Lu Zhuonian turned around.
He was very tall, and to answer the phone, Chen Zemian had to stand on tiptoe and lean forward slightly to get closer.
As Lu Zhuonian moved, Chen Zemian instantly lost his balance—his head felt heavy and his feet light—and he staggered into Lu Zhuonian’s arms.
Although very drunk, Chen Zemian’s body still reacted. Before his forehead hit Lu Zhuonian’s chest, he quickly grabbed something stable to steady himself.
It was Lu Zhuonian’s arm.
Beneath the high-quality fabric, Chen Zemian felt well-trained, muscular lines, as if sculpted with a chisel. The muscles were firm and full, the tendons taut—like a cheetah ready to pounce, containing boundless power.
Chen Zemian once had such beautiful muscles himself, but unfortunately, that body was now dead.
Chen Zhe’s body was thin. To develop such perfect muscle lines, he’d first have to build muscle, then spend over half a year in the gym with high-intensity training to roughly develop a contour.
But even then, it would only be decoration and wouldn’t have that kind of power.
In the original book, Lu Zhuonian was in a supreme position, always followed by bodyguards. Proud of his status, he rarely fought personally, but he had a hobby for combat sports and extreme activities.
The muscles fit perfectly with his character.
Chen Zemian pinched the tight, strong muscles with envy. Before he had time to mourn his lost strength and beautiful body, he suddenly realized—
The person in front of him might, probably, perhaps… really be the male protagonist, Lu Zhuonian.
Oops.
It was said that Lu Zhuonian had severe mysophobia and was disgusted by any living creature approaching him, especially physical contact.
How could one person cause such a big disaster?
On the first night of time travel, Chen Zemian not only lost his temper and hit Xu Ershao’s younger brother, Wu Xu, but also acted recklessly by bumping into his only backer.
Chen Zemian slowly raised his head and silently stared at the expressionless Lu Zhuonian.
On the other end of the phone, Xiao Kesong kept talking, but no one was listening.
Lu Zhuonian put away his phone.
Chen Zemian silently looked away.
If he wasn’t embarrassed, Lu Zhuonian would be.
Chen Zemian loosened his grip and took half a step back as if nothing happened. On the surface, he looked calm and composed, but secretly he was already eyeing the escape route.
Unexpectedly, the next second after he retreated safely, Lu Zhuonian suddenly reached out and grabbed Chen Zemian’s wrist.
Lu Zhuonian’s grip was incredibly strong, clamping down like iron clamps, pinching Chen Zemian so hard he couldn’t help but groan.
Don’t you hate being touched? Dude, why are you arresting me?
Chen Zemian felt a sore nose.
To be clear, based on his original pain tolerance, this level of pain should’ve been tolerable. The only reason he groaned was that Chen Zhe’s body was too weak.
No pain tolerance at all.
Extremely sensitive to pain.
Chen Zemian’s eyes clouded over as he glared at Lu Zhuonian.
“How did you get here?” Lu Zhuonian pulled Chen Zemian closer, lowered his eyes, and asked coldly, “Where are the bodyguards?”
Chen Zemian hesitated.
If he fought back with full force, he believed he could kick Lu Zhuonian away and escape with his fighting skills.
But a person cannot—or at least should not—offend two major powers immediately upon entering the book.
He had to survive first.
Although determined to take revenge on the young masters who humiliated Chen Zhe, that required planning. Besides, the protagonist in the original book was impressive and never bullied others.
How could he escape successfully without kicking Lu Zhuonian over?
Seeing Chen Zhe’s unfocused eyes and distraction, Lu Zhuonian tightened his grip and said coldly, “Speak.”
Chen Zemian frowned. “What?”
Lu Zhuonian lowered his eyes and said in a declarative tone, “What do you think you should say?”
So Chen Zemian told the truth, “You pinched me a little.”
Lu Zhuonian: “…”
He stared at the slightly red tip of Chen Zemian’s nose, thought how delicate it was, then slowly loosened his hand.
The slender wrist was red, looking pitiful.
Chen Zemian hadn’t been so embarrassed in a long time. He held his wrist, looked down, and glanced around, as if searching for something.
When panicked, people pretend to be busy.
Lu Zhuonian asked, “What are you looking for?”
Chen Zemian dared not say anything but was angry. He said two words with great courage: “Dignity.”
Lu Zhuonian took out a silk handkerchief, wiped his hands, and looked at Chen Zemian oddly. “Why didn’t I realize you were so abstract before?”
“…”
Chen Zemian just wanted to run away quickly, disappear from Lu Zhuonian’s sight, and slowly sort out his thoughts to make long-term plans.
Lu Zhuonian was a man of his word and decisive in killing. In the original text, his attitude toward Chen Zhe was indifferent. He didn’t care much, but never made things difficult. Even when he didn’t target Chen Zhe directly, Chen Zhe had already been badly tortured by other young masters.
If Chen Zemian mishandled today’s situation and displeased Lu Zhuonian, who then reported it to the prince, Young Master Lu wouldn’t need to act himself. He’d say a word and countless people would discipline Chen Zemian.
Forced by the situation, Chen Zemian bowed his head.
Reluctantly, he expressed his gratitude: “Thank you, Mr. Lu, for coming today. It’s very late; I won’t disturb you anymore.”
“Wait.”
Lu Zhuonian stopped him, threw the handkerchief into the trash, and instead of letting him go, asked, “I sent two bodyguards to take you to the hospital. Where are they?”
Chen Zemian was stunned.
Uh, bodyguards?
Just before crossing the corridor to find Lu Zhuonian, two people had been taking him the opposite way. Chen Zemian struggled for a while; the bodyguard used a grappling move, handcuffed his hands behind his back, and pushed him out.
That overly professional, standard fighting move triggered Chen Zemian’s muscle memory. He twisted to break free and hit the two bodyguards on the carotid artery with his backhand…
Chen Zemian hesitated, then said, “They… fell asleep.”
Lu Zhuonian: “?”
Chen Zemian smiled at him in a flattering, harmless way.
Two minutes later, Lu Zhuonian looked at the two bodyguards lying in the corridor and took a deep breath without expression.
Chen Zemian stood three steps away, staring at the sky, ground, and signs—not at Lu Zhuonian.
Lu Zhuonian was so angry he laughed.
The captain of the bodyguards checked the two men and whispered, “Master Lu, their carotid arteries were hit severely, causing temporary brain ischemia and fainting. The attacker…”
The captain glanced at Chen Zemian, confused, and continued, “The attacker was swift and controlled his strength precisely. Every strike hit the target without excessive damage. He’s an expert.”
Expert.
Lu Zhuonian repeated the word in his mind, recalling when Chen Zhe suddenly popped his head out to answer the phone.
He hadn’t heard footsteps or sensed Chen Zhe’s presence.
He carefully reviewed that moment—
If Chen Zhe hadn’t come to answer the phone like a lunatic, but instead attacked the carotid artery precisely like he did the bodyguards, would his handling and reaction have been faster than a battle-hardened bodyguard?
Could he dodge Chen Zhe’s attack?
The Lu family bodyguards were strictly selected, mostly retired armed police or mercenaries. People who could knock out two bodyguards quickly were rare, but it shouldn’t be Chen Zhe.
Chen Zhe had no fighting experience. How could he suddenly become an expert?
However, that explained the scar on Wu Xu’s head.
Everything Chen Zhe showed tonight was different: his skills and personality.
The once-transparent Chen Zhe suddenly became a misty ball, impossible to see or touch.
This change was both dangerous and novel.
Lu Zhuonian’s eyes darkened as he silently watched Chen Zhe, two meters away.
Chen Zemian smiled politely but awkwardly.
Lu Zhuonian looked at him and whispered to the bodyguard captain, “Check the surveillance.”
Chen Zemian felt nervous hearing this.
Fighting styles are like martial arts moves; experts can tell style and master at a glance. If Lu Zhuonian watched surveillance of his moves, it would reveal Chen Zemian’s background on the spot—
Chen Zhe shouldn’t have such skills.
Lu Zhuonian was already suspicious of him.
Chen Zemian struggled desperately and said, “Mr. Lu, isn’t it a bad idea to send people to check the hotel’s surveillance in such a high-profile manner? As a top private kitchen, Green Water Pavilion Garden emphasizes privacy. If the surveillance footage is shown to outsiders, it will affect its reputation.”
Lu Zhuonian said in a calm tone, “Green Water Pavilion Garden is the Lu family’s property.”
Because it was Lu family territory, he hadn’t let the bodyguards follow him when he answered the phone just now.
Who could have thought such a big mistake could happen in just two or three minutes and at a distance of less than 200 meters?
Chen Zemian didn’t expect that Green Water Pavilion was the Lu family’s property, and a hint of surprise flashed across his eyes.
Lu Zhuonian noticed the change in his expression and continued to stare at him, interrogating calmly: “Do you have anything to say?”
The implication was obvious—
“I’ll give you a chance to explain before the surveillance footage is reviewed.”
Unfortunately, Chen Zemian misunderstood.
After all, they had just been discussing the ownership of Green Water Pavilion Garden.
Chen Zemian sighed from the bottom of his heart, “I really didn’t expect this.”
Lu Zhuonian frowned slightly and signaled for him to continue.
Chen Zemian then flattered him perfunctorily, “Mr. Lu, you’re amazing. Such a classy place is actually your private property. Few people know about it… Xu Shaoyang even asked me to hold a Hongmen Banquet here. He’s doomed to return empty-handed.”
Lu Zhuonian said bluntly, “Where else would he return empty-handed? You even dared to knock down my bodyguard, and you’re still afraid of Xu Shaoyang?”
The word ‘dare’ was very pointed.
Chen Zemian muttered in defense, “I didn’t know he was your man, Mr. Lu.”
“You didn’t know he was my man?”
Lu Zhuonian pondered for a moment, amusement in his voice: “You called my name just now. Have you forgotten it so quickly?”
Chen Zemian was still thinking about how to make an excuse for not recognizing Lu Zhuonian.
Lu Zhuonian’s use of the word “forgot” gave him a new idea.
As long as he insisted he had lost his memory, no matter who asked him anything next, he could always reply, “I don’t remember.”
Although it sounded outrageous and a bit shameless, it was actually a pretty good coping strategy.
The main reason was that he couldn’t think of any reliable excuse to convince Lu Zhuonian, who was “deep-minded, vigilant, and suspicious.”
Chen Zemian rubbed his temples and answered without hesitation, “Yes, I forgot. I may have drunk too much and lost my memory. I really didn’t recognize you.”
Lu Zhuonian seemed not to expect Chen Zemian to be so shameless. He was silent for a few seconds before saying, “Chen Zhe, do you know what happened to the last person who talked nonsense in front of me?”
Chen Zemian also felt that losing memory due to drinking was a bit too ridiculous.
He coughed lightly, his brain working rapidly.
Got it.
Chen Zemian suddenly had an idea and shifted the blame onto Wu Xu: “Just now, at Young Master Xu’s place, Wu Xu suddenly attacked me and hit me on the head.”
People really laugh when they are speechless.
Lu Zhuonian frowned slightly: “Wu Xu hit your head, and as a result, his head is bleeding. Is that a trick?”
Chen Zemian: “…”
Everyone knows that one lie needs countless lies to cover it up, but the problem of talking nonsense is really hard to cure.
Chen Zemian gritted his teeth and made up a story: “I fought back. His bleeding was an external injury, and my amnesia was an internal injury.”
“So it was an internal injury,” Lu Zhuonian nodded. “Very good.”
Very good?
Chen Zemian didn’t know what had happened to his internal injuries, and he didn’t want to know. He only knew that if Lu Zhuonian continued to interrogate him, he would definitely say more nonsense.
Fortunately, Lu Zhuonian didn’t ask any more questions for the time being. Instead, he took out his mobile phone and moved his thumb as if replying to a message.
Chen Zemian waited for a while and spoke cautiously, “Mr. Lu, can I leave now?”
Lu Zhuonian said calmly and firmly, “No.”
Chen Zemian’s eyes went dark. “Do you have any other instructions?”
Lu Zhuonian turned over the phone and almost put the screen in Chen Zemian’s face like an FBI officer showing his badge: “Can you explain again why a head injury would make your skills better?”
A video was playing on the phone — surveillance footage from the corridor.
In the video, Chen Zhe, hands tied behind his back, bent slightly, twisted his arms at an incredible angle, and grasped a bodyguard’s wrist with his right hand. Using the force, he did a side flip on the spot to break free from the restraints. As he landed, he chopped the bodyguard’s neck with his hand. Without looking back, he immediately turned and struck the second bodyguard.
The two bodyguards fell to the ground one after another within a second.
The video was slowed down to half speed. Even then, Chen Zhe’s sideways flip was so fast it was blurry, making it difficult to see how he flipped over.
The short video was only seven seconds long, or fourteen seconds when played in slow motion. It played quickly once, then repeated once more.
Lu Zhuonian turned off the phone screen and said, “Anything else you want to say?”
Chen Zemian raised his eyes and looked at Lu Zhuonian with a sincere expression. “Can you send me a copy of the video? I didn’t expect him to be so handsome.”
Lu Zhuonian’s fingers holding the phone tightened unconsciously. His good upbringing kept him from throwing the phone in Chen Zhe’s face.
Observing words and actions, and judging people’s hearts, were compulsory courses for safe socializing in the wealthy circle. Lu Zhuonian had not been good at these at first. When he was young, he suffered losses due to his failure to judge people. Later, he took an interest in learning.
Lu Zhuonian had always had excellent grades. No matter how difficult the task, as long as he studied hard, he could achieve satisfactory results.
He quietly observed everyone he met, constantly adding samples and summarizing patterns. Now, whenever a person appeared, he could easily guess what the other person was thinking through their eyes and movements.
But this insight and reasoning ability were repeatedly frustrated by Chen Zhe today.
Chen Zhe seemed to operate outside normal logic, breaking away from Lu Zhuonian’s life experience of the past twenty years.
There was a very contradictory change in him, which Lu Zhuonian could neither see nor understand.
Reason told Lu Zhuonian to eliminate unstable factors, but human instinct to explore the unknown made him want to solve the mystery himself.
Lu Zhuonian’s emotions hadn’t fluctuated like this for a long time. He looked at Chen Zhe, his expression unchanged, and his voice so cold it was almost freezing: “I asked you to explain why your skills became stronger after a head injury.”
Chen Zemian opened his mouth and subconsciously wanted to answer, “Maybe it’s because my Ren and Du meridians have been opened.”
Just a second before he started talking nonsense, his long-dead desire to survive suddenly reawakened, and his sixth sense beeped wildly, warning him not to anger Lu Zhuonian again.
Chen Zemian thought he was secretly observing Lu Zhuonian’s expression.
Lu Zhuonian was calm and composed. When he noticed Chen Zemian’s gaze, he looked back calmly.
Chen Zemian’s Adam’s apple slid as he swallowed nervously.
As expected of a male protagonist, he really was very cunning and hard to guess.
This Lu Zhuonian looked very dangerous, but in fact, he was not safe at all.
*****
If you enjoy what we do, consider supporting us on Ko-fi! Every little bit means the world!
Author: LazyHermitGal
A Lazy Hermit Gal
