On the other end of the line, Luo Ningxi had just stepped out of the shower, her face still aglow with the rosy flush coaxed out by the steam. The moment she heard the man's low, husky voice, the blush on her cheeks deepened without her even meaning it to.
That damn duck, he's way too good at flirting!
He must have used that silver tongue of his in the past to swindle a whole lot of money out of wealthy women…
Taking a deep breath, her expression turned serious. "I'm calling to tell you — my father wants to meet you. It's set at Changlong Hotel, tomorrow evening at seven. Are you free?"
Li Bochen wore a half-smile. "When my wife gives the order, I'll always have time."
"Stop your nonsense—I'm talking about something serious!"
When Luo Ningxi heard him suddenly call out "wife," her heart inexplicably skipped a beat.
He had perhaps grown so accustomed to calling her that way it came naturally to him, but she had not yet adjusted to this shift in their dynamic — even her lashes trembled faintly, unbidden.
Li Bochen replied in a languid tone, "What I said is serious business too. Tomorrow night at seven, correct? I'm indeed available."
"Alright then, it's settled! Oh, and one more thing — my dad personally invited you, so it's definitely going to be a Hongmen Banquet. He might even threaten you or put you to the test. Send me your bank account number — I'll transfer you an extra five thousand yuan as a bonus. Tomorrow, make sure you perform well for me, understood? Do a great job, and I'll send you even more!"
Li Bochen almost burst out laughing again.
The imperious figure rose and stepped to the towering floor-to-ceiling window.
By then the sky had fallen fully dark. Through the window, one could look out over most of the commercial district below — a sprawl of neon lights and glittering nightlife stretching into the dusk……
"There's even a bonus on top of that — does this mean I'm basically being kept by you now?"
"Don't make it sound so awful — this is called a *performance-based compensation incentive program!*" Luo Ningxi said, covering her face. Truth be told, she found it a little shameful herself.
Then again, he was a gigolo after all—taking money from women was practically second nature to him by now.
"Alright."
"See you tomorrow, then."
He had barely hung up the phone when, less than five minutes later, Li Bochen received a transfer of five thousand yuan from Luo Ningxi. A low scoff escaped him. From the time he was small until now, no woman had ever given him money to spend — this was quite the novelty.
……
In the blink of an eye, the following evening had arrived.
Luo Yi had reserved a private room in advance and brought Jiang Jingya, Luo Zhiqin, Luo Ningxi, and the rest of their party to Changlong Hotel.
Luo Ningxi sent Li Bochen a message reminding him it was time to leave, then put away her phone.
"Ningxi, when is your husband coming? Don't tell me he's too scared to show up."
Luo Zhiqin asked with feigned concern, while Jiang Jingya chimed in to advise Luo Ningxi to keep her eyes open when it came to men. Luo Ningxi turned a deaf ear to them both, treating them as if they were air, and closed her eyes to feign sleep.
Luo Yi nearly lost his temper at the sight of it, but was reined in by a calming glance from Jiang Jingya.
Just you wait — he'd very much like to see exactly who this man was, the one audacious enough to marry Luo Ningxi and set himself against both the Sheng family and the Luo family.
What no one had expected, though, was that Luo Yi hadn't even made it through the hotel's front doors before the manager stopped him at the entrance.
The manager's expression turned somewhat awkward. "Director Luo, I'm terribly sorry — the private room you booked last night has been temporarily taken by a VIP guest today. Would you be willing to switch to a regular private room on the first floor instead?"
Luo Yi's face turned ashen at once, overwhelmed by a deep sense of humiliation.
"What do you mean by that? The Luo family may not be some grand noble clan, but we are people of standing! I reserved this room with you first, and you turned around and handed it to a VIP guest — are you saying I am beneath a VIP guest in dignity?"
"That's not what I meant, President Luo — please calm down. It's just that we really can't afford to offend that VIP customer……"
"Then you think you can afford to mess with *me*?"
Screech — just at that moment, a Bentley came racing up and braked smoothly to a stop at the roadside.
The sleek, flowing lines drew no small amount of attention.
But the very next second, everyone sneered in contempt.
The Bentley's front end was sleek and unmarred, but the rear half of the body told a different story — the trunk lid was warped and bent upward, the rear windows shattered completely, and white smoke still curled from the wreckage. It looked ready to be scrapped at any moment.
Then the car door swung open, and a tall, imposing man stepped out.