Chapter 63: An Unpredictable Future

Deep affection is a burden too heavy for me to bear; sweet words are merely lies fulfilled on occasion.
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The man, half-hunched, seemed to scorch her foolish words with a mocking gaze. Rationality quickly returned with the pain shooting through her wrist, and just when she expected his tempestuous punishment to descend, her clenched palm was pried open. She scrambled to evade him, but there was nowhere to hide!

The nearly warped room card, twisted in her grasp, was restored to its rightful place by his deft movement. Suddenly, a bright light flared, causing Xue Zuining to instinctively close her eyes. When she opened them again, she saw the man, standing straight with a half-smile, remove his shirt. She screamed and tried to flee, but he swept her into his arms. He seemed to abandon himself to join her in a night of madness. “I've already received my payment. We pride ourselves on professional integrity, so whether you call for me or not, I must serve my client with full effort.”

With those words, he spun her in his arms, and together they tumbled onto the pristine white bedding.

“Madman!” She struggled, mortified, to escape, but his long arms pulled her back onto him. “If you want to go crazy, stay away from me,” she said, pushing him aside with all her strength.

He laughed heartily, his legs trapping hers as his body pressed upon her once more. “Hurry up, I still have another appointment. Mrs. Mo in room 3602 is waiting for me. Don’t keep the lady waiting.”

Xue Zuining dodged him, scolding in exasperated amusement, “Nonsense! Are you really getting into character?”

“Silly girl, haven’t you heard of the saying ‘pretend and make it real’?” He suddenly drew her closer.

His unfamiliar term of endearment stunned her. This intimacy seemed to bestow upon them the semblance of a genuine couple, yet it plunged her heart into a dark abyss. She gazed deeply into his inscrutable eyes, and after a long silence, she asked in a husky voice, “Lu Huaining, are you a villain or a good man?”

If he were good, why would he imprison her, making her an eternal shadowed lover? If he were evil, why would he appear on this forgotten day, bringing her a unique gift?

The overhead light poured down, lending warmth to his inexplicable smile. He lifted his head, obsidian eyes never allowing anyone to see through him. “Take a guess.”

“Tell me…” Xue Zuining’s heart was thrown into chaos by his answer. “Lu Huaining, don’t make me guess. I’ll never guess right.”

“If you can’t guess, then don’t try.” Even he seemed unsure of the answer. His cool lips brushed her forehead as softly as a feather. “Xue Zuining, good night.”

The weight on her body vanished as he moved away. She stared blankly into the air. Perhaps she would never know his answer.

Three days later, Xue Zuining finished all filming for her new drama and flew back to City A accompanied by her assistant.

Just outside the airport, her assistant waved goodbye and hurried toward the airport shuttle bus.

Xue Zuining smiled and waved back. Several dozen meters away, the driver loading luggage into the trunk glanced up to see her approaching, offering a smile in return.

She reached out for the car door, only for it to swing open from the inside. Startled, she withdrew her hand, only to meet a pair of dazzling, almond-shaped eyes inside the car, raising an eyebrow at her. “Hey, long time no see~”

“How is it you!” Xue Zuining stared at the lazy figure in the back seat, baffled by the situation.

Su Yi feigned injury, clutching his chest melodramatically. “I am a man, aren’t I? Must the difference in treatment be so obvious?”

Xue Zuining curled her lips and slid into the car. She’d long since learned to handle his sharp tongue. Just as she was about to speak, the driver in the front seat turned with a smile to explain, “Miss Xue, Mr. Su’s car broke down. I happened to encounter him on the way to the airport, so I brought him along. Please forgive any inconvenience.”

“No problem.” Xue Zuining sat stiffly by the man’s side, her gaze fixed on the traffic winding through the interchange. Her thoughts, however, were occupied by her mother’s surgery next week. Half a month had passed, and she wondered whether her mother’s condition had improved.

“Old Yang, could you take me to the nursing home first? I’d like to visit my mother.” As soon as she thought it, she voiced it. Old Yang glanced at the time and agreed with a smile. Turning around, he noticed the man beside him watching her with a half-smile.

Su Yi, observing her muttered words and quick sidelong glance, could not help but wonder: Could this woman truly be following in the footsteps of ancient heroines, selling herself to support her mother in this modern era? If so, Huaining surely wasn’t handling things reliably!

He quickly shook off the notion. The famously unattached Young Master Lu, who drifted through countless romances without ever getting entangled, could not possibly lavish such attention on an ordinary woman! Yet, seeing her figure walking toward the nursing home, his doubts only deepened.

When Xue Zuining pushed open the ward door, her mother was resting. She tiptoed to the bedside, gazing intently at the peaceful figure. With gentle hands, she pulled the quilt higher. The surgery was scheduled for next week, and knowing her mother needed plenty of rest to regain her strength, she quietly left the room. She would never know that the eyes opening silently behind her continued to follow her departing silhouette.

Leaving the doctor’s office, Xue Zuining felt as though the thin winter air had become clear and transparent. Next Thursday, the renowned American cardiac surgeon Dr. Smith would fly to China to personally perform the operation. After a rigorous medical review, the experts had highly praised his proposed treatment plan. If successful, the procedure would mark another breakthrough in medical history! With proper follow-up care, the patient’s health should gradually return to normal.

Stepping out of the nursing home, she found the parked car had changed from a Maybach to a Land Rover. Su Yi lounged against it, his long legs crossed, and as she approached, he greeted her with a flirtatious glance.

“Where’s Old Yang?” Xue Zuining asked as he opened the passenger door for her.

Su Yi gestured invitingly. “Old Yang had an urgent matter. Come, today your brother will drive you home.”