Chapter Eighty-Five

Chapter 85: Turned to Ash in an Instant

After ending the video call with Huang Yuanguang, Yang Luo sat in his office, a calm expression settling over his face.

"Lin Heng..."

He mulled over the name in his mind, gazing at the young man's profile displayed on his computer screen. Gradually, a faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

"Why... must you all keep pushing me?"

Old Zheng had spent many years navigating society's undercurrents. Compared to a few inexperienced girls, his worldly knowledge was vast.

"Alright, I'll show you a real iron head trick. Watch closely—see this table? I'll smash my head right through it!" Mu Hai declared, standing up. She braced herself on the table, ready to strike.

Realizing she truly meant only to bless them, her heart couldn't help but rise and fall, surging like a roller coaster.

Uncovering the mastermind behind the scenes was a simple matter for them. After all, Chen Yuanyuan was no veteran in such affairs, and those she hired were mere amateurs. It only took a couple of inquiries to piece everything together.

Diao Ruofan’s figure was slender and well-proportioned, her skin smooth and pale. In uniform, she exuded a certain allure, but her personality was far too prideful.

In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged over a hundred blows. Outwardly, they appeared evenly matched, but Meng Huaiyu’s robe had already been sliced open in several places by his opponent’s sword. He knew in his heart: this girl’s martial arts were truly formidable. Today, he would likely lose to her, and if that happened, his hard-earned reputation would be ruined in an instant.

Qin Fei didn’t have much—just a few changes of clothes and some textbooks for the next semester. This winter break, he planned to work through them all, so that when the time came, he wouldn’t need to worry.

From this angle, only Yuan Qiyou’s tall, lean silhouette and broad shoulders were visible. Yet even from behind, his poise was so striking it seemed almost unfair to mortals.

Hongxian quickly offered Zhang Sanba a cupped-fist salute, grinning as he said, “Brother Zhang San, please forgive any offense!” With that, he hurried off toward Yuan Jingang, leaving Zhang Sanba fuming as he watched Hongxian’s retreating figure.

Yu Sinan couldn’t wait to enter the hospital room, but upon seeing Yi Fanlu and Bai Shaoqing together in such a warm, intimate scene, she froze as if struck by lightning, stunned beyond words.

Lin Xinxin’s body tensed, especially when Chen Zi’an’s hand rested at her waist. Goosebumps prickled her skin—the close contact made her deeply uncomfortable.

Ye Anan tiptoed inside. Ever since she’d started acting, no matter when she came home, Qin Feng would always instruct the staff to leave the door open for her. Tonight, though the villa was quiet as ever, the door was, as usual, left ajar.

There weren’t many guests at the grand hotel. In the vast parking lot, only a handful of cars were parked, but in the corner, a black Hyundai immediately drew everyone’s attention.

Pang Tong was inwardly opposed; he was unwilling to exchange Sun Quan. To bring Sun Quan back would be to introduce an unstable element into the State of Chu. Even under guard, so long as Sun Quan remained, trouble was bound to arise.

In my memory, a similar scene occurred the year we took Grandma to the nursing home. That day, I carried her on my back while Zhao Mu took the luggage. We were like two clueless youths, our anxieties cast into a distant, uncertain future.

Such high-level terminology left Xiaomei Yan completely bewildered. She glanced at the Soul Gem floating in midair, then at Ying Luo’s earnest expression. Remembering the earlier warning—“One misstep, and Mami will become a fool”—she decided it was best to believe it.

When Lü Zhuo led his troops to Pengcheng, just as expected, not a single soldier stood guard at the gates. All of Zhang Liao’s men had already entered the city.

According to the plan, the hotel would officially open for business after the Spring Festival next year. Its name would be the “Tulip” Theme Hotel, and when tulips were in bloom, the lawns and roadsides would be lined with every variety. That was its unique feature—the one I had bestowed.