Yuncheng City, Haoting Hotel.
On the ground, intimate clothing was scattered everywhere. In the center of the bedsheet bloomed a red plum blossom, while the air was still thick with lingering sensuality…
Chen Xiao, who had been in a fierce battle the entire night, was still snoring away. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot across his face. He reached out to touch it, his eyes widening in shock. A bank card? Who's giving me money so early in the morning?
A memory surfaced. Next to him lay a stunning woman with a chilly expression. Her pale neck was adorned with numerous dark-red hickeys, her beautiful eyes blazing with rage.
Chen Xiao slapped his forehead. Yesterday, he had come down from the mountain to break off his engagement with his fiancée and, in passing, retrieve the engagement token. However, it was already late, so he hadn't gone to the Luo Family to call off the engagement. Instead, he chose to let loose at a bar. As a result, this woman had pulled him to the hotel without a word… and amidst his weak protests, she had her way with him.
Before he could speak, the woman had already spoken, her voice cold and proud. "There's one hundred thousand in the card. It's your fee for the night. Is it enough?!"
Chen Xiao's expression changed. He, the dignified Young Master of the Hidden Gate, was being treated like a gigolo?
He said seriously, "Miss, this was a one-night stand. I'm not a gigolo."
"As long as I've paid, you are!" Luo Qingli's tone was aggressive, her gaze scornful. "Remember, last night, I was the one who paid to have fun with you! And… your skills were really quite average. I give you a zero!"
Zero… a zero?
A rage surged in Chen Xiao's heart. Last night, this woman had initiated everything, even becoming a 'Dragon Knight' and actively taking the lead. And now she was saying he was no good?
Seeing the disgusted look on Chen Xiao's face, Luo Qingli nodded in satisfaction and patted his shoulder. "You should work out more, so you don't get rejected again!"
The more Chen Xiao listened, the colder his expression became. Did she really think him a pushover just because the tiger hadn't shown its claws? What man could tolerate such humiliation?
"Keep today's events to yourself and don't get any foolish ideas about me. I'm not interested in men with inadequate skills," Luo Qingli mocked coldly, then proudly rose to leave.
Suddenly, a large hand pulled her back!
Her expression changed drastically. "You… what do you think you're doing?"
Chen Xiao gave a wicked smile, leaning over her and slowly grazing her panicked face with the bank card. "Nothing much. I just want you to experience for yourself whether my skills are truly lacking."
"You! Let go! Or else I'll… MMMF—"
Luo Qingli struggled fiercely, only to find it was all in vain.
Soon, the room was filled with soft moans…
An unknown amount of time passed before Luo Qingli woke from her exhaustion. Her bones felt numb and she couldn't muster an ounce of strength, her pretty face still flushed with a lingering afterglow.
The man was long gone. All that remained on the bedside table was a note and a bank card.
The note contained only a few short words—
"You were also quite average. I give you a zero. This one hundred thousand is your fee for the night. We're even now."
Luo Qingli's body trembled with rage. She never imagined that a moment of carelessness would lead to this—not only losing her innocence after being drugged by her most trusted friend but also being humiliated like this by that bastard.
She slowly clenched the note in her hand. "Bastard! Don't let me see you again..."
「Meanwhile.」
In the Luo Family's main hall, Chen Xiao sat bolt upright, waiting for the key members of the family to appear. His purpose in coming to the Luo Family was to call off the engagement and get back his Jade Pendant. That tryst last night was nothing but an accident. He could even imagine the woman's face, twisted in fury, after she read his note...
Just as he was reveling in the thought, Old Master Luo, Luo Chenggong, walked in leaning on a cane. He was followed by a middle-aged couple dripping with jewels, who stormed in and stared daggers at Chen Xiao, their eyes filled with disdain and contempt.
"Old Master Luo, is this Qingli's fiancé? Are you joking? How could a country bumpkin like him be worthy of our Qingli?" Li Sufang's mouth was like a machine gun, firing off a relentless barrage.
Luo Qingli's father, Luo Jianghe, who was also the eldest son of the Luo Family, chimed in, "Father, don't be ridiculous. Young Master Qin is deeply in love with our Qingli. If she marries him, our Luo Family's status will skyrocket! We cannot acknowledge this engagement!"
Li Sufang added, "Kid, here's one hundred thousand. Get lost, and the farther, the better! Our Luo Family is not for someone like you to climb into! I feel like my floors are getting dirty just having a country bumpkin like you step through the door!"
Chen Xiao sneered. He had already anticipated this kind of reaction from the Luo Family. After all, so many years had passed. They had probably long forgotten the debt of gratitude they owed his master. It was only natural for them to turn their backs now that they were successful.
He didn't care about any of that. His only goal was to retrieve his Jade Pendant. "Old Master Luo, who has the keepsake my master left behind?"
Luo Chenggong cleared his throat. "It's with my granddaughter."
At that moment, he felt deep regret. When the marriage had been arranged, it was because he believed his master had considerable skills, and more importantly, had been his savior! He never expected that he himself would become so prominent twenty years later. Now that the young man had come to his door, he couldn't just renege on the promise and kick him out. That would be too shameless. He had lived for many years and still cared about his reputation.
After a few seconds of thought, he smiled and said, "Little Xiao, when your master and I arranged this marriage, you were both still young. Now you've grown up and have your own ideas! How about we let the two of you decide this matter for yourselves? What do you think?"
"Whatever," Chen Xiao said with a dismissive wave.
"Good! I'll call my granddaughter back right now!" Luo Chenggong's smile was immediate. His granddaughter has impossibly high standards. She's rejected countless talented young men from Yuncheng City, so how could she possibly be interested in a boy like Chen Xiao from the countryside?
"It seems this toad still thinks he can eat swan meat!" Li Sufang sneered. "Once Qingli gets back, this kid will give up for good!"
Chen Xiao completely ignored her taunts. In the past, he would have slapped such a grating shrew across the face without a second thought.
About ten minutes later, a tall, slender figure appeared in the Luo Family's main hall. It was none other than Luo Qingli, who had just rushed back from the hotel.
Her high heels accentuated her tall, graceful figure. Her pencil skirt perfectly outlined the tantalizing curve of her hips, while a sliver of her snow-white skin peeked out from beneath the buttons of her white blouse. Combined with her cold yet exquisite features, the contrast was striking, stirring a desire in others to conquer her.
Luo Qingli tossed her hair. "Mom, you said my fiancé is here? Where is he?"
Li Sufen snorted. "Tsk! That country bumpkin is waiting for you. Hurry up, give him the Jade Pendant, and tell him to get lost. Make him give up completely!"
Luo Qingli's gaze followed her mother's gesture. She froze for a moment, and then rage surged through her heart. Unbelievable! She never would have guessed... this bastard was her fiancé whom she had never met?
Chen Xiao also felt a bit awkward. This world is damn small, he could only lament.
"Ahem!" Luo Chenggong cleared his throat. "Qingli, although Little Xiao has come today with the marriage contract, he will certainly respect your decision. Go on, tell him your choice!"
Just then, Chen Xiao stood up and said flatly, "I came today to annul the engagement. I only have one request: to get back the engagement keepsake."
Annul the engagement? Everyone in the Luo Family was stunned. This guy actually wants to annul the engagement? Shouldn't he be shamelessly clinging to Luo Qingli?
Luo Chenggong chuckled. "Excellent! That's excellent! I agr—"
Before he could finish, Luo Qingli cut in, her voice icy, "I don't agree."