthening routine that took less than twenty minutes to perform. Though her movements weren't quite in place and her transitions weren't smooth, the lengthy duration meant that by the end, Lucy was drenched in sweat.

Wang Yan took out his phone to check the time and said, "Alright, it's just past seven o'clock, perfect timing. Since you practiced for the first time today, your body isn't adapted yet, so you'll feel drowsy and lack energy throughout the day. After practicing for a week, you'll experience frequent bathroom visits for two days; this means the practice has reached your internal organs, initiating a detoxification process. This step also carries some beauty-enhancing detox effects.

Your muscle strength should be adequate; tomorrow you might feel only slight soreness. If you want to practice, continue tomorrow; if not, skip a day. However, you must still run through this set of movements to imprint them in your memory, so you don't forget everything by the next session."

"Is it really as effective as you say?" Lucy wiped the fine beads of sweat from her face, somewhat skeptical. "I only practiced once with you, and I didn't feel these martial arts were particularly combat-effective? Though the exhaustion is real; the physical conditioning effect should be quite good."

"Why would I lie to you?" Wang Yan stomped his foot with a snap, closing the distance; before Lucy could react, his fist had already stopped just before her face, carrying a faint breeze that made her cheek feel slightly cool.

Wang Yan said, "This is the second form; it has no fancy name, but this sliding step serves to catch opponents off guard..."

Then he demonstrated several more moves, explaining their functions to Lucy: "Forms are fixed, but people are flexible. Although practice involves executing form after form, in actual combat, one can continuously rearrange and combine them. Daily training follows the same principle as practicing the fundamentals of mixed martial arts: turning these elements into bodily instinct. Simultaneously, during this process, one must master footwork, control distance, and achieve precision."

"Understood. I'll practice diligently. Achieving your level is certainly impossible, but I might develop two killer moves while improving my physique even further. Oh, right, I won't end up covered in muscles, will I?"

"Rest assured, you'll remain basically the same as now."

Wang Yan smiled: "Shall we go get breakfast together?"

"No need, you know I don't eat..." Lucy said habitually, then stopped abruptly, because she was currently extremely hungry...

She wanted to ask Wang Yan if this was really necessary, but saw him already strolling away with his hands behind his back. She broke into a radiant smile and quickly hastened her steps to catch up with Elder Wang.

Chatting and laughing along the way, Wang Yan roughly explained why she would get hungry quickly and why her appetite would increase, advising her neither to restrain herself nor to overeat. Thus they arrived at the breakfast shop, sat down, and began eating.

"It's been a long time since I've eaten breakfast like this." Taking a bite of a steamed bun, Lucy remarked with some emotion.

Wang Yan smiled: "If you persist, this will be your routine from now on; I'm afraid you'll end up reminiscing about the past again."

"No way. I had no choice; I needed to prevent my figure from changing while maintaining my physical condition. Now that I can eat and drink freely, I'm immensely happy. You promised my figure wouldn't change. I truly believe you; if I get fat, you'll be responsible."

"See? The farmer and the snake? You asked me to teach you, and now you want me to take responsibility? But fine, even if your figure changes, you'll still be a great beauty; I'll just suffer a little loss, that's all."

"Dream on." Lucy shot him an annoyed glance, then changed the subject: "I went to the hospital yesterday to visit Lihu Qixing."

"Mm."

"He said he had someone investigate and discovered you're quite formidable, so he doesn't plan to cause you any more trouble or oppose you."

Wang Yan took a sip of tofu pudding: "And you believed him?"

"Of course I did. Hearing what he said, you're a major figure in Shanghai, while his family's connections are in Beijing. This is your home turf; how could he dare provoke you?"

"It's the twenty-first century now; information and transportation are highly developed. In the past, anyone could dominate their local area, but that only applies to lower-level towns and county seats, where power reaches its limits and connections are both extensive and deeply hidden. In an international metropolis like this, apart from government leaders, there are no absolute local overlords; everyone is merely a grasshopper. We all have only one life; there's no real 'daring to provoke' or 'not daring,' it's just that the provocation hasn't reached that threshold yet.

Lihu Qixing is a good-for-nothing second-generation heir. I beat him so badly it will take half a month for the swelling to subside; do you think his parents wouldn't know? Therefore, this matter depends on his parents' attitude. Whether there will be trouble depends on how much his parents dote on their child. So tell me, do you think someone powerful and influential would simply grit their teeth and accept such an incident without taking any action?

People are all the same: lenient toward themselves, strict toward others. They can bully others, but others cannot bully them. Therefore, some back-and-forth exchange is still necessary."

"I'm sorry; it's all because of me. Otherwise..." Lucy wanted to continue her performance, but seeing Wang Yan staring straight at her, just as he had while eating earlier, she lost her confidence again.

Wang Yan chuckled: "You told me earlier that we're very familiar now."

"We are very familiar."

"I can pretend to be oblivious, but you shouldn't treat me like a fool; your acting has gone a bit too far."

Lucy fell silent, stirring her porridge back and forth with her spoon.

After a long while, she looked up and asked: "You already knew?"

"Knowing someone is a rich second-generation heir naturally warrants an investigation, so that if I get stabbed later, I'll have a suspect. His father is named Li Xun, the Assistant Regional Commander manager of this company's Jingcheng headquarters. He has many beautiful young ladies under him, along with numerous rumors. Since you previously told me about nearly being taken advantage of, the connection became obvious. So now, hiding your identity, you're playing a beauty trap with Lihu Qixing.

My appearance caused you to temporarily add some extra scenes to your script. You probably investigated my background after meeting me that day. Then, on Saturday, you arranged for Lihu Qixing and me to appear simultaneously at the boxing gym, creating conflict between us. You intended to use my hand to fight against Li Xun. If I failed, your beauty trap could continue. Therefore, your hospital visit yesterday must have been another attempt to keep him guessing with your ambiguous attitude. Am I correct?"

It was only after Lucy spoke those words just now that Wang Yan confirmed what scheme she was truly pursuing; it was entirely a case of casting a line whether there were dates or not.

"I'm sorry, I..." Lucy stood straight upon being caught, apologizing directly.

"Enough, let's eat."

???

Lucy's head was full of question marks: "You don't blame me?"

"You merely sought revenge; what is there to blame?" Wang Yan ate heartily, looking at her. "I do have some dissatisfaction: you treated me like a fool to toy with, and just now you were acting before me—that was your fault. However, your reason was justified; you had no other choice, so it's understandable. I'm not a petty person. Now that I've exposed your intentions, making you feel utterly ashamed, let's consider it even."

Lucy fell silent again; after a long while, she finally raised her head, eyes red, and asked: "Why?"

"You are very beautiful."

"Heh..." Lucy wiped her tears and blew her nose, "Men are indeed all the same."

"This is you being unreasonable and stubborn." Wang Yan shook his head and smiled, "Let me ask you, we've only known each other for five days and met four times. Knowing clearly that I still possess some strength, you still dare to exploit me, dare to treat me like a fool and lead me around—what gives you such confidence?"

"You thought I wouldn't discover it, waiting until things reached a conclusion before turning back to offer what seemed like a sincere explanation, thinking that would make the matter pass? Tell me, on what grounds?"

"I think you are a good person."

"Have you watched 'Let the Bullets Fly'? Then aren't you just pointing a gun at me?"

Wang Yan asked with a smile, "Do you think a good person can make big money? If I make one phone call right now, you will be fired at light speed today. Trying to find another job will also be fraught with difficulties. And this isn't even threatening your personal safety yet; do you know how many people go missing every year? Do you think making you disappear is a difficult task? As for what happens afterward, do I need to say more? If I don't find a reason, I can't even forgive myself."

"I know you are just bluffing me." Lucy's tone was fierce but her spirit weak, her voice very unsteady.

Wang Yan sighed as if furious and exasperated, saying in a bad temper, "If you know, then why aren't you eating? What are you waiting for? Not going to work?"

Lucy smiled, feeling relieved and relaxed.

"Let's eat."

She said this, then immediately began eating in large mouthfuls, "But I might be late for work today."

"Take my car."

"No, I can't afford the gas, and if there's even a scratch I can't afford to pay for it; I'm extremely poor."

Lucy sighed, "Don't look at me living alone in such a big house now; in truth, I really don't have much money on hand. I have to buy some big-brand items... every day I'm figuring out how to sell second-hand goods to get by... That house of mine was rented for me by a big shot I met abroad previously; he paid three months' rent and the deposit for me. How could I not know? Where in this world is there kindness without cause? He was also coming for me."

"That 'also' you used is very essential. Then tell me, where in this world is there hatred without cause? We've known each other five days, met four times, shared one meal in between, and you were already plotting to make me clash with someone wealthy and powerful. Tell me, does such a thing exist?"

Lucy lowered her head to drink her porridge, avoiding Wang Yan's eyes.

"The buns from this place are truly excellent. It seems I missed out on a lot of delicious food before; from now on, I must enjoy them properly."