Chapter 19 Begging Him

After breakfast, the group dispersed to attend to their own affairs.

Lu Sui, still fuming with bottled-up frustration, dragged Yi Wei upstairs to their room. The moment the door clicked shut, he turned a dark, sullen face toward her.

"Why did you keep pinching me back there?" Lu Sui demanded, clearly displeased.

Yi Wei pulled him to a seat and poured him a glass of lukewarm water, her movements deliberate and unhurried.

"Didn't you see how Father is treating Ning Lu?" she explained patiently. "She is the apple of his eye right now. If you speak ill of her, you are openly contradicting him..."

As he listened to her, Lu Sui gradually cooled down, his agitation subsiding.

"I know you can't stand her, but settling scores with Ning Lu right now is not a wise move," Yi Wei whispered soothingly.

"That vixen! Aside from a bit of looks, what charm does she even have?" Lu Sui sneered. In his mind, he pictured Ning Lu’s fair, delicate skin; he figured that besides an alluring figure, she had nothing to offer.

"I tried to talk to her last time, but she refused to listen. We cannot afford a head-on collision with her right now," Yi Wei said, her voice dropping. Her gaze sharpened, and a flicker of cruelty crossed her face.

"How dare she refuse?" Lu Sui frowned, his tone growing irritable.

"As long as she remains in the old man's good graces, we are finished if she decides to report us to him," Yi Wei said, shaking her head. She gripped Lu Sui's arm, signaling him not to be so reckless.

"I have a way to make her stop acting up..." A cold glint flashed in Lu Sui’s eyes.

"What way?" Yi Wei looked at him, full of curiosity.

"I’ve already had people track down Ning Xiang. I expect news soon. Once I have her, I’ll force Ning Lu to compromise." Lu Sui spoke with absolute confidence. He was certain that once he held Ning Lu’s weakness, she wouldn't dare remain stubborn.

"My husband, you are the cleverest one," Yi Wei said, her eyes filled with feigned admiration as the corners of her mouth curled upward.

They embraced tightly, each lost in their own thoughts, their minds already drifting far away.

***

After breakfast, Ning Lu was preparing to return to her room when her phone vibrated. A message from Lu Hongyu popped up, telling her to meet him at the parking garage.

Just as Ning Lu was about to refuse, he sent another message: "Didn't you say you wanted to study with me?"

Ning Lu immediately replied with a "fine."

She turned and headed toward the parking garage, spotting a matte-black, top-of-the-line SUV from a distance. The car door opened automatically. Ning Lu quickly climbed in, and Lu Hongyu started the engine and pulled away.

"Where are we going?" Ning Lu asked softly.

"You're already in the car, and only now you're asking? Aren't you afraid I might sell you off?" Lu Hongyu kept one hand on the steering wheel, a roguish smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Ning Lu’s heart tightened. She had been avoiding him for days, terrified of him getting handsy again. Seeing her silence, his smile deepened.

"Only realizing you're scared now?" Lu Hongyu chuckled.

"I trust you won't harm me," Ning Lu said, enunciating each word carefully. "After all, you wouldn't be able to answer to Uncle Feng."

"Oh, look at you getting smart. Using my father to pressure me, are we?" Lu Hongyu was almost amused; it seemed she had been resting quite well this past week.

"That's not it. You’ve helped me, so naturally, I will stand on your side." There was a double meaning in her words, but she trusted Lu Hongyu understood.

"On my side?" Lu Hongyu curved his lips, testing her. "And what does that mean?"

"I know you and Lu Sui don't get along. As long as it's within my power, I will stand by you." Ning Lu stated her position directly. While she loathed Lu Hongyu, she understood clearly that he was more reliable than Lu Sui.

"My father doesn't like women who are too clever," Lu Hongyu said, his voice dropping.

Ning Lu remained silent, taking it as a well-intentioned warning.

They remained silent until they reached a six-star hotel. Lu Hongyu got out, and Ning Lu followed him. A bodyguard called the elevator, and the two stepped in, one after the other.

As soon as the doors closed, Lu Hongyu turned and began to corner her, step by step, until she was pressed into the corner. Ning Lu looked at him with vigilance, her heart racing as a sense of inexplicable tension washed over her.

"What are you doing?" she asked, bewildered.

Lu Hongyu’s hand rested on the small of her back. "It’s over by now, isn't it?"

Ning Lu’s eyes widened, her entire body rigid. She was terrified he would give in to his impulses right there.

"No!" She pushed against him with both hands, but he seized her wrists with one hand.

"I told you, you cannot refuse me," he muttered, his voice low.

"Not here!" Ning Lu looked around in panic, her eyes darting to the security camera in the corner.

Seeing her fear, Lu Hongyu felt a strange sense of satisfaction. He wasn't about to tell her that he had already turned off the cameras.

"Are you trying to bargain with me?" He raised an eyebrow, his tone cooling.

"What is it you want?" Just as she finished speaking, his phone rang.

He glanced at the caller ID—Ah Jiu—and answered immediately. Standing so close, Ning Lu could clearly hear the man’s voice on the other end.

"Eldest Master, there’s an update on what you asked me to look into!" Ah Jiu said excitedly.

"And?" Lu Hongyu replied coldly.

"You were right. The Second Master is indeed looking for that woman, but there hasn't been any news yet..."

As soon as Ah Jiu mentioned this, Ning Lu’s eyes brightened. She immediately thought of Ning Xiang. Lu Hongyu noticed the small hand in his grasp trembling and met her anxious gaze.

"Find that woman before Lu Sui does," Lu Hongyu commanded coldly.

"Understood," Ah Jiu added. "The Second Master is so unhinged; if he gets his hands on her again, he'll surely destroy her."

Ning Lu looked at Lu Hongyu with visible worry. Recalling the previous incident, a chill ran down her spine.

"Find her within three days." Lu Hongyu hung up without waiting for a response.

"Lu Hongyu, have you found my sister?" Ning Lu asked nervously, her words tumbling out faster than before.

"Not yet, but I have people looking," he replied quietly.

A look of pure desperation crossed Ning Lu’s face. She could not let Ning Xiang fall back into the hands of a scumbag like Lu Sui.

"Please, I'll do whatever you want. You must help me find my sister!" She grabbed his arm, her face filled with supplication.

"Whatever I want?" A triumphant smile played on his lips.

Ning Lu immediately thought of what he had intended to do earlier. Her hands moved to the buttons of her blouse, undoing them one by one.

"Anything," she whispered, her voice hoarse and laced with a sense of helplessness.

Lu Hongyu’s gaze landed on her elegant collarbone, and a surge of heat flared within him.

"Lu Hongyu..." Ning Lu caught his hand.

His hand involuntarily tightened.

"Please... I beg you."