Chapter 25 Ashes to Dust

No one will pity your innocence, so put away your weakness!

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“Sister, there’s a package for you. The romance updates faster than a rocket, can you believe it?” Xiaoyu’s cheerful voice drifted into her distracted mind with the sound of the door opening.

Xue Zui Ning was startled and took the package, only to discover that the address was her former residence. When her gaze rested on the familiar elegant handwriting on the delivery slip, her mind exploded.

As she trembled, tearing open the seal, the door suddenly swung open. Black leather shoes made her hastily hide her hands behind her back.

Lu Huai Ning entered, his gaze sweeping over her, satisfaction flickering in his eyes, though his expression remained unchanged. He spoke lightly, “What are you hiding?”

“Nothing—nothing at all. It’s just the new script the crew sent me.” Xue Zui Ning forced a smile, trying to appear calm. He seemed uninterested in probing such trivial matters and turned to leave.

As Xue Zui Ning turned away, she let out a quiet breath. Looking down, she realized it was an international package from France, sent the day before Chen Sang returned to the country! She opened the seal, her mind racing with countless imaginings of what might be inside. Yet before she could answer the secrets in her heart, a pair of hands suddenly appeared behind her, snatching away everything she held.

She was shocked, too late to stop him. Lu Huai Ning drew out the lone sheet of paper, the sketched design making him sneer coldly. “An artist to the core—gifts light as a feather but heavy in intention.” He leisurely stroked his chin. “The wedding dress is nice, just a bit plain.”

“Give it back!” She reached out to snatch it, but he gripped her wrist, pushing her aside. Her back slammed against the wall, blood surging, her vision blurring.

He pulled out a lighter, the flame licking one corner of the paper, rising higher. He let go, and the burning sheet fell to the tiles, quickly extinguishing, leaving nothing but ashes and charred fragments that reeked of scorched paper.

Yet the faint flames reflected in his dark eyes were like the slow-burning anger rising within Lu Huai Ning. Always cautious, today he had uncharacteristically left an important document at the villa, and for once hadn't sent his secretary to retrieve it, but returned himself. Perhaps it was fate—otherwise, her clandestine affair with her old lover would have remained hidden.

He stared coldly at her pale face tinged with blue, pocketed the lighter, and said indifferently, “Heartbroken? It was just a scrap of paper. If you truly like it, I could contact a bridal shop for you to pick one out. Wear it every day—I won’t mind.”

Xue Zui Ning bit her lip, guilt and panic wrestling within her. The gift Chen Sang had painstakingly prepared for her in France had been destroyed before her eyes, reduced to ashes. It would likely be the last thing he ever gave her.

Lu Huai Ning watched the sorrow and grief in her eyes, his voice icy. “Xue Zui Ning, if I catch you next time, do you believe I’ll burn you along with it?”

“Is that so?” Xue Zui Ning looked at the ashes at her feet, forcing her tears back, raising her head. “Then I suppose, Mr. Lu, you’ll need an extra bottle of gasoline for me.”

Her chin was seized and lifted. He bent slightly, bringing his face close, speaking with contempt, “I see you not only have an alluring name but also a clever, provocative tongue. Born for the entertainment industry—how shameless.”

Her face flushed then paled, her fingertips trembling with humiliation. He straightened, eyes narrowed, “No wonder you had to attend a prestigious school. The price starts dozens of times higher than others.”

Unable to endure any longer, she raised her hand to slap him, but he was quicker, gripping her wrist tightly—almost enough to crush her fragile bones. His eyes grew darker, lips quirking up in a strange smile. Seeing that expression, her heart gave a sudden leap. She remembered—she could not afford to offend this man!

He said nothing; she dared not speak. At that moment, her phone rang on the bed, the sound piercing the stillness.

Lu Huai Ning released her abruptly and strode toward the bed. She tried to get there first, but he grabbed her shoulder and tossed her back. After several repetitions, he had the phone in hand, glancing at the caller ID with a half-smile. “Xue Zui Ning, I was just thinking of chatting with your mother, and here she is calling…”

Cold sweat broke out over Xue Zui Ning’s body. She reached to snatch the phone, but he raised it just out of reach—two centimeters higher than she could stretch. She jumped, and he raised it further, toying with her as one would a pet, a faint mocking smile in his eyes as he watched her desperate panic.

“Let me see… Your mother has been bedridden for ages, life must be terribly dull. What should I say to make a lasting impression?”

“No, please, don’t…” Watching his finger inch toward the answer button, she gripped his arm, trying to stop him, but it was like holding onto steel—immovable.

“She’ll ask who I am, won’t she? How should I answer?” He raised his brow, his smile deepening.

“No, please…” She was incoherent, instinctively tugging at his sleeve, trying desperately to pull his arm down. With a sharp crack, the gem cufflink on his shirt sleeve snapped off and fell to the floor. He narrowed his eyes meaningfully, “Tugging at my clothes? Have you come to your senses, ready to fulfill your duties?”

Tears streamed from Xue Zui Ning’s eyes like a breached dam. If her mother learned of the filthy deal she’d made with this devil, there were only two possible outcomes: death from rage, or abandoning treatment to go home and await the end. Pride, dignity, even her mother’s life seemed insignificant in comparison. She clung tightly to his waist, her soft body pressed firmly against his, looking up in supplication. “Mr. Lu, I beg you… As long as you keep it from my mother, I’ll do anything you ask…”