Chapter 13: A Lipstick Mark That Sparks the Imagination

"..." Zhu Yuan realized her speech was slurred with the scent of alcohol, and said softly, "I only had one glass."

"Did that fat man force you to drink it?"

The hand gripping her wrist tightened.

"No," Zhu Yuan said, unable to pull her wrist away, and added anxiously, "Yu Ge, if you have something to say, just say it. What can I do to help you?"

She desperately wanted to break free from his control.

But the more she struggled, the tighter Sheng Yu gripped her.

Even though he appeared to be using no force, looking almost nonchalant, she could not break free at all.

"The thing I need you to do for me is very simple," Sheng Yu said, looking at her face with a hoarse, low voice. "As long as there is a woman by my side, they can rest easy. I need someone to help me provide cover, so they know I have a woman—that is enough."

He watched as the look in Zhu Yuan's eyes shifted from initial bewilderment to panic, the flush on her small face fading, replaced by a pallor of humiliation.

A layer of gloom spread deep within Sheng Yu's eyes.

Zhu Yuan took a deep breath. "I said before, I am short on money, but I never thought of borrowing money in this way."

She made a move to pull away from his shackles.

The next second, Sheng Yu released her wrist, his expression cold and unfeeling. "What on earth are you thinking about?"

Zhu Yuan immediately stood straight and took two steps back.

Hearing his words, she rubbed the wrist he had pinched until it hurt and looked at him in confusion.

"What I need is cover; creating an illusion is enough. I don't need you to sacrifice yourself."

Sheng Yu picked up the cigarette case and lighter from the side and lit a cigarette. "I am not interested in my brother's fiancée."

He had said this more than once.

To have to be reminded repeatedly was truly unreasonable.

Realizing she had misunderstood Sheng Yu, Zhu Yuan said with some embarrassment, "I'm sorry."

"Can you help?" Sheng Yu raised his eyes.

It was just a favor, and in exchange, she could get the medical and surgical fees for her grandfather; this was a deal she couldn't ask for more.

It was just creating an illusion, not requiring her to actually do anything.

Besides, how could she forget that Lu Huaizhan had entrusted Sheng Yu to take care of her before he died?

Sheng Yu was such a loyal and righteous person; he wouldn't do anything to her.

She had been too extreme just now.

Thinking of this, Zhu Yuan felt even more that she had been small-minded.

She nodded hurriedly. "I can help."

"Your grandfather's surgery fees and follow-up medical expenses will be deposited into the hospital's account tonight."

Sheng Yu took a drag of his cigarette and stood up.

The man's tall, upright figure loomed closer, and his powerful presence made Zhu Yuan instinctively want to step back, but she immediately realized it was inappropriate and clenched her fingers, standing her ground.

"Yu... Ge, are you returning to the Sheng Family tonight?" she asked.

Sheng Yu gave an "en" and lowered his eyes to look at her.

Zhu Yuan nodded.

She took a step closer to him.

There was never a woman by Sheng Yu's side; she had heard from Lu Huaizhan that almost no woman had been able to get close to him in these years. He kept himself clean and had no messy scandals.

Women, in particular, could not get near him.

Sheng Yu lowered his eyes. Zhu Yuan's earlobes were so red they looked like they could bleed; it was clear she was extremely nervous, her fingers clenched until they were white.

As she drew closer, a faint scent of roses intertwined with the smell of tobacco.

He narrowed his eyes slightly and raised his right hand to take a drag of his cigarette.

Suddenly, Zhu Yuan grabbed one of his lapels.

The cool temperature of her fingertips seeped through.

Sheng Yu's hand holding the cigarette paused.

A wisp of ash fell onto the back of his hand.

Zhu Yuan stood on her tiptoes slightly, her red lips pressing lightly against the collar of his white shirt.

There was a distance of about five centimeters between them; she couldn't get any closer.

This distance made the action inconvenient and strenuous for her.

So much so that her breathing became rapid, drilling into the man's collar like a feather, stirring him wildly.

Sheng Yu's hand holding the cigarette suddenly tightened, gripping her arm, his voice hoarse and strained. "Enough."

"Ah!" Zhu Yuan frowned in pain.

Sheng Yu's brow twitched, and he released her arm.

Zhu Yuan's mind was filled only with the fact that her grandfather's surgery fees were settled; she was only happy and didn't mind that Sheng Yu had hurt her.

Her cheeks and earlobes were still red, and she smiled with a touch of cunning. "Does this illusion work?"

Sheng Yu pulled at his collar.

A red lipstick mark was imprinted on the white collar.

It carried a faint rose scent.

For a man who never let women get close, a lipstick mark on his shirt was enough to make people's imaginations run wild.

His Adam's apple slid slowly up and down as he looked at the woman who was still blushing, immersed in her joy.

A sound escaped from deep in his throat, "En."

Zhu Yuan nodded. "Then I'll head back first. Thank you for my grandfather's surgery fees; I will provide the IOU."

She walked a few steps, then suddenly stopped and turned back around; she had almost forgotten a very important matter.

She hesitantly pointed at Sheng Yu's trench coat on the sofa armrest, "Yu Ge, can I take the Electric Baton back?"

"Who are you trying to shock again?" Sheng Yu turned around and unbuttoned two buttons of his shirt, not looking at her.

Zhu Yuan put on a fawning expression in a second, "It's for self-defense. Your skills are so good that it's useless for you to have it, so you might as well return it to me."

"Take it." The man's expression darkened inexplicably; he picked up the wine glass on the coffee table and took a sip.

Zhu Yuan felt a surge of joy in her heart; she walked over quickly and pulled that Electric Baton out of Sheng Yu's pocket.

But she did not expect that a white square tube would also be pulled out along with it.

Zhu Yuan was stunned.

It was a lipstick.

But she quickly put the item back without changing her expression, not alerting Sheng Yu, and then walked toward the door.

Sheng Yu sat on the sofa, watching her back with deep, dark eyes; he took another sip of wine and said in a low voice, "Arrange for someone to take her back."

"Yes, Young Master Yu." Situ turned and followed Zhu Yuan's pace.

The room door closed.

Sheng Yu closed his eyes and unbuttoned the remaining buttons of his shirt with one hand; his shirt lapels hung open, and the muscles of his chest and abdomen tightened with his breathing, with a thin layer of sweat still clinging to them.

After a while, he got up and walked to the bar, taking a bottle of wine and a wine glass.

As the strong foreign liquor went down his throat, Sheng Yu leaned against the bar, tapping his fingers on the wine glass a few times, while his other hand pulled open the drawer to the side.

Inside the empty drawer was a bank card.

Sheng Yu's gaze was dark and unreadable.

After a long time, the drawer closed.

After Situ arranged for someone to take Zhu Yuan back, he returned to the top-floor suite.

Sheng Yu came out of the bathroom, having taken a cold shower and put on the shirt stained with Zhu Yuan's lipstick mark; as he buttoned it up and walked out, he said in a low voice, "Where is that fat man?"

"He has already woken up and is currently looking for Miss Zhu everywhere."

"This is the surveillance footage you wanted." Situ handed over the tablet.

Sheng Yu sat on the sofa with his legs crossed and tapped to open the video.

Lou Yi stepped out of the elevator, his left arm draped over Zhu Yuan's shoulder, his fat face leaning in close to Zhu Yuan, chatting and laughing.

A cold sneer curled the corners of Sheng Yu's lips; he closed the video, "Reward him with fifty slaps, and break his left hand."

"Yes." Situ didn't even blink.

Tossing the tablet aside, Sheng Yu stood up and fastened his cufflinks, "Return to the Sheng Family."