Chapter 214: The 100 Million Yuan Trap! The Goddess Lowers Her Head!
After an unpleasant parting with her parents, Liu Qingyue returned to her bedroom and sat blankly on a chair, looking at her beautiful and delicate face in the dressing mirror, and her proud, slender yet full figure.
Her heart was filled with a mix of bitterness and resentment.
The room was quiet, disturbingly so. The soft hum of the central air conditioning only seemed to amplify the chaotic noise in her mind.
She stared at her reflection. The woman in the mirror was undeniably stunning. She had skin as fair as snow, eyes like autumn pools that held a natural allure even when filled with sorrow, and a figure that was the envy of countless women in Magic City. Her silk nightgown clung to her curves, outlining a waist that could be held in one arm and the swell of her chest that rose and fell with her agitated breathing.
She was the "Campus Belle," the "White Moonlight," the goddess in the dreams of thousands of men.
Yet, what was the use of this beauty?
"A vase... I am just a beautiful vase waiting to be sold," she whispered to her reflection, her fingers tracing the cold glass.
Her family background was good, and she herself was well-proportioned, with a beautiful face and a good figure. Naturally, from high school to university, she had many suitors. Among them, there were countless men with excellent conditions—heirs to conglomerates, young geniuses, and handsome models.
But beauty was also a curse.
Among them, the most fervent and terrifying suitor was Liu Yuan, a dissolute Young Master from the Demon Capital (Modu).
Liu Yuan's family background was not something the Liu Family could compare to; he was a true predator in the urban jungle, possessing very powerful connections in both the business world and the dark, violent underworld.
Facing Liu Yuan's fervent, bordering on obsessive pursuit, Liu Qingyue had been very troubled. She lived in constant fear. She didn't dare to directly refuse for fear of retaliation against her parents' factory, nor could she possibly agree to him.
Because Liu Qingyue had heard the rumors.
Liu Yuan had countless bad deeds written in blood. He had ruined many female classmates in junior high school, treating them like disposable toys. There were even rumors that he had forced a young female teacher to commit suicide by jumping off a building after he grew bored of playing with her.
He was a beast in human skin.
Of course, Liu Qingyue could not marry such a person. It would be walking into hell.
So, in her desperation, Liu Qingyue thought of a strategy: quickly marry someone else to deter Liu Yuan's pursuit. She had heard from reliable sources that Liu Yuan had a very strong, almost pathological "virginity complex" and completely disliked married women.
At this time, Han Qi appeared.
He was her college classmate, found down and out on the street, looking like a beggar. He was in a sorry state, bullied by everyone, with no background and no money.
On one hand, it was out of a shred of sympathy for Han Qi's plight. On the other hand, he was the perfect shield—safe, controllable, and desperate enough to agree to anything.
Therefore, Liu Qingyue and Han Qi entered into a secret marriage agreement. This matter was known only to the two of them; not even their parents knew the truth behind the union.
It worked. After their marriage, Liu Yuan indeed stopped harassing Liu Qingyue, viewing her as "soiled goods." This truly made her breathe a sigh of relief for the first time in years.
But one problem was solved, only to be replaced by another.
In the three years of their marriage, Liu Qingyue's hand had not even been touched by Han Qi.
There was truly no emotional foundation. They slept in separate rooms. He was her husband in name, but a roommate—or rather, a servant—in reality.
Liu Qingyue also somewhat looked down on the timid and cowardly Han Qi.
She was not a vanity-filled woman who despised the poor and loved the rich. If Han Qi had been poor but ambitious, hardworking, and dignified, she might have truly fallen for him.
But the man in her heart should at least be able to stand tall! He should be able to support the sky for his wife! He should have a spine!
He should not be a timid coward who served foot-washing water to her mother with a flattering smile, who bowed and scraped when her father scolded him, and who didn't even hum when relatives mocked him at family gatherings.
"A man who kneels so easily... how can I rely on him?"
Liu Qingyue closed her eyes, recalling the image of Han Qi squatting on the floor, testing the temperature of the footbath water for her mother, He Xuemei. The sight made her stomach turn.
Even without a career, power, or wealth, he should at least have an unyielding spirit and masculine demeanor.
At first, Liu Qingyue even spoke up for Han Qi, hoping her parents wouldn't scold and mistreat him. But seeing Han Qi's timid and cowardly appearance, seeing him accept the humiliation as if he enjoyed it, she also felt angry and stopped speaking up.
She once thought about giving Han Qi a sum of money and getting a divorce. "Here is 500,000. Let's end this. Go find a life," she had planned to say.
But every time she brought it up, Han Qi knelt on the ground, hugging her legs, crying and begging, refusing to divorce. The soft-hearted Liu Qingyue, in her helplessness, couldn't bring herself to be hard-hearted and kick Han Qi out onto the streets.
Dragging it on and on, three years passed.
And now, retribution had arrived.
At the critical juncture of the Liu Family's survival, the Liu He High-End Lighting Factory was collapsing. Old customers were canceling orders en masse, requesting triple refunds. The bank, sniffing blood, was preparing to withdraw loans and seize assets.
It was an urgent situation, a fire burning their eyebrows. If things went wrong, the Liu Family would go bankrupt within the week. Their villa, their cars, their reputation—everything would be auctioned off, and their entire family would end up on the streets, perhaps even burdened with debts that would land her father in prison.
At this time of life and death, Liu Qingyue had no intention of relying on Han Qi at all.
Even though Han Qi recently said he was striving in Jinling and his career was taking off, claiming he had "big connections," she did not believe a word of it.
A career? Does moving bricks on a construction site count as a career? Or maybe he found a job as a security guard for a rich community?
For the past three years, Han Qi had been timid and cowardly, practically embodying what it meant to be a useless live-in son-in-law.
How could a man who had done nothing but wash dishes and feet for three years suddenly achieve success in his career overnight? It was a fantasy.
Liu Qingyue only felt that Han Qi was bragging to save his pitiful face.
Relatives and friends could help a little, but they couldn't fill a huge hole of tens of millions.
Now... the only savior, the only glimmer of hope in this endless darkness, was Young Master Shen.
Shen Anyu.
The name alone carried a weight of power and nobility that made her tremble.
However...
"If Young Master Shen really makes such an unreasonable demand... what should I do?"
Liu Qingyue stared at her reflection. She imagined the scene. A hotel room. The Young Master looking at her with those predatory eyes. The transaction.
"If I refuse, the family will definitely go bankrupt. My parents' lifelong struggle, the Liu He High-End Lighting Factory, will be completely finished. Mom and Dad might commit suicide from the shame."
"But if I agree..."
She looked at her ring finger. The wedding ring was simple, cheap. Han Qi had bought it.
"If I agree, I become a woman who sells her body for money. I become a mistress. A plaything."
Liu Qingyue bit her pink lower lip with her pearly teeth, biting so hard that a faint taste of iron filled her mouth. Her heart was in a dilemma, torn between filial piety and dignity.
Finally, a look of determination flashed in Liu Qingyue's beautiful eyes. She stood up, smoothing her silk gown.
"I have my bottom line."
"If Young Master Shen truly makes an excessive demand—if he asks me to sleep with him directly—then I will definitely refuse! I will turn around and leave!"
"I will work hard. I will take on three jobs. I will strive for the rest of my life to pay off the debts. A diligent person will not be let down by Heaven; I will surely rise again!"
"No matter what, if I betray myself, then I will be completely depraved. I will forever become the kind of person I look down upon!"
She clenched her small fists, trying to summon courage from the empty air.
Ding-a-ling!
Just as Liu Qingyue had made up her mind, the phone on the dressing table suddenly rang, the shrill sound startling her so much she almost jumped.
Her heart hammered against her ribs.
She picked up her phone with trembling fingers and saw that it was an unfamiliar number. A sequence of digits that looked ordinary, yet radiated an ominous aura.
Liu Qingyue had a faint premonition. Her intuition told her exactly who it was.
She took a deep breath, swiped the screen, and immediately answered.
"Hello?"
On the other end of the phone, a very magnetic, low baritone voice came through. It was smooth, confident, and carried an undeniable sense of authority.
"Liu Qingyue. I have been informed of your difficulties by He Ying, the housekeeper."
It was him. Shen Anyu.
Upon hearing this voice, Liu Qingyue's spirits lifted. The despair that had been drowning her suddenly receded slightly. He knew! He had called back!
She gripped the phone tightly and said in a clear, urgent voice:
"Young Master Shen! Yes... yes, my family is in trouble. As long as you are willing to help us through this difficult time, I can sign a contract immediately!"
She spoke fast, afraid he would hang up.
"I will borrow the money legally. I will repay double... no, triple! I will repay double the amount in one year! I will use the factory's equity as collateral. How about that?"
It could be said that these terms were harsher than some usury. Doubling the principal in one year? That was insane interest.
However, Liu Qingyue knew that at this moment, she had no leverage. Shen Anyu was the only one who could possibly extend a helping hand.
No one else—not the banks, not the sharks, not the relatives—could lend them tens of millions to rescue the Liu He High-End Lighting Factory, this dilapidated ship that was sinking fast.
"Haha..."
On the other end of the phone, Shen Anyu's low laughter came.
It wasn't a mocking laugh, but a casual, amused chuckle. As if he had heard a child offer him a piece of candy in exchange for a diamond.
"Am I someone who cares about tens of millions?"
Liu Qingyue's beautiful face immediately showed an embarrassed expression. Her cheeks burned hot. She stammered, momentarily speechless.
"I... I..."
Yes, indeed. He was the Young Master of the Yanxia Shen Family, a top noble standing at the apex of the country. Was he someone who cared about tens of millions? To him, that amount was probably just the cost of a few bottles of wine or a suit. Even the so-called "Richest Man in Yanxia" would hesitate to compare wealth with the Shen Family.
She felt foolish for trying to talk business with a god of wealth.
"However, lending you tens of millions is fine. It is a trivial matter. And there's no interest."
"No... no interest?" Liu Qingyue blinked, stunned.
"Just come out for a meeting."
The trap snapped shut.
Listening to the words from the other end of the phone, Liu Qingyue clutched her phone tightly. She pursed her pink lips, her beautiful eyes filling with a complex mix of emotions.
As expected.
She knew it. She knew there was no free lunch. A mere tens of millions was nothing to a great figure like Shen Anyu, but the fact that he personally called her—a married woman—must have a purpose.
This purpose, of course, was not the potential of the Liu He High-End Lighting Factory. He didn't care about lightbulbs.
He cared about her.
This realization made Liu Qingyue feel a mix of annoyance, shame... and inexplicably, a bit of secret happiness.
Nearly a month had passed since the last banquet. She thought she had been forgotten. But the top noble of the Yanxia Shen Family, the esteemed Young Master Shen, still remembered her. He still wanted her.
It proved her charm was still there.
However, Liu Qingyue did not immediately agree. She remembered her bottom line. She parted her red lips and asked cautiously, her voice trembling slightly:
"Young Master Shen... where... where would you like to meet me?"
Her heart was in her throat.
If he says the Presidential Suite at the Ritz-Carlton... If he says a hotel... I will refuse. I must refuse.
The voice from the other end of the phone, however, surprised Liu Qingyue completely.
"Liu Mi's twenty-first birthday is tomorrow."
"Liu Mi?" Liu Qingyue was taken aback.
"Yes. You are her distant cousin, aren't you? She mentioned you."
Shen Anyu's voice was casual, relaxed.
"Just come and celebrate her birthday tomorrow evening at the Sapphire Villa District. It's a party. Lots of people."
"I'll send someone to pick you up then."
A party? A birthday celebration?
Liu Qingyue let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. It wasn't a hotel room. It wasn't a private, sordid transaction. It was a social event.
"Oh... and one more thing."
Shen Anyu's tone remained breezy.
"I've already had someone transfer one hundred million to your company's account. It should arrive in ten seconds."
"What?!" Liu Qingyue gasped, her eyes widening in shock.
"One... one hundred million? But I haven't..."
"As for repayment, there's no rush. Take your time. Considering you are Mi Mi's distant cousin, we can slow down the repayment schedule. Maybe ten years? Twenty years?"
"I have other matters to attend to. I'm hanging up."
Click.
As the words fell, the other end of the phone hung up directly. No waiting for thanks. No heavy breathing. Just absolute, crushing dominance disguised as generosity.
Liu Qingyue held her phone blankly, listening to the busy tone. Her expression was completely dazed.
She stood frozen in the middle of her room.
He sent the money? Just like that? Before she even agreed to anything? Before she even stepped out of the house?
One hundred million Yuan!
It was an astronomical figure that saved her family instantly, but it was also a heavy shackle. He didn't ask for a contract. He didn't ask for interest.
He gave it based on... a date.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
At this moment, the silence was shattered. The bedroom door was heavily knocked, shaking on its hinges.
Her mother, He Xuemei's voice rang out from the hallway, screaming with an ecstasy that bordered on madness:
"Qingyue! Qingyue! Open the door!"
"Good news! Good news! The finance department just called! Young Master Shen... Young Master Shen sent someone to transfer one hundred million in funds!"
"It's real money! One hundred million!"
"Our family's lighting factory is saved! We are rich again! This is too good...! My good daughter, you are truly our savior!"
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