Chapter 40 Beaten

Your courage has wounded you, and it has pierced me as well.

Xue Zuining's cold smile widened at the corners of her lips. Her lashes, which had been lowered, lifted once more. Eyes that had brimmed with disappointment suddenly turned clear, as if washed by pure water, transparent and bright—so bright, it seemed she could see through everything before her.

“Don’t even think about it!” She spoke those two words with unwavering resolve.

In that instant, there was a sharp “crack” in the air, as though the clash between him and her had produced a sound all its own.

Lu Huaining felt, for the first time, that his usual, inviolable dominance had suffered a humiliating blow. He glared at Xue Zuining’s face, where stubbornness and defiance were written plain for all to see, his anger growing with every passing moment. “Say that again?” he demanded.

Xue Zuining smiled faintly, a smile of one who has cast everything aside, her voice quivering ever so slightly, yet utterly unafraid. “I will not apologize. If you, Mr. Lu, think the woman in your arms needs my insincere apology, you’re welcome to slap me in return—but don’t expect me to say sorry. Because deep down, we both know who’s truly acting here.” As she spoke, she lifted her chin a little, her pale face meeting his gaze head-on.

Never before had Lu Huaining been challenged like this; never had anyone dared to tear at his pride as she did now, shredding his dignity before so many onlookers. Was she acting out because she felt secure in his favor?

The rage that flared within him left no room for thought. He raised his arm, and with a swift backhand, struck—

All Xue Zuining saw was an arc, rising and falling before her eyes, and her heart seemed to plummet along that same line...

She closed her eyes gently, feeling no fear, no dread. In that moment, she told herself silently: Lu Huaining, go ahead and hit me. I hope that slap will finally steel my resolve to leave you without ever looking back.

Her heart was calm then—so calm it surprised even her, as if she had been waiting for this slap, as if she had been waiting for it for a long, long time.

A cold, urgent wind brushed her cheek...

At that moment, Xue Zuining felt as if she, too, was swept up by the wind—weightless enough to fly away with it. The sensation was almost blissful—

“Smack!”

“Mm...”

A dull sound swept through the air, accompanied by incredulous gasps from the crowd. Xue Zuining felt as if her own footing had been ripped from the ground like an uprooted tree, her body spinning like a leaf caught in the wind.

That slap cemented her lowly status, sealing her fate as one meant to be trampled on!

He had struck her, returning the blow on Mu Chenxi’s behalf. Even though she felt numb, the instant his palm brushed her skin she recognized the familiar touch, so familiar it froze her heart to ice.

Yet the place he struck did not ache—not at all. It was as if the slap hadn’t even landed, as if his hand had simply carried a draft of cold air past her cheek. And yet, that side of her face burned where the wind had passed...

But how could it not hurt? Was her heart so numb she felt no pain, or had he struck so lightly she couldn’t feel it? Or had her hatred for him grown so deep that even the pain of being hit no longer registered?

“Lu Huaining, you bastard!” Xu Ze’s furious voice shattered the air, which had grown stagnant after the slap.

“Smack!” A heavy punch landed on Lu Huaining’s face.

“Ah!”

“Young Master Lu—”

A woman cried out. Mu Chenxi screamed.

Xue Zuining looked at Xu Ze, who now stood protectively before her, and raised her hand to stop his next move. Seeing the anger blazing in his eyes, she shook her head. “Don’t...” Because it wasn’t worth it—he wasn’t worth Xu Ze sacrificing his future for her.

A fiery pain bloomed on her cheek. Xue Zuining gently wiped the numb corner of her mouth, then lifted her eyes and said coolly, “I told him to do it.”

She saw something warm trickling down; Lu Huaining took out a handkerchief and wiped it away, only to discover that this young man had bloodied his nose.

“What’s this? Playing the hero?” Lu Huaining brushed away the blood carelessly, regaining his arrogant air.

Xu Ze was about to retaliate when he heard Xue Zuining’s quiet, unmistakably clear voice rise in calm apology: “Mr. Lu, I’m sorry. Please be magnanimous and let it go.”

Xu Ze was clearly unprepared for Xue Zuining to apologize on his behalf. Just as he tried to stop her, Lu Huaining’s placid voice drifted past his ear. “Xue Zuining, you really are something.”

While the others were still puzzling over his words, Mu Chenxi took his arm and gracefully led him toward the waiting car, leaving behind a crowd full of doubt and speculation.

As the car drove away, Xue Zuining seemed to collapse, boneless, onto the lounge chair, as if her ribs had been plucked out one by one.

Chu Ci, who hadn’t left, swept his gaze over every face present, his eyes finally coming to rest, cold and sharp, on Dong Qian’s barely suppressed smirk. “Every word you said today had better be true.”

“Have some water.” Xu Ze fetched a bottle of mineral water, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to her, seeing her face still drained of color.

Xue Zuining did not take it. She looked at Xu Ze, who was half-kneeling before her, and suddenly spoke with great seriousness, “No matter what happens from now on, don’t ever stand up for me again.”

A flicker of disappointment passed through Xu Ze’s eyes. He screwed the cap back on and pressed the cool bottle to her still-swollen face. The chill eased the burning pain, and Xue Zuining instinctively took it from him. She heard his gentle admonition: “Take care of yourself.”

She didn’t know how to reply. As she watched him walk away, it seemed as if the ice water in her hand slowly melted, taking the numb pain with it.