Chapter 412: The Sisters' Secret, The Predator's Reward
Xu Ruoshui immediately felt relieved, and her impression of Shen Anyu even improved. It seemed this future brother-in-law was quite refined, knew how to cherish women, and cared for his own. She felt a bit envious of her sister for finding such a good man. As for her… Xu Ruoshui sighed softly, then looked at Shen Anyu with her beautiful eyes, hesitating, wanting to speak but holding back.
Shen Anyu saw the flicker of apprehension in her gaze, the slight tremor in her hands as she clasped them in her lap. He understood her turmoil perfectly, a predator sensing the fear of its prey. He leaned forward slightly, his voice a smooth, reassuring balm designed to disarm and soothe.
"Are you worried that the incident with the Blood Skull Mercenary Group will implicate you?"
The question, so direct and yet so gentle, struck Xu Ruoshui like a physical blow. Her heart hammered against her ribs. He was asking her—as Xu Ruoxue—about a danger meant for her sister. The lie felt paper-thin, ready to tear at any moment. She could only nod, the motion stiff and uncertain.
Shen Anyu's expression softened further, a mask of profound empathy settling over his features. "No need to worry," he murmured, his tone laced with conviction. "After all, I also believe that Xu Ruoxue would never do anything truly malicious. She must have been coerced by Asura Demon King Chu Yun, the leader of the Blood Skull Mercenary Group. A young woman like her… how could she willingly associate with such hardened criminals?"
He paused, letting his words sink in, watching the conflict in her eyes. "With my guarantee, Xu Ruoxue will definitely be fine."
Xu Ruoshui bit down hard on her lower lip, the faint taste of copper filling her mouth. The truth was a jagged pill lodged in her throat. Coerced? No. Her sister had joined them willingly, had found a strange camaraderie among those rough-edged mercenaries. They saw her as family, as their future sister-in-law, a title tied to their leader, Chu Yun, who admired Xu Ruoxue with a fierce, almost desperate passion.
Though her sister didn't reciprocate those romantic feelings, she had never hidden her affection for the group. They were her friends, her brothers-in-arms. And now, they had met with disaster while she, the one impersonating her sister, had escaped unscathed. The guilt was a suffocating weight.
Gathering her courage, she forced herself to meet his gaze, her voice barely a whisper. "What… what about the other members of the Blood Skull Mercenary Group? What kind of punishment will they receive?"
Shen Anyu didn't mind her question in the slightest. In fact, he found her loyalty… charming. It was a useful trait to cultivate. Besides, Chu Yun was already a toothless tiger, his Child of Destiny halo shattered. He was now nothing more than an ant that could be crushed with a stray thought, a simple curse.
"The three main generals of the Blood Skull Mercenary Group—Blood Dragon, Blood Tiger, and Blood Wolf—have already been killed on the spot by my Aunt An Zhiyue," he stated calmly, as if discussing the weather. The casual mention of such brutal deaths sent a chill down Xu Ruoshui's spine. "The leader, Asura Demon King Chu Yun, has been captured. He's facing life imprisonment, at a minimum. As for the other members, if caught, they will face the same fate."
He let the harsh reality of the sentence hang in the air for a moment before delivering his masterstroke. A faint, almost sad smile touched his lips as he glanced at her.
"However," he said, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "I considered Xu Ruoxue's feelings. I know she must have formed some… misguided attachments. So, I pleaded with Aunt An Zhiyue for leniency."
He leaned back against the plush sofa, the picture of magnanimity. "This is already the lightest possible sentence. Don't forget, the Blood Skull Mercenary Group was accused of annihilating the entire Ji family. For such a bloody massacre, life imprisonment is a mercy I had to fight for."
Of course, the truth was far more sinister. Shen Anyu himself had orchestrated the Ji family's demise, a flawless operation that left Chu Yun and his mercenaries holding the bloody bag. Every step of Chu Yun's downfall had been meticulously engineered by him.
But that didn't stop Shen Anyu from wearing the mask of a benevolent hero, a compassionate man who went out of his way to protect his future sister-in-law's delicate feelings. He was the arsonist playing the part of the firefighter, and she was gratefully breathing in the smoke.
A crisp notification chimed in his mind, unheard by anyone else.
[Ding! Detected destined heroine Xu Ruoxue's favorability +3, plundered +9000 destiny value!]
The system's reward was confirmation of his success. Upon hearing his words, Xu Ruoshui was indeed deeply, profoundly moved. The guilt that had been crushing her was instantly alleviated by a wave of overwhelming gratitude. The man before her, her sister's fiancé, had not only saved her but had also shown mercy to her sister's friends.
Her beautiful eyes, already glistening with unshed tears, now overflowed. A single tear traced a path down her cheek. "I… I thank you on behalf of my sister," she stammered, the words catching in her throat. Then, forcing herself to maintain the charade, she added, "Husband… thank you so much!"
The word 'husband' felt foreign and electrifying on her lips.
"Thank me for what?" Shen Anyu chuckled, his smile warm and disarming as he reached out to gently brush the tear from her cheek with his thumb. The brief contact sent a jolt of heat through her skin. "What's our relationship? Xu Ruoxue is my future sister-in-law. It's only natural I look out for her."
His inner thoughts, however, were as cold and calculating as ever.
'Xu Ruoxue's total favorability has reached eighty-eight, just two points shy of ninety. It's even higher than Xu Ruoshui's, but that's to be expected. We've been through a life-and-death situation together. If not for her sister's established connection to me, her favorability would have likely broken ninety already.'
'I need to get it to ninety. As soon as possible. Once it hits that threshold, I can use the Supernatural Skill: Love Infinite Teleportation. The convenience will be unparalleled. I'll be able to appear by her side in an instant, no matter where she is.'
'Preferably today.'
An idea had already crystallized in his mind. He withdrew his hand, though the ghost of its warmth lingered on her skin.
"Now that Xu Ruoxue is back and safe, and I happen to be free today, how about I take you two out?" he proposed, his tone light and casual. "We can go shopping, have a nice dinner tonight. It would be a good chance for you and your sister to… get to know each other better."
Xu Ruoshui was startled. A dinner with him and her sister? The thought of them both in the same room, trying to keep this massive secret, sent a spike of pure panic through her. But refusing such a reasonable, even thoughtful, invitation was impossible without raising suspicion. She could only nod weakly. 'I'll have to talk to Ruoxue later,' she thought frantically. 'We have to be absolutely perfect. We cannot let him find out.'
Seeing her agreement, Shen Anyu's smile widened. He glanced at the clock on the wall, noting the afternoon sun still streaming through the windows.
"There's still some time until evening," he said, his voice dropping an octave, becoming a low, intimate murmur that vibrated through the air. "And we can't let that time go to waste, can we?"
The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. The casual warmth evaporated, replaced by a thick, evident tension. Xu Ruoshui's breath hitched in her throat. The faint, masculine scent of his expensive cologne, which had been a subtle background note, now seemed to fill her lungs, making her head spin.
"I… I'm not convenient," she blurted out, her face flushing a deep crimson. It was the only excuse she could think of, a flimsy shield against his unspoken intent.
Shen Anyu's gaze darkened, a predatory glint in his eyes. He rose from his seat and took a step towards her. The space between them shrank, and the sheer heat of his presence was like a physical force.
"It's alright," he whispered, his voice a silken caress that sent chills down her spine. "There are ways… even if it's not convenient."
He pressed closer, his shadow engulfing her. Xu Ruoshui was trapped against the back of the sofa, her heart pounding a frantic, chaotic rhythm against her ribs. Her breathing was shallow, ragged. This was happening too fast. He was too forceful, his aura too dominant, leaving absolutely no room for refusal.
Helplessly, she closed her eyes, her long lashes trembling against her cheeks. A silent, desperate apology formed in her mind.
'Sister Ruoxue… this isn't my fault. Shen Anyu… he's too much. I can't reveal my identity. I'm so, so sorry…'
Later that evening, as twilight painted the sky in shades of orange and purple, a dusty figure arrived at the gates of the opulent villa complex where the Shanghai Xu Family resided.
Long Hao, though weary from his long journey, had a face alight with an almost manic excitement. His eyes scanned the pristine mansions and manicured lawns, a fire of ambition burning within him.
'Immovable Bright King Xu Ping'an! Asura Demon King Chu Yun! The great Investment God, Long Hao, is here!' he announced internally, his spirit soaring. He was ready to find his fellow protagonists and begin his conquest.
However, the ambitious and high-spirited Long Hao was brought to an abrupt halt by the unyielding arm of a security guard.
"Go away, go away," the guard said, his voice dripping with boredom and disdain. "If you don't know the owner and don't have an appointment, you can't enter. This area is for important people."
A notification, sharp and unwelcome, rang in Long Hao's mind.
[Ding! Child of Destiny Long Hao is furious, plundered +6666 destiny value!]
'Damn it! A dog looking down on people!' Long Hao grumbled inwardly, the familiar sting of being underestimated fueling his rage. He forced a smile, attempting to appear friendly.
"Brother security guard," he began, "I really do know an owner inside. The eldest young lady of the Shanghai Xu Family, Xu Ruoshui. You know her, right? I have something extremely important to tell her."
The security guard scoffed, a short, sharp sound of derision. He eyed Long Hao's travel-worn clothes and dusty shoes with open contempt.
"Just you? Why don't you go look in a mirror? Miss Xu is like a celestial being from a painting, a famous beautiful CEO in Shanghai, possessing both immense status and unparalleled beauty. How could someone like you possibly know her? I've seen countless toads like you, all wanting a taste of swan meat, trying to cling to Miss Xu. Scram! Get out of here before I have you removed."
The insult was so direct, so blatant, that Long Hao felt his blood boil. He was so angry he was about to slap the insolent guard and force his way in. He was the future Investment God, a titan who would one day shake the world! How dare a mere gatekeeper stand in his way?
Just as his temper was about to explode, a familiar, sleek black car slowly drove out from inside the villa gates. A Rolls-Royce. Its engine purred with a quiet power that bespoke immense wealth.
The car window was not rolled up.
Peering through the window at the figure in the back seat, Long Hao's eyes widened in disbelief. A name escaped his lips in a shocked gasp.
"Shen Anyu?"
In the spacious back seat of the extended Rolls-Royce sat three figures: one man and two women. The man was as handsome as jade, his features perfect and aristocratic. The women beside him were breathtaking, one exuding a gentle, refined beauty, the other a cool, elegant grace. Both were first-rate beauties of the highest caliber.
Long Hao would never forget that man's face. It was undeniably Shen Anyu, the bastard who had stolen his fiancée, Su Hongmian. And the car… Long Hao had seen this very Rolls-Royce at the Su Family estate, the day Shen Anyu had taken Su Hongmian away. He had never seen such a low-key yet overwhelmingly luxurious vehicle before, and since it belonged to his nemesis, the image was burned into his memory.
'Shen Anyu lives in this villa area too? And he has two other beauties with him? There must be something fishy going on here!'
A wicked, triumphant grin spread across Long Hao's face. 'It seems that arrogant young lady Su Hongmian has been cheated on! If she knew about this, her expression would be absolutely priceless!'
His mind raced. 'No, I have to follow them! I'll take a picture and send it directly to Su Hongmian!'
Just then, the security guard beside him glanced at the departing car and then back at Long Hao, his expression filled with even more disdain. "See that? That's Miss Xu Ruoshui and her sister, Xu Ruoxue. You were clearly lying. You don't know Miss Xu at all, yet you still have the gall to say you wanted to see her?"
Long Hao's expression changed dramatically, the smug amusement on his face freezing and then shattering like glass.
"What? That's Xu Ruoshui and Xu Ruoxue? How are they related to Shen Anyu?"
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