Chapter 765: Chu Lingxi's Value

Inside the private room of a private club.

Agarwood incense curls in the air.

Zhao Tianyu knows how to create an atmosphere; he didn't pick that gaudy, gold-and-jade large private room but chose an elegant tea room to show off his taste.

On the wall hung genuine calligraphy and paintings; the display shelves held Ming and Qing porcelain; the lighting was adjusted soft and dim yellow, making people's faces look warm and moist.

When Chu Lingxi was brought in by Xu Lili, Zhao Tianyu was sitting behind the rosewood tea table, skillfully washing tea and warming cups.

Hearing footsteps.

Zhao Tianyu raised his head, showing a false smile that kept his dignity yet appeared friendly.

"Miss Chu, pleased to meet you."

He didn't rise, only raised his hand in a gesture to sit; that just-right blend of aloofness and warmth showed perfect tact.

"I often hear Lili mention you, saying you're a dancer who's appeared on the Spring Festival Gala, with extraordinary demeanor. Seeing you today, it's truly deserved."

"You flatter me."

Chu Lingxi felt very uneasy inside.

She studied dance in college, which is true, and she had indeed performed on the Spring Festival Gala stage, which is also true.

But it is……

With this setting, this lighting, calling her a dancer of extraordinary bearing—these words from his mouth sound exactly like a nightclub manager introducing a top hostess to a client.

To keep her acting on point.

Chu Lingxi lowered her head slightly, her voice weak, carrying just the right amount of restraint: "General Manager, you flatter me... I, I just dance casually."

"If casual dancing can get you on the Spring Festival Gala, what would happen if you took it seriously?"

Zhao Tianyu laughed loudly, personally poured her a cup of tea and pushed it forward: "Come, try this year's first spring ancient-tree pu'er; you can't get it outside."

Chu Lingxi took the teacup, her fingertips unintentionally trembling slightly, causing the tea to ripple.

She sipped in small mouthfuls, eyes downcast, long lashes casting a small shadow beneath her eyes, her whole being exuding an aura of "I'm fragile but I'm holding on."

Xu Lili chimed in from the side: "General Manager, Lingxi has genuinely run into trouble lately. She's simple-minded, she's lost a lot, everyone's frantic—can you help her?"

Zhao Tianyu set down his teacup.

His expression grew heavy, his tone also conveying a sense of "concern": "Miss Chu, the waters of venture capital are too deep—deep as the eighteen levels of hell. Especially the stock and futures markets; they're man-eaters that don't spit out bones. As someone in the arts, how could you possibly handle those financial wolves?"

He paused briefly.

Then he shifted his tone, becoming bold: "But don't worry too much. Three million isn't a big deal. This way, I'll front the money for you—just consider it making friends, so you needn't feel any psychological burden."

Here comes the standard "savior" opening line.

Chu Lingxi suddenly lifted her head, her eye rims instantly reddening—this time not feigning gratitude, but feeling nauseated by his hypocritical face and wanting to cry.

But her reaction in Zhao Tianyu's eyes remained the typical "deeply moved."

"General Manager, this, this wouldn't do..." her voice choked: "We're neither relatives nor acquaintances; today is our first meeting..."

"Miss Chu, you can't say that."

Zhao Tianyu waved his hand, maintaining a bold demeanor throughout: "I and your husband, Manager Lin, are also half in the same trade. National Fortune Technology's smart energy project—our Zhao Group is also very interested. Maybe we'll have a chance to cooperate later. Between friends, helping each other isn't that what we should do?"

The fox's tail was revealed without any concealment.

Chu Lingxi sighed inwardly while trying to stay calm on the surface: "I never meddle in my husband's work matters... he, he also doesn't let me get involved..."

"No need for you to get involved."

Zhao Tianyu smiled even deeper, that smile like a knife coated in honey: "I was just mentioning it casually. Today mainly I see Miss Chu worrying over this small matter to this extent, and I can't bear it. Manager Lin too—with such a big family and career, how could he let his wife worry about money?"

Those words carried a hint of sowing discord.

Chu Lingxi bit her lower lip, didn't respond, just lowered her head further.

Seeing this, Xu Lili hurried to smooth things over: "General Manager, please stop teasing Lingxi. She's thin-skinned and can't take your jokes."

After saying that, Xu Lili turned to Chu Lingxi and said, "Lingxi, General Manager genuinely wants to help you. You shouldn't refuse, okay?"

Chu Lingxi remained silent, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes, while inside she was wildly complaining.

These lines, this scene—should the next step be to pull out a checkbook? Then should I feel grateful to tears or be hesitant yet welcoming? This part in the script my husband gave me is a bit vague.

Before Chu Lingxi could decide how to respond, Zhao Tianyu had already acted.

He leisurely pulled a refined crocodile-skin check folder from his inner suit pocket, opened it, took out a blank check already signed, and pushed it toward Chu Lingxi.

"Three million."

His body leaned forward slightly.

His scorching gaze, like a hungry wolf's, focused on Chu Lingxi's delicate, lovely face: "Miss Chu, take this check. Fill in the amount yourself—three million if you want three million, five million if you want five million. Consider it a small meeting gift from me; you deserve my extra regard."

Those words were too blatant.

Chu Lingxi stared at the check, feeling as if she were staring at a snake spitting out its tongue.

She instinctively shrank back, her fingers gripping the hem of her clothes, her voice trembling: "General Manager... this, this really isn't possible..."

"What's wrong with it?"

Zhao Tianyu smiled, his expression mixing a desire for control with a kind of frivolous appreciation: "Miss Chu, you're too distant. I, Zhao Tianyu, have been rooted in Jingcheng for many years; what I appreciate most is someone like you who has both looks and dance talent. An artist like you shouldn't worry about money."

In that instant.

Zhao Tianyu's gaze swept over Chu Lingxi from head to toe once again.

As if he had never seen such a beautiful married woman in his whole life.

The more he looked, the more his mind wandered.

He spoke with deep meaning: "I can tell you're not happy in this marriage. Otherwise, how could you not dare tell your husband about a three-million loss?"

This sowing‑of‑discord tactic was brought to the table once again.

Chu Lingxi's face turned ashen, she bit her lip and stayed silent—this time she was truly nauseated to the point of barely being able to endure, feeling an urge to pull away the ladder and leave.

But Zhao Tianyu took this silence as assent, his smile growing ever more arrogant.

He suddenly turned his head and said to Xu Lili: "Lili, go out for a moment; I want to have a few words alone with Miss Chu."

Xu Lili froze, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes, but under Zhao Tianyu's icy gaze she finally stood up and obediently made room for him.

As she left, she casually closed the door gently behind her.

Only the two of them remained in the tea room.

The air suddenly became tense and dangerous.

Zhao Tianyu rose and sat down in the seat beside Chu Lingxi, close enough to catch the fragrance emanating from her, which left him quite intoxicated.

"Miss Chu…"

Zhao Tianyu said seductively: "Actually, I've noticed you for a while. At the last Global Trade charity banquet, you wore that sapphire-blue evening gown… tsk, all the men in the room stared."

His lecherous hand suddenly reached out and rested on the back of her hand.

Chu Lingxi jerked her hand back as if bitten by a poisonous snake, shifting her whole body to the other side of the sofa: "General Manager, please conduct yourself properly!"

"Conduct myself properly? I, Zhao Tianyu, have never been a frivolous person."

Zhao Tianyu laughed, his smile full of wanton arrogance: "Miss Chu, a woman like you should naturally be cherished and pampered in someone's palm. But what about Lin Dongfan? He won't even help you fill a three million gap. To speak frankly, I think he's utterly unworthy of you."

His hand reached out again, this time not to shake but to press directly onto her thigh.

Through the thin fabric of her skirt.

The temperature and pressure of that hand were terrifyingly clear.

Chu Lingxi stiffened all over, goosebumps erupting across her skin. She tried to rise, but Zhao Tianyu's other hand had already pressed down on her shoulder.

"This isn't defiling you; it's simply where my feelings lead." His voice sounded in her ear, warm breath blowing on her earlobe: "Miss Chu, hear me out: based on your looks, figure, and demeanor, men all over the world would fight for you. Lin Dongfan doesn't cherish you, but plenty of others will."

In the midst of his words.

Zhao Tianyu's fingers slowly rubbed her thigh.

A frivolous gesture, full of possessiveness.

"What's three million? If you're willing, I can give you more—houses, cars, jewelry… anything you want. Even…" He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper: "I can also help you become a true star in the dance world. What's the Spring Festival Gala? I can get you onto the stage of Vienna's Golden Hall."

Chu Lingxi trembled all over, half from disgust, half from anger.

She wanted to push him away, but the vast disparity in strength between men and women left her unable to move.

What was even more frightening was that she could see something deeper in Zhao Tianyu's eyes—not mere lust, but something colder and more calculating.

Zhao Tianyu indeed wanted to sleep with her.

But in Zhao Tianyu's eyes, Chu Lingxi's value was absolutely not just that of a sleeping beauty! What he truly wanted was to control Lin Dongfan by controlling Chu Lingxi.

In Zhao Tianyu's view:

As long as I sleep with Chu Lingxi, she can be completely at my disposal!

With Chu Lingxi as this card, I could later extract information about state‑run technology from Lin Dongfan, influence project evaluations, or even get a hold on the Lin family…

That would be as easy as turning over one's hand!

Moreover, a woman like Chu Lingxi is in herself an extremely valuable prize.

Taking her away from Lin Dongfan would not only be a business victory, but also the harshest humiliation of that lofty Jing circle princeling.